University of Georgia Online

Gretchen Thomas teaches in the online Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) in Learning, Design, and Technology – Instructional Technology program.

The Maker Mindset - to be creative and persistent, to be critical thinkers and collaborators, and to be patient and share. This is what senior lecturer Gretchen Thomas from the Mary Frances Early College of Education is focusing on embracing when it comes to stressful school environments.

Gretchen developed a service-learning course called the Makerspace Class to do just that. The class connects UGA students with Clarke County School District students at Barrow Elementary School. Throughout the semester, Gretchen's students engaged in project-based learning, first as the learners themselves, then as mentors for students at Barrow, crafting artwork and playing around with new technology.

Learn more about the Makerspace Class through the link below! 🔗

Congrats to UGA Online’s own Bobby Mitchell, Senior Media Producer, on 30 years at UGA! We’re grateful to have you on the team!

Proud to have Gretchen Thomas also teaching in the online Educational Specialist in Learning, Design, and Technology – Instructional Technology program!

UGA celebrated a record 122 veteran graduates in 2026, the largest graduating class since the UGA Student Veterans Resource Centerwas established in 2013.

As more veterans pursue graduate education while balancing careers, family responsibilities, and the transition to civilian life, flexible online learning options and dedicated support services are helping make a UGA degree more accessible.

🔗 Read more at the link in the comments.

Georgia grows more peanuts than any other state in the country. But for the breeders developing the next generation of varieties, some of the most consequential work isn’t happening in the field — it’s happening in the lab, where a team of University of Georgia scientists is working to take the guesswork out of roasted peanut flavor.

Food microbiologist Abhinav Mishra, faculty in the online Master of Food Technology program, (UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) whose background is in mathematical modeling and food safety, is building three parallel models: one using aroma compounds and precursors together, one using aroma compounds alone, and one using only sugars and amino acids. Comparing the performance of all three will reveal which chemical profile is the most reliable predictor of sensory quality.

🔗 Read more at the link in the comments.

Artificial intelligence is changing the way many people work, and for some professionals, that has sparked a bigger question: Is graduate school still worth it?

For many reasons, across many fields, the answer is yes. Graduate school is about far more than acquiring information. It teaches students how to ask better questions, evaluate sources, think critically, and apply knowledge in meaningful ways. Those same skills are increasingly important when working with generative AI.

Read more at the link in the comments!

Congratulations to Javad Anjum, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education and the Speech and Hearing Clinic, for being named a 2026-27 Fulbright U.S. Scholar. As a Fulbright scholar, Anjum will travel to Mysuru District, India, to develop and implement a cognitive enhancement program for older adults.

“From rural Georgia to Mysuru, one of the most urgent challenges of global aging is creating accessible, community-based programs to prevent cognitive decline and dementia among older adults,” Anjum said. “I see this Fulbright award as an opportunity to help develop these programs into more sustainable initiatives through continued collaboration between the MFECOE and JSSAHER and our local communities in both countries.”

To read more about this accomplishment, please click the link below.
https://mfecoe.com/52926

Congrats to Javad Anjum, an assistant professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education's online Graduate Certificate in Pre-Professional Speech Language Pathology, who was recently named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar to India for 2026-27!

As a Fulbright scholar, Anjum will travel to Mysuru District, India, to develop and implement a culturally responsive, interdisciplinary, and community-based cognitive enhancement program for older adults.

“In collaboration with partners in public health and speech-language pathology at the JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSSAHER), the project will adapt evidence-based cognitive stimulation activities for Indian languages and communities while training graduate students to support low-cost cognitive health interventions for older adults at risk for cognitive decline and dementia,” said Anjum, a faculty member in the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education and the Speech and Hearing Clinic.

🔗 Read more at the link in the comments.