Georgia Tech’s Faculty/Staff Newspaper • Vol. 36, No. 3 • February 7, 2011 WTHE histle ? ?ASK?? AWAY New Institute to Connect People, Technology If I would like to To support the strategic plan’s roads where faculty, students, industry business institutions and the transformative make a suggestion focus on faculty-led, inter- partners, government partners and other role of technology in those enterprises is a to improve/change disciplinary and transforma- stakeholders meet to co-innovate, collabo- critical foundation for this new institute. rate and pave the road for Georgia Tech Moreover, her track record in bringing the sick leave tive research, Executive Vice ?? policy, who should research that addresses complex societal together diverse stakeholders to accom- I contact? President for Research Steve challenges,” Cross said. “IPaT will focus plish difficult interdisciplinary and transla- Cross has announced the launch on engaging the Tech community and our tional research and to provide solutions for Sharon Ray, director of of the Institute for People and external partners in far-reaching leader- today’s challenges is a prized asset for lead- benefits, is the person you Technology (IPaT). ship goals through its investment in unique ing an institute that will connect so many should contact. Ray can be research platforms, through our living labo- parts of the Georgia Tech community.” reached by e-mail at sharon. Similar to the ratories and datasets, through partnership The IPaT leadership team includes [email protected] or by Petit Institute for with Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute Deputy Director Jeff Evans, deputy direc- phone at 385-3890. Bioengineering and through alignment with the many tor of Georgia Tech Research Institute’s and Bioscience, ongoing research activities on campus.” (GTRI) Information and Communications If you have a Tech-related IPaT will catalyze IPaT will be led by Executive Director Laboratory. In addition to being a Tech question that you’d like Beth Mynatt, College of Computing profes- alumnus, Evans has been a research engi- answered, e-mail it to research activi- sor and former director of the GVU Center. neer for GTRI for more than 20 years, [email protected]. ties, create new economic develop- Mynatt is a renowned researcher in human- directing more than 70 successful external ment opportuni- computer interaction, health informatics sponsored research programs in networked ties and address and ubiquitous computing. She is a Sloan systems, performance applications and important societal and Kavli research fellow and serves on emerging wireless services. He has col- Beth Mynatt problems. It will Microsoft Research’s Technical Advisory laborated extensively across campus in EVENTS support various Board. Prior to joining the faculty in 1998, leading and supporting research efforts college research centers that collectively she was a member of the research staff at in the Georgia Centers for Advanced pursue transformations in healthcare, edu- Xerox PARC, working with the founder Communications Technology (GCATT) ARTS & CULTURE cation, consumer media and other complex of ubiquitous computing, Mark Weiser. and several interdisciplinary centers, estab- human enterprises by integrating advances Mynatt earned both her master’s and Ph.D. lishing network-based platforms and test February 12 in human-centered computing, architec- in computer science from Tech. beds to support a wide range of research The Ferst Center presents the Jon tural and digital design, policy and system “I’m thrilled that Beth has agreed to lead efforts. Evans will continue the develop- Faddis Jazz Orchestra of New York at the Institute for People and Technology,” ment of technology convergence test beds 8 p.m. Call 894-9600 for tickets. science and engineering. www.ferstcenter.gatech.edu “IPaT will create an innovation cross- Cross said. “Her vast understanding of the complexities inherent in today’s social and IPaT, continued on page 3 February 18 The Ferst Center presents Cirque Mechanics Boom Town at 8 p.m. Call 894-9600 for tickets. BuzzMart Launches www.ferstcenter.gatech.edu on Feb. 21 President Peterson February 19 The Ferst Center presents comedian If your daily duties include purchasing items for on Budget Cuts, Planning Margaret Cho at 8 p.m. Call 894-9600 your unit, life is about to get a little easier. for tickets. for Fiscal Year 2012 www.ferstcenter.gatech.edu The new eProcurement system, BuzzMart, will go live on G. P. “BUD” PETERSON February 23 Feb. 21, replacing Tech’s PeopleSoft campus requisition. PRESIDENT, GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Campus MovieFest is giving film “The shift to BuzzMart, which has been in the planning equipment to students, faculty and stage for more than a year, is consistent with goal five in the With Governor Nathan Deal’s first budget proposal staff for one week to make their own 5-minute movies. Come to the Library Institute’s strategic plan,” said Rosalind Meyers, vice president now in the hands of state legislators, I wanted to take East Commons from noon to 5 p.m. of campus services. “BuzzMart will streamline the procurement the opportunity to give you an impression of how http://tinyurl.com/47m32vr and payment process, eliminate paperwork and allow Business these early projections are likely to impact Georgia Services to focus on value-added, strategic activities rather than CONFERENCES transactional activities.” Tech’s operations, both for the five months that & LECTURES The new system will offer the following benefits: remain in this fiscal year as well as next year’s cycle. • 24/7 Internet-based access February 8 • One-stop shopping experience On Jan. 12, the governor presented two The Georgia Tech Research and • Real-time processing proposals: an amendment to the Fiscal Innovation Conference will feature the Year 2011 budget, in which he reduced research of 400 graduate students. • Student and affiliate access the revenue estimate, and the Fiscal Year The event will be held from 2:30 • Electronic approval and workflow to 7:30 p.m. in the Student Center • No end-of-the-month reconciliation or invoices to organize 2012 budget that begins July 1, 2011. The Ballroom and the Ferst Center. revised revenue estimate means Georgia http://tinyurl.com/47qo5qk “From the user point of view, it’s all about customer ser- Tech’s overall state appropriation has been vice,” Meyers said. “BuzzMart will get an order placed faster, reduced by a total of 6 percent this cur- Nano@Tech welcomes Kathleen delivered faster, eliminate the excess paperwork that the PCard rent fiscal year, or more than $13 million. Ann Goonan, a visiting assistant requires and it can be accessed from any computer.” professor in the School of Literature, Fortunately, due to careful planning and When the system is launched, many of the top Tech ven- prudent budget forecasting, we anticipated Communication and Culture, on G. P. “Bud” Peterson “Nanotechnology in Science Fiction: dors, including Staples and Hewlett Packard, will be featured this and are reasonably well prepared to Uses, Projections, Perils and Delights” in BuzzMart as catalog suppliers. The prices in the catalogs absorb a cut of this size with minimal impact on our operations. at noon in room 1116, Marcus reflect Tech’s negotiated rates, and additional vendor catalogs While this reduction will require a permanent 1 percent budget Technology Building. will be introduced over time. www.nrc.gatech.edu Purchasers will now be designated one of four roles. BUDGET, continued on page 3 Events continue on page 2 BUZZMART, continued on page 3 www.whistle.gatech.edu EVENTS Institute February 8 6 Faculty Members Named AAAS Fellows Geoffrey Smith of the University of Georgia Tech’s dean of the College of Engineering and sor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, was honored Georgia will lecture on “Laboratory “for significant contributions to our understanding of the role of Studies of the Chemical and Optical five other faculty members have been awarded the dis- hemodynamics in cardiovascular pathobiology and for leadership Transformations of Organic Aerosols tinction of Fellow by the American Association for the of engineering education nationally.” in the Atmosphere” at 4 p.m. in Advancement of Science (AAAS). room 3201A, Molecular Science and • Joseph W. Perry, professor of physical, polymer and materials Engineering Building. chemistry and optical science in the School of Chemistry and www.chemistry.gatech.edu AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society, and the elec- Biochemistry, was honored “for distinguished contribution to the tion as a Fellow is an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their understanding, development and application of organic materials February 9 peers. for third-order nonlinear optics.” David Kotz of Dartmouth College will The new Fellows at Georgia Tech consist of the following: present a lecture titled “Security and • Valerie Thomas, an associate professor of natural systems with Privacy in mHealth Systems.” The • Gilda A. Barabino, associate chair for graduate studies and profes- a joint appointment in the School of Industrial and Systems event will begin at 11 a.m. in suite 207, sor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, was honored Engineering and the School of Public Policy, was honored “for Health Systems Institute. Lunch will be sustained commitment to combining science policy with innovative served at noon. www.hsi.gatech.edu “for distinguished contributions to tissue engineering research and education, as well as for enhancing the participation of underrepre- interdisciplinary research in industrial ecology.” • Zhuomin Zhang, professor in the School of Mechanical Michael Benedikt of the University of sented groups in scientific fields.” Texas at Austin will lecture on “The • Stephen P. DeWeerth, professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, was awarded the Fellow distinction “for advancing Art and Science of Some Architectural Engineering, earned the distinction “for contributions in the field thermal radiation research and its applications in temperature Phenomena” at 4 p.m.