A group of 30 new University of Georgia faculty members will depart Aug. 5 on a four-day trip that will take them around the state, visiting 13 cities and passing through 43 counties as part of the 2024 UGA New Faculty Tour, designed to introduce them to their state’s economic, geographic, social and cultural diversity and show them how deeply their university is tied to Georgia.
From economic development and rural prosperity to agricultural research and downtown revitalization, participants will learn what sets UGA apart from other public universities when it comes to community engagement. They’ll gain an understanding of how UGA creates jobs, develops leaders and addresses critical needs in the state through UGA Public Service and Outreach and Cooperative Extension, and how they can use their teaching and research to help address Georgia’s most pressing issues.
The tour also allows new faculty to network and develop professional relationships with peers across campus to build partnerships and collaborative research.
“The mission of the University of Georgia as a land-grant and sea-grant institution is to put its expertise and resources to work for the citizens of Georgia. We encourage faculty and staff to seek out opportunities for engagement with communities, to collaborate and build partnerships that benefit Georgians,” said Jennifer Frum, UGA vice president for Public Service and Outreach. “That engagement begins with their New Faculty Tour experience.”
The tour is scheduled to make stops in the UGA Archway Partnership™ communities of Covington and Dublin on the first day.

Additional stops on the four-day trip will include UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant at Skidaway Island in Savannah, the Georgia Ports Authority in Garden City, the city of Baxley, the UGA campus in Tifton, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and Georgia Experience Center in Atlanta, Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, and the city of Gainesville.
The New Faculty Tour is coordinated by the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach and the UGA J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development. The tour is made possible by major support from the Office of the President, the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, and the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach. Additional sponsors include a multitude of other UGA units and supporters of the university.
This is the 38th UGA New Faculty Tour. Nearly 1,600 UGA faculty members have participated in the tour since it began.