Christopher Rozell
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
ATLANTA, Georgia — Ludington native Christopher Rozell was recently named the inaugural executive director of the Institute of Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS) at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).
Rozell is the son of Judy Weiers and the late John Rozell. He graduated from Ludington High School in 1994 and attended the University of Michigan where he earned bachelor’s degrees in engineering and music in 2000. He then attended graduate school at Rice University where he earned a PhD in electrical engineering in 2007. He also attended the University of California, Berkley.
In 2008, he moved to Atlanta, Ga. to work at Georgia Tech.
INNS is one of two new Interdisciplinary Research Institutes launched at Georgia Tech on July 1. Dedicated to advancing neuroscience and neurotechnology, the institute aims to drive societal progress through discovery, innovation, and public engagement. By bridging disciplines across the sciences, engineering, computing, ethics, policy, and the humanities, INNS will serve as a collaborative hub for exploring the brain in all its complexity — from molecular mechanisms to behavior and cognition, and from foundational research to clinical and technological applications.
“My roots in the Ludington area are deep and my upbringing there really shaped a lot of who I am,” Rozell said. “It was a safe place I could become independent, a place of incredible natural beauty that I still find calming and inspiring, and a place I could learn from the people around me about how to have a strong work ethic and care for a community. Of course, my family was the biggest part of that. My mother worked for many years at Gibbs Country House Restaurant and Hallmark, where she cared for every person that walked in those doors. My father’s family still owns a historic farm in Free Soil that was built by my great-great-great grandfather. My extended family in the area is too large to name everyone, but they are also an important part of how I grew up. When I lived in Ludington, I worked at Gibbs, House of Flavors, and Lake Michigan Carferry.”
Rozell said he was fortunate to receive a Jackson Foundation scholarship after high school which provided him the funds to attend U of M.
“I had many excellent teachers in Ludington, but a few were especially influential,” he said. “Tom Kudwa was a wonderfully creative and inspiring physics teacher that showed me for the first time how powerful it can be to use math to understand something about how the world works. Jim Quinlan was an engaging AP European History teacher that showed us how to reason about the world and write effectively. My soccer coach Fred Horstman taught me about leadership, passion and teamwork, as did a number of outstanding music teachers, especially Larry Fay, Bob Parker and Becky Sopha, who also taught me to be creative.
“Beyond teachers, there were two families that represented the best of what Ludington can be to me. The Reed and Malliett families went out of their way to care for me personally and I continue to be inspired by the way that they both invest in making Ludington the best community it can be.
“I’m excited to serve the INNS community in this next phase to build on the momentum generated across campus over many years,” said Rozell. “The brain is one of the great remaining frontiers, where discovery and innovation can unlock the future of human health and flourishing. INNS is uniquely positioned to lead in the modern interdisciplinary research necessary to address this grand challenge.”
– A special thanks for Christopher’s very proud aunt, Judy Haight, for the tip on this story.
This feature story is presented by Hankwitz Heating & Cooling, 609 S. Washington Ave., Ludington; 231-843-2809
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