February 2012

Very interesting finding out of the department of geography, a discipline that truly has no bounds:

Heat-related deaths among football players across the country tripled to nearly three per year between 1994 and 2009 after averaging about one per year the previous 15 years, according to an analysis of weather conditions and high school and college sports data conducted by University of Georgia researchers.

The scientists built a detailed database that included the temperature, humidity and time of day, as well as the height, weight and position for 58 football players who died during practice sessions from overheating, or hyperthermia. The study, published recently in the International Journal of Biometeorology, found that for the eastern U.S., where most deaths occurred, morning heat index values were consistently higher in the latter half of the 30-year study period. Overall, Georgia led the nation in deaths with six fatalities.

"In general, on days the deaths occurred, the temperature was hotter and the air more humid than normal local conditions," said climatologist Andrew Grundstein, senior author of the study and associate professor of geography in the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

The University of Georgia department of dance CORE Concert Dance Company will present its contemporary and aerial dance concert "AWE-WAKENING!" Feb. 29 to March 3 at 8 p.m. in the New Dance Theatre.

The 60-minute performance consists of a range aerial dance-including bungee-assistance, trapeze, lyra and silks-blended with digitally rendered film projection and lighting effects. The evening's concert explores a connection to current topics about global awareness and is primarily performed by UGA students with international representation, including students originally from South Korea, Bosnia and Japan.

The Lamar Dodd School of Art, The Willson Center and ICE bring interdisciplinary artist Amy Franceschini to campus on March 6.

Franceschini will deliver the lecture[ 4 p.m., 101 MLC] "Art is a Verb," which focuses on her recent work with sustainable energy, urban food production and dialogues between artists and scientists. She is the founder of Futurefarmers, a critically acclaimed group of artists and designers who have worked together since 1995. Their innovative studio produces art projects, design for print and interactive websites, workshops and research that explores social, cultural and environmental systems. Futurefarmers hosts artists from around the world in residency programs that offer a platform for collaboration and research.

When the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico began to unfold in 2010, spreading agony for acquatic life, gulf-area residents and the federal government - not to mention BP - UGA scientists knew that the long-term consequences of the spill were likely the most worrisome. Now Samantha Joye and her marine science colleagues will be able to follow up on their very important initial investigations into the consequences of the spill:

University of Georgia marine scientist Samantha Joye, who is the Athletic Association Professor in Arts and Sciences, and UGA colleagues Patricia Medeiros and Christof Meile have received a $1.3 million grant from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative that will enable UGA researchers and scientists from 13 other institutions to understand more thoroughly the ecosystem impacts of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.