News

A recent CAES study shows that consumers want retailers to provide basic information about the environmental impacts of local food when purchasing food online. CAES News
Consumer interest in sustainability should influence how retailers market local food
Two recently published studies by University of Georgia researchers show that the consumers surveyed believe buying local is a more sustainable option, but they also value the convenience of online shopping and prefer that retailers provide basic information about the environmental impact of local products in the digital marketplace. Driven by increasing consumer interest in buying local and concerns about the impact of agricultural production systems on a changing climate, the studies were based on data from a web-based survey about consumer interest in sustainability, information about food production and online marketing preferences.
Five UGA professors were named NAI Senior Members, giving the university 16 in its history. Pictured (clockwise from left) are Elizabeth Brisbois, David Crich, Jack Huang, Ralph Tripp, and Paul Raymer. CAES News
Five professors named Senior Members of National Academy of Inventors
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has selected five University of Georgia researchers as 2024 NAI Senior Members, the largest single induction for the university in its history. UGA now has 16 Senior Members overall. NAI Senior Members recognize faculty, scientists, and administrators for their ability to innovate and commercialize new technologies. UGA’s 2024 inductees are Elizabeth Brisbois, David Crich, Qingguo “Jack” Huang, Paul Raymer, and Ralph Tripp.
Exterior of the Administration Building front entrance on a blue sky spring day. CAES News
Newest round of Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grants awarded
Ten university-wide projects devoted to advancing interdisciplinary research across multiple application areas have been awarded Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grants as part of the 2023 cohort. The Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grant Program was launched in 2017 and offered again in 2019 and 2021 through a partnership between the offices of Research and Public Service and Outreach. These 10 awards were chosen from 70 proposals and reflect a commitment of $1 million from UGA President Jere W. Morehead.
Building rendering provided by USDA-ARS. CAES News
CAES and USDA break ground on new agriculture research facility at UGA-Tifton
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service have broken ground on a new state-of-the-art research facility housing the Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory and the Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit. the UGA Tifton campus, the research facility will include a new, 31,000-square-foot building housing university and ARS employees working on climate-smart agricultural research.
2024 FarmStressSummit Graphic CAES News
Farm Stress Summit to address mental health challenges among Georgia farming communities
The prevalence of mental health challenges experienced by farm families and farming communities in Georgia is staggering. Faced with unfavorable weather, unfriendly economic conditions, labor shortages and more, farmers of all types often cope with the pressures of their profession in unhealthy ways, including considering suicide. On March 20, UGA faculty and farmers, agricultural community members and mental health stakeholders will convene at the 2024 Farm Stress Summit to look for opportunities to support Georgia’s farm families.
Ron Walcott CAES News
Finding a sense of place
Ron Walcott, University of Georgia vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School, was first a doctoral student at the UGA Tifton campus. As a UGA administrator and professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, Walcott helps students and colleagues find their sense of place at the university and has a legacy of increasing diversity in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Graduate student Moira Taber using a pipette to sample fluid in a laboratory biosafety cabinet. (Photo by Dorothy Kozlowski/UGA) CAES News
UGA continues R&D ascent with $571M in expenditures in FY23
For the second consecutive year, the University of Georgia exceeded half a billion dollars in research and development expenditures. Its $570.9 million total in fiscal year 2023 represented another record high in R&D activity and marks the fifth consecutive year of growth for the university. Expenditures have increased, in fact, in all but one year since 2013. During that 10-year period, the university has seen an overall 63% increase in total R&D expenditures.
Abhinav Mishra and colleagues in UGA's Department of Food Science and Technology will use risk assessment models to identify which environmental and farm practice factors contribute to the food safety risk of fresh, organic food. CAES News
UGA food scientists build toolbox for organic growers to address food safety concerns
University of Georgia researchers in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are part of a $3.5 million grant designed to assist organic producers in meeting both National Organic Program standards and food safety requirements. UGA food scientists will survey farms in the Southeast to determine the risk of contamination in organic crops by different environmental pathogens.
FoodPICdirectorJimGratzek CAES News
UGA FoodPIC empowers food startups for successful launch and growth
Jim Gratzek, director of the University of Georgia’s Food Product Innovation and Commercialization Center, earned his doctorate in food process engineering from UGA’s Department of Food Science and Technology. He returned to the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in 2022 after nearly 30 years in the commercial food industry, bringing a new perspective. In his experience, the biggest hurdle for new food entrepreneurs who don’t yet have sufficient working capital or manufacturing facilities is moving a product from concept to consumer.