News from the Chronicles - March 2013


Findings suggest brain pathways to impulsive eating

Very interesting new research from the department of cell biology. The new work has identified the neural pathways in an insect brain tied to eating for pleasure, a discovery that sheds light on mirror impulsive eating pathways in the human brain. "We know when insects are hungry, they eat more, become aggressive and are willing to do more work to get the food," said Ping Shen, a UGA associate professor of cellular biology in the Franklin…

oil painting by J.M.W. Turner, The Slave Ship, 1840
Reflections on the Wanderer

The terrific Global Georgia Initiative brought to us all by the Willson Center will conclude next week on March 5 with a lecture by English professor and director of the Institute for African American Studies, Valerie Babb. Her lecture will be "In the Footfalls of Diaspora: Reflections on the Wanderer." The Wanderer is the last documented ship to bring a cargo of slaves to the United States (on November 28, 1858). When the ship reached Jekyll…


Capuchin monkey tool use provides clues

The breadth of research in psychology is not limited to humans but reaches into questions about how all creatures learn about the world: A new study from University of Georgia behavioral scientists reports that bearded capuchin monkeys, Sapajus libidinosus, are skilled at solving problems associated with using tools. The monkeys, like humans, use their bodies to learn about the world, according to a new paper published in the journal PLOS ONE on…


Students and community service

Next week is spring break and while there's nothing at all wrong with saddling up with friends and heading to a beach to relax, it should be acknowledged that many students will choose to use the week off in a different way: A group of 360 University of Georgia students will forego typical spring break trips like the beach and amusement parks to spend the week of March 9 participating in nearly 14,000 hours of community service work at 19 sites…


Medine receives Teaching honor from AAR

The American Academy of Religion awarded one of its highest honors to Carolyn Medine: Medine, a University of Georgia professor in the department of religion and the Institute for African American Studies, has been selected to receive the 2013 Excellence in Teaching Award from the American Academy of Religion. The professional society for scholarship and teaching in the field of religion, the AAR has more 10,000 members who teach in about 1,000…


Microbiology researchers publish discovery on Earth's oldest life forms

This is a big discovery: University of Georgia researchers discovered important genetic clues about the history of microorganisms called archaea and the origins of life itself in the first ever study of its kind. Results of their study shed light on one of Earth's oldest life forms. "Archaea are an ancient form of microorganisms, so everything we can learn about them could help us to answer questions about the origin of life," said William…


March Kudos

Congratulations and thanks for all you do. Associate professor in the department of plant biology Peggy Brickman was one of two UGA professors to be named 2013 Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professors. Senior associate dean Hugh Ruppersburg was named University Professor. The honor, first awarded in 1974, is bestowed selectively on UGA faculty who have had a significant impact on the university in addition to fulfilling…


In the News, March

Franklin faculty continue to be quoted widely in the news media. A sampling from March 2013: Research on potential triggers for eating disorders by associate professor Ping Shen featured widely in media including Yahoo! News, Medical News Today, Health Canal and others Research led by assistant professor of chemistry Tina Salguero into a pigment known as Egyptian blue that may have modern applications in telecommunications or security ink…

Knox and Brustad conducting research using computers
Researchers use Facebook to analyze tornado debris

Social media has enabled the tracking and analysis of tornado debris by researchers in the department of geography: After tornadoes touched down in the Southeast on April 27, 2011, many people in the storm's path did the most logical thing they could-they posted images of the aftermath on Facebook. The University of Georgia's John Knox and his student researchers went one step further. They used the social media site to create and analyze a…


Imaging axonal fibers

Something we almost missed: a terrific interdisciplinary study mapping the cerebral cortex in mammalian brains that sheds new light on its development and organization, was published in the December 2012 issue of Cerebral Cortex. This research brought together UGA faculty from the departments of computer science, cellular biology, psychology and physics and astronomy in the Franklin College; the Faculty of Engineering, the Bioimaging Research…

Arts

Health

Earth

Society

Human Nature

International

 

Chronicles Monthly Digest

<!--
.display_archive {font-family: arial,verdana; font-size: 12px;}
.campaign {line-height: 125%; margin: 5px;}
//-->

Support Franklin College

We appreciate your financial support. Your gift is important to us and helps support critical opportunities for students and faculty alike, including lectures, travel support, and any number of educational events that augment the classroom experience. Click here to learn more about giving.

Every dollar given has a direct impact upon our students and faculty.