The Office of Special Events here at The University of Georgia handles an average of 125 events per year with a total staff of eight, including five event planners and three administrative staff members. By no measure does this include all the events that occur on campus in a typical year. It does cover those events that are most closely related to the President of the university and his senior administrators.

Beginning every fall semester, new deans, administrators and faculty members are welcomed with receptions to introduce them to their colleagues. Pre-game football receptions are held for the President's honored guests. As the year progresses, ground is broken for new buildings, and dedication ceremonies are held to celebrate the grand openings. Receptions are held to honor special guests who visit the campus, and to commemorate special occasions. Retirees are honored. Commencement ceremonies and related events are held three times each year for graduates, their families and friends. Contributors to the university are recognized and thanked. Capital campaigns are launched, supported with events nationwide, and achievements celebrated.

In the past few years we have welcomed two former presidents and two Supreme Court Justices to the UGA campus in conjunction with important conferences. A one-of-a-kind three-day conference on the Carter Presidency that included a large cadre of participants in his administration was one of our proudest accomplishments. You'll find pictures from the conference in our gallery. Former President Herbert Walker Bush (41) and Mrs. Bush visited to honor his good friend by dedicating UGA's Paul Coverdell Biomedical and Health Sciences Building. You may find this series of events in our gallery as well.

University president, Dr. Michael F. Adams, has recently dedicated buildings in San Luis, Costa Rica; Oxford, England; and Cortona, Italy - all sites for UGA's ever expanding Study Abroad program.

Ongoing events of interest include the prestigious Peabody Awards for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism and the Delta Prize for Global Understanding. The University of Georgia founded and administers the Peabody Awards, considered to be the broadcasting equivalent of the Academy Award Oscars. Dr. Adams hosts a pre-awards reception every year that is co-sponsored by UGA and Coca Cola. The Delta Prize, co-sponsored by Delta Air Lines and administered by the Humanities Department of UGA, is awarded annually at an awards ceremony co-hosted by the presidents of Delta and UGA. A recent recipient, Martti Ahtisaari, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. You may see photos of these events in our gallery, along with links to these websites.