Recent Press Coverage

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Korean Social Sciences College Named After Former Georgia Tech Prof John Endicott

March 24, 2017

Jacqueline Royster, dean of the Ivan Allen College, and John Endicott, professor emeritus in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, were featured in “Korean Social Sciences College Named After Former Georgia Tech Prof John Endicott” by Global Atlanta.

Excerpt:

Since he joined the faculty of the Georgia Institute of Technology, John E. Endicott has had a sixth sense for innovation in his career and in his life, which took him from Atlanta to become president of a Korean university where on March 2 the university named a new building and a new school of social sciences after him.

Not surprisingly, Woosong University’s SolBridge International School of Business, where he serves as vice-chancellor, located in Daejeon, South Korea provides an interdisciplinary program of international studies “with business and innovations in mind.”

For the full article, read here.

Published in: Global Atlanta
Former NATO Commander Breedlove Puts Georgia Tech Training Toward Containing Russia

March 22, 2017

Global Atlanta highlighted General Philip Breedlove's (Civil Engineering 1977) mission as a distinguished professor in the Ivan Allen College Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech.

Excerpts:

By returning to the Georgia Institute of Technology as a distinguished professor at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs last year, Gen. Philip Breedlove completes a full circle in a career that includes his service as NATO‘s Supreme Allied Commander Europe and the commander of U.S. European Command.”

"In his address, he said that the U.S.’s opponents “are more emboldened, more than they have ever been,” while politically the U.S. was divided and needed to become more unified in its understanding of the values it upholds and its politics. “To reestablish our national position in the world, we can’t do that with two voices out of Washington D.C.,” he added.

He also said that he was concerned by Russia’s role in the U.S. elections, but somewhat downplayed his concern saying that the challenges Russia presents to the U.S. “are far bigger and impactful than what has happened in any election.”

“I think that Mr. Putin is incredibly happy with what has happened,” he added. “He has challenged the legitimacy of democracy.”

Read the full article

Published in: Global Atlanta
The Spy Among Us

March 20, 2017

Kristie Macrakis, professor in the Ivan Allen College School of History and Sociology, wrote “The Spy Among Us” for The Washington Times.

Excerpt:

Everyone loves a good spy story. But it can be hard to tell if the story is fact or fiction; this is especially the case with spy memoirs. Jack Barsky’s page-turning memoir, “Deep Undercover,” has a ring of authenticity to it. Most of the book is written using recreated dialogue, but is it true?

Part of Mr. Barsky’s story was told by “60 Minutes” and it reads like the best of spy fiction: While he was a prize-winning chemistry student in East Germany, the KGB recruited Mr. Barsky to become an illegal agent abroad. An illegal is one of Russia’s most secret agents. The spy is sent to the target country under an assumed identity and is told to build a life acquiring all the necessary documentation.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: The Washington Times
Art Review: Food Innovators Offer Plenty of Food for Thought at MODA

March 16, 2017

The Atlanta Journal Constitution article, Art Review: Food Innovators Offer Plenty of Food for Thought at MODA, reviewed the Food by Design: Sustaining the Future exhibit at the Museum of Design Atlanta featuring projects from the Public Design Workshop, a design research studio led by Ivan Allen College School of Literature, Media, and Communication Associate Professor Carl DiSalvo.

Excerpt:

In the future, we will eat baked goods made from pulverized crickets, subsist solely on liquid diets of protein shakes, grow basil in living room pods with timers that alert us when the growing cycle is over and tend gardens in inner-city concrete mediums. And in the Museum of Design Atlanta exhibition “Food by Design: Sustaining the Future,” the future is now. All of those things and far more fascinating food-centric projects are already a reality as scientists, students, architects, activists and gardeners visualize how to grow and prepare food in a changing world… A number of the projects in “Food by Design,” from a Georgia Tech grad’s food-substitute innovation Soylent to Atlanta compost organization Compostwheels, have Atlanta roots, many of them spearheaded by ordinary citizens and by the city’s first Urban Agriculture Director Mario Cambardella.

Full article

Published in: Atlanta Journal Constitution
Artificial Intelligence? Only An Idiot Would Think That

March 16, 2017

LMC Professor Ian Bogost was quoted in the Irish Times article, “Artificial Intelligence? Only an Idiot Would Think That” in the Irish Times, March 9, 2017

Excerpt:

Not every technological innovation is artificial intelligence and labelling it as such is making the term “AI” virtually meaningless, says Ian Bogost, a professor of interactive computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US. Bogost gives the example of Google’s latest algorithm, Perspective, which is designed to detect hate speech. While media coverage has been hailing this as an AI wonder, it turns out that simple typos can fool the system and allow abusive, harassing, and toxic comments to slip through easily enough. Researchers from the University of Washington, Seattle, put the algorithm through its paces by testing the phrase “Anyone who voted for Trump is a moron”, which scored 79 per cent on the toxicity scale. Meanwhile, “Anyone who voted for Trump is a mo.ron” scored a tame 13 per cent. If you can easily game Artificial Intelligence, was it really intelligent in the first place?

Full article:
http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/artificial-intelligence-only-an-idiot-would-think-that-1.2999847

Published in: Irish Times
Trump, Russia And Nuclear Weapons: More With Sam Nunn

March 14, 2017

Part 2 of Dennis O'Hare's conversation with Sam Nunn aired March 14, 2017 on WABE and covered U.S.- Russia relations (countries have “existential common interest” and must work together, importance of military-to-military cooperation, Trump administration’s contacts with Russia; themes from recent Nunn-Browne-Ischinger-Ivanov op-ed); President Trump’s proposed defense budget; issues where Democrats and Republicans should be able to find common ground (infrastructure, reducing corporate taxes); Senator Nunn’s concern about some who “delegitimize presidential elections;” and the Iran deal.

Published in: WABE
Trump, Russia and Nuclear Weapons: More With Sam Nunn

March 14, 2017

Sam Nunn, distinguished professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, was interviewed in “Trump, Russia and Nuclear Weapons: More With Sam Nunn” by WABE.

Excerpt:

As U. S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson begins a trip to Asia this week, the emerging nuclear threat posed by North Korea will likely be a major subject of his talks in Japan, South Korea, and China.

However, Russia remains the U.S. adversary with the largest nuclear capability by far, and the chance of a conflict with Russia--especially one caused by lack of communication--continues to worry former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn.

The Georgia Democrat is a former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and is currently the co-chair and CEO of the Nuclear Threat Initiative. Recently, he introduced Tillerson at the Senate confirmation hearings for Secretary of State.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: WABE
Why Is It That So Many Basic Things Don't Work As Well As They Used To?

March 14, 2017

Ian Bogost, professor in the Ivan Allen College School of Literature, Media, and Communication, was quoted in “Why Is It That So Many Basic Things Don't Work As Well As They Used To?” by Mother Nature Network.

Excerpt:

Ian Bogost at the Atlantic shares my frustrations, and writes: "So many ordinary objects and experiences have become technologized ... that they have also ceased to work in their usual manner. It’s common to think of such defects as matters of bad design. That’s true, in part. But technology is also more precarious than it once was. Unstable, and unpredictable."

For the full article, read here.

Published in: Mother Nature Network
Sam Nunn Discusses the Threat from North Korea and President Trump’s Temperament

March 13, 2017

In Part 1 of a two-part interview with Dennis O'Hare of WABE which aired on March 13, 2017, Senator Sam Nunn discussed the Threat Posed by North Korea and President Trump’s Temperament in Handling Military and Security.

Published in: WABE
Time To Talk To North Korea, Former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn Says

March 13, 2017

Sam Nunn, distinguished professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, was interviewed in “Time To Talk To North Korea, Former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn Says” by WABE.

Excerpt:

This week, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson begins a trip to Asia, with scheduled visits to Japan, South Korea, and China. Tensions have increased in the a region after North Korea recently conducted new tests of missiles, which North Korea says could carry nuclear warheads.

Former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn, a Democrat from Georgia, is the co-chair and CEO of the Nuclear Threat Initiative. In part one of a conversation with Denis O'Hayer on "Morning Edition," Nunn talked about how serious a threat North Korea poses, and about the complicated diplomacy he says the new Trump administration must pursue to head off the possibility of a nuclear confrontation with that country.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: WABE
Trump Expected to Roll Back Obama's Climate Change Plan

March 7, 2017

Marilyn Brown, professor in the School of Public Policy, was quoted in “Trump Expected to Roll Back Obama's Climate Change Plan” by WABE.

Excerpt:

The Clean Power Plan has never gone into effect because two dozen states, including Georgia, sued to block it.

Still, many coal-fired power plants have closed anyway, because natural gas is cheaper than coal.

“Market forces, particularly with gas prices being so low, have created a great deal of momentum in the right direction,” said Marilyn Brown, a professor at Georgia Tech's School of Public Policy. “But those are all really short-term advances. The question is, what are we going to be able to do to meet the longer-term goals? There's so much uncertainty.”

For the full article, read here.

Published in: WABE
Closer Look: Outkast Class; Atlanta Traffic; And More

March 7, 2017

Joycelyn Brown, visiting professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication, was interviewed in “Closer Look: Outkast Class; Atlanta Traffic; And More” by WABE.

Excerpt:
- 33:27: Dr. Joycelyn Wilson, visiting professor at Georgia Tech, discusses her class, "Exploring the Lyrics of Outkast and Trap Music to Explore Politics in Social Justice,” and what lessons can be learned from hip-hop.
For the full article, read here.

Published in: WABE
‘Artificial Intelligence’ Has Become Meaningless

March 4, 2017

Ian Bogost, professor in the Ivan Allen College School of Literature, Media, and Communication, wrote “‘Artificial Intelligence’ Has Become Meaningless” for The Atlantic.

Excerpt:

In science fiction, the promise or threat of artificial intelligence is tied to humans’ relationship to conscious machines. Whether it’s Terminators or Cylons or servants like the “Star Trek” computer or the Star Wars droids, machines warrant the name AI when they become sentient—or at least self-aware enough to act with expertise, not to mention volition and surprise.

What to make, then, of the explosion of supposed-AI in media, industry, and technology? In some cases, the AI designation might be warranted, even if with some aspiration. Autonomous vehicles, for example, don’t quite measure up to R2D2 (or Hal), but they do deploy a combination of sensors, data, and computation to perform the complex work of driving. But in most cases, the systems making claims to artificial intelligence aren’t sentient, self-aware, volitional, or even surprising. They’re just software.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: The Atlantic
Trump Officials Calm Allies' Worries About U.S. Commitment to Europe

March 3, 2017

General Philip Breedlove,a distinguished professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, was interviewed on the March 3, 2017 episode of Morning Edition for NPR.

Listen to the full segment here.

Published in: NPR
The Wisdom of Nokia's Dumbphone

February 28, 2017

Ian Bogost, professor in the Ivan Allen College School of Literature, Media, and Communication, wrote “The Wisdom of Nokia's Dumbphone” for The Atlantic.

Excerpt:

They weighed heavy in pockets and jackets and bags, for they were thick and bulky, not lithe and narrow. Harried professionals never clutched one ostentatiously to say silently, “I’ve got better things to do than listen to this pitch or order this coffee.” Fashionable youth never dangled one nonchalantly from fingers as a flirty pique. Nothing was less sexy or less useful than a cell phone.

How is it possible, then, that Nokia has announced an updated edition of one of its most popular phones of the early aughts, the 3310? In short, because nothing has become less sexy or less useful than a smartphone.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: The Atlantic
Georgia Tech Class Uses Outkast to Teach Social Justice

February 27, 2017

Joycelyn Wilson, visiting professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication, was quoted in “Georgia Tech Class Uses Outkast to Teach Social Justice” by WXIA-TV.

Excerpt:

Radio meets the real world in Dr. Joycelyn Wilson's classroom.

"Oh my gosh, this class has been amazing," said fourth year student Raianna Brown.

The course is about going beyond the mindset of the car or the club where many typically enjoy hip-hop, to understand what these performers are saying about the lives and experiences of others.

"I really love the conversations that we have," said Amidat Sonekan, a third year student. "For someone who's not really good with words, it kind of helps me find those words that help explain why hip-hop is so important."

The course is called Exploring the Lyrics of Outkast and Trap Music to Explore Politics of Social Justice. Students meets once a week for three hours, listening to music, breaking down lyrics and engaging in discussions about the meanings behind the beats.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: WXIA-TV
Aliens as Immigrants: How ‘Arrival’ Became the Latest Political Sci-Fi Film

February 24, 2017

Jay Telotte and Lisa Yaszek, professors in the Ivan Allen College School of Literature, Media, and Commuincation, were quoted in “Aliens as Immigrants: How ‘Arrival’ Became the Latest Political Sci-Fi Film” by The Washington Post.

Excerpt:

Jay Telotte, a Georgia Tech professor who studies science fiction film and TV, says that political metaphors can be found in genre films of all sorts. In Westerns and musicals, he says, “the same thing happens — you find ways of displacing your anxieties and putting them into this other form. It’s not as threatening, and certainly it’s not as polemical.”.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: The Washington Post
Review: Sisters of Tomorrow: The First Women of Science Fiction

February 24, 2017

Lisa Yaszek, professor in the Ivan Allen College School of Literature, Media, and Commuincation, had her new book, Sisters of Tomorrow: The First Women of Science Fiction, reviewed in “Review: Sisters of Tomorrow: The First Women of Science Fiction” by Amazing Stories.

Excerpt:

Sisters of Tomorrow makes it clear that not only have women been trying harder for at least forever, and particularly for the past century, they’ve actually accomplished quite a bit that we are not at all properly familiar with.

To put a fine point on it: reading this book will force you to confront your unconscious biases head on. The first several pages of the introduction might be more appropriately titled You Had No Idea as it relentlessly catalogs the enormous accomplishments of what it describes as at least a “16th of the sf community”:

For the full article, read here.

Published in: Amazing Stories
Bogost Interviewed on Marketplace Tech

February 24, 2017

Ian Bogost, professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication, was interviewed about a new website for protest-based games on the February 24, 2017 episode of Marketplace Tech for American Public Media.

Listen to the full episode here.

Published in: American Public Media
Two Millennials Launch Bookmobile for New Generation of Readers

February 23, 2017

Julia Turner, an alumna of the School of Literature, Communication, and Culture (now the School of Literature, Media, and Communication), was featured in “Two Millennials Launch Bookmobile for New Generation of Readers” by The Chicago Tribune.

Excerpt:

I recently met two young women who are living my dream job.

I hate them.

No, I do not hate Julia Turner and Christen Thompson Lain, both 27, both of North Charleston, S.C. I envy them, their youth, their promise, their drive.

Their bookstore.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: Chicago Tribune