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Author: akatki

Prashant Doshi

akatki on March 19, 2025

Entrepreneur of the Year 2025

Prashant Doshi, professor in the School of Computing, is transforming artificial intelligence research into real-world applications through his work on human-robot collaboration and inverse reinforcement learning. His research has broad implications across industries, including agriculture, where he is developing AI-driven collaborative robots (cobots) to streamline produce processing operations. To bring this technology to market, Doshi co-founded InversAI, a company focused on commercializing AI-powered automation. Under his leadership, the company secured grants from the Georgia Research Alliance and NSF Small Business Technology Transfer, funding the first application of AI-driven cobots in onion sorting and enabling onsite trials of the technology in Georgia’s onion processing sheds. By bridging academic research and industry, Doshi exemplifies the successful transition of university-based innovation into practical, scalable technologies. His work continues to push the boundaries of AI-driven robotics, shaping the future of intelligent automation and expanding its role in commercial and industrial settings.

Aiman Munir

akatki on March 19, 2025

James L. Carmon Scholarship (Honorable Mention) 2025

Aiman Munir, Ph.D. candidate in the School of Computing, develops advanced algorithms for robotics and multi-robot systems, focusing on energy-efficient informative path planning (IPP) and task coordination in GPS-denied environments. Under the mentorship of Assistant Professor Ramviyas Nattanmai Parasuraman, she has pioneered novel approaches to IPP and coverage control, optimizing how robots explore unknown environments while conserving energy. Her research has led to multiple peer-reviewed publications in top robotics conferences and has applications in precision agriculture, environmental monitoring, and search-and-rescue operations. Munir’s energy-aware coordination framework improves robot performance in resource-limited settings. She received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award from the School of Computing and has contributed to open-source robotics research. Munir’s work looks to the future of autonomous systems, enhancing their efficiency, adaptability, and real-world applications.

Luyang Fang

akatki on March 19, 2025

James L. Carmon Scholarship 2025

Luyang Fang, Ph.D. candidate in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Department of Statistics, develops innovative machine learning algorithms that improve the efficiency and reliability of large language models. Under the mentorship of professors Ping Ma and Wenxuan Zhong, she has pioneered Bayesian Knowledge Distillation (BKD), an advanced method for compressing AI models while quantifying uncertainty in their predictions—critical for deploying AI in healthcare, finance, and autonomous systems. Fang has published in top venues such as the International Conference on Machine Learning and IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, and her BKD framework has been applied to computer vision and education assessment. She also co-developed MultiCOP, a machine learning tool for microbiome-metabolome analysis, and collaborates on AI-driven research across multiple disciplines. A recipient of multiple Georgia Statistics Day awards, Fang’s work helps shape the future of trustworthy AI and statistical machine learning.

Trevor Tuma

akatki on March 19, 2025

Robert C. Anderson Memorial Award 2025

Trevor Tuma, recent Ph.D. graduate in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, conducts interdisciplinary research in two distinct fields—forest biotechnology and biology education—under the mentorship of professors Chung-Jui “C.J.” Tsai and Erin Dolan. His biology research is aimed at enhancing biofuel production and developing more resilient trees with higher biomass yields. Tuma combined greenhouse experiments and field studies to uncover key mechanisms in carbohydrate allocation affecting biomass yield and climate resilience in trees. His education research examined the negative aspects of mentoring relationships, including how these relationships can go awry and cause harm for students. His research contributions have been published in multiple journals and presented at national and international conferences and universities. Now an NSF Graduate Research Fellow at UGA, Tuma continues to advance STEM education and is poised to make significant contributions to the field.

Ava Reck

akatki on March 19, 2025

Robert C. Anderson Memorial Award 2025

Ava Reck, recent Ph.D. graduate in human development and family science from the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, conducts research on the sociocultural and neurobehavioral mechanisms of mental health in children and adolescents. Under the mentorship of professors Steve Kogan and Assaf Oshri, she has examined how poverty, neglect, and racial discrimination influence mental health through family and neurocognitive pathways. Reck has published 12 peer-reviewed articles, with six as first author. Her research on internalized racism and conduct problems in Black adolescents and food insecurity’s impact on adolescent brain development has received national attention. During her time at UGA, she was awarded a Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance grant and multiple university-wide fellowships. Now a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Translational Neuroscience at the University of Oregon, Reck continues to advance interdisciplinary research on developmental risk and resilience.

Yilang Peng

akatki on March 19, 2025

Charles B. Knapp Early Career Scholar Award 2025

Yilang Peng, assistant professor in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, is a rising leader in computational social science, investigating how digital technologies shape consumer behavior, strategic communication, and the spread of misinformation. His research integrates computer vision, machine learning, and social science methodologies to analyze visual misinformation and its impact on public perception. His work has appeared in top-tier journals such as Journal of Communication, Political Communication, and New Media & Society, earning over 820 citations and multiple awards from the International and National Communication Associations. Peng co-founded the Computational Multimodal Communication Lab, advancing interdisciplinary research on digital media. With a $500,000 NSF grant, he explores how visual misinformation influences credibility perceptions, informing strategies for combating disinformation. His work has been featured in Forbes, The Washington Post, and on ABC, highlighting its real-world relevance. As his research continues to expand, Peng is poised to shape the future of computational media analysis and digital communication studies.

Chester Joyner

akatki on March 19, 2025

Fred C. Davison Early Career Scholar Award

Chester Joyner, assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, is integrating molecular biology, immunology, and vaccine development to develop new therapies needed to treat and prevent malaria. His work addresses some of the biggest challenges in the field by studying Plasmodium vivax dormancy in the liver, investigating why malaria infections fail to generate long-lived immune responses and leading the preclinical testing of an innovative vaccine strategy that counteracts the parasite’s ability to inhibit development of such long-lived immunity. Through these studies, his lab has overcome one of malaria’s greatest challenges—the inability to genetically manipulate P. vivax in the lab—developing novel techniques to introduce genetic modifications into the parasite and opening new avenues for biology and vaccinology. Joyner has secured over $7.3 million in research funding, authored 30 peer-reviewed publications, and been invited to share his work at major international conferences. His work is helping to guide the future of malaria treatment and eradication strategies.

Christopher Cleveland

akatki on March 19, 2025

Fred C. Davison Early Career Scholar Award 2025

Christopher Cleveland, assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, is advancing wildlife disease research through a One Health approach that integrates ecology, epidemiology, and parasitology. His work focuses on zoonotic parasite transmission, vectors, and the surveillance of pathogens in wildlife. His research has provided critical insights into how environmental and wildlife factors contribute to the persistence of parasitic diseases, influencing both public health and conservation strategies. Cleveland has published 34 peer-reviewed articles since 2020, with 14 as first or corresponding author, and has secured over $1.4 million in research funding as principal investigator. He has mentored numerous graduate, undergraduate, and veterinary students, contributing to workforce development in wildlife health. A leader in his field, Cleveland has held presidential roles in professional societies, organized international research workshops, and serves as associate editor for the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, positioning him for continued impact in wildlife disease ecology and global health.

Matthew Bilskie

akatki on March 19, 2025

Fred C. Davison Early Career Scholar Award 2025

Matthew Bilskie, assistant professor in the College of Engineering, is advancing the field of coastal resilience through innovative modeling of storm surge, flood risk, and nature-based infrastructure. As head of the college’s Coastal Ocean Analysis and Simulation Team and an affiliate of the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems, he develops high-resolution hydrodynamic models that inform risk reduction strategies for vulnerable coastal communities. Bilskie’s research integrates engineering, computer science, and natural resource economics, providing critical insights into how tidal dynamics, sea-level rise, and climate change impact coastal flooding. His collaborations with the U.S. Marine Corps, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have led to real-world applications, including flood mitigation planning for military installations. With over $32 million in research funding, 53 peer-reviewed publications, and leadership in interdisciplinary resilience efforts, Bilskie is at the forefront of shaping coastal adaptation strategies. His work continues to influence both policy and engineering solutions for climate resilience.

Kelly Hines

akatki on March 19, 2025

Fred C. Davison Early Career Scholar Award 2025

Kelly Hines, assistant professor in the Franklin College Department of Chemistry, is advancing bioanalytical chemistry through innovative applications of mass spectrometry. Her research integrates ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) with multi-omics approaches to investigate antibiotic resistance at the molecular level. By developing high-throughput analytical techniques, Hines is uncovering how bacterial lipid composition influences resistance mechanisms, offering new insights for diagnostics and therapeutics. Her work has earned national recognition, including the American Society for Mass Spectrometry Research Award and designation as a Rising Star in Measurement Science by the American Chemical Society. She has published over 35 peer-reviewed articles, secured a $2.3 million NIH R01 grant, and contributed as a co-investigator on multiple NIH and NSF projects. With ongoing research into host-pathogen lipid interactions and translational applications in clinical microbiology, Hines is poised to make lasting contributions to analytical chemistry and infectious disease research.