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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English and German double major explores summer in Berlin

For one UGA Franklin student, the summer of 2025 was more than an experiential learning opportunity – it was an awakening of perspective, creativity, and cultural understanding. As a double major in German and English, Cooper Sunderland spent a six-week study abroad immersed in Berlin, exploring not only a new city but new ways of seeing the world and himself as a writer – all through the funding made possible by the SPARK Fellowship. …

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Creative Writing Program reading casts Spotlight on lyricism

 As a part of the month-long Spotlight on the Arts event, Karla Kelsey, the Diann Blakely Visiting Poet spent the last week participating in events, visiting classes and finally a reading of her most recent work, Transcendental Factory: For Mina Loy (2024).  Kelsey was introduced by Nik Moore, graduate student in the Creative Writing Program and began her reading, not with her own work but an excerpt from Mina Loy, giving the…

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Beyond Swann's Way

After discovering his singular passion for the French language as an undergraduate at UGA, William Carter AB ’63, MA ’67, made teaching and interpreting Proust’s novel a lifelong passion. Georgia magazine shares the story of an inspiring alumnus: "I loved it immediately,” he says. “I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to major in when I came to UGA, but once I took that first class, I never looked back.”…

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Georgia Statistics Day shines spotlight on student research, industry connections

Georgia Statistics Day is an annual event, designed to promote interdisciplinary research among the three premier academic institutions in the state of Georgia – UGA, Emory, and Georgia Tech – initiated by statistics units at the three institutions in 2015 to emphasize mentoring of junior researchers and interaction between industry and academia. The 2025 iteration delivered that and more. The one-day conference enabled junior researchers to…

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The Generative AI Competition 3.0

The Generative AI student competition returns for its third year and asks students to use Artificial Intelligence to create something meaningful to enrich the UGA community/experience. Submissions are due March 6, 2026. Monetary prizes and swag will be awarded to the top three submissions, judged according to the innovative use of AI, creativity, impact on our local community or the lived experience of UGA community members, and…

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Musical performance as experiential learning

Director of Bands and professor of music Nicholas Enrico Williams oversees five ensembles for the Hugh Hodgson School of Music as open routes to creative discovery for student performers. What began as a dream to be a music school faculty member has matured into a passion for achievement and bringing out the best in musicians on stage: Now in his fourth year as a professor and director of bands for the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Hugh…

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Pre-med journey takes student across campus – and to Cortona

Swetha Pendela's four years exploring just about every corner of the University of Georgia has included different clubs, majors, and international trips, but these unexpected turns have helped her find her direction. Now, as the double major in biochemistry & molecular biology and international affairs finishes her applications to medical school, her journey appears inspiringly path-dependent: “I didn’t come into college knowing exactly what…

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Franklin student turning research into results

Foundation Fellow, Franklin College SGA Senator, and Blue Key Honor Society President Rayna Carter is building a lofty set of credentials to match her work ethic and soaring ambitions. A triple-major in psychology, sociology, and women and gender studies, her work has spanned four labs—from neuroimaging to bioinformatics—and she has presented it at national conferences and published peer-reviewed work as an undergraduate student.  From…

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UGA’s Small Satellite Research Lab showcases student-powered space innovation

To mark a major milestone of the fifth anniversary of launching UGA’s first satellite into orbit — and the lab’s 10th anniversary fast approaching in 2026 – the University of Georgia’s Small Satellite Research Lab welcomed UGA President Jere W. Morehead; Marisa Pagnattaro, vice president for instruction and senior vice provost for academic planning; and Anna Stenport, dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, for a special visit on Oct…

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Exploring expression and unity through Bad Bunny's music

This fall, Sharina Maíllo-Pozo, associate professor in the department of Romance Languages, taught a First Year Odyssey class focused on rapper, singer, and record producer Bad Bunny and the reggaetón music genre, which encouraged students to engage with Bad Bunny’s music from global and personal perspectives.   Maíllo-Pozo gave an overview of her seminar: “At the intersection of music, culture, and critical inquiry, this seminar invites…

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BICAID 2025: Africa at the Crossroads of Global Politics

The University of Georgia African Studies Institute presents the Ninth Biennial International Conference on Africa and its Diaspora, or BICAID 2025, Nov. 5 – 7, 2025 in the Tate Student Center.  The theme of this year’s conference is, “Africa at the Crossroads of Global Politics: Indigenous Knowledge, Youth Agency, and Diaspora Partnerships.” The three-day international conference is being held in a hybrid format with registered…

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Three Franklin faculty members named 2025-2026 Aspire Fellows

The University of Georgia has named 11 faculty members – including three from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences – to the 2025-2026 Aspire Fellows cohort. The Fellows represent seven UGA schools and colleges as well as the Center for Teaching and Learning. Established in 2017, the Aspire Fellows program is designed for mid-career and senior faculty on any career track to complete a signature project that extends their professional impact…

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UGA, Duke collaborate with insurers to rethink climate resilience

Funded by a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, a new partnership between the University of Georgia, Duke University and leaders from the insurance and climate data industries will launch the Center for Innovation in Risk, Catastrophes, and Decisions (CIRCAD),  a new initiative focused on insurance innovation and large-scale climate risk mitigation research. CIRCAD will convene researchers, insurers,…

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Molecular pathways bring GRA scholar to UGA

Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Molecular Cell Biology Nathan Lewis joined the University of Georgia in fall 2024 with appointments in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Center for Molecular Medicine, the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center. Our colleagues in UGA Research Communications share this Q & A with Lewis, in which he talks about his research into cellular…

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Award Applications in Undergraduate Science & Scientific Writing

Undergraduate STEM student writers can receive international recognition through two recently announced science communication awards honoring current and former UGA faculty members.   The Writing and STEM Business Group, part of the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) - the largest writing studies conference in the world - is now accepting nominations for these inaugural awards. The Kris…

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Collective experience strengthens social ties

Coincidental convergence aside - a Friday on campus, a getaway day for a big game away – new research from University of Georgia psychology suggests attending live events can combat loneliness and build social connections, particularly if those events are in person. Led by Franklin faculty member Richard Slatcher (Julianne Holt-Lunstad at BYU is co-lead of the project) the research team analyzed data from 1,551 participants who reported…

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Franklin College launches Franklin CREATE! startup initiative

The Franklin College has partnered with The Marcus Foundation to launch Franklin CREATE!, a new initiative designed to build students’ entrepreneurial confidence and to help them create successful startup companies. Funded by a $3 million grant from The Marcus Foundation, Franklin CREATE! will establish a robust three-phase model that allows arts and sciences students to gain hands-on experience, mentorship and access to the resources needed to…

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Ten years in the Top 20

The University of Georgia has placed in the top 20 among the nation’s best public universities for the 10th consecutive year, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 rankings. UGA and Georgia Tech remain the only two Georgia institutions in the top 20, making Georgia and California the only two states with multiple universities ranked in that tier. Among private and public universities, UGA placed No. 46 in the nation: The USNWR…

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Risk of developing psychiatric conditions could be shaped by environment

A new University of Georgia research study links a lack of resources in a given area to a higher risk of certain psychiatric conditions for its residents. Living in low-income, high crime areas correlates with a 79% higher rate of psychotic disorders. Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia can be debilitating, interfering with a person’s mental, physical and social health. The new study suggests a person’s risk for developing these conditions…

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Conducting fieldwork in Social Science

Rumya Putcha, jointly appointed faculty in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music and the Institute for Women’s and Gender Studies, has developed a career based on understanding her role as a social science researcher. A terrific feature from UGA Research Communications unpacks her approach and the rewarding career she in the process of building: Over her decades-long career studying the role of music in international cultures, that question has been…

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UGA's Maíllo-Pozo earns national teaching award

University of Georgia faculty member Sharina Maíllo-Pozo has been awarded the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs (CLASP) 2025 Faculty Teaching Award.  The CLASP Faculty Teaching Award recognizes excellence in teaching courses designated for Latin American Studies in which the recipient has demonstrated sustained accomplishment in outstanding teaching effectiveness, including pedagogical style and student success stories;…

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Noted and Quoted, summer 2025

Throughout the summer quiet and into the busy fall, Franklin faculty expertise and research findings continues to resonate broadly across the global media. A few of the many recent stores we've been following: How it’s not about the place — it’s about the people – research lead by Daisi Brand, graduate student in the department of psychology, reported by Health Medicine Network   New research illustrates how live events foster social…

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UGA's Shannon receives USG Hall of Fame Faculty Award

UGA faculty member Sarah Shannon was among three USG faculty honored with the Felton Jenkins, Jr. Hall of Fame Faculty Award at the University System of Georgia (USG) 21st annual Regents’ Scholarship Gala "The Sky's the Limit," which raised more than $4.5 million from generous sponsors to expand need-based scholarships for USG students across the state.  The black-tie gala, hosted at the Delta Flight Museum in August 23 by Maria…

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Study Abroad journal: Study at Oxford

The UGA at Oxford program has been in existence for over thirty years. One of the best established study abroad programs in Oxford and at UGA, it offers a vast array of courses in a wide range of disciplines – humanities, sciences, international affairs, business, communications, law and more – with something for every major. With sessions at every stage of the year, with regular semester programs for Fall and Spring, an intensive…
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