News from the Chronicles - August 2020

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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UGA welcomes the Class of 2024

The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences joins the university in welcoming the Class of 2024. More than 5,600 first-year undergraduate students who make up the UGA Class of 2024 are beginning their studies at an unprecedented time in the institution’s history. Yet like the students who came before them, they bring an extraordinary record of academic success and boundless aspiration to the birthplace of public higher education. UGA is…

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Kudos, August 2020

Congratulations to the many Franklin College faculty, students, and alumni on awards, grants, fellowships and other recognition of scholarly activity we learned about over the summer. A sampling of recent accolades for our terrific colleagues: Lisa A. Fusillo, professor of dance in the Franklin College, has been selected by The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi—the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor…

graphic wit man on laptop and bubbles representing teleconference interactions
Noted and Quoted, August 2020

From debunking COVID myths to explaining its real impacts on work, play and even dining, Franklin faculty have stepped up to supply expertise across numerous fields on issues throughout the media. A sample from this summer: When schools closed in 1916, some students never returned – associate professor of history Stephen Mihm at Yahoo! News Remote work is here to stay – associate professor of psychology Kristen Shockley in…

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