State of Solutions
UGA CAES IMPACT SUMMARY
Science in Service of the Future
Each year, we are proud of the work we are doing in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and this year is no different.
We have increased our research capacity across the college, expanded our innovative programming for CAES students, and launched new initiatives that support Georgia citizens.
As we look into the future in CAES, there is much we can accomplish together as we lead the way in agricultural innovation here in Georgia and around the world.
NICK T. PLACE, PH.D.
CAES Dean and Director
Science in Service of the Future
Each year, we are proud of the work we are doing in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and this year is no different.
We have increased our research capacity across the college, expanded our innovative programming for CAES students, and launched new initiatives that support Georgia citizens.
As we look into the future in CAES, there is much we can accomplish together as we lead the way in agricultural innovation here in Georgia and around the world.
NICK T. PLACE, PH.D.
CAES Dean and Director
01
Strength in Numbers
Data points for 2023
01
Strength in Numbers
Data points for 2023
Academics
56,010
Credit hours generated
1,521
Undergraduate students
686
Postsecondary students enrolled
193
Students studied abroad
Research & Development
7
New faculty startups in development, all revenue-generating
5
Active student startups, all revenue-generating
5
Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) Fellows supported
13
Contestants in the FABricate entrepreneurial pitch contest
74
Postdoctoral research associates
$58.4M
Research expenditures, a 1.7% increase
$80.1M
New awards, an 18.6% increase
$69.8M
Federal funding, a 25.1% increase
Alumni & Giving
Private support for the college totaled $12,681,362, the third-highest total at the university, excluding UGA Athletics
$18M
Total raised in private funding for a new Poultry Science Building
51%
Increase in annual giving dollars and number of donors from fiscal year 2019
20,853
Living CAES alumni
1,599
CAES alumni donations
13,013
CAES alumni living in Georgia
STUDENT SUPPORT
$710,146 in scholarships awarded in 2023
651 awards benefiting 474 CAES students
8 new student support funds created
FUTURE-FOCUSED
$36,563,453.38 total endowed CAES funds
229 total CAES endowments
02
Student Spotlight
Ariana Cohen,
CAES Ambassador
Meet CAES biological science student Ariana Cohen. Her involvement with the college's international agriculture certificate program has influenced her decision to teach English classes abroad before pursuing her next venture in medical school.
Through medicine, education and service, Cohen is dedicated to strengthening marginalized communities and improving quality of life for those who have limited access to vital resources.
“It’s unbelievable to me how much I have grown as a person through my exchange program in Pamplona, Spain. My experiences abroad have opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed before, and they have motivated me to continue stepping outside of my comfort zone and exploring new things in the future.”
ARIANA COHEN
Biological Science, Class of 2024
“From the moment I stepped into Conner Hall for the first time, I knew there was something special about the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. After that first visit and being shown around by ambassadors and CAES faculty, I knew that no matter what major I decided on, I wanted to be a CAES student. The welcoming and supportive staff, combined with the opportunity to acquire an education of the highest quality make the CAES a place like no other. I have been able to find my place both academically and as a member of the tight-knit CAES community here at the University of Georgia.”
Olivia Cook,
CAES Ambassador
Agribusiness, Agricultural & Applied Economics, Class of 2026
03
Serving Georgia Communities
UGA Extension and Georgia 4-H support counties across the state
Extension
UGA Extension translates the science of everyday living for families, farmers and communities to foster a healthy and prosperous Georgia.
331
County Extension agents and more than 900 Extension employees serving all 159 counties
1,808,305
In-person contacts in 2023, up 9% from 2022. Of these, 170,771 were related to health and wellness, and 424,050 were related to agriculture
212,200
Continuing education units provided to clients in fiscal year 2023, up 52% from fiscal year 2022
123,525
Diagnostic samples for soil, water and disease in fiscal year 2023
2,121,997
Educational Contact Hours delivered from all Extension personnel and certified volunteers, up 52% from fiscal year 2022
Georgia 4-H
In 2023, Georgia 4-H’ers explored programs highlighting agriculture, STEM, civic engagement, leadership and healthy living. These programs were delivered by county faculty and staff with support from nearly 5,000 volunteers across the state.
173,505
Youth participated in 4-H educational programs — up from 152,040 the previous school year
“Georgia 4-H provides opportunities for youth to learn, grow and thrive. Our programming is centered on experiences to help youth find their spark and engage in a learning environment that creates a sense of belonging and fosters developmental relationships with caring adults. We seek to provide a pathway that leads to academic and vocational success, employability, civic engagement, happiness and well-being.”
MELANIE BIERSMITH
Georgia 4-H State Leader
04
Our Proudest Achievements
Sources of success in 2023
Food Product Innovation & Commercialization Center
Operating in a state-of-the art facility in Griffin, Georgia, the Food Product Innovation and Commercialization Center (FoodPIC) helps food companies take products from conception to market launch.
Winegrowers of Georgia Internship Program
The CAES Department of Horticulture supports Georgia’s growing wine industry with the Winegrowers of Georgia Internship program. The state generated more than $5 billion in vineyard-related revenue in 2022, according to the National Association of Wine Growers 2022 Economic Impact Study.
Center for Food Safety
From studying the way blue light technology affects foodborne pathogens to designing innovative technology for data processing, the team at the Center for Food Safety is pushing the boundaries of technology to help protect a safe and secure global food chain.
Regenerative Bioscience Center
UGA’s Regenerative Bioscience Center is a collaborative unit of researchers from a range of disciplines and institutions. The center is making great strides in developing new cures for devastating diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and stroke.
New Doctoral Program in Regenerative Bioscience
UGA has introduced a Ph.D. program in regenerative bioscience to be administered jointly by the Regenerative Bioscience Center and CAES. This pioneering effort sets UGA apart as the first institution in the state to provide a doctoral program in this field.
World's First Bee Vaccine
CAES and Dalan Animal Health have teamed up to advance the world’s first honey bee vaccine. The vaccine received a conditional license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Veterinary Biologics in early 2023.
Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture
Established in 2022, UGA's Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture brings together interdisciplinary researchers to develop next-generation technologies that will provide holistic solutions to problems in food, agriculture and forestry.
Rural Scholars Program
The CAES Rural Scholars Program recognizes incoming first-year UGA students from Georgia’s rural communities who have excelled academically and show strong leadership abilities. Through generous donations and additional funding from CAES, we have invested over $250,000 in the Rural Scholars Program.
Poultry Science Building
A new home for UGA's next generation of poultry scientists and industry leaders officially opened its doors on Oct. 6 as CAES dedicated its new Poultry Science Building. Federal, state and university funds as well as private donations supported the construction of the $54.1 million facility.
A Flourishing Blueberry Industry
$348.7 M
CONTRIBUTED to Georgia’s economy in 2021
CAES is supporting Georgia’s flourishing blueberry industry, which contributed $348.7 million dollars to Georgia’s economy in 2021.
CAES researchers are tackling farm management, production and yield, harvesting, packaging, price trends, consumption, import and export trends, and policies that specifically impact the Georgia blueberry industry and the Georgia fruit and vegetable industries at large.
A harvester picks rabbiteye blueberries. (Photo by Rory Register, Bugwood.org)
A harvester picks rabbiteye blueberries. (Photo by Rory Register, Bugwood.org)
05
Faculty Spotlight
Promising stroke treatment
New stroke-fighting cell therapy enters clinical trials
Regenerative Bioscience Center Director Steve Stice
When someone has a stroke, their brain cells start dying, explains Steve Stice, D.W. Brooks Professorship, GRA Eminent Scholar Chair in Animal Reproductive Physiology, director of UGA's Regenerative Bioscience Center and professor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Science. As those cells die, they release damaging particles that cause extensive inflammation.
“What our product does is mop up those damaging particles,” Stice said. By doing that, the therapeutic also prevents other brain cells from dying due to inflammation.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the new drug to enter a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial, which is expected to begin in the first half of 2024. Stice and his team will continue to perform comprehensive research and discover new treatments to improve lives.
06
Awards & News
The year’s top honors
PEANUT INNOVATION LAB AWARD
UGA’s Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Peanut is part of the U.S. government’s strategy to fight hunger and poverty around the world. In 2023, the Peanut Innovation Lab won the Corteva Agriscience Award for Excellence in Research, an honor that recognizes an individual or team for career performance or outstanding research of significant benefit to the peanut industry.
CAES ALMANAC
CAES Almanac, the college’s print and digital annual publication, tells stories of science in service of humanity and the environment and illustrates an overarching view of the college’s impactful mission areas. The award-winning magazine is mailed to 27,000 stakeholders and garners 10,000+ views online.
CULTIVATING CURIOSITY PODCAST
On Cultivating Curiosity, we speak with CAES experts and industry leaders on all the ways science and agriculture touch our lives, from what we eat to how we live. You can find episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
United in Learning, Growing & Solving
UGA CAES is a conduit for leading-edge science education and research opportunities for students statewide. With campuses in Athens, Griffin and Tifton, CAES students have the opportunity to work with nationally recognized and awarded faculty in plant pathology, horticulture, agricultural and applied economics, crop and soil sciences, and more.
Every day, CAES researchers are in pursuit of breakthroughs that will positively impact the state of Georgia. Our Extension agents sit down with farmers, city leaders, business owners, school children and families to teach, listen and help communities thrive.
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