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Read more about Jack Huang and other research award recipients starting on Page 4.
Read more about the faculty members named this year’s Regents’ Professors on Page 3.
March 30, 2026
Vol. 53, No. 32
columns.uga.edu
HONORS&AWARDS
SEC Professor of the Year This award is given annually to one SEC faculty member whose record of teaching and research places him or her among the elite in higher education. Winners are selected by the SEC provosts from among the 16 SEC Faculty Achievement Award recipients.
C. Robin Buell, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar Chair in Crop Genomics, has been named the 2026 Southeastern Conference Professor of the Year, its highest faculty honor. Buell becomes the fourth UGA faculty member to receive this award, which recognizes scholarly excellence and transformational impact in teaching, research and service at SEC institutions. A recognized leader in plant genomics, bioinformatics and computational biology, Buell is a professor of crop and soil sciences in the College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences. Her work has been instrumental in the development of massive genomic datasets that are used by scientists to improve crop resilience and productivity. Buell’s pioneering contributions have reshaped her discipline. She was part of a team that mapped the first genome sequence in a plant species and later led national efforts to decode the genomes of rice and potato, two of the world’s most important food crops. As director of the Plant Center, Buell leads interdisciplinary efforts to advance
plant science through biochemistry, genetics, genomics, synthetic biology and breeding innovation.Her research focuses on unlocking the full potential of plants to improve agricultural efficiency, develop sustainable biofuels and create crops that thrive in changing environments. Beyond her research, Buell is a devoted educator and mentor. She has guided more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral researchers, and many of her students have received pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships and other national awards.
Meigs Teaching Professors Three faculty members were named Meigs Distinguished Professors for 2026. The professorship is the university’s highest recognition for instruction at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Meigs Professors receive a permanent salary increase of $6,000 and a one-year discretionary fund of $1,000.
Jennifer Brown
Moon Jung Jang
Teena Wilhelm
Professor Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education Mary Frances Early College of Education
Associate Professor Lamar Dodd School of Art Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Associate Professor Department of Political Science School of Public and International Affairs
Jennifer Brown empowers students to engage in the learning process. “They know what they are learning, they focus on how they are learning, they remember why they are learning, and they understand the impact their learning will have on others,” Brown said. Brown’s foundational teaching and learning values center on interconnected shared experiences, problem-solving and critical thinking, and motivating and respectful learning environments. She provides rationale for her methods, evaluates and revises her teaching methods, finds ways to build up her students and encourages mentoring interactions. In her time at UGA, Brown has taught more than 200 courses, including required undergraduate and master’s courses in communication sciences and disorders, FirstYear Odyssey seminars, GradFIRST seminars, experiential learning courses and undergraduate and graduate directed research courses. Brown strives to integrate teaching, research and service in innovative ways. She’s mentored 94 students in language and literacy service learning, including 14 in CURO projects, and 64 students have engaged with her research in the Child Communication Lab. Her students have clocked more than 1,300 clinical hours in supervised community engagement experiences and simulated cases. She’s also
Moon Jung Jang understands that graphic design has become an ever-expanding and evolving discipline. “Graphic design is no longer about simply making a logo or a poster,” Jang said. “In the last two decades, it has transformed into a discipline that contributes to the creation of innovative, new, visual cultures in all types of communication.” Jang’s teaching incorporates and reflects the aims of her research and design practice. She’s built a comprehensive design curriculum for graphic design education where students can thoroughly learn core design concepts and processes, experience real-world-oriented design practices, and explore experimental and interdisciplinary research. She’s taught 17 different interdisciplinary and graduatelevel courses, including four new and 13 completely redesigned courses. In all of those courses, she fosters an innovative, design-centered learning culture where students can grow as multifaceted designers and maximize their professional experience. “Through her creative and collaborative approach to design thinking and instruction, Moon engages students in stimulating exercises that prepare their minds for the challenges that lie beyond college. She teaches the visual narrative and design systems that are foundational to strong graphic communication while bringing contemporary research, technology and guest speakers to foster innovative ideas in her design lab,” one former student wrote. “Beyond the classroom, Moon
Teena Wilhelm helps her students learn in the classroom and in wide open spaces. “My teaching philosophy is based on a core belief that the benefits of a positive learning experience can result in successful learning outcomes. Success in the classroom happens when students feel empowered to explore ideas and offer critical analysis of the world around them,” Wilhelm said. Wilhelm’s teaching goals are to convince students that the subject matter at hand is worth engaging with and to develop strategies that meet students where they are without compromising expectations. She strives to make course content relevant through collaborative group work, simulations, partner projects and other active learning techniques. Her students see the relevance for themselves during the UGA GLOBIS National Parks Program. Wilhelm developed the study away opportunity for students to explore political conditions that have an impact on public land policy by visiting national parks and monuments on a monthlong road trip. Besides camping, hiking and general exploration on federal public lands, students interact with park superintendents, elected policymakers, interest group representatives, lobbyists and academic policy specialists, in addition to the public itself. The immersive classroom curriculum also includes an intensive research component. “I cannot emphasize enough how Dr. Wilhelm embodies the qualities of an exceptional educator,” one student wrote.
See BROWN on page 10
See JANG on page 10
See WILHELM on page 10