Jianing Xu Awarded 2008 Alton Graduate Fellowship The Graduate Affairs Committee has awarded the 2008 Kirby and Jan Alton Graduate Fellowship to Jianing Xu. He is advised by Michael McEachern and has been focusing on studies of telomerase in the yeast, Kluyveromyces lactis. (4/15/2008)

Genetics Graduate Student Awarded Dissertation Completion Award The Graduate School has announced that Jodell Linder was awarded a fellowship that allows her to devote all her time to the completion of her dissertation. Linder, a student in the Promislow lab, works on immunity in Drosophila. (4/14/2008)

Jeff Bennetzen Awarded 2008 Guggenheim Fellowship Jeff Bennetzen, the Norman and Doris Giles Professor of Genetics, has been awarded a 2008 Guggenheim Fellowship to study the parasitic weed, Striga, in Mali. Guggenheim Fellows are appointed on the basis of distinguished achievement in the past and exceptional promise for future accomplishment. (4/3/2008)

Sidney Kushner Named Distinguished Research Professor Genetics Professor Sidney Kushner has been named a Distinguished Research Professor, an honor given to faculty who are recognized as having attained the highest levels of research creativity. Kushner, a biochemical geneticist, is an authority on DNA repair and post-transcriptional regulation in prokaryotes. (3/26/2008)

Katherine Small Receives 2008 Graduate School Excellence in Teaching Award Kate Small, a Ph.D. student in Genetics, has been recognized for her contributions to classroom teaching and the scholarship of teaching with her receipt of a Graduate School Excellence in Teaching Award. This award is presented to no more than 5 teaching assistants annually. She will be recognized at the Faculty Awards Dinner. (3/3/2008)

Tina Bell Receives Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award Tina Bell, a Ph.D. student in Genetics, has won a 2008 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award for her work in GENE 3000. This award is presented to TAs who have excelled in their teaching responsibilities and rank in the top 10% of all TAs serving the university. She will be recognized at the Honors Day ceremony on April 2. (3/3/2008)

Jim Hamrick Named Regents Professor Genetics adjunct professor, Jim Hamrick, has been named a Regents Professor. Regents Professors are recognized as faculty members whose scholarship or creative activity is recognized both nationally and internationally as innovative and pace-setting. (2/19/2008)

Susan Wessler Named First University of Georgia Foundation Chair in the Biological Sciences Genetics adjunct professor, Susan Wessler, has been named to the first University of Georgia Foundation Chair in the Biological Sciences in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. (1/31/2008)

Jodell Linder Awarded ARCS Foundation Scholarship Jodell Linder, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Genetics, was awarded a scholarship from the Atlanta chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation. Jodie was recognized for her studies on sexual conflict and immunity in Drosophila. (11/15/2007)

Lectureship Established by American Society for Virology to Honor Lois Miller The American Society for Virology has endowed a new lectureship dedicated to the the memory of Lois Miller. The lectureship honors the outstanding legacy of Miller as a scholar, mentor, and colleague. Miller, a Distinguished Professor of Genetics, made fundamental contributions to the study of insect baculoviruses and apoptosis. (10/25/2007)

American Association for the Advancement of Science Names Three UGA Geneticists Fellows Three University of Georgia researchers, Sarah Covert, Kelly Dawe and Daniel Promislow, have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Fellows are recognized for meritorious efforts to advance science. (10/23/2007)

NSF Awards $2.5 Million Grant to Study Biological Invasions between China and U.S. UGA has been awarded a grant to establish a novel interdisciplinary research and education program with China under the Partnerships for International Research and Education program. Rodney Mauricio, Karin Myhre, Jim Hamrick, Shumei Chang and Ron Walcott, will study invasive species exchanged between the U.S. and China. (9/17/2007)

Genetics Graduate Student Receives SREB Doctoral Scholars Award The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) announced that Brunilis Burgos, a graduate student in the Dawe lab, has received a Doctoral Scholars Award. The goal of the SREB Program is to increase the number of minority students who earn a Ph.D. and seek to become university faculty members. The award provides up to 5 years of support. (8/15/2007)

Genetics Professors Partner in DOE Biofuels Initiative Genetics professors Jeffrey Bennetzen and Jan Westpheling are part of a team of researchers at major universities, national research laboratories and private companies who won a bid from the Department of Energy for a $125 million bioenergy research center that will seek new ways to produce biofuels. (6/26/2007)

Genetics Intern Scores at 2007 Intel International Science Fair Yihe Dong, a student at Cedar Shoals High School, Athens, won First Place and the Best of Category (Animal Sciences) Award at the 2007 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Her project, "Maternal Effects of Diet Restriction in Fruit Flies," was completed under the supervision of Genetics Professor Daniel Promislow. (5/18/2007)

Genetics Professor Co-Authors New Book on Job-Hunting The University of Chicago Press has published a new book by Daniel Promislow, The Chicago Guide to Landing a Job in Academic Biology, designed to help navigate the high-stakes process of the academic job search. Promislow's co-authors are Ray Chandler and Lorne Wolfe of Georgia Southern University. (5/18/2007)

Susan Wessler Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences Susan Wessler, Regents Professor of Plant Biology and Adjunct Professor of Genetics, was elected to the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The Academy, founded in 1780, has elected the finest minds and most influential leaders from each generation. Among this year's inductees are Al Gore and Sandra Day O'Connor. (5/2/2007)

Two Genetics Graduate Students Awarded Dissertation Completion Assistantships The Graduate School has announced that Jeremy DeBarry and Chih-Horng Kuo were awarded fellowships that allow them to devote all their time to the completion of their dissertations. DeBarry, a student in the Bennetzen lab, focuses on bioinformatics, and Kuo, a student in the Kissinger and Promislow labs, works on phylogenomics. (5/1/2007)

Andrew Paterson Wins 2007 Guggenheim Fellowship Andrew Paterson, Distinguished Research Professor of Crop and Soil Science, Plant Biology and Genetics, has been awarded a 2007 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship. Guggenheim Fellows are appointed on the basis of distinguished achievement in the past and exceptional promise for future accomplishment. (4/21/2007)

Spring 2007 "Genetics at Georgia" Newsletter Published Volume 3 of the Genetics Department newsletter has been published. Take a few minutes to catch up on the department's progress, individual achievements and alumni news. (4/20/2007)

Shannon Yu Receives 2007 Cynthia Kenyon Outstanding Undergraduate Award Shannon Yu received the Cynthia Kenyon Outstanding Undergraduate Award at the Genetics Undergraduate Symposium.  The Kenyon Award is given to an outstanding Genetics undergraduate for exceptional performance in academics, in research, and in leadership outside of the classroom. Shannon’s research centered on an analysis of the parathyroid phenotypes of tissue-specific knockouts of the Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway in the lab of Nancy Manley. She will enter the PhD program at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City next fall. (4/19/2006)

Jodell Linder Awarded 2007 Alton Graduate Fellowship The Graduate Affairs Committee has awarded the 2007 Kirby and Jan Alton Graduate Fellowship to Jodell Linder. She is advised by Daniel Promislow and has been focusing on studies of immunity and sexual conflict in fruit flies. (4/19/2007)

Daniel Ruzicka Awarded 2007 Bishop Graduate Fellowship The Graduate Affairs Committee has awarded the 2007 Linton and June Bishop Graduate Fellowship to Daniel Ruzicka. Daniel's work in Rich Meagher's lab has focused on understanding the role of the Actin Depolymerizing Factor gene family in regulating plant cytoskeletal organization. (4/19/2007)

Robert Ivarie Recognized with 2007 Inventor's Award With 5 issued and 14 pending U.S. patents, Professor and Head of Genetics, Bob Ivarie, was recognized with UGA's 2007 Inventor's Award. Ivarie was recognized for a number of inventions and novel methods to genetically engineer chickens as bioreactors for the low-cost production of proteins that have therapeutic potential for humans. (4/11/2007)

Richard Meagher Named Distinguished Research Professor Genetics Professor Richard Meagher has been named a Distinguished Research Professor, an honor given to faculty who are recognized as having attained the highest levels of research creativity. Meagher, a plant molecular geneticist, is an authority on the plant cytoskeleton, monoclonal antibody production, and phytoremediation. (4/11/2007)

Susan Wessler Named Inaugural SURA Distinguished Scholar Genetics adjunct professor, Susan Wessler, received the first Distinguished Scientist Award from the Southeastern Universities Research Association. The award honors a research scientist whose extraordinary work fulfills the SURA mission of fostering excellence in scientific research. (4/9/2007)

Marly Roche-Rios Receives Scholarship Marly Roche-Rios, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Genetics, was awarded a scholarship from the Hispanic Scholarship Fund/Anheuser-Busch Scholarship Program, a national organization supporting Hispanic higher education. Marly is a student in Mary Bedell's lab. (4/4/2007)

Genetics Major Nithya Natrajan Awarded Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Nithya Natrajan, an undergraduate Genetics major working in Mary Bedell's lab, has been awarded the 2007-2008 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, one of the most prominent national awards for undergraduates pursuing degrees in engineering, mathematics and science. (4/2/2007)

Genetics Major Deep Shah Wins 2007 Harry S. Truman Scholarship Deep Shah was named a recipient of a Harry S. Truman Scholarship, a leading national award for academically outstanding juniors who plan to pursue a career in public service. Shah, a genetics and international affairs double major, is a Foundation Fellow who plans to pursue both a graduate degree in public policy and an M.D. (3/28/2007)

Students Plan Cross-Country Bike Trip to Raise $100,000 for Cancer Research Seven UGA students, including three Genetics majors, will bike across the U.S. this summer to raise money for cancer research. Nathan Crain, who works in Michael McEachern's lab, co-founded "Believe in the Cure." He is joined by Genetics students Clare Scott and John Binford. All three will graduate with degrees from Genetics this May. (3/7/2007)

Nandita Mullapudi Receives Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award Provost Arnett Mace presented Nandita Mullapudi, a Ph.D. student in Genetics, with a 2007 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. This award is presented to TAs who have excelled in their teaching responsibilities and rank in the top 10% of all TAs serving the university. She will be recognized at the Honors Day ceremony on April 25. (3/6/2007)

Nithya Natrajan Receives Mid-Term Foundation Fellowship Nithya Natrajan, an undergraduate Genetics major working in Mary Bedell's lab, has received the University of Georgia's most prestigious undergraduate scholarship. The Foundation Fellowship includes tuition, international travel-study grants, and various academic enrichment opportunities. (2/20/2007)

Genetics Team Uses Systems Approach to Understand Neurospora Biological Clock A team led by Genetic Professor Jonathan Arnold used genetic network models to explain quantitatively, from a systems perspective, how the building blocks of the Neurospora crassa biological clock interact. Their findings were published in the February 20 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (2/13/2007)

Erica Hall Selected to Give Talk at National Undergraduate Research Conference Erica Hall, an undergraduate student working in Jessica Kissinger's lab, was selected to give an oral presentation at the 21st National Conference on Undergraduate Research. Her talk, "Intracellular Gene Transfer from the Mitochondrion to the Nucleus in Toxoplasma gondii," will be given at Dominican University of California in April 2007. (2/01/2007)

Rebecca Tomlinson Awarded ARCS Foundation Scholarship Rebecca Tomlinson, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Genetics, was awarded a scholarship from the Atlanta chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation. Rebecca was recognized for her studies in the biogenesis and intracellular trafficking of telomerase. (11/20/2006)

Chih-Horng Kuo Awarded James L. Carmon Honorarium Doctoral student, Chih-Horng Kuo, received the James L. Carmon Honorarium for innovative use of computers. Kuo, a student in the Promislow and Kissinger labs, developed novel computational approaches to address questions of biological and evolutionary significance in genomics. (10/31/2006)

Norman Giles, Founder of Department of Genetics, Dies at 91 Norman H. Giles, the Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Genetics, Emeritus, at the University of Georgia passed away this afternoon in Dartmouth, New Hampshire, following complications from a fall last Friday. In 1972, after 30 years at Yale, Giles was recruited to UGA where he was instrumental in the creation of the Department of Genetics. (10/16/2006)

Rodney Mauricio Elected to UGA Teaching Academy Associate Professor Rodney Mauricio has been elected to the University of Georgia Teaching Academy. The Teaching Academy constitutes a group of faculty who are committed to promoting and celebrating teaching and learning and who have been tapped by their institution to engage in advocacy, service, or advising on teaching matters. (10/10/2006)

Genetics Professor Pens New Book on Evolution as a "Web of Life" Oxford University Press has published a new book by Professor Michael Arnold, Evolution through Genetic Exchange, in which he describes evolution as a web that crosses and re-crosses through genetic exchange. The predominant evolutionary metaphor, a tree-like pattern of diversification, Arnold argues, is inadequate. (7/3/2006)

Genetics Team Reveals Unexpected Post-Mating Gene Expression in Fruit Flies Paul Mack and Michael Bender, leading an international effort, have uncovered evidence that mating in fruit flies sets off a cascade of heretofore undescribed gene activity. Their findings were published in the June 23 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (6/28/2006)

Spring 2006 "Genetics at Georgia" Newsletter Published Volume 2 of the Genetics Department newsletter has been published. Take a few minutes to catch up on the department's silver anniversary celebration, individual achievements and alumni news. (5/24/2006)

Roger Deal Awarded 2006 Bishop Graduate Fellowship The Graduate Affairs Committee has awarded the 2006 Linton and June Bishop Graduate Fellowship to Roger Deal. Roger's work in Rich Meagher's lab has focused on understanding how nuclear actin-related proteins affect plant development. (5/10/2006)

Norris Armstrong Receives Sandy Beaver Award for Excellence in Teaching Norris Armstrong received a Sandy Beaver Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. The Sandy Beaver award is presented to faculty in the arts and sciences who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to high-quality undergraduate instruction. (5/2/2006)

Rebekah Rogers Receives 2006 Cynthia Kenyon Outstanding Undergraduate Award Rebekah Rogers received the Cynthia Kenyon Outstanding Undergraduate Award at the Genetics Undergraduate Symposium held on April 20 at the Davison Life Sciences Building.  The Kenyon Award is given to an outstanding Genetics undergraduate for exceptional performance in academics, in research, and in leadership outside of the classroom.  Rebekah carried out research projects in the laboratory of Rich Meagher, on phytoremediation, and Jeff Bennetzen, on plant genomics.  Rebekah will enter the Ph.D. program in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University in Fall 2006, where she has received the prestigious James Mills Peirce Fellowship. (4/20/2006)

Rodney Mauricio Recognized by CURO with Undergraduate Mentoring Award The Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) at the University of Georgia recognized Associate Professor of Genetics, Rodney Mauricio, with the 2006 Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award at the annual CURO Symposium held on April 10 in the Tate Student Center. (4/17/2006)

Eleanor Kuntz Receives Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award Provost Arnett Mace presented Eleanor Kuntz, a Ph.D. student in Genetics, with a 2006 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. This award is presented to TAs who have excelled in their teaching responsibilities and rank in the top 10% of all TAs serving the university. She was recognized at the Honors Day ceremony on April 26. (4/13/2006)

Chih-Horng Kuo Awarded 2006 Alton Graduate Fellowship The Graduate Affairs Committee has awarded the 2006 Kirby and Jan Alton Graduate Fellowship to Chih-Horng Kuo. Chih-Horng is co-advised by Daniel Promislow and Jessica Kissinger and has been focusing on studies of host-parasite coevolution and phylogenomics. (4/12/2006)

Genetics Researchers Discover New Environmental Clean-Up Strategy A team led by Genetics Professor Rich Meagher has discovered a way to move arsenic from roots to shoots, improving on “arsenic-eating” plants his group had previously engineered. The payoff could be a new and effective tool in cleaning up thousands of sites where arsenic presents serious dangers to human health. (4/11/2006)

Reed Cartwright Awarded 2006 James L. Carmon Scholarship Doctoral student, Reed Cartwright, received the James L. Carmon Scholarship Award for innovative use of computers. Reed created a program that can generate simulated DNA sequences that include potential insertions and deletions; the first computer program that can incorporate this type of information into a simulation. (3/31/2006)

Genetics Major Tim Supakorndej Awarded Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Four University of Georgia students, including Genetics major Tim Supakorndej, have been awarded the 2006-2007 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, one of the most prestigious scholarships in the country for undergraduates in mathematics, science and engineering. (3/23/2006)

Kelly Dawe Named First Georgia Research Alliance Lars G. Ljungdahl Distinguished Investigator R. Kelly Dawe, a professor of plant biology and genetics, has been named the first Georgia Research Alliance Lars G. Ljungdahl Distinguished Investigator, awarded to those who demonstrate outstanding work in the biosciences or advanced communications and computing. (2/23/2006)

UGA Plant Scientist Uncovers Ancient Secrets, Implications of Genome Duplication Millions of years. That's the time period Andrew Paterson works with in his research. He’s searching for clues as to why a certain plant turned out the way it did, why a certain gene was preserved and another discarded. (2/23/2006)

Ten UGA Honors Students awarded Crane Leadership Scholarships Ten University of Georgia Honors Program students have been awarded William Moore Crane Leadership Scholarships for the 2005-2006 academic year, including Kurinji Pandiyan, a third-year Genetics major from Chennai, India. (12/1//2005)

Scienza e Medico Studente: Welcome to UGA’s Study Abroad Program in Cortona, Italy For more than 25 years, University of Georgia students have had the opportunity to take a wide range of courses in the arts and humanities through the university’s study abroad program in Cortona, Italy. Now, for the first time, students with interests in science and medicine have something to choose from as well. (11/28/2005)

Three Genetics Doctoral Students Awarded ARCS Foundation Scholarships Three doctoral students in the Department of Genetics were awarded scholarships from the Atlanta chapter of the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation. The students, Sarah Whitehead Finch, Karen Stirrett and Rebecca Tomlinson, were recognized for their studies in the biomedical and health sciences. (11/21/2005)

American Association for the Advancement of Science Names Five UGA Geneticists AAAS Fellows Five University of Georgia researchers: Michael Arnold, Jeffrey Bennetzen, Robert Ivarie, Richard Meagher, and Susan Wessler have been named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Fellows are recognized for meritorious efforts to advance science. (10/27/2005)

Kelly S. Kopf Receives 2005 Cynthia Kenyon Outstanding Undergraduate Award Kelly Salinas Kopf received the Cynthia Kenyon Outstanding Undergraduate Award at the Genetics Undergraduate Symposium held at the Davison Life Sciences Building. The Kenyon Award is given to an outstanding Genetics undergraduate for exceptional performance in academics, in research, and in leadership outside of the classroom. Kelly carried out research on adaptive differentiation in natural plant populations in the laboratory of Rodney Mauricio.  Kelly starts at the University of North Carolina School of Law in Fall 2005. (4/20/2005)

Rodney Mauricio Wins University Teaching Award Three UGA faculty members, including Rodney Mauricio, Assistant Professor of Genetics, will receive the Richard B. Russell Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching at the 2005 Faculty Recognition Banquet. The Russell Awards recognize outstanding teaching by faculty early in their academic careers. (4/18/2005)

Daniel Promislow Wins Creative Research Medal The University of Georgia Research Foundation awarded a Creative Research Medal to Associate Professor of Genetics Daniel Promislow. Creative Research Medals recognize outstanding research projects and creative activities, with a single theme, carried out at UGA. (4/18/2005)

Vanessa Corby-Harris Awarded First Alton Graduate Fellowship The Graduate Affairs Committee has awarded the first Kirby and Jan Alton Graduate Fellowship to Vanessa Corby-Harris. Vanessa, who works in Daniel Promislow's lab, studies variation in disease resistance in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster. (4/17/2005)

Department of Genetics Anniversary Celebration! In 2005, the Department of Genetics celebrated two milestones:  The 25th anniversary of the founding of the department and the 90th birthday of its founder, Norman Giles. (4/16/2005)

Sidney Kushner Recognized by CURO with Undergraduate Mentoring Award The Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) at the University of Georgia recognized Professor of Genetics, Sidney Kushner, with the 2005 Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award at the annual CURO Symposium held on April 11-12 in the Tate Student Center. (4/7/2005)

UGA receives NIH Fogarty grant to train Brazilian scientists The Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases (CTEGD) at the University of Georgia has received a $1.2 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center to provide informatics training to Brazilian researchers. (1/10/2005)

UGA Partners with Penn for Bio-Defense and Infectious Disease Research The University of Georgia signed a five-year $3.0 million subcontract to develop a database that will contain comprehensive information about some pathogens on a bio-defense priority list established by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. (1/7/2005)

Glory Be. UGA Geneticists ID Morning Glories that Could Cause Problems for Farmers Morning glories are beloved mailbox flowers all over rural America, but to farmers, they are something else: a noxious weed that can lower yields and choke harvesting combines. For some 30 years, the herbicide glyphosate has quite effectively kept morning glories out of farm fields. (10/4/2004)

University of Georgia professors named Biology Teaching Fellows by National Academies The National Academies recently bestowed the title of Education Fellow in the Life Sciences to 39 educators around the country, including three from the University of Georgia, who successfully completed a summer institute aimed at fostering innovative approaches to teaching undergraduate biology. (8/19/2004)

UGA Leads Multi-institutional Plant Genome Research with $5.6 Million NSF Grant Corn is by far the most important cereal grain grown in the United States, and a project at UGA that could one day lead to the development of artificial corn chromosomes has been awarded a five-year grant by the National Science Foundation for $5.6 million. (8/16/2004)

Rodney Mauricio Wins Franklin College Teaching Award Rodney Mauricio received a Sandy Beaver Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. The Sandy Beaver award is presented to faculty in the arts and sciences who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to high-quality undergraduate instruction. (4/30/2004)

Genetics Professor Named to National Academy of Sciences Jeffrey L. Bennetzen, the Norman and Doris Giles/Georgia Research Alliance Professor of Molecular Genetics at the university, has been elected to membership in the prestigious National Academy of Sciences. (4/21/2004)

UGA Genetics Major, Amanda Casto, Receives Gates Cambridge Scholarship Honors student Amanda Morgan Casto has received the Gates Cambridge Scholarship. This is the third major national scholarship awarded to UGA students in the past month. (4/19/2004)