UGA Columns Aug. 27, 2018

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Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant installs ‘green’ project in Brunswick OUTREACH NEWS

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Renee Elise Goldsberry takes the Hodgson Concert Hall stage for Sept. 7 show Vol. 46, No. 5

August 27, 2018

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5

University maintains positive research momentum in FY18

By Michael Terrazas

Michael.Terrazas@uga.edu

Illustration by Lindsay Robinson

Zell Miller fought to ensure the creation of the HOPE Scholarship, which celebrates its 25th anniversary Sept. 1.

Creating HOPE

Zell Miller transformed the landscape of higher education in Georgia and beyond This story is part of a series, called Georgia Groundbreakers, that celebrates innovative and visionary faculty, students, alumni and leaders throughout the history of the University of Georgia—and their profound, enduring impact on our state, our nation and the world.

By Aaron Hale

aahale@uga.edu

Zell Miller must have learned some of his tough, independent spirit from his mother, Birdie.

After all, she built the family house —which still stands today—with stones she carried from a nearby creek.

As governor of Georgia, Miller —who earned two degrees from the University of Georgia—exhibited a similar drive and tenacity when he fought to ensure the creation of

the HOPE Scholarship, his lasting legacy that has benefited millions of students across the state and beyond. The HOPE Scholarship is funded by Georgia’s lottery, which was a highly contentious idea when it was proposed. Sept. 1, 2018, marks the 25th anniversary of the awarding of the first HOPE Scholarship. Since its inception in 1993, HOPE has become a model for scholarships in seven other states (including South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida) and was the inspiration for a federal education tax credit.

“It’s something that families and parents can see and touch and understand,” Miller told The New York Times in 1996. “When families sit around the kitchen table … they’re talking about things like whether they can afford to send Junior to college.”

Miller died in March 2018 at the age of 86, just a few months before the milestone anniversary of HOPE.Three former presidents spoke at his funeral: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Well known for supporting ideas rather than a hard party line, Miller had friends on both sides of the aisle.

Carter praised him in his eulogy, saying “Zell, more than any other governor who’s ever served in the United States of America, has done more for young people’s education with the HOPE Scholarship.”

Lasting impact of HOPE

HOPE, which stands for Helping Our Pupils Educationally, was based on Miller’s vision for providing greater access to higher education in Georgia. So far, the merit-based scholarship program

See MILLER on page 7

PUBLIC SERVICE AND OUTREACH

UGA partners with Clarke County School District to launch Georgia Possible program

By Kellyn Amodeo

kwamodeo@uga.edu

The University of Georgia has partnered with the Clarke County School District to launch Georgia Possible, a new three-year pilot program focused on leadership development and college readiness for CCSD high school students.

The goal of Georgia Possible is to develop a cohort of Clarke County high school students to better prepare them for success in the classroom while also increasing their awareness of the variety of postsecondary options available beyond high school graduation.

The program was inspired by a series of meetings that UGA President Jere W. Morehead held with Athens-Clarke County community members and is being spearheaded by a team of faculty from CCSD; UGA’s J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, a public service outreach unit; and the Office of the President.

“I am delighted that the University of Georgia and the Clarke County School District have joined together to create this innovative program,” Morehead said. “As a land-grant institution, we are continually looking for ways to build on our relationship with community

partners and help to ensure a bright future for students in our state.”

For the CCSD, this program is a win-win for the schools and the community.

“I am excited for our students to be involved in this important initiative with our partners at UGA. The district is enhancing the college and career readiness skills of every student under our care,” said Desmond Means, superintendent of the CCSD. “We are thankful to the university for its willingness to partner with us to ensure that equity and greater access to postsecondary See POSSIBLE on page 8

Published metrics demonstrate the University of Georgia has made remarkable progress with its goal to become one of America’s premier comprehensive research universities. This trend continued in the 2018 fiscal year.

Sponsored research awards again rose by nearly 7 percent to a total of $219.1 million, a remarkable 74 percent increase since FY14. Five-year trends in expenditures are also sharply positive; FY2018 sponsored research expenditures of $187.4 million and overall research & development

expenditures of $453.2 million represent increases of 30 percent and 29 percent, respectively, since FY2014.

UGA’s increase in R&D expenditures have resulted in a 12-point jump in the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research & Development rankings, from No. 66 in 2012 to No. 54 in 2016, the most recent rankings year. UGA now sits between the University of Chicago (No. 53) and Case Western Reserve University (No. 55).

Funding, however, is just one metric to track overall research activity, and from capital investments

See RESEARCH on page 8

COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATE RESEARCH CENTER

Gerald Hart will join faculty as UGA’s 18th GRA Eminent Scholar

By Michael Terrazas

Michael.Terrazas@uga.edu

In October, the University of Georgia’s already impressive roster of Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholars is set to grow by one more member, when renowned cell biologist and biochemist Gerald Hart arrives from Johns Hopkins University to relaunch his lab at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center.

Hart, who will be UGA’s 18th GRA Eminent Scholar and the sixth recruited to campus since 2015, is one of the world’s preeminent scholars of glycobiology, which is the study of sugar chains and their impact on living organisms.

“We continue to be grateful to GRA for its support as we recruit more of the country’s—and the

world’s—top scientists to come to the University of Georgia,” said President Jere W. Morehead.

“These individuals represent centuries of collective experience at the forefront of science and technology, and the benefits to Georgia that come from their working at our university are considerable and long-lasting.”

At Johns Hopkins, Hart was the DeLamar Professor of Biological Chemistry and served as chair of the Department of Biological Chemistry for the past 26 years.

Hart is the founder of Glycobiology, the leading journal in the field, and served as its editor-in-chief for 12 years.

“Research is my first love; it’s fun to solve problems and find answers to tough questions,” Hart said. “I’ve never considered See SCHOLAR on page 8

BALDWIN HALL MEMORIAL ADVISORY TASK FORCE

University finalizes design for memorial at Baldwin Hall site Acting upon the recommendation of a campus and community task force, the University of Georgia has finalized the design of a memorial to honor the individuals whose remains were discovered at the Baldwin Hall site. Much of the granite for the monument is being donated by an Oglethorpe County quarry, owned by a Georgia African American family for more than a century.

The quarry, part of the Millie Long estate in Carlton, will contribute more than 35,000 pounds of granite for the memorial, which will be located on the south end of the front lawn of Baldwin Hall,

near Old Athens Cemetery. The memorial will serve as a place of remembrance for the individuals who were originally buried on this site in the 1800s, most of whom likely were slaves or former slaves.

Michelle Cook, UGA’s Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Strategic University Initiatives, is a member of the family that owns the quarry.

“Our family is proud to contribute to this historic project, which will serve as permanent tribute to the memory of these individuals,” Cook said. “This project is particularly important to me because of my See BALDWIN on page 2

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BALDWIN from page 1

PUBLIC SERVICE AND OUTREACH

own family history in the Athens area, which dates back more than 150 years.

It was an honor to work with the task force to design a memorial that will provide a tranquil, reflective place for our entire community.”

The memorial, which will complement the aesthetic of the university grounds, will include: • a circular form for the memorial plaza, creating a focal point that will serve as a place of contemplation to honor and respect these individuals; • an elevated fountain in the center of the memorial plaza; • a granite marker, purposefully designed with elements similar to the marker at Oconee Hill Cemetery, which will include text about the memorial; • two granite benches facing the granite marker; and • vertical elements that will create a sense of ascension and will provide visibility from the street.

The design was recommended by members of the Baldwin Hall Memorial Advisory Task Force, appointed

by President Jere W. Morehead and chaired by Vice Provost Cook. Its 18 members included representatives from the university and the local community.

Members worked throughout the summer to develop the design.

“I am grateful to Dr. Cook and the members of the task force for their compassion, thoughtfulness and dedication to this important endeavor for our campus community,” said President Morehead. “The memorial they have helped to develop not only will further honor the lives of the individuals whose remains were discovered, but it also will serve as a source of contemplation and inspiration for generations to come.”

Construction will begin soon, and a dedication ceremony will be held later this fall, at a date to be determined.

The members of the advisory task force included: • Alicia Battle, Director for Workforce Development at Goodwill of North Georgia and Chair of the Clarke County Mentor Program;

Shannah Montgomery

The 2018 New Faculty Tour traveled through 15 cities and 48 counties in Georgia.

Faculty find research, collaboration opportunities during tour of Georgia

By Leah Moss

leahmoss@uga.edu

Justin Bahl, a new faculty member in the College of Public Health, studies the spread of infectious disease.

Sabriya Rice, a new faculty member in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, teaches budding journalists how to write about health and medical issues.

When they met on the 2018 New Faculty Tour, Bahl and Rice discovered a mutual interest. Bahl’s students need to learn how to talk about their work in ways that non-scientists can easily understand. Rice’s students need to know how to translate the scientific language into layman’s terms.

“Justin and his students study the spread of influenza, for example, and that could be an opportunity for students to write about,” said Rice, new Knight Chair in Health and Medical Journalism.

Rice and Bahl, an associate professor of infectious diseases and bioinformatics, were among the 40 UGA faculty members on the 2018 New Faculty Tour, which began in Gainesville and traveled through 15 cities and 48 counties, with stops in Dahlonega, Atlanta, Griffin, Senoia, Tifton, Waycross, Savannah and Sandersville, among others. Tour participants learned about the culture, history, geography and economic engines that drive the state: agritourism at Jaemor Farms near Gainesville, the film industry at Raleigh (AMC) Studios in Senoia, manufacturing at the Kia plant in West Point, the Georgia Ports Authority in Savannah and the kaolin industry in Sandersville.

With hours together on the bus and at stops, the faculty members found shared interests, made friends, discussed collaborations and explored opportunities for themselves and their students throughout the state.

For Gabrielle Darville, an evaluation coordinator for health promotion and behavior in the College of Public Health, the tour provided an opportunity to see firsthand the differences between urban and rural Georgia.

“Since I teach intro to public health, I teach students across departments and disciplines at UGA,” Darville said.

“Now I have more resources at my fingertips to connect students with internships, jobs, fellowships. I can help them navigate life better now that I know what both rural and urban Georgia have to offer.”

Many on the trip gained a better understanding of how UGA serves the state through its land-grant and sea-grant designation.

“As someone who studies and teaches about higher education, I’ve never had a clear picture of what a landgrant university looked like,” said Georgianna Martin, an assistant professor of counseling and human development services in the College of Education. “Seeing one in action was inspiring. I have a much clearer picture of what a landgrant university looks like in action, and I learned about the sea-grant designation, which I had never heard of.”

Even lifetime residents of Georgia learned a few new things on the tour.

“Being a native of Georgia myself, I was uncertain about the benefits of the tour,” said Jason Estep, a Cooperative Extension 4-H specialist for Leadership and Citizenship Programs in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “It’s only been a few days, and I’ve been to all new places and seen firsthand how connected UGA is throughout the entire state.”

No matter where the group traveled across Georgia, UGA’s impact was present and tangible.

“There’s such a vibrancy in the UGA community, and that feeling is shared across Georgia,” said Nathaniel Hunsu, an assistant professor of engineering education in the College of Engineering.

An image of the Baldwin Hall memorial.

• Dawn Bennett-Alexander, Associate Professor of Employment Law and Legal Studies; • Paige Carmichael, Professor of Veterinary Pathology; • Michelle Cook, Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Strategic University Initiatives (Chair); • Gwynne Darden (Ex Officio), Associate Vice President for Facilities Planning; • Dexter Fisher, Director of Services in the Facilities Management Division; • Ammishaddai Grand-Jean, President of the Student Government Association and senior double majoring in economics and political science; • Mike Hamby, Athens-Clarke County Commissioner for the 10th District and small business owner; • Lawrence Harris, Director of the Athens Community Career Academy with the Clarke County School District; • Kathy Hoard, former Clarke County Commissioner and recipient of the 2018 ATHENA Award for community involvement; • Meredith Gurley Johnson, Executive Director of the UGA Alumni Association; • The Honorable Steve Jones, U.S.

District Court Judge for the Northern District of Georgia; • The Rev. Benjamin Lett, Pastor of the Hill Chapel Baptist Church; • Charlie Maddox, Athens Rotary Club President and Member of the Athens Housing Authority Board of Commissioners; • Alison McCullick, UGA Director of Community Relations; • Arthur Tripp, Assistant to the President of UGA; • Victor Wilson, Vice President for Student Affairs; and • Henry Young, Kroger Associate Professor of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy and President of the Black Faculty and Staff Organization.

The remains of the individuals were first discovered during construction of an addition to Baldwin Hall in November 2015. They were reinterred at Oconee Hill Cemetery in March 2017, in accordance with guidance from the State Archaeologist’s Office.

The university held a memorial service to commemorate their lives, and a granite marker was placed at the gravesite. Acknowledgment in the form of a plaque also was placed inside the new entrance of the Baldwin Hall addition.

EITS

OFFICE OF UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS

By Sara Pauff

This fall, the University of Georgia admissions team is continuing its tradition of traveling extensively across Georgia to meet with students, families and high school counselors.

The 2018 Georgia travel plan will be similar to last year when UGA admissions visited 207 Georgia high schools, attended 68 Georgia college fairs and 47 Peach State Tour events and hosted 34 other events in Georgia. Altogether in 2017, the UGA admissions team visited students and families in 137 Georgia cities in 291 Georgia ZIP codes.

“More than 85 percent of students at UGA are from Georgia, and the university is committed to serving students and families in our state,” said Patrick Winter, UGA’s admissions director. “During our outreach efforts, we answer questions about UGA’s programs and application process, but we also provide information about the University System of Georgia and emphasize that with its 26 schools, there’s one that will be a good fit for everyone.”

Visiting students and families in Georgia is so important that Winter will go on the road to meet with parents, students and counselors across Georgia in September.

UGA’s statewide outreach effort got underway Aug. 20 in Augusta, Cordele and Dalton with plans to visit 23 cities across the state. UGA admissions counselors, along with colleagues from Georgia Tech and Georgia State, will make these stops during the annual Peach State Tour.

During the tour, sessions will be held at high schools in north, south, central and coastal Georgia. The tour visited Athens Aug. 22. There were information sessions for students and their parents while others were for high school counselors.

Last year, 5,700 students, parents and counselors attended one of the statewide Peach State tour sessions.

This year, the sessions are scheduled so that every Georgia resident is within 50 miles or less of an event.

ArchPass for UGAMail, OneDrive battles phishing spauff@uga.edu

Effective Sept. 7, all eligible students, faculty and staff will be required to use ArchPass, UGA’s two-step login solution, powered by Duo, to access their UGAMail and OneDrive for Business accounts when off campus.

This change is being implemented to help combat the rising tide of successful phishing attempts, which compromise hundreds of UGA email accounts.

Students, faculty and staff will be prompted to log in with ArchPass when they are accessing UGAMail or OneDrive for Business off campus. Their login information will be saved on their device or browser for 14 days. After 14 days, or if they switch to a different device or web browser, they may be prompted to log in with ArchPass again when off campus.

As part of this change to the login process, students, faculty and staff with outdated desktop and mobile email clients will need to upgrade to newer email clients. Outlook 2016 for Mac and Outlook 2016 for Windows are both supported, as is the UGAMail portal within the UGA mobile app. For a complete list of supported clients, visit https://bit.ly/2OWbvai.

If your desktop or mobile email client is not listed as supported, you will have to upgrade to a supported client to access your UGAMail and OneDrive or begin accessing your UGAMail and OneDrive through a web browser.

If you wish to upgrade the email client on your personal devices, you can find information on downloading Outlook and other Office 365 programs for free on the EITS site: https://bit.ly/2vBhxVR. If you need assistance installing a new email client on your UGA-issued computer, tablet or phone, contact your departmental IT professional.You can find your departmental IT professional here: https://bit.ly/2KJEtXB. Learn more about ArchPass at archpass.uga.edu.

Admissions team reaches out to Georgia students

OUTREACH NEWS

columns.uga.edu Aug. 27, 2018

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Digest Landscape architect to deliver 2018 Neel Reid lecture on Sept. 7

Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant

Native plants and new soil were installed at Brunswick’s Howard Coffin Park as part of a stormwater demonstration project that UGA hopes will educate visitors on ways to improve water quality.

‘Protect and restore’ Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant installs green infrastructure project in Brunswick

By Emily Woodward ewoodward@uga.edu

The area next to the soccer field at Brunswick’s Howard Coffin Park received a much-needed face-lift in the form of native plants and new soil.

The 3,000-square-foot tract is a large-scale stormwater demonstration project that the University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant hopes will educate visitors on ways to improve water quality.

Protecting water quality

Jessica Brown, stormwater specialist at Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, oversaw construction of the site, which is called, in technical terms, a bioretention cell.

“This project will serve as a case study and educational demonstration of a bioretention cell, which is a stormwater management practice that captures and treats runoff,” Brown said. “It’s a form of green infrastructure that helps protect and restore habitat by mimicking the natural water cycle.”

The bioretention cell, next to a tidal ditch, will act as a buffer for the park.

When it rains, excess water from the soccer field will flow into the bioretention cell, which consists of layers of sandy soils, mulch and stone. Pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals applied to the playing field will be filtered out through these layers instead of running directly into the tidal creek.

With population growth and increased land development in coastal Georgia, the use of green infrastructure has become increasingly important because it protects water quality and coastal habitats from pollution, Brown said.

Brown worked with the city’s engineer, Garrow Alberson, to design the bioretention cell. City employees constructed the project.

Native plants

The final phase of the project involved installing native plants, selected by Keren Giovengo, EcoScapes program manager for Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, a UGA Public Service and Outreach unit. The

EcoScapes Sustainable Land Use program promotes responsible stewardship of natural resources in Georgia through sustainable land development and landscaping practices.

“Because of the size of the bioretention cell, I was able to consider a variety of trees, shrubs, grasses and palms for the site,” Giovengo said.

Hands-on learning

Twelve students participating in a landscaping course through the Job Corps Center in Brunswick assisted with the planting.

Job Corps, a no-cost education and career technical training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, helps young people ages 16 to 24 improve the quality of their lives through career, technical and academic training.

Thanks to help from the students, all 216 native plants were in the ground in less than four hours.

Brown plans to showcase the demonstration site to environmental professionals and public works staff in surrounding counties.

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

UGA crop geneticists awarded $935K in grants to breed softer cotton, more resilient peanuts

By J. Merritt Melancon jmerritt@uga.edu

The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences plant breeders almost $1 million in grants this fiscal year to produce improved cotton and peanut varieties.

These plant breeders have been tapped to make Georgia’s most profitable row crops more sustainable and productive.

Regents Professor Andrew Paterson, director of the Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory and member of the CAES crop and soil sciences department and the Franklin College departments of plant biology and genetics, and Peng Chee, his fellow crop and soil sciences professor, are pinpointing cotton genes that affect the length of cotton fibers.

Longer fibers lead to softer cotton

fabrics and a higher per-pound price for farmers.

Paterson and Chee will focus on upland cotton, which is a common name for the cotton species most widely grown in the U.S. Georgia farmers grew more than 1 million acres and $967 million worth of upland cotton in 2016.

Upland cotton typically produces cotton with short or medium fibers, and those fibers can be even shorter if the cotton plant is stressed. However, mutations of upland cotton created by the researchers produce longer fibers.

Supported by a $490,000 NIFA grant, Paterson and Chee will map genes connected to superior fiber qualities in this mutated upland cotton. Eventually, they will incorporate those genes into cotton varieties known for their hardiness, productivity and efficiency.

The average American eats about 6 pounds of peanuts a year. To meet that demand, farmers in Georgia grow

more than 700,000 acres of the state’s signature legume.

For each of those acres, farmers invest between $500 and $770 into seeds, pesticides, irrigation and herbicides.Tapping into the resilience of the peanut’s wild ancestors should substantially bring down that per-acre price, said Soraya Leal-Bertioli, UGA senior research scientist.

Bertioli, who worked with the international team of scientists that traced the evolution of the modern peanut to its wild ancestors in the Andes Mountains in 2016, received a $445,000 grant from NIFA to find the genetic traits that protected ancient peanuts from fungal and insect problems as well as other diseases.

Most of these species have never been bred with modern varieties. By using modern techniques, Bertioli hopes to introduce these ancient, naturallyoccurring resistance traits into modern lines of productive peanuts.

Spencer Tunnell, a principal in the Atlanta landscape architecture firm of Tunnell and Tunnell, will give this year’s annual Neel Reid lecture at the College of Environment and Design.

Open free to the public, the lecture will be Sept. 7 in lecture hall 123 of the Jackson Street Building. The title of the lecture will be “When the Garden Club of America Comes to Town: Atlanta 1932, an examination of the cultural implications of the visit to the city during the Great Depression.” The lecture is supported by the Peachtree Garden Club and the UGA College of Environment and Design.

Tunnell is a highly regarded landscape architect of historic sites and estates. He holds degrees from the University of Virginia where he studied landscape architecture and architecture history. He is working currently on the restoration of the Philip Schutze “Goodrum House” landscape and has taught at UGA’s College of Environment and Design and at Georgia State University.

White Coat Ceremony held for veterinary medicine’s Class of 2022

The College of Veterinary Medicine welcomed the Class of 2022 during its annual White Coat Ceremony on Aug. 12.

Sponsored by the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association and VCA Animal Hospitals and attended by members of the GVMA and the South Carolina Association of Veterinarians, this event officially recognized 114 members of the incoming class by donning them in lab coats to be worn during their veterinary education.

The ceremony was held at the UGA Performing Arts Center and was followed by a reception at the Veterinary Medical Center for the students’ families and members of the college’s faculty and staff.

This class has diverse interests, breaking down as follows: 40 interested in small animal medicine; 40 interested in mixed-animal medicine; 11 interested in public, corporate, and zoo and wildlife medicine; 23 in equine, food and fiber medicine.

“The white coat ceremony is an academic custom that symbolizes the transition from student to health care professional,” said Dr. Scott Brown, the college’s associate dean for academic affairs. “Recitation of the Veterinarian’s Oath denotes the beginning of this official journey and is an affirmation by these individuals that they can be trusted to honor the principled traditions of our profession.”

Men’s basketball player named to 2017-2018 NABC Honors Court

UGA’s Connor O’Neill has been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court. The accolade recognizes men’s basketball student-athletes who excelled in academics during the past season.

To be eligible, players must be a junior or senior academically with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher. They also have to have attended their current university for at least one year.

O’Neill is one of just five Southeastern Conference players and five Division I players from schools in Georgia to receive the honor for the 2017-2018 season.

A 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward from Roswell, O’Neill is majoring finance in UGA’s Terry College of Business. He played in three games last season, averaging 0.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. O’Neill has been chosen as the male student-athlete representative for the UGA Athletic Board for the 2018-2019 academic year.

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RESEARCH NEWS

FRANKLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Linguistics faculty, alumni contribute to multi-volume handbook

By Alan Flurry

aflurry@uga.edu

Until the study of Indo-European linguistics and the study of non-Indo-European language families were established in the 19th century, ancient grammarians of Athens and Rome believed all human languages were related, if not likely a leftover by-product of the Tower of Babel.

More than 40 percent of the human population (3.2 billion) speaks an Indo-European language as a first language, by far the highest of any language family.

A new multi-volume book is widely considered the most comprehensive coverage of the field of Indo-European linguistics in a century. The Handbook of Comparative and Historical Indo-European Linguistics is a collaborative, threevolume work of 120 scholars from 22 countries. Edited

by University of Georgia professor Jared Klein, the book combines the exhaustive coverage of an encyclopedia with the in-depth treatment of individual monographic studies focusing on the entire Indo-European family and treating each major branch and most minor languages.

Published between October 2017 and June 2018, the work consists of three volumes totaling 2,410 pages and has a heavy UGA imprint: Klein is the lead editor, and former UGA linguistics Ph.D. Mark Wenthe is the editorial assistant.

In addition to a chapter by Klein, the book contains two chapters written by Keith Langston, professor and head of the linguistics department, and single chapters by UGA alumni Martin Macak, Caley Smith, Andrew Byrd and Tony Yates.

Following sections on general methodology of historical and comparative linguistics and specifically Indo-European linguistics, the fruits of this methodology in an array of other language families or super-phyla (Semitic, Uralic, Caucasian, African, Austronesian, Australian), and the history of Indo-European studies, the book then takes up one by one the 12 subgroups of Indo-European (Indic, Iranian, Greek, Italic, Germanic, Celtic, Slavic, etc.) with chapters on the documentation, sound systems, grammatical systems, vocabulary, syntax, dialectology and evolution to the modern day (for those groups that have survived).

Italic is the language family of modern Romance languages; English arose from the Germanic subgroup.

Those sections are followed by sketches of nine additional language groups that are too poorly documented to allow full-scale treatment. The book then works backward to reconstruct larger entities (super subgroups) like Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic, linguistic communities that don’t quite achieve the status of subgroup (e.g. Italic and Celtic), and, ultimately, Proto-Indo-European itself.

The final chapter looks beyond Proto-Indo-European to consider its more remote linguistic relationships.

“The editorial enterprise took me five years to the day to complete (June 30, 2012-June 29, 2017) and would have taken considerably longer without the massive input of time and effort on the part of our own Mark Wenthe,” Klein said.

Wenthe, currently a linguistics instructor at UGA, said the precision and accuracy required for such an extensive project tests the limits of linguistics expertise and that editing skills sometimes include detective work.

“It is a challenge to know the correct form for every Indo-European language and sometimes a little luck is necessary to find minor errors that may have been mistakenly confirmed by others for decades,” Wenthe said.

Brian Joseph, Distinguished University Professor of Linguistics at Ohio State University, worked with Klein and Wenthe on the project.

“Together, we have done our best, and we are proud of the result,” said Wenthe.

Peter Frey

Leann Birch developed an intervention with other researchers that helps parents understand age-appropriate responses to their child’s needs.

Healthy weight Parenting intervention can result in lower BMIs for children

An intervention designed to promote healthy growth that taught first-time moms how to respond with age-appropriate responses to their babies’ needs resulted in children having lower body mass indexes when they were 3 years old.

The intervention is based on research conducted by faculty at the University of Georgia, Penn State, the University of Connecticut and the University at Buffalo.

The intervention, which began shortly after the babies’ births, taught moms various strategies for taking care of their babies when they were drowsy, sleeping, fussy, eating and playing.

The researchers said having a healthy BMI early in life is an important factor in preventing obesity across the child’s lifetime.

Leann L. Birch, the Flatt Childhood Obesity Professor in UGA’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences and director of the UGA Obesity Initiative, said because parents are often concerned about making sure the child is getting enough to eat, feeding may be the first response to infant crying.

“Babies cry for many reasons, though, including being be too cold or too hot, tired, bored or gassy,” Birch said. “The responsive parenting intervention includes helping parents choose and use appropriate infant soothing strategies, including feeding, swaddling, a pacifier or white noise, contingent on the infant’s needs.”

The researchers, who published

their findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association, said that because overweight children are more likely to become overweight adults, it’s critical to find ways to prevent obesity before it and its associated problems including heart disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes begin to develop.

“There’s evidence that a lot of our behaviors, including ones related to eating and sleeping, are ‘programmed’ at a very young age,” said Ian Paul, professor of pediatrics at Penn State College of Medicine who co-led the project with Birch. “Some of our research is based on the idea that food should be used for hunger, not for other purposes such as to soothe or to reward a child. Babies who are soothed with food early on may be more likely to use food to soothe their distress later on in life. These behaviors are imprinted early. So our research intervention was designed to intervene early when these behaviors are being established and before obesity develops.”

The researchers recruited 279 firsttime mothers and their infants for the study, with 140 mothers participating in the intervention and 139 mothers receiving education about home safety instead, as a control.

Mothers in the intervention received four nurses’ home visits during their baby’s first year. Strategies included ways to soothe non-hungry, yet fussy infants without feeding them; avoiding using food as a reward, and

not forcing the children to eat when they show signs of fullness; how to improve early-life sleep through good bedtime routines and responses to night wakings; and how to create healthy diets by repeatedly exposing infants to vegetables and fruits even when the infant initially rejects them.

The researchers found that when the children were 3 years old, the toddlers in the intervention group had lower BMIs on average than those in the control group. Among the children in the intervention group, 11.2 percent were overweight and 2.6 percent were obese versus 19.8 percent overweight and 7.8 percent obese in the control group.

Paul said that because the intervention gave parents a variety of strategies for taking care of their children in various states across the day, individual families probably benefited from different parts of the program.

Birch said that although the findings from the current clinical trial are promising, additional research is needed to replicate these findings among more diverse samples, especially those at higher risk for obesity.

This work was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the Children’s Miracle Network at Penn State Children’s Hospital, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Penn State Clinical and Translational Research Institute, and National Institutes of Health National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Kinesiology study leads to ‘switch’ that helps muscles heal, regenerate

By Kristen Morales kmorales@uga.edu

That soreness you feel after a workout is a good thing—it’s an indicator of your body at work, fixing and rebuilding your muscles to make you stronger.

The process involves “satellite cells,” which are cells located in skeletal muscles that work to regenerate new muscle cells.

They are considered to be the “stem cells of muscle,” said University of Georgia researcher Jarrod A. Call, and they are an important part of what keeps our muscles strong and healthy.

But as we age, or in some diseases that affect muscles, such as muscular dystrophy, the number of these satellite cells decreases.

This poses a problem, says Call, because often the best regimen

as we age or treat these diseases is through muscle regeneration.

“With skeletal muscle mass loss with aging, a lot of the prescription for aged individuals is resistance weight training,” says Call. “And that’s going to cause some type of muscle damage from which they will have to recover.”

Working with Hang Yin, an assistant professor in the biochemistry and molecular biology department, Call is examining the external and internal forces that turn satellite cells on and off. Call is an assistant professor in the UGA College of Education’s kinesiology department and a faculty member at UGA’s Regenerative Bioscience Center. His Muscle Physiology Lab assesses muscle strength recovery for Yin’s project.

The research is part of a larger grant awarded to Yin by the National Institutes of Health.

Satellite cells, Call says, have an active state and a non-active state. If your muscles haven’t gone through a workout, these cells remain in a quiescent state, as if they were sleeping. But when there is some sort of muscle injury through exercise, they become active and begin multiplying.

Understanding these two states is critical, Call says. By using a molecular compound called a HIF2a inhibitor, it allows researchers to trick satellite cells into turning on, potentially controlling the amount of these cells in muscle.

The next step in the study is to look at FDA-approved drugs that could modulate HIF2a. Call and the other researchers are also investigating satellite cells at the molecular level to determine what regulates HIF2a or how many times a cell could regenerate.

UGAGUIDE

columns.uga.edu Aug. 27, 2018

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.

EXHIBITIONS

Wrestling Temptation: The Quest to C ­ ontrol Alcohol in Georgia.

Through Sept. 21. Special collections libraries. 706-542-7123. alexis.morgan@uga.edu.

Central to Their Lives: Southern Women Artists in the Johnson Collection.

Through Sept. 23. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu.

For Home and Country: World War I Posters from the Blum Collection.

Through Nov. 18. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu.

Vernacular Modernism: The Photography of Doris Ulmann. Through Nov. 18.

Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu.

Poppies: Women, War, Peace. Through Dec. 14. Special collections libraries.

706-542-7123. jclevela@uga.edu.

War of Words: Propaganda of World War I. Through Dec. 14. Special collections libraries. 706-542-7123. jclevela@uga.edu.

One Heart, One Way: The Journey of a Princely Art Collection. Through Jan. 6.

Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu.

TUESDAY, AUG. 28 MULTICULTURAL FACULTY AND STAFF RECEPTION Hosted by the Office of the President and the Office of Institutional Diversity.

Open to all faculty and staff. RSVP to the Office of Special Events at rsvpuga@uga.edu or 706-542-7619.

3:30 p.m. M. Smith Griffith Grand Hall, Georgia Museum of Art. SUNFLOWER MUSIC SERIES Chickasaw Mudd Puppies made its mark in the early 1990s with records produced by R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe and blues icon Willie Dixon. The band regrouped a few years ago, re-emerging with a sound honoring its roots while adding a few new tricks. Presented by Friends of the Garden, Flagpole, Athens Coca-Cola and Northeast Sales & Distributing. Ticket price includes beverages and light snacks. $15, general admission; $10, Friends of the Garden; $5, children ages 6-12. 7 p.m. Flower Garden Lawn, State Botanical Garden.

706-542-6138. lpbryant@uga.edu.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 29 CLASS “Line and Line Mass Design” is the first of five units to earn the basic design certificate from the Garden Club of Georgia. Participants will be provided a list of materials to bring to class.

Limited to 20 participants. $45; $40.50 for members. 9 a.m. Visitor Center, Gardenside Room, State Botanical Garden.

706-542-6156. cscamero@uga.edu.

CONSERVATION SEMINAR “Mapping and Monitoring Critical Habitats Using Unmanned Aerial Systems,” Thomas Jordan, professor emeritus in

the department of geography.

1:25 p.m. Auditorium, ecology building.

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

TOUR AT TWO Join Shawnya Harris, the Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Curator of African American and African Diasporic Art, for a tour of selected works in the museum’s permanent collection. 2 p.m.

Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu.

UGA RELAY FOR LIFE KICK-OFF Hula your way over to UGA Relay For Life’s kick-off luau event. Visit one of the booths to learn how to join a committee or team for this upcoming Relay year. Listen to music, guest speakers and more. Enjoy Ben & Jerry’s ice cream on percentage night.

6 p.m. College Avenue. 704-728-8183. vas44978@uga.edu.

THURSDAY, AUG. 30 NATURE RAMBLERS Also Sept. 6. Join Nature Ramblers and learn more about the natural areas, flora and fauna of the Garden. Sessions will start with an inspirational reading by a nature writer such as Annie Dillard, John Muir or Janisse Ray. This is a ramble not a hike; participants will stop to view interesting plants, insects, butterflies, mushrooms, etc., along the way.

8:30 a.m. Visitor Center & Conservatory front fountain, State Botanical Garden.

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

ECONOMICS SEMINAR Nicolas Ziebarth, Auburn University.

3:30 p.m. C115 Benson Hall. roozbeh@uga.edu.

CLASS Designed for beginners, “Lighting and Flash for Digital Photography” will establish the basic terminology, equipment and techniques used in digital photography. Learn the latest in on- and off-camera lighting/flash, outdoor/ natural lighting and studio lighting and have the opportunity to see and operate light sources used in today’s digital photography. Students will need to bring a digital SLR camera and shoe mount flash with the owner’s manual to class and be familiar with the camera and flash settings. The instructor will advise participants of other equipment needed for class. $179. 6 p.m.

Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel. 706-542-3537. questions@georgiacenter.uga.edu.

SOCCER vs. Purdue. 7 p.m. Turner Soccer Complex.

WORLD WAR I FILM SERIES In Lawrence of Arabia, British Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence (Peter O’Toole) is sent to Arabia to find Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness) and serve as a liaison between the Arabs and the British in their fight against the Turks. This film won seven Academy Awards in 1963, including best picture, best director and best original score. Presented in conjunction with For Home and Country: World War I Posters from the Blum Collection.

Sponsored by UGA Parents Leadership

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/.

Council. 7 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu.

5

UGA PRESENTS OPENS SEASON WITH SEPT. 7 CONCERT BY TONY AWARD WINNING ACTRESS

FRIDAY, AUG. 31 INTERNATIONAL COFFEE HOUR International Coffee Hour at the University of Georgia is a weekly program that brings UGA students, faculty, staff and community members together over coffee and international cuisine.

Excluding scheduled university breaks, this event occurs every Friday during the fall and spring semesters, hosted by international student organizations and campus departments. 11:30 a.m.

Memorial Hall ballroom. 706-542-5867. bgcecil@uga.edu.

ARTIST TALK UGA alumna and artist Daisy Craddock will give a lecture about her work, which is on view in the M. Smith Griffith Grand Hall. 3 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4462. gmoa@uga.edu.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 1 FOOTBALL vs. Austin Peay. 3:30 p.m. Sanford Stadium.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 2 SOCCER vs. Virginia Tech. 2 p.m. Turner Soccer Complex.

SALSA LESSON The Salsa Club at UGA offers weekly lessons in Cuban salsa dancing for beginners and advanced dancers.

No experience necessary or partner necessary. 4 p.m. 407 Memorial Hall. ugasalsaclub@gmail.com.

MONDAY, SEPT. 3 LABOR DAY HOLIDAY No classes; offices closed.

COMING UP TOUR AT TWO Sept. 5. Join Sarah Kate Gillespie, curator of American art, for a tour of Central to Their Lives: Southern Women Artists in the Johnson Collection. 2 p.m.

Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu.

ECONOMICS SEMINAR Sept. 6. Hector Chade, Arizona State University. 3:30 p.m. C115 Benson Hall. roozbeh@uga.edu.

STUDIO WORKSHOP: PRINTMAKING Sept. 6. Athens-based artist and Piedmont College professor Brian Hitselberger will lead a series of studio-based courses exploring various printmaking methods and assorted materials. Artists from all backgrounds are encouraged to attend, as these sessions are designed to be equally engaging for enthusiastic beginners as well as more seasoned practitioners. The sessions will draw inspiration from the museum’s collection, including works from the archives and many not currently on display. Space is limited; call 706-543-0111 or email callan@uga.edu to register. The

Tony winner Renee Elise Goldsberry opens the UGA Presents season with a Sept. 7 concert that will feature Broadway show tunes as well as popular songs.

By Bobby Tyler btyler@uga.edu

UGA Presents opens the 2018-2019 season with Renee Elise Goldsberry, the Tony-winning star of Hamilton. Backed by her own band, Goldsberry will perform a program of Broadway show tunes and popular songs. The concert takes place Sept. 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center’s Hodgson Concert Hall.

Goldsberry won the 2016 Tony Award, Grammy Award, Drama Desk Award and Lucille Lortel Award for her performance as Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton. Since leaving the show, she has appeared in Baz Luhrmann’s The Get Down for Netflix and the title role in HBO’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks opposite Oprah Winfrey. She is currently in production for the Netflix series Altered Carbon.

Goldsberry made her Broadway debut in The Lion King and starred in the original stage version of The Color Purple. Her television credits include recurring roles on The Good Wife and Law & Order: SVU. She was nominated twice for a Daytime Emmy® Award for her performance on One Life to Live. On film, she appeared most recently in Sisters with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and in Every Secret Thing with Diane Lane and Elizabeth Banks.

Tickets for the concert start at $30. They can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center box office, online at pac.uga.edu or by calling 706-542-4400. UGA students can purchase tickets for $10 with a valid UGA ID, limit one ticket per student.

The Performing Arts Center is located at 230 River Road.

$15 materials fee will cover all necessary supplies for the four sessions.

6:30 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. WORLD WAR I FILM SERIES Sept. 6. Stanley Kubrick’s Paths of Glory stars Kirk Douglas as a World War I French colonel who goes head-to-head with the army’s ruthless top brass when

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.

his men are accused of cowardice after being unable to carry out an impossible mission. Presented in conjunction with For Home and Country: World War I Posters from the Blum Collection.

Sponsored by UGA Parents Leadership Council. 7 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu.

NEXT COLUMNS DEADLINES Aug. 29 (for Sept. 10 issue) Sept. 5 (for Sept. 17 issue) Sept. 12 (for Sept. 24 issue)

6 Aug. 27, 2018 columns.uga.edu

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES Public Service and Outreach

Saralyn Stafford, a community and economic developer with a 30-year career focused on Georgia, has joined UGA to link rural communities with the university’s vast knowledge and expertise.

Stafford will serve as a liaison between UGA and local elected officials, chambers of commerce, economic development professionals, school boards, non-profit organizations, small business owners and other community leaders.

Based in south Georgia’s Coffee County, her work focuses on connecting communities with UGA’s Public Service and Outreach units, including the Carl Saralyn Stafford Vinson Institute of Government, the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, the Small Business Development Center and the Archway Partnership, to assist in addressing community and regional challenges.

Stafford has a strong record of working in community and economic development across the state since 1987 with a focus on rural communities, particularly in southeast Georgia.

Most recently, she provided technical assistance and oversight for local and regional planning, research and surveys for local governments, downtown development, the state’s AmeriCorps program and the Keep Georgia Beautiful initiative as DCA’s division director for community development.

At UGA, Stafford will also offer her expertise in training government officials and community leaders and in strategic planning within rural communities.

College of Veterinary Medicine

Kelley Gibson is the new senior director of development for the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Charged with leading the college’s fundraising and alumni relations efforts, Gibson joined UGA this summer after six years at Young Harris College where she served as the assistant vice president for advancement. In this role, she partnered with the vice president for advancement on all fundraising efforts for the 1,100-student private college. This included annual strategic and engagement plans, both major gifts and annual giving, for prospects and donors. Prior to that, she spent six years at Columbus State University in a variety of development-related positions, most notably two years as the Kelley Gibson director of annual giving, where they recorded a $1.3 million increase in annual fundraising during her last year there. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree from Columbus State University.

“We are thrilled to have Kelley on board,” said Lisa K. Nolan, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

“She brings solid experience in all aspects of development with her and should prove to be a valuable addition to our established team.”

In her new role, Gibson will lead the college’s development office, working to raise funds for research, increase scholarship funding, grow endowments and increase donations that support the work of faculty. She will be responsible for major gifts (more than $25,000), as well as for providing strategy, leadership and management of all levels of giving for the college, including annual gifts and stewardship.

Athletic Association

Magdi El Shahawy, senior associate athletic director at the University of Southern California, has been named deputy athletic director for academics and student development at the University of Georgia.

A four-year varsity football letterman at Florida State University from 1986-1989, El Shahawy has served in his current position at USC since 2000. During his tenure, he held administrative oversight of student-athlete academic services, student-athlete personal development programs and the Athlete Career Transition Program.

He also served as sport administrator for baseball from 2015-2018, men’s and Magdi El Shahawy women’s track and field (2011-2018) and men’s volleyball from 2007-2015.

Prior to USC, El Shahawy held positions as senior associate director of student-athlete support services at Michigan State (1999-2000), academic counselor and eligibility coordinator at Florida State University (1994-1999) and a graduate assistant in athletic compliance at Florida State (1993-1994).

He received three degrees from Florida State: a bachelor’s in economics and political science (1991), a master’s in athletic administration (1993) and doctorate in athletic administration (1999).

Frank Williams, a groundskeeper at the University of Georgia Coastal Georgia Botanical Garden, retired from his full-time position after 30 years and had a classroom named in his honor. He now works at the garden three days a week.

Coastal Georgia Botanical Garden honors ‘Mr. Bamboo’ for work ethic

By Sharon Dowdy sharono@uga.edu

After more than 30 years, Frank Williams has retired from his position as the groundskeeper for the University of Georgia Coastal Georgia Botanical Garden at the Historic Bamboo Farm, but he still works there three days a week. Even at 75, he hasn’t slowed down.

The Friends of the Coastal Gardens recently named a classroom at the Savannah garden complex in Williams’ honor to show their appreciation for his hard work and dedication. Photographs of Williams adorn the walls of the Frank Williams Classroom.

“I was honored when Mr. Jim asked me if they could honor me,” said Williams of FOCG President Jim Andrews. “Mr. Andrews has always come up with ideas, and he has worked alongside me to make things happen here. When we started work on the camellia garden, it looked like a junkyard. But we dug up stumps, worked hard and got it done.”

Williams’ work at CGBG has always been very labor-intensive, but he never complains, and he has never taken a sick day.

“The work was hard, and I did a lot of it by myself. But I believe you can’t let the work, work you. You have to work the work,” he said. “And, at the end of the day, your work will speak for you. I prayed for this job, and God answered my prayers. And I told Him

I would work hard at it.”

Williams’ work does speak for him.

More than 100,000 visitors come to CGBG each year and enjoy the results of Williams’ weeding, mowing, tending, planting and pruning. Seeing visitors enjoy the garden brings Williams joy.

“The more I do out here, the more people come. They enjoy the beauty, and they enjoy nature. I cleared trees and cleaned up the back part of the pond, and now more people come to that spot and get peace,” said Williams.

He is fondly called “Mr. Bamboo” and earned his nickname by tending CGBG’s 160 varieties of bamboo.

Now an expert on the plant, Williams says bamboo can grow 18 inches in 24 hours. Williams strongly suggests home gardeners think long and hard before adding bamboo to their landscapes.

“If you get it, you’ll be stuck with it because it’s really hard to get rid of,” he said. “People always come here to see the bamboo. I used to wonder what they saw in the bamboo, and then I saw something.”

Over the years, Williams began to appreciate bamboo and has since crafted bamboo chairs, tables, display racks and fans.

“If someone has an idea for something made from bamboo, I can do it,” he said.

Williams also turns bamboo pruned from the groves into bamboo chips to use as mulch throughout CGBG. He says bamboo chips keep weeds down

and don’t decompose as quickly as bark or pine straw.

Gardeners know that there are always things to do in a garden. Williams favorite garden chores are pulling weeds and working in the bamboo.

His secret to staying cool working on Georgia’s hot summer days is to wear a thin, long-sleeved shirt and to drink cold water.

Like many state workers who manage limited budgets, Williams found ways to stretch dollars and often recycled or repaired items at CGBG. He repaired an old surplus tractor and brought it back to life to use in the garden.

Now, Williams teaches the new generation of garden workers how to maintain the gardens and the tractor.

“Mr. Frank is a great example and mentor to the younger employees at the garden,” said Tim Davis, current CGBG director and University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Chatham County coordinator. “When others would sit out of work, Mr. Frank is always here. He recently came to work and never missed a day despite being treated for a medical condition.”

Williams, who was fighting cancer, happily reports he is cancer-free.

“Way back, I told the Lord if He found me a job, I would work and work and work,” he said. “I did and I was able to build a house that’s paid off. And it’s got insulation. It’s not like the one I grew up in where you could see the ground through the cracks.”

Gregory N. Clinton, senior lecturer, career and information studies, 12 years, 1 month; Betty D. Downer, library assistant II, libraries-general operations, 30 years, 1 month; Alberta Ellett, professor, School of Social Work, 17 years, 11 months; Georgia Kim Gilbert, senior lecturer, statistics, 9 years, 11 months; Erik B. Greene, lecturer, communication sciences and special education, 13 years; Larry Neil Greenway, research technician III, Center for Applied Isotope Study, 26 years, 5 months; Richard Keith Harris, department head, pathology, 10 years; Melvin P. Jackson, skilled trades worker, family housing administration, 29 years; Daniel J. Laak, swim coach, athletics, 30 years, 10 months; Debra D. Lovelady, event manager, Terry College of Business, 13 years, 1 month;

Lioba Moshi, professor, comparative literature, 29 years, 10 months; Alex Murawski, professor, art, 26 years, 6 months; Karen Jo Napoleon, senior lecturer, management, 21 years, 10 months; Mark A. Runco, professor, educational psychology, 10 years; Pamela K. Smith, administrative specialist I, School of Public and International Affairs, 34 years; Ronnie Darrell Sumner, herdskeeper II, animal science research coastal, 23 years, 4 months; Spencer F. Tinkham, professor, College of Journalism and Mass Communication, 37 years, 1 month; Timothy Varnedore, district director, UGA Cooperative Extension-Southwest District, 30 years, 7 months; and Sylvia Warren, building services worker I, Myers Hall, 10 years, 2 months.

RETIREES August

Twenty-six UGA employees retired July 31. Retirees, their job classification, department and years of service are: Susan K. Allen, public service associate, Georgia Center: a­uxiliary operations-hotel, 29 years, 7 months; Debra Kay Alvis, lecturer, ­University Health Center, 18 years, 10 months; Shuchen H. Ashley, IT associate d irector, COE Centers, 28 years, ­ 9 months; Stephanie A. Bales, ­administrative manager II, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, 33 years, 8 months; J. Michael Baxter, skilled trades worker, FMD-O&M-Zone Maintenance Shop East, 31 years, 11 months; Virginia B. Booth, senior accountant, population health, 17 years, 1 month; Sharon M. Cabe, business manager II, history , 17 years, 8 months;

Source: Human Resources

MILLER

columns.uga.edu Aug. 27, 2018

from page 1

has provided more than $10 billion to help 1.8 million Georgia students pay for college.

The beloved program also has elevated the standing of Georgia universities—especially UGA, Miller’s alma mater.

“You can step foot on any campus of the University System of Georgia and feel the immediate and lasting impact of Gov. Zell Miller’s legacy,” said Steve Wrigley, chancellor of the University System of Georgia, after Miller’s passing. “We see it every day in the thousands of students enrolled in our world-class institutions with help from the HOPE Scholarship.”

Wrigley served as Gov. Miller’s chief of staff for five years and helped shepherd the implementation of the lottery and the HOPE Scholarship. Speaking at a memorial service, Wrigley recalled that Miller was deeply involved in the process of crafting the scholarship program to fulfill his vision, a vision that no doubt sprung from the governor’s own experiences.

Shaping Zell

Miller is best known as a politician, having served as a mayor, state legislator, executive secretary for Gov. Lester Maddox, lieutenant governor, governor and U.S. senator. But Miller, like his parents, was also an educator.

Born in Young Harris in 1932 to Stephen Grady Miller, the dean of Young Harris College, and Birdie Bryan Miller, Zell’s life didn’t start off easily. When Zell was only 17 days old, his father died of cerebral meningitis. The widowed Birdie Miller, who had once been an art teacher, raised Zell and his sister alone, working various jobs to support the family.

After graduating from Young Harris College and briefly attending Emory University, Zell Miller joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1953. He credited that experience for developing his discipline and focus—skills that paid off throughout his career.

Through the educational benefits of the GI Bill, Miller enrolled at UGA, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1957 and a master’s degree in history in 1958. He worked a variety of jobs as a student, including as a tutor for football players and a cook at Allen’s, a popular Athens hamburger joint. Access to affordable education from his military service had been on his mind when he helped craft the HOPE Scholarship.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Miller became a professor at Young Harris College and mayor of his hometown. But Miller was quickly wooed into state politics. His political career had its ups and downs. He lost bids for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1964 and 1966 and for the Senate in 1980. But he was also a stable force in Georgia politics, becoming the state’s longest serving lieutenant governor, with four consecutive terms.

Beginning of HOPE

In 1990, Miller ran for governor and campaigned on the education lottery.

He won, but he still had to convince a majority of Georgia voters to pass a constitutional amendment to establish it. That process was not without complications.

Recalling the debates to get the lottery passed, Miller once said, “I couldn’t even go to church without getting caught up into controversy.”

In 1992, voters approved the lottery, and the governor and his team launched HOPE. Miller was determined to make a student’s performance a determining factor in earning and keeping the scholarship. Miller insisted that the scholarship be merit-based, arguing it would reward hard-working students and encourage them to earn their degrees in Georgia.

He laid out the goals of the program: to enhance the academic performances of Georgia students, to keep the bestperforming students in the state, and to

Zell Miller’s HOPE scholarship has helped nearly 2 million students pay for college.

address socioeconomic disparities in college enrollment. It was a plan he knew would have a real impact on the people of Georgia.

In 1993, the first Georgia education lottery ticket was sold and the first HOPE Scholarship was awarded. Twenty-five years later, the impact of HOPE has crossed generations.

One of first HOPE recipients

Erica Gwyn was a promising student with a lot of options when she received the HOPE Scholarship in the early years

Strong ties to UGA Beyond being a two-time alumnus, Miller’s connections with UGA run deep: • In 2009, the Student Learning Center was renamed the Zell Miller Learning Center in recognition of his 60 years of public service, and he was honored and spoke at an official naming ceremony.

• University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley and his wife, Lynne, created the Zell and Shirley Miller Fellowship, which is awarded annually to a doctoral student in UGA’s Institute of Higher Education.

• Upon leaving the governor’s office in January 1999, Miller accepted a teaching position at UGA, where he served as the Philip H. Alston, Jr. Distinguished Chair in Political Science until he was appointed to the U.S. Senate in July 2000 after the death of Sen. Paul Coverdell.

• Georgia Power funded UGA’s Zell Miller Distinguished Professorship in 2005 to foster research, instruction and outreach relating to economic development policy.

• In 2013, UGA held a ceremony at Miller’s namesake learning center to honor him

WEEKLY READER

on the 20th anniversary of the HOPE Scholarship.

• Miller donated his public papers— 512 boxes—to UGA’s Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies. His mother’s papers are also archived at the library.

• In 2011, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and the General Assembly approved the Zell Miller Scholarship, a new scholarship within the HOPE Scholarship program, that covers more student expenses and also has more rigorous academic requirements.

CYBERSIGHTS

Book discusses how to cover conflicts

Peace Through Media

By Leara Rhodes Peter Lang Inc. Hardcover: $159.95 Paperback: $44.05 Kindle: $36.48

7

Leara Rhodes, an associate professor of journalism at UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, is the author of Peace through Media, which teach students how to cover conflicts.

The book is a culmination of the 24 years Rhodes has taught international communications and three years of research. Her research included meeting with journalists and with professors from Ulster University in Northern Ireland, exploring how conflict can be covered by journalists to include all affected people.

The book aims to teach students how to be better journalists in the middle of the conflict through the idea of peace journalism. Rhodes describes peace journalism as looking at issues from as many sides as possible.

Rhodes, a recipient of the Journalism Teacher of the Year Award and the Roland Page Graduate Teacher of the Year Award, has a Ph.D. in international communication from Temple University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia.

of the program.

“I applied to, and was accepted at, several schools including Clemson and Auburn, but the HOPE Scholarship was an unprecedented program that made UGA both financially and educationally attainable,” said Gwyn, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education in 2000. She now lives in Atlanta and is owner and operator of The Nonprofit Guru and Kaleidoscope Kids Camp of Georgia. Gwyn went on to charter UGA’s NAACP and is now the fundraising chair for Women of UGA. According to a 2006 study, Miller’s three goals were largely met within a few years of implementation, with rising state SAT scores and fewer students attending out-of-state institutions.

HOPE is also credited with elevating higher education throughout Georgia, particularly in the academic excellence at UGA. In 25 years, the university has seen a steady rise in its academic rankings.

“Gov. Miller’s impact on higher education in Georgia—and indeed the nation— was profound,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “The University of Georgia would not be the world-class institution it is today without his vision and dedicated leadership.”

While HOPE has continued to evolve since its implementation, it retains the fingerprints of its groundbreaking creator, and it continues to reward Georgians who strive for excellence through higher education.

CAES merges student, college websites

caes.uga.edu

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences recently merged its student and college websites and refreshed the website’s design.

Prior to merging these websites, users had to navigate between the two sites for academic and studentrelated web content and other CAES web content.

The updated website features an expanded research section that highlights several research areas within CAES. The college’s academic departments and other program websites were also part of the design update.

The new design enables websites to cater to different content but remain branded in the college’s style.

The design remains mobile friendly and includes an updated drop-down menu that allows for easier navigation on desktop and mobile devices.

ABOUT COLUMNS Columns is available to the 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 Communications Coordinator Krista Richmond Art Director Jackie Baxter Roberts Photo Editor Dorothy Kozlowski Writers Kellyn Amodeo Leigh Beeson The University of Georgia is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.

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

8 Aug. 27, 2018 columns.uga.edu

SCHOLAR

from page 1

RESEARCH from page 1

Andrew Davis Tucker

to the recruitment of world-renowned faculty, UGA’s research trend lines all point in the right direction.

“There is no doubt that the strategic investments we have made in faculty and infrastructure will continue paying dividends for many years to come—for UGA, of course, but also, and more importantly, for society at large,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “Like never before, this institution is focused on making a positive difference in the world.”

To help address those grand challenges, this fall UGA will add its 18th Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, Gerald Hart, and its sixth such scholar since 2015. Add that to the 62 new endowed faculty positions created in the past five years (bringing UGA’s total to 289), and it’s clear that the university is going all-in to attract the top scholars and scientists of the 21st century.

“Faculty are the key,” said Vice President for Research David Lee. “Straight from the top, our leadership is committed to doing the kind of research that will make a real impact on the world around us, but we need the people to do it. That not only means the researchers themselves but also the students who support them and who, in turn, are training to become the next generation of scientific and creative leaders and innovators.”

Another critical factor is infrastructure investment.When the new, $65 million STEM building breaks ground sometime during 2018-19, it will represent the culmination

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from page 1 opportunities are provided through this supportive and encouraging program.”

Students selected to participate will make a three-year commitment to the program and will meet monthly throughout the school year to develop leadership skills, explore potential career opportunities, engage in academic guidance and participate in community and cultural experiences. Discussion topics for the meetings will include effective communication, conflict and stress management, goal setting and understanding the college application process.

Additionally, students will be matched with mentors and will have the opportunity to tour different industries for an inside look at potential careers. An added bonus of the program is that parents and families of the participants will be engaged throughout the

of well over $100 million in capital expenditures dedicated to research in just the past five years (with at least that much planned for the next five years). That investment includes new construction and renovations to support, among other projects: • The Center for Molecular Medicine; • Space for the New Materials Institute and units of the College of Engineering in Riverbend North & South; • Space for Engineering in the Boyd Graduate Studies Research Center; • The Center for Vaccines and Immunology in the College of Veterinary Medicine; • New homes for the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts and the Laboratory of Archaeology; • The Agricultural Research Building (former Animal & Dairy Science Building) on the Tifton campus; • New turfgrass research and education facilities on the Athens, Griffin and Tifton campuses; and • The UGA Marine Institute on Sapelo Island, after severe flooding due to Hurricane Irma in 2017.

“By recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty members and giving them the tools they need to discover and innovate, the University of Georgia affirms its commitment to research that results in healthier people, a more secure future and stronger communities,” said Interim Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Libby V. Morris. “We’ve made tremendous strides and have even higher aspirations for the future.”

The sixth round of funding for the Global Research Collaboration Grant program is being launched to encourage the development of sustainable international research and service activities.

Grants ranging from $4,000 to $8,000 will be awarded to support preliminary international research, partnership development and

it work.”

Hart earned his reputation in the early 1980s when he and a colleague discovered that the glycan O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc, pronounced o-gluck-nac) played a central role in adding carbohydrates to molecules within the nucleus and cytoplasm of cells. Since then, he’s investigated O-GlcNAc’s connection to diseases such as diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, and cancer.

Also, Hart is no stranger to CCRC, having served on one of its advisory committees since 1987, and he had high praise for the research center that he’ll soon call home.

“CCRC is the best place on the planet for doing glycoscience—there’s nowhere else like it,” Hart said. “It always comes down to the people. Every single faculty member at CCRC is a leader in his or her own field.

When it comes to glycoscience, UGA is above what most institutions can do.”

CCRC Director Alan Darvill, who helped recruit Hart to Athens, returned the compliment.

“Jerry is one of the outstanding scholars in glycobiology, and he’s just a natural fit,” Darvill said. “He brings enthusiasm and a

wealth of expertise that he can share with everyone here. He will interact with several other faculty and put in some rather large interdisciplinary grants in glycobiology, and that’s something we couldn’t do without him.”

Indeed, UGA’s growing cohort of GRA Eminent Scholars gives the university a potential research impact that it’s never enjoyed before, not only in the scientific advances emerging from their labs but the potential economic benefits for the state.

“Jerry will an excellent partner to the GRA Eminent Scholar academy,” said C. Michael Cassidy, president and CEO of the Georgia Research Alliance. “He is a respected thought leader in the field of glycoscience, and his work is instrumental in further understanding diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.”

“I’m thrilled to welcome Jerry Hart to UGA and to help him get his extensive research program up to speed as quickly as we can,” said Vice President for Research David Lee. “His arrival is just another example of how we are committed to our research mission, and I look forward to watching his impact on the faculty and students who work with him.”

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

program, attending bi-monthly meetings to monitor their students’ progress and to learn more about postsecondary opportunities.

“The students selected for Georgia Possible will not only benefit from this unique learning experience over the next three years, but they also will serve as role models and mentors for their classmates,” Means said.

“The reach and impact of this partnership will extend well beyond the students in the program, influencing countless young people and their families across our district.”

Georgia Possible is the result of a collaborative effort across the UGA campus From left, Charlie Li, advisor; Yu Jiang; Shangpeng Sun; and Rui Xu took second place at the recent which includes the Office of the President, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Robotics Student Design Competition. the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, the Office of Community Relations and the Office of Institutional

By Mike Wooten balls) and left eight immature apples (green Diversity. mwooten@uga.edu ping-pong balls) on the tree.

The members of the UGA team were A team from UGA’s College of Engineer- Yu Jiang (captain), Rui Xu and Shangpeng ing took second place in the 2018 American Sun, all doctoral students in agricultural and Society of Agricultural and Biological En- biological engineering. gineers Robotics Student Design CompetiThe team’s advisors were Charlie Li, tion. The competition was held July 31 in a professor in the College of Engineerpreparation of proposals in pursuit of conjunction with the ASABE annual meeting ing, and Glen Rains, a professor in the specific sources of external funding. in Detroit.

College of Agricultural and Environmental Proposals are due Oct. 12.

UGA’s performance marks the first time Sciences.

More information is at https://bit. a team from a university in Georgia has capThe team was sponsored by the School ly/2PjyMmO. tured an award at the robotics event. of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Email questions about the GRCG This year’s student robotics challenge ­Mechanical Engineering; AGCO Inc.; and program to partner@uga.edu. involved identification, sorting and harvest- ASABE-Georgia Section. ing of apples. The robots were required to The ASABE Robotics Student Design Bulletin Board is limited to informaautonomously harvest “apples” on a field Competition allows undergraduate and tion that may pertain to a majority of measuring 8 by 8 feet. The robots identified graduate students to develop skills in robotic faculty and staff members. and selected eight mature apples (red ping- systems, electronics and sensing technologies pong balls), removed and disposed of eight by simulating a robotics solution to a common diseased or rotten apples (blue ping-pong agricultural process.

Bulletin Board Grant proposal deadline

Cell biologist and biochemist Gerald Hart arrives in Athens in October to relaunch his lab at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center.

Students win award in robotics competition