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Liang Dong, professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Microelectronics Research Center at Iowa State University, is set to become the University of Georgia’s newest Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, effective Aug. 1. At UGA, Dong will be the GRA Eminent Scholar in Precision Agriculture, with a joint appointment in the colleges of Engineering and Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He will also serve as associate director for research at the Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture.

The University of Georgia Regenerative Bioscience Center is researching how a novel stem cell therapy can rebuild the brain by enhancing the body’s self-repair system to treat a range of neurodegenerative disorders. “Our goal is to find solutions that can help people immediately. For stroke patients, with our cell therapy advancing through clinical trials, we're trying to make a difference sooner rather than later,” said Steven Stice, director and co-founder of the UGA Regenerative Bioscience Center.

Fifteen years ago, what is now a thriving, 10-acre teaching farm began as little more than a beat-up cattle run. Today, UGArden is not only a model of sustainable agriculture at the University of Georgia: It’s also a cherished community garden built by and for students, where they can learn to grow food organically, connect with the land and serve the broader Athens community.

Researchers from the University of Georgia found a new drug that may boost the brain’s ability to heal itself after injury. The discovery could lead to significant advances in treating traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs. There are currently no FDA-approved drugs that directly repair or prevent brain damage following TBI, a major gap in treatment. The compound, called CMX-2043, may help fill that void by increasing the enzymes that play a crucial role in mopping up harmful molecules after injury.

University of Georgia faculty and graduate students have more than double the opportunities for open access publishing, thanks to new UGA Libraries read and publish agreements with Elsevier and Springer Nature, two of the largest academic journal publishers. The transformative agreements cover article processing charges with nearly 4,000 hybrid journals across the Elsevier and Springer Nature portfolios, adding to previous UGA Libraries agreements in place with Wiley and other publishers. This expands the list of open access publishing opportunities at UGA to more than 7,000 titles.

Renowned ecologist and science communicator Sonia Altizer has been named head of the University of Georgia Department of Entomology, bringing a collaborative vision and decades of research and public outreach experience to the role. A longtime UGA faculty member, Altizer is focused on honoring the department’s strong legacy while advancing innovation, interdisciplinary research and community engagement through Extension.

Now that we’ve announced the winners of the tomato sandwich slicer showdown and your plants are taking off, it’s time to address our first tomato gardening issue: supporting unwieldy tomato plants through staking and pruning. For the best chance at productive plants with healthy fruit, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension consumer horticulturalist Bob Westerfield urges home gardeners to invest in providing plants a strong support structure all season long. “No other vegetable comes close to bearing as much produce in such a limited space,” Westerfield said.

Not everyone likes the look of a traditional vegetable garden — or has the space for one. Maybe you already grow vegetables and want to integrate more edible plants into your existing landscape. Either way, edible landscaping offers an attractive and practical solution to planting out your yard. Edible landscaping is the practice of incorporating food-producing plants into ornamental garden spaces, following basic landscape design principles.

The Delta Air Lines Foundation has committed $5 million to the University of Georgia Hospitality and Food Industry Management program, which is housed in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. A leader in the hospitality and travel sector, Delta’s commitment to investing in communities and enhancing the student experience at UGA will make an impact on the industry for years to come.

The University of Georgia’s Rural Engagement Workshop for Academic Faculty has awarded a series of seed grants to help faculty address challenges in rural Georgia ranging from veterinary practices to telehealth clinics and early childhood care. The 2025 seed grants range from $5,000 to $10,000 and will support faculty from a wide array of disciplines as they engage with rural Georgians on issues that are critical for their communities.