The Pulse – August 2026

Jill Walton
by Jill S. Walton

Team,

With the books officially closed on FY26, I want to once again congratulate everyone on a truly outstanding, record-breaking year! It was so much fun to be together last week at our End of Year Celebration, and congratulations to everyone who won a door prize! A special thank you once again to all who served on the planning committee and made the event so special.

Raising $324.4 million in private support and achieving a three-year rolling average of $300 million are incredible achievements and ones that I hope all of you are proud of.  Together with our dedicated campus partners, volunteers and donors, we have grown and sustained a culture of philanthropy that is changing lives every day. The support we’ve raised is establishing student scholarships, fueling innovative research, supporting graduate students, allowing us to recruit and retain world-class faculty, strengthening communities across Georgia, and so much more. Plus, we’re connecting students with more employers, mentors, and alumni who are shaping their UGA student experience and life after graduation. Talk about impact!

I can’t believe how quickly the summer passed by, and campus is already buzzing again with the excitement of a new academic year and football season right around the corner.  Let’s keep our strong momentum going as we head into FY27 refreshed, recharged, and ready to take on the year ahead. I look forward to sharing our FY27 division goals with you later this month, in addition to sharing more on UGA’s 2031 Strategic Plan: Forward Together. The plan sets forth a series of institutional goals in response to three strategic imperatives, and we’ll discuss these in more detail in the year ahead as we shape DAR’s response to the UGA Strategic Plan. This will be a collaborative initiative involving everyone in the division, so thank you in advance for your dedication and commitment to this plan.

I am deeply proud of this team and excited for all we will accomplish together in FY27. Thank you for the leadership, collaboration and impact you bring to your work each and every day. It is an honor and a privilege to do this important work alongside all of you.

Go Dawgs!

Upcoming Alumni Chapter Events

  • UGA in Charlotte
    • Tuesday, September 15
    • Truist | Charlotte, NC | 5:30 – 7 p.m.

Football Pre-Season Solicitation

You get UGA gear. Students get a better future. Donate $5+ and get an exclusive embroidered UGA keychain.

A picture of a keychain that says Go Dawgs and other text saying It's Time to Lock In on top of a picture of Sanford Stadium

40 Under 40 Announcement

The results are in, take a look at the new UGA 40 Under 40! Thank you to all who took the time to submit a nomination. 

Tasty Tailgate Recipe Submissions

With another season of Georgia Football coming up we want to know what you all eat or drink at your tailgates. Submit a recipe today (and include pictures/videos if you’d like) for a chance to have it featured on UGA Alumni socials during the season!

Intern For A Day Toolkit

Employer registration is open now through August 21 for the Career Center’s Intern for a Day program. This job-shadowing initiative connects students with real-world industry opportunities. Help us spread the word and connect more students with invaluable professional experience!

Mentor Program Update

Since July 1, 2025:

# of mentors – 6,669 (644 new registrations)

# of mentees – 7,955 (2,901 new registrations)

# of connections – 3,300 (includes 16-week, quick chats, and circles)

Make PDF’s Accessible

So, you have a PDF that you’d like to put on either the Alumni, Give or DAR site(s), but you’re not sure if the aforementioned PDF meets the criteria for digital accessibility as laid out in the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II digital accessibility (“Final Rule”). 

Well, fear not! Before you send the PDF to DARCOMM to include on the website (or upload it to the site yourself), take these steps to ensure it is readable and accessible for those with disabilities. 

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