A new paper by research scientists at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center focuses on cancer stem cells:

the research team demonstrates that the sugar molecule, made by an enzyme known as GnT-V, regulates the development of a particular subset of cancerous cells known as cancer stem cells.

Congratulations to Dr. Mark Wenthe, currently a parttime instructor at UGA and also a recent PhD alumnus in linguistics in the department of classics, who won an international competition for best dissertation for the year 2013 from the Society of Indo-European Studies (Indogermanische Gesellschaft).

As a normal part of my duties in research reporting, I had an enjoyable interview/conversation yesterday afternoon with a junior faculty member. An energetic, very bright and motivated young professor, I could see how his infectious enthusiasm might effect students and as well as departmental colleagues. The tone of that experience brought to mind this Chronicle Review post from last month by friend of the blog (and Hofstra U. art faculty member) Laurie Fendrich:

Lots of great news about faculty, staff and students in the most recent Philosophy newsletter. Includes stories on

Lavender, Myers, and Newman awarded scholarships

Winfield publishes seventeenth book, attends Hegel Congress

Department to host Metaphysical Society of America 2015 Annual Meeting

And more. 

A new UGA study in the American Review of Public Administration, from faculty in the School of Public and International Affairs, presents findings on individual behaviors by public employees that is all well and good:

Shovels hit the ground last week as an expansion project began on one of our venerable North Campus buildings, Baldwin Hall:

Built in 1938, Baldwin Hall has served as a Navy pre-flight school during World War II and home to several UGA academic programs. The building currently houses the School of Public and International Affairs as well as the departments of sociology and anthropology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

If there's one thing we take for granted more than the infinite availability of water, it would be the technical ability of our best scientists should that availability ever come into question.

Well, the infinite availability of water is very much in quesiton and what is the reaction of scientists? Looking to Mother nature for clues to survival in water-limited environments:

National Book Award finalist and former University of Georgia faculty member Claudia Rankine will read from her work Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. at Ciné, 234 W. Hancock Ave. The event, sponsored by the UGA Creative Writing Program in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, is free and open to the public.

Congratulations to former Franklin dean Garnett Stokes, who will become provost and vice-chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Missouri beginning Feb. 1:

The final event in this fall's very successful Anthropocene Lecture Series takes place tonight at 7 p.m in the Chapel. No scientific investigation can be complete without the inclusion of a moral perspective and tonight's lecture looks at the ways theology and science can work together: