After a few weeks of working with University of Georgia doctoral student Aimee Kowalski, Monisha Narayanan can now pipette like a pro. Besides mastering the art of getting drops of liquid into tiny plastic containers, the rising high school senior from Johns Creek has watched zebrafish grow from microscopic to swimming.
Narayanan is one of 44 high school students on the UGA campus this summer conducting research through the Young Dawgs program. Run by UGA Human Resources, Young Dawgs is doing more than capturing the imaginations of high school students and preparing them for future careers. It's also partnering with local school districts and earning awards on the national level. The program recently received the 2013 Community Service and Outreach Award from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, a recognition that came with a $10,000 award.
Hugh Ruppersburg, a long-serving administrator at the University of Georgia, has been named interim vice provost for academic affairs.
Ruppersburg served as interim dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences from 2011 to 2012 and has served as its senior associate dean since 2005. Earlier this year, he was named University Professor, an honor bestowed selectively on UGA faculty who have had a significant impact on the university in addition to fulfilling their normal academic responsibilities.
University of Georgia cancer research was one of several human health projects that took the spotlight recently when Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, and Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) heard reports by scientists and faculty from UGA, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University and Emory University.
"Georgia is a hotbed of great science," said Collins, who is responsible for managing and coordinating all the programs and activities of the 27 institutes and centers that fall within NIH, the nation's medical research agency. NIH invests more than $31 billion each year in medical research; more than 80 percent of NIH funding is awarded through competitive grants.
Stefanie A. Lindquist, an associate dean at the University of Texas at Austin and a scholar who works at the interface of law and politics, has been named dean of the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs.
The University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication has announced the creation of the Carolyn Caudell Tieger Chair in Public Affairs Communications.
Six University of Georgia faculty members will spend the next academic year expanding their range of expertise as 2013-2014 Study in a Second Discipline Fellows.
Turner Entertainment President Steve Koonin and his wife Eydie have made a $250,000 personal gift and pledge to establish the Koonin Scholars Fund at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. The fund will provide scholarships for Grady students preparing for careers in the creative industries and media.
Smitha Ganeshan, an Honors student majoring in anthropology at the University of Georgia, has received a 2013 Harry S. Truman Scholarship, which recognizes juniors with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in government and elsewhere in public service.
Judith Ortiz Cofer, Regents and Franklin Professor of English and Creative Writing in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, has been named the University of Georgia's 2013 recipient of the Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award.
