Non-Academic Programs

The mission of the University of Georgia Griffin Campus Center for Continuing Education is to enrich lives through learning by providing exceptional programs in a stimulating environment with superior service. Continuing Education provides a local hub within the Griffin Community for conferences and events, continuing professional education, and youth programs.

The Laboratory for Environmental Physics conducts experimental research and modeling of exchange of gases between atmosphere and vegetation. Some interests of the group also include the development and evaluation of different models (analytical solutions to the diffusion equation, Lagrangian stochastic simulation and Large-Eddy Simulation) used to assess the upwind source area (Footprint) from a flux tower.

The Landscape Pest Management site helps visitors become familiar with both pests and beneficial insects that commonly occur. Related sources with helpful information and photographs of insects are also available through this site.

The Master Gardener program in Georgia is a volunteer training program designed to help University of Georgia Cooperative Extension staff transfer research-based information about gardening and related subjects to the public by training home gardeners. Master Gardener Extension Volunteers are active in many Georgia counties. Through this program, Cooperative Extension is able to reach out and serve more citizens with educational programming and demonstrations in 5 target areas.

The Peanut & Mycotoxin Innovation Lab (PMIL) is part of the whole of government approach to food security and nutrition programming called Feed the Future. PMIL is one of many Innovation Labs supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and hosted at top U.S. universities. While not physical laboratories as the name might imply, the Innovation Labs are networks of researchers in the United States and abroad working together to improve food security and reduce poverty in key countries of the Feed the Future initiative.

The mission of the Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit is to preserve plant genetic resources for present and future researchers and educators. The Unit acquires, characterizes, conserves, evaluates, documents, and distributes genetic resources of agronomic and horticultural crops including sorghum, peanut, vegetables, subtropical and tropical legumes, warm-season grasses, cowpeas, annual clovers, new crops, other crops, and their wild relatives. The objectives of this project are to expand the genetic diversity and associated information of crop and wild relative species in the collection, conserve and regenerate genetic resources efficiently and effectively, distribute pathogen-tested samples and associated information to researchers worldwide, and characterize and evaluate plant genetic resources for molecular markers, morphological descriptors, and other key traits including biochemical content and product quality.

Research is uniquely meshed with education in the Research and Education Garden on the UGA Griffin Campus. Research topics are focused on development and evaluation of plant cultivars and varieties, pest management tactics, and environmentally sound landscape management practices for Southern landscapes. Results from these research projects are often incorporated into our beautiful theme gardens within the Demonstration Areas for visitors to view and experience.

The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) was authorized as part of the 1985 Farm Bill and first funded in 1988 as LISA (Low-Input Sustainable Agriculture) program. The name was changed to SARE in the early 1990s to reflect the broader scope of the principles of sustainable agriculture and to express the dual mission of research and education. From its inception, the program's goal has been to support farmers, researchers, and educators as they explore practices that improve stewardship, profitability, and the social and economic health of farm communities.

The UGA CAES Statewide Variety Testing program provides annual performance testing results on several commodities including canola, small grains and forage, corn and silage, and field crops.

Initiated through a 1994 grant from the Georgia Environmental Technology consortium of the Georgia Research Alliance, the Georgia Envirotron was dedicated 9 June 1998. It is located on a five-acre site of the Demsey Research Farm on the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Griffin Campus. In keeping with the overall goal of the University of Georgia to improve the well-being of the citizens of Georgia and the nation, the mission of the Envirotron is to advance plant, soil, and ecological sciences; support economic evaluations of the interactions between plants and environmental stresses; provide education and research training for students in the agricultural and environmental science so that knowledge needs will continue to be met in the future, and to advance economic opportunities in agricultural and environmental sciences; and address key scientific issues to solve current and future problems in order to enhance the environment of the people of Georgia, the nation, and the world.

The Turf Team at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is a highly coordinated team of scientists from several disciplines working in research, extenstion, and teaching. This multi-faceted program addresses the needs of all sections of the turf industry.

The University of Georgia Weather Network (formerly AEMN) was established in 1991 by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of the University of Georgia. The objective of the Weather Network is to collect reliable weather information for agricultural and environmental applications.

The Urban Pest Management Program on the University of Georgia’s Griffin Campus is responding to these challenges by researching key problems and disseminating information to those who can use it best, specifically Georgia’s residents and the owners and operators of Georgia’s termite and pest control companies.

The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) Summer Internship Programs target talented high school students who show a high aptitude in math and science related subjects. We will also consider high ability students who have not yet lived up to their potential.