Research

It may be September in north Georgia, but it looks more like Halloween. Millions of palm-sized Joro spiders have suspended themselves in three-dimensional golden webs on porches, power lines and mailboxes in roughly 25 counties in the state — and counting. Although their numbers are a nuisance, the spiders are not considered a particularly harmful invasive species.

Recruiting a diverse student body is a focus throughout the University of Georgia, but keeping students engaged and successful once they are on campus is a whole different mission, said Lakecia Pettway, director of the Office of Diversity Affairs (ODA) at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

UGA’s interdisciplinary host team comprises the College of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the Office of Global Engagement. The program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, is designed to help developing countries in Africa improve their university agricultural education, research and extension programs by providing one semester of training at U.S. land-grant agricultural universities.