The online survey, conducted by the Division of Institutional Effectiveness, polled ASU and GHSU alumni, faculty, staff and students and revealed agreement by all groups for the new university’s primary logo. All groups except GHSU students agreed on the seal and all groups except GHS faculty and staff agreed on the color palette.
The total response rate to the survey was 13.7 percent. Out of 6,357 votes, 4,361 respondents resided in Georgia, or 68.7 percent.

Alumni accounted for over one third of the votes (36.2 percent), with students making up nearly another third (29.2 percent).

“I would like to thank everyone for voting and I believe that these decisions will be an excellent addition to the foundation of how we brand Georgia Regents University,” said Georgia Health Sciences University President Ricardo Azziz.

The primary logo uses the letters ” GRU” together with a version of the Proxima Nova font that was specifically modified to convey a sense of unity. Under the letters, the full name of the university is listed, Georgia Regents University, in Sophia font, and “Augusta” below it in Friz Quadrata font, which was the font used in the original Augusta State University logo.

“We wanted to create a sense of unity and a collaborative feel to reflect the consolidation of the two universities,” said Beverly Andersen, Chief Strategy Officer for Trend Influence, the Atlanta-based company that designed the logos. “But we wanted it to look unique and not like any other logo out there.”

She also noted that including elements, like the font from Augusta State University’s logo, is a nod to the important history inside the primary symbol that will represent the new university.

The branded seal that was chosen uses a san serif font to create a legible symbol that expresses the vision of the university, with acknowledgement to the legacy of the two schools. The seal prominently displays the Arsenal Oak from the current Augusta State University logo and the old Medical College of Georgia building from the current Georgia Health Sciences University logo.

“We wanted to make it contemporary, but still simple and timeless,” Andersen said about the seal. “We looked at many seals, and this one is more graphically appealing than most that are out there. We wanted it to be something that is unique, but that you could use to represent both the history and the vision for the new university.”

The seal also features an original piece of art called the Unity Flame. The flame design is based loosely on an old Maori symbol that means “eternal bond,” called the Pikorua, combined with the classic flame/torch symbol.

“The Unity Flame is a piece of custom artwork that is unique to only Georgia Regents University Augusta,” Andersen said. “It is symbolic of the joining of the two schools into one entity, but also symbolic of the ideas behind the universities, from the arts and humanities to business, education, the health sciences and more, joining into one complete being. It is inspired by the symbols of life and growth.”

Andersen believes that the Unity Flame could become a recognizable breakout symbol that is synonymous with Georgia Regents University.