The Ever-Changing Georgia Coast
Conversation and Book Signing with G. Wayne Clough
CE 63, MS CE 65, HON PhD 15, President Emeritus of Georgia Institute of Technology
Friday, October 23
3 to 5 p.m. in Scheller Tower, West Lobby
Journey to the Georgia coast with G. Wayne Clough, CE 63, MS CE 65, HON PhD 15, President Emeritus of Georgia Institute of Technology and Secretary Emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution, and author of the new book, The Ever-Changing Georgia Coast: A Natural History of Its Creation, Transformation, and Future.
Meet us at Scheller Tower in the heart of Tech Square for a special conversation between Clough and Georgia Tech College of Sciences Dean Susan Lozier as we travel “by kayak, seaplane, and ATV to explore the rich geological history and fascinating ecology of this exceptional natural treasure” — Georgia’s Golden Coast — and understand the facets of its vibrant ecosystems through a story that is “part travelogue, part natural history, and part nature guide.”
Audience Q&A and a book-signing reception with refreshments will follow the conversation. Copies of Clough’s new book will be available for purchase and signing at the program. This event is free and open to the public.
RSVP opens the week of October 5 to be entered into a drawing for one of 14 signed copies of the new book — one for each of Georgia’s major barrier islands. Pre-event registration is encouraged. Space is filled on a first come, first seated basis.
About the Author
G. Wayne Clough, born in South Georgia, received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, served on the faculties of prominent research universities, and traveled the world as a geological and earthquake engineer. He served as president of the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1994 to 2008 and as secretary of the Smithsonian Institution from 2008 to 2015. He was named Conservationist of the Year in 2020 by the Satilla Riverkeeper, and his book Things New and Strange: A Southerner’s Journey Through the Smithsonian Collections won him Author of the Year in History by the Georgia Writers Association in 2020. His new book is The Ever-Changing Georgia Coast: A Natural History of Its Creation, Transformation, and Future.
About the Moderator
Susan Lozier is dean and Betsy Middleton and John Clark Sutherland Chair in the College of Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology. One of the world’s foremost physical oceanographers, Lozier is the international project lead for the Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program (OSNAP). She recently served as president of the American Geophysical Union and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Board of Directors for the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Her recent honors include election as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2020 and receipt of the Henry Stommel Research Medal in 2022, the highest honor given to an oceanographer by the American Meteorological Society. In 2025, Lozier was named Faculty of the Year by the Georgia Tech Graduate Student Government Association.
About Presenting Science
Hosted in collaboration with the Georgia Tech Friends of Sciences, the Presenting Science series hosts distinguished researchers and thought leaders who share the latest findings and topics of interest with the Atlanta community. Our audience includes professionals, faculty, staff, alumni, students, and researchers throughout the greater metro community. Our alumni and student audience — from the College of Sciences and across the Institute — are among the most engaged.
Lead photo: Salt marsh coast near Skidaway Island, Georgia (Maxwell Guberman / Georgia Tech).
Event questions: Leslie Roberts
Media questions: Jess Hunt-Ralston
