News from the Chronicles - October 2025

Pictured: Hope Ritter with students
Investing in Discovery: The Legacy of the Hope T.M. Ritter Lecture Series

The University of Georgia Franklin College of Arts and Sciences has long been a place where knowledge grows through curiosity, mentorship, and the pursuit of excellence. Few traditions embody this spirit more than the Hope T.M. Ritter Lecture Series, a program born from generosity and carried forward by the vision of family and community.  Hope Ritter was a beloved member of the UGA faculty and a mentor whose teaching inspired countless…


Student Internship to Support Writing Across the Curriculum and Connections between the Humanities and STEM

UGA students with strong writing, communication, and design skills and an interest in interdisciplinary subjects are invited to apply for an internship with Laura S. McKee, the Coordinator of Writing Across the Curriculum, a faculty role that bridges a number of programs including the Willis Center for Writing, the Writing Intensive Program, and the English Department. In this position, the intern will create content across a variety of modes…

Pictured: Punkosdy in lab
From Small-Town Curiosity to Cutting-Edge Cancer Research

Growing up in the rural town of Tallapoosa, Georgia, George Punkosdy (BS ’98, PhD ’04 – Cellular Biology) was always drawn to understanding how things worked. But it was a high school chemistry class taught by the tough yet inspiring Mr. Tommy McGuire that truly ignited his passion for science. The intricate interactions of nature’s building blocks fascinated him and set him on a path that would eventually lead to groundbreaking work in…

Pictured: Valdes and Aviles talking
Mentoring foundation – a shared language in computing

Both Lily Valdes (BS ’25) and Aries Aviles (BS ’21) began their journey to success in computer science in the University of Georgia School of Computing. As alumni of the same program, they understand the challenges that come with entering the ever-changing world of technology. Through the UGA Mentor Program, they discovered how meaningful it can be to connect across generations of computing students. What began as a search for guidance turned…

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Molecular pathways bring GRA scholar to UGA

Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Molecular Cell Biology Nathan Lewis joined the University of Georgia in fall 2024 with appointments in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Center for Molecular Medicine, the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center. Our colleagues in UGA Research Communications share this Q & A with Lewis, in which he talks about his research into cellular…

photo of flooded street, day
UGA, Duke collaborate with insurers to rethink climate resilience

Funded by a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, a new partnership between the University of Georgia, Duke University and leaders from the insurance and climate data industries will launch the Center for Innovation in Risk, Catastrophes, and Decisions (CIRCAD),  a new initiative focused on insurance innovation and large-scale climate risk mitigation research. CIRCAD will convene researchers, insurers,…

photo of arch, with buildings, tree, day
Three Franklin faculty members named 2025-2026 Aspire Fellows

The University of Georgia has named 11 faculty members – including three from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences – to the 2025-2026 Aspire Fellows cohort. The Fellows represent seven UGA schools and colleges as well as the Center for Teaching and Learning. Established in 2017, the Aspire Fellows program is designed for mid-career and senior faculty on any career track to complete a signature project that extends their professional impact…


Fiction Writers Program at the Oxbelly Retreat – Internship at the University of Georgia Spring 2026

Students are invited to apply for a Fiction Writers Program internship which will allow them to review the work of some of the most talented contemporary aspiring writers in the world. Students accepted for this internship will help review applications for the 2026 Fiction Writers Program (https://www.oxbelly.com/about). Interns will join a selection of reviewers from all over the world to review applications from January 19 - February 13. In…

Zia (middle) and friends
Izabella Maja Zia: Where Psychology Meets Communication — and Data Ties It All Together

Izabella Maja Zia — known to most as Bella — is a student at the University of Georgia whose academic path reflects both clarity of purpose and a deep curiosity about human behavior. From early in high school, Zia knew she wanted to pursue industrial organizational psychology, a field that examines how people function in the workplace and how organizations can foster healthier, more productive environments. That clarity led her to major in…

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BICAID 2025: Africa at the Crossroads of Global Politics

The University of Georgia African Studies Institute presents the Ninth Biennial International Conference on Africa and its Diaspora, or BICAID 2025, Nov. 5 – 7, 2025 in the Tate Student Center.  The theme of this year’s conference is, “Africa at the Crossroads of Global Politics: Indigenous Knowledge, Youth Agency, and Diaspora Partnerships.” The three-day international conference is being held in a hybrid format with registered…