UGA Honors Program to become Morehead Honors College

From the University of Georgia:

A $10 million fundraising campaign, led by the UGA Foundation and its emeriti trustees to strengthen the University of Georgia’s Honors Program, will culminate in the naming of the Jere W. Morehead Honors College. Morehead serves as president of the University of Georgia, and the naming was approved by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents in a meeting on Tuesday, May 11.

“My fellow board members and I are delighted to play a role in this transformation at the University of Georgia,” said Sachin Shailendra, chair of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. “And my very good friend, Jere Morehead, has always remained dedicated to students and the state of Georgia. There is no one more deserving of this honor.”

“President Morehead is a gifted leader with an unyielding dedication to student learning and success,” said Steve W. Wrigley, chancellor of the University System of Georgia. “Nowhere is that more evident than his impact on the Honors Program, which—under his direction—rose from a solid foundation to a position of great national distinction.”

Morehead served as director of the UGA Honors Program from 1999-2004. During his tenure, UGA Honors students earned 23 significant scholarships, including two Rhodes, three Marshall, three Truman and 15 Goldwater scholars. Morehead also oversaw the creation of the Washington Semester Program, through which more than 2,000 students have worked as interns in the nation’s capital. He also created the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities and laid the groundwork for what is now the Honors International Scholars Program.

The fundraising campaign, which has raised more than $8 million of its $10 million goal, will elevate the Honors Program into an Honors College by creating an endowment that will provide new, permanent and robust support for academic programming, undergraduate research, study abroad and internship opportunities for Honors students.

In recent years, honors programs have been redesignated as named honors colleges at many institutions around the country, including Georgia State, Kennesaw State and Georgia College in the University System of Georgia. The fundraising campaign for the Morehead Honors College is expected to conclude within the calendar year, and contributions continue to be welcomed.

Cox Media Group