News from the Chronicles - March 2024

Faculty from the department of geography, School of Computing, and the College of Engineering are collaborating on a group of DoD-funded projects focused on optimizing geospatial artificial intelligence. The capability to deploy GeoAI for real-time usage will enable first-responders to react rapidly to changes in terrain around the world resulting from climate change and natural disasters. The campus-wide research effort, which includes faculty…

In recognition of his success in developing the tools and expertise to counteract some of the most environmentally toxic byproducts of military materiel, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents approved Valentine Nzengung as Regents’ Entrepreneur at its Feb. 13 meeting. Nzengung is the third UGA faculty member to receive this honor. The distinction recognizes innovative faculty members who have demonstrated success in translating…

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 (…

The Hodgson School of Music shares great news from an important corner of the music world – the clinical practice of using music to aid in healing. The current issue of Sforzando reports: Elizabeth Lee Digiovanni, Hugh Hodgson School of Music alumna, received the Friend of Nursing Award from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on Friday, November 3, 2023. This award is described by St. Jude as going to someone who demonstrates excellence in…

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…

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…

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 1998, 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…

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…

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…

This week, UGA Theatre presents “First Semester: A Musical,” an original work written by undergraduate and Cora Nunnally Miller Arts Scholar Wyn Alyse Thomas, directed by Thomas and Sydney Rainwater and supported by the New Georgia Group fund. “First Semester: A Musical” represents a new addition to UGA Theatre’s seasonal offerings—a slot dedicated to original student-written, student-produced work supported by the New Georgia Group fund. The…