News Archive - 2016

Baldwin statue from below
the campus climate

In light of the recently released results of the UGA campus climate survey, the new curriculum incorporating diversity at Hamilton College struck a chord: Unlike many such campuses, Hamilton adopted a new curriculum requirement that all concentrations, or majors, feature relevant, mandatory course work on diversity. "This is an innovative approach to engaging with contemporary issues of inclusion and diversity in the curriculum," said Patrick…

two people in a field
Archeologists find 16th-century fort San Marcos

A team of archaeologists led by University of South Carolina's Chester DePratter and UGA's Victor Thompson has located the remains of a Spanish fort erected in 1577 in the Spanish town of Santa Elena, on present-day Parris Island, S.C. For decades, attempts to find it have failed, and Fort San Marcos stayed hidden until new technology brought it to light: San Marcos is one of five Spanish forts built sequentially at Santa Elena over its 21-…

River with city
New Faculty Tour

As much as UGA can be overwhelming for incoming students, the same is also often true for faculty recently arrived to Georgia. I always enjoy talking with faculty and researchers who are new to the state and have been on the new faculty tour, as they feel more connected to Georgia by becoming acquainted with some of its people and places: The tour will leave from the Georgia Center for Continuing Education Aug. 1 following welcome remarks from…

salt marsh day
Satellite data show Georgia salt marsh health decline

Scientists at UGA's Marine Institute at Sapelo Island have found that the amount of vegetation along the Georgia coast has declined significantly in the last 30 years, spurring concerns about the overall health of marshland ecosystems in the area: Using data collected by NASA's Landsat TM 5 satellite, which provided 28 years of nearly continuous images of the Earth's surface between 1984 and 2011, the researchers found that the amount of marsh…

digital mapping of the U.S. with blue dots
Saunt's USNewsMap wins NEH prize

The National Endowment for the Humanities announced the winners of the Chronicling America Data Challenge, and among them is Claudio Saunt from the department of history for his USNewsMap.com. The project maps patterns, explores regions, investigates how stories and terms spread around the country, and watches information go viral before the era of the internet: This site argues that newspapers better capture the public discourse because of…

people with bounce house outside
Heat dangers of bounce houses

A nearly ubiquitous sight on the suburban landscape, inflatable bounce houses mark the fun and frivolity at children’s parties and other events practically year round. But a new study from Andrew Grundstein and Marshall Shepherd in geography examines the heat safety issues that can put children in danger amid all the innocent play: Expanding on the concept of microclimates like those in parked vehicles that cause serious injuries to children,…

students in a vet med lab
First-Year Odyssey Seminars

Next week, incoming freshmen begin a new chapter in the momentous journey that has brought them to UGA. One of the great new experiences awaiting them on campus is the First-Year Odyssey seminar program: an exciting time to engage, experience and explore the opportunities available to you at the University of Georgia. The First-Year Odyssey seminars are designed to introduce you to the academic life of the University. These seminars will allow…

students in the shape of the super G
UGA welcomes incoming Ramsey Scholars, Foundation Fellows

Congratulations to the incoming freshman class of Ramsey Scholars and Foundation Fellows. Administered by the UGA Honors Program, The Foundation Fellowship is UGA's premier academic scholarship; the recipients were selected from among 1,100 applicants. The Foundation Fellowship was created in 1972 by trustees of the UGA Foundation to enrich the educational experience of outstanding undergraduates. The incoming class has an average SAT score…

Olympic rings with continents
An Olympic Move-in Weekend

It is a coincidence that the Games of the XXXI Olympiad officially begin tonight and students begin their move into the UGA dorms on Sunday? Maybe, and in truth Athens has already begun to fill up with students again (I see parents walking on the lawn outside my window right now) and I watched an Olympic soccer match two days ago. But the Olympic games - featuring many UGA athletes and coaches, reported on by our sports journalists and…

woman in front of Park Hall
Amazing Student Madison Jones

As we welcome the next amazing class of UGA students, highlighting achievements in rigorous academics and service to the campus community like those of Madison Jones gives us an idea of what it's all about at UGA: My favorite things to do on campus are... I love meeting friends for a quick bite at Bolton between classes since cooking is hard and the commuter meal plan is a gift to mankind. My favorite activities on campus probably happen…