November 12, 2020
by Jere W. Morehead, President
Graduate students are integral to the University of Georgia’s teaching, research, and service missions. They bring fresh ideas, energy, and a drive to discover, and they provide critical support for the research, scholarship, and creative activities of our talented faculty. They also teach and mentor our outstanding undergraduate students.
To reflect the increasing importance of graduate education at our institution, the University raised the Graduate School’s highest leadership role to a Cabinet-level position. The inaugural Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of the Graduate School, Dr. Ron Walcott, works with schools and colleges across campus to enhance the recruitment, support, and success of graduate students. He also is contributing to UGA’s strategic plan for research growth as advancement in this area is simply not possible, at any meaningful scale, without growth in graduate education.
The President’s Office has created new doctoral fellowships with $500,000 in private funds to attract the very best graduate students to the University of Georgia. I encourage UGA’s alumni and friends to rally around support of graduate education as a cornerstone of our strategy for future fundraising. The University also is investing in new professional development and mentoring programs, as well as new grants and honors, to encourage and reward teaching excellence at the graduate level.
The quality of graduate education at UGA is closely linked to our success as an institution. As we strive to promote excellence in teaching and learning; grow research, innovation, and entrepreneurship; and strengthen partnerships with communities across Georgia and around the world, UGA’s graduate students will play a central role in our achievements.