Martin Maldovan is an associate professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the School of Physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received his Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He was also a postdoctoral associate and research scientist at MIT.  Maldovan’s group is developing novel heat and mass transport processes as an enabling technology for energy converter materials and devices, micro and nanoelectronics, chemical and biological separations, and catalysis. His group focuses on designing, predicting, and controlling heat and mass transfer in rationally engineered systems with length scales ranging from macro to nano, to advance new paradigms for energy saving materials and devices.  

Jorge Macedo, Ph.D., P.E., is an Associate Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he has been a faculty member since 2018 and currently holds the Frederick Olmsted Early Career Professorship. His research focuses on extreme events engineering, with an emphasis on earthquakes, mining geotechnics, and AI-driven, physics-informed engineering to advance performance-based assessments of critical infrastructure.

His cross-disciplinary research program has been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), state agencies including the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), as well as industry partners. In 2022, Dr. Macedo received the prestigious NSF CAREER Award for his work at the intersection of mining geotechnics and data science. He has also received the Young Researcher Award from the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE), along with multiple research and teaching awards from Georgia Tech and other institutions. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Macedo has extensive industry experience, serving as a subject matter expert (SME) and member of International Technical Review Boards (ITRBs) for major global mining projects. He currently serves as an Associate Editor for Earthquake Spectra and the ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering (JGGE), among other professional service roles.

Research

Dr. Macedo’s research focuses on extreme events engineering, with an emphasis on earthquakes, mining geotechnics, and AI-driven, physics-informed engineering to advance performance-based assessments of critical infrastructure.

Teaching

Dr. Macedo teaches several undergraduate and graduate courses focused on geosystems, data science, and extreme events engineering. He developed and leads a data analytics course that introduces students to foundational concepts in data science and artificial intelligence. He is also a strong advocate for innovative pedagogical approaches that effectively communicate engineering concepts to non-engineering audiences.

Distinctions & Awards

• Selected global chair for the TC221 (Tailings and Mine Waste) committee of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering.
• Selected by the Frontiers in Built Environment Journal as a Rising Star in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
• 2023 Young Researcher Award, International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering -TC203 Committee.
• 2023 Knight Piesold Research Award
• 2023 Georgia Tech CEE Bill Schutz Junior Faculty Teaching Award for Outstanding Teaching.
• 2022 NSF CAREER award, National Science Foundation, United States.
• 2022 Frederick L. Olmsted Early Career Professorship, Georgia Tech.
• 2022 CEE Young Faculty Research Award, Georgia Tech.
• 2021 Outstanding Reviewer, ASCE/JGGE Journal.
• Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, University of California Berkeley.
• 2014 Excellence Award for Doctoral Studies, Peruvian Government.
• 2014 Jane Lewis Ph.D. Fellowship, University of California Berkeley.
• 2013 Jane Lewis M.S. Fellowship, University of California Berkeley.
• 2007 “Eduardo de Habich” Award. Summa Cum Laude, National University of Engineering, Peru.

Publications

1. *Macedo, J., Abrahamson, N. (2026). Magnitude thresholds to evaluate the damage from induced-seismicity earthquakes to earth dyke structures. Frontiers in Built Environment Journal, Rising Stars in Geotechnical Engineering issue. Accepted for Publication.
2. *Macedo, J., Torres, P., Santamarina, C. (2026). On the potential of nuclear magnetic resonance for assessing water content and saturation in mine tailings. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering (ASCE/JGGE). Accepted for publication.
3. *Bokkisa, V., Macedo, J., Arduino, P. (2026). On the integration of an ACST-based bounding surface model. Computer and Geotechnics (COGE) International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2026.107911.
4. *Arnold, C., Macedo, J., Bray, J. (2026). Insights on the cyclic response of plastic and nonplastic mine tailings. Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering (SDEE) Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soildyn.2025.109814.
5. *Arnold, C., Macedo, J., Bray, J., Moug, D., Atalay, F., Bassal, P., Liu, C., Bikçe, M., Durgunoğlu, T. (2025). Field characterization of areas in İskenderun affected by liquefaction during the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake. Earthquake Spectra (EERI) journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/87552930251378227. 
6. *Liu. C., Macedo, J., Abrahamson, N.,  Kottke, A. (2025). A nonergodic ground motion model for Turkiye. Bulletin of Seismological Society of America (BSSA) Journal. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120250142
7. *Liu, C., Macedo, J., Rodriguez, A. (2025). Leveraging Physics-Informed Neural Networks in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering: An Assessment on Seismic Site Response Analyses. Computer and Geotechnics (COGE) International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2025.107137
8. *Bokkisa, V., Macedo, J. (2025). Challenges in NorSand to model CSD stress paths and proposed modifications. Canadian Geotechnical Journal. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2024-0546
9. *Bokkisa, V., Macedo, J. (2025). Influence of anisotropic consolidation on the instability of loose granular soils under undrained and drained loading. Canadian Geotechnical Journal. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2023-0683.
10. *Liu. C., Macedo, J., Abrahamson, N., Lacour, M., Gullerce, Z., Kottke, A., Ozacar, A. (2025). Modeling Path Effects Due to 3D Velocity Structure for Nonergodic Ground-Motion Models: A Case Study Using Turkish Ground-Motion Data. Bulletin of Seismological Society of America (BSSA) Journal. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120240055

Research Gate profile

Dr. Jian Luo completed his undergraduate and M.S. studies at Tsinghua University, Beijing, where he received a B.Sc.(Eng.) and a M.S. degree in Environmental Engineering in 1998 and 2000, respectively. He completed his Ph.D. in 2006 in Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University, California. The research Dr. Luo is conducting involves field, theoretical, and computational investigations of flow and reactive transport in subsurface; development and application of geostatistical methods for the spatial and temporal analysis of hydrogeologic and biochemistry data; development of computational algorithms and programs to simulate subsurface flow and reactive transport, and to assess the associated uncertainty; inverse modeling to estimate flow and transport parameters under uncertainty; and use of such computational methods and models to assess subsurface contamination, and to aid the optimal design of groundwater remediation operations.

Professor Loutzenhiser’s research centers on experimental and theoretical investigations in heat and mass transfer, multiphase fluid flow, and energy systems within the framework of solar thermochemistry. His work explores the fundamental physics of convective processes and phase change phenomena, aiming to improve efficiency and control in thermal management and energy conversion technologies. The research approach typically combines experimental methods with analytical and computational modeling to advance understanding in mechanical and thermal sciences.

Recent Publications

• S Kaur, AR Clendenen, A Aleksandrov, BM Jones, WJ Ready, TM Orlando, PG. Loutzenhiser, “Pseudo-viscous modeling of transport in dense granular flows for thermal energy storage applications,” Acta Astronautica 239 (2026) 570-580
• NP Nguyen, M Caulfield, G Colton, D Ranjan, KB Han, PG Loutzenhiser, “Pseudo-viscous modeling of transport in dense granular flows for thermal energy storage applications,” Powder Technology 460 (2025) 121044
• TP Farr, BM Jones, TM Orlando, PG Loutzenhiser, “Thermal extraction of H2O(s) from lunar regolith simulant with concentrated solar irradiation: Experimental analysis,” Acta Astronautica 233 (2025) 360-368
• S Kaur, WJ Ready, TM Orlando, PG Loutzenhiser, “Metal and metalloid production from lunar regolith simulants via carbothermal reduction: Thermodynamic and experimental analyses,” Acta Astronautica 232 (2025) 479-492
• SY Jeong, D Ranjan, ZM Zhang, PG Loutzenhiser, R Chen, “Exploring irradiated granular flows with rapid heating for concentrated solar thermal energy collection and storage” iScience 28 (2025) 1-9

Mark D. Losego is a professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Georgia Tech. The Losego research lab focuses on materials processing to develop novel organic-inorganic hybrid materials and interfaces for microelectronics, sustainable energy devices, national security technologies, and advanced textiles. The Losego Lab combines a unique set of solution and vapor phase processing methods to convert organic polymers into organic-inorganic hybrid materials, including developing the science to scale these processes for manufacturing.  Prof. Losego’s work is primarily experimental, and researchers in his lab gain expertise in the vapor phase processing of materials (atomic layer deposition, physical vapor deposition, vapor phase infiltration, etc.), the design and construction of vacuum equipment, interfacial and surface science, and materials and surface characterization. Depending on the project, Losego Lab researchers explore a variety of properties ranging from electrical to electrochemical to optical to thermal to sorptive to catalytic and more.

Ryan Lively was born in 1984. He spent approximately 16 years in Gainesville, FL and attended almost every home football game at The Swamp. He enrolled at Georgia Tech in 2002 as an eager Chemical Engineering student and has been a Yellow Jacket at heart ever since. During his studies at Georgia Tech, Ryan worked on research projects as diverse as ab initio quantum mechanical methods to estimate molecular binding energies, fresh Georgia peach preservation, composite spinneret design, dual-layer hollow fiber membrane spinning, and sorbent-loaded fiber spinning. Ryan introduced a rapid temperature swing adsorption (RTSA) approach for post-combustion CO2 capture, which was successfully demonstrated by adapting knowledge developed in membrane science to design unique nanoscale composite adsorbent/heat exchangers. After his Ph.D. (awarded in 2010), he spent almost 3 years as a post-doctoral research engineer at Algenol Biofuels, where he published 25 papers and filed two U.S. patent applications. His work at Algenol focused on developing energy-efficient liquid and vapor separation systems for downstream biofuel purification. 

He is now the Thomas C. DeLoach Professor in the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His current research seeks to revolutionize fluid separation processes critical to the global energy and carbon infrastructure. He has a specific focus on membrane- and adsorbent-based science and technology to address some of the most difficult chemical separations. His group’s research activities range from fundamental material science and discovery to translational engineering applications focusing on making and testing separation devices. 

Ryan has received a variety of awards for his research efforts including the 2020 Allan P. Colburn Award from AIChE, and the 2022 Curtis W. McGraw Award from ASEE. He is currently an Editor for the Journal of Membrane Science and is the Secretary of the North American Membrane Society. He is the Director of the Center for Understanding & Controlling Accelerated and Gradual Evolution of Materials for Energy (UNCAGE-ME), an Energy Frontier Research Center of the US Department of Energy. He has over 160 publications in the field of separations including articles in Science, Nature and other impactful venues.

Dr. Liotta’s research activities involve both synthetic-organic and physical-organic chemistry.  His major interests lie in the areas of structure-property relationships, kinetics and mechanisms of organic reactions, asymmetric synthesis, homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis (phase transfer catalysis), the development of environmentally benign tunable (supercritical fluids, near critical water, gas expanded liquids)and smart (reversible ionic liquids, DMSO substitutes) solvent systems, and molecular thermodynamics, solution theory, and phase equilibria. A fundamental goal of Dr. Liotta’s research is the development of sustainable and environmentally benign chemicals and chemical processes.  Dr. Liotta has been collaborating with Dr. Charles A. Eckert for approximately 20 years.

Research 

Organic Chemistry; Flow chemistry applied to synthesis in the chemical industry; Physical organic chemistry

Tim Lieuwen is the executive vice president for Research at the Georgia Institute of Technology. In this role, he oversees the Institute’s $1.4+ billion portfolio of research, economic development, and sponsored activities. This includes leadership of the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), the Enterprise Innovation Institute, 11 interdisciplinary research institutes (IRIs), and related research administrative support units.

In his 25-plus years at Georgia Tech, Lieuwen earned his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering (1996 and 1999, respectively) and has held multiple leadership positions. He has been the executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) and served as the interim chair of the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering in 2023.

Lieuwen has received numerous honors and recognition for his work in clean energy systems and policy, national security, and regional economic development. Additionally, he has been awarded the titles of Regents’ Professor and the David S. Lewis, Jr. Chair in AE. He is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering and is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Aaron D. Levine is Associate Dean for Research and Outreach in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts and Professor in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech. He also holds an appointment as a Guest Researcher in the Division of Reproductive Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He is a member of the leadership team for the NSF Engineering Research Center for Cell Manufacturing Technologies (CMaT), leading ethics and policy research for the center. He seved as Co-Director for CMaT's Engineering Workforce Development activities from 2017 to 2022. His research focuses on the intersection between public policy and bioethics. Much of his work has examined the development of stem cell science, particularly research using human embryonic stem cells, and the translation of novel cell therapies. He also writes extensively on the oversight of contentious areas of medicine, such as assisted reproductive technology. In 2012, he received a NSF CAREER award to examine the impact of ethical controversy on graduate science education and the development of scientific careers.  He serves as Vice-Chair for Bioethics on the International Society for Cell & Genel Therapy’s Committee on the Ethics of Cell and Gene Therapy and recently completed a three-year term as an elected member of the Board of Directors of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities. He is also a long-time member of the International Society for Stem Cell Research, the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Aaron has a long-standing interest in science communication and is the author of Cloning: A Beginner's Guide (Oneworld Publications, 2007), an accessible introduction to the science of cloning and embryonic stem cells and the ethical and policy controversies this science inspires. He was an AAAS Leshner Leadership Institute Public Engagement Fellow for 2019-2020. You can follow Aaron on twitter at @aarondlevine.

He completed his Ph.D. in Public Affairs at Princeton University, where his dissertation research examined the impact of public policy on the development of human embryonic stem cell science.  He also holds an M. Phil. from the University of Cambridge, where, as a Churchill Scholar, he studied computational biology at the Sanger Centre and developed algorithms to help analyze the human genome sequence, and a B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead Scholar.