Exploring Sustainability at the Heart of Digital Infrastructure:

The Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) is excited to announce the Spring 2026 Insights Series, a three-part virtual panel discussion under the theme “Demystifying Data Centers.” This series is designed for Georgia Tech faculty interested in exploring research opportunities and needs in the rapidly growing world of data centers — through the lens of sustainability.

Data centers are critical infrastructure powering our digital lives, but their rapid growth brings complex sustainability challenges. From resource use, to community impacts — understanding these tradeoffs is essential for shaping a resilient and responsible future.

Our goal is to help Georgia Tech researchers — especially those unfamiliar with this topic — discover how their expertise can align with emerging research opportunities in this space. This series will foster interdisciplinary collaboration and spark ideas for innovative solutions.

Three Virtual Panels/Webinars:
Each month, February through April, we’ll host a deep dive into one key dimension of data center sustainability. Each webinar will be 60-90 minutes with 3-5 short talks, followed by discussion and Q&A.

  •  Resource Intensity Trends – February 25, 2026 at 12:30 -2 PM
  •  Water – March
  •  Communities – April

In-Person Ideation & Teaming Workshops
Following each webinar, on a separate date, BBISS will convene in-person workshops to bring interested researchers together for brainstorming, collaboration, and potential proposal development based on that month's webinar topic.

Benefits for Participants
  •  Gain insight into cutting-edge sustainability issues related to data centers.
  •  Explore how your expertise connects to emerging research challenges.
  •  Network with peers and form interdisciplinary teams for future projects.

Stay Tuned:
Details on dates, speakers, and registration will be shared soon. This series is your opportunity to learn, connect, and contribute to innovative solutions at the intersection of data centers and sustainability.

For questions, please contact Ameet Pinto or Kristin Janacek.

Upcoming Events

Demystifying Data Centers Insights Series #1: Resource Intensity Trends

Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 12:30 – 2 PM
Teams Virtual Meeting – Link Provided Upon Registration

This session will introduce the technical landscape at the intersection of data centers and sustainability, with emphasis on resilient resource use. Our hope is that researchers quickly spot entry points for their expertise and identify collaborators for seed and external funding.

Our goals with this series and this session are to:

  • Catalyze Georgia Tech faculty engagement (both new entrants and experienced researchers) in data center research, spark collaboration, to form and position teams for seed and large external funding opportunities.
  • Educate Georgia Tech faculty on breadth of research problems at the intersection of data centers and sustainability (energy, water, communities, policy).
  • Identify entry points so faculty can see where their expertise fits.
  • Position BBISS and Georgia Tech as a hub for interdisciplinary data center sustainability research in a national landscape.

Contributors to this session are:

  • Ahmad Saeed (CoC/CS): What is a data center today? Macro context of a data center and the AI–compute including the market and business decision for placement of data centers (10–15 min).
  • Divya Mahajan (COE/ECE): Systems-level energy efficiency. Architectures, workload optimization, and platform-level levers setting the stage for a system-of-systems understanding and setting a foundation for discussion of resiliency and interactions of decisions (15 min).
  • Asif Khan (COE/EDE): Physics & materials limits. Discusses technology drivers of resource intensity in data centers from transistors-to-rack energy dissipation, thermal realities, and materials/device innovation paths (15 min).
  • Jean Carlos Hernandez-Mejia (NEETRAC): Georgia Tech testing facilities. Providing insight to what NEETRAC members are asking for with regards to technology development in supporting future data center growth (15 min).
Register Here

Past Events

GT National Lab Relations

Thursday, November 20, 2025 
Time: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Speaker: George White, Sr Director, Strategic Partnerships, Chief Chips Strategy Officer, Office of the VPIR
Details: Price Gilbert Scholars Event Theater or virtual

Georgia State Relations

Date: Thursday, October 30, 2025    
Time: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Speaker: Donald Kirkland, Director, State Relations, Office of Institute Relations
Details: Caddell Building Flex Space or virtual

Working with Institute Relations

Date: Thursday, October 2, 2025
Time: 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Speaker: Robert Knotts, Executive Director, Federal Relations, Office of Institute Relations
Details: Virtual Only

Get to Know the US EPA and the Water Research Foundation

Thursday, March 13, 2025, 2 - 3 PM EST (virtual)

This presentation will focus on familiarizing interested researchers with working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and The Water Research Foundation.

Panelists:

  • Chris Impellitteri - Director of Research and Development, The Water Tower, formerly Associate National Program Director, US EPA
  • Kristan VandenHeuvel - Director of Impact and Engagement, The Water Tower, formerly Research Manager, The Water Research Foundation

Insights into Private Foundation Funding

April 16,  2025, 2 - 3 PM EST (Virtual)

Kristine Haskett, Executive Director of Development, Foundation Relations, Georgia Tech