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Commencement speakers encourage grads to leave their marks on the world CAMPUS NEWS
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The University of Georgia Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra to perform Jan. 15 at 8 p.m.
Vol. 42, No. 20
January 12, 2015
www.columns.uga.edu
UGA GUIDE
4&5
$23.4M contract to bolster pathogen genomics database By Alan Flurry
aflurry@uga.edu
Photo illustration by Janet Beckley
Laura Katz, a business consultant with the Small Business Development Center, left, and Connie Frigo, an assistant professor of saxophone in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ Hugh Hodgson School of Music, met on the 2013 New Faculty Tour. Frigo later invited Katz to give a lecture in the “Music in the Real World” course.
Crossed paths
A genome database team led by University of Pennsylvania and UGA scientists has been awarded a new contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases worth $4.3 million in 2014-2015. Assuming annual renewal, this five-year award is expected to total $23.4 million. The team has been responsible for developing genome database resources for microbial pathogens, including the parasites responsible for malaria, sleeping sickness, toxoplasmosis and many other important diseases. The new contract ensures work will continue on the Eukaryotic Pathogen Genomics Database— known as EuPathDB—to provide the global scientific community with free access to a wealth of
genomic data related to microbial pathogens important to human health and b i o s e c u r i t y. EuPathDB expedites bioJessica Kissinger medical research in the lab, field and clinic, enabling the development of innovative diagnostics, therapies and vaccines. Each month, EuPathDB receives over 6.5 million hits from 13,000 unique visitors in more than 100 countries, including areas where tropical diseases such as malaria are endemic. India is now the second largest user of its plasmodium genome database, and over 5 percent of users hail from Africa. The overall project
See CONTRACT on page 8
New employees find common ground, collaborate Signature Lecture series Former juvenile court judge after meeting on New Faculty Tour to give Holmes-Hunter Lecture Jaemor Farms, an agritourism des- Johnson, a professor and program By Eli Truett ettruett@uga.edu
Relationships formed between faculty members during UGA’s New Faculty Tour are resulting in unique cross-disciplinary collaborations that benefit students. Connie Frigo, an assistant professor of saxophone in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ Hugh Hodgson School of Music, and Laura Katz, a business consultant with the Small Business Development Center, a unit of the Office of Public Service and Outreach, met on the 2013 tour. One year later, Frigo and two of her music department colleagues launched “Music in the Real World,” a course on professional strategies for music majors. Frigo then contacted Katz and invited her as a guest lecturer on marketing and sales. The course filled quickly with undergraduate and graduate students.
‘Beneficial for students’
Frigo already had been exploring ways to introduce her students to key business concepts when she met Katz on the five-day tour during the week before the fall 2013 semester began. The two began talking about changes to the traditional music industry and the need for students to better understand the business, Katz said. “We both thought it would be beneficial for the students to have this type of information to better prepare them for the real world they would be entering upon graduation,” she said. About 40 faculty, who have been at UGA for two years or less, make the annual five-day trip, which in recent years has included stops at
tination near Gainesville, the Kia Motors Manufacturing plant in West Point, the CSX rail yard in Waycross and the UGA Marine Extension Service in Savannah.
‘Collective expertise’
Following the 2014 tour, Hilary Hughes, an assistant professor of educational theory and practice in the College of Education, Henry N. Young, the Kroger Associate Professor in the College of Pharmacy, and María E. Len-Ríos, an associate professor of public relations in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, began talking about collaborating on a project that would focus on health communication and the well-being of adolescents. Together, they are seeking grants to research how 13- to 15-year-olds use social media in their lives and how that influences their health and well-being. They plan to study the psychological and behavioral patterns of this age group and develop workshops and media and health literacy programs that will contribute to their future health and welfare. “This is a great opportunity to stay connected to our own research agendas while simultaneously drawing on our collective expertise,” Hughes said.
Scholarly accountability
Some collaborations that evolved during the annual tour have continued for years.Three faculty members in different departments of the College of Education—Stephanie Jones, a professor in the educational theory and practice department, Corey
chair of the lifelong education, administration and policy department, and Anneliese Singh, an associate professor of counseling and human development—met during the 2007 tour, the last before UGA temporarily suspended the event due to state budget cuts. The three soon realized they shared a similar interest in feminist research methods. Once back on campus, they formed a writing group to provide each other critical feedback on manuscripts, grant submissions and, later, promotion and tenure materials. The three have met every six weeks for the past seven years. “We have held one another accountable for rigorous writing and submission goals,” Jones said. “This has resulted in very high levels of production and quality in our scholarship including many books, top-tier journal articles, editorships, keynote presentations and awards. We all believe that our writing group has been the key to our successful writing trajectories, as we have become trusted colleagues and friends who support one another well beyond the sphere of writing.” Organized by the Office of Public Service and Outreach with support from UGA President Jere W. Morehead, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Pamela Whitten and the UGA Alumni Association, the tour is an opportunity to familiarize newcomers to UGA with the state’s resources, culture and people. During the tour, faculty are encouraged to look for ways to use their research and expertise to benefit the state.
By Stephanie Schupska schupska@uga.edu
Glenda Hatchett, best-known for her nationally syndicated show Judge Hatchett and now a senior attorney with the Hatchett Firm, will deliver the 2015 HolmesHunter Lecture Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. in the Chapel. Hatchett, a former chief presiding judge of the Fulton County Juvenile Court, was the first African-American chief presiding judge of a state court in Georgia and head of one of the largest juvenile court systems in the country. She left her post in Fulton County to preside over her two-time Emmy nominated show, Judge Hatchett, for 13 seasons. Judge Hatchett won
a Prism Award for best unscripted nonfiction series or special for television. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College and the Glenda Hatchett Emory University School of Law, Hatchett completed a federal clerkship in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia. She then spent nearly 10 years at Delta Air Lines, where she was the airline’s highestranking woman of color worldwide, serving both as senior attorney and public relations manager. She left
See LECTURE on page 8
School of Law
Dean Rusk Center to host Ebola panel covering domestic, international issues By Heidi M. Murphy hmurphy@uga.edu
The School of Law’s Dean Rusk Center for International Law and Policy will host a panel discussion on domestic and international issues relating to the Ebola virus Jan. 21 at 12:30 p.m. in the Larry Walker Room of Dean Rusk Hall. The event is open free to the public. The current Ebola outbreak has claimed more than 6,000 lives, and it has spread not only to six African countries, but also to
North America and Europe. Beyond the spread of the disease itself, there also has been a contagion of fear of groups and individuals who may have been exposed to the virus and distrust of official responses to control the outbreak, said panel organizer and moderator Fazal Khan, an associate professor at the law school. “For governments and public health organizations combating the spread of Ebola, this outbreak poses a significant challenge as
See PANEL on page 8
2 Jan. 12, 2015 columns.uga.edu Former UGA faculty members named president, provost at universities
Around academe
Two former UGA faculty members have been named to senior administration positions at two U.S. universities. Christine M. Riordan, formerly a management professor in the Terry College of Business and director of the Institute for Leadership Advancement, was named president of Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. Riordan had been serving as provost at the University of Kentucky. Garnett Stokes, the former dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, was named the next provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Missouri. Stokes served as provost and interim president at Florida State University after leaving UGA in 2011.
Enrollment up at public universities
In fall 2014, enrollment was up at four-year public institutions by 2.2 percent and four-year private nonprofit institutions by 1.6 percent, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Overall enrollment in postsecondary institutions decreased by 1.3 percent. The decrease in enrollments come from two-year public colleges and four-year for-profit institutions.
Free software available to employees
News to Use
UGA faculty and staff now have free access to download and install Microsoft Office ProPlus software through their Web-based UGAMail accounts. Employees may download and install Office ProPlus on up to five personal devices, including computers, tablets and phones. This program only applies to personal devices and not to university-owned devices. UGA has a separate agreement with Microsoft for software installation on university-owned devices. For devices with Windows operating systems, individuals may install Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access, Publisher and InfoPath. For devices with Mac operating systems, individuals may install Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Office for iPad is also part of the service. Office ProPlus also includes the new Outlook for Mac, which recently was released by Microsoft. To install Office ProPlus on desktop or laptop computers, students and employees should log in to their Web-based UGAMail account (ugamail. uga.edu) and click on the gear (settings) icon at the top-right menu. After clicking on “Office 365 Settings,” users may click “Software” to begin the installation process. To install Office ProPlus on mobile devices, go to the App Store or Google Play to find the applications and enter your UGAMail account information. Office ProPlus is available for faculty and staff while they remain active employees, as specified by UGA’s license with Microsoft. The program is not available to retirees.
Office of the Vice President for Instruction
Center for Teaching and Learning launches faculty fellows program By Tracy Giese tgiese@uga.edu
The Center for Teaching and Learning held a kickoff event in December for its new CTL Fellows for Innovative Teaching program. The event included remarks from Laura Jolly, vice president for instruction, and CTL director Eddie Watson, who welcomed Peter Doolittle, assistant provost for teaching and learning at Virginia Tech, as the featured speaker. Doolittle is best known for his viral TED Talk regarding working memory, but his recent research focused on flipping the classroom. A flipped classroom is a pedagogical strategy in which students review concepts outside the classroom and instructors help reinforce the subject through activities in class. The Fellows for Innovative Teaching program is a new faculty development opportunity funded by the Office of the Vice President for Instruction and the CTL for those who are employed full time at UGA and teach challenging and high-demand courses.The program provides instructors with support and collaboration to institute robust flipped teaching practices in their courses as well as an opportunity to share ideas with other innovative teachers from a variety of disciplines who have similar interests and face similar teaching challenges. The program will change focus each academic year to align with topics of strategic importance for the university. The 2015 activities for the CTL Fellows for Innovative Teaching, which began last month and conclude in December, will focus on “Flipping the Classroom.” The first two cohorts of faculty are focusing on a flipped instructional
Robert Newcomb
Peter Doolittle, assistant provost for teaching and learning at Virginia Tech, discussed flipping the classroom at the kickoff of CTL’s new innovative teaching program.
project designed to strengthen courses and teaching methods in each participant’s academic department. They also are integrating research about how people learn in key courses at the university, reinforcing an instructional environment that honors and recognizes dedicated teaching scholars and promotes a learning-community spirit on a large campus. The two cohorts of 12 selected to participate in the inaugural year of this program and who were on-hand for the kickoff event are Norris Armstrong, genetics; Nicholas Berente, management information systems (co-participant with Mark Huber); Charles Byrd, Germanic and Slavic studies; Joel Caughran, chemistry; Kara A. Dyckman, psychology; Janet Frick, psychology; Connie Marie Frigo, music; April K. Galyardt, educational psychology; Andreas Handel, epidemiology and biostatistics; Mark Huber, management information systems (co-participant
warnell school of Forestry and Natural Resources
National search underway for next dean of forestry school By Sam Fahmy
sfahmy@uga.edu
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Pamela Whitten has appointed a committee to begin a national search to fill the position of dean of the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. J. Scott Angle, dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental S ciences, is chair of the search committee, which includes faculty, staff, student and alumni representatives. Additional committee members are: • Brianne Brown, a senior natural resources recreation and tourism major and student ambassador in the Warnell School; • Robert Cooper, a professor of wildlife ecology and biometrics in the Warnell School; • Joe Dahlen, an assistant professor of wood quality in the Warnell School and a faculty member in UGA’s Harley Langdale Jr. Center for Forest Business; • Dan Forster, a Warnell alumnus and director of the Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources; • Gary T. Green, an associate professor of natural resources recreation and tourism in the Warnell School; • Sonia Hernandez, an associate professor of wildlife disease in the Warnell School with a joint appointment in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s population health department; • Cecil Jennings, head of the G eorgia
Cooperative Fish and Wildlife R esearch Unit and an adjunct professor in the Warnell School; • Michael Kane, a professor of quantitative silviculture and director of UGA’s Plantation Management Research Cooperative and its Center for Advanced Forestry Systems; • Wesley Langdale, a UGA alumnus and president of The Langdale Company; • Daniel Markewitz, a professor of soil site productivity in the Warnell School; • Nate Nibbelink, an associate professor of geographic information systems/spatial ecology and director of UGA’s interdisciplinary Center for Integrative Conservation Research; • Morgan Nolan, technology director in the Warnell School; • Miles A. “Andy” Stone, a Warnell alumnus and president of Superior Pine Products; and • C.J. Tsai, a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and Haynes Professor in forest biotechnology in the Warnell School with a joint appointment in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ genetics department. The committee will be assisted by the UGA Search Group in Human Resources. Michael Clutter, who served as dean of the Warnell School since 2007, stepped down Jan. 2 to pursue an opportunity in the private sector. Dale T. Greene, a professor and associate dean for academic affairs in the Warnell School, is serving as interim dean.
with Nicholas Berente); Rodney Mauricio, genetics; Cory Momany, pharmacy; Julie M. Moore, infectious diseases; Patricia Moore, entomology; Diann Moorman, financial planning, housing and consumer economics; Michele A. Monteil, GRU/UGA Medical Partnership; Gregg Thomas Nagle, cellular biology; Maria Navarro, agriculture leadership; Siddharth Savadatti, engineering; Scott A. Shamp, New Media Institute/journalism; Ajay Sharma, veterinary biosciences; Bjorn F. Stillon Southard, communication studies; Martina Sumner, chemistry; and Kacy Welsh, psychology. The cohorts meet once a month throughout the calendar year at a combination of roundtable discussions and workshop activities. Each fellow also meets monthly with members of the CTL faculty to address questions that are unique to his/her context. Each participant receives $2,000 to support a flipped classroom development project.
Vice provost for academic affairs to open CTL series By Tracy Giese tgiese@uga.edu
The Center for Teaching and Learning will open its 2015 spring speaker series Jan. 20 from 1-3 p.m. with a presentation by Russell J. Mumper, UGA’s vice provost for academic affairs. The spring speaker series and accompanying workshops are themed around flipping classrooms and engaging students through innovative pedagogies. Mumper’s presentation is titled “A Case for the Flipped Classroom: A Three-Year Longitudinal Study of Student Perception, Engagement and Performance.” In it, he will describe the rationale and motivation for the flipped classroom, how it can be developed and executed, qualitative and quantitative outcomes, and how the experience can lead to further design enhancements and outcomes. Other speakers in the spring CTL series include Audrey Haynes, Meigs Professor in UGA’s School of Public and International Affairs on Jan. 29; Jeb Byers, a professor in UGA’s Odum School of Ecology, on Feb. 17; Nicole Woods, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Toronto, on Feb. 25; Tina Harris, Meigs Professor of Communication Studies in UGA’s Franklin College, on March 25; and Julie Golia and Robin M. Katz from the Teach Archives at the Brooklyn Historical Society on March 31. More information is online at http://ctl.uga.edu/events.
Research News
columns.uga.edu Jan. 12, 2015
3
Digest CDC scientist to speak about early AIDS investigations at Vanguard lecture
Paul Efland
Pamela Orpinas, a professor of health promotion and behavior in the College of Public Health, found that boys use relational aggression—malicious rumors, social exclusion and rejection—to harm or manipulate others more often than girls.
Role reversal
College of Public Health study finds mean boys, not mean girls, rule at school By Rebecca Ayer alea@uga.edu
Debunking the myth of the “mean girl,” new UGA research has found that boys use relational aggression— malicious rumors, social exclusion and rejection—to harm or manipulate others more often than girls. The longitudinal study, published online in the journal Aggressive Behavior, followed a cohort of students from middle to high school and found that, at every grade level, boys engaged in relationally aggressive behavior more often than girls. A team led by UGA professor Pamela Orpinas analyzed data collected from 620 students randomly selected from six northeast Georgia school districts. Students who participated in the study completed yearly surveys, which allowed the UGA researchers to identify and group them in distinct trajectories for relational aggression and victimization as they progressed from grade six to 12. “Overall, we found relational aggression to be a very common behavior,” said Orpinas, a professor of health promotion and behavior in the College of Public
Health. “Almost all of the students surveyed, 96 percent, had passed a rumor or made a nasty comment about someone over the course of the seven-year study.” Experiences of victimization were found to be universal as well. Over 90 percent of the students reported that they had been victims of relational aggression at least once. The analysis found that students followed three developmental trajectories of perpetration and three similar trajectories of victimization—low, moderate and high declining (that is, very high in middle school and declining in high school). When examining how these trajectories differed by gender, the data revealed some unexpected results. Significantly more boys than girls fell into the two higher trajectories for relational aggression perpetration, while more girls than boys fell into the two higher trajectories for victimization. “We have books, websites and conferences aimed at stopping girls from being aggressive, as well as a lot of qualitative research on why girls are relationally aggressive,” Orpinas said. “But oddly enough, we don’t have
enough research on why boys would be relationally aggressive because people have assumed it’s a girl behavior.” Studies on relational victimization are uncharted territory in scientific literature, Orpinas said. Much more research is needed to understand why girls are more likely than boys to be targets of relational aggression or to perceive certain acts as aggressive. While the study may call for more scholarship on “mean boys” and why they behave the way they do, Orpinas said, the findings ultimately emphasize a need to include boys and girls equally in programs aimed at reducing relational aggression. “In the end, I think we need to ask how we can focus on increasing the positive interactions among kids rather than the negative ones,” she said, “because the kids that students admire are often the ones who are fun and positive about others.” The article was co-authored by Caroline McNicholas, a doctoral student in the UGA health promotion and behavior department, and Lusine Nahapetyan, an assistant professor of kinesiology and health studies at Southeastern Louisiana University.
UGA Cancer Center
Researchers find potential target for colon cancer treatment By James E. Hataway jhataway@uga.edu
UGA researchers have discovered that a specific sugar molecule plays a major role in the development of colon cancer, opening the doors for the possibility of new therapeutic treatments that may help reduce chances of disease recurrence. In a paper published recently in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the research team demonstrated that the sugar molecule, made by an enzyme known as GnT-V, regulates the development of a particular subset of cancerous cells known as cancer stem cells. Much like normal stem cells that sustain organs and tissues, cancer stem cells can self-renew, and their cellular offspring clump together to form tumors. Conventional treatments like surgery, chemotherapy or radiation may reduce overall tumor size, but if they do not kill the cancer stem cells, the disease is likely
to return, according to Michael Pierce, director of UGA’s Cancer Center. “You can think of it like a colony of ants,” said Pierce, who also is the Mudter Professor in Cancer Research in UGA’s Complex Carbohydrate Research Center and principal investigator for the study. “You can kill the ants in the mound, but if you don’t get the queen, they will come back.” In 2011, an estimated 1.16 million people were living with colon and rectal cancer in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Institute. While death rates have fallen over the past several years, colorectal cancers still claim about 50,000 lives each year. In their experiments, researchers used mice that closely mirror colon cancer disease progression in humans. One set of mice received injections of nonmodified human cancer cells, while a second received cancer cells with increased levels of GnT-V. Mice who received cancer cells that
overexpressed GnT-V were significantly more likely to develop cancer, and tumor growth was considerably accelerated. However, mice that received injections of cancerous cells that had been specially treated to reduce levels of GnT-V not only had greater survival rates, but also developed much less aggressive cancerous tumors. “GnT-V regulates a kind of cellular communication pathway known as Wnt, which controls signals passing from the cell’s surface to its interior,” said Huabei Guo, an assistant research scientist and lead author of the paper. “Our experiments suggest that changes in this pathway are responsible for the changes in size and number of colorectal tumors in our tests.” Their discovery paves the way for new cancer treatment methods specifically designed to inhibit GnT-V, which, when combined with other treatments, may help prevent disease recurrence.
“CDC, Hollywood and the Early Days of AIDS in the U.S.” will be the topic of the next Voices from the Vanguard lecture Jan. 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Chapel. The lecture will feature Harold Jaffe, associate director of science at the Centers for Disease Control. He will give a personal account of the dawn of the AIDS epidemic and share his perspective as a CDC scientist investigating the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Jaffe was a young doctor training to be a disease detective when the first cases of the mysterious new disease showed up in the U.S. He will compare what he saw with what Hollywood captured in the HBO film And the Band Played On. An epidemic intelligence officer at the CDC, Jaffe led the first national case control study to determine risk factors for the disease and the first natural history study of HIV. He served in leadership positions in the CDC’s expanding HIV/AIDS programs and in 2001 became director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention.
Study Abroad Fair to be held Jan. 14
The Office of International Education will hold a spring Study Abroad Fair Jan. 14 from noon to 5 p.m. in the Tate Student Center in the hallway between the atrium and the east lounge. Students interested in studying abroad this summer will have the chance to explore multiple program options and learn about scholarship opportunities. More than 30 UGA faculty-led study abroad programs will represent a variety of academic fields and locations. The fair is an opportunity for students to meet with study abroad advisers, university fellowships advisers, representatives from the Office of Student Financial Aid, faculty who lead programs.
CAES’ ag forecast to be held across state
From new varieties to new technologies and markets, UGA’s team of agricultural economists will provide valuable insights into what the new year will hold for the state’s largest industry during the 2015 Georgia Ag Forecast. The annual seminar series will be held Jan. 14-23 in Gainesville, Cartersville, Bainbridge, Lyons, Tifton and Macon. The UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences organizes and hosts the annual seminar series, and nearly 1,000 businesspeople, producers and community leaders attended their local seminars in 2014.
UGA to host national Blue Key conference
The UGA chapter of Blue Key Honor Society will host the 2015 Blue Key National Leadership Conference on campus Jan. 16-17. Nearly 150 delegates representing more than 20 universities will attend the conference to network, develop leadership skills, serve the community and grow as chapters. The theme is “Serving, I Live. Together, We Thrive.” Conference speakers will include Chris Carr, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development; Jennifer Frum, UGA vice president for public service and outreach; and William Draper, assistant director of annual and special giving at UGA. The conference will feature a service project for Extra Special People Inc., a Watkinsville nonprofit that works with children with developmental disabilities and their families. Participants will make signs for the group’s upcoming Dream to Be Able ML5K and the Big Hearts pageant. There also will be an awards ceremony with awards for exemplary Blue Key member, outstanding chapter, director’s choice, best website, outstanding chapter feature, outstanding advisory and the Blue Key Service Award.
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For a complete listing of events 7 8 5 at the University of Georgia, check the Master Calendar on the Web (calendar.uga.edu/). I
The following events are open to the public, unless otherwise specified. Dates, times and locations may change without advance notice.
UGAGUIDE exhibit
EXHIBITIONS The Nightmare Transported into Art: Odilon Redon’s “St. Anthony.” Through Jan. 25. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662, hazbrown@uga.edu. Emilio Pucci in America. Through Feb. 1. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662, hazbrown@uga.edu. Witness: The Photographs of Billy Howard. Through Feb. 12. Circle Gallery, Jackson Street Building. (See story, below). Not Ready to Make Nice: Guerrilla Girls in the Artworld and Beyond. Through March 1. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662, hazbrown@uga.edu. Creatures in the Garden. Through March 8. The Mountain Laurel Quilt Guild will bring its work for an exhibition. The exhibition includes quilts featuring a variety of creatures embedded in scenes with flowers, trees and natural landscapes. The Life and Work of Alice Fischer, Cultural Pioneer. Through March 8. Boone and George-Ann Knox Gallery II, Georgia Museum of Art. (See story, above right). A Year on the Hill: Work by Jim Fiscus and Chris Bilheimer. Through March 18. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-9078, mlachow@uga.edu.
events
Blood Drive 11 a.m. Grand Hall, Tate Student Center. Hugh Hodgson Faculty Series Hodgson School faculty member Philip Snyder will perform in a concert. $10; $5 with a UGACard. 8 p.m. Ramsey Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. 706-542-4752, musicpr@uga.edu.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 13 Blood Drive 1 p.m. Creswell Hall. Blood Drive 2 p.m. Brumby Residence Hall. Lecture “CDC, Hollywood and the Early Days of AIDS in the U.S.,” Harold Jaffe, associate director of science at the Centers for Disease Control. 5:30 p.m. Chapel. (See Digest, page 3). Performance Swan Lake is one of the most popular and beloved of all classical ballets. The State Ballet Theatre of Russia brings the story to life in its production filled with dancing, lavish sets and costumes. Also to be held Jan. 14 at 8 p.m. $52-$62. 8 p.m. Fine Arts Theatre, Fine Arts Building. 706-542-4400, ugaarts@uga.edu. (See story, right).
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14
“OC” Carlisle Solo Art. Through May 11. Candler Hall.
Blood Drive 10 a.m. Science Library.
Food, Power and Politics: The Story of School Lunch. Through May 15. Russell Library Gallery, special collections libraries.
Study abroad fair This event will be held in the hallway between the atrium and the east lounge of the Tate Student Center. Noon. (See Digest, page 3).
Terra Verte. Through May 31. Jane and Harry Willson Sculpture Garden, Georgia Museum of Art.
MONDAY, JANUARY 12 Workshop Calling on the experiences of veteran First-Year Odyssey faculty as well as Dee Fink’s research on significant learning experiences, participants in this interactive session will examine best practices in how to design and implement a successful FYO course. 10 a.m. North Instructional Plaza Mall, Instructional Plaza. 706-583-0067, tchagood@uga.edu.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 15 Green on the Screen University Housing’s Green on the Screen will present Growing Cities. 7 p.m. Fireside Lounge, Rooker Hall. 706-542-8325, carrie.campbell@uga.edu. Concert The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra presents the ukulele as it’s never been played before, using songs made famous by artists such as Justin Timberlake, Dolly Parton, Elvis and the Beatles. $25-$35. 8 p.m. Hodgson
exhibit
Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. 706-542-4400, ugaarts@uga.edu. (See story, below right).
FRIDAY, JANUARY 16 Gymnastics vs. Missouri. $10, $6 for youth. 7:30 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. 706-542-1231.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 17 Class: Winter Tree Identification In this class, students will learn the basics of identifying trees in the winter by learning about twigs, bark, leaf scars, fruits and tree form. $50. 9 a.m. Classroom 2, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6156, ckeber@uga.edu.
4&5
The Georgia Museum of Art is presenting The Life and Work of Alice Fischer, Cultural Pioneer through March 8. The exhibition features selections of ceramic jewelry and works on paper by the former UGA professor. Born in Vienna to a Jewish family, Alice Fischer (1907-2004) was an artist and designer who immigrated to the U.S. by way of France and Morocco to escape the Nazi regime. Fischer arrived in New York in 1941 and found work in a French silk house, but she soon left her job and began experimenting with ceramics. Her experiments led to the design and handmade production of unique ceramic buttons and jewelry, which she sold throughout the U.S. However, Fischer’s jewelry production diminished when she enrolled in Columbia University’s doctoral program in art history and ceased completely in 1963 when she began teaching. This exhibition serves as an introduction to Fischer’s jewelry and other works of art and includes Fischer’s “History of Fashion” necklace, a particularly intricate work that highlights her skills as a jewelry maker and painter. Other works on view include Fischer’s early watercolors of southern France alongside some of her later drawings and etchings. The exhibition addresses potential influences on Fischer’s work—including the works of Jewish modernist Marc Chagall and Fischer’s interest in early Christian art—as well as issues of identity. “Fischer’s work deserves a larger audience,” said Mary Koon, independent curator. “And the Georgia Museum of Art is honored to have the opportunity to display this tribute to her life and career, especially given the decade she spent teaching here at the Lamar Dodd School of Art.” The exhibition is on view in the Boone and George-Ann Knox Gallery II and is sponsored by the W. Newton Morris Charitable Foundation and the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art.
swan lake
Men’s Basketball vs. Florida. To be televised on CBS. $15. 2 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. 706-542-1231. 2015 Miss University of Georgia Scholarship Pageant Tickets are available at the Tate Student Center cashier window. $15; $10 for UGA students. 7:30 p.m. Fine Arts Auditorium, Fine Arts Building. 706-542-8546, janthony@uga.edu.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 18 Women’s Basketball vs. Vanderbilt. $5; $3 for youth. 2 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum.
MONDAY, JANUARY 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday No classes; offices closed.
Coming up State of the University Address Jan. 21. UGA President Jere W. Morehead will deliver the annual report to the university community. 3:30 p.m. Chapel. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Breakfast Jan. 23. “The Power of the Dream: Justice for All.” Speaker: Ambassador Andrew Young, the former mayor of Atlanta. Also recognition of the President’s Fulfilling the Dream Award recipients. Tickets sold out. 7:30 a.m. Grand Hall, Tate Student Center. sartavia@uga.edu.
The Circle Gallery at the College of Environment and Design is hosting the exhibit Witness: The Photographs of Billy Howard through Feb. 12. The images portrayed in Witness represent people in their environments, their land, their homes, their schools—where they belong. “There are no tricks of placement, just an attempt to represent both the person and his or her surroundings honestly,” said Howard, a documentary photographer, writer and videographer in Atlanta. “In these portraits I have tried to use the person’s environs to add to the viewer’s understanding of the subject.” The Circle Gallery is located in the Jackson Street Building at 285 S. Jackson St.
Calendar items are taken from Columns files and from the university’s Master Calendar, maintained by University Public Affairs. Notices are published here as space permits, with priority given to items of multidisciplinary interest. The Master Calendar is available on the Web at calendar.uga.edu/.
columns.uga.edu Jan. 12, 2015
The UGA Performing Arts Center will present the State Ballet Theatre of Russia in Swan Lake Jan. 13-14 at 8 p.m. in the Fine Arts Theatre. The company of 50 dancers will perform the full-length story ballet, complete with elaborate sets and costumes, accompanied by the timeless music of Tchaikovsky. Tickets for Swan Lake are $52-$62 and are discounted for UGA students. Tickets can be purchased at the UGA Performing Arts Center box office, online at pac.uga.edu or by calling 706-542-4400. One of the world’s most popular ballets, Swan Lake received its premiere on Feb. 20, 1877, at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. It was the first ballet set to the score of a symphonic composer and has endured to become one of Tchaikovsky’s most famous works. Set in four acts, Swan Lake tells the story of Odette, a beautiful princess who has been turned into a swan by the evil sorcerer von Rothbart. Handsome Prince Siegfried loves Odette and tries to save her from the sorcerer’s spell, but is tricked into falling for von Rothbart’s daughter, Odile. Dancing the dual roles of Odette/Odile is considered one of the premier achievements in any ballerina’s career. The State Ballet Theatre of Russia was founded in 2004 under the auspices of the internationally renowned dancer and former prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre Ballet, Maya Plissetskaya. Based in Moscow, where it is known as The New Russian Ballet, the company has performed around the world on tours throughout Europe, Japan, Israel, Morocco, India, Canada and the U.S. The Performing Arts Center will offer a pre-concert lecture 45 minutes prior to each performance of Swan Lake.
The UGA Performing Arts Center will present the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra Jan. 15 at 8 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall. Combining charming Kiwi humor with expert musicality, the WIUO presents the ukulele as it’s never been played before, featuring songs made famous by such diverse artists as Justin Timberlake, Dolly Parton, Elvis, the Beatles, Cyndi Lauper, Prince and Kings of Leon. Tickets for the WIUO performance are $25-$35 and are discounted for UGA students. Tickets can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center, online at pac.uga.edu or by calling the box office at 706-542-4400. The concept for the WIUO began in 2005 in a small Wellington, New Zealand, cafe when musician Age Pryor hatched the idea with his friend Bret McKenzie, one-half of the Grammy-winning duo Flight of the Conchords. Within a few months, a dozen of the city’s most beguiling personalities had gathered to lovingly interpret hit songs from across the musical generations, adding in a healthy dose of comedy. The orchestra’s signature sound features many types of ukuleles, a double bass and a host of voices performing harmonious and hilarious renditions of modern and traditional tunes. Outrageous costumes also are part of the WIUO appeal. The WIUO now has become one of New Zealand’s most popular live acts, touring throughout Australia and the United Kingdom. The band has performed sold-out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Melbourne Comedy Festival and the New Zealand International Comedy Festival where it won the best local act award.
concert
Martin Luther King holiday January 19
To submit a listing for the master calendar and columns Post event information first to the Master Calendar website (calendar.uga.edu/). Listings for Columns are taken from the Master Calendar 12 days before the publication date. Events not posted by then may not be printed in Columns.
Any additional information about the event may be sent directly to Columns. Email is preferred (columns@uga.edu), but materials can be mailed to Columns, News Service, 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 North, Campus Mail 1999.
Next columns deadlines Jan. 14 (for Jan. 26 issue) Jan. 21 (for Feb. 2 issue) Jan. 28 (for Feb. 9 issue)
6 Jan. 12, 2015 columns.uga.edu
Faculty Profile
Liberty County 4-H agent Kasey Bozeman received the 4-H Military Partnerships Award from the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents for her work with military youth in Georgia. The award is a collaborative effort of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, 4-H National Headquarters, U.S. Army Child, Youth and School Services, the U.S. Air Force Child and Youth Programs, and Navy Child and Youth Programs. Each year, the partnership honors an individual or team with the award. Bozeman was recognized for her work with Fort Stewart’s Child, Youth and School Services. She planned and implemented 4-H activities that reached more than 950 military youth, both on and off installations, over the past two years. Bozeman manages all aspects of the Liberty County 4-H program by providing educational programs for youth in monthly 4-H club meetings (in-school, after school and at Fort Stewart), coordinating local activities and preparing youth for project and judging events. In addition to her 4-H duties in Liberty County, Bozeman serves as the Extension coordinator for Long County.
Andrew Park, an associate professor in the Odum School of Ecology and College of Veterinary Medicine, spent his childhood writing computer programs.
George Engelhard Jr., a professor in the College of Education’s educational psychology department, was named to the technical advisory committee for the Dynamic Learning Maps consortium. Based at the University of Kansas, the consortium includes state departments of education George and a team of test developers, Engelhard Jr. researchers and educators who develop systems to assess students with significant cognitive disabilities. These systems create “road maps” that show specific knowledge and foundational skills that help support academics. Engelhard teaches in the department’s quantitative methods program, where he specializes in educational measurement and policy. LeAnne Howe, the Eidson Distinguished Professor in American Literature, received the inaugural MLA Prize for Studies in Native American Literatures, Cultures and Languages from the Modern Language Association of America. The award was presented to Howe, a faculty member in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ English department, for her book Choctalking on Other Realities, Jan. 10 at the organization’s annual meeting in Vancouver. Established in 2014, the prize is awarded for an outstanding scholarly study of Native American literatures, cultures or languages, written by a member of the association. The Modern Language Association of America and its 30,000 members in 100 countries work to strengthen the study and teaching of languages and literature. Founded in 1883, the MLA provides opportunities for its members to share their scholarly findings and teaching experiences with colleagues and to discuss trends in the academy. A book written by Cal M. Logue, Meigs Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies, was honored in 2014 by two independent book publishers. January in Slavery: An Oral Narrative of the South, published in 2013 by CreateSpace, received bronze recognition for creative nonfiction in the eLit Book Awards contest presented by Jenkins Group Inc., a Michigan-based book publishing and marketing services company. The book also tied for bronze in the best Southeast nonfiction category in the Independent Publisher Book Awards. Kudos recognizes special contributions of staff, faculty and administrators in teaching, research and service. News items are limited to election into office of state, regional, national and international societies; major awards and prizes; and similarly notable accomplishments.
Dot Paul
Mind games: Ecologist explores link between biology, mathematics By Beth Gavrilles bethgav@uga.edu
Many ecologists will say that they spent their childhoods exploring fields and forests or splashing through streams—but not Andrew Park. “As a boy I loved writing computer programs,” he said. “I’d hack into games to see how they worked. I noticed they used probability, like rolling dice or tossing coins, and I’d re-create those things.” Today Park, an associate professor in the Odum School of Ecology and the College of Veterinary Medicine’s infectious diseases department, still is creating computer programs. But instead of games, he develops models to explain and predict host-parasite interactions in emerging infectious disease systems. Disease ecology, a rapidly growing field that is a focus at the Odum School, takes a big-picture approach to understanding how, when and where infectious disease outbreaks occur—knowledge that can help public health officials predict, and even try to prevent, future outbreaks. It involves combining information about the ecological context in which diseases emerge with biological data about pathogens and their hosts. Park, who focuses on population-level disease dynamics, was drawn to UGA by the strength and collaborative nature of the infectious disease faculty here, and particularly the opportunity for a joint appointment in the Odum School and the College of Veterinary Medicine. His route to Athens, however, was circuitous. He studied chemistry and math as
an undergraduate. “I had no interest in biology,” he said—that is, until a mathematics lecturer used equations during a demonstration to determine how to deliver insulin to avoid causing diabetic shock. “That was a real eye-opener,” he said. “Mathematics instantly became relevant. It put me on the path to exploring the links between math and biology.” He went on to earn his doctorate at Cambridge University, modeling the spatial spread of a fungal disease in plants. He then took a postdoctoral position in the zoology department there, where he researched influenza. “I received some good advice, which was to find the best people and work with them,” he said. That strategy took him around the world to conduct postdoctoral research with mentors in Canada, Australia, Switzerland and France, before bringing him to Athens in 2008. At UGA, Park had his first experience with teaching—and, despite some initial misgivings, discovered that he enjoyed it. A Lilly Teaching Fellowship helped him develop less traditional teaching techniques, which he now employs in the classroom and lab. “In our lab, we like the peer teaching approach,” he said. “It’s less hierarchical, everyone teaches everyone, and that includes me getting lessons from my students here and there.” He’s also found that working with students enriches his research. “I was initially hesitant about involving undergraduates in research—it’s not the British tradition I grew up with,”
Facts
Andrew Park Associate Professor Odum School of Ecology and College of Veterinary Medicine Ph.D., Biology, Cambridge University, United Kingdom, 2001 M.S., Mathematical Biology, Dundee University, United Kingdom, 1996 B.S., Mathematics and Chemistry, Aston University, United Kingdom, 1994 At UGA: Six years
he said. “But now I’ve published with several of them and some of their work has fed into grant proposals and research collaborations.” That research covers a variety of disease systems. Since arriving at UGA, Park has explored questions such as how mismatched vaccines influence the likelihood of a flu epidemic, how changes in land use affect the spread of hemorrhagic disease in white-tailed deer and how differences in seasonal temperature variations relate to the prevalence of Lyme disease across the U.S. Although the subject matter has changed, Park still is driven by the same curiosity that prompted him to program his own computer games as a 10-year-old. “When I look at infectious diseases, I see them as puzzles that have to be solved,” he said. “And I’ve always enjoyed solving puzzles. To work on something that’s so tangible and relevant is really appealing to me.”
RETIREES
November Eleven UGA employees retired Nov. 1. Retirees, their job classification, department and length of employment are: David W. Cousart, manager, University Golf Course, 28 years, 2 months; William Frank Crumley Jr., associate director, Athletic Association, 23 years, 5 months; Michael Andrew Dollar, public service assistant, UGA Extension-Southeast District, 27 years, 4 months; Alan R. Gingle, senior research scientist, Plant Genome Mapping Lab, 34 years; Judy Gray, research professional I, plant pathology research, 30 years, 9 months; Pamela P. Head, human resources coordinator, University Health Center, 19 years, 4 months; Caroline A. Killens, librarian III, libraries-general operations, 24 years, 4 months; Orville M. Lindstrom Jr., professor, horticulture research (Griffin campus), 28 years;
Linda M. Lowery, accountant, UGA Extension-4-H and Youth, 28 years, 8 months; Diane C. Pritchett, administrative specialist I, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, 25 years; and Donna M. Tucker, research technician III, crop and soil sciences, 23 years, 5 months.
December
Eleven UGA employees retired Dec. 1. Retirees, their job classification, department and length of employment are: Jackie D. Adkins, building services supervisor, Building Services-South Campus, 14 years, 6 months; Jan. T. Baggarly, senior public service associate, UGA Extension-Northwest District, 20 years, 3 months; Virginia Budd Bettress, program coordinator II, Division of Nontraditional Education and Outreach (College of Pharmacy), 10 years, 3 months; Elizabeth
Louise Bray, business manager II, Business Office (College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences), 30 years, 11 months; Susan M. Cabe, building services supervisor, Building ServicesNorth Campus, 24 years; Anton E. Coy, senior agricultural specialist, crop and soil sciences (Coastal Plain Station), 20 years, 8 months; Claudia C. Gallagher, laboratory technician II, Feed and Environmental Water Lab, 10 years, 9 months; Daisy D. Hall, building services worker II, Building Services-North Campus, 16 years, 1 month; Doris J. Porter, program coordinator II, Special Programs (Franklin College of Arts and Sciences), 28 years, 7 months; Roger D. Sinyard, public service assistant, UGA ExtensionSouthwest District, 12 years, 5 months; and Joyce I. Waller, housekeeper, Building Services-President’s House, 26 years, 3 months. Source: Human Resources
2014 fall commencement
columns.uga.edu Jan. 12, 2015
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Peter Frey
Andrew Davis Tucker
Gregory H. Robinson, UGA Foundation Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, was the 2014 fall graduate Commencement speaker.
Lemi Abdolwahb celebrates with family members at the conclusion of the undergraduate Commencement ceremony.
Dorothy Kozlowski
UGA President Jere W. Morehead, right, welcomes to the podium Commencement speaker Roger Hunter, associate director for programs at the NASA Ames Research Center, during the undergraduate ceremony in Stegeman Coliseum on Dec. 19.
Dorothy Kozlowski
Robert Davis Mastin speaks to his fellow graduates at the undergraduate Commencement ceremony.
By Aaron Hale
aahale@uga.edu
The 2,355 eligible graduates for the fall Commencement ceremonies at Stegeman Coliseum Dec. 19 were challenged to make an impact on the world—even if through small gestures. NASA physicist and UGA alumnus Roger Hunter, speaker for the undergraduate Commencement ceremony, drew inspiration from the first men on the moon and from a dedicated high school teacher to demonstrate the ways in which the UGA class of 2014 can make a difference. Hunter, associate director for programs at the NASA Ames Research Center, used a visual aid to drive home his point about leaving a lasting impact. Using the big screen in Stegeman Coliseum, Hunter showed the audience a photo of Neil Armstrong’s footprints still on the surface of the moon more than 40 years after the Apollo 11 mission.
Lasting footprints
Commencement speakers encourage grads to leave their marks on the world “Though many of us are unlikely to walk on the moon, or on Mars, we do walk this planet and we leave footprints in the lives of those we encounter,” Hunter said. And then he asked the graduates, “When you leave here today, what footprints will you leave behind in the lives of others that will make a difference? To whom will you be a hero? Who came before you and was a hero for you, and helped you arrive here today?” For Hunter, who leads the center’s small spacecraft mission and technology development programs as well as the NASA Ames Small Spacecraft Integrated Project Team, one of his heroes was in the audience at the Commencement ceremony. Hunter recognized his high school physics teacher, Tommy Hall, who taught at Moultrie High School for 49 years before he recently retired. Hunter said of his mentor, “He left footprints in my life, and the lives of so many other students.”
weekly reader
Former UGA professor pens poetry book
Citizen: An American Lyric By Claudia Rankine Graywolf Press Paperback: $20
Claudia Rankine’s new book, which was a finalist for the 2014 National Book Award in Poetry, recounts mounting racial aggressions in ongoing encounters in 21st century daily life and in the media. Some of these encounters are slights, seemingly slips of the tongue and some are intentional offensives in the classroom, at the supermarket, at home, on the tennis court with Serena Williams and the soccer field with Zinedine Zidane, online, on TV. Rankine, a former UGA faculty member, reveals the accumulative stresses that come to bear on a person’s ability to speak, perform and stay alive. In essay, image and poetry, Citizen: An American Lyric is a testament to the individual and collective effects of racism in contemporary, often named “post-race,” society.
Graduate Commencement speaker, Gregory H. Robinson, the UGA Foundation Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, also credited teachers for helping to guide him toward his career achievements. Robinson told graduate degree recipients at the afternoon ceremony in Stegeman Coliseum that he worked his way out of poverty to become a UGA professor in part from good parents and from personal hard work, but also thanks to a handful of people who helped guide and encourage him along the way. Robinson credited a chemistry professor at Jacksonville State University, who took an interest in Robinson, for helping guide him toward his chosen field. Another professor at the University of Alabama helped him realize that graduate school was a possibility. Robinson asked graduates to take the time to become a mentor to someone too. “I urge you to take the time to reach out to young people, students or a colleague,” he said. “Within these personal interactions, I
Peter Frey
Carrie Hilliard, a graduate student from Johns Creek who received her master’s in education, celebrates in the streamers after the ceremony.
believe, arise miraculous possibilities.” The student speaker at the undergraduate ceremony was Robert Davis Mastin of Atlanta, who earned dual bachelor’s degrees in finance and marketing. Mastin offered some practical advice to his peers, encouraging them not to get too hung up on their momentous years as UGA students. Instead, he encouraged his classmates to begin working toward their future now by taking risks and carving out concrete goals. “Let’s embrace the next chapter of our lives rather than allow uncertainty to cripple us,” he said. “Let’s make a difference rather than cling on to vague hopes.”
ON THE WEB
To watch the videos or read the full Commencement speeches online, visit http://commencement.uga.edu/history/.
ABOUT COLUMNS
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Editor Juliett Dinkins Art Director Janet Beckley Photo Editor Paul Efland Senior Reporter Aaron Hale
SPIA updates its website
Reporter Matt Chambers
http://spia.uga.edu
The School of Public and International Affairs has updated its website. Featuring a rotating backdrop of large photos of the SPIA community, the revamped site includes a calendar of events, student news, an “In the News”
section as well as profiles of students and faculty members. The website also includes “SPIA in 60 Seconds,” which provides a glimpse into the school for outside constituents or prospective students.
Copy Editor David Bill The University of Georgia is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. The University of Georgia is a unit of the University System of Georgia. I
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CONTRACT from page 1
Lawmakers explore 2015 legislative agenda during Biennial Institute By Roger Nielsen nielsen@uga.edu
Members of the Georgia General Assembly convened at UGA Dec. 7-9 for the 29th Biennial Institute for Georgia Legislators. Coordinated by the university’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, the Biennial Institute helps lawmakers prepare for the next legislative cycle, which begins this year on Jan. 12. More than 200 members of the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate attended presentations at the UGA Hotel and Conference Center covering economic development and other significant issues. The three-day event culminated with an address by Gov. Nathan Deal, who outlined his policy priorities for the coming year. As in past years, the Biennial Institute offered the first opportunity following the elections for veteran and freshman legislators to come together as a group in advance of the legislative session. In his first opportunity to address the newly elected and incumbent legislators, Deal closed the Biennial Institute Dec. 9 with a speech describing how cooperation between the state’s executive and legislative branches helped produce Georgia’s current economic vitality. He also detailed Georgia’s successes regarding criminal justice reform and outlined some specific policy initiatives he hoped the legislature would undertake during the 2015 session. Deal concluded by describing how Georgia has established an international reputation as the best U.S. state to locate
new business and industry. “That is the reputation that precedes us, and that is the reputation I intend to build upon for the next four years,” he said. The Biennial Institute officially came to order Dec. 7 with welcoming remarks from Speaker of the House David Ralston, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, UGA President Jere W. Morehead and Vinson Institute of Government Director Laura Meadows. Christopher W. Klaus, founder and CEO of Kaneva, an Atlanta company that integrates social networking, shared media and collaborative online communities into an immersive 3-D world, delivered the keynote address about Georgia’s digital innovations. Over the subsequent two days, the Biennial Institute sessions explored a diverse set of state priorities, including economic development and job creation, opportunities for growth in Georgia and abroad, and the roles education, transportation and health care play in Georgia’s economic vitality. Legislators attended a number of informative policy sessions featuring panels of state agency executives, legislative committee chairs and experts from universities, nonprofits and businesses. Additional speakers included University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby, UGA political science professor Charles Bullock and Todd Henry, operations manager of Caterpillar Inc. Since its inception in 1958, the Biennial Institute has been coordinated by the Vinson Institute of Government and held at the UGA Hotel and Conference Center, two units in public service and outreach.
Bulletin Board University Woman’s Club
The University Woman’s Club will meet Jan. 13 at 11 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Central Presbyterian Church, 380 Alps Road. Guest speaker for the meeting is Phil Lanoue, superintendent of schools for Clarke County. In his talk, “New Practices for a New Day,” Lanoue will discuss how school leaders need to think differently and take risks if all students are going to achieve at high levels. Topics will include new rules on advanced programs, the use of personalized learning systems, educating healthy children, community partnerships and dynamic standards based on learning environments.
Reduced flu shot prices
The University Health Center has reduced its rates for flu shots offered to UGA students, faculty and staff, their spouses/partners and dependent children 16 years of age and older. The cost is $15 for fees-paid students, $20 for faculty, staff and non-fees paid students. Regular appointments will continue while supplies last. Flu shot appointments for faculty and staff are available Tuesdays through Fridays in the Allergy Travel Clinic by calling 706-542-5575. UGA students can schedule flu shot appointments in their Primary Care Medical Clinic or they can receive a shot during a routine visit. UHC accepts cash, credit card, PayFlex and Bulldog Bucks. A valid UGACard is required. Dependents must be accompanied by a parent or spouse/ partner. UHC will submit insurance claims for students. Faculty and staff will be provided with a statement to file with their private insurance company.
Student employee award
The Career Center is accepting
nominations until Feb. 6 for UGA Student Employee of the Year. Nominations are being accepted from faculty and staff for student employees they supervise. The top 100 student employees will be invited, along with their nominating faculty or staff member, to an awards luncheon on April 22 at the Tate Student Center. One student will be honored as the UGA Student Employee of the Year. Nominate eligible student workers at career.uga.edu/hireuga/seoty.
PayFlex balance
Employees who participated in the 2014 PayFlex plan have until March 15 to incur expenses and avoid losing the balance of any funds in their account. Reimbursements for 2014 must be filed by March 31, unless those employees have a health savings account for 2015. The University Health Center accepts PayFlex and will file insurance for faculty and staff who want to use any of its facilities, which include a pharmacy and dental, vision and travel clinics. The vision clinic is now in-network with EyeMed, the UGA vision plan. A full-service facility, the vision clinic offers services from evaluations for Lasik eye surgery to the UGA Shade Shack. More information on the services offered is at http://www.uhs.uga.edu. To make an appointment at any of the clinics, call 706-542-1162.
Undergraduate research award deadlines
The UGA Libraries is accepting materials for its Undergraduate Research Awards. Now in its eighth year, the program will present seven cash prizes totaling $2,000 to students who demonstrate distinction in research
employs 28 people on four continents. EuPathDB jointly is directed by principal investigators David S. Roos, the E. Otis Kendall Professor of Biology in Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences, and Jessica C. Kissinger, a professor of genetics and director of the UGA Institute of Bioinformatics. Christian Stoeckert of Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine is a co-investigator. One of four pathogen bioinformatics resource centers supported by the National Institutes of Health, EuPathDB is responsible for disease-causing eukaryotes, which are organisms that possess a membranebound nucleus. Other centers support data on viruses, bacteria and insect vectors of disease. “This database has expedited research in many ways,” said Kissinger, who also is a member of the UGA Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases. “Vaccine scientists frequently want to examine how proteins have changed over time to identify those with signatures indicating that they provoke the human immune system. Those studying a specific antigen may wish to examine its structure and diversity in order to prioritize those regions that might be most promising and relatively unlikely to develop resistance.”
Since its prototype was launched in 1999, the EuPathDB family of databases has become increasingly complex and increasingly valuable as a resource for researchers around the world. In total, the databases comprise about 9 terabytes of data and have been cited more than 8,000 times in the scientific literature. “The costs and time required for genome sequencing have plummeted in the past 10 years thanks to advances in technology,” Kissinger said. “Organizing this data, maintaining it in a way that is accessible and easy to use for researchers around the world, 24 hours a day, is our great challenge—and one that presents exciting opportunities for funders and other philanthropic organizations that support pathogen research.” The latest contract is the third time that NIH has awarded support to EuPathDB, building on previous contracts issued in 2004 and 2009 as well as prior grant funding from the NIH and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Affiliated projects also have been supported by the Wellcome Trust, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Sloan Foundation, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Brazilian government and other organizations.
PANEL from page 1 these actors have to navigate through legal and public health governance systems at both the international and domestic levels,” Khan said. With experts in international public health law, domestic public health law and global public health policy, the panel will address what authority the federal government has to detain, isolate and/or quarantine individuals with Ebola; consent and privacy issues for Ebola patients undergoing treatment; travel restrictions for people leaving West Africa and the sealing of borders for countries with an Ebola epidemic; the rollout
of experimental drugs being developed in the U.S. to Africa; and the significance of Ebola being identified as a threat to international peace and security by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2177. The panelists will include Matthew Penn, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Public Health Law Program; Polly J. Price, a professor of law at Emory University; and Phaedra S. Corso, the UGA Foundation Professor of Human Health in the College of Public Health. For more information, contact Laura Tate Kagel at lkagel@uga.edu.
LECTURE and academic inquiry. It is open to all undergraduate students. Deadlines for the 2015 awards are: completion of research conference, March 13; submission of essay and other application materials, March 20. Winners will be announced March 31 during the annual CURO symposium. To apply, students will meet with a librarian for a one-on-one research conference and submit a three- to fourpage paper describing their research process, sources used and any special discoveries they made while preparing their project. UGA librarians and other faculty will judge the essays. Winners will be selected based on the students’ demonstration of sophistication in the use of library collections, ability to synthesize library resources into an original project and evidence of significant personal learning and development.
Email policy change
The system that lets employees directly receive official university emails at non-UGA email accounts will end Jan. 16. However, faculty and staff may continue to forward email to a thirdparty address, such as Gmail or Yahoo. By implementing this change, the email policy for employees will be similar to students, which also specifies that official communications only will be sent to UGAMail addresses. All employees are provided a UGAMail account. Almost all units use UGAMail as their departmental email provider. EITS will provide additional communications to those units that are not using UGAMail. For more information, contact Russell Hatfield at hatfield@uga.edu. Bulletin Board is limited to information that may pertain to a majority of faculty and staff members.
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the corporation to work in Fulton County. A seasoned litigator with more than 30 years of experience, Hatchett recently created the Hatchett Firm, which specializes in risk and crisis management as well as innovative and effective closing and settlement strategies. The firm engages a national network of attorneys to handle complex civil litigation. She also serves as a consultant adviser to corporations as they communicate with the media during crisis situations. Hatchett sits on the Atlanta Falcons’ Board of Advisors, a position she has held since 2004, and is a consultant to the National Basketball Association on legal and social issues. She has served on the boards of three Fortune 500 companies—the Hospital Corporation of America Inc., Gap Inc. and ServiceMaster Co. She continues a commitment to community development through service on the boards of nonprofit organizations including the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Play Pumps International, the Afterschool Alliance and the Women’s Resource Center at Spelman College. Hatchett is the national spokesperson for CASA—Court Appointed Special Advocates—a nonprofit organization that trains volunteers to represent abused and neglected children, and its President’s Award is among her many accolades. Her other awards include the Roscoe Pound Award for outstanding work in criminal justice and the NAACP’s Thurgood Marshall Award. Hatchett has been recognized as one of the “100 Best and Brightest Women in Corporate America” by Ebony magazine. Hatchett is the author of the national best-selling books Dare to Take Charge and Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say. The Holmes-Hunter Lecture honors Charlayne Hunter-Gault and the late Hamilton Holmes, who in 1961 became the first African-American students to enroll at UGA. Held annually since 1985, it focuses on race relations, social justice and education with implications for inclusion and diversity. One of UGA’s Signature Lectures for 2014-2015, the lecture is sponsored by the Office of the President.