President Jere W. Morehead began his tenure as the 22nd University of Georgia President on July 1, 2013. Under his leadership, UGA has risen in the rankings of the best public colleges and universities and has completed a series of initiatives to enhance student learning and success, including a requirement for experiential learning for all undergraduates.

Additionally during President Morehead’s tenure, the University completed the most successful capital campaign in its history and established the UGA Innovation District, through which students and faculty partner with industry leaders to create products and enterprises that strengthen Georgia’s economy. UGA has increased its research expenditures by more than 50% over the past decade and has been ranked first or second in the U.S. for research-based products reaching the marketplace for the past seven years.

In keeping with his focus on student success, President Morehead launched the ALL Georgia program to support students from rural areas and created the Double Dawgs program, which enables students to save time and money by earning an undergraduate and graduate degree in five years or less. Demand for a UGA education has more than doubled during the past decade, with a record 43,000 applications submitted for a spot in the incoming Class of 2027.

President Morehead has served the University of Georgia for more than 35 years in both faculty and administrative roles. Before becoming President, he was Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost from 2010 to 2013. Prior to 2010, he held several key administrative assignments, including Vice President for Instruction, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Associate Provost and Director of the Honors Program, and acting Executive Director of Legal Affairs.

He is the Meigs Professor of Legal Studies in the Terry College of Business, where he has held a faculty appointment since 1986. He is a co-author of several books and book chapters, including The Legal and Regulatory Environment of Business, and he has published scholarly articles on legal topics ranging from export controls to jury selection. He has served as Editor-in-Chief of the American Business Law Journal.

President Morehead currently serves as Co-Chair of the University Leadership Forum, a national initiative led by the Council on Competitiveness. Additional service includes membership on the boards of the Georgia Research Alliance, Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and Emory University Candler School of Theology.

He is Chair of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Board of Directors and a member of the NCAA Division I Administrative Committee and NCAA Board of Governors. He previously served as President of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and Chair of the SEC Executive Committee and as a member of the NCAA’s Presidential Forum; Working Group on Name, Image, and Likeness; and Federal and State Legislation Working Group. He also is a member of the National Football Foundation Board of Trustees.

In 2021, he received the Chief Executive Leadership Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education District III for outstanding leadership and service in support of education. He has received several University-wide teaching awards, including the Josiah Meigs Award—UGA’s highest honor for teaching excellence, the Richard B. Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, the Teacher of the Year Award in the Terry College of Business, and the Lothar Tresp Outstanding Honors Professor Award. He also earned the UGA School of Law’s premier honor for alumni, the Distinguished Service Scroll Award.

President Morehead holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University and a law degree from the University of Georgia.

Close

Dr. Pharr holds the dual roles of Chief of Staff to the President and Vice President for Marketing and Communications.

As Chief of Staff, Dr. Pharr provides counsel to the President and serves as the principal liaison with the University System Chancellor’s Office. She also serves as the administrative liaison with the UGA Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost as well as the Vice Presidents for Government Relations, Development and Alumni Affairs, and Finance and Administration, all of whom report directly to the President. In addition, she provides administrative oversight of the Office of Internal Audit, which reports through the Chief of Staff to the President.

She further supervises the Assistants to the President, acts as principal liaison with the UGA Foundation, and provides administrative oversight of the President’s Sky Suite during football season and of all special events involving the President. In addition, Dr. Pharr serves on a number of special task forces and committees as the President’s representative.

As Vice President for Marketing and Communications, Dr. Pharr oversees the Division of Marketing and Communications, which partners with key University units to develop research-driven, results-oriented communications, marketing, and media plans that advance University objectives. In addition to integrated media, marketing, and creative teams, the division also includes WUGA-FM and the UGA Visitors Center.

Dr. Pharr has risen through the ranks of the University of Georgia since joining the School of Law as its Director of Communications and Public Relations in 1993, following six years in broadcast news. She has served previously as Assistant to the President, Assistant Vice President for Finance and Administration and Director of Health Sciences Campus Administration, and Chief of Staff and Associate Vice President for Institutional Affairs.

She holds three degrees from UGA: a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in journalism, a master’s degree in public administration, and a doctorate in higher education management. In 2021, Dr. Pharr received the inaugural Distinguished Service Award from the UGA Foundation, which established a need-based Georgia Commitment Scholarship in her name. Dr. Pharr serves as an advisor to the Blue Key National Honor Society and received its Young Alumnus Award in 1996. She speaks as an invited guest lecturer for various campus leadership programs on such topics as crisis management, leadership development, and higher education communications.

Close

Dr. Moore became Deputy Chief of Staff to the President in October 2023 following two years of service as an Assistant to the President and three years as a doctoral intern and postdoctoral fellow in the Office of the President. His work focuses on executive communications, research and innovation, regional reaccreditation, and strategic planning.

Dr. Moore serves as a liaison to the University Council, President’s Faculty Advisory Committee, Office of Accreditation and Institutional Effectiveness, Development and Alumni Relations, Innovation District, and UGA Research Foundation in addition to serving as the primary point of contact for inquiries and day-to-day management of the President’s Office.

Before joining the Office of the President, Dr. Moore served as a Graduate Research Assistant in UGA’s Institute of Higher Education. Earlier, he held a number of posts at Mississippi State University, including Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations and Director of Development for the MSU College of Architecture, Art, and Design. He began his career at Mississippi State University serving as an admissions counselor in the Office of Admissions and Scholarships. 

Dr. Moore earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2003 and a master’s degree in public policy and administration in 2009 from Mississippi State University. He earned a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from Harvard University in 2019 and a doctorate from UGA’s Institute of Higher Education in 2020.

Close

Ms. Davis joined the President’s Office in September 1993 and has served in three administrations in a number of capacities. In her current role as Assistant to the President, her work focuses primarily on facilities, admissions, and athletics. She also serves as the liaison to the UGA Real Estate Foundation, Faculty Admissions Committee, and Georgia Athletic Association. In addition, Ms. Davis is the coordinator of the Senior Administrators Retreat, a member of the Commencement Steering Committee, and liaison to the Office of Special Events for the Presidents Club reception.

Immediately prior to her role as Assistant to the President, Ms. Davis served as Operations Specialist in the President’s Office, providing day-to-day oversight of administrative staff operations, helping to coordinate the President’s SkySuite during football season, and serving as liaison for capital projects and related special events.

Ms. Davis earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Georgia Southern University in 1992 and her master’s degree in public administration from Jacksonville State University in 1993.

Close

Mr. Guajardo joined the President’s Office as Assistant to the President in November 2023. His primary responsibilities focus on student affairs, inclusive excellence, community relations, and executive communications. He serves as the President’s liaison to the Staff Council, Retirees Association, and Student Government Association while representing the President’s Office in the planning of Staff Appreciation Day, the Holmes-Hunter Lecture, the Mary Frances Early Lecture, and other campus events. In addition, he oversees the awarding of grants through the President’s Venture Fund and has responsibility for numerous communications projects within the Office of the President.

In his previous role as Senior Director of Integrated Media Communications within the Division of Marketing and Communications, Mr. Guajardo managed media relations efforts across the institution, overseeing UGA’s quarterly magazine, Georgia Magazine, and leading a team devoted to highlighting the accomplishments of students, faculty, and staff across a variety of channels and platforms.

Prior to joining UGA, Mr. Guajardo served as News and Media Relations Director at the University of Mississippi. In that role, he led strategic media relations efforts and managed crisis communications, which involved close collaboration with partners across campus including in the Division of Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Diversity and Community Engagement, among others. Earlier, he served as Editor of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, the second largest newspaper in Mississippi, and news editor of The Natchez (MS) Democrat.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Auburn University and his master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from the University of Mississippi. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in higher education from UGA’s Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education.

Close