Georgia Days at UGA
Rayna Carter is turning research into results as a Foundation Fellow at UGA.
Foundation Fellow. Ronald E. McNair Scholar. Franklin College SGA Senator. Blue Key Honor Society President. Rayna Carter’s resume reads like a future president, but her goals are both more humble and loftier than even the highest office.
A triple-major in psychology, sociology, and women and gender studies, Carter plans to further her research with a doctoral degree and use it to improve support for treating substance abuse disorder.
Since stepping foot on campus, Carter hasn’t wasted a moment of time. She found her home in the Jere W. Morehead Honors College and immersed herself in research as a CURO Honor Scholar. Within the first few weeks, she joined the College Learning Study as a research assistant.
Her work has spanned four labs—from neuroimaging to bioinformatics—and she has presented it at national conferences and published peer-reviewed work as an undergraduate student.
From substance abuse to metacognition, Carter deliberately chooses to solve problems that affect people in their everyday lives. She wants to serve her community as much as possible, starting with UGA.
Home is Where the Dawg is
Carter grew up less than an hour from the University of Georgia and spent a lot of time on campus because both her parents worked there. Dawg Nation was so familiar for most of her life that she almost overlooked it. She had no plans to stay close to home after high school, and believed she needed to travel to find the community and academic rigor she was seeking.
UGA’s Georgia Daze recruitment weekend changed all that. Organized and led by students, the program showed Carter a glimpse of UGA that she had never seen before.
“I saw a vibrant Black community that was leading and excelling in meaningful ways,” says Carter. “I got to see first-hand how Black students on campus build community.”
The next turning point came after she attended the CURO Symposium and saw the depth of undergraduate research happening at UGA. Seeing students involved in interdisciplinary, high-level work made her realize that she didn’t have to leave the state to access the resources that would put her at the forefront of undergraduate research.
It wasn’t long before Carter was inspired to help other students discover UGA as a Georgia Daze ambassador, Road Dawg, and Orientation leader.
“I know how powerful it is to feel both seen and intellectually inspired before stepping foot on campus. And I want other students—especially those with doubts like mine—to see what’s possible here too,” says Carter.
Service Abroad
Carter is taking every opportunity at UGA that she can and generating useful medical research in the process.
In the summer of 2025, Carter studied abroad in Ireland and worked with the Chrysalis Community Drug Project, where she developed a research plan to support communities with programming for substance use care.
“Being embedded in a local recovery center while engaging with public health has helped me bridge theory and practice in ways I hadn’t before,” says Carter. “I’ve seen what it looks like when research is done with—not just about—communities, and that has been transformative for how I think about my future.”
For Carter, the most meaningful parts of her UGA experience haven’t been the numerous titles and accolades, but rather the relationships and moments of growth she has found along the way.
“UGA taught me to advocate for myself and to seek out opportunities,” says Carter. “This is a truly special place. If you open yourself up to it, UGA will meet you where you are and push you further than you ever imagined.”
Written by: Jayne Roberts
Photography by: Chamberlain Smith and Andy Tucker
Design by: Andrea Piazza