November 26, 2024
This past month has been a time to celebrate the breadth and excellence of the literary, visual and performing arts at the University of Georgia with the 13th annual Spotlight on the Arts festival. Thank you to the UGA Arts Council and Jeanette Taylor, vice provost for academic affairs and UGA Arts Council chair, for coordinating the festival. May we all continue to engage with arts programming, research and education throughout the year.
At UGA, we are committed to providing a world-class experience for our students and researchers. This is made possible, in part, through high-quality instructional and research facilities and infrastructure throughout campus. Thanks to the strong support from the University System Board of Regents and the state of Georgia, we recently celebrated the completion of the first phase of UGA’s multiyear Science and Ag Hill modernization project with the dedication of the newly renovated Cedar Street Building C. The state-of-the-art facilities will house the Departments of Microbiology and Cellular Biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Entomology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
From ideas to solutions, UGA is a powerhouse in innovation. According to an annual AUTM survey, UGA once again ranks No. 1 among U.S. universities for the number of commercial products brought to market based on UGA research. In fiscal year 2023, UGA industry partners and startups released a record 66 new products.
We also recently received the welcome news that UGA is approved to grant a Doctor of Medicine degree from the School of Medicine. The approval came from the University System of Georgia Board of Regents during its Nov. 12 meeting and moves UGA one step closer to training more physicians and expanding health care access throughout the state.
UGA’s teaching, research and service excellence would not be possible without the dedication of our faculty and staff. I am particularly grateful to Usha R. Rodrigues, the recently appointed next dean of the UGA School of Law, and Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge, who has served as the School of Law dean for the past 10 years. Rodrigues will continue to foster the school’s reputation as the nation’s best value in legal education.
As the holiday season approaches, I hope that each of you find time for rest, creativity and joy. Thank you for your steadfast commitment to UGA’s mission.
Sincerely,
