Tags: research

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Franklin triple-major seeks to serve her community through interdisciplinary approaches

Some may say that Rayna Carter has a lot on her plate for a second-year student, but it’s all about service for her. She wants to make her time at college count by using her time and skills to help as many people as possible.  “I've always been passionate, not just about leadership but about service,” she said. “That's really where my drive comes from: that desire to help people however I can.” Carter is triple-majoring in biology,…

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Geographers track environmental changes in the Andes

Geography faculty members have written and published extensively on the mountain ecology of the Ecuadorian Andes. Our colleagues in the Office of Research share a slideshow from their work investigating changes in freshwater availability and agricultural sustainability due to climate change, with important cultural and economic implications for the region: In September 2023, researchers from the University of Georgia Franklin College of Arts and…

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New study describes ways nonconformity can define individuals

While Americans often celebrate individuality in general, a new study from psychology shows that Americans tend to think more positively about mavericks than contrarians. According to the recent University of Georgia study, not all nonconformists are the same. Although on the surface, several “stand out” individuals may look the same, they are likely different from one another in several important ways. Across multiple studies, researchers…

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New study describes relationship between weather, chronic pain

The perception of weather-related increases in chronic pain leads many people to plan their activities around forecasts and influences the desire for pain-based weather forecasts, according to a new research study from UGA geography. In a survey, about 70% of respondents said they would alter their behavior based on weather-based pain forecasts: “We’re finding more consistent relationships between weather patterns and pain, so it seems more…

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Active learning intervention challenges race-based medicine

Despite ongoing efforts in the corporate world and academia to untangle and correct inaccurate notions about race and biology, strong currents of belief and practice continue to challenge what can appear to be a broader awareness. For example, although race has no biological basis, medical school training curricula tend to misrepresent race and reinforce biologically-essential components of race as explanations for disease. As the social…

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Second annual School of Computing Research Day

The University of Georgia School of Computing (SOC) held its second annual SOC Research Day on Nov. 17 to celebrate the rapidly growing prominence of computing research across the university. The keynote, senior administration, and faculty speakers helped lay out a vision for the next era of computing at UGA. Our colleagues at UGA Research Communications share the story: Held in the Georgia Center for Continuing Education, the event pulled…

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Theatre provides the stage for blending the arts and AI

Theatre and Film Studies associate professor John Gibbs brings his excitement for science to his teaching and research in drama. All along, he knew the potential of artificial intelligence was lurking. Now that computer-aided design is ready to have an impact on just about every field, Gibbs is prepared to meet the new tools more than halfway. Our colleagues in UGA Research Communications share the story: “I was born about five years too…

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School of Computing hosts Research Day

The  University of Georgia School of Computing held its second annual Research Day on Nov. 17. Keynote speaker Irfan Essa, senior associate dean of the College of Computing at Georgia Tech, explained recent developments of artificial intelligence and how these advancements may impact society, the Red&Black reports: “Ask not when, or if, AI will replace people,” Essa said. “Ask when people using AI will replace people not using AI.”…

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Finding balance: the psychology of self-control and justifications

In a world where immediate gratification often takes precedence, the concept of "treating yourself" has evolved into a call for indulgence and abundance. It's a phrase that frequently evokes images of overpriced lattes, impromptu shopping sprees, and the unceasing pursuit of fleeting pleasures. But is this culture of self-indulgence truly as innocent as it may seem? Researchers at the University of Georgia published a new paper examining the…

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New director Gagan Agrawal discusses the future of UGA School of Computing

The University of Georgia elevated its longstanding department of computer science to a School of Computing in July 2022 in response to rising student enrollment, the growing role of computing in a range of fields, and the institutional investment in a Presidential Hiring initiative in data science and artificial intelligence. Created within an interdisciplinary framework, the School of Computing is jointly administered by the Franklin…

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Two UGA doctoral students win international Geology Award

Two Franklin College doctoral students won the Farouk El Baz Student Research Award from the Geological Society of America. The primary role of the GSA research grants program is to provide partial support of master's and doctoral thesis research in the geological sciences for graduate students enrolled in universities in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central America. The highly regarded Farouk El Baz Award for desert research is…

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Focused on the fuel

Franklin College faculty and graduate students across the life sciences are engaged in bringing next-generation transportation fuels to market through a variety of ongoing research efforts. From  refinement of living organisms to breaking down sugars to release the energy in biomass, extraordinary researchers are developing new methods for displacing fossil fuels from the carbon budget. Our colleagues in the Office of Research share the…

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Noted and Quoted, October 2023

Sharing disciplinary expertise and opinion on issues of the day are important constituent elements of public scholarship. Franklin College faculty and graduate students do their part month in, month out, enhancing the reputation of UGA and Franklin College in the process. A sample of the many stories across the media featuring our colleagues:   What Hollywood gets right-and wrong-about real-life AI – Stephen Mihm, professor and head of the…

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UGA research team receives USDA APHIS funding for development of a rapid diagnostics platform for SARS-CoV-2

A person with COVID-19 might transmit SARS-CoV-2 to domestic cats and dogs (and perhaps other pets) in the same way that an infected animal could possibly transmit it to another individual. In addition, lions, tigers, pumas, snow leopards and non-human primates from zoos or wildlife refuges in the U.S. and other countries have been confirmed infected with SARS-CoV-2, while infections have also been reported in white-tailed deer, both wild and…

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CRISPR study reveals secret to genetic immunity

Neww research from the University of Georgia has identified the critical role a particular type of protein – known as histone – plays in archiving information from past viral threats and contributing to more effective immune responses to future threats, through what is called genetic immunity. Histones are highly conserved proteins that have been compared to spools around which strands of DNA wrap themselves. A research team led by Michael Terns…

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UGA team awarded NIH funding to use AI to investigate molecular interactions

Molecular scale breakthroughs in human health – from COVID-19 vaccines to cancer therapeutics – require scientists to understand how molecules interact with each other, akin to figuring out how puzzle pieces fit together. To do this, scientists use a special microscope called an atomic force microscope (AFM) that can see and manipulate molecules. For the virus that causes COVID-19, for example, this microscope can gently poke and measure…

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Research Q & A: Katrien Devos

Katrien Devos is Distinguished Research Professor with joint appointments in the University of Georgia’s departments of Crop & Soil Sciences and Plant Biology in the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences (CAES) and Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, respectively. Specializing in plant genetics, she also is a member of CAES’ Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics & Genomics. In this interview, she discusses her…

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Franklin faculty research on podcasts

The platform you can take with you, that so many people enjoy, is also very useful for learning about leading researchers and research topics of wide interest. New episodes of two podcasts each feature Franklin College faculty discussing their work, shedding light, and sharing their expertise. In a new episode of People, Parasites, & Plagues, the jhosts interview Dr. Xiaorong Lin, a distinguished professor of medical mycology at the…

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Timing plant evolution with a fast-ticking epigenetic clock

Recent discoveries in the field of epigenetics, the study of inheritance of traits that occur without changing the DNA sequence, have shown that chronological age in mammals correlates with epigenetic changes that accumulate during the lifetime of an individual. In humans, this observation has led to the development of epigenetic clocks, which are now extensively used as biomarkers of aging. While these clocks work accurately from birth until…

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Noted and Quoted, September 2023

From storms to smart phones to... what happened to the Southern accent? Research from Franklin College faculty and graduate students was widely reported during September. A sample of the stories and media pick from across the globe: Scientists are asked if humans have broken the Earth’s climate – Marshall Shepherd, Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor od Geography, quoted by CleanTechnica, The Extinction Chronicles  Does…

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Classic Georgia accent fading fast

A collaborative study between the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech has found the classic Southern accent is undergoing rapid change in Georgia. The instigator? Generation X. “We found that, here in Georgia, white English speakers’ accents have been shifting away from the traditional Southern pronunciation for the last few generations,” said Margaret Renwick, associate professor in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of…

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CRISPR enables plant biologists to engage grand challenges

New research from UGA plant scientists describe how CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology has a significant role to play in developing sustainable agriculture. The study and illustrations are featured on the cover of the August issue of the CRISPR Journal, which details how recent studies in the deployment of genome editing in trees are opening new avenues for sustainable forestry: The widespread success of CRISPR medicines in the clinic is…

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Bram Tucker prioritizes people in work to understand cultures

Bram Tucker is an associate professor in the University of Georgia’s Department of Anthropology, where his Behavioral Ecology and Economic Decisions Labstudies how people make decisions under risks, vulnerabilities and changes. He works primarily with Mikea hunter-gatherers, Masikoro farmers and Vezo fishers in southwestern Madagascar, and previously served as president of the Society for Economic Anthropology with the American…

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In Memoriam: Lars G. Ljungdahl

University of Georgia Professor Emeritus Lars G. Ljungdahl passed away in July 2023 at the age of 96. A pioneer in the field of anaerobic metabolism, Ljungdahl made remarkable discoveries leading to a set of biochemical reactions now known as the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, and about supramolecular cellulosome complexes that efficiently digest cellulose. Ljungdahl joined the faculty of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of…

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Aerial dance program taking flight at UGA 

Aerial dance, a mesmerizing fusion of dance and acrobatics, has found its place at the University of Georgia (UGA) with the development of an aerial dance program. Elizabeth Stich, a performer and instructor, joined the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences as an assistant professor of dance in 2022 to spearhead this new initiative.  "We are fortunate to have Elizabeth Stich's expertise on our faculty," said Jean Martin-Williams, associate…
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