For the first time, UGA's Athletic Association is paying for a professorship at the school. (Image courtesy photo-Xbxg32000)
Rick Tarleton has been named UGA's distinguished professor in biological sciences, a job underwritten by the Athletic Association. Tarleton has worked at UGA since 1984 and was the founding director for the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases.
It's common for companies, foundations and other non-profits to create professorships to help draw world renowned faculty to universities, but athletic associations typically don't fund such positions.
The athletic association runs the school's NCAA intercollegiate athletic programs and is legally separate from the university.
