NEWS BRIEFS

IN THIS ISSUECome On, Get Happy | 3

Recent Faculty/Staff Achievements | 3

Hidden Georgia Tech: The Wind Tunnel | 4

September 26, 2016

Georgia Tech’s Faculty/Staff Newspaper • Vol. 41, No. 20 • whistle.gatech.edu

Nominate Yourself, Colleagues for Staff CouncilNominations are open through Oct. 7. Openings exist for staff whose job titles are classified as Administrative and Professional, Skilled Trades, Scientific and Research, or Development in the Job Classification and Compensation System.

staffcouncil.gatech.edu

Discounted Football Tickets Available for Miami GameTech’s Oct. 1 matchup against the Miami Hurricanes will be the Faculty/Staff Appreciation game, as well as Family Weekend. Tickets are available for $20. The game begins at noon. Use the promo code GTFS to purchase tickets at:

c.gatech.edu/facstaffmiami

MYRA OVIATT HUMAN RESOURCES

Employees’ once-a-year opportu-nity to update and enroll in benefits is coming soon: Monday, Oct. 31, through Friday, Nov. 11.

Staff and faculty are encouraged to review current elections and consider future options and changes. This year, University System of Georgia (USG) health care options are the same, and there are minimal changes to plans. However, premiums have increased again as the USG attains an equal, defined employer contri-bution across all plans — the result of a gradual move toward this model over the past several years.

USG will offer the following benefit choices for 2017:

• USG Critical Illness plan.• USG Accident plan.• USG Hospital Indemnity plan.• USG Legal plan.To take advantage of any of these

benefits, you must enroll during Open Enrollment. If you don’t enroll for 2017 benefits, your 2016 coverage will continue at 2017 rates. Also, if you would like to have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for 2017, you must enroll during Open Enrollment — even if you had one the previous year.

More complete information about plan designs, premiums, and voluntary benefit options will be available on or around Oct. 3 at ohr.gatech.edu or usg.edu/hr/benefits. A detailed summary booklet will also be mailed to each employee’s home in late October.

The benefits team has scheduled information sessions (see timeline on page 2) for those with questions or in need of in-person assistance. The annual Benefits

Open Enrollment to Begin Oct. 31

Oct. 7, 2016, marks the 100th anniversary of Georgia Tech’s historic football win over Cumberland College. On Oct. 7, 1916, Tech beat Cumberland 222-0 in a football game that endures as the most lopsided victory and the most points scored in collegiate football history, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The game had no first downs — Cumberland did not make any, and Tech scored every time it had the ball. In 2014, the game ball was auctioned off to Tech alumnus Ryan Schneider, a patent lawyer who won the ball for a price of $40,388. Upon winning the ball, he told The New York Times, “I love Tech; love what it’s let me do and be. I didn’t want the ball in another house.” Read more at c.gatech.edu/cumberland-nyt.

Photos Courtesy of the Georgia Tech Archives and Kevin Liles for The New York Times

REMEMBERING A RECORD-SETTING WIN

see BENEFITS, page 2

Premiums, Plan Details to be Available Early October

KRISTEN BAILEY INSTITUTE COMMUNICATIONS

As 14-time winners of the Governor’s Cup, Georgia Tech has a legacy when it comes to the State Charitable Contributions Program.

Tech employees have proven to be a powerhouse when giving to others around the state. This year’s fundraising effort is now underway.

The annual campaign collects donations for nonprofits and charitable organizations that serve communities all over Georgia and beyond. All state entities participate in the annual campaign, including University System of Georgia (USG) schools.

Charitable Campaign Galvanizes Employee Giving Spirit

JASON MADERER INSTITUTE COMMUNICATIONS

Georgia Tech has named former Tech football player and Oregon State University Athletic Director Todd Stansbury as its new director of athletics. The 1984 graduate was introduced at a press conference last Thursday morning, as well as at Tech’s game against Clemson University that evening.

Stansbury served as Oregon State’s athletic director since June 2015 following a nine-year stint as the university’s executive associate athletic director from

2003 to 2012. During his time at Oregon State, Stansbury was part of a senior management team that raised $150 million for a football stadium expansion, in addition to funds for the construction of a sports performing center. He also was part of a team that established several career development initiatives for student-athletes.

“Todd Stansbury is committed to athletes’ success both on and off the field,” said President G.P. “Bud” Peterson. “His global perspective

Alumnus Todd Stansbury Named Director of Athletics

see ATHLETICS, page 2see CAMPAIGN, page 2

Todd Stansbury

EVENTS

PAGE 2 • September 26, 2016 whistle.gatech.edu • THE WHISTLE

EVENTS continued on page 3

Calendar submissions should be emailed to editor@comm.gatech.edu at least 10 days prior to desired publication date. For more information, call 404-385-7061.

Archives are posted at whistle.gatech.edu.

Georgia Tech is a unit of the University System of Georgia.Georgia Tech’s Faculty/Staff Newspaper

Editor: Kristen BaileyPhotos: Rob Felt, unless noted

Published biweekly throughout the year by Georgia Tech Institute Communications.

comm.gatech.edu

and leadership experience in athletics and development, combined with a lifelong passion for Georgia Tech, make him the ideal candidate. I believe this is one of those rare golden moments in life where opportunity meets ambition. We welcome him home.”

“I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to return to Georgia Tech, a place that has played such a large role in my life and the place respon-sible for opening up a world to me that I didn’t even know existed,” Stansbury said. “I am thankful to President Peterson and the selection committee for providing me this opportunity.”

Stansbury grew up in Canada. When he was 10 and on vacation with his family in Florida, he befriended several Georgia Tech football players staying at the same hotel. During the drive back home to Ontario, his family stopped on campus to see a practice. That’s

when Stansbury knew he wanted to play football on The Flats. He earned varsity letters while at Georgia Tech from 1980 to 1984 as a middle linebacker and on special teams for head coach Bill Curry. He was a third-round draft pick of the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1984.

Stansbury’s resume also includes roles as athletic director at the University of Central Florida (2012-2015) and East Tennessee State University (2000-2003). He was Georgia Tech’s assistant athletic director for academics from 1988 to 1995 under Homer Rice. Now, he returns to campus to guide a department that features 15 teams in 17 NCAA Division I varsity sports.

Stansbury is only the ninth director of athletics in Georgia Tech history. He will follow in the footsteps of storied names such as Rice, John Heisman, and Bobby Dodd.

Learn more about Stansbury at c.gatech.edu/stansbury.

ARTS & CULTURE

Sept. 30 DramaTech presents The Taming, a contemporary comedic take on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the

Shrew, at 8 p.m. Faculty/staff tickets are $10. For more showtimes, visit: dramatech.org

SEMINARS & LECTURES

Oct. 4 Guest Speaker Mackenzie Wilfong will discuss Critical Legal Issues in

Graduate Education from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Peachtree Room, Student Center. A reception will follow. grad.gatech.edu

Oct. 5 A conversation will focus on Racism

and Health in the U.S. South, organized by the Working Group on Race and Racism in Contemporary Biomedicine, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Clary Theatre, Student Center.

Oct. 6 The University System of Georgia hosts Your Retirement Plan at

Work, which will discuss retirement saving, workplace retirement plans, and more. The session takes place from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Clayton State University campus, but any USG employee may attend or watch online. Learn more and register at: c.gatech.edu/retatwork

Oct. 7 The Center for Teaching and Learning hosts a Tech Teaching Talk on Teaching Large Classes from 1 to 2 p.m. in Room 469, Clough Commons. Register at: c.gatech.edu/techteaching

Oct. 13 Turing Award winner Joseph Sifakis, one of France’s premier computer scientists, gives a lecture as part of France-Atlanta from 9 to 10 a.m. in the Technology Square Research Building Auditorium. c.gatech.edu/sifakis

TRAINING

Oct. 6 Human Resources hosts HR Topics

for Managers, focused on the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Final Rule Implementation, from 11 a.m. to noon in Room 152, Clough Commons. RSVP at: c.gatech.edu/flsaoct6

Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. Employees are also welcome to attend benefits fairs at any other USG institution. See usg.edu for upcoming dates.

Georgia Tech is again partnering

with the USG’s Shared Services Center to provide individual-ized support to employees by phone, including expanded hours. Representatives will be available Oct. 31 – Nov. 11 between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. The Call Center will also remain open until 8 p.m. on the last two days of Open Enrollment.

BENEFITS, from page 1

2017 Open Enrollment Dates• Oct. 14: Materials mailed to employees’ homes.

• Oct. 24: Info session, 2 p.m., Student Center Theater.

• Oct. 26: Info session, 11:30 a.m., Student Center Theater.

• Oct. 27: Info session, 10 a.m., Gordy Room, Wardlaw Center.

• Oct. 31: Open Enrollment begins.

• Oct. 31: Phone Helpline opens (404-894-4847).

• Nov. 2: Benefits Fair, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Student Center Ballroom.

• Nov. 11: Open Enrollment ends.

ATHLETICS, from page 1

President G.P. “Bud” Peterson introduces Todd Stansbury to the media on the morning of Sept. 22. Stansbury was later introduced to campus that evening during the Yellow Jackets’ matchup with Clemson University at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Photo by Rob Felt

During the 2016 campaign, more than 1,100 employees pledged more than $351,000 to 390 charitable organizations, earning Tech the Governor’s Cup for the ninth consecutive year. The Governor’s Cup is awarded to the state institution with the highest average contri-bution per employee. Those organizing this year’s campus campaign hope to earn the Cup for a 10th consecutive year (15th total) and build on last year’s success.

Donations are accepted via payroll deduction on an ongoing basis, or as a one-time donation. For those who choose to give through payroll deduction, the contributions will begin in January 2017. Employees can give to a general fund or choose specific organizations to which

they would like to direct their donations. The list of charities is managed by the state of Georgia and changes annually, so new options may be available this year.

This year’s goal is for 1,500 employees to give a total of $350,000. Employees can give via TechWorks, which is recommended, or a paper pledge form through Tuesday, Nov. 15. To learn more or to set up a donation, visit charitable.gatech.edu.

For those pledging via TechWorks, the Office of Information Technology advises that TechWorks operates best in Mozilla Firefox (version 47 or earlier), Safari (version 8 or later), and Internet Explorer (version 10 or 11). Users who have issues can review Frequently Asked Questions at charitable.gatech.edu.

CAMPAIGN, from page 1

LANCE WALLACE INSTITUTE COMMUNICATIONS

Two sets of rankings released this month tell the story of Georgia Tech’s continued rise in national and international prominence.

U.S. News & World Report released its 2017 rankings on Sept. 13, placing Tech at No. 34 (up from No. 36 in 2016) in its Best Colleges undergraduate rankings of national universities. Tech held its ranking of No. 7 among public universities. The industrial and systems engineering undergraduate degree program also held its No. 1 spot. The undergraduate biomed-ical engineering degree program moved up from No. 3 to No. 1. For complete rankings from U.S. News, visit c.gatech.edu/usnews2017.

In the World University Rankings released by Times Higher Education last week, Georgia Tech moved from No. 41 to No. 33, the highest ranking among Georgia’s academic institutions.

Times Higher Education also ranked Tech 20th among U.S. institutions and fourth among public universities. For the complete Times Higher Education rankings, visit c.gatech.edu/timeshighered2017.

Tech Continues Upward Rankings Trajectory

Flu Shots Available at StampsThe Stamps Health Services Pharmacy now offers flu vaccines and retail pharmacy services for employees. Flu shots are often covered at 100 percent as preventative care, and Stamps now accepts insurance for faculty and staff members. Employees can make an appointment for a shot online or visit Stamps at the following times:

• Monday: 8 to 11:45 a.m. and 2:15 to 4 p.m.• Tuesday: 8 to 11:45 a.m. and 2:15 to 4 p.m.• Wednesday: 8 to 11:45 a.m. and 2:15 to 4 p.m.• Thursday: 9 to 11:45 a.m. and 2:15 to 4 p.m.• Friday: 8 to 11:45 a.m. and 2:15 to 4 p.m.

Learn more at stamps.gatech.edu.

EVENTS

For a more comprehensive listing of events, or to add your own, visit calendar.gatech.edu.

THE WHISTLE • whistle.gatech.edu September 26, 2016 • PAGE 3

Oct. 13 Learn the do’s and don’ts of copyright and fair use at Georgia Tech with Legal Affairs and Risk Management, from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Student Center Theater. legal.gatech.edu

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Oct. 5 Human Resources hosts a Be Well session with representatives from Blue Cross Blue Shield and Kaiser Permanente to discuss present-year (2016) benefits, plan options, and preventative care. The session takes place from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 320, Student Center. Register at: ohr.gatech.edu/bewell

Oct. 8 Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech hosts a faculty/staff wellness hike at Kennesaw Mountain from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. The guided hike is $10. Learn more and register at: mycrc.gatech.edu

Oct. 11 Human Resources hosts a Be Well webinar on Dealing With Stress from noon to 1 p.m. RSVP at: ohr.gatech.edu/bewell

MISCELLANEOUS

Oct. 4 The Staff Council will host town hall sessions at 6 a.m. in the O’Keefe Building Break Room; 11 a.m. in Room 152, Clough Commons; and 3:15 p.m. in the Seminar Room, Engineered Biosystems Building. staffcouncil.gatech.edu

Oct. 4 The Disabled American Veterans Mobile Service Offices will be on campus to counsel veterans on benefits and services available to them, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the north side of Tech Green. veterans.gatech.edu

Oct. 10–11 Classes will not meet during Fall Break.

Oct. 12 Join world-renowned press cartoonists Jean “Plantu” Plantureaux (Le Monde, France), Michel Kichka (Courrier International, Israel/Belgium) and Mike Luckovich (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, U.S.) for a fun, engaging, and provocative reflection of free speech in a democratic society at Cartooning for Peace. This event is part of France-Atlanta and takes place at 10:30 a.m. at the Ferst Center for the Arts. france-atlanta.org

MELISSA MOORE CAMPUS SERVICES

A new software package will be implemented this fall that will improve efficiencies and compliance with procure-ment card (PCard) transactions.

These enhancements will take effect beginning with the Oct. 28 billing cycle.

The new reconciliation and approval process will provide PCard users with monthly online PCard statements, receipt imaging capabilities, and seamless approval workflows. Cardholders, approvers, and auditors will benefit from the improved process, and four groups on campus will now be required to attend both online and in-person training tailored to their respective PCard roles:

• PCard holders• PCard coordinators• PCard approvers• PCard supervisorsIf you would like to know more about the

new reconciliation and approval process, visit procurement.gatech.edu.

New Reconciliation, Approval Process Coming for PCards

Susan Belmonte, pre-teaching and pre-law advisor in the Center for Career Discovery and Development, received a Fulbright grant through the Fulbright International Education Administration Seminars program. She will spend four weeks in Germany making connections with profes-sionals who work in societal, cultural, and higher education systems there and in other countries.

Sarah Higinbotham, Brittain Fellow in the Writing and Communication Program, joins the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2017, a group of people in education, law, medicine, criminal justice, religion, nonprofits, and the corporate sector brought together to address Atlanta’s challenges.

Dan Immergluck, professor in the School of City and Regional Planning, was named the Critics Pick for Best Housing Hero in Creative Loafing’s 2016 Best of Atlanta issue. Georgia Tech was the Readers Pick for Best College.

Charles Liotta, Regents Professor Emeritus in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, was honored by the American Chemical Society’s Green Chemistry Institute for his lifetime dedication to research and education in green chemistry and engineering. He is the first person to receive this award.

Cassie Mitchell, researcher in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, earned a bronze medal in the F51 club throw at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Patricia Mokhtarian was named to the Susan G. and Christopher D. Pappas Professorship in Civil and Environmental Engineering. She is the inaugural appoint-ment to this professorship.

Raj Sashti, advisor for Fellowships and Sponsored Programs in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, has been named to a five-year term as a U.S. academic/profes-sional expert in the Fulbright Specialist Program. Sashti will visit overseas institu-

tions of higher education for periods of two to six weeks to help build capacity for international programs.

Jessica Shaffer, network support engineer in the Office of Information Technology, was chosen as one of seven women in IT departments at research institutions around the U.S. to work on SCinet, the high capacity conference network for the SC16 International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis. The project is part of the Women in IT Networking at SC (WINS) Program, which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.

Francesca Storici, associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences and a researcher in the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, has been named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Faculty Scholar. Storici is one of 84 scientists from 43 institutions across the U.S. receiving this inaugural award supported by HHMI, the Simons Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Valerie Thomas, Anderson Interface Professor of Natural Systems in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering, and her team received the Judges’ Choice Award in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Climate CoLab Aviation Contest.

Peter Webster, professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, won the Creativity Prize of the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water. The prize awards work in the area of sustainable availability of potable water and the allevia-tion of the escalating global problem of water scarcity.

Jeff Wu, Coca-Cola Chair in Engineering Statistics and professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial & Systems Engineering, was named the inaugural lecturer for the Akaike Memorial Lecture Award.

FACULTY AND STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS

MARCIA CHANDLER INSTITUTE FOR PEOPLE AND TECHNOLOGY

Now through Oct. 19, the Resilience Employee Resource Group (ERG) is inviting Tech employees to participate in the 30 Days of Gratitude Happiness Campaign.

Acting on feedback from Resilience ERG members interested in programs that focused on happiness and gratitude, the campaign was initiated by Carol Subiño Sullivan, faculty development specialist with the Center for Teaching and Learning and a member of the Resilience ERG leadership team.

Sullivan took inspiration from friends who recently participated in a social media campaign. Each day for a month, they posted a sentence or two about something they were happy about or grateful for.

“Whether a small moment in their day or a deeper tribute to an important person in their lives, no entry was too big or too small,” she said. Sullivan also drew inspiration from The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. In it,

Rubin recounts how she spent a year focusing on ways to make her life happier. Each month, she focused on a different area of happiness, including energy, marriage, work, parenting, leisure, friendship, money, eternity, books, mindfulness, and attitude. She created a list of actions she would take to work toward becoming happier, and she spent time each day blogging about her experiences.

Both Rubin and Sullivan’s friends found that they gained a lot from going through the process.

“Because they were sharing their experi-ences with others, they also benefited from the support of community,” Sullivan said. “Whether you focus on one area or simply notice small, happy moments as they come up each day, commit to checking in daily and sharing your thoughts.”

Then, participants can mark their calendars for Oct. 26 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., when

employees will gather for a wrap-up event to celebrate the happiness created.

To join the campus happiness project:• Go to https://mahara.gatech.edu.• Log in with your Georgia Tech credentials.• Enter “resilience” in the search bar.• Choose Resilience ERG 30 Days of

Gratitude Happiness Campaign from the list.

The Resilience ERG is intended to be a peer empowerment group for employees who want to proactively pursue “wholehearted living” and/or give attention to the complexi-ties of their experiences; manage the impact of adversity; turn adversity into opportunity; and effectively adapt to change. It is one of six ERGs at Georgia Tech designed to support the Institute’s goal of ensuring like-minded employees can enhance their employment experience and have a greater sense of belonging.

The six ERGs are GRIOT (African Heritage), HOLA (Hispanics/Latinos), Web of Brilliance (Introverts), PRIDE (LGBTQIA), Resilience, and Women of Georgia Tech. To learn more about ERGs, visit diversity.gatech.edu/erg.

Employees Invited to Dedicate Month to Happiness

Take the Challenge

Last year, Georgia Tech won the Atlanta Bike Challenge in its large business category. This year, Tech employees are invited to take a ride and join the challenge again.

The challenge is free and encourages biking among Atlanta businesses and organizations. Participants register online, log their rides, and are entered to win prizes based on participation.

The challenge runs through Oct. 23. Learn more and register at lovetoride.net/atlanta.

For more information on cycling resources on campus, visit bike.gatech.edu.

CLASSIFIEDS

PAGE 4 • September 26, 2016 whistle.gatech.edu • THE WHISTLE

Ads run for at least three issues in the order in which they are received. Submit your 35-word-or-less ad to editor@comm.gatech.edu.

VEHICLESHonda ST1300, 53K miles, GPS, driving lights, top box, handlebar riser with power outlet, highway pegs, and aftermarket padding in the seat. Have new tires for it as well. Contact scott.perkins@oit.gatech.edu.

Original Georgia Tech yellow 1976 L-48 Corvette Stingray. Fewer than 23,000 verified miles. $13,000, negotiable. Car has been garage-kept for the past 40 years. AC, power steering, power brakes, AM/FM radio, rear defrost, T-Top covers. Selling as-is, no warranty. Contact daniel.schrage@ae.gatech.edu or 404-395-4456.

REAL ESTATE/ROOMMATESRoommate wanted to share studio in Buckhead. Close to MARTA bus 110 route. $680/mo. w/ utilities. Shared bath and room, mostly furnished, pet friendly. Available Oct. 1. Contact 404-904-0202 or durasolopez@gmail.com.

Roommate wanted to share house in East Point (close to MARTA rail stop). $680/month all-inclusive. Private bedroom, shared bath, W/D in unit. Mostly furnished. Must be pet friendly. Available Sept. 1. Contact 479-883-5540 or ashlee.flinn@oie.gatech.edu.

Visiting scholar seeking short-term housing close to campus from Oct. 14 through April 30, 2017. Contact tchalakov@gmail.com.

3BD/3BA house for rent. Perfect for a Tech family. Walk to work, restaurants, and shops. Beautifully renovated with den, office space, backyard with play structure. Within half a mile of Atlantic Station, Georgia Tech, Tech day care. $2,800/mo. Contact Soojin at 404-271-5454, homepark2rent@gmail.com.

MISCELLANEOUSItems for sale: Three cream-colored leather look counter-height bar stools, good condition. $75 each or $200 for set. One L-shaped computer desk w/ pull-out keyboard tray, excellent condition. $50. One maroon cloth computer swivel chair with arms, excellent condition. $35. Contact 678-481-8170.

Two twin box springs and king bed frame for sale. All three are only one year old, from a pet-free, smoke-free home. All purchased from Mattress Firm. $200. Contact calla.talman@scheller.gatech.edu.

Items for sale: Platform black queen bed w/ black and green lacquer dresser, mirror, and chest of drawers, $300. Oak dining room set w/ four side chairs and two arm chairs, $350. Living room set, $400. Oak entertainment unit, $400. Black iron daybed, $50. 27’ maple TV unit, $50. Black leather chair, oak office credenza, desk, and three bookshelves, $400. Photos available upon request. Contact ltcboazz34@gmail.com.

Looking for a carpool partner for the daily commute from East Cobb to Tech campus. Email bdespy@hotmail.com.

(Far Right) This small enclosure allows laser diagnostics to be developed safely, and to be used with (loud) acoustic resonators. (Right) Emily Hale, aerospace engineering undergraduate, stands in front of a honeycomb screen where large-scale turbulence is filtered out before air flow contracts and accelerates into the test section of the wind tunnel.

The lab’s researchers have won numerous PURA (President’s Undergraduate Research Awards) and other awards, including Georgia Tech’s Sigma Xi Outstanding Ph.D. Thesis awards four times, and participated in more than 400 publications.

See more photos at c.gatech.edu/windtunnel.

HIDDEN GEORGIA TECH THE JOHN J. HARPER WIND TUNNEL

Located on the ground floor of the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering’s Guggenheim Building, the low-speed wind tunnel is a state-of-the-art facility for experimental research. Over the years, aerospace researchers have used this laboratory to test and/or develop a wide range of products including radar antennae, stadium lights, laser scanners for cash registers, delta wings, rotor blades, business jets, fighter planes, the NASA X-38 Crew Return Vehicle, parafoils, and the soil scoop arm for NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover. Four awards under the highly competitive Defense University Research Instrumentation Program, among other projects, have kept the tunnel at the leading edge of diagnostics capabilities for basic research. Take a look inside.

Hidden Georgia Tech is a photo essay series highlighting places on campus that may largely go unnoticed but are sometimes hidden in plain sight. If you know of a place worth exploring, email editor@comm.gatech.edu. View more Hidden Georgia Tech stories at c.gatech.edu/hidden.

(Above) Aerospace Ph.D. candidate Nandeesh Hiremath enters the main diffuser. The tunnel’s four fan blades are driven through a World War II Curtiss bomber propeller hub by a shaft from an electric motor. The tunnel’s top speed is currently limited to 32 meters per second (72 mph).

Photos by Rob Felt // Written by Victor Rogers

(Left) Blueprints from 1930 show how the Guggenheim Building was built around the tunnel. Above the tunnel test section was an office room. A glass wall could open to lift models in from the Cherry Street parking lot using a ceiling-mounted crane. The present fourth floor was extended over that office during a 1994 renovation. (Right) This model of the tunnel was built by then-undergraduate Richard Schwartz circa 1990. Schwartz has recently been working with NASA to capture high-resolution images of spacecraft re-entering the atmosphere.