News from the Chronicles - July 2016

man next to computer screen
Searching for clues in neural tube defects

Geneticist Jian-Fu Chen's project to understand why neural tube defects, the second most common birth defect in humans, occur recently gained new support from the National Institutes of Health: The neural tube becomes the brain and spinal cord in a developing embryo. The defect occurs when a neural plate folds into a tube during an embryo's development, explained Chen, who works in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences' genetics…

woman in lab with instruments
Ingram to become first black female to earn a Ph.D. in physics at UGA

Amazing student Whitney Ingram continues to rise to new heights of greatness. The Double Dawg from Stone Mountain will soon become the first African American woman to earn her Ph.D in physics at UGA: “My love of science at a young age came from arts and crafts books, where you could build small projects,” Ingram told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. That passion stayed with her through college, where she eventually earned her bachelor’s degree…

man and woman smiling
Talking it through

Among the many aspects of communication between couples - from sharing aspirations, hopes and dreams to paying the bills and planning visits to the in-laws - the nature of how we talk to each other rises to particular importance. And while discussions of all kinds shape the interactions with our significant others, factors determining our relative happiness and quite often, the very sustainability of the relationship, can go beyond the success…

woman surrounded with microphones
No Subject - There is No Other Subject

The violence continues, debates are stirred, scholarly discourse ensues, and a significant amount of research exists that outlines the history of and theories about the use of deadly force, per the Chronicle of Higher Ed: Those who favor the threat hypothesis contend that, for a vast number of reasons — including poverty, lack of upward mobility and opportunity, and a history of oppression — African-Americans are more likely to be involved in…

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The CRISPR Revolution

The hottest new area of scientific investigation, moving forward thanks to the work of UGA faculty and graduate students, is featured in the current issue of UGA Research magazine: a recently developed gene-editing tool commonly known by the acronym CRISPR, which makes it possible to snip out and replace segments of DNA inside the cells of living organisms with extraordinary precision. The technology is only about three years old, but it’s both…

little boy drawing on a sidewalk
Pavlic poetry on PBS

“All Along It Was A Fever,” a lengthy meditation on race in America by Distinguished Research Professor of English and Creative Writing Ed Pavlic is featured on PBS.org: Much of [the poem] deals with the violence that Black America experiences. “I felt that I had a vantage point to things that were going on, based on this fluidly trans-racial, multi-racial life I’ve led. I think I see things in a different light than your average…

photo of nuts, grains and barley
New role for B-complex vitamins

A primary U.S. grain supplement has a dual role, according to a new study published by UGA and Tufts University researchers: Folates, whether supplemental B vitamins or natural folates found in food, are essential for the proper functioning of all cells in the body and are critical to prevent birth defects. The study, published July 11 in Developmental Cell, shows for the first time that an adult stem cell population is controlled by an external…

algal bloom on a pond
Citizen science smartphone app: Cyanotracker

In order to download the CyanoTRACKER app on Android devices, you should first locate the 'Google Play Store' launcher on your device. If you cannot locate the icon on your home screen you may need to click the "Apps" icon and search through the list there. From the Google Play Store you may search for "cyanotracker" (without quotes) to bring up the app information and installation page.  Click install.  You may be prompted regarding…

concert graphic with images
2016-17 Thursday Scholarship Series Concerts

The Hugh Hodgson School of Music announced the line-up for this year's Thursday Scholarship Series Concerts. Formerly known as the Second Thursday Scholarship Series, the name has been changed but the rich tradition benefiting our music students and delighting audiences continues: the revamped concert series promises to make each concert into an event, with opportunities in and around the concert to deepen and enhance the experience of listening…

briefcase with a sail
De-Mystifying the Humanities

Often shrouded in the mysteries of ancient texts, perceptions about what the humanities are and why we need them might persist until students enter a university classroom. A perhaps counter-intuitive model also exists, however; introduce them earlier: "If you look at what allows people to succeed at college-level math," says Grant, "you have to look at the foundation they receive from K through 12." It’s important to build those foundations,…

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