Athens is a town known for arts, creativity and a vibrant collection of independent businesses. It is also home to the birthplace of public higher education in America: the University of Georgia. Located at the intersection of downtown Athens and UGA’s North Campus is the Innovation District, a thriving hub for collaboration, problem-solving and entrepreneurship.
The Truist Community Innovation Initiative, established by a 2021 grant from the Truist Foundation, provides access to the resources, expertise and programs within UGA’s Innovation District for aspiring Athens-Clarke County entrepreneurs and startups.
One of the key educational programs within the Truist Community Innovation Initiative is the Innovation Bootcamp. Considered to be an on-ramp to entrepreneurship, Innovation Bootcamps help participants clarify goals, streamline pitches and build leadership skills. Truist’s grant supports two seven-week Innovation Bootcamps each year for cohorts of 20-30 entrepreneurs at no cost to the participants.
“The goal of Innovation Bootcamp is to teach community entrepreneurs the basics of leading a successful business and introduce them to resources available to them both on campus and in the ACC community,” said Allyson Hester, the Innovation Bootcamp program manager. “Thanks to the sponsorship from the Truist Foundation, Innovation Bootcamp is able to offer education, mentorship, coaching, direction and resources without cost to individuals in the community who are interested in potentially starting a business but aren’t sure how to begin.”
Following a nationwide search, the University of Georgia has named Andy Borst Vice Provost for Enrollment Management for the University of Georgia, effective Aug. 7, 2023.
Borst, most recently director of undergraduate admissions at the University of Illinois Urbana/ Champaign, is recognized as a national expert on enrollment and is often cited on topics related to college admissions and ethical considerations in enrollment in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and other news outlets. He has 20 years of experience in higher education, including 12 years serving in a senior leadership role in enrollment management.
This new position will be UGA’s chief enrollment officer, and will provide vision, leadership and strategic direction in the development and attainment of enrollment priorities for the university. As Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, Borst will oversee enrollment management related to undergraduate, graduate, professional, and online education, working with senior leadership to develop strategic enrollment plans, monitor enrollments and matriculation, and plan for resource implications. Borst also will supervise the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and the Office of Student Financial Aid. He will report to Marisa Anne Pagnattaro, Vice President for Instruction & Senior Vice Provost for Academic Planning.
Donors have long been a powerful source of progressat the University of Georgia, and the past year was no exception. Private donations to UGA in fiscal year 2023 reached $242.8 million, the second-highest fundraising total in the university’s history.
“I want to express my sincere thanks to each and every donor for helping us continue to elevate the University of Georgia to new heights,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “UGA would be a vastly different place without the generous support of our alumni, friends and the UGA Foundation. Private giving helps faculty members raise the bar in their fields, helps connect communities across Georgia to university resources, and helps students achieve things they never thought possible.”
From July 2022 to June 2023, 71,223 donors contributed to UGA, resulting in the third consecutive year—and sixth year of the last seven—that donations have surpassed $200 million. The university’s three-year rolling average, which averages the three most recent years of giving, rose to a record $235.1 million—the third consecutive year this number has risen and the sixth consecutive year it has exceeded $200 million.
Over the course of the year, donors endowed 16 faculty positions, bringing UGA’s total to 356, and created 158 scholarship funds. In total, private giving established 301 endowed funds, which will provide reliable, long-term funding to a multitude of areas at the university.
The University of Georgia Alumni Association has unveiled the 40 Under 40 Class of 2023, a group that includes a Country Music Award-winning musician, a New York Times bestselling author, a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Public Health Service and more.
40 Under 40 celebrates the personal, professional and philanthropic achievements of successful UGA graduates under the age of 40. The honorees will be recognized during the 13th annual 40 Under 40 Awards Luncheon on campus this fall.
“We are excited to recognize this year’s 40 Under 40 class and celebrate their achievements in Athens,” said Meredith Gurley Johnson, UGA’s executive director of alumni relations. “I am continually impressed by the leadership and service of these young alumni within their communities and industries across the country.”
Nominations for 40 Under 40 were open from February to March, and the alumni association received hundreds of nominations. Honorees must have attended UGA and uphold the three pillars of the Arch: wisdom, justice and moderation. Additional criteria are available on the UGA Alumni website.
“Across their industries, these graduates represent the pillars of the Arch and the Bulldog spirit as they lead the charge to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges,” said Johnson. “We are so proud of their accomplishments and are pleased to welcome them back to Athens.”
A wooded parcel of land on South Georgia’s Lake Blackshear has netted a sizable gift for a school at the University of Georgia.
The 2,500-acre property recently sold for $18.5 million to an undisclosed buyer. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, which received the land as a donation from businessman Charles Wheatley in 1989.
“After years of stewardship, we felt the market was in a good place,” said Warnell’s dean, Dale Greene. “We are very pleased with the outcome, and the funds from the sale will be transformative for our school as we prepare the next generation of foresters and natural resources professionals.”
The school plans to create three separate funds from the land sale. One fund will be dedicated to building updates and modernization efforts of the campus facilities in Athens. The other two funds will be established as endowments to allow the school to benefit in perpetuity. One endowed fund will support research, such as funding for post-doctoral positions and equipment, while the other will enhance student learning through the hiring of additional instructors and teaching assistants, as well as technology improvements.
It’s no secret that Gainesville, Georgia, is growing. With $318 million in private investment in downtown and the Midland area in just the last five years, the city is capitalizing on a unique strategic planning process developed by the University of Georgia Vinson Institute of Government.
Most recently, the area received $4.4 million in funding from the governor’s office to support projects in “A Vision for the Athens Street and 129 South Corridors,” a community-driven plan focused on increasing greenspace and connectivity released last year by the UGA Institute of Government.
The city of Gainesville and Hall County will receive $2.2 million each, part of an overall package of more than $225 million for 142 projects across the state, to improve neighborhood assets like parks, recreation facilities and sidewalks in communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
It’s just the latest success in a relationship that began 10 years ago, when the city first sought expert assistance from the UGA Institute of Government for a master plan for its downtown. The resulting Downtown Gainesville Renaissance Strategic Vision and Plan set the tone for the city’s progress and remains a vital resource, said Rusty Ligon, community and economic development director.
On July 1, Jere W. Morehead JD ’80 concluded his 10th year as president of the University of Georgia. To mark the occasion, Georgia Magazine sat down with UGA’s 22nd president to discuss some highlights of the past decade and where the university is headed.
Georgia Magazine: Congratulations on celebrating your 10th anniversary as president of the University of Georgia. In those 10 years, what are the accomplishments of which you are most proud?
President Jere W. Morehead: The past decade has been a remarkable period of achievement for our university.
What I’m most proud of is that UGA has reached new levels of excellence in every facet of its mission. We’ve been ranked among the top 20 public universities for seven consecutive years, and the number of applications for admission has more than doubled.
Three out of four UGA students now complete their degrees in four years—a completion rate 13% higher than a decade ago—and our six-year completion rate has reached 88%. We also launched initiatives like the experiential learning requirement and the Double Dawgs program.
Annual R&D expenditures have risen more than 50%, surpassing half a billion dollars. UGA also recently received the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ highest award for public service.
Our university community has come together like never before to push UGA to record heights, and I am incredibly proud of our accomplishments.
Undergraduate students know that teaching and research are key missions of the University of Georgia. After all, that’s what they do almost every day in class. Yet many may not grasp the third tenet of the university’s mission: outreach and service. The UGA Public Service and Outreach Student Scholars program was founded over a decade ago to offer undergraduate students a way to engage with that crucial part of UGA’s mission.
Then-interim PSO Vice President Steve Wrigley implemented the program in 2011 when he saw the value in putting PSO’s expertise and resources in the hands of students.
“I just felt like it was a wonderful way to give undergraduate students the opportunity to be exposed to the great work Public Service and Outreach does, and to get some professional work experience, particularly in settings they may not otherwise be exposed to,” said Wrigley, who served as chancellor of the University System of Georgia after leaving UGA.
The yearlong PSO Student Scholars program has had an impact on hundreds of UGA students. This year there were 22 student participants—more than twice the number of participants (10) than the one-semester pilot program in spring 2011.
The University of Georgia was recently recognized as one of the best colleges in the country through a top ranking from “Money” magazine in its annual Best Colleges in America list.
This year, the publication redesigned its analysis from a numbered ranking system to a star rating system, doling out one to five stars based on a variety of criteria including affordability and student outcomes. In the new ranking system, UGA received 4.5 stars, with a specific emphasis on the institution’s high graduation rate and scholarship support.
“The university’s 85% graduation rate is well above average, and 89% of students get grants to help fund their education,” the publication noted. “The university has an impressive number of students and faculty who earn national awards each year, including Rhodes, Fulbright and Marshall scholars.”
Last year, the university’s four-year completion rate increased to a record 75.1% while the six-year completion rate grew to 88.1%. With a retention rate of 94.3%, UGA’s success exceeds the average completion and retention rates of peer institutions.
The second project for the City of Thomaston in the University of Georgia’s Connected Resilient Communities (CRC) program brought UGA students and faculty to town to develop strategies for making the square and Thomaston Downtown Entertainment District more pedestrian and retail friendly.
“There’s tremendous opportunity here. With our location and bringing vibrancy and life back to downtown Thomaston, we are excited to be a part of the CRC program and work with UGA students and faculty to continue the revitalization of downtown Thomaston,” said Taylor Smith, Thomaston economic development coordinator and chair of the CRC steering committee.
Thanks to Thomaston’s geography being directly between Atlanta, Columbus and Macon, the economy of the small Central Georgia town is growing. The city is working to make downtown a hub for that growth and has turned to UGA—through the CRC program—to address two specific challenges: pedestrian safety and façade improvements.
The UGA Archway Partnership, which administers the CRC program, brought in UGA engineering student Arthur Taran and UGA engineering professor Stephan Durham to help address the situation. Taran and Durham visited Thomaston and went to work researching traffic flow and challenges. Taran, under Durham’s advisement, developed a proposal to address the safety issues.
