What Does Georgia Tech Think?
Selected Press for Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts
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Etienne on Haiti on CNN.com
Public Policy's Harley Etienne spoke with CNN.com about his concerns for his uncle, cousins and his best friend's mother who live in a suburb of Port-au-Prince. "It's all making my family here [in the U.S.] very nervous and scared," he said. "My uncle lives on a hill so it's quite upsetting. He lives in the same house that my father and his six brothers and sisters grew up in." "All we can do is wait and hope," he said..
Garver in The Guardian Online
In an article on China's reaction to new UN sanctions against Iran, INTA's John Garver said, "China recognises Iran as a very major power in the Gulf… It is positioning itself to develop friendly cooperation akin to its relationship with Pakistan... There are situations which could emerge in which Iranian co-operation could be very important to China – such as some kind of western blockade of oil supplies. Having a major oil producer in the Gulf willing to thumb its nose at the US would be very, very useful."
Murray, Bogost in AJC
In an article, Gaming Courses Popular in Georgia Colleges, "Janet Murray, director of Georgia Tech’s master’s and doctoral programs in digital media, said the tools developed for computer games can affect how people work and live. Games, she said, can be used to consider philosophy, ethics and other aspects of life."
Porter Study in New York Times
In Fighting Trend, China Is Luring Scientists Home, the New York Times referenced a 2008 study by School of Public Policy Professor Emeritus Alan Porter. "A 2008 study by the Georgia Institute of Technology concluded that within the next decade or two, China would pass the United States in its ability to transform its research and development into products and services that can be marketed to the world. 'A China becomes more proficient at innovation processes linking its burgeoning R.&D. to commercial enterprises, watch out,' the study concluded."
Telotte in Racket Magazine
In Seeking Out New Life and New Civilizations, LCC Chair Jay P. Telotte was quoted “Artists of every ilk respond well to allowing the imagination to play, and the farthest reaches of space would seem the ultimate possibility for such free play of imagination. In the realm of science fiction, there is special appeal, as evidence the number of books that suggest the genre is about satisfying a human impulse for wonder. Voyaging to the stars allows for stories that pointedly address that wonder.”
Herbst in Inside Higher Education
In Views, Herbst wrote, "For me, not much of a moviegoer and certainly not a film critic, Up in the Air, the highly-acclaimed new movie directed by Jason Reitman (he also directed Juno), and written with Sheldon Turner, resonates powerfully with some of my challenging student conversations of late..."
Boston on CNN
Will research on ants help the economy or just pay the researchers? Economics Professor Thomas D. Boston responded, "If we're talking about repairing and rebuilding and constructing projects, then that multiplier for those kinds of projects is much larger. If, on the other hand, you're engaged in basic scientific research, then that multiplier is much lower because you're not doing as much direct spending immediately."
Bogost in Wired & Voxy Blog
Wired announced the finalists for the Independent Games Festival Nuovo Award. Among the "excellent and completely out there" finalists, A Slow Year by Ian Bogost. A Slow Year was also selected by Voxy Blog as one of the year's most anticipated games.
Stamatiou in TechCrunch
TechCrunch announced the launch of Skribit. "Skribit, the startup that is trying to help cure writer’s block, has opened its doors to the public after being in beta since its inception...in 2007." Skribit co-founder, Paul Stamatiou, a 2009 Computational Media graduate, received seed money from Georgia Tech's Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) business incubator.
The January 2nd edition featured a profile of Sean Bedford, Yellow Jacket football offensive center, and a joint major in Aeronautical Engineering and Public Policy.
January 19, 2010
12:00 PM
January 20, 2010 - January 21, 2010
1:00 PM
January 28, 2010
11:15 AM
January 29, 2010
12:00 PM
February 18, 2010
4:00 PM
February 19, 2010 - February 27, 2010
8:00 PM
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Ivan Allen College Dean Finalists Announced
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Atlanta (January 13, 2010) — The Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs has announced three finalists for the position of Dean of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. Each finalist will make a public presentation on campus this month to further discuss her/his vision for Ivan Allen College.
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Dr. Beverly Davenport Sypher of Purdue University is the Associate Provost and Susan Bulkeley Butler Chair for Leadership Excellence as well as a Professor of Communication. She will visit campus on January 21-22. A public presentation is planned for Thursday, January 21 at 11am at the Alumni House (across from Wardlaw), 190 North Avenue, NW.
Dr. William J. Long of the Georgia Institute of Technology is a Professor and Chair of the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs. He will visit campus on January 27-28. A public presentation is planned for January 28 at 11am. The location will be posted to the campus calendar and on the College's web site.
Dr. Jacqueline Jones Royster of The Ohio State University is a professor of English and a former Senior Vice Provost and Executive Dean of the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences. She will visit campus on January 25-26. A public presentation is planned for January 26 at 11am. The location will be posted to the campus calendar and on the College's web site.
The dean provides the overall strategic direction for the College, with particular focus on the faculty's aspiration to define a new generation of liberal arts through the research and educational initiatives of the College's schools. With assistance from a national search firm, finalists are selected by a committee chaired by Professor and Associate Dean of Architecture Doug Allen, co-chaired by Professor Marilyn Brown and comprised of faculty members, campus administrators, and students.
Other finalists will be announced separately.
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CISTP Welcomes General Petraeus to Speak on Campus
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Atlanta (January 13, 2010) — U.S. CENTCOM Commander and Army General David H. Petraeus will speak on campus January 19 at 2:30pm in Georgia Tech's Ferst Center. A Colonel Leslie Callahan Memorial Endowment Lecture, Petraeus’ speech was arranged by the Center for International Strategy, Technology, and Policy (CISTP) within the Ivan Allen College’s Sam Nunn School of International Affairs.
Seats are no longer available, but the event can be watched via live webcast at the link provided at the bottom of this article.
General David H. Petraeus
As Commanding General of the Multi-National Force – Iraq, Petraeus was the architect and leader of the June 2007 “surge” in Iraq where a change in tactics backed by an influx of about 30,000 additional troops seized the initiative from the insurgents. He assumed command of the United States Central Command in October 2008 and oversees a “whole government approach” to operations in the Middle East and Central Asia. CENTCOM has been the main American presence in many military operations, including the Gulf War and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
During his time on campus, Petraeus will focus on interactions with Georgia Tech students. He will meet with senior ROTC Air Force, Army, and Navy cadets and midshipmen and their unit leadership. Petraeus will deliver a speech “Update from CENTCOM” followed by a moderated Q&A with students from across campus. Petraeus will also meet with Georgia Tech President G.P. “Bud” Peterson, Ivan Allen College Interim Dean Ken Knoespel, Acting Chair of the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs Brian Woodall, CISTP co-Director Adam Stulberg, Georgia Tech Research Institute Director Steve Cross, College of Engineering Dean Don Giddens, Associate Vice President for Communications & Marketing James Fetig, and CISTP Program Coordinator Angela Levin.
Petraeus was commissioned in the Infantry upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1974. He holds MPA and PhD degrees in international relations from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
Colonel Leslie Callahan, for whom the memorial endowment is named, joined the Georgia Tech Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) faculty in 1969 after a twenty-five year military career. He established the Callahan Endowment in 1993.
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EUCE to Host German and French Ambassadors
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Atlanta (January 14, 2010) — The European Union Center of Excellence (EUCE)in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs will welcome to campus His Excellency, Mr. Klaus Scharioth, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the U.S. and His Excellency, Mr. Pierre Vimont, Ambassador of The French Republic to the U.S. for a dialogue "The European - American Agenda."
The event will be January 28th at the Tennenbaum Auditorium.
During what is sure to be a stimulating and informative session, the Ambassadors will share their views on the implications of the Lisbon Treaty for the European Union and the transatlantic relationship with the U.S. The talk will be moderated by Dr. Vicki Birchfield, Director of the EUCE. Question and answer with the audience will follow.
The event is free and open to the public. It will be held January 28, 2010, 11:15am—12:45pm at the Tennenbaum Auditorium, Instructional Center Georgia Tech campus, 759 Ferst Drive.
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Innovations Earn Old CE Building Gold
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Atlanta (January 13, 2010) — The renovation of the Old Civil Engineering Building has become the first renovation/historic preservation project to earn a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for Ivan Allen College, Georgia Tech, and the Georgia Board of Regents. The project has earned one of the highest LEED certification - Gold - garnering points in every category with additional points for innovations.
Old Civil Engineering Building
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the LEED program is a Green Building Rating System that provides standards for environmentally sustainable construction.
Completed in November 2008, the Old CE renovation focused on LEED guidelines for energy savings and sustainability measures with a goal of achieving certification. Located near the center of campus at 221 Bobby Dodd Way, the renovated building now houses Ivan Allen College’s schools of Economics and History, Technology, and Society.
Key strategies to achieve the Gold certification under version 2.2 of LEED New Construction and Major Renovations guidelines included improving the exterior site sustainability, the exterior shell insulation, the overall heating / cooling / ventilation, electrical, and lighting efficiencies, and significantly reducing water usage. Cited as most exemplary was a 45% reduction in water consumption through the use of low and ultra-low flow water fixtures. Demand for water was also reduced by installing an efficient landscape irrigation system using only water collected from rainfall and building condensation in a 6,500 gallon above ground cistern to achieve a 56% decrease in demand.
Careful attention was paid to selecting finishes that were available locally, that have a high recycled content, or that don’t negatively affect the indoor environmental quality with high volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Occupied spaces were configured to take advantage of existing windows and natural daylight.
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The renovation was overseen by Georgia Tech Director of Capital Planning and Space Management Howard Wertheimer, Facilities Project Manager Gary Petheric, and Interior Designer Polly Patton, both from Georgia Tech Facilities Design and Construction Department. For Ivan Allen College, Chris Fehrenbach oversaw the project. Design was completed by the architectural firm Surber Barber Choate & Hertlein. Juneau Construction was the general contractor.
For more about the renovation, see Ivan Allen College December 2008 Newsletter.
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LBAT Program Adds Critical Arabic and Korean Foreign Studies
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Atlanta (January 13, 2010) — The School of Modern Languages teaches five of the major languages which are designated by the U.S. State Department as “critical” for national security and economic competitiveness – Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, and Korean. This year’s expansion of the highly successful Languages for Business and Technology (LBAT) in-country studies program to include Egypt and Korea means the program is now available to Georgia Tech students in all of those languages.
Cairo, Egypt
The School of Modern Language’s LBAT is the nation’s only in-country summer intensive business and technology language program. The existing program offered studies in China, Japan, and Russia, as well as France, Germany, Spain, and Mexico. School Chair Phil McKnight emphasized the careful decision-making process for locating the new LBAT countries, especially the Arabic program. “It is essential for Modern Languages to have programs available for students from all walks of life, regardless of gender or ethnicity, and in locations that are at least as safe as being a student at Georgia Tech.”
Rajaa Aquil, Assistant Professor in Modern Languages, traveled to Egypt, Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, and to Saudi Arabia to explore possibilities with various university officials and foreign language facilities. In consultation with McKnight and Steve McLaughlin, Georgia Tech Vice Provost for International Initiatives, Aquil selected the Arab Academy in Cairo, Egypt, for Arabic-focused studies with significant time also spent in Alexandria. For Korean, Dr. Jayoung Choi followed a similar process, visiting numerous universities with whom Georgia Tech has relationships before settling on a liaison with Sogang University in the heart of Seoul, South Korea.
The 2010 expansion was made possible by a grant from the Institute of International Education. The three year $850,000 award also funded enhancements to the existing China and Russia programs. While the grant targets ROTC students by providing $5,000 study abroad scholarships, the programs are open to all third year language students at Georgia Tech.
Sungnyemun Gate in Seoul
LBAT involves nine to sixteen weeks of intensive summer study depending upon the country. Classroom lessons are taught by Modern Languages faculty and include business, culture, technology studies and field work, cultural events, excursions, and visits to area business and professional institutions. While in the host country, faculty can assist students in finding further study, internship, or work experiences. The faculty-led LBAT makes an excellent bridge to those experiences by easing the shock of a new culture.
Chet Sanders, a fourth year electrical engineering major who combined LBAT and work experience in Germany, said “It really opened up a lot of new doors that otherwise would have remained closed... U.S. companies don’t trust that professionals who haven’t lived in the culture will be successful there.”
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Bogost’s “A Slow Year” A Finalist for IGF Nuovo Award
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Atlanta (January 13, 2010) — Ian Bogost's A Slow Year is a finalist for the Independent Game Festival Nuovo Award. The Nuovo celebrates "off-the-wall" experimental games.
A Slow Year is a game of playable haiku about the seasons played on a 30-year old Atari Video Computer System, as well as PC or Mac.
In his 2009 book Racing the Beam: the Atari Video Computer System (with co-author Nick Montfort), Bogost reminded the game world of Atari’s foundation role in the formation of the video arcade and modern video game industries. Associate Professor in the School of Literature, Communication, and Culture, Bogost has extended his interest in Atari by having students design games for the Atari system.
A Slow Year is Bogost’s second original release for the Atari, after last year’s Guru Meditation, a zen game for Atari and iPhone based on Amiga historical folklore. Bogost explains the unusual concept of the game on his website:
“A Slow Year is a collection of four games, one for each season, about the experience of observing things. These games are neither action nor strategy: each of them requires a different kind of sedate observation and methodical action.
The game attempts to embrace maximum expressive constraint and representational condensation. I want to call them game poems. The set comprises a little collection, a kind of videogame chapbook.
A Slow Year will be released in early 2010, for PC and Mac in a custom Atari emulator, and for Atari as a limited edition cartridge and poetry set.”
The IGF awards program takes place March 11, 2010 at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.
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National Council on Disability Funds CACP Project
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Atlanta (January 13, 2010) — Can digital technologies improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities?
James White and Paul Baker, both in the Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP) in the School of Public Policy, have been awarded a $150,000 grant from the National Council on Disability for research with the hope of making a difference.
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The research project is entitled “The Prospect of Digital Inclusion: Technology’s Impact on Employment and the Opportunities for People with Disabilities.” Researchers on the project represent the CACP, Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA), and GTRI (Georgia Tech Research Institute).
The research will focus on six digital technologies, provisionally including wireless communications, social networks, virtual worlds, web 2.0 and beyond, applications consolidators, and computational journalism.
“Workers with disabilities are typically older than other workers, work fewer hours per week, are more likely to be single, and less likely to have a college degree. They are more likely to be found in low-growth, low-wage occupations,” stated James White, Associate Director, International Programs, in the CACP. “We want to look into the level of accessibility to new media and technologies and their potential to make a difference, in particular whether new technologies are serving as bridges or barriers to employment”.
The study will assess the accessibility of such new media and technologies and how they impact the employment of people with disabilities, illustrate present and future consumer needs, and provide both practical and general policy recommendations on how such media and technologies may be used to foster employment.
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