Message from the RBC Director
Bring on 2030!
As we step into 2026, topping the year we just lived through won’t be easy—and honestly, that’s something to be proud of. Not every year unfolds the way you expect. There are years you plan for, and then there are years that surprise you—2025 was the latter.
What began five years ago as a few ideas sketched out on paper in the fourth-floor RBC conference room has grown into something real, visible, and frankly, bigger than we first imagined. Since launching the RBIO major, enrollment has climbed from 31 students to 108—blowing past last year’s projection of 65 and marking a 248 percent increase.
That kind of growth isn’t just numbers; it’s momentum in motion and a clear sign the program is hitting its mark.
And it’s not just about quantity—it’s about quality. Five percent of our RBIO majors are Foundation Fellows, signaling that some of the university’s most talented and motivated students see regenerative bioscience as a place to do serious, meaningful work.
At the heart of everything we do is our students. Whether they came to the RBC through the RBIO major, the RB major, ARCS, or Foundation Fellowships—or simply sought us out on their own initiative, they leaned in fully—asking big questions, tackling real experiments firsthand, and finding their footing in a field that’s moving fast and changing lives. They built confidence here, but they also built networks—across industry, across disciplines, and across borders—that will carry them far beyond this campus.
Our faculty made that possible. Their commitment—to mentorship, to collaboration, to showing up for one another—continues to define who we are. Those relationships fueled new ideas, opened doors to funding and partnerships, and created space for early-career faculty to grow, take risks, and lead. This is what a healthy, forward-looking research community looks like.
And the RBC didn’t stay contained. Through partnerships like CMaT and REM, and through meaningful engagement with our broader community, our work reached outward—locally, nationally, and increasingly globally. Thanks to thoughtful communication and growing media attention, the story of regenerative bioscience at UGA is being heard, and it’s resonating.
2025 reminded us that progress isn’t just measured in grants or publications—it’s measured in people, in shared purpose, and in the confidence that we’re building something that will last. As we look ahead, that’s the energy we’re carrying forward.
“RBC’s supportive, multidisciplinary environment made it possible for me to get my research off the ground quickly. Thanks to Dr. Stice’s network and RBC’s connection with REM, I found the right collaborators fast, saving time and getting on the right path from day one,” said Yao Yao, assistant professor of animal and dairy science.
2025 marked the year I handed over the co-presidency of REM, wrapping up a role I’d held since 2014. Last year’s REM Retreat at Emory brought together over 140 attendees, including 40 from UGA, a reminder of just how alive collaboration in regenerative medicine has become. REM—our joint effort with Emory and Georgia Tech—connects people across Georgia, helping ideas move from conversation to the lab and into real projects. RBC students and faculty made their mark: UGA students won three of the four REM trainee poster awards, and RBC members took home three of the four REM Seed Grant awards, a testament to their creativity and drive. With Dr. John Peroni now stepping into the co-president role, REM is in great hands, ready to keep building connections and shaping the future of the field.
Looking ahead to 2030, the path is clear—even if the work won’t always be easy. We’re building an RBC that is durable, collaborative, and unapologetically ambitious; a place where students are trained not just for the jobs of today, but for the questions that don’t yet have names, and where faculty are supported to think big, take risks, and lead across disciplines.
What we carry forward isn’t just momentum—it’s conviction. Conviction that regenerative bioscience belongs at the center of the university’s future, that people come first, and that what we’re building together will matter well beyond this moment.
As we step into the new year, I find myself grateful for everything we’ve achieved and energized by the possibilities that lie ahead.
Sincerely,
Steven Stice, RBC Director
Your financial support is invaluable, playing a crucial role in realizing the extraordinary potential of regenerative medicine. You are truly making a difference in the lives of many. Discover some of our research milestones here (online link).
Thank you for being a part of our journey.
