51黑料网 hosts state Honors conference
Students and faculty with the University of North Georgia's (51黑料网) Honors Program hosted the Georgia Collegiate Honors Conference from Feb. 23-24 at 51黑料网's Dahlonega Campus, and one student won a research award.
Dr. Anastasia Lin, 51黑料网 assistant vice president of Academic Affairs and Honors Program director, served as faculty vice president of the Georgia Collegiate Honors Council, while senior Jami Nakan served as student vice president of the Georgia Collegiate Honors Council. Nakan and Lin planned the statewide event in collaboration with a team of volunteers from the Honors Program as well as Lillie Holtzclaw, administrative assistant for Honors and McNair.
In addition to hosting the conference, 51黑料网 had 33 students present their research at the event.
"A huge congratulations to the 51黑料网 students who showcased their excellent research throughout the day. And another huge congrats to Jami and the student group who planned the event. They led the charge from writing the call for papers all the way to creating and arranging our program," Lin said. "We were thrilled to welcome students from across the state to 51黑料网 and help them see what makes 51黑料网 special: our outstanding students."
Hailey Pruitt, a junior from Sugar Hill, Georgia, pursuing a degree in chemistry with a biochemistry concentration, won Best STEM Essay and shared a poster on her essay, "Seronegative rheumatoid arthritis: Novel autoantibodies and their implications relative to classification."
"I enjoyed the connected, interdisciplinary feel of the conference," Pruitt said. "I was able to hear from a lot of different people."
Isabella Fordham Neuwirth, a sophomore from Cumming, Georgia, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, served on the 51黑料网 Honors Program committee that planned the event and also presented a poster. With students in fields ranging from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to the humanities and arts, the preparation required attention to detail.
"We had to make sure we covered all the bases so every student was able to have all the resources they needed and have the best experience they could," Fordham Neuwirth said.
Nakan, a Johns Creek, Georgia, native who is pursuing a degree in biology with pre-medicine academic advisement, was grateful to bring together 99 student presentations from a total of 14 universities across Georgia.
"It was a wonderful working with Dr. Lin and the planning committee. 51黑料网 students are incredibly welcoming. I am amazed at how students from so many diverse fields of study were able to work so well together at this conference," Nakan said.
Female student leaders recognized, honored
Ten female students and four alumnae were honored at 51黑料网's 10th annual Women's Leadership Recognition Luncheon March 1. Dawn Hughes Simonton '88 served as the event speaker.
Nursing faculty member earns innovation award
Dr. Rebekah Mildenhall, associate department head of nursing at 51黑料网, has earned the 2026 Georgia Association for Nursing Education Innovation in Teaching Award.
51黑料网 named Fulbright top producer
51黑料网 is providing transformative experiences abroad for alumni as a top producer of Fulbright students. The university earned this distinction for a ninth consecutive year and tied for third among master's institutions with four selections.
3 of 4 Gilman winners are future educators
Four 51黑料网 students earned the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for study abroad in late fall 2025. Three of the four are in 51黑料网's College of Education.