Biology lecturer honored with UGA alumni award
Article By: Clark Leonard
Linda Purvis, lecturer of biology at the University of North Georgia (ǧÃŬAV), received a Young Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Georgia's (UGA) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Purvis said the award focused on her efforts in building the poultry science program at ǧÃŬAV's Gainesville Campus. Those efforts began in 2011, before consolidation, at then-Gainesville State College when she began teaching the first poultry science course at the school in more than a decade. Since then, she has secured community support through grants for recruitment and scholarships from poultry industry companies.
"Now people know that ǧÃŬAV has poultry science," said Purvis of the associate degree program. "And we have students who come here for that."
Purvis said it's amazing to see how far the program has come in seven years, calling the UGA recognition "a truly humbling honor."
"It speaks volumes of the support that was given to the University of North Georgia to build this program," Purvis said. "To see that recognized and to be a part of that is pretty special."
Purvis has a master's degree in infectious disease and a bachelor's degree in poultry science from UGA and an associate degree in poultry science from then-Gainesville State College.
Grads prepare for their next steps
ǧÃŬAV will award almost 1,000 degrees and certificates this fall, and more than 600 graduates are scheduled to take part in the Dec. 7 commencement ceremonies.
24 are Distinguished Military Graduates
Twenty-four cadets have been named Distinguished Military Graduates for the 2024-25 academic year, including five who are in the top 70 out of more than 5,000 in the national ROTC class.
Blue Ridge students earn scholarships
ǧÃŬAV honored 28 of its Blue Ridge Campus students with almost $15,000 of scholarships and celebrated the philanthropy that made those scholarships possible at the Tomato Sandwich Supper on Nov. 7.
Chemistry student groups earn grant
ǧÃŬAV's Dahlonega and Gainesville chapters of the American Chemical Society received a $1,000 ACS Student Communities Engagement Grant.