Tags: faculty
In her 27-year UGA career, Thomas has distinguished herself as an outstanding classroom teacher, graduate student mentor, and researcher. Her work on the psychology of workplace diversity has gained national attention, and she is an elected fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Society for Industrial-Organizational Psychology, and the Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race.
Thomas has also held several…
University of Georgia Foundation Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Gregory Robinson has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Robonison joins an illustrious list of 250 members elected in 2025, including renowned figures like CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper, actor and humanitarian Danny Glover, filmmaker Ava DuVernay and World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés.
A UGA faculty member since 1995, Robinson has conducted…
Part 2 of 3 – Research Partnerships and Public Engagement
Franklin College has introduced a three-part Innovation Initiative guiding its efforts and focus into the next era of American higher education. The initiative consists of three pillars designed to complement each other and work together: 1) Academic Innovation, 2) Research Partnerships and Public Engagement, and 3) Student Success. In the second of a three-part series of interviews,…
New research from the University of Georgia suggests our familiarity with yeast traces back to the footsteps of our ancestors.
Humans domesticated baker’s yeast as early as 7000 BCE to make bread, beer, wine and sake. However, wild varieties of the same yeast species also live on trees. These domesticated and wild yeast look different genetically, but UGA researchers wanted to explore possible links between the two:
“Other studies had just…
A collection of articles in a special feature published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Economic Inequality Over the Very Long Term, released findings of a large, international research team that includes University of Georgia faculty member Jennifer Birch. An expert on the archaeology of Indigenous societies in eastern North America, Birch is co-author on 4 of the eleven articles comprising the April 14 special feature…
Part 1 of 3 - Academic Innovation
Franklin College has introduced a three-part Innovation Initiative guiding its efforts and focus into the next era of American higher education. The initiative consists of three pillars designed to complement each other and work together: 1) Academic Innovation, 2) Research Partnerships and Public Engagement, and 3) Student Success. In the first of a three-part series of interviews, Franklin College Dean…
For the second consecutive year, the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Multidisciplinary Seed Grant Program has funded two new tracks of collaborative research projects: Rapid Interdisciplinary Proposals (RIP) and Innovation in Interdisciplinary Instruction (I-Cubed). The seed grant program responds to the need for new paradigms that shape future research, life-long learning, public discourse, service, and dynamic entrepreneurship. $50,…
Ron Simons, Ph.D., Regents' Professor in the department of sociology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at UGA passed away on Monday, March 31, 2025. Simons had a long and fruitful collaboration with the Center for Family Research (CFR) over the years, and is leaving behind a profound legacy through his contributions to the field and support of other scholars’ work.
CFR’s director, Steven Beach, Ph.D., says, Simons “was a…
As Machine Learning tools become increasingly commonplace, their ubiquity is accompanied by a growing need to use the tools on mobile devices. From the application side, the endless possibilities go well beyond common speech or image recognition. And the growing computational capacity of smartphones creates necessary room for improved hand-held AI.
Researchers at the University of Georgia have recently developed an innovative software framework…
In honor of their extraordinary achievements leading to scientific advancement, Five University of Georgia faculty – four from the Franklin College – have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, bringing the university’s total membership in the exclusive group to 50.
Franklin's new Fellows are Thomas Mote, Robert Schmitz, Michael Terns and Zheng-Hua Ye. Melissa Mitchum of the College of Agricultural and…
University of Georgia faculty member Cassandra Hall has been named a National Geographic Explorer, a National Geographic Society program that recognizes groundbreaking scientists, conservationists, educators, and storytellers. This year, 20 were selected from among 3000 applicants.
National Geographic Explorers are exceptional individuals in their fields who receive funding and support from the Society to illuminate and protect our…
The University of Georgia is one of the founding partners in NextGenAI, a first-of-its-kind consortium with 15 leading research institutions dedicated to using AI to accelerate research breakthroughs and transform education.
OpenAI, known for its generative AI technologies including ChatGPT, is committing $50 million in research grants, access to OpenAI’s tools and compute funding through the consortium. The initiative will support the discovery…
On February 1, 2025, UGA faculty members Patricia Medeiros and Renato Castelao took part in a National Geographic-Lindblad Expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula as part of their Visiting Scientist Program. Medeiros and Castelao, both professors in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of marine sciences, boarded the National Geographic Endurance in Ushuaia, Argentina, bound for the White Continent, along with…
University of Georgia faculty member William Pridemore has been named the inaugural Marienthal Professor in Sociology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. The professorship was approved by the Georgia Board of Regents in fall 2024.
Pridemore is currently Franklin Professor and head of the UGA department of sociology in the Franklin College. A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the…
Longtime professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ genetics department, Janet (Jan) Westpheling passed away Feb. 16 after an extended illness.
Westpheling's UGA legacy will be honored through a Foundation Fellowship fund:
“Jan was a dear friend and an extraordinary member of the UGA faculty,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “She was a devoted mentor to many students, a responsible and dedicated University leader, and a…
Two University of Georgia faculty members, including Franklin College professor Andrew Herod, have been named Regents’ Professors in recognition of their innovative and pace-setting research. The honor is the highest professorial recognition bestowed by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.
The university’s 2025 Regents’ Professors are Andrew Herod, Distinguished Research Professor in the department of geography in the Franklin…
From individual achievement and career success to community impact, Franklin College faculty, students, staff and alumni were recognized for excellence. Tapping into their Franklin spark, these individuals demonstrated their ambition, curiosity, creativity, and innovative spirit. Congratulations to:
Community
UGA boosts Georgia’s economy by $8.4 billion – UGA Today
The Athens Wellbeing Project transforms data into change – R&B
UGA tops…
The benefits of vacations, global dust and the Georgia Museum of Natural History headline the top February features of work and engagement from our faculty colleagues and outstanding alumni.
Did we mention vacation? Those stories plus few more:
The best thing you can do for your well-being on vacation, according to science — and the worst – research led by Ryan Grant, doctoral student in the department of psychology, reported by the New York…
Leading a record number of inductees for the institution, four Franklin College faculty are among eight University of Georgia researchers selected by the National Academy of Inventors as 2025 NAI Senior Members, surpassing the record number of five inductees set last year. UGA now has 24 Senior Members overall:
NAI Senior Members are distinguished faculty, scientists and administrators who have demonstrated success in patents, licensing…
UGA welcomes renowned conductor and orchestra director Robert Spano on March 24 as the Willson Center’s annual Delta Visiting Chair for Global Understanding.
Spano’s visit, which will include two public talks on campus and a workshop for UGA student composers with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, is part of the Willson Center’s Global Georgia public event series and the UGA Humanities Festival:
Spano is music director of the Fort Worth…
As machine learning techniques and the reach of large language models (LLMs) become integrated into leading-edge research projects that span the university, the Institute for Artificial Intelligence is creating early leverage for collaborative faculty projects to access greater external support. Four university-wide research projects have been awarded seed grants under the new initiative:
“Artificial intelligence is not just about creating…
The UGA Arts Collaborative helps support faculty and graduate students across the Franklin College and the entire campus to advance interdisciplinary projects through engagement with the arts. UGA Research Communications spotlights the Arts Collaborative as a catalyst for creative research, the program launched a new, multi-year partnership with the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts:
Three UGA projects, all supported by funding from…
The late Susette Talarico, scholar and longtime leader of the UGA Criminal Justice Studies Program, and the Honorable Steve C. Jones, Senior U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia, were honored with the President's Medal at the 2025 Founder's day luncheon:
The President’s Medal recognizes individuals, not currently employed at the university, who have made extraordinary contributions to the UGA community by supporting students…
Pesticide-resistant crops create prosperous opportunities but spark concern about health for both humans and the environment.
Agricultural biotechnology has created pesticide-resistant crops that are central to many Argentinian farmers. Franklin College faculty member Pablo Lapegna, associate professor of Sociology and Latin American and Caribbean Studies, explores the way these farmers view the pesticides sprayed on their crops and…
Across the New Year, Franklin faculty remained constantly engaged in research, scholarship and media outreach around the globe.
A few of the many stories that framed the calendar change over the previous month:
2024 likely the warmest year on record — why it matters to you – Georgia Athletic Association Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences Marshall Shepherd writing at Forbes
The Semester at Skidaway study program shines –…