February 11, 2021
by Jere W. Morehead, President
From lifesaving vaccines and therapeutics to the turfgrass used on the field for Super Bowl LV, research breakthroughs at the University of Georgia lead to economic benefits and improved quality of life. Investment in state-of-the-art facilities is one of the drivers of UGA’s growing success in research and innovation.
The first phase of our new interdisciplinary STEM research complex will be completed this summer, providing a space that promotes creative approaches to research leading to new products and services. Planning and design are now underway on the second phase. This massive project represents our most extensive capital investment ever in the research enterprise, and it holds the promise of world-changing discovery and innovation. Modernization of the mid-century facilities on Science Hill that will be vacated once the I-STEM research complex is finished will further strengthen UGA’s research infrastructure. Planning and design have begun on a new Poultry Science Building, which will support a vital Georgia industry and solidify UGA as a global leader in poultry research. And a proposed greenhouse complex on the Athens campus will advance research on plants grown for ornamental, food, pharmaceutical, and nutritional medicine applications.
The emerging Innovation District also will play a central role in UGA’s research and innovation efforts. Last month the University opened the Innovation Hub, the new home for faculty entrepreneurship and industry engagement. Our new Student Industry Fellows program, which pairs interdisciplinary student teams with corporate partners, is hosting its first classes there this semester. To support the Innovation Hub, we have relocated the Small Business Development Center and the research communications and engagement units to facilities nearby.
Advancing research and innovation is central to the mission of the University of Georgia. Facilities that accelerate research discoveries and commercialization are enabling our ideas and inventions to make the greatest impact on society.