Six years after founding the Great Southeast Pollinator Census, Becky Griffin held something remarkable in her hands — a children’s book inspired by the project she built from the ground up. "The Great Pollinator Count," written by Susan Richmond and published by Peachtree Publishing, is set to hit physical and digital bookshelves on April 15. The book celebrates the power of community science, pollinator conservation, and the educators and students who bring it all to life.

From crop molecular genetics to estuarine mussels to computer experiments, three University of Georgia undergraduates have been honored for furthering research in their fields of study. Juniors Oscar de la Torre, Anderson Smith and Sloka Sudhin are among the 441 undergraduates from across the nation to be recognized as Barry Goldwater Scholars this spring. They have earned the highest undergraduate award of its type for the fields of mathematics, engineering and natural sciences.

The University of Georgia Career Center provides students with invaluable opportunities to explore diverse career paths. On March 21, the Career Center organized a “Career Caravan” to two prominent Atlanta-based companies: Delta Air Lines and IHG Hotels & Resorts. This immersive experience aimed to give UGA students, including those studying hospitality and food industry management at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, firsthand learning from the hospitality industry.

The Rivers of Iris exhibit at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens (CGBG) is flourishing, but the technicolor blooms aren’t the only things attracting attention. Stan Gray, volunteer iris curator at CGBG, and Brian Shamblin, an associate research scientist with the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, are growing several mystery irises at the gardens that could prove to be one of two exceptionally rare iris species: Iris rivularis or a variant of Iris hexagona.

The seventh cohort of the Women’s Staff Leadership Institute celebrated its graduation with a reception March 25. “I want to say first, congratulations to all of you graduating,” said Stacy Jones, associate vice president for public service and outreach and WSLI co-sponsor. “I hope that as you continue to walk as graduates and alumnae of this program that you pay attention to the fact that you’re taking some amazing journeys.”

The 2025 Georgia Aquaculture Conference will advance sustainable aquaculture practices and foster economic growth across the state. Hosted by University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, the conference will take place on April 18 at the UGA Center for Continuing Education and Hotel in Athens.