BACKTOCAMPUS
Donors set university fundraising record
By Clarke Schwabe ccschwabe@uga.edu
Donations to the University of Georgia in fiscal year 2024, which ended June 30, surpassed $275 million for the first time in the university’s history.
Nearly 70,000 alumni and friends contributed $275.2 million to scholarships, faculty support, public service programs, the new UGA School of Medicine and much more.
Doctors’ orders
In February, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents authorized the University of Georgia to establish a new independent School of Medicine. In the time since, the university has hit many important milestones toward the establishment of this critical new school.
In June, Flad Architects was named as the design firm for the new medical education and research building that will be constructed on UGA’s Health Sciences Campus.
The proposed structure will measure approximately 92,000 square feet and will include research laboratories, medical
simulation suites, standardized patient rooms, clinical skills labs, an anatomy lab and a medical library.
Programming and planning meetings with faculty and staff are well underway, and early proposals for the building’s design are being developed. Once finalized and approved, it will be built by Turner Construction.
Following the recommendation from Gov. Brian Kemp, the Georgia General Assembly passed a fiscal year 2024 amended budget that includes $50 million in funding for a new UGA School of Medicine facility. That state funding will be matched by private contributions
to fund the $100 million structure.
Donors to the SOM have now committed more than $12 million in only five months to help support the construction of the new medical education and research building. Coupled with support from the UGA Foundation and UGA Research Foundation, UGA has already secured over $37 million in commitments for the necessary matching funds, as well as donations for student scholarships.
Dr. Shelley Nuss, who was named founding dean of the UGA School of Medicine in March, is leading the preparation of materials
“I have immeasurable gratitude for everyone who made this record year possible,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “We are at an important juncture in UGA’s history, and by giving at levels we have never seen before, donors are empowering us to achieve at levels we have never seen before.
CAMPUS SAFETY
As new and returning University of Georgia students begin the fall semester, they will notice a series of highly visible initiatives to further strengthen campus security — from new signs and perimeter fencing to lighting upgrades, emergency call stations and automatic license plate readers.
These contributions — made to all areas of the university — will truly change lives, enhance our state and improve our world.”
The record-breaking year caps a sustained period of strong giving. UGA’s three-year rolling average for fundraising, which averages the previous three years of donation totals, now stands at over $258 million, an all-time high. This is the seventh consecutive year this figure has exceeded $200 million.
“We are in the midst of an amazing time for this university, and our donors are a huge reason why,” said Jill S. Walton, vice president for development and alumni relations. “I am filled with gratitude and pride knowing that so many donors — long-time and first-time, alumni and friends,
Students, faculty, staff and visitors also will see more uniformed personnel — including a new unit of Campus Safety Ambassadors, who will augment the efforts of UGA Police by serving as student escorts and providing extra “eyes and ears” across campus during evening hours.
The university’s $7.3 million investment in new security initiatives this year adds to the more than $16 million in campus security measures enacted during the past eight years — bringing UGA’s total investment in safety and security enhancements during that time to more than $23 million.
“There is no higher priority at the University of Georgia than the safety and security of our campus community,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “We continually evaluate our safety programs
By Heather Skyler heatherskyler@uga.edu
In response to the record number of applicants in recent years, the University of Georgia has released its first strategic enrollment management plan since 2007.
This fall, UGA will welcome close to 6,200 first-year students from a pool of more than 43,000 applicants. It is one of the largest and most academically qualified classes in the university’s history as the demand for an undergraduate education at UGA has reached record levels.
“With the University of Georgia’s continued rise as a top public institution, more students than ever are seeking a UGA education,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “We are committed to ensuring that every student receives world-class
instruction in a vibrant collegiate environment.”
To maintain a balance between student enrollment and the resources necessary to support a large student body, UGA Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Andy Borst has developed a comprehensive plan. The new plan also aligns with the strategic enrollment plan of the University System of Georgia.
“This plan underscores our collective commitment to student success,” said Borst. “Our enrollment strategies are designed to enhance students’ academic journeys, minimize debt burdens and optimize career prospects.”
UGA’s strategic enrollment management plan recommends sustaining the size of the first-year class over the next five years. At the same time, UGA will expand online graduate programs and modestly grow the
number of transfer students while increasing campus infrastructure and the number of instructional faculty.
Hiring faculty and building infrastructure
Over the next five years, UGA will hire additional tenure-track faculty to ensure the number of instructional faculty keeps pace with enrollment growth.
To accommodate the increased number of campus community members, construction is underway on a new parking deck, projected to be finished by next fall. A 565-bed residence hall and a new dining, learning and wellness center are on track for completion by fall 2026.
Graduate programs
Another important strategy
As the University of Georgia campus continues to grow, so does the demand for parking. In fact, the parking waitlist for students has risen sharply from approximately 1,000 students in fall 2019 to over 7,000 in 2024.
Several factors compound the parking strain. For example, new state-of-the-art academic, housing and athletic facilities have been built atop former parking lots, and options to replace those spaces in a central location are limited. Enrollment has also grown, and bus ridership is down.
Still,Transportation and Parking Services (TPS) continues to work diligently on ways to alleviate parking
issues for faculty, staff and students.
“We’re in the midst of a perfect storm,” said Brett Jackson, associate vice president for Auxiliary Services.
“Multiple factors have hit us virtually all at once and have driven the demand for parking to an all-time high. Rest assured that we will leave no stone unturned in our commitment to develop solutions that best serve our campus and its parking needs.”
Finding innovative solutions
Since 2018, over 3,700 parking spaces have been added to campus through funding provided by TPS for the construction of new parking
Dorothy Kozlowski
Iron Horse
Famous sculpture donated to university undergoes restoration
The Iron Horse, a popular destination for tourists and University of Georgia students, is being restored this sum mer. The sculpture has been temporarily removed from its location along Highway 15 during the restoration process, and it will be reinstalled later this summer.
Patty Curtis and her daughter, Alice Hugel, generously gifted the sculpture and the land on which it sits to the uni versity this year. Amy Abbe, a local conservator, assessed the 12-foot, 2-ton sculpture, and helped restore imperfections and reinforce the steel structure.
“Visiting the Iron Horse has become a great student tradition at the University of Georgia, and we are excited that this restoration project will allow students to enjoy this sculpture for many years to come,” said Dean of Students Eric Atkinson.
The Iron Horse was originally sculpted in 1954 by Abbott Pattison, a visiting artist-in-residence from Chicago who was working at UGA as part of a Rockefeller grant. He constructed the horse by welding together pieces of boilerplate steel.
UNIVERSITY ACHIEVEMENTS
University of Georgia celebrates accomplishments of last academic year
As the 2024-2025 academic year begins at the University of Georgia, all members of the campus community can share in celebrating the extraordinary achievements and significant milestones achieved during the 2023-2024 academic year.
UGA continues to rank among the best universities in the nation, and the many accomplishments of the last year demonstrate that the institution’s trajectory is pointed skyward.
“I am incredibly grateful to our faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends for making last year such a success for the University of Georgia,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “We have accomplished so much together, and the outlook for our institution is brighter than ever. I am tremendously excited about what the future holds.”
School of Medicine
In February, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia authorized UGA to establish a new School of Medicine in Athens. Its creation comes at a time when the state faces a significant shortage of medical professionals to serve Georgia’s growing population. Read more about the progress on Page 1.
Scholarly achievement
The University of Georgia ranked in the top 20 among the nation’s best public universities for the eighth consecutive year, according to U.S. News & World Report last September. UGA ranked No. 47 nationally among all universities.
“The University of Georgia is steadfastly committed to advancing excellence in teaching, research and service,” said S. Jack Hu, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “The many accomplishments of our students, faculty and staff highlight the exceptional work happening on our campus and UGA’s expanding impact on the state we serve.”
These and other recent honors have made the University of Georgia a popular choice for new college students. UGA received more than 43,000 applications and a record 26,760 early action applications for next fall’s incoming class and more than 43,090 applications overall.
UGA continues to elevate its academic offerings and student support programs — including a growing active learning initiative, a variety of First-Year Odyssey courses and peer-to-peer mentoring — resulting in record achievements by its students. The university has a four-year completion rate of 75% and six-year completion rate of 88%, well above many peer institutions. Of UGA’s Class of 2022 graduates, 96% were employed or continuing their education within six months of graduation.
UGA students also won many highly competitive awards last year. Among them, Foundation Fellow Mariah Cady was one of only 32 students nationwide named a 2024 Rhodes Scholar, marking the second year in a row that a UGA student has won the prestigious honor.
Two UGA students, Elaine “Lainey” Gammon and Foundation Fellow Sara Logsdon, were named Goldwater Scholars. Foundation Fellow Alex Drahos was one of 60 undergraduates from across the nation to be selected as a 2024 Truman Scholar. Additionally, Foundation Fellow Ashni Patel
PERIODICALS POSTAGE STATEMENT
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was selected for the Schwarzman Scholarship, becoming the eighth UGA student to receive this prestigious award.
A record 11 UGA undergraduates were named Boren Scholars, making UGA the second-highest performing institution in the nation last year. The university also ranked second for total number of Boren Awards in 2024, which is calculated by combining an institution’s Boren Scholarships and Fellowships.
Eleven UGA students and recent alumni were offered Fulbright awards for 2023-2024, marking the second year in a row — and the sixth time in 12 years — that UGA has been named a top producer of Fulbright U.S. students.
Two UGA seniors and one recent graduate were selected for the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship, marking the first time UGA has had three recipients in one year. Clemencia El Antouri, Feben Teshome and Fardosa Hassan received the award, which prepares recipients for Foreign Service careers in the U.S. Department of State.
Exceptional educators and researchers
UGA faculty also demonstrated excellence last year.Thanks to the groundbreaking research conducted by faculty across campus, UGA exceeded half a billion dollars in annual research and development expenditures, the fifth consecutive year of growth for the university.
Since 2013, the university has seen a 63% increase in R&D expenditures, and those research expenditures have translated into real-world solutions. In August 2023, UGA was ranked No. 1 among U.S. universities for the number of commercial products brought to market based on its research, according to an annual survey conducted by AUTM.
Jenna Jambeck, who was previously awarded a MacArthur “Genius Grant,” was named the 2024 SEC Professor of the Year for her decades of work investigating the global scale of plastic pollution and galvanizing efforts to address solid waste and marine debris.
Aaron Mitchell was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for his research on the genetics, molecular biology and virulence mechanisms of fungal pathogens in humans. He is the 12th UGA faculty member to receive this honor.
Hu and professor Holly Sellers were elected fellows of the National Academy of Inventors, joining 14 other UGA faculty members who have received this honor since the academy began electing fellows in 2012.
Elizabeth Brisbois, David Crich, Qingguo “Jack” Huang, Paul Raymer and Ralph Tripp were selected as senior members of the National Academy of Inventors. Senior members are chosen for successful patents, licensing or commercialization of technologies that produce real impact on the welfare of society.
Marguerite “Peggy” Brickman, Olin “Gene” Rhodes Jr. and Victor Thompson were named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They were recognized for a range of scientific contributions in plant biology, science education, archaeology, wildlife ecology and genetics.
To build on UGA’s cutting-edge research in poultry science, the university opened a new Poultry Science Building in October. The $54 million, 70,000-square-foot facility provides faculty, staff and students access to modern labs, collaborative meeting spaces and classrooms with the latest technology.
Giving back
Driven by a thriving research and innovation ecosystem and award-winning public service and outreach programs, the University of Georgia’s annual economic impact on the state
surged to a record $8.1 billion.
The Archway Partnership, which connects Georgia communities to UGA resources to address their unique needs, provided a return on investment of nearly 3,000%.
The university launched Youth LEAD Georgia, a partnership among UGA’s Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, Chick-fil-A Inc. and The Same House organization, to help 30 high school students from across Georgia develop leadership skills and knowledge about the state.
The courage and determination required to be a successful leader were heroically demonstrated by five UGA students who saved a woman and her two children after the woman’s car veered into a creek in rural Burke County. Two of the students quickly entered the water to get the victims to safety, and one performed CPR on an unresponsive child while the others communicated with emergency responders. The students received an official proclamation from Morehead recognizing their teamwork and bravery, and they were additionally recognized by Gov. Kemp and the Georgia General Assembly.
PARKING
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decks, expansion of lots, leasing of parking lots and repurposing of unused tennis courts.
In the past year alone, TPS has added over 600 permitted spaces on campus in the new Tate Surface Lot, the East Side Park & Ride, the Club Sports Complex, Phase V of the College Station Park & Ride and expansion of parking at Veterinary Medicine on the main campus.
Updated parking improvements
Another 1,300 parking spaces are being added to campus and will be available by fall 2025. Most notable is the West Campus Parking Deck II, which will feature 1,097 spaces near the West Campus residence halls and the new West Campus Dining, Learning, and Well-being Center.
Other additions include the expansion of the College Station Park & Ride, the expansion of parking on the Health Sciences Campus and additional parking at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital on College Station.
Even with ongoing improvements and additions, TPS has kept parking rates the same for 16 years.
TPS continues to encourage the UGA community to make use of Campus Transit as another way to ease parking strain. Public transportation ridership has declined significantly across the nation since the COVID pandemic in 2020, dropping by 60%. At UGA, bus ridership has fallen by almost half.
“The continuing trend of declining public transportation ridership underscores the need for us to adapt and find innovative ways to encourage and support our community in utilizing sustainable and alternative transportation options,” said Todd Berven, director of TPS.
TPS is also exploring other opportunities, including partnering with an external consultant to review bus routes for potential improvements in service to periphery and remote portions of campus.
TPS will continue exploring new ways to improve transportation around campus for everyone.Additionally, small, cooperative steps can create a lasting impact on the parking experience at UGA. Carpooling with a spouse, coworker or neighbor; participating in initiatives like the Alternative Transportation Program; or utilizing alternative transportation options are all ways to help reduce the number of cars on campus.
Work continues on the Iron Horse Statue before it is returned later this summer.
Making improvements
Construction and improvement projects wrap up across campus
University’s graduate, professional programs rank among nation’s best
By Mike Wooten mwooten@uga.edu
The University of Georgia’s graduate and professional programs are among the nation’s best, according to the 2024 edition of “Best Graduate Schools” from U.S. News and World Report. In this year’s rankings, several UGA schools, programs and specialties earned places in the top 10.
“UGA’s graduate and professional students enjoy a worldclass experience thanks to our renowned faculty, innovative career development programs and next-generation research and instructional facilities,” said S. Jack Hu, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “This year’s exceptional rankings reflect the university’s continuing investments in these and other strategic areas of graduate and professional education across all disciplines on our campus.”
UGA’s School of Public and International Affairs ranked fourth overall, up three places from 2023. SPIA also placed three programs in the top 5: leadership (No. 2), public finance (No. 3) and local government management (No. 5). Among public institutions, the school is tied for second in the nation.
The College of Pharmacy jumped to No. 15 in the nation, up nine spots from its most recent ranking.
UGA’s School of Law is again ranked No. 20 in the nation and No. 7 among public institutions. Additionally, it was recently named the nation’s best value in legal education by The National Jurist — the fourth time in the last six years the school has occupied the top spot.
The School of Social Work moved up eight places to No. 20 nationally and ranks No. 10 among public institutions.
The Terry College of Business advanced to No. 27, up four places from 2023. Terry is No. 9 among public business schools, and Financial Times recently rated the University of Georgia’s full-time MBA the No. 1 value for the money worldwide.
The Mary Frances Early College of Education moved up
ENROLLMENT
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of the new plan is expanding online graduate programs. In 2023, the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) data showed that over 176,600 Georgia residents were enrolled in online programs. Expanding UGA’s online programs in high-demand fields will offer a high-quality alternative to those currently being offered out of state. New online program development will highlight smaller, high-quality programs that can help students enhance their career earnings.
At the same time, UGA will continue to focus on in-person instruction; online enrollment is projected to grow to only 4% of total campus enrollment.
Additional graduate students will support the expansion of the university’s research enterprise, including more opportunities for doctoral and post-doctoral students.
one spot from last year to No. 30, and several of its programs ranked in the top 10. Notably, the College of Education’s school counseling program ranked No. 1 in the nation. Other programs that ranked in the top 10 include curriculum and instruction (No. 8), elementary teacher education (No. 10) and secondary teacher education (No. 10).
The higher education administration program in UGA’s Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education ranked No. 7 in the nation, continuing a run of top 10 rankings dating back to 2007.
The latest rankings from U.S. News and World Report coincide with a period of growing demand for graduate and professional training at UGA.
“As we further strengthen and expand our graduate pro grams, we will continue to see increased benefits accruing to our graduate students, their fields and their communities,” said Ron Walcott, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School.
U.S. News & World Report’s graduate rankings are published separately from the magazine’s yearly ranking of undergraduate programs. The graduate rankings are based on surveys of aca demic leaders and, for select programs, additional quantitative measures including placement test scores, student/faculty ratios, research expenditures and job placement success.
U.S. News’ rankings of graduate and professional programs cover a small portion of the programs offered at UGA, and not all programs are ranked each year. UGA enrolls more than 10,000 graduate and professional students in more than 200 doctoral and master’s programs.
“As the flagship university in Georgia and one of the nation’s leading public research universities, UGA is com mitted to excellence in graduate and professional education,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “Our outstanding graduate and professional programs are training scholars and leaders who are helping UGA advance every aspect of our mission for the benefit of our state, nation and world.”
Transfer student enrollment
RESEARCH
Research by faculty heads to clinical trials
During the past year, research led by two UGA faculty members has received funding for clinical trials.
University of Georgia-based startup CyanVac LLC received federal funding to support a comparative Phase 2b clinical trial of CVXGA, the company’s intranasal vaccine candidates designed to protect against COVID-19. The trial will begin this fall.
As part of the award from Project NextGen, a federal initiative based in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), CyanVac will sponsor a randomized, doubleblind Phase 2b study with 10,000 participants to compare the efficacy and safety of the intranasal vaccine against an FDAapproved mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine.
The new vaccine is based on a viral delivery platform containing modified strains of parainfluenza virus 5, which causes kennel cough in dogs but is harmless to humans.
CyanVac is a Georgia Research Alliance (GRA)-funded startup, founded by Biao He, GRA Distinguished Investigator, Fred C. Davidson Distinguished University Chair in Veterinary Medicine and a faculty member in UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He served on a White House panel to advise on the future of COVID-19 vaccines and was named both UGA Inventor and Entrepreneur of the Year.
The Phase 2b study will be carried out by BARDA’s Clinical Studies Network, focusing on evaluating the vaccine in a subset of participants who are at a higher risk of severe disease.
Additionally, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared a new therapeutic for stroke, known as AB126, to enter a Phase
Another key objective of the new strategic enrollment management plan is to enroll one new transfer student for every two first-year students. Approximately 95% of transfer students live in Georgia. They are more likely to be from rural parts of the state and are twice as likely to be the first in their family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree.
One strategy to reach these students is to expand the Transfer Pathway program, which allows students who were wait-listed as first-year applicants to apply a semester earlier than traditional transfer students. This program will allow UGA to increase enrollment at a modest pace while continuing its mission to provide access to Georgia residents.
The new drug is based on research led by Steven Stice, director of UGA’s Regenerative Bioscience Center and cofounder of Aruna Bio, the company behind the new treatment.
This is the first stage of the trial and will test the safety and efficacy of the therapeutic in ischemic stroke patients. Ischemic strokes are caused by clots that reduce or block blood flow to brain tissue, preventing the brain from getting adequate oxygen. Participants in the first phase of the trial will first undergo surgery to remove the clot that caused their stroke and then receive three infusions of the new treatment via IV. After the drug clears this phase, the goal is to use the new therapeutic as the primary treatment in those patients who can’t access or don’t qualify for other treatments.
Stice and his colleagues are exploring the efficacy of the drug in treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Researchers are testing the ability to administer the drug through a nasal spray, which would be a game changer for chronic inflammation-based diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and traumatic brain injury.
Construction and improvement projects continued across campus during the summer. Left, Facilities Maintenance Division crew members work on the Georgia Quad at the Miller Learning Center. Right, construction workers apply the exterior covering to the stairwell outside the new press box on the southwest corner of Sanford Stadium. Improvements to the stadium will be completed prior to the first home game.
Andrew Davis Tucker
SAFETY
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in close collaboration with our partners. Our ongoing investments are strengthening virtually all aspects of campus security.”
Funding for the new security initiatives, in addition to previously approved campus safety measures, has been provided from state resources as well as private contributions from the UGA Parents Leadership Council, the UGA Foundation, the President’s Venture Fund, the UGA Athletic Association and other internal and external partners.
“In addition to enhancing security, these investments demonstrate the depth of our commitment to protect our campus community,” said P. Daniel Silk, the university’s associate vice president for public safety, who is overseeing the implementation of enhanced security initiatives across campus.
Campus Safety Ambassadors
Silk said he is particularly excited about the first 11 Campus Safety Ambassadors, who began working on campus over the summer. Though they are not police officers, their after-hours presence in areas in which students often walk and congregate on campus will magnify the impact of other campus safety efforts.
Campus Safety Ambassadors also can escort students to their housing and other locations on campus as they walk back from student events or studying, and they will have radio communications with police personnel in the event of an emergency or incident that requires police officers to respond.
Funding for the new ambassadors is part of a permanent 20% increase to the UGA Police Department’s budget, which will enable the department to bolster its recruitment and retention efforts and increase the number of campus safety personnel.
“The university has focused on continuing to recruit and retain police personnel who are exceptional. In that spirit, UGA’s compensation for police is among the best in the state,” Silk said.
These additions to the safety and security team will provide an enhanced security presence where students regularly study and congregate at night, including the Miller Learning Center, the UGA Libraries, the Tate Student Center and the Ramsey Student Center. Augmented security personnel at the UGA Libraries will ensure a security presence in all library facilities, while access to the UGA Main Library and McBay Science Library has been limited to UGA students, faculty and staff during evening hours.
UGA Safe app
UGA students, parents, faculty and staff are encouraged to sign up for the UGA Safe App, which includes a series of robust security features such as:
• Mobile BlueLight, which immediately calls UGA Police and shares the user’s location in real time.
• Friend Walk, which displays a student’s location to select friends.
• Contact Police, which allows students to immediately report concerns to UGA Police.
Subscribers to the UGA Safe app also receive emergency notifications from UGA Police. To date, nearly 18,000 members of the university community have downloaded the UGA Safe app.
Enhanced lighting
Lighting upgrades, which began over the summer, include a focus on lighting for more crosswalks, particularly near residence halls with high foot traffic, augmenting the university’s ongoing effort to evaluate lighting across campus. In addition, hundreds of lights on campus are being converted to LED technology, which produces a much brighter light at night.
Members of the university community are already noticing.
“The implementation of enhanced lighting on campus has already begun contributing to student safety by improving nighttime visibility and creating safer environments for those traveling on campus,” said Rock Rogers, president of the Student Government Association and a fourth-year student from Dublin. “This enhanced lighting initiative is one of several new safety measures that are helping students feel safer and more confident as we commute across campus.”
Automated license plate readers
This summer, the university began installing the first of 20 automated license plate readers (ALPR) in strategic locations on campus. This system of sensors will work in conjunction with UGA’s existing Campus Safety Camera System (CSCS) to provide an important additional technological resource for police investigating crimes.
UGA currently has more than 500 camera views that are captured by CSCS, and in many instances they can also record license plates. The ALPR system, however, is designed specifically for that purpose and will be positioned across campus to maximize the likelihood that drivers entering or leaving the UGA community will have their license plates recorded.
Emergency call stations
The first 15 emergency call boxes with cameras were added to select sites throughout campus over the summer, and more are in the process of being installed this semester.
The new call box systems will offer multifunctional capabilities that also incorporate security cameras, additional lighting and Wi-Fi, which will facilitate calls using the internet and a cross connection with the PAWS Secure wireless network. These call box systems will be located in areas of campus identified to benefit from additional camera coverage and enhanced lighting.
New signs and security fencing
New security fencing is being erected on campus, and new signage emphasizes that the entire campus is protected by robust security camera coverage.
UGA Ride Smart
The UGA Ride Smart program, which provides a 50% discount on Lyft rides for UGA students, has been extended four hours per day and will now operate from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
“Many students have utilized the Ride Smart program to travel safely across campus and the greater Athens area. It offers a secure travel option, and with the extended operation hours, students now have more convenient access to this resource,” Rogers said. “This initiative has significantly contributed to the safety of students traveling on and off campus.”
Since its launch in December 2021, Ride Smart has provided more than 85,000 rides to UGA students.
Emergency Preparedness
The university recently invested in additional resources to enhance the ability of the Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) to provide support to faculty, staff and students on campus. Available assistance from OEP includes:
• Training and other products to help students plan for emergencies.
• Development of and training about building emergency plans for employees, which are required for all facilities.
• Development of and training about business continuity plans.
• In-person training, including tabletop exercises and active-shooter response training, on request by individual units, divisions and departments.
MEDICAL
required to seek accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, or LCME. This entails development of an extensive description of all aspects of the UGA SOM’s operations, from bylaws and faculty governance to admissions, curriculum and assessment, as well as development of the school’s mission, vision and strategic plan.
Over the course of the summer, Dr. Nuss and team have also secured several hospital affiliation agreements for placement of future UGA medical students and hired some key administrators and faculty.
“Our leadership team and faculty have worked tirelessly since the spring, and we have made significant progress,” said Nuss. “The faculty are now engaged in a self-study process to review our draft application and ensure that we satisfy the 12 LCME standards and 91 sub-elements required for preliminary accreditation. Our goal is to submit the final report before Thanksgiving.”
Dr. Nuss is a professor of internal medicine and psychiatry in the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, which has been educating physicians in Athens since 2010.
“The fact is, Georgia needs more doctors, and we need them now,” said Nuss at the groundbreaking ceremony held in April for the new medical education and research facility. “The new UGA School of Medicine will increase the number of medical students in the state, translating to more practicing physicians to help address Georgia’s greatest health care challenges.”
The development of a new public school of medicine at UGA promises to help address a significant shortage of medical professionals. Georgia’s growing population tops approximately 11 million residents, straining the state’s existing medical infrastructure.
Now the nation’s eighth largest state, Georgia is forecasted to experience further population growth in the coming years, as
FUNDRAISING
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parents and students, UGA faculty and staff — recognized the possibility of this moment in UGA’s history and committed to making that possibility real.”
In fiscal year 2024, donors created 127 scholarship funds as well as 19 endowed faculty positions, bringing UGA’s total number of faculty endowments to 375. Adding more endowed faculty positions and scholarships — for both undergraduate and graduate/professional students — were fundraising priorities for the university in FY24 and will remain so in FY25.
“We want to do everything we can to attract the best students and open doors for those who might not otherwise be able to attend, and we want to ensure that students are taught by world-class faculty,” said Allison C. Ausband, chair of the UGA Foundation Board of Trustees. “Record-breaking years like this one expedite these incredible opportunities. We made tremendous progress this year, and that success challenges us to do more.”
Donor support in FY24 extended to all areas of campus and came in a variety of forms, including:
• A new record for single-day giving during Dawg Day of Giving, one year after UGA supporters set the previous record.
• A total of more than $10 million from the Stanton Foundation that will benefit areas across campus, including $5 million to the School of Law and $5.2 million to the College of Veterinary Medicine.
• The continued strengthening of e-mobility research, education and economic outreach at UGA and across the state through $1 million gifts from Kia and Cox Automotive.
• The enhancement of Embark Georgia, a statewide network that supports students who have experienced foster care or homelessness, thanks to a $1.1 million gift from the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation’s
nearly one-third of the state’s physicians are nearing retirement.
Georgia currently ranks No. 40 among U.S. states for the number of active patient care physicians per capita, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), while it ranks No. 41 for the number of primary care physicians and No. 44 for the number of general surgeons per capita. The shortage of medical providers is particularly acute in rural and underserved areas, where access is even more limited.
The creation of the UGA School of Medicine marks the natural evolution of the longest-serving medical education partnership in the United States. Many similar programs founded around the same time have already transitioned to independent medical schools.
UGA will continue to work closely with the Medical College of Georgia to ensure a smooth transition for current medical students.
The creation of a school of medicine at the university will also serve to enhance human health and disease research already taking place across campus. In the last decade, UGA’s research expenditures have grown more than 63%, reaching $570.9 million in FY2023.
Driving these gains have been increases by several federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, which funds a significant portion of America’s biomedical research. UGA receives the largest amount of NIH funding among all of Georgia’s public research universities and is the largest recipient of NIH funding among American public universities without a medical school.
Faculty in several colleges and schools on campus already engage in research on Parkinson’s, COVID-19, malaria and other conditions such as stroke. Their discoveries have led to new treatments and vaccines that are among the 1,100 products developed by UGA research to date.
Child Well-Being Fund.
• A transformational gift from John Munro Godfrey Sr. and his wife, Flavel, to endow and name the John Munro Godfrey Sr. Department of Economics in the Terry College of Business.
• Significant commitments to UGA Athletics, further supporting studentathletes and bolstering facilities projects such as the renovations of Foley Field, Jack Turner Softball Stadium and Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Tennis Center.
Donor groups also made significant contributions to the university in FY24. Georgia Women Give, which launched in March 2023 and has grown to include over 150 founding donors, helped send a group of first-year students on study abroad trips over spring break. The Parents Leadership Council, an organization of highly engaged parents of UGA students, raised a record-breaking $1.2 million that will support campus organizations in the 2024-2025 academic year.