News

As shocking images of the fire-blasted hills around Los Angeles demonstrate, wildfires have become an increasing concern in the United States, particularly in regions where suppression strategies have dominated for decades. A new study by University of Georgia researcher Yukiko Hashida examines how prescribed burns could play a key role in mitigating wildfire risks.

William “Bill” D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, has been elected as Fellow for the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Branch is the 17th UGA faculty member to receive this honor, which recognizes inventors whose innovations have had a significant impact on society, economic development and quality of life.

As the new year gets underway, let’s look back at the climate conditions of 2024 and look forward to what last year's trends may indicate for 2025. Data shows that 2024 was the warmest year on record since official global tracking began in 1880. Three main factors controlled the climate last year: the warming trend across the world caused by greenhouse warming of the planet, the El Niño that dominated the eastern Pacific Ocean in the first half of the year, and the unusual warming of the Atlantic Ocean.

People love the taste of sugar beets’ primary byproduct: white sugar. Soilborne cyst nematodes — parasitic, microscopic worms — enjoy the root vegetable, too, but as their sole food source. It’s an obstinate, expensive problem for farmers that researchers at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are working to solve.

Organic fruits and vegetables often face a higher risk of spoiling and harboring foodborne pathogens than their conventional farming counterparts. Because organic growers and packers must adhere to higher production standards and restrictions on chemical additives, University of Georgia experts are exploring alternative methods for protecting organic products and consumers through a new $3.5 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture.

Slipping on a shoulder-length plastic glove, fourth-year animal and dairy science student Sophie Du Pont prepared to perform a pregnancy ultrasound on a 16-month-old Jersey heifer named Woof at the University of Georgia Teaching Dairy in Winterville, Georgia. Having carefully watched Associate Professor Jillian Bohlen perform the procedure on several Holstein heifers minutes before, Du Pont maneuvered the ultrasound transducer to coax a clear digital image onto the computer screen connected to the scanning device.

Travis Voyles has worn many hats: park tour guide, law clerk, legislative fellow, and now, secretary of natural and historic resources for the commonwealth of Virginia. He credits his rural upbringing and his experiences at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences for his success. “A lot of people don’t have the opportunity to be exposed to the agricultural community,” said Voyles, who earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental economics and management in 2011.

As the new year approaches, it’s time to reflect on 2024, a year full of exciting research achievements at the University of Georgia. UGA researchers have made their marks examining crucial topics like the health of water resources and urban infrastructure in the face of climate change, the causes of higher suicide rates among young Black men, and an alarming trend in rates of Type 2 diabetes, among other groundbreaking work. Let’s take a closer look at 12 of the most impactful stories of the past year.

When Miriam Edelkind-Vealey applied for a summer role at a University of Georgia pollinator biodiversity lab in 2020, the junior undergrad didn’t quite know what to expect. After being told she got the position, Edelkind-Vealy didn’t hear anything for a few weeks. It was only then that she learned a collaborator on the project, second-year master’s degree student Amy Joy Janvier, had passed away.