New Institute, Campus Safety, and Social Media Insights

Georgia Tech Establishes Tennenbaum Family Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership

Georgia Tech has announced the creation of the Michael E. Tennenbaum Family Institute for Technology and Civic Leadership, a transformative new interdisciplinary institute designed to prepare students to lead at the intersection of technology, civic engagement, and responsible decision-making. Made possible through a generous philanthropic commitment from distinguished alumnus Michael E. Tennenbaum and his family, this institute represents Georgia Tech’s commitment to developing well-rounded technical leaders who can work across ideological lines to solve real-world challenges.

Rooted in Georgia Tech’s motto of Progress and Service, the institute will foster open inquiry, civil discourse, and responsible problem-solving through teaching, research, and public engagement. The permanent endowment will expand programming, strengthen faculty and student engagement, and help position Georgia Tech as a national leader in addressing societal challenges through innovation. As President Ángel Cabrera noted, “The Tennenbaum Family Institute will help to ensure that our students grow as productive, open-minded, engaged leaders, ready to work across ideological lines to get the job done.”

GTPD Launches Enhanced Micromobility Enforcement

Beginning Monday, August 31, the Georgia Tech Police Department expanded its micromobility enforcement efforts across campus, reinforcing state laws and City of Atlanta ordinances that apply to bicycles, electric scooters, electric skateboards, and other micromobility devices. This initiative builds on GTPD’s ongoing education and safety programs aimed at promoting safer riding behaviors and reducing conflicts among riders, motorists, and pedestrians.

As part of the enforcement effort, GTPD will also offer a Micromobility Diversion Class for eligible riders who receive citations, focusing on safe riding attitudes, rules of the road, and responsible device operation. Key reminders for the campus community include:

• Obey all traffic signals and posted signs
• Yield to pedestrians at all times
• Dismount and walk devices through Tech Green walkways during peak hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
• Wear a helmet and use appropriate lighting at night
• Avoid distractions while riding

For more information, visit the Georgia Tech Police Department’s Micromobility webpage.

Georgia Tech Experts Analyze Meta Settlement and the Future of Social Media Regulation

In response to Meta’s historic $17.1 billion settlement addressing allegations of consumer protection violations and the targeting of teenagers through addictive features, Georgia Tech experts offered insightful analysis on what the landmark agreement means for the future of social media oversight and youth protection.

Munmun De Choudhury, a professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Interactive Computing and leading researcher on the intersection of social media and mental health, called the settlement “a reasonable start” while cautioning that more work remains. De Choudhury emphasized that the research on whether screen time restrictions alone improve mental health is not yet settled, and that understanding the context of how young people spend time on these platforms is equally important. She highlighted the critical role the settlement’s $17 billion funding component will play in supporting social media literacy efforts and training for parents and teachers.

De Choudhury also raised concerns about the scope of enforcement, noting that if competitors like TikTok and YouTube don’t adopt similar restrictions, users may simply migrate to other platforms. Additionally, she urged regulators to address emerging threats in the age of artificial intelligence, particularly regarding the use of minors’ data to train AI models. She advocated for a federal “right to be forgotten” policy, similar to the European Union’s approach, to protect children’s data privacy.

Jerry Liu, lecturer in the Scheller College of Business, drew comparisons to past litigation against the tobacco industry, emphasizing the broader ethical questions at stake: whether companies deliberately design products around human vulnerabilities to create addictive behavior, especially targeting minors, and whether they have an obligation to disclose and address these harms.

Stay Connected

These developments reflect Georgia Tech’s commitment to advancing not only technological innovation but also the responsible, ethical, and civic dimensions of leadership and community life. We encourage you to explore these stories further and engage with the Institute’s work as we shape the future together. What are your thoughts on these important developments? Share your perspective in the comments below!