News Archive - 2026

Speaker presenting at event
Franklin research mixer sparks dynamic evening of collaboration

Michelle Ritchie has been a regular at Franklin’s research mixers since they launched in 2024. She was drawn to the gatherings because of their emphasis on advancing multidisciplinary scholarship, one of Franklin’s academic initiatives. The events are held at a local restaurant or coffee shop and feature faculty presentations centered on a multidisciplinary topic. Post presentations, the speakers and audience members mingle and exchange ideas.…

numbers and colors are expanding
AI seed grants spark bold cross campus breakthroughs at UGA

Innovation took center stage this month at the 2026 IAI Spotlight, where faculty, students, and research partners gathered to explore how this year’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IAI) seed‑grant recipients are redefining what’s possible with emerging AI technologies. The event blended the energy of a collaborative workshop with the depth of a research symposium, highlighting projects that stretch across emergency medicine,…

actors on stage
Franklin theater students took center stage at American College Theater Festival

Students and faculty from Franklin’s theater and film studies department traveled to Montgomery, Ala. last month to take part in the 58th American College Theater Festival. The festival is part of a national competitive program that recognizes and promotes excellence in college and university theater across the United States. Each year, undergraduate and graduate productions from institutions nationwide are selected for performance,…

three people sitting
Franklin champions campus-wide humanities festival

The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences is proud to partner in presenting the fourth annual UGA Humanities Festival, a dynamic showcase of humanities research, creativity, and public engagement across campus. From March 16 through April 2, the festival will bring together scholars, students, and community members for lectures, panel discussions, readings, and events held across campus and throughout the Athens community.  Presented by…

hand drawing with pencil
Where art teaches science: inside UGA Lamar Dodd’s scientific illustration program

Consider the diagrams of the human body in a biology textbook, the infographic that untangles a complex geological process, or the lifelike rendering of an extinct species that seems ready to step off the page. These images don’t appear by accident, they’re crafted by scientific illustrators, artists who translate complex ideas into visuals that anyone can understand who are truly tapping into the intersection of the arts and sciences. …

DJ Shockley Portrait
Franklin alum DJ Shockley to give UGA’s spring commencement address

DJ Shockley, former UGA and Atlanta Falcons quarterback and Franklin alumnus, will usher graduates through their transition from students to alumni as this spring’s commencement speaker.   Shockley (AB Communication Studies '05) led the Bulldogs to two SEC titles and remains in the Bulldogs’ top 10 in several categories, including passing yards, passing touchdowns, and QB rating.  He was later selected in the 2006 NFL Draft…