Tags: Human Nature

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Thomas to become Dean of Arts and Sciences at UAB

In her 27-year UGA career, Thomas has distinguished herself as an outstanding classroom teacher, graduate student mentor, and researcher. Her work on the psychology of workplace diversity has gained national attention, and she is an elected fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology, and the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race. Thomas has also held several…

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Genetics professor puts UGA on the corn map

A career of investigation and groundbreaking discovery in maize genetics has helped Kelly Dawe, Distinguished Research Professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, reshape how researchers understand—and improve—a vital crop. Through the rich genetic diversity of corn, Dawe has unlocked pathways to long-sought breakthroughs with cross-scale impacts in genetics, cell biology and genome evolution. Our colleagues in Research…

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Computing faculty member receives UGA's first Google Research Scholar Award

Ninghao Liu, assistant professor in the UGA School of Computing, is UGA’s first Google Research Scholar Award recipient.Liu's proposal, "Enhancing Medical Knowledge in Multimodal Foundation Models through Self-Synthesized Data," was awarded $60,000 by the Google Research Scholar program after review by several teams of Google engineers and researchers. "The project explores a new framework to enhance medical understanding in multi-modality AI…

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UGA Franklin grad receives AAAS Mass Media Fellowship

Alex Music, a 2025 master's degree alumna in geography in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, is a recipient of an AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellowship. The 10-week summer program places science, engineering, and mathematics students at media organizations nationwide to use their academic training to research, write, and report on pressing issues, sharpening their abilities to communicate complex scientific issues to the…

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Enhancing Academic Excellence with real-world projects

Spring 2025 Capstones included computing, history, Statistics, and criminal justice A wide array of capstone opportunities across Franklin College – ranging from data-driven projects in statistics and data science to history students curating a Special Collections exhibition – produced outstanding work and provided many opportunities for student learning and career readiness this spring.  As part of the Academic Innovation Initiative of the…

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Prashant Doshi appointed Institute for Artificial Intelligence director

A distinguished scholar and prominent researcher with more than two decades of experience in the field of artificial intelligence, Prashant Doshi has been appointed the inaugural executive director of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IAI) at the University of Georgia following a national search: The Institute for Artificial Intelligence is an interdepartmental research and instructional unit jointly supported by the Office of the…

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The Spirit of Socialism by Joseph Kellner

A new book by Joseph Kellner, assistant professor in the department of history, tells the complicated life story of Soviet Communism.  The Spirit of Socialism, published this week by Cornell University Press, presents the powerful story of Soviet collapse in all its rich complexity: The Spirit of Socialism is a cultural history of the Soviet collapse. It examines the millions of Soviet people who, during the cascading crises of the collapse…

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Working to save Sapelo Island

One of the 15 barrier islands on the Georgia coast, Sapelo Island in McIntosh County is the home of the last known Gullah community as well as the University of Georgia Marine Institute. In partnership with Sapelo resident Maurice Bailey, researchers from the University of Georgia Cornelia Walker Bailey Program on Land, Sea and Agriculture are testing nature-based solutions — like restoring oyster reefs. The hope is that oyster reefs can shield…

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Two UGA students selected for prestigious NOAA Hollings Scholarship

The NOAA Office of Education has selected two University of Georgia Franklin College of Arts and Sciences students, Margaret Needham and Adam "Grayson" Smith as Ernest F. Hollings undergraduate scholars for the class of 2025. Needham and Smith join 130 winners out of 820 applicants this year. The Hollings Scholarship Program provides successful undergraduate applicants with awards that include academic assistance (up to $9,500 per year…

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Social and behavioral sciences research notch top 10 ranking

Research production in psychology, sociology and communications continues to secure UGA's place among the nation’s top research institutions. According to the 2025 College and University Rankings for Federal Social and Behavioral Science R&D Funding, released by the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA), UGA ranks 10th nationally, with $37.3 million in federal funding for research in these fields during fiscal year 2023. This…

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New minor in Bioethics

In an advanced, new linkage between the arts and sciences, the UGA department of philosophy is now offering a minor in Bioethics to enhance students’ ability to think and argue in a manner that will benefit them in a variety of careers and areas of post-graduate study.  Bioethics is the interdisciplinary study of ethical and philosophical issues that arise in the context of medicine and bioresearch. The minor in Bioethics provides students…

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Smith wins 2025 Transfer Advocate Award

The UGA Office of Transfer Services announced the winners of the 2025 Transfer Advocate Awards. Each year students nominate advisors, staff, and faculty who have made an incredible impact on the transfer student experience at UGA. The 2025 first place winner is Ryan Smith of the Franklin College Office of Student Academic Services. The winners were chosen based on student nominations that detailed how these individuals went above and beyond to…

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A celebration of dedication: 2025 Franklin College Staff Awards

The University of Georgia Franklin College of Arts and Sciences celebrated its dedicated staff members during the 2025 Staff Appreciation Awards and Reception, held on May 21. This annual event honored staff for their outstanding contributions, commitment, passion and service to the college, recognizing both individual excellence and years of service milestones. The ceremony opened with remarks from Hollis Yates, Publications Manager and…

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Riden Family steps up for UGA Dance

After returning to the U.S. following World War II, Victor Riden Jr. graduated from the UGA while his wife Annette worked as a secretary for the university. The Riden family's deep connections to UGA, both historically and in the future have taken form in generous support for the UGA department of dance as the newly named Victor and Annette Riden Lobby in the Dance Building: The couple had two children, Martha and Vic Riden III, who earned his…

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Franklin students sweep GenAI Competition for creative projects

Designed to spur innovative uses for the technology, the second UGA Generative AI Competition, sponsored by the Office of Instruction and Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ department of philosophy, recognized student AI projects that enrich the UGA community or experience. The three top prizes went to Franklin College students who submitted projects to used generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, DALL-E and Amper to bring their creations to…

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Psychology goes global: UGA’s study abroad transforms students and faculty

The University of Georgia Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology offers transformative study abroad programs that immerse students and faculty in diverse cultures, fostering personal growth, academic enrichment, and global perspectives. From Tanzania’s savannas to Italy’s historic hills, these experiences blend psychology with cultural exploration, leaving lasting impacts on participants’ academic and career paths. We…

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Alumni speakers inspire graduates at spring 2025 convocations

  Jarryd Wallace, (AB Communications Studies '19) keynote speaker as well as four-time Paralympian and two-time bronze medalist, shared lessons he learned from the tests he’s faced during UGA’s undergraduate Commencement ceremony held May 9. “That’s what trials do — they forge something in us that comfort never could. They teach us to keep going when nothing makes sense. To believe when hope feels distant. To see ourselves not by what we’…

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Franklin double major Yeongseo Son named a Knight-Hennessy Scholar

2025 University of Georgia graduate, scientist and storyteller in training Yeongseo Son has been selected for the 2025 Knight-Hennessy Scholarship, a global graduate-level program at Stanford University. Son, a Foundation Fellow and Stamps Scholar who earned bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and biochemistry and molecular biology as well as a certificate in immunology, all from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, attended high school in…

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Innovation Initiative: Transforming Academic Culture in the Arts and Sciences

The Franklin College Innovation Initiative is designed to guide our efforts and focus into the next era of American higher education. Dean Anna Stenport provides an outline of the three-part initiative 1) Academic Innovation, 2) Research Partnerships and Public Engagement, and 3) Student Success, in a series of interviews discussing the context of this ambitious enterprise and plans for implementation. "The Franklin College commitment to…

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Radiocarbon dating techniques re-setting Indigenous histories

A session organized by UGA faculty at the Society for American Archaeology Meetings in early May discussed the ways recent innovations in radiocarbon dating are rewriting the history of Indigenous sites.  Many of these new histories are challenging conventional wisdom about Indigenous persistence, or the lack thereof, in the face of European contact, researchers reported during a session co-organized by Jennifer Birch, professor of…

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High blood pressure linked to degenerative diseases in Black Americans

A new research study found that Black Americans diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension in midlife had significantly higher levels of a dementia-related biomarker more than a decade later. The study followed more than 250 participants with high blood pressure, diabetes or both conditions. The researchers found that while one diagnosis alone did not indicate a dramatic neurological effect, having both led to striking results: “This matters. This…

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Spring Commencement 2025

Today is the day! The culmination of our students' hard work, where they put their creativity, ambitions, curiosity and leadership all together to take the all-important next step.  Congratulation to all of the 2,100+ Franklin students graduating today! And welcome to campus to the family and friends joining us on this wonderful occasion. Go Dawgs! Go Franklin! Congratulations to the many new UGA alumni – welcome to the family! Photo by…

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Diversity Through Dance course connects culture through art

Fuad Elhage, a senior lecturer of Spanish in Franklin College’s Romance languages department, has taught Diversity Through Dance since 2010. The course allows students to spend each class period connecting to the Spanish language and culture through music and dance: However, for two semesters, the course has been adapted to integrate a service-learning component, giving students the chance to expand their participation beyond the music. Service-…

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Franklin College Innovation Initiative 2025 – the next quarter-century

Part 3 of 3 – Student Success Franklin College has introduced a three-part Innovation Initiative guiding its efforts and focus into the next era of American higher education. The initiative consists of three pillars designed to complement each other and work together: 1) Academic Innovation, 2) Research Partnerships and Public Engagement, and 3) Student Success. In the third of a three-part series of interviews, Franklin College Dean Anna…

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David Shaffer: A legacy of teaching, research, and giving back

David Shaffer, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus in theDepartment of Psychology, has made an indelible mark through his passion for teaching, innovative research, and generous philanthropy. In an April 15, 2025 interview with Rich Slatcher, Gail M. Williamson Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Shaffer shared insights into his journey in psychology, cherished memories from UGA, and the motivations behind his…
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