Some Ansley Park residents leave an impression because of what they have accomplished. Others stand out because of how they engage with the world around them.

Marilyn Brown and Frank Southworth have done both.

Their lives have intersected with presidents, global policy leaders, academic institutions, and some of the most important conversations shaping the future of energy, transportation, sustainability, and public service. Yet neighbors are just as likely to know them as thoughtful conversationalists, active community members, and familiar faces enjoying a walk through Ansley Park.

Their story began nearly five decades ago at the University of Illinois.

At the time, both were teaching in their respective fields. Marilyn, a geographer, had been asked to prepare a report following a seminar. Frank, who had recently arrived from northern England, attended the same event.

There was just one problem.

"I couldn't understand a thing Frank said because of his thick north of England accent," Marilyn recalls with a laugh.

Fortunately, she found a reason to stop by his office and review her notes.

The two soon discovered a shared love of tennis, and what began as a professional acquaintance evolved into a friendship, then a romance, and eventually a partnership that has now lasted 48 years.

Along the way, they built remarkable careers, raised a daughter, traveled the world and won plenty of mixed doubles matches.

Today, they remain each other's greatest partner.

Geography became a defining thread throughout both of their lives.

Frank earned his bachelor's degree with honors and a Ph.D. from the University of Leeds in England. Marilyn received degrees from Rutgers University, the University of Massachusetts, and Ohio State University.

Their shared fascination with how people, places, systems, and communities interact would eventually shape careers that influenced public policy, transportation systems, energy innovation, and sustainability efforts around the globe.

Both spent significant portions of their careers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, where their research helped inform federal decision-making and national policy.

The result was two distinguished careers that, while different in focus, shared a common goal: helping people make better decisions through data, research, and thoughtful analysis.

Marilyn Brown is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading experts on energy policy, sustainability, and climate solutions.

Today, she serves as a Regents' and Brook Byers Professor of Sustainable Systems at Georgia Tech's Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, where her work focuses on energy innovation, technology adoption, environmental equity, and sustainable development.

Throughout her career, Marilyn has helped shape conversations at the highest levels of government, academia, and industry. She has served on numerous National Academies committees, contributed to reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), testified before Congress, and completed two terms as a Presidential appointee to the Tennessee Valley Authority Board.

Her accomplishments have earned some of the highest honors in American academia.

Marilyn has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences—making her the only Georgia Tech faculty member elected to all three organizations.

In 2022, she became the first woman to receive Georgia Tech's Class of 1934 Distinguished Professor Award, the university's highest faculty honor.

Yet despite an extraordinary résumé, Marilyn speaks about her work less as a collection of titles and more as an opportunity to help communities navigate change thoughtfully and responsibly.

Students, she says, are her greatest legacy.

Her seventh book, Energy Technology and Policy Innovation, reflects that commitment to educating future leaders. Together, Marilyn and Frank have also endowed the Policy Innovation Lab within Georgia Tech's Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy, helping future generations tackle complex public challenges through evidence-based solutions.

One milestone stands out among Marilyn's many accomplishments. She contributed to the 2007 assessment reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), work for which the IPCC shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. The recognition brought some unexpected experiences, including a luncheon with Governor Sonny Perdue and a coveted three-year Georgia Tech parking space labeled "Nobel Laureate." It also led to an opportunity that Marilyn and Frank would never forget—a weekend spent with Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. President Carter had received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, creating a unique connection between their respective work and public service.

A plaque in the school captures a philosophy that has guided much of Marilyn's career:

Frank's career has been equally impactful.

Following his move to the United States, he joined Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where he spent more than two decades leading transportation and logistics research for major federal agencies.

A pioneer in geographic information systems and transportation modeling, Frank developed analytical tools that helped government agencies better understand freight movement, transportation infrastructure, logistics planning, and national mobility systems.

His work influenced projects involving the Federal Highway Administration, Department of Transportation, Census Bureau, U.S. Army, and numerous other federal agencies, including management of the first digital mapping of the U.S. National Highway System and global airlift scheduling software in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

After his years at Oak Ridge, Frank joined Georgia Tech as a Principal Research Scientist in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

In 2026, he received one of the profession's highest honors—the James R. Anderson Medal of Honor in Applied Geography from the Association of American Geographers—for a lifetime of contributions to applied geography.

Like Marilyn, Frank has spent his career helping people better understand how systems connect and how informed decisions can improve lives.

Among the many experiences they have shared together, one remains especially meaningful.

The weekend Marilyn and Frank spent with Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter left a lasting impression.

For Marilyn and Frank, the Carters represented far more than political figures. They were role models whose commitment to service, leadership, and community reflected the same values that have guided their own lives and careers. Years later, they still remember the experience not because they spent time with a former President and First Lady, but because of the kindness, authenticity, and genuine interest in others they encountered throughout the weekend.

Marilyn's work continues to take her to fascinating places.

Recently, she participated in discussions at Castel Gandolfo, the historic papal summer residence outside Rome.

There, scholars, researchers, and policy leaders from around the world gathered to discuss sustainability, climate resilience, and what participants described as "planetary flourishing"—finding ways to create a future where environmental stewardship, economic opportunity, and human well-being can coexist.

The conversations explored practical pathways toward sustainable and equitable solutions, themes that have defined much of Marilyn's career.

Yet what makes the story remarkable is not simply that she was invited to participate. It's that after helping shape conversations about global challenges, she returned home to the neighborhood she loves most.

After spending nearly a year searching for the right house, Marilyn and Frank finally found their Ansley Park home in 2011.

When it came on the market, they made an offer the very next day.

Since then, they have fully embraced neighborhood life.

They joined the Diners Club during their first year in the neighborhood and continue to participate today. They are active in Poetry Out Loud, longtime supporters of the Atlanta Botanical Garden and High Museum, and enthusiastic participants in many of the traditions that make Ansley Park special.

These days, they spend less time on the tennis court and more time biking through Piedmont Park, traveling to visit family and friends spread across four continents, and enjoying the friendships they have built within the neighborhood.

They are also proud parents of Katie Southworth, an energy and environmental attorney who lives in Nashville with her dog, Ruby. Katie serves as Deputy Director for Market and Policy Innovation in the South and Southeast for the Corporate Energy Buyers Association, continuing the family's long-standing connection to energy and environmental policy.

Asked what they enjoy most about living in Ansley Park, their answer is simple.

"We love walking, talking, and socializing with neighbors."

For two people whose careers have influenced conversations far beyond Atlanta, that sense of connection remains one of life's greatest rewards.

From Georgia Tech lecture halls to policy summits abroad, from a memorable weekend with the Carters to evenings at home in Ansley Park, Marilyn Brown and Frank Southworth have built lives centered on learning, service, and thoughtful engagement with the world around them.

And through it all, they have remained deeply connected to the city and community they proudly call home.