UGA Columns March 2, 2015

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Alumni Association unveils Bulldog 100 rankings; Kabbage Inc. tops list CAMPUS NEWS

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Performing Arts Center to present Celtic fiddlers duo March 5 at 8 p.m.

March 2, 2015

Vol. 42, No. 27

www.columns.uga.edu

4&5

LACSI to use $1.9M grant for fellowships, furthering initiatives

By Jessica Luton jluton@uga.edu

Malcolm Adams

UGA GUIDE

Mark Harrison

Erica Hashimoto

Cynthia Ward

‘Enduring commitment’ Four faculty members receive 2015 Meigs Professorships for teaching excellence

By Camie Williams camiew@uga.edu

Four UGA faculty members have been named Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professors, the university’s highest recognition for excellence in instruction at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

In bestowing the Meigs Professorship, the university communicates its commitment to excellence in teaching, the value placed on the learning experiences of students and the centrality of instruction to the university’s mission. Meigs Professors receive a permanent salary increase of $6,000 and a one-year discretionary fund of $1,000. The award is sponsored by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

“Our Meigs Professors demonstrate an enduring commitment to the success of their students,” said

Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.

“Their reputation for excellence in instruction extends well beyond our campus, and their impact on the lives and career trajectories of students and alumni is incalculable.”

The 2015 Meigs Professors are: • Malcolm Adams, a professor of mathematics and department head in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; • Mark Harrison, a professor of food science and technology and graduate coordinator in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; • Erica Hashimoto, the Allen Post Professor of Law in the School of Law; and • Cynthia Ward, a professor of small animal internal medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Adams has helped transform the mathematics curriculum at UGA.

He crafted transitional courses to introduce higher-level mathematics to students, incorporated applied mathematics in the undergraduate curriculum and spearheaded the modernization of the department’s offerings in differential equations.

His efforts touch lives across campus from freshmen to graduate students in mathematics as well as students and faculty in other programs such as statistics, computer science and engineering. He also has played a key role in adapting curriculum to meet changing state and national mathematics education policies. Adams is described by colleagues as a patient teacher who anticipates the difficulties in higher-level math courses and gives students the skills to develop into mathematicians.

One former student wrote in a nomination letter, “Dr. Adams has See MEIGS on page 8

OFFICE OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

UGA Miracle’s Dance Marathon raises record $683,251 for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

By Stan Jackson ugastan@uga.edu

During a 24-hour stretch from Feb. 21-22, more than 1,000 participants filled Grand Hall at the Tate Student Center to dance, play on inflatable obstacle courses, sing “Glory, Glory” and raise a recordsetting $683,251.15 to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Dance Marathon, now a touchstone in the on-campus experience of many UGA students, has served as the annual culminating fundraising event for the studentrun philanthropic organization UGA Miracle for two decades.

During the event, students give up an entire day in a symbolic gesture in support of children combating illness in hospitals.

Over the course of 24 hours, the students, joined by current and former Children’s Healthcare patients, have a marathon dance session that includes live music, talent shows and special messages

UGA’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies Institute received a $1.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, positioning it as a National Resource Center for Latin American Studies.

Over the next four years, LACSI will use the grant to offer student fellowships and facilitate further education, outreach and research initiatives in Georgia and across the U.S. Since LACSI was established as an institute in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences in 2006, extramural funding has allowed its affiliated faculty to launch and administer initiatives that promote Latin American culture and language in several areas. These include a focus on the arts; language exchange; creation of K-12

educational materials; education in sustainable agricultural practices; establishment of the Latin American Botanical GarRichard Gordon den on UGA’s North Campus; promotion of science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in Latin America; preservation and teaching of indigenous languages; and support of organizations and individuals serving Georgia’s fast-growing Latino and Hispanic communities.

One of LACSI’s initiatives also houses the Portuguese Flagship Program, which is funded through the National Security Education Program.

See GRANT on page 8

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH

UGA’s Thinc. Week to bring inspiration for entrepreneurs

By Terry Marie Hastings thasting@uga.edu

Thinc. Entrepreneurial Week, March 23-27, once again will bring an array of innovators to UGA to stimulate entrepreneurial thinking.

This is the third year that Thinc. has sponsored a weeklong celebration of entrepreneurship with events organized by the university’s colleges and programs as well as community organizations.

Throughout the week, workshops, panel discussions, competitions and networking events promise to engage, inspire and build the confidence to take ideas from concept to reality.

“Nurturing the next generation

of leaders and innovators is an important mission of the university,” said Vice President for Research David Lee. “Thinc. provides opportunities for students, faculty and staff to connect with innovators who have seen possibilities, followed their passion and taken the plunge into the exciting world of entrepreneurship.”

New this year is a Georgia Funder campaign to raise funds for Thinc. Starter Grants of $1,000 that will help students develop their entrepreneurial skills and ideas. Grants in amounts determined by available funding will be awarded for ideas that are impact-driven, scalable and address an important societal need.

See ENTREPRENEURS on page 8

FRANKLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

African novelist to deliver 2015 Darl Snyder Lecture

By Akinloye Ojo

akinloye@uga.edu

UGA Dance Marathon raised $683,251.15 to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta this year.

from the families whose lives they impact with their support.

“The University of Georgia is incredibly proud of these students,” said Victor K. Wilson, vice

president for student affairs. “Our students do so much to support the university and local communities, and we appreciate their impressive

See MARATHON on page 2

African novelist Amadou Koné will give the 2015 Darl Snyder Lecture March 3 at 10 a.m. in Masters Hall of the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. Presented by the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ African Studies Institute, the lecture is open free to the public.

Koné, who has been a professor of French at Georgetown University since 1997, will give a lecture

titled “Questioning the African Quest for Identity.”

“Professor Koné is a prolific novelist and playwright who wrote his first Amadou Koné novel when he was still in high school,” said Karim Traore, an associate professor in

See LECTURE on page 8

2 March 2, 2015 columns.uga.edu

OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

Around academe

Study: Faculty members open to new courseware, other innovations

A study conducted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation found postsecondary faculty members are open to using courseware and other innovations to improve their students’ success.

The study was commissioned through FTI Consulting, which gathered data from over 4,000 higher education faculty members to better understand what influences their willingness to learn about new education innovations, incorporate new ideas in their work and share new ideas with peers.

More than 40 percent of the faculty reported already having adopted or a readiness to adopt new techniques that benefit students.

U. of Phoenix, Thurgood Marshall College Fund form partnership

The University of Phoenix has partnered with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund—a major fundraising and membership organization that supports black colleges to improve graduation rates and increase enrollment.

The partnership aims to help students at historically black colleges complete their degree on time and give them access to technology, such as online courses.

The University of Phoenix is in the process of working on an agreement to offer some of its courses free to students at any of the nation’s 104 historically black colleges.

For every student who signs up, the university has agreed to make a donation to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund for future scholarships.

Make sure tablets and educational apps are appropriate for children

News to Use

The introduction of touchscreen tablets into the marketplace represents a technological “game changer” for children, according to a UGA human development specialist.

“The iPad and other tablets are logical; I touch this and something happens,” said Diane Bales, an associate professor in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences and a UGA Extension specialist. “You’re seeing the connection between the action, and the interface is so easy.”

The challenge for parents can be managing their child’s use of the device.

“It can be misused,” Bales said. “There are a lot of apps and programs marketed to children that are not very appropriate in terms of being child-directed that aren’t building any deep knowledge. One recommendation is to simply screen what you give to kids. Don’t just download (an app) because somebody said it was cool. Play it yourself first to see if it’s appropriate.”

Here are a few other tips from Bales: • Be vigilant. Most tablets have ways to limit what children can see, which can be useful.

• The tablet is not a “babysitter,” so get involved with your child during tablet time.

• Don’t blindly trust a manufacturer’s claim that an app is educational.

• Provide structure and consider time limits.

For parents who want more information, Bales suggests they check out the “Selecting Apps to Support Children’s Learning” link at http://tinyurl.com/of8gukl.

Source: UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Healthy ranking

UGA ranked No. 8 on a list of the best colleges and universities to major in health and physical fitness: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

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Michigan Massachusetts Amherst San Francisco Wake Forest Virginia James Madison Illinois at Urbana-Champaign UGA Delaware Texas at Austin

Source: College Factual

Terence Centner

Christy Desmet

Mark Eiteman

Vanessa Ezenwa

University named among the top 5 producers of Fulbright US scholars

By Martina Kloss martina@uga.edu

UGA is listed among the top five research institutions producing the most 2014-2015 Fulbright U.S. scholars. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced the top-producing institutions in all classifications in the Feb. 12 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education, where UGA tied for a fifth-place ranking.

Five scholars from UGA were awarded the Core Fulbright Scholar Award for 2014-2015. The Core Fulbright Program provides teaching and research grants to U.S. faculty and experienced professionals in more than 125 countries. The length of the program varies between two

and 12 months.

Faculty members and the countries they are visiting are Terence Centner, a professor in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (United Kingdom); Christy Desmet, a professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences (South Korea); Mark Eiteman, a professor in the College of Engineering (India); Vanessa Ezenwa, an associate professor in the Odum School of Ecology and College of Veterinary Medicine (France); and Christine Franklin, senior lecturer in the Franklin College (New Zealand).

In addition, Jane Gatewood, former UGA director of International Partnerships, received a Fulbright International Education Administrators Program Award to conduct research in India.

UGA-GRIFFIN

Committee named to seek director

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 assistant provost and campus director at UGA-Griffin.

Russell Mumper, vice provost for academic affairs, will chair the search committee, which includes faculty, staff, student and alumni representatives.

Additional search committee members are Jennifer Cannon, an associate professor in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Center for Food Safety; Kathleen Chumbley, president of the UGA-Griffin Student Advisory Council and a fourth-year student majoring in general business.; L. Steven Dempsey, associate vice president for public service and outreach; Kisha Faulk, Family and Consumer Sciences program development coordinator for UGA Extension; Sheldon Hammond, Northwest District extension director for UGA Extension; Yen-Con Hung, a professor of food science and technology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Chrystal McDowell, assistant director of student affairs at UGA-Griffin; Robyn Ovrick, a lecturer in the College of Education’s mathematics and science education department; Daniel Suiter, a professor of entomology in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences;

and Judson H. Turner, director of the Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and a UGA alumnus.

The assistant provost and campus director of UGA-Griffin will oversee all research, extension and instructional programs at UGA-Griffin. This new position will be the senior most administrator at UGA-Griffin. The assistant provost and campus director will report dually to the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost to support instructional missions and to the dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to support the research and extension missions of the college. The position also will coordinate UGAGriffin’s interaction and partnerships with community and business leaders.

Located 40 miles south of Atlanta, the UGA-Griffin campus was established in 1888 as the Georgia Experiment Station. It houses extension services for the people of Georgia as well as internationally recognized research programs. In 2005, it launched academic programs to offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Undergraduate degree-completion programs as well as graduate degrees at UGA-Griffin are offered through UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, College of Education, College of Family and Consumer Sciences, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and Terry College of Business.

MARATHON from page 1

Janet Beckley

Christine Franklin

efforts to make such a positive impact.”

For this year’s event, student leaders set a goal to raise $610,000, a nearly 20 percent increase over 2014’s record-setting total of $507,203. For the reveal, children lined up across the stage, each holding a large square card with a number written on the back. The entire room’s focus was on the stage as each child held his or her number up.

When the last child on the left held the six high in the air, the entire room burst into cheers and tears—they had

surpassed their goal by more than 12 percent.

“I’m going to let you guys in on a little secret,” said Ryan Garrahan, executive director of UGA Miracle.

“That first number didn’t change to a five until Friday. The people in this room raised more than $100,000 in the past day.”

Other student organizations got in on the act as well. Members of the Greek organization Phi Mu raised nearly $144,000 themselves.

“The fact that UGA has been regularly appearing on the list of top producers of Fulbright scholars in recent years reflects the growing international engagement of our faculty,” said Kavita Pandit, associate provost for international education. “It also advances UGA’s international reputation as a top research university.”

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 360,000 participants with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. More than 1,100 U.S. college and university faculty and administrators, professionals, artists, journalists, scientists, lawyers and independent scholars are awarded Fulbright grants to teach and/or conduct research annually.

CCRC symposium to focus on advances in glycoscience

By James Hataway jhataway@uga.edu

Scientists from around the world will gather at UGA’s Complex Carbohydrate Research Center April 28 to discuss the future of glycoscience and emerging technologies that may speed the development of new treatments for a variety of debilitating diseases.

This is the ninth year that CCRC has held the Georgia Glycoscience Symposium, where scientists present cutting-edge carbohydrate research.

The deadline for registration is April 1.

Complex carbohydrates or glycans are one of the four classes of macromolecules of life that are involved in essentially all physiological or pathological processes.

The CCRC is one of only a very few centers worldwide dedicated to the study of complex carbohydrates, which play critical roles in cellular communication, gene expression, immunology, organism defense mechanisms, growth and development.

“The ninth Georgia Glycoscience Symposium will bring together a stellar group of world renown speakers who will discuss the multidisciplinary nature of glycoscience emphasizing the use and integration of both biological and chemical methods for this research,” said Alan Darvill, Regents Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Plant Biology and director of the CCRC. The one-day symposium will be split into four independent sessions chaired by UGA faculty and featuring researchers from a variety of universities and research centers, including Emory University, the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Scripps Research Institute, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the University of California, Los Angeles.

For more information and to r egister for the symposium, see ­ ­glycomics.ccrc.uga.edu/symposium.

RESEARCH NEWS

columns.uga.edu March 2, 2015

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Digest College of Veterinary Medicine to host veterinary conference, alumni weekend

Peter Frey

Scott Merkle, associate dean of research in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, was lead author in an effort to successfully cryogenically freeze germplasm from hemlock trees being wiped out across the eastern U.S.

Deep freeze

UGA researchers unlock new way to clone pest-fighting hemlock trees

By Sandi Martin

smartin@warnell.uga.edu

For the first time, UGA researchers successfully have cryogenically frozen germplasm from hemlock trees being wiped out across the eastern U.S. by an invasive insect, hemlock woolly adelgid.

The researchers also have unlocked a new way to clone the few hemlock trees apparently fighting off the insect, which may lead to a solution for the pest.

In a new paper published in TreesStructure and Function, researchers in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources outline how they were able to generate hemlock tissue cultures, cryogenically store them and then grow plants from the cultures after thawing them several months later—the first to successfully do so.

As part of their efforts to freeze the germplasm, they also developed a method that will allow them to clone hemlocks, particularly important as they seek to propagate trees naturally resistant to hemlock woolly adelgids, which have destroyed millions of hemlocks in 18 states since they accidentally were introduced into the eastern U.S. There are only two native hemlock species in the eastern U.S.—eastern and Carolina—and both are in terrible danger from an insect that first appeared in Virginia in the 1950s. The hemlock woolly

adelgid, a pest native to East Asia, kills hemlocks possibly by injecting a toxin into the trees while feeding on sap. It has spread from Virginia and virtually exploded in the Appalachians, said Warnell professor Scott Merkle.

“It looks like a bomb went off where there were once pure hemlocks,” Merkle said. “It’s just dead trees because there doesn’t seem to be much natural resistance.”

Merkle, who is also Warnell’s associate dean of research, was lead author on the paper and worked with Warnell researchers Paul Montello, Hannah Reece and Lisheng Kong.

Woolly adelgids could kill most of the hemlocks in the Appalachian region in a matter of years if the insect remains unchecked, according to a 2009 study by the U.S. Forest Service. Unfortunately, researchers are not yet sure how the insect is killing hemlocks.

A number of researchers are studying ways to fight the infestation. Merkle is looking at ways to not only introduce natural resistance to newly planted hemlocks, but also to successfully store hemlock germplasm cryogenically to conserve it in case a solution isn’t found before they are wiped out.

Merkle and his research team took a different approach to standard storage methods: Using seeds from surviving hemlocks collected by cooperators at the

Alliance for Saving Threatened Forests and North Carolina State University, they created in vitro cultures of a number of eastern and Carolina hemlocks that they then froze in liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees Celsius—something no one else had done successfully. The researchers cryofroze several samples from different hemlock lines from around the Southeast for several months, then thawed them out, allowed them to regrow and began to produce trees from them. Of the five hemlock lines they tested, all samples of three Carolina lines and one eastern hemlock line regrew after coming out of cryostorage.

Merkle said the ability to cryostore and recover hemlock cultures, followed by production of new trees from them, provides a practical approach for storing the germplasm of a large number of trees indefinitely, so that the species can be repopulated once a system to deal with the adelgid is in place.

Being able to grow them after they’re thawed won’t make them resistant to the woolly adelgid, Merkle said, but it does mean that if need be, researchers might be able to save samples of the hemlocks from extinction.These cultures also allow the researchers to assist with testing other methods of introducing resistance to the insect, including trying to create clones of hybrids with Asian hemlocks that do have a natural resistance to the woolly adelgids.

FRANKLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Research suggests severe weather will continue, be more variable

By Jessica Luton jluton@uga.edu

More tornadoes will be commonplace by 2080 as a result of a changing climate, according to a new study from UGA geography researchers.

They used climate models to examine severe weather patterns in the past—tornadoes, large hail and damaging wind—and how these patterns might change in the coming years.

Researchers found that if humans continue to emit carbon into the atmosphere, more severe weather can be expected, specifically by the end of the 21st century. Severe weather seasons are likely to be more variable, according to the study published in the journal Climatic Change.

Victor Gensini, who was a UGA

doctoral student at the time of the study, worked with Thomas Mote, head of the UGA geography department, to look at weather patterns more closely using a technique called downscaling.

This technique produces very high-resolution model data about tornado events from large-scale climate model data. Researchers compared tornado activity from 1980-1990 to project tornado activity for 2080-2090. These models give researchers more detail about the occurrence of particular weather event patterns like the rates of tornadoes.

“This is the first study of its kind, but several other studies using other methodologies have come to similar conclusions,” said Gensini, who is now an assistant professor in the

College of DuPage’s meteorology department. “This particular study is unique because it gives us the first idea of how severe weather might change on the local storm scale.

“Most of the research surrounding severe weather and climate change cannot directly examine what will happen at the tornado scale because the grid spacing inside of climate models is too coarse to resolve such features,” he said.

“From these downscaling simulations, we were able to find that severe weather is likely to happen more often in the next 60 years.”

The findings suggest the severe weather season is likely to be more variable, leading to years with large tornado counts and some years with very few tornadoes. The season is expected to peak earlier, in March instead of May.

The UGA College of Veterinary Medicine will host its 52nd annual Veterinary Conference and Alumni Weekend March 27-28 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.

College alumni, veterinarians and veterinary technicians interested in receiving continuing education credits are invited to attend. In addition, honors will be awarded to distinguished alumni who have led accomplished careers in veterinary medicine.

This year’s keynote speaker is Hayley Murphy, director of veterinary services for Zoo Atlanta.

Murphy will discuss the Great Ape Heart Project, a multi-institutional effort aimed at investigating, diagnosing and treating cardiac disease in apes living in zoological settings.

Other presentations will be given by Cynthia Ward, a professor of small animal internal medicine and the chief medical officer for small animal services at the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital; Ray Kaplan, a professor of infectious diseases in the college; Andrew Bugbee, a clinical assistant professor of internal medicine in the college; and Cheryl Greenacre, an associate professor of avian and zoological medicine with the University of Tennessee’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Information about the speakers, hotel, sessions and online registration are at vet.uga.edu/reunion/.

Georgia Museum of Art receives College Art Association’s Barr Award

The Georgia Museum of Art at UGA received the College Art Association’s Alfred H. Barr Jr. Award for Smaller Museums, Libraries, Collections and Exhibitions for its exhibition catalog Cercle et Carré and the International Spirit of Abstract Art. The association recognized honorees formally Feb. 11 at the convocation of its 103rd annual conference in New York.

Lynn Boland, the museum’s Pierre Daura Curator of European Art, who organized the exhibition and served as the project leader on the catalog as well as writing its primary essay, attended the conference and accepted the award. Both the exhibition and the catalog focused on Cercle et Carré (Circle and Square), an international group of abstract artists organized by Pierre Daura, Michel Seuphor and Joaquín Torres-García in 1929.

Former UGA swimmer recognized with NCAA Today’s Top 10 Award

Former UGA swimmer Shannon Vreeland received an NCAA Today’s Top 10 Award, which recognizes student-athletes for their successes in academics and athletics and in the community. She was presented the award Jan. 17 at the Honors Celebration, which was part of the NCAA convention.

Vreeland was joined at the ceremony by family members as well as UGA President Jere W. Morehead; Greg McGarity, the J. Reid Parker director of athletics; head swimming and diving coach Jack Bauerle; and Carla Williams, executive associate athletic director and senior woman administrator.

Vreeland helped the women’s swim team win its second straight NCAA title—and fifth consecutive SEC championship—last season. A 19-time AllAmerican, Vreeland swam on four NCAA-winning relays during her career; she also earned two individual and five relay titles during her career at the SECs. Vreeland helped the 800-yard freestyle relay squad set the American record, while the 400- and 800-yard freestyle relays eclipsed the U.S. Open and NCAA marks.

Vreeland has enjoyed international success as well. She won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics and claimed a gold at the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships, three golds at the 2013 World Championships and a gold at the 2012 Short Course World Championships.

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4 March 2, 2015 columns.uga.edu

DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS

SBDC clients recognized on 2015 Bulldog 100 list

By Maegan Snyder mrudd@uga.edu

Of the 100 fastest-growing businesses recognized by the UGA Alumni Association this year, 21 have received assistance from the UGA Small Business Development Center, a unit of the Office of Public Service and Outreach.

“Business owners like those in the Bulldog 100 think strategically and plan for growth,” said SBDC Director Allan Adams. “The SBDC provides ongoing educational resources to help business owners like these enhance their chances for success.”

The center’s client Liberty Technology, owned

by Ben Johnson and located in Griffin, has been recognized as part of the Bulldog 100 since 2013. The company also was ranked in 2013 and 2014 on the INC 5000, a program that recognizes the fastest-growing private companies in America. Johnson initially came to the SBDC in 2010 to attend a FastTrac—now Ben Johnson GrowSmart—class, and has worked with consultant Alisa Kirk since.

“Ben is never content for his operations to stay the way they are,” Kirk said. “He’s always looking for ways to improve and expand. Of course he’s managed to not only survive, but to flourish.”

Since receiving SBDC assistance, Liberty Technology has grown from nine employees to 24 and provides a full spectrum of information technology outsourcing services to more than 70 clients around the world.

Pawtropolis, a pet boarding facility and training facility located in Athens, and an SBDC client since 2002, also was recognized on this year’s list. More than 12 years ago, SBDC consultant Carol McDonell assisted Pawtropolis owner Amanda Crook in developing an initial business plan.

“I thought I was doing great... but it was a joke,” Crook said.

“I knew what I wanted, but (McDonell) helped me get to the concrete numbers that would make my dreams a reality. We put the plan down on paper and showed the bank that this was going to be a reliable business.”

With McDonell’s help, Crook Amanda Crook acquired a $1 million small business loan to purchase land and build the first Pawtropolis. In just five years, Crook had 25 employees and the facility was filled to capacity on a regular basis. In 2012, Crook again turned to the SBDC to attend the GrowSmart program in Athens. McDonell helped her create projections for a $2.2 million loan that Crook used to build a larger, second Pawtropolis facility.

“Many people think we only help businesses at startup, but most of the businesses we work with are existing,” McDonell said. “We help when they are in the process of expanding and growing.”

Part of UGA’s mission, as a land- and sea-grant institution, is to help Georgia grow and prosper. The SBDC and other units in the Office of Public Service and Outreach work with communities throughout the state to help create jobs, develop leaders and address critical challenges.

Other SBDC clients recognized on this year’s list include White Oak Farms in Early County and Infinity Network based in Macon.

The UGA Alumni Association recognized the 100 fastest-growing companies owned or operated by UGA alumni during the sixth annual Bulldog 100 Celebration Feb. 7 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

Top business Dawgs Alumni Association unveils 2015 Bulldog 100 rankings; Kabbage Inc. tops list

By Elizabeth Elmore eelmore@uga.edu

The UGA Alumni Association recognized the 100 fastest-growing companies owned or operated by UGA alumni during the sixth annual Bulldog 100 Celebration Feb. 7 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

The 2015 fastest-growing business was Kabbage Inc., an Atlanta-based firm co-founded by 1995 UGA graduate Marc Gorlin. Kabbage pioneered the first financial services data and technology platform to provide small businesses with financing. The company uses data, such as shipping history, business volume and social media activity, to extend short-term cash advances to small- and medium-size businesses online.

Since Kabbage was founded in 2009, it has raised more than $100 million in venture capital. It offers more than $3 million in loans each day, employs more than 80 individuals and serves more than 20,000 customers.

Gorlin is the first Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication graduate to lead the fastest-growing business since the Bulldog 100 program began in 2010.

The Atlanta office of Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors partnered with the UGA Alumni Association to review nominated businesses’ financial records to determine the ranked list.

Nominations for the Bulldog 100

The 2015 Bulldog 100 top 10 was dominated by Georgia-based businesses:

1. Kabbage Inc., Atlanta 2. Onward Reserve, Atlanta 3. Kevin Aycock Homes, Atlanta 4. The Ansley Group, Atlanta 5. Agora, Athens 6. Palmer & Cay LLC, Atlanta 7. EvoShield, Athens 8. One Love Organics Inc., St. Simons Island 9. Social Empowerment Center, Lawrenceville 10. Networked Insights, Chicago were accepted between January and May 2014. To be considered for the list, each organization must have been in business for at least five years, experienced revenues in excess of $100,000 for the calendar year 2011 and be owned or operated by a former UGA student who owns at least 50 percent of the company or be the CEO, president or managing partner. The Bulldog 100 recognizes the fastest-growing businesses regardless of size by focusing on a three-year compounded annual growth rate.

More than 450 nominations were received for the 2015 Bulldog 100.

The class includes companies of all sizes, providing services and products in a variety of industries, including

2015 40 Under 40

Wingate Downs

Meredith Gurley Johnson, UGA executive director of alumni relations, and Tim Keadle, UGA Alumni Association board of directors president, congratulate Marc Gorlin, center, co-founder of Kabbage Inc., which topped the 2015 Bulldog 100.

The UGA Alumni Association now is accepting nominations for the 2015 40 Under 40, an initiative that recognizes and celebrates UGA’s outstanding young alumni.

Nominations will be accepted until April 10 and must be submitted by someone other than the nominee.

Each nominee must have earned a graduate or undergraduate degree from UGA and be under the age of 40 as of Sept. 1, 2015. Members of the 40 Under 40 Class of 2015 will be notified of their selection in July, and the 2015 40 Under 40 Awards Luncheon will take place Sept. 10 in Atlanta. For more information, visit www.alumni.uga.edu/40u40.

dentistry, law, IT, consulting, retail and pest control. Companies as far west as Texas and as far northeast as Pennsylvania, made the list this year. The average compounded annual growth rate for this year’s Bulldog 100 businesses was 47.66 percent.

The 100 businesses and the 146 alumni who lead them were recognized by the UGA Alumni Association at the event. The evening began with an optional roundtable discussion session with Bulldog 100 business owners, followed by a reception, dinner and keynote address given by 1981 UGA graduate Hala Moddelmog, president and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

“The strength of the businesses on this year’s Bulldog 100 list illustrates the quality of a University of Georgia education,” said Meredith Gurley Johnson, UGA executive director of alumni relations. “The university prides itself on preparing the state and country’s future business leaders and the alumni who own these businesses are the result of that focus on serving the state, nation and world.”

ON THE WEB

To view the complete list of the 2015 Bulldog 100 businesses, photos from the event or nominate a business for 2016, visit www.alumni.uga.edu/b100.

Nominations will be accepted through June 1.

2016 Bulldog 100

The UGA Alumni Association is seeking nominations for the 2016 Bulldog 100, a program that spotlights the 100 fastest-growing companies owned or operated by UGA alumni.

Nominations for the 2016 class will be accepted until June 1.

To be considered for the Bulldog 100, the company must have been in business since 2011 and have verifiable revenues of $100,000 or more for the calendar year 2012.

Visit www.alumni.uga.edu/b100. for information about nominating a business and more information about the Bulldog 100 program.

UGAGUIDE

columns.uga.edu March 2, 2015

For a complete listing of events, check the Master Calendar on the Web (calendar.uga.edu/­).

5

The following events are open to the public, unless otherwise specified. Dates, times and locations may change without advance notice.

EXHIBITIONS

Creatures in the Garden. Through March 8. State Botanical Garden.

The Life and Work of Alice Fischer, Cultural Pioneer. Through March 8.

Boone and George-Ann Knox Gallery II, Georgia Museum of Art. A Year on the Hill: Work by Jim Fiscus and Chris Bilheimer. Through March 8.

Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-9078, mlachow@uga.edu.

925,000 Campsites: The Commodification of an American Experience.

Through March 27. Jackson Street Building, 285 S. Jackson St. Small Truths: Pierre Daura’s Life and Vision. Through April 19. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-1817, hazbrown@uga.edu.

Pierre Daura (1896-1976): Picturing Attachments. Through April 19. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-1817, hazbrown@uga.edu.

Chaos and Metamorphosis: The Art of Piero Lerda. Though May 10. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-1817, hazbrown@uga.edu.

“OC” Carlisle Solo Art. Through May 11.

Candler Hall.

Performing Arts Center to present Celtic fiddlers duo

By Bobby Tyler btyler@uga.edu

The UGA Performing Arts Center will present Celtic fiddlers Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy March 5 at 8 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall. The husbandand-wife duo will be joined by other members of their musical family for the new show “Visions from Cape Breton and Beyond.”

Tickets for the concert are $25-$45 and are discounted for UGA students. Tickets can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center box office, by calling 706-542-4400 or online at pac.uga.edu.

Since marrying in 2002, MacMaster and Leahy have performed for audiences all over North America. MacMaster hails from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and received her first fiddle when she was 9 years old. She released her first recording when she was only 16 and has gone on to win multiple Juno Awards, Canada’s version of the Grammy.

Leahy began playing at age 3, learning music from his parents: a

Food, Power and Politics: The Story of School Lunch. Through May 15. Russell Library Gallery, special collections libraries.

associate professor of sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

11 a.m. Larry Walker Room, Dean Rusk Hall. 706-542-7079, mariana@uga.edu.

Terra Verte. Through May 31. Jane and Harry Willson Sculpture Garden, Georgia Museum of Art.

ECOLOGY SEMINAR “Plant-Insect Interactions in Tropical Rain Forest Canopies,” Meg Lowman, chief of science and sustainability at the California Academy of Sciences.

4 p.m. Ecology building auditorium.

706-542-7247, bethgav@uga.edu.

MONDAY, MARCH 2 FILM Reflections Unheard: Black Women in Civil Rights. Part of the Women’s History Month Film Festival. 6:30 p.m.

214 Miller Learning Center.

OPEN DIALOGUE ON SEXUAL CONSENT Hosted by the Equal Opportunity Office.

Members of the university community can take this opportunity to ask questions, share information and engage in dialogue about sexual consent. During the event, participants will learn general principles of giving and receiving sexual consent, when sexual consent cannot be given, how sexual consent is defined in UGA policies and discuss realistic scenarios on whether consent has been given. 6:30 p.m. 207 Miller Learning Center.

TUESDAY, MARCH 3 2015 DARL SNYDER LECTURE “Questioning the African Quest for Identity,” African novelist Amadou Koné.

10 a.m. Masters Hall, Georgia Center.

(See story, page 1).

SUSETTE M. TALARICO LECTURE “Racialized Punitive Social Control: Resisting the Social Incapacitation of Black and Latino Boys,” Victor Rios, an

PROTECT ATHENS MUSIC CONFERENCE The Sports and Entertainment Law Society at Georgia Law will present its annual conference on the intersection of law, music and business for musicians, students, professionals and anyone interested in music or the music business. This year’s event will include two panels. 4:30 p.m. 40 Watt Club, 285 W. Washington St. payton.bradford@gmail.com BASEBALL vs. Furman. $5-$8. 5 p.m. Foley Field.

706-542-1231.

MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Kentucky. To be televised on ESPN. $15. 9 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum.

706-542-1231.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4 WORKSHOP “Flipping the Classroom: Strategies for Ensuring Students Complete Out-ofClass Assignments.” One of the greatest challenges of a flipped classroom model is figuring out how instructors can motivate students to engage with the out-of-class assignments so that they are prepared to engage in active

Calendar items are taken from Columns files and from the university’s Master Calendar, maintained by 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/.

the unique talents and stories of this clan through dancing and singing. $25-$45. 8 p.m. Hodgson Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. 706-542-4400, ugaarts@uga.edu. (See story, left).

FILM Amelie will be shown. $2; $1 for UGA students who pay activity fees. 8 p.m.

Tate Student Center Theatre.

706-542-6396.

FRIDAY, MARCH 6 HOLI Hindu religious observance.

Celtic fiddlers Donnell Leahy and Natalie MacMaster will perform March 5 at 8 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall.

fiddle-playing father from Ontario and a step-dancing mother from Cape Breton.

In addition to performing with his wife, he is also the founder and frontman of Leahy, the band he has led for over 15 years.

“Visions from Cape Breton and Beyond” will incorporate music from MacMaster and Leahy’s new release, One, which is the first CD

the couple has recorded together since they were married. The concert will feature high-energy dance tunes like “St. Nick’s Jig” and will showcase the musical talents of the couple’s six children.

Concertgoers are invited to “Make It an Evening” at the Georgia Museum of Art (located next to the Performing Arts Center) for dessert, coffee and gallery tours

learning when actually in class. This workshop will provide concrete strategies for meeting this challenge and will include hands-on activities ­regarding crafting excellent questions for short, pre-class quizzes and maximizing the benefits of briefing writing assignments. 10:30 a.m. 372 Miller Learning Center. 706-583-0067, tchagood@uga.edu.

NEONITE ZUMBATHON Participants can work out to Zumba for a cause. Funds will go toward the Front Row Foundation, which raises money to provide a front row event for someone suffering from a critical health condition. Hosted by Front Row at UGA and UGA Fight Against Youth Obesity. $7-$10. 7 p.m. Reception Hall, Tate ­Student Center. 404-645-3119, senaable@uga.edu.

MEETING The Photo Sharegroup meets the first Wednesday of each month. This meeting will be devoted to sharing digital images from mostly outdoor photography: nature (flora and fauna), gardens, travel, landscapes and abstracts. 2 p.m.

Classroom 1, State Botanical Garden. hughandcarol@att.net.

TOUR AT TWO: PIERRE DAURA Led by Lynn Boland, the Pierre Daura Curator of European Art. 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-9078, mlachow@uga.edu.

STAFF COUNCIL MEETING UGA President Jere W. Morehead will speak. 2:30 p.m. 250 Miller Learning Center.

BASEBALL vs. Georgia State. $5-$8. 5 p.m. Foley Field. 706-542-1231.

LECTURE AND BOOK SIGNING Kimberly Cross Teter, author of Isabella’s Librett, will talk about her novel, which features a 14-year-old cellist who lives at the Ospedale della Pietà and dreams that Vivaldi will write a solo that features her. 6 p.m. State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6156,­ ckeber@uga.edu.

CONCERT The UGA Symphony Orchestra will ­perform. $10; $5 with a UGACard.

8 p.m. Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall.

706-542-4752, musicpr@uga.edu.

THURSDAY, MARCH 5 GUEST LECTURE “The Promises of Empowered Girls,” Nancy Lesko, the Maxine Greene Professor and chair at Teachers College at Columbia University. Lesko’s talk looks at “girl power” and its circulation in many international NGOs and programs.

Hosted by the Feminist ScholarActivists. 3 p.m. M. Smith Griffith Auditorium, Georgia Museum of Art. 706-621-8159.

GALLERY TALK Join Mary Koon, independent curator, for a discussion of The Life and Work of Alice Fischer, Cultural Pioneer.

Members of the Athens community who knew Fischer and her work are invited to share stories. 5:30 p.m.

Georgia ­Museum of Art. 706-542-9078, mlachow@uga.edu.

CONCERT Fiddler Natalie MacMaster will be joined by husband Donnell Leahy and their children for a new show that highlights

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.

FRIENDS FIRST FRIDAY Participants will learn what’s going on in the world of education at the State Botanical Garden for spring 2015. RSVP by calling 706-542-9353 by March 4. $12. 9 a.m. State Botanical Garden.

706-542-6156, ckeber@uga.edu.

MEN’S TENNIS vs. Texas A&M. 2:30 p.m. Dan Magill Tennis Complex. 706-542-1621.

POLITICAL SCIENCE COLLOQUIUM Ralph Ketcham, professor emeritus of citizenship and public affairs at The Maxwell School of Syracuse University, will present a paper, “James Madison’s Public-Spirited First Amendment.”

3:30 p.m. 302 Baldwin Hall.

706-542-2057, jmaltese@uga.edu.

BASEBALL vs. Longwood. First of three-game series. $5-$8. 5 p.m. Foley Field.

706-542-1231.

SATURDAY, MARCH 7 BASEBALL vs. Longwood. Second of three-game series. $5-$8. 2 p.m. Foley Field.

706-542-1231.

GYMNASTICS vs. Arkansas. $10; $6 for youth. 6 p.m.

Stegeman Coliseum. 706-542-1231.

SUNDAY, MARCH 8 MEN’S TENNIS vs. LSU. 1 p.m. Dan Magill Tennis Complex. 706-542-1621.

BASEBALL vs. Longwood. Third of three-game series. $5-$8. 1 p.m. Foley Field.

706-542-1231.

MONDAY, MARCH 9 STUDENT SPRING BREAK No classes March 9-13; offices open.

Classes resume March 16.

COMING UP BASEBALL March 10. vs. Appalachian State. First of two-game series. $5-$8. 5 p.m. Foley Field. 706-542-1231.

BASEBALL March 11. vs. Appalachian State. Second of two-game series. $5-$8. 5 p.m.

Foley Field. 706-542-1231.

NEXT COLUMNS DEADLINES March 4 (for March 16 issue) March 11 (for March 23 issue) March 18 (for March 30 issue)

6 March 2, 2015 columns.uga.edu

CAMPUS CLOSEUP

REVEnews Jason Christian, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering, received $30,000 from the USDA Forest Service to calculate the quantity and distribution of water in Puerto Rico’s El Yunque National Forest.

His project, which will be conducted with Catherine Pringle in the Odum School of Ecology and Kyle McKay from the Army Corps of Engineers, will track water flowing through the rainforest so that ecologists and engineers better understand where and when water is flowing and what may be done to conserve and protect forest resources such as migratory fish and shrimp that require minimum stream flows.

Traditional methods used to quantify the water cycle typically only provide average data on a monthly timescale, but Christian and his colleagues plan to use advanced models to estimate water movement on an hourly basis. This data will help determine the best ways to preserve local ecosystems and to manage municipal water withdrawals.

Vasant Muralidharan, an assistant professor of cellular biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and in the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, received $150,000 from the March of Dimes Foundation to investigate new drug targets for malaria.

Malaria is one of the leading causes of infant mortality in the world, resulting in almost 600,000 deaths each year. All the clinical symptoms of malaria result from the growth of the malaria parasite in human red blood cells. The parasite completely remodels the red blood cells to replicate, and Muralidharan’s research will focus on the mechanisms that underlie the parasite’s ability to transform red blood cells.

The goal is to create new anti-malarials that interfere with the parasite’s replication.

The Basil O’Connor Starter Scholar Research Awards are funded in a program designed to support scientists just embarking on their independent research careers. Created in 1973 and named for the first March of Dimes chairman and president, this program provides funding to young investigators to start their own research projects on topics related to the mission of the March of Dimes.

Doug Peterson, a professor of fisheries research in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, received $50,000 from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to study the passage of Gulf sturgeon at Jim Woodruff Dam at the southwest corner of Georgia.

The now-threatened sturgeon once spawned naturally in the fresh waters of the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers, but dams blocked their passage. While a bypass to the dam may save the embattled fish, more data are needed to determine if such an effort would prove fruitful.

Peterson and his colleagues will test the hypothesis by capturing 10 adult males during spawning season at the base of the dam and outfitting them with sonic transmitters. They then will release the sturgeon in the fresh waters above the dam and track them to see if they can safely navigate to spawning grounds and ultimately return to the sea via locks that allow the passage of ships.

A second phase of their research will involve capturing both male and female sturgeon to see if they can successfully spawn and if their offspring can return to the sea.

Hong Qiu, a postdoctoral research associate working under the mentorship of Lianchun Wang at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, received $105,000 from the American Heart Association to decipher the role of a sugar molecule called heparan sulfate in the production of blood cells.

Several studies have shown that heparan sulfate plays a significant role in cell differentiation, proliferation, migration, blood coagulation, lipid metabolism and the trafficking of white blood cells. However, the actual molecular mechanisms that drive these functions in living beings remain largely unknown.

This latest grant will allow Wang’s team to continue its investigation into the role of heparan sulfate, which may one day lead to new therapeutics for a variety of human diseases.

ReveNews is a roundup of recently funded research projects at UGA. To have information about your research project included, email James Hataway at jhataway@uga.edu.

Paul Efland

Ginny Ingels, director of development in the College of Public Health, spent three years as a public defender in Newton and Walton counties before coming to UGA in 2011.

Director of development combines her passion for health, people

By Matt Chambers mattdc@uga.edu

As an undergraduate student at Presbyterian College, Ginny Ingels spent a summer in Haiti working in health promotion at a rural hospital.

That experience, coupled with a lifelong passion for health, made her transition to director of development for the College of Public Health all the more easy.

Ingels, a UGA School of Law graduate who spent three years as a public defender in Newton and Walton counties, found herself in a familiar field when she accepted her current position in 2013.

“Health in general always has been in my background, even down to the fact that my mom has been a nurse for 40 years,” Ingels said. “When I went to law school, I intended to do something nontraditional with my degree and took many health-related classes as part of my coursework.”

Now, as director of development for the college, Ingels is surrounded by health-related research and activities.

In this position, Ingels is responsible for raising support for the College of Public Health. She handles all gift and fundraising efforts for the college.

Ingels also works to stay engaged with alumni, students, faculty, staff and external partners.

“My role is to raise support and promote the college to help us keep doing what we’re doing,” she said. “Often that means I’m sharing positive stories about the work of our students and faculty and how donors can impact this work.”

Ingels started at UGA in 2011 in the central development office in the Division of Development and Alumni Relations. There, she was introduced to fundraising at UGA.

RETIREES

February Fourteen UGA employees retired Feb. 1.

Retirees, their job classification, department and length of employment are: Glenn C.W. Ames, professor, agricultural and applied economics, 41 years, 4 months; Gene Bell, building services worker II, Facilities Management Division-building services (second shift), 11 years, 9 months; Brenda Carol Burke, business manager II, Parking Services, 9 years, 8 months; William Dennis Epps, associate director, Carl Vinson

“My experience in the central office provided a strong foundation in the fundamentals of fundraising, a holistic view of the amazing things happening across UGA’s campus and the opportunity to witness really great collaborative processes,” she said. “The move to public health was a great opportunity for me because of my personal interest in the field.

“The rewarding part of fundraising is when you are truly able to match someone’s passion to a need and see the impact and outcome,” Ingels also said.

Ingels calls her time as a public defender “a good test” and believes that experience helped prepare her for development “When practicing law, each client and case was different.While navigating through the legal aspects of a case, I also learned a great deal about communicating with individuals—how each situation is unique and may require a little bit different response,” she said. “There is no one way to work with people—you have to learn to listen really well.

“Here at UGA, I’m dealing with individuals as well—trying to match them to the university and their passion,” she said. “It’s just a different, more positive story I get to tell that can often have a lasting impact.”

Ingels also believes that her prior experiences working as part of a team helped prepare her to work as a director of development, who coordinates with a central unit on campus.

“Just like in my previous roles, I’m working with a team of people who are handling separate situations, but we’re all committed together to the same goal,” she said. “It’s just a much bigger team. I’m also lucky to have started at UGA in the central development office

Institute of Government, 11 years, 5 months; Charlotte Marie George, grants coordinator IV, College of Pharmacy, 20 years, 2 months; Sharon J. Hamilton, administrative associate I, 4-H and Youth-UGA Extension, 26 years, 4 months; Michael Hannafin, professor, Institute for Interdisciplinary Research in Education and Human Development, 19 years, 7 months; Mark D. Jordan, digital media professional principal, EITS-administrative information systems, 20 years, 2 months; Jann M. Moore, human resources manager, Georgia Center-business

FACTS

Ginny Ingels Director of Development College of Public Health J.D., UGA, 2007 B.A., History and Religion, Presbyterian College, 2004 At UGA: Four years

as I already knew the team well when I began in my role at public health.”

Outside of work, Ingels and her husband, Justin, are involved in the community. Ingels serves on the board for the Sparrow’s Nest, a local ministry center that works primarily with disadvantaged youth and the homeless. Ingels and her husband have volunteered for years mentoring local children.

The couple lives in Normaltown with 10-year-old Dretavious and are expecting a daughter this month.

Ingels also spends her time outside the office exercising and running. She enjoys biking and plays soccer at the Athens YWCO. She loves traveling and reading when she can find the time.

With a new house near the College of Public Health’s home on the Health Sciences Campus and a husband working on his doctorate in epidemiology at UGA, public health will remain in Ingels’ future. Her challenge now is to spread the word about the College of Public Health and what it does.

“Our mission is to improve health, locally and nationally, but really for all Georgians,” Ingels said. “It’s a good story that I get to share, particularly because I know our students are going on to give back and impact their communities.”

administration, 17 years, 4 months; Byung I. Seo, research professional III, College of Pharmacy, 12 years, 8 months; Diane Schoettle Shimkets, student affairs specialist IV, Disability Resource Center, 12 years, 5 months; Jayne L. Smith, director, Office of Faculty Affairs, 28 years, 4 months; C. Ed Troxell III, Office of the Assistant Dean for the Tifton campus-UGA Extension, 28 years, 5 months; and Emma N. Turner, building services worker II, residence hall facilities administration, 10 years, 7 months.

Source: Human Resources

2015 PRESIDENT’S FULFILLING THE DREAM AWARD

columns.uga.edu March 2, 2015

‘A budding activist’

SCHOOL OF LAW

Honors Program adviser promotes equality in Athens, US

hmurphy@uga.edu

mattdc@uga.edu

Paul Efland

Ricky Roberts, an academic adviser in the Honors Program, was one of four recipients of the 2015 President’s Fulfilling the Dream Award. She received the award in January as part of the 12th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Breakfast for her efforts working for fairness and equality for all.

by the University Council in 2012.

She is a board member for Georgia Equality, Athens Pride, the Common Ground LGBT Community Center and UGA’s Black Faculty and Staff Organization.

“People in Athens have really welcomed me in the community and let me spread my wings and be a budding activist,” she said.

“I’m happy that I’ve grown into the activist I’ve always wanted to be while here.”

Roberts also performs hip-hop music as Ricky Simone. The music is one way that Roberts furthers her activism.

“It is alternative hip-hop and gives people who want to listen to hip-hop without all the cursing, negativity and disrespect to women a chance to,” she said. “It lets me get my message out there— a message of love and unity.”

Roberts also speaks and

WEEKLY READER

Book documents Athens photo project

A Year on the Hill: Work by Jim Fiscus and Chris Bilheimer

By Asen Kirin Georgia Museum of Art Paperback: $10

Scholarship to honor former law school dean

By Heidi M. Murphy

By Matt Chambers Ricky Roberts likes to tackle things that others say are not possible. So in 2012 as cities across the world were preparing an LGBT civil rights march, she wanted Athens to host one despite concerns from other local activists who said no one would come out to demonstrate.

“I felt that if only 10 people came out, I would be fine with that,” Roberts said, “and then 75 people came out and marched through the streets of Athens, and it was awesome.

“It was a very monumental thing for Athens to represent like that,” she also said. “People said it couldn’t be done, but it happened.”

Roberts, an academic adviser in the Honors Program, was one of four recipients of the 2015 President’s Fulfilling the Dream Award. She received the award in January as part of the 12th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Breakfast for her efforts working for fairness and equality for all.

“Still now, when I think about it, I’m amazed that somebody thought enough of my work to recognize me,” Roberts said. “I got to share the award with the other people who were nominated like (Lemuel “Life” LaRoche) and Joan Prittie; they’ve been doing this work for so many years, and I’ve really only been in the community working for five years.”

Roberts, a first-generation college student from Michigan who has worked at UGA for five years, said she’s always been drawn to social justice. While her passion for activism came out as an undergraduate at the University of Detroit Mercy, Roberts said she didn’t hit her stride until she came to the Classic City.

Roberts is actively involved in several local organizations that promote equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender population, and she wrote the original proposal for domestic partner benefits at UGA, which was passed

7

In 2009, Jim Fiscus and Chris Bilheimer began a collaborative artistic project. Fiscus, an awardwinning commercial and editorial photographer, and Bilheimer, a Grammy-nominated graphic artist, worked from the end of 2009 until the fall of 2010 on a series of largescale digital prints of the flora and fauna found in the Hill, a distinctive neighborhood in Athens characterized by reassembled and restored historic houses. This collaboration resulted in a series of images that showcases meticulous process and accident and reflects traditional photographic techniques as well as contemporary technologies.

A Year on the Hill: Work by Jim Fiscus and Chris Bilheimer is the catalog that accompanies the exhibition of these works, which are on display at the Georgia Museum of Art until March 8.

performs across the country. Her big message is that oppressed communities should stick together.

“The future of the LGBT civil rights movement depends on us effectively building coalitions with other communities,” she said. “I feel like we do a really good job of asking other people to be our allies, but we don’t do enough to reach out and be allies to other groups.”

Roberts feels that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has to be supportive of anyone who comes under attack for who they are. She said that the community cannot just think about itself and must have empathy for others and their struggles.

“Oppression is oppression no matter who it’s directed at,” she said. “We need to stop discrimination, period.”

Roberts said she plans to continue working in Athens and

throughout the country to promote equality. Currently, she is working on securing plans and funding for the Common Ground LGBT Community Center, something about which she is “very passionate.” A benefit concert for the project will be held April 4 at 8 p.m. at Hendershot’s Coffee in Athens.

While she’s been able to tackle a variety of things during her time in Athens, Roberts urges anyone who wants to become an activist to “just start.”

“A lot of people think things are so big and there are so many problems, but you just need to pick something you’re really passionate about, do something and don’t feel like you have to solve every problem,” she said. “People feel like one person can’t make a difference, but one person can change the world.”

The UGA School of Law established the Rebecca Hanner White Scholarship, named in honor of White, who recently stepped down as the leader of the school after more than 11 years of service.

The scholarship was initiated

by Kathelen V. Amos, Georgia Law 1982 alumna and law school board of visitors chair, and her husband, Dan, who agreed to match up to $100,000 in new gifts donated to the school for the creation of the scholarship fund. To date, more than $210,000 in gifts and pledges have been secured from alumni and friends for this effort.

“I am so grateful that Kathelen and Dan Amos have helped to honor Dean Rebecca White,” said current Georgia Law Dean Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge. “Dean White inspired many to re-engage with the law school. It is a testament to Dean White and her record of leadership that members of the Georgia Law community responded so quickly and generously to this fundraising challenge. This effort was dedicated to one of her top priorities during her tenure—growing private funding for student scholarships,” he said.

White, who was the law school’s first female dean, served as the leader of the school from July 1, 2003, to Dec. 31, 2014.

White remains on the law school faculty where she holds a J. Alton Hosch Professorship.

White’s scholarship, cited by federal and state courts across the country, includes numerous articles on employment discrimination and labor law. In addition, she is a co-author of Employment Discrimination and Cases and Materials on Employment Discrimination. White also serves on the editorial board of The Labor Law Journal.

Before becoming dean, she served as associate provost and associate vice president of academic affairs for UGA from 2002 to 2003. In 2000, White received the Josiah Meigs Teaching Award, UGA’s highest honor for teaching excellence.

ABOUT COLUMNS

CYBERSIGHTS

Columns is available to the campus community by ­subscription for an annual fee of $20 (second-class delivery) or $40 (first-class delivery). Faculty and staff members with a disability may call 706-542-8017 for assistance in obtaining this publication in an alternate format.

Columns staff can be reached at 706-542-8017 or columns@uga.edu

Editor Juliett Dinkins Art Director Janet Beckley Photo Editor Paul Efland

Provost’s Office redesigns website http://provost.uga.edu

The Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost launched a redesigned website in January. Designed by Janet Beckley and Coty Rothery in the Division of Public Affairs, the site serves as a resource for faculty and administrators with information on appointment, promotion and tenure, professorships, fellowships, awards and grants.

In addition to providing calendars for key administrative deadlines, the website houses university statutes, UGA’s Academic Affairs policy manual and the board of regents policy manual. Along with material on Provost’s Office initiatives, the site includes pages for the offices of Academic Fiscal Affairs, Academic Programs and Faculty Affairs.

Senior Reporter Aaron Hale Reporter Matt Chambers 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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8 March 2, 2015 columns.uga.edu ENTREPRENEURS from page 1

Some of the events during this year’s Thinc. Week: • Yik Yak Day. Tyler Droll and Brooks Buffington, founders of Yik Yak, a social media app that allows people to anonymously create and view “Yaks” within a 10-mile radius, will tell the story of the founding of their controversial company, their challenges and their meteoric company growth and success.

• Digital Disruption: The Latest Ideas Driving Change. A panel representing the College of Family and Consumer Sciences share their experiences with technology.The panel will be moderated by Debbie Phillips, FACS alumna and owner/founder of The Quadrillion, an international marketing and consulting firm.

• Rhythm of a Movement. A workshop led

by Stanford University dance instructor Aleta Hayes, who regularly works with Stanford’s famed D-School and uses dance and free movement to encourage creative thinking, leadership and collaboration.

MEIGS • UGA/Athens Startup Ecosystem Design Thinking Session. Participants can drop in to brainstorm about how to create a better entrepreneurial community at UGA and in Athens.

• Slingshot: Sensory Overload Conference on Big Data Perceptualization. World-class scholars will present artistic and useful tools for the analysis of big data using sonification, visualization and advanced analysis.This event is part of the Athens Slingshot Festival.

• Rapid Prototyping with Emerging Technologies. Students can learn how to create engaging products with the latest technologies, including Makey Makey, littleBits, 3-D printers and more in UGA’s new Makerspace in the science library. Participants can attend a Makerspace open house later in the week.

See a complete listing of Thinc. events and information on the Thinc. Georgia Funder campaign at www.thinc.uga.edu/events.

Thinc. Entrepreneurial Week will take place March 23-27. Throughout the week, workshops, panel discussions, competitions and networking events promise to engage, inspire and build the confidence to take ideas from concept to reality.

Bulletin Board University Woman’s Club

The University Woman’s Club will meet March 10 at 11 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Central Presbyterian Church, 380 Alps Road.

Guest speakers for the meeting will be Jennie Deese, CEO for the Athens Community Council on Aging, and KeDee Holt, director of marketing and communications for the nonprofit organization.

They will discuss community services—home-delivered meals, adult day health, transportation options, fitness and wellness classes—that are available to senior citizens who need assistance to remain in their homes. They also will give an overview of choices for those who no longer want the responsibilities of maintaining a home because of size, safety concerns or health.

Business continuity plan

A business continuity plan details how a department will provide services or conduct business after an emergency.

In addition to identifying essential services, equipment and contact information, the plan also prepares staff for possible emergency situations and instructs employees on how to respond.

UGA’s Office of Emergency Preparedness offers an online planning tool at www.prepare.uga.edu/EE/BCP that can help departments develop a business continuity plan.

OEP staff also teach the one-hour course “Taking Care of Business: How Your Department Can Continue Operations after an Emergency” each quarter at Training and Development.

The next class will be held March 11 at 10 a.m. in Room C of the Training and Development building. For more information, visit www.hr.uga.edu/training.

Free golf classes

Staff at the UGA Golf Course will hold two free instructional classes for any interested UGA faculty and staff members.

The classes will be held March 19 and 26 from 5:30-7 p.m.

Class members can use their own equipment or some will be provided.

Interested faculty or staff members are asked to email Clint Udell by the Monday before each class. In the email, indicate if any equipment will be needed. Udell can be contacted at cudell96@uga.edu.

SecureUGA training

SecureUGA, an online, self-paced security awareness training program mandated by University System of Georgia policy, is available for all UGA employees to complete by March 31.

This training is required for all employees, including student workers, and contractors.

This online training program is available at http://secure.uga.edu.

Current employees who previously have completed SecureUGA can select one of three options to meet the training requirements for SecureUGA. They are a brief refresher module, an opt-out quiz and SecureUGA core module series.

UGA employees who completed SecureUGA on or after Sept. 1, 2014, have completed their SecureUGA training requirement for this cycle.

Those employees are not required to take SecureUGA again during this annual training cycle.

For more information about SecureUGA, visit http://secure.uga.edu.

Bulletin Board is limited to information that may pertain to a majority of faculty and staff members.

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perfected the art of giving guidance rather than answers when asked for help, teaching students how to approach problems rather than how to solve particular problems.”

Adams was the recipient of the Franklin College’s Sandy Beaver Teaching Award in 2001 and the Beaver Teaching Professorship in 2005.

He has served on the University Curriculum Committee and other institutional boards as well as national committees dealing with retention issues in mathematics across the country.

Harrison is described by colleagues as an innovator in the classroom who incorporates laboratory and group discussion to apply knowledge and principles to real-world problem-solving situations. In addition to his heavy teaching load, Harrison spends time advising students as the department’s graduate coordinator and Honors adviser as well as adviser to the Food Science Club.

One student wrote in a course evaluation, “Dr. Harrison’s course truly has a real-world approach to get students to actively think about and discuss major food safety issues. I know more than just facts about food microbiology.

I can apply the facts.”

In addition to several Outstanding Undergraduate Faculty or Graduate Faculty of the Year awards from the Food Science Club, Harrison has been honored over the years as a Lilly Teaching Fellow, a UGA Senior Teaching Fellow, a member of the UGA Teaching Academy and as the 1997 recipient of the D.W. Brooks Award of Excellence for Teaching from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. A leader in his field, Harrison received the 2012 Elmer Marth Educator Award from the International Association for Food Protection and the 2013 William V. Cruess Award for excellence in teaching from the Institute of Food Technologists, the most prestigious teaching award in the food science community in North America.

Hashimoto’s teaching ranges from introducing her first-year students to the rigors of the Socratic method to supervising one of the law school’s premier experiential learning opportunities for third-year students, a program she helped create that allows students to brief and argue cases before federal appellate courts.

Besides her work in the classroom preparing students to practice law, Hashimoto works with moot court teams and student organizations.

She also helps students find jobs both in her formal role as the faculty clerkship adviser and more informally as a mentor to current and

former students.

In nomination materials, one former student wrote of Hashimoto,“She not only teaches her students the rule of law, she inspires them to shape and develop it in a truly meaningful way.

Professor Hashimoto’s passion for teaching is nothing short of contagious.”

Hashimoto has been honored in the past as the recipient of the John C. O’Byrne Memorial Award for Significant Contributions Furthering Student-Faculty Relations, a Lilly Teaching Fellow and as the law school’s honorary graduation marshal. She twice earned the C. Ronald Ellington Award for Excellence in Teaching, the law school’s highest teaching honor, and her work has been discussed during oral argument by a U.S. Supreme Court justice and cited by the court.

Ward, who is chief medical officer for the Small Animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital, has dedicated her life to making a difference to students, colleagues say. She not only is engaged in the education of veterinary students but also with undergraduates through First-Year Odyssey Seminar courses and research mentorships and clinical residents in specialty post-graduate training programs.

Ward has been involved heavily in the review of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s curriculum, and she is a co-investigator in a four-year, $1.3 million National Institutes of Health grant to evaluate SYSTEMS (Stimulating Young Scientists to Engage, Motivate and Synthesize).

One former student noted in nomination materials, “Dr. Ward commands the respect of her students by engaging them during lectures, generating enthusiasm for learning, providing support and encouragement in the teaching hospital, and displaying passion for her field and for teaching. Dr. Ward is regularly identified as one of the most influential instructors for vet school students and remains a favorite among graduates.”

Ward has been recognized eight times by graduating classes as an outstanding teacher.

She received the Pfizer (Norden) Distinguished Teaching Award, the most prestigious teaching award in the College of Veterinary Medicine, as well as the 2009 National Student American Veterinary Medical Association Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Meigs Professors are nominated by their school or college and chosen by a committee consisting of 12 faculty members, two undergraduate students and one graduate student.

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LECTURE

“This new grant will allow us to dramatically expand the reach of our academic, research and outreach programs while continuing to support our students and faculty affiliates,” said Richard Gordon, LACSI director.

“Receiving funding from the U.S. Department of Education is a testament to our vision and commitment since LACSI was founded to put UGA on the map as a national resource for Latin American languages and area studies.”

The U.S. Department of Education grants are designed to help the U.S. enhance its leadership role in world markets, global engagement and scholarship. To address this mission, LACSI will use $1 million of the grant money to offer foreign language and area studies fellowships to support students studying less-commonly taught Latin American languages, such as Portuguese and Quechua.

The other portion of the grant will help the institute become an Undergraduate National Resource Center for Latin American Studies.

These centers carry out instruction, research and outreach focused on specific world regions, international studies and the teaching of less commonly taught languages.Activities include teacher training programs—for ages ranging from pre-kindergarten to undergraduate students—that provide an understanding of the culture, language, history, politics and economics of Latin America; collaborations with overseas institutions of higher education and other organizations; and projects with centers and institutions that address themes of global importance.

“We are excited to continue to work with our current and future faculty affiliates and students to develop programs that increase understanding and knowledge about Latin America’s peoples, languages and cultures,” Gordon said.

the comparative literature department and chair of the 2015 Darl Snyder Lecture planning committee. “He is also a scholar of renown who helped introduce African ways of doing literature into academia. His lecture will address some of the challenges with defining identity in the African context.”

An internationally recognized awardwinning author, Koné has published six novels, three plays and several short stories.

He also has published works on African literature, African oral literature and the novel as well as African cinema.

He has received numerous awards including the grand prize at the Interafrican Theatrical Competition in 1976, the Pro Helvetia Foundation fellowship in 1981 and the Best African Novel Award from the Léopald Sédar Senghor Foundation in 1985.

He was also a Fellow of the Alexander VonHumboldt Foundation in Bonn, Germany, from 1990-1992.

As part of the program for the Snyder Lecture, certificates in African studies will be presented to undergraduate students who have completed the program requirements.

The UGA Libraries also will mount a display outside of Masters Hall of selected materials from the Snyder collections held in the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

The Darl Snyder Lecture Series was established in 1992 in recognition of Snyder’s dedication, research and service-learning programs in and about Africa. Snyder’s affiliation with UGA began in 1969 as a program specialist at the Rural Development Center in Tifton. He became director of the Office of International Development in 1989. Although he retired from UGA in 1992, Snyder and his family continue to support African studies and UGA endeavors in Africa.

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