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For Dean Kopsell, newly appointed associate dean for academic affairs for the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, moving to Athens is like coming home. Currently professor and chair of the Environmental Horticulture Department at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Kopsell, a two-time UGA alumnus and devoted Georgia Bulldog fan, is eager to return to the Classic City and excited about the opportunity to serve his alma mater and the students of CAES.

As drug overdoses linked to opioids continue to rise, rural communities in particular struggle to control the epidemic. More than 75% of the nearly 107,000 drug overdose deaths in 2021 involved an opioid, with higher rates of poverty and a lack of resources in rural areas being a significant factor in the alarming trend. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is working with rural communities to address the issue, thanks in part to a three-year $350,000 Rural Health and Safety Education grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Without direct intervention, food systems could be the largest contributor to environmental pollution by mid-century. This warning — and more importantly, the research efforts in place to make change — were highlighted in Edward Buckler’s keynote address at the 2023 D.W. Brooks Lecture and Awards. “Right now our food system is costing us more than the value we are getting out of it. This is something we need to fundamentally address,“ said Buckler, a research geneticist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service.

Do Nutrition Facts labels provide a complete picture of what "healthy" really means? And does the way information is provided on food labels change consumers' perceptions and purchasing behavior? Chen Zhen, a University of Georgia professor in food choice, obesity and health was awarded $794,000 to lead a four-year international study to better understand how the use of supplementary nutrition information on packaged food labels have unintended consequences across the socioeconomic spectrum.

Farmers are tough. They work long days at physically demanding, often dangerous work and rarely get a break, much less a vacation. Months of hard work can be wiped out with a few days of bad weather, and they battle nature at every turn, from drought and floods to weeds and insects. Farmers and ranchers rank high on the list of most stressful professions and farmer suicide rates are higher than the overall population of workers.

Explore the heart of rural Georgia in this episode as we discuss the intersection of social work, agriculture and mental well-being with Anna Scheyett, professor in the CAES Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication (ALEC) and former dean at the University of Georgia's School of Social Work. Anna shares how she is building more robust networks to dismantle mental health stigmas, advocate for farmers' health and mental well-being, and highlight the statewide work being done to promote resilience and build support in the communities that provide our food, fuel and fiber.

Early education opportunities that place students in the driver’s seat of hands-on field research can have infinite impacts, launching students on academic and career paths with immeasurable advantages. High school students interested in learning more about agricultural, food and environmental sciences are experiencing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to grow as researchers thanks to the University of Georgia’s Young Scholars Program.

The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences generated a statewide economic impact of $740.9 million last year, surpassing 2021’s record-breaking economic impact of $686.3 million. A university-wide report, authored by Michael Adjemian, associate professor in the CAES Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, divided the impact into CAES’ three main missions: teaching ($199.1 million), research ($226.1 million) and outreach ($315.6 million).

If you’re a horse person, you get it. Just watching, touching — heck, even smelling — horses is a feeling like no other. Little wonder the students in the equine science program at the University of Georgia rank the hands-on experience as one of the biggest draws. “I’m fascinated with horses,” said junior Kayla Costin. “My favorite part of the program has been working with them and observing and learning more about them.”