Find the latest Georgia Tech sustainability news and research here.

June 11, 2026
Scientist Maps Biodiversity on a Warming Southern Landscape
8 min read

Jenny McGuire is refining tools and partnerships that help protect biodiversity, from Atlanta’s urban canopy to the southern Appalachians.

Read More
Anuja Tripathi works in the lab
June 3, 2026
Rising From the Ashes: A Hidden Supply of Critical Elements
4 min read

Georgia Tech researchers turn a widespread waste product into materials that power modern technology.

Read More
"Three side‑by‑side headshot portraits showing individuals from the shoulders up against different backgrounds. The left image shows a person wearing a black top with greenery behind them, the center image shows a person in a light blue shirt and patterned tie against a neutral brown backdrop, and the right image shows a person in a light green collared shirt against a gray studio background."
May 28, 2026
BBISS Appoints Three New Faculty Directors
3 min read

BBISS has expanded its team to include three more faculty members.

Read More
Side‑by‑side image showing a portrait photo on the left and a book cover on the right. The left image shows an individual standing outdoors among trees, wearing a dark jacket over a light shirt, while the right image displays the book Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet with bold red title text and illustrated ocean waves and ice formations. The book cover also includes the author name Kate Marvel at the bottom.
May 27, 2026
Clough Lecture Highlights the Human Side of Climate Science
3 min read

The Earth and Atmospheric Sciences 2026 Clough Lecture, co-sponsored by BBISS, featured Kate Marvel, a climate scientist and author.

Read More
Portrait of an individual photographed outdoors, shown from the shoulders up and wearing a dark red top. The background includes a textured stone column, greenery, and part of a building with a window visible behind the subject.
May 27, 2026
Data Centers, Microbes, and the Future of Water Reuse
5 min read

Metro Atlanta has become a magnet for hyperscale data centers and securing enough cooling water with wastewater reuse has unknown public health risks.

Read More
Aerial view of a large industrial facility with multiple blue cylindrical cooling towers arranged in rows, releasing visible steam into the air. The structures are connected by metal walkways, pipes, and equipment, with a darker building facade behind them. Green grass and patches of standing water are visible in the distance beyond the facility.
May 25, 2026
BBISS Insights Series Reflection: Demystifying Data Centers — Water
3 min read

A recent BBISS seminar focused on the issue of water and data centers, bringing together perspectives from engineering, utilities, and infrastructure planning.

Read More
A salt marsh waterway is lined by cord grasses, sand, and trees. The sunny cerulean sky is dotted with clouds.
May 18, 2026
Georgia’s Tomorrow Awarded National Climate Resilience Grant
5 min read

The award is one of ten in a new $3.4 million fund to leverage genetic rescue for marine and coastal ecosystems under threat from climate shifts.

Read More
Collage of multiple individual portrait photos arranged in a grid, showing people photographed from the shoulders up in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings. Backgrounds include office spaces, greenery, campus walkways, and neutral studio backdrops, with individuals wearing professional or business‑casual clothing. The images vary in lighting and composition but share a consistent head‑and‑shoulders portrait style.
May 4, 2026
2026 Sustainability Next Seed Grants Awarded
3 min read

This year’s seed grant awards align with the four main thematic areas in which BBISS aims to enhance Georgia Tech’s research to address some of our most pressing sustainability challenges

Read More
Left: panelists Cindy Lin, Celine Benoit, Matthew Williams, Ding Wang, and Kahil Bostick. Center: Michael Best and Verghese Jacob. Right: panelists Allen Hyde, Michael Czajkowski, Zachary Hansen, and Donnie Beamer. Not pictured: Peter Hubbard who joined virtually.
April 29, 2026
Workshop Explores Policy Needs as Data Centers Surge in Georgia
3 min read

Georgia Tech hosted an event on April 21 examining the rapid expansion of data centers and the social and policy issues emerging alongside the growth of AI infrastructure.

Read More
Vibrant 'Spartina alterniflora' salt marsh grass wraps the oxbow of a tidal waterway. (Credit: Bald Head Island Conservancy)
April 23, 2026
Georgia's Tomorrow and Bald Head Island Conservancy Launch Research Fund, Partnership
4 min read

The Bald Head Island Conservancy and Georgia Tech for Georgia’s Tomorrow are pleased to announce a formal research fund and partnership.

Read More
Side‑by‑side comparison graphic showing two hurricane forecast visualizations. The left panel, labeled ‘Conventional Hurricane Map,’ displays a white cone of uncertainty over the Atlantic Ocean and southeastern United States with dated forecast points for Hurricane Florence, while the right panel, labeled ‘Inclusive Hurricane Map,’ shows a red shaded impact corridor over Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina with a storm track line and icons indicating storm categories near cities such as Atlanta, T
April 22, 2026
Communicating During a Crisis
5 min read

The Center for Inclusive Climate Communication (CICC) at Georgia Tech is a new and growing consortium of researchers, organizations, agencies, and companies whose goal is to ensure that climate and disaster information of all types is widely accessible.

Read More
AI rendering of the servers inside of a data center
April 21, 2026
Georgia Is Building for an AI Future That May Not Happen
3 min read

The state is spending $16 billion to power data centers that could be obsolete in seven years. Two Georgia Tech researchers say residents will pay for that gamble either way.

Read More

In the Press

Scientific American

VISIT OUR RESEARCH NEWS CENTER

Read More at the Georgia Tech Research News Center.

The Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems regularly releases content about sustainability research, faculty, and students. We highlight news from every corner of campus that demonstrates Georgia Tech's systems approach to sustainability research that improves the human condition.