Tags: Society

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Noted and Quoted, March 2024

Our March survey of media mentions and appearances by Franklin College faculty begins with the local coverage of professor and head of the department of history Stephen Mihm's journey to the South Pacific on a mission to search the ocean depths for soldiers who disappeared in a fierce battle of World War II. Mihm chronicled the search in the March issue of Smithsonian, in an article which also highlights the work of Franklin alumnus Dr. Patrick…

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Thompson to lead the Georgia Museum of Natural History

University of Georgia professor Victor Thompson has been appointed the Executive Director of the Georgia Museum of Natural History (GMNH), effective August 1, 2024. Thompson is a Distinguished Research Professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of anthropology and the current Director of the Laboratory of Archaeology.  The home of more than a dozen distinct collections, facilitating research for professionals,…

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Anderson receives 2024 Russell Award

Jill Anderson, associate professor in the department of genetics and the Odum School of Ecology, is one of three University of Georgia faculty members to receive the 2024 Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, the university’s highest early career teaching honor for outstanding and innovative instruction: From creating experiments and graphing predictions to interpreting results and designing follow-up studies, Anderson’s…

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Franklin College to enhance 2023 Presidential Seed Grants

The newest round of 10 Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grant Program awards chosen from 70 proposals reflect a commitment of $1 million from UGA President Jere W. Morehead. In a follow-up to the success of UGA research teams to pursue work initiated through the seed grant program, the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences announced additional support for the Presidential Seed Grant projects. Franklin College Dean Anna Stenport announced…

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Franklin College alumna to deliver 2024 commencement address

Four-time Olympian and 10-time Olympic medalist in swimming Allison Schmitt will deliver the spring undergraduate Commencement address at the University of Georgia on Friday, May 10, at 7:30 p.m. in Sanford Stadium. Schmitt, who received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from UGA in 2014, was elected captain by her teammates at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. She is still the current American record holder in the 200 meter freestyle, which…

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UGA establishes W. Todd Groce Fellowship in History

The University of Georgia Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of history announced the creation of the W. Todd Groce Fellowship, honoring the historian and longtime CEO and president of the Georgia Historical Society in Savannah. The new fellowship was made possible by a generous gift by longtime UGA donors John F. and Marilyn McMullan and will enable a single student to spend the summer in Savannah, getting hands-on experience…

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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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