Driving Discovery and Innovation

The University of Georgia celebrates the world-class achievements of our faculty members who have received the nation’s highest academic honors. The National Research Council tracks these accolades as a standard metric of institutional excellence, serving as a primary benchmark for the Association of American Universities. From pioneering scientific breakthroughs to redefining cultural and social perspectives, UGA scholars have been recognized by elite national academies, global foundations, and federal agencies for their transformative contributions to research and instruction.


Recent UGA Honorees

Samantha Joye (Photo by Peter Frey/UGA)
Samantha Joye
National Academy of Engineering

Joye’s research centers on the complex interplay between microbes and large-scale environmental processes in the ocean. She has pioneered new methods of quantifying rates of microbial metabolism and instruments to capture the microbial and biogeochemical signatures of extreme environments at depth in the ocean.

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Samantha Joye
National Academy of Engineering

Joye’s research centers on the complex interplay between microbes and large-scale environmental processes in the ocean. She has pioneered new methods of quantifying rates of microbial metabolism and instruments to capture the microbial and biogeochemical signatures of extreme environments at depth in the ocean.

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Samantha Joye (Photo by Peter Frey/UGA)
Gerald Hart and Robert Schmitz
National Academy of Sciences

The National Academy of Sciences recognizes distinguished achievements in research and membership is considered one of the highest honors a scientist can achieve. With the election of Hart and Schmitz, UGA now has 19 NAS members.

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Gerald Hart and Robert Schmitz
National Academy of Sciences

The National Academy of Sciences recognizes distinguished achievements in research and membership is considered one of the highest honors a scientist can achieve. With the election of Hart and Schmitz, UGA now has 19 NAS members.

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All UGA Highly Prestigious Award Winners

American Academy of Arts and Sciences Members

Members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences are leaders in the arts and sciences, business, philanthropy, and public affairs. Based across the United States and around the world, they have been elected for exceptional contributions in their fields and professions.

 

YearNameDepartment
2025Gregory H. RobinsonChemistry
2024Aaron P. MitchellMicrobiology
2021J. Marshall ShepherdGeography
2014Elizabeth ReitzAnthropology
2007Paul SchleyerChemistry
2007Susan WesslerPlant Biology
2006Keith PoolePolitical Science
2004Henry SchaeferChemistry
2003Stephen P. HubbellPlant Biology
1998Wyatt AndersonGenetics
1994John AviseGenetics
1987William McFeelyHistory
1981O. Brent BerlinAnthropology

American Council of Learned Societies Fellows

The American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship program supports outstanding scholarship in the humanities and interpretive social sciences. ACLS Fellowships are awarded competitively to individual scholars, including independent scholars, whose projects demonstrate exceptional research, rigorous analysis, and compelling writing.

YearNameDepartment
2025Amna QayyumHistory
2024Kalyani RamnathHistory
2020Jennifer L. PalmerHistory
2015Laura Lake SmithArt History
2013Stephen BerryHistory
2013Emily KaneEnglish
2013William KretzschmarEnglish
2008Ari Daniel LevineHistory
2008Stephen A. MihmHistory
2005Michael KwassHistory
2003Erika HermanowiczClassics
2000Laura A. MasonHistory
1998Susan P. MatternHistory
1992John W. LoweEnglish
1989Allan KulikoffHistory
1984Anne WilliamsLiterature, Emeritus
1982Naomi J. NormanClassics
1981William W. StueckHistory
1980Richard E. FriedmanReligion
1977Louis DeVorseyGeography, Emeritus

 

Guggenheim Fellows

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation offers fellowships to exceptional individuals in pursuit of scholarship in any field of knowledge and creation in any art form.

YearNameDepartment
2025Ed PavlićEnglish
2023Andrew HerodGeography & Environmental Studies
2023Sonia HirtArchitecture, Planning, & Design
2022Claudio SauntUnited States History
2021Cindy HahamovitchUnited States History
2019Scott NelsonUnited States History
2011A.E. StallingsFCAS Alumna
2008Jeffrey BennetzenGenetics
2008Pejman RohaniEcology
2007Andrew PatersonGenetics / Plant Biology / Crop and Soil Science
2003Kevin YoungCreative Writing
2000Douglas AndersonEnglish
1986Anne O. SummersMicrobiology
1984Jose Gomez-MartinezSpanish, Emeritus
1976Henry F. Schaefer IIIChemistry, Emeritus

 

MacArthur Foundation Fellows

The MacArthur Fellowship is an $800,000, no-strings-attached award to extraordinarily talented and creative individuals as an investment in their potential.

YearNameDepartment
2022Jenna JambeckEngineering
2003Eve Trout PowellHistory

 

National Academy of Engineering Members

Election to the National Academy of Engineering is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education.

YearNameDepartment
2026Samantha JoyeMarine Science
2020J. Marshall ShepherdClimate Science Public Communication and Outreach
2015S. Jack HuIndustrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems
1996S. Edward LawBiological and Agricultural Engineering, Emeritus
1990Stuart O. NelsonBiological and Agricultural Engineering, Emeritus

 

National Academy of Medicine Members

Election to the National Academy of Medicine is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service.

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YearNameDepartment
2003Michael DoyleFood Science and Technology

 

National Academy of Public Administration Members

Members of the National Academy of Public Administration are selected following a rigorous review of the individual’s contributions to the fields of public administration and policy.

YearNameDepartment
2023Matthew R. AuerPublic Administration and Policy
2020Gene BrewerPublic Administration and Policy
2016J. Edward KelloughPublic Administration and Policy, Emeritus
2015Bradley WrightPublic Administration and Policy
2014Andrew WhitfordPublic Policy
2013Katherine WilloughbyPublic Administration
2006Laurence O’ToolePublic Administration and Policy, Emeritus
2003Hal RaineyPublic Administration and Policy, Emeritus
2000Thomas LauthPublic Administration and Policy

 

National Academy of Sciences Members

Membership in the National Academy of Sciences recognizes distinguished achievements in research and is a widely accepted mark of excellence in science. It is considered one of the highest honors a scientist can achieve.

YearNameDepartment
2026Gerald HartBiochemistry and Molecular Biology
2026Robert SchmitzGenetics
2025C. Robin BuellPlant Biology
2025Daniel R. PérezMicrobial Biology
2021Mary Ann MoranMarine Sciences
2021Gregory RobinsonChemistry
2021J. Marshall ShepherdAtmospheric Sciences
2017Michael R. StrandEntomology
2004Jeffrey BennetzenMolecular Genetics
1998Susan WesslerGenetics / Plant Biology
1997Lois MillerEntomology / Genetics, Emeritus
1992John H. LawEntomology, Emeritus
1991Norman AllingerChemistry, Emeritus
1987Wyatt AndersonGenetics, Emeritus
1980Brent BerlinAnthropology, Emeritus
1975Glenn BurtonAgronomy, Emeritus
1970Eugene OdumZoology / Ecology, Emeritus
1966Norman GilesGenetics, Emeritus

Pulitzer Prize

The Pulitzer Prize is a highly prestigious award honoring excellence in journalism, literary arts, and musical composition. Established in 1917 through the will of newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, the awards are administered by Columbia University.

YearNameDepartment
1998Edward J. LarsonHistory
1982William S. McFeelyBiography, Emeritus
 

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