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Leadership came to life for the largest-ever Georgia 4-H Day at the Capitol delegation in Atlanta as 4-H’ers engaged with the civic process. Elected officials joined nearly 800 youth, staff, volunteers and supporters on Feb. 25 to celebrate the impact of 4-H in Georgia. State Sen. Larry Walker and Georgia Rep. Rick Jasperse served as legislative hosts for the 4-H delegation. County 4-H groups explored and toured the Capitol building, and many 4-H leaders arranged direct meetings with senators and representatives from their districts. Georgia’s current slate of elected officials includes many 4-H alumni, parents and supporters who welcomed students to the place where government comes to life.

Over a Zoom call from Switzerland, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences alum Consuelo De Moraes shows a video of a bumblebee nibbling on a leaf in a semicircular motion, a behavior that accelerates the flowering process when pollen is scarce. As she explains the movements of the bumblebee, she is wide-eyed and fascinated. This insect behavior is one of the latest discoveries for De Moraes, a chemical ecologist and professor who directs the Laboratory of Biocommunication and Entomology at ETH Zürich.

Five alumni from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will be honored next month at the 69th annual CAES Alumni Association Awards banquet on March 21 at the Classic Center in Athens, Georgia. The annual ceremony honors college alumni for their outstanding achievements. The event also includes recognition of new inductees into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame. “Agriculture and agribusinesses are vital to many of our communities and vital to each of us in our daily lives,” said Carlton Self, CAES Alumni Association board president.

Accomplished 4-H youth and the adults who empower them gathered at the 81st Georgia 4-H State Congress in Atlanta July 23-26. The weeklong event for top 4-H’ers features state-level Project Achievement and Leadership in Action competitions and recognizes youth development professionals and community supporters contributing to the success of 4-H in Georgia. More than 200 youth delegates competed in 50 Project Achievement areas and eight youth delegates competed in the Leadership in Action contest during annual event.

An innovator in peanut breeding whose research revitalized an industry and an ardent champion of agricultural education were inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame at the 68th University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association Awards in Athens. The 2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate.

Seven alumni from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will be recognized at the 68th annual CAES Alumni Association Awards banquet on April 6. Two Georgia agricultural leaders will be inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame at the event, hosted at the Classic Center in Athens. “Georgia’s No. 1 industry — agriculture — is that because of the people that are part of the industry,” said Becca Turner, CAES Alumni Association board president.

Randy Nuckolls, who joined 4-H as a child in Whitfield County more than 60 years ago, was honored with the 2023 Georgia 4-H Lifetime Achievement Award at the 4-H Gala in August. In the decades since, Nuckolls became deeply involved in Georgia 4-H, earning the title of Master 4-H’er and serving as a summer camp counselor at Rock Eagle 4-H Center before continuing to support Georgia 4-H throughout his career.

Georgia 4-H celebrated top 4-H’ers from around the state during the 80th annual 4-H State Congress in Atlanta July 18 to 21. State Congress features the state-level Project Achievement and Leadership in Action contests as well as recognition of youth development professionals, supporters and public officials for their contributions to the success of 4-H in Georgia.

Six alumni from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences were recognized at the 67th annual CAES Alumni Association Awards banquet on April 29. Two Georgia agricultural leaders were honored with induction into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame at the event, hosted at the UGA Tate Center Grand Hall.

Georgia 4-H dedicated the Thomas F. Rodgers Administration Building at Rock Eagle 4-H Center to honor former Georgia 4-H state leader Tom Rodgers for his years of service to 4-H and University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. During his tenure as Georgia 4-H leader, Rodgers championed the renovation of the Rock Eagle 4-H Center, raising more than $2 million to secure Rock Eagle’s status as a centerpiece of Georgia 4-H.