University of North Georgia

The University of North Georgia (UNG) Model United Nations (MUN) Conference was held in March this year. It was the ninth conference, and 67 students, pursuing 15 different degrees, represented 21 countries. MUN, a two-campus club advised by Chand on the Gainesville Campus and Dr. Jonathan Miner on the Dahlonega Campus, welcomes new members. "The MUN Conference is a great platform for UNG students to hone their public speaking and research skills. It encourages students to be comfortable being in someone else's shoes and be effective at communicating with a wide range of people," Dr. Bibek Chand, associate professor of Political Science & International Affairs, said.

Ava Blythe, who is pursuing a degree in chemistry, was awarded the FEA scholarship to study in South Korea, making her the 14th FEA awardee at UNG.

ASCEND, a Summer Honors experience at the University of North Georgia (UNG), has been described as both an "academic enrichment experience" and a "regional leadership foundry" for high school rising seniors. In addition to advanced academic content, campers handle challenges requiring collaboration, problem-solving and self-advocacy. Applications are open for this year's ASCEND, set for May 31-June 12. The application deadline is May 1. Full or partial scholarships are available for students from some school districts to help with the $1,750 program cost. Students can visit the application page to determine if their school district provides a scholarship.

Cyber students at the University of North Georgia (UNG) have the skills and mindset it takes to excel in the cyber workforce. Their national championship in the Department of War Chief Information Officers (DOW CIO) Cyber Workforce Competition at the National Defense University in late March was simply the latest proof point that UNG students don't just study cybersecurity. They practice it. "This is exactly what we mean when we say UNG prepares students for what comes next," UNG President Michael Shannon said. "Our students are not waiting to serve. They are already operating at the level our nation and our allies demand."

Kinesiology students from the University of North Georgia (UNG) presented seven research posters at the Southeast Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (SEACSM) annual meeting held Feb. 26-28 in Greenville, South Carolina. A pair of faculty members also presented.

A student in the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program has earned the Rising Star of Research and Scholarship Award from the Sigma international nursing honor society for an innovation that can help critical care providers, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants and physicians, better care for patients on ventilators. Dr. Soraya Smith-Farmer received the recognition for her research titled "A call for standardization in ventilator waveform education: Improving confidence and knowledge retention among advanced practice provider (APP) and physician fellows." She will present this work at Sigma's 37th International Nursing Research Congress, which is set for July 16-18 in Toronto.

A University of North Georgia (UNG) student and a recent alumnus have made the most of their internships with local chambers of commerce and begun to blaze their career paths thanks to those experiences. Felipe Darquea, a senior from Gainesville, Georgia, pursuing a degree in political science with a minor in public administration and public service, parlayed his Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce (GHCC) internship in the summer and fall of 2025 into a full-time job during his final semester this spring.

During spring break, the University of North Georgia (UNG) Combat Action Shooting Team (CAST) swept the top two spots in the cadet team division of the U.S. Army Small Arms Championship. Jesse Shoemaker, CAST officer in charge, was named top cadet, winning by more than 200 points. He earned excellence in competition points in both rifle and pistol, placing him in the top 10% of all 209 shooters at the competition. The team also had impressive results in the SIG Sauer Relentless Warrior Campionship. UNG was the only senior military college on the podium at the New Hampshire competition in April. UNG earned third place, the Air Force Academy took second place and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point took home the gold. Shoemaker was seventh individually, with Price also in the top 20.

A four-student team from the University of North Georgia (UNG) secured first place at the Senior Military College (SMC) Cyber Fusion competition held Feb. 26-27 at Virginia Military Institute. James Goble joined cadets Danica Heeter, Charis Rueggeberg and Wesley Stoudenmier on the team that excelled in the four-hour capture the flag (CTF) event. Stoudenmier is UNG's Cyber Unit commander in the Corps of Cadets, and Goble is the Blue Team Element lead for the CyberHawks student club.

Cadets from the University of North Georgia (UNG) battled for first place in the Senior Military College Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl and ultimately fell short by one point in the online event, bringing home a second-place finish. The nailbiter ended with UNG and Norwich University tied with 129 points each, and the final decision was left to the judges. Two voted for Norwich - with one giving the lead to Norwich by one point - and the third judge voted for UNG. Norwich took home $5,000 prize through UNG's TRUIST Center for Ethical Leadership.

The 2025-26 University of North Georgia (UNG) Alumni Student Hosts are excited to perform their duties with bright smiles and boundless energy during Alumni Weekend, set for April 17-19 at UNG's Dahlonega Campus and additional Dahlonega spots.

The University of North Georgia's (UNG) Cadet Leadership Academy (CLA) held the inaugural six-week Cadet Advanced Leadership Course (CALC) in the fall for 156 sophomore cadets to prepare them for escalating levels of responsibility in the coming years. Designed as a key developmental pillar of the CLA's new 48-month curated cadet experience, CALC delivered rigorous, outcome-based training focused on leadership, readiness and character - mirroring standards found across the Army's premier leadership development programs. Cadets were immersed in a progressive series of academic, physical and leader-development events aligned with Army doctrine and the Corps of Cadets culture of excellence.

Four student groups earned prizes in the University of North Georgia's innovateUNG Pitch Challenge held March 2 in the Cottrell Center for Business, Technology & Innovation at UNG's Dahlonega Campus.

A pair of recent University of North Georgia (UNG) graduates presented their innovative work with the UNG Press at the Open Education Conference held Oct. 28-30 in Denver, Colorado. Nicole Clifton, a spring 2025 graduate, and Joshua Lann, a fall 2025 graduate, shared about their experience converting UNG Press's open textbooks into accessible audiobooks. Both earned a degree in English with a writing and publication concentration.

In recognition of International Women's Day, which was March 8, the University of North Georgia (UNG) Department of Music held a concert showcasing award-winning female students and faculty members March 2 at UNG's Gainesville Campus in the lobby of the Performing Arts building. Dr. Joanna Kim, associate department head and professor of music, planned the event.

Eight University of North Georgia (UNG) students and alumni have been named Fulbright semifinalists for the 2026-27 academic year. All eight are pursuing the opportunity to be English teaching assistants (ETAs).

The University of North Georgia (UNG) Blue Ridge Rifles earned a fifth-place overall finish out of 31 teams in the 52nd annual Mardi Gras Invitational Drill Meet earlier this month at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Childhood experiences can play an important role in a person's dream of what to become as an adult, and Mauricio Gonzalez of Gainesville, Georgia, was no different. The First-Generation college junior at the University of North Georgia (UNG) is pursuing a degree in political science. He recently became the second student from UNG to be awarded a spot in the Public Policy International Affairs Junior Fellowship Program. The fully-funded, seven-week program is hosted by one of three universities (Harvard, Princeton and the University of Michigan, the host institution for Gonzalez). Gonzalez will take part in the program this summer. The experience is designed to propel students to graduate school.

Visual arts students at the University of North Georgia (UNG) had the opportunity to help create a new logo for the Beyond Dementia Coalition, a nonprofit organization that is based in Gainesville, Georgia. Tiffany Prater, associate professor of visual arts, divided her class into three groups, led by her student interns: Sofia Cancel, Nathalie Garrido and Rosa Ramos. They helped their fellow students collaborate on ideas.

The Department of Visual Arts at the University of North Georgia (UNG) began, like most pieces of art, with an idea and was conceptualized over a period of time, thanks to three individuals whose passion for art continues through today's students. These visionaries will be recognized through "The Founders," a three-year exhibition series in the Library Technology Center art galleries at UNG's Dahlonega Campus.

The University of North Georgia (UNG), designated as a state leadership institution, honored 10 student leaders and inducted four alumnae into the Lewis Society at UNG's 10th annual Women's Leadership luncheon March 1. Dawn Hughes Simonton '88 shared her thoughts as event speaker on "The Power of connection."

Dr. Brooklyn Herrera, a 2024 graduate of the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Doctor of Education program, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Dissertation of the Year award by the Southern Association for College Student Affairs (SACSA). Herrera presented her research at the SACSA annual conference, held Nov. 1-4 in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Michael Lanford, associate professor in UNG's Ed.D. in higher education leadership and practice program, served as Herrera's dissertation mentor.

Students from the University of North Georgia (UNG) won five awards at the Southern Regional Model United Nations (SRMUN) Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta, Georgia, in November. A total of 36 UNG students participated in the event, which drew about 500 students from multiple states. UNG's awards included:

Fifty students had an opportunity to present their psychology research in an event at the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Gainesville Campus on Nov. 21. UNG's chapter of Psi Chi, an international psychology honor society, hosted the poster session that showcased work from students in the research methods courses.

Four University of North Georgia (UNG) students earned the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for study abroad in late fall 2025 and will use the funding in spring 2026. Three of the four are students in UNG's College of Education.

Student-faculty collaborative research mini-grants were awarded through the University of North Georgia (UNG) Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (CURCA) for the 2025-26 academic year. Ten students with seven faculty mentors represented three UNG colleges and the Lewis F. Rogers Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis (IESA). "We are once again thankful to Provost Chaudron Gille for supporting our programs with additional funding. It was a tough process to select the winners, but I think it speaks highly to the dedication of our students and faculty that the seven awarded projects come from five different departments," Dr. Diogo Pinheiro, CURCA assistant director and associate professor of sociology, said.

The University of North Georgia's (UNG) Ranger Challenge team is returning to the Sandhurst Military Skills Competition for the first time in four years. This milestone comes after UNG's "Black" team took second place out of 43 groups at the 6th Brigade Titan Ranger Challenge event held Jan. 23-24 at Fort Benning, Georgia. Titan Ranger Challenge included Army ROTC programs from universities and colleges in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Puerto Rico. Ranger Challenge is the varsity sport of Army ROTC and a Corps of Cadets specialty unit at UNG, and in addition to the second-place group advancing to the May 1-2 Sandhurst competition at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, UNG's "Gold" team placed 13th.

Six nontraditional female students at the University of North Georgia (UNG) each earned a $2,000 scholarship from the Women of UNG and other supporters, including alumni and supportive women from the community. UNG honored the recipients Dec. 4 at the Women's Holiday Scholarship Luncheon. The Women of UNG is a shared interest group of the UNG Alumni Association. "Never Forget the Impact You Make" was the theme for the event, and while this was the 16th year scholarships were provided, the luncheon celebrated 22 years of its existence. It initially started to show appreciation to the women of the Gainesville community who had donated or been strong advocates for female students at what was then Gainesville State College.

Dykejiah "Keke" Jones was awarded a Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) scholarship and shared that the chance to study in Taiwan is "a dream becoming reality." Jones is pursuing a degree in East Asian studies with a Chinese focus at the University of North Georgia (UNG). She leaves in February to study Chinese at National Taiwan Normal University until May. She hopes to one day teach in Taiwan or China.

Students in a digital marketing class in the fall at the University of North Georgia (UNG) created social media plans for a small business and a nonprofit organization. One group assisted Farmhouse Coffee in Gainesville, Georgia, and the other helped the Junior League of Gainesville-Hall County. Dr. Caroline Munoz, professor of digital marketing, has regularly used this project in classes at both the Dahlonega and Gainesville campuses, boosting the social media efforts of more than 50 small businesses and nonprofits over the past decade.