As we prepare for the 2021-2022 academic year, the University community is keenly aware that new challenges, complexities, and uncertainties await. Regardless of what the future holds, our mission and our values will light the path forward, uniting us in a common purpose.
Strengthen our nationally recognized learning environment and ensure that our students are well prepared for a knowledge economy that rewards critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership
Continue to expand our research enterprise and develop innovative solutions to address the grand challenges of our time
Find new ways to serve the citizens and the communities of Georgia and beyond
Nearly
70,000
donors contributed more than $200 million during the 2021 fiscal year.
World-Class Facilities
Innovation Hub
The University of Georgia’s Innovation Hub, home to startup venture efforts, experiential learning activities, and industry engagement, opened in January 2021. Located just south of Broad Street near downtown Athens, the Innovation Hub marks the next stage of the University’s Innovation District initiative. The Delta Air Lines Foundation is supporting the Innovation Hub with a $5 million commitment that helped to complete the building’s renovation and launch the Student Industry Fellows Program, an initiative that pairs student teams with corporate partners to solve real-world challenges. The gift also is enhancing student programming and facilities in the College of Engineering.
State Botanical Garden of Georgia
Art and nature converge in a beautiful new addition to the State Botanical Garden of Georgia that extends educational, cultural enrichment, and research opportunities for the University community and public. The Porcelain and Decorative Arts Museum, part of the garden’s new Center for Art and Nature, features more than 1,000 works representing influential artists from around the world dating from the 17th century to the present. The impressive collection came from a gift to UGA from Deen Day Sanders, a businesswoman and longtime supporter of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, which is a unit of UGA Public Service and Outreach.
I-STEM Research Complex
Phase I of the Interdisciplinary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (I-STEM) Research Complex opens this fall, and construction on the second phase is underway. The I-STEM Research Complex is vital to our future in the STEM fields. It is part of a comprehensive plan, supported by funding from the Governor and Georgia General Assembly, to modernize and renovate space devoted to research and innovation in and around Science Hill.
Upcoming Projects
Poultry Science Building
Funded by state and donor funds, design began for the first phase of the Poultry Science Building. This proposed project will provide teaching and research space to develop transformational technologies that support the state’s poultry industry.
Driftmier Engineering Center
The Governor and the Georgia General Assembly approved $5 million in capital funding to complete the third phase of renovations to the Driftmier Engineering Center. This project includes additional instructional space, accessibility improvements, an expansion of the Student Success Center, and a new Professional Development Center to support engineering programs.
Jere W. Morehead Honors College
The UGA Honors Program is now the Jere W. Morehead Honors College, thanks to a $10 million fundraising campaign led by the UGA Foundation and its emeriti trustees. The effort to strengthen the Honors Program created an endowment that will provide robust support for academic programming, undergraduate research, and opportunities for study abroad and internships. The University System of Georgia Board of Regents approved the naming in May. As of mid-July, the campaign had reached $10.3 million, and fundraising efforts are ongoing.
Battling Parkinson's
Distinguished researcher Anumantha Kanthasamy has been appointed the first John H. “Johnny” Isakson Chair and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Parkinson’s Research. He will direct UGA’s Center for Brain Science and Neurological Disorders.
The endowed position is named in honor of former U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson from Georgia. Dr. Kanthasamy’s research ranges from basic neurological science to translational medicine, including the identification of biomarkers for early Parkinson’s detection
"The recruitment of a scientist of [Dr. Kanthasamy’s] caliber to the University of Georgia signals our intent to honor Senator Isakson’s legacy by making a difference in the lives of people around the world."
S. Jack Hu
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost