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CAES alumnus balances ag policy and cancer advocacy
For Sadie Lackey, graduating college during a global pandemic was never part of the plan. Nor was being diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma nearly three years later at age 25. Lackey’s cancer diagnosis meant shifting her goals into strategic career decisions based on her health — all while maintaining her passion for agricultural policy. “I really love ag policy, and I love that I’m surrounded by it and get to nerd out and learn every day, but it’s also important to look at your career holistically,” Lackey said.
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Scott Jackson returns to UGA as GRA Eminent Scholar
Renowned plant genetics researcher Scott Jackson has returned to the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences as the inaugural Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) Eminent Scholar in Synthetic Biology. GRA Eminent Scholars are internationally renowned scientists recruited to Georgia’s leading research universities in collaboration with the Georgia Research Alliance. GRA Eminent Scholars are distinguished by the significance of their research discoveries and their potential for commercial application.
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Yangxuan Liu, associate professor of agricultural and applied economics, reflects on her journey from medicine to agricultural economics. Her work supports farmers across Georgia while also empowering residents in her local community of Tifton. CAES News
CAES economist recognized as emerging leader for work supporting farmers 09/09/24 Claire Sanders Kinnard
For Yangxuan Liu, her career as an associate professor of agricultural and applied economics feels like equal parts coincidence and fate. “I was initially involved in agriculture because of my family farm in China. During breaks from school as a child, I would go visit my grandparents and work in their fields where they grow corn, wheat, cotton and other crops. This really gave me respect for the value of working the ground,” Liu said.
Nino Brown stands in front of a peanut field holding up a red net bag of harvested peanuts above his head as he speaks to participants in the Georgia Peanut Tour in 2022. CAES News
CAES experts study oil production to boost Georgia’s peanut power 09/05/24 Maria M. Lameiras
A new study by experts in the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is seeking to increase the value of Georgia’s peanut crops for new markets while reducing losses caused by aflatoxin, a consistent threat to the No. 1 peanut-producing state in the United States. The four-year, $490,000 grant will take a systems-based approach toward developing high-oil peanut varieties bred to withstand the unique climate and pest pressures of the Southeast.
CAES AgFellows April 2024 SeanMontgomery 1 CAES News
Congressional Agricultural Fellowship offers students a look behind the political curtain  09/04/24 Liz Newlin
The Congressional Agricultural Fellowship is a transformative program for students in the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, offering unique opportunities to engage with the legislative process and gain practical experience in agricultural policy. In partnership with the offices of U.S. representatives Sanford Bishop, Austin Scott, Buddy Carter and Raphael Warnock, CAES offers a prestigious 12-week summer fellowship program that provides selected students with firsthand exposure to the legislative process and the creation of agriculture policy. 
Master Gardener Carrots CAES News
Celebrating 45 years of Georgia Master Gardeners 09/03/24 Sheri Dorn
The Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteer program is celebrating its 45th anniversary with signature events throughout 2024, culminating in the Georgia Master Gardener Association’s annual conference Oct. 4-5. Hosted on the University of Georgia Griffin campus, the event’s theme is “Think Globally, Grow Locally” and will feature research tours, presentations and workshops hosted by Master Gardeners.
Recent rankings from Forbes and The Princeton Review demonstrate continued excellence. CAES News
UGA ranks among best universities in the nation 08/30/24
The University of Georgia continues to solidify its position among the nation’s most prestigious institutions of higher education. “The University of Georgia’s impressive rankings by a host of national publications reflect the tremendous talent and hard work of our exceptional faculty, staff and students,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “While individual rankings can fluctuate from year to year, UGA’s consistently strong performance across a wide range of criteria speaks to our position among the nation’s leading universities.”
Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium CAES News
Keep on the grass 08/29/24 Emily Cabrera, Scott Michaux
When the University of Georgia Bulldogs step between the hedges at Sanford Stadium, the grass on Dooley Field needs to look perfect. More importantly, though, it needs to help safeguard the health of athletes who compete on it. Gerald Henry plays a big role in the latter. The UGA Athletic Association’s endowed professor in environmental turfgrass leads a research team in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences committed to creating sports fields that look good and perform well to limit the occurrence of injuries.
The recent Turfgrass Research Field Day, held Aug. 7 at UGA-Griffin, began with a guided research tour. Visiting eight stations, attendees received CAES expert recommendations for improving precision irrigation management, disease control, soil testing and fertility management for turf. (Photo by Ashley Biles) CAES News
Turfgrass Research Field Day draws hundreds to UGA-Griffin 08/28/24 Ashley N Biles
More than 650 turf industry professionals, golf course superintendents and local homeowners gathered at the University of Georgia Griffin campus on Aug. 7 for the 2024 Turfgrass Research Field Day. Participants learned about turf-related issues from College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences researchers and UGA Cooperative Extension specialists from all three of the university's campuses.
Melissa Mitchum, CAES professor of nematology, and a multistate research team has identified the resistance-thwarting genes within soybean cyst nematodes, enabling new defenses and better resistance management. pictured are female soybean cyst nematodes on soybean roots. (Photo by Melissa Mitchum) CAES News
Breakthrough discovery opens new doors in soybean cyst nematode management 08/27/24 Julianne Johnston
Researchers have made a major discovery in the fight against soybean cyst nematode (SCN) by focusing on the genetics of the parasitic roundworms. Extensive genetic sequencing and mapping helped them identify a handful of likely genes behind the tricky pests’ ability to skirt soybean genetic resistance. Knowing how these SCN genes and soybean genes interact and evolve will help the industry identify the virulence of SCN populations so farmers can better use the genetic resistance currently available to fight the pest.
Cordyceps, the fungus behind The Last of Us, is real, and it actually does turn some species of ants into zombie-like creatures. The fungus penetrates the ant’s exoskeleton and begins to multiply. Eventually, the fungal cells take over the ant’s central nervous system. It causes the ant to fall from its primary habitat in the tree canopy to the forest floor. Then the fungus makes the zombified creature climb a tree to an ideal height of almost a foot off the ground. The ant bites onto the plant so forcefully that not even death can dislodge it. When the time is right, the fungus bursts from the ant’s body, scattering spores across the forest floor. And the cycle repeats. CAES News
A New Public Health Enemy No. 1 08/26/24 Leigh Hataway
As antimicrobial resistance grows, the world faces a deadly adversary few predicted: fungus. The battle against pathogenic fungi is raging, and UGA researchers are on the frontlines. “The fungus starts to direct the ant’s behavior, telling it where to go, what to do, like a puppeteer with a marionette. And it gets worse,” Dr. Neuman begins. “The fungus needs food to live, so it begins to devour its host from within, replacing the ant’s flesh with its own. But it doesn’t let its victim die. No, it keeps its puppet alive.”

About the Newswire

The CAES newswire features the latest popular science and lifestyle stories relating to agricultural, consumer and environmental sciences as well as UGA Extension programs and services around the state.

Media Contacts

Cassie Ann Kiggen Chief Communications Officer
cakiggen@uga.edu 706-542-6190
Jordan Powers Public Relations Coordinator & Writer
jpowers@uga.edu 706-542-4274