Brightest Bulldogs

UGA students earn some of the highest honors.

It’s been a banner year for some of UGA’s most inspiring students. From solving real-world challenges in science labs to shaping public policy, these Bulldogs are earning top national honors and proving that the future is in very good hands.

Behind every prestigious honor is a story of hard work, late nights, and the kind of mentorship that makes a difference. At UGA, students don’t chase these dreams alone—they’re backed by faculty, staff, and programs that help lead them every step of the way.

Through the Jere W. Morehead Honors College, which houses UGA’s Major Scholarships Office, students receive guidance and encouragement as they navigate the rigorous application processes for national scholarships. Faculty and staff work closely with students to help them refine their goals, polish their applications, and prepare for interviews, opening doors to some of the world’s most competitive academic and leadership opportunities.

“Across our institution, we are committed to helping our students thrive, whether they are debating international challenges in the classroom, working with DNA in the lab, or checking on turtle populations in the field,” said Meg Amstutz, dean of the Morehead Honors College. “From faculty to staff to community mentors, our students are succeeding because of the strong support they receive.”

Third-year UGA students Sloka Sudhin, Anderson Smith, and Oscar de la Torre were selected as 2025 Goldwater Scholars. (Photo by Stephanie Schupska)

Michael Skibsted catches a male common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) in one of Florida’s freshwater springs. (Submitted photo)

A large group of UGA honors students kneel in a classroom and smiles at the camer. — Shrika Madivanan takes a selfie with her students in a classroom in Romania in January. She is a lecturer in English and American studies at the West University of Timișoara through the Fulbright U.S. student program.

“Across our institution, we are committed to helping our students thrive, whether they are debating international challenges in the classroom, working with DNA in the lab, or checking on turtle populations in the field.”
Meg Amstutz, Dean of the Morehead Honors College

A young woman in a blue shirt and black sweater smiles at the camera. — Portrait of Sadie Bengs in the Foundation Fellows Library in Moore Hall.

A Future Leader

Mercedes Bengs is charting a path that honors her family’s legacy of service. The University of Georgia senior is preparing to become a fourth-generation military service member, following in the footsteps of her father, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel.

Until then, she’s preparing herself to become an expert in areas of foreign policy and national security. Bengs was one of 54 undergraduates selected as a 2025 Truman Scholar, awarded each year to students who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential, and commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector.

Bengs studies international affairs in the School of Public and International Affairs and Russian in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. She is a cadet in UGA’s Air Force ROTC, is in the Russian Flagship Program, and is a Russell Security Leadership Program Fellow.

A Global Focus

UGA set a record with three Schwarzman Scholars in a single year for 2025 when the Schwarzman Scholars program announced its 10th class of recipients.

The UGA honorees are Foundation Fellows Aryan Thakur, who graduated with bachelor’s degrees in genetics and mathematics from the Franklin College; and Amanda Whylie, who earned a bachelor’s degree in entertainment and media studies from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and a minor in Spanish in the Franklin College; and Garrett Williams, a Ramsey Honors Scholar who graduated from UGA in 2022 with bachelor’s degrees in economics and finance with a certificate in personal and organizational leadership from the Terry College of Business and a minor in communication studies from the Franklin College. The Schwarzman enables them to pursue a one-year master’s degree in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, starting this August.

Schwarzman Scholars are taught by leading international faculty, and they study a core curriculum focused on leadership, global affairs, and China, helping them learn to navigate the complexities of an evolving global landscape.

Eleven UGA students or alumni have been named Schwarzman Scholars since the program launched in 2015.

Aryan Thakur, Amanda Whylie, and Garrett Williams. (Photo by Stephanie Schupska)

A young woman stands in a field holding a large bunch of greenery. — Leah Whitmoyer is in Tunisia working on a variety of agricultural research projects, including compost production for an artichoke farmer, well water sampling for salinity, and aquifer monitoring. She also attended conferences in Egypt and Spain to learn about agriculture and water issues in the broader Mediterranean region. An Honors alumna and Foundation Fellow from Tucker, Georgia, Whitmoyer graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biological science from UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in 2024. She was a 2022 Voyager Scholar.

Making a Difference Locally and Abroad

Seventeen students—each with their own story, passion, and sense of purpose—were selected for Fulbright awards for the 2024-2025 academic year, placing UGA among the nation’s top producers of Fulbright U.S. students.

Of the 17 UGA students and recent alumni who were offered Fulbright awards for 2024-2025, 13 were able to accept. Eight are teaching English in countries including Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Romania, Spain, and Taiwan. Five are studying or conducting research; their countries are Brazil, Colombia, Madagascar, Taiwan, and Tunisia.

For Leah Whitmoyer, the Fulbright is more than an academic achievement—it’s a chance to get her hands dirty and make a difference in communities halfway across the world.

Science and Innovation

UGA’s Oscar de la Torre, Anderson Smith and Sloka Sudhin are among the 441 undergraduates from across the nation to be recognized as Barry Goldwater Scholars this spring. Whether it’s protecting endangered species or solving real-world equations, they are turning curiosity into impact.

Since 1995, 70 students at the University of Georgia have received the Goldwater Scholarship, which recognizes exceptional sophomores and juniors across the United States.

A young man wearing a red shirt smiles at the camera. — De la Torre plans to earn a Ph.D. in genetics with an emphasis on plant science. As a crop molecular geneticist, he hopes to identify and edit traits in crop genomes that will improve yield, stimulate disease resistance, and expand nutrition. (Photo by Stephanie Schupska)

A young woman in a colorfully patterned shirt smiles at the camera. — Smith plans to earn a Ph.D. in ecology, focusing on the genetic population structures of species threatened with extinction. Her goal is to teach and conduct research that will help to conserve Earth’s biodiversity. (Photo by Stephanie Schupska)

A young woman in a purple sweater smiles at the camera. — Sudhin plans to earn a Ph.D. in applied math or computer science. She wants to conduct research at the intersection of optimization algorithms and predictive modeling through complex computer experiments. Her goal is to translate real-world phenomena into mathematical problems and apply powerful theoretical results in new ways to find the best algorithms.
(Photo by Stephanie Schupska)

Building Tomorrow’s Problem-Solvers

A scientist and storyteller in training, the University of Georgia’s Yeongseo Son was selected for the 2025 Knight-Hennessy Scholarship, a global graduate-level program at Stanford University.

A Foundation Fellow, Son graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and biochemistry and molecular biology as well as a certificate in immunology, all from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

UGA’s fourth Knight-Hennessy Scholar, Son will pursue a Ph.D. in immunology from the Stanford University School of Medicine and research how the immune system interacts with the environment, particularly within the lungs, to improve global respiratory health.

Yeongseo Son (Photo by Stephanie Schupska)

Michael Skibsted in Atlanta holding a spry common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina). (Photo by Ken Wang)

Environmental Excellence

Michael Skibsted’s interest in turtles and wildlife conservation has earned him a 2025 Udall Scholarship, which recognizes students for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to the environment.

Skibsted is majoring in ecology in the Odum School of Ecology and biology in the Franklin College. He also has received funding for his research from the UGA Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities. Skibsted wants to develop creative solutions to problems in the realm of conservation biology and ecology with an emphasis on turtle populations.

International Experience

Seven UGA undergraduates were selected as Boren Scholars this spring—the second highest number in the country for the second year in a row. These students will receive funding to study critical languages in Kazakhstan, Senegal, and Brazil in exchange for a year of federal service.

Five recipients were awarded a Boren Scholarship to support their participation in a capstone-year program to study Russian and complete an internship in Kazakhstan as part of the Russian Flagship program. Two others were awarded Boren Scholarships to support their participation to study French in Senegal and Portuguese in Brazil.

Each of these students brings their own drive, heart, and vision for the future. Together, they reflect the spirit of UGA, a place where big dreams are encouraged, nurtured and launched into the world. As they prepare to take their talents around the globe, they carry with them the spirit of a university that continues to inspire and empower the leaders of tomorrow.

The University of Georgia’s 2025 Boren Scholars include, from left to right, Jack Williford, Nicholas Heiniger, Sara Adkins, Sadie Bengs, and Madison Dixon. Not pictured are Mark Adams and Jessica Sobieski. (Photo by Stephanie Schupska)

Written by: Cole Sosebee

Photography by: Dorothy Kozlowski & Submitted

Design by: Kaiya Plagenhoef