University of North Georgia

The University of North Georgia (UNG) Department of Music awarded student Eli McAdams the Stravinsky Composition award in April for his composition "Three Conversations for Clarinet and Piano." "Eli is an awesome student and a great addition to our UNG family. He has sought out diligently to develop his talents into skills that lead as a musician and composer. This award only reflects Eli's commitment to innovation and creativity. I am looking forward to seeing Eli continue to grow and develop," David Peoples, part-time faculty, said.

Seven University of North Georgia students and five alumni presented at the Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society's convention this spring in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and two of them won awards. UNG's presenters are part of the Alpha Upsilon Phi chapter of Sigma Tau Delta at UNG's Gainesville Campus.

Four University of North Georgia (UNG) cadets took part in the Joint Service Academy Cybersecurity (JSAC) Conference in April at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point thanks to funding from UNG's Institute for Cyber Operations. JSAC is a leadership development event for cyber junior and senior officers and academy cadets and midshipmen, co-sponsored by the Army Cyber Institute and Palo Alto Networks.

Three alumnae from the University of North Georgia (UNG) were designated Fulbright finalists for 2025-26. They include students from the College of Arts & Letters, College of Science & Mathematics, and Mike Cottrell College of Business. Four additional students were named alternates.

Albany Zavarce is the first UNG student chosen as a STEMNetX Fellowship recipient and was awarded a one-week paid fellowship in Pennsylvania. She encourages women to explore opportunities in STEM.

Three students in the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Lewis F. Rogers Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis recently published an article along with faculty member Dr. Amber Ignatius. Their article, "Spatiotemporal Vegetation Dynamics, Forest Loss, and Recovery: Multidecadal Analysis of the U.S. Triple Crown National Scenic Trail Network," was published in March in the journal Remote Sensing.

More than 100 military awards and scholarships were presented to University of North Georgia cadets at the March Military Awards Ceremony and a pair of April events during Alumni Weekend.

The University of North Georgia (UNG) inducted about 40 nursing students into the Sigma Theta Tau international nursing honor society during the spring 2025 semester.

University of North Georgia junior Sydney Griffith has earned the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields. The award provides a total of up to $15,000 per student over two years.

For the spring 2025 semester, the University of North Georgia (UNG) awarded almost 1,700 degrees and certificates to graduates. More than half of the graduates participated in the spring commencement ceremonies held May 14-15 at the Convocation Center at UNG's Dahlonega Campus.

University of North Georgia (UNG) President Michael P. Shannon recognized students who achieved a 4.0 GPA during the spring 2025 semester. Students enrolled in 12 or more credit hours in bachelor's degree programs who achieved a 4.0 grade point average were named to the President's Honor Roll. Students enrolled in associate degree or dual enrollment programs who met the same level of achievement were named to the President's List.

The deans of each of UNG's colleges announced the names of those students who made their respective lists for spring 2025. Dean's List recognition is achieved by having at least a 3.5 grade point average, carrying 12 or more credit hours in one semester and having no grade lower than B.

Students, faculty and staff from the University of North Georgia (UNG) invested in the next generation of national leaders at the Youth in Government (YIG) Expo hosted Feb. 23-25 by the Georgia Center for Civic Engagement in St. Simons Island, Georgia. They assisted with the cybersecurity and national security academies within the expo. The academies each included hands-on learning activities such as escape rooms and dead-drop locations for exchanging secret information. It was all with an eye toward helping high school students gain an early taste of potential careers in government.

Thirteen students from the University of North Georgia (UNG) took part in the Harvard Undergraduate Latina Empowerment & Development (LEAD) Conference, which was held Feb. 7-8 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Fatima Santillan, a senior from Gainesville, Georgia, pursuing a degree in political science with a minor in public administration and public service, attended the LEAD Conference for a second time and served as an ambassador this year.

The University of North Georgia (UNG) women's basketball team earned the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) tournament championship March 9. Later that night, the Nighthawks were announced as the No. 1 seed and host of the eight-team NCAA Division II Southeast Regional from March 14-17 at the Convocation Center in Dahlonega, Georgia.

Sophomore Mauricio Gonzalez became the first UNG student to be selected for the eight-week Douglas-O'Connell Internship in Ireland.

Students Dawson Yang and Alec Reeb have created an app aimed at helping people find available resources in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Augusta, Georgia.

The iDEA (innovateDahlonega Entrepreneurship Accelerator) Community Pitch Challenge was held Nov. 7 at the University of North Georgia (UNG) Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CEI) Launch Pad on the Dahlonega campus, with seven out of the original 13 applicants vying for a prize package of $20,000.

University of North Georgia (UNG) senior Sydney Glouse received the first ever student DAISY Award given by Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS). DAISY stands for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.

University of North Georgia (UNG) junior William Edwards is the school's presidential fellow to the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (CSPC) for 2024-25. Monthly online seminars will allow Edwards, a cadet who is pursuing a degree in history, to study the public policymaking process and the president's relationship with Congress, allies, the media, and the public. A multiday leadership conference in Washington, D.C., will wrap up the program.

A student and a faculty member in the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Department of Visual Arts have partnered with the City of Dahlonega to create a rendering of a pedestrian bridge that will be built soon. The pedestrian bridge will be over Yahoola Creek at the Reservoir.

University of North Georgia (UNG) senior Autumn Sniffen was awarded the Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Grant to study at the National Taiwan University in Taipei, Taiwan. Originally from Catonsville, Maryland, Sniffen is pursuing a degree in modern languages with a concentration in Chinese for global professionals.

Two University of North Georgia (UNG) students participated in the four-week Pathway to Med School program through the Foothills Area Health Education Center (AHEC) this summer. The program looks to help students get into medical school and get them interested in primary care so that they will consider returning and serving the north Georgia community. This summer, eight students from the region participated.

The Model United Nations clubs on the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Gainesville and Dahlonega Campuses jointly organized the seventh annual Model United Nations Conference at the Gainesville Campus. Held March 29, the event topic was "Addressing the Impacts that Artificial Intelligence has in the Current Digital Age."

Nicole LeBlanc is UNG's 2022-23 UNG Presidential Fellow for the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.

Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society, welcomed 1,971 new initiates from 78 universities during April 2022. Students initiated into the Society must be sophomores, juniors, seniors, or graduate/professional students in the top 35% of their class, demonstrate leadership experience in at least one of the five pillars, and embrace the ODK ideals. Fewer than five percent of students on a campus are invited to join each year.