UGA Columns Aug 22, 2016

Periodicals Postage is PAID in Athens, Georgia

Marketing & Communications University of Georgia 286 Oconee Street Suite 200 North Athens, GA 30602-1999

®

The University of Georgia

One for the books: Professor of biochemistry dabbles in historical romance novels CAMPUS NEWS

2

UGA professor of cello will open Hugh Hodgson ­Faculty Series on Aug. 30 Vol. 44, No. 5

August 22, 2016

columns.uga.edu

New fellowships to attract promising graduate students

By Sam Fahmy

sfahmy@uga.edu

One of Dean Sam Pardue’s priorities will be to create access to the college’s degree programs on its three campuses.

Comprehensive strength CAES dean getting up to speed on diversity ­ of state’s agriculture and breadth of UGA

By J. Faith Peppers pepper@uga.edu

In his first five months as dean and director of UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Sam Pardue has learned one thing very well: “Georgia is a big state.”

As dean of a college with research and Extension centers, farms, 4-H centers and county Extension offices spread all across Georgia, he’s seen a lot of Georgia; met many of the college’s clients, alumni and friends; and discovered the depth of affinity many have for the college and its programs. But he’s also been getting up to speed on the diversity of Georgia agriculture and the breadth of the university.

“One of the strengths of UGA is that it is a comprehensive university,” Pardue said. “Not only

UGA GUIDE

do you have every discipline or area of study within the university, but UGA has a strong law school, journalism, pharmacy, medicine and engineering, too. Because the university is so comprehensive, it lends itself far more easily for us, as a college, to pursue solutions to today’s critical problems.”

Pardue said that agriculture and engineering are historical hallmarks of land-grant institutions, but the comprehensive offerings of arts, language and history bring a richness and diversity to the campus here that you don’t find everywhere.

“There are so many differing opinions, which causes us to pause and think about our own opinions and ideas to find the whole, comprehensive solutions that can only result from diverse input,” he said.

In Pardue’s opinion, it is one

of the keys to UGA’s success in agriculture.

“Being able to bring so many schools and experts to the table to find solutions to the very complex food issues facing the world is a real advantage for us,” he said.

“This is truly a uni-versity not a poly-versity. We have unity without uniformity.”

Some of those complex problems are access to water resources, labor and immigration policy, and regulatory issues. Solving these critical issues requires multidisciplinary input from across several colleges from engineering to environment and design, forestry, family and consumer sciences, vet med, public health and others.

“We all have different disciplinary interests,” Pardue said, “but we See DEAN on page 8

UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA

UGA has created two new graduate fellowship programs to boost the recruitment of students in fields that align with UGA’s Signature Research Themes and the needs of Georgia’s knowledgebased economy.

At the doctoral level, the university is launching an internationally competitive graduate fellows program known as the Georgia Research Education Award Traineeship. GREAT Fellowships are renewable for up to five years of total support and

5

include a graduate research assistantship with an annual compensation of $27,000 and a tuition waiver.

Ten elite Ph.D. students will be named GREAT Fellows annually beginning in fall 2017, and they will work closely with UGA faculty to conduct high-impact research in the university’s Signature Research Themes of Inquiring and Innovating to Improve Human Health, Safeguarding and Sustaining Our World, and Changing Lives through the Land-Grant Mission.

At the master’s level, UGA is launching the Georgia Impact Now fellows program. GAIN Fellowships are renewable for up to two years of total support and include a graduate research assistantship with an annual compensation of

See FELLOWSHIPS on page 8

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Four finalists for international education position to visit campus

By Sam Fahmy

sfahmy@uga.edu

Four finalists for the position of associate provost for international education at UGA will visit campus to meet with members of the university community.

A committee chaired by Rahul Shrivastav, vice president for instruction, conducted a national search to identify the finalists.

The committee was assisted by the UGA Search Group in Human Resources.

Each finalist will make a public presentation from 9:30-10:30 a.m. in the Reception Hall (Room 135) of the Tate Student Center. The finalists and the dates of their presentations are:

• Noel Fallows, interim associate provost for international education at UGA and a Distinguished Research Professor of Romance Languages in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, Aug. 23.

• Kiki Caruson, assistant vice president for research, innovation and global affairs, and an associate professor of government and international affairs at the University of South Florida, Aug. 25.

• Jane Gatewood, associate provost for global engagement at the University of Rochester, Aug. 30.

• Paul Kaiser, senior World Bank consultant, Sept. 1.

The CVs of the finalists, along with itineraries for their campus visits and candidate feedback forms,

See FINALISTS on page 8

PUBLIC SERVICE AND OUTREACH

University System of Georgia Chancellor Huckaby ‘Blue and You’ helps police, youth address potential conflicts will retire in December; Wrigley named interim University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby announced Aug. 10 his plans to retire Dec. 31. Serving as the University System’s 12th chancellor, Huckaby oversees the 29 public colleges and universities that serve 318,164 students.

“Public higher education touches all aspects of our society.

It is the fabric that holds us together and is an investment that pays dividends for life,” Huckaby said.

“The University System is one of the great strengths of Georgia, and I am grateful to have been able to serve with the faculty and staff who bring it to life every day to serve our

students. The University System holds an incredibly bright future for the next generation.”

Steve Wrigley has been named interim chancellor of the USG. He will assume his new role Jan. 1.

Huckaby became chancellor July 1, 2011. At the time, the University System was comprised of 35 institutions and served 298,510 students.

“Chancellor Huckaby has been a lifelong public servant to the state of Georgia, and public higher education has been his special calling,” said board of regents Chairman Kessel Stelling. “The board and I express our sincere thanks and

By Christopher James chtjames@uga.edu

Hank Huckaby

Steve Wrigley

appreciation for all Hank has done to support the students, faculty, staff and everyone who will touch the University System for years to come.”

Under Huckaby’s leadership, the University System of Georgia: See CHANCELLOR on page 7

In a time of heightened sensitivity between police and the public, UGA has launched a program to facilitate conversations between youth and law enforcement officers to address conflicts before they escalate into violence.

The idea for “Blue and You,” a forum to bring the community together with police to talk about divisive issues in a safe environment, was initiated by Brian N. Williams, an associate professor of public administration in the UGA School of Public and International Affairs. He

turned to the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development to develop a model for the program.

“One of the great challenges is that the community doesn’t really understand what it means to be a police officer, and police officers don’t understand what it means to be a resident in some communities,” said Williams, who has studied law enforcement for two decades. “You don’t want to wait until something bad happens to have these meaningful conversations.”

The initial forum in April brought together law enforcement

See BLUE on page 8

2 Aug. 22, 2016 columns.uga.edu

Around academe

Xavier U. to offer first Pizza ATM

College campuses are well-known hotbeds of innovation. Now, Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, is testing an innovative tool that could be a culinary game changer: the Pizza ATM. The Pizza ATM, a vending machine promising “fresh, restaurant quality pizza in minutes,” according to the Cincinnati Enquirer, will debut in a Xavier residence hall this fall.

“We were looking for a way to solve this problem of having a late-night pizza option on campus,” said Jude Kiah, Xavier’s assistant vice president for auxiliary services. “This meets our students where they’re at in their residence hall.”

The machine, which costs $55,000, will serve and heat pizzas made by the university’s dining services employees.

Employees should review balances for new Shared Leave program

News to Use

UGA will be changing its Shared Leave program Jan. 1 to comply with the manner in which the program is administered by the University System of Georgia.

The Shared Leave program still will allow employees who have a serious illness and have exhausted all forms of sick and annual leave to apply to receive leave donated by other employees. The program will now further permit the use of shared leave for the care of seriously ill immediate family members instead of being limited to employees only.

The program is changing in several ways, and Human Resources encourages employees to review their sick leave balance before the benefits open enrollment period.

One primary change: Anyone who wants access to shared leave as of January 2017 must donate sick leave to a leave pool during the fall 2016 open enrollment period. During this time, employees who wish to participate must donate a minimum of eight hours of sick leave, but are eligible to donate up to 80 hours. To donate, employees must have at least 40 hours of sick leave remaining as of Jan. 1, 2017, after the donation is taken from their sick leave balances.

Participation in this program is voluntary; however, to participate and be eligible to use shared leave, an employee must have donated to the program.

For more information, see the current UGA Shared Leave guidelines at http://t.uga.edu/2x1 and view the University System of Georgia Shared Leave program at http://tinyurl.com/h5t7qh6 .

Human Resources will share additional information about the revised Shared Leave program during open enrollment this fall. In the meantime, call HR at 706-542-2222 with questions about the Shared Leave program.

Source: Human Resources

FRANKLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

One for the books: Biochemistry prof writes historical romance novels

By Aaron Hale

aahale@uga.edu

Several years ago, biochemistry and molecular biology professor John M. Brewer got some advice from his doctor.

Brewer, who will celebrate 50 years at UGA in September, was told to enjoy himself and start doing the things he always wanted to do.

“He (the doctor) was talking about traveling. I hate travel,” said Brewer, sardonic but playful.

Instead, he took up a hobby that accommodated one of his favorite pastimes—letting his mind wander.

Brewer started writing historical romance novels.

Since then, he has self-published six novels, each with elements of conflict, action and romance. His books have been set during the American Revolution, World War I and World War II. His most recent novel, Golden Mary, takes place during the reign of Henry VIII when the king began the suppression of monasteries. In Brewer’s words, the plot includes “a lot of sword fighting, lust and good things like that.”

The writing was just an extension of what Brewer has done since he was a child: thinking up fantastical stories in his head.

Following his interest in science, Brewer took on a career in biochemistry—but the fanciful stories continue to swirl.

A few years ago, his mentor from Johns Hopkins University, where he

Dorothy Kozlowski

For John Brewer, the books keep coming, and his wife, Mary Sue, a research technician in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, creates the cover art for his novels.

earned his doctorate, learned about his writing.

“He couldn’t get over the fact that I was writing fiction and wondered if I had gotten this from writing grant proposals,” Brewer said with a grin. “I thought that was a low blow.”

Brewer’s wife, Mary Sue, a research technician in UGA’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences, aids with production of the books. She has helped convert her husband’s handwritten, cursive, manuscripts, into text. She also designed five of the six book covers.

With retirement nearing in December and with that a decrease in lab research, the books keep coming.

PUBLIC SERVICE AND OUTREACH

Two WeatherStem stations installed at university sites

By Christopher James chtjames@uga.edu

New technology installed at two UGA locations will provide real-time weather data and early warnings for severe weather.

Donated by WeatherStem CEO Edward Mansouri, the stations were installed in the State Botanical Garden and on the main campus in early August. The station links to the web and provides tools such as text alerts for changing weather conditions and forecasts. Users also can replay timelapse videos from attached webcams.

Marshall Shepherd, UGA Athletic Association Distinguished Professor and director of the university’s Atmospheric Sciences Program in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, worked with Mansouri to have the station in place before the start of the fall semester so that he could use the data in his class on urban climate.

“From a research standpoint, it is rare to have a good network of weather observations in an urban area like Athens,” Shepherd said. “Typically, weather stations are in more rural, open-space areas or airports. There’s also potentially a broad benefit for our emergency preparedness and weather warning efforts in the community.”

The WeatherStem also includes a Football Weather Almanac that can be used to pull up the weather information for any UGA home game since 1954.

UGA is the first Southeastern Conference school to have the WeatherStem stations. Ten stations have been installed at Atlantic Coast Conference schools, including Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Overall, 200 stations have been installed at sites in 13 states.

In addition to the stations at the State Botanical Garden and atop the geography-geology building on the main campus, UGA Emergency Operations Manager John Newton said they hope to add stations to other areas of the main campus and to the extended campuses to make them more useful for research, teaching and promoting emergency preparedness.

“This is something, I think, that would cross the needs of students, faculty, staff, academics, research, service and outreach to the community,” Newton said. “I just think it is something that crosses all those boundaries.”

Practical applications for the data include using it to monitor heat indices that could affect athletes and grounds workers as well as advise students whether to take an umbrella when they head out to classes. The stations also provide alerts when lightning strikes are nearby.

The stations have a customized set of probes and sensors to monitor soil temperature and soil moisture, information especially relevant to the botanical garden.

Wilf Nicholls, director of the State Botanical Garden, a UGA public service and outreach unit, said the station likely would be a draw for visitors, both on site and online.

“People from all over the place can watch the garden grow,” Nicholls said.

“It gives us a little bit more accuracy, but it also gives other parts of campus data they can use.”

Vi e w We a t h e r S t e m a t t h e botanical garden and on the main campus online at https://athensclarke.weatherstem.com/sbg and https://athensclarke. weatherstem.com/uga or on Facebook and Twitter.

Brewer’s current project—a seventh novel titled Quest due out in December—is set in the present and is based on a real-life mystery of human remains found in a Nevada cave in 1900.

Just like in the lab, Brewer does extensive research before writing. That’s to make the historical setting accurate.

“This is historical fiction, not historical fantasy,” he said. “I do my homework. I want to get things right.”

According to Brewer, everything that happens in his stories is “possible, plausible or actually happened.”

The story “tells itself,” according to Brewer, and he observes and records, just like he would in the lab.

PUBLIC SERVICE AND OUTREACH JHEOE celebrates its 20th anniversary throughout year The Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, the oldest peer-reviewed interdisciplinary publication on engagement between higher education and communities, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Published by UGA, JHEOE’s first issue of 2016 kicked off the celebration and features 11 articles that have had the greatest impact on the field in the past 20 years, based on a survey of the journal’s 37-member editorial board.

The articles are reprinted and are followed by responses from their original author(s) or by other eminent scholars.

“This issue is particularly exciting,” said Lorilee R. Sandmann, editor of the journal and UGA professor emerita. “As a capstone of the last 20 years, it is a retrospective and prospective about the important work of public scholarship— both theoretically and practically.”

The journal was launched in 1996 as the Journal of Public Service and Outreach, and later was renamed the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement.

“Immeasurable contributions of Ernest Boyer and other esteemed academic leaders are being celebrated in the anniversary issue,” said Jennifer Frum, vice president for public service and outreach. “They, along with the many other contributors to the journal, have challenged us to fulfill our role of committing our best research and instruction to the public good and advancing scholarship on how we maximize impact.”

JHEOE will continue its celebration throughout the year with special features and focus on advancing the public mission of higher education.

The journal is online at http://t. uga.edu/2xM.

RESEARCH NEWS

columns.uga.edu Aug. 22, 2016

3

Digest Annual fundraising event to support Project Safe scheduled for Aug. 27

Chester DePratter (left), with the University of South Carolina, and Victor Thompson, director of UGA’s Center for Archaeological Sciences, run ground-penetrating radar at Santa Elena.

Unearthing history Archaeologists find elusive 16th-century Spanish fort on Parris Island

By Stephanie Schupska schupska@uga.edu

Located near the town of Beaufort, South Carolina, Parris Island holds more than the dreams of future Marines. It contains the remains of a Spanish fort erected in 1577 in the Spanish town of Santa Elena. For decades, attempts to find it have failed, and Fort San Marcos stayed hidden until new technology brought it to light.

In a paper published in the Journal of Archeology Science Reports, archaeologists led by the University of South Carolina’s Chester DePratter and UGA’s Victor Thompson discuss how they uncovered Fort San Marcos without scooping a shovelful of soil.

San Marcos is one of five Spanish forts built sequentially at Santa Elena over its 21-year occupation.

DePratter and Thompson have conducted research at Santa Elena since 2014 to locate the fort that was founded in 1577 by Pedro Menedez Marquez, the governor of Spanish La Florida.

Their discovery sheds light on the oldest, most northern Spanish settlement in the Americas, built to thwart French exploration into the New World.

Marquez arrived in October 1577 at the abandoned town of Santa Elena

with two ships carrying pre-fabricated posts and heavy planking. He erected Fort San Marcos in six days in defense against a possible Native American attack such as the one that forced the abandonment of the town a year earlier.

The town had flourished, nearing 400 residents, since its establishment more than a decade earlier in 1566 by Pedro Menendez de Aviles, who had founded Spanish La Florida and St. Augustine the year before. In 1571, it became the capital of Spanish Florida, and it remained the capital until 1576.

“I have been looking for San Marcos since 1993, and new techniques and technologies allowed for a fresh search,” said DePratter, who conducts research through USC’s South Carolina Institute for Archaeology and Anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences.

DePratter said the general location of Fort San Marcos has been known for decades from documentary sources, which included a written description and drawing of the fort that are part of the Archive of the Indies in Seville, Spain. Several early attempts to find the fort through excavation failed.

In early June, DePratter and Thompson returned to Santa Elena to employ a suite of new remote sensing technologies to look below the surface

of the ground without actually digging.

Using ground penetrating radar, soil resistivity and magnetometers, they sent radar pulses and electric currents into the ground and measured differences in local magnetic fields in search of the missing fort and to map the lost 15-acre landscape of Santa Elena and the buildings that brought life to the early settlement.

“Santa Elena is providing once again an unprecedented view of the 16th-century landscape. This is one of the best sites for remote sensing that I’ve ever had the privilege to work on,” said Thompson, director of UGA’s Center for Archaeological Sciences and associate professor in the Franklin of College of Arts and Sciences anthropology department.

Santa Elena is the best preserved 16th century town in the country, DePratter said, in part because of its location, which is underneath a former military golf course that has no standing structures on it.

“This work will allow us to tell the story of the land that would eventually become the United States. Santa Elena is an important part of this history that lends insight into how colonial powers in Europe vied for control over this corner of the New World,” said Thompson.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Researchers developing novel cardiac catheters

By Mike Wooten

mwooten@uga.edu

A graduate student in the UGA College of Engineering is turning to the ancient Japanese art of origami for inspiration as he designs a novel cardiac catheter. Austin Taylor is developing a device that’s small enough to fit on the tip of a catheter but expands once inside the heart to provide physicians with high-quality imaging and ablation tools.

Taylor, a biological engineering master’s student from Hoover, Alabama, recently received a $5,000 award from the American Society for Quality to support his work. Richard J. Schlesinger Awards are presented

by ASQ’s Biomedical Division to fund undergraduate and graduate projects that promote the awareness and use of

quality principles, concepts and technologies in the biomedical community.

The device is designed for catheter ablation, a procedure used to treat patients with arrhythmia. In patients with cardiac arrhythmia, the heart may beat too fast, too slow or erratically. This condition prevents the heart from pumping blood effectively and if untreated, arrhythmia can damage the lungs, brain and other organs. Catheter ablation uses radiofrequency energy to cauterize a small area of heart tissue that is causing rapid or irregular heartbeats.

The device Taylor is working on in assistant professor Zion Tse’s Medical Robotics Lab is unique because it will include magnetic resonance imaging coils that can capture high-quality scans of the inside of the heart during the procedure. Normally, physicians rely on external MRI coils and use

electrical impulses generated by electrode catheters to locate abnormal sites.

“MRI is very costly, so combining multiple technologies into one catheter can reduce the amount of time the MRI machine is used and thereby reduce costs,” said Taylor.

When folded, a prototype of the device resembles an origami pinwheel.

It opens into a thin, flat sheet that houses the imaging circuitry.

“One of the major advantages of using an origami-inspired design is that you can use very complex shapes that fold down into an incredibly small area,” said Taylor.

Taylor and Tse are seeking a patent and plan to reach out to a medical device company to help them manufacture the device at actual scale. In the meantime, Taylor is creating a computer model and working to collect simulation data.

Project Safe’s annual fundraiser is back again with a twist. Groovy Nights Battle of the Decades! will be held at 8 p.m. Aug. 27 at the 40 Watt, 285 W. Washington St. A flashback to the 1970s and 1980s, the fundraiser will be a night of moonwalking and hustling, out of this world hairdos, costume contests, VIP lounges, Henna tattoos, surprise guest appearances and snacks from the past.

The fundraiser will benefit Project Safe, a local nonprofit that works to end domestic violence in Athens and the surrounding areas.

Those who can’t make the fundraiser but still want to support Project Safe can visit the organization’s website to purchase raffle tickets for several prize packages.

Tickets for Groovy Nights are $25 per person and are available to those 18 and older. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at http://tinyurl.com/zdc8z8u. Raffle tickets, which are $20 each, also can be purchased online.

For any other questions or information, call 706-549-0922 or visit www.project-safe.org .

OLLI to showcase program offerings Sept. 9 with Bash and Activity Fair

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UGA, an organization for adults 50 and older, hosts its OLLI Bash–Activity Fair on Sept. 9.

Prospective and current members and guests are invited to the event, which will be held from 1-3 p.m. at Central Presbyterian Church, 380 Alps Road.

The OLLI Bash will feature displays and information about OLLI@UGA’s 30 special interest groups, more than 200 classes, 18 luncheon programs and a variety of travel/study adventures.

Attendees will have an opportunity to visit with OLLI@UGA members and committee representatives to learn more about OLLI and to meet its community sponsors. Light refreshments will be provided by OLLI sponsor Talmage Terrace/ Lanier Gardens.

During the fair, representatives from the UGA Speech and Hearing Clinic will hold free hearing screenings for senior adults. In addition, school supplies will be collected for local distribution.

Attendees are asked to bring basic items like those requested by area schools.

For more information about the organization, visit www.OLLI.uga.edu .

Former Sen. Saxby Chambliss returns as UGA law school’s Sanders Scholar

The UGA School of Law is again offering its students the opportunity to learn from former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, who is returning to the law school as its Sanders Political Leadership Scholar.

Chambliss and Georgia Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Camila Knowles, who previously served as Chambliss’ chief of staff, will co-teach the class Political Leadership and the Law, where students will receive firsthand insights into public service and explore the topics of ethics, campaign finance and negotiation. The class will be taught as part of Georgia Law’s Atlanta Semester in Practice initiative and will be based at the law school’s facility in the state’s capital.

Last year, when Chambliss and Knowles taught the course, several prominent guest speakers visited the class, including U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates, former U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, Gov. Nathan Deal, Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and leading public affairs professional Arthur B. “Skin” Edge IV. Established in 2002, the Sanders Political Leadership Scholar position is named for Georgia’s 74th governor and 1948 Georgia Law alumnus Carl E. Sanders.

PERIODICALS POSTAGE STATEMENT Columns (USPS 020-024) is published weekly during the academic year and

biweekly during the summer for the faculty and staff of the University of Georgia by the Division of Marketing & Communications. Periodicals postage is paid in Athens, Georgia. Postmaster: Send off-campus address changes to Columns, UGA Marketing & Communications, 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 North, Athens, GA 30602-1999.

4 Aug. 22, 2016 columns.uga.edu

FRANKLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

Study: Depression’s stigma can be barrier to seeking treatment

By Erica Hensley

erica.hensley25@uga.edu

The stigma attached to mental illness creates a barrier for many seeking treatment, but it has a particularly negative impact on the help-seeking behaviors of black Americans, a small in-depth qualitative study by researchers at UGA suggests.

Rosalyn Denise Campbell, an assistant professor in the School of Social Work, advocates for removing that stigma and fostering intervention that increases mental health service use and overall wellness.

In a study published in the Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in Social Work, her recent research focuses on African-Americans with depression—some self-diagnosed, others clinically—and how they experience mental illness and navigate the mental health system.

Campbell’s research comprises individual participant interviews that focus on each person’s history and battle with depression. She then connects themes to apply the Andrew Davis Tucker stories to the wider context of service-use patterns and the Findings show that the average heat index in a bounce house can be as much as 8 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the average heat impact on the black American community. index outside, which could lead to heat illnesses.

One of the major themes emerging from her research is the necessity for black Americans experiencing depression to challenge the stigma throughout their disclosure and recovery journey, as they reconcile a new identity.

“I can’t tell you how many times in these interviews people have said, ‘I don’t talk about this,’ ” Campbell said.

“Some of them actually felt like participating in the study was pushing back against the stigma. By admitting, ‘I identify as a person who has experienced depression, and I’m going to share my story for this study,’ they felt like by adding another voice, that that was pushing back against the stigma.”

The socio-cultural barriers to seeking mental health services, which Campbell said are often rooted in the history and identity of being black in America, is another emerging By Alan Flurry on the study. “Children are more sen- parents more aware of something they theme in her research. She mandates the importance of aflurry@uga.edu sitive to heat than adults, and parents probably overlooked.” contextualizing each person’s background as a part of their Researchers also considered the need to carefully watch their children help-seeking patterns, especially populations that come from Heat safety issues in bounce houses for signs of overheating when they are heat index, which integrates air tema history of being shut out of services. can put children in danger, according active on hot and humid days. Signs perature and humidity and is used as a “Because African-Americans are already marginalized, to a new UGA study. there is a problem may include fatigue, heat exposure metric by the National there is no rush to adopt another marginalized, stigmatizing Expanding on the concept of micro- nausea, vomiting, dizziness and flushed, Weather Service. The difference in identity,” she said. “There is a lot to lose with accepting a climates like those in parked vehicles moist skin.” heat index within and outside the mental health diagnosis.”

The findings are based on experi- bounce house was larger than for that cause serious injuries to children, Her research suggests that black Americans are often the study investigated potential heat- ments with a bounce house on the UGA air temperatures alone. The average thwarted from seeking depression treatment before they related risks associated with bounce campus in July 2015, with weather con- heat index reached almost 104 F in even enter the system, due to fears of being stigmatized by houses, which create a microclimate ditions representative of a typical sum- the bounce house, over 7 degrees their friends and family as “less than African-American” and environment similar to automobiles mer day in the area. Over a five-hour Fahrenheit more than outside, and its hesitancy to trust in treatment, Campbell said. but one that had not been previously period of measurements, researchers peak temperature of 117 F was over A pervasive misunderstanding of mental illness also examined. found that air temperatures inside 8 degrees Fahrenheit greater. contributes to the power of the stigma, she said, often due As a guide to help public safety ofThe new paper, “Do Inflatable the bounce house were consistently to a lack of education regarding what depression is and is Bounce Houses Pose Heat-related greater than ambient conditions. For ficials, the media and parents assess posnot. Her research suggests depression is often seen as a Hazards to Children,” was published a 92-degree summer day in Athens, the sible heat-related hazards to children, weakness or a temporary condition, rather than the illness in the Bulletin of the American Meteo- bounce house added almost 4 degrees researchers developed a modified heat it is. to the temperature. But peak bounce index table presented in Fahrenheit that rological Society.

“We’re all aware of historically what African-Americans The study examined specific house temperatures exceeding 100 F is included in the study. have gone through in this country—slavery, the civil rights research questions that compared were almost 7 degrees Fahrenheit more The experiments in July 2015 took movement, discrimination,” Campbell said, and overcoming temperature and moisture conditions than outside temperatures. place in conjunction with a demonthose obstacles created a sense of strength and perseverance inside the bounce house to ambient “This research is a preliminary look stration on weather-related bounce within the community. “So, anything that pushes against outdoor conditions and whether such at something that no one had really accidents in a “Collaborative Research that seems antithetical to what it means to be black.” differences might reach levels that pose examined in the published literature,” in Atmospheric Sciences” class. The Campbell’s research derives deeply from community health risks. said Marshall Shepherd, Athletic As- seminar, “Meteorological and Policy and identity contextualization, which she said affects both “Heat illnesses like heat stroke sociation Distinguished Professor of Contexts of Bounce House Accidents,” individual and group health outcomes. can be deadly and occur in children Geography and Atmospheric Sciences involved students in the geography “That goes for how we are evaluating people, how we participating in sports, left alone in and co-author on the study. “I knew it department and is the focus of other are treating people, how we are intervening—we cannot parked cars and, as our study shows, was a problem when I watched my child forthcoming research by faculty on remove that context, because if we are not addressing that potentially when playing in bounce in a bounce house on a particularly hot other significant hazards of bounce and that’s what a person embodies, you’re not reaching houses,” said Andrew Grundstein, a day, and our early findings confirmed houses including wind blown risks and them,” she said. professor of geography and co-author my suspicions. Hopefully, it makes outflow from thunderstorms.

Take the heat

Study suggests high temperatures in inflatable bounce houses pose hazards to children

FRANKLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

UGA geneticist studying neural tube defects for clues to common birth defects

By Leigh Beeson lbeeson@uga.edu

An assistant professor of genetics at UGA was recently awarded a grant from the National Institutes of Health to study neural tube defects in mice. The goal of Jian-Fu Chen’s project is to understand why neural tube defects, the second most common birth defect in humans, occur.

The neural tube becomes the brain and spinal cord in a developing embryo. The defect occurs when a neural plate folds into a tube during an embryo’s development, said Chen, who works in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences genetics department.

When the tube doesn’t fully close, it results in defects like spina bifida, which can result in severe disabilities like

paralysis of the legs and incontinence, and anencephaly, which results in missing parts of a baby’s head and brain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Frequently, neural tube defects result in death.

Inspired in part by a previous study he and colleagues published, Chen plans to analyze microRNA’s role in neural tube closure. MicroRNA, or miRNA, is a class of noncoding RNAs that regulates gene expression. The functions of miRNAs in early embryo development are not well understood.

“This is an area nobody has a lot of information on,” he said. “MicroRNA in mammalian embryo development is a relatively new area still.”

His study, “MiR-302/367 regulate neural progeni-

tor proliferation, differentiation timing and survival in neurorulation,” showed that specific miRNAs played a critical role in embryo development in mice and pointed to a relationship between miRNAs and neural tube closure problems.

Now, Chen plans to use this mouse model to further explore that relationship, focusing on how the deletion of that miRNA disrupts the neural tube closure process.

“I was always fascinated by the beautiful mechanisms in the developmental process—how an embryo is developed from a single cell,” Chen said of his interest in developmental biology. He hopes his research can help demystify the study of birth defects.

Chen’s partner in this project is Silu Yang, a postdoctoral fellow who leads this study in his laboratory.

UGAGUIDE

columns.uga.edu Aug. 22, 2016

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.

EXHIBITION

John Abbot, Early Georgia’s Naturalist Artist. Through Aug. 31. Hargrett Library Galleries, special collections libraries.

706-542-8079.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 23 RESEARCH ORIENTATION FOR FACULTY Faculty can learn about the resources offered by the Office of the Vice President for Research and the UGA research enterprise. Although developed especially to welcome new faculty to UGA, all faculty are welcome to attend. 3:30 p.m. S175 Paul D. Coverdell Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences. 706-583-0599, amyware@uga.edu CANDIDATE PUBLIC PRESENTATION: ASSOCIATE PROVOST FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION Noel Fallows, interim associate provost for international education at UGA and a Distinguished Research Professor of Romance Languages in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. 9:30 a.m. 135 Tate Student Center. (See story, page 1.)

SUNFLOWER MUSIC SERIES Rock band Five Eight performs in the amphitheater and terraced lawns in the Flower Garden at the State Botanical Garden.

Five Eight has toured as a headliner and as support for R.E.M and Cheap Trick. Warming up will be the ensemble Bridges. $15; $5 children ages 6-12. 7 p.m. Flower Garden Lawn (Conservatory in inclement weather) State Botanical Garden. garden@uga.edu

GUEST LECTURE “Climate Change and Biological Conservation in Georgia: John Abbot and the Pearly Eye Butterflies of Athens-Clarke County,” James W. Porter. 5:30 p.m. Auditorium, special collections libraries. 706-542-8079, jclevela@uga.edu THURSDAY SCHOLARSHIP SERIES The Thursday Scholarship Series opens with “A Golden Age Band Concert,” assembling UGA Hugh Hodgson School of Music faculty and students to create the UGA Golden Age Band and taking the audience on a journey through American band music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. $20; $6 with a UGACard. 7:30 p.m.

Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall. 706-542-4752, ccschwabe@uga.edu (See story, at right).

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26 MORNING MINDFULNESS WORKSHOP A guided mindfulness meditation practice in the galleries of the Georgia Museum of Art. Each session includes instructor-led meditation followed by a period of reflection and discussion. Stools without backs are provided; attendees should bring a cushion if desired. Register by calling 706-542-8663 or emailing callan@uga.edu. 9:30 a.m.

Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662, hazbrown@uga.edu INTERNATIONAL COFFEE HOUR 11:30 a.m. Ballroom Memorial Hall.

706-542-5867, cheeia@uga.edu WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Samford. 7 p.m. Turner Soccer Complex.

706-542-1621.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27

RESEARCH ORIENTATION FOR FACULTY Faculty can learn about the resources offered by the Office of the Vice President for Research and the UGA research enterprise.

Although developed especially to welcome new faculty to UGA, all faculty are welcome to attend. 9 a.m. S175 Paul D. Coverdell Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences.

706-583-0599, amyware@uga.edu

DAWG DAY OF SERVICE Join ServeUGA for Dawg Day of Service, UGA’s largest annual day of community service, providing a great opportunity to work with other students to make a positive impact in the community. 9 a.m. Grand Ballroom, Tate Student Center. 706-542-6265, andkyle@uga.edu

TOUR AT TWO Highlights from the permanent collection, led by docents. 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662, hazbrown@uga.edu EXPLORATORY CENTER DEDICATION Students, faculty and advisors are invited to the ribbon cutting and dedication for the new UGA Exploratory Center for academic advising. Reception immediately follows the dedication. 3 p.m. Reception Hall Tate Student Center.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25 NATURE RAMBLE 8 a.m. Shade Garden Arbor State Botanical Garden. garden@uga.edu.

CANDIDATE PUBLIC PRESENTATION: ASSOCIATE PROVOST FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION Kiki Caruson, assistant vice president for research, innovation and global affairs and an associate professor of government and international affairs at the University of South Florida. 9:30 a.m. 135 Tate Student Center.

(See story, page 1.)

CLASS: PLANT CONSERVATION This course surveys threats to biodiversity in Georgia and worldwide, examples of rare plant research, techniques for restoration and reintroduction and ways individuals and organizations are making a difference in protecting the rare plants of Georgia. $105. 9 a.m. Visitor Center’s Classroom 2, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6156.

WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES Walk a Mile in Her Shoes is an international march to take a stand against gender-based violence. Participants are encouraged to literally walk in women’s shoes with the walk starting at the Arch and ending at Myers Quad. 5 p.m.

UGA WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE BROWN BAG LUNCH Speakers: Jean Betrand, CAES associate dean for academic affairs, and Peggy Ozias Akins, professor of horticulture and director of the CAES Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics. The presentations will be simulcast to audiences on the Griffin (Room 104 in the SLC) and Tifton (Room 14 in the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center) campuses. 11:30 a.m. 210 Conner Hall.

Calendar items are taken from Columns files and from the university’s Master Calendar, maintained by Marketing & Communications. Notices are published as space permits, with priority given to items of multidisciplinary interest. The Master Calendar is available at calendar.uga.edu/.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28

WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Cal State Fullerton. 1 p.m. Turner Soccer Complex. 706-542-1621.

OPENING RECEPTION Opening reception for painter Judy Bolton Jarrett’s exhibition 300 Seasons: A Colorful Journey. 2 p.m. Visitor Center, State Botanical Garden. garden@uga.edu

HUGH HODGSON SCHOOL OF MUSIC OPENS SEASON WITH ‘GOLDEN AGE’

By Clarke Schwabe ccschwabe@uga.edu

Hugh Hodgson School of Music faculty and students will form the UGA Golden Age Band at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 25 in Hodgson Concert Hall, taking the audience on a journey through American band music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

MONDAY, AUGUST 29 The concert, which is the joint kickoff to the School of Music’s Thursday Scholarship Series and the UGA Performing Arts SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS Center’s season, assembles a rare group under the baton of George INITIATIVE SEMINAR “Regenerative Agriculture Using Pasture- Foreman, director of the PAC. “UGA faculty members will be joined by our best students,” Based Livestock Systems,” Dennis Hancock, crop and soil sciences department and said Foreman. “This makes for a fully professional quality 25-piece forage extension specialist. This seminar ensemble.”

The instrumentation of the band will mirror the kind used by series, sponsored by the Sustainable Food Systems Initiative, is designed for American bands of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: piccolos, UGA faculty to share their research and clarinets, cornets, alto horns, trombones, euphonium, tubas and activities with other faculty, staff and percussion. students. 3:30 p.m. 103 Conner Hall.

“The concert will include the types of works that made up 706-542-8084, sustainag@uga.edu a typical Golden Age program, including marches, overtures, works featuring soloists on various instruments and novelty COMING UP numbers,” Foreman said.

The program features music by John CANDIDATE PUBLIC PRESENTATION: Philip Sousa, Edwin Franko Goldman, ASSOCIATE PROVOST FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION Herbert L. Clarke and Arthur Pryor.

Aug. 30. Jane Gatewood, associate provost Audience members arriving early for global engagement at the University also will be treated to an ice cream social of Rochester. 9:30 a.m. 135 Tate Student on the quad at the PAC before the Center. (See story, page 1.) performance. Reminiscent of the social gatherings of the HUGH HODGSON FACULTY SERIES time period, the Golden Aug. 30. David Starkweather, professor Age Band concert’s ice of cello. $12; $6 with a UGACard. 8 p.m. cream social will consist Ramsey Concert Hall, Performing Arts of complimentary ice Center. 706-542-4752, cream and lemonade. ccschwabe@uga.edu (See story, below).

To view the performance calendar, to CANDIDATE PUBLIC PRESENTATION: subscribe to the weekly ASSOCIATE PROVOST FOR email concert listing INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION Sept. 1. Paul Kaiser, senior World Bank or learn more, visit consultant. 9:30 a.m. 135 Tate Student music.uga.edu .

Center. (See story, page 1.)

UGA CELLO PROFESSOR TO OPEN HUGH HODGSON FACULTY SERIES

By Clarke Schwabe ccschwabe@uga.edu

The UGA Hugh Hodgson School of Music opens its Hugh Hodgson Faculty Series with David Starkweather, professor of cello, performing at 8 p.m. Aug. 30 in Ramsey Concert Hall.

An acclaimed performer, researcher, author and educator with more than 30 years at UGA, Starkweather’s performance will showcase not just his own talent, but the talent of some of his frequent collaborators at the School of Music, beginning with the first piece on the program, Handel’s Trio Sonata in G Minor.

“Milton Masciadri [professor of double bass] and I played it on tour in Italy and Serbia and now will perform it here in Athens with our colleague Martha Thomas [professor of piano],” said Starkweather.

The second of four pieces on the program is Bach’s Suite No. 6 in D Major, a work described by Starkweather as “monumental.”

The slow movement of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Sonata in G Minor follows intermission, and Thomas rejoins Starkweather for this performance.

The concert closes with Zoltan Kodaly’s Sonata in B Minor.

This three-movement sonata will change the voice of Starkweather’s cello and employ a number of challenging techniques.

Tickets are available at pac.uga.edu or the PAC box office for $12 or $6 with a UGA student ID.

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, Marketing & Communications, 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 North, Campus Mail 1999.

NEXT COLUMNS DEADLINES Aug. 24 (for Sept. 6 issue) Aug. 31 (for Sept. 12 issue) Sept. 7 (for Sept. 19 issue)

5

6 Aug. 22, 2016 columns.uga.edu

Daniel Nadenicek, dean of the College of Environment and Design, has been granted Fellow status at the American Society of Landscape Architects. This is the organization’s highest honor and reflects a lifetime achievement in the general category of knowledge—for his work expanding educational programs, scholarly research, teaching, administration and service.

Nadenicek’s prolific writings include scores of peer-reviewed and invited papers as well as chapters in scholarly publications. He has served on the UGA Press editorial board, helped develop a new landscape design book series and currently edits Critical Perspectives in the History of Environmental Design while co-editing Landscape Journal.

His academic career, which includes years at Penn State, Clemson and UGA, encompasses more than 30 separate courses and 4,000 students. He has served on committees for numerous master’s students and doctoral candidates, and he will be overseeing the new doctoral degree program in environmental design and planning at UGA. His academic career also has included more than 30 service-learning projects.

The designation of Fellow is conferred on individuals in recognition of exceptional accomplishments over a sustained period of time.

Nadenicek will be recognized at the 2016 ASLA annual meeting in New Orleans this fall.

Jolie Daigle, an associate professor in the College of Education’s counseling and human development services department, was recently elected as an editorial review board member of the American Counseling Association’s quarterly flagship publication, the Journal of Counseling and Development.

During her three-year term, Daigle—who has been a member of the ACA for 20 years— will review practice, theory and research articles across Jolie Daigle 19 different specialty areas and work settings. Sections include practice, research, assessment and diagnosis, trends and practitioner profiles. Daigle is on the Region 2 Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases Regional Planning Board and is a certified instructor for youth mental health first aid courses. Her research interests include service-learning in counseling training programs, the clinical preparation of school counselors and the school counselor’s role in multi-tiered systems of support.

Karl Newell, the associate dean for research and professor of kinesiology in the College of Education, will receive the 2016 Distinguished Leadership Award from the American Kinesiology Association. This award recognizes outstanding administrative and leadership performance among departments that grant doctoral degrees.

Newell has served as the education college’s associate dean for research since his arrival at UGA in 2014. His research interests focus on human movement, specifically the areas of motor learning, development and control. A central theme is the acquisition of new movement in the context of a dynamical approach to coordination, control and skill.

Newell also directs the Motor Behavior Laboratory in the kinesiology department.

Leadership Award winners must have made significant contributions in two or more areas such as building innovative curricula, expanding faculty and student research productivity, establishing partnerships and outreach activities, obtaining new or renovated facilities for teaching and research, inspiring others and enhancing the effectiveness and efficiencies of the program.

Kudos recognizes special contributions of staff, faculty and administrators in teaching, research and service. News items are limited to election into office of state, regional, national and international societies; major awards and prizes; and similarly notable accomplishments.

FACULTY PROFILE

Dorothy Kozlowski

John Campbell’s time in the private sector informs his research at UGA, where he tackles questions that he believes have an impact on the accounting profession at large, rather than just academia.

Never a dull moment: Terry professor takes energetic approach to teaching

By Matt Weeks

mweeks@uga.edu

There’s a stereotype of the introverted, dull accountant. Then there’s John Campbell, associate professor of accounting in the Terry College of Business. The two couldn’t be more different—and he has the data to prove it.

“In my senior year of college, I had to take a personality test for my management class. My Myers-Briggs type was ENFP (extroverted, intuition, feeling, perception), which I quickly saw was the exact opposite of an accountant on all four dimensions,” Campbell said. “But I was an accounting major. So I thought, how can I combine this knowledge of accounting with a career path that might be more suitable? And the personality tests were suggesting that a teaching career was the best fit for me.”

The data bears that out.

Campbell has received the Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher of the Year award in his department for four straight years. Since starting at the Terry College in 2010, he has received numerous research and teaching honors, including being named a member of the Center for Teaching and Learning’s 2013-2015 Lllly Teaching Fellows.

There’s no denying that his energetic approach resonates with students. It might be a product of his unique worldview, which sees human ­connections as the common

denominator in accounting and teaching.

Every concept that’s covered in Campbell’s classes is explained in the same manner, using a pedagogical technique he learned from former accounting professor and mentor Dan Smith.

“No matter the topic, Smith taught it the same way: (1) A definition of the transaction we’re talking about, (2) the economic intuition and incentives behind the transaction and (3) the potential problems these incentives might create if we let firms present the information however they want,” Campbell said. “Once you understand those three things, more times than not, the accounting rules will fall out. You’re not memorizing rules. You understand why it is set up the way it is.”

Understanding the material, Campbell said, is only half of the equation.

Students also need motivation to work hard so they can make a difference.

Before joining academia, Campbell was an auditor with Pricewaterhouse Coopers, a financial reporting manager for Remington Arms and a mergers and acquisitions analyst for Wachovia’s investment banking division. These practical experiences have helped Campbell in two ways. First, they help him better understand the working world his students face. Because accounting students are in such high demand, Campbell often provides his students with advice on finding that first job.

Second, Campbell’s time in the

FACTS John Campbell

Associate Professor of Accounting Terry College of Business Ph.D., Accounting, University of Arizona, 2010 M.S.A., Accountancy, Wake Forest University, 2001 B.S., Analytical Finance, Wake Forest University, 2001 At UGA: Six years

private sector informs his research at UGA, where he tackles questions he believes have an impact on the accounting profession at large (rather than just academia). He investigates an unusually broad range of issues—derivatives and pensions, executive compensation, voluntary disclosure—all of which arose from questions he faced in the field.

“I used to think that teaching and research were different, but now I don’t think they are,” Campbell said. “The goal of research and teaching is for the instructor (or researcher) and student (or reader) to help each other better understand how the world around us works. Both involve developing relationships with others, listening and learning together.”

Editor’s Note: Read a longer version of this story at columns.uga.edu.

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

New director takes helm at Center for Food Safety

By Sharon Dowdy sharono@uga.edu

For years, food scientist Francisco Diez studied and admired the work of UGA Regents Professor Mike Doyle, but the two researchers’ paths never crossed. For the next year, they will work closely together as Diez transitions into Doyle’s role as director of the UGA Center for Food Safety in Griffin.

Doyle, a leading authority on foodborne pathogens, came to the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in 1991 to establish the center. As director, he developed a research program that promotes collaboration among the food industry, UGA and federal and state agencies.

A native of Mexico, Diez earned a bachelor’s degree in food technology

from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education and completed master’s and doctoral degrees in food science at Cornell University in New York. He Francisco Diez comes to UGA from the University of Minnesota, where he was a faculty member and head of the department of food science and nutrition. His research focuses on the family of pathogens known as enterohemorrhagic E. coli, an important cause of food contamination and foodborne illness.

Diez sees Doyle as an invaluable

resource in his new leadership position.

While transitioning into retirement, Doyle will introduce Diez to the network he has built with the food industry, consumer groups and government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Diez plans to reach out to the center’s network of stakeholders in the food industry for advice and recommendations.

Diez also will be rebuilding the center’s faculty team by replacing current vacancies in virology, epidemiology and microbiology. These new researchers will join UGA scientists Marilyn Erickson, Xiangyu Deng, Ynes Ortega and Tong Zhao.

OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION, OFFICE OF VP FOR RESEARCH

International impact University awards first Global Research Collaboration Grants to four projects

By Sue Myers Smith suesmith@uga.edu

Four collaborative, international research projects at UGA are the first to receive seed funding under the new Global Research Collaboration Grant program.

The program will fund a range of projects—from a data-driven look at 19th-century Atlantic trade to the development of novel enzymes for bioenergy production—and each initiative will receive between $4,000 and $8,000 to cover initial project costs.

“Some of the most exciting questions and challenges facing researchers today are global in nature,” said Brian Watkins, director of international partnerships at the Office of International Education. “Tackling them requires international engagement, and by providing early support to promising projects, UGA can expand the global impact of its work and open up additional sources of international funding.”

Funding is provided by the Office of International Education and the Office of the Vice President for Research, and it is matched by academic departments. Researchers may submit their proposals for a second round of funding through Oct. 11.

Alex Kojo Anderson, an associate professor in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, is collaborating with Susan Roberts at Tufts University and Matilda SteinerAsiedu at the University of Ghana. Anderson is a member of the International Obesity Consortium, headquartered at Tufts, and a member of UGA’s Obesity Initiative.

Through a pilot study of 50 nonpregnant, normal-weight and obese women in Ghana, the researchers hope to identify specific dietary, behavioral, lifestyle and socio-cultural factors that are barriers to healthy weight control for these women.

Data collection will include face-to-face interviews; activity monitoring; measurements such as height, weight and body mass index; and evaluation of eating and other behavioral factors, such as perceived stress and sleep patterns. The grant funding for this project was matched by the foods and nutrition department.

The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ Benjamin Ehlers, an associate professor of history, and doctoral candidate David Thomson are collaborating with Stephen Kenny and Nicholas Fuqua at the University of Liverpool, England,

Alex Kojo Anderson

UGA student Jordan Lowery (right) checks the blood pressure of a woman visiting a community mobile clinic for nutrition and health screenings in Takoaradi, Ghana. Lowery studied abroad with the Ghana service-learning study abroad program, led by Alex Kojo Anderson through the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Anderson’s research will be conducted in the capital city of Accra, Ghana.

to ­ create a database and web portal for researchers and students to access data on pre-Civil War, trans-Atlantic shipping voyages. Researchers are developing the website that houses the data. They will recruit researchers from Cuba, one of Savannah’s key trading partners in the antebellum era.

The project is co-funded by UGA’s Willson Center for Humanities and Arts and the history department.

Ellen Neidle, a professor of biology in the Franklin College, and Melissa TumenVelasquez, a postdoctoral fellow in Neidle’s laboratory, are collaborating with John McGeehan at the University of Portsmouth in England. They will modify enzymes to increase the breakdown of compounds derived from an abundant plant material, lignin, into useful chemicals and biofuels.

Their initial research will demonstrate the feasibility of their approach; their goal is to develop a better, sustainable method for producing biofuels. This project was cofunded by UGA’s Franklin College and the microbiology department.

Chad Howe, an associate professor in the Romance languages department in UGA’s Franklin College, is collaborating with Dr. Daron Ferris of Augusta University and

WEEKLY READER

Book examines Lincoln, Civil War families

Abraham Lincoln and the Virtues of War: How Civil War Families Challenged and Transformed Our National Values

By Jean E. Friedman Praeger Hardcover or E-book: $38

Abraham Lincoln and the Virtues of War provides a new approach to Civil War history.

Historians rightly regard Abraham Lincoln as a moral exemplar, a president who gave new life to the national values that defined America. While some previous studies attest to Lincoln’s identification with family virtues, this book by Jean E. Friedman, associate professor emerita of history at UGA, is the first to link Lincoln’s personal biography with actual histories of families at war.

It analyzes the relationship that existed between Lincoln and these families and assesses the moral struggles that validated the families’ decision for or against the conflict.

Written to be accessible to students and general readers alike, the book examines Lincoln’s presidency as measured against the stories of families, North and South, who struggled with his definition of Union virtues.

language consultant Elisabeth Mamani on a project involving cervical cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer death among women in Cusco, Peru. CerviCusco was founded by Ferris in 2008 to screen local women for the disease. While the program has been effective, language and literacy barriers exist as both Spanish and a local language are spoken in the area.

The goal of this project is to develop written and oral questionnaires in the Quechua language to complement the Spanish versions to better inform, screen and treat these women. The questionnaires will be administered in the Cusco clinic and at selected mobile sites. Data collected will be analyzed to determine the effectiveness of language- and culture-based intervention on the perceived quality of the services provided and the likelihood of patient compliance with follow-up visits. Funding for this project was matched by UGA’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies Institute.

“This program is a vital component of our ongoing efforts to increase international collaborations and secure additional funding for the world-class research conducted at UGA,” said David Lee, vice president for research.

columns.uga.edu Aug. 22, 2016

7

CHANCELLOR from page 1

• Increased the number of graduates yearover-year: In 2011, the USG graduated 54,855 students. Through the Complete College Georgia initiative, the USG has been working to increase this number yearover-year and graduated 62,545 students in 2016, a 14 percent increase over 2011.

• Consolidated institutions to better serve students and the state: Since 2011, the USG has reduced the number of institutions from 35 to 29 and reinvested the savings into programs and expanded academic courses for students. The consolidations completed so far have redirected an estimated $19.6 million from administrative costs to student programs and support services.

• Launched a system-wide campus safety initiative. In May 2015, the USG implemented a campus safety initiative that mandated system-led training and centralized the implementation and oversight of campus safety policies, procedures and requirements. Each institution will have its own campus safety committee for the 2016-2017 academic year.

• Expanded the use of free textbooks to help keep costs down for students: The USG has been rapidly expanding the use and availability of open educational resources that can serve as free or low-cost eTextbooks. USG students saved approximately $16.5 million in textbook costs during the 2015-2016 academic year. The USG was recently recognized by Rice Universitybased publisher OpenStax for saving its students the most money of any school or school system on textbooks last year.

Wrigley has served as executive vice chancellor of administration for the USG since June 2011.

“I am honored and humbled to serve the University System of Georgia in this new role and appreciate the board’s confidence in me,” Wrigley said. “Each of our institutions plays a critical role in the University System, and I look forward to working with our faculty and staff in continuing to advance how we serve our students.”

As executive vice chancellor of administration, Wrigley oversees the day-to-day operations of the system’s budget, facilities, information technology services, human resources, legal affairs and strategic planning units.

Wrigley formerly served as senior vice president for external affairs as well as vice president for government relations for UGA. He also served as director of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. Prior to his work in the University System, Wrigley worked in state government in Georgia, including five years as chief of staff to former Gov. Zell Miller.

During his career, Wrigley has worked on a number of key issues, including the creation of the state lottery and the HOPE Scholarship, along with campus consolidations within the USG.

CYBERSIGHTS

ABOUT COLUMNS Columns is available to the campus community by ­subscription for an annual fee of $20 (second-class delivery) or $40 (firstclass 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

Office of Sustainability redesigns website

Art Director Jackie Baxter Roberts

http://sustainability.uga.edu

The UGA Office of Sustainability has launched a new and improved website to coordinate, communicate and advance sustainability initiatives at the university.

Resources will help all members of the UGA community learn what the university is doing to become more sustainable and get involved in sustainability-related events and volunteer opportunities.

The site provides information on sustainability-related programs and services at the university and in the surrounding community, with the resources divided into five categories: Get Involved, Academics, Research, Service and Operations.

The Office of Sustainability has made extensive use of analytics to put what visitors to the website want where they want it.

Photo Editor Dorothy Kozlowski Senior Writer Aaron Hale Communications Coordinator Krista Richmond The University of Georgia is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.

I

7 8 5

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

8 Aug. 22, 2016 columns.uga.edu

DEAN

BLUE from page 1 officials from the Athens-Clarke County and UGA police departments, the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department and Clarke County School District, and youths from area youth development organizations, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of Athens.

The Fanning Institute received funding from the UGA President’s Venture Fund to help cover the costs of the program.

Prior to the forum, Fanning faculty members trained 25 local high school and UGA students to serve as moderators. The model for the forum is called Reflective Structured Dialogue, which was created by family therapists to help people who are locked in unproductive communication open up to new pathways for understanding. During this dialogue all participants are given time to share their perspectives on divisive issues and reflect on those personal comments while avoiding debate.

“We have to figure out a way to work together,” said Raye Rawls, a senior public service associate at the Fanning Institute who, with Fanning Public Service Assistant Emily Boness, implemented RSD. “We have to create a space where everyone has an opportunity to speak and express their views and feelings and to hear the views and feelings of others.”

Some of the discussion centered on stereotypes. Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Scott Freeman emphasized that police officers should not be seen as an “occupying military force” or assumed to be racists.

A woman at the forum started to interrupt him then later apologized and said she hadn’t expected to hear Freeman speak so

candidly about race. The calm discussion was in contrast to the heated debates that often accompany conversations about race.

“In the facilitated session it was emphasized that everybody is equal,” Freeman said.

“We need to have open dialogue. I think it gave the other participants a sense that they were on my level, which is really the reality anyway.

“It allowed (the teenagers), from my perspective, to take ownership of some of the interactions, some of the responses. I think they took it serious and what a wonderful experience for them to walk away, knowing they helped facilitate that.”

P.J. Kennedy, a sophomore at Clarke Central High School, helped moderate the sessions and knew that part of his responsibility would be keeping people on point and on time—even if the person who went over the allotted time was Chief Freeman.

“I didn’t want to interrupt him, but I had to,” Kennedy said. “That’s the nervewracking part. I just had to do it so everyone else would have their turn.”

He left the forum assured that local law enforcement officers were not a threat to the community.

“They’re here to protect you and help you live your daily life,” Kennedy said.

Williams wants to see the RSD program serve as a model for other cities and counties across the state and nation and is pursuing grants that would help fund those opportunities.

Fanning Director Matt Bishop said the institute is willing to facilitate dialogue in other communities if invited.

Developed by UGA’s Fanning Institute, the “Blue and You” forum brings together police officers and community members to promote discussion about stereotypes and finding ways to work together.

Bulletin Board TEDxUGA presenters

​ o you have an idea worth spreading?

D ​Since 2013, ​TEDxUGA has been engaging the campus community in an exploration of ideas worth spreading and is currently seeking dynamic faculty and staff presenters to take the stage for TEDxUGA 2017. ​ Visit tedxuga.com/nominate to submit a nomination for a faculty or staff member by Sept. 30. Selfnominations are welcome and encouraged. Email tedxuga@uga.edu with any questions.

New MyID process

The process for requesting a MyID for new UGA employees has changed. The change does not affect MyIDs for current faculty and staff.

The new process will assign MyIDs that include the new employee’s initials and five random digits (example: gwb12345).

As part of the new process, the form to request a MyID has changed and now requires authentication through UGA’s Central Authentication Service.

New employees and those without MyIDs are no longer able to request a MyID for themselves. Instead

from page 1

all work together to solve the most pressing problems of our time.”

Looking forward, Pardue is forming priorities for the college.

“Our priorities are many, but chief among them will be creating access to our degree programs on each of our three campuses, providing focused research and extension initiatives that support Georgia agriculture, and attracting the finest cohorts of students, faculty and staff,” he said.

Pardue also will focus on fostering collaboration across departments, colleges and universities.

“We aim to bring the very best minds into the agriculture arena and convince this generation of students that the field of agriculture is a place where they can build a meaningful career that will address some of the most fundamental challenges of our time,” he said.

Collaboration is second nature to the college that Pardue calls the “cradle of UGA colleges.

“CAES programs and units gave rise to six other colleges or schools within the university,” he said. “That close connection makes collaborative work and research second nature.”

Pardue also plans to use the college’s Office of Diversity Relations and Multicultural Affairs’ multiple pathways in K-12

FELLOWSHIPS

from page 1

$20,000 and a tuition waiver. Ten GAIN Fellowships will be awarded annually beginning in fall 2017 to outstanding students pursuing degrees in fields that are critical to Georgia’s economic vitality.

“These new programs will better position the University of Georgia to attract the best and brightest graduate students to our institution,” said Graduate School Dean Suzanne Barbour.

Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Pamela Whitten noted that the new fellowship programs are part of a broader initiative to increase the enrollment of talented graduate students at UGA by offering new funding opportunities and interdisciplinary programs as well as a wider array of professional development opportunities.

In January 2017, departments and programs will be invited to nominate doctoral students who are among the top 10 percent of their applicants for the GREAT Fellowship.

The Provost’s Office will fund the first three years of the fellowship, and programs agree to provide support for two additional years for each student. GREAT Fellows will be selected by the Graduate School, and recipients will be notified of their award in mid-February.

Departments and programs will be invited to nominate master’s students who are

they should contact their manager or HR representative to have that person complete the MyID request form at myid.uga.edu.

Once the MyID request has been successfully completed, the new employee will be informed by an email from accounts@uga.edu . The email will be sent to the email address provided during the MyID request process.

Visit the EITS Helpdesk website at http://t.uga.edu/2qI for information about this change along with ­frequently asked questions.

Email questions about the new process to Keith Martin at keith.martin@uga.edu .

New UGAAlert desktop app

outreach, community engagement and STEM initiatives to attract a diverse student body.

As UGA raises the bar in its commitment to experiential learning, Pardue points out that’s not a new concept in his college.

“It has been our tradition and history since the college was founded in 1859.

From the original university garden that fed the students, it’s been a part of who we are,” he said.

As Pardue enters this new chapter in his academic career, he reflects on the philosophy, mentors and leaders that shaped his career.

“I have often used this statement by Dr. Bill Danforth, former chancellor at Washington University in St. Louis, as a reminder of why we are engaged in the life of the university: ‘A successful university is a noble institution. It is a statement of faith—faith that human beings can be educated and that human thought is worthwhile; that the thinking, analyzing animal called ‘man’ can use his unique talents for the benefit of himself and his fellows; that we can learn from our past; that we can change; that by intelligence, we can improve our lot and the lot of our children and their children.’

“I trust that, in some small way, I might contribute to supporting the University of Georgia as a noble institution,” Pardue said.

An updated version of UGAAlert desktop notification software is available on the EITS software page (software.uga.edu) under the section for UGAAlert. To receive UGAAlert notices on a computer, the updated version must be installed as previous versions no longer work.

If a UGAAlert notice is distributed, computers with the new app will display the alert as a large pop-up message on the screen as well as an audio notification.

among the top 10 percent of their applicants for the GAIN Fellowship in January as well.

The GAIN Fellowship is funded entirely by the Graduate School, and recipients will be notified of their award in mid-February.

“I am pleased the University of Georgia is taking this significant step to elevate graduate education,” said President Jere W. Morehead.

“The new fellowship programs not only will support the research and education missions of the university but also will place us in an even stronger position to meet the needs of the citizens of Georgia.”

More information on the GREAT and GAIN Fellows programs is available at http://t.uga.edu/2xB.

FINALISTS from page 1 are available at http://t.uga.edu/2xF. The associate provost for international education provides leadership for UGA’s international endeavors, which cover the spectrum of its tripartite mission of teaching, research and service. The Office of International Education is composed of offices for education abroad, immigration services, international finance and international partnerships. For more information on the Office of International Education, see international.uga.edu/oie.

More information about the emergency will be posted at emergency.uga.edu .

The UGAAlert desktop app is another means of being notified in addition to voice phone calls, text messaging and emails. It is ideal for classrooms or meetings where a computer is used to project information on a screen. Everyone in the room can be notified through the pop-up message.

The app is available for Mac and PC for the Athens and Gwinnett campuses. Instructions on how to install the app are available on the UGAAlert page on the EITS website.

Some UGA departments require an IT professional to install software on university-owned computers.

Any UGA employees who need help installing the UGAAlert desktop app should contact their department’s IT staff for assistance.

For more information about the UGAAlert Desktop Program, contact the Office of Emergency Preparedness at 706-542-5845 or prepare@uga.edu .

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