Gulsah Akar Appointed City and Regional Planning Chair
The College of Design is proud to announce Gulsah Akar’s appointment as chair of the School of City and Regional Planning, effective July 1, 2021.
“Dr. Akar has established herself as a thought leader in urban transportation planning,” said Steven P. French, the dean and John Portman Chair of the College of Design. “She is the editor of the Journal of Planning Literature, one of the top three urban planning journals in the United States. She serves on two Transportation Research Board committees and is a manuscript reviewer for all the major transportation journals.”
Michelle Rinehart Appointed Interim Dean
Michelle Rinehart, associate dean for Academic Affairs and Outreach in Georgia Tech’s College of Design, has been appointed interim dean of the College, effective August 1, 2021. Dean Steve French, who has served since 2013, will return to the faculty in the School of City and Regional Planning.
“Michelle is a skilled administrator and leader who invests incredible energy in her colleagues, students, and the Institute overall. We are grateful for her leadership through this transition,” said Steven W. McLaughlin, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs.
Linking Transportation, Housing, & Health in Infrastructure
Catherine Ross Tells U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee How to Redesign
Ross discussed central issues about transportation and equity in an engaging conversation with members of the House Committee on Appropriations Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
Brian Stone Publishes New Research on Electric Grid Failure
The New York Times covered new research from Brian Stone on combined heat waves and power outages. Stone's research was published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology and is the result of a five year study of heat risk during critical infrastructure failures.
The study finds that millions of residents across large U.S. cities are at risk of heat illness or death from a concurrent heat wave and blackout event. It also finds that major blackouts have increased by more than 60% over the last five years in the U.S.
Student Planning Association Wins Top Award
Georgia Tech’s Student Planning Association (SPA) won the American Planning Association’s (APA) 2021 Outstanding Planning Student Organization (PSO) Award. The Outstanding PSO Award recognizes one PSO each year for its extraordinary efforts.
