Tags: Earth

man and student in lab with petri dish
Strand elected to National Academy of Sciences

University of Georgia Regents' Professor Michael R. Strand has received one of the highest honors a scientist can receive-election to the National Academy of Sciences: Strand, who holds an appointment in the entomology department of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and an affiliated appointment in the genetics department of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, is UGA's eighth member of the National Academies, which…

map with colored graphing
Noted and Quoted, April 2017

Franklin faculty and students continue to be quoted by and to author articles across worldwide media, including all major print publications. A sample from the past few weeks: Research by Archeology graduate student Sammantha Nicole Holder had her featured in The Guardian (reconstructing the diet of Napoleon's Grand Army) The other side of Confederate Memorial Day (Spalding Distinguished Professor of History, Emeritus James Cobb) – Time Four…

photo of man and woman in lab, with beakers
Rising water temperatures endanger health of coastal ecosystems

"Rising ocean temperatures are changing the way coastal ecosystems-and probably terrestrial ecosystems, too-process nitrogen," said Hollibaugh, Distinguished Research Professor of Marine Sciences in UGA's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. "Much of the global nitrogen cycle takes place in the coastal zone." Hollibaugh and researcher Sylvia Schaefer found midsummer peaks in concentrations of nitrite alongside massive increases in numbers of…

headshots of two women students
Ganeshan and Wilkes named 2017 Udall Scholars

UGA added two new Udall Scholars to its ranks this year as third-year students Shreya Ganeshan and Elizabeth Wilkes were honored for their leadership, public service and commitment to issues related to the environment. Each year, the Udall Foundation awards about 60 scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for their efforts related to Native American nations or their work in environmental advocacy and policy. Ganeshan, from Johns Creek, is…

field with windmill and approaching storm
Thunderstorm asthma epidemics

"Thunderstorm asthma is a very complex phenomenon and involves interactions of allergens like grass pollens, thunderstorms and susceptible groups of people," said lead author Andrew J. Grundstein, professor of geography in UGA's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. "Our study may help anticipate significant thunderstorms by employing a technique that helps identify wind magnitudes commonly associated with thunderstorm asthma outbreaks." The…

photo of flooded New Orleans
Migration from sea-level rise could reshape cities inland

A major new publication sheds light on one of the implications of sea level rise - where will displaced people from inundated coastal areas go? In a paper published today in Nature Climate Change, researchers estimate that approximately 13.1 million people could be displaced by rising ocean waters, with Atlanta, Houston and Phoenix as top destinations for those forced to relocate. The study is the first attempt to model the destination of…

man with bugs under glass, kids
Georgia Museum of Natural History: Dogs Exhibit

The Georgia Museum of Natural History delves right into the heart of UGA with their current exhibition about the history of dogs: It’s sort of like an old joke by Groucho Marx, who said, “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” But “How ‘Bout Them Dogs: A Brief Look into the Evolution and Domestication of Our Best Friend” takes viewers inside of a dog -- into the bare bones. The exhibit is open…

four people with shell, interior photo
Major collection moves to Laboratory of Archeology

St. Catherines Island, located along the Georgia coast, is a culturally and ecologically unique barrier island that contains diverse evidence of human occupation that spans more than 4,000 years. It is home to the most completely excavated Spanish mission in the Southeast; archaeological work on the island has been taking place for more than 42 years. The extensive archaeological collection that includes artifacts and other…

woman with building, outside, photo, day
Two Franklin students named 2017 Goldwater Scholars

Congratulations to UGA juniors and Honors Program students Morgan Gibbs and Mallory Harris, who are among 240 students across the nation to be recognized as Barry Goldwater Scholars, earning the highest undergraduate award of its type for the fields of mathematics, natural sciences and engineering: Gibbs and Harris are each studying in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. Gibbs, from Peachtree City, is majoring in chemistry and minoring in…


Noted and Quoted, March 2017

Special performances, populism and budget cuts were just some of the many headlines featuring the work and expertise of Franklin faculty during March. A sample: Trump administration seeks big budget cuts for climate research – Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor Marshall Shepherd quoted in Scientific American The dark side of populism, article by B. Phinizy Spalding Professor of History Emeritus James Cobb in Flagpole UGA…

man with yellow flower and microscope
Record number of NSF Graduate Research Fellowships for UGA students, alumni

• Avery Elizabeth Wiens, chemical theory, models and computational methods. That's an amazing list, and note the interdisciplinary fields of study. The future of science is happening right now on our campus. Congratulations to these students and alumni - these broadly prestigious fellowships also have an extraordinary financial impact on the careers of young scientists. A vital program, indeed. Image: 2017 National Science Foundation…

students in the lab
UGA CubeSat one step closer to space

Great news from NASA for students and faculty working diligently to design and build UGA's first satellite: The University of Georgia CubeSat project is among 34 small satellites selected by NASA to fly as auxiliary payloads aboard missions planned to launch in 2018, 2019 and 2020. The UGA project, led by a team of undergraduate students and including faculty from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering, performs…

satellite photo over the Pacific Ocean
‘Atmospheric rivers’ also common in the Southeast

Some timely and informative new research from geography faculty and graduate students on aspects of the erratic weather seen recently: Much of the flood-inducing rainfall that has pummeled California over the last month flowed into the region via a river in the sky. But these so-called atmospheric rivers, which transport large quantities of water vapor poleward from the tropics, can wreak havoc in the Southeast as well. University of Georgia…

woman outside with water, boat
Researchers receive Moore Foundation grant to study the global ocean microbiome

A $1.3 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation will allow Franklin researchers to uncover answers about an important metabolic link that takes place in the Earth's oceans: Microorganisms in the largest microbial habitat on Earth, the ocean microbiome, function similarly to microorganisms in the human gut; they perform chemical transformations that keep the whole system healthy. Phytoplankton, the microbial primary producers of…

four people walking outside
"Demain" screening tomorrow at Cine

The event is part of Cine's Science On Screen series, a grant program sponsored by the Coolidge Corner Theatre and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation that creatively pairs film screenings with lively presentations by notable science and technology experts. Tremendous opportunity for our students, courtesy of the Global Georgia Initiative and outreach efforts of Franklin College faculty members. $5 or free for Cine Members and Students with valid…

black holes in space, illustration
2017 Boyd Distinguished Lecture: LIGO discovery

In his talk, Reitze will discuss what makes gravitational waves so difficult to detect and how the ability to do so opens an unprecedented new window to the cosmos.  Welcome to campus, Dr. Reitze. We look forward to this terrific lecture this week, free and open to the public.    

stack of studies
Biochemistry PhD among most cited authors - ever

Marion Bradford, a PhD student in the department of biochemistry from the 1970's, came to our attention recently as the focus of one of the most intriguing stories of the year: a paper he published back then on what is known as the Bradford protein assay, is one of the most cited scientific studies in history: According to analysis published in the journal Current Science, a 1976 paper by Marion M. Bradford, a University of…

student in lab coat in lab
Doctoral student receives UGA's first Materials Research Society Award

Kun Wang, a doctoral student in the department of physics and astronomy, received a Materials Research Society (MRS) graduate student award for research he presented at the recent 2016 MRS Fall Meeting in Boston: Wang, who has been conducting nanoelectronics research in the College of Engineering, is the first UGA student to receive the prestigious MRS research award. In all, 19 students received the silver award, which recognizes students…

watershed graphics poster
Daylighting Tanyard Creek and the Lilly Branch

Prizes for the Daylighting the Watershed design competition were awarded at a roundtable discussion in early November, "How Artists, Scientists and Environmental Activists Can Work Together," that encapsulates how developing interdisciplinary expertise works: Water is integral to life, but the problems of local watersheds are often hidden beneath us, said Laurie Fowler, executive director for public service and external affairs at the Odum…

graphic of of inlet, coast, mountains
Ripple Effect film project

The research consortium Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf includes 29 researchers from 15 institutions and is led by ­Samantha Joye, Athletic Association Professor in Arts and Sciences in UGA's marine sciences department. In addition to cutting-edge scientific research on the Gulf of Mexico, a primary goal of the consortium is to engage with the public about the group's scientific activities and the importance of healthy ocean…

graphic logo with map, arch
GIS Day at UGA

It's only been a few years now that practically everyone has been walking around with super computers in their pockets - answers to everything, weather anywhere, oh and maps - lots of maps, any maps - all centered on where you are at any given moment. How does all of that work? Georgraphic information systems are designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial or geographical data. The acronym GIS…

landscape with inset photos
Global Land Project - Future Earth

The third Open Science Meeting of the Global Land Project (GLP 3rd OSM 2016), was held last week at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. The conference, aimed at bringing together the Land System Science community to present, discuss and foster progress towards a sustainable land use future, included the presentation of a working paper (with a UGA anthropology faculty contributor) on lessons learned on biofuel…

man with plants
Focus on the Faculty: Jim Leebens-Mack

Professor of plant biology and Creative Research Medal winner Jim Leebens-Mack investigates the history of plant life on our planet while being an active member of the local community. His laboratory compares genome sequences to better understand the genetic basis of biological innovations that are of great practical importance for horticulture and agriculture: What are your favorite courses and why? I regularly co-teach three courses…

graphic illustration with microscope, thespian
STEM education and the humanities

Scientific American weighs in on the tendency to prioritize STEM disciplines over the humanities and how Voltaire and Camus have an important role to play, especially in a high-tech future: Promoting science and technology education to the exclusion of the humanities may seem like a good idea, but it is deeply misguided. Scientific American has always been an ardent supporter of teaching STEM: science, technology, engineering and…

woman in black and white
Natural History Lecture Series: Deborah Blum

Pulitzer Prize winning science journalist Deborah Blum presents “The Poisoner's Guide to Life” on Friday, Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Odum School of Ecology auditorium. The talk, which is part of the Natural History Lecture Series, is sponsored by the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Natural History, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, and the Odum School of Ecology. It is free and open…
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