Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

 

Here are some academic highlights since the Cabinet last met in November 2012.

Appointments/Searches

Charles N. Davis has been named dean of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. His appointment is effective July 1. Dr. Davis comes to UGA from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, one of the top ranked programs in the nation.

Three finalists for the position of dean of the School of Public and International Affairs are visiting the university this month to meet with members of the campus community. Rebecca White, dean of the School of Law, is chair of the search committee.

Three finalists for the position of dean of the College of Engineering visited the university in March and met with members of the campus community. Svein Oie, dean of the College of Pharmacy, is chair of the search committee.

A search also is underway for the next dean of the Terry College of Business. Alan Dorsey, dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, is chair of the committee.

Also in March, a search committee was named to seek the university’s next vice president for student affairs. Jennifer Frum, vice president for public service and outreach, is chair of the search committee. I’d also like to express my appreciation to Dr. Tom Burke, who is serving as interim vice president for student affairs while we conduct a national search.

Dr. Meg Amstuz has been named associate provost for academic programs. She will be responsible for current and new programing that will offer our students a broad array of co-curricular activities and enrich the intellectual life of our campus.

Awards/Honors

This week the university celebrates Honors Week, a time when we hold a number of events across campus that highlight the academic accomplishments of our students and faculty.

This year two faculty members were honored with the Meigs Professorship, the university’s highest teaching recognition, and three faculty members received the Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

Michael Strand was named Regents Professor and Judith Ortiz Cofer was the recipient of the university’s SEC Faculty Achievement Award. Hugh Ruppersburg was named University Professor.

Our students have once again earned some of the nation’s most selective scholarships. Foundation Fellow Smitha Ganeshan was named a 2013 Truman Scholar and Philip Grayeski, also a Foundation Fellow, was named a Goldwater Scholar. We also had two recipients of the Udall Scholarship this year, capping a year that began with the naming of a Rhodes Scholar from UGA in the fall.

And for the sixth time in nine years, a School of Law graduate has been chosen to clerk for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Other News

The Department of Energy has renewed funding for the BioEnergy Science Center, which is a partnership between the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, UGA and other institutions that seeks to develop affordable and sustainable liquid biofuels. Total funding for the BioEnergy Science Center is $25 million per year for five years. Since the project began in 2007, its researchers have disclosed more than 100 inventions. I congratulate Alan Darvill and the many other faculty members who are helping make the BioEnergy Science Center such a success.

The university hosted more than 35 events in March as part of its first Entrepreneurial Week. The workshops, panel discussions and networking events held during Entrepreneurial Week kicked off a permanent, year-round initiative known as Thinc. at UGA that will promote entrepreneurship and foster economic development throughout the region. I want to congratulate the Office of the Vice President for Research for leading that initiative. I was also pleased that so many people from the university played a role in the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Red Carpet tour when it came to Athens recently.

I would also like to express thanks to Dr. Libby Morris for her great work on the Skidaway merger, where we reached an agreement on merging the faculty. We look forward to welcoming the Skidaway Institute into the university community this summer.

Jere Morehead

Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

See 2/20/13 report to the cabinet

See 11/28/12 report to the cabinet

See 9/27/12 report to the cabinet

See 4/26/12 report to the cabinet

See 2/16/12 report to the cabinet

To keep up with the latest news about academic affairs at UGA, visit the Office of the Provost Facebook page.