December 14, 2023
This week marks the successful conclusion to another semester at the University of Georgia and a time to celebrate the accomplishments of our 2,966 fall graduates. Our students’ achievements are a testament to the culture of excellence at UGA, and I am eager to see how they make a difference in their careers and communities as the university’s newest alumni.
Following last month’s announcement of Mariah Cady as a 2024 Rhodes Scholar, we are also proud to learn that UGA Foundation Fellow Ashni Patel was recently selected
as a Schwarzman Scholar. She is the eighth UGA student to receive this prestigious scholarship. Patel is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from the School of Public and International Affairs, a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Terry College of Business and a minor in Chinese language and literature from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. Next fall, she will join the Schwarzman Scholars 2025 cohort representing 43 countries and 114 universities as they pursue a one-year master’s degree in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.
At UGA, we are committed to advancing knowledge and solving problems through our innovative and human-centered research. As part of our ongoing efforts to further data science and AI efforts, we recently hosted the inaugural Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Across the Disciplines Symposium. The symposium brought together faculty from across campus to integrate perspectives and research on potential uses for AI and the resulting ethical and social implications.
On a personal note, I am deeply honored to have been recently elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors alongside UGA Professor Holly Sellers. We join 14 other UGA colleagues who have been recognized over the years for the significant and broad impact of their innovative research.
The excellence that we’ve celebrated this semester was made possible by your inspiring dedication to UGA’s teaching, research and service mission. Thank you all for your care, focus and commitment. May the holidays be a time of happiness, peace and rest for you and yours!
Sincerely,
