[SPRING 2017 • VOL. 2 • NO. 1 ]
THE BEST DEFENSE
Cybersecurity Comes to Augusta
Camelot
The Ones to Watch
Secret Life of a Beekeeper
Welcome Home
ONE MAN’S MISTAKE
FOR A MISTAKE, the mansion at 506 Telfair commands more respect than most Augusta landmarks. Known today as Ware’s Folly, the home was built in the early 1800s by future Augusta mayor and U.S. Sen. Nicholas Ware for the exorbitant sum of $40,000. While its floating spiral staircase and gorgeous three-story columns draw the eyes of antiquarians and window shoppers alike, it’s the home’s price tag that had people thinking it was a mistake. At roughly $750,000 by today’s standards, it is one of the most expensive houses ever built within Augusta’s city limits. Throughout the course of its life, Ware’s Folly would pass first from the Wares to the Sibleys (of Sibley Mill fame), and later still to James Gardner, former owner of the Constitutionalist – a nowdefunct Augusta newspaper. But while the home’s price tag and strictly Southern roots earned it a place of reverence in Augusta’s history, Ware’s Folly owes much of its current fame to a New Yorker. In 1937, Olivia Herbert purchased Ware’s Folly and donated it to the Augusta Art Club as a living memorial to her late daughter, Gertrude Herbert Dunn. To honor Herbert’s contribution, the club promptly changed its name to the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art (GHIA), and the rest, as they say, is history. Since 1937, the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art has trained countless artists, designers and visionaries. In addition to its public outreach, the school also maintains a very close relationship with Augusta University’s Art Department. Several faculty members have either taught or currently teach at the institute, and more participate in the school’s Augusta University Department of Art Faculty Exhibition, held biennially. The GHIA also holds a special place in the hearts of Augusta’s alums; the school’s current executive staff are all Art Department graduates. While it’s tough to separate the university’s legacy from that of the institute, it’s safe to say one thing at least: Although the mansion at 506 Telfair may have been Nicholas Ware’s biggest mistake, it has since become one of Augusta’s greatest treasures.
VIDEO Visit magazines.augusta.edu to see an interview with Heather Williams, executive director of GHIA.
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CONTENTS Welcome Home IN PLACE............................................................................................. 1 ON THE CALENDAR.......................................................................... 4 3 QS .................................................................................................... 5 DISPATCH FROM............................................................................... 6 FROM THE WIRE................................................................................ 7
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ANSWERS ALONG THE WAY........................................................... 9 EYE ON CAMPUS............................................................................. 10
On Our Way SECRET LIVES................................................................................... 36 THROUGH THE LENS...................................................................... 38 CLASS NOTES.................................................................................. 41 HISTORY & HERITAGE..................................................................... 44 VALUE ADDED................................................................................. 47 IN THE FIELD.................................................................................... 48
30 A. [Augusta University’s Alumni Magazine] Interim Vice President, Office of Advancement Michael Kessler Vice President, Division of Communications and Marketing Jack Evans Executive Editor Karen Gutmann Editor Eric Johnson Assistant Editor John Jenkins Art Director Tricia Perea Senior Photographer Phil Jones
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Closer Look THE BEST DEFENSE........................................................................ 16 Alums Doug Burks and Mark Baggett might attack cybersecurity from different sides, but their goal is the same – keeping the bad guys from making off with important information.
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SECURING THE FUTURE ................................................................ 22 Gov. Nathan Deal’s $50 million investment creating the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center will bring cyber professionals to the Augusta riverfront and help solidify Augusta as a cybersecurity hub. It will also provide a new home for the Augusta University Cyber Institute.
CAMELOT......................................................................................... 24 Complete with brandished swords, beautiful costumes and plenty of memorable songs, Augusta University’s production of Camelot transported audiences to the chivalrous days of the Round Table. But the journey, months in the making, is a story in itself.
THE ONES TO WATCH.................................................................... 30 Just because it’s a blockbuster doesn’t mean it’s without value. Our professors dig deeper into three of this year’s most anticipated films and come up with some interesting insights. The photos aren’t bad, either.
36 ALUMNI AFFAIRS OFFICE
Associate Vice President of Alumni Affairs Scott Henson Executive Administrative Assistant Kesha Stephens Alumni Affairs Coordinator Kim Koss Alumni Affairs Coordinator Callie Hagler Cosper Alumni Affairs Coordinator Catherine Hardy 706-737-1759 alumni@augusta.edu A., Augusta University’s alumni magazine, is published twice a year by the Office of Advancement and the Division of Communications and Marketing to connect the university with alumni, friends, the state and the world. ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u |
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Celebrate the many achievements of Augusta University’s Class of 2017 at the James Brown Arena. Visit augusta.edu/graduation for details.
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AUGUST
WEEK OF WELCOME
Welcome new and returning students back to campus with a week’s worth of fun, including free movies, information sessions on campus activities and the famous Lemonade Brigade.
APRIL 27-30
JULY 20-23
SEPTEMBER 14
ALUMNI WEEKEND
DCG ALUMNI RECEPTION
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION SUMMIT
Celebrate with fellow alumni during a fun-filled weekend that brings you back to the campus where it all began. Visit augusta.edu/alumniweekend for more information.
Alumni from The Dental College of Georgia gather for a special alumni reception during the Georgia Dental Association convention on beautiful Amelia Island. Visit gdaconvention.com.
Build partnerships, engage the community and connect awareness to action at the seventh annual Diversity and Inclusion Summit hosted by Augusta University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Visit augusta.edu/ diversity/summit.
For more information: 706-737-1759 or alumni@augusta.edu • augusta.edu/alumni 4
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DR. JEDIDIAH BALLARD is an assistant professor in emergency medicine for the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. After earning his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at Des Moines University in 2010, the Montana native came to Georgia for a three-year residency in emergency medicine at MCG. Following Army Ranger School and Special Operations Battalion Surgeon experience, Ballard returned to Augusta in September 2015. His active lifestyle helped elevate him to celebrity status, when he was selected as the 2016 Ultimate Men’s Health Guy.
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How did you become Men’s Health magazine’s Ultimate Guy? Because the way the shifts work, I was up one night at home at 2 or 3 in the morning. I read the magazine regularly. Flipping through, I saw the contest. It was about your whole life story – community service, what you’ve done career wise, and a fitness component, and I thought I’d give it a shot. Each time I made another cut, I was kind of surprised, honestly, and here I am.
What do you like most about being an ER doctor?
People come to me a lot of times when they’re at their worst. I’m able to form deep interactions in a very limited amount of time. It’s a real honor to help them.
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What advice would you give to people who are struggling to get started with fitness? You really can make happen what you want to; it’s just that you need to be willing to give up other things to get there. A lot of times your biggest fear is not getting what you’re going for, which will happen anyway if you don’t try.
VIDEO Learn more about Dr. Ballard at magazines.augusta.edu.
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magine having never left your hometown for more than two weeks. Difficult to picture, isn’t it? Now, on top of that, imagine having to pack everything you own into two suitcases to go somewhere you never could have imagined. It seems outlandish, but for Michelle Bureau it’s now a reality. Six months ago, she hopped on a plane to become an assistant language teacher in Yosano, Japan, and the journey so far has been an incredible one. “I was never the risk taker in my family,” Bureau explained. “I was the quiet one who couldn’t go more than a few days away from home.” For someone so reserved, the choice to move to Japan seems not only bold, but a little surprising. Bureau said she still hasn’t taken it all in.
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“I still … wake up and remind myself that I’m about 7,000 miles from my nearest family member,” she said. A small mountain town in Japan’s Kyoto prefecture, Yosano doesn’t get many foreign visitors. Even so, the people are more than welcoming. “[These are] some of the most amazing people I’ve met,” Bureau said. The opportunity, while sometimes challenging, wouldn’t have been possible without a little help from the university. Bureau said she’s thankful to the Study Abroad Office for making a difference in her life and challenging her to do something more. “This job is a direct result of the Augusta University Study Abroad Program,” she said. “I wouldn’t be here without them.”
BIOGRAPHY
Shy, optimistic and a little bit fearless, Michelle Bureau (BA ’15), a College of Education alumna, is putting her degree to work – on the other side of the planet.
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STOREY GIVEN HIGHEST HONOR FOR HIS TRANSFORMATIONAL gifts to Augusta University, M. Bert Storey received the university’s highest honor, the President’s Award, presented by Augusta University President Brooks A. Keel, at the President’s Gala Oct. 22. The award, presented each year by the university to its friends and supporters, recognizes those who have made a lasting impact on the university and its mission of education, research and care. The Augusta philanthropist and real
estate developer’s support of cancer research and treatment has led to an expanded 170,000-square-foot cancer research facility at the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University. Named the M. Bert Storey Research Building at the Georgia Cancer Center, the upgraded and expanded facility will include a five-story addition to the existing research building and an elevated connector that stretches across the Laney-Walker Boulevard research corridor.
“We could not ask for a greater namesake for cancer research than M. Bert Storey,” said Keel, presenting the award for the first time at Augusta University. “His generous support of cancer research and treatment will have a lasting impact on citizens of the CSRA and beyond.” Storey was given a glass replica of a torch, a symbol from the Augusta University seal that represents education, research and the power of healing.
BIOETHICS CENTER STUDENTS ASSIST LAUNCHED AT CAMP THE INSTITUTE of Public and Preventive Health at Augusta AFTER UNSUCCESSFULLY LOOKING for a summer University launched its Center for Bioethics and Health Policy camp for her 8-year-old daughter with developmental (CBHP) to address the challenges in biomedical ethics, health delays, Sterling Ivey made her way to the Family Y. That policy and public health. meeting eventually resulted in the creation of Camp IVEY, a The CBHP’s interdisciplinary membership will include partnership between Ivey and the Family Y. community members, faculty and staff representing various That partnership quickly grew to include the Augusta colleges within the university and its health system who University Occupational Therapy Department. will collaborate to develop a bioethical and health policy The July camp, which was hosted at the Family Y’s curriculum for students, create state and federal health Camp Lakeside, was dubbed “Camp Awesome” by policies, and conduct research aimed at improving the participants, and on Sept. 23, Ivey and Danny population health. McConnell, president and CEO of the Family Y “As Georgia’s only public academic health center, of Greater Augusta, presented Dr. Sharon Swift READ MORE AT Augusta University has unique strengths and and her occupational therapy students with JAGWIRE.AUGUSTA.EDU responsibilities in developing biomedical research certificates of recognition. responsive to community health needs,” said Dr. Bill “We’re pretty good at running camps and Strong, center director. “With the launching of the having properties we’re in charge of and that CBHP, our institution continues to position itself as kind of thing, but when you start talking about a leader in the field in bioethics and public health, and I taking care of the medical needs of children, that’s a look forward to our discovering innovative solutions for the little bit out of our pay grade,” McConnell said. “From the ever-changing health care issues facing our nation.” beginning, Dr. Swift and her students stepped up and started In addition to research and policy development, Strong to answer questions for us, and then this camp started to get said the center will soon begin offering a master’s degree in real.” bioethics and health policy with concentrations in medical Thanks to the assistance of the occupational therapy humanities, spirituality and health policy. students, participants at the weeklong camp spent time Augusta University’s Institute of Public and Preventive kayaking, riding horses and trying their hands at karate – Health was founded in 2012. Over time, the research and activities they likely wouldn’t have been able to experience service initiatives of the institute will cover all five core outside of this unique camp. competency areas of public health and preventive health: “I don’t know who got more out of it, the campers, the health management and administration, epidemiology, counselors, the parents or the community volunteers I had behavioral health and health education, environmental and come in,” Ivey said. “It was a win-win for everyone.” occupational health, and biostatistics. ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u |
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COMMENCEMENT SURPRISE WHEN SHE WAS 14, Kenya Alexander was at a crossroads. Her sister had recently been sent to prison, and Alexander, who was no stranger to trouble, was down to her last strike. Meanwhile, Alexander’s mother was the first black, female police officer at the Kissimmee, Florida, Police Department. Alexander had a choice to make. Would she follow in her mother’s footsteps or use that last strike? In the end, Alexander chose her mother’s path. On Dec. 16, she graduated from Augusta University with a degree in criminal justice. She had already begun pursuing a master’s in public administration. How did she turn her life around? Alexander gave the credit to Mrs. Murray, her former high school teacher. Twenty-three years ago, Alexander and Jeanie Murray met for the first time. Alexander was a high school freshman and Murray was a first-year English teacher. “There was just something special about her,” Murray said. “I can’t pinpoint what it was, but I just saw a drive and desire to persevere. I knew she had a bunch of obstacles. There was adversity to overcome, but she had to stay on track to graduate.” With Murray’s guidance, Alexander was able to stay out of trouble. “Long story short, I was about to get in trouble for the last time,” Alexander said. “I knew it was my last strike. Mrs. Murray just stopped me.” After high school graduation, the pair kept in touch off-and-on. Alexander
moved to Georgia, and Murray moved to Tennessee. Almost two years ago, Alexander visited Murray in Tennessee, and the friendship was rekindled. “We have stayed in touch since then,” Murray said. “I have watched her overcome every obstacle you can imagine and still persevere. She is an absolutely incredible example. She really is my hero. I might have taught her for a year, but she has taught me more than I’ve ever taught her.” As Alexander’s graduation from Augusta grew closer, Murray knew she had to be there, so she decided to surprise Alexander by attending. The surprise brought Alexander to tears. Later, Murray felt proud to see her former student and now friend walk across the stage. “I’m excited to see what God does with this degree,” she said. “She’s got an amazing passion for criminology, and she has dealt with a lot in her life. So, she has a really unique perspective that she’s going to bring to her job. Whoever she works for will be really blessed.” Alexander plans to pursue a career in the criminal justice field. “I think my interest in criminal justice began with my mom,” Alexander said. “I really want to be an offender advocate. I think that’s my passion. I wasn’t the perfect person, but my life, my world and my heart is helping people.” One day, Alexander would like to own a group home for at-risk youth. But her ultimate goal? Be someone else’s Mrs. Murray.
FRATERNITY RECHARTERED AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY celebrated the addition of a new fraternity and the reinstatement of an old tradition with the formal rechartering of Pi Kappa Phi on Nov. 19. The founding brothers celebrated their achievement alongside another very special brother – Dr. Brooks A. Keel. Now president of Augusta University and CEO of Augusta University Health, Keel was a brother of the original Gamma Psi chapter of Pi Kappa Phi as an undergraduate at then Augusta College. Other notable Gamma Psi alumni include Shawn Vincent, COO of Augusta University 8
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Medical Center and vice president of Partnerships and International Healthcare, and Dr. Marc Miller, former dean of the James M. Hull College of Business. Vincent said that as a nontraditional student freshly discharged from the Marines, the fraternity’s focus on developing leaders provided him with direction as an undergraduate. “There was an expectation that each member would exemplify accountability, personal responsibility, campus involvement, loyalty and what was needed to be a responsible citizen,” he said.
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HESS NAMED INTERIM DEAN DR. DAVID HESS was named interim dean for Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia and executive vice president for medical affairs and integration. Both appointments were effective Jan. 17, upon the departure of Dr. Peter F. Buckley, who was named dean at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in November. Hess, a stroke specialist and researcher, has served as chair of the MCG Department of Neurology since 2001. “David has proven himself to be an exceptional leader, scholar and clinician,” said President Brooks A. Keel. “His knowledge of academic medicine, coupled with an understanding of the Medical College of Georgia’s statewide clinical service mission, makes him uniquely qualified to lead during this time of transition. He is widely respected by MCG’s faculty, staff and students. Provost Caughman and I are grateful for his leadership and look forward to working more closely with him in the months ahead.” Hess is a 1983 graduate of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and completed a neurology residency and cerebrovascular fellowship at MCG before joining the faculty. He is board-certified in internal medicine, neurology and vascular neurology. In 2006, he co-founded REACH Health Inc., a company that packaged the need for rapid stroke care with the emerging capabilities of the internet to provide that care remotely. The company received a 2012 Georgia Bio Community Award for its significant contributions to Georgia’s life sciences industry. “I am honored, humbled and privileged to work with a group of people I admire and to serve an institution I truly love,” Hess said. “We are fortunate to have the public trust to teach and mentor medical students, discover new treatments for diseases and improve the health of our community and state. I look forward to what we can deliver together as a team.” A national search commenced in January to identify a permanent replacement.
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SIMONA MURPH Growing up in Romania, Dr. Simona Murph (EdS ’12) learned about the chemistry of cooking from her mother and ran with that knowledge toward a career in the sciences, first as a science teacher in Romania and now, after earning a doctorate in nanotechnology from the University of South Carolina and an educational specialist degree from Augusta University, as principal scientist at Savannah River National Lab, where her lab designs and creates nanomaterials that can be used in many fields and applications. Along the way, she’s chalked up several honors, including being named an Inspirational Woman in STEM by the U.S. Department of Energy and the 2016 Distinguished Alumna and Presidential Alumna for the College of Education. “With an educational specialist degree from Augusta University, I knew that I would have the knowledge and skills to perform at the highest levels in any aspect of educational leadership in any region of my choosing,” she says. > WE CANNOT ALL BE NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS, and we cannot all go to Harvard. But we all have a place in this world, and we can all be successful. If you have an education in America, you can find your path. > NANOTECHNOLOGY IS THE MOST EXCITING FIELD OF SCIENCE IN THE 21ST CENTURY, and historians will one day look at the discovery of nanoparticles in the same manner as we look at the discovery of antibiotics. > WHEN I WAS 16 OR 17, I watched a movie, Fantastic Voyage. It was a science fiction movie, and now it’s not science fiction. I’m doing it. We are there. >WHEN I WENT TO COLLEGE, one of the professors said that he published a book. That stuck with me forever – I met a scientist who’s got a book! And then somebody invited me to write a book, and it’s like, wow – somewhere along with way, I did something right. > TALK WITH PEOPLE. Keep in touch. Establish your network. You need to have a
Dr. Simona Murph (left) with students at Savannah River National Lab
solid resume, but who you know and what you know is important, especially in today’s world. > IN JUST A FEW SHORT YEARS, we will have infinitely faster computers, self-cleaning clothes, stronger materials for building and construction, medicine and drug delivery that can be tracked live inside the body and many other applications that haven’t even been thought of yet. The possibilities are endless. > I TRY TO TELL THE STUDENTS, LOOK AT ME. English is my second language.
I was never the prettiest, never the smartest one, but look at me and where I am today compared to where I was 20 years ago, and you have no excuse. > I HAD A CAREER AS A SCIENCE TEACHER, and I thought I had it all figured out, that I knew everything. Then I went back to school to get my educational leadership degree, and I realized I knew nothing. The more you learn, the more you realize you know nothing.
ON THE WEB Learn more about Dr. Murph at magazines.augusta.edu. ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u |
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Paul Pearman’s sculpture in the lobby of The Dental College of Georgia
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A MOSAIC DREAM
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hen the late Dental College of Georgia Dean Connie Drisko was looking for a signature art feature for the new, $112 million, 270,000-square-foot dental college building, she turned to Augusta-based artist Paul Pearman. Known mostly for his mosaic pieces, particularly the belt buckles that have become favorites of celebrities like golfer Rory Sabbatini and singers as varied as Amy Grant and Chaka Khan, Pearman’s singular vision and imaginative sensibilities pretty much ensured that the resulting work would be unconventional and majestic. And that’s precisely what Drisko wanted for her new building. Having been charmed by a friend’s Pearman fireplace, she knew that whatever the innovative artist would come up with, it would go a long way toward helping the building look less institutional and more inviting. And it did. The final sculpture, a 28-foot chandelier that hangs in the threestory lobby, is made of 260 square feet of stainless steel, foam, fiberglass, glue and, of course, thousands of pieces of stained, textured and mirrored glass. In order for the pieces of glass to stick to the extreme contours of the four-tiered sculpture, they had to be small. Really small. So small, in fact, that Pearman sometimes used dental instruments to affix the tiles. Taking more than 10 months to complete and reminiscent of a jellyfish – or a fantastical cascade of molars – the piece includes thousands of dollars’ worth of hidden LED lights and a teardrop pendant containing a clock. And because it had to be built with weight in mind, the piece was never really finished until after the last bolt was tightened at the end of the 12-hour installation day, during which a violent thunderstorm blew through, knocking out the building’s electrical power. If that was scary, the building’s grand opening was far from it. With appearances by everyone from the governor to the mayor to the chancellor of the University System of Georgia, the event represented a high point in the college’s 42-year history. ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 13
R E G I S T E R N O W F O R E A R LY B I R D P R I C E S : augusta.edu/alumniweekend
800-869-1113
JAG20 Speaker Pardon Ndhlovu Be sure to join us for this very special event as we honor the third class of Jag20 award recipients. Enjoy a hearty, Southern-style brunch and network with fellow alumni and friends. The Jag20 is a group of 20 outstanding alumni under the age of 40 who are emerging leaders, making an impact in their fields and in their community. This event will also feature alumnus and Olympic runner Pardon Ndhlovu as keynote speaker. PRESIDENT’S COOKOUT Saturday, April 29, Noon–2 p.m. President’s Cookout Twin Gables (Rain Location – JSAC Ballroom, Summerville Campus)
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The President’s Cookout is an old-fashioned cookout for alumni, families and students to enjoy. This event has plenty of food, live music and fun for everyone. Parking will be available at Woodlawn United Methodist Church on Walton Way.
HONORING OUR 2017 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI
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Sunday, April 30, 2017 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Legends Club $35 per person
April 28-30, 2017 LIKE US ON FACEBOOK: AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY ALUMNI
$55 after April 1
Welcome back Alumni! Whether you’ll be celebrating your fifth reunion or your 65th – please come share the Augusta University spirit, April 28-30. We can’t wait to see you back on campus. Go Jags!
AWARD RECIPIENTS
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Closer Look
THE BEST DEFENSE Alumni attack cybersecurity from both sides
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PHOTOS BY PHIL JONES
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Doug Burks
THOR AND LOKI. The Avengers and Hydra. Superman and Lex Luthor. Superheroes and supervillains. Good vs. evil. By Brennan Meagher Opposing forces are what make good stories great. Their existence creates conflict, but what happens when they come together? Not as enemies, but as partners working toward the same goal? As opposite sides of the same coin, Augusta University alumni Doug Burks (BS ’05) and Mark Baggett (BS ’94) understand this giveand-take better than most. WEARING THEM DOWN (AND MAKING THEM CRY) Outgoing. Innovative. Highly Intelligent. Augusta’s own Tony Stark, Doug Burks’ genius manifested at an early age. When he was 6 years old, Burks received his first computer and soon wrote his first program. “I was hooked on computers and the fact that it was this thing that you could tell what to do and it had to do it,” he said. After graduating from Augusta University with a degree in computer science, Burks began working in information technology as a systems administrator and then a computer engineer. Eventually, Burks realized he was bored. So, he began looking for new challenges and started working in cybersecurity. 18 | SP R I N G 2 0 1 7 A. [ Au g u sta Univ e rsity’s Alu mni Mag az in e]
Burks accepted a position at Morris Communications, and within three years, became the chief information security officer. Like Tony Stark donning the Iron Man suit, Burks put on a suit of his own and went to work to ensure Morris’ networks were defended from attackers. In order to do this successfully, he had to understand how cybercriminals would target the Morris network. “We used to do penetration testing,” Burks said. “We broke into our own network to see where the holes where. That kind of mindset helps you become a better defender. You have to start thinking outside of the box.” There was nothing boring about cybersecurity. There were always new attacks and vulnerabilities, and he excelled at defending his company’s network – so much so that in September 2010, he received the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) Security Expert certification (GSE), a certification so prestigious less than 200 people in the world have attained it. Essentially, GSE recipients are the best of the best when it comes to information security. They are considered the elite group of information security. Information security professionals are tasked with protecting information. They ensure that information is not accessed, disrupted, modified or destroyed by an unauthorized person. GSE recipients
have shown mastery in all areas of information security, including intrusion detection and incident handling. In order to obtain the certification, Burks had to complete several prerequisites. Although he works on the defensive side of cybersecurity, he had to show mastery of both offensive and defensive components. He is the 24th recipient of the GSE. As Burks continued to work in cybersecurity, he came across a challenge that didn’t have a solution. As time passed, Burks realized he knew how to solve the problem. “I was getting really focused on the best way to monitor and defend a computer network,” he explained. “I felt there was a need for this. Existing solutions were too expensive or didn’t provide enough visibility. There was a need for software that folks could quickly and easily download.” In 2008, Security Onion was born. “Security Onion is a collection of software that is used for peeling back the layers of networks and making your adversaries cry,” Burks said. Security Onion helps information technology and cybersecurity professionals monitor and defend their networks. Similar to the Iron Man suit, which protects the vulnerable occupant with multiple layers of defenses, the Security Onion software contains layers that keep an organization protected and can aid in times of crisis. Over the past eight years, the free software has grown in popularity and has been downloaded over 300,000 times. It is used nationally by the Department of Defense, and Burks spends much of his time teaching at Fort Gordon and other military bases. It is also employed by militaries around the world, including Canada and countries in the European Union. Burks also provides cybersecurity training and services to businesses and organizations. Security Onion software is even used by Augusta University’s cyber defense team (see sidebar). Burks recalls teaching Security Onion software to cybersecurity professionals at a multi-billion dollar utility company. “I was on site with them and took them through our standard fourday training class,” Burks said. “On the fifth day, I took them on a hunting trip on their own network to find bad guys.” Within minutes, Burks and his students found one of the company’s database servers was communicating to an IP address in China. “It shouldn’t have been doing that,” Burks said. “This had been going on for a while. Nobody knew about it.” Unfortunately, according to Burks, this is symptomatic of many organizations. “They don’t know what’s going on in their networks until they start looking,” he said. “In this case, it turned out to be a misconfiguration, but it could have been bad. If this had been an actual compromise, they may not have known about it until it was too late. The attacker could have gotten access to confidential information.” Burks remains busy teaching organizations how to best defend their networks. Like Tony Stark, who has designed and built many versions of the Iron Man armor, Burks must also keep Security Onion up-to-date as well. “Every piece of software in the world has vulnerabilities,” he said. “Security Onion is no different. The main thing to keep in mind is trying to find vulnerabilities and fix them as quickly as possible.”
Meanwhile, Mark Baggett is also working to keep networks secure … by hacking into them. KNOCKING THEM OUT If Burks is the Iron Man of cyber defense, Mark Baggett could be called the Batman of the cybersecurity world. While not exactly a villain, he serves up a darker form of justice through his company In Depth Defense. In Depth Defense, a private consulting company, specializes in helping organizations’ networks remain safe and secure. Like the Dark Knight, Baggett does this by becoming something of a vigilante, essentially by assuming the role of an attacker and breaking into an organization’s network. It’s the kind of penetration testing Burks did early in his career, but far more targeted. “Many companies don’t really understand what will happen if an attacker breaks into their network,” Baggett said. “What are the key resources they have? Can attackers get to those? We come in and demonstrate exactly what happens when an attacker breaks into their network.” Similar to the world’s greatest detective, Baggett usually gets called in after the damage has been done. Continued on next page
Mark Baggett
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If what I do is different than what the attackers do, then I’m not really fulfilling my promise to the customer ...
“
— Mark Baggett
In Depth Defense also specializes in incident response. The company gets called in when an organization’s network gets compromised. “We go in and help organizations determine how attackers got into their network, how they can get rid of the attacker and what kind of information was stolen,” Baggett said. “We contain the problem so that they understand what’s going on and then how they can move forward.” And like Batman, the only difference between Baggett and cybercriminals is intent. “If what I do is different than what the attackers do, then I’m not really fulfilling my promise to the customer which is, I will show you what an attacker will do when they get on a network,” Baggett said. “So, I have to behave as much like the criminal as possible so that I can show an organization what is going to happen. But when I gain access to that data, I’m not going to walk away with it.” To accomplish this, he must think like a cybercriminal. “If I find a computer had been compromised, my first thought is, ‘If I had compromised this machine, what are the first things that I would have done,’” Baggett said. “‘What are the next places I would have gone? What data would I have taken when I got into this machine?’” Because Baggett can think like a cybercriminal, he can determine how a hacker got inside a network as well as what the hacker’s next steps would be. He explains his offensive role like this: “If the only thing you know is defense and you don’t know how you would have gotten here or where you would have gone next, then you’re not able to go and find those clues and see exactly how far the attacker would have gone.” Baggett’s ability to think like a hacker or cybercriminal goes all the way back to the Atari 2600, his first video game console. His father purchased an 8-bit basic programming cartridge that could be used with the Atari joystick to write a small program. It was Baggett’s first exposure to building code. As Baggett continued to play video games, he became interested in hacking the system to bypass game controls and change the behavior of his characters.
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“It’s been something that I just always knew I wanted to do,” Baggett said. “When the opportunity came up to attend Augusta University and build those skills in a professional way that I could take what I was passionate about and turn that into a career, I jumped on the opportunity.” Since graduating from Augusta University, Baggett worked in the information technology industry before eventually becoming a security professional, a career path he views as the ultimate challenge. But it’s a challenge that Baggett mastered. In July 2009, Baggett became the 15th recipient of the GSE, proving his mastery of all aspects of cybersecurity. However, Burks and Baggett aren’t the only cyber superheroes in Augusta. According to Baggett, Augusta likely has one of the highest concentrations of people who have passed the GSE in the world. Eight people living in Augusta have received the certification. Baggett attributes this to the U.S. Army Cyber Command at Fort Gordon and Augusta’s growing information security community. Augusta University has played a large role in expanding this community. In September, the Augusta University Cyber Institute opened its doors. The Cyber Institute is dedicated to cyber education, outreach and research. The 9,000-square-foot institute includes a state-of-theart cyber lab, a study lounge for students, a cyber coffee bar area and 15 offices. A month after the opening, the university and the National Security Agency’s (NSA) Cryptologic School (NCS) publicly signed an articulation agreement that will increase educational opportunities for NCS students by allowing them to earn their undergraduate degrees at Augusta University. In November, the university was designated an NDS/DHS National Center of Academic Excellence by the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security. This designation places Augusta University among the top 4 percent of U.S. universities teaching cybersecurity across the nation. And in January, Gov. Nathan Deal announced the creation of the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center, to be located on land adjacent to the Riverfront Campus. (See Securing the Future.) As the information security community continues to grow, Augusta University will be at the forefront, educating and preparing students to enter the work force. THE ONE-TWO PUNCH Though Burks and Baggett approach cybersecurity from different angles, the goal is the same. Protecting information. More often than not, they get the same results. “The old saying, ‘the best defense is a strong offense,’ very much comes into play when it comes to information security,” Baggett said. As technology advances, the defensive and offensive aspects of cybersecurity will continue to work together to ensure the safety and security of Augusta’s growing cybersecurity community. As for Burks and Baggett, they said they both look forward to the challenges yet to come. “I’m excited to be on the cusp of what’s about to happen,” Burks said. “Dr. Keel has said this is a cyber tsunami. I’m excited to see what happens and continue to work to build our community.”
LAST ONES STANDING
ON FRIDAY MORNINGS, the Augusta University cyber defense team, a group of students who compete at collegiate cybersecurity competitions, gathers in the undergraduate Cyber Research Lab in University Hall. And while most students are preparing for the weekend, the cyber team is practicing for an upcoming competition. The team, led by captain Matthew Tennis, senior computer science major, competed February at the Southeast Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (SECCDC) hosted at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia. At SECCDC, Tennis and his team competed against teams from other universities, including the University of Central Florida, two-time reigning champions, Florida State University, University of Florida and the University of South Carolina. At cyber competitions, teams work in a pseudo-executive environment. They’re tasked with maintaining their job responsibilities as information technology professionals for a given company. However, they are also faced with attacks to their networks from outside forces. “The nature of the competition isn’t to win,” Tennis said. “You’re going to get destroyed the entire time. The competition is to see how well you survive or if you survive. It’s a lot like Last Man Standing.” When training for competitions, the team works to balance practicing their IT skills and preparing to handle the stress of competition. “It’s a big challenge for us,” Tennis said. “We talk about it quite a bit. We’re going to be losing the entire time and need to be okay with that. We’re fortunate that many of our members are former military, so they’re used to high-stress environments.” Though stressful, team members view these competitions as a
way to further their skills. “It’s a great opportunity to learn extra skills and add an extracurricular activity to your resume,” said Matt Atkinson, senior information technology student and cyber defense team member. “We’re taking what we learn in classes and applying it to a scenario like these competitions. We’re also furthering our own skillset.” Tennis also believes the cyber team is preparing him for his career. “Classes help a lot because you learn concepts and theory,” he said. “However, this is more a practical-based thing. As with any discipline, you don’t really get practical experience unless you look for opportunities outside the classroom. So, this is definitely more practical experience.” As the students prepare for competition, they’ve had the opportunity to learn from Augusta University alums, like Doug Burks. “We had the pleasure of talking to Doug Burks and asking him questions,” Tennis said. “He walked us through how to use the software.” After a final competition, Tennis and Atkinson will both graduate in May and hand over the reins of the cyber defense team. With the recent opening of the Cyber Institute space on the Summerville Campus, the pair believes next year’s team will be in good hands. “When we joined the team, we had a good system and support, but not the environment we needed,” Tennis said. “With the opening of the Cyber Institute, it’s been easier to put the knowledge we learn from professors and textbooks into practice and see how it would be used in an enterprise environment.” After graduation, both men hope to begin careers in the technology field. They are confident that two years as members of the cyber defense team combined with their education at Augusta University have prepared them for whatever comes next.
From left: Matt Tennis, Matt Atkinson, Steve Clauson, Harry Zane and Jeremy Garcia
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SECURING THE FUTURE WITH CYBER By Eric Johnson THOUGH IT WAS JAN. 11 when Gov. Nathan Deal announced the creation of the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center, it might as well have been Christmas for the city of Augusta. The $50 million gift will transform a portion of land adjacent to the Augusta University Riverfront Campus, formerly the Augusta Golf and Gardens, into a world-class, state-owned cyber range and innovation center and in the process inject a welcome influx of cash and manpower into the downtown economy. The center seeks to capitalize on the heavy investment already made by the federal government at Fort Gordon by bringing several of the state’s most important cybersecurity players, including the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA), the Georgia National Guard, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Augusta University Cyber Institute, together under one roof. The facility, which is designed to promote the modernization of cyber technology for both the public and private sector, will put Georgia at the pinnacle of efforts to enhance American cybersecurity with a resource unlike any in the country. Not only will it function as an education and training center, it will serve as a business accelerator for startup companies, helping the Department of Economic Development attract business to Georgia and, more specifically, the Central Savannah River Area. Understandably, the announcement made waves across the state, but perhaps no more so than in Augusta, where the effects of the 150,000-square-foot facility will be most immediately felt. “With this unprecedented state investment, I am certain Augusta will become synonymous with innovation, where we’ll begin to attract a number of business and industry partners who understand the benefits of
interdisciplinary collaboration,” President Brooks A. Keel said. The interdisciplinary collaboration is especially exciting for Augusta University’s Cyber Institute, which was established in June 2015 to enable, support and champion meaningful, innovative interdisciplinary research and education for cybersecurity. The Cyber Institute’s $2.5 million facility on the Summerville Campus opened in September 2016, but officials have been preparing for this “cyber tsunami” for years by taking a multidisciplinary approach to cyber education. Current cybersecurity courses and degrees include advanced cyber defender courses at the Hull College of Business, a medical informatics program through the College of Allied Health Sciences and cyberterrorism courses through Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. A master’s of science in information security management launched in the spring of 2017. SECURITY THROUGH TEAMWORK A cyber range is a contained environment to simulate specific computer network environments in order to evaluate their vulnerabilities and practice defending them against outside intrusions. It supports cybersecurity training the same way a firing range is designed to support firearms training. The range at the new Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center will be one of only a few state-owned ranges in the nation, making it unique in scope and purpose. It will be assigned to the GTA, which manages the delivery of IT and cybersecurity for 85 executive branch agencies. According to Joanne Sexton, director of the Cyber Institute and a former information technology expert for the U.S. Navy, cybersecurity
Gov. Nathan Deal signs the amended budget that includes $50 million for the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center.
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skills require constant training to remain current, and the cyber range will bring all the right people together. Training is about more than technical proficiency, she said. Working out communication issues among the teams that work together in a crisis is an important aspect of effective cybersecurity. “You can’t have a breach and suddenly have those skills,” she said. “You have to practice them. You have to establish your teams and how you communicate up and down the chain.” From the state’s perspective, safety is found in the concentration of knowledge and resources, both at the center and in Augusta, which is home to the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence, National Security Agency Georgia and the relocation of U.S. Army Cyber Command, which broke ground on its new facility in November 2016. “If things go really bad, we are going to have to work at the state, federal and local levels to protect our citizens, and the people who really know the latest and greatest are the federal government and the military,” Sexton said. “So we’re trying to create those lines of communication so that we’re one huge team working for the citizens of the state of Georgia.” ECONOMIC BOOST Because the Innovation and Training Center will also house accelerator space for outside companies involved in cybersecurity, the economic impact of the new Georgia center is substantial. “It’s not just $50 million,” said Dr. Simon Medcalfe, associate professor of finance at the Hull College of Business. “You have this clustering effect now – this is the place to go if you want to be trained in cybersecurity or if you want to work in cybersecurity – so for any private firm that might be interested in that, either because they’re in cybersecurity or they need that kind of service for their business, this is maybe the first place that they’ll call.” That interest, he said, could lead to a clustering effect like those seen elsewhere in the country. “It may not be Silicon Valley; it may not be the Research Triangle in North Carolina; but those all started at some point and have grown into a cluster of companies where people want to go to work and where businesses want to locate because of the complimentary skills and services other firms provide,” he said. And given the fundamental role that the internet plays in our lives, cyber’s reach appears limitless. “This is the age we live in now,” he said. “We all bank online, and the industry will necessarily be here on a national security front. So those kinds of things are never going to go away. And in the ‘Technology Age’ we live in, we’re still going to need these kinds of securities for just everyday living.” PROTECTING WITHIN Everyday living is becoming more and more reliant on the internet, and that’s not just in terms of convenience. For some, it can be a matter of life and death. Given Augusta University’s status as the state’s only public medical school and academic medical center, pursuing health care-related cybersecurity makes sense. Even before Deal’s announcement, the Cyber Institute had submitted a grant proposal to the National Science Foundation to look at protecting three electronic medical devices of special significance to Georgians: the pacemaker, the insulin pump and the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. “If you look at the Southeast, hypertension and diabetes are prevalent, so looking at these devices is where we can make the biggest difference,”
Joanne Sexton
Sexton said. “All of these devices are networked, and none have security built in. There are a lot of different things we could pick, but for us, because of who we are, our pedigree, looking at these medical devices is a really smart move.” Again, it’s about maximizing proficiency. “If you look at who we are, we have tremendous expertise in health care and a growing expertise in cybersecurity,” Sexton said. “In most places, these groups aren’t talking. But here at Augusta, we will talk, and that’s what’s going to make us a leader in this field.” Not only does this have an immediate impact on the security of the devices themselves, Sexton hopes it will tip the scales regarding the public’s perception of cybersecurity as it relates to the overall Internet of Things – the vast network of interconnected devices. “We as a nation want the latest and greatest toy, and we don’t even think about security when we buy it,” she said. “We’re going to have to change our viewpoint and begin to demand that security is built in, and we feel like this might be a more relatable concept, because when you talk about ‘well, this can kill you,’ it’s an eye-opener.” A NATURAL FIT Deal considers the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center so important to the state that he chose to sign the amended state budget – the budget that includes the $50 million earmarked for the center – on the land set aside for the center itself. “I do not know of any other state that has taken such a bold step, and I think once again that it will be an area where Georgia is going to be recognized as a national leader, and we welcome that opportunity,” he said. He also spoke directly to the fact that Augusta was prepared to step up to the challenge. “I can assure you, almost every other community of this size would love to have this facility within their city limits,” he said. “You’re fortunate, I think, to have this, but it’s a natural fit, and it’s important to be in a position to take advantage of those opportunities that come your way. This certainly is one of those opportunities.” ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 23
Don’t let it be forgot, That once there was a spot, For one brief shining moment, That was known as
CAMELOT
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PHOTOS BY PHIL JONES
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A TIMELESS love story set in a magical age, Augusta University’s production of Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot transported audiences to the chivalrous days of the Round Table. But the journey – months in the making and involving dozens of dedicated people – is a story in itself.
Tonya Currier, director of the Augusta University Opera (above), and stage director Steve Walpert (right) started rehearsing with the large cast of students and community members in November, long before the Valentine’s Day weekend performance. Professional soloists arrived to rehearse with the cast a couple of weeks before opening night.
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The large Camelot chorus, peppered with Augusta University Opera Ensemble members, appeared prominently in several scenes. Guenevere understudy Sawyer Branham (above) rehearsed with the cast until professional mezzo-soprano Sarah Best (left) arrived to inhabit the role for the stage. Best, along with Rick Kramer as Arthur and conductor Christopher Turbessi (left), gave students and orchestra members the opportunity to interact with and learn from professional performers.
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The production included lavish costumes designed by Diana Gay and an extensive, multilayered set designed by Teddy Moore. Audiences were even treated to a choreographed battle scene, complete with swordplay and a background film directed by Pamplin College professor Matthew Buzzell.
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By the end of the production, King Arthur (left) may have seen his love betrayed and his Round Table destroyed, but even after the lights dimmed, the dream of Camelot remained.
ON THE WEB More about staging Camelot at magazines.augusta.edu.
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ACCESSORIES COURTESY VINTAGE OOOLLEE
THE ONES TO WATCH Stories by Nick Garrett • Photo Illustrations by Phil Jones
Dr. Ruth McClelland-Nugent as Wonder Woman 30 | SP R I N G 2 0 1 7 A. [ Au g u sta Univ e rsity’s Alu mni Mag az in e]
THEY SAY THAT ART IMITATES LIFE. Nowhere is that more true than in movies. With machines becoming more and more intelligent and tragedies reshaping national borders, it’s easy to see why we look to silver-screen heroes – both real and imagined – to answer the world’s most pressing moral quandaries. Because we need them. But what about the flipside? What happens when cinematic blockbusters pose not the solutions to our troubles, but the underlying questions? These three Augusta University professors discuss how this year’s biggest titles affect their research, their teaching styles and their philosophy.
WONDER WOMAN
Heroines Aren’t Born. They’re Designed. Princess. Warrior. One-time United Nations Ambassador. Diana Prince, better known as Wonder Woman, has played a number of different roles within the wide and wonderful universe of DC Comics. She’s been, at times, a defender of women’s rights and a proponent of feminine strength. She’s also been the bane of bullies, and the whip-wielding scourge of Fascists and Nazis the world over. But it’s the roles Wonder Woman plays off-page – those of role model, symbol and heroine – that have made her the world’s most enduring female superhero. Few people understand the power of Wonder Woman’s enduring legacy better than Dr. Ruth McClelland-Nugent. An associate professor of history and an expert in transatlantic pop culture, she has published a number of articles about Wonder Woman’s impact as a feminist icon and is currently working on a book proposal for a history of Wonder Woman as a pop culture icon. She collects Wonder Woman comics, toys, trinkets and knickknacks – many of which adorn the walls of her office – and has attended several conferences, both as a scholar and fan, to discuss the cultural significance of America’s Guardian Angel. As a lifelong fan of the Amazons’ greatest champion, McClelland-Nugent said Wonder Woman owes part of her longevity to her creator – psychologist and women’s advocate Dr. William Marston. “Marston designed Wonder Woman explicitly as a kind of propaganda for increased participation of women in society,” McClelland-Nugent said. “His idea was that we need to value feminine contributions to the world to have balance.” Marston, whose research into systolic blood pressure eventually led to the invention of the modern polygraph, firmly believed that strong, caring women could – and, more importantly, should – rule the world. He must have been disappointed, then, when in 1942 his red-, white- and blue-clad heroine joined the Justice Society of America as the team’s secretary. Like many modern female role models, though, Marston’s character pressed on in spite of her job title. And that perseverance paid dividends. Today, Wonder Woman is seen as one of the pillars of the modern Justice League and a symbol of strength for those marginalized by society.
That isn’t necessarily new territory for the Amazing Amazon, however. She’s had a purpose since the day she was born. Or rather, created. “The Amazons’ background is understood as this kind of cosmic background, part of a struggle between the god of war, Mars, and the goddess of love, Aphrodite,” McClelland-Nugent explained. “The two have this bet about controlling the world.” Mars, in Marston’s telling, represented unrestrained masculine strength and was the guiding force behind Hitler’s Germany. Aphrodite, by contrast, represented the power of feminine strength (caring, compassion and the capacity for reform). To combat the rise of Nazism, Aphrodite endowed a race of super-powerful women with super strength to help them battle the forces of evil. Among these women, Diana, princess of the Amazons, rose to the top. Unlike the characters of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (Superman) or Bob Kane (Batman), Wonder Woman was a well-defined character from her outset: a hero with Superman’s strength, Batman’s cunning, and the power to not only turn the other cheek, but to reach out a helping hand afterward. As such, her creator held her to a somewhat higher standard. She was expected to do two things which, at the time, seemed nearly impossible: bring down the Nazis and bridge the gap between sexes. In short, McClelland-Nugent said, “She’s a comic book hero who has always been about something.” Whether that portrayal will hold up in the upcoming (Nazi-free) Wonder Woman film is yet to be seen, however. McClelland-Nugent said she’s cautiously optimistic. “Setting it during World War I was an interesting, possibly good, decision,” she said. “I like the appeal of her, a character who wants to end all wars, participating in the war to end all wars.” However, without the presence of an overarching enemy like Fascism or Nazism, McClelland-Nugent said, the character’s original focus is somewhat muddled. It seems a missed opportunity, especially considering the choice of casting. After all, Gal Gadot – the Israeli actress portraying America’s Guardian Angel – is the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. A role can’t get much more personal, or purposeful, than that. ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u |
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BLADE RUNNER 2049
Tears in Rain: Are Machines People Too? They carry our voices across continents in a matter of seconds. They can scan the full breadth of human knowledge faster than most of us can swallow a pill. They set our pace at work, guide our social interactions, and rarely stray more than a few feet away from us at any given point. If our smart phones were any smarter, they might even be people. But, then, wouldn’t they also be slaves? The answer, according to Dr. Brian Armstrong, assistant professor of philosophy, is a conditional “yes.” While the bulk of his work centers around the writings of Dostoevsky, as a philosopher, Armstrong takes special interest in periods of “conceptual destabilization” – those times throughout history when thinkers and writers were unable to describe the world as they understood it using previous established philosophical concepts. With more and more artificial intelligences coming online every year, we may be fast approaching another such period. But before we decide what to call the concept of “human/nonhuman interaction morality,” Armstrong cautions we must first nail down what makes a “thing” a “person.” Sensation isn’t the answer. “Your phone can take in information, and it can sense information about its external environment just as I can,” Armstrong said. “The idea is that, as a conscious being, I am aware of what that’s like, whereas the phone is not.” (For example, your phone can register that temperatures tomorrow will be freezing, but you, as a living being, know and understand what freezing temperatures feel like against bare skin.) It’s a fairly concrete division. But what could change it? What would it take for your phone or computer, or something even more complex, like, say, a replicant, to suddenly convert sensation into awareness? [Replicants, for those left scratching their heads, are the main antagonists of Ridley Scott’s 1982 cult masterpiece Blade Runner and the upcoming Blade Runner 2049. Ultrarealistic androids designed to look, sound and think like people, replicants are hated by a majority of humans who fear they might someday blend unnoticed into the general population – a fear that might become a very real concern for us in the not-too-distant future.] More importantly, if our thinking machines were to suddenly become understanding ones, would we become their masters instead of their users? With technology advancing more rapidly year after year, the question is gaining momentum in the fields of science fiction and modern robotics. However, in philosophical spheres the concept of personhood – or assigning human worth to something essentially “nonhuman” – has been a timeless topic of discussion. The answer to the question is not quite. Philosopher John Locke tells us why. In one of his most famous works, “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” published in 1689, Locke attempts to define personhood by approaching the concept of “being” from a number of different angles. 32 | SP R I N G 2 0 1 7 A. [ Au g u sta Univ e rsity’s Alu mni Mag az in e]
“The most important of these is the notion of ‘consciousness,’ and Locke believed that consciousness tracked through time is memory,” Armstrong said. The key to becoming a person was not simply to experience or understand a sensation, Locke believed, but to remember it from one moment to the next. This continuous string of consciousness was what differentiated people from animals or plants. But how does one define continuous consciousness? “Theoretically, I have a memory of every conscious experience I’ve ever had,” Armstrong explained. “So, how do I know I’m the same person now as I was back in 1982? Well, if we have the same memories, Locke would say we’re the same person.” The theory, understandably, has some holes in it, like the fact that amnesia would essentially create a new person, but for the purposes of determining a thing’s “personhood,” it’s still a fairly solid metric. Every week, headlines boast about the power of so-called “learning machines” (IBM’s Watson, Google’s DeepMind, to name just a few). The differences between these machines and people, according to Locke, is that, while they can learn to adjust their actions, machines do so only out of logical necessities. They don’t change course because they remember something frustrating, exciting or painful; they adjust because a chosen method is either easier or superior from a purely mathematical standpoint. It’s that blurring metric – and perhaps that metric alone – that prevents our cars, phones and computers from becoming “people” and, in the process, making us unwitting slavemasters. But that same metric is what makes the internal struggles of characters like Blade Runner’s Roy Batty – a replicant who can remember – that much more difficult for modern audiences to accept. One speech, delivered near the end of the movie, sums up the dilemma. “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe,” Batty says, displaying for the first time that he not only has memories, but that those memories matter to him. “All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.” At this point, what is he? He isn’t a human – not quite, at least. But he’s clearly more than just a machine. One day, our phones and computers may gain the same abilities Batty does in the original Blade Runner. Perhaps, as Blade Runner 2049 might demonstrate, they’ll gain ones we never considered. That point begs two very important questions. Are we, as a species, ready to accept the quickly blurring lines between human and machine? And if so, will we decide to treat our thinking machines as equals before they reach awareness, or will we continue to dismiss their experiences, unremembered, as something inconsequential – like tears in rain? The answers are important. One day, they might just be the memories we pass on.
COSTUME COURTESY WAGES OF CINE
Dr. Brian Armstrong as Rick Deckard from Blade Runner ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 33
WORLD WAR Z
The Walking Educated
“This is no longer a democracy.” To say one phrase changed the way Dr. Craig Albert (BA ’01) teaches international relations theory would not only be unfair, it would also be wildly inaccurate. The decision was shaped over years, formed piecemeal from a wealth of ideas, experience and various media. But those very words, uttered toward the end of season 2 of The Walking Dead, did become the final nail in the metaphorical coffin of his decision. Albert, assistant professor of political science, now teaches a class on the international impact of zombies. Unlike his subject matter, though, the only brains he’s interested in are those of his students. “Part of my teaching philosophy is to meet students where they are,” Albert explained. To do so, he immerses himself in his students’ culture. He uses the same social media platforms they do. He listens to the same music, watches the same shows and regularly discusses pop culture with his classes. Part of the reason zombies work as a teaching aid, he said, is that students instantly recognize how dangerous they are. “I can try to discuss [international relations theory] through nuclear annihilation, but … most students can’t grasp that type of spectacle because it’s just so far out there,” he said. “By bringing in zombies, I spark their interests, keep them engaged and discuss something that would lead to the same policies as a more likely example of global crisis.” Another plus is that there’s no shortage of material. The Walking Dead. Night of the Living Dead. World War Z, both the novel by Max Brooks and the 2013 movie of the same name. Albert uses the latter in his classes to illustrate separate but equally valuable points about the way people and societies react to tragedy. “The movie is decent,” Albert said. “It gets literally everything wrong about the United Nations, about military capability, but it gets the human drama and emotional distress pretty accurate.” By contrast, the novel – written by the son of legendary comedian and filmmaker Mel Brooks – provides a much more engaging story, a more “true-to-life” rendition of a global zombie epidemic from the standpoint of nations and their citizens. Using both versions as a backdrop, students are required to write a shortstory follow-up based in their own hometown, illustrating along the way what strategies and political theories they’d use to combat a zombie horde. “World War Z provides a great vehicle to force creative, critical and analytical thinking in a fun way,” he said. “Students have turned in amazing stories – way better, in fact, than the information I read from research papers.” As for the film’s upcoming sequel – World War Z 2 – Albert said he’s cautiously optimistic. “I’m looking forward to seeing it,” he said. “I’d like to see some questions on human nature and more realistic accounts of government, but even if those aren’t there, it’ll be fun to watch.” The movie is set to release in June, right in the middle of Albert’s summer class. “I feel a class field trip might be needed,” he said.
ON THE WEB See how our professors really look, and get a
behind-the-scenes look at photography, at magazines.augusta.edu.
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Dr. Craig Albert as a zombie
HEADSTONES COURTESY EVERLASTING GRANITE AND MARBLE
By Christine Hurley Deriso
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On Our Way
ZACH KELEHEAR DAY JOB: Dean, College of Education SECRET LIFE: Beekeeper
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hen Dr. Zach Kelehear arrived on campus to start his tenure as dean of the College of Education in July 2015, one of the very first people he met was Tim Dobbs, facilities management maintenance supervisor, whose beehives happen to be outside Kelehear’s office window. “There’s a real community,” Kelehear says of his fellow beekeepers, a surprising number of whom are located near his Summerville home. “It’s a secret society in plain sight.” As secret societies go, it seems tailor-made for Kelehear’s relaxed, distinctly Southern nature – a mix of folksy anecdotes and hardnosed science. “You ask five bee keepers a question and you’ll likely get seven answers – all of which are right,” he says. “There’s a real mix between mythology and science and fact.” Though he’s been an active beekeeper for only the last 10 years or so, beekeeping is in his genes. His grandfather was a beekeeper, and when his father died in 2011, Kelehear collected his equipment and put it to use. He enjoys the symbolism of perpetuating a practice that is also a celebration of family and of a simpler time. Kelehear harvests his two hives twice a year, collecting about five gallons of honey in the spring and fall, an amount that might not seem like much until you realize that each gallon of honey weighs about 12 pounds. In fact, his home, within walking distance of his office, is something of an urban farm, complete with six chickens and a serious, seasonally changing garden. “The idea is either the bees eat it or we eat it,” he says. Before coming to Augusta, he and his wife, Dr. Karen Heid, senior director of academic planning, had a small bee-based business selling everything from honey to lip balm to body butter, but since arriving in Augusta, it has become a more recreational hobby. “This dean job is eating away at my bee time,” he says with a grin. Whatever the role it plays in his life, Kelehear is glad the bees are there. “I can’t isolate a source for why this happened, but I am so delighted it did,” he says. “I live a pretty busy life, but when you stop and get in the hive, you have to really be present, because if you mess around, they’re going to sting you. It’s a way to be present in that moment in that space, and everything else in your life is in the background.”
PHOTO GALLERY View Dr. Kelehear's bees up close at magazines.augusta.edu. 36 | SP R I N G 2 0 1 7 A. [ Au g u sta Univ e rsity’s Alu mni Mag az in e]
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PARDON NDHLOVU Alumnus Pardon Ndhlovu ran a 2:17:48 to finish 41st at the men’s Olympic marathon in Rio de Janeiro. He will also be the 2017 Jag20 keynote speaker during this year’s Alumni Weekend.
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DAY OF SERVICE Faculty, staff and students gave back to the Augusta community in many different ways during the annual Day of Service event, including participating at the Miracle League Kickball game.
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HOMECOMING Homecoming Week events included the crowning of the 2017 Homecoming Queen, Paige Elliott, during the basketball games against Lander at Christenberry Fieldhouse. Dr. Keel was there to award the sash.
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MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. EVENT Antiracism activist Jane Elliot was the keynote speaker for the Annual Tri-College Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration held at the Gilbert-Lambuth Memorial Chapel at Paine College.
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SPRING IN WINTER Warmer-than-normal winter temperatures ushered in an early spring across campus, coaxing blooms from trees and flowers and causing students to trade coats and scarves for shorts and T-shirts.
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TREE LIGHTING The smiles were even brighter than the lights on the tree at the annual tree lighting ceremony, which featured caroling, holiday crafts and a special appearance by Santa.
[ FROM THE PRESIDENT Brooks A. Keel (BS ’78, PhD ’82) All of us have warm memories of our university’s home city of Augusta. Augusta is growing and changing, and our university's partnership with this community is deepening every day. The pace of change in Augusta is about to accelerate in an exciting way. In January, Gov. Nathan Deal announced that Georgia will immediately invest $50 million for a world-class cyber range and training facility in Augusta. This is a transformational investment in our city. A portion of our Augusta University Riverfront Campus will be home to the 150,000-square-foot Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center. Construction is slated to begin soon with completion expected in about 18 months. When complete, the center will house multiple public and private entities, including our own Augusta University Cyber Institute. This visionary investment in the security of our state and nation will usher in a range of exciting opportunities for our region, our state and our university and, along with the federal relocation of the U.S. Army Cyber Command to Fort Gordon, will further position Augusta as a national epicenter of cybersecurity and education. Augusta is already home to a number of cybersecurity assets with the establishment of the Army’s Cyber Command headquarters in Augusta and a growing number of cybersecurity education and training programs. With some of the nation’s most talented and elite cyber professionals educated and trained in Augusta, the local community will benefit tremendously from increased tax revenues and consumer spending. I congratulate Gov. Deal for his visionary leadership on the critical issue of cybersecurity and thank him for his investment in our state and local community. We’re in for an exciting ride as we help create the Augusta of the future.
1960s
Brenda E. Bell (BSN ’66) has been published in the International Nurses Association’s Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare.
1970s
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Health Sciences at Piedmont College. Behr served on the Augusta University College of Nursing-Athens faculty for more than 22 years. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Alabama– Birmingham.
Dr. Ben Jernigan Jr (DMD ’76) has been Gov. Nathan Deal has appointed Dr. Susan elected president of the Georgia Dental Blank (MD ’85) to the State Commission Association. Jernigan has been a member on Narcotic Treatment Programs. Blank of the GDA since 1982 and has served in is the founder and chief medical officer of multiple officer positions at both the state the Atlanta Healing Center and president and district levels. Before being of the Georgia Society of Addiction elected president, Jernigan served Medicine. as the GDA's Northern District Dental Society president. Mamie Coker (BSN ’82) UPDATE YOUR was named Georgia’s 2017 ADDRESS. Dr. Sharon H. Pappas (BSN School Nurse Administrator ’75) has been named the chief of the Year by the Georgia EMAIL US AT nurse executive for Emory Association of School Nurses ALUMNI@AUGUSTA.EDU Healthcare. Pappas received at the annual educational her BSN from the Medical conference June 12, 2016, in College of Georgia, her MSN Savannah, Georgia. Coker has 33 from Georgia College and her years of nursing experience with 23 PhD in nursing from the University of years as the coordinator for Hall County Colorado. Schools in Georgia. Gov. Nathan Deal has appointed Dr. Jean Sumner (BSN ’73, MSN ’74) to the Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. Sumner earned a bachelor's and master's degree in nursing from the Medical College of Georgia and a medical degree from Mercer University.
1980s
Dr. Julia Behr (BSN ’88), former assistant dean for the Augusta University College of Nursing at Athens, has been named dean of the R.H. Daniel School of Nursing and
Dr. Phillip Palmer (MHED ’83) assumed the role of founding director of the Physical Therapy Program at the Georgia Campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine on June 1, 2016. Palmer has 40 years of experience in physical therapy. Beverly Barshafsky Peltier (BBA ’86), director of institutional advancement for Augusta Technical College and executive director of the Augusta Technical College Foundation, has been named the 2016 Outstanding Fundraising Professional by
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FLASHBACKS BILLBOARD MAGAZINE’S TOP TUNE "End of the Road," Boyz II Men
OSCAR-WINNING FILM Unforgiven
ON CAMPUS The Jaguars women's volleyball team still holds the PBC record for most aces per set, at 3.20 from the 1992 squad.
IN THE NEWS Singer Paul Simon is the first major artist to tour South Africa after the end of the cultural boycott. President of the United States George H.W. Bush meets with President of Russia Boris Yeltsin at Camp David, where they formally declare that the Cold War is over. Douglas Adams completes Mostly Harmless, the last book in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson airs its final show on NBC.
the CSRA Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In 2007, Peltier was recognized by the Georgia Educational Advancement Council with the Outstanding Newcomer Award for Educational Fundraising, the first technical college advancement officer to be recognized by the organization.
companies – Sales Gravy, Channel EQ, and Innovate Knowledge - he advises many of the world’s leading organizations and their executives on the impact of emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills on sales, leadership, customer experience, channel development and strategic account management.
Dr. Jeffrey S. Plagenhoef (MD ’87), chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology at Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center in Waco, Texas, has been named president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the nation’s largest organization of physician anesthesiologists. Plagenhoef has been an influential leader of the Alabama State Society of Anesthesiologists since 1997, where he has served as president, payer liaison, legislative liaison and member of its executive committee and board of directors.
Ethlyn McQueen Gibson (MSN ’97) was awarded the Excellence in Leadership Award by the Virginia Nurses Foundation on Sept. 24, 2016, in Richmond, Virginia. Gibson was selected from among multiple nominees across the Commonwealth of Virginia for her work in geriatric care. Gibson is the manager for clinical performance at Riverside PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), part of the Riverside Health System.
Beth Weagraff (BSN ’82) has been named vice president of post-acute care development and implementation for Adventist Health System. Weagraff holds a bachelor's degree in nursing from the Medical College of Georgia, where she graduated magna cum laude, and a master's degree in business administration from Webster University, where she graduated summa cum laude.
1990s
Best-selling author Jeb Blount (BBA ’92) was the keynote speaker at Augusta University’s December commencement. Through his
Dr. Richard J. Harp (MD ’98) has been named chief of staff at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Harp is a partner in Upstate Carolina Radiology where he practices interventional radiology. He also served as chairman of radiology and is co-founder of the Southern Vascular Institute. A Scythe of Time, with music and lyrics by Mark Alan Swanson (BA ’93), received the 2016 New York Music Festival/Stage Rights Publishing Award. Swanson was also a recipient of the 2016 Distinguished Alumnus and Presidential Alumnus awards for the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
IN MEMORIUM William E. Barron (MD '56)
James C. Coleman (MBA '89)
Janelle S. Greer (BA '72)
Patrick L. Booton (AS '83, BS '84)
Jackson G. Crowder (MD '61)
Julia E. Hendrich (MD '87)
Samuel A. Brewton (MD '56)
Edna M. Daniels (BA '75)
William H. Hill (MD '42)
Elbert H. Brown (MD '64)
Louis C. Dinkins (AA '75, BA '77, MBA '81)
Cecil F. Jacobs (MD '52)
Lorene J. Burriss (AA '38) Ted D. Cash (MD '66)
Linda A. Ellis (BSN '67, MSN '72)
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Kevan M. Khaksarfard (BS '16) Doreen D. Kinney (MD '95)
[ 2000s
Dr. Jason Hamilton (DMD ’00, DFRI ’01), director of advanced education in general dentistry at The Dental College of Georgia, has been inducted as a fellow into the International College of Dentists, the preeminent honor society for dentists in the world.
Corey Washington (BA ’03, MEd ’06) accepted an award for the estate of Jimi Hendrix, for his induction into the R&B Hall of Fame. Washington is the author of three non-fiction books, including his latest on Hendrix called Nobody Cages Me. Washington has been studying Hendrix for 20 years. Look for his forthcoming book on Hendrix, tentatively titled Jimi Hendrix Black Legacy (A Dream Deferred), in 2017.
Thomas Ireland (MD ’08) has accepted a pediatric neurologist position at Children’s 2010s Hospital at Erlanger in Chattanooga, Aida Castany (BBA ’16) has been named Tennessee. After completing the pediatric the new head coach of the women's residency program and a pediatric tennis team at Wagner College in neurology fellowship program New York. Castany brings a at the University of Alabama wealth of tennis experience at Birmingham, Ireland and instruction to the completed additional Wagner program, which has SHARE YOUR NEWS. fellowship training in clinical put together back-to-back EMAIL US AT neurophysiology with winning seasons, and joins special emphasis in pediatric ALUMNI@AUGUSTA.EDU the Seahawks after service epilepsy at Emory University as a tennis professional at in Atlanta. SPORTIME in Amagansett, New York, where she taught Lynne A. Shrader (MEd ’00) private and group lessons to adults has been appointed principal of and children. Oakwood-Windsor elementary school in Aiken, South Carolina. Shrader brings more than 30 years of classroom service and educational experience to her new position. Dr. Rebekah Taylor-Wiseman (BA ’07) is an assistant professor of English at Brenau University. She received her MA from Middle Tennessee State and PhD in English from Kent State.
Dr. Carolyn A. Curtis (MD ’13) has been appointed assistant professor in the Department of Family and Community Health at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia. Curtis holds an undergraduate degree in religion from Furman University.
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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry has selected Dr. Scott De Rossi (MBA ’16) as dean of the School of Dentistry. De Rossi was most recently the chair of the Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences Department at The Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University. Dr. Brooke Elmore (DMD ’11) has been inducted as a fellow into the International College of Dentists, the preeminent honor society for dentists in the world. Elmore has received her Mastership in the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and her Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry. In 2011, she was voted as one of Augusta’s Top Dentists. Adrienne Kambouris (BS ’16), who is pursuing an MD/PhD at the University of Maryland Baltimore, has been named a Tillman Scholar. The Pat Tillman Foundation’s Tillman Military Scholars program supports our nation’s active duty and veteran service members and their families by removing financial barriers to completing a degree or certification program of choice. Travis Walden (BS ’15) has been promoted to staff accountant at Serotta Maddocks Evans, CPAs. Travis has been with SME since 2014, when he started as a runner, and was then promoted to an intern before becoming staff accountant.
Shannon M. Lay (BBA '96)
Oscar S. Spivey (MD '49)
Frank E. Wright (BBA '69)
B.L. Murray (MD '56)
Vicky E. Spratlin (MD '88)
Chin U. Yu (BS '82)
Betty J. Perry (AA '80)
David E. Tanner (MD '50)
W.F. Powell (MD '43)
Robert W. Vedder (DMD '81)
Leslie J. Reed (BBA '72)
Veronica R. Whitaker (BA '84)
Jack B. Roof (MD '74)
Robert T. Wiggins (BBA '67)
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PHOTO BY LYNN JOHNSON, COURTESY OF THE MAHN CENTER FOR ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AT OHIO UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
[ HISTORY & HERITAGE
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GIVING KIDS A CHANCE
EVERY CHILD should have a chance. Those six words guided the life and career of Dr. Leila DaughtryDenmark (MD ’28), a pediatrician whose career was renowned as much for its contributions as its length. At the time of her death in 2012, Denmark was 114 years old and only 11 years retired. She attributed most of her longevity to her lifestyle; the rest, her ascetic diet. On her 103rd birthday, she reportedly refused a piece of birthday cake, telling a restaurant waiter that she hadn’t eaten anything containing processed sugar in more than 70 years. In that, and many other ways, Denmark was a revolutionary figure in pediatric health. At a time when tobacco use was ubiquitous, Denmark was one of the first pediatricians to rail against smoking around children. In her debut book on child-rearing, aptly named Every Child Should Have A Chance, she argued that cow’s milk was a poor, and more importantly unhealthy, substitute for breast milk and that eating fruit was far superior to drinking processed fruit juices. Today, Denmark’s suggestions seem almost commonplace, and that’s perhaps what’s most fascinating about her publication. Every Child came out in 1971. It’s fair to say that health wasn’t the only field in which Denmark was “ahead of the curve,” however. In 1928, she graduated from the Medical College of Georgia, becoming the school’s third female graduate. By 1935, she had opened her own private practice in Atlanta in addition to serving at Grady Memorial Hospital and the Presbyterian Church Baby Clinic. It was during this time that Denmark first conducted research that would shape not only her life, but the lives of thousands of children across the globe. In 1932, the United States was in the throes of a deadly pertussis epidemic. The highly contagious disease, also known as whooping cough, can be deadly to infants and small children, causing painful, uncontrollable coughing and difficulty breathing. Spurred by the outbreak and the rise in infected children, Denmark, with support from Eli Lilly and Company and Emory University, began studying the diagnosis and treatment of whooping cough. She published her findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association over the course of six years and was later credited as codeveloper of the first successful whooping cough vaccine. All this she accomplished while caring for her own daughter, Mary Alice – at the time just 2 years old. Even so, Denmark never considered the things she accomplished “work.” Children were her world; their health her purpose. She was so in tune with pediatric health, in fact, that parents of patients would often report that she could tell what was wrong with a child just from watching the child walk through her door. She also took a more preventive approach than most modern pediatricians, choosing to treat illnesses instead of symptoms. She promoted the benefits of healthy living and therapy and resisted the modern temptation to prescribe drugs for every disease – a stance she maintained until her retirement at age 103. ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 45
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[ BACK TO THE FUTURE WHEN SHELLY REDD’S employer announced an impending acquisition that could result in the loss of her job, she didn’t despair. She took action. “I was in the position where one career was ending, and I would have to start another career,” said the longtime manager of a local bank. She had already begun taking classes at Augusta University simply to remain relevant in her field. Now, 13 years after receiving her associate degree in applied technology from Augusta Tech, she began meeting with career counselors and advisors at the university to explore more options. It soon became clear to her that cybersecurity is a field with exciting job opportunities and that a bachelor’s degree in applied information systems and technology from the James M. Hull College of Business would be her best path forward. How could the mother of three earn a bachelor’s degree without winding up in significant debt? Enter ADP, a global technology leader that serves 620,000 businesses around the world and has been recognized as one of Fortune magazine’s “World’s Most Admired Companies.” When the company opened offices in Augusta, they quickly decided to invest in the local job market by offering scholarships to students pursuing careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. “When I attended school before, the HOPE scholarship fully covered it,” said Redd. But changes to the Georgia scholarship program in the intervening years meant more costs to her. She learned about the ADP scholarship program at Augusta University and applied. It wasn’t long before she received notification of the scholarship award.
“It was definitely a relief to get the ADP scholarship,” she said. “It means I can graduate and start my new career without being in significant debt.” Redd said, aside from the obvious financial benefit the scholarship offers, being an ADP scholar gives her valuable opportunities to network. “Augusta University puts on luncheons and invites scholarship recipients and people from ADP and other local tech companies,” she said. “So I’ve been able to network with peers and leaders in the local technology job market.” She also plans to explore the many internship opportunities available through Hull. Since partnering with Augusta University in 2009, more than $347,000 in ADP scholarships has been awarded to 107
students. Additionally, ADP has given more than $129,000 to support a wide variety of STEM Tutorial Labs. This academic year alone, 23 scholarships were awarded to students in the College of Science and Mathematics and two, including Redd, in the Hull College of Business. ADP scholars have gone on to become teachers, medical doctors, veterinarians, software developers, chemists, geophysicists and more. The program also provides critical support in math, biology, chemistry, computer science and physics, which all students can access in tutorial centers at the university. In the meantime, Redd appreciates the opportunity to achieve her longtime goal of earning a bachelor’s degree and looks forward to an exciting next chapter in her career in cybersecurity. ma g a zi n e s. au gu sta. e d u | 47
A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST
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fter the 2010 census revealed Burke County had one of the highest child poverty rates in the country, with 48 percent of children living below the poverty line, CBS was interested in filming a special about poverty in Burke County. They reached out to school officials, but the officials weren’t interested in what they saw as negative publicity. Donna Martin (EdS ’92), however, was the exception. As director of the Burke County school nutrition program, she was eager to tell the journalist about school nutrition in Burke County. And why not? Martin’s team serves 4,400 meals a day – breakfast, lunch, afterschool snack and supper – to students in Burke County’s five schools. They even serve meals during summer months – approximately 2,500 meals per day. These meals are part of the county’s Farm to School program. Through this program, Martin partners with local farmers to buy fresh produce and other food items for the school cafeterias. The program has been wildly successful and has grown to include a weekly farmers market. In fact, the county was recently recognized at the state level for having the best Farm to School program in the state of Georgia. After talking with Martin, CBS was particularly eager to explore the impact the program had on the Burke County high school football team, whose documented malnutrition was one reason Martin’s team started the supper phase of the program. In short, the players needed more calories. “We started the supper program and began feeding our athletes and anyone who stayed after school,” Martin said. “Our football team went on to win the school’s first state championship, and the coach gave a lot of credit to the school nutrition program.” The next few years were a whirlwind of activity. First, Martin testified before Congress about First Lady Michelle Obama’s Healthy, HungerFree Kids Act and the new nutrition standards set for school meals; then she visited the White House to speak with the first lady; and then the first lady came to Burke County to work in the school’s garden as part of her American Garden Tour. The back-and-forth culminated in October 2016, when Martin returned to the White House as an invited guest of the first lady to help celebrate the final harvest of the White House Kitchen Garden. Martin was also asked to speak at the event. Even the president joined in. Martin’s passion for school nutrition has brought her to the national stage, a role that excites her. “I have become an activist,” she said. “I never thought that would be a role I would play.”
PHOTO GALLERY See more of Donna Martin's visit to
the White House at magazines.augusta.edu.
Donna Martin meets President Obama in the White House Garden. Photo By Amy Nunnally
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Office of Advancement 1120 15th Street, FI-1000 Augusta, Georgia 30912 105532 C H A N G E S E RV I C E R E Q U E S T E D
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