News from the Office of Inclusive Excellence at the University of Georgia |
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Volume 24 • No. 2 • Spring 2025
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As we approach the end of another semester and the excitement of Spring Commencement, I want to extend my sincere thanks for all you do to make the University of Georgia such an extraordinary place. Due in large part to your efforts, we continue to build a welcoming and supportive environment that enables all students, faculty, staff, and partners to be successful.
During these uncertain times, I am thankful for the sound judgment and clear vision of our campus leaders. Thoughtful and intentional decision-making, centered on student success, allows us to maintain the continuity of our work and to continue making progress towards our audacious goals as an institution. I am also encouraged by the trust and confidence that our community places in the administration. Our focus remains on bolstering student success and serving communities across Georgia and around the world through our impactful research, all while ensuring that UGA remains on an unparalleled upward trajectory.
In his 2025 State of the University Address, President Morehead highlighted UGA’s commitment to educating tomorrow’s leaders. He noted our university’s rise to No. 18 among public universities in U.S. News & World Report rankings, our ninth consecutive year in the top 20. The university also achieved record graduation rates and a 96% career outcome rate, with nearly two-thirds of graduates remaining in Georgia. He also announced the university had surpassed our goal of establishing 1,000 need-based endowed scholarships, making a UGA education more affordable for students with financial need.
Based on our most recent admissions data, these accomplishments continue to catch the attention of academically superior students throughout our state and across the U.S. We received nearly 48,000 applications for the Class of 2029, a new institutional record. More than 15,800 were accepted, including students from 154 of Georgia’s 159 counties and students from all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. From this pool of accepted students, we anticipate enrolling approximately 6,200 this fall. Whether you are from Bainbridge or Botswana, majoring in education or engineering, whether you are a lifelong Bulldog or the first in your family to attend college, the University of Georgia is and always will be a place where the best and brightest can learn, grow, and thrive.
Working together, I am confident that we will continue to build upon these recent successes and continue to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
Alton M. Standifer, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence
and Chief of Staff to the Provost |
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Graduates enjoy the fireworks show at Sanford Stadium during the 2024 Spring Undergraduate Commencement ceremony. |
UGA is one of nine public universities with a six-year graduation rate of 90% or better thanks to targeted programs to elevate instruction and the student experience, support incoming and first-generation students and provide opportunities for scholars to earn their diplomas earlier. MORE
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UGA student veterans and families recognized at the SVRC Fall 2024 Scholarship Ceremony. |
For the ninth year in a row, Viqtory Media has named the University of Georgia one of the top Military Friendly tier 1 research institutions in the country. The Student Veterans Resource Center helps ease the transition from the military to higher education, improve the UGA experience and facilitate career readiness. MORE
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As part of a spring break trip to New York with the UGA Jere W. Morehead Honors College and UGA Foundation Fellows, first-year student Laila Carter showcased her musical talents on The Today Show. (Credit: NBC)
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Laila Carter, a journalism and political science major minoring in music, wowed the crowd in New York City during an impromptu performance on The Today Show. MORE |
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The 24th annual H. Gordon and Francis S. Davis Student Engagement Awards ceremony at the Tate Center highlighted UGA students and organizations that excel at student engagement and positive campus impact. MORE
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University of Georgia students spent their Spring Break serving with local non-profit partners in Charleston, Asheboro, Charlotte and Savannah. IMPACT Service Breaks offer students an immersive experience living and volunteering in a new community during academic breaks. MORE
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UGA accepted students from all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. Admitted students from Georgia represent 154 of the state’s 159 counties — six more than last year — highlighting the importance of UGA’s in-state recruiting efforts. MORE |
Georgia Women Give is a nationwide group of donors who commit $25,000 or more to one or several of the group’s three funds, which are dedicated to supporting academic scholarships, study away and campus priorities determined by the group’s executive committee. MORE |
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Third-year UGA students Sloka Sudhin, Anderson Smith and Oscar de la Torre were selected as 2025 Goldwater Scholars. |
Juniors Oscar de la Torre, Anderson Smith and Sloka Sudhin are among the 441 undergraduates from across the nation to be recognized as Barry Goldwater Scholars this spring. They have earned the highest undergraduate award of its type for the fields of mathematics, engineering and natural sciences. MORE
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UGA jewelry and metalwork instructor Leah Mazza, center, shows students how to glue a stencil to a piece of copper to be cut out for a jewelry piece. |
A new UGA certificate program offers pre-dental students a chance to develop manual dexterity skills through ceramics, jewelry and metalwork, and printmaking. The program is a novel partnership between the UGA Pre-Professional Advising Office and the Lamar Dodd School of Art. MORE
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| Stephen Amolegbe
SGA Vice President Stephen Amolegbe is transforming the future of fintech while leaving a lasting legacy at UGA. A fourth-year Double Dawg, Amolegbe is pursuing a bachelor’s in management information systems and a master’s in business analytics. From his first year at UGA, he saw the program as the fastest way to reach his goals. MORE
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| Rayna J. Carter
Carter, a third-year student majoring in psychology, sociology and women’s studies, is the 2025 recipient of the President’s Fulfilling the Dream Award. The award recognized individuals in the UGA and Athens-Clarke County communities who are working to make Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of equality and justice a reality. MORE
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Britney Green
Green joined the University of Georgia Police Department in 2014 as a patrol officer. Today, she's the department’s professional standards coordinator. In her position, she handles community outreach, leads the recruitment and hiring process and serves as a member of the peer support team. MORE
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Jiwan Park
As the career training and development specialist for the Terry College of Business, Park prepares students for an ever-changing job market. Each day, he meets with students to prepare them for consulting and technical interviews. He also helps with presentations when students find themselves struggling. MORE
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Watkins, an assistant professor of financial planning, housing and consumer economics in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, integrates her personal narrative into the capstone course she teaches in financial planning. In the course, students develop a comprehensive financial plan for real clients. MORE
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An associate professor in the College of Environment and Design, Melcher has transformed the Community Engagement Studio course in the landscape architecture program into the Community Landscape Lab, where students lead design projects that serve local communities.. MORE
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Giving to the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Academic Engagement
A contribution to the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Academic Engagement will help support a variety of initiatives that foster a welcoming and inclusive community at UGA. OIEAE provides and supports programming, such as recruitment and retention efforts, scholarship funding, pre-collegiate learning opportunities, and faculty and student mentoring events. |
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