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Georgia Tech Teams with ‘Big Data’ Experts to Study Medical Imaging

August 21, 2018

Danny Hughes, a Georgia Institute of Technology professor of economics, was recently quoted in an article from Georgia Health News about the new five-year, $3.3 million research partnership to establish the Health Economics and Analytics Lab (HEAL) within Georgia Tech’s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

“The goal of the HEAL lab is ultimately just to provide objective, credible scientific evidence into the national medical imaging debate,” said Danny Hughes, executive director of the Neiman Institute and professor of economics in the School of Economics, a unit of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Using big data analytics, the HEAL lab will look at “the broader view of policy as it impacts the medical profession,” said Hughes, “but we are primarily focused on understanding that from the viewpoint of medical imaging,” such as X-rays, MRIs and CT-scans.

Read the full interview on the Georgia Health News website.

Published in: Georgia Health News
Sam Nunn Says Iran Nuclear Deal Was Not Designed to Stop Bad Behavior

August 16, 2018

Sam Nunn, distinguished professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Institute of Technology, was interviewed in Bloomberg TV, May 11, “Sam Nunn Says Iran Nuclear Deal Was Not Designed to Stop Bad Behavior.” The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt

The Europeans have declared they're going to try to keep the agreement. Keeping the agreement, and Russia has said the same thing, means doing business with Iran, because that was the quid for the quo. And right now doing business with Iran would run into the United States secondary sanctions, which would affect European investment in European countries -- telling the Europeans that in effect if you trade with Iran you can't trade with the United States. That is a very, very serious strategic error. And I think it is going to do more damage to the alliance unless it's turned around than anything we've seen in many years.

Find the interview on the Bloomberg website

Published in: Bloomberg TV
The Case for Rooms

August 9, 2018

Ian Bogost, professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication was quoted in the City Lab, August 6, article, “The Case for Rooms.” The Literature, Media, and Communication is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

In a recent essay in The Atlantic, Ian Bogost described a new luxury concept called the “mess kitchen”—a second kitchen out of sight from the main kitchen and the rest of the open plan. He cited it to demonstrate why the open floor plan and its rhetoric around “entertaining” have reached new levels of absurdity. However, to me, the mess kitchen offers hope for a transitional period where open spaces may become closed again.

For the full article, visit the City Lab website.

Published in: City Lab
Satellite Data and Cheeseburgers

August 9, 2018

Mariel Borowitz, assistant professor at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Institute of Technology, wrote the Space News, August 8, op-ed, “Satellite Data and Cheeseburgers.” The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

“If cheeseburgers were declared a global public good because food is necessary for life, and therefore it’s a global public good and cheeseburgers therefore had to be given away to the world for free, how many cheeseburgers would have been available to me at nine o’clock at night on a Sunday when I landed in Washington, D.C.? The answer is zero. Why? Because nobody is going to start producing cheeseburgers for free.”

There are a couple technical issues with this analogy, discussed below, but it captures the key question well: how do we balance support for an exciting, new commercial market with the government’s responsibility to provide data that supports science, protects lives and property, and enables value-added companies in sectors ranging from agriculture to energy?

For the full article, visit the Space News website.

Published in: Space News
Searching for a Lost Odessa — and a Deaf Childhood

August 9, 2018

Ilya Kaminsky, Margaret T. and Henry C. Bourne Jr. Chair in Poetry and professor at the School of Literature, Media and Communication at Georgia Institute of Technology, wrote the New York Times, August 9, article, “Searching for a Lost Odessa — and a Deaf Childhood.” The School of Literature, Media, and Communication is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

I had no hearing aids until I came to America. The Odessa I know is a silent city, where the language is invisibly linked to my father’s lips moving as I watch his mouth repeat stories again and again. He turns away. The story stops. He looks at me again, but the story has already moved on.

Decades later, when I come back to this city, I don’t feel I have quite returned until I turn my hearing aids off.

For the full article, visit the New York Times website.

Published in: New York Times
Something Is Wrong at Facebook

July 30, 2018

Ian Bogost, professor at the School of Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC) at Georgia Institute of Technology, wrote The Atlantic, July 26, article, “Something Is Wrong at Facebook.” The School of Literature, Media, and Communication is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Facebook’s chief financial officer, David Wehner, warned that its revenue growth would slow over the remainder of the year. Wehner also said that the company’s profitability would slow. Its operating margin has almost reached 50 percent in the past. That’s an incredible number—Google and Apple often reach only 25 to 30 percent. Wehner urged investors to expect that figure, 44 percent for the current quarter, to trend toward the mid-30s in the future. The reasons amount to investments in new products and services, and changes related to privacy and security. Facebook’s user growth also slowed, and actually dropped in Europe, thanks to the effects of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which went into effect in May.

For Facebook’s critics, the crash had moral implications. At last, the company’s misdeeds might be catching up with it. But a single bad day—one that hasn’t even concluded as I write this—says very little about its performance over time. With the exception of the March calamity, driven by election scandals and the company’s questionable responses to them, many of Facebook’s stock dips tracked with fears about its ability to continue to increase profits at its prior

For the full article, visit The Atlantic website.

Published in: The Atlantic
Study: US Unlikely To See New Nuclear Power Anytime Soon

July 30, 2018

Marilyn Brown, professor in the School of Public Policy, was quoted in the WABE, July 25, article, “Study: US Unlikely To See New Nuclear Power Anytime Soon.” The School of Public Policy is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Marilyn Brown, who runs the climate and energy policy lab at Georgia Tech, agrees with Morgan that nuclear power is important for addressing climate change, and she said the paper, which she was not involved with, is a fair assessment of the challenges for nuclear.

But, she said, her outlook for the future isn’t quite as grim as Morgan’s. She said she would like to see the U.S. build a few more nuclear reactors, but she also believes that renewable sources of energy and battery technology will keep improving.

“I think we can manage no new nuclear. I just don’t want to see a bunch of good plants retired,” Brown said

For the full article, visit the WABE website.

Published in: WABE
Driving Without a Smartphone

July 10, 2018

Ian Bogost, professor at the School of Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC) at Georgia Institute of Technology, wrote The Atlantic, July 10, article, “Driving Without a Smartphone.” The School of Literature, Media, and Communication is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Last week, for the first time in years, I stopped my car at a red light and didn’t bide the time by fondling my smartphone. This isn’t a proud admission, but it is an honest one: Pretty much every time I stop my car at a traffic signal, I pick up my phone and do something with it. I’m not even sure what. I “check my phone,” as people say. Checking your phone doesn’t really mean checking your email or text messages or social-media feed. Mostly, it means checking to see if there’s anything to check.

For the full article, visit The Atlantic website.

Published in: The Atlantic
Ex-US NATO Commander Breedlove: ‘We Need More Force in Europe, Not Less’

July 9, 2018

General (retd.) Phil Breedlove, distinguished professor and CETS Senior Fellow in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, was interviewed in “Ex-US NATO Commander Breedlove: ‘We Need More Force in Europe, Not Less’” by Deutsche Welle. The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs is part of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

I have testified consistently that we need more force in Europe, not less. I remain convinced that in order to meet the speed that our opponent can bring to his troop movement we need to be able to react at that speed. And that speed requires forward forces. In some cases we may not be able to move the troops forward, but we need to enable speed of reaction and in some cases that might be by prepositioning materials forward to allow forces to rapidly fall in on them. But I am not a proponent of further reducing any of the troop sizes in Europe. Rather I am a proponent of increasing our ability to rapidly respond and part of that rapid response requires forward troops.

For the interviwe, visit Deutsche Welle website.

Published in: Deutsche Welle
Closer Look: Attacks on News Media — Journalist Round Table; GA. Distracted Driving Law; and More

July 6, 2018

Robert Rosenberger, associate professor in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology, was interviewed for “Closer Look: Attacks on News Media — Journalist Round Table; GA. Distracted Driving Law; and More” on WABE. The interview discusses the implication of the new Georgia HB673 commonly referred to as the hands-free law. The School of Public Policy is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

For the full interview, visit the WABE website

Published in: WABE
Christine Ries Interviewed by Georgia Public Broadcasting

July 5, 2018

Dr. Ries discussed the implication of tariffs and taxes on global trade on the Georgia Public Broadcasting show “Breaking Down Trade, Tariffs And Taxes"

Dr. Ries is a professor in the School of Economics, in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. The show was title “Breaking Down Trade, Tariffs And Taxes” and the entire podcast can be heard on the Georgia Public Broadcasting website.

Published in: Georgia Public Broadcasting
Safety Advocates: Georgia’s Distracted Driving Law a ‘First Step’

July 2, 2018

Robert Rosenberger, associate professor in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology, was quoted in the WARL, June 29, article, “Safety Advocates: Georgia’s Distracted Driving Law a ‘First Step’.” The School of Public Policy is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Rosenberger, the Georgia Tech professor, called the law “a good first step.” But he said it doesn't go far enough to deter dangerous behavior.

“My worry about a law like is that it might somehow encourage using hands-free phones while driving, rather than giving the signal that you shouldn't be on the phone while driving,” said Rosenberger.

“I’m afraid that laws like this tend to signal that these things are safe, and they're not safe,” he said. “They're just as bad.”

For the full article, visit the WARL website

Published in: WARL
Facebook’s Latest Problem: It Can’t Track Where Much of the Data Went

June 29, 2018

Ian Bogost, professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Institute of Technology, was quoted in the Wall Street Journal, June 27, article, “Facebook’s Latest Problem: It Can’t Track Where Much of the Data Went.” The School of Literature, Media, and Communication is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Facebook Inc.’s internal probe into potential misuse of user data is hitting fundamental roadblocks: The company can’t track where much of the data went after it left the platform or figure out where it is now.

For the full article, visit the Wall Street Journal website *(subscription required)

Published in: Wall Street Journal
Inside or Outside? Demand at a Premium for Atlanta Patio Space

June 29, 2018

Hans Klein, associate professor in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology, was quoted in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, June 22, article, “Inside or Outside? Demand at a Premium for Atlanta Patio Space.” The School of Public Policy is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Atlantans have loved patios since the first one appeared. But outdoor space is more important than ever as retail evolves in the e-commerce area.

For the full article, visit the Atlanta Business Chronicle website *(subscription required)

Published in: Atlanta Business Chronicle
What Petty Nextdoor Posts Reveal About America

June 22, 2018

Ian Bogost, professor at the School of Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC) at Georgia Institute of Technology, wrote The Atlantic, July/August 2018 issue, article, “What Petty Nextdoor Posts Reveal About America.” The School of Literature, Media, and Communication is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Here are some of the things I heard about in my neighborhood over the past year: A thunderstorm downed a tree, blocking a central road; a shadowy agent called “the night clipper” arose, surreptitiously cutting overhanging bushes while unsuspecting property owners slept; several dogs and cats were lost, found, or “on the loose,” whatever that means for a cat; a federal-grand-jury-summons telephone scam struck; someone sought belly-dancing classes, an apparent alternative to Pilates; and, innumerable times, people deposited bags of dog poop into lawn-clipping and recycling canisters at the curb. All of this news came courtesy of the social-media service Nextdoor. On its website and app, people can post recommendations, updates, and warnings about their building, block, or neighborhood.

For the full article, visit The Atlantic website.

Published in: The Atlantic
Synthetic Biology Could Enable Bioweapons Development

June 21, 2018

Margaret Kosal, associate professor in the Nunn School, was quoted in the Chemical and Engineering News June 18, article, “Synthetic Biology Could Enable Bioweapons Development.” The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

“The report was extremely well done and delivered something that has potential to be useful for policy-makers,” says Margaret E. Kosal, a chemist by training and currently a professor of international affairs at Georgia Institute of Technology, who reviewed a draft of the report. In particular, Kosal applauds the committee for prioritizing potential threats, “because if everything is a problem, then nothing gets addressed,” she says.

For the full article, visit the Chemical and Engineering News website.

Published in: Chemical and Engineering News
Apple’s Airpods Are an Omen

June 18, 2018

Ian Bogost, professor at the School of Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC) at Georgia Institute of Technology, wrote The Atlantic, June 12, article, “Apple’s Airpods Are an Omen.” The School of Literature, Media, and Communication is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

The moment I put the Apple AirPods in my ears, I feel like I’ve already dropped them in the toilet. They are so small and slippery. The mere act of removing these precious, wireless ear buds from their lozenge-shaped case makes them feel like a futuristic cure to unknown ills. I am late to adopt them, so I indulge a marvel. I take one out of an ear; this time I feel like I’m sure to ingest it, eventually, mistaking it for a space-age apparatus for wellness or transhumanism. My AirPods, I am convinced, are not long for this world.

For the full article, visit The Atlantic website.

Published in: The Atlantic
Gwinnett among Georgia Tech Smart Community Grant Winners

June 18, 2018

Omar Isaac Asensio, assistant professor in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology, was mentioned in the Gwinnett Daily Post June 13 article “Gwinnett among Georgia Tech Smart Community Grant Winners.” The School of Public Policy is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Albany Housing Data Initiative: Led by the city of Albany, the project will evaluate an automated housing registry. The system will allow for improved neighborhood infrastructure and revitalization and encourage a safe and sustainable housing inventory for the city. The assigned Georgia Tech researcher is Omar Isaac Asensio, assistant professor in the School of Public Policy.

For the full article, visit the Gwinnett Daily Post website.

Published in: Gwinnett Daily Post
Georgia secretary of state shows up on declassified report on Russia

June 6, 2018

Adam Stulberg, professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, was quoted in “Georgia secretary of state shows up on declassified report on Russia” by CBS 46.

Excerpt:

CBS46 also asked Georgia Tech professor Adam Stulberg, who specializes in U.S/Russia relations. He said, it's important to distinguish between Russian acts of smearing and propaganda versus actual attacks on the election system -- which he's seen no evidence of.

Professor Stulberg also says, while he "can't comment on the effects of Kemp's decisions, it's likely, the feds are in a better position to know about the vulnerabilities of the infrastructure to Russian attack".

Find the article on the CBS website.

Published in: CBS
Ideas for Creating an Effective Syllabus for Online Learning

June 4, 2018

Danielle Geary, Lecturer & Online Coordinator of Spanish at the School of Modern Languages (ModLangs) at Georgia Institute of Technology, wrote The Faculty Focus, June 4, article, “Ideas for Creating an Effective Syllabus for Online Learning.” The School of School of Modern Languages is part of the Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.

Excerpt:

Online students need to feel an instructor presence in their classes. Thorough explanations and effective communication help fulfill this need and can transform a mediocre online course into a great one—and it all starts with the syllabus.

Structure and communication. That’s what I’ve found to be the keys to an effective online course syllabus. Well, that, and something I call a chapter checklist, to go along with the syllabus. I’ve discovered both to be essential to my asynchronous online foreign language course.

Now that I’ve been teaching Spanish online for five years, experience has taught me some excellent ways to both connect with my students and provide much-needed structure.

For the full article, visit The Faculty Focus website.

Published in: The Faculty Focus