Nancey Green Leigh

Nancey Green Leigh

Nancey Green Leigh

Professor; School of City & Regional Planning
Associate Dean for Research; College of Design

Nancey Green Leigh is a Professor in the School of City and Regional Planning and adviser for the economic development planning, working with masters and doctoral students. Maintaining an active research program, Leigh is currently leading a project entitled "Workers, Firms and Industries in Robotic Regions," funded by the National Science Foundation's Robotics Initiative. She previously led a large scale research effort by three universities focused on sustainable industrial systems for urban regions. Both of these efforts as well as other funded research (brownfields, urban land and manufacturing, resilient infrastructure) contribute to Leigh's long term focus on advancing sustainable development for local and regional economies. As Associate Dean for Research, Leigh is focused on strengthening the research impact of the College of Design. She develops and administers competitive initiatives to support individual and collaborative research by college faculty and affiliated researchers. She oversees the college's seven major research units. She also is engaged in building research connections within Georgia Tech between the College of Design, other colleges and Interdisciplinary Research Institutes, as well as to external funders and collaborators in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Leigh has published more than 60 articles and four books, Routledge Handbook of International Planning Education (2019 with S.P. French, S. Guhathakurta, and B. Stiftel), Planning Local Economic Development, 6th edition (2017 with E.J. Blakely) adopted for courses in a wide array of universities; Economic Revitalization: Cases and Strategies for City and Suburb (2002 with J. Fitzgerald); and Stemming Middle Class Decline: The Challenge to Economic Development Planning (1994). She was co-editor of the Journal of Planning Education and Research from 2012 to 2016, and was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners in 2008.

ngleigh@design.gatech.edu

404.894.9839

Office Location:
Architecture-East Building, 209

Website

Google Scholar

University, College, and School/Department
Research Focus Areas:
  • Collaborative Robotics
  • Policy & Economics
  • Use & Conservation
Additional Research:

economic development; robots & AI impact on workers; firms & regions; City and Regional Planning; System Design & Optimization; Design Sciences


IRI Connections:

Ellen Yi Chen Mazumdar

Ellen Yi  Chen Mazumdar

Ellen Mazumdar

Assistant Professor; School of Mechanical Engineering
Director; The Sensing Technologies Lab

Dr. Mazumdar started at the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech in January of 2019 and currently has a courtesy appointment with the Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering. She graduated with her Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed a postdoctoral appointment at Sandia National Laboratories in the Diagnostic Science and Engineering group. Her research interests include the design of new diagnostic techniques and sensor systems for studying combustion, multiphase flows, hypersonic flows, and energetic materials. Her group utilizes new composite sensing materials, optical diagnostics, magnetostatics, and system identification methods to study these complex physical phenomena.

ychen3161@gatech.edu

404.894.3242

Office Location:
Love 229

Sensing Technologies Laboratory Website

Research Focus Areas:
  • Autonomy
  • Combustion
  • Energy Storage
  • Thermal Systems
Additional Research:

new sensor systems diagnostic techniques; robotic; biomedical; hypersonics


IRI Connections:

Zsolt Kira

Zsolt Kira

Zsolt Kira

Assistant Professor; School of Interactive Computing
Research Faculty; Georgia Tech Research Institute
Associate Director; Machine Learning @ GT
Director; RobotIcs Perception and Learning (RIPL) Lab

I am an Assistant Professor at the School of Interactive Computing in the College of Computing. I am also affiliated with the Georgia Tech Research Institute and serve as an Associate Director of ML@GT which is the machine learning center recently created at Georgia Tech. Previously I was a Research Scientist at SRI International Sarnoff in Princeton, and before that received my Ph.D. in 2010 with Professor Ron Arkin as my advisor. I lead the RobotIcs Perception and Learning (RIPL) lab. My areas of research specifically focus on the intersection of learning methods for sensor processing and robotics, developing novel machine learning algorithms and formulations towards solving some of the more difficult perception problems in these areas. I am especially interested in moving beyond supervised learning (un/semi/self-supervised and continual/lifelong learning) as well as distributed perception (multi-modal fusion, learning to incorporate information across a group of robots, etc.).

zkira@gatech.edu

Office Location:
CODA room S1181B

Robotics Perception & Learning Lab

Google Scholar

Research Focus Areas:
  • Autonomy
Additional Research:
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Machine Learning
  • Perception
  • Robotics

IRI Connections:

Irfan Essa

Irfan Essa

Irfan Essa

Senior Associate Dean; College of Computing
Professor; School of Interactive Computing

Irfan Essa is a Professor in the School of Interactive Computing and Senior Associate Dean in the College of Computing (CoC), at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Professor Essa works in the areas of Computer Vision, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotics, Computer Graphics, and Social Computing, with potential impact on Content Creation, Analysis and Production (e.g., Computational Photography & Video, Image-based Modeling and Rendering, etc.) Human Computer Interaction, Artificial Intelligence, Computational Behavioral/Social Sciences, and Computational Journalism research.He has published over 150 scholarly articles in leading journals and conference venues on these topics and several of his papers have also won best paper awards. He has been awarded the National Science Foundation CAREER Award and was elected an IEEE Fellow. He has held extended research consulting positions with Disney Research and Google Research and also was an Adjunct Faculty Member at Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute. He joined Georgia Tech in 1996 after his earning his Master's (1990), Ph.D. (1994), and holding a research faculty position at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab (1988-1996).

irfan@cc.gatech.edu

404.894.6856

Website

Research Focus Areas:
  • AI
  • Machine Learning
  • Robotics
Additional Research:

Healthcare Security; Machine Learning; Mobile & Wireless Communications; Computer Vision and Robotics; Computer Graphics and Animation; Computational Photography and Video; Intelligent and Aware Environments; Digital Special Effects; Computational Journalism; Social Computing


IRI Connections:

Gil Weinberg

Gil Weinberg

Gil Weinberg

Professor; School of Music
Coordinator | M.S. & Ph.D. Programs; School of Music
Director; Center for Music Technology

Gil Weinberg is a professor and the founding director of Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology, where he leads the Robotic Musicianship group. His research focuses on developing artificial creativity and musical expression for robots and augmented humans. Among his projects are a marimba playing robotic musician called Shimon that uses machine learning for Jazz improvisation, and a prosthetic robotic arm for amputees that restores and enhances human drumming abilities. Weinberg presented his work worldwide in venues such as The Kennedy Center, The World Economic Forum, Ars Electronica, Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt Museum, SIGGRAPH, TED-Ed, DLD and others. His music was performed with Orchestras such as Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, the National Irish Symphony Orchestra, and the Scottish BBC Symphony while his research has been disseminated through numerous journal articles and patents. Dr. Weinberg received his MS and Ph.D. degrees in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT and his BA from the interdisciplinary program for fostering excellence in Tel Aviv University.

gilw@gatech.edu

404.894.8939

School of Music Profile Page

  • Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology
  • Google Scholar

    University, College, and School/Department
    Research Focus Areas:
    • Human Augmentation
    • Shaping the Human-Technology Frontier
    Additional Research:

    Music Technology; Computer Music; Robotics; Developing Artificial Creativity and Musical Expression for Robots and Augmented Humans


    IRI Connections:

    James Rehg

    James Rehg

    James Rehg

    Adjunct Professor; School of Interactive Computing

    Dr. Rehg's research interests include computer vision, computer graphics, machine learning, robotics, and distributed computing. He co-directs the Computational Perception Laboratory (CPL) and is affiliated with the GVU Center, Aware Home Research Institute, and the Center for Experimental Research in Computer Science. In past years he has taught "Computer Vision" (CS 4495/7495) and "Introduction to Probabilistic Graphical Models" (CS 8803). He is currently teaching "Pattern Recognition" (CS 4803) and "Computer Graphics" (CS 4451). Dr. Rehg received the 2005 Raytheon Faculty Fellowship Award from the College of Computing. His paper with Ph.D. student Yushi Jing and collaborator Vladimir Pavlovic was the recipient of a Distinguished Student Paper Award at the 2005 International Conference on Machine Learning. Dr. Rehg currently serves on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Computer Vision. He was the Short Courses Chair for the International Conference on Computer Vision (ICCV) in 2005 and the Workshops Chair for ICCV 2003. Dr. Rehg consults for several companies and has served as an expert witness. His research is funded by the NSF, DARPA, Intel Research, Microsoft Research, and the Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories.

    Note: Rehg recently moved to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as the Founder Professor of Computer Science and Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering.

    james.rehg@cc.gatech.edu

    404.894.9105

    Office Location:
    TSRB 221A

    Rehg Lab

  • College of Computing Profile
  • Center for Health Analytics and Informatics (CHAI)
  • Google Scholar

    Research Focus Areas:
    • Autonomy
    • Shaping the Human-Technology Frontier
    Additional Research:

    Computer Vision; Computer Graphics; Machine Learning; Robotics; and Distributed Computing


    IRI Connections:

    Koki Ho

    Koki Ho

    Koki Ho

    Dutton-Ducoffe Professor
    Associate Professor

    Dr. Koki Ho is the Dutton-Ducoffe Professor, an Associate Professor, and the director of the Space Systems Optimization Group in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech. His research focuses on developing modeling and optimization methods for rigorous space mission analysis and design. Some of his specific research interests include (1) network modeling for campaign-level space mission design; (2) optimization and probabilistic modeling for in-space logistics infrastructure design and operations; (3) design, deployment, and maintenance of mega-scale satellite constellations; and (4) sensor management for space domain awareness. His unique research connecting logistics-based modeling, optimization, systems engineering, and space applications has provided a substantial impact on modern and future space missions that involve multiple missions, multiple vehicles, and reusable infrastructure elements. Dr. Ho earned his Ph.D. at MIT and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Tokyo. He is the recipient of the NSF CAREER Award (2020), the NASA Early Career Faculty Award (2019), the DARPA Young Faculty Award (2019), and the Luigi Napolitano Award (2015), and he is a co-author of one of the most downloaded Acta Astronautica articles. Dr. Ho served as the Chair of the AIAA Space Logistics Technical Committee in 2017-2024 and currently serves on the Steering Committee for the NASA-funded Consortium for Space Mobility and In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing Capabilities (COSMIC).

    kokiho@gatech.edu

    404.894.3078

    Office Location:
    CODA E1052B

    Lab Website

    Google Scholar

    Additional Research:
    • Space Logistics 
    • Space Systems
    • Systems Design & Optimization

    IRI Connections:
    IRI And Role

    Matthew Gombolay

    Matthew Gombolay

    Matthew Gombolay

    Anne & Alan Taetle Assistant Professor; School of Interactive Computing

    Dr. Matthew Gombolay is the Anne and Alan Taetle Assistant Professor of Interactive Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Johns Hopkins University in 2011, a S.M. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT in 2013, and a Ph.D. in Autonomous Systems from MIT in 2017. Gombolay's research interests span robotics, AI/ML, human-robot interaction, and operations research. Between defending his dissertation and joining the faculty at Georgia Tech, Gombolay served as a technical staff member at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory transitioning his research for the U.S. Navy, earning him an R&D 100 Award for his development of "Human-Machine Collaborative Optimization via Apprenticeship Scheduling" (COVAS). His publication record includes a best paper award from American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics, and he was selected as a DARPA Riser in 2018. Dr. Gombolay's research has been highlighted in media outlets such as CNN, PBS, NBC, CBS, Harvard Business Review, Gizmodo, and national public radio

    matthew.gombolay@cc.gatech.edu

    IC Page

    Google Scholar

    Research Focus Areas:
    • Collaborative Robotics
    • Shaping the Human-Technology Frontier
    Additional Research:

    Robotics; Artificial Intelligence; Machine Learning; Human-Robot Interaction


    IRI Connections:

    Yongxin Chen

    Yongxin  Chen

    Yongxin Chen

    Assistant Professor; School of Aerospace Engineering

    Yongxin Chen was born in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China. He received his BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong university, China, in 2011, and a Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering, under the supervision of Tryphon Georgiou, from University of Minnesota in 2016. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. Before joining Georgia Tech, he had a one-year Research Fellowship in the Department of Medical Physics at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center with Allen Tannenbaum from 2016.8 to 2017.8 and was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State University from 2017.8 to 2018.8. He received the George S. Axelby Best Paper Award (IEEE Transaction on Automatic Control) in 2017 for his joint work "Optimal steering of a linear stochastic system to a final probability distribution, Part I" with Tryphon Georgiou and Michele Pavon.

    yongchen@gatech.edu

    404.894.2765

    Office Location:
    Guggenheim 448B

    Personal Page

    Google Scholar

    Research Focus Areas:
    • Autonomy
    Additional Research:

    control theory; optimal mass transport; machine learning; robotics; optimization


    IRI Connections:
    IRI And Role

    Anthony Yezzi

    Anthony Yezzi

    Anthony Yezzi

    Julian T. Hightower Chair; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
    Professor; School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

    Professor Yezzi was born in Gainsville, Florida and grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He obtained both his Bachelor's degree and his Ph.D. in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Minnesota with minors in mathematics and music. After completing his Ph.D., he continued his research as a post-Doctoral Research Associate at the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, MA. His research interests fall broadly within the fields of image processing and computer vision. In particular he is interested in curve and surface evolution theory and partial differential equation techniques as they apply to topics within these fields (such as segmentation, image smoothing and enhancement, optical flow, stereo disparity, shape from shading, object recognition, and visual tracking). Much of Dr. Yezzi's work is particularly tailored to problems in medical imaging, including cardiac ultrasound, MRI, and CT. He joined the Georgia Tech faculty in the fall of 1999 where he has taught courses in DSP and is working to develop advanced courses in computer vision and medical image processing. Professor Yezzi consults with industry in the areas of visual inspection and medical imaging. His hobbies include classical guitar, opera, and martial arts.

    anthony.yezzi@ece.gatech.edu

    404.385.1017

    Office Location:
    TSRB 427

    Lab of Computational Computer Vision

    Google Scholar

    Research Focus Areas:
    • Autonomy
    Additional Research:

    Computer Vision; Image Processing; Shape Optimization; Geometric PDE's


    IRI Connections:
    IRI And Role