The University of Georgia’s Rural Engagement Workshop for Academic Faculty has awarded a series of seed grants to help faculty address challenges in rural Georgia ranging from veterinary practices to telehealth clinics and early childhood care. The 2025 seed grants range from $5,000 to $10,000 and will support faculty from a wide array of disciplines as they engage with rural Georgians on issues that are critical for their communities.

The Rural Engagement Workshop was launched in 2021 by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach with support from the College of Public Health, School of Social Work and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The program is facilitated by faculty from the Archway Partnership, the Institute of Government, the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development and Cooperative Extension. The workshop delivers a comprehensive introduction to rural community engagement for academic faculty, equipping them with the background, information, skills and knowledge essential for successful collaborations. The primary goal of the program is to strengthen community partnerships throughout Georgia by encouraging research and scholarship that directly address rural needs.

Funding for the seed grants is provided by the Office of the Provost, with projects chosen in part on their fulfillment of two of UGA’s 2025 strategic directions: growing research, innovation, and entrepreneurship; and strengthening partnerships with communities across Georgia and around the world.

Since the Rural Engagement Workshop began in 2021, alumni of the program have secured nearly $13.3 million in subsequent funding that stemmed from projects started in the program, including the Cognitive Aging and Research Education Center.

This year’s seed grant recipients include:

• Andrew Kiselica, associate professor in the College of Public Health (partnering with George Mois, Sarah Grace Dalton, and Renato Azevedo on a team project), in collaboration with faculty from FACS Extension and the Archway Partnership.

• Erin Hamel, assistant professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education, in collaboration with faculty from the Archway Partnership.

• Elizabeth Pienaar, associate professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, in collaboration with faculty from the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.

• Meighan Parker, assistant professor in the School of Law, in collaboration with faculty from the Archway Partnership.

• Georgia Mois, assistant professor in the College of Public Health (partnering with Andrew Kiselica, Renato Azevedo, and Sarah Grace Dalton on a team project), in collaboration with faculty from the Archway Partnership.

• Sarah Grace Dalton,assistant professor, and Hannah Krimm, assistant professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education (partnering with Elizabeth Pienaar on a team project), in collaboration with 4-H.

• Lou Tolosa-Casadont, clinical professor and world language program coordinator in the Mary Frances Early College of Education, in collaboration 4-H.

• Chuck Geier, professor in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, in collaboration with faculty from FACS Extension. 

• Sarah Schneider, associate professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, in collaboration with faculty from ANR Extension.

• Eliza Banu, lecturer in the College of Engineering (partnering with Lou Tolosa-Casadont and Erin Hamel on a team project), in collaboration with 4-H.