For the Georgia Tech community, homecoming week is more than just a celebration of Yellow Jacket pride – it's a tribute to the traditions, spirit, and unity that define the Tech experience. For five remarkable students, the week holds an even deeper significance. 

Ramblin’ Royalty, hosted by the Student Center Programs Council (SCPC) within Student and Campus Event Centers (SCEC), celebrates students who embody Georgia Tech’s motto, Progress and Service. Previously known as Mr. and Ms. Georgia Tech, the program has evolved into a more inclusive scholarship initiative to represent all students who are making a positive impact on campus. 

A College of Sciences student was among the five students selected for this recognition.

Giuli Capparelli Sanabria

Year: 4th year Biology major
Nominated by: Phi Mu Fraternity

Giuli has embraced Georgia Tech’s motto of Progress and Service through a commitment to expanding educational opportunity and building connections across diverse communities. As a recipient of the G. Wayne Clough Tech Promise Scholarship, she’s transforming gratitude into action as a passionate advocate for the initiatives that make a Georgia Tech education accessible to students from all backgrounds. She has represented the institute at various events including the Gold and White Gala and Scholarship Brunch, and in 2025 was honored to serve as the keynote student speaker at the USG Scholarships and Awards Gala, sharing the impact of scholarship support and promoting access to higher education. Her dedication to service and representation also extends to campus life. Through Phi Mu, she’s aware of the value of connecting across different perspectives and backgrounds. As Phorum Lead, she facilitated educational programming focused on topics like implicit bias and cultural awareness, helping foster meaningful dialogue within her community. Her Georgia Tech journey reflects gratitude, advocacy, and a belief in the transformative power of opportunity. Representing Georgia Tech as Ramblin’ Royalty would be a celebration of her commitment and the impact she hopes to continue making for future Yellow Jackets.

>> Meet all the students named 2026 Ramblin' Royalty.

David Collard, senior associate dean for the College of Sciences and professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, has accepted an appointment to serve as the interim leader for the College of Sciences.

As interim dean, Collard will represent a college that is home to more than 3,000 students, 500 faculty members, and six internationally ranked schools.

Collard joined the Georgia Tech faculty in 1991. His research program has focused on understanding how interactions between molecules influence the properties of materials, ranging from electrical conductivity to biological responses. As an instructor he has received awards for teaching excellence and outstanding use of educational technology.

“David’s thoughtful approach and deep affinity for the college make him ideally suited to help steward this transition period,” said Raheem Beyah, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. “We are grateful for his willingness to provide continuity of leadership for a college that has achieved tremendous growth in size and reputation over the past seven years.”

A national search for the College’s next dean will commence, led by College of Engineering Dean Mitchell Walker. Information regarding the search committee and key dates will be posted to provost.gatech.edu.

Georgia’s coastline stretches more than 100 miles, encompassing diverse wildlife, landscapes, and coastal communities. 

Georgia Tech alumnus and President Emeritus G. Wayne Clough was struck by the beauty and ecological significance of this region during a trip to Cumberland Island. 

The South Georgia native decided to transform his sense of wonder into a multiyear exploration of the coast’s natural history, flora, and fauna. Along the way, he met some of the people studying and working to protect its ecological and cultural heritage.

The result is his new book, The Ever-Changing Georgia Coast: A Natural History of Its Creation, Transformation, and Future. Described as “part travelogue, part natural history, and part nature guide,” the book examines the past, present, and future of Georgia’s coast and reflects on the forces, both human and natural, that continue to shape it. 

Oct. 23 Book Talk at Scheller Tower

Clough will share stories and inspiration from his latest book during a special conversation on Friday, Oct. 23, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the West Lobby of Scheller Tower. Susan Lozier, dean of the College of Sciences and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair, will moderate the conversation, which will be followed by an audience Q&A and a book signing reception. 

The event is free and open to the public. Copies of Clough’s new book will be available for purchase and signing.

RSVP to attend and be entered into a drawing for one of 14 signed copies of his book, one for each of Georgia’s major barrier islands. 

What if a DNA test could help predict what diseases you might be at risk for — years before they appear? This is one of the dreams of genome-enabled personalized medicine, with DNA tests and screenings opening an unprecedented window into a person’s unique genetic risk of developing certain illnesses.

New research from Georgia Tech shows that the contexts in which genes act — lifestyle and environmental factors — are also important in understanding how genes express themselves, and how genetic risk may lead to disease.

In a new study published in Nature Genetics, Pervasive Interactions Between Exposures and Polygenic Risk Can Inform More Effective Clinical and Behavioral Interventions, researchers analyzed the genetic data, health outcomes, and lifestyle factors of over 400,000 individuals. 

“Genetic risk is often seen as something that can’t be controlled, but that approach assumes a determinism that does not reflect reality,” says the study’s corresponding author Greg Gibson, Regents’ Professor, Tom and Marie Patton Chair in the School of Biological Sciences, and director of the Center for Integrative Genomics at Georgia Tech. “Our research shows that people with low genetic risk who live in disadvantaged environments face disease risks similar to those with high genetic risk living in more resourced circumstances.”

The findings suggest that people at highest genetic risk may also be the individuals who benefit the most from targeted interventions — paving the way for more informed genetic counseling and social policy. 

Science at Scale 

Gibson began his career studying the genetics of Drosophila fruit flies before turning his attention to human genetics when he joined Georgia Tech in the late 2000s, soon after the Human Genome Project successfully delivered the first complete sequence of the human genome. “It transformed the way we do this type of research,” he recalls. “Suddenly it was possible to analyze genetics across large groups of people.” 

Because the effects of genetics can be small in an individual, large datasets are key to understanding genetics and disease at scale. “If we need to study 200,000 people to see a genetic effect, it takes even more than that to see how those genes interact with the environment,” Gibson says.  

The team, which included first author Sini Nagpal, formerly a postdoctoral fellow at the Georgia Tech Center for Integrative Genomics, leveraged the UK Biobank, a program that collects genetic information from half a million volunteers in the United Kingdom to understand who falls ill and why. Started in 2006, the UK Biobank is home to the world’s largest single set of genetic sequencing data — along with the world’s largest whole-body imaging and long-term health tracking. This type of data is critical, Gibson says, to the advancement of genetic research, and is in large part what has made this new research possible. 

“Our research shows that we do have a way to capture situations where a person’s lifestyle and environment interacts with genetics in interesting ways,” he explains. “These genotype-environment interactions matter. They are important, but they can't be captured one variant at a time. An integrated approach — utilizing information in the thousands of genes influencing each disease — is much more powerful.” 

Improving Health Outcomes — For Everyone 

The team is now interested in expanding their research outside of the British database. Nagpal is now an assistant professor at the Koita Centre for Digital Health at IIT Bombay, where she is investigating translational genetics in India, including research into diabetes, cardiovascular disease and asthma.  Gibson is interested in translating the research to more broadly apply to the United States, with a focus on rural and disadvantaged communities. 

“Ultimately, if we can quantify which people are at highest risk, we believe we can suggest therapeutic and environmental interventions that could help mitigate their risk, reducing the prevalence of disease in the first place,” he says. 

“We want to dig deeply in ways that reveal disease pathways and begin to unearth the mechanisms behind disease,” Gibson says. “It's not just our ancestry that determines health; it's also culture and environment. We want to incorporate those factors into treatment of individuals and at scale.” 

These themes are also present in Gibson’s newly published book, Natural Virtue: Genetics, Anti-Eugenics, and Moral Philosophy, which explores how nature and nurture impact social issues like educational and gender disparities. 

Gibson adds that the message is hopeful. “The genetic differences between different socioeconomic groups aren’t meaningful,” he explains. “Our genetics do not predetermine our health outcomes. If we can create more equitable environments, we can improve outcomes across the board.”