Faculty from across the University of Georgia campus gathered on Nov. 30 to discuss the expanding influence of artificial intelligence, share insights into their research and consider how AI may shape higher education and society in the future.
The university’s inaugural Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Across Disciplines Symposium was hosted by the Institute for Artificial Intelligence with support from the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the Office of Research and the Franklin College of Arts of Sciences.
The symposium showcased UGA’s significant investments in the fields of artificial intelligence and data science. Those investments include an ambitious presidential interdisciplinary faculty hiring initiative that aims to recruit 70 faculty members with expertise in applying data science and artificial intelligence to some of society’s most urgent challenges.
Rather than being housed exclusively in a single department, the majority of UGA’s newly recruited faculty will focus on the fusion of data science and AI in cross-cutting areas such as infectious diseases, integrative precision agriculture, ethics, cybersecurity, resilient communities and the environment.
Two University of Georgia seniors and one recent graduate were selected for the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship, marking the first time UGA has had three recipients in one year.
Funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by Howard University, the Pickering Fellowship prepares outstanding young people for Foreign Service careers in the U.S. Department of State. UGA has had a total of five Pickering Fellows—including the three this year—since the program began in 1992.
The UGA recipients this fall are Clemencia El Antouri, a senior from Covington; Feben Teshome, a senior from Norcross; and Fardosa Hassan, who graduated from UGA in May.
“Clemencia, Feben and Fardosa represent well the mission of the Pickering Fellowship program,” said Elizabeth Hughes, a student affairs professional in the Morehead Honors College who works with students pursuing major scholarships in the Foreign Service sector. “They exemplify leadership and commitment to international cooperation. We look forward to seeing how these outstanding students will use their diverse talents to forge positive relationships between the United States and the rest of the world.”
The Pickering Program typically awards 45 fellowships of up to $42,000 annually for a two-year period for tuition, room, board, books and mandatory fees for the completion of a two-year master’s degree in an academic field relevant to the work of the Foreign Service.
University of Georgia alumnus Peter Schreiner has received one of Germany’s most prestigious research awards. The Joint Committee of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) announced the recipients of the 2024 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize, which was awarded to 10 researchers – three women and seven men. The winners will each receive €2.5 million in prize money.
Schreiner earned his master’s degree in chemistry at UGA in 1991 and his Ph.D. in chemistry in 1995. Currently he is a University Professor and Liebig Chair in the Institute of Organic Chemistry at Justus Liebig University Giessen in Giessen, Germany.
Schreiner receives the Leibniz Prize 2024 for his outstanding work in physical organic chemistry, through which he has made pioneering contributions to reaction control. Schreiner’s research has had a lasting impact on the overlapping fields of organic, physical and theoretical chemistry.
“We at the University of Georgia are immensely proud of the many research accomplishments of professor Peter R. Schreiner,” said Henry “Fritz” Schaefer, Graham Perdue Professor of Chemistry and director of the Center for Computational Chemistry in the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “The Leibniz Prize is one of the half dozen most prestigious awards in all academia, but we expect yet more acclaim to come for professor Schreiner.”
The University of Georgia continues to draw the best and brightest students throughout Georgia and the United States and recently offered admission to more than 9,000 early action applicants for the Class of 2028.
UGA received 26,760 early action applications for next fall’s incoming class, a record over last year’s high of 26,000. More than 11,500 applications were from Georgia residents, an 8% increase over last year, and more than 15,000 were from out-of-state applicants. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions increased high school visits within the state of Georgia this year by roughly 30% compared to last year.
In all, students from 50 states and Washington, D.C., including 107 counties across Georgia, applied for early acceptance and continued the trend of rising academic excellence among UGA students. Admission was offered to those with superior academic records, with the middle 50% of admitted students reporting a GPA of 4.13-4.38; ACT score of 31-34; SAT score of 1370-1500; and 9-13 AP, IB or dual enrollment courses.
“I am pleased that our reputation as an academic and athletic powerhouse continues to attract the top students from Georgia and across the nation,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “High-achieving students can rightly envision themselves reaching their academic and career goals here because UGA is the most comprehensive university in the state, with world-class faculty and staff who are committed to student learning and success.”
The University of Georgia’s first-year retention rate rose to nearly 95% this year, reflecting several ongoing efforts to improve the academic environment and support students.
Newly released data show the percentage of first-time freshmen who continue at UGA their second year rose to 94.6%, compared to 94.3% the year before. The university’s six-year completion rate held steady at 88%, matching the record high set last year. In addition, the four-year completion rate shows nearly three-quarters of UGA students graduate within four years.
On each metric, UGA continues to outpace its peers. According to the most recently available data, the average retention rate at UGA’s peer institutions is 91%, while the average six-year completion rate is 80%.
Over the past decade, UGA has taken many steps to help students thrive on campus. Under its ongoing Active Learning Initiative, the university is elevating instruction and student engagement through classroom renovations, faculty training and student programming. Several faculty hiring initiatives have provided students access to world-class scholars in classrooms and research laboratories. To give students more personalized guidance and support, the university increased its staff of academic advisors.
University of Georgia Provost S. Jack Hu and Professor Holly Sellers have been elected Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), joining 14 other UGA faculty members who have received the honor since the academy began electing fellows in 2012.
“I’m thrilled to welcome two more UGA colleagues to the National Academy of Inventors,” said Vice President for Research Karen Burg, a 2014 NAI Fellow herself and member of the academy’s board of directors. “Inventive scholars such as our NAI Fellows are integral to UGA’s #1 reputation in moving products to market. Provost Hu’s innovations in mechanical and industrial engineering have generated significant value in manufacturing, and Dr. Sellers’ work in poultry vaccines has had a tremendous impact on an industry that is vital both to Georgia’s economy and the national food supply.”
Hu is senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, as well as a UGA Foundation Distinguished Professor of Engineering in the College of Engineering. His research in advanced manufacturing has generated patented technologies that enhance quality and productivity in the automotive industry. In his academic leadership capacity, Hu has championed creating innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems for faculty and students.
Sellers is a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and researcher at the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center. In 2019, she was named UGA’s Inventor of the Year. Her research in clinical and molecular virology has led to the development of diagnostics and vaccines for combating diseases in poultry.
The Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership’s Athens Free Clinic has been named the recipient of the 2023 Star of Community Achievement award from the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The award is a nationally recognized honor presented to a campus that has improved the health status of its community or achieved its social mission through collaboration with its community.
“I am personally humbled,” said Dr. Suzanne Lester, director of the Athens Free Clinic. “It is rewarding to see that the close collaboration amongst our patients, medical students, faculty and university and community partners has positively impacted the community. To receive recognition from the AAMC is incredibly meaningful.”
The Athens Free Clinic was established in 2018 and became an integral part of the Community and Population Health curriculum at the Medical Partnership the following year. The clinic’s mission is to bring primary care to the underserved and underinsured population of Athens-Clarke County.
The clinic is staffed by Medical Partnership students, faculty and staff, and travels to various sites and neighborhoods within Athens-Clarke County to bring health care directly to patients who may lack access to transportation.
University of Georgia Foundation Fellow Ashni Patel has been selected for the Schwarzman Scholarship, becoming the eighth UGA student to receive this prestigious award. She will join students from around the world as they pursue a one-year master’s degree in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, starting next fall.
Schwarzman Scholars are taught by leading international faculty and study a core curriculum focused on leadership, global affairs and China, learning to navigate the complexities of an evolving global landscape. Patel plans to continue her undergraduate focus on connecting people, strengthening communities and protecting the vulnerable through advocacy, diplomacy and policymaking.
The 150 scholars in the incoming Schwarzman Class of 2025 were selected from a pool of more than 4,000 applicants, with close to 400 candidates invited to interview. They represent 43 countries and 114 universities. Nine classes of Schwarzman Scholars have been named since the highly competitive program opened to applicants in 2015.
Patel, a senior from Douglas in the Morehead Honors College, is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from the School of Public and International Affairs and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Terry College of Business. She also will earn a minor in Chinese language and literature from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.
Following a nationwide search, Jill Stephens Walton has been named vice president for Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) and Executive Director of the University of Georgia Foundation for the University of Georgia. Walton, who was leading the university’s development division on an interim basis and had formerly served as the senior executive director of development, will officially assume the role Dec. 1.
“Jill’s extensive experience across a variety of development areas, as well as her deep commitment to the University of Georgia, made her the top choice to lead the Development and Alumni Relations Division in a permanent capacity,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “Jill well knows the culture of philanthropy we’ve built at UGA over the last decade and has the right vision, personality and tenacity to continue those efforts in new and greater ways.”
The DAR team is comprised of approximately 250 staff members across a number of areas: Development, Alumni Relations, Operations (Finance, Budget, Human Resources and Advancement IT), DAR Communications, Business Engagement and Innovation, Special Events, Career Center, and the UGA Foundation Investments and Operations Management teams. As vice president, Walton will provide dynamic leadership of the advancement team in order to further UGA’s fundraising efforts and continue the positive support received from alumni, foundations, corporations, parents and friends of the university in recent years.
The 2023 Open Doors report ranked UGA No. 6 overall in student study abroad participation and No. 3 for short-term study abroad program participation among doctoral institutions in the U.S.
This report, compiled by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the Institute of International Education, details study abroad data for 2021-2022, the first full post-pandemic academic year.
According to the Open Doors report, 2,324 UGA students studied abroad for class credit, with 2,175 students studying on short-term programs. During this period, students studied in 72 countries, and over $580,000 in scholarships were awarded by the Office of Global Engagement to students for their experiences abroad, including the Passport Initiative Scholarship.
UGA is currently the leading institution in the state of Georgia for study abroad program student participation. Global Education has a long history of high student participation in short-term study abroad programs and a strong culture of faculty-led programs, holding a current portfolio of over 130 faculty-led study abroad programs.
