AE Assistant Professor Christos Athanasiou has been appointed to the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS). He joins ten other Georgia Tech faculty members for a three-year term. BBISS is one of Tech’s ten Interdisciplinary Research Institutes that brings together researchers from different disciplines across campus to address topics of strategic importance to Georgia Tech. BBISS selects fellows from each Georgia Tech college and the Georgia Tech Research Institute.

“Joining the BBISS fellows isn't just another academic appointment; it's a celebration of a shared vision and a unique opportunity for me to foster sustainability in my community. It marks a pivotal moment, especially for a junior faculty member like myself, to realize that my research mission and Georgia Tech's commitment to a sustainable future converge,” Athanasiou said.

Established in 2014, the BBISS is a Georgia Tech hub that seeks to enhance and use Tech’s knowledge to create a sustainable future for everyone through collaborations between researchers across disciplines.

Athanasiou’s research mission is to enable the massive production and widespread adoption of sustainable materials and structures. Central to this mission is the advancement of fundamental knowledge on the mechanics of materials, its blend with manufacturing technologies, and sustainability-related metrics and awareness. Through multi- and cross-disciplinary collaborations, he envisions accomplishing his mission, bringing a sustainability and systems' perspective in the engineering mechanics' field.

In the years to come, he hopes that his research outputs and educational efforts towards establishing explicit connections between engineering science and sustainable development goals will not only contribute to but also amplify the BBISS institute’s mission to create a world where technology meets ecology.

“As I tell my students, 'Brace for impact!'— and I mean the kind of impact that opens doors to fundamental discoveries and practical engineering solutions. Our friendship with BBISS just began, and I look forward to this exciting journey ahead. Most importantly, I am eager to partner with local communities and engage with corporate partners to develop solutions and inspire work with tangible effects on a broader scale. 'Pas à pas' we will advance alongside BBISS to enable sustainable living and learning at Georgia Tech and beyond.”