Why Give to Graduate Education?
The Graduate School provides many sources of support to graduate students, grants to support scholarship and professional development including conference travel, Dissertation Completion Awards, and a range of named scholarships and fellowships, funded by our generous donors. These students could not have completed their work or continue to impact our community and state without their funding.
Our donors make a huge impact when they give to graduate education. This academic year, these awards totaled $3.3 million to UGA Graduate Students to support their continued research and exemplary work. Let’s keep up the good work and continue to make lasting impact on our community and state. Your opportunity to support graduate education is on Thursday, March 26. Be a part of Dawg Day of Giving!
If you’re also passionate about graduate student success, please consider donating on this Dawg Day of Giving by visiting Dawg Day of Giving 2026 – Alumni, Donors & Friends – University of Georgia and selecting Graduate Student Emergency Fund to assist students experiencing challenges that are impacting their degree progress. For more ways to support graduate education at UGA, see grad.uga.edu/give.
photo courtesy of Taylor Pearson
Taylor Pearson is bridging the gap between scientific research and community impact through her work along Georgia’s coastline. A Wormsloe Graduate Fellow and doctoral student in the Population Health department in the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Pearson was recently recognized with the Engaged Scholarship Award for her commitment to public health outreach and education. Her work not only advances understanding of tick-borne diseases, but also brings that knowledge directly to the communities most affected.
Her research focuses on ticks and tick-borne pathogens in coastal Georgia, with an emphasis on understanding tick populations, disease prevalence, and the role of wildlife in maintaining these systems. She shares, “My dissertation research focuses on ticks and tick-borne pathogens along Georgia’s coastline, with aims to better understand the tick communities in this region, the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens along the coastline, as well as the impacts that coastal wildlife have on maintaining tick populations.” Driven by her connection to the region, Pearson has also developed a hands-on outreach initiative.
“I started ‘Tick Talks with Tick Taylor’ to engage community members in conversations around tick safety,” she explains, creating opportunities for families to learn prevention and safety techniques that can reduce the spread of tick-borne illnesses.
photo courtesy of Taylor Pearson
Receiving the Engaged Scholarship Award was a meaningful highlight for Pearson. “I am incredibly blessed to receive this award! Scientific outreach and teaching have been some of the sweetest experiences of my graduate education. It was an honor to be recognized by the Graduate School for my engagement and outreach work!” she shares, emphasizing that she hopes her story encourages other graduate students to pursue community-focused work alongside their research.
Pearson credits much of her success to the strong support she found at UGA, particularly within the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study.
“I am incredibly thankful to the graduate students, faculty, and staff that make up the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) at UGA,” she says, noting how their mentorship helped Pearson expand her entomology background into the broader field of wildlife and public health. She adds, “I am especially grateful for my co-advisors Dr. Christopher Cleveland and Dr. Michael Yabsley for their mentorship, encouragement, and support throughout my dissertation research and program!”
As a first-generation graduate student, Pearson also faced challenges adjusting to the demands of graduate school, especially early on. “I was often discouraged during my first semester of coursework because of how lost and unprepared I felt,” she reflects. With the support of her advisors and peers, she built confidence and found her footing, ultimately shaping a graduate experience grounded in both research and outreach.
Outside of her academic work, Pearson has a passion for homemaking that many might not expect. “I spend a good portion of my time outside of the home for work, research, and outreach (all of which are an absolute joy of my life), but I have thoroughly enjoyed ‘unplugging’ at the end of the day by learning homemaking skills in my free time! I am actively learning how to sew, and I am almost done with my first handmade quilt! I also bake my own bread, make my own jams and jellies, and craft my own functional pieces of clothing and home decor through crochet and knitting.” Through her scientific work, community engagement, and personal passions, Taylor Pearson is making a lasting impact.
The Engaged Scholarship by Graduate Students Award recognizes extraordinary community-engaged scholarship and public service by graduate students. Such as endeavors that advance the public service, outreach, and engagement mission at UGA. This award is established by the Graduate School in connection with UGA Public Service & Outreach and the Office of Service-Learning.
