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ALUMNI UPDATES
Alumni
HIGHLIGHTS § SCHOLARSHIP OPENS DOORS 38 § A SCIENTIFIC SPOTLIGHT 41 § CLASS NOTES 44
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Built in 1971, Aderhold Hall was named after O.C. Aderhold, who graduated from UGA in 1923 and served as the 17th president of the University.
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who understands how to challenge high-performing students to reach new heights.”
–Tiffany Smith
(B.S.Ed. ’10)
GIFTS AT WORK
Scholarship secures a future educator
Some people need to search for their passions in life, but others, like Sabrina Alyson Morales, are born knowing their calling.
Morales always knew she wanted to be an educator. At first, she planned on teaching art, but in high school she realized mathematics was a better fit because of the numerous math topics in her high school’s curricula. She also admired the way her math teachers could make intimidating subjects more digestible for students.
“You can teach so many different program levels in high school, such as Advanced An aspiring teacher Placement, on-level, and remedial,” she says. always knew her calling… “One of my teachers taught math to English- she just needed help to language learners. There are so many ways accomplish her dreams you can help different types of people learn.”
After graduating high school, Morales set her mind on attending the University of Georgia for many reasons, one being the Double Dawgs program, which allows students to receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in five years. Because the Mary Frances Early College of Education will soon offer a Double Dawgs program in mathematics/mathematics education, Morales hopes to apply to the College next fall. However, the cost of attending UGA has always been an issue.
Thanks to the Paul Sheehy Commitment Scholarship Fund, a need-based scholarship created through UGA’s Georgia Commitment Scholarship program for first-year undergraduate students, she could attend her dream school with secured finances. The program also includes resources to support student success.
“This scholarship allowed me to attend UGA,” Morales says. “Also, the scholarship seminar class has helped me so much. I didn't even know where the main library was before this course. It’s helped me realize there are so many tools available around campus. I also get to meet students who are in a similar financial situation—I even met someone from my hometown.”
Without this kind of financial support, Morales, and many students like her, are unable to attend college. The Paul Sheehy Commitment Scholarship is renewable for up to four years and allows Morales to focus on her studies and passion for helping others. She is a member of several UGA organizations, including MathCounts, where she mentors local middle school students and teaches them math, and UGA-Clarke Central High School Peer Tutoring, where she assists students and observes teacher strategies.
“I've always heard people say, ‘You're either an English-brained person or math-brained person,’” says Morales. “Growing up, my two best subjects were English and math. I want to help my students realize that they don't just have to pick one.” § Lauren Leathers
COLLEGE’S COMMIT TO GEORGIA SCHOLARSHIP CAMPAIGN at a glance
This program matches donations of $50,000, $75,000, or $100,000 to establish undergraduate need-based scholarships.
$3.9 million
Total funds raised (matched gifts from UGA Foundation included)
15
Number of donors
34
Number of need-based scholarships created
29
Number of student scholarship recipients
WHY I GIVE
LISA SHEEHY'S STORY
“I knew that supporting a student with financial needs who had a passion for the same acts of service and learning that my dad had, was a way to honor him,” says Lisa Sheehy, a retired teacher who funded the Paul Sheehy Commitment Scholarship.
Sheehy’s love of mathematics stemmed from time spent in the UGA Mary Frances Early College of Lisa Sheehy Education’s Department of Mathematics and Science (above right) Education. She loved it so much, in fact, she became funded the a Triple Dawg, earning three degrees in mathematics Paul Sheehy education (B.S.Ed. ’89, M.Ed. ’95, Ph.D.’04). Commitment
Her father, Paul Sheehy (1941-2017), lived a life full Scholarship to of courage, love, and service. He flew 100 missions in honor her father, Vietnam, raised two daughters, spent his career as a Delta pilot, and was an avid skier, triathlete, and role Paul (above left). model to many. “My father was a lover of education,” she says. “When he retired, he began taking courses through the University System of Georgia. He studied Spanish literature and spent a great deal of his retirement working with people who spoke Spanish and wanted to learn to speak English better.”
Through this scholarship fund, her father’s legacy can reach other lovers of education and provide students the opportunity to dedicate their service and passion to learning. §
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GIVING in FY19 (July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019) at a glance $4.7 million
Total giving in FY19 (up 46% from F18)
$412K
Corporate and foundation support
$441K
Annual giving Up 17% from FY18
$4.2 million
Major gifts
$3.3 million
Planned gifts
2,362
Total donors
862
New donors
1,500
Repeat donors
A TRAILBLAZING CAMPAIGN
Thanks to the generosity and support of our dedicated students, staff, faculty, friends, donors, alumni, and more, funds from the campaign to name the University of Georgia College of Education in honor of Mary Frances Early are already at work. Most notably, scholarships for deserving students are opening the doors for generations of UGA students to come. Below are some key fundraising highlights from this historic campaign.
$2.9 million
Total funds raised from 945 donors
$411,966
Funds raised for student scholarships and support of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the College and across UGA
$500,000
Funds raised to elevate the Mary Frances Early professorship to a distinguished professorship
$400,000
Lead gift from President Morehead to create four new Georgia Commitment Scholarships
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Number of Ms Early's former students who contributed funds in her honor
$1.6 million
Tribute gifts made by over 18 areas on campus, including: Alumni Association Black Alumni Council College of Family and Consumer Sciences College of Pharmacy College of Veterinary Medicine Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Georgia Fund Georgia Museum of Art Graduate School Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication Hugh Hodgson School of Music Office of Instruction School of Law School of Social Work Student Affairs Student Alumni Association Terry College of Business Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources Thomas Reeves and his wife Trisha at UGA’s 2020 Founders Day Luncheon.
Rising to the occasion
Last year, the retired faculty group in the Mary Frances Early College of Education created a new need-based scholarship for deserving students in the College.
Led by Sylvia Hutchinson, Andy Horne, and Tom Reeves, the Retirees in Support students in need Support of Education Help our retired (RISE) Georgia faculty group cement Commitment their legacy in the Scholarship College with a gift successfully raised $52,750 from 27 to need-based aid: bit.ly/ugarisefund donors by the end of 2019. The UGA Foundation matched the scholarship, thus doubling the endowment, the award, and the impact on the recipient.
The RISE Scholarship will be awarded to its first student this fall and will cover the full cost of a four-year degree.
“It was a great honor for me to join the RISE Scholarship campaign with two of my longtime College of Education heroes, former associate dean Sylvia Hutchinson and dean emeritus Andy Horne. Our focus first and foremost has been on helping students in need, and what better group to help with these students than the wonderful group of UGA College of Education retirees who remain engaged with this great College. Thank you to all who have already given so generously, as well as to the College retirees who will surely donate in the future.” –Thomas C. Reeves, professor emeritus of learning, design, and technology
Linda Purvis shows a chicken to middle and high school students who visited the University of North Georgia campus during a one-day poultry science workshop.
CLASSROOM KUDOS
Science in reach
A merging of interests
Linda Purvis (B.S.A. ’02, M.S. ’07, Ph.D. ’19), an assistant professor at the University of North Georgia (UNG) and alumna of the College’s doctoral program in science education, played a vital role in creating the poultry science program at UNG in 2011. Today, the program— which she launched with no faculty, course materials, or scholarship money—has 85 students.
Since then, she has secured more than $40,000 in grants from the U.S. Poultry Foundation and—thanks to donations from local poultry companies—gives out about $8,000 per semester in scholarships. “I’m really passionate about helping students figure out what they’re really good at and helping them find a job and a career that will fit that,” says Purvis.
In recognition of her achievements, Purvis received the 2019 Young Alumni Achievement Award from the UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in poultry science. She also holds a master’s degree in veterinary medicine from the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine. §
Making science personal
To help her students grasp complex scientific concepts, Chelsea Sexton (B.S.Ed. ’14), a former science teacher at Kennesaw Mountain High School and a current doctoral student in the College’s science education program, added a unit on pathogenic pollution to her AP environmental science class and partnered with an environmental engineer to develop a disinfection experiment that connects global drinking water security with students at home.
“So much of the content in these courses is directly related to their lives—understanding water and air pollution, how ecosystems and humans interact, and how the values people prioritize shape their choices,” said Sexton, who was named Georgia’s 2019 High School Science Teacher of the Sexton and her students pose for a photo after Year by the Georgia Science collecting dirt samples for Teachers Association. “I facilitate a soil and sediment lab. their understanding that knowing science is cool and being able to share their Distinguished knowledge is paramount to Alumni Award achieving their goals.” Winner
Sexton says her students feel more invested in the content Sexton received the and practices of the subject if Mary Frances Early she lets them take ownership of College of Education’s the information they learn. Last 2020 Early Career fall, she started the next chapter Practitioner Alumni of her life as a doctoral student Award. Read more in the College’s Department of about her on page 42. Mathematics and Science Education, where she plans on focusing even more on the practical and clinical applications of teaching and education and hopes to learn more about the research and theory of science education. §
OLLI CELEBRATES A QUARTER CENTURY OF LIFELONG LEARNING
Founded in 1994, OLLI@UGA in the Mary Frances Early College of Education
celebrated its 25th anniversary this past year. In 2009, the organization—which supports lifelong learning in Athens and the surrounding communities—changed its name from Learning in Retirement to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute after it received an endowment from the Osher Foundation.
To celebrate this milestone, the organization hosted several events throughout the year, including a membership picnic at Flinchum’s Phoenix in September and a Halloween luncheon at George’s Low Country Table in October.
“During this time, we gave members a chance to reflect on and record how important OLLI is in their lives, whether it’s from the classes and trips they have taken or by the social connections they have made,” says Tim Meehan, executive director of OLLI@UGA. “We look forward to serving Athens and northeast Georgia for the next 25 years. We would like to thank UGA and the Mary Frances Early College of Education for all their support.”
To support OLLI@UGA, visit: bit.ly/ugaolligiving, or to join, visit bit.ly/joinolliuga.
2020
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS
This year, seven graduates and a professor emeritus of the Mary Frances Early College of Education received Distinguished Alumni Awards for demonstrating exceptional career achievements or service and philanthropy
to the College. The awards honor both practitioners and researchers in the early and mid-points of their careers and also include lifetime achievement awards and an award for outstanding service. Our 2020 honorees are listed below. For full bios, please visit bit.ly/mfecoealumniawards.
EARLY CAREER—PRACTITIONER Chelsea Sexton
Chelsea Sexton is passionate about teaching and supporting students and teachers across the country. As a science teacher, she worked with students across a spectrum of abilities and taught a variety of subjects, including biology, AP environmental science, advanced research methods, and more. In this role, she helped mentor and guide student presentations for scholarships at several independent research conferences, including the International Science and Engineering Fair and the Georgia Junior Science and Humanities Symposium.
EARLY CAREER—RESEARCHER Cristalís Capielo Rosario
(Ph.D. ’16) Assistant professor, Arizona State University College of Integrative Sciences and Arts
Cristalís Capielo Rosario investigates how individual, interpersonal, cultural, and sociopolitical determinants affect the health of Latinx individuals, particularly Puerto Ricans. At Arizona State University, she leads the Psicología Latinx en Acción or PLENA Lab, where she and a group of students research how sociocultural factors and intersecting identities influence the psychological wellbeing of Latinxs and African Americans. Capielo Rosario works with several organizations, including Puente Arizona and Boricuas at Arizona, to coordinate efforts to assist Latinx immigrants.
MID-CAREER—PRACTITIONER Julio Rojas
Devoted to advancing the understanding of addiction, Julio Rojas’ work in the field of addiction, mental health, and trauma spans nearly three decades. In 2005, he joined the University of Oklahoma’s College of Medicine, where he co-founded and directs the OU Physicians ExecuCare Program, which helps evaluate and treat stressed, distressed, and impaired healthcare professionals. Rojas’ research on workforce development gaps in the treatment of addiction, mental illness, and trauma is funded by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
MID-CAREER—RESEARCHER Kakali Bhattacharya
Kakali Bhattacharya’s scholarship aims to advance the study of education as it relates to the experiences of students and communities of color. She believes higher education needs to be reformed to create equitable structures and opportunities for those who are minoritized. In addition to advancing methodological, pedagogical, and epistemological perspectives and practices for effective education research and instruction, Bhattacharya also explores technology integration in social and learning spaces and is deeply immersed in arts-based and contemplative approaches in qualitative inquiry.
MID-CAREER—RESEARCHER Mariana Souto-Manning
(B.S.Ed. ’01, M.Ed. ’02, Ph.D. ’05) Professor, Teachers College, Columbia University
From a critical perspective, Mariana Souto-Manning’s research examines the inequities and injustices in early childhood teaching and teacher education and (re)centering methodologies and pedagogies on the lives, values, and experiences of minoritized people of color. Additionally, she critically examines theoretical and methodological issues and dilemmas of conducting research with communities of color, attending to issues related to colonization, assimilation, and oppression in schooling and society. Souto-Manning is the author of 10 books and has authored or coauthored over 75 peerreviewed journal articles.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT—PRACTITIONER M. Ann Levett
(Ed.D. ’92) Superintendent, SavannahChatham County Public Schools
After serving as principal of Savannah High School and a superintendent in Dayton, Ohio, M. Ann Levett moved into higher education leadership positions at Antioch University, Middle Georgia State University, and Yale University. Throughout her tenure, she coordinated school-university partnerships across the U.S. and led school reform efforts in several European cities. Since returning to Georgia, Levett has held many key positions at the state level while maintaining her positions in national and international organizations. She is a published author, speaker, and a consultant on several international education projects.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT—RESEARCHER Joyce Alexander
(M.Ed. ’90, Ph.D. ’92) Dean and professor, Texas A&M College of Education and Human Development
In 2015, Joyce Alexander was named the sixth dean of Texas A&M University’s College of Education and Human Development. Alexander, who also serves as the Reta Haynes Dean’s Endowed Chair and a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, brought her passion for education to Texas A&M, demonstrating a strong track record of innovative and collaborative academic program development, support for timely undergraduate graduation rates, research support for faculty, and fundraising for the future of the College.
OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD Carl Glickman
After joining the University of Georgia’s faculty in 1979, Carl Glickman founded the Georgia League of Professional Schools, a nationally validated network of K-12 schools devoted to the democratic learning of all students. Over the years, Glickman authored 16 books on school leadership, supervision, democracy, and the moral imperative of public education. Recently, Glickman and his wife Sara, a former Clarke County middle school teacher, established a significant endowment in the Mary Frances Early College of Education called The Glickman Challenge Project-Based Learning Grant to support faculty who are collaborating with school-based practitioners to improve active learning in schools with a high percentage of low-income students.
