College Update 3/4/26

Message from Dean Zvonkovic 

As we hit the busiest time of the year, I want to encourage everyone to see the successes all around us. We have renovations in Dawson Hall, House D, and Rivers Crossing; faculty being named to prestigious UGA awards; Staff Council continues their Well Dawgs initiative; new graduate students are accepting admission to our college; enrollment is up; we are stronger in AI and innovation than ever; we have met our fundraising goal; we had a fantastic time at our annual Alumni Awards Celebration; we celebrated the naming of the Sharon Y. Nickols conference room in House A; and HDFS faculty have now moved into their updated House C spaces; our very own Casey Crane was in UGA Today this morning, and so many more. I wish I could recognize every one of you for your excellence and perseverance! 

As you read through this update, please pay special attention to the events planned for the next two months and mark relevant ones on your calendars.  

Public Service and Outreach Promotions 

UGA Extension district and county faculty are promoted through the non-tenure career ladder within the Public Service and Outreach (PSO) promotion system. UGA is nationally distinctive in maintaining a dedicated PSO promotion process that recognizes sustained, high-quality impact through public service and outreach. Promotion is based on demonstrated contributions that address statewide and community needs and advance the tripartite mission of the land-grant university. The following UGA Extension faculty have been approved for promotion effective July 1, 2026. 

  

Promoted to Senior Associate 

Promoted to Associate 

Service-Learning Fellows Applications 

The Office of Service-Learning is now accepting applications for the 2026-27 Service-Learning Fellows program. Applications are due Friday, April 3, 2026.  

  

This year-long program provides an opportunity for selected faculty to develop new service-learning courses or integrate service-learning into existing courses or academic programs. Service-learning is a form of experiential learning in which students apply academic knowledge through projects that address community needs. 

  

Faculty selected for participation receive a $2,500 faculty development award and mentoring from experienced Service-Learning Fellows, as well as individualized support from the Office of Service-Learning. All UGA faculty members with an interest in service-learning are eligible. Previous experience with service-learning is not required.  

  

Complete application materials and guidelines are available at https://servicelearning.uga.edu/faculty-resources/service-learning-fellows/ 

  

For questions related to applications, please contact Dr. Shannon Brooks, Director of the Office of Service-Learning at shannon.brooks@uga.edu. The Office of Service-Learning is jointly supported by Public Service and Outreach and the Office of Instruction. 

Unified Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Project 

In July 2028, the Unified Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Project will replace the current institutional legacy systems for human capital management (OneUSG Connect) and financials (Financial Management System), improving the experience for faculty and staff; streamlining core business processes; and unifying technology into a single, Software as a Service (SaaS) solution. 

Jenny Dutton is the Project Coordinator for the College, and these are the Change Champions: 

Sarah H. Moss Fellowships for Pre-Tenure Faculty 

The Sarah H. Moss Fellowships, administered by the Office of Research, provide funding for travel and related expenses for University of Georgia tenure-track faculty pursuing advanced scholarship, research, and study at institutions of higher learning in the United States and abroad. Applicants must be tenure-track faculty at the University of Georgia in Athens. Pre-tenure applicants are strongly prioritized. Funds may be used for faculty members’ own travel and research expenses, as well as for partner and dependent travel. The application deadline for the FY27 cycle is April 1, 2026. 

Prior uses of the award include: 

More information about the Sarah H. Moss Fellowships, including the eligibility criteria and application, please can be found on the Office of Research website here 

Research Update: New NIH Research Priority Areas (Highlighted Topics) 

To support our college’s commitment to high-impact research, I want to bring your attention to the NIH’s centralized list of Highlighted Topics. These topics represent the current research priorities for various NIH Institutes and Centers. Aligning your investigator-initiated (R01, R21, R03) applications with these areas can demonstrate strong fit with NIH's strategic missions. If your research aligns with any of these topics, please review the specific notice and reach out to the NIH program officer listed in the "Scientific/Research Contact" section of the notice before submitting your application. Most of these topics are intended for submission via the NIH Parent Funding Announcements.  For more information or to see the full list of 30+ active topics, please visit the NIH Highlighted Topics Portal. 

The NIH has introduced a Unified Funding Strategy (UFS) to standardize how funding decisions are made across all Institutes and Centers. Key changes include the elimination of fixed paylines in favor of a holistic evaluation of scientific merit, mission alignment, and investigator career stage. Faculty are encouraged to use the new centralized funding resource and consult with program staff early to ensure their research aligns with these updated institutional priorities. 

Upcoming Research Events in FACS 

We have several exciting research support events coming up this month. On March 6, Dr. Lu Fan will be hosting a seminar on citation management software to help streamline your writing workflow - great for graduate students and faculty! Dr. Emily Noble is launching a recurring Friday grant writing group — a relaxed, 90-minute collaborative writing session designed to build community and accountability around our scholarly work. And Dr. Steve Kogan will be hosting a seminar/workshop on developing an impactful program of research. Watch for emails with dates, times, and registration details from our ADR, Chuck Geier. We hope to see you there!  

Teaching Faculty Learning Community 

The next Teaching Faculty Learning Community session, ADA Course Content Compliance Workshop is scheduled for March 19. The deadline to register is March 12. This session will be led by Cody Bishop, EITS Disability Accessibility Specialist. Cody was hired to lead these efforts on campus to support faculty in making course content compliant with ADA guidelines.  

This workshop will include the following:  

FACS will host an exciting new event this spring – the 3-Minute Research (3MR) Competition. The 3MR competition challenges graduate students to present their research in a clear and compelling way in three minutes or less, using one static slide and no additional props. The goal is to communicate the significance and impact of complex scholarly work to a non-specialist audience, emphasizing clarity, accessibility, and engagement rather than technical jargon and detail. Our college event is modeled after the university’s 3-minute thesis event (https://grad.uga.edu/about/annual-events/3mt/). 

Deans Series: Health and Education 

Part of the monthly series of meetings with the Dean and College administrators around a theme, this session continues the discussion about Health-related initiatives in the college that we started in the fall College Assembly. Please plan to attend this informative session that should result in meaningful connections with colleagues across the college.  

Workshop will help people with disabilities, families navigate financial challenges 

The Love and Money Center and the David Ralston Institute for Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities are partnering to support the well-being of people with disabilities and their families. 

A new workshop, “Beyond Just Getting By: Supporting the Financial and Relational Lives of Families with Disabilities,” will be held Tuesday, April 7, from 9 a.m. - Noon at the Tate Reception Hall. 

Families with disabilities navigate emotional, relational, and financial challenges that intersect in ways most professionals aren't fully prepared to address. This workshop brings together experts in mental health, financial planning, and disability support services to build a shared foundation — covering research, theory, and practical resources grounded in real family experience. The workshop closes with a moderated panel of individuals and families with disabilities sharing their stories and what they wish the professionals in their lives truly understood.  

  

Space is limited — registration is required to reserve your spot. Students are welcome and encouraged to attend.  CE credits being pursued: GAMFT, FTA, CFP Board, GSCSW 

Register here: https://forms.office.com/r/rFi4zPscgu 

Lynn Bailey Lectureship set for April 1 at The Classic Center 

The fourth annual Lynn Bailey Lectureship will feature a presentation by Dr. Regan Bailey, professor of behavioral science and social medicine and director of the Institute for Connecting Nutrition and Health (ICON-Health) at Florida State University. 

Bailey’s presentation is titled “Reimagining the future of nutrition research and policy” and will be held Wednesday, April 1 from 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. at The Classic Center. 

An Evidence‑Based Workshop to Reduce Barriers to Academy Engagement in Science Communication and Outreach 
When: Friday, April 17th, 2026 from 1:00 pm to 5:30 pm 
Where: Baldwin Hall, Punaro Room, University of Georgia 
Contact: Dr. Marshall Shepherd (marshgeo@uga.edu) or Dr. Chelsea Ratcliff (Chelsea.Ratcliff@uga.edu) 
 

Hosted by: Dr. Marshall Shepherd, Regents/Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor, Department of Geography/Atmospheric Sciences Program, University of Georgia and Dr. Chelsea Ratcliff, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies in partnership with Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, Sense About Science, and Other Media Partners. 
 

Workshop Goals 

The workshop is powered by a Schmidt Sciences/UCSC Communication  
RSVP: https://lnkd.in/e2i_VhPA 

ADA Course Content Compliance Workshop 

All instructors scheduled to teach in Spring 2026 and beyond are required to ensure that their eLc course materials comply with the accessibility standards established under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by April 24, 2026.   

FACS Marketing Materials 

Do you need print materials, digital graphics, promotional items, etc.? Please see our Marketing Materials page. Here you’ll find logos, branded templates, website and social media guidance and more. If you need a digital or print asset or have other marketing needs, please fill out our New Project Request form. 

Upcoming events 

March 6 – FACS Graduate and Doctoral Student Writing Workshop Series - Citation Management 

March 19 – ADA Course Content Compliance Workshop, 12-1:30 p.m. 

March 20 – 3 Minute Research (3MR), 3-5 pm, 110 Dawson Hall 

March 27 – Deans Series: Health and Education, Dawson 216 

April 1 – 4th Annual Lynn Bailey Lectureship  

April 6-10 – Love and Money Week 

April 6 - Money, Meaning, and Well‑Being: A Virtual Roundtable with Financial Therapy Practitioners, 3-4:30 p.m. 

April 7 – Beyond Just Getting By: Supporting the Financial and Relational Lives of Families with Disabilities, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. 

April 8 – Financial Literacy on the Lawn  

April 13 – FACS Awards Luncheon 

April 22-23 – Pathways of Risk and Resilience, Inaugural GCDS Conference   

April 23 – Deans Series/FLC, Teaching in the Age of AI, 12-1 p.m. 

May 8 – FACS Spring 2026 Convocation 

Sincerely,   

Anisa M. Zvonkovic