Tags: Earth

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Experts warn of connections between microorganisms and climate change

As scientists improve their understanding of the impacts of microorganisms on the broad systems and that keep global biological cycles in balance, responses to a changing climate by microbes on land and sea across the Earth have become key indicators. Now, more than 30 microbiologists from 9 countries have issued a warning to humanity – they are calling for the world to stop ignoring an ‘unseen majority’ in Earth’s biodiversity and ecosystem…

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Students, alumni win NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

Seven UGA graduate students earned highly competitive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships this year, and six UGA alumni also have earned the fellowship, which includes three years of financial support that includes an annual stipend of $34,000 plus a $12,000 cost of education allowance and networking and professional development opportunities: Doctoral student Jordan Chapman said he was attracted to the…

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Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies will investigate planet’s integrated system

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced a national consortium of academic and nonprofit institutions, with leadership from the University of Maryland College Park (UMD) and North Carolina State University focused on improving our understanding of how the atmosphere, ocean, land, and biosphere of Earth interact with each other and with human activity as an integrated system. The Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth…

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Alumni Johnson and Schneider Leave No Trace

The UGA Graduate School magazine profiles alumni Jessie Johnson, who received an MA in Sociology (2005) and Matthew Schneider, who earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy (2010), intrepid adventurers who share a mindful approach to living: Johnson and Schneider have no permanent address, no “home” per se, but live on the road and camp in public campgrounds or sometimes on private land. They are one of four pairs of Leave No Trace…

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5G networks vs. weather forecasting

With the 2019 hurricane season officially beginning June 1, there's another potential obstacle to predicting monster storms: the next generation of cell phones: On one side of the debate, scientists worry that future 5G networks will hurt satellite data they rely on. On the other side, federal regulators and cell phone companies are racing to deploy 5G technology, which will deliver information up to 100 times faster…

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Student designs AI app to diagnose plant diseases

Shaza Mehdi tried diagnosing blighted flowers by Googling images of plant diseases and comparing those images with the sick roses, sparking an idea that led her to come up with PlantMD — a smartphone app that can diagnose a plant disease with the snap of a photo: After three months of researching, coding and getting some help from her high school teachers, Mehdi launched the app. “PlantMD works when you take a picture of a…

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Anthropology student to intern with NatGeo

University of Georgia student Sarah Riggs will be joining the National Geographic Society’s Human Journey Grants team as its first intern: The Human Journey team focuses its research on cultures and cultural sustainability to learn more about who we are and what our future will be. The team focuses on a diverse range of topics, from extinct ancient grains and the sustainability of palm oil to climate change. Grants support projects studying…

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Megan Reeves (AB ’18): communicating sustainability

Growing up in Stone Mountain sparked an interest in sustainability for Megan Reeves. The value of sustainable practices solidified for the communication studies major when she worked towards earning the Certificate in Sustainability at UGA: In Megan’s opinion, the uniqueness of the Sustainability Certificate program comes from the diverse coursework and the differing educational backgrounds of students united…

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Four Franklin students named 2019 Goldwater Scholars

The highest undergraduate award of its type for the fields of the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering, the Barry Goldwater Scholars program encourages outstanding students to pursue careers in these fields. This year, UGA has four Goldwater Scholars:  Monte Fischer, an Honors student and Foundation Fellow, plans to pursue a doctorate in mathematics to investigate questions of stochastic processes, probability and…

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Student Commencement speaker: Franklin double-major Joshua Clifford

Just one week from today, double-major dual degree graduate and Redcoat Marching Band drum major Joshua Clifford’s journey through UGA will culminate as this spring’s student Commencement speaker: Because of the Redcoat Marching Band I was able to find community within UGA before classes even started my freshman year. I’ll never forget my first day of band camp when I met the 40 other members of the clarinet section. I was so…

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Focus on the Faculty: Yohannes Abate

A prolific researcher at the frontier of new developments in quantum optics and 2-D materials, associate professor of physics Yohannes Abate is also a dedicated teacher who inspires students with his fascination for discovery: How does your research or scholarship inspire your teaching, and vice versa? I deliberately aim to integrate my research activities into meaningful theoretical and practical exercises that introduce…

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Anthropology comic series, workbook connect fun to critical thinking

The Center for Applied Isotope Studies provides crucial research and analytical expertise in radiocarbon dating on campus and around the world. The commitment of its faculty, staff and students also stretches into helping young people think about science by bringing anthropology to life: [Former CAIS research scientist Alice Hunt] wanted a way to hook undergraduate students while teaching them the skills professors are…

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Noted and Quoted, April 2019

Mirror-like optical illusion in the deep Pacific Ocean and the world's first ever gene-edited lizards lead the many media mentions of research and scholarship by Franklin faculty during April. A sample: Why our youth should be celebrated not mocked – a climate case study, writes Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor Marshall Forbes in his regular column at Forbes   Church in the Maelstrom: A…

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Samantha Joye named Regents’ Professor

Samantha Joye, an internationally recognized University of Georgia marine scientist who studies the complex interplay between microbes and large-scale ecological processes in the oceans, has been named Regents’ Professor, effective July 1: Joye is Athletic Association Professor of Arts and Sciences in the department of marine sciences, part of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. Regents’ Professorships are bestowed by the Board of Regents…

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NIH provides long-term funding for Escalante microbiology lab

The National Institutes of Health announced a Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) granted to UGA Foundation Distinguished Professor Jorge C. Escalante-Semerena of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of microbiology. MIRA grants are designed to increase the efficiency of NIH funding by providing investigators with greater stability and flexibility, thereby enhancing scientific productivity and the chances…

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Conservation in the age of a changing climate

Over Spring break, an International Scientific Conference on "Past Plant Diversity, Climate Change and Mountain Conservation," organized under the Belmont Forum's VULPES project, convened a five-day meeting at the University of Cuenca, in the city of Cuenca – a World Cultural Heritage Site, in southern Ecuador. The conference, organized by professor and undergraduate coordinator in the department of geography Fausto…

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Noted and Quoted, March 2019

Faculty, alumni and 'statistical significance' lead our media mentions for the month of March: Goldman’s “flexible” dress code takes a cue from Silicon Valley – associate professor of history Stephen Mihm at – Yahoo! Finance   UGA experts discuss future of CRISPR gene research after international controversy – R&B quotes Michael Terns, distinguished research professor in the department of biochemistry and…

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'Statistical significance' reaches its limits

Scientists are re-assessing one of their own most fundamental measurements: the use of statistical significance in research findings (as well as funding). An editorial co-authored by UGA statistics professor Nicole Lazar and published this week in a special issue of The American Statistician urges scientists to stop using the term: The issue, Statistical Inference in the 21st Century: A World Beyond P<0.05, calls for an…

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Advancing a new approach to packaging

Rethinking the recycling challenge is the focus of a new grant to UGA researchers from the Walmart Foundation: An $800,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation to the University of Georgia New Materials Institute will help researchers understand how multilayer plastic packaging biodegrades and also help manufacturers in their attempts to design and select more sustainable materials. The research funded by the grant will seek to yield…

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Better trees for a growing state

Leading-edge plant science research brings greater insight into how trees react to stress and how that can affect Georgia's economy: In addition to contributing to a wide range of construction trades, this also includes paper and bioenergy industries and supports ecological benefits that range from environment stabilization to wildlife habitats. Because this region extends through Georgia and has a significant impact on the state’s economy…

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Noted and Quoted, February 2019

An extraordinary diversity of subject matter expertise shared in the media during February by Franklin faculty, on hot topics of the day and perennial issues from human affairs to climatic challenges. Here's a sample of the great work by public-spirited scholars, outside the classroom: Freda Scott Giles,associate professor emerita of theatre and film studies and African-American studies, presents lecture…

graphic in blue and white for Anthro day
World Anthropology Day

Come explore one of the most fascinating disciplines on campus as we celebrate World Anthropology Day today, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Baldwin Hall: Anthropology Day is a day for anthropologists to celebrate their discipline while sharing it with the world. The Department of Anthropology at UGA has organized activities and displays to showcase how this field helps in understanding humanity's past, present and future. All members of the public and…

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Two Franklin College professors win 2019 Sloan Fellowships

Two UGA faculty members have been awarded a prestigious Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship to support their research for the next two years, the Sloan Foundation announced on Feb. 19: Elizabeth Harvey of marine sciences and Rachel Roberts-Galbraith of cellular biology will each receive $70,000 from their fellowships over the next two years. Two of 126 Sloan Fellows nationwide for 2019, the assistant professors represent just the 12th and 13th Sloan…

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New comparative study on DNA modifications across the fungal tree of life

DNA activity can change without changing the sequence of the DNA segment itself. Gene activation and inactivation can be the basis for how species produce unique individuals. Some processes that change gene activity are well understood in the context of model species. However, scientists are still grappling with how some processes, like DNA methylation, change gene activity in many diverse organisms. Broader theories applicable to all species…

photo of man with fermentation equipment
Creating coursework for cell manufacturing

Research teams at UGA and the University of Pennsylvania, along with four private firms, are taking part in an 18-month federally sponsored project led by the Georgia Institute of Technology that will develop a much-needed curriculum to train workers for the fledgling cell manufacturing industry: The curriculum development project is part of the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals, or NIIMBL, which the U.S…
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