Recent Press Coverage

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WannaCry Update: Microsoft Pushes a "Geneva Convention" to Thwart Cyberattacks

May 16, 2017

Hans Klein, associate professor in the School of Public Policy was quoted in “WannaCry Update: Microsoft Pushes a “Geneva Convention” to Thwart Cyberattacks” for IEEE Spectrum.

Excerpt:

“In some ways it’s a daring move by Microsoft,” Klein says. “It opens up the question of global regulation of companies like Microsoft. … If we start talking about global public policy, and Geneva Conventions and industry agreements, suddenly it might not just be the governments that are being asked to behave better—and possibly with sanctions backing that up. The companies might be asked or required to behave better too. And that might not be a bad thing.”

For instance, Klein says, what if Windows XP (whose support Microsoft officially cut off in April 2014) is so broadly adopted around the world that governments begin requiring Microsoft to continue supporting XP regardless of its profitability or un-profitability for the company? What if, in other words, Windows XP has become something closer to a public utility?

For the full article, read here.

Published in: IEEE Spectrum
This Is What a True Artificial Intelligence Really Is

May 14, 2017

Ian Bogost, professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication, was quoted in an article in Futurism "This Is What a True Artificial Intelligence Really Is"

Excerpt:

In an article titled “‘Artificial Intelligence’ Has Become Meaningless,” Bogost takes issue with the widespread overuse of the term AI both within and outside the tech realm. “[I]n most cases, the systems making claims to artificial intelligence aren’t sentient, self-aware, volitional, or even surprising. They’re just software,” he argues, noting the use of the term to describe everything from fairly simple pattern-matching filters to easily fooled algorithms.

By those definitions, Bogost is clearly right that a great number of AI systems don’t deserve the name.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: Futurism
Founder of Israel’s Islamic Movement dies at 69

May 14, 2017

A report authored by Larry Rubin, associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs was cited in the Times of Israel “Founder of Israel's Islamic Movement dies at 69.”

Excerpt:

According to a Brookings report on the Islamist Movement, Darwish was originally a communist activist before studying Islam in Nablus from 1968 to 1971.

For the full report, read here.

Published in: Times of Israel
63 Georgia Tech Athletes Graduated on May 6

May 9, 2017

Yellow Jackets athletes from the Ivan Allen College, Brandon Boggs (LMC), Zane Coburn (HTS), Shamire Devine (LMC), J.J. Green (HTS), Cordaro Howard (HTS), Alexander Goerzen (ECON) and Camille Felix (LMC) were featured in the news report “63 Georgia Tech athletes graduating Saturday” by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Excerpt:

At Georgia Tech’s Commencement exercises Saturday, among those expected to graduate were 63 Yellow Jackets athletes. They included football players Harrison Butker and Matthew Jordan and former team members Rod Sweeting and Cord Howard, who both returned to school to complete their degree work.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: Atlanta Journal Constitution
The Real Chaos of Campus Gun Laws

May 8, 2017

Ian Bogost, professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication, wrote “The Real Chaos of Campus Gun Laws” for The Atlantic.

Excerpt:

Last week, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed a bill that will allow Georgia weapons permit holders over 21 years of age to carry concealed firearms in most parts of the state’s college and university campuses. The impacted schools include the Georgia Institute of Technology, where I teach, and the University of Georgia.

Here, as in other states where similar laws have arisen, opponents contend that guns on campus will only cause accidental violence. But supporters see the prohibition of firearms at colleges and universities as a greater risk. Given the knowledge that campuses are gun-free, the reasoning goes, would-be assailants might choose them as easy targets. Opponents respond that few attacks ever have been prevented by the “good guys with guns” that the laws supposedly arm for the task.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: The Atlantic
Lessons From Left Field: The Culture of Auburn Avenue

May 3, 2017

Nick Tippens (graduate student, Digital Media) and Ali Yildirim (undergraduate student, History, Technology, and Society) in the Design and Social Interaction Studio, a lab affiliated with the Digital Media program in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication, were interviewed in “Lessons From Left Field: The Culture of Auburn Avenue” by Georgia Public Broadcasting. Tippens and Yildirim discussed Came From Nothing, a documentary they produced about Aurburn Avenue local Benjamin “Big Mouth Ben” Graham. Nassim JafariNaimi, Design and Social Interaction Studio director and assistant professor in LMC, was also interviewed in the piece.

Excerpt:

A class at Georgia Tech focuses on the history and community of Auburn Avenue in Atlanta. The neighborhood was home to Martin Luther King Jr. and an important setting for the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Now, Georgia Tech students are documenting that community, while trying to raise awareness of issues there. We speak with Professor Nassim JafariNaimi, and students Nick Tippens and Ali Yildirim.

For their final class project, Tippens and Yildirim produced a documentary about local Benjamin Graham, who goes by "Big Mouth Ben." Graham kicked a 17-year drug addiction, and opened his iconic store on Auburn Avenue. The documentary about Ben and his wife Tanya is called "Came From Nothing," and premieres Thursday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the APEX Museum in Atlanta.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: Georgia Public Broadcasting
SpaceX Launches Classified Spy Satellite for U.S. Department of Defense

May 1, 2017

Mariel Borowitz, associate professor in the Ivan Allen College School of International Affairs, was quoted in “SpaceX Launches Classified Spy Satellite for U.S. Department of Defense” by Christian Science Monitor.

Excerpt:

By breaking the monopoly, the launch became something of a coup for both SpaceX and private space companies in general. Governmental organizations like NASA are increasingly turning to private companies for tasks ranging from satellite deployment to human transportation into space, blurring the line between public and private space missions. While NASA has worked with commercial companies before, the degree of responsibility given to private companies like SpaceX has risen considerably in recent years, according to Mariel Borowitz, a technology and space policy specialist and associate professor at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

"Private space launch companies have been around for a long time – Arianespace became the first commercial launch company in 1980, and Orbital Sciences, Lockheed, and Boeing have been involved in commercial launch activities since the 1990s," Dr. Borowitz tells The Christian Science Monitor in an email.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: Christian Science Monitor
The Two Key Questions of Trump's Tax Proposal

April 28, 2017

Ivan Allen College School of Economics Professor Christine Ries wrote “The Two Key Questions of Trump's Tax Proposal” for the Georgia Tech Amplifier. April 28, 2017

Excerpt:

Tax programs can be used to raise revenue for the government, redistribute income or encourage economic growth. The plan just released by the president’s economic team is designed to promote growth, growth and growth. They project the new plan will enable the economy to reach a growth rate of at least 3 percent up from our current sluggish rate of about 1.5 percent. Christine Ries, an economics professor at Georgia Tech, said the plan boosts income, innovation and job creation by changing incentives and reducing tax burdens on pro-growth activities. She said two questions remain:

Will it work? And will Congress pass it?

Absolutely. It always has in the past.

Check out past pro-growth tax reform programs of Presidents Kennedy, Reagan and Bush 43. Compare growth rates of states with low income tax rates to those with high rates.

Most people fail to understand the difference between tax levels and tax rates. Pro-growth tax reform changes rates. The President’s plan lowers taxes on income, savings and investment to get the economy to produce more of all three. This formula has been proven to increase economic growth substantially. Also, over a short period of time, such programs result in big increases in revenue for the government.

Will it pass?

The plan dodges two major bullets:

First, the plan provides a base level of income, $24,000 for a married couple, below which taxpayers don’t pay. Without having to worry about deductions, their income tax filing is simplified enormously.

Read full article

Published in: http://amplifier.gatech.edu/
Marietta Ice Cream Plant Wary of Trump Talk on NAFTA, Import Tax

April 26, 2017

Ivan Allen College Economics Professor Usha Nair-Rechert was quoted in the article “Marietta Ice Cream Plant Wary of Trump Talk on NAFTA, Import Tax” published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, April 26, 2017.

Exerpt:

That smiling embrace of global trade is now tempered by uncertainty, for Schroeder and many other Georgia business owners or executives. They are waiting to see how President Donald Trump’s tough trade talk plays out, and what that will mean for the state’s manufacturers and the 387,000 jobs they support… When it comes to ice cream, exports from Georgia have quadrupled since 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. More than one-third of the roughly $16 million in state ice cream exports went to Mexico last year. “There’s a sizable market to be tapped in the ice cream sector, there’s no doubt about that,” said Usha Nair-Reichert, an economist at Georgia Tech. She questioned pulling out of NAFTA, especially given the economic interdependence of the three countries. She also pointed out that if disagreements with Mexico cause the Peso to fall, Mexican exports become more competitive. Comments by the president since his election have been linked to fluctuations in that country’s currency.

Read full article

Published in: Atlanta Journal Constitution
Georgia Campaigns Keep Up Pressure Ahead of Runoff Vote

April 25, 2017

Richard Barke, associate professor in the Ivan Allen College School of Public Policy, was quoted in “Georgia Campaigns Keep Up Pressure Ahead of Runoff Vote” by The Hill.

Excerpt:

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) appeared to deliver Ossoff a blow last week when he said he didn’t know whether Ossoff is a progressive. But Ossoff brushed off the slight, and Sanders later endorsed him — although the former Democratic presidential candidate still didn’t call Ossoff a progressive.

“To the degree he can move to the middle and sustain a positive message, that will be helpful,” said Richard Barke, a political science professor at Georgia Tech.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: The Hill
Co-working Spaces are the Future of Work But That Could Be a Good Thing

April 23, 2017

Thomas Lodato, an alumnus of the School of Literature, Media, and Communication (Ph.D. Digital Media 2015), was quoted in “Co-working Spaces are the Future of Work But That Could Be a Good Thing” by The Guardian.

Excerpt:

According to research by user experience researchers Melissa Gregg and Thomas Lodato, co-working can be a positive choice for many freelancers . They argue that, in part, such workers are seeking “relief from the emotional demands of the corporate office”.

Co-working spaces, they write, “expanded significantly in the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008/9”, adding this “style of work emerged in response to the slow plod of austerity, hollowed-out corporations, underemployment and career insecurity”. They argue that “co-working spaces met a growing demand for care and fulfilment as much as employment”.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: The Guardian
This G.A. Tech Designer Wants to Champion Visual Design for Orangutans

April 20, 2017

Becky Scheel, a Digital Media M.S. student in the Ivan Allen College School of Literature, Media, and Communication, was featured in “This G.A. Tech Designer Wants to Champion Visual Design for Orangutans” by Hypepotamus.

Excerpt:

Not everyone can say that they are on a first-name basis with a red panda at ZooATL. Designer Becky Scheel can. After 9+ years of working as a graphic designer at the zoo (and having tons of one-on-one time with the animals), Scheel moved on to the Master’s program in Digital Media at Georgia Tech to expand her design and programming skills.

While her design background is impressive, her special interest in the environment and wildlife conservation led to a thesis on orangutans and animal-computer interaction, setting her apart from the rest. Her big, creative ideas can translate to any work environment, including data visualization and UX.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: Hypepotamus
Let Robots Teach Our Kids? Here's Why That Isn't Such a Bad Idea

April 19, 2017

Jason Borenstein, senior academic professional in the Ivan Allen College School of Public Policy, was quoted in “Let Robots Teach Our Kids? Here's Why That Isn't Such a Bad Idea” by NBC News.

Excerpt:

While some autistic children have difficulty maintaining eye contact, the same isn't always true when they interact with robots, adds Jason Borenstein, a bioethicist at Georgia Tech whose research focuses on robotic caregiving to children and the elderly. "For whatever reason, they tend to bond more quickly with a robotic entity," he says.

For these reasons, researchers have used robots to engage with special needs children and elicit numerous behaviors, including initiating interactions, imitating behaviors, learning to take turns, recognizing emotions, and focusing their attention.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: NBC News
Dems Look for Trump Rebuke in Georgia Special Election

April 18, 2017

Richard Barke, associate professor in the Ivan Allen College School of Public Policy, was quoted in “Dems Look for Trump Rebuke in Georgia Special Election” by The Hill.

Excerpt:

It’s more likely that Ossoff, 30, will fall short of the 50 percent threshold, meaning that he’ll face a Republican candidate in a June runoff to determine a winner. That’s the scenario the GOP is hoping for, as Republicans think they can defeat the Democrat in a head-to-head race that would allow them to coalesce behind a single nominee.
“This race is seen as a referendum on two things: One, on how well the Trump presidency is doing and if there are any Republicans upset enough to want to send a message. And two, a referendum on whether the Democratic Party can actually flip some districts,” said Richard Barke, a political science professor at Georgia Tech who lives in the district.
“It looks like it’s in play, but the question will be all about who turns out.”

For the full article, read here.

Published in: The Hill
2017's Greenest States

April 18, 2017

Valerie Thomas, Anderson Interface Professor of Natural Systems in the Ivan Allen College School of Public Policy, was quoted in “2017's Greenest States” by WalletHub.

Excerpt:

Eco-friendliness and personal finance are essentially cousins. Not only are our environmental and financial necessities aligned — providing ourselves with sustainable, clean drinking water and nutritious sustenance, for example — but we also spend money on both the household and government levels in support of environmental security.

Then there’s climate change. We’ve already seen a rise in powerful land-bearing storm systems and extreme droughts. But that’s just the beginning, as storm surges and other bad weather are expected to cause more than $500 billion in property damage by the year 2100. Climate change will also have a direct impact on our military industrial complex, as nearly all of our East Coast air and naval installations are vulnerable to sea-level rise.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: WalletHub
Mass Transit Advocates Hope for Boost from Highway Collapse

April 16, 2017

Ronald Bayor, emeritus professor in the Ivan Allen College School of History and Sociology, was quoted in “Mass Transit Advocates Hope for Boost from Highway Collapse” by The New York Times.

Excerpt:

"There's no question in my mind that since the 1960s, race has been the underlying factor in all of these attitudes against bringing MARTA into the outlying areas," said Ronald H. Bayor, a professor emeritus of history at Georgia Tech and author of the 1996 book "Race and the Shaping of Twentieth-Century Atlanta." ''White flight was well underway. People were running away from the desegregation of the Atlanta schools. Some of the opposition was from whites who worried that it would lead to the integration of the suburbs."

Long after MARTA began operating, Bayor said, whites would privately joke that its nickname stood for "Moving Africans Rapidly Through Atlanta." Publicly, opponents were less explicit but warned that mass transit would increase crime or diminish property values in the suburbs.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: The New York Times
Joe Bankoff Takes Helm of Fulton County Arts Council

April 14, 2017

Joseph Bankoff, chair in the Ivan Allen College Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, was featured in “Joe Bankoff Takes Helm of Fulton County Arts Council” by Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Excerpt:

Longtime Atlanta business leader Joe Bankoff is the new chairman of the Fulton County Arts Council, succeeding art collector Jerry Thomas.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: Atlanta Business Chronicle
Georgia Econ Profs Urge Trump to be Careful on Immigration

April 14, 2017

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Tibor Besedes and Erik Johnson, associate and assistant professors, respectively, in the Ivan Allen College School of Economics, joined about 40 Georgia economists to call on President Trump and Congressional leaders “to avoid changes that would undercut the economic value of immigration.”

Excerpt:

Thirty-nine economists from Georgia colleges and universities have signed a letter calling on President Trump and Congressional leaders to avoid changes that would undercut the economic value of immigration.

The economists joined 1,431 others from around the country in a petition organized by New American Economy, a bi-partisan group of mayors and business leaders who say they support immigration reform that will boost the U.S. economy and create jobs here.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: Atlanta Journal Constitution
To Be a Genius, Think Like a 94-Year-Old

April 7, 2017

John Walsh, professor in the Ivan Allen College School of Public Policy, was quoted in “To Be a Genius, Think Like a 94-Year-Old” by The New York Times.

Excerpt:

On the contrary, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that late blooming is no anomaly. A 2016 Information Technology and Innovation Foundation study found that inventors peak in their late 40s and tend to be highly productive in the last half of their careers. Similarly, professors at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Hitotsubashi University in Japan, who studied data about patent holders, found that, in the United States, the average inventor sends in his or her application to the patent office at age 47, and that the highest-value patents often come from the oldest inventors — those over the age of 55.

John P. Walsh, one of the professors, joked that the Patent Office should give a “senior discount” because “there’s clear evidence that people with seniority are making important contributions to invention.”

For the full article, read here.

Published in: The New York Times
Werner Stiller, East German Spy and Defector, Dies at 69

April 3, 2017

Kristie Macrakis, professor in the Ivan Allen College School of History and Sociology, was quoted in “Werner Stiller, East German Spy and Defector, Dies at 69” by The Washington Post.

Excerpt:

Mr. Stiller was for many years a model citizen of communist East Germany, where he had been a member of the Free German Youth as a teenager and joined the state Communist Party by 21. His loyalties began to shift by the mid-1970s, according to Kristie Macrakis, a Georgia Tech professor who studies espionage and chronicled Mr. Stiller’s story in the 2008 book “Seduced by Secrets: Inside the Stasi’s Spy-Tech World.”

She said that Mr. Stiller was disillusioned with the repressive politics of East Germany, but also frustrated with a career that had stagnated and with a strait-laced German society that abhorred his lavish, womanizing lifestyle.

For the full article, read here.

Published in: The Washington Post

Recent Press Coverage

WannaCry Update: Microsoft Pushes a "Geneva Convention" to Thwart Cyberattacks

This Is What a True Artificial Intelligence Really Is

Founder of Israel’s Islamic Movement dies at 69

63 Georgia Tech Athletes Graduated on May 6

The Real Chaos of Campus Gun Laws

Lessons From Left Field: The Culture of Auburn Avenue

SpaceX Launches Classified Spy Satellite for U.S. Department of Defense

The Two Key Questions of Trump's Tax Proposal

Marietta Ice Cream Plant Wary of Trump Talk on NAFTA, Import Tax

Georgia Campaigns Keep Up Pressure Ahead of Runoff Vote

Co-working Spaces are the Future of Work But That Could Be a Good Thing

This G.A. Tech Designer Wants to Champion Visual Design for Orangutans

Let Robots Teach Our Kids? Here's Why That Isn't Such a Bad Idea

Dems Look for Trump Rebuke in Georgia Special Election

2017's Greenest States

Mass Transit Advocates Hope for Boost from Highway Collapse

Joe Bankoff Takes Helm of Fulton County Arts Council

Georgia Econ Profs Urge Trump to be Careful on Immigration

To Be a Genius, Think Like a 94-Year-Old

Werner Stiller, East German Spy and Defector, Dies at 69

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