Tags: faculty

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Researcher receives $3M NIH award to continue exploring bacterial immune systems

Michael Terns of the University of Georgia is the recipient of a $3 million Maximizing Investigator Research Award, or MIRA, from the National Institutes of Health to further research on CRISPR—bacterial immune systems harnessed as powerful human gene-editing tools—and to begin studying Anti-CRISPR, or ACR, proteins used by viruses to evade the CRISPR immune systems. “We’re studying a global viral pandemic. Rather than a virus against…

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Hargrett Hours: Exploring Medieval Manuscripts

Our colleagues with the UGA Libraries share one of the many humanities research experiences made possible through the extraordinary resources on campus: On display through Aug. 26 at the Special Collections Libraries, “The Hargrett Hours: Exploring Medieval Manuscripts” presents insights gained by UGA students while investigating medieval manuscripts in the collections of the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library. A Book of Hours is a…

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Advisory Committee Report

The Franklin Works Advisory Committee conducted an email survey of Franklin College Department Heads and Institute Directors to identify strengths, concerns, and recommendations regarding Franklin Works implementation (4/2-25/2021). Department Heads and Directors developed responses in consultation with faculty and staff. Below is a summary of 32 responses and the Advisory Committee discussion of 4/28/2021. Overview.…

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Kudos, April-May 2021

Truly an April to remember for the Franklin College and the University of Georgia, with our three new National Academy of Sciences members announced. Details below on those and other extraordinary achievements across the college for faculty, students, staff and alumni. We also want to include a special note of thanks and congratulations to our 14 graduating Franklin College Student Ambassadors – we are honored by your efforts…

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UGA professor awarded Harvard fellowship

Chana Kai Lee, associate professor in the department of history, has been awarded a 2021-22 Warren Center Faculty Fellowship at Harvard University. The Charles Warren Center, Harvard’s research center for United States history, invited applications for a workshop on Slavery and the Universities. The workshop will bring together scholars to systematically reflect on how such research can be elevated by considering how it contributes to…

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Noted and Quoted, April 2021

From reporting on new research findings from across the college to weighing in on events of the moment, Franklin faculty expertise appeared in a wide variety of international media during April. A sample: The Great Depression led to many of the hobbies we enjoy now. The pandemic created a whole host of new ones – Stephen Mihm, associate professor of history, quoted by CNN Landmark study shows what makes a relationship successful…

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Sensors eliminate sparking risk in hydrogen vehicles

Hydrogen as a clean, renewable alternative to fossil fuels is part of a sustainable-energy future, and very much already here. However, lingering concerns about flammability have limited widespread use of hydrogen as a power source for electric vehicles. Previous advances have minimized the risk, but new research from the University of Georgia now puts that risk in the rearview mirror. Hydrogen vehicles can refuel much more quickly and go…

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Three faculty members elected to National Academy of Sciences

Three distinguished faculty members at the University of Georgia have received one of the highest honors a scientist can earn, election to the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that was established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership and — with the National Academy of…

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Johnston Turner selected as dean by WLU

Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario has appointed Cynthia Johnston Turner as dean of the Faculty of Music. Johnston Turner, is currently the director of bands, artistic director of Contemporary Chamber Ensemble and professor of music at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia. She will formally begin in the role of dean of the Faculty of Music on July 1, 2021. Johnston Turner, a dual citizen of…

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Marshall Shepherd elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences

UGA's J. Marshall Shepherd has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, an honorary society that recognizes and celebrates the excellence of its members and is also an independent research center that convenes leaders from across disciplines, professions and perspectives to address significant challenges. This highly prestigious national honor comes in the same year that Shepherd, the Georgia Athletic Association…

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Hahamovitch awarded 2021 Guggenheim Fellowship

Cindy Hahamovitch, B. Phinizy Spalding Distinguished Professor of Southern History in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, has been awarded a 2021 Fellowship by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Hahamovitch is one of 184 artists, writers, scholars and scientistschosen through a rigorous peer-review process from almost 3,000 applicants. Guggenheim Fellowships are intended for individuals who have already demonstrated…

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Traveling with a pack of trombones

Josh Bynum, professor of trombone in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, took home a UGA Creative Research Medal last year for his album Catalyst, a collection of classical pieces inspired by classic works of art, music and literature. In this interview with our Office of Research colleague Michael Terrazas, Bynum discusses his approach to music pedagogy and research, as well as his love for that most epic of orchestral…

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Under the skin: How social and environmental factors affect health

Man Kit “Karlo” Lei came from humble beginnings in Macau, China. His mother was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease and died five years later when Lei was a teenager. It was a difficult time, but fortunately, he had good support through school and from friends. He thrived despite the challenges, earning degrees in law and sociology at National Taiwan University and then the University of Georgia. Lei’s studies led him to a question: Why do…

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Birch, Sahakian, receive 2021 Russell Awards

Three UGA faculty members, two from the Franklin College, have been named recipients of the Richard B. Russell Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, which recognize outstanding instruction by faculty members early in their academic careers. The Russell Foundation established the Russell Awards during the 1991-1992 academic year to honor the late U.S. Sen. Richard B. Russell. The awards include a $10,000 cash award: The 2021…

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New UGA center to combat global human trafficking

Each year, an estimated 800,000 people are trafficked globally, though the true number may be higher. In a quest to arm officials and stakeholders around the globe with more accurate and trusted data to better understand and address this global problem, the University of Georgia has established a new interdisciplinary center to combat human trafficking through research, programming and policy development: The Center on Human Trafficking Research…

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Kudos, March 2021

Apples, amazing students, a major book prize and national research awards, from the NIH as well as the National Institute of General Medicine Sciences, headline the kudos for Franklin College faculty, students, and alumni during March: Foundation Fellow Zakiyya Ellington came to UGA in part for the big sports atmosphere and in part for the travel associated with her fellowship. She’s studied at Oxford and traveled to…

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Timothy Adams named University Professor

Two UGA faculty members have been named University Professors, a title bestowed on those who have had a significant impact on the university in addition to fulfilling their regular academic responsibilities. The 2020-2021 honorees are Timothy Adams Jr., the Mildred Goodrum Heyward Professor in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, and James N. Moore, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, Distinguished Research Professor in the…

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Noted and Quoted, March 2021

COVID, Post-COVID, Fish oil and work/life balance were a few of the many recent subjects of media interest informed by Franklin College faculty expertise. A sample from the past the month: After years of early storms, forecasters consider moving start of hurricane season to May 15 – Marshall Shepherd, Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences, quoted by the Sun Sentinel Why is…

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Should you take fish oil? Depends on your genotype

Fish oil supplements are a billion-dollar industry built on a foundation of purported, but not proven, health benefits. Now, new research from a team led by a University of Georgia scientist indicates that taking fish oil only provides health benefits if you have the right genetic makeup. The study, led by Kaixiong Ye and published in PLOS Genetics, focused on fish oil (and the omega-3 fatty acids it contains) and its effect on…

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Rozario receives NIH Director’s New Innovator Award

One of UGA's newest faculty members, Tania Rozario has received a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health Director’s New Innovator Award Program, which supports early-career investigators of exceptional creativity who propose high-risk, high-reward research projects: Rozario is an assistant professor with a joint appointment in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Department of Genetics and the Center for Tropical…

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COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2021 BANCROFT PRIZES

"Unworthy Republic, The Dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory" by Claudio Saunt, Distinguished Research Professor and Richard B. Russell Professor in American History, is one of two acclaimed works that will be awarded the 2021 Bancroft Prizes in American History and Diplomacy by Columbia University Libraries: The Bancroft Prize, which includes an award of $10,000 to each author, is administered…

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Kannan receives $2M NIH MIRA award

University of Georgia faculty member Natarajan Kannan is a recipient of a highly prestigious Maximizing Investigator Research Award, or MIRA, from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The MIRA award is intended to provide investigators with greater stability and flexibility in funding to enhance scientific productivity and make important scientific breakthroughs. The program funds research by the nation’s most highly…

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Heritage Orchard Project

Hundreds of apple varieties thrived in orchards across North Georgia a century ago, before an evolving apple industry swept them off shelves and tables, never to return. But with the help of a dedicated group of University of Georgia researchers, Extension agents and volunteer enthusiasts, Georgia’s lost apple varieties are making a comeback. The newly planted Heritage Apple Orchard, located at UGA’s Georgia Mountain Research…

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CTSA team science award goes to 3 UGA researchers

UGA faculty members Katie Ehrlich, Brad Phillips and Ted Ross were honored with the Presidents’ Award of Distinction for Team Science from the Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance at a virtual conference held March 5: The three UGA faculty were recognized for their interdisciplinary collaboration in studying immune responses to influenza vaccination, each from a different disciplinary perspective. Georgia CTSA is a…

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Trailblazing women in statistics

Women have been leaders in the field of statistics for decades, with contributions ranging from theoretical developments to applications in biology, climatology and medicine. A recent paper by University of Georgia statistics professor Lynne Billard, “Women Trailblazers in the Statistical Profession,” provides a historical introduction to these remarkable scholars from around the globe. Billard met or knew several of these extraordinary…
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