In the world of strategic decision-making—whether in Supply Chain Management and Engineering or in policy—we tend to focus our energy on the immediate problem in front of us. That makes sense. Big decisions like acquisitions, divestitures, or product innovations are complex enough without adding more layers. But in my experience—especially during my time at Coca-Cola and across broader industry engagements—what often gets left out of the room are the second-order effects. These are the unintended consequences that don’t show up in the PowerPoint deck, but show up months or years later on your P&L, in your customer feedback, or in your team’s stress levels.

Some of these outcomes are manageable. Others are problematic. Occasionally, they’re game-changing—but not in the way we hoped.

The Core Challenge: Complexity Crowds Out Curiosity

In my time in industry, I’ve seen high-stakes decisions unfold under tight timelines. The rigor is there: financial models, market analysis, legal due diligence. But the same pressure that brings focus often narrows the field of vision. Once the strategic goal is clear, the push becomes “get the recommendation ready” or “get the deal done.” Often, the team disbands before the ripple effects have even begun to appear.

In fact, studies of managerial behavior find that decision-makers often prioritize short-term outcomes over long-term implications, making it easy to overlook those downstream impacts.

We rarely paused to ask:

• What happens to our partners, our systems, or our people two or three steps down the line?
• Are we shifting bottlenecks or creating future misalignments?
• Could this solution lock us into a path that becomes hard to reverse?
• Will we be happy with this decision in 5 years?

Not asking these questions isn’t negligence. It’s often a result of how we structure decision processes: focused, time-bound, and oriented toward closure.

When Good Decisions Still Cause Trouble

Let's make this real. I've seen:

• Procurement strategies that focused on driving down cost but over time forced suppliers to reduce investment in quality and continuous improvement resources—eventually leading to a significant quality issue for a key customer.
• Multiple outsourcing efforts that reduced future capital requirements but also reduced flexibility in scheduling and responsiveness to rapid demand shifts or new product innovation.
• Plant closures that optimized total network cost on paper but not in reality, because the remaining plants were not actually equipped to take on more volume and increased complexity.
• A new warehouse management system implementation that promised efficiency gains but created chaos in distribution—not because the software was flawed, but due to unforeseen complexities during implementation.

In each of these, the first-order decision was sound. But the downstream effects caught teams off guard, requiring backtracking, remediation, and even reputational repair.

Even recently, retailers trying to fix 2021 product shortages by ordering more stock found themselves “overwhelmed with inventory” in 2022 when demand eased—a textbook second-order surprise. Likewise, logistics executives admitted they “didn’t anticipate” that 2020’s e-commerce boom would spark a warehouse labor crunch—a side effect that underscores how easily ripple effects can catch us off guard.

Why This Matters—and Why It's Often Skipped

Let’s be honest. Most leaders are moving fast. The idea of adding more process—or imagining abstract future problems—can feel like a luxury. Typical objections sound like:

• "We don't have time for hypotheticals."
• "That's someone else's job—let's just move."
• "We'll deal with it if it becomes a problem."

But here’s the catch: in a complex system like a global supply chain or a tightly coupled stakeholder network, second-order effects are not edge cases—they're part of the landscape.

In fact, recent research in supply chain management finds that such second-order effects are likely ubiquitous and must be anticipated rather than ignored. Ignoring them doesn’t make them go away. It just delays the pain—and multiplies the cost.

Where This Applies in Supply Chain

These second-order thinking practices are especially useful in supply chain decisions where complexity and interdependencies are high. Think about:

• Network redesigns or footprint consolidation
• Sourcing shifts or dual sourcing strategies
• Technology implementations like a new TMS or WMS
• Inventory policy changes that affect fulfillment, customer service, or working capital
• Sustainability initiatives that touch suppliers, packaging, and compliance

Each of these decisions may seem straightforward at first glance, but often carry ripple effects that only surface months later—making this kind of foresight not just useful, but essential.

A Pragmatic Playbook: Small Steps, Big Impact

To embed this thinking into your organization’s DNA, you don’t need to launch a task force. You need lightweight, repeatable tools that shift how teams think. Here are a few that punch above their weight:

✅ Pre-Mortem Workshop

• Time: 60–90 minutes
• What It Is: Imagine the decision failed spectacularly. Ask: what went wrong?
• Value: Surfaces hidden risks early and creates a safe space for dissent.

"This is an insurance policy, not red tape.”


✅ Ripple Mapping

• Time: 1–2 hours
• What It Is: Visually chart the impact of a decision across systems, partners, and people.
• Value: Turns abstract consequences into visible risks and opportunities.

"Helps teams see around corners—and ask better questions.”


✅ Mini FMEA (Failure Modes and Effects Analysis)

• Time: 60 minutes
• What It Is: Identify how key decision elements could fail and what to do about it.
• Value: Helps prioritize monitoring and mitigation during rollout.

"Adapt it from engineering—it works just as well for strategic moves.”


✅ Early Warning Indicators

• Time: Minimal setup, integrated into standard dashboards
• What It Is: Define and track metrics tied to second-order risks (e.g., employee attrition, service delays).
• Value: Helps you course-correct before small issues become systemic.

"It's not just about making the right decision—but making the decision work.” 

Culture Shift: From Transaction to Trajectory

The real unlock comes when we shift the definition of a successful decision. It’s not just about getting a green light. It’s about ensuring the decision holds up over time—operationally, culturally, and reputationally.

To institutionalize this mindset:

• Add a "second-order checkpoint" to strategic review decks or governance templates
• Ask for a "consequence map" alongside the business case
• Celebrate teams who surface risks early, not just those who execute quickly
• Conduct post-mortems (not just pre-mortems) to harvest lessons

"Strategic foresight is not about predicting everything. It's about avoiding the predictable surprises.”
 

Backed by Big Thinkers

This isn't just operational wisdom—it's grounded in thoughtful literature:

• Peter Senge, in The Fifth Discipline, emphasizes how organizations struggle when they fail to see the system-wide consequences of localized actions.
• Nassim Nicholas Taleb, in Antifragile, argues that systems become more vulnerable when decisions are made without consideration for stress-testing and adaptive feedback loops.
• Cass Sunstein, writing on regulatory and policy decision-making, promotes the idea of "decision hygiene”—a systematic process to reduce bias and surface risk.
• Atul Gawande, in his book Better and in his commencement address at Stanford, shared how the habit of asking "just one more question" often uncovered crucial, overlooked insights—just like the disheveled detective Columbo. That final question, the one nobody else asks, frequently makes the difference between surface-level understanding and meaningful action.

Sometimes the last question is the best one. The more complex our systems become, the more important it is to keep asking until we find what we didn’t know we were missing.

Closing Thought: Be the Person Who Asks One More Question

As supply chains become more interconnected and policy environments more volatile, decision quality will increasingly depend on ripple-awareness. You don’t need perfect foresight. But you do need a culture that pauses—briefly—to ask: what might happen next?

Those few extra minutes may be the difference between a great decision—and a regrettable one.

Micro-brain sensors placed between hair strands overcome traditional brain sensor limitations.

Georgia Tech researchers have developed an almost imperceptible microstructure brain sensor to be inserted into the minuscule spaces between hair follicles and slightly under the skin. The sensor offers high-fidelity signals and makes the continuous use of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) in everyday life possible.

BCIs create a direct communication pathway between the brain's electrical activity and external devices such as electroencephalography devices, computers, robotic limbs, and other brain monitoring devices. Brain signals are commonly captured non-invasively with electrodes mounted on the surface of the human scalp using conductive electrode gel for optimum impedance and data quality. More invasive signal capture methods such as brain implants are possible, but this research seeks to create sensors that are both easily placed and reliably manufactured. 

Hong Yeo, the Harris Saunders Jr. Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, combined the latest microneedle technology with his deep expertise in wearable sensor technology that may allow stable brain signal detection over long periods and easy insertion of a new painless, wearable microneedle BCI wireless sensor that fits between hair follicles. The skin placement and extremely small size of this new wireless brain interface could offer a variety of benefits over traditional gel or dry electrodes.

“I started this research because my main goal is to develop new sensor technology to support healthcare and I had previous experience with brain-computer interfaces and flexible scalp electronics,” said Yeo, who is also a faculty member in Georgia Tech’s Institute for People and Technology. “I knew we needed better BCI sensor technology and discovered that if we can slightly penetrate the skin and avoid hair by miniaturizing the sensor, we can dramatically increase the signal quality by getting closer to the source of the signals and reduce unwanted noise.”

Today’s BCI systems consist of bulky electronics and rigid sensors that prevent the interfaces from being useful while the user is in motion during regular activities. Yeo and colleagues constructed a micro-scale sensor for neural signal capture that can be easily worn during daily activities, unlocking new potential for BCI devices. His technology uses conductive polymer microneedles to capture electrical signals and conveys those signals along flexible polyimide/copper wires — all of which are packaged in a space of less than 1  millimeter.

A study of six people using the device to control an augmented reality (AR) video call found that high-fidelity neural signal capture persisted for up to 12 hours with very low electrical resistance at the contact between skin and sensor. Participants could stand, walk, and run for most of the daytime hours while the brain-computer interface successfully recorded and classified neural signals indicating which visual stimulus the user focused on with 96.4% accuracy. During the testing, participants could look up phone contacts and initiate and accept AR video calls hands-free as this new micro-sized brain sensor was picking up visual stimuli — all the while giving the user complete freedom of movement.  

According to Yeo, the results suggest that this wearable BCI system may allow for practical and continuous interface activity, potentially leading to everyday use of machine-human integrative technology.

“I firmly believe in the power of collaboration, as many of today’s challenges are too complex for any one individual to solve,” said Yeo. “Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to all the researchers in my group and the amazing collaborators who made this work possible. I will continue collaborating with the team to enhance BCI technology for rehabilitation and prosthetics.”

Note: Hodam Kim (postdoctoral research fellow), Ju Hyeon Kim (visiting Ph.D. student from Inha University – South Korea), and Yoon Jae Lee (Ph.D. student) also played a major role in developing this technology.

Funding: National Science Foundation NRT (Research Traineeship program in the Sustainable Development of Smart Medical Devices), WISH Center (Institute for Matter and Systems), and partial research support from several South Korean programs and grants.

PNAS article publication (April 7, 2025, Vol. 122, No. 15): https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2419304122

Four students from Startup Lab have been selected to join the 2025 immersive cohort at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. Alex Aridgides (mechanical engineering and economics), Shinhai Chen (industrial engineering), Varuni Chopra (industrial engineering), and Christie Peng (computer science) are the first Georgia Tech students to be invited to the program.

The weeklong, all-expenses-paid program offers university-affiliated innovators the chance to refine their innovations, engage in customer discovery, and network with industry leaders and peers at SXSW. The annual festival celebrates technology, film, music, education, and culture. Students participated in a competitive application process, which involved submitting applications, meeting specific evaluation criteria, and being selected by a panel of industry experts, mentors, and SXSW organizers.

Yolanda Payne, the students’ Startup Lab instructor, presented the SXSW opportunity in class.

"My goal is to be their biggest cheerleader,” she explained. “I had great teachers who helped me get to where I am today, and I strive to emulate their support. I’m always willing to guide students toward new opportunities."

She learned about the SXSW immersive cohort from Nakia Melecio, director of the National Science Foundation I-Corps Southeast Hub. The $15 million initiative crosses nine major research universities in the southern U.S. and accelerates the translation of deep tech research into commercial ventures. The hub works closely with entrepreneurial faculty, students, and researchers to equip them with the tools, networks, and support to bring their innovations to market.

Melecio plays a central role in identifying and advancing strategic opportunities for university partners and their entrepreneurial teams. “When the opportunity to participate in SXSW arose, I recognized it as an ideal platform to showcase the talent and innovation coming out of our region.”

Melecio added that Startup Lab is ideal for amplifying NSF I-Corps’ goals because of the course’s proven track record of fostering hands-on learning and commercialization readiness. “Startup Lab helps prepare students not just to think entrepreneurially, but to act on their ideas with confidence and a structured path forward. It was a natural fit for this opportunity.”

Payne says the experience students gained in Startup Lab helped prepare them for the immersive cohort. “The knowledge is being solidified by an experience you’re having in my class and the real world.”

Chopra agrees that Startup Lab teaches essential business development fundamentals and customer discovery principles, skills that are relevant to the SXSW program. She recommends the course to other students and emphasizes the value of combining engineering or technical backgrounds with entrepreneurship skills.

“We take a lot of classes that are directly related to our major, and they're very technical. But when it comes to wanting to start something of your own or even understanding how startups work, it's completely different than the rest of our coursework.”

Startup Lab is a three-credit course that focuses on evidence-based entrepreneurship. This hands-on class covers ideation, teamwork, customer discovery, minimum viable products, the business model canvas, and other topics. Students learn how to launch a startup by integrating in-class lectures with practical, out-of-class activities, including interviewing potential customers and refining their startup ideas based on real-world feedback. 

The program provides access to valuable resources, mentorship from seasoned entrepreneurs, and a supportive community to help students develop their startups. Startup Lab and NSF I-Corps are also exploring other industry showcases for student entrepreneurs like SXSW. 

Chen chose Startup Lab to pursue his entrepreneurial interests. “I knew that Georgia Tech had a really good startup culture, so I researched what they had to offer, and Startup Lab was the first step." He also noted Payne's impact as an instructor. "The best part is how much she cares about the topic. She has a lot of background knowledge and is passionate.”

Startup Lab is unique because it "de-risks the business model,” Payne says. Many entrepreneurs first build their products and then talk to potential customers. However, Startup Lab students perform customer discovery, sharing their ideas with potential end users, listening to their needs and feedback, and then building the product. 

Peng recalls a powerful moment of pitching an idea for an app to streamline MARTA operations. “I had a fun time coming up with this idea. We learned a lot about interviewing, coming up with possible solutions, and refining our idea,” she says. "Being surrounded by so many brilliant individuals at Georgia Tech makes it easy to get idea formation or networking connections you need for your idea to succeed."

Aridgides has ambitious post-program goals, envisioning creating change through entrepreneurship. "I want to start a company to change the world for the better and make a big impact. That's my life goal. I think through a company, I can achieve that."

Payne reminds students that they possess something many adults lack: time to explore different ideas. She also says Startup Lab can help students value and see their ideas in new ways. 

“They don't recognize that the product they're working on could be pursued through entrepreneurship or think of themselves as entrepreneurs. And even if they don't pursue it, it helps them in all aspects of life because business and capitalism are part of what we do every day.”

If you’re a student interested in adding entrepreneurship to your course schedule, registration for the summer and fall semesters opens on April 15. In addition to Startup Lab, students also have the opportunity to build a prototype with support through Idea to Prototype and CREATE-X Capstone Design. 

Annually, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) cause half a million permanent disabilities and 50,000 deaths. Monitoring pressure inside the skull is key to treating TBI and preventing long-lasting complications. Most of these monitoring devices are large and invasive, requiring surgical emplacement. But Georgia Tech researchers have recently created a sensor smaller than a dime. The miniature size offers huge benefits.

Read more »

About Tech AI
Tech AI is Georgia Tech's hub for artificial intelligence research, education, and responsible deployment. With over $120 million in active AI research funding, including more than $60 million in NSF support for five AI Research Institutes, Tech AI drives innovation through cutting-edge research, industry partnerships, and real-world applications. With over 370 papers published at top AI conferences and workshops, Tech AI is a leader in advancing AI-driven engineering, mobility, and enterprise solutions. Through strategic collaborations, Tech AI bridges the gap between AI research and industry, optimizing supply chains, enhancing cybersecurity, advancing autonomous systems, and transforming healthcare and manufacturing. Committed to workforce development, Tech AI provides AI education across all levels, from K-12 outreach to undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as specialized certifications. These initiatives equip students with hands-on experience, industry exposure, and the technical expertise needed to lead in AI-driven industries. Bringing AI to the world through innovation, collaboration, and partnerships. Visit tech.ai.gatech.edu.

Peter Yunker boils down his advice for researchers wanting to commercialize their lab advances. 

“You can’t go it alone,” said Yunker, an associate professor of physics at Georgia Tech. 

In January, Yunker co-founded the biotechnology startup TopoDx LLC, with David Weiss, an Emory University School of Medicine researcher and director of the Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center, and Yogi Patel, a Georgia Tech alumnus with a background in business development and bioengineering. 

“Researchers often think that they have a good commercialization idea to help people, but that alone does not guarantee success,” said Yunker. “Look for partners with complementary skills who understand aspects of the commercialization process that you don’t. Find mentors with business and scientific backgrounds in the specific industry you want to enter.”

TopoDx has developed a microbial test to identify antibiotic resistance and susceptibility rapidly and accurately. Current tests produce a result in three to five days. TopoDx’s approach can gain a result within four hours. Every hour counts in treating serious infections. Delays in accurate treatment can increase antibiotic resistance, which is a global challenge, causing up to 1 million deaths a year. 

The company’s testing method was inspired by a fundamental biophysics project in Yunker’s lab. His team was interested in understanding how bacterial colonies behave. They tested white-light interferometry, a technology that can measure bacterial colonies down to the nanometer level. 

“White-light interferometry allowed us to identify changes in the topography of a colony that indicated larger changes in the volume of cells in the entire colony,” said Yunker. “We thought this might have practical applications.” 

The next step was giving research talks at meetings and looking for collaborators. “I wanted to find someone with expertise on the bacteriology side, and I was very fortunate to meet David Weiss,” Yunker said, noting his proficiency in heteroresistance, a phenomenon where a small subset of a bacterial colony resists an antibiotic. 

“If you have just one antibiotic-resistant cell in a hundred cells, it can cause treatments to fail,” said Yunker. 

The two collaborators hoped to commercialize their technology, identifying heteroresistance in microbial samples. However, they needed guidance in creating a business model. They consulted Harold Solomon, an entrepreneur with Georgia Tech VentureLab and a principal in the Quadrant-i program, a specialized program helping Georgia Tech faculty and students commercialize research.  

Solomon became a key mentor. He guided them away from an ill-advised partnership and instead introduced them to Yogi Patel, who became a co-founder and the company CEO. 

This new collaboration provided the team with an important lesson — one that Yunker passes along to other researchers looking to commercialize their discoveries. “Seek expertise outside your field, be humble about your knowledge limitations, and view collaboration as a strategic partnership,” he says.

When Patel came on board, he conducted extensive interviews with more than 15 clinical professionals.

“You need to interview end users or purchasers of whatever solution you want to build,” said Patel. “Ask them if the problem you think you may have solved is a problem with scale, with a market need.” 

Clinicians, Patel learned, did not see heteroresistance as a significant issue. Instead, the slow pace of antibiotic testing was identified as a major problem. Faster testing could allow clinicians to prescribe targeted drugs more quickly and accurately, reducing unnecessary antibiotic use and the risk of multi-resistant infections. 

With this survey information, Patel asked Yunker and Weiss to rethink how their technology could be commercialized. 

“A company must solve a real-world problem,” said Patel. “I recommended that we switch from heteroresistance to solving slow antibiotic testing. We could keep heteroresistance as something we can still do as a second or third priority.” 

TopoDx’s new technology can measure, with single-nanometer accuracy, how bacterial colonies are responding to antibiotics in real time. This method could revolutionize how antibiotics are tested and prescribed. Testing would be conducted on a countertop device about the size of a large microwave. The co-founders envision the device as eventually being used by urgent care facilities and hospitals. 

“We want to make microbial testing susceptibility accessible anywhere and everywhere,” said Patel.   

Adam Krueger, once a Ph.D. student in Yunker's lab, has continued to refine the technology. Now a post-doctoral researcher, Krueger joined TopoDx in a technical leadership role to expand the technology’s capabilities for microbiological diagnostics.

“We will keep pushing the envelope forward scientifically while we try to commercialize the accomplishments that we have already made,” Yunker said. “We hope that some fundamental studies we are doing now out of scientific curiosity could lead to further commercial applications.”

Georgia Tech faculty members and graduate students, join the Quadrant-i Startup Launch Program to commercialize your research this summer: Over 12 weeks, you'll receive comprehensive support including guidance from experienced mentors, a $10,000 commercialization grant, and $150,000 worth of in-kind services. Showcase your innovation at Demo Day, where you'll have the opportunity to present to over 1,500 attendees, including industry leaders and investors. Apply today! Applications close April 11.

Seven faculty members at the Georgia Institute of Technology have been elected 2024 Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals.

Chaouki Abdallah, Daniel Goldman, Wilbur Lam, Margaret Kosal, Anant Madabhushi, Juan Rogers, and Krista Walton are among the 471 scientists, engineers, and innovators who have been recognized for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements. 

“The AAAS Fellowship is among the highest and most respected honors in the scientific community,” said Tim Lieuwen, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech. “These celebrated Yellow Jackets reflect the exceptional contributions of our faculty and their sustained commitment to Progress and Service. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and excited about the continued impact of their groundbreaking work.”

Election to the AAAS is a lifetime honor, and all fellows are expected to meet commonly held standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity. 

This year’s fellows are now among the more than 100 individuals who have been elected from Georgia Tech throughout the Institute’s history. 

2024 AAAS Fellows: 

• Chaouki Abdallah, professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering currently on leave, serving as president of the Lebanese American University: for distinguished contributions in control, communications, and computing systems, and for leadership in higher education.
• Daniel Goldman, professor in the School of Physics: for distinguished contributions to the field of biological physics and nonlinear dynamics at the interface of biomechanics, robotics, and granular physics.
• Margaret Kosal, associate professor and director of graduate studies in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs: for distinguished contributions in the development of testable frameworks to explore the relationships between science, technology, and security, and to explain their impact on geopolitics.
• Wilbur Lam, professor in the School of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory and co-director of the Pediatric Technology Center: for novel advances in the field of hematologic biophysics, and the development of point-of-care diagnostics that have a global impact.
• Anant Madabhushi, professor in the School of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory: for seminal contributions in the innovation and translation of machine vision, digital pathology, machine learning, and artificial intelligence technologies in medical imaging and their application to problems in precision medicine.
• Juan Rogers, professor and associate chair in the School of Public Policy: for distinguished scholarship in research assessment and for the development of new models and tools for impact assessment of R&D programs.
• Krista Walton, associate vice president for Research Operations and Infrastructure, and professor and Robert “Bud” Moeller Faculty Fellow in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: for distinguished contributions in the design, synthesis, and characterization of functional porous materials for use in adsorption applications.   

To learn more about the newest AAAS Fellows, please see individual announcements from the College of Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. 

AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society. The nonprofit was founded in 1848 and includes more than 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. It is open to all and fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives such as science policy, international programs, science education, and public engagement. 

March 20, 2025 – Tech AI, the AI hub at Georgia Tech, will host Tech AI Fest 2025 from March 26 to 28 at the Historic Academy of Medicine in Atlanta. This major AI event will bring together experts, researchers, industry professionals, policymakers, and students to explore the latest advancements and applications of artificial intelligence.

A Hub for AI Conversations

Tech AI Fest 2025 will bring together over 40 experts from top institutions and leading companies, including:

• Academic Institutions: Georgia Tech, Carnegie Mellon University, Harvard University, the University of Texas at Austin, Washington State University, and Columbia University.
• Leading Companies: J.P. Morgan, NVIDIA, Juniper Networks, Microsoft, OpenAI, Bosch USA, Kinaxis, MindsDB, Verdant Technologies, and Dandelion Science Corp.

Event Highlights

• Days 1 – 2 (March 26 – 27) will focus on how AI is being used in industry, government, and research. Sessions will discuss AI's role in technological progress, economic growth, and policy development.
• Day 3 (March 28) will showcase Georgia Tech's AI projects, including groundbreaking research, student presentations, and the launch of the Tech AI Alumni Group to strengthen industry-academic connections.

Commitment to AI Progress

Tech AI Fest 2025 shows Georgia Tech's dedication to advancing AI research, fostering innovation, and building meaningful partnerships across different sectors. The event is a platform for sharing knowledge, networking, and collaboration, putting attendees at the forefront of the AI revolution.

“AI is more than just an academic pursuit; it’s a force that’s reshaping industries, redefining education, and creating solutions for some of the biggest challenges we face today,” said Pascal Van Hentenryck, the A. Russell Chandler III Chair and professor in Georgia Tech’s H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, director of the NSF Artificial Intelligence Institute for Advances in Optimization (AI4OPT), and director of Tech AI.

Registration and Participation

General admission is $25, but Georgia Tech students can attend for free while seats are available. Due to high demand, registration has reached capacity. Interested individuals can join the waiting list by contacting Josh Tullis at josh@corporate.gatech.edu.

For more information, visit the official event page.

About Tech AI

Tech AI is Georgia Tech’s hub for artificial intelligence research, education, and responsible deployment. It drives real-world AI solutions through innovation, collaboration, and industry partnerships. With over $120 million in active AI research funding and more than 370 publications at top AI conferences, Tech AI is ranked No. 5 in the U.S. for AI research and leads the way in AI-driven engineering and applied research. Supported by over $60 million in National Science Foundation funding, Tech AI plays a critical role in developing the next generation of AI leaders through world-class degree programs and specialized certifications. By bridging the gap between research and real-world applications, Tech AI collaborates with industry and government partners to optimize supply chains, enhance cybersecurity, advance autonomous systems, revolutionize healthcare, improve energy efficiency, and drive sustainable manufacturing.

Many communities rely on insights from computer-based models and simulations. This week, a nest of Georgia Tech experts are swarming an international conference to present their latest advancements in these tools, which offer solutions to pressing challenges in science and engineering.

Students and faculty from the School of Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) are leading the Georgia Tech contingent at the SIAM Conference on Computational Science and Engineering (CSE25). The Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) organizes CSE25, occurring March 3-7 in Fort Worth, Texas.

At CSE25, the School of CSE researchers are presenting papers that apply computing approaches to varying fields, including:                   

• Experiment designs to accelerate the discovery of material properties
• Machine learning approaches to model and predict weather forecasting and coastal flooding
• Virtual models that replicate subsurface geological formations used to store captured carbon dioxide
• Optimizing systems for imaging and optical chemistry
• Plasma physics during nuclear fusion reactions

[Related: GT CSE at SIAM CSE25 Interactive Graphic] 

“In CSE, researchers from different disciplines work together to develop new computational methods that we could not have developed alone,” said School of CSE Professor Edmond Chow. 

“These methods enable new science and engineering to be performed using computation.” 

CSE is a discipline dedicated to advancing computational techniques to study and analyze scientific and engineering systems. CSE complements theory and experimentation as modes of scientific discovery. 

Held every other year, CSE25 is the primary conference for the SIAM Activity Group on Computational Science and Engineering (SIAG CSE). School of CSE faculty serve in key roles in leading the group and preparing for the conference.

In December, SIAG CSE members elected Chow to a two-year term as the group’s vice chair. This election comes after Chow completed a term as the SIAG CSE program director. 

School of CSE Associate Professor Elizabeth Cherry has co-chaired the CSE25 organizing committee since the last conference in 2023. Later that year, SIAM members reelected Cherry to a second, three-year term as a council member at large. 

At Georgia Tech, Chow serves as the associate chair of the School of CSE. Cherry, who recently became the associate dean for graduate education of the College of Computing, continues as the director of CSE programs. 

“With our strong emphasis on developing and applying computational tools and techniques to solve real-world problems, researchers in the School of CSE are well positioned to serve as leaders in computational science and engineering both within Georgia Tech and in the broader professional community,” Cherry said. 

Georgia Tech’s School of CSE was first organized as a division in 2005, becoming one of the world’s first academic departments devoted to the discipline. The division reorganized as a school in 2010 after establishing the flagship CSE Ph.D. and M.S. programs, hiring nine faculty members, and attaining substantial research funding.

Ten School of CSE faculty members are presenting research at CSE25, representing one-third of the School’s faculty body. Of the 23 accepted papers written by Georgia Tech researchers, 15 originate from School of CSE authors.

The list of School of CSE researchers, paper titles, and abstracts includes:
Bayesian Optimal Design Accelerates Discovery of Material Properties from Bubble Dynamics
Postdoctoral Fellow Tianyi Chu, Joseph Beckett, Bachir Abeid, and Jonathan Estrada (University of Michigan), Assistant Professor Spencer Bryngelson
[Abstract]

Latent-EnSF: A Latent Ensemble Score Filter for High-Dimensional Data Assimilation with Sparse Observation Data
Ph.D. student Phillip Si, Assistant Professor Peng Chen
[Abstract]

A Goal-Oriented Quadratic Latent Dynamic Network Surrogate Model for Parameterized Systems
Yuhang Li, Stefan Henneking, Omar Ghattas (University of Texas at Austin), Assistant Professor Peng Chen
[Abstract]

Posterior Covariance Structures in Gaussian Processes
Yuanzhe Xi (Emory University), Difeng Cai (Southern Methodist University), Professor Edmond Chow
[Abstract]

Robust Digital Twin for Geological Carbon Storage
Professor Felix Herrmann, Ph.D. student Abhinav Gahlot, alumnus Rafael Orozco (Ph.D. CSE-CSE 2024), alumnus Ziyi (Francis) Yin (Ph.D. CSE-CSE 2024), and Ph.D. candidate Grant Bruer
[Abstract]

Industry-Scale Uncertainty-Aware Full Waveform Inference with Generative Models
Rafael Orozco, Ph.D. student Tuna Erdinc, alumnus Mathias Louboutin (Ph.D. CS-CSE 2020), and Professor Felix Herrmann
[Abstract]

Optimizing Coupled Systems: Insights from Co-Design Imaging and Optical Chemistry
Assistant Professor Raphaël Pestourie, Wenchao Ma and Steven Johnson (MIT), Lu Lu (Yale University), Zin Lin (Virginia Tech)
[Abstract]

Multifidelity Linear Regression for Scientific Machine Learning from Scarce Data
Assistant Professor Elizabeth Qian, Ph.D. student Dayoung Kang, Vignesh Sella, Anirban Chaudhuri and Anirban Chaudhuri (University of Texas at Austin)
[Abstract]

LyapInf: Data-Driven Estimation of Stability Guarantees for Nonlinear Dynamical Systems
Ph.D. candidate Tomoki Koike and Assistant Professor Elizabeth Qian
[Abstract]

The Information Geometric Regularization of the Euler Equation
Alumnus Ruijia Cao (B.S. CS 2024), Assistant Professor Florian Schäfer
[Abstract]

Maximum Likelihood Discretization of the Transport Equation
Ph.D. student Brook Eyob, Assistant Professor Florian Schäfer
[Abstract]

Intelligent Attractors for Singularly Perturbed Dynamical Systems
Daniel A. Serino (Los Alamos National Laboratory), Allen Alvarez Loya (University of Colorado Boulder), Joshua W. Burby, Ioannis G. Kevrekidis (Johns Hopkins University), Assistant Professor Qi Tang (Session Co-Organizer)
[Abstract]

Accurate Discretizations and Efficient AMG Solvers for Extremely Anisotropic Diffusion Via Hyperbolic Operators
Golo Wimmer, Ben Southworth, Xianzhu Tang (LANL), Assistant Professor Qi Tang 
[Abstract]

Randomized Linear Algebra for Problems in Graph Analytics
Professor Rich Vuduc
[Abstract]

Improving Spgemm Performance Through Reordering and Cluster-Wise Computation
Assistant Professor Helen Xu
[Abstract]

Jud Ready first visited Beaverbrook Park for an adopt-a-stream event as a graduate student. When he moved to the northwest Atlanta neighborhood, he got involved with improvement efforts at the park. 

“It was a muddy mess back then. Over time, we added an exercise trail, playgrounds, a gazebo, and ball fields, but we didn't have a place where you could just walk through the woods,” Ready said. The problem? A creek prevented easy passage, and the park lacked a bridge to cross it.

Despite receiving a grant from Park Pride, a nonprofit that helps residents improve their parks, Ready realized it wasn’t nearly enough money to build a bridge over the rushing waters. Then Ready, a principal research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute with a joint appointment in the School of Materials Science and Engineering, learned that one of his colleagues was using decommissioned wind turbine blades for bridges.

For eight years, Russell Gentry, a professor in the School of Architecture and a member of the Re-Wind Network, has explored how to upcycle wind turbine blades into functional infrastructure. Re-Wind, an international organization, has constructed two bridges in Ireland, where wind energy is more prevalent. The Beaverbrook bridge is the first in the U.S., but building it hasn’t been a simple copy-and-paste process from across the Atlantic Ocean.

“It's not recycling because we're not taking the material back to its original state; it's really adaptive reuse,” explained Gentry. “Think of it as the difference between wood and paper. You can take a tree and grind it up finely for paper, but if you leave it in its original form, you have wood. It’s a much more capable material from a structural perspective.” 

Like almost everything in America, the blades are bigger than their European counterparts.  The 15-meter blade weighs around 7,000 pounds, so moving it from its first home in a Colorado wind farm to a Georgia public park was no easy feat. With funding from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and wind turbine manufacturer Siemens Gamesa, Ready and Gentry established a team of a dozen Georgia Tech students, researchers, and alumni to bring the blade to Beaverbrook Park. 

Cayleigh Nicholson (architecture), Sakshi Kakkad (computing and architecture), who both graduated in 2024, and fourth-year civil engineering student Gabriel Ackall made sure the bridge was engineered well and that it complied with city regulations. Nicholson spent a semester surveying Beaverbrook to determine the best path and placement of the bridge. Kakkad developed software to better understand the geometry of the blade and position it in the bridge. Ackall was involved in the design process, working with the foundation contractor, Cantsink, to calculate stresses and deflections in the BladeBridges.  

“We’ve essentially had to design the entire structural system of the bridge from scratch, as existing building and bridge codes do not have much information about either the composite materials used in wind turbine blades or in adaptive reuse for new construction,” Ackall noted. “We used advanced modeling software combined with the knowledge we’ve gained from over a half dozen years of wind turbine blade testing and prototyping to make the bridge a reality and ensure their safety.” 

Even alumnus Tierson Boutte, CE 2002, who owns the tree company Boutte Tree, helped make the installation possible. “We’re grateful to be able to give back to the community by pruning the trees for the crane to be able to lift the turbine blades,” he said. 

On a sunny day in mid-March, the bridge was installed with a combined crew of 16 from Chappell Construction, led by alumnus  Wade Chappell, IE  2000; Williams Erection Company, owned by alumnus Art Williams, CE 1983; and ironworkers from Local 387. Finally, with a little help from an unusual source, a neighborhood can fully enjoy its park.

Video by Maxwell Guberman 
Photos by Allison Carter