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Sixteen University of North Georgia (¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ) faculty and staff research projects received funding through the 2026-27 Presidential Awards.

Since 2013, the Office of the President has invested over $3 million in faculty and staff professional development through the Presidential Awards program. This program offers awards in two categories — semester and special initiative awards — to provide institutional support for faculty and staff to pursue new and innovative ideas that support ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ in fulfilling its mission.

Dr. Mingyuan Yan, associate professor of computer science and cybersecurity, and co-applicant Dr. Jianjun Yang, professor of computer science, secured a Presidential Special Initiative Award for their project "Network intelligence and security lab."

"AI is rapidly transforming every technical field, especially cybersecurity. We want to ride this wave of innovation rather than fall behind. As AI becomes an essential tool for both defending against and launching cyberattacks, it is important to prepare students with AI knowledge and practical skills," Yan said. "This laboratory will provide an innovative and supportive environment where students can conduct research, collaborate on AI-driven cybersecurity projects, organize technical activities, and gain leadership experience."

Jeff Repko, associate professor of visual arts, earned a Presidential Semester Award for his project "The Hawk’s Nest: Establishing an immersive arts ecosystem on the Gainesville Campus." Repko gained inspiration from spaces like and the children's museum in Kansas City, Missouri. He will visit those spots this fall to gain further ideas before beginning to build out a prototype space from late fall 2026 into early spring 2027 to support new curriculum and coursework in the Department of Visual Arts.

His vision is a place where students can explore this emerging artform to bring together ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ and the community.

"This project will prepare students for the workforce and this pathway that's developing," Repko said. "We want to build a space where students can experiment."

Dr. Jessica Espinoza, program coordinator for ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ's master's degree in curriculum and instruction and assistant professor of social foundations and leadership education, earned a Presidential Special Initiative Award for her project "¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ community partnerships advancing STEAM learning." Her graduate students will focus on designing K-12 science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics learning experiences with a variety of community partners, including the , the Appalachian Studies Center and the High Museum of Art. 

"This allows our graduate students, who are also in-service teachers, to see the depth of relevant student learning that can happen in the community," Espinoza said. "Teaching is more than what you do within those four walls. Teaching requires bridging opportunities for students to interact and understand the world around them." 

Her project also includes conducting research with a team of graduate students on the partnership model driving the project, investigating the impact of the STEAM curriculum on both K-12 teachers and the partnering organizations.

"Through this project, our in-service teachers will grow more confident in collaborating with community partners and creating authentic audiences for their students. These 21st-century skills are essential to STEAM," Espinoza said.

Dr. Lu Xu, associate professor of business analytics, secured a Presidential Special Initiative Award for her project "Leadership-driven sustainable supply chain management: An empirical investigation from an integrated theoretical perspective." The work will examine how instrumental, relational and moral motives drive leaders to prioritize environmental and societal sustainability rather than simply the economic bottom line.

"Students will be able to see how data analytics can work in a business context," Xu said.

Dr. Bibek Chand's Presidential Semester Award will allow him to work on "Europe-Asia relations amid U.S. global reorientation: Cooperation, competition and strategic realignment in a multipolar world," an updated edition of his 2021 book co-edited with Lucas K. Danner.

Chand will use the funding to travel to Nepal, India and Singapore to conduct research for the book, while also presenting at a conference in Sri Lanka.

"The Presidential Awards offer a great opportunity for faculty members to be able to pursue something of interest to them. It's a very fulfilling experience," said Chand, an associate professor of Political Science & International Affairs. "I encourage faculty members to take a leap and apply."

Other awardees included:

Semester Awards:

• Dr. John Bragelman, assistant professor of mathematics, "Developing preservice teachers’ attending to, interpreting, and eliciting children’s mathematical thinking."
• Dr. David Patterson, professor of biology, "A transdisciplinary evaluation of the ecological and evolutionary context of Bison latifrons (giant long-horned bison) from the Clark Quarry Site Complex in coastal Georgia."
• Dr. Stanislaw Solnik, professor of kinesiology, "Neuroenhancement for operational performance: Cerebellar tDCS in cadet marksmanship training."

Special Initiative Awards:

• Dr. Ran Chen, program coordinator of Chinese Flagship Program, with co-applicant Dr. Sung Shin Kim, program coordinator for the East Asian studies bachelor's degree, "Pioneering holistic digital learning in an interdisciplinary first-year experience course."
• Emily Crawford Das, assistant professor of mathematics, with co-applicant Dr. Bikash Das, professor of mathematics, "Developing and assessing low-cost experiential learning laboratories to improve conceptual understanding in calculus."
• Jennifer Graff, department head and professor of visual arts, with co-applicant Alex Kraft, professor of visual arts, "Art in the round: Students reimagine a public space."
• Dr. Khushi Gupta, assistant professor of computer science, "Reestablishing ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ’s Digital Forensics Lab: Industry-standard tools, curriculum enhancement, and national security workforce development."
• Dr. Beyza Lorenz, assistant director of instructional design in Distance Education & Technology Integration (DETI); Dr. Irene Kokkala, executive director of DETI; and Marie Goodall, principal lecturer of political science and faculty fellow in DETI, "Leaders in online teaching and learning collective: A faculty learning community."
• Dr. Scott McDonald, assistant professor of political science, "National security education in Taiwan."
• Dr. Miriam Moore, associate professor of English, with co-applicants Thomas "Buddy" Shay, assistant director of Tutoring Services, and David Brauer, associate professor of English, "Equipping ¹ú²ú×ÔÅÄ tutors to support multilingual writers."
• Dr. Esther Morgan-Ellis, professor of music, "The Vickery House as a community classroom for research and creative activities."