Tags: Human Nature

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New director Gagan Agrawal discusses the future of UGA School of Computing

The University of Georgia elevated its longstanding department of computer science to a School of Computing in July 2022 in response to rising student enrollment, the growing role of computing in a range of fields, and the institutional investment in a Presidential Hiring initiative in data science and artificial intelligence. Created within an interdisciplinary framework, the School of Computing is jointly administered by the Franklin…

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All roads lead through Franklin

The UGA Mentor program will host a virtual panel on October 25 featuring College of Pharmacy alumnus Kevin Hatcher. UGA Mentor Program Ambassador Caroline Batson details his mentoring experience below. Hatcher's academic journey – like those of so many UGA students and alumni – ran through arts and sciences. Market Health & Wellness Director for Walmart based in East Tennessee and current mentor for the UGA Mentorship Program, Hatcher (…

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Noted and Quoted, October 2023

Sharing disciplinary expertise and opinion on issues of the day are important constituent elements of public scholarship. Franklin College faculty and graduate students do their part month in, month out, enhancing the reputation of UGA and Franklin College in the process. A sample of the many stories across the media featuring our colleagues:   What Hollywood gets right-and wrong-about real-life AI – Stephen Mihm, professor and head of the…

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UGA research team receives USDA APHIS funding for development of a rapid diagnostics platform for SARS-CoV-2

A person with COVID-19 might transmit SARS-CoV-2 to domestic cats and dogs (and perhaps other pets) in the same way that an infected animal could possibly transmit it to another individual. In addition, lions, tigers, pumas, snow leopards and non-human primates from zoos or wildlife refuges in the U.S. and other countries have been confirmed infected with SARS-CoV-2, while infections have also been reported in white-tailed deer, both wild and…

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Mentoring + Law School

The UGA Mentoring program connects students with alumni to gain insights into the connections between campus and career. This invaluable exchange allows our alumni to give back in ways that help individual students during their educational journey.  Coordinated through the UGA Career Center, the Mentoring program is a critical asset for both alumni looking to stay involved on campus – no matter where they are – and students looking for…

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Humanities@work

Join us for a panel discussion tomorrow – in Park Hall 265 at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, October 11th – when four UGA staff members share about how we arrived to in our respective careers, intership opportunities available within our units, and other details about careers and career possibilities after you get a humanities degree.   See you there!    

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Kudos, September 2023

Thriving students, faculty and staff of the Franklin College pushes UGA to ever-greater heights, A few of the awards and shoutoutds we celebrated during September: University of Georgia professor J. Marshall Shepherd was npresented with the prestigious 2023 Environmental Achievement Award by the Environmental Law Institute 2023 University Professor Jean Martin-Williams, associate dean in the Franklin College, and 2023 Regents Professor Michael…

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Noted and Quoted, September 2023

From storms to smart phones to... what happened to the Southern accent? Research from Franklin College faculty and graduate students was widely reported during September. A sample of the stories and media pick from across the globe: Scientists are asked if humans have broken the Earth’s climate – Marshall Shepherd, Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor od Geography, quoted by CleanTechnica, The Extinction Chronicles  Does…

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Finding inspiration everywhere

Sophomore theatre major, and Cora Nunally MIlle Fine Arts Scholar in the Franklin Colege, Wyn Thomas channels her inspriations for theatre-making from a variety of sources. Our colleague Erica Techo shares her story: She has written several plays, including “Write Their Wrongs,” a short play that discusses the aftermath of a high school shooting. It was performed around the country as part of #ENOUGH: Plays to End Gun Violence and then published…

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Socializing boosts mood more than screentime

People expect more enjoyment in conversation than on smartphones, but don’t always follow that instinct It turns out people might prefer social interactions over their smartphones, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to stop scrolling. A new study from researchers in the University of Georgia’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences found that when asked to scroll on their phones, sit quietly by themselves or have a conversation with a stranger,…

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Professor studies endangered languages and their variations

Awareness about languages, the differences in how individuals speak, and how these create local identities may come as no great surprise to American Southerners. When speakers of certain linguistic varieties decline, though, their languages become endangered. Keith Langston’s scholarship addresses questions of linguistic structure and the relationship of language and identity, with a focus on the country of Croatia. “We always have this idea…

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Semitic language scholar joins UGA as the Ann and Jay Davis Professor of Jewish Studies

Aaron Rubin joined the University of Georgia in August 2023 as the Ann and Jay Davis Professor of Jewish Studies in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of religion. Rubin arrived at UGA after 19 years on the faculty at Penn State University. Jewish Studies is a vast field, which includes the study of religion, history, literature, language, philosophy, art, sociology, political science, and more. Rubin hopes to work with other…

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Dean Stenport meets with Franklin alumni from across the U.S.

Franklin College Dean Anna Stenport has been meeting with alumni and friends of the college at Meet-and-Mingle events designed to provide our alumni the opportunity to get to know Dean Stenport – and for Dean Stenport to learn about how our graduates want to help shape a vision for the Franklin College. The events began even before she officially started her duties as dean of the college when she attended a recital at Steinway Hall in NYC in…

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Classic Georgia accent fading fast

A collaborative study between the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech has found the classic Southern accent is undergoing rapid change in Georgia. The instigator? Generation X. “We found that, here in Georgia, white English speakers’ accents have been shifting away from the traditional Southern pronunciation for the last few generations,” said Margaret Renwick, associate professor in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of…

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Shepherd wins Environmental Achievement Award

University of Georgia professor J. Marshall Shepherd was recently named the recipient of the prestigious 2023 Environmental Achievement Award. This accolade is presented annually by the Environmental Law Institute to individuals or organizations that have made notable contributions to environmental protection, conservation and sustainability. “Dr. Shepherd’s outstanding career and commitment to understanding and communicating about climate…

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Student selected for second cohort of Voyager Scholarship

Julianna Russ of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, a third-year student at the University of Georgia, is one of 100 college students from across the nation to be selected for the second cohort of the Voyager Scholarship, the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service. Established in 2021 by the Obama Foundation and Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky, the Voyager Scholarship is a two-year program for students in their junior and senior years of college…

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Dean's intro video scored by Hodgson School of Music student

Our new video introducing Dean Anna Stenport features a score composed and produced by Jacob Evarts, a media composition major in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. The music helps create an elevated tone for the video and is another example of innovative experiential learning opportunities in the Franklin College. "Jacob already had a piece performed by the Orlando Symphony in 2022, called "Wonder of the World" as part of a program called "The…

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UGA faculty member Julie Ray "Beautiful" Scenic Designer

Professor and head of the department of theatre and films studies Julie Ray served as Scenic Designer for the recently-opened Beautiful: The Carole King Musical for Aurora Theatre. MFA candidates Jack Stoffel and Cody Russell served alongside her as Assistant Scenic Designers with Russell also designing props. Aurora Theatre holds a special place within UGA and the department, as one of its co-founders is alumnus Anthony Rodriguez…

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UGA faculty awarded Moore Foundation grant to investigate 'brain on a chip'

Imitating the astonishing energy efficiency phenomena of the human brain presents the next challenge in high-speed computing. Potential solutions might combine new quantum functionality that arise from nano-scale complex materials to replicate brain-like performance, or neuromorphic computing. Yohannes Abate, Susan Dasher and Charles Dasher MD Professor of Physics in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of physics and…

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Alumni Association celebrates 2023 class of 40 Under 40

The University of Georgia Alumni Association unveiled the 40 Under 40 Class of 2023 – including 13 Franklin College alumni. The program celebrates the personal, professional and philanthropic achievements of successful UGA graduates under the age of 40. The honorees will be recognized during the 13th annual 40 Under 40 Awards Luncheon Sept. 22 in the Tate Student Center on campus. Congratulations to the 40 Under 40 Class of 2023! Franklin…

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Kudos, Summer 2023

Book awards, new grants, fellowships, and excellence in musical performance headline the outstanding accolades of Franklin College faculty and students over the summer. A sample of the good news from over the summer break – congratulations all: Anna Westerstahl Stenport became the 17th dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences on June 1 UGA appointed Gagan Agrawal, professor and associate dean for research and graduate studies in…

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Noted and Quoted, summer 2023

For Franklin College faculty across campus, 2023 was a summer 'on' for writing in and commenting for media reports from around the world. Expert insights and new research findings were widely covered in a variety of broadcast, digital, and print media. A sample from our tireless colleagues: Eating carrots (and other veggies) really does improve your eyesight, study says – research study led by Jack Harth, a doctoral candidate in the College…

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Welcome, class of 2027!

We welcome all of our new and returning students back to campus today, with special focus on the 6,200-strong first-year class: The incoming class includes students from 470 Georgia high schools, 143 Georgia counties, 45 states and 14 nations. Approximately 81% of the first-year students are Georgia residents. Overall, 84.5% of UGA’s undergraduate student body are Georgia residents, a percentage of in-state students far above that of many other…

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UGA's Haworth wins Silvers Foundation grant

Creative Writing Program doctoral student Holly Haworth is among the winners of the prestigious 2023 Robert B. Silvers Foundation grant for her book-in-progress. The Robert B. Silvers Foundation is a charitable trust established at the bequest of the late Robert B. Silvers, a founding editor of The New York Review of Books, with the aim of supporting writers in the fields of long-form literary and art criticism, the intellectual essay,…

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Back to School Exhibition Opening Reception

To celebrate the start of the Fall 2023 semester, the Lamar Dodd School of Art welcomes friends and members of the community to the Back to School Exhibition Opening, an occasion to meet six new faculty members and an incoming cohort of graduate students in studio art, art education, and art history while enjoying four exhibitions on view in the Dodd Galleries. The exhibition opening, on Friday August 11 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Lamar…
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