Research Communications Award 2023

Andrew K. Davis, an animal ecologist and assistant research scientist in the Odum School of Ecology, is passionate about promoting science to broader audiences and helping improve scientific understanding. In 2022, he and his research partners gained local, national and international attention from major media outlets for two peer-reviewed articles. Davis and an undergraduate co-author published a paper describing how the physiology of the now-famous Joro spider, an invasive species in Georgia, predicts its likely spread throughout the U.S. With members of the Department of Entomology, he also co-authored a paper about the monarch butterfly to understand how its breeding populations have changed over two decades. Davis is tireless in his efforts to work proactively with UGA communications professionals and in fostering relationships with journalists at prominent media outlets. As a result, his research projects have been featured widely in television, newspaper, radio and online news organizations, generating invaluable positive publicity for UGA and the Odum School.