Throughout his undergraduate studies at Georgia Tech, Justin Le (ChBE ’26) has consistently shown his commitment to bridging communities, helping people, and working towards a more sustainable world. In recognition of these achievements, the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business (Center) at the Scheller College of Business has selected Justin as the 2026 recipient of the Vivian Nora Lukens Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to students who pursue the certificate in sustainable business. Justin shares his journey, through which he has learned adaptability, developed a passion for environmental and social dimensions of sustainability, and grown the heart of a servant leader.
Seeds of Servant Leadership
Justin Le’s passion for service and sustainability stems in part from his upbringing – having to translate frequently for his parents, who arrived in the United States as refugees from Vietnam with nothing, not even knowing how to say “hello.”
“My brother and I had to help with a lot of adult stuff as kids, and that ties into me wanting to give back,” said Justin, who grew up in Chicago, Illinois; Orlando, Florida; and Saigon, Vietnam.
There is also one childhood experience Justin Le says “made me who I am.” In 2008, due to financial struggles triggered by the stock market crash, Justin’s parents sent him and his brother from their home in Chicago to Vietnam to live with their grandparents. He did a lot of volunteering in orphanages, which he says made him more “sympathetic and empathetic – because you never know what someone has gone through.”
An impulse to serve others extended into Justin’s work with Georgia Tech’s EXCEL Program, where Justin served as an academic coach and head student assistant supporting EXCEL participants – students with intellectual and developmental learning disabilities in courses ranging from STEM to the humanities.
“There's a real overlap between being an English language learner and navigating a learning difference,” he said. “Both can make systems feel harder to get through.”
Justin also served as president of the Vietnamese Student Association his sophomore year and was part of the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) Community Values Committee, where he helped initiate new events including a Lunar New Year celebration and a Pride event tied to Atlanta Pride.
Research and Professional Development
Justin had several significant experiences tied to the Center – both in and out of the classroom.
In Summer 2024, as a participant in the Carbon Reduction Challenge, Justin volunteered (on top of his regular internship duties) to work on a project to reduce emissions and lower costs for his employer, former Spirit AeroSystems (currently Boeing). His proposal focused on reducing carbon emissions from the golf cart fleet. By collaborating with teams in sustainability, infrastructure, and operations, he developed a strategy to gradually transition to an EV fleet.
He also served as a 2024-25 Undergraduate Sustainability Ambassador through the Center. In that role, he worked on a project for local nonprofit Friends of Refugees. One of the biggest challenges new Americans face is access to reliable transportation, making it difficult for them to reach medical appointments, attend English classes, and integrate into their communities. Friends of Refugees helps to bridge this gap by offering van rides to appointments. Justin’s project focused on optimizing the nonprofit’s vehicle usage.
As a student in the Fall 2024 Sustainable Business Consulting Practicum, Justin worked on a project for Brightmark. His team evaluated feedstocks for an anaerobic digestion facility. They assessed ten potential feedstocks, examining how chemical properties, regulatory requirements, and economic feasibility influenced siting and operational decisions. This experience emphasized the importance of transparent project management in advancing sustainability initiatives. Their work was the subject of an article, “From Trash to Treasure: Practicum Student Team Identifies Opportunities to Turn Waste into Biogas.”
The Center awarded small grants to Justin to support his travel to two conferences. In 2024, he attended the NYU Stern Symposium on Innovation & Sustainable Real Estate to learn more about how urban sustainable development is impacting New York City. He also attended the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business 2025 Annual Practice Forum focusing on R&D technologies to combat climate change.
In 2025, Justin also had the opportunity to travel to Rwanda for his African Studies minor. Justin joined Professor of the Practice Michael Oxman in meetings with university leaders, business owners, and Ph.D. students to explore sustainability projects for a future MBA International Practicum.
In work related to his major, Justin gained two years of experience as a member of the Paravastu Research Group – the lab of Anant Paravastu, associate professor in ChBE. He conducted research focused on peptides and nanofibrils and contributed to three academic publications.
In his internships with companies including Spirit AeroSystems, Valero Energy, and Pond & Company, Justin rotated through environmental, process, and construction-focused engineering work.
He also served as an AI research intern with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, researching how artificial intelligence could influence national security and biosecurity efforts.
Of his busy schedule, Justin said: “I feel like I manage my time pretty well, but I probably don’t sleep as much as I want. There are trade-offs, but you can balance a social life and good grades at Tech.”
Choosing Georgia Tech
Le originally chose Georgia Tech because of its prestigious reputation and the fact that he already had family ties in Atlanta.
When selecting chemical and biomolecular engineering as a major, he knew it had a reputation for difficulty. “But I like problem solving, and I love a good challenge,” he said. Before arriving at Georgia Tech at age 17, he had already completed an associate’s degree at Valencia College during the early part of the pandemic after finishing high school.
During his undergraduate studies, he spent a semester abroad at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. “It was a very different learning environment, and an experience I would never give up,” said Le, who was able to visit Mongolia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Macao during the weekends.
Eyes on the Future
In May, Justin graduated with a B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, certificates in sustainable business and global engagement, and minors in sustainable cities and African studies.
He was named as an alternate for a Fulbright to teach abroad, but he has decided to pursue an M.S. in Environment and Sustainability Management at Georgetown University. He hopes to further explore the intersection of engineering, sustainability, and global policy through a focus on carbon management and climate.
Though Justin remains open to where his career path may lead, he says, “I really want to do work that helps people using my chemical engineering background, perhaps with the U.N. or in renewable energy consulting,” Justin said.
“I really want to do work that helps people,” Le said. “At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.”
A slightly different version of this article – “Graduation Spotlight: Justin Le’s Commitment to Service and Sustainability Leading Him to Georgetown Master's Program") – was first published by the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering on May 6, 2026.
Written by Brad Dixon, with Jennifer Holley Lux.
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