UGA Columns April 27, 2015

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Graduating students talk about how hands-on learning impacted their lives COMMENCEMENT SPECIAL

4&5

Memorial service will be held April 28 for faculty, staff and students Vol. 42, No. 35

April 27, 2015

www.columns.uga.edu

sfahmy@uga.edu

Andrew Davis Tucker

Research is only one way UGA students can learn and gain experiences outside the classroom. Other experiential learning opportunities include service-learning, study abroad, internships and other experiences.

‘Learning by doing’

UGA to become one of largest public universities in US to require experiential learning for undergraduates sfahmy@uga.edu

UGA has taken a significant step toward ensuring that all of its students engage in the kinds of hands-on experiences that enhance learning and position them for success after graduation.

All undergraduate students will be required to engage in experiential learning—through opportunities that include undergraduate research, study abroad, service-learning, internships and other experiences—through a new graduation requirement approved April 22 by the institution’s University Council.

With the experiential learning requirement, which will go into effect no sooner than fall 2016 for incoming first-year students, UGA will become one of the largest public universities in the nation to provide each of its students with high-impact, experiential learning opportunities that enhance academic performance and better prepare them for graduate school or careers. Each student will be able to select from a diverse slate of opportunities that reflect their individual interests and aspirations.

“With a spirit of innovation and a deep commitment to student learning, faculty at the University of Georgia continue to push the boundaries of undergraduate education,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “Offering a tailored, hands-on experience to our undergraduate students not only will further enhance this institution’s world-class learning environment but also will further distinguish them as graduates.”

7

NSF program director named dean of UGA Graduate School

By Sam Fahmy

By Sam Fahmy

UGA GUIDE

Each of UGA’s 14 schools and colleges that offer undergraduate degrees will determine which courses and experiences will fulfill the experiential learning requirement, which will go into effect as soon as their implementation plans are approved by University Council. In the meantime, UGA will aggressively expand the handson learning opportunities that it offers to students.

“Creating opportunities for each and every undergraduate student to engage in experiential learning is the kind of big, bold step that people have come to expect from the nation’s first statechartered university,” said Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “The experiences that our students will have as a result of this requirement will help them stand out from the rest of the pack when they apply for graduate school or begin their careers.”

Experiential learning often is defined simply as “learning by doing,” and Whitten said that it has been shown to play an important role in fostering engagement on campus, improving students’ ability to analyze and synthesize information and helping students transition to graduate school or the workforce. The new requirement builds upon UGA’s strong history of leadership in providing experiential learning opportunities to students. UGA consistently is ranked among the nation’s top universities for study abroad participation, for example, and more than 7,300 UGA students participated in service-learning courses in the last

See LEARNING on page 8

Bachman named director of university experiential learning

By Tracy N. Coley tcoley@uga.edu

Linda Bachman, assistant dean in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, has been named the institution’s director of university experiential learning. Her appointment is effective May 1 in the Office of the Vice President for Instruction.

Bachman, who chaired a universitywide commitLinda Bachman tee convened

by Provost Pamela Whitten in 2014 to explore an experiential learning requirement for undergraduate students, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to provide immediate and effective leadership for this groundbreaking academic initiative. Bachman has worked closely with deans and other academic officials for the last year to help shape the proposal for a graduation requirement in experiential learning.

“Dr. Bachman brings a deep understanding of disciplinary differences and the wide range of experiential opportunities that will help students across disciplines engage in hands-on experiences,” said Rahul Shrivastav, vice president See DIRECTOR on page 8

Suzanne Barbour, a former graduate program director at Virginia Commonwealth University who is currently a National Science Foundation program director, has been named dean of the Graduate School at UGA. Barbour is a professor in the VCU School of Medicine’s biochemistry and molecular biology department, where she directed the graduate program for a decade. She has served as a program director in the NSF’s Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences since 2013, and she currently is leading the division’s cluster focused on cellular dynamics and function.

Her appointment at UGA is effective July 13.

“Dr. Barbour’s academic background makes her ideally suited

for this critical position at the University of Georgia,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “She has a strong vision for enhancing Suzanne Barbour graduate education that will further elevate UGA’s national and international reputation as a leading research university.”

Barbour has held a number of positions that reflect the interdisciplinary nature of her research and her interest in preparing students for a diverse array of post-graduate career options. She holds affiliate appointments in VCU’s departments of African-American studies, biology, and microbiology and immunology.

See DEAN on page 8

GRU/UGA MEDICAL PARTNERSHIP

Interim campus dean named for medical partnership

By Charles Sutlive

communications@usg.edu

Leslie Petch Lee, assistant dean for curriculum at the Georgia Regents University/UGA Medical Partnership, has been named its interim campus dean, effective May 13.

“There is a strong consensus that Dr. Lee, who has served as a leader at the partnership campus essentially from its beginning, is a terrific choice for interim campus dean,” said Dr. Peter F. Buckley, dean of the Medical College of Georgia at GRU. “Her knowledge of the faculty, staff and students, who are integral to the partnership’s function and purpose, will ensure continued progress as the

national search for a permanent campus dean progresses and as we continue to prepare for our medical school reaccreditation.”

Lee, who joined UGA in 2005 and also has an MCG faculty appointment, became involved in the early planning and development of the GRU/UGA Medical Partnership in 2007 and was appointed coordinator for the first- and second-year curriculum—known as phases 1 and 2—for the medical partnership in 2008. She became assistant dean for curriculum in 2010, a position in which she oversees the development and implementation of the phase 1 and 2 curriculum. She also represents the medical partnership on the

See INTERIM on page 8

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Staff to be recognized at first Appreciation Celebration

By Stephanie Schupska schupska@uga.edu

UGA will show its gratitude to more than 6,300 employees through its first Staff Appreciation Celebration.

The event will be held May 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at intramural field 1. It will include lunch, music, giveaways and interactive activities ranging from mechanical bulldog rides to a photo booth.

“Our staff members are vital to the University of Georgia’s

success,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “Through their commitment and dedication, we are able to move the university forward as an institution. This event is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to thousands of individuals who support the university in so many ways.”

Plans for a staff appreciation day started two years ago, said Michael Lewis, chair of the executive committee of the Staff Council, when wage and salary increases

See STAFF on page 8

2 April 27, 2015 columns.uga.edu

GRADY COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION

Faculty Symposium focuses on methods of improving graduate education at UGA

By Tracy Coley tcoley@uga.edu

Faculty and administrators gathered to tackle the issue of “Transforming Graduate Education at the University of Georgia” at the UGA Teaching Academy’s 25th annual Academic Affairs Faculty Symposium in late March.

Josef Broder, associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and organizer of the symposium, set the stage by underscoring the success of UGA’s undergraduate experience over the past several years and outlining the need to focus on improving the graduate educational experience. Then the group heard from a faculty member and an administrator.

Steven Stice, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, gave the keynote address on integrating cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research accomplishments for graduate students into a range of educational endeavors.

Michelle Garfield Cook, associate provost and chief diversity officer, spoke about diversity in graduate education and the role that faculty play in providing opportunities for graduate students through mentoring, assistantships and other relevant experiences.

Preliminary recommendations from five panel discussions included developing a mentoring and professional development program and an awards program to recognize outstanding graduate students; integrating active learning strategies into pedagogy; removing barriers to graduate education by creating interdisciplinary programs aligned with student learning needs; and incentivizing mentorships and providing support for networking.

Provost Pamela Whitten urged faculty to create exciting learning opportunities outside the classroom that are tailored to the individual goals of the graduate students.

“We must have a willingness to acknowledge our responsibility as faculty to attract top-notch graduate students, integrate an amazing learning experience with research and investigate interdisciplinary programs,” Whitten said. “We need to think about how we can create exceptional experiences for our graduate students.”

SCHOOL OF LAW

US District Court judge will address law graduates at May 16 Commencement

By Courtney Brown lawprstu@uga.edu

Steve C. Jones, U.S. District Court judge for the Northern District of Georgia, will deliver the keynote address at the UGA School of Law’s Commencement May 16 at 10 a.m. on the North Campus quadrangle in front of the law school.

In the event of rain, the graduation ceremony will be moved to Stegeman Coliseum.

Approximately 190 students will receive the Juris Doctor degree at this year’s ceremony. Additionally, approximately 15 Master of Laws candidates, Steve Jones who have completed one year of graduate legal study, will be recognized.

A 1987 graduate of Georgia Law, Jones was nominated

by President Barack Obama and sworn in as a district court judge in 2011. In this role, he presides over cases that involve the U.S. government, the Constitution, federal laws and controversies between citizens of different states, among other matters.

Jones served as a superior court judge in the Western Judicial Circuit of Georgia from 1995 to 2011. During this time, he presided over the felony drug court program for Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties in addition to his regular caseload. Jones has served as a judge for the Athens-Clarke County Municipal Court, an assistant district attorney for the Western Judicial Circuit and was the director of the Athens Child Support Recovery Unit.

Jones also earned his bachelor’s degree from UGA.

Correction

The photo that accompanied Richard Menke’s story in the Honors and Awards section of the April 13 Columns was one of his brother, Douglas Menke, a faculty member in the g­ enetics department. Richard Menke is pictured at left. We regret the error.

Richard Menke

The 74th annual Peabody Award winners will be presented with their statuettes May 31 at the first-ever nighttime, red-carpet ­Peabody Award ceremony in New York.

‘The Americans,’ ‘Jane the Virgin’ among Peabody Award winners

By Noel W. Holston nholston@uga.edu

Sir David Attenborough, Afropop Worldwide, The Americans and Jane the Virgin are among the 2014 recipients of UGA’s Peabody Awards.

Attenborough, the British naturalist and conservationist, was cited in the individual category for his six-decade career as a host and producer of natural history programs.

Afropop Worldwide, a long-running public radio series that explores the international manifestations and influence of African, African-American and Afro-Caribbean music, is the recipient of the institutional Peabody.

Winning entertainment programs

The list of entertainment programs chosen for the Peabody Awards includes The Honorable Woman, a BBC drama that illuminates the complexities in Middle East relations and boasts a lead performance by Maggie Gyllenhaal; Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer, a blend of sketches and interviews that’s distinctly female yet gender-inclusive; and Jane the Virgin, a CW series that employs the soapoperatic, telenovela form to tell a serialized tale about a household of three generations of Latina women.

The Peabody board of judges also chose FX’s The Americans, a melodrama about Reagan-era Soviet spies—married and the parents of budding American dreamers—who make viewers care about them and their increasingly conflicted loyalties, and Fargo, which pits an upstanding, undeniable female cop against an almost supernatural v­ illain.

The FX series maintains the darkly comic tone of the Oscar-winning theatrical film while unspooling a distinctly different, more complex story.

Other entertainment winners are The Knick, Cinemax’s historical drama about pioneering surgeons at an early 20th-century New York hospital; HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, which revisits the previous week’s news with a satiric eye and an investigative reporter’s curiosity; Sundance TV’s Rectify, a drama about a man struggling to reconnect to his Georgia community after 20 years in prison; and Black Mirror, an anthology from Britain’s Channel 4 that explores moral and ethical questions that bring to mind the work of Rod Serling and Roald Dahl.

News and radio winners

News and radio winners include the podcast sensation Serial, which became the first of its kind to win a Peabody; and the online VICE News, which earned recognition for visceral reports about ISIS and a high school for troubled teens, respectively.

Other news and radio winners ranged from CNN’s high-impact coverage of scandalous treatment delays at Veterans Administration hospitals to an Austin TV station’s investigation of costly inadequacies in Texas’ mental health care policies.

Serial, an audio sensation that’s been downloaded more than 60 million times, is an investigative miniseries in which the case against a young man facing life in prison for murder is painstakingly examined over 12 installments.

VICE News was saluted by the

Peabody board of judges for “Last Chance High,” an unflinching look at a Chicago high school whose high-risk students are running out of options, and “The Islamic State,” a series of reports from a journalist “embedded” with ISIS volunteers in Iraq and Syria.

CNN, National Public Radio and WNYC Radio also claimed twin wins.

In addition to its coverage of sometimes fatal delays in care at VA hospitals, CNN was cited for its correspondents’ reporting from Nigeria about the kidnapping of 200 schoolgirls by the terrorist group Boko Haram.

NPR was recognized for “Gangs, Murder and Migration in Honduras,” an edition of its Latino USA series that made vividly clear what’s motivating Hondurans by the thousands to attempt exodus to the U.S., and for “Reporting from the Frontlines: The Ebola Outbreak,” an international story that NPR reporters identified early and exhaustively pursued.

These and other winners of the 74th annual awards will be presented with their statuettes May 31 at the firstever nighttime, red-carpet ­ Peabody Award ceremony.

Fred ­Armisen, a Peabody winner for his work on Saturday Night Live and his series Portlandia, will host the gala at Cipriani Wall Street in New York.

Pivot TV will use the ceremony as the backbone of a 90-minute Peabody special that will premiere June 21.

The complete list of Peabody Award recipients, including those in the areas of documentary, public service, education and children’s programming, are online at www.peabodyawards.com.

DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS Alton Brown to headline Return to the Arch Alumni Seminar

By Sam Fahmy

sfahmy@uga.edu

UGA alumnus and Food Network star Alton Brown will deliver the keynote address at the second annual Return to the Arch Alumni Seminar, a three-day educational gathering for UGA alumni and friends.

The theme for the 2015 seminar, scheduled for May 1-3, is “Food for Thought.” It will feature lectures, tours and other events that highlight the role that UGA plays in advancing the health, sustainability and economic impact of food production and distribution.

“We are excited to offer this seminar to alumni and friends of the university,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead.

“Participants will explore the many ways that the university’s research,

instruction and outreach influence the food that we eat as well as the economy of Georgia, our nation and the world.”

In addition to the reception and dinner with Alton Brown Brown, highlights of the seminar will include: • Presentations by UGA faculty on nutrition, food safety, the future of food production and other topics related to their research.

• Lunch with Morehead, a welcome from Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, and a breakfast with UGA deans.

• Exclusive behind-the-scenes tours

of campus facilities such as UGArden, UGA’s student-run farm, and the new Bolton Dining Commons.

• An address by UGA alumnus Peter Dale, owner and chef of The National in Athens and the 2012 recipient of Food and Wine magazine’s “People’s Best New Chef-Southeast” award.

• A Farm to Table Dinner under the stars on Herty Field and local lunch market.

The Return to the Arch Alumni Seminar is open to anyone interested in lifelong learning. Registration for the three-day seminar is $290 per person, and space is limited. For more information or to register online, see www.alumni.uga.edu/alumniseminar.

For additional information, contact Katie Fite at 706-542-0383 or kcfite@ uga.edu.

INSTRUCTIONAL NEWS

columns.uga.edu April 27, 2015

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Digest ‘BLA Exit Show’ to open May 4

Culminating projects of the undergraduate landscape architecture students in the College of Environment and Design will be on display in the Circle Gallery May 4-15.

Every graduating BLA student is required to have a capstone project that displays skills acquired in the five-year program. This year’s projects feature a master plan for the small town of Senoia, well known for its extensive use by Hollywood filmmakers, and the Armstrong and Dobbs property in Athens near UGA and downtown.

Open to the public weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Circle Gallery is located in the Jackson Street Building at 285 S. Jackson St.

Iva Dimitrova, a third-year anthropology student at UGA, was able to practice the skill of going out and interviewing subjects in the field during a semester in Costa Rica. “Finally, after two years of studying I got to see how it all comes together,” she said.

LEARNING-DOING

Students master a variety of lessons through experiential learning

By Aaron Hale

aahale@uga.edu

Reading and writing about other cultures and social interaction came easily to Iva Dimitrova, a third-year anthropology student at UGA. It was the idea of going out and interviewing subjects—anthropology in practice— that really scared her.

But last fall, after spending a semester in Costa Rica, that fear turned into confidence, she said. Things came into focus when she helped conduct an oral history project about Costa Rican grocery stores. Dimitrova got to practice skills she had only talked about in class, and she loved it.

“Finally, after two years of studying I got to see how it all comes together,” Dimitrova said. “It gave me the confidence to see that this is what I like, and I wanted to do it.”

Not every college student gets to have this kind of clarifying experience, but UGA is moving forward with a strategy to direct students toward similar practical learning opportunities, at home and abroad, through a new experiential learning requirement for all undergraduate students (see story page 1). The goal is to nudge students toward getting better prepared for work or graduate education and becoming more confident in their abilities.

“Each experience (will) help students connect foundational knowledge to real-world challenges, hone critical thinking and problem-solving skills and build confidence and civic responsibility,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead in announcing the proposal during his State of the University address in January.

Experiential learning opportunities come from a variety of places, including research and internship opportunities for students in professional, science and humanities disciplines.

P. Toby Graham, an associate provost and the head librarian at UGA, said campus libraries already offer a variety of research and hands-on learning opportunities for students through internships and fellowships. They could offer even more if needed, he said, which would be a win-win for students and

BSRI retreat will focus on biofuels, bioproducts and sustainability

Academic and industry progress in renewable energy, including production of biofuels and bioproducts from renewable sources, will be the focus of UGA’s Bioenergy Systems Research Institute annual retreat, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., May 5 at the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries.

This year’s retreat will feature talks by leaders from renewable energy and bioproducts industry as well as academic research and government. The daylong retreat is open to all UGA faculty, staff and students.

Industry and research perspectives on biofuels and bioproducts will be heard from Ron Chance, Algenol Biofuels; Ryan Hunt, ALGIX LLC; Bruce Link, Syngenta Crop Protection LLC; Paul Pereira, Meredian Holdings Group; and Robert Moon, U.S. Forest Service.

Jenna Jambeck, an assistant professor in UGA’s College of Engineering, will discuss challenges and opportunities in plastic waste management.

The agenda, registration and poster abstract information are at http://t.uga.edu/1td.

UGA students win public policy contest

Mikala Bush, a fourth-year psychology and public health double-major, helped organize a screening and exhibit for the Peabody Decades project last year.

researchers in the university’s digital and special collections libraries.

“We have seen in the past that these have been great experiences for students, and they also bring some great people in the library,” Graham said.

Mikala Bush, a fourth-year psychology and public health double-major, said she gained valuable experience as a student worker at the Peabody Awards archives, which is housed in UGA’s Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries. Bush helped organize a screening and exhibit for the Peabody Decades project last year, searching for video clips through the Peabody Awards archives from the 1960s.

Compared to a class assignment, Bush’s role in the Peabody Decades project gave her more control over her learning experience.

“In a class, most of the time, you can’t pick the syllabus, the curriculum or the subject,” she said.

But that’s exactly what she did for her screening project.

After Bush graduates in May, she’s planning to join the Peace Corps. She thinks her experience researching and then facilitating an event like Peabody Decades will be useful if she gets an assignment overseas.

For Dimitrova, her experience in Costa Rica helped clarify her career goals. She has added a second major in UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication so that she can work toward becoming an anthropological documentary filmmaker.

She is now a student worker with the First Person Project in the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies and won a Summer Research Fellowship to work on an oral history project to document the transition from communism in Bulgaria using modern oral history methodologies.

Dimitrova said the experiential learning requirement is a good idea because it offers students an opportunity to experiment and figure out what they like.

“My interests in oral history and media production both arose out of opportunities to try them out in contexts outside of the UGA classroom,” she said. “The experiential learning initiative can bring these opportunities closer to students, by establishing connections between learning and doing and seeing if what you’re doing feels right. That’s how I was sure I’d made the right decision in what I was studying—I just felt it.”

Four UGA students won the top prize in the fourth annual Public Policy Challenge National Invitational.

The winning proposal, called (fem)me, is a plan to distribute feminine hygiene products to homeless and transitional women in Athens and ultimately throughout Georgia. Master’s students Brianna Roberts and Phillip McAuley from the School of Public and International Affairs and Nicole La Tournous and Paula Buchanan from the College of Public Health competed in the invitation-only competition. As national winner, the UGA team will receive a $10,000 prize to implement its proposal.

Relay for Life raises more than $200,000 More than 2,000 students participated in the 16th annual UGA Relay for Life overnight from April 17-18 in the main gym at the Ramsey Student Center. The night culminated with the announcement that the student fundraising teams had raised a total of $203,396.31 toward this year’s campaign. The top fundraising team was Alpha Chi Omega, which raised $16,130.

The UGA event is notable for being Relay for Life’s first event organized by, led by and composed entirely of college students. The student group, led this year by senior Savannah Grow, is an affiliate of Relay for Life that is registered with UGA Student Affairs’ Center for Student Organizations. The university’s intramural fields traditionally play host to the event, but for the third year in a row, rain forced the event indoors.

UGA Relay for Life has raised more than $3 million for the American Cancer Society since the first relay in 1999 and annually ranks as one of the top collegiate relays in the nation.

For more information, see www.ugarelay.org or follow UGA Relay for Life on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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4 April 27, 2015 columns.uga.edu

columns.uga.edu April 27, 2015

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Compiled by Matt Chambers

Cory Dial

Dorothy Kozlowski

B.A. in Criminal Justice Georgia Bureau of Investigation internship “The internship showed me a career path that I can be happy with. I’ve been in the military for over 13 years now, and I have always thought I would fall back on my experience with the Army and continue with a civilian career in intelligence, but I think I may find a law enforcement career just as satisfying.”

What’s next: Georgia National Guard deployment and looking for employment with a law enforcement agency

Dorothy Kozlowski

Peter Frey

Erin Abernethy

M.S. in Ecology Researched invasive species in Hawaii “While there are many life skills to be learned from simply living in Hawaii—how to open a coconut, surf, cliff jump, avoid lava cracks—the most valuable skill I learned was how to get a large-scale research project off the ground and completed in a remote location. I also returned home to the Savannah River Ecology Lab and processed the hundreds of thousands of photos that had been taken by the motion sensor cameras.”

What’s next: Ph.D. in integrative biology at Oregon State University

Andrew Davis Tucker

Chandler Hammond

Jamilla Johnson

“During my time with ESP, I was able to get to know families and their participants on a personal level and observe the effects that therapy, specifically occupational therapy, had on their lives.

Being able to witness the successes of the participants with the help of their occupational therapy solidified my wishes to work specifically with this population in the future.”

“I found my studies to be very relevant to my experience there... I like to think of marketing as a skill set, an art and a study.

Marketing has so many forms, making it applicable to many, if not, all interests. I used it in the way I completed my tasks, the way I engaged with people and the way I thought about the many processes involved in the production life.”

B.S. in Health Promotion and Behavior Extra Special People internship

What’s next: Master’s in occupational

therapy at Georgia Regents University

B.B.A. in Marketing with a Music Business Certificate Production assistant at Tyler Perry Studios

What’s next: Working at Creative Artists

Agency in Los Angeles

Charles King

B.A. in Middle School Education Black Male Leadership Society and student teacher “Being a part of both of these experiences has helped me to think more about myself and my relationship with others and the community around me. They’ve pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone and to work on behalf of not only myself, but those that I’m representing as well.”

What’s next: Teaching sixth-grade

English at KIPP WAYS Academy in Atlanta as a Teach for America Corps member

Stephany Sheriff

What’s next: Master’s degree in poultry

science at UGA

Andrew Davis Tucker

Sarah Harrison

B.S. in Agriculture and Poultry Science Tyson Foods internship

Rachel Harrison

B.S. in Poultry Science Zoo Atlanta internship and Quailwood Animal Hospital shadowing

Rachel - “I have learned so many things in the classroom at UGA, but I have learned just as much, if not more, from my experiences outside the classroom. The internships that I did at Zoo Atlanta and shadowing at Quailwood Animal Hospital taught me about caring for animals and helped affirm my goal to attend veterinary school. Undergraduate research helped apply a lot of what I learned in my classes.”

What’s next: Attending UGA College of Veterinary Medicine

Andrew Davis Tucker

Juris Doctor Tamkeen and Athens Public Defender Office internships “I came to law school motivated by a moral duty to help those who cannot help themselves. Georgia Law has provided me numerous opportunities to do so as a student and helped set the foundation for a future career in helping people living below the poverty line.”

What’s next: Taking the New York bar

exam, continuing work as a research assistant and looking for a job at a nonprofit or nongovernmental organization

At UGA, students aren’t limited to learning inside the classroom. From helping migrants in Jordan to researching animals in Hawaii to completing clinical rotations in Alaska, these graduating students talk about how their hands-on learning experiences impacted their UGA academic experiences and their lives.

Read their entire stories at commencement.uga.edu/2015

Katie Crow

Paul Efland

B.A. in International Affairs and a Master’s degree in International Policy Working with AIESEC United States “AIESEC was a good fit because it put me in a diverse environment where the people actually cared about world events and made it their personal responsibility to act to change them. By having conversations with all of these passionate and very intelligent people, my class discussions felt richer.”

What’s next: Working on the national executive board for AIESEC in Bangkok, Thailand

‘No excuses’

Sarah - “My internship at Tyson was an ex-

tension of my education in the poultry science department. One of the advantages of doing my internship at the end of my sophomore year is it provided a framework to apply the instruction I received in the classroom. At the same time, my coursework was able to provide me with answers and insights into processes that I performed on my internship but may not have understood the science behind it.”

Peter Frey

Nontraditional student prepares to graduate after overcoming numerous challenges

By Aaron Hale

aahale@uga.edu

Reyna Vargas has an extensive list of excuses for why she shouldn’t be graduating this May with a bachelor’s degree in social work. To begin with, English is her second language, making each lecture and textbook just a little harder for Vargas to understand. The 39-year-old student also has lupus, a chronic illness that can cause her extreme joint discomfort, and she has a circulation disorder, which resulted in her right leg being amputated below the knee. She relies on a cane, a prosthetic leg and a Disability Resource Center van to get around UGA’s large, hilly campus.

But Vargas’ motto is “no excuses,” and she works relentlessly through each class.

“Every single class is a challenge for me,” Vargas said, “but I like the challenge.”

Vargas was born in Peru to an American mother and Peruvian father. She was never interested in learning English or earning a college degree until she moved from Lima to Elberton about 15 years ago.

Even then,Vargas worked full time to support her family until 2008, when she was stricken with a blood clotting disorder called Antiphospholipid syndrome. A clot required that her leg be amputated. That year, she had seven surgeries and had to quit her job. She later would be diagnosed with lupus, which made mobility not just hard, but painful.

Vargas said the health issues made her realize her family’s vulnerability. Her husband had to take time off work to care for her, and Vargas’ heart broke as she watched her then-5-year-old daughter, April, taking care of her instead of the other way around. She felt isolated by her condition. No one around her understood what it was

Ben Mays

Rick O’Quinn

B.S. in Forest Resources The Westervelt Company internship

Michael Reed

Robert Newcomb

B.S. in Bioengineering with a Biomedical Emphasis Research assistant in various labs at UGA

Jeniffer Abdullah

Robert Newcomb

Bachelor of Social Work with Disabilities Studies Certificate Service-learning with 3 local nonprofits

“So far, my lab experience has prepared me for the research literature review necessary to work on a thesis of my own, provided exposure to relevant fields of research and allowed the application of the engineering skills taught in my coursework. Currently, my work with Dr. Ben Davis has been improving my knowledge of MATLAB...”

“This experience helped clarify my future goals of working with people and finding a cause that I felt passionate about rather than simply looking for a job. I have always wanted to work with suicide prevention and depression on a research or business level, so it motivated me to continue working towards that goal...”

What’s next: Master of Science in

at Florida State University

Engineering at UGA

Kristin Bradley

Andrew Davis Tucker

Doctorate of Pharmacy Clinical rotations at Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital and Mercy Health Center volunteer

What’s next: Joint MSW/MBA program

Aashka Dave

Paul Efland

Hillary Barfield

B.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences

By Your Leave Family Resource Center internship “(My internship) was one of the most beneficial experiences I have had at UGA. Being able to interact with the mothers and babies on a one-on-one basis not only allowed me to learn about the needs of pregnant women and new mothers, but it also strengthened my ability to interact with patients.”

What’s next: Master of Science in

Nursing at Vanderbilt University

Jonathan Lee

A.B.J. in Public Affairs Journalism and B.A. in Romance Languages Innovation Fellow at UGA’s Cox Institute

Peter Frey

Alexandria Byas

Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary externships participant

“Working with the patients at Mercy Health Center and in Alaska reinforces the concept that patients have differing levels of access to, understandings of, and individual needs in regards to their health. I have grown to love getting to know patients, learning their stories and working directly with them to optimize their health.”

“As the Innovation Fellow, I got to explore a side of the news industry that is still new and evolving. This exposure helped me define my interests more clearly, making me more interested in pursuing graduate study to research the evolution of journalism in greater detail.

I also learned more about the work that I want to do as a journalist.”

“My externships reaffirmed my desire to go into pathology; my experiences in the hospital reaffirmed why I’m becoming a veterinarian: to help animals and the people who come with them... As a future pathologist, when I diagnose a patient’s tumor, it makes a difference to the surgeon who removes it, the oncologist who gives radiation therapy and the owner who gets more time with a happier, healthy pet.”

What’s next: Master’s degree in forest

What’s next: Residency at the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System

What’s next: Working at the Associated Press office in New York City

What’s next: Residency and Ph.D. at Colorado State University

like to lose a limb, but she was told the nearest amputee support group was in Atlanta.

She remembers thinking, “How in the world am I going to get to Atlanta? I don’t have a leg.”

A woman of faith, she began to believe that God wanted her to be a social worker so she could help people like herself. That belief and the need to help others inspired Vargas to finally get her degree. Although her illnesses slowed her down, she resolved not to be paralyzed by them.

She enrolled at Athens Technical College before transferring to UGA. Over time, medication has lessened the risk of her blood disorder and eased the pain from lupus. Since then, she has made an impression on faculty and staff at the School of Social Work.

Last semester, Vargas took professor Michael Holosko’s “Foundations of Social Work Research” course, which takes a quantitative approach to social work. Right away, Vargas said, she felt in over her head from the concepts and terminology. Most students in Holosko’s class form study groups to keep up with the material, but age and schedule differences made it difficult for Vargas to find a group. Instead, she sought help from her professor, meeting with Holosko regularly to avoid getting behind.

“She was willing to stay with and never give up,” said Holokso, the Pauline M. Berger Professor of Family and Child Welfare. “She had this

need to embed the knowledge and retain it.”

The work paid off in the class.

“She tore it up,” Holosko said. “And she was a delight to work with.”

As Vargas completes her degree requirements, she already is helping people like herself. Last fall, she took a training course to become an Amputee Certified Peer Visitor, which allows her to visit patients who have had a limb amputated or are awaiting the surgery. The opportunity allows Vargas to support patients and answer questions.

She also has started forming a support group for amputees in Athens, something she wished had existed after her surgery. She hopes the group will begin meeting next month.

And Vargas may not be finished at UGA either. She plans to come back to get her master’s degree in social work.

Vargas credits more than hard work for her success. She said she’s had a lot of help too.Vargas is a recipient of the Gregory Charles Johnson Scholarship, which comes from privately donated funds to help students associated with the Disability Resource Center. The scholarships are intended to help students with tuition, medical expenses or to supplement living costs.

“UGA has brought me great satisfaction because the institution’s concern is to provide me the comfort I need to develop personally and professionally,” Vargas said.

“At the Warnell School, we are required to complete a course that satisfies professional development criteria. My internship did just that. It allowed me to practice the knowledge I gained in the classroom at the University of Georgia and prepared me for my future career.

Additionally, it allowed me to develop skills and field experience necessary to become a wildlife biologist. ” business at UGA

Paul Efland

Reyna Vargas, a student in the School of Social Work who has overcome numerous personal and professional challenges, will receive her bachelor’s degree May 8 at the undergraduate Commencement ceremony.

6 April 27, 2015 columns.uga.edu

CAMPUS CLOSEUP

Data deception

The Wall Street Journal spoke with Tim Samples, an assistant professor in the Terry College of Business, about how oil companies have paid to have access to geological data for the first set of oil blocks that Mexico will put out for bids.

Samples, who researches Mexican energy law, said the data purchases may not translate into action.

“Buying data-room access doesn’t necessarily indicate serious interest,” Samples said. “Companies might buy access, or even bid in some cases, for a variety of reasons.

“The real ‘fish, cut bait or go ashore’ moment is coming pretty soon though” when bids are revealed, he also said.

Oil and water

Samantha Joye, UGA’s Athletic Association Professor in Arts and Sciences and a professor of marine science, was quoted in worldwide coverage of the five-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil well drilling platform explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. The Bellona Foundation interviewed Joye for an article that examined how long it will take the environment to get back to “normal.”

“There’s this enormous multitude of interacting system level effects in the Gulf,” Joye said.

“These are questions we are not going to be able to answer in a year, or two years or three, so it may take a decade before we start to get a clue about it, and probably two decades before we begin to truly understand.”

Joye also was one of 26 marine scientists surveyed

by ABC News for a story about the current health of the Gulf’s oysters, dolphins, sea turtles, marshes and the seafloor. When asked about key fish such as red snapper, kingsnake eels and tilefish, Joye said, “Their livers have fresh Macondo oil in them.”

Sending a message

ABC News spoke with UGA’s Ron Carlson after some former Atlanta educators convicted in a test cheating scandal were jailed in early April.

The 11 educators were convicted of racketeering for their part in a plan to inflate students’ test scores on standardized exams.

“This is a huge story and absolutely the biggest development in American education law since forever,” said Carlson, holder of the Fuller E. Callaway Chair of Law Emeritus at the School of Law. “It has to send a message to educators here and broadly across the nation. Playing with student test scores is a very, very dangerous business.”

‘Angry’ party

Cas Mudde, an associate professor in the School of Public and International Affairs, was quoted in a story in The Atlantic about how the UK Independence Party has forced a debate about immigration and national identity.

The article discussed how the party holds positions that include leaving the European Union, imposing tougher laws against immigration and increasing defense spending and free trade.

UKIP voters, who tend to be older and male, “are angry at British elites because of the way they handled issues like corruption, crime, European integration and immigration,” Mudde said.

Robert Newcomb

Randolph Carter, coordinator of faculty and staff development in the Office of Institutional Diversity, has worked in international development, specifically around children and youth affected by armed conflict, in 18 countries.

OID coordinator devotes his life to ‘impacting change’ in the community

By Matt Chambers mattdc@uga.edu

When he was 11, Randolph Carter turned to God for answers and made a promise that would shape the rest of his life.

Carter’s native Liberia was embroiled in its first civil war, and before the violence reached his home of Monrovia, his parents sent him to a village near the Sierra Leone border for safety. Separated from his parents, Carter was the primary provider for his 7-year-old brother and 5-year-old cousin. During that time, the rebels tried to conscript him many times.

“One time still stands out; I had to run away from these guys,” he said. “During the course of running and hiding over two days, I wanted God to give me an explanation as to why I’m having to suffer, why life is so difficult, where my parents are and are they alive or dead,” Carter said. “Finally I said to God, ‘If I can really survive this, I’ll work to make sure that other young people don’t have to go through what I’m going through.’ ” Carter and his family did survive and were reunited back in Monrovia. Shortly after, Carter, who is the coordinator of faculty and staff development in the Office of Institutional Diversity, was selected for a United Nations program.

“The pilot program was to train 40 kids to do peer mediation, conflict resolution and trauma counseling,” Carter said. “The idea was to take the young people, train them on this and put them back in their schools.

“Because, think about if you saw someone your age kill your parent in cold blood with their AK-47, after the war subsided, they aren’t carrying the AK-47, and they’re sitting next to you in

the classroom—that’s a fight,” Carter said.

Being chosen for the program was a reminder of his promise to God, and Carter “realized it was time to do it.”

From 1993 to 2009, Carter continued his work in international development, specifically around children and youth affected by armed conflict. During that time, Carter worked in 18 countries in Africa and Asia.

In 2009, Carter, his wife, Litashia, and daughter, Rayna, moved to Georgia so that he could attend UGA as a graduate student. Litashia Carter is an academic adviser at UGA. He started in the Office of Institutional Diversity as a graduate assistant, a role he held for two years. In 2011, he consulted part time for OID, working on strategic planning. After a restructuring, Carter applied for and accepted his current position—something he said isn’t too far from what he used to do globally.

“It’s kind of the same because outside of the travel, I see what I was doing as one of two things: one, impacting change in my world. And in that capacity, my world was huge,” Carter said. “The second thing was building the capacity of people, engaging with people in a way that they become better.”

At UGA, Carter helps faculty, staff and students grow and develop through the Diversity and Inclusion Certificate program, which requires one core class and five electives. More than 1,000 UGA employees have taken one course in the program, which is managed by Carter. In the core class,“Diversity @ UGA: Beyond the Numbers,” Carter discusses various aspects of the university’s diversity.

“One example of a dimension (of diversity): When I came to Athens, Georgia, I learned that there were students here

FACTS Randolph Carter Coordinator of Faculty and Staff Development Office of Institutional Diversity B.S., Business Administration, Concordia College, 2004 At UGA: 2 years

who have learned my father’s dialect, Kpelle, and I can’t even speak my father’s dialect,” he said.“For me, that’s fascinating linguistic diversity, which people don’t talk about.”

Carter also works with what he calls his “UGA family,” partners throughout the university who have helped him on programs or initiatives.

Carter also has a “soccer family.” For the last five years, he’s coached a group of boys, now 16-17. He also has coached a group of 11-year-old girls for nearly two years.

Carter, who currently is pursuing a doctor of Christian ministry degree from Liberty Theological Seminary, said helping break down stereotypes or assumptions is what drives him. He said his “little steps” are helping to engage students, faculty and staff in ways that can change the university landscape.

“I come to work because every day, every meeting, every interaction contributes to something bigger than myself,” he said. “If we can change the mind of any of the young people who walk this campus, if we can change the perspective of what respect means and how to give it to someone outside of what color their skin is or their sexual orientation, then we can change the world.”

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

International affairs professor marks his 50-year anniversary in academia

By Aaron Hale

aahale@uga.edu

Howard J. Wiarda, the Dean Rusk Professor of International Relations in UGA’s School of Public and International Affairs, gives simple advice to students.

The founding head of SPIA’s international affairs department, Wiarda tells them to “find that career that enables you to match up your skills with your dreams,” and after that “work hard, study hard, play hard and persevere.”

The advice may be conventional, but Wiarda is a prime example of its effectiveness—and he has the career longevity to prove it. This spring, Wiarda completes his 50th year of teaching and researching in higher education.

In that time, Wiarda has served on presidential commissions, at foreign policy think tanks and for several prestigious universities. He has written extensively about international relations, foreign policy, travel and comparative topics.

Howard Wiarda “Professor Wiarda’s distinguished career has significantly advanced the field of international affairs, with hundreds of articles and many books that explore a range of topics in fields related to international relations, comparative politics and Latin American studies,” said Stefanie Lindquist, dean of the School of Public and

International Affairs.

Wiarda finished his doctoral degree in political science at the University of Florida in 1965 and became the youngest assistant, associate and full professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He served as a professor for Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, George Washington University, Georgetown University and Ohio State University. He joined the faculty at UGA in 2003.

Wiarda began his career as a scholar of Latin American politics, and his writings on Latin America, Spain, Portugal, comparative politics, corporatism, political culture and the developing nations are well known in the field.

Over the years, his scholarly interests have broadened to include nearly every continent

with focuses in comparative democratization, civil society and general comparative politics and American foreign policy.

He has fulfilled the travel lover’s dream of visiting more than 106 countries—living in or researching in many of them.

He has written or edited more than 100 books.

The veteran educator also shows no signs of slowing down. In the last two years, Wiarda has published five books about travel, foreign policy and international politics.

“I love the research, writing and teaching that I do,” Wiarda said. “If I weren’t so enthusiastic about my work, I wouldn’t do it any more. It also helps that I have good health, a supportive family and excellent infrastructure from my school and department.”

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

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

UGAGUIDE

Amputation in the Civil War South, by Brian Craig Miller. 5:30 p.m. 258 special collections libraries. 706-542-5788, jlevinso@uga.edu.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 SPRING SEMESTER FINAL EXAMS Through May 5.

Memorial service will be held for faculty, staff, students

By Don Reagin

dreagin@uga.edu

Twenty-six UGA faculty, staff and students who died since last April will be honored at the university’s annual candlelight memorial service April 28 at 7 p.m. in the Chapel.

UGA President Jere W. Morehead will lead the service, “Georgia Remembers … a Candlelight Memorial.” Names of each of the 15 students and 11 faculty and staff members will be read aloud, followed by a toll of the Chapel bell and the lighting of a candle.

Names will be read by David Shipley, chair of the executive committee of University Council; Michael Lewis, chair of the executive committee of the Staff Council; and Johnelle Simpson, president of the Student Government Association.

Members of the university’s Arch Society will light candles as each name is read aloud. Adam Daniels, campus minister for the Georgia Christian Student Center, will deliver an opening prayer, and Paula Frances Price, campus minister with Greek InterVarsity, will deliver a closing prayer.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the flames from the Arch Society members’ candles will be passed to attendees so they can light their own candles of remembrance.

The Southern Wind Quintet from the Hugh Hodgson School of Music will provide music, and the university’s Army ROTC will present the colors and ring the bell.

EXHIBITIONS Southern Highlands Reserve: A Garden Rooted in the Place of its Making.

Through April 30. Circle Gallery, College of Environment and Design.

Master of Fine Arts Degree Candidates Exhibition. Through May 3. Georgia Museum of Art. Chaos and Metamorphosis: The Art of Piero Lerda. Though May 10. Georgia Museum of Art. “OC” Carlisle Solo Art. Through May 11.

Candler Hall.

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

BLA Exit Show. Through May 15. Circle Gallery, College of Environment and Design. (See Digest, page 3).

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

Faculty and staff whose names will be read along with the positions they held are: • Clifton A. Baile, a D.W. Brooks Distinguished Professor and the GRA Eminent Scholar in Biotechnology and director of the Obesity Initiative; • Laura Joan Cliffe, an associate research scientist in biochemistry and molecular biology; • Carolyn Dehring, an associate professor of insurance/legal studies and real estate; • John Mitchell Gilmer, a research statistician in crop and soil sciences; • James D. McCusker, a skilled trades worker for UGA Extension on Tybee Island; • Mary Ellen Mount, an administrative specialist in the academic affairs office, Griffin campus; • Melissa Pattman, a food service worker in Bolton Dining Commons; • Mark D. Reuter, a building services worker in the Facilities Management Division; • Paul VonRague Schleyer, a professor of chemistry; • Gregory A. Trandel, an associate professor of economics; and • Daniel Upton White, an assistant to the executive director in the Institute of Continuing Legal Education.

Students whose names will be read along with their hometowns and the areas of study they were pursuing are: • Tanzila Alam, a freshman from Dhaka, Bangladesh, majoring in cellular biology; • Bradford Taylor Caperton, a senior Jay Robinson: Quarks, Leptons and Peanuts. Through June 21. Georgia Museum of Art. AiryLight: Visualizing the Invisible.

Through June 28. Georgia Museum of Art. Circles. Through June 28. Georgia Museum of Art. The Pennington Radio Collection.

Through December. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, special collections libraries.

MONDAY, APRIL 27 SPRING SEMESTER CLASSES END WARNELL DEAN FINALIST PRESENTATION Presentation by Mark Ryan, University of Missouri, Columbia. 9:30 a.m.

120 R.C. Wilson Pharmacy Building.

LECTURE “USDA National Needs Fellows: Student Research.” 3:35 p.m. 103 Conner Hall.

706-247-5167, sustainag@uga.edu.

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/.

from Atlanta majoring in marketing; • Philip Hayes Carpenter, a junior from Athens majoring in agribusiness, agricultural and applied economics; • Min Seok Cho, a junior from Suwanee majoring in international affairs; • Brianna Lyn Cochran, a junior from Marietta majoring in biology; • Joseph Ian Davis, a senior from Atlanta majoring in risk management and insurance; • Zaki Dostmohamed, a senior from Athens majoring in economics; • Mikal “Miki” Ghirmazghi, a senior from Decatur majoring in health promotion; • Shivali Gupta, an incoming freshman from Smyrna; • Rachael Marie Hamil, a junior from Newnan majoring in psychology; • Keri Blickenstaff Kinsel, a doctoral candidate from Winterville majoring in musicology; • Michael Chesterpete McClary, a freshman from Decatur majoring in political science; • Malcolm Lavelle Quillen, a graduate student from Bogalusa, Louisiana, majoring in foods and nutrition; • Sina Shayegan, a first-year veterinary medicine student from Cumming; and • Sean Edward Vollrath, a sophomore from Cumming majoring in pre-journalism/advertising.

The candlelight memorial service is coordinated by Student Support Services, a department within UGA Student Affairs.

RECITAL Bulldog Brass Society. 6 p.m. Ramsey Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center.

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

TUESDAY, APRIL 28 READING DAY CONFERENCE Through April 29. The Georgia Water Resources Conference. $150; $80 for students. Georgia Center.

404-403-5722, rjmcd@uga.edu.

SYMPOSIUM Also April 29. The 25th annual Molecular Parasitology/Vector Biology Symposium.

8:30 a.m. Georgia Center.

706-583-0861, emyoung@uga.edu.

SUSTAINABILITY REVIEW Includes brief presentations from Office of Sustainability interns, posters and table displays from UGA classes and programs. 11 a.m. Special ­collections libraries. 706-542-3152, alentini@uga.edu.

BOOK CLUB MEETING April’s selection: Empty Sleeves:

THURSDAY, APRIL 30 UGA RETIREES ASSOCIATION RECEPTION 4:30 p.m. Mahler Auditorium, Georgia Center. (See Bulletin Board, page 8).

FRIDAY, MAY 1 RETURN TO THE ARCH ALUMNI SEMINAR Through May 3. $290. Sponsored by the UGA Alumni Association. (See story, page 2).

BASEBALL vs. Florida. $5-$8. 7 p.m. Foley Field.

SATURDAY, MAY 2

7

COLLEGE OF ENVIRONMENT AND DESIGN CONVOCATION 4 p.m. Fine Arts Building Theatre. thebla@uga.edu.

RITE OF SANKOFA GRADUATION CELEBRATION 6:30 p.m. Grand Hall, Tate Student Center.

FRIDAY, MAY 8 GRADUATE COMMENCEMENT 10 a.m. Stegeman Coliseum.

TERRY COLLEGE GRADUATION CONVOCATION 2:30 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. elizwill@ uga.edu.

COLLEGE OF FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES CONVOCATION 3 p.m. The Classic Center, 300 N. Thomas St. 706-542-4879, sherri@uga.edu.

COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE COMMENCEMENT 10:30 a.m. Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING CONVOCATION 3:30 p.m. Chapel. mdy@engr.uga.edu.

BASEBALL vs. Florida. $5-$8. Noon. Foley Field.

UNDERGRADUATE COMMENCEMENT 7 p.m. Sanford Stadium.

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY COMMENCEMENT Location to be announced. 2 p.m.

GARDENS OF THE WORLD BALL 6 p.m. State Botanical Garden.

SUNDAY, MAY 3 BASEBALL vs. Florida. $5-$8. 1 p.m. Foley Field.

706-542-1231.

TUESDAY, MAY 5 RETREAT Bioenergy Systems Research Institute annual retreat. 9 a.m. special collections libraries. (See Digest, page 3).

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6 SYMPOSIUM The 2015 Plant Center Spring Symposium. Classic Center, 300 N. Thomas St. 706-542-3732, tlgaines@uga.edu.

STAFF COUNCIL MEETING 2:30 p.m. 207 Miller Learning Center.

THURSDAY, MAY 7

MONDAY, MAY 11 SPRING SEMESTER GRADES DUE Due by 5 p.m.

TUESDAY, MAY 12 DROP/ADD FOR EXTENDED SUMMER SESSION Through May 18.

DROP/ADD FOR MAY SESSION Through May 13.

MAY SESSION CLASSES BEGIN WORKSHOP “Drawing from Nature.” 4 p.m.

Classroom 1, State Botanical Garden.

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

THURSDAY, MAY 14 BASEBALL vs. Arkansas. $5-$8. 7 p.m. Foley Field.

FRIDAY, MAY 15 2015 STAFF APPRECIATION 10 a.m. Intramural field 1. schupska@uga.edu. (See story, page 1).

UGA GRIFFIN CAMPUS GRADUATION CELEBRATION 10 a.m. Stuckey Auditorium, UGA Griffin campus. 770-412-4400, mps@uga.edu.

BASEBALL vs. Arkansas. $5-$8. 7 p.m. Foley Field.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS GRADUATION CEREMONY 10 a.m. Special collections libraries.

706-542-5867, jsj@uga.edu.

SCHOOL OF LAW COMMENCEMENT 10 a.m. North Campus quadrangle.

Rain location: Stegeman Coliseum. lcmathis@uga.edu. (See story, page 2).

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION GRADUATION CONVOCATION 1 p.m. Grand Hall, the Classic Center, 300 N. Thomas St. 706-542-1497, jnaylor@uga.edu.

BASEBALL vs. Arkansas. $5-$8. 1 p.m. Foley Field.

706-542-1231.

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.

columns.uga.edu April 27, 2015

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.

SATURDAY, MAY 16

NEXT COLUMNS DEADLINES May 6 (for May 18 issue) June 3 (for June 15 issue) June 17 (for June 29 issue)

8 April 27, 2015 columns.uga.edu LEARNING

DEAN

from page 1

academic year alone.

UGA Student Government Association President Johnelle Simpson, who is pursuing a double major in risk management and insurance as well as political science, is planning on studying abroad in China next month through UGA’s School of Public and International Affairs. He said the credit hours he will earn will help him graduate on time, and the learning experiences that he will have will differentiate him from other applicants when he applies to law school.

“It can open up doors for you when you have those kinds of experiences,” Simpson said.“I’ve had friends who have published their research findings or have had internships that have led them to the careers that they’re in now.”

The requirement approved April 22 by University Council was conceptualized by a task force of deans and developed in consultation with the faculties of all 14 schools and colleges offering undergraduate degrees.

The new requirement will not increase the number of credit hours required to earn a

DIRECTOR from page 1

for instruction. “We are honored to have her expertise in an area that will enhance the academic performance of our students and position them for greater success after graduation.”

As director of university experiential learning, Bachman is charged with identifying and proposing innovative ways to advance experiential learning across UGA’s diverse undergraduate programs. She will partner with faculty members, experiential program directors and other administrators in UGA’s schools and colleges to support planning and program expansion and assessment.

“Dr. Bachman has been instrumental in helping move UGA’s experiential learning requirement from concept to reality, and she brings a unique set of qualifications to this important position,” Whitten said. “With her appointment as director of university experiential learning, our faculty, staff and administrators have a new resource to help enhance learning opportunities for students.”

In addition to her work on the committee that drafted and facilitated discussion regarding the Experiential Learning Requirement, Bachman has served as assistant dean in the Franklin College since 2006, first directing external affairs for the college, and more recently providing leadership on strategic planning and the development of

Bulletin Board ‘Columns’ publication schedule Weekly publication of Columns for the 2014-2015 academic year will end with the April 27 issue. Columns will be published once in May and twice in June and July.

Submit news items for the May 18 Columns by 5 p.m. by May 6.

Weekly publication of Columns will resume in August.

Youth swimming lessons

The Learn to Swim Program at UGA Recreational Sports is designed to teach children to swim in a fun, safe environment. Enrollment for classes is limited to maintain quality instruction and a favorable teaching environment.

Children will be taught swimming and water safety skills by experienced instructors, who are all UGA students.

Sessions begin June 1 and continue through July 30.

For more information or to register, visit http://t.uga.edu/1tC.

New retirees reception

The Office of the President, the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and the

degree, and a number of experiential learning opportunities, such as undergraduate research, service-learning and internships, come with no additional cost.

Linda Bachman, assistant dean in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the committee that was charged with drafting and facilitating discussion of the proposal, said that faculty and students alike are enthusiastic about the positive impact of experiential learning for students—both during and after their studies.

“Experiential learning helps students make purposeful connections between their academic foundations and the impact they would like to make in their professional lives and communities,” Bachman said. “Students who engage in hands-on learning return to the classroom with deepened commitment to their studies and enter graduate school or the workforce with firsthand experiences in their fields.”

More about experiential learning is online at www.ugaexperience.com.

entrepreneurial academic programs. Prior to coming to UGA, Bachman founded and led a fundraising, board development and communications strategy firm in Philadelphia. Her experience in higher education administration includes development, program management and strategic planning for the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan and the University of MissouriKansas City, among other academic and nonprofit institutions.

Bachman holds an Ed.D. in higher education management with an international certification from UGA, a master’s degree in English language and literature from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in English and history from Bryn Mawr College.

“Faculty members already offer worldclass experiential learning opportunities for our students, and our students are clamoring for more,” Bachman said. “I look forward to building on what we already do so well at UGA, and supporting our faculty and students in growing our experiential programs to respond to the interests and aspirations of all of our students, while deepening our educational partnerships with the businesses and community organizations to which our students bring their talents upon graduation.”

The Experiential Learning Requirement will go into effect no earlier than fall 2016.

UGA Retirees Association will host a reception April 30 for UGA faculty, staff and administrators who retired between May 2014 and April 2015.

The new retirees, who were mailed invitations to the event, will be presented with certificates thanking them for their service to the university.

The keynote speaker for the event will be University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby.

Information will be available at the reception about UGARA and also the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, an organization open to Athens-area residents older than age 50. OLLI offers members access to courses, social events, travel opportunities and other activities.

UGARA includes all UGA retirees—faculty, staff and administrators—who become members when they officially retire from the university.

UGARA is governed by a council of elected members who serve three-year terms.

The council members for 20142015 are Brahm Verma, president; Tom Lauth, vice president; Kathy Hoard, secretary; Sharron Thompson, treasurer; as well as Tommy Altman, Ruth Bettandorff, Freda Scott Giles, Sharron Hannon and Ed Kanemasu.

Lauth will succeed Verma as

from page 1

“Dr. Barbour possesses the experience and skill set to meet the University of Georgia’s ambitious agenda to elevate graduate education to new heights. Under her leadership, UGA will significantly enhance its graduate programs for the benefit of students and for the economic and scholarly competitiveness of our state and nation,” said Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.

“She brings a commitment to attracting the most promising graduate students to UGA and to increasing the number of career paths that our graduate programs prepare them for.”

Barbour has served as the director of research training at the VCU Center on Health Disparities, on the coordinating committee for a graduate education initiative known as the NSF Research Traineeship Program and as a faculty coach for the NIH-funded Academy for Future Science Faculty. She has received a number of honors over the course of her career, including VCU’s Women in Science, Dentistry and Medicine ProfessionalAchievementAward and its Presidential Award for Community Multicultural Enrichment. She received VCU’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2005 and has received an Outstanding Teacher Award nearly every year since 1999.

Barbour said she looks forward to

working with colleagues across campus to develop strategies to attract and retain the most talented and diverse graduate students to UGA; enable graduate students to select the career path(s) that best suit their interests, skill sets and values; ensure that graduate students have access to information and develop skill sets necessary to pursue those paths; offer graduate programs that are well-aligned with both research and scholarship strengths of the institution and needs of the workforce; assess and refine graduate programs to ensure they maintain quality and retain those alignments; and track outcomes to ensure that graduate programs lead to productive careers and job satisfaction.

“I share the university’s goal of tailoring its graduate programs to ‘meet increasingly complex societal needs with cutting-edge, interdisciplinary offerings, strong support systems, and new approaches to program delivery that extend beyond the boundaries of the Athens campus,’ ” Barbour said, quoting UGA’s 2020 Strategic Plan. “The University of Georgia has a strong foundation to build on, and I’m looking forward to working with faculty, staff, students, alumni and administrators to enhance graduate education even further.”

INTERIM

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MCG Instructional Technology Advisory Committee, the Phase 1 and 2 Curriculum Committee, the Curriculum Oversight Committee, the Admissions Committee and the Executive Committee for Reaccreditation.

“Dr. Lee has helped guide the growth and progress of the GRU/UGA Medical Partnership since its founding, and I am confident that she will provide outstanding leadership while the national search for the next permanent campus dean continues,” said Pamela Whitten, UGA senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.

Lee was previously associate director of the Virology Core Facility at the Center for AIDS Research at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She earned her doctorate in pharmacology from UNCChapel Hill.

Dr. Barbara Schuster, inaugural campus dean, will step down May 12 after nearly seven years of leadership. Houston Davis, University System of Georgia executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer, is chairing a 15-member search committee that is conducting a national search for the next permanent campus dean of the medical partnership.

president of the council for 2015-2016.

Incoming council members for next year include Mark Eason, Paul Kurtz and Tom Landrum, who will succeed council members who have completed their service.

For more information about UGARA, see http://ugara.uga.edu/ or visit the UGARA Facebook page.

Library course reserves

The UGA Libraries is accepting course reserve lists for summer semester, which begins May 12. Information on using course reserves including the full course reserve letter, guidelines, submission forms, processing priorities, deadlines and other important dates is at http://t.uga.edu/16h.

The course reserve deadline is May 1. Lists received after this date will be processed as quickly as possible according to processing priorities.

For more information, contact Mollie Armour at 706-542-2081 or mainresv@uga.edu or Brenda Robbins at sciresv@uga.edu or 706-542-4535.

were put on hold at the state level.

Lewis previously had participated in a similar recognition event and brought the idea before the council’s executive committee. They agreed, and with approval from Morehead, who “thought about the idea for about a millisecond,” Lewis said, “and was instantly on board,” a group formed in 2014 to turn the idea into a reality.

“I hope what this celebration says to our staff employees is that the university knows they work hard and knows that the successes achieved here happen in part because staff employees have a hand in it,” said Lewis, who is an information technology professional in the geology department.

Lewis sees the event both as an appreciation celebration and as a way to build community at the university.

This year’s Staff Appreciation Celebration serves as the culminating event for Staff Appreciation Week, designated by the president to take place May 11-15. During that week, other university departments will be encouraged to host unit-level activities to recognize and celebrate staff contributions.

Parking will be available on site, with E01 reserved for staff with disabilities. UGA buses will provide service for the event, altering their routes to provide pick-up and drop-off locations throughout campus.

A Facebook page for the Staff Appreciation Celebration has been created. For up-to-date schedules, parking and other information, visit www.facebook.com/UGAstaffappreciation or http://t.uga.edu/1sS.

ABOUT COLUMNS 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 Senior Reporter Aaron Hale Reporter Matt Chambers

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

Copy Editor David Bill The University of Georgia is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.

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The University of Georgia is a unit of the University System of Georgia.