Jason Juang, a fourth-year student at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business from Alpharetta, is the recipient of the 2024 Provost's Academic Excellence Award and was honored as part of USG Academic Recognition Day.
Every year, the 26 institutions within the University System of Georgia (USG) designate an undergraduate honoree who is selected for their exceptional academic accomplishments. At Tech, the honoree is chosen by the academic associate deans from each of its six colleges in collaboration with the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. Recognized honorees receive acknowledgment through a resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives and a commendatory letter from the USG Chancellor.
Juang's concentration is Information Technology Management, with a minor in Law, Science, and Technology and a certificate in Sustainable Business. His passion for sustainability and climate change has driven him to work towards creating a more environmentally sustainable world.
"I interned with Guidehouse in 2023 in their Energy, Sustainability, and Infrastructure practice as an energy providers intern. I worked on EV policy for clients. In my Fall 2023 exchange with the University of Sydney, I completed a sustainability certificate by volunteering at local food co-ops, learning about wildlife in Sydney, and advocating in local government," he said.
Juang also contributed to the Climate Action Plan at Georgia Tech and is the president of ElectrifyGT, a student-led organization at Tech dedicated to sustainability consulting and prioritizing the economic electrification of Georgia Tech's campus. As president, he led three student groups in analyzing anaerobic digestion, heat pumps at Tech, and EV charging on campus. Continuing his interest in electrification, he also competed and won the Carbon Reduction Challenge in 2022 and 2023 for fleet electrification and electrification of the Holland Plant.
“I am incredibly proud of serving as a student contributor to Georgia Tech’s new Climate Action Plan. Through many meetings with Tech Infrastructure and Sustainability, electrification project report drafts, and presentations to campus administration, I was able to serve with other ElectrifyGT members in contributing our voice to the future of campus sustainability. This accomplishment is the accumulation of my experiences with the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business, my experiences at Scheller, and guidance from my mentors that I am always endlessly grateful for,” he said.
“Jason's remarkable achievements and leadership in sustainability reflect his deep engagement and outstanding contributions within the Scheller and the Georgia Tech community. His dedication to impactful solutions truly highlights him as an exceptional student,” said Craig Womack, associate dean for Undergraduate Programs at Scheller.
Besides his interest and involvement in environmental issues, Juang won the Campus Life Scholarship and the Dow Chemical McCutchen Award for Outstanding Student Achievement. He was also a CIBER Fellowship recipient in 2023 and, in April 2024, the Alvin M. Ferst Leadership and Entrepreneurship Award recipient.
At Scheller, Juang has participated in numerous councils and research projects.
"I have served as the undergraduate representative in the DEI Council and assisted in hiring Scheller's first Director of Inclusive Excellence. I worked as a GT1000 Team Leader, mentoring a class of Scheller students in their first years of transitioning into college. As a Scheller Sustainability Ambassador, I researched equitable solutions in Drawdown Georgia's solar energy sector, and as an Undergraduate Program Office student assistant, I moderated concentration panels and assisted students with general Scheller knowledge," he said.
Most recently, he was a co-author of "A multi-scale lifecycle and technoeconomic framework for higher education fleet electrification," published on February 28 in Nature Scientific Reports, along with several colleagues from Georgia Tech in Business, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, and the School of Public Policy.
“Coming into Tech, I never seriously considered doing research as I found it to be intimidating and seemingly exclusive to people only with STEM backgrounds and graduate degrees. Yet, through persistently trying different activities like working in a Vertically Integrated Project or creating reports in ElectrifyGT, I found that undergraduate students from all backgrounds can produce research that could be published in a well-regarded journal. This was incredibly empowering to believe that our impact as students can go beyond influencing our campus to helping contribute to research as well,” he said.
With all his accomplishments and awards, one could understand if Juang took some time off to relax and enjoy some downtime after graduation. But that's not his way. He's heading to Asia for a year of study on a scholarship from the Henry Luce Foundation.
"My desire to spend a year living and working in Asia is driven by my profound interest in understanding how different cultures tackle climate-related challenges. As a Taiwanese American, I'm particularly intrigued by Asia's diverse perspectives on climate vulnerability, modernization, and industrial development, especially in countries like Japan and Korea. In immersing myself in Asian communities, I hope to deepen my insights into global climate issues and facilitate," he said.
When asked about his long-term goals, he says his desire is “to empower science-based policy decisions in mitigating the effects of climate change by reducing our carbon emissions.”
With his accomplishments so far, Jason Juang is well on his way to fulfilling his goal.