Team Impact Award

G-WISE (Georgia Wildland-fire Simulation Experiment) is an ambitious, interdisciplinary research program that has advanced understanding of wildland fire smoke and its implications for public health, environmental regulation, and land management. Led by Rawad Saleh in the College of Engineering, the team integrates expertise from engineering, forestry and natural resources, chemistry, and veterinary medicine to address a central challenge in fire science: how smoke from prescribed fires differs from wildfire smoke in quantity, composition, and health impact. Through a tightly coordinated framework that combines laboratory-scale fire simulations, smoke chemistry analysis, toxicological assessment, and predictive computer modeling, G-WISE has generated insights that could not be achieved within any single field. The team’s work has clarified how smoke composition, exposure, and toxicity interact to shape health outcomes, providing land managers and regulators with evidence-based guidance for the use and timing of prescribed fires. Supported by major federal funding and national collaboration, G-WISE demonstrates how interdisciplinary team science can inform policy-relevant decisions and address complex environmental challenges. 

The Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS) is redefining how infrastructure systems are designed to protect communities in a rapidly changing world. Directed by Brian Bledsoe in the College of Engineering, IRIS brings together engineering, ecology, forestry and natural resources, environmental design, business, public health, social sciences, and related fields to develop integrative solutions in which natural and conventional infrastructure work together to reduce risk. IRIS research addresses urgent societal challenges including flooding, sea-level rise, extreme weather, drought, and pollution, combining rigorous engineering and environmental science with social, economic, and community-engaged approaches. The team’s work spans local flood mitigation efforts in Georgia, resilience planning for military installations across the United States, and internationally funded projects in Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. Supported by major federal, state, and philanthropic investment, IRIS has influenced engineering design standards, policy discussions, and on-the-ground implementation of natural infrastructure. IRIS demonstrates how interdisciplinary team science can translate complex research into durable benefits for communities worldwide. 

Past Recipients