News Archive - 2020

photo of man with wind gauge equipment, outside
Preparing for hurricane season during COVID-19

As COVID-19 cases continue to increase, the South faces another hazard in what experts are predicting to be a more active than normal hurricane season. The University of Georgia’s Marshall Shepherd shares what we need to know about preparing for the brunt of storm season during a global pandemic: Hurricane season 2020 is already shattering records, and it’s only July. The average hurricane season has about 12 named storms.…

satellite photo of lake with large green patch of algae
Cyanotracker created to detect toxic algae

Outbreaks of harmful algae have increased in recent years due to warming trends and longer summer seasons. Also called cyanobacterial algal blooms or CyanoHABs, these large-scale ecological disturbances are often caused by increased urbanization, nutrient pollution, poor waste management and warming weather. The algae can produce toxins that are harmful to humans, pets and aquatic ecosystems. The CyanoTRACKER project, a collaboration between…

graphic with black text on white background
Physical basis of language comprehension

With an assist from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, researchers are getting a better handle on where and how the brain assembles individual words into full sentences when a person listens to a story being read. In a new study, an international team of researchers, including a UGA cognitive scientist, report that a computational model based on the concept of "phrase structure” most closely matches functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)…

graphic with text and photo of man outdoors
AMA: Why Does COVID Affect Us Differently?

Ask Me Anything is an interactive online session between alumni and UGA faculty members from diverse academic disciplines. Experts from UGA will discuss the effects of this global pandemic on their specific area of expertise and provide participants the opportunity to ask questions. This month, there are two extraordinary opportunities with Franklin Faculty, beginning tomorrow August 4, with assistant professor of sociology Ryon Cobb.…

composite image of molecule and photography of human cells
$23M NSF grant accelerates glycomaterials research

Glycomaterials are produced by every living organism. They contain chains of sugars, called glycans, that have critical roles in health and disease. Of the four building blocks of life — glycans, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids — glycans are the most complex and most challenging to understand. The tool set for understanding these glycans, so crucial to life itself, lags far behind those available for understanding DNA, RNA and proteins.…

photo of woman outdoors with rock wall and glass plaque
Momany selected as MSA Fellow

University of Georgia faculty member Michelle Momany has been selected as a Fellow of the Mycological Society of America. Momany, professor of Plant Biology and associate dean in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, was announced as an MSA Fellow at the organization’s first-ever virtual meeting in mid-July. The Mycological Society of America Fellow Award is granted to an outstanding member of the society for extended service and…

graphic with figure laying head on desk with laptop, blue background
The toll of video fatigue

Something most everyone can relate to in our extended, present moment – Zoom Fatigue – has entered the lexicon to capture the emotional exhaustion, anxiousness, and worry that may accompany the high volume of virtual meetings. Kristen Shockley, associate professor of psychology, unpacks the HR impacts and how professionals can help in a new article: Understanding the physical and psychological factors behind video…

photo of couple with crowns at football stadium, night, blurred crowd background
Alumnus awarded prestigious Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship

UGA Franklin alumnus Chip Chambers will attend medical school as a recipient of a Marcus L. Urann Fellowship by The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi—the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines: Chambers is one of only six recipients nationwide to receive the prestigious $20,000 fellowship, named for the society’s founder. As a Urann Fellow, Chambers, of Watkinsville, …

graphic with image of woman and capital dome, text Suffrage
100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment

On August 18, 1920, the United States ratified the #19thAmendment guaranteeing all American women the right to vote. We celebrate the suffragists who bravely fought the fight for equality, as well as the many women leading our country today. Our most important right and duty as citizens depends on full participation. This historic centennial offers an unparalleled opportunity to commemorate a milestone of democracy and to explore its…

photo of Greenland Ice sheet from air
New Research Reveals Effect of Global Warming on Greenland Ice Melt, Consequences for Sea Level Rise

New analysis of almost 30 years’ worth of scientific data on the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet predicts global sea level rise of at least 10 centimetres by the end of the 21st Century, per global warming trends. The estimates, which scientists warn are “conservative” given the powerful effects of changes in weather systems and possible ways of accelerating ice loss, are broadly consistent with recent predictions reported by…