University of Georgia
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

UGA's main campus is located in Athens-Clarke County (ACC) and has a close working relationship with local government. UGA Government Relations - Community Relations works closely with ACC officials and helps to coordinate UGA participation in local planning and legislation. UGA and ACC staff meet quarterly for a UGA-ACC Directors Meeting and Breakfast. Current topics requiring collaboration are discussed in this meeting such as transportation and infrastructure improvements including bike share, greenway development, alternative-fueled transit fleets, solar energy deployment, etc. The UGA Office of Sustainability also coordinates university participation in the development and implementation of the ACC Sustainability Plan. UGA representatives serve as standing members on county committees including the Greenway Commission, Complete Streets Committee, Bike-Pedestrian Master Plan, Envision Athens long-range plan, and others.

As a land- and sea-grant institution, UGA supports every county in the state of Georgia. UGA Extension, Archway Partnership, Marine Extension and Sea Grant work directly with communities throughout the state to enhance quality of life and develop solutions related to community resilience, sustainable food systems, waste reduction and recycling, energy systems, etc. The UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIoG) provides over 600 training courses to elected and appointed officials. The Planning and Environmental Services group within CVIoG provides services in community vision and design, brownfield and urban redevelopment, land use and planning, natural resources, environmental compliance, and more. UGA participates on the steering committee of the Greater Atlanta United Nations Regional Center of Expertise (UN RCE) in Education for Sustainable Development. Topics addressed by the UNRCE include Good Health & Wellbeing; Zero Hunger; Sustainable Cities and Communities; Quality Education; Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure; No Poverty; and others. UGA also participates in the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education (ARCHE) Sustainability Committee, and other state and regional initiatives.

The UGA College of Engineering Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS) helps communities, businesses, and governments mitigate risks - and seize opportunities - associated with environmental change, extreme weather, and climate-related events by rethinking, transforming and adapting infrastructure systems to strengthen social, economic and ecological resilience. The UGA School of Law Environmental Law program encompasses a range of issues including water and air quality, hazardous waste, species protection, agriculture, wetlands, biodiversity, sustainability, waste management and right to-know laws.

UGA is an active member of AASHE. Researchers - in fields from ecology and engineering to social work, veterinary medicine, and art - engage in national dialogue and action to address grand challenges. The UGA School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) hosts the renowned Center for International Trade and Security (CITS) analyzes international export controls for weapons of mass destruction as well as provides research and training to U.S. and foreign officials to prevent the spread of these weapons. In 2017, CITS participated in the IAEA Technical Meeting to share experiences related to activities under the Coordinated Research Project “Development of Nuclear Security Culture Enhancement (ENSC) Solutions” held in Vienna, Austria, and hosted a non-proliferation awareness workshop in Sri lanka. The Center for the Study of Global Issues (GLOBIS) fosters educational and research activities focused on economic, political, and sociocultural change and development occurring at the global level to confront the most pressing problems of the day; examine recent global economic, political, and socio-cultural trends; and furnish a basis for forming public policy.

UGA Government Relations - Community Relations: https://dar.uga.edu/government_relations/index.php/site/community-relations Carl Vinson Institute of Government: http://www.cviog.uga.edu/ UGA Cooperative Extension: http://extension.uga.edu/ UGA Archway Partnership: http://www.archwaypartnership.uga.edu/ UGA Marine Extension and Sea Grant: http://gacoast.uga.edu/ UGA Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems: http://engineering.uga.edu/research/centers/IRIS UGA School of Law: http://www.law.uga.edu/ UGA School of Public and International Affaris: http://spia.uga.edu/