Nine BBISS Faculty Fellows Appointed
(L to R, Top to Bottom) Heidi Biggs, Jennifer Bowen, Gaurav Doshi, Xindi He, Guoxiang (Emma) Hu, Suhas Jain, Patrick Kastner, Cindy Kaiying Lin, and Julia Yang.
The Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) has appointed nine new faculty fellows for 2026, selected for their leadership in sustainability research. These fellows will join an interdisciplinary community aiming to develop innovative solutions to environmental, social, and economic challenges. The BBISS Faculty Fellows program supports early-career researchers with leadership development and collaboration opportunities to enhance their impact in sustainability fields.
The Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) is pleased to announce the appointment of nine new faculty fellows for 2026. Selected for their outstanding leadership in sustainability-related research, these faculty members will join a growing community of scholars working to advance innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges.
Established in 2014, the BBISS Faculty Fellows program brings together distinguished faculty from across Georgia Tech to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, strengthen the sustainability research community, and advance the Institute's mission of generating real-world impact through research, education, and engagement. Serving three-year terms, fellows act as strategic advisors, community ambassadors, and thought leaders within the broader sustainability ecosystem. Building on this foundational vision, the BBISS Faculty Fellows program has evolved to meet the dynamic needs of modern sustainability leaders. The newly revamped program emphasizes active leadership development, offering tailored networking opportunities, connections with broader sustainability networks, and focused training to help fellows grow as influential voices in their respective fields. Through these enhancements, the BBISS Faculty Fellows program aims to empower early-career researchers to maximize their reach, elevate their research, and innovate transformative sustainability solutions.
The 2026 cohort represents a wide range of expertise spanning AI and sustainability, sustainable finance, computational materials discovery, infrastructure systems, environmental chemistry, urban resilience, and community-engaged research.
The 2026 BBISS Faculty Fellows are:
- Heidi Biggs, Assistant Professor, School of Literature, Media, and Communication, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.
- Jennifer Bowen, Assistant Professor, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, College of Sciences.
- Gaurav Doshi, Assistant Professor, School of Economics, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.
- Xindi He, Assistant Professor, Scheller College of Business.
- Guoxiang (Emma) Hu, Assistant Professor, School of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering.
- Suhas Jain, Assistant Professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering.
- Patrick Kastner, Assistant Professor, School of Architecture, College of Design.
- Cindy Kaiying Lin, Assistant Professor, School of Interactive Computing, College of Computing.
- Julia Yang, Assistant Professor, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, College of Engineering.
Collectively, their research addresses the sustainability of interconnected human, natural, and engineered systems, encompassing topics such as watershed resilience, resource stewardship, carbon cycling, circular materials management, and evidence-based environmental decision-making. Their diverse expertise fosters new interdisciplinary collaborations that accelerate the development of practical, scalable solutions for communities, industries, and ecosystems.
“We are delighted to welcome this exceptional group of faculty leaders to the BBISS community,” said BBISS Executive Director Beril Toktay. “Their expertise, creativity, and commitment to sustainability will help expand opportunities for collaboration and accelerate the impact of sustainability research across Georgia Tech and beyond.”