News from the Office of Institutional Diversity at the University of Georgia |
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Volume 23 • No. 1 • Fall 2023
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As the birthplace of higher education in America, the University of Georgia is committed to pursuing excellence and cultivating a people-centered culture in our teaching, research, and service. In my new role, I am excited to contribute to our efforts to build a welcoming community where students, faculty, and staff feel that they can learn, grow, and thrive. It is an honor for me to follow in the footsteps of my good friend and colleague, Dr. Michelle G. Cook, and learn from her legacy of inspirational leadership.
This edition of the Diversity Newsletter is a testament to our ongoing commitment to create an inclusive environment for faculty, staff, and students. From receiving the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award for the 10th consecutive year to being ranked No. 9 among U.S. public universities by Niche, UGA’s efforts are being noticed nationally. However, we won’t stop here. We plan to reach even higher and strive for an institution that is better and stronger tomorrow than it is today.
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Pharmacy students chat in between classes on UGA's campus. |
The University of Georgia has earned national recognition for its commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence for the 10th consecutive year. The Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity is the only national recognition honoring colleges and universities that demonstrate outstanding efforts and success in promoting diversity and inclusion. UGA is one of 109 institutions nationwide to receive a 2023 HEED Award. MORE
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University of Georgia student Mariah Cady was one of 32 students nationwide named a 2024 Rhodes Scholar. The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest and most celebrated international fellowship award in the world. UGA is the only school in the SEC and one of only five public universities, in addition to the nation’s service academies, in the U.S. to have a Rhodes recipient this year. MORE
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Four of UGA’s Foundation Fellows—students who receive the university’s most prestigious academic scholarship—are graduates of the Clarke County School District. Freshman Ella Johnson and sophomore Hadiza Sarr graduated from Cedar Shoals, and Garcia-Pozo and senior Theron Camp are Clarke Central High School alumni. MORE
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UGA professor J. Marshall Shepherd was named the recipient of the prestigious 2023 Environmental Achievement Award. This accolade is presented annually by the Environmental Law Institute to individuals or organizations that have made notable contributions to environmental protection, conservation and sustainability. MORE
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Along with the other 25 schools in the University System of Georgia, UGA is now among more than 360 higher education institutions that have joined the College Cost Transparency Initiative. This initiative will standardize the language used in financial aid offers, so all costs, terms and conditions are easily comprehensible. MORE
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The University of Georgia was ranked No. 9 on the latest list of Top Public Universities in the U.S. by the rankings platform Niche. In addition to the overall university ranking, UGA received top-10 rankings in a number of other categories including student life, academics, value, diversity and athletics. MORE
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UGA President Jere W. Morehead speaks during the opening of the Orkin Hillel Center. |
In August, community leaders and members joined Hillels of Georgia for the grand opening of the Orkin Hillel Center, formerly the Baxter Street Bookstore. The new 10,000-square-foot building is a space for UGA’s Jewish community to focus on programming, fellowship and community development. MORE
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The eight-week program gives students the opportunity to learn about and sample healthy foods while also engaging in lessons fostering emotional intelligence. School of Social Work graduate student Miranda Lehman helped conduct the classes. |
A partnership between the University of Georgia and an Athens nonprofit is helping elementary and middle school kids learn about healthy eating, urban agriculture and working in the food industry. The work between the UGA School of Social Work and Farm to Neighborhood is one of five local projects selected for 2023 to receive a total of nearly $40,000 in awards from the Bobbi Meeler Sahm Service and Outreach Award program facilitated by UGA Public Service and Outreach. MORE
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| Gabriela Castillo
UGA student Castillo was featured on the cover of the August issue of G.I. Jobs magazine for receiving the publication’s 2023 Student Veteran Leadership Award. An Army medic turned pre-med student, Castillo logged hundreds of hours at a clinic that provides free quality medical care to low-income families. MORE
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| Nathan Tesfayi
As an environmental resource science major, Tesfayi explores novel solutions to environmental issues. Born in State College, Pennsylvania, to Ethiopian parents, his life journey has taken him from living in Ethiopia to studies at the University of Georgia and research with NASA. MORE
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| John Salazar
In his role as professor and director of the Hospitality and Food Industry Management (HFIM) program at UGA, Salazar hopes to increase engagement with local governments and communities while improving student enrollment, business engagement and innovation in classroom curricula. MORE
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Caroline Bloodworth
Bloodworth serves as an academic advisor in UGA’s College of Public Health. It took her a little while to figure what path her career would take, and that helps when advising students because she’s able to share the twists and turns of her own journey. MORE
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Jin teaches crisis communication classes at Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, she directs the Crisis Communication Think Tank bringing industry experts and scholars together in thought leadership cocreation and advancement, and she holds the title of C. Richard Yarbrough Professor in Crisis Communication Leadership. Jin recognizes that many crises would not escalate if there was better communication, so she seizes her opportunity to teach students how to manage difficult situations and learn from previous experience. MORE
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Awareness about languages, the differences in how individuals speak, and how these create local identities may come as no great surprise to American Southerners. When speakers of certain linguistic varieties decline, though, their languages become endangered. Keith Langston, professor in the department of Germanic & Slavic Studies and head of the department of linguistics, researches questions of linguistic structure and the relationship of language and identity, with a focus on the country of Croatia. MORE
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Giving to the Office of Institutional Diversity
A contribution to the Office of Institutional Diversity (OID) will help support a variety of initiatives that foster diversity at UGA. OID provides and supports programming, such as recruitment and retention efforts, scholarship funding, pre-collegiate learning opportunities, and faculty and student mentoring events.
Please contact us at (706) 583-8195 or at diverse@uga.edu to discuss ways to give and we will work to ensure your charitable giving needs are met.
To donate online or learn more, go to https://diversity.uga.edu/about/giving_to_diversity/. |
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