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40 Under 40

July 15, 2026

Hardworking and Innovative: Meet the 2026 40 Under 40 Honorees

Collectively, the Class of 2026 includes 40 impactful Yellow Jackets spanning 10 industries and hailing from 14 states. Honorees have founded eight companies and led more than 30 organizations. They include five healthcare and biomedical leaders, seven C-suite executives, 11 professors, researchers, or academic leaders, and six advanced technology and artificial intelligence innovators. This is the 2026 class of 40 Under 40.

Press Release

2027 Nominations Reminder Form

2026 Class Visual Data Dashboard

Credit: Joshua Preston, College of Computing
$altText Sandeep Ahuja, MS Arch 15

Sandeep Ahuja, MS Arch 15

CEO | cove.inc

Sandeep Ahuja is an architect, technologist, and entrepreneur on a mission to disrupt the $200 billion architecture industry with AI. As co-founder and CEO of cove, she has built an AI-first architecture firm that delivers developers five to 10 fully coordinated design iterations in six to eight weeks—versus the industry’s standard of one or two in 12 weeks. Cove is backed by Coatue and Robert Downey Jr.’s FootPrint Coalition. A Georgia Tech–trained architect, Ahuja has been named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and Inc.’s Top 100 Women CEOs, and she’s shared her work at TEDx, the U.N., and SXSW. She co-authored Build Like It’s the End of the World (Wiley, 2024). 

Favorite Tech Memory: Professor Gentry’s energy radiating brighter than the sun, and Professor Brown’s endless Star Wars analogies for building performance.

$altText Lauren Baugh, AE 10

Lauren Baugh, AE 10

Technical Lead—Functional Genomics | Ginkgo Bioworks

Lauren Baugh is technical lead for arrayed functional genomics at Ginkgo Bioworks, where she builds high-throughput platforms at the intersection of genomics, computational analysis, and drug development. A Georgia Tech aerospace engineer turned biomedical scientist, she earned her PhD at Tufts and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at MIT, where her research on heart valve disease and endometriosis has appeared in Nature Biomedical Engineering and other leading journals. She currently leads the scientific response to an ARPA-H initiative advancing animal-free drug testing, with a particular focus on women’s health. She lives with her husband, a fellow Georgia Tech alumnus, and their two children. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Climbing to the top of an empty Bobby Dodd after a game and taking in the Atlanta skyline all lit up.

$altText Candice Broce, Mgt 11

Candice Broce, Mgt 11

Commissioner | Georgia Department of Human Services 

Candice Broce serves as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services and director of the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services. She previously served as chief operating officer, chief deputy executive counsel, and director of communications in the Office of Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp. Prior to joining the governor’s office, Broce managed communications and served as legal counsel for elections, legislative affairs, and licensing at the secretary of state’s office. Broce holds a bachelor’s in management from Georgia Tech and a law degree with a certificate in health law from the Georgia State University College of Law. She also serves on several boards, including as chair of the Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Commission. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Tech beating Clemson in 2009, the same year Third Eye Blind played on campus.
$altText Niall Brown, ME 13

Niall Brown, ME 13

Flight Operations Manager | Metrea 

Niall Brown is a former U.S. Air Force officer and aviator who served 12 years on active duty, including five deployments supporting global operations. As an instructor pilot, he helped train and mentor the next generation of Air Force officers and pilots. Today, he is a flight operations manager at Metrea, leading complex aviation operations and modernization initiatives supporting global missions. In parallel, he co-founded Gulf Spore, a mushroom biotechnology company focused on transparency, community impact, and offering clean, thoughtfully crafted products, with his spouse, Brandi Brown, who is part of the 2025 class of Georgia Tech’s 40 Under 40. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Sharing our first kiss together in the Bio Quad with my now spouse, Brandi Brown, during senior year.
$altText Marc Canellas, MS AE 14, PhD AE 17

Marc Canellas, MS AE 14, PhD AE 17

Assistant Public Defender, Forensics Division | Maryland Office of the Public Defender;
Advisory Board | IEEE-USA AI Policy Committee

Marc Canellas is a public defender, engineer, and nationally recognized expert on AI and the law. After graduating from Georgia Tech, he served as an IEEE-USA Fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives advising on AI, justice, aerospace, and defense policy. He then earned his JD from New York University and now litigates cases involving potential life sentences, while challenging technologies like facial recognition systems. He advises Congress and the executive branch as a member of the IEEE-USA AI Policy Committee’s advisory board; publishes on AI and criminal law in engineering journals and law reviews; and trains judges and attorneys nationwide on emerging technologies.

Favorite Tech Memory: Meeting my wife, the best thing to ever happen to me. And creating the Graduate Student Experience Survey.
$altText Elio Challita, PhD BioE 23

Elio Challita, PhD BioE 23

Schmidt Science Postdoctoral Fellow | Harvard University

Elio Challita is a Schmidt Science Fellow and postdoctoral researcher at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences working at the intersection of robotics, fluid mechanics, biomechanics, and ecology. His research develops micro-robotic and eco-robotic systems inspired by organisms operating at small scales and in extreme environments. Originally from Lebanon, he earned his PhD in bioengineering from Georgia Tech. He is a Schmidt Science Fellow and a recipient of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, and he was selected to the Explorers Club 50 class of 2026. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Playing beach volleyball at the CRC during the summers where I met my wife.
$altText Kyle Coogan, EE 12, MS ECE 14

Kyle Coogan, EE 12, MS ECE 14

Counsel | Reed Smith LLP 

Kyle Coogan is counsel in Reed Smith’s Atlanta office, where he advises technology companies, investors, and growth-stage businesses on intellectual property, software, data, privacy, AI, and complex technology transactions. A Georgia Tech electrical engineer by training, his practice spans a variety of industries, including clean energy, aerospace, medical devices, fintech, and advanced manufacturing. He began his career in the New York office of a London-based global law firm, advising on domestic and cross-border IP, technology, and privacy matters, and now practices on Reed Smith’s technology transactions team in Atlanta. Coogan also serves on Georgia Tech’s Executive Round Table alumni board. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Riding the north end zone goal post as it fell after Tech’s 28-23 win over Virginia Tech in 2009.
$altText Malcolm Danmola, BA 18

Malcolm Danmola, BA 18

Senior Technical Product Manager and Broadcast Lead | Amazon Music

Malcolm Danmola is a product leader at Amazon Music focused on redefining how millions of fans experience live entertainment through livestreaming, interactive fandom, and global broadcast experiences. A Georgia Tech graduate, he previously helped launch Apple Fitness+ as a founding engineering program manager at Apple. Danmola has led product strategy for some of Amazon Music’s largest global livestreams, including Bad Bunny’s record-breaking residency finale. In 2025, he was selected as a prestigious member of the Recording Academy class of 2025. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Being a part of Greek life on campus.
$altText Katie Deutschler, Mgt 09

Katie Deutschler, Mgt 09

Audit Partner | Aprio 

Katie Deutschler is an audit partner at Aprio, where she advises privately held manufacturing and distribution companies through complex transactions, financial reporting challenges, and governance matters. A Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business graduate, her career spans Big Four public company audits, corporate financial reporting, and middle market advisory. She serves on the boards of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia, and The Breman Museum, where she is the incoming treasurer. She is a passionate mentor to women in accounting and lives north of Atlanta on a small farm with her husband and three young children. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Meeting my best friend on day one of rush outside ZTA—and watching our children grow up together, Georgia Tech bound.
$altText Bachir El Fil, PhD ME 21

Bachir El Fil, PhD ME 21

Assistant Professor | Georgia Tech 

Bachir El Fil is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech, where he directs the Energy Innovation Lab. His group develops technologies at the intersection of thermal sciences and materials engineering, atmospheric water harvesting, thermochemical energy storage, and thermal management for AI data centers. His work has been published in Nature Reviews Materials, ACS Energy Letters, and Cell Press’ Device, and he is co-inventor on six patents. He is co-founder of WattAir, a climate-tech startup that spun off from projects funded by DARPA’s Atmospheric Water Extraction (AWE) program, the U.S. Department of Energy, and Breakthrough Energy Fellows. He earned his PhD from Georgia Tech in 2021. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Studying in the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons during the 2017 snow day, looking up to a white campus and a memorable day with friends.
$altText Tyler Epps, MBA 17

Tyler Epps, MBA 17

Executive Vice President | American South Capital Partners 

Tyler Epps is executive vice president of Originations at American South Capital Partners (ASCP), where he leads deal sourcing and structuring for the ASREF platform, a series of equity funds investing in affordable and workforce housing across 10 Southern states. He joined ASCP in 2018 and has been part of ASREF since Fund I, helping grow the platform to over $1 billion in portfolio value. Across 13 years in real estate finance, he has been involved in more than $5 billion in transactions. Epps holds an MBA from Georgia Tech and a BBA from Georgia State, both magna cum laude.

Favorite Tech Memory: Tech beating Florida State on a blocked field goal in 2015!
$altText Andrew Eskander, MBA 21

Andrew Eskander, MBA 21

Senior Manager | Protiviti 
Chief Strategy Officer | Minturn Whisky Company 

Andrew Eskander is a Marine Corps veteran and 2021 Georgia Tech Scheller MBA graduate. He serves as senior manager at Protiviti and as chief strategy officer at Minturn Whisky Company. He established a $1 million veteran MBA scholarship fund at Georgia Tech, serves on the Scheller Young Alumni Advisory Board and the Georgia Tech Founders’ Council, and volunteers with Angel Flights, flying patients to medical care across the Southeast. He also served as Marine Operations program manager aboard the MV Global Mercy with Mercy Ships in Europe, treating over 1,900 patients in West Africa. 

Favorite Tech Memory: A classmate on Slack jokingly suggested running a half-marathon in Chile. Eleven people bought plane tickets within 15 minutes.
$altText Ziyi Gao, IE 17

Ziyi Gao, IE 17

COO | Reframe (Glucobit Inc.)

Ziyi Gao is the co-founder and COO of Reframe, the No. 1 alcohol reduction app globally. What began as a CREATE-X project at Georgia Tech in 2018 now reaches 5 million users, who have collectively eliminated over 1 billion drinks. An industrial engineering graduate and Y Combinator alum, Gao has scaled Reframe to more than 80 employees and raised over $27 million from investors including Goodwater Capital, HOF Capital, and Atlanta Ventures. Originally from China, she lives in Atlanta with her husband and co-founder, their daughter Ira, and their Belgian Malinois, Fufu.

Favorite Tech Memory: Meeting my husband, Vedant, in my ChBE 2100 class!
$altText Christine Hartzell, AE 08

Christine Hartzell, AE 08

Minta Martin Professor | University of Maryland 

Christine Hartzell is the Minta Martin Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland (UMD). She is the founding director of ASTRA-UMD, which is UMD’s center for space exploration technology research. She has participated in NASA and JAXA missions to study asteroids and Phobos, one of Mars’ moons. Asteroid 9319 was named “Hartzell” in recognition of her contributions to the field of asteroid science. Hartzell was a Keck Institute for Space Studies Postdoctoral Fellow at Caltech. She completed her PhD in aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder and received her bachelor’s in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Napping in the student center after a long night of homework!
$altText Elyse Heidelberg, Psy 08

Elyse Heidelberg, Psy 08

Clinical Psychologist, Assistant Member | St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Elyse Heidelberg is a clinical psychologist and assistant member of the clinical faculty in the Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. She is head of the New Oncology Program in Psychology, a clinical program that integrates psychological assessment and intervention into the care of all oncology and transplant patients at St. Jude. Heidelberg’s clinical and research interests include promotion of coping and adjustment through early psychological assessment and intervention, AYA oncology, pain and symptom management, and pediatric palliative care. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Watching Georgia Tech beat Georgia in Athens in 2008 with my brother (also a GT grad!). THWG.
$altText Zuri Hudson, Bio 13

Zuri Hudson, Bio 13

Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist | Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University 

Zuri Hudson is an assistant professor of Hematology/Oncology at Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) and Emory University. She received her bachelor’s in biology prior to medical school at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. Prior to matriculation, she served in AmeriCorps focused on emergency management and disaster relief. She did her pediatric residency at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, where she completed a chief year prior to a fellowship at CHOA/Emory. She stays active on campus at Georgia Tech through Student Athlete and Pre-Med Mentor Jackets and College of Sciences fairs. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Any rideout, clutching the side of the Ramblin’ Wreck. 10/10 feeling that I’ll never be able to recreate!
$altText Venkat Jonnala, IE 08

Venkat Jonnala, IE 08

Global Head of Delivery Commercial Operations | Uber 

Venkat Jonnala is a core member of the senior leadership team at Uber Eats that drives this ~$100 billion global business across 45+ countries. As the global head of Delivery Commercial Operations, he is responsible for ensuring Uber is growing restaurant and retail partners, which total over 1.4 million stores in more than 10,000 cities, with the right commercial strategy and investments. His prior roles include GM for Uber Direct and Uber for Business and managing director and partner at the Boston Consulting Group. Venkat holds degrees from Georgia Tech and The Wharton School. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Representing Georgia Tech on national TV at Jim Cramer’s Mad Money College Tour, filmed at the Scheller College of Business!
$altText Roshan Kalghatgi, MS ME 12

Roshan Kalghatgi, MS ME 12

Navigation Systems Console Lead/Lunar Rover Engineer/Technical Advisor | KBR Wyle Inc. 

Roshan Kalghatgi is a principal robotics professional with KBR Wyle Inc., supporting NASA Ames Research Center as navigation systems console lead and lunar rover engineer for the VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rove) lunar rover mission. His work focuses on navigation hardware, computer vision, robotics, and AI-assisted mission operations for space exploration. Prior to NASA, he contributed to advanced autonomy programs at Aurora Flight Sciences, including DARPA’s ALIAS program. He also serves as board chair of the Redwood City Library Foundation. He earned his master’s in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech in 2012. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Meeting my wife and lifelong friends at Georgia Tech, relationships that continue to enrich my life 15 years later.
$altText Carla Kumbale, BME 15, PhD BioE 24

Carla Kumbale, BME 15, PhD BioE 24

Manager, Quantitative Systems Pharmacology | Pfizer 

Carla Kumbale is a quantitative systems pharmacology manager at Pfizer, where she supports strategic decision-making across vaccines and internal medicine programs. Her work guides dose selection, study design, and translational strategy, helping teams navigate complex biological systems with clarity. These efforts help drive the development of novel therapies in areas of high impact. She is also passionate about mentoring the next generation of scientists through speaking engagements across both academia and industry to share her experiences and support emerging talent.

Favorite Tech Memory: Successfully defending my PhD thesis with my father and his Georgia Tech graduate advisor in attendance, a truly meaningful moment.
$altText Mary (Shoemaker) MacPherson, PP 14

Mary (Shoemaker) MacPherson, PP 14

Senior Manager, Policy and Programs | Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships 

Mary (Shoemaker) MacPherson is a dynamic clean energy leader dedicated to scaling sustainable, energy-efficient building policies. Throughout her career, her foundational research and thought leadership have informed dozens of state energy-saving policies. MacPherson designed and deployed a landmark $200 million Department of Energy grant program to build a skilled workforce equipped to help communities upgrade their homes. Driven to create an equitable and sustainable energy future, she lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, David, a proud Yellow Jacket. When she’s not working on clean energy, she’s biking around the District or exploring her favorite farmers markets. 

Favorite Tech Memory: My senior year, when my brother became a Yellow Jacket, and I started dating my now-husband!
$altText Lauren Margulieux, MS Psy 14, PhD Psy 16

Lauren Margulieux, MS Psy 14, PhD Psy 16

Associate Professor | Georgia State University 

Lauren Margulieux is an associate professor in the Department of Learning Sciences at Georgia State University. She is also the founding director of the Snap Inc. Center for Computing in Teacher Education, where she leads efforts to integrate computing and AI into Georgia State’s pre-service teacher preparation programs across all disciplines. Margulieux’s research focuses on computer science education for computing and programming novices, with a particular emphasis on promoting computational literacy for all learners. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Getting a very supportive end-of-year evaluation from the faculty despite not submitting materials while finishing my dissertation and job search.
$altText Simiao Niu, MS ECE 15, PhD MSE 16

Simiao Niu, MS ECE 15, PhD MSE 16

Assistant Professor | Rutgers University 

Simiao Niu is an assistant professor at Rutgers University. Before Rutgers, Niu was a hardware system engineer at the health technology team for Apple Inc. He received his postdoctoral training at Stanford University and his doctoral degree at Georgia Tech in 2016. Niu’s research on wearable technology and bioelectronics has led to multiple awards, including the MIT Technology Review’s Innovators Under 35 Asia Pacific List, Materials Research Society (MRS) Early Career Distinguished Presenter, and Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher. His current work focuses on wearable devices and energy harvesting systems for biomedical applications. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Defending my PhD thesis and getting my PhD degree.
$altText Paul Oh, IAML 12

Paul Oh, IAML 12

Vice President, Public Policy and External Affairs | Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce 

Paul Oh serves as the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce’s vice president of public policy and external affairs. Since joining in February 2020, Oh has been responsible for strengthening the chamber’s relationships with local, municipal, state, and federal officials, while also expanding its public policy initiatives. He also represents the chamber within Gwinnett County’s international community. Over the past five years, Oh has helped formalize partnerships with 14 bilateral chambers and business associations, significantly expanding the chamber’s reach with the county’s diverse international business community.

Favorite Tech Memory: Playing intramural basketball at the CRC and upsetting the best team in group play.
$altText Deven Panchal, MS ECE 15

Deven Panchal, MS ECE 15

AI Lead | AT&T 

Deven Panchal leads Research and Development of AI, Analytics, and Agentic AI transformations for products and services at AT&T Labs. His work has redefined industry practice, global standards, and has directly benefited millions of people around the world. Panchal’s work has received multiple international and national recognitions, and has been featured globally in media like Forbes, CNBC, Yahoo Finance, VentureBeat, TechCrunch, and Light Reading, among others. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Discussions with so many smart peers and professors and experiencing President Barack Obama’s visit to Georgia Tech in 2015.
$altText Raj Siyasena, ME 14

Raj Siyasena, ME 14

Vice President, Product & Engineering | Backbone 

Raj Siyasena builds technology for communities with passion and purpose. As vice president of product & engineering at Backbone, he leads the software team for a global gaming platform with millions of users. A Georgia Tech mechanical engineering graduate, Siyasena has helped scale products across gaming, beauty, and fintech verticals. His career has centered on expanding access and opportunity through software. He founded Cltch in Atlanta to serve local mechanics and underserved car care professionals, helped rethink fulfillment as a service at Amazon, contributed to Stack Overflow through major growth and its nearly $2 billion exit, and helped beauty professionals run their businesses through the Covid era as an early payments leader at GlossGenius. Today, he is advancing the future of gaming at Backbone through hands-on product leadership, AI-assisted development, and internal AI harnesses that help teams build faster and better for players around the world. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Cramming for a calc final in a Klaus lecture room, only for it to somehow turn into an all-night karaoke party.
$altText Divya Prasad, PhD ECE 14

Divya Prasad, PhD ECE 14

Principal Researcher | Advanced Micro Devices 

Divya Prasad received her master’s from Nanyang Technological University and a PhD in electrical and computer engineering from Georgia Tech. She began her career at Intel working on graphics hardware in Singapore and Bangalore, and later joined Arm Research, collaborating with Imec, a nanoelectronics research center, on early backside power delivery work, which was featured in IEEE Spectrum. She is currently a principal researcher at Advanced Micro Devices, serving as reliability lead across the AMD product portfolio. Prasad’s work spans materials, devices, circuits, and systems for advanced computing, with over 20 publications, more than 15 patents, SRC awards, and an Intel full scholarship for her master’s degree in circuit design. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Hearing President Barack Obama speak at Georgia Tech in 2015—his clarity, presence, and ability to motivate a generation of students was unforgettable.
$altText Maria Roche, PhD Mgt 20

Maria Roche, PhD Mgt 20

Assistant Professor | Harvard Business School 

Maria Roche is an assistant professor in the Strategy unit at Harvard Business School, where she teaches the MBA elective Innovating at Scale. Her research on the microgeography of innovation, which explores how neighborhoods, buildings, and office layouts influence the spread of inventions, has appeared in Management Science, The Review of Economics and Statistics, Organization Science, and Research Policy, and has been featured in The Atlantic, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, and more. Roche is a 2025 recipient of the TIM Emerging Scholar Award from the Academy of Management and the Wyss Award for Excellence in Mentoring Doctoral Students. Roche earned her PhD from Georgia Tech. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Playing beach volleyball at the CRC every Saturday morning.
$altText Max Mahdi Roozbahani, MS CE 16, MS CSE 16, PhD CSE 19

Max Mahdi Roozbahani, MS CE 16, MS CSE 16, PhD CSE 19

Chief Technology Officer | Filio

Max Mahdi Roozbahani is a senior lecturer in Georgia Tech’s College of Computing, and the founder, president, and CTO of Filio, an AI-powered visual documentation platform that began through CREATE-X. His work connects large-scale computing education, entrepreneurship, and applied AI for construction, engineering, and infrastructure. At Georgia Tech, Roozbahani teaches machine learning, data and visual analytics, and natural language processing while mentoring students and teaching teams across campus and online programs. Through Filio, he helps organizations turn field media into documentation and reporting tools used by thousands of professionals nationwide. His teaching honors include the Class of 1940 W. Roane Beard Outstanding Teacher Award and the College of Computing Dean’s Award in 2026.

Favorite Tech Memory: At Fox Theatre’s CREATE-X Demo Day, stress flipped my camera: I aimed at the audience and Georgia Tech got a selfie.
$altText Natasha Schatzman, AE 11, MS AE 14, PhD AE 18

Natasha Schatzman, AE 11, MS AE 14, PhD AE 18

Aerospace Engineer | NASA Ames Research Center 

Natasha Schatzman earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD in aerospace engineering from the Daniel Guggenheim School at Georgia Tech. She works in the Aeromechanics Office at NASA Ames Research Center, specializing in computational and experimental rotorcraft aeroacoustics and aerodynamics, and supporting multiple planetary vehicle design and testing efforts. Schatzman has received numerous honors, including the 2023 Vertical Flight Society (VFS) François-Xavier Bagnoud Award, 2025 VFS Alex M. Stoll Award, and the 2026 NASA Ames Education and Outreach Award. 

Favorite Tech Memory: After taking a test, I would swim laps in the 1996 Olympic pool at the CRC to unwind.
$altText Sangita Sharma, AE 14

Sangita Sharma, AE 14

Director of the Sustainable Skies Lab | Delta Air Lines 

Sangita Sharma is the director and founder of Delta Air Lines’ Sustainable Skies Lab, a first-of-its-kind innovation hub accelerating the development, testing, and deployment of net-zero aviation technologies. Over her 12-plus-year career at Delta, Sharma has led initiatives spanning operations, strategy, and crisis response, from improving reliability through data models to standing up cleanliness protocols during Covid-19. A proud Yellow Jacket, Sharma holds degrees in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech and business administration from Emory University. Sharma also serves on the board of trustees of the New York Restoration Project. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Serving eggs and pancakes to students at midnight during finals week, alongside favorite faculty and staff members.
$altText Haley Smith, ChBE 17

Haley Smith, ChBE 17

Operations Manager | LyondellBasell

Haley Smith is an operations manager at LyondellBasell with nine years of experience in chemical manufacturing. She leads an organization of 96 employees and manages an $80 million operating budget at one of the company’s largest sites. Smith is the youngest operations manager in the company’s history and is known for her people-centered leadership approach, driving both performance and cultural transformation. She previously played a key role in the startup of one of the world’s largest chemical production units and led her team to deliver one of the company’s best-ever turnaround performance in cost, schedule, and safety. Smith holds a chemical engineering degree with high honors from Georgia Tech.

Favorite Tech Memory: Playing along with Tech’s mischievous traditions—equal parts chaos and bonding with my roommates.
$altText Alyse Taylor-Anyikire, MS EE 13, PhD EE 15

Alyse Taylor-Anyikire, MS EE 13, PhD EE 15

Acting Chief of Staff | U.S. Department of Energy Office of Policy

Alyse Taylor-Anyikire is a strategic energy policy professional and engineer with over 14 years of experience leading teams and driving energy policy. Dedicated to public service, she currently serves as chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Policy, where she directs a 50-plus member team and advises senior federal executives, Congress, and the White House. Her extensive background includes impactful roles at the National Governors Association and Boston Consulting Group. Taylor-Anyikire holds a PhD in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech and a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Florida A&M University. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Attending my first NCAA Division I football game, watching Georgia Tech win, and rushing the field with fellow students.
$altText Brennan Torstrick, MS BioE 17, PhD ME 17

Brennan Torstrick, MS BioE 17, PhD ME 17

Chief Scientific Officer | Huxley Medical, Inc. 

Brennan Torstrick is co-founder, president, and chief scientific officer of Huxley Medical, Inc. Huxley’s SANSA device is a chest-worn patch that diagnoses sleep apnea and cardiac arrhythmias simultaneously and has been used by thousands of patients. Torstrick previously co-founded Vertera Spine, Inc. based on his Georgia Tech PhD research on porous biomaterials. The technology was acquired by NuVasive in 2017 and has been used in tens of thousands of spinal fusion implantations. Across both companies, Torstrick has led development, clinical trials, regulatory efforts, and reimbursement strategy. Additionally, he has secured over $2 million in non-dilutive federal grants and holds multiple patents.

Favorite Tech Memory: Seeing the live data readout of my first successful research study and realizing that we were on to something.
$altText Jeffrey Twum, ME 13

Jeffrey Twum, ME 13

Senior Technical Program Manager | Amazon Leo

Jeffrey Twum is a mechanical systems engineer whose fingerprints are on four NASA Goddard Space Flight Center missions: MMS, ICESat-2, PACE, and DAVINCI. Most notably, he led the Solar Array Deployment System development for the PACE mission, earning a Robert H. Goddard Award for engineering and NASA Group Achievement Award. As an associate branch head, he advised engineers across missions, including the Roman Space Telescope and LUCY. Twum now brings that expertise to Amazon Leo as a senior technical program manager for Satellite Mechanical Systems. He holds a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech and a master’s from the University of Maryland.

Favorite Tech Memory: Playing pickup basketball at the CRC with all my friends.
$altText Sihong Wang, PhD MSE 14

Sihong Wang, PhD MSE 14

Associate Professor | The University of Chicago 

Sihong Wang is an associate professor in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago. He received his PhD in materials science and engineering from Georgia Tech in 2014 and his bachelor’s degree from Tsinghua University in 2009. From 2015 to 2018, Wang was a postdoc in chemical engineering at Stanford University. He has published over 90 papers in numerous high-impact journals, including Science, Nature, Nature Materials, Nature Electronics, Nature Sustainability, and others. Wang’s research group currently focuses on soft polymeric bioelectronic materials and devices as the new generation of technology for biomedical studies and therapeutics. As of May 2026, his research has been cited more than 34,200 times, with an H-index of 69. 

Favorite Tech Memory: My favorite memories were going to the CRC in the evening to work out or play badminton with friends after a day of experiments in the lab.
$altText Kai Williamson, PP 06, MS PP 07

Kai Williamson, PP 06, MS PP 07

Principal | Studio 7 Design Group 

Kai Williamson is the founder and principal of Studio 7 Design Group. Studio 7 is recognized as a leading residential and commercial interior architecture and design firm, serving clients on a global scale. The firm provides clients with innovative, dynamic, and functional design solutions with a focus on livable luxury. Williamson leads a team of diverse and dedicated design professionals who provide results for their clientele, ranging across the sports, entertainment, finance, political, and business industries. 

Favorite Tech Memory: Helping to style one of my classmates. We went shopping and lifted her confidence through aesthetics.
$altText Kourtney R. Wright, CS 15, MS CS 23

Kourtney R. Wright, CS 15, MS CS 23

Senior Director, CIAM Operations | Equifax

A California native, Kourtney R. Wright is currently based in Atlanta, working as a senior director of operations at Equifax. She is a two-time Georgia Tech graduate, having earned a bachelor’s in computer science in 2015 and a master’s in computer science in 2023. Wright currently serves as the secretary of the Georgia Tech Black Alumni Organization (BAO) and as a trustee for the Georgia Tech Alumni Association Board of Trustees. In addition to serving her alumni community, Wright has been recognized for her commitment to mentorship and advocacy for women in STEM, most recently by the Equifax BOLD Network as the 2025 Rising Star.

Favorite Tech Memory: Celebrating in the middle of Techwood Drive with roommates and classmates after Tech beat Clemson in 2011.
$altText Suo Yang, MS AE 14, MS CSE 15, PhD AE 17

Suo Yang, MS AE 14, MS CSE 15, PhD AE 17

Associate Professor | University of Minnesota

Suo Yang is an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota. A distinguished Georgia Tech alumnus, he earned his PhD and master’s in aerospace engineering, alongside a master’s in computational science and engineering, followed by postdoctoral research at Princeton University. Yang has authored more than 100 publications and pioneered modeling for advanced aerospace propulsion. He has received four prestigious Department of Defense Young Investigator awards and the inaugural CSSCI Early Career Award. A leader in AIAA and education, Yang advances critical technologies for the U.S. Armed Forces and global energy industries while upholding Georgia Tech’s legacy. 

Favorite Tech Memory: My first aerodynamics lecture in the Guggenheim building: It was the moment my transition from mathematician to engineer felt real.
$altText Yamin Zhang, PhD ChE 21

Yamin Zhang, PhD ChE 21

Assistant Professor and Presidential Young Professor | National University of Singapore 

Yamin Zhang is an assistant professor and presidential young professor in chemical and biomolecular engineering at the National University of Singapore. A Georgia Tech PhD alumna, she develops minimally invasive bioelectronic technologies that integrate battery materials with biological tissues. Zhang’s work includes an injectable, self-powered, bioresorbable pacemaker recognized internationally as “the world’s smallest pacemaker” and named one of TIME’s 2025 Best Inventions. She has published 30 papers in journals including Nature, Nature Biomedical Engineering, and PNAS, and has received numerous honors including MIT Technology Review’s Innovators Under 35, the AHA Early Faculty Independence Award, and MIT ChemE Rising Stars.

Favorite Tech Memory: Founding the Graduates in Nanotechnology seminar series and hosting inspiring researchers who expanded my vision for interdisciplinary science.
$altText Anqi Zou, MS CSE 13

Anqi Zou, MS CSE 13

Senior Vice President, Head of Fair Lending Oversight & Analytics | Truist

Passionate about people and technology, Anqi Zou leads Fair Lending Oversight and Analytics at Truist, advancing fair treatment and access for tens of millions of consumers. Over her banking career, Zou has held roles spanning quantitative analytics, corporate investments, technical talent management, and AI innovation. She also serves on the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, 21st Century Leaders, and the International Community School, where she champions access and opportunity for youth. Zou lives in metro Atlanta with her husband, Craig, and their two children, Alivia and Arnold, and enjoys using golf as a platform for connection, community, and impact. Zou holds a master’s degree in computational science and engineering from Georgia Tech and a bachelor’s from Wake Forest.

Favorite Tech Memory: Nothing beat fitness classes at CRC, resetting between long days of classes, research, and late-night study.

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