Tags: Earth

The Periodic Table of Chemical Elements is one of the most significant achievements in science, a common language for science capturing the essence not only of chemistry, but also of physics, medicine, earth sciences and biology. 1869 is considered as the year of discovery of the Periodic System, and Dmitri Mendeleev was a major discoverer. 2019 will be the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements and has…
Alumnus, advisory board member, great friend of the Franklin College and NASA administrator Roger Hunter discusses the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and the future of space exploration: Hunter was project manager for NASA’s Kepler mission, which used a space telescope to discover Earth-like planets orbiting other stars in the Milky Way galaxy. He currently serves as program manager for NASA’s Small Spacecraft…
Assistant professor of marine sciences Catherine Edwards, with colleagues at the UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography and the University of South Florida has developed and deployed autonomous underwater gliders to improve the accuracy of hurricane forecast models: The 2018 hurricane season provided Edwards and her colleagues a fortuitous opportunity to demonstrate the value of glider data. Edwards deployed two gliders in…
The American Meteorological Society recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations of the weather, water, and climate community in its annual Awards and Honors program. 2019 recipients include current and former UGA geography students: Alexandra Mazurek, who graduated in 2019, is the recipient of an American Meteorological Society Graduate Fellowship. The award is a one-year, $25,000 stipend.  She will be…
More than 100 researchers gathered in Athens in May when the University of Georgia hosted the Radiocarbon and Archaeology 9th International Symposium. The symposium, held at the Classic Center, showcased current archaeological research that employs radiocarbon dating, as well as recent developments in the radiocarbon technique. Along with a full range of academic sessions and lectures, the symposium also included several social events and field…
A Franklin College research team of faculty and graduate students from the departments of geography and computer science is laying the groundwork for high resolution heat maps to protect residents and assist city planners. Supported by the National Science Foundation, professors Deepak Mishra, Andrew Grundstein and Lakshmish Ramaswamy are compiling block-by-block information to map the urban heat island of Athens, GA. This Science…
The university is celebrating the 'one giant step for mankind' that took place in July 1969, including the current "Moon Rocks!" exhibition at the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Library curated by Sarah Anderson, UGA graduate student in history: Anderson curated “Moon Rocks!,” an exhibition hosted by UGA’s Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies to mark the 50th anniversary of…
Though causes of the civilizational collapse that took place in the Maya lowlands of southeastern Mexico and Central America during the Terminal Classic Period (1200 – 900 before present) remain uncertain, changing precipitation patterns have long been suspected. Now, a new study from the University of Georgia and the Florida Museum of Natural History establishes fossilized white-tailed deer teeth as part of the climate record, a reliable proxy…
The Department of Energy’s Office of Science has selected Matthew Wilson from the University of Georgia’s Center for Simulation Physics to participate in its Graduate Student Research Program. Wilson studies protein aggregation using computer simulation to test physical phenomena that defy analysis by traditional approaches.  “These graduate student awards prepare young scientists for STEM careers critically important to the DOE mission,”…
Even during the quiet days of June, Franklin College faculty expertise never sleeps! Here are a few of the many articles written by or featuring the work of faculty members from across the college over the past month:   Meteorologists fear 5G network could take forecasting back to the 1980s, Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and Geography Marshall Shepherd speaking on CBS This…
Malcolm Mitchell (A.B. '15), Athens cardiologist Catherine Marti (B.S. '02), and gold-medal winning Olympic swimmer Allison Schmitt (B.S. '14) lead the Franklin College contingent of the 2019 UGA 40 Under 40: The University of Georgia Alumni Association has unveiled the 40 Under 40 Class of 2019. This program celebrates the personal, professional and philanthropic achievements of successful UGA graduates under the…
Professor of crop and soil sciences and plant biology Katrien M. Devos has been named a Fellow of the Crop Science Society of America: Her nomination and selection as a CSSA Fellow recognizes a career dedicated to breaking new ground in understanding the genetics and evolutionary biology of crops and in the search for more resilient and sustainable crop varieties. From mapping the genomes of orphan crops, like finger and foxtail millet, to…
As scientists improve their understanding of the impacts of microorganisms on the broad systems and that keep global biological cycles in balance, responses to a changing climate by microbes on land and sea across the Earth have become key indicators. Now, more than 30 microbiologists from 9 countries have issued a warning to humanity – they are calling for the world to stop ignoring an ‘unseen majority’ in Earth’s biodiversity and ecosystem…
Seven UGA graduate students earned highly competitive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships this year, and six UGA alumni also have earned the fellowship, which includes three years of financial support that includes an annual stipend of $34,000 plus a $12,000 cost of education allowance and networking and professional development opportunities: Doctoral student Jordan Chapman said he was attracted to the…
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced a national consortium of academic and nonprofit institutions, with leadership from the University of Maryland College Park (UMD) and North Carolina State University focused on improving our understanding of how the atmosphere, ocean, land, and biosphere of Earth interact with each other and with human activity as an integrated system. The Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth…
The UGA Graduate School magazine profiles alumni Jessie Johnson, who received an MA in Sociology (2005) and Matthew Schneider, who earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy (2010), intrepid adventurers who share a mindful approach to living: Johnson and Schneider have no permanent address, no “home” per se, but live on the road and camp in public campgrounds or sometimes on private land. They are one of four pairs of Leave No Trace…
With the 2019 hurricane season officially beginning June 1, there's another potential obstacle to predicting monster storms: the next generation of cell phones: On one side of the debate, scientists worry that future 5G networks will hurt satellite data they rely on. On the other side, federal regulators and cell phone companies are racing to deploy 5G technology, which will deliver information up to 100 times faster…
Shaza Mehdi tried diagnosing blighted flowers by Googling images of plant diseases and comparing those images with the sick roses, sparking an idea that led her to come up with PlantMD — a smartphone app that can diagnose a plant disease with the snap of a photo: After three months of researching, coding and getting some help from her high school teachers, Mehdi launched the app. “PlantMD works when you take a picture of a…
University of Georgia student Sarah Riggs will be joining the National Geographic Society’s Human Journey Grants team as its first intern: The Human Journey team focuses its research on cultures and cultural sustainability to learn more about who we are and what our future will be. The team focuses on a diverse range of topics, from extinct ancient grains and the sustainability of palm oil to climate change. Grants support projects studying…
Growing up in Stone Mountain sparked an interest in sustainability for Megan Reeves. The value of sustainable practices solidified for the communication studies major when she worked towards earning the Certificate in Sustainability at UGA: In Megan’s opinion, the uniqueness of the Sustainability Certificate program comes from the diverse coursework and the differing educational backgrounds of students united…
The highest undergraduate award of its type for the fields of the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering, the Barry Goldwater Scholars program encourages outstanding students to pursue careers in these fields. This year, UGA has four Goldwater Scholars:  Monte Fischer, an Honors student and Foundation Fellow, plans to pursue a doctorate in mathematics to investigate questions of stochastic processes, probability and…
Just one week from today, double-major dual degree graduate and Redcoat Marching Band drum major Joshua Clifford’s journey through UGA will culminate as this spring’s student Commencement speaker: Because of the Redcoat Marching Band I was able to find community within UGA before classes even started my freshman year. I’ll never forget my first day of band camp when I met the 40 other members of the clarinet section. I was so…
A prolific researcher at the frontier of new developments in quantum optics and 2-D materials, associate professor of physics Yohannes Abate is also a dedicated teacher who inspires students with his fascination for discovery: How does your research or scholarship inspire your teaching, and vice versa? I deliberately aim to integrate my research activities into meaningful theoretical and practical exercises that introduce…
The Center for Applied Isotope Studies provides crucial research and analytical expertise in radiocarbon dating on campus and around the world. The commitment of its faculty, staff and students also stretches into helping young people think about science by bringing anthropology to life: [Former CAIS research scientist Alice Hunt] wanted a way to hook undergraduate students while teaching them the skills professors are…
Mirror-like optical illusion in the deep Pacific Ocean and the world's first ever gene-edited lizards lead the many media mentions of research and scholarship by Franklin faculty during April. A sample: Why our youth should be celebrated not mocked – a climate case study, writes Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor Marshall Forbes in his regular column at Forbes   Church in the Maelstrom: A…