UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences

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UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest, largest and most academically diverse colle

In many ways, the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences is at the heart of UGA, the nation’s first state-chartered institution of higher education. The first classes were taught in 1801 in a forest clearing on what is now the University’s historic North Campus. In 1806, the first permanent brick building was constructed on campus and named Franklin College in honor of Benjamin Franklin. The building, which was later renamed Old College, is the oldest structure in Athens and houses the administrative offices of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences as well as classroom space. Franklin College and University of Georgia were often used interchangeably to describe the fledgling institution until 1859, when the College of Law became the second college on a campus that now boasts 16 schools and colleges. Today’s Franklin College comprises 30 departments in five divisions: Fine Arts, Social Sciences, Biological Sciences, Physical and Mathematical Sciences, and the Humanities. The top five most popular undergraduate majors at UGA—Biology, Psychology, English, Art, History—all are housed within Franklin College. In addition to educating more undergraduates than any college on campus, the Franklin College offers 76 graduate degrees and certificates in 42 fields of study

Our faculty members are at the forefront of their disciplines, exploring research opportunities and creative endeavors that illuminate the human condition and create a foundation for improved well-being and quality of life. The knowledge they create informs their teaching as well as their outreach to the state, nation and world. Like the man for whom the college is named, the faculty, staff and students of the Franklin College are bound by a shared dedication to advancing the frontiers of knowledge through creative inquiry and expression. DISCLAIMER: This site is not associated with the UGA Office of Admissions. Potential applicants must go through the regular application channels, detailed on the official UGA admissions website, http://www.admissions.uga.edu/. For information on graduate admissions, see http://www.grad.uga.edu/. The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences reserves the right to delete comments that promote commercial ventures or that do not comply with UGA or Facebook policies. Posts that are off-topic, abusive, contain profanity, are threatening in tone or devolve into personal attacks will be deleted immediately. Posts that are determined to be spam will be removed immediately. Account administrators reserve the right to review all comments and posted materials and remove such materials for any reason.

Three alumni of Franklin’s graduate programs were selected as recipients of the UGA Graduate School's Alumni of Distinct...
10/19/2026

Three alumni of Franklin’s graduate programs were selected as recipients of the UGA Graduate School's Alumni of Distinction.

Derek Alderman (MA Geography ‘93; Ph.D. Geography ‘98), Asma Sharafi (MS Chemistry ‘13), and Monica Turner (Ph.D. Ecology ‘85) are recognized for their exceptional success in their careers. Alderman is a Chancellor’s Professor of Geography at the University of Tennessee, and Sharafi is Chief Technical Officer at Ensurge. Turner, a pioneer in landscape ecology research, is now the Eugene P. Odum Professor of Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Join us in celebrating Franklin's Alumni of Distinction, and read more about their careers: https://www.franklin.uga.edu/news/stories/2026/three-franklin-alumni-selected-uga-graduate-schools-2026-alumni-distinction

Machine learning could be the key to unlocking complex plant genetics, says one Franklin researcher exploring more effic...
10/16/2026

Machine learning could be the key to unlocking complex plant genetics, says one Franklin researcher exploring more efficient crop improvements.

Department of Genetics’ Hongwoo Lee, a member of the Simons Foundation’s Postdoctoral Fellowship in Plant Biology, aims to use machine learning models to decode the rules of DNA sequences. Once translated, models could be trained to predict better traits, and scientists can use what they predict to engineer better crops.

Read more:
https://www.franklin.uga.edu/news/stories/2026/how-franklin-postdoctoral-researcher-combining-ai-and-genetics-improve

UGA anthropology faculty are leading a statewide effort to preserve archival records and archaeological objects document...
10/15/2026

UGA anthropology faculty are leading a statewide effort to preserve archival records and archaeological objects documenting Georgia’s early history.
The materials will be shared through public databases, exhibits, educational kits, a digital StoryMap, and programs at historic sites across Georgia.

Read more:

Amanda Roberts Thompson, Carey Garland, and Victor Thompson, faculty in the Department of Anthropology in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, are leading a three-year, $743,658 project funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The project will preserve materials documenting Geo...

The pursuit to discover Earth’s origins isn’t a new journey for assistant professor Cassandra Hall, but with $365,000 in...
10/14/2026

The pursuit to discover Earth’s origins isn’t a new journey for assistant professor Cassandra Hall, but with $365,000 in funding from NASA, her work will help uncover some of astrophysics’ biggest questions.

Using a grant from NASA’s Exoplanet Research Program, Hall and doctoral student Jared Maller will use detailed computer simulations of planet formations to predict what would happen from those formations. Then, those predictions can be tested using powerful telescopes.

By discovering how other planets across the universe are formed, Hall said that brings us one step closer to unlocking how our planet was created.

Read more:
https://www.franklin.uga.edu/news/stories/2026/nasa-grant-supports-franklin-astrophysicist-searching-earths-origins

Six faculty speakers. An evening of big ideas. Plenty of reasons to be proud of Franklin!Last night’s Research Mixer in ...
10/14/2026

Six faculty speakers. An evening of big ideas. Plenty of reasons to be proud of Franklin!

Last night’s Research Mixer in Atlanta showcased the creativity and discovery happening across UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences—from the interconnected AI research underway on campus to art that explores possible futures and climate research impacting communities for the better.

Held at ATDC alongside Avant South, “Futures, Networks & Creative Technologies” brought together faculty, alumni, entrepreneurs, and supporters to learn and connect.

Thank you to our speakers, hosts, and everyone who spent the evening with us!

For most of his early life, geology department head Adam Milewski was convinced he was going to be a lawyer. An engaging...
10/13/2026

For most of his early life, geology department head Adam Milewski was convinced he was going to be a lawyer. An engaging geology professor changed everything.

Milewski, the John & Barbara Dowd Professor of Hydrogeology, is now a science advocate and believes it is important for all scientists to be able to explain not only what they study, but why it matters. He adjusts his message depending on his audience, whether for academic conferences, public forums, or media interviews. Those communication skills tie back to Milewski’s belief that ultimately, science should serve society—that research has limited impact if scientists can’t help people understand and use their findings.

Read more about him:
https://research.uga.edu/news/geologists-are-part-of-a-solution-how-adam-milewski-went-from-aspiring-lawyer-to-science-advocate/

Do AI systems understand what they say? Could an AI be conscious? Do humans understand what we say? Are we conscious? At...
10/10/2026

Do AI systems understand what they say? Could an AI be conscious? Do humans understand what we say? Are we conscious?

At this event, participants will work together to convince a philosopher that his answers to these questions are wrong!

Sunday, October 11th, 2026 | 6:30 - 8pm

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Old College, University Of
Athens, GA
30602

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