Professor Menon joined Flow Industries, Kent, Washington, as a research scientist, and in 1988, became a senior scientist and program manager for the computational fluid dynamics group in Quest Integrated, Inc. (formerly called Flow Research, Inc.). At Quest, Menon led research teams in various research projects such as the active control of combustion instability in ramjet engines, supersonic mixing studies, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft fluid dynamics, and hypersonic reentry problems. In 1992, he joined Georgia Institute of Technology as an associate professor and became a professor in 1997. He is currently the Hightower Professor of Engineering in Georgia Tech. Professor Menon is a world renowned expert in large-eddy simulation of turbulent reacting and non-reacting flows and has developed unique simulation capabilities to study pollutant formation, ozone depletion in high-altitude aircraft jet plumes and combustion in gas turbine and ramjet engines. He has been (and is currently) a principal investigator for a wide range of research projects funded by NASA, Department of Energy, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Office of Naval Research, Defense Threat Reduction Agency. His work has been (and is also) supported by many industries including General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, Solar Turbines, Boeing, Safran (France), Hyundai (S. Korea), JAXA (Japan), IHI (Japan) and Rocketdyne-Aerojet. He has published and/or presented over 395 papers. Professor Menon is a Fellow of AAAS, Associate Fellow of AIAA, and a member of the American Physical Society, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Combustion Institute and the Sigma Xi. He is a peer reviewer for numerous archival journals, NASA, NSF, DoD and DOE research proposals.

A.P. "Sakis" Meliopoulos, Ph.D., is the Georgia Power Distinguished Professor in the School of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech and serves as Associate Director of Cyber-Physical Systems for the Institute for Information Security & Privacy. Meliopoulos helped the development of the power program at Georgia Tech by contributing to the modernization of existing courses, introducing new courses, initiating research activities, and developing continuing education programs and the Power System Certificate program. Meliopoulos is the co-inventor, with George Cokkinides, of the Smart Ground Multimeter and the Macrodyne PMU-based Harmonic Measurement System for transmission networks. In his most recent research activities, he has introduced new approaches for modeling large scale power grids based on quadratization and the utilization of this approach to a variety of protection and control of the future power system integrated with distributed generation, renewable energy sources, and power electronic subsystems and interfaces. He has introduced the concept of the SuperCalibrator, a new approach that enables fully distributed state estimation and root cause disturbance analysis. This technology is expected to make a huge impact on the way we presently monitor and control the power grid. Presently, Meliopoulos leads four field demonstration projects on four different utilities: USVI-WAPA, NYPA, Southern Company, and PG&E. He has applied the quadratized approach for high fidelity analysis, stability and control of integrated systems consisting of the power grid, and power electronics interfaced distributed generation and renewables (the μGRID model). He is leading an EPRI-sponsored effort to develop "settingless" protection methods utilizing recent technologies of merging units and GPS-synchronized measurements. He has developed a state-of-the-art synchrophasor laboratory with multiple capabilities: (a) characterization of PMUs, (b) testing of PDCs, (c) autonomous monitoring and control using GPS-synchronized measurements, and (d) testing of protective functions that require GPS synchronization. Meliopoulos holds three patents, published three books, and published over 270 technical papers. For his research achievements, he was elected Fellow of the IEEE in 1993. In addition, he has received the IEEE-IAS Society Field Award in 2005 (IEEE-IAS Richard Kaufman Award), and the 2010 George Montefiore Institute Award (Belgium). He was named the Georgia Power Distinguished Professor in 2006. He serves as the site director for the NSF I/URC PSERC, he is the academic administrator of the Power System Certificate program, and the chairman of the Georgia Tech Protective Relaying Conference and the Fault and Disturbance Analysis Conference. He attended the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, where he earned the Diploma in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering in 1972. He then attended Georgia Tech where he earned his MSEE (1974) and Ph.D. (1976) degrees. He joined Georgia Tech's faculty of Electrical Engineering in 1976.

Dr. Christopher “Scott” McWhorter is Lead for Federal Energy Strategy and National Laboratory Partnerships and a Senior Research Engineer within the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) at the Georgia Institute of Technology. In this role, he leads Georgia Tech’s federal energy strategy, national laboratory engagement, and large-scale interdisciplinary research development efforts, helping position the Institute to compete for transformative federal research investments across the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Defense (DOD), National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Commerce, and other federal agencies. He works closely with faculty, industry, national laboratories, and government stakeholders to develop strategic partnerships, advance technology commercialization, and expand Georgia Tech’s research portfolio in energy, manufacturing, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, and national security. 

Dr. McWhorter brings more than twenty-five years of experience spanning national laboratories, federal government, academia, and technology startups. His technical expertise encompasses hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, advanced energy storage materials, critical minerals and supply chains, grid modernization, advanced manufacturing, sensors and spectroscopy, technology commercialization, and strategic energy policy. Throughout his career, he has led the development and management of multidisciplinary research programs valued at hundreds of millions of dollars while helping organizations secure more than $750 million in competitive federal funding. 

At Georgia Tech, Dr. McWhorter has played a leading role in developing major institutional initiatives focused on hydrogen, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and federal research partnerships. He serves as Co-Principal Investigator on a $20 million Department of Defense program focused on the manufacturing science of galvanic aluminum-based hydrogen generation technologies and has led numerous efforts to connect Georgia Tech researchers with federal agencies, national laboratories, industry partners, and regional innovation ecosystems. He previously served as Interim Managing Director of the Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing (Georgia AIM) initiative and Interim Executive Director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium, where he expanded industry engagement and strengthened partnerships across the manufacturing sector. 

Prior to joining Georgia Tech, Dr. McWhorter served in multiple executive and scientific leadership roles at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), including Director of Strategic Programs, Division Director for Energy Science and Technology, Director of the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program, and Senior Advisory Scientist. He managed research portfolios exceeding $75 million annually and led multidisciplinary organizations of more than 65 scientists, engineers, and technical staff. During his tenure, he significantly expanded SRNL’s clean energy research portfolio, helped establish the laboratory’s Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative, and played a central role in the formation of several Manufacturing USA institutes, including the RAPID Manufacturing Institute and CESMII Smart Manufacturing Institute. 

Dr. McWhorter served as a Science and Clean Energy Technical Advisor for the Hydrogen Storage Program at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office. In that role, he provided technical leadership for a research portfolio exceeding $20 million annually, contributed to national hydrogen storage strategies and performance targets, guided funding opportunity development, and supported the advancement of next-generation hydrogen storage technologies. His work helped shape DOE research priorities that continue to influence the commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell systems today. 

Dr. McWhorter’s research contributions span hydrogen storage materials, advanced energy systems, critical minerals recovery, spectroscopy and sensing technologies, advanced materials characterization, and microfluidic systems. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, invited chapters, and patents, including foundational contributions to hydrogen storage technologies, energy systems analysis, optical sensing platforms, and advanced materials processing. His recent work has focused on critical minerals recovery from mining and industrial waste streams, domestic supply chain resilience, and the integration of advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence technologies to strengthen U.S. energy and industrial competitiveness. 

In addition to his research and leadership activities, Dr. McWhorter is a recognized national leader in hydrogen and clean energy deployment. He serves as Chairman of the Board of the Southeast Hydrogen Energy Alliance (SHEA), where he has helped build one of the nation’s largest regional hydrogen stakeholder networks and advance strategies supporting hydrogen infrastructure, workforce development, and commercialization across the Southeastern United States. He also serves on numerous advisory boards and technical review panels for federal agencies, manufacturing institutes, universities, and industry organizations. 

Dr. McWhorter earned a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Louisiana State University and completed an ORISE Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Savannah River National Laboratory. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for excellence in research leadership, business development, technology transfer, and strategic program development, receiving multiple laboratory and national awards for advancing clean energy innovation and commercialization. His work continues to focus on accelerating the development and deployment of technologies that strengthen U.S. energy security, manufacturing competitiveness, and economic prosperity. Selected Recent Publications: 1. Tang, Y.; McWhorter, S. Kaolin Tailings Are Georgia's Hidden Gateway to Critical Minerals in AI Era. Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 19, 2025. https://www.ajc.com/opinion/2025/12/kaolin-tailings-are-georgias-hidden-gateway-to-critical-minerals-in-ai-era/ (accessed 2026-06-01). 2. Tang, Y. and McWhorter, S. "How the US Can Mine Its Own Critical Minerals — without Digging New Holes." The Conversation, 30 July 2025, https://theconversation.com/how-the-us-can-mine-its-own-critical-minerals-without-digging-new-holes-252609. 3. Grady, C., McWhorter, S., Sulic, M., Sprik, S.J., Thorton, M.J., Brooks, K.P., Tamburello, D.A., Design Tool for Estimating Adsorbent Hydrogen Storage System Characteristics for Light-Duty Fuel Cell Vehicles. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 47, 29847, 2022. 4. Zidan, R., McWhorter, S., Enabling a Flexible Grid with Increased Penetration of DER: Techno-economic Analysis of Metal Hydride Thermochemical Energy Storage Integrated with Stirling Engine for Grid Energy Storage Applications. United States: N. p., 2020. Web. doi:10.2172/1632839.

Dr. Medford is interested in leveraging materials informatics, statistics, and machine learning to maximize the practical impact of fundamental atomic-scale simulations in the field of surface science and catalysis. His research areas include heterogeneous catalysis, oxide surface chemistry, density functional theory, kinetic models, uncertainty quantification, and Bayesian optimization and inference.

Leigh McCook, principal research associate at Georgia Tech, also serves as deputy director for IPaT, director of STEM programs for the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), and previously served as division chief for fifteen years in GTRI’s socio-technical systems division in the Information and Communications Lab. She has been with Georgia Tech for more than 30 years.

As deputy director in IPaT, McCook works to build new research partnerships across campus as well as develop government, industry, and international programs. While she continues to conduct research, McCook's focus has centered on growing IPaT’s research portfolio of state government and industry projects, particularly in education, humanitarian systems, health and smart cities.

McCook’s GTRI activities include directing research and outreach programs for regional and national centers and managing a variety of research and STEM programs funded by federal, state, and local agencies.

Her career expertise includes technology transfer, research translation, outreach, planning, and program management, specifically in areas related to emergency preparedness and response, homeland security, community resiliency, and education. She has managed researchers working a variety of programs in health, learning technology, planning, technology assessment, and integration, policy analysis and research, technology transfer, education, training, public safety, humanitarian, and emergency response.

McCook served as program manager for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) Homeland Security/Emergency Response programs at the Georgia Tech Research Institute since 2000. Twenty years of program support to GEMA has resulted in over $53M work of funded project work at GTRI.

McCook’s experience also includes having served as associate director for technology transfer and outreach for EPA’s Hazardous Substance Research Centers (South & Southwest). In this capacity she led technology transfer, research translation, and outreach activities for the five-university consortium.

McCook has served as principal investigator (PI) or co-PI on projects for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Georgia Department and Family and Child Services, the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, the Atlanta Urban Area Security Initiative, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Southeast Regional Research Initiative.

Dr. Anirban Mazumdar joined Georgia Tech as an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering in 2018. Dr. Mazumdar studies robot mobility with the goal of understanding and achieving agile, versatile, and efficient robot behaviors in unstructured environments. His previous experience includes a postdoctoral research position in the High Consequence Automation and Robotics Group at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM. He has broad experience with novel robotic systems including energy efficient bipedal robots, reconfigurable aerial vehicles, prosthetic devices, and relaxed stability mobile robots.

Dr. Mazumdar started at the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech in January of 2019 and currently has a courtesy appointment with the Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering. She graduated with her Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed a postdoctoral appointment at Sandia National Laboratories in the Diagnostic Science and Engineering group. Her research interests include the design of new diagnostic techniques and sensor systems for studying combustion, multiphase flows, hypersonic flows, and energetic materials. Her group utilizes new composite sensing materials, optical diagnostics, magnetostatics, and system identification methods to study these complex physical phenomena.

Professor Paul W. Mayne is an international researcher with a focus on in-situ testing, geotechnical site characterization, foundation systems, and the evaluation of soil & rock properties. Particular interests include the use, conduct, and interpretation of the cone penetrometer, seismic piezocone, and flat dilatometer, evaluation of shallow and deep foundation systems, and ground modification techniques. From 1977-1987, Paul served in geotechnical consulting practice in the Washington DC-Virginia-Maryland region. After receiving a doctorate from Cornell University, he joined the civil & environmental engineering faculty at Georgia Tech in 1990. He served as the Geosystems Engineering Team Leader from 2000 to 2010, 2012-2014, and 2016. During his residency at GT, Paul served as the chair (2001-2013) of the ISSMGE Technical Committee TC 102 (formerly TC16): Ground Property Characterization by In-Situ Tests (http://www.webforum.com/tc102) and later served as ISSMGE Vice President for North America (www.issmge.org). With Dr. Peter Robertson, Dr. Mayne hosted and co-edited the two-volume proceedings entitled Geotechnical Site Characterization (ISC-1, 1998) held in Atlanta. In 2000, he co-edited the ASCE GSP No. 97 entitled Innovations & Applications in Geotechnical Site Characterization for the Geo-Institute conference held in Denver. He is the senior author of the National Highway Institute manual on Subsurface Investigations: Geotechnical Site Characterization (2002) and a co-author on the FHWA Geotechnical Engineering Circular (2002) on Evaluation of Soil & Rock Properties and GSP 124 GeoSupport 2004 on foundations. In September 2004, the 2nd Intl. Conf. on Site Characterization (ISC) held in Portugal resulted in the two-volume proceedings: Geotechnical & Geophysical Site Characterization, for which he was a co-editor. Paul served as senior editor for GSP 138 on Site Characterization & Modeling at the 2005 ASCE GeoFrontiers Conference in Austin. Dr. Mayne was selected by the National Academies to prepare the NCHRP Synthesis 368 on the Cone Penetration Test (2007) which is available at:www.trb.org.  He co-edited the proceedings Geotechnical & Geophysical Site Characterization 2008 (ISC-3, Taipei, 2008) and served as host chair and co-editor for two volumes entitled:  Deformational Characteristics of Geomaterials (2008).  In 2009, he prepared GeoEngineering Design Using the CPT for ConeTec. Together with Dr. Peter K. Robertson, Paul co-edited the 3-volume proceedings for the Second International Symposium on Cone Penetration Testing (CPT’10) that was held in Huntington Beach/CA (www.usucger.org).  He also co-edited the proceedings for the 4th International Conference on Site Characterization (ISC-4) held in Pernambuco, Brazil (2012). Most recently, Paul contributed 4 of the 11 chapters to the new NCHRP 258 Document Subsurface Investigations Manual (2019) published by the National Academies Press for the Transportation Research Board (www.trb.org). Dr. Mayne has delivered international lectures, including a number of invited keynotes presentations, and participated in over 125 continuing education courses.  Paul Mayne is an active member of ASCE, ASTM, TRB, USUCGER, DFI, ADSC, CGS, and ISSMGE and has served as a recent consultant on projects located in the USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Asia. He is licensed as a professional registered engineering in Virginia. He is married, has one daughter, and plays bass guitar. 

Research

In-situ testing, Site characterization, Geotechnical parameter identification, Foundation systems, Soil properties determination, Geostatic stress state, Ground improvement by dynamic compaction and plasma arc vitrification

Dr. Mayor is a distinguished expert in thermal sciences, electro-mechanical machine design, and micro-manufacturing. As the inventor of the DwHX cooling technology for electric machines, he specializes in the research and development of advanced power electronics cooling, electric machine design, micro-power generation, and sustainable energy systems. Alongside his technical pursuits, Dr. Mayor has a rich entrepreneurial backdrop, having navigated product-oriented tech startups and led multiple advanced research and development programs. His expertise is sought in IP litigation, where he serves as a technical authority. 

He has presented keynotes and seminars on diverse topics, from micro-manufacturing and electric machines to energy systems. He teaches courses in mechanical engineering courses at Georgia Tech, including machine design, manufacturing processes, design thinking and internal combustion engines, including H2ICE, and has taught courses as a visiting lecturer in China, France, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. He has a substantial academic contribution with over 120 publications in leading archival journals and conferences and is a member of ASME and IEEE and SME. 

Dr. Mayor's commitment goes beyond teaching and research as he engages in service as the Secretary of the Faculty. He strives to build on the learnings from the pandemic to expand the resourcefulness, understanding, and trust in shared governance. Moreover, Dr. Mayor serves as the faculty advisor for the Student Competition Center, further highlighting his commitment to student mentoring and leadership development. He looks forward to implementing AI in a robust manner in institute learnings, as a core capability in education.

Dimitri Mavris is a Regents’ Professor, Boeing Professor of Advanced Aerospace Systems Analysis, and an S.P. Langley Distinguished Professor. He also serves as the director of the Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory (ASDL) and executive director of the Professional Master’s in Applied Systems Engineering (PMASE). Dr. Mavris received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His primary areas of research interest include: advanced design methods, aircraft conceptual and preliminary design, air-breathing propulsion design, multi-disciplinary analysis, design and optimization, system of systems, and non-deterministic design theory. Dr. Mavris has actively pursued closer ties between the academic and industrial communities in order to foster research opportunities and tailor the aerospace engineering curriculum towards meeting the future needs of the US aerospace industry. He has also co-authored with his students in excess of 1,000 publications. During his tenure at Georgia Tech, Dr. Mavris has chaired and served in several Technical and Program Committees for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and served on the AIAA Board of Directors and Institute Development Committee. He is the President of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS). He is the Georgia Tech technical point of contact for the FAA Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuels & Environment (ASCENT), the Georgia Tech site director for the FAA Partnership to Enhance General Aviation Safety, Accessibility, and Sustainability (PEGASAS), and the principal investigator for the Airbus/Georgia Tech Center for MBSE-enabled Overall Aircraft Design and the Siemens Center of Excellence for Simulation and Digital Twin.