News from the Chronicles - December 2014


Retirement in Academia

As a normal part of my duties in research reporting, I had an enjoyable interview/conversation yesterday afternoon with a junior faculty member. An energetic, very bright and motivated young professor, I could see how his infectious enthusiasm might effect students and as well as departmental colleagues. The tone of that experience brought to mind this Chronicle Review post from last month by friend of the blog (and Hofstra U. art faculty member…

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Linguistics PhD grad wins international dissertation prize

Congratulations to Dr. Mark Wenthe, currently a parttime instructor at UGA and also a recent PhD alumnus in linguistics in the department of classics, who won an international competition for best dissertation for the year 2013 from the Society of Indo-European Studies (Indogermanische Gesellschaft). Wenthe's dissertation, ISSUES IN THE PLACEMENT OF ENCLITIC PERSONAL PRONOUNS IN THE RIGVEDA, among the four canonical sacred texts (…


CCRC-Franklin researchers target cancer stem cells

A new paper by research scientists at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center focuses on cancer stem cells: the research team demonstrates that the sugar molecule, made by an enzyme known as GnT-V, regulates the development of a particular subset of cancerous cells known as cancer stem cells. Much like normal stem cells that sustain organs and tissues, cancer stem cells can self-renew, and their cellular offspring clump together to form tumors…


UGA-Emory collaborations in Infectious Disease research

The Provost's Office highlighted some research collaborations in the state of Georgia among our premier institutions, the cummulative extramural support awarded these efforts and its effects. The summary included work by Franklin College professor of genetics, Jessica Kissinger: Kissinger, who directs the UGA Institute of Bioinformatics, is leading a team that is organizing, distributing and mining the massive quantities of data produced by the…


Genome analysis creates tree of life for modern birds

Long long ago in a land far far away not so far from here at all, crocodiles, dinosaurs, and birds all arose from early reptiles called thecodonts.   Using new computational methods developed by assistant professor of statistics Liang Liu, Travis Glenn of the College of Public health and others, an international team of scientists has shed more light on an obscure period of avian evolution and further untangle the bird family tree. Members…


Building on Big Data

At the turn of the millennium, the cost to sequence a single human genome exceeded $50 million and the process took several years. Today, researchers can sequence a genome in a single afternoon for just few thousand dollars. Technological advances have ushered in the era of “Big Data,” where biologists collect immense datasets, seeking patterns that may explain important diseases or identify drug and vaccine targets. But what to do with it?…


M.F.A. alum Jason Yi wins Mitchell Foundation grant

Congratulations to LDSOA alum Jason Yi (M.F.A. 1995) who selected as one of 25 reciptients of the Joan Mitchell Foundation 2014 Painters & Sculptors Grant Program in the amount of $25,000 each. Yi: works across artistic disciplines: photography, video, sculpture, drawing, multimedia and interactive installations.  The expanded notions of culture, time and history play a critical role in the creation of his work. He has exhibited…


New UGA study on marriage

Somewhat counter-intuitive findings from a new study led by psychologist Justin Lavner, though they also remind us what is probably most obvious about relationships: the severity and number of couples' overall problems stay stable over time, even as their relationship dissatisfaction grows. The research, published in the December issue of the Journal of Family Psychology, suggests a departure from conventional wisdom, both on the part of the…


Happy Holidays from the Franklin College

Warm wishes for the holidays from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and all the best in the New Year to come. 2014 has been a great year on campus and we will rest and replenish over the holiday break with friends and family, looking forward to the opportunities of 2015. As for the snowy arch, well, one can hope.


Robinson Fall Commencement Address

The university's Fall Semester 2014 graduate Commencement featured self-proclaimed "proud and fortunate son of the South" Gregory H. Robinson, the UGA Foundation Distinguished Professor of Chemistry. A truly inspiring address that resonates with the realities of our past and our best hopes for the future. Dr. Robinson personifies the best of us in every way. Great words to take into the New Year. Graduate Speaker from UGA BVP on Vimeo.