News Archive - 2013

UGA alumnus John Powers, (MFA in sculpture, 2008) was awarded the Virginia A Groot Foundation Award, which includes $35,000 in support for a sculpture artist. The Virginia A. Groot Foundation was established in 1988 so that artists working in three dimensions could have the opportunity to devote additional time and resources to the development of their work.  ... Powers lives and works in Birmingham, Alabama where he is Assistant Professor…

It is with a heavy heart but great pride that we share reports that senior associate dean Hugh Ruppersburg has been named interim vice provost of UGA: Ruppersburg served as interim dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences from 2011 to 2012 and has served as its senior associate dean since 2005. Earlier this year, he was named University Professor, an honor bestowed selectively on UGA faculty who have had a significant impact on the…

Recent headlines concerning the actress Angelina Jolie brought renewed emphasis to the use of genetic testing. A new book by Franklin College assistant professor Kelly Happe further fleshes out the social and cultural context to the discussion of medical decision-making based on genetic testing: Although Jolie cautioned readers that risks are different for each woman and only a fraction of breast cancers result from an inherited gene…

The New York Times' David Brooks was kind enough to give the humanities prominent placement in his column last week. Unfortunately, the New York Times' David Brooks was kind enough to give the humanities some prominent placement in his column last week: Back when the humanities were thriving, the leading figures had a clear definition of their mission and a fervent passion for it. The job of the humanities was to cultivate the human core,…

Recent UGA history graduate Chelsey Cain has been named one of fifteen winners of the 2013 Gilder Lehrman History Scholar Award, it was announced on June 19. Selected from candidates across the country, the Award recognizes outstanding graduating college seniors who have demonstrated academic and extracurricular excellence in American History or American Studies. Founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, the Gilder Lehrman…

We've been on a roll with history department students this week (and let's hear it for the humanities) and so in keeping with the theme, congratulations again, Tom Okie: On June 15, 2013 the Agricultural History Society announced the winners of its annual publication and societal awards. The awards banquet was part of the Society’s annual conference, which was held in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The Agricultural History Society was founded…

Josh Cutchin in the School of Music reports on the exploits of Athens music scene favorite and Hodgson School alumna Heather McIntosh: Hugh Hodgson School of Music alumna Heather McIntosh was recently selected for a Sundance Institute Film Composers fellowship, an honor that secures her a place at the 2013 Sundance Institute Music and Sound Design Labs.  The event, a joint effort between Sundance and Skywalker Sound, will pair…

The pipeline that connects university research to the public, from new drug treatments to insights about our own history, is one of the very important functions of higher education. The pipeline that connects young students to one day become those very researchers is just as important: Run by UGA Human Resources, Young Dawgs is doing more than capturing the imaginations of high school students and preparing them for future careers. It's also…

The Second Thursday Scholarship Series is one of the great traditions at the university and the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, and the series is set to begin anew on Thursday Sept. 12: The series' opening concert will feature the UGA Symphony Orchestra Sept. 12 in a performance with bass-baritone Brandon Cedel, a winner of the 2013 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. The September symphony concert is one of the signal events of the…

As we enter the height of hurricane season, forcasters have a new model to improve their work. Newly upgraded supercomputers of NOAA’s National Weather Service are now more than twice as fast in processing sophisticated computer models to provide more accurate forecasts. The scientific data and insights that these newly upgraded supercomputers will provide are essential to help government officials, communities, and businesses better understand…