The concern for environmental contaminants in all media continues to expand as greater emphasis is placed on environmental problems. Global climate change, groundwater contamination, potable-water quality, photochemical smog, sludge reclamation and disposal, indoor air quality, and toxic and hazardous substances are environmental problems which are pertinent to multiple environmental media. These problems demand multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to research if adequate, comprehensive solutions are to be developed. The challenge is to develop the capacity to manage environmental changes effectively in a manner that facilitates opportunities for economic development. The goal at Georgia Tech is to foster environmental management and economic development by establishing a nationally and internationally significant research base in environmental technologies. The high quality of the Georgia Tech faculty and students, and the commitment of Georgia Research Alliance to endow chairs for eminent scholars will provide the human resources to respond to this challenge. However, the major hurdle faced by the university and its researchers in accomplishing these goals is the improvement of inadequate facilities. This award is the first step toward overcoming this hurdle; it will modernize research facilities, and consolidate several research programs into the modernized facilities.
