The University of Georgia has announced the selection of 11 faculty members for its 2025-2026 Aspire Fellows cohort. The group includes Amy Taylor from the School of Law, along with representatives from seven UGA schools and colleges and the Center for Teaching and Learning.
The Aspire Fellows program, which began in 2017, is intended for mid-career and senior faculty to complete projects that expand their professional impact. Participants will take part in workshops focused on skills such as project management, leadership, and team building. The initiative aims to build community connections across the university and help experienced faculty navigate their roles within higher education.
Elizabeth Weeks, interim vice provost for academic affairs and associate provost for faculty affairs, said: “We congratulate these highly accomplished faculty who exemplify the University of Georgia’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research and service. We look forward to seeing how their significant projects and engagement with this energizing cohort program will enrich their professional journeys.”
Amy Taylor serves as clinical services and research librarian at the Alexander Campbell King Law Library. She leads outreach efforts to clinical programs and teaches legal research courses. Her recent work includes a peer-reviewed article examining search strategies in legal research databases. Taylor previously worked as a research librarian at Crowell & Moring, conducted research for attorneys, held positions at Duke University and Georgetown University law libraries, and interned at the U.S. Supreme Court Library.
Other fellows named include Drew Abney (psychology), Andrew Karl Barnett (emergency medicine), Lilong Chai (poultry science), Rabindranath De La Fuente (reproductive biology/epigenetics), Jennifer Eimers (teaching and learning), Julie Grainy (microbiology), James Huff (engineering education), Sharina Maíllo-Pozo (Romance languages), Assaf Oshri (human development/family science), and Hui Zhang (neurological disease research).
The Aspire Fellows program is managed by the Office of Faculty Affairs under the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.