News from the Chronicles - April 2026

Vivian Austin with her poster.
Exceptionally curious: Franklin students explore behavioral science research

“When I came to school, my goal was to be a clinician, but getting involved in research has opened my eyes to how exciting it can be,” said Vivian Austin,(’27, psychology) an undergraduate majoring in psychology. Austin was presenting her poster on Thursday at the 47th Psi Chi Convention for the Behavioral Sciences, highlighting undergraduate engagement in research. She found that parents' emotional states regulate – and even predict – infant…

Nivedha in front of red
From classroom to code: experiential learning propels Franklin student to Google

Experiential learning is at the heart of what happens at the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. Immersed in hands-on projects, research, and real-world applications, Franklin students don’t just major in their disciplines – they live them. Nivedha Natarajan’s undergraduate journey demonstrates the transformative power of this type of education.  On graduation day, Natarajan will deliver the student commencement address for UGA’s School…

Loren Peoples in red frame
Study Away as a catalyst for career growth: Loren Peoples gains hands-on healthcare experience in Peru

A snapshot of the Class of 2026, this story reflects the Franklin experience at the University of Georgia. Studying away allows students to engage in experiential learning and gain a firsthand understanding of the interconnectedness of the world. Often these experiences shape students’ academic and professional paths in profound ways, such as it was for Franklin senior Loren Peoples, whose month spent in Peru reaffirmed her goal of pursuing…

Jane Odum in front of computers
Franklin School of Computing researcher secures international honor for AI Innovation in public health

Jane Odum, a Ph.D. candidate in Franklin’s School of Computing (SOC), has earned international recognition after winning first place and a $30,000 prize in the Google-sponsored MedGemma Impact Challenge. Her mobile-first AI platform, EpiCast, was designed to strengthen disease surveillance in low-resource settings by enabling community health workers to report symptoms in their native languages and convert them instantly into structured clinical…

Nathan Haynes in red frame
Franklin senior Nathan Haynes explores big questions through multidisciplinary study

For Franklin senior Nathan Haynes, a multidisciplinary education felt like the natural path. He chose philosophy, he said, because it teaches people how to think about life, how we experience the world, and how we determine what has value.He added English as a double major to explore his strong interest in literary theory, where philosophical questions and storytelling intersect. He also pursued a Spanish minor, he said, to engage more…

Jacob Estes headshot
Alumni Spotlight: Jacob Estes proves the value of an interdisciplinary education

In conversation with anthropology Ph.D. student Cassie Hausdorf, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences alumnus Jacob Estes (BA Anthropology, ABJ Advertising '04; MBA Business '09) reflects on his academic journey and how his interdisciplinary path helped shape a dynamic career.  Originally from East Atlanta, Jacob began his college career playing basketball at a small school where he was awarded a full athletic scholarship to support his…

Portrait of Ed Pavlić
Franklin poet and scholar Ed Pavlić named a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow

Poet and scholar Ed Pavlić was named a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow, a prestigious honor for professionals working across the arts, humanities, and sciences. Pavlić, a Distinguished Research Professor of English and African American Studies in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, was one of 223 academics, scientists, independent scholars, writers, and artists selected for the 101st class of Guggenheim Fellows from a pool of almost 5,000…

Portrait of Thania Galvan
Franklin psychology researcher receives Grant Scholar award

Thania Galvan, assistant professor of psychology in Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, was awarded a William T. Grant Scholars grant for her research on the parenting stress among Latino parents of teenagers and how that stress is linked to the wellbeing of both parents and children.  The five-year, $425,000 grant will support three studies: one to identify the stress factors, a second to develop an intervention to reduce parenting…

Students presenting
The “last 10 feet of healthcare”: students step into patients’ shoes in hands-on workshop, use extended reality and AI to solve common problems

When a patient leaves a hospital – prescriptions in hand and instructions fresh in mind – they cross an invisible threshold. It’s only a few steps, but in those “last 10 feet,” the controlled world of healthcare meets the unpredictable realities of everyday life. It’s here, in this overlooked space, that even the best medical plans can falter. At UGA’s recent Healthcare 5.0 conference, students from across disciplines were challenged to rethink…

Caroline Moore in front of numbers
The ampersand at work: How Caroline Moore found meaning in the spaces between disciplines

At the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, the ampersand symbolizes the generative nature of multidisciplinary education, where knowledge meets experiential learning, studio practice connects with research, theory, and application work side-by-side, and local inquiry and global engagement converge. Graduating senior Caroline Moore, majoring in art history with minors in studio art and English, is grateful for her Franklin experience…

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