Marilyn Brown

Marilyn Brown

Marilyn Brown

Regents' Professor
Brook Byers Professor

Marilyn Brown is a Regents' and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems in the School of Public Policy. She joined Georgia Tech in 2006 after a distinguished career at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where she led several national climate change mitigation studies and became a leader in the analysis and interpretation of energy futures in the United States. 

Her research focuses on the design and impact of policies aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of sustainable energy technologies, with an emphasis on the electric utility industry, the integration of energy efficiency, demand response, and solar resources, and ways of improving resiliency to disruptions. Her books include Fact and Fiction in Global Energy Policy (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016), Green Savings: How Policies and Markets Drive Energy Efficiency (Praeger, 2015), and Climate Change and Global Energy Security (MIT Press, 2011). She has authored more than 250 publications. Her work has had significant visibility in the policy arena as evidenced by her numerous briefings and testimonies before state legislative bodies and Committees of both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

Dr. Brown co-founded the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance and chaired its Board of Directors for several years. She has served on the Boards of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and the Alliance to Save Energy, and was a commissioner with the Bipartisan Policy Center. She has served on eight National Academies committees and is an Editor of Energy Policy and an Editorial Board member of Energy Efficiency and Energy Research and Social Science. She served two terms (2010-2017) as a Presidential appointee and regulator on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation’s largest public power provider. From 2014-2018 she served on DOE’s Electricity Advisory Committee, where she led the Smart Grid Subcommittee.

marilyn.brown@pubpolicy.gatech.edu

(404) 385-0303

Website

Google Scholar

Research Focus Areas:
  • Biobased Materials
  • Biochemicals
  • Biorefining
  • Biotechnology
  • Energy & Water
  • Energy Generation, Storage, and Distribution
  • Energy Utilization and Conservation
  • Hydrogen Equity
  • Materials for Energy
  • Policy & Economics
  • Pulp Paper Packaging & Tissue
  • Social & Environmental Impacts
  • Sustainable Manufacturing
  • Use & Conservation
Additional Research:
Hydrogen Equity; ClIMaTe/Environment; Electrical Grid; Policy/Economics; Energy & Water

IRI Connections:

Stephen Balakirsky

Stephen Balakirsky

Stephen Balakirsky

Regents' Researcher; Georgia Tech Research Institute
Director of Technical Initiatives; IBB
Chief Scientist | Aerospace, Transportation & Advanced Systems Laboratory (ATAS); GTRI

Stephen Balakirsky is the Chief Scientist for the Aerospace, Transportation & Advanced Systems Laboratory at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), and the Director of Technical Initiatives at the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB) at Georgia Tech.

Balakirsky’s research interests include robotic architectures, planning, bio-automation, robotic standards, and autonomous systems testing. His work in knowledge driven robotics couples real-time sensors and knowledge repositories to allow for flexibility and agility in robotic systems ranging from assembly and manufacturing systems to surveillance and logistics systems. The framework promotes software reuse and the ability to detect and correct for execution errors.

Previously, Balakirsky worked as a project manager at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and was a senior research engineer at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL). At ARL, Balakirsky performed mobile robotics research in several areas, including command and control, mapping, human-computer interfaces, target tracking, vision processing and tele-operated control.

stephen.balakirsky@gtri.gatech.edu

404.407.8547

Office Location:
Food Processing Technology Building, 640 Strong St, Atlanta, GA 30318

Google Scholar

Research Focus Areas:
  • Collaborative Robotics
Additional Research:

Robotics; Planning; Knowledge Representation; Ontologies


IRI Connections:

Srinivas Aluru

Srinivas Aluru

Srinivas Aluru

Sr. Assoc. Dean, College of Computing
Professor, College of Computing
Co-Lead PI, NSF South Big Data Regional Innovation Hub

Srinivas Aluru is executive director of the Institute for Data Engineering and Science (IDEaS) and professor in the School of Computational Science and Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. He co-leads the NSF South Big Data Regional Innovation Hub which nurtures big data partnerships between organizations in the 16 Southern States and Washington D.C., and the NSF Transdisciplinary Research Institute for Advancing Data Science. Aluru conducts research in high performance computing, large-scale data analysis, bioinformatics and systems biology, combinatorial scientific computing, and applied algorithms. An early pioneer in big data, Aluru led one of the eight inaugural mid-scale NSF-NIH Big Data projects awarded in the first round of federal big data investments in 2012. He has contributed to NITRD and OSTP led white house workshops, and NSF and DOE led efforts to create and nurture research in big data and exascale computing. He is a recipient of the NSF Career award, IBM faculty award, Swarnajayanti Fellowship from the Government of India, the John. V. Atanasoff Discovery Award from Iowa State University, and the Outstanding Senior Faculty Research Award, Dean's award for faculty excellence, and the Outstanding Research Program Development Award at Georgia Tech. He is a Fellow of AAAS, IEEE, and SIAM, and is a recipient of the IEEE Computer Society Golden Core and Meritorious Service awards.

aluru@cc.gatech.edu

404.385.1486

Website

Google Scholar

Research Focus Areas:
  • Big Data
  • Computational Materials Science
  • Machine Learning
Additional Research:

Bioinformatics; High Performance Computing; Systems Biology; Combinatorial Scientific Computing; Applied Algorithms


IRI Connections:

Robert Butera

Robert Butera

Robert Butera

Chief Research Operations Officer
Professor

rbutera@gatech.edu

404-894-2935

Office Location:
UAW 3111

Website

  • Related Site
  • Google Scholar

    Research Focus Areas:
    • Neuroscience
    Additional Research:

    Neuromodulation of peripheral nerve activity real-time control methods applied to electrophysiology measurements Autonomic modulation of visceral organs. Our laboratory combines engineering and neuroscience to tackle real-world problems. We utilize techniques including intracellular and extracellular electrophysiology, computational modeling, and real-time computing.


    IRI Connections:

    Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb

    Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb

    Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb

    Harris Saunders, Jr. Chair and Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering

    Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb joined Georgia Tech in summer 2007 as an assistant professor at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. Prior to this, she was a senior engineer in the materials and device R&D group of MEMS Research and Innovation Center at QUALCOMM MEMS Technologies, Inc. Her work included characterization and optimization of optical and electric response of IMOD displays and research on novel materials for improved processing and reliability of IMOD. Bassiri-Gharb's research interests are in smart and energy-related materials (e.g. ferroelectric and multiferroic materials) and their application to nano- and micro-electromechanical systems. Her research projects integrate novel micro and nanofabrication techniques and processes and study of the fundamental science of these materials at the nanoscale, at the interface of physical and electrochemical phenomena.

    nazanin.bassirigharb@me.gatech.edu

    404.385.0667

    Office Location:
    Love 315

    ME Profile Page

  • SmartLab
  • Google Scholar

    Research Focus Areas:
    • Micro and Nano Device Engineering
    • Miniaturization & Integration
    • Nanomaterials
    Additional Research:

    Ferroelectronic Materials; Functional Materials; In-Situ Characterization; Piezoelectronic Materials; Multiscale Modeling; Organic Electronics


    IRI Connections:

    Yongsheng Chen

    Yongsheng Chen

    Yongsheng Chen

    Bonnie W. and Charles W. Moorman IV Professor

    Dr. Chen has an extensive research interests in environmental science and engineering. More specifically, he is a leading researcher in the environmental applications of nanomaterials and their potential fate, transport, transformation, bioaccumulation and toxicity in the environment. His interests in environmental nanomaterials dated back in his graduate research in 1992. He has also been active on algae based bio-renewable energy and sustainable urban development. Dr. Chen has been principle and co-principal investigators for 28 research projects (by June 2010) funded by the National Science Foundation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, Boeing and other organizations. The total funds are $7 million. He has also served as a review member or panel review member in the U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy evaluation committee. He has also been invited to serve as an abroad review expert for the China Changjiang Scholars Program (which is to awarded to the top researchers in China). He has published more than 40 papers and two book chapters in this field.

    Dr. Chen received his Ph.D in Nankai University, China. He joined the Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering in May 2009. Till then, he was an Associate Professor Research at the Arizona State University.

    yongsheng.chen@ce.gatech.edu

    (404) 894-3089

    Office Location:
    Daniel Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Room 206

    Website

  • Civil Engineering Profile
  • University, College, and School/Department
    Research Focus Areas:
    • Clean Water
    • FEWS
    • Fuels & Chemical Processing
    • Hydrogen Production
    Additional Research:

    Biofuels; Separations Technology; Water


    IRI Connections:

    Feryal Özel

    Feryal Özel

    Feryal Özel

    Chair; School of Physics
    Professor

    Feryal Ozel is the Chair and Professor in the School of Physics at Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research in astrophysics focuses on theoretical and computational studies of the properties, formation, and environments of black holes and neutron stars. She developed new techniques to determine the properties of neutron star surfaces and interiors. She made predictions of black hole images that guided the development of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) and helped constrain physics beyond General Relativity.

     

    Ozel is a founding member of the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration, a former member of the EHT Science Council and lead of the Modeling Working Group. In 2022, she led the announcement of the first image of the black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy. She was co-chair of NASA’s Next Generation Large Mission Concept Study for the Lynx X-ray Observatory and has served for three years as chair of NASA’s Astrophysics Advisory Committee. Prior to joining Georgia Tech, she was a Professor of Astronomy and Physics and the Associate Dean for Research at the University of Arizona

    feryal.ozel@gatech.edu

    Özel Group WEbsite

    Google Scholar

    University, College, and School/Department
    Additional Research:
    Astrophysics Cosmology

    IRI Connections:

    Alexandria Smith

    Alexandria Smith

    Alexandria Smith

    Assistant Professor

    Alexandria Smith is currently an Assistant Professor of Music at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego, and holds an M.M. and B.M. from Mannes the New School for Music.

    Alexandria specializes in recording/mixing/mastering music that mixes different genres and experimental music. Her work has been referred to by Downbeat as “splendidly engineered.” Alexandria’s recent project as tracking/mix/mastering engineer and co-producer of Grammy-nominated bassist Mark Dresser’s Tines of Change was favorably reviewed by Downbeat, the Wire Magazine, San Diego Union Tribune, Percorsi Musical, All About Jazz, jazz-fun.de-Magazin für Jazz Musik, and more and was rated as one of the ‘Best Solo Albums of the Year’ by bestofjazz.org and best of 2023 by Downbeat. She has worked on recordings by Basher, Filera (Carmina Escobar, Natalia Pérez Turner, and Wilfrido Terrazas), Alvin Lucier, Rand Steiger, Treesearch, TJ Borden, Judith Hamann, and more. Her audio engineering work can be heard on labels such as Pyroclastic Records, Infrequent Seams, Black Truffle, New Focus Recordings, 577 Records, 1980 Records, and Blank Forms.

    alexandria.smith@gatech.edu

    Office Location:
    Couch 209C

    Personal Website

  • School of Music Profile Page
  • University, College, and School/Department
    Additional Research:
    Audio Engineering (tracking/mixing/mastering/producing)Feminist Science and Technology Studies (FSTS)Interactive MediaInterdisciplinary researchLiterary and Cultural StudiesMusic CompositionMusic Performance

    IRI Connections:

    Abigale Stangl

    Abigale Stangl

    Abigale Stangle

    Dr. Abigale Stangl is a design researcher specializing in the development of systems that promote inclusive design practices and enhance the accessibility of products and information. With expertise in human-centered design, human-computer interaction, accessibility, and sensory AI, her interdisciplinary research encompasses universal design principles and prioritizes disability-first innovation. Abigale's current research goals focus on expanding tactile media availability through in-depth investigations of tactile design practices, interaction techniques, and the optimization of multimodal and multisensory systems. She actively collaborates with individuals with disabilities, ensuring their perspectives and needs drive innovation. Abigale also cultivates students' abilities as allies and co-designers, fostering an inclusive design community that embraces diverse perspectives.

    abigale.stangl@design.gatech.edu

    Personal Website

  • School of Industrial Design Profile Page
  • Google Scholar

    University, College, and School/Department
    Research Focus Areas:
    • Collaborative Robotics
    • Privacy Engineering
    Additional Research:

    AccessibilityCreativity Computer visionInclusive Design


    IRI Connections:

    Cassie Mitchell

    Cassie Mitchell

    Cassie Mitchell

    Assistant Professor

    Dr. Cassie S. Mitchell is a research engineer, elite athlete, and mentor. She is a current member of the USA Paralympic team and research faculty in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University. At age 18 Cassie was afflicted with Devics Neuromyelitis Optica, leaving her as a quadriplegic and with visual impairments. Her faith and philosophy on life has helped her to overcome the resulting challenges. She graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Oklahoma State University and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from GT/Emory. She enjoys mentoring high school and college students as well as new spinal cord injury patients at Shepherd Center Brain and Spinal Cord Rehabilitiation Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia.

    cassie.mitchell@bme.gatech.edu

    Office Location:
    UAW 3106

    Lab Website

  • Personal Website
  • Google Scholar

    Research Focus Areas:
    • Neuroscience
    Additional Research:
    Cassie Mitchell's research goal centers around expediting clinical translation from bench to bedside using data-enabled prediction. Akin to data-based models used to forecast weather, Cassie's research integrates disparate, multi-scalar experimental and clinical data sets to dynamically forecast disease. Cassie is the principal investigator of the Laboratory for Pathology Dynamics, which uses a combination of computational, analytical, and informatics-based techniques to identify complex disease etiology, predict new therapeutics, and optimize current interventions. Cassie's research has predominantly targeted neuropathology, but her research applications in predictive medicine expand across all clinical specialties.

    IRI Connections: