Atlanta Metro Chapter – The Fundamentals of Data Centers

Monday, April 13, 2026 | 6:00 PM | Piccadilly Cafeteria, Tucker, GA

Data centers power nearly everything we do — but most people have no idea what happens inside one. This month, we’re pulling back the curtain.

Join the GSPE Atlanta Metro Chapter on Monday, April 13th for our free monthly meeting, featuring Farris Shaheen, PE, Director for Strategic Mission Critical, presenting on The Fundamentals of Data Centers.

Shaheen will walk through what data centers actually do, the equipment inside them, why they’re built where they are, and what it takes to keep them running. He’ll also share his perspective on why data centers are dominating the news right now — and what challenges lie ahead as AI-driven demand reshapes the industry.

From the server rooms of the 1990s to today’s AI-centric hyperscale facilities, data centers have become some of the most consequential infrastructure on the planet. They use power on par with large factories, require massive buildings and specialized systems, and employ surprisingly few people — yet they quietly underpin global banking, healthcare, communications, and more. This presentation is your chance to understand what’s really going on inside them.

Speaker: Farris Shaheen, PE brings 39 years of electrical engineering experience, with the past 15 focused exclusively on mission critical facility design and construction. He is a registered PE in Georgia and 29 additional states.

This presentation qualifies for 1 PDH.

📅 Monday, April 13, 2026 🕕 Networking at 6:00 PM | Presentation at 7:00 PM 📍 Piccadilly Cafeteria, 2000 Crescent Centre Blvd., Tucker, GA 30084 💲 Free (Dinner on your own) — open to engineers, students, and the public

Can’t make it in person? The presentation will be archived for free viewing at youtube.com/GSPEng.