2019 SEC Selects Ron Simons for Faculty Achievement Award

There are approximately 14,000 full-time, tenured faculty members in the Southeastern Conference, and to be eligible for a SEC Faculty Achievement award the individual must have achieved the rank of full professor; have a record of extraordinary teaching; and have a record of research that is recognized nationally and/or internationally. Administered by provosts at each of the 14 universities in the conference, Ron Simons, Distinguished Research Professor in the Sociology Department in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, has received this honor for 2019.

Simons’ research has revealed the impact of social and environmental conditions on gene expression, aging and health. His longitudinal studies about the impact of persistent family economic hardship and conflict on biological aging and the development of chronic illness, including cancer, diabetes and dementia, have resulted in the creation of programs for at-risk families. His research has garnered more than $45 million in grant funding, which includes continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health for three decades.

“Dr. Simons is an extraordinary scholar who consistently produces high-impact research, has achieved an impressive record of external funding, and has received numerous professional accolades,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “He has brought great distinction to the University of Georgia and is a deserving recipient of the SEC Faculty Achievement Award.”

Simons is a Fellow with the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research and serves as co-director of the UGA Center on Biological Embedding of Social Events and Relationships, which studies the intersections of genetic and environmental contributions to health and health behavior and he is a Fellow in the Center for Research.

To read more about Dr. Simons and his research, go here.