Support science for a sustainable future.

Our classrooms inspire future scientists, policy experts, educators and entrepreneurs who will mitigate the effects of climate change, prevent and prepare for the next pandemic, and build more resilient populations through conservation and research.

Contributions from alumni and friends are essential for the Odum School’s excellence in research, teaching and service. Individual giving, combined with foundation support and industry partnerships, enhances the academic experience that uniquely prepares our students to become leaders for a sustainable future. State support and tuition accounts for a fraction of the university’s annual operating budget. Every gift is important at the Odum School, regardless of size, and allows our community to explore, discover and thrive.

Choose a priority that inspires you.

Support our immediate needs.

The Ecology Fund

The Ecology Fund supports the greatest needs of the Odum School as it achieves its vision to lead the world in ecological science. Gifts support students, faculty and staff initiatives including awards, improvements to the academic experience, facility enhancements and operating expenses. All areas of ecological study are enhanced by this fund.

Ecology Student Well-Being Support Fund

Launched by Odum School Interim Dean Sonia Altizer in 2023, gifts to this fund support unique financial challenges students face while experiencing temporary hardship related to an emergency situation, including medical expenses, temporary housing, meals and other related expenses deemed appropriate by the director of UGA Student Care and Outreach.

Expand experiential learning opportunities.

Ecology Undergraduate Student Support Fund

Gifts to this fund reduce financial limitations of experiential learning to enable our undergraduate students to explore the world around them and prepare for future careers in ecological science.

Ecology Graduate Student Support Fund

Gifts to this fund reduce financial limitations of travel and research to enable our graduate students to pursue creative exploration through fieldwork and data science that will ultimately solve global ecological challenges.

Odum School Tropical Ecology Travel Awards

Created with a generous donation from retired Odum School faculty Ron Carroll and Carol Hoffman, gifts to this fund support travel for Ecology undergraduate studies in tropical climates. Due to the Odum School’s tradition of study abroad programs in Costa Rica, students traveling to Costa Rica for Tropical Ecology courses are given first preference.

Coastal Georgia Marine Ecology Fund

Gifts to this fund support Ecology students engaging in immersive research and discovery of invasive species, shellfish health, marine parasites and coastal habitats along the Georgia coast.

Meyer-Helfman Travel Award

Created with a generous donation from retired Odum School faculty Judy Meyer and Gene Helfman, gifts to this fund support graduate student travel awards for conferences and activities related to the intersection of science, public policy and conservation.

Promote innovative research and discovery.

James W. And Karen G. Porter Endowment

In honor of retired faculty Jim Porter and Karen Porter, gifts to this fund support competitive awards recognizing exemplary undergraduate students who demonstrate great passion for ecological science and research.

River Basin Center John Spencer Research Grants

Created with a generous donation from Kathelen Amos in memory of her son, Odum School graduate student John Spencer, gifts to the River Basin Center support competitive research grants for graduate students studying freshwater science, management and conservation affiliated with the UGA River Basin Center.

Graduate Diversity Fund In Ecology

Launched by retired Odum School faculty, gifts to this fund support diversity in the graduate program by providing competitive awards that enrich the research and academic experience.

Frank Golley Memorial Scholarship

In memory of the former Institute of Ecology Director Frank Golley, gifts to this fund support competitive awards recognizing graduate students exhibiting leadership qualities and proven success at fostering intellectual activity among the faculty and students of the Odum School.

Dr. Rebecca Reyburn Sharitz and Carl Byrne Hatfield Fellowship

In memory of Dr. Rebecca Sharitz, professor emerita and world-renowned wetlands ecologist, and her husband Carl Hatfield, gifts to this fund support a competitive fellowship for doctoral candidates in the Odum School or Department of Plant Biology studying at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory.

Enhance infectious disease intelligence.

Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases

With a mission to address problems at the intersection of ecological science and infectious diseases, gifts to this fund support holistic research on the interactions of parasites and their hosts to find solutions for conservation, animal health and pandemic preparedness.

Project Monarch Health

Gifts to this fund sustain Odum School faculty Sonia Altizer’s research to track the spread of the Ophryocystis elektroscirrha protozoan pathogen in wild monarch butterflies over space and time.

Bulldogs for Bats

Gifts to this fund support  interdisciplinary efforts to research infectious disease ecology and provide bats with safe environments.

Improve aquatic ecosystem resiliency.

River Basin Center

With a mission to connect freshwater science to management and policy, gifts to this fund support competitive research grants for graduate students studying freshwater science, management and aquatic conservation issues in the local southeastern U.S. and around the world.

Coastal Georgia Marine Ecology Fund

Gifts to this fund sustain Odum School faculty Jeb Byers’ research across coastal Georgia and neighboring states by providing immersive research experiences for students and furthering the study of invasive species, shellfish health, marine parasites and coastal habitats.

Inspire sustainability solutions.

Interdisciplinary Sustainability Certificate

Gifts to this fund expand the applied-learning opportunities offered by the Interdisciplinary Sustainability Certificate. By engaging students of all majors in multidisciplinary discourse valued by the Odum School’s namesake, Eugene Odum, the certificate equips students with critical skills employers are seeking to address global sustainability challenges.

River Basin Center Environmental Law Support Fund

Gifts to this fund enhance the applied-learning opportunities offered by the Environmental Practicum and Land Conservation Clinic. This multidisciplinary course allows Ecology, Law and other graduate students to apply their primary area of study to solve conservation concerns identified by community stakeholders and clients.

Raise enthusiasm for science.

EcoReach

Gifts to this fund sustain the EcoReach program that connects Odum School students and professional ecologists to K-12 classrooms. Activities enhance science programs and raise awareness for environmental issues while providing service-learning experiences for Odum School students.

Project Monarch Health

Gifts to this fund sustain research to track the spread of a debilitating pathogen in monarch butterflies while providing hands-on experiences for students and volunteers to engage in scientific discovery and conservation through citizen science.

Bulldogs For Bats

Gifts to this fund support  interdisciplinary efforts to research infectious disease ecology and provide bats with safe environments while providing hands-on experiences for students to engage in ecosystem education and conservation.

Georgia Museum of Natural History

Gifts to this fund support the museum’s collection of cultural and natural heritage that is used to support ecological scholarship of the Odum School’s students and faculty while instructing state of Georgia residents on their cultural and natural history.


Make your check payable to UGA Foundation and mail to:

UGA Foundation
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602

Can’t find what you’re looking for?

Several more funds support our success at the Odum School and can be found on UGA’s giving page. There, you can search to select the fund that suits your philanthropic goals.

Interested in making a different impact?

Let’s talk! If you would like to discover other ways to leave a lasting legacy at the Odum School, please contact Melissa Lee at 706-542-6007 or mleew@uga.edu.