The National Science Foundation (NSF) has selected Georgia Tech’s Colleges of Engineering and Sciences to hire a new faculty member, focusing on solar-terrestrial science and space weather research. This decision comes as a response to a national need in geospace physics, with Georgia Tech being chosen from a pool of national universities. The importance of space weather research lies in its societal implications, such as risks to the power grid, aviation sector, satellite lifetimes, communications, and navigation. Professor Morris Cohen, from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), emphasizes the growing demand for qualified professionals in this field, especially as experienced professionals from previous generations retire.
The NSF will provide funding for the position for five years with a budget of $1.5 million. The grant is under the leadership of Susan Lozier, Dean of the College of Sciences, and Cohen, who are joined by Raheem Beyah, Dean of the College of Engineering, and Glenn Lightsey, the John W. Young Chair in the Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering (AE). Utilizing their expertise in space research and fostering multidisciplinary collaborations, the two colleges at Georgia Tech were able to secure the NSF grant. The uniqueness of Georgia Tech’s approach lies in the collaboration of leaders from four schools along with the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) in the selection process for the new faculty member.
Raheem Beyah highlights the interdisciplinary nature of space physics today and the lack of a specific academic home for this field. Previously housed under electrical engineering, space physics now spans across aerospace engineering, applied physics, and earth sciences. Beyah points out that while some universities have a strong presence of space physics faculty, many others lack these resources, creating a gap in the pipeline of future space science professionals. Georgia Tech’s innovative approach in addressing this issue by involving multiple disciplines in the hiring process aims to tackle this nationwide problem in the field of space physics.