News Archive - 2017

seawall with beach
Marine scientists evaluate coastal armoring

Overlapping constituencies and interests strive to preserve an appreciation for beauty and "nature" but perhaps without the accompanying respect for how nature actually works. This new NSF-supported study highlights that there is just so much that we don't understand about how the world works: For nearly a century, the O'Shaughnessy seawall has held back the sand and seas of San Francisco's Ocean Beach. At work even longer: the Galveston seawall…

photo of woman in front of mural
Amazing student: Sarah Caesar

Prior to the start of college, I, like many incoming freshmen, was apprehensive about many things. I pondered hard about how long it would take me to acclimate to this new environment. One of the first things that struck me when I first learned about and visited UGA was its diversity, something I believe is a crucial factor that shows how inclusive and accepting a particular setting is. The university offers a plethora of opportunities, in…

monkeys with rock tools
The Culture of Learning

A provocative new study from psychology researchers published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that practicing with others shapes not only what monkeys learn, but also how they learn: Culture extends biology in that the setting of development shapes the traditions that individuals learn, and over time, traditions evolve as occasional variations are learned by others. In humans,…

ball and stick model of protein
Researchers describe protein previously unknown in biology

Research sheds new light on process of iron storage in microorganisms University of Georgia researchers have discovered a new way that iron is stored in microorganisms, a finding that provides new insights into the fundamental nature of how biological systems work. The research was recently published in the journal Nature Communications. Iron, a metal that is required by all living organisms, is usually stored with oxygen inside a cell in a…

montage pf laboratory photos with people
UGA research expenditures hit all-time high

Remarkable growth in extramural funding to the university has led to an all-time high of $458 million in research expenditures for fiscal year 2017: Externally funded research activity has climbed 37 percent over the past three years to $198 million in fiscal year 2017. "This tremendous growth in productivity reflects the unyielding commitment of UGA faculty to solve the important challenges of our time," said President Jere W.…

b/w photo with graphic
Dawgs Suit Up

 

graphic of global circulation
Solar eclipse - teachable afternoon about the sun and climate

The University of Georgia will host a viewing party of the solar eclipse on August 21. Professor Marshall Shepherd uses his Forbes column to underscore a crucial point about the rare event: Intuitively, I think most people understand that we have seasons because the Earth is tilted on its axis as it rotates around the sun. We are currently in northern (southern) hemisphere summer (winter) because that hemisphere is tilting toward…

mountains with clouds - painting
Juras exhibition in Colombia

Landscapes of Chingaza: an exhibition of paintings by alumnus Philip Juras (‘90 BFA Art/Drawing & Painting, ‘97 MLA -Master of Landscape Architecture) in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Chingaza National Park, Colombia, opened this past week in Bogota. Juras had the honor of touring the exhibition with Colombia's president, Juan Manuel Santos. The exhibition, combining Juras' passions for art and conservation, presents…

photo of man in lab
Amazing Student: Akash Shah

During my fourth year, I was provided with opportunities that have shaped my time at UGA. Despite being hospitalized for a week and struggling through fall semester due to a flare-up of my auto-immune disease, I was not only able to thrive academically with my highest semester GPA, but was also selected as an orientation leader for New Student Orientation and have the amazing opportunity to impact the lives of thousands of new students. This…

people crossing a street, photo
Campus without a car

Students are returning so campus and downtown Athens will soon be full to bursting. One great thing students, faculty and staff can do to relieve congestion in the area is to leave your car at home. Flagpole provides a great primer on ways you can do just that: Campus Transit buses are free for anyone to use, and they stop at every stop on the route. You  can hop on and hop off at any stop. There’s more space out than in, so just remember…