News from the Chronicles - September 2024

Nigerian novelist Chigozie Obioma has been appointed the Helen S. Lanier Distinguished Professor of English in the University of Georgia Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of English. Born in Akure, Nigeria, Obioma is the author of three novels, "The Fishermen" (2015), "An Orchestra of Minorities" (2019), both shortlisted for The Booker Prize, and "The Road to the Country” (2024), a novel about the Nigerian Civil War published in…

Two theories of planet formation have long-dominated astronomy - the first theory, “core accretion,” posits that planets grow slowly from particles of dust ultimately forming pebbles, then boulders, which coalesce to form planets over tens of millions of years.  The second theory – “gravitational instability,” in which planets form quickly from direct collapse of gas and dust, requiring hundreds to thousands of years instead – received new…

UGA atmospheric sciences alumnus and the Georgia Climate Project have teamed with stakeholders to find solutions to mitigate urban heat islands in Georgia's Garden City: “I was actually really surprised at the urban heat island effect that we found in Augusta,” said Max Appelbaum, UGA masters alum and Wyoming doctoral student. Appelbaum wrote his masters thesis on the urban heat island effect in Augusta while attending the University of Georgia…

For decades, simulated interactions with theatre actors have contributed to how doctors, veterinarians, and pharmacists learn to talk – and listen – to patients and clients Truth, trust, and transparency are key in a patient's relationship with their healthcare provider. Good health for ourselves and for our pets requires near-perfect interactions with healthcare professionals that meets a range of experience and results. The humanistic element…

Mattia Pistone, assistant professor of Petrology and Volcanology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of geology will serve as the 2024-2025 Distinguished Lecturer of the Continental Scientific Drilling Division of the Geological Society of America. Director of the MAGMA MIA Laboratory, Pistone is one of the seven PIs leading the ICDP DIVE (Drilling the Ivrea-Verbano zonE) project, and an enthusiastic researcher investigating…

The CyanoTRACKER project, a collaboration between University of Georgia researchers, collects and integrates community reports, remote sensing data and digital image analytics to detect and differentiate between regular algal blooms and Cyanobacyerial Harmful Algal Blooms (CyanoHABs). As the frequency and magnitude of CyanoHABs have grown, particularly in the summer months, CyanoTRACKER offers accurate, cost-effective, and targeted…

UGA faculty member John Knox was among three USG faculty honored with the Felton Jenkins, Jr. Hall of Fame Faculty Award at the University System of Georgia (USG) 20th annual Regents’ Scholarship Gala on September 12. The black-tie gala, hosted at Town Stage at Trilith Studios in Fayetteville, GA, honored faculty, alumni and friends while raising $1.85 million from generous sponsors to support and provide need-based scholarships for…

Humanities students (Classics, Comparative Literature and Intercultural Studies, English, Germanic and Slavic Studies, History, Linguistics, Philosophy, Religion, and Romance Languages) can get upper division course credit and Experiential Learning credit for a spring internship.  More information below. If you have questions or would like to set up a time to meet, please email me: cmlwhite@uga.edu FCID 4100: Humanities Internship Student…

Drew Abney, associate professor in the department of psychology, has blended his interests in statistics and engineering to forge a multifaceted psychology research career. Our colleagues in UGA Research Communications share the story of how Abney's journey informs his scholarship: While working on his master’s in education, Abney took a statistics class that, surprisingly, made his passing interest in psychology seem like a possible career…

A National Science Foundation collaborative project between researchers from the University of Delaware and the University of Georgia to better understand how nutrients, pollutants and organic matter are exchanged between the air and the sea recently conducted a research cruise in the North Atlantic Ocean. The cruise aboard UD’s Research Vessel Hugh R. Sharp to study the sea surface microlayer was designed to better understanding the role it…