Tags: Society

aerial photo of storm damage, road collapse
Noted and Quoted, October 2024

With high hurricane season – and related disinformation circulating in the public – Franklin College faculty members stepped up and into the media spotlight. Special thanks to Associate Dean Marshall Shepherd, Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and Geography, and Pam Knox, Director of the UGA Weather Network and Agricultural Climatologist in the Atmospheric Sciences Program, for their tireless commitment…

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Sensing a new understanding of the world

Since 1985, the UGA Center for Geospatial Research has been dedicated to advancing remote sensing, mapping, and geospatial research. Along with the technological changes over that nearly 40 year history, the center's technical capacities have grown to reflect the advanced capabilities of today in environmental remote sensing and GeoAI, photogrammetry, small satellite development, and graduate and undergraduate training. In service of promoting…

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National Transfer Student Week

Transfer students currently make up nearly 18% of the UGA student body, arriving from 800 different colleges, 134 Georgia counties, 44 states, and 60 different countries around the world. Campus grows more diverse in every way thanks to so many different students following their academic dream to UGA. As a part of our commemorations for National Transfer Student Week (Oct. 21-25), Franklin College communications writer intern Mianna Lotshaw, who…

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GenAI Competition 2.0

Franklin College faculty announce the return of the Generative AI Competition for its second year. GenAI Competition 2.0 will be facilitated by Lindsey Harding, director of the UGA Writing Intensive Program, and Aaron Meskin, professor and head of the department of philosophy, and sponsored by the Office of Instruction. Students are encouraged to submit projects between now and March 14, 2025. Guidelines: Use generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT,…

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Election 2024: four million disenfranchised due to felony convictions in the US

A new report published by the Sentencing Project documents the four million people who are disenfranchised due to felony convictions in the United States. Locked Out 2024 reports these Americans will be unable to vote in the upcoming 2024 election due to felony disenfranchisement laws: Laws in 48 U.S. states ban people with felony convictions from voting. In 2024, an estimated 4 million Americans, representing 1.7% of the voting-age population,…

wide photo of tent event with people, building, blue sky
2024 Franklin College Homecoming Tailgate

The Franklin College hosted alumni, staff, students and friends at the 2024 Homecoming Tailgate on Brooks Hall on Oct. 5. With catering by Flying Biscuit, corn hole, and conversation, everyone enjoyed a beautiful afternoon in the run-up to the Auburn game. Photos by Audrey Bradstock/Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.  

overhead photo of courtyard, with people, day
Renovated Hunter-Holmes Academic Building welcomes Franklin units

The University of Georgia celebrated the completion of renovations to the Holmes-Hunter Academic Building on UGA’s historic North Campus on Oct. 4. The building is named in honor of Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter-Gault, the first African American students to attend UGA: The renovations included restored historic features, improved accessibility, enhanced functionality and a courtyard that pays tribute to the building’s namesakes. The $30…

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NSF grant to explore philosophical perspectives of human and machine translation

A new interdisciplinary project at the interface of philosophy, linguistics, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence seeks to explore the complicated relationship between human and machine translation. The project, led by professor of philosophy Yuri Balashov, is supported by an NSF Scholar's Award. "Translation from one language into another is a difficult and cognitively intense process requiring a broad set of linguistic and non-…

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Students get in on the act – Dawg Day of Service

With so many opportunities to get involved in the Athens community, and a student body attuned to helping others, the September Dawg Day of Service set a new standard for the number of participating students and service sites across Athens. It's never to early to learn that investing in your community is a hands-on experience: Organized by Serve UGA – student-led groups within UGA’s Department of Engagement, Leadership, and Service – students…

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New North Georgia weather radar fills coverage gap

A new weather radar system – a collaboration among three Georgia institutions of higher education - comes online at a critical time in hurricane season to protect people and property across the metro region and beyond: Installed recently at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), an X-band weather radar purchased two years ago by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia (UGA) is now providing data for a section of north Georgia…

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kudos, September 2024

We welcomed new faculty and staff colleagues into the Franklin College, celebrated new professorships, a Hall of Fame induction and so much more in this first month of the fall semester 2024. Congratulations to our colleagues for outstanding contributions and career achievements: Kelly Dyer, professor in the department of genetics, director of the Integrated Life Sciences Program and co-director of the NIH T32 Genetics Training Grant program, is…

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Noted and Quoted, September 2024

Fantastic start to the fall semester, with excellent research stories and expert comment alike finding purchase in media around the world. Great job by Franklin College scholars in a wide range of disciplines, prepared with authority, ready to share. A sample of stories from recent weeks: There might be more than one way to make a planet – The New York Times reports on new research from Cassandra Hall, assistant professor of computational…

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Psychology professor embodies interdisciplinary approach

Drew Abney, associate professor in the department of psychology, has blended his interests in statistics and engineering to forge a multifaceted psychology research career. Our colleagues in UGA Research Communications share the story of how Abney's journey informs his scholarship: While working on his master’s in education, Abney took a statistics class that, surprisingly, made his passing interest in psychology seem like a possible career…

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UGA's Knox receives USG Hall of Fame Faculty Award

UGA faculty member John Knox was among three USG faculty honored with the Felton Jenkins, Jr. Hall of Fame Faculty Award at the University System of Georgia (USG) 20th annual Regents’ Scholarship Gala on September 12. The black-tie gala, hosted at Town Stage at Trilith Studios in Fayetteville, GA, honored faculty, alumni and friends while raising $1.85 million from generous sponsors to support and provide need-based scholarships for…

photo of people walking in marsh, day
Writing experience into Georgia's seafood heritage

The UGA Domestic Field Study (DFS) programs integrate place-based, active, and faculty-driven experiential learning to provide immersive, off-campus learning experiences. The social and geographic diversity found across the state yield innumerable possibilities for field study programs, though perhaps none as extensive and captivating as the Georgia coast. “Writing and Community at the Georgia Coast” is a service-learning domestic field…

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CyanoTRACKER partnering on algal blooms across the U.S.

The CyanoTRACKER project, a collaboration between University of Georgia researchers, collects and integrates community reports, remote sensing data and digital image analytics to detect and differentiate between regular algal blooms and Cyanobacyerial Harmful Algal Blooms (CyanoHABs). As the frequency and magnitude of CyanoHABs have grown, particularly in the summer months, CyanoTRACKER offers accurate, cost-effective, and targeted…

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Healthcare training – a partnership of science, art, and communications

For decades, simulated interactions with theatre actors have contributed to how doctors, veterinarians, and pharmacists learn to talk – and listen – to patients and clients Truth, trust, and transparency are key in a patient's relationship with their healthcare provider. Good health for ourselves and for our pets requires near-perfect interactions with healthcare professionals that meets a range of experience and results. The humanistic element…

graphic with photos of people, bridges, text, and color swaths
Mitigating urban heat islands in Augusta

UGA atmospheric sciences alumnus and the Georgia Climate Project have teamed with stakeholders to find solutions to mitigate urban heat islands in Georgia's Garden City: “I was actually really surprised at the urban heat island effect that we found in Augusta,” said Max Appelbaum, UGA masters alum and Wyoming doctoral student. Appelbaum wrote his masters thesis on the urban heat island effect in Augusta while attending the University of Georgia…

photo of football players in action
Here we go [DAWGS!]

The top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs open the 2024 college football season against a top-25 opponent for the 13th time in school history when UGA takes on No. 14 Clemson Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on August 31. An extraordinarily rich era in UGA football success continues with this season and the high expectations that come with it. That's what comes with winning. The Franklin College supports all UGA student-athletes and along with faculty,…

photo off woman in ship, near shore, day
Kudos, Summer 2024

The awards, scholarships, and achievements by Franklin College students, alumni, faculty, and staff don't stop for summer. Congratulations to the members of our community whose individual honors bring great distinction to the college and the University of Georgia. A glimpse of the excellence that shined through the summer months: Jordyn Faucette, a senior philosophy, English, and political science major, was one of 19 students across the nation…

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Jacinta Smith: a Journey from UGA to Public Health Leadership

Jacinta Smith (BS Microbiology,`01, MS Medical Microbiology,`04) heard science calling from a young age. Now working for the CDC as well as the U.S. Public Health Service, she credits UGA in honing her interest in the sciences throughout her college years and into adulthood. “When I was in the 9th grade, I participated in a program at Fernbank Science Center called Scientific Tools and Techniques, which exposed me to many different fields of…

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Noted and Quoted, Summer 2024

As campus winds into fall semester, Franklin College faculty have been working all summer – sharing, expertise, informed opinion and new research findings in media around the world. From cosmic rays to hurricanes to workaholism, a sample of the stories we saw this summer: John Knox, professor geography and associate director of the atmospheric sciences program, comments on how Project 2025 would impact the National Weather Service – AJC Dawdling…

drone aerial photo of people making letter G in stadium
Welcome, Class of 2028

Welcome to all students - new students, transfer students, graduate students – everyone who is new to campus – and our returning students. We are glad you are part of the UGA community! Make the most of your opportunities. Make new friends! Join a club, attend a performance AND and an art exhibition AND a lecture on a subject outside of your field. It's all here! Contact your advisor and remember to get some rest. Have a great semester!

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UGA students awarded AMS scholarships

Fourth-year students in the Franklin College department of geography and atmospheric sciences program Shania Green and Jada Lamar have been selected to receive 2024 American Meteorological Society Senior Named Scholarships. The national scholarships range from $1,000 to $26,000 and help further the education of outstanding graduate and undergraduate students pursuing a career in the atmospheric and related oceanic or hydrologic sciences.…

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UGA academic advisor wins national award

Ryan Smith, academic advisor for Geography and Art in the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, has been selected as a recipient of the NACADA Outstanding New Advisor Award. Smith received the UGA Outstanding New Advisor Award in spring 2024, which made him UGA’s nominee for the global NACADA award. His award will be presented in a ceremony at the NACADA Annual Conference this October. Established in 1983, the NACADA Global Awards…
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