University of North Georgia

Two University of North Georgia (UNG) students were named National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship selections. Both women are First-Generation college students. They will head to the NIST headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland, at the end of spring semester. Katia Gonzalez-Adame, a senior pursuing degrees in mathematics and chemistry, will work in the Materials Measurement Laboratory. Brittney Meza, a junior pursuing a degree in computer science, will work in the Information Technology Laboratory.

University of North Georgia (UNG) junior Claudia Marban took part in the Public Policy & International Affairs (PPIA) Program Public Service Weekend from Feb. 21-23 in Arlington, Virginia. The weekend is a means for students to explore careers in public service, network with professionals and understand policy issues.

Four students represented the University of North Georgia (UNG) at the Latin American & Latinx Studies Symposium, held April 4 at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. Presenters Georgia Deitz, Aidan Pavlich, Jorge Romero, and Fatima Santillan shared a panel with peers from other institutions, engaging in dialogue with fellow presenters and an engaged audience who asked thoughtful questions following their presentations.

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.

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.

Members of the University of North Georgia (UNG) chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) participated in the Kennesaw Marketing Association (KMA) Invitational at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia, in March. UNG students Preston Reid and Abbie Tanner placed third in the marketing case and pitch competition. They received $500 for their presentation.

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.

In a ceremony held May 13 by the University of North Georgia, about 50 graduating cadets were awarded commissions as second lieutenants.

UNG junior Rylee Chafin has been selected for the prestigious NASA Student Airborne Research Program. The eight-week internship will be held in Richmond, Virginia, this summer.

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.

UNG students who showed promise, demonstrated creativity, displayed excellence, served others and exceeded all expectations had their moment in the spotlight during the annual Student Awards events held in April.

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) student Emma Wilson has been selected for a Fulbright Canada-Mitacs Globalink Research Internship for summer 2025. The Fulbright Canada-Mitacs Globalink Research Internship is intended for U.S. students interested in going to Canada to undertake advanced research projects for 10-12 weeks (between May and August) in their area of interest.

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.

A team of University of North Georgia (UNG) cadets finished fifth overall and won four out of nine events in the Spartan Ranger Challenge held Feb. 27-March 1 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The competition included almost 24 hours straight of physical challenges at one point. UNG's black team earned event victories in one-rope bridge, hand grenade assault, obstacle course, and commander's challenge. Its gold team also competed at Fort Knox.

The University of North Georgia (UNG) finished fifth overall in the 76th annual Ted Cameron National Collegiate Poultry Judging Contest, which was held April 2-4 at Mississippi State University. UNG also took fourth place as a team in the market products category and fifth place in the breeds portion of the event.

Roughly 30 members of the University of North Georgia (UNG) Honors Program presented at the 2025 Georgia Collegiate Honors Conference (GCHC) at Georgia Tech in February, the largest delegation in the school's history.

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.

University of North Georgia (UNG) student Calvin Bowers has won awards at four film festivals for his eight-and-a-half-minute documentary "Per Amore Dei Gatti (For the Love of Cats)." Bowers directed the film and produced it with three fellow students during the Film in Italy study abroad program in Barga, Italy, in 2024. Grant Aldinger, Olivia Claudon and Jarred Taber were part of the production.

Four University of North Georgia (UNG) students have been selected as student speakers for their respective commencement ceremonies this May.

Twelve University of North Georgia film students spent spring break making connections and learning about the industry as part of a study away program in Los Angeles, California. Robyn Hicks, associate professor of film and digital media, led the professional development opportunity.

Three University of North Georgia (UNG) students and two faculty members from the Oconee Campus recently had a paper published in the International Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics (ICTCM) 2024 Conference Proceedings.

UNG established the first chapter of the Professional Agricultural Student (PAS) Organization in the South, and its team finished first in the nation in the Poultry Specialist career area the National PAS conference.

Students gave 69 poster presentations and 24 oral presentations at the University of North Georgia's (UNG) 30th Annual Research Conference (ARC), held March 21 in the Cottrell Ballroom at UNG's Dahlonega Campus. That includes many projects that included multiple students. Six of those students won awards.

Four University of North Georgia (UNG) students presented their research at the Conference on the Americas, held Feb. 21-22 at the University of Georgia (UGA). One of the students won an award.

University of North Georgia (UNG) students and faculty member Dr. Linda Purvis hosted their ninth annual Poultry 101 event for middle and high school students Feb. 22 at UNG's Gainesville Campus.

Twenty students and four faculty members from the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Department of Kinesiology attended the annual meeting of the Southeast Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (SEACSM) from Feb. 20-22 in Greenville, South Carolina. Five of the students presented research posters at the event.

Student Tyler Simpson and his research mentor, Dr. Levi 'Zane' Miller, won a Best Poster Award at the American Chemical Society Southeast Undergraduate Research Conference.

Thirty-two University of North Georgia students held a variety of roles in the Gainesville Theatre Alliance's spring 2025 production of "Macbeth," which ran from Feb. 14-22 in the Hosch Theatre at Brenau University.