Tags: Society

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Active learning model changing the culture

The Chronicle of Higher Education spotlights innovative efforts at UGA in active learning that are setting a new course for student achievement on campus – and beyond.  Many of our colleagues are leading engagement in the scholarship and practice of improving student outcomes, from the Active Learning Summer Institute, to the school of art and the math department: Getting students in a photography course to exercise their creativity is one…

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UGA joins collaboration to study oscillations in coastal environments

The Simons Foundation has awarded $8.4 million to support collaborative research in coastal tidal marshes, via a cluster of seven linked project awards through its Life Sciences division. The project, “Ecosystem on the Edge: How Coastal Marsh Plants and Microbes Thrive in an Oscillating Environment,” is led by Zoe Cardon at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in collaboration with Jennifer Bowen (Northeastern University), Inke Forbrich (…

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Noted and Quoted, February 2024

From lost aviators of World War II to category-6 hurricanes and the vanishing Southern accent, scholarship and expetise of Franklin faculty was courted, quoted, featured and relied upon widely in media across the world.  A few examples, plus some well-publicized profiles and awards, from the month of February: Jordan drone strike has many waiting and wondering on government response – Kevin Jones, associate professor of history, quoted and…

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Franklin faculty awarded both 2023-2024 University Professorships

University of Georgia faculty members Keith Langston and Paula Lemons have been named the 2023-2024 University Professors in recognition of their influential vision and leadership. Congratulations to our colleagues on this recognition for their dedicated service to the university: Langston is a professor and head of the department of linguistics and professor of Germanic and Slavic studies in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. Lemons is…

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kudos, February 2024

The parade of excellence also known as the Franklin College faculty was on full display during the month of February. National awards of professional distinction and achievement bring honor and pride to the University of Georgia and congratulations from friends, colleagues, students, and alumni. A round up the of the recent announcements: Michelle Momany, professor in the department of plant biology and the Fungal Biology Group, is one of 65 new…

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Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grants

Devoted to advancing interdisciplinary research across multiple application areas, ten university-wide projects have been awarded Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grants as part of the 2023 cohort. The Franklin College congratulates  faculty involved in the the program's two tracks: For the first time, this year’s program has two tracks: New Frontiers and Cluster Engagement. The New Frontiers track is intended to support early-stage…

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Associate director of IT works to improves learning

Information Technology operations are an immense endeavor across every sector of society and no less so in higher education. Our students, faculty, and staff rely on an expansive, readily-available infrastructure to support, broaden, and enhance the UGA learning environment and maintain its vibrancy amidst myriad challenges and constraints, not to mention constant technological changes and requirements. That is one reason why it's great to see…

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Paving the way for Partnerships for Essential Minerals

UGA, Georgia Tech, Georgia State University and the Georgia Mining Association kicked off February with the first of what promises to be a long-standing workshop to develop essential, critical mineral resources in Georgia. The Georgia Essential Minerals (GEMs) workshop at UGA featured geology faculty experts and stakeholders from across government and industry: Demand for critical minerals and rare earth elements is rapidly increasing as the…

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Franklin triple-major seeks to serve her community through interdisciplinary approaches

Some may say that Rayna Carter has a lot on her plate for a second-year student, but it’s all about service for her. She wants to make her time at college count by using her time and skills to help as many people as possible.  “I've always been passionate, not just about leadership but about service,” she said. “That's really where my drive comes from: that desire to help people however I can.” Carter is triple-majoring in biology,…

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New study describes ways nonconformity can define individuals

While Americans often celebrate individuality in general, a new study from psychology shows that Americans tend to think more positively about mavericks than contrarians. According to the recent University of Georgia study, not all nonconformists are the same. Although on the surface, several “stand out” individuals may look the same, they are likely different from one another in several important ways. Across multiple studies, researchers…

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kudos, January 2024

Prestigious awards, scholarships, fellowships, innovative courses, conference presentations and a Broadway star headline our congratulations to alumni, faculty and students over the previous month. What fantastic company you keep in the Franklin College: Alumnus Peter Schreiner (M.S, chem '91, Ph.D '95) wins 2024 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, one of Germany's most prestigious research awards The Modern Language Association of America…

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Noted and Quoted, January 2024

Franklin faculty experts welcomed the New Year with advice, experience, perspective, and new research reported in media around the world. Take a journey with our well-versed and generous colleagues in a sample of January's noted and quoted: Next-gen Starlink dish offers more consistent higher speeds, say early users (John Gibbs) – PC Magazine The changing perceptions of what leadership means to people – Brian Hoffman, professor of psychology,…

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Divisional Spotlight: Social & Behavioral Sciences

In his Summa Theologica, St. Thomas Aquinas devised five arguments for the existence of God, known as the Five Ways, that subsequently proved highly influential. The Franklin College is comprised of five divisions that are also highly influential in the education of all students at the University of Georgia. We continue to welcome 2024 by highlighting the divisional nature of our organizational structure and the academic units contained in each…

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AI symposium highlights interdisciplinary research and scholarship

Advances in Artificial Intelligence, both the capability of machine learning and the cultural impacts of large language models, took center stage at a UGA symposium at the end of November. Key note speaker Ian Bogost shared many of his experiences utilizing new AI tools and grappling with some of the challenges they present. Our colleagues share the story: Bogost, Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor at Washington University in St.…

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Divisional Spotlight: Humanities

Much like the Earth has five oceans, teeming with life and mysteries in its great depths and powering the Earth's natural systems and cycles – it is the Blue Planet after all – the Franklin College has five divisions powering UGA's unprecedented march to excellence. We continue to welcome 2024 by highlighting this element of our organizational structure and the academic units contained in each division. Today, we highlight the HUMANITIES:…

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Happy 2024!

Happy New Year from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences! Wishing you all the best as we begin another great year at the academic heart of the University of Georgia. Excelsior!

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UGA breaks record with three Pickering Fellows

The Fellowship prepares outstanding young people for Foreign Service careers in the U.S. Department of State Two University of Georgia seniors and one recent graduate were selected for the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship, marking the first time UGA has had three recipients in one year. Funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by Howard University, the Pickering Fellowship prepares outstanding young…

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Fall Commencement, 2023

The Class of 2023 rolls on – into caps and gowns, toward next steps, new goals, and a bright future glimmering with a fresh degree. Today's the day! Celebrate graduates! The University of Georgia welcomes its newest alumni on Dec. 15 as 1,626 undergraduates and 1,340 graduate students—a total of 2,966—have met requirements to participate in the university’s fall Commencement ceremonies: The undergraduate ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. in…

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Humanities departments collect professional clothes to support free student resource

Over 65 items donated to Student Government Association Clothing Closet Eight humanities departments within the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Georgia participated in an October clothing drive to support the efforts of the Student Government Association Clothing Closet. The SGA Clothing Closet was founded in 2019 and provides one free professional outfit per student per year, no matter their major, when supplies allow…

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Active learning intervention challenges race-based medicine

Despite ongoing efforts in the corporate world and academia to untangle and correct inaccurate notions about race and biology, strong currents of belief and practice continue to challenge what can appear to be a broader awareness. For example, although race has no biological basis, medical school training curricula tend to misrepresent race and reinforce biologically-essential components of race as explanations for disease. As the social…

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Alumni Profile – Rachael McCampbell

Rachael McCampbell has found true freedom following her dreams.   The Franklin, Tennessee-based artist has always loved to paint, but never expected to make a career out of it.   “My parents' thinking was Depression-era oriented, very practical. They wanted me to have a job that was marketable and encouraged me to study graphic design, which I did,” said McCampbell. “The only part that really excited me was the illustration side…

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UGA delegation dominates SEMAU 2023

A delegation of six undergraduate students representing the University of Georgia at the 26th Annual Southeast Model African Union (SEMAU 2023) simulation in Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Nov. 8 – 11, 2023 won the “Most Outstanding Delegation Award” representing Kenya at the conference.    A student-centered program, the SEMAU simulation is designed to assist students in gaining valuable knowledge…

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Ashni Patel named a Schwarzman Scholar

As a nexus for study and instruction in global languages, the Franklin College connects UGA students with broad opportunities – and qualifies an elite few for the most prestigious scholarships available to American college students. In another outstanding moment in a string of successive achievements, Ashni Patel became the eighth UGA student to receive the Schwarzman Scholarship and will join students from around the world pursuing a one-year…

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Second annual School of Computing Research Day

The University of Georgia School of Computing (SOC) held its second annual SOC Research Day on Nov. 17 to celebrate the rapidly growing prominence of computing research across the university. The keynote, senior administration, and faculty speakers helped lay out a vision for the next era of computing at UGA. Our colleagues at UGA Research Communications share the story: Held in the Georgia Center for Continuing Education, the event pulled…


End of semester thank you video from Dean Stenport

On reading day, Franklin College Dean Anna Stenport thanks our community of friends and alumni, colleagues and students, looks back on recent accomplishments, and previews the next steps in advancing the arts and sciences at the University of Georgia.    
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