Researchers at the University of North Georgia (UNG) are on a quest to give people who use Facebook, Twitter and Instagram better tools to guard their sensitive data. Thanks to a Presidential Semester Incentive Award, Dr. Ahmad Ghafarian and three students are conducting controlled experiments to see how much data is stored on computers and web browsers used by social media account holders.

University of North Georgia (UNG) student Katherine Torres participated in the highly competitive Cox-State Department Diplomacy Seminar in October. Torres, a junior pursuing a degree in political science with a concentration in pre-law, had applied for a summer enrichment program but was not selected. Then Dr. Anastasia Lin, assistant vice president of research and engagement and associate professor of history, found the diplomacy seminar, a fully funded career exploration program for undergraduate students.

Now in its third year, the McNair Scholars program is designed to identify and prepare sophomores, juniors and seniors from all UNG campuses for post-graduate studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities. The current 18 McNair Scholars are succeeding. Since the program launched at UNG in fall 2017, several McNair Scholars have participated in undergraduate research projects and presented at conferences. In spring 2019, two McNair Scholars won national scholarships, including UNG's first Truman and Goldwater Scholars.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is proud to announce the recipients of a 2019 Love of Learning Award. The awards help fund post-baccalaureate studies and career development for active Society members.

Learning to hack into a car, control a robot, program a drone, and write computer code are just a few of the activities high school students mastered during the GenCyber Warrior Academy in June at the University of North Georgia (UNG). More than 170 national and international students applied for 40 positions to the highly selective 10-day summer program

Students in the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Summer Language Institute (SLI) gained experience far beyond the classroom this summer. As part of the intensive six-week course from June 15-July 31 that earned them eight credit hours in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Russian, students took field trips to put their language skills into practice.

The University of North Georgia (UNG) had a record 65 current and former students attend the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) from April 11-13 at Kennesaw State University. UNG sent 77 people to NCUR, which ranked UNG as the No. 7 school for participants at the conference. Participants included students and faculty in anthropology and archaeology, biology, chemistry, computer science, education, history, music, physics, and psychology.

The University of North Georgia (UNG) Alumni Association Awards Luncheon was the one of the main events Saturday, April 27 during Alumni Weekend 2019. The following were recognized for outstanding leadership, service and excellence in their roles serving or attending the university: Dot Strother Alumni Scholarship: Kiersten Wilson. A junior pursuing a marketing degree, Wilson has studied abroad in Rome. She is in Phi Mu Fraternity, Order of Omega and the Mike Cottrell College of Business Dean's Student Advisory Board. She is president of UNG's American Marketing Association and serves as a Student Ambassador. Paul M. Hutcherson Outstanding Students: Cadet Col. Tyler Farney and Jasmine Bouges. Farney is a Distinguished Military Graduate who commissioned into the Army Aviation Branch on May 3. Farney has also been involved with Student Government Association and Nighthawks Entertainment. Bouges is president of Women in STEM, secretary of Mike Cottrell Scholars and is a member of the Honors Program. A computer science major, Bouges is set for a software development internship at Country Financial this summer.

University of North Georgia junior Adriana Zarate has been named a Newman Civic Fellow. She is one of 262 students named to the 2019-2020 cohort. The one-year experience emphasizes personal, professional and civic growth for students who have demonstrated a capacity for leadership and an investment in solving public problems.

Four University of North Georgia students: Daniel Shearer, Josh Shepherd, Donnie "Jamar" Shumaker, and Rachel Wilson, were glad to learn March 1 that they were selected as Critical Language Scholarship finalists. The scholarship program is a fully-funded overseas language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students. Its goal is to broaden the base of Americans studying and mastering critical languages and building relationships between the people of the United States and other countries. Four other semifinalists, Daniel Barker, Hannah Chisholm, Leah James, and Julia "Rhiannon" Smith, were named alternates. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, CLS is highly competitive, with acceptance rates of 10 percent, said Dr. Victoria Hightower, UNG's assistant director of Nationally Competitive Scholarships. This makes UNG's accomplishment of four finalists and four alternates significant.

Nearly 130 University of North Georgia (UNG) students performed research-based projects and presented their results during the poster sessions March 22 at the 24th Annual Research Conference (ARC) in the Convocation Center on UNG's Dahlonega Campus. Other students participated in panel discussions on topics such as educational experiences and musical research.

Brendyn Melugin was named the national American Council on Education Student of the Year, which is presented annually to an adult learner who has benefited from the use of ACE credit recommendations to earn a college degree or advance a career. The 26-year-old University of North Georgia student from Norcross, Georgia, is pursuing a degree in psychology.

Thirteen students from the University of North Georgia (UNG) have been selected as semifinalists for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, a highly competitive fellowship that enables students to pursue academic endeavors overseas. It is a record number of semifinalists who represent multiple departments, demonstrating the depth of UNG academic programs.

In January, seven University of North Georgia students were selected as semifinalists for the Critical Language Scholarship Program. CLS is a fully-funded overseas language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students. Becoming immersed in a foreign culture and learning to speak the language fluently through an intensive program is one purpose of the program.

Dr. Jo Qian gave about 100 students an opportunity to share what they have learned about human diseases and innovative biotechniques that impact the health field. The inaugural University of North Georgia (UNG) Public Health Awareness Day was held. Nov. 7 on UNG's Gainesville Campus. Topics of poster presentations included a variety of skin, bone, muscle and nervous system disorders.

This summer, 105 students from across the nation will spend six weeks at University of North Georgia (UNG) to learn Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Russian in the Summer Language Institute (SLI), an intensive, immersive program.

University of North Georgia (UNG) junior Hunter Milliman said he can "talk people's heads off about politics."

For the fifth year in a row, the University of North Georgia (UNG) rifle team claimed the Georgia State Championship on Oct. 14 with a victory against Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. UNG is about halfway through its season with the national championship qualifier set for Feb. 17 and the conference championship March 3.

University of North Georgia (UNG) chemistry professor Dr. Aimee Tomlinson and three of her students hope their research will someday result in improving fighter pilots' field of vision during combat.

Kele Howerton would not describe herself as a hero, but others would. The 19-year-old University of North Georgia (UNG) student helped rescue an unidentified man from drowning in the Rhine River near Strasbourg, France, while on her study abroad program in July.

On Sept. 11, the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Boar's Head Brigade held the 2016 Distinguished Military Students (DMS) Review, conducted annually to honor senior ROTC cadets who have excelled academically and as leaders.

Phi Kappa Phi members nationwide have been selected to serve as officers for their local chapters.

Cristian Ramos, a junior from Gainesville, Georgia, majoring in communications at the University of North Georgia (UNG), has been selected as a 2017 Newman Civic Fellow, a national award that recognizes individuals who demonstrate leadership and problem-solving abilities within their communities.

Recent awards ceremonies on the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Dahlonega, Gainesville and Oconee campuses presented more than 300 awards to students across the university's campuses.

After participating in the state's Move On When Ready (MOWR) program, seven students will cross the stage as graduates of the University of North Georgia (UNG), six of them before they receive their high school diplomas.

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is proud to announce the recipients of a 2015 Love of Learning Award from Session A of the program. The awards help fund post-baccalaureate studies and/or career development for active Phi Kappa Phi members.

During spring semester, the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Department of Visual Arts celebrated the accomplishments of its students with the presentation of awards and recognition and exhibitions that showcased the work of graduating seniors.

The University of North Georgia's Faculty-Undergraduate Summer Enrichment (FUSE) program provides support to faculty and students as they work one-on-one or in small groups to conduct in-depth research, supporting the university's mission to bolster undergraduate research and faculty research. "FUSE provides a unique opportunity for faculty and students to pursue research in a much more focused manner," said Dr. Anastasia Turner, assistant dean of student research and scholarship. "It gives the faculty dedicated time with knowledgeable assistants to make great gains in their research, and it gives the students valuable, hands-on experience with field experts, which is very rare. These experiences often have lifelong impacts on their academic and professional careers."

At several small health centers in La Romana, the third-largest city in the Dominican Republic, nine physical therapy students from the University of North Georgia spent their spring break providing services to orphans and citizens living in poverty.