News Archive

College of Sciences Physicists Named in Award for Detection of Gravitational Waves

Members of the LIGO discovery team, including those from Georgia Tech, have been added to the official roster of recipients of the 2016 Gruber Foundation Cosmology Prize.

Simple Robots, Smart Algorithms: Meet the BOBbots

Inspired by a theoretical model of particles moving around on a chessboard, new robot swarm research led by Georgia Tech shows that, as magnetic interactions increase, dispersed “dumb robots” can abruptly gather in large, compact clusters to accomplish complex tasks. Researchers report that these “BOBbots” (behaving, organizing, buzzing bots) are also capable of collectively clearing debris that is too heavy for one alone to move, thanks to a robust algorithm.

10 Years, 200 Papers: Two Physicists on Collaboration, Co-advising — and Complex Biophysics

Over the past decade, Flavio Fenton and James (JC) Gumbart have enjoyed partnering as faculty, research collaborators, co-advisors, and friends. 200 papers later, they look back at 10 years of research, and to the decade ahead.

Researchers Develop Methodology for Streamlined Control of Material Deformation

Researchers demonstrate that new physical theories provide precise predictions of the deformations of certain structures, revealing that a flexible mechanical structure is governed by some of the same math as electromagnetic waves and even black holes.

A Dean's Valedictory, Part 1

College of Sciences Dean Paul Goldbart has accepted a position as the Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. In this first installment of a two-part audio story, Goldbart looks back on his time at Georgia Tech, which included exciting growth in research in astrobiology, microbial ecology, and gravitational-wave astronomy, as well as the exhilirating experience of the eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017.  

Faculty and Students Honored with 2022 Sigma Xi Awards

College of Sciences faculty research papers and student theses are spotlighted by the Georgia Tech chapter of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society.

Georgia Tech Physicists Expand Access to Biophysics Research

Two School of Physics scientists have published instructions for using powerful, lower-cost microcontrollers that can make biophysics research more accessible.

Feryal Özel Named School of Physics Chair

Astrophysicist Feryal Özel will chair the School of Physics, effective August 2022. The appointment will also bring Dimitrios Psaltis to the Georgia Tech Physics faculty. 

Charting the Path of Molecules

Scientists use computers simulations to recreate the birth of stars and black holes. James “JC” Gumbart, an associate professor in the School of Physics, goes in the other direction: He uses powerful hardware and software to chart the possible paths of molecules like proteins in hopes of finding solutions to problems like antibiotic-resistant bacteria. 

Bernard F. Schutz Elected as Fellow of the Royal Society

Schutz, an adjunct professor in the School of Physics, member of the Center for Relativistic Astrophysics, professor at Cardiff University, and former director and founding director of the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute), is the recipient of top honors from the world's oldest independent scientific academy. Schutz is elected for seminal contributions to relativistic astrophysics, including driving the field of gravitational wave searches — helping lead to their direct detection in 2015.

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