Honors Week 2026

About the awards: The Regents’ Professorships are the University System of Georgia’s highest professorial honor.

Elena Karahanna is a Distinguished Research Professor and the C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry Distinguished Chair in Business Administration in the Terry College of Business. Her research has fundamentally shaped how individuals and organizations engage with digital technology. Karahanna is also one of the most cited information systems scholars worldwide, and her work spans critical areas such as technology adoption, algorithmic coordination, health care information technology and the societal impacts of artificial intelligence. Full press release.

J. Marshall Shepherd is the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. He is a highly decorated scholar and global expert in weather and climate, known for his pioneering research and longstanding commitment to mentoring students and early-career scientists. His research has significantly advanced understanding of extreme weather patterns, predictability and associated risks. Full press release.

About the awards: The University Professorships are given to faculty who have made an extraordinary impact on the University of Georgia.

Wayne Parrott is a Distinguished Research Professor in the department of crop and soil sciences, director of the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics and interim director of the Center for Applied Genetic Technologies in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. In addition to teaching for almost 40 years in the department of crop and soil sciences, Parrott has played an instrumental role in shaping UGA’s study abroad programs. He also spearheaded the development of new master’s and doctoral programs in plant breeding, genetics and genomics. Full press release.

Olin E.  “Gene” Rhodes Jr. is the UGA Athletic Association Professor of Applied Ecology in the Odum School of Ecology and director of the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL). During his tenure as director for the past 14 years, Rhodes has played a critical role in strengthening UGA’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. He helped to significantly increase staff, graduate students and faculty at SREL, as well as establish a positive and productive relationship with the U.S. Department of Energy, leading to a 600% increase in external funding. Full press release.

About the award: The Southeastern Conference Professor of the Year Award is the conference’s highest faculty honor, recognizing scholarly excellence and transformational impact in teaching, research and service at SEC institutions.

C. Robin Buell, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar Chair in Crop Genomics, became the fourth UGA faculty member to receive the SEC Professor of the Year Award. An internationally recognized leader in plant genomics, bioinformatics and computational biology, Buell is a professor of crop and soil sciences in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Her work has been instrumental in the development of massive genomic datasets that are used by scientists worldwide to improve crop resilience and productivity. Full press release.

About the awards: The Josiah Meigs Professorships are UGA’s highest recognition for sustained excellence in instruction.

Jennifer A. Brown, professor and director of graduate studies in the department of communication sciences and special education in the Mary Frances Early College of Education, has taught more than 200 courses, including required undergraduate and master’s courses in communication sciences and disorders, First-Year Odyssey seminars and GradFIRST seminars. Beyond her classroom, Brown has facilitated more than 150 experiential learning opportunities through mentored research in her Child Communication Lab and community-engaged service-learning initiatives in local schools. Full press release.

Moon Jung Jang, associate professor in the Lamar Dodd School of Art in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, founded C-U-B-E, an experimental design lab that serves as a multifunctional space for exhibitions, workshops and collaborative practice in 2015. Her commitment to interdisciplinary teamwork is reflected in her role as co-investigator on a $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant for the Geometry, Research, Outreach and Visualization Initiative, a partnership with David T. Gay, a professor in the department of mathematics. Full press release.

Teena Wilhelm, associate professor in the department of political science in the School of Public and International Affairs, is the founder and director of the UGA National Parks Program, a study away program that takes students across the western United States to study the politics and policies of public lands while visiting approximately 15 national parks and monuments. She also founded and advises the university’s undergraduate moot court team, offering students intensive preparation for legal careers. Full press release.

About the awards: The Richard B. Russell Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching are the university’s highest early-career honor for outstanding and innovative instruction.

Gaelen R. Burke, professor of entomology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, is an internationally recognized expert in insect-microbe interactions. Burke integrates active learning into her research to help students build scientific literacy. Since joining the department of entomology, she has redesigned core courses to emphasize the relevance of insect science to human well-being and environmental health. She has mentored 44 undergraduate researchers, several of whom have won awards. Full press release.

Matthew Nolte Evans, associate professor of entertainment and media studies in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, specializes in screenwriting and focuses on preparing students for professional careers in the film and television industry. He designed and continues to teach the popular screenwriting workshop “Writing for Television” and leads required introductory and advanced writing courses, as well as a First-Year Odyssey seminar. Full press release.

Ingie Hovland, assistant professor of religion and women’s and gender studies in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, has transformed the undergraduate experience by emphasizing advanced reading and critical thinking skills in the humanities. She has designed innovative instructional materials, including a course workbook that guides small-group learning and demonstrates how to read in discipline-specific ways. Full press release.

About the awards: The University of Georgia Award for Excellence in Teaching is an honor recognizing sustained excellence in instruction.

Melissa Scott Kozak, a principal lecturer in the department of human development and family science in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, teaches courses required for certification in family life education and prepares students for careers in a wide range of professions including parenting education, relationship education and public policy. She challenges and engages students in active learning experiences that encourage them to think critically about the course material, and she often adjusts readings or classroom activities and identifies new topics to cover. Full press release.

Kim Landrum, a principal lecturer in the department of advertising and public relations in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, demonstrates an ability to adapt to emerging technologies and student needs while maintaining rigor, empathy and intellectual depth in her courses — from social media content and production to podcast branding and production. In the past five years, she has designed and implemented several new, high-demand courses that have become cornerstones of Grady College’s creative sequence. Full press release.

About the award: Presented annually by the Office of Global Engagement, the Reiff Award recognizes full-time faculty who have made exceptional contributions to global education at UGA.

Victoria Hasko, director of the University of Georgia’s Russian Flagship Programs since 2018, has worked to expand access to international learning opportunities for students across disciplines. Under Hasko’s leadership, the Russian Flagship Program has grown into one of the largest and most successful programs of its kind in the country. Full press release.

About the award: The Innovation in AI Teaching Award recognizes exceptional contributions by UGA faculty to the integration of artificial intelligence in teaching and learning.

Bree Bang-Jensen, an assistant professor with a dual appointment in the School of Public and International Affairs and the College of Public Health, was recognized for an assignment she designed for INTL 4210: International Law. The two-part assignment transformed how students learn treaty drafting by strategically integrating generative AI tools grounded in documented professional trends. Full press release.

About the awards: The Creative Teaching Awards are presented annually to faculty who have demonstrated exceptional creativity in using either an innovative technology or pedagogy that extends learning beyond the traditional classroom or for their creative course design or implementation of subject matter that improves student learning outcomes.

Andrew P. Owsiak, professor in the School of Public and International Affairs, replaced traditional lectures in INTL 3200: Introduction to International Relations and INTL 6010: Research Methods in International Policy with immersive, “laboratory-like” exercises. This bridged the gap between academic theory and the professional skills required to compete with top-tier policy schools. Full press release.

Michelle A. Ritchie, assistant professor in the College of Public Health, designed the course DMAN 3200: Disaster Policy to help connect the dots between disaster theory and the often messy realities of governance by incorporating active learning activities such as concept mapping, debates and peer-sharing. Full press release.

Kimberly Viel-Ruma, clinical professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s department of communication sciences and special education, used mixed-reality simulation in EDSE 4030/6030: Inclusion of Students with Special Needs, Grades 6-12 and gave teacher candidates the opportunity to teach in virtual learning environments using student avatars. Full press release.

Kun Yao, principal lecturer in the College of Engineering, redesigned ECSE 2170: Fundamentals of Circuit Analysis and ELEE 3270: Electronics I by having students create their own original, randomized circuits rather than having them analyze circuits based on instructor examples. This shifted students from passive analysis to active design. Full press release.

About the awards: Service-Learning Teaching Excellence Awards recognize faculty for outstanding service-learning instruction and advancing service-learning scholarship.

Stacy Campbell, Synovus director of the Institute for Leadership Advancement (ILA) with the Terry College of Business, connects her students to partner organizations working to benefit the community. Students in the ILA have the opportunity to work as consultants to identify challenges and develop strategies to advance these organizations, whether that be through raising awareness, enhancing processes or strengthening volunteer and donor support. Campbell’s students work with dozens of organizations each year. Full press release.

Stephan A. Durham, assistant dean for student success and outreach and Juneau Construction Company Professor in Civil Engineering in the School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering, provides students with opportunities to complete real-world engineering projects that benefit communities throughout Georgia. By collaborating with Archway Partnership, a unit of Public Service and Outreach, Durham’s students travel beyond Athens to connect with clients and take the lead on various community development projects. Full press release.

Anna Sheree Rogers, senior lecturer and undergraduate coordinator in the department of sociology, inspires her students to challenge criminal justice stereotypes surrounding both infamous and unfamiliar court cases. Rogers’s students review media coverage and reflect on pop culture’s lasting effect on these trials through a sociological lens. With this perspective, students then spend 25 hours volunteering with Project Safe and other local nonprofit organizations that support those affected by these cases. Full press release.

Emily Sahakian, associate professor with the department of theatre and film and the department of romance languages, is a recipient of the Service-Learning Research Excellence Award. She conducts research on the role theatre can play in connecting with communities, addressing complex history and solving present-day problems. Sahakian and her students draw inspiration from archival materials, oral history and personal experiences to create collaborative performances that engage and involve communities in dialogue and art to discuss freedom, justice and a better future. Full press release.

Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

• Sarangan Balasubramaniam
• Trina Cyterski
• Jonathan Dees
• Catherine R. Edwards
• Timothy M. Gupton
• Courtney McDaniel
• Rob Nichols
• Bobby Jo Otto
• Jason P. Roberts
• Roberta Salmi
• Alexandra Shapiro
• Catherine Simpson
• Kaixiong (Calvin) Ye

College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences 

• Nicholas T. Basinger
• Cesar L. Escalante
• Rhuanito Ferrarezi

School of Law

• Elizabeth Chamblee Burch
• Matthew Isaac Hall
• Jessica L. Heywood
• Jean Goetz Mangan
• Gregory L. Roseboro
• David E. Shipley

College of Pharmacy

• Sarah Thompson
• Jason Zastre

Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources 

• James Beasley
• Daniel Matthew Johnson
• Stephen Kinane

Mary Frances Early College of Education 

• Michael M. Barger
• Ai-Chu Elisha Ding
• Bryan Anthony McCullick
• Alison Kemph Morrison

C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry College of Business

• Karen Aguar
• Jim Berry
• Damien Brooks
• Chris Byron
• Ryan Barrett Dietz
• Onyedikachi Ekwerike
• James Flannery
• Daniel L. Gamache
• Darren K. Hayunga
• Ryan V. Hess
• Lyndsay Hoban Loomer
• Marty Parker
• Andriy Shkilko
• Haley Thoms
• Amrit Tiwana
• Ben Ward
• Sarah C. Whitley

Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication

• Shira Chess
• Nick Chiles
• Joshua D. Cloudy
• Ruoyu Sun

College of Family and Consumer Sciences

• Tracey Brigman
• Kimberly Watkins

College of Veterinary Medicine

• Michelle Coleman
• Elizabeth Howerth
• Catherine Logue
• Destiny Prezzano
• Samantha Schlemmer
• Sarah Schneider

School of Social Work

• Zoe M. Johnson
• Kate A. Morrissey Stahl

College of Environment and Design

• Cameron Berglund
• Qiong Wang

School of Public and International Affairs

• B. Bryan Barber
• Emily V. Bell
• David Cottrell
• Naomi Egel
• Colin French
• Michael S. Lynch

College of Public Health

• Kerstin Gerst Emerson

Eugene P. Odum School of Ecology

• Brittney Anne Ferrari
• Richard John Hall

Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership 

• Theresa Rohr-Kirchgraber
• Donald Scott

College of Engineering 

• Racheida S. Lewis
• Edwin Lim