News from the Chronicles - May 2018

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Focus on the faculty: Jin Xie

Associate professor of chemistry Jin Xie is using nanotechnology to make chemotherapy and radiation therapy more effective while minimizing their toxic side effects: What are your favorite courses and why? I redeveloped the nanomaterials course, and I enjoy teaching it. Nanotechnology, especially nanobiotechnology, is a highly interdisciplinary field, and it is rapidly evolving. In this course, I not only introduce basic nanoparticle synthesis…

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Scholarship recipients speak at Advance UGA Conference

As we near commencement, with so many Franklin students [more than 1,850] preparing to enter the next stage of their lives and careers, many are reflecting on the impact of their campus experiences and especially those afforded by scholarship opportunities.  A few of those were celebrated on Monday, April 30 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education at the Advance UGA Conference. Sponsored by the Office of Development and Alumni…

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Spring Commencement 2018

Today is The Day - all of the studying, books, classes, exams, friends, professors, meetings, study guides, notecards, letters home, study abroad experiences, internships, parttime jobs, scholarships, sporting events, weekends, pranks, performances, all-nighters, early coffees, late dinners, awards, honors, roommates, majors, DECISIONS, networking, buses, connections, papers, grades, interviews, accomplishments. It has all built up to this.…

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Suzanne Pilaar Birch: TrowelBlazer

The new issue of Research Magazine, full of great stories about Franklin College faculty, features a refreshed story we have highlighted in the past: archeologist Suzanne Pilaar Birch on the intersection of pregancy and fieldwork In March 2017, Suzanne Pilaar Birch turned to Twitter for help. The archaeologist and UGA assistant professor was considering an invitation to go on a dig in Cyprus, an offer that seemed irresistible—except that…

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Staff Awards & Staff Appreciation

Thanks to all the many colleagues who attended the 2018 Franklin College Staff Awards reception at the Miller Learning Center. As dispersed as the college is, it's always great to see so many of our co-workers in one place. After an opening welcome from Dean Dorsey, the following Staff Excellence in Service Awards were presented to: Kendra Freeman, presented by Lesley G. Feracho, Interim director, African American Studies Shannon Kennedy,…

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Great Commitments: Roberto Perdisci

UGA's recently established Institute for Cybersecurity and Privacy uses anti-malware software developed by the institute’s network security expert, associate professor of computer science Roberto Perdisci, to detect malware downloads on its own networks - a model other institutions are begiining to follow: “Your antivirus software installed on your computer to protect against malware attacks will always be behind,” Perdisci says. Such software…

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Microbes and a changing environment

A striking new study published in the journal Cell shows details how ancient microbes that thrive in some of the world’s most extreme environments and modern-day humans have more in common than meets the eye—namely, they both respire and conserve energy using a similar molecular mechanism, one that has adapted to changing environmental conditions over billions of years: "Nature is really good at finding molecules that work and then modifying…

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Writing Intensive Program turns to the community

In the modern workplace, writing skills are more important than ever. From a study of millions of U.S. job advertisements, Burning Glass Technologies found, “Clear communication, particularly writing, is at a premium in nearly every occupation." Research by Hart Research Associates on employer priorities also found written communication to be highly valued; 82% of employers rated writing as an important skill for new graduates (2015). UGA's…

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How corn breaks genetics laws

In a new paper published in the journal Cell, genetics professor Kelly Dawe solves a long-sought mystery: Modern genetics is based on the idea that genes are passed on to progeny in a predictable fashion, as first described by 19th-century Austrian botanist Gregor Mendel. He determined that genes exist in pairs, and each one of the two has an equal chance of being transmitted to the next generation. However, in rare exceptions, chromosomes…

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Hodgson alumnus chosen as LA Philharmonic Resident Fellow

Congratulations to Wesley Sumpter (BMus '17), one of four musicians chosen to be a part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Resident Fellows program: The cohort of four Resident Fellows will focus on their artistic development through orchestral, chamber music, new music, and education concerts performed at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and in community settings. They will also have the opportunity to participate in tours…

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