Published on 12/21/11

FACES delivers top news stories of 2011

By Brad Haire

Another year quickly ends. And we thank you, our Georgia FACES subscribers, for allowing us to bring you the news to use about Georgia family, agricultural, consumer and environmental sciences.

The news service for the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Georgia FACES generated more than 300 news items this year, releasing them across the state, region and nation. On behalf of the writers and their helpful sources, I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and prosperous new year. It’s been a pleasure.

To honor the passing year, we look back on 2011's top 11 FACES news stories listed by publication date. Why 11? Because it is one more than the typical top 10, and FACES believes in delivering more than the typical.

Georgia eyes coldest winter ever

UGA trains National Guard for ag mission

UGA weather monitoring network struggles to survive

Sustainable agriculture: Two sides of the same coin

Drought tightens grip on Georgia farmers

UGA study investigates impact of farm labor shortages

Kudzu bug spreads across Southern states

Georgia's summer was, in a word, “Hot!”

UGA training helps former homeless men prepare for jobs

Pig induced pluripotent stem cells may be safer than previously thought

What is the right way to say 'pecan'?

Brad Haire is the former news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Authors:

Brad Haire

Experts/Sources:

Brad Haire

Jeffrey Dean (center), assistant provost and campus director for UGA-Griffin, with 2024 Classified Employee Award recipients Daniel Nordstrom (left) and Kenny Corley. (Photos by Ashley Biles)

CAES News

Corley, Nordstrom named UGA-Griffin 2024 Classified Employees of the Year 04/23/24 Ashley N Biles

The University of Georgia Griffin campus recently named Kenny Corley and Daniel Nordstrom the 2024 Classified Employees of the Year. The designation was made at the 35th annual Employee Recognition Ceremony held April 3. The Employee of the Year award is presented to classified personnel who have made a significant impact on programs at UGA-Griffin through superior job knowledge and performance, work attitude, initiative, dependability and time management.

A Master Gardener with UGA Extension teaches a class at the GROWL Fulton County Demonstration and Teaching Garden. (Submitted photo)

CAES News

Volunteers uplift statewide UGA Extension outreach programs 04/22/24 Sheri Dorn, Keri Gandy Hobbs

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension depends on thousands of volunteers who give generously to extend program impact and reach in support Extension missions. During Volunteer Appreciation Week April 21-28, UGA Extension celebrates the many volunteers who donate their time to facilitate 4-H, Master Gardener and Family and Consumer Sciences programming. Volunteers across Extension contributed over 324,200 hours in 2023, the equivalent of more than 155 full-time employees.

CAES News

CAES to celebrate new graduates during May 9 convocation 04/18/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani

As another academic year draws to a close, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is gearing up for its Athens campus convocation ceremony, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 9, at The Classic Center in Athens. “Each year, it’s an honor to celebrate the success of our CAES graduates,” said CAES Dean and Director Nick T. Place. “It’s amazing what these students accomplish during their time with us, and I’m always excited to commemorate this next step in their lives as they continue on to either further studies or the start of their careers.”

A student harvests red clover at UGArden.

CAES News

UGA horticulture class shows students the science behind herbal remedies 04/16/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani

The field of medicine is ever-changing, and the use of herbal medicines may play a bigger role in health care as the value of natural remedies gain recognition in the Western world. Students at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are delving into the field of medicinal remedies through the class “Herbs, Spices and Medicinal Plants.” Offered to undergraduate students through the Department of Horticulture, the class helps students develop a deeper understanding of the connection between nature and health.

CAES News

Using robotics to help sort onions on Georgia farms 04/15/24 David Mitchell

During the pandemic, labor problems became acute on many farms in Georgia and across the country. Farms once staffed by humans to bring produce from the field to stores for purchase were suddenly short-staffed, and the global supply chain was severely impacted. Working with UGA’s Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center and A&M Farms in Lyons, Georgia, a team of researchers led by School of Computing Professor Prashant Doshi is designing collaborative robots to mitigate some of these potential challenges.

2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate who went on to earn a master’s degree in 1982 and education specialist degree in 1984 from UGA’s College of Education.

CAES News

Innovator, educator inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame 04/11/24 Maria M. Lameiras

An innovator in peanut breeding whose research revitalized an industry and an ardent champion of agricultural education were inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame at the 68th University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association Awards in Athens. The 2024 honorees are William D. Branch, Georgia Seed Development Professor in Peanut Breeding and Genetics in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Elzie Argene Claxton, an agriculture educator and 1980 CAES agricultural education graduate.