As a land- and sea-grant institution, the University of Georgia is committed to the economic vitality of our state. Our research creates innovative technology that lays the foundation for new companies and makes existing organizations more profitable. We prepare students to be leaders in their fields, and we provide training that helps entrepreneurs and small businesses thrive. We help communities revitalize their downtowns, develop their workforces, and attract industry and jobs. Through all of this and more, the University of Georgia generates an estimated annual economic impact of more than $6.3 billion on our state—and we’re just getting started.
Advancing our great commitments
UGA’s Great Commitments are to advance a world with healthier people, a more secure future, and stronger communities. A presidential working group, chaired by Vice President for Public Service and Outreach Jennifer Frum, has pushed forward these commitments by developing several new initiatives.
Included in the plans are an interdisciplinary research seed grant program focused on Great Commitments; an ambassador program designed to connect faculty researchers with communities around the state; a student-led service program focused on Georgia communities; and a students’ “tour of Georgia” program aligned with Great Commitments.
Combating an invasive species
The silverleaf whitefly is a formidable adversary for Georgia farmers. Over the course of two growing seasons, whiteflies and the viruses they transmit have decimated vulnerable crops, especially vegetables, throughout the southern part of the state. They caused an estimated $80 million to $100 million in crop loss and ruined nearly 80 percent of the area’s fall season snap beans and almost half of its squash and cucumbers. UGA researchers are working with Cooperative Extension specialists and agents to manage whiteflies and whitefly-transmitted viruses.
Hurricane aftermath
The University of Georgia is committed to helping communities prepare, respond, and recover from natural disasters whenever and wherever they occur throughout the state. After Hurricane Michael ravaged southwest Georgia in October 2018, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agents were there, assessing damage and helping farmers and communities recover from the devastating storm. Michael caused an estimated $2.5 billion in losses and hit the pecan, cotton, and vegetable crops particularly hard. Timber in the southwest region was devastated. UGA Extension continues to help farmers return to normal operation and prepare employees for local disaster response.
Protective barrier
Tens of thousands of patients develop a secondary infection from medical devices, such as catheters and central lines, that are used during their hospital stays. Assistant Professor of Engineering Hitesh Handa is developing coatings that use nitric oxide, a powerful gas naturally present in the body, to prevent bacteria from multiplying on a device’s surface. The nitric coating also can be applied to plastic tubing used during dialysis and blood transfusions to prevent blood from clotting.
Archway honors
It looked like Pulaski County would lose its small regional hospital until UGA’s Archway Partnership and the College of Public Health stepped in to perform a Community Needs Health Assessment. Their findings made a strong case for keeping the hospital but making some necessary operational adjustments. Ultimately, the work helped save the hospital. For that, the Archway Partnership and the College of Public Health received the National Award of Excellence from the University Economic Development Association.
Helping Communities Address Cybersecurity Threats
Cybercrime takes one of our society’s great strengths—the internet—and exploits its weaknesses. UGA launched CyberArch to help our state’s communities protect themselves against cybercrime. Organized through UGA Public Service and Outreach, CyberArch shares customized cybersecurity resources with Georgia communities through on-site consultations, Small Business Development Center trainings, and cybersecurity risk assessments.
Interdisciplinary seed grant program
A program designed to promote research collaboration across campus and attract major external grants yielded a nearly tenfold return on investment.
In its first iteration, the President’s Interdisciplinary Seed Grant Program provided a combined $1.37 million in funding to 12 faculty teams. With projects ranging from coastal resiliency to mapping the global risk of emerging infectious diseases, the teams generated an initial $12.9 million in external awarded grants.
At the State of the University address in January, the President announced plans to continue the program with a second wave of funding in 2019.
Empowering Community Development
The Carl Vinson Institute of Government is committed to educating the state’s leaders and supporting city and county governments across Georgia. A partnership between the Institute of Government and the Georgia Economic Developers Association, the Georgia Certified Economic Developer Program provides Georgia-specific training on practical topics for economic developers from across the state. The program features courses tailored to the needs of Georgia’s communities and emphasizes practical, skills-based training with immediate application.