June 04, 2019
by Jere W. Morehead, President
This summer marks the 50th anniversary of the UGA Studies Abroad Program in Cortona, Italy. Alumni and supporters of this renowned program will join current students, faculty, and staff at UGA’s picturesque campus this week to celebrate this significant milestone.
As a leading public research university, the University of Georgia’s mission of teaching, research, and service extends throughout the world. UGA strives to provide students with a global perspective that will help them connect with individuals and communities wherever they go and will help them succeed in whatever career path they choose.
In 1970, Jack Kehoe, an internationally recognized sculptor and respected educator in the Lamar Dodd School of Art, founded UGA Cortona as a summer study abroad center where UGA students could enhance their studio art skills and increase their knowledge of art history while learning about the history and culture of Italy.
UGA Cortona now provides courses year-round in science, business, agriculture, and other disciplines in addition to art and has educated approximately 10,000 students from 400 different institutions. Fortunately, even as the program has grown, it has maintained its unique quality and character as a vehicle for intercultural understanding and authentic engagement between our students and faculty and the people of Cortona.
UGA Cortona is a wonderful reminder of the international reach of the University of Georgia and the strength of our enduring relationships with colleagues and friends around the world.