Tags: Society

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Kudos, February 2022

Students lead our roundup of Franklin College awards, accolades, and achievements announced during February – though not to be outdone by our outstanding alumni!  Congratulations all: Shannon Rodriguez, Ph.D candidate in linguistics, studies a dialect of English spoken by Latinos born in Georgia, a particular blend of Southern drawl. She recently presented her dissertation on the topic “Latino English in Georgia: a sociophonetic…

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Noted and Quoted, February 2022

A month with heavy traffic in current events means Franklin faculty were broadly visible in media around the world. Expert insights plus new research findings lead our news highlight for February – a sample: With $900K Falcons grant, Georgia Organics revamps food insecurity fight – associate professor of geography Jerry Shannon quoted by the AJC Quantum computing 2.0: How a UGA physicist builds on a century of knowledge to…

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LSAMP strengthens opportunities for students, faculty

In partnership with Georgia Research Alliance, more students across the state are able to pursue scientific research through the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. An integral part of our recent story of how Black science majors succeed at UGA, resources that help students and faculty propel the university forward. Support networks for current students help the attract the next class of great students and create new…

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Learning in the lab can continue at a distance

As most of the world came to a halt at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers were trying to find a way to engage students through research at a distance. University of Georgia professor of biochemistry and molecular biology Erin Dolan and her research team carried out a study to appraise the remote programs that grew from this challenge. The study evaluated 23 programs at colleges, universities, and research institutions…

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Sorority alumnae establish endowed scholarship

Gifts from over 100 Alpha Kappa Alpha alumnae created a $100,000 scholarship fund More than 100 alumnae of the University of Georgia’s Eta Xi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. gave a total of over $50,000 to establish the 1973 Eta Xi Alumni Association Inc. Georgia Commitment Scholarship, which will provide need-based aid to UGA students in perpetuity: Near the beginning of 2021, Eta Xi alumnae set out to raise $50,000 by the end…

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Agricultural fungicides may be driving resistance

New research from the University of Georgia has shown, for the first time, that compounds used to fight fungal diseases in plants are causing resistance to antifungal medications used to treat people. The study focused on Aspergillus fumigatus, the fungus that causes aspergillosis, a disease that causes life-threatening infections in 300,000 people globally each year. Published in G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics, the study …

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Palmer earns prestigious NEH Fellowship

Jennifer Palmer, associate professor of history, has been awarded a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities for 2022. The award was announced in January and will provide course release for a full academic year. Seventy-three fellowships were awarded by the NEH this year, among 208 grants worth $24.7 million for humanities scholarship and programming across the country: Palmer will use the fellowship for…

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Studying the impact of language on identity

Shannon Rodriguez studies a dialect of English spoken by Latinos born in Georgia, a particular blend of Southern drawl, clipped Latino vowels and a more general mainstream American accent. Speakers pull features from each to emphasize different parts of their identity. In January, she presented her dissertation on the topic “Latino English in Georgia:  a sociophonetic analysis of ethnicity and identity” to the board of regents. The…

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How Black science majors succeed

University of Georgia life science and education researchers investigated the stories behind one of the most successful groups of science majors on campus: Black undergraduate students. Despite an array of additional challenges beyond their coursework, Black science majors are able to complete their science degree programs. Black students persist at a higher rate than any other racial or ethnic subgroup on campus for many of the science majors…

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New Athens Hip Hop Harmonic video

The Athens Hip Hop Harmonic will release a new video across all Hodgson School of Music social media channels on Wednesday, 2.2.22. Local rapper Kxng Blanco teamed up with composition faculty Peter Van Zandt Lane to create the piece performed by the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble.  "Getting to co-create a piece of music with Kxng Blanco and the students in Contemporary Chamber Ensemble was so rewarding. We all got dropped into a world where…

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Kudos, January 2022

Wonderful awards and accolades across the Franklin College to begin 2022, though there can only be one headline to our January kudos: 41 years! Georgia Bulldogs win rematch vs. Alabama Crimson Tide for first college national championship since 1980 season – ESPN, Sports Illustrated, CNN, ABC News, U.S. News & World Report, UGA Today, GeorgiaDogs.com, ABH, Atlanta Business Chronicle Marshall…

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Kissinger, Yager elected as AAAS Fellows

Jessica Kissinger, Distinguished Research Professor of genetics, and Patricia Yager, professor of marine sciences, are among three UGA faculty named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In a tradition stretching back to 1874, these individuals are elected annually by the AAAS Council for their extraordinary achievements leading to the advancement of science. Fellows must have been AAAS members for at…

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Local data: Athens Wellbeing Project

When the novel coronavirus pandemic struck in 2020, it delivered an array of unforeseen hardships including shutdowns, unemployment and overburdened hospitals in communities across the world. Athens-Clarke County, however, had a head start in reacting to its community’s needs, thanks to an ongoing research project from the University of Georgia’s College of Public Health. The Athens Wellbeing Project (AWP), which surveyed local…

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Noted and Quoted, January 2022

A variety of articles and columns, quoting or authored by Franklin Faculty members at the turn of the new year. A recent sample of insights and expertise: Photos, other mementos discovered hundreds of miles away after tornadoes – John Knox, professor of geography, quoted by KMOX in St. Louis, via Audacy Gerald Ford vowed to whip inflation; it whipped him instead – column written by Stephen Mihm, associate professor of history,…

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Xu elected a 2022 IEEE Fellow

Ying Xu, professor of biochemistry in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The IEEE publishes approximately one-third of the world’s literature in computer science and the electrical and electronic engineering fields. It also co-sponsors more than 1,900 international conferences annually. As the largest professional organization for the advancement of technology…

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Parents Leadership Council fall 2021 undergraduate writing retreat

On Nov. 14, undergraduate students from across campus gathered in the Miller Learning Center’s Reading Room for an afternoon devoted to writing—and write they did. Supported by a Parents Leadership Council grant and hosted by UGA English faculty and writing program administrators Lindsey Harding, Sara Steger, Becky Hallman Martini and Elizabeth Davis, 49 students from across campus registered for this year’s Undergraduate Writing Retreat.…

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2022 Grants and Fellowships Mentorship and Support program

The Willson Center announced the first cohort of faculty members in the humanities and arts for the Grants and Fellowships Mentorship and Support program. Offered in partnership with the Franklin College, the Office of Research, and the Office of the Provost, faculty who are admitted to the program receive $1,000 into their research support accounts. The program is designed to Create a supportive environment for critique and…

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Stepanova transcends barriers with music

Liza Stepanova, associate professor of piano in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, believes music transcends barriers and teaches her students the importance of collaboration and community outreach. Stepanova came to UGA in 2015 primarily to teach applied piano to a studio of undergraduate and graduate piano majors. Since joining the faculty, she has created new courses and promoted initiatives that go beyond this role. One of them has been the…

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Numero Uno, Dawgs roll the Tide

Kelee Ringo intercepted a pass and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown with 54 seconds remaining to put the finishing touches on a stellar defensive effort that helped lift No. 3 Georgia to a 33-18 win over No. 1 Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Monday night at Lucas Oil Stadium. For the Bulldogs, the national championship is the program’s first since the undefeated 1980 season. This Georgia squad went…

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Saunt named Regents’ Professor

Claudio Saunt, Distinguished Research Professor and Richard B. Russell Professor of American History in the Franklin College, is one of two University of Georgia professors  named Regents’ Professors, an honor bestowed by the board of regents on distinguished faculty whose scholarship or creative activity is recognized as innovative and pace-setting. Saunt joins John Drake, Distinguished Research Professor in the Odum School of Ecology…

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Welcome, 2022

Happy New Year from the Franklin College, and thank you to our many wonderful students, alumni, and friends for your ongoing support for the arts and sciences at UGA. The university's largest and oldest college remains its most dynamic and we are ready to welcome all of our students and colleagues back to campus this week, including the many transfer students just beginning their UGA experience. Welcome! What a time to be a Dawg! Congratulations…

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New biking map eases the ride around Athens

Athens residents looking for a new way to pedal around the city will soon have a new way to plan their trip. An online mapping application created by UGA’s Community Mapping Lab will provide a fresh look at the most bike-friendly streets to get around the city. Created through a collaboration with local nonprofit BikeAthens, the map highlights the strengths of local biking infrastructure, such as multi-use paths and dedicated bike…

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Fall Commencement, 2021

The University of Georgia and the Franklin College welcome our newest alumni Dec. 17 as 1,888 undergraduates and 1,398 graduate students—a total of 3,286—have met requirements to walk in the university’s fall Commencement ceremonies: Both the undergraduate and graduate Commencement ceremonies will be held in Sanford Stadium. The undergraduate ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m., and the graduate ceremony will be held at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are…

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UGA students learning on the set

The MFA Film program prepares students for careers in writing, directing, and producing by equipping them with a broad set of skills, connecting them with seasoned professionals, and giving them hands-on experience with Georgia’s multibillion-dollar film industry. With one year in Athens and the second year at Georgia's Trilith Studios, MFA students get the opportunity to create alongside – and learn from – the best: This fall,…

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Celebrating the Arts

The literary, fine, and performing arts play a vital role in the cultural and academic life of the liberal arts learning environment, without which no major research university can be called comprehensive. And the symbiosis runs both ways – our arts programs flourish in this diverse environment as well, with a great melange of majors, schools, disciplines and pursuits to color and inform an audience of spectators, critics and participants alike…
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