UGA Columns Feb 1, 2016

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Hodgson School of Music hosts educational event for high school students OUTREACH NEWS

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The University of Georgia University Theatre to present docudrama ‘Fires in the Mirror’ Feb. 2-7

February 1, 2016

Vol. 43, No. 23

www.columns.uga.edu

Governor’s budget proposal includes top UGA priorities

By Aaron Hale

aahale@uga.edu

Dorothy Kozlowski

From left: Susan McCullough, Jeremy Daniel, Grace Thornton and Dr. Aimee Martin each mentor a Clarke County student.

‘Planting seeds’

UGA employees named Clarke County Mentors of the Year

By Leigh Beeson lbeeson@uga.edu

The Clarke County Mentor Program honored four UGA employees Jan. 20 as Mentors of the Year during a breakfast program to mark its 25th anniversary.

Jeremy Daniel and Susan McCullough in the Facilities Management Division, Grace Thornton in the College of Education and Aimee Martin at the GRU/UGA Medical Partnership were among the 20 mentors recognized for their work with their respective Clarke County students.

The mentor program pairs students who want or need mentors with local volunteers who visit with them at school on a weekly basis and frequently take them to community events or on educational field trips.

For Thornton, a research development manager in the education college’s Office of Research, the motivation to mentor came from personal experience.

“When my son was in middle school, I substitutetaught for a couple of years as I was deciding upon my next career,” she said. “I worked with many children who were eager to learn, but some needed extra encouragement to help them succeed. I fully believe that education frees us to reach our potential, and I decided that the Clarke County Mentoring Program was a place to put my beliefs into practice.”

She is Mentor of the Year for Coile Middle School.

Daniel, a work management coordinator in FMD’s

work management department, said he found mentoring to be incredibly fulfilling. He’s the Fowler Drive Elementary School Mentor of the Year.

“It is an honor and pleasure serving as a University of Georgia ambassador providing my mentee hope, wisdom, encouragement, empathy and love,” he said.“There is no greater joy than putting a smile on his face and planting seeds with him and his classmates at an early age about attending a postsecondary institution.”

Martin, a clinical instructor for the medical partnership, said her mentoring experience has been “challenging” but rewarding. She was named Mentor of the Year for Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School.

“I am thoroughly enjoying getting to really know my mentee as she has developed some trust in me and has become more open and communicative,” said Martin, who also is an urgent care physician for the University Health Center. “I have tried to approach mentoring with an open attitude and the idea that my main job is to be a stable and invested adult in her life.”

McCullough, a business manager in FMD’s administration and human resources department is Mentor of the Year for Howard B. Stroud Elementary School.

“By becoming a mentor, one is showing young people today that the community cares for them and is investing in them,” she said. “UGA will benefit in the near future from the relationships they have formed with these children when they enter the workforce.”

UGA WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE camiew@uga.edu

UGA will host delegates from 13 states during a summit that will shape national policies and programs related to gender equity and leadership development in agriculture.

Presented by the UGA Women’s Leadership Initiative and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the inaugural Southern Region Women’s Agricultural Leadership Summit is scheduled for Feb. 8 at the UGA Hotel and Conference Center. U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden will deliver the keynote address.

“Promoting diversity and

inclusion is a priority for the university, and I am pleased that UGA is hosting this important event to foster women’s leadership in the agricultural industry,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “Deputy Secretary Harden is an outstanding alumna, and the university is honored to welcome her back to campus.”

Leaders from 13 Southern states working in all sectors of agriculture—from environmental research to production agriculture—will gather in Athens for the daylong series of panel discussions, group work sessions and networking events focused on developing women’s leadership in agriculture and agriculture-related fields. An interactive research dialogue among

As the Georgia General Assembly convened in January, Gov. Nathan Deal submitted his budget proposal for fiscal year 2017, which will begin July 1. The proposal includes equipment funds for a key capital construction project for UGA and pay increases for state employees.

“We’re very appreciative of the support Gov. Deal and the board of regents have demonstrated for this important project as well as for our efforts to recruit and retain outstanding faculty and staff. I am hopeful that these initiatives will

4&5

move forward in the legislative process,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead.

The governor requested $5.9 million in equipment funds for Phase II of the Terry College’s Business Learning Community.

Phase I, Correll Hall, is complete and was fully funded by private donation. Phase II, which includes Amos Hall, is under construction with $43 million in state funds and $14 million in private funds, which already have been committed.

The planning and design of Phase III was approved by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents this year. This phase would add

See BUDGET on page 8

SIGNATURE LECTURE

US congressman to deliver 2016 Holmes-Hunter Lecture Feb. 18

By Stephanie Schupska schupska@uga.edu

U.S. Congressman Sanford D. Bishop Jr., who is serving his 12th term in the U.S. House of Representatives, will present the 2016 Holmes-Hunter Lecture Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. in the Chapel.

Bishop represents middle and southwest Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District. He has served on the House Committee on Appropriations since 2003.The top Democrat on the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, he also serves as the co-chair of the Congressional Military Family Caucus.

He first was elected to Congress in 1992 after serving in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1977 to 1990 and in the Georgia

Senate from 1991 to 1992.

Bishop graduated from Morehouse College in 1968 and from Emory University School of Law Sanford Bishop in 1971.

He served in the U.S. Army, completing basic training at Fort Benning, entering Advanced Reserve Officers Training and receiving an honorable discharge in 1971.

The Holmes-Hunter Lecture honors Charlayne Hunter-Gault and the late Hamilton Holmes, who in 1961 became the first AfricanAmerican students to enroll at UGA. The lecture is one of UGA’s Signature Lectures and is sponsored by the Office of the President.

TERRY COLLEGE

UGA to host regional summit on women in agriculture Feb. 8

By Camie Williams

UGA GUIDE

participants will provide input for policymakers as well as scholars.

Harden was sworn in as the deputy secretary for the USDA in 2013 after unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate. A native of Camilla and a UGA alumna, Harden created the Women in Agriculture Mentoring Network in 2015 to help women advance in all sectors of the industry.

“As leaders, it is our responsibility to make sure the next generation of farmers and ranchers are educated, encouraged and empowered to take on the challenges of meeting the world’s growing food, fuel and fiber needs,” Harden said. “That is why USDA is See SUMMIT on page 8

UGA experts predict a better Athens economy in 2016

By Matt Weeks

mweeks@uga.edu

While Georgia’s economy will grow faster than the nation’s in 2016, the pace of job growth in the Peach State will slow, according to the Georgia Economic Outlook report

by UGA’s Terry College of Business.

Speaking at the Georgia Economic Outlook series event Jan. 27 at the Classic Center, Terry College Dean Benjamin C. Ayers said Georgians can look forward to a rise in personal income of 5.7 percent and a state GDP increase of 3.3 percent.

“What accounts for our optimism? First, Georgia has a large

number of major projects in its development pipeline,” Ayers said.

“Second, Georgia’s economy will get more leverage from the housing recovery than the national economy.

Third, Georgia will see much faster population growth than the nation.

Finally, continued low oil and gas prices are much better for Georgia’s economy than for the U.S. economy.”

Athens’ economy is much less cyclical than either the national or state economy because it’s heavily tilted toward government and health care, according to the report prepared by Terry’s Selig Center for Economic Growth. State and

See ECONOMY on page 8

2 Feb. 1, 2016 columns.uga.edu Georgia Tech to redefine library

Around academe

Major development toward Georgia Tech and Emory University’s shared library consortium began last month as Georgia Tech prepared to send 95 percent of its physical inventory to a climate-controlled storage facility that will house the two university’s shared collections.

Georgia Tech closed the doors to the Dorothy M. Crosland Tower Dec. 31 to begin renovating the library into a multimedia study space that will house few actual books.

Music schools to merge

The Berklee College of Music and the Boston Conservatory have announced that they will merge.

“As we bring together the superb performingarts disciplines of the Boston Conservatory and Berklee, we expect our students will draw upon global cultures and cutting-edge technologies to synthesize completely new art forms,” said David S. Sloan, chairman of the Boston Conservatory’s board of trustees.

News to Use

Changes to shared leave program

The university’s current shared leave program provides employee-donated leave to UGA employees who are experiencing critical illnesses or life-threatening injuries. In the program procedures, employees may donate sick or annual leave to other employees in need of leave for certain health-related reasons.

In response to recent changes in the University System of Georgia shared leave program, UGA has made changes to its program and more are to come. Effective Jan. 1: • Shared leave may be received for eligible “serious medical conditions” as defined by the Family Medical Leave Act. As an example, routine childbirth qualifies as a serious medical condition.

• Shared leave can be used to care for family members, as defined by FMLA rules: spouse, child or parent.

• The FMLA medical forms will be used by the shared leave program to determine shared leave eligibility for employees or their family members.

Effective July 1, UGA will transition to a donated leave “pool,” instead of the current requirement to name a specific recipient for donated leave. New rules will apply to all facets of the program and will be posted for review no later than May 1.

Significant additional changes to the program effective July 1: • Participation in the new shared leave program will require a minimum eight-hour donation of sick leave during the annual open enrollment period, to receive shared leave in the future.

• Eligible employees may receive up to 480 hours (pro-rated for part-time employees) of shared leave per calendar year.

• Sick leave only may be donated; annual leave cannot be donated.

The revised Jan. 1 program guidelines are posted at http://www.hr.uga.edu/shared-leave .

Questions may be directed to benefits@uga.edu or 706-542-2222.

Read about UGA’s linguistic diversity at discover.uga.edu.

2016 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. FREEDOM BREAKFAST

‘One step at a time’: House leader calls for patient commitment to equality

By Aaron Hale and Sara Freeland aahale@uga.edu, freeland@uga.edu

The long march to equality and justice happens through a slow but steady progress or “one step at a time.”

That was the message from Stacey Y. Abrams, House minority leader for the Georgia General Assembly, at the 13th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Breakfast Jan. 22.

The breakfast commemorates the life of the late civil rights leader and honors the exemplary community service work of individuals in Athens and the university community. The event, held at the Grand Hall of the Tate Student Center, is sponsored by UGA, the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government and the Clarke County School District.

Keynote speaker Abrams, the first woman to lead either party in the Georgia General Assembly and the first African-American to lead the House of Representatives, said King understood that progress in civil rights happens in increments.

“In an age of current and instant action, of devices that can find answers in a millisecond, ‘one step at a time’ sounds like an act of cowardice,” she said. “And yet the power of America is founded exactly in such a strategy.

Dr. King knew we couldn’t solve all of the evils of racism and neglect in a single burst of human kindness or contrition.”

But despite the progress made since King’s death, America could backslide if there is not a continuously renewed commitment to keep pushing for inclusion and understanding.

“The power of our dreams requires constant action—a constant movement forward,” Abrams said.

At the breakfast, UGA recognized three people who were taking steps to

Dorothy Kozlowski

University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby, left; Stacey Abrams, center; and UGA President Jere W. Morehead, right, congratulate recipients of the 2016 President’s Fulfilling the Dream Award, from left, Homer Wilson, Darren Anglin and William Kisaalita.

promote equality and justice.

William Kisaalita, a professor in the College of Engineering; Homer Wilson, owner of Wilson’s Styling Shop; and Darren Anglin, a senior from Covington, received the President’s Fulfilling the Dream Award for their efforts to build bridges of unity and understanding as they strive to make King’s dream of equality and justice a reality.

Kisaalita, who was born in Uganda, developed a milk cooler designed to help dairy farmers, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa who lack access to refrigeration. The coolers decrease milk spoilage thereby increasing production and profits. His goal is to increase income among those earning less than $5 a day.

Wilson and his father founded the Hot Corner Association in 2000. For the past several years, their nonprofit

has organized the Hot Corner Festival.

Wilson and the Hot Corner Association also have created educational scholarships for local students.

Anglin is senior majoring in advertising with a minor in consumer economics and communications. He mentors more than 20 Athens-Clarke County middle and high school students in the Sigma Beta Club, and he created a temporary organization to raise $1,000 in scholarships for local minority students.

The late Richard M. Graham, the first full-time African-American faculty member at UGA, also was recognized at the breakfast. Graham, who died in May, was a former director of the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, which is part of the university’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. He retired from the university in 2000.

UGA LIBRARIES

GLOBAL GEORGIA INITIATIVE Professor emerita to discuss new book Israeli author to on friendship between activist, first lady give Craige Lecture this dual biography.

By Jean Cleveland Feb. 4 in Chapel “Pauli’s suggestion sounded like a call jclevela@uga.edu The friendship between human rights activist Pauli Murray and first lady Eleanor Roosevelt is explored in a new book by Patricia Bell-Scott, UGA professor emerita of women’s studies and human development and family science.

Bell-Scott will discuss her book, The Firebrand and the First Lady: Portrait of a Friendship: Pauli Murray, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Struggle for Social Justice, Feb. 4 at 5:30 p.m. at the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries.

Co-sponsored by the Lucy Hargrett Draper Center and Archives and the Institute for African American Studies, the event is part of UGA’s Black History Month observance and will launch a national book tour. Prior to Bell-Scott’s presentation, the African American Choral Ensemble, under the direction of Hodgson School of Music faculty member Gregory Broughton, will present a selection of songs. A reception also will be held.

As founding editor of SAGE: A Scholarly Journal on Women, Bell-Scott contacted Murray to serve on its initial editorial board. A comment in Murray’s return letter—“you need to know some of the veterans of the battle whose shoulders you now stand on”—stayed with Bell-Scott, eventually leading to nearly two decades of research and writing that has produced

in many ways,” Bell-Scott said. “Once I began reading the correspondence between them, I knew my job was to tell their story. I wanted to know what drew together the granddaughter of a mulatto slave reared in North Carolina, and a native New Yorker, whose ancestry entitled her to membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution.

“I wanted to understand the nature of their unlikely friendship and how it changed over time,” Bell-Scott also said.

“I wondered what individual needs the relationship satisfied, how were they changed by it and what significance did it have for the cause of social justice.”

Drawing on letters, journals, diaries, published and unpublished manuscripts, and interviews, Bell-Scott’s book gives the first close-up portrait of this evolving friendship and how it was sustained over time, what each gave to the other and how their friendship changed the cause of American social justice.

Murray and Roosevelt met after a letter Murray wrote protesting racial segregation in the South made its way to the first lady.

The first African-American to receive a Doctor of Juridical Science from Yale and also the first black woman to be ordained as an Episcopal priest, Murray was a key strategist in the fight to preserve Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and a co-founder of the National Organization for Women.

By Dave Marr

davemarr@uga.edu

The Department of Comparative Literature and the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts will present a talk by Israeli novelist Assaf Gavron Feb. 4 at 4 p.m. in the Chapel.

Gavron’s talk, “The Hilltop: An Israeli Author’s Perspective,” is part of the Willson Center’s 2016 Global Georgia Initiative and also the DeAssaf Gavron partment of Comparative Literature’s Betty Jean Craige Lecture. Craige is University Professor Emerita of Comparative Literature and a former director of the Willson Center.

“Assaf Gavron is one of the most important writers to emerge from Israel in recent years,” said Peter O’Neill, an assistant professor of comparative literature and chair of the department’s annual lectures, conferences and events committee. “Since its publication in English, The Hilltop has won acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic.”

The Global Georgia Initiative is a visiting speaker series that presents global problems in local context with a focus on how the arts and humanities can intervene.

OUTREACH NEWS

columns.uga.edu Feb. 1, 2016

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Digest Georgia Museum of Art to hold decorative arts symposium Feb. 4-6

Clarke Schwabe

Scott Pannell, assistant director of bands for North Cobb High School, conducts high school musicians Jan. 22 as part of the UGA Hugh Hodgson School of Music’s JanFest event at the Classic Center.

Sound system

Hugh Hodgson School of Music hosts educational event for high school students

By Clarke Schwabe ccschwabe@uga.edu

When 1,100 cheering high school students filled Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall to capacity on Jan. 22, it might have seemed like the culmination of the Hugh Hodgson School of Music’s outreach efforts. But it’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The Hodgson Wind Ensemble’s performance during JanFest, a music festival that annually hosts over 1,000 high school students from Georgia and South Carolina, is an important, visible high point in the School of Music’s outreach, but it’s just one small part of the festival.

JanFest, which ran from Jan. 21-24, created a unique opportunity for the school, the high school students and those students’ educators.

“We brought in clinicians, educators and conductors from all over the world to work with our high school students,” said Cynthia Johnston Turner, director of bands at the School of Music.

“Music educators observed rehearsals and also had sessions from our faculty to learn new educational and rehearsal techniques.”

This created an enormous recruiting opportunity for the School of Music, one that also is created by MidFest, the middle school equivalent

to JanFest. Held in mid-December, MidFest brought 1,028 students from 134 schools.

On a smaller scale, the school’s Summer Music Institute, Music Camp and Marching Band Camp do much the same as the festivals—offer high-level instruction to promising students of varying ages, experience levels and disciplines.

These summer music camps have been directed by Skip Taylor, an associate professor of music in string education, for the last 15 years. Rachael Fischer, Stephen Fischer and Rob Akridge, School of Music director of band festivals—who also helped organize JanFest and MidFest—aided him.

Taylor has seen proof of the camps’ effectiveness in the number of alumni who return to give back to the program.

“I’m happy that we have so many camp alumni, who are now professionals in the field, continually coming back to work the summer camps with us,” Taylor said.

Additionally, two School of Music programs exist to musically enrich the Athens-Clarke County area: the UGA Community Music School and UGA String Project.

The CMS, under director Kristin Jutras, offers instruction from School of Music students to musicians of all ages. In addition to private lessons, CMS

offers group classes, music ensembles and music theory lessons to all who aspire to enhance their musical knowledge and ability.

“Providing lessons and classes for the community not only gives our students more practical experience to prepare them for the real world, but it also brings the community into our building to get to know more of what goes on here, and what they can take advantage of,” Jutras said.

The UGA String Project focuses on providing affordable string instruction to third- through eighth-grade children in the Athens area. According to directors Ruth Monson and Taylor, though the program provides unique, valuable instruction to young musicians, its primary purpose is pre-service teaching opportunities for string education students.

These programs, combined with an extensive slate of area-specific workshops, symposiums and seminars (UGA Trombone Summit, Double Reed Symposium, UGA Choral Day and many more), make sure the Hugh Hodgson School of Music is on the lips of every musically inclined student that sees the Arch.

And the students in Hodgson Hall on Jan. 22 were glad to prove it.

COLLEGE OF FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES

Study: Obesity in children may hurt bone growth

By Sydney Devine srdevine@uga.edu

Studies have shown that obese children tend to have more muscle, but recent UGA research on the muscle and bone relationship shows that excess body fat may compromise other functions in their bodies, such as bone growth.

Lead author Joseph Kindler studied how muscle can influence different characteristics of bone geometry and strength in children. The literature review was published in the journal Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity.

For this review, researchers were interested in looking at the geometry of bones—the measures of size and strength of the bone—particularly for children and adolescents. Kindler pulled together previously published findings to give an up-to-date look at how muscle influences

bone geometry and bone strength during youth. The role of fat in these relationships also was investigated.

Based on the research they gathered, muscle was a strong contributor to bone growth throughout childhood and adolescence. However, this relationship may differ in children with greater body fat.

“It’s a common understanding that, in children, muscle is a very strong determinant of how bone is going to grow,” said Kindler, a doctoral candidate at UGA’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences’ foods and nutrition department. “Obese children will tend to have more muscle, so we would suspect that they would also have larger, stronger bones.”

What researchers found during the review was less clear.

The excess fat that accompanies obesity can be deposited within the

muscle. There is emerging evidence that suggests this fat within the muscle may have an effect on how the bone grows, according to the review. Understanding how excess fat, specifically that within the muscle, can influence the muscle and bone relationship in children is still under investigation, but there is clearly a connection, Kindler said.

In the study, they also identified where gaps in research still remain.

“This paper summarizes the literature that’s been published. We know that muscle is such an important contributor to bone development,” Kindler said.“But it also shows that our understanding of how fat influences these relationships is still unclear.”

The authors hope to use the review to identify and fill holes in these research gaps, particularly understanding these problems in children.

The Georgia Museum of Art at UGA will hold its eighth Henry D. Green Symposium of the Decorative Arts Feb. 4-6.

Held every other year, the symposium is the second largest event of its kind on the East Coast.

Scholars from across the state, region and nation attend to deliver original research papers, which the museum then publishes in book form, over the course of three days. This year’s theme is “Folk and Folks: Variations on the Vernacular.”

Robert M. Hicklin Jr., proprietor of Charleston Renaissance Gallery, will deliver the keynote address, “The Story of Southern, in Pictures,” Feb. 4 at 5:30 p.m. Hicklin’s talk is free and open to the public, thanks to the sponsorship of the Georgia Humanities Council. Symposium lectures will take place in Mahler Hall at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.

The full symposium package, including all breaks, lunches and evening events, is $285. Attendance at lectures only is $85. UGA students may attend for free but must register. The Georgia Center will handle all registrations.

For more information about the symposium, including a full schedule of lectures and events, contact the Georgia Museum of Art at 706-542-4662 or visit http://bit.ly/greenbrochure 2016. Visit http://bit.ly/Green2016 to register.

UGA president to chair working group on compliance, enforcement, governance

The Southeastern Conference has appointed nine individuals from campuses across the SEC to form a working group to review and discuss issues concerning compliance with NCAA regulations and effective operation within the NCAA governance process. UGA President Jere W. Morehead will serve as chair of the group.

Along with Morehead, the remaining members of the working group are R. Stuart Bell, president, University of Alabama; Mitch Barnhart, director of athletics, University of Kentucky; Ray Tanner, director of athletics, University of South Carolina; Michael Sagas, faculty athletics representative, University of Florida; Ron Rychlak, faculty athletics representative, University of Mississippi; Samantha Huge, senior woman administrator, Texas A&M University; Rich McGlynn, executive associate athletics director (compliance), Auburn University; and Jon Fagg, senior associate athletics director (compliance), University of Arkansas.

The working group will develop new strategies for renewing and strengthening the conferencewide commitment to NCAA compliance while continuing to fulfill the conference competitive objectives.

UGA launches Georgia Certified Economic Developer program

UGA is launching a certification program for Georgia economic developers, the first of its kind in the state. Announced Jan. 20 during the State of the University address, the program will provide training tailored to meet the unique needs of communities throughout the state.

The Georgia-specific program is offered through the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, a UGA public service and outreach unit. The customized curriculum provides economic development professionals training on practical topics that they can immediately apply within their community to help achieve economic success.

The Georgia Certified Economic Developer program expands on an annual economic development course series that the Office of Public Service and Outreach created to help economic development professionals enhance their effectiveness.

For more information about the program and to register, see www.cviog.uga.edu/gced .

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 UGA News Service. Periodicals postage is paid in Athens, Georgia. Postmaster: Send off-campus address changes to Columns, UGA News Service, 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 North, Athens, GA 30602-1999.

UGAGUIDE

UGA Performing Arts Center to present Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

By Bobby Tyler btyler@uga.edu

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State Botanical Garden Art Competition Winners. Through Feb. 14. Visitor Center, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014, connicot@uga.edu Stirred Fiction. Through Feb. 26. Circle Gallery.

By Bobby Tyler btyler@uga.edu

University Theatre presents Obie Award-winning docudrama ‘Fires in the Mirror’

By Daniel Stock

By Don Reagin

University Theatre presents Fires in the Mirror by Anna Deavere Smith, directed

by David Saltz. Performances will be at Seney-Stovall Chapel Feb. 2-7 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 7 at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets are $12, $7 for students, and can be purchased at drama.uga.edu/box-office, by phone at 706-542-4400 or in-person at the Performing Arts Center or Tate Student Center box office.

Fires in the Mirror tells the true story of a conflict between the African-American and Hassidic Jewish communities who live side-by-side in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. In August 1991, a car in a motorcade carrying the Hassidic rabbi struck and killed a young black boy from a Guyanan family, and a few hours later a visiting Jewish scholar from Australia, unaware the accident had occurred, was stabbed to death in revenge. These two deaths sparked a three-day riot and inflamed latent tensions between the two communities. The play takes the audience in to the heart of this conflict through a series of monologues told from different character’s points of view.

Director David Saltz, a professor and head of the department of theatre and film studies, studied with Smith when he was a doctoral candidate at Stanford.

“Working with her was one of the formative moments of my development as a theatre artist,” he said. “She is a remarkable performer and teacher whose approach to creating theatre is unique and tremendously effective.”

At the time, Smith was attracting national media attention and critical acclaim for Fires in the Mirror, which she was performing as a one-woman show at prominent venues around the country. She took a highly innovative approach to creating the production. She began by interviewing dozens of people from Crown Heights, then edited them in the style of a documentary filmmaker and finally performed each character while meticulously mimicking every intonation and pause made by the real person.

“The effect was uncanny. The audience simultaneously could see both the real-life characters that Smith portrayed and Smith herself, superimposed on one body,” Saltz said. “Seeing a single performer fully embodying diverse identities and perspectives compelled audiences to embrace contradictory perspectives and expanded their ability to empathize.”

The University Theatre production, a part of the more Studio Series, uses an ensemble of 13 actors plus one to play Smith herself as interviewer.

“Because the distinctive power of this play stems from our ability to see a single actor embody a wide range of characters and embrace identities different from their

UGA will celebrate Black History Month 2016, “Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories,” with a variety of programs and activities across campus, including a keynote address by scholar and journalist Marc Lamont Hill and a gala celebration of the Harlem Renaissance.

The monthlong series of lectures, performances, movies and discussions will celebrate diversity and inclusion on campus, with particular focus given to significant milestones in African-American history and culture.

Hill will speak on “Building Community in an Hour of Chaos: Progress in the Age of Obama” on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. in the Tate Student Center Grand Hall. The host of HuffPost Live and BET News, Hill also serves as a political contributor for CNN. He is a Distinguished Professor of African-American Studies at Morehouse College in Atlanta. The lecture is free and open to the entire university community.

UGA’s Black History Month Kick-off is Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Tate Student Center concourse.

On Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. Hate: A Journey to the Dark Heart of Racism will be shown at the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries. The screening of Nadav Eyal’s film will be followed by a discussion of hatred toward ethnic and minority groups, and how to respond.

On Feb. 4 at 5:30 p.m., Patricia Bell-Scott, UGA professor emerita of women’s studies and human development and family science, will discuss her new book, The Firebrand and the First Lady, in the Russell Special Collections Building (see story, page 2).

The community service project “Honoring Ancestors” will be held Feb. 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Feb. 17 from 2:30-5 p.m. at Brooklyn Cemetery. Volunteers will assist in the cleaning and maintenance of Athens’ historic cemetery.

FaceOff 2016 Step Show will take place Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. in the UGA Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $20 in advance at the Tate Student Center cashier window and $25 at the door; group rate tickets are $15 for 15 or more people.

Week of Soul: Harlem Renaissance Celebration will be held Feb. 9 from 6-9 p.m. at the Georgia Museum of Art. It will be an evening of art, music and culture to celebrate the artistic, social and cultural explosion in Harlem, New York, from the end of World War I through the middle of the 1930s. The event is $5, free for students with valid UGACards who pay activity fees on the Athens campus.

On Feb. 9, an Art Showcase will be held at 7 p.m. in Building 1516’s Multipurpose Room. Students will share their talents in dancing, spoken word, poetry, music and visual arts.

The panel discussion “I Decided: HBCU vs. PWI” will be held Feb. 11 at 5 p.m. in the Russell Building.

Panelists will talk about how students make the decision to attend a historically black college or university or a predominantly white institution.

As part of the Week of Soul Film series in the Tate Student Center Theatre, To Kill a Mockingbird will be shown Feb. 11 at 8 p.m. and Straight Outta Compton will be shown Feb. 12-14 at 6 and 9 p.m. nightly. Tickets are $3, free for students with valid UGACards who pay activity fees on the Athens campus.

A list of all Black History Month events is at http://t.uga.edu/22v .

ECOLOGY SEMINAR “Vanishing Groundwater in the Great Plains: What Can Be Done to Halt the Rapid Decline in Aquatic Biodiversity?” Keith Gido, a professor of biology at Kansas State University. 4 p.m. Ecology building auditorium. 706-542-7247, bethgav@uga.edu GUEST ARTIST CONCERT The UGA Hugh Hodgson School of Music will host a recital by renowned violist Elias Goldstein. 6 p.m. Ramsey Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. 706-542-4400, ccschwabe@uga.edu

Lucy Hargrett Draper Center and Archives Exhibit. Through March 31. Gallery hallway, special collections libraries. 706542-8079, jclevela@uga.edu

MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. South Carolina. $15. 7 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. 706-5421231.

Pictures of Us: Photographs from the Do Good Fund Collection.

Through March 31. Hargrett Gallery, special collections libraries.

706-542-8079, jclevela@uga.edu

ATHENS JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL PRE-EVENT A special screening of Hate: A Journey to the Dark Heart of Racism, a film by Nadev Eyal. This pre-festival event will present a special speakers panel following the film to discuss current events involving racism and anti-Semitism. 7 p.m. Special collections libraries. heidi@heididavison.com

Seeing Georgia: Changing Visions of Tourism in the Modern South. Through July 30. Special collections libraries. 706-5425788, jhebbard@uga.edu

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1 FACULTY RECITAL Liza Stepanova, an associate professor of piano at the UGA Hugh Hodgson School of Music, will perform. Stepanova will be joined by fellow School of Music faculty members Michael Heald on violin, Maggie Snyder on viola and David Starkweather on cello. 8 p.m. Ramsey Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center.

706-542-4752, ccschwabe@uga.edu

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2 CLASS “Herbal Creams, Sprays and More.” Participants will learn a variety of recipes using herbs, essential oils and beeswax to prepare health and beauty products. $30. 9:30 a.m. Visitor Center’s Classroom 2, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6156, ckeber@uga.edu TUESDAY TOUR 2 p.m. Special collections libraries. 706-542-8079, j clevela@uga.edu

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3 SEVERE WEATHER DRILL AND UGAALERT TEST A statewide severe weather drill and UGAAlert test will occur in conjunction with Severe Weather Awareness Week. 9 a.m. 706542-5845, prepare@uga.edu (See Bulletin Board, page 8).

TOUR AT TWO Led by docents. 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662, hazbrown@uga.edu MEETING: STAFF COUNCIL 2:30 p.m. 267 Miller Learning Center.

GUEST ARTIST RECITAL Noted saxophonist Vladislav Vals will perform a guest artist recital. 6 p.m. Ramsey Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center.

706-542-4400, ccschwabe@uga.edu

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4 HENRY D. GREEN SYMPOSIUM OF THE DECORATIVE ARTS Through Feb. 6. This year’s theme is “Folk and Folks: Variations on the Vernacular.” $285; $85 for lectures only. Mahler Hall, Georgia Center. 706-542-4662, hazbrown@uga.edu (See Digest, page 3).

Calendar items are taken from Columns files and from the Master Calendar, maintained by Marketing & Communications.

Notices are published here as space permits, with priority given to items of multidisciplinary interest. The Master Calendar is available on the Web at calendar.uga.edu/.

UGA to celebrate Black History Month

Daniel.Stock@uga.edu

Georgia’s Girlhood Embroidery: “Crowned with Glory and Immortality.” Through Feb. 28. Georgia Museum of Art. hazbrown@uga.edu

Cherokee Basketry: Woven Culture. Through April 17. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-1817, hazbrown@uga.edu.

The UGA Performing Arts Center will present the Julian Bliss Septet in A Tribute to Benny Goodman Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. in Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall. Recreating the sound of swing from the 1930s and ’40s, Bliss leads his band through some of the great tunes of the era, staying true to the authentic feel but with a modern twist.

Tickets for the concert are $25-$35 and are discounted for UGA students. Tickets can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center box office, online at pac.uga.edu or by calling 706-542-4400.

Bliss has established a career as one of his generation’s finest performers on the clarinet and has earned critical accolades as a concerto soloist, chamber musician, jazz artist and educator. Born in the U.K., he began playing the clarinet at age 4 and went on to study at the University of Indiana and also in Germany.

Bliss has played at most of the world’s leading festivals and venues including Wigmore Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York. He has appeared as soloist with the Sao Paolo Symphony, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Paris, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia and London Philharmonic.

In A Tribute to Benny Goodman, Bliss and his musicians perform some of the tunes made famous by the legendary bandleader, including “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” “Oh, Lady Be Good” and “Sing, Sing, Sing.” A longtime fan of the “The King of Swing,” Bliss also shares humorous anecdotes and stories about Goodman’s life.

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The UGA Performing Arts Center will present the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. in Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall. Music director Robert Spano will conduct the program, which will include the Brahms Violin Concerto featuring ASO Concertmaster David Coucheron as soloist. The concert will also include Richard Strauss’ Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks and a new ASO-commissioned work by composer Michael Kurth titled A Thousand Words.

Tickets for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert are $25-$65 and are discounted for UGA students. Tickets can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center box office, online at pac.uga.edu or by calling 706-542-4400.

When Coucheron joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as concertmaster in September 2010, he was the youngest concertmaster of any major American orchestra. He has performed as soloist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Sendai Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Trondheim Symphony Orchestra.

Coucheron has given solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, London’s Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City as well as in Chile, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Serbia, Singapore and Shanghai. He also serves as the artistic director for the Kon Tiki Chamber Music Festival in his hometown of Oslo, Norway.

Kurth was born in Falls Church, Virginia. His composition A Thousand Words was commissioned by Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and received its world premiere in Atlanta’s Symphony Hall on Feb. 4.

“The title alludes to the inherent difficulty in expressing verbally the images or memories that occupy our minds. When we remember visits to meaningful places, the images we recall are often accompanied by sensory memories and sentiments difficult to capture with words,” Kurth said.

A pre-concert lecture will be given by Ken Meltzer, author of the Atlanta

EXHIBITIONS

Performing Arts Center to present Julian Bliss Septet in A Tribute to Benny Goodman

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The following events are open to the public, unless otherwise specified.

Dates, times and locations may change without advance notice.

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For a complete listing of events 7 8 5 at the University of Georgia, check the Master Calendar on the Web (calendar.uga.edu/­).

columns.uga.edu Feb. 1, 2016

dreagin@uga.edu

GLOBAL GEORGIA INITIATIVE LECTURE Assaf Gavron is a writer and translator. His fiction has been translated into ten languages, adapted to the stage, and four of his books are optioned for films. Gavron is also one of the noted translators in Israel. Among the authors he has translated from English are J.D. Salinger, Philip Roth, Jonathan Safran-Foer and J.K. Rowling. The event is part of the Willson Center’s Global Georgia Initiative. 4 p.m. Chapel. davemarr@uga.edu (See story, page 2).

LECTURE Patricia Bell-Scott, UGA professor emerita of women’s studies and human development and family science, will discuss her new book, The Firebrand and the First Lady, which is a portrait of the friendship between civil rights activist Pauli Murray and Eleanor Roosevelt. Co-sponsored by the Institute for African American Studies. A part of Black History Month observance.

Prior to the event, the African American Choral Ensemble will present a selection of songs under the direction of Gregory Broughton. A part of Black History Month observance. 5:30 p.m.

285 special collections libraries. 706-542-8079, jclevela@uga.edu (See story, page 2).

GUEST ARTIST RECITAL Two music faculty members of the University of Mississippi, Jos Milton and Amanda Johnston, will perform. 6 p.m. Ramsey Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. 706-542-4752, ccschwabe@uga.edu 90 CARLTON: WINTER The Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art host a reception featuring the winter exhibitions in conjunction with the Henry D. Green Symposium of the Decorative Arts. Refreshments by Epting Events, gallery activities, door prizes and “Ask the Experts.”

RSVP to gmoarsvp@uga.edu or 706-542-4199. 6:30 p.m.

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

PERFORMANCE Project Safe’s 17th annual production of Eve Ensler’s awardwinning play The Vagina Monologues. Women of all ages and backgrounds perform monologues ranging from humorous to devastating, profound to profane. All proceeds go to Project Safe’s work of ending domestic violence through crisis intervention, ongoing supportive services, systems change advocacy and prevention and education. $15 8 p.m. Also Feb. 5-6 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 7 at 3 p.m. Chapel. 706-543-3331.

CONCERT

Some of the best musicians the Hugh Hodgson School of Music has to offer will take the stage, performing virtuosic compositions with the UGA Symphony Orchestra. $10; $5 with a UGACard. 8 p.m. Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. 706-542-4752, musicpr@uga.edu

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5 WOMEN’S STUDIES FRIDAY SPEAKER SERIES LECTURE “True Liberty: The Educational Philosophies of Black Women Reformers,” Daleah B. Goodwin, an assistant professor of history at Illinois College. 12:20 p.m. 248 Miller Learning Center.

706-542-2846, tlhat@uga.edu PHILOSOPHY LECTURE Speaker: Erin McKenna, Pacific Lutheran. Talk on “Cows and Chickens: An Ecofeminist Pragmatist Perspective on Livestock.”

Reception will follow lecture. Part of the Kleiner Colloquium Series. 3:30 p.m. 205S Peabody Hall.

GYMNASTICS vs. Florida. 7 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. 706-542-1621.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6 WOMEN’S GOLF LADY BULLDOG INVITATIONAL UGA Golf Course. 706-542-1621 MEN’S TENNIS vs. Georgia Tech. Dan Magill Tennis Complex. 706-542-1621.

CLASS “Natural Science Illustration.” Classes take place every Saturday in February 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. OC Carlisle will present essential basic techniques of drawing, showing highlight and shadow to give form and texture to natural objects. $260. 9 a.m. Visitor Center’s Classroom 2, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6156, ckeber@uga.edu MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Auburn. $15. 5:30 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. 706-542-1231.

ORCHID MADNESS OPENING RECEPTION This second annual fundraiser for the horticulture program will be bigger and better than the first event last year. There will be live music and very special orchids on display. $50. 6 p.m. Visitor Center and Conservatory, State Botanical Garden. 706-5426156, ckeber@uga.edu

TO SUBMIT A LISTING FOR THE MASTER CALENDAR AND COLUMNS Post event information first to the Master Calendar website (calendar.uga.edu/). Listings for Columns are taken from the Master Calendar 12 days before the publication date.

Events not posted by then may not be printed in Columns.

Any additional information about the event may be sent directly to Columns. Email is preferred (columns@uga.edu), but materials can be mailed to Columns, News Service, 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 North, Campus Mail 1999.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Ole Miss. $5. 2 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum.

CONCERT When David Coucheron joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as Concertmaster in 2010, he was just celebrating his 25th birthday and was the youngest concertmaster of any major American symphony orchestra. Coucheron takes the spotlight in this performance as soloist in the Violin Concerto of Johannes Brahms. $25-$65. 3 p.m. Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. 706-542-4400. (See story, this page).

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8 SOUTHERN REGION WOMEN’S AGRICULTURAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT The Southern Region Women’s Agricultural Leadership Summit will bring together professionals, scholars and industry leaders from the 13 southern states who are eager to talk about women’s leadership in the context of agricultural and environmental sciences. The summit program to include: a panel discussion of women agricultural leaders, a luncheon with keynote speaker Krysta Harden, deputy secretary of the USDA and an interactive dialogue that will be used to make recommendations for women’s leadership development in the context of agriculturally based work. This summit will provide input for USDA, higher education scholars and others who are interested in shaping programs and policies within this area of influence.

9 a.m. Georgia Center. 706-542-7786, brucci@uga.edu (See story, page 1).

CONCERT Recreating the sound of swing from the 1930s and 1940s, Julian Bliss leads his band through some of the tunes of the swing era, staying true to the authentic feel but with a modern twist. $25-$35. 8 p.m. Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. 706-542-4400. (See story, this page).

COMING UP GEORGE S. PARTHEMOS LECTURE Feb. 12. Morris P. Fiorina, the Wendt Family Professor of Political Science at Stanford University and a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, will deliver a lecture, “Tenuous Majorities, Party Sorting and the Contemporary American Electorate.”

10:30 a.m. 250 Miller Learning Center. 706-542-2057, jmaltese@uga.edu

NEXT COLUMNS DEADLINES Jan. 27 (for Feb. 8 issue) Feb. 3 (for Feb. 15 issue) Feb. 10 (for Feb. 22 issue)

6 Feb. 1, 2016 columns.uga.edu

CAMPUS CLOSEUP

Turn to vinegar

Perhaps vinegar isn’t the best bait for catching flies, as the old saying goes, but it has plenty of household uses, according to Michael Doyle, director of UGA’s Center for Food Safety.

Doyle was quoted in a Time article about “10 Unexpected Uses for Vinegar”; the article first appeared in Real Simple magazine.

“Vinegar is a strong preservative because its acetic acid kills the microbes and bacteria that could cause food to spoil,” Doyle said. “It’s also a good deodorizer—the acid neutralizes basic compounds, such as those found in degrading meat, that can be volatile and unpleasant.”

Make ’em pay

There are some promising signs for the news media still reeling from the shakeup caused by the rise of the Internet.

A recent poll showed that 40 percent of U.S. adults ages 18-34 pay for at least some of the content they read, according to an Associated Press story.

Keith Herndon, visiting professor of journalism at UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, told the AP that there is still a long way to go to make millennials reliable sources for revenue.

“Forty percent is a strong number but that means the majority are not willing to pay,” said Herndon, a former journalist. “We have to think of ways of making the content compelling enough that someone would be willing to pay for it.”

Shrinking field

With such a large field of Republican presidential candidates entering the primaries, some have wondered whether Republicans could face a brokered convention in July.

Most experts think that’s unlikely. Josh Putnam, a political science lecturer in UGA’s School of Public and International Affairs and author of the blog Frontloading HQ, doubts the large field of candidates will remain intact.

“If past is prologue, we’re likely to see the field winnow fairly quickly, down to three, four candidates, maybe even two, through the month of February,” said Putnam, who studies presidential elections and the rules governing the party nominations.

The bigger, the better

UGA ecologist Jim Beasley completed a study that found renewed wildlife populations at Chernobyl, the site of the worst nuclear disaster in history.

Since Chernobyl was evacuated, wildlife have flourished there despite the remains of nuclear radiation.

Beasley told Popular Science magazine that the presence of the Eurasian lynx and brown bears are a good sign.

“The large, widespread and stable populations of top predators show the productivity of a system,” he said. “You can’t have large top predators in places where there isn’t enough variety of food for them to eat.”

Cruz-ing down South

With Southern presidential primaries just around the corner, political prognosticators believe Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is in a good position to appeal to Dixie’s voters.

Charles Bullock, who holds the Richard B. Russell Chair in Political Science in the School of Public and International Affairs, told NBC News that Cruz’s style will appeal to many in the South.

“He’s a Southerner, and he’s courting the evangelical vote,” Bullock said. “He’s well spoken.

He’s direct. But he also brings a Southern accent and wears cowboy boots.”

Dorothy Kozlowski

Matt Clary, grants coordinator II, works on proposals that vary in both size and scope. Some funding, as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars, can be obtained with a two-page letter. Other proposals require upward of 100 pages and a month of work.

Coordinator helps streamline grants process for SPIA and Grady faculty

By Matt Chambers mattdc@uga.edu

Matt Clary was a senior in high school in 2001. He’d just finished debate camp and was entering his second year as a debater. The topic for the fall was policies that prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction. He had his arguments all ready and solidified when Sept. 11 changed everything.

Not only did the terrorist attack change his debate tactics, but that day was when he “realized the world was bigger than I imagined it to be.

“Everything I knew had to be readjusted,” said Clary, a grants coordinator II. Clary’s revelations led to him instantly knowing what he wanted to major in—political science—when he reached Furman University the next year. After Furman and an internship in Washington, D.C., he came to UGA to study international affairs, something that had become his life’s passion.

A few years later he was receiving his doctorate and then being hired to the position he’s in now.

“In the social sciences, this position didn’t exist,” he said. “And even when I came on, it started out as a part-time gig.”

Clary’s ability to identify grant funding and the faculty of the School of Public and International Affairs’ desire for someone to help with that process,

led to the position becoming full time.

Now in his role, Clary works to facilitate the grants process for SPIA faculty as well as those in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. In between preparing grant proposals, Clary is constantly looking for new ways to bring in external resources to the schools. He’s also helping make the process easier for faculty members.

“Faculty are going to work on grants whether there’s someone to help them or not,” he said. “But it’s better for someone to be here because it helps to streamline the process and understand the agencies and regulations.”

The grant proposals Clary works on vary in both size and scope. Some funding, as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars, can be obtained with a two-page letter. Other proposals require upward of 100 pages and a month of work.

The largest proposal Clary’s worked on was for $24 million in funding to set up a “CNN-type media network” in Turkey to provide news and information to Syrians. Clary and others on the team only had a month to work on the 90-page proposal that covered everything from budgeting to cybersecurity and personnel safety.

Clary said he enjoys his job because it allows him to be a part of the projects faculty members are working on.

“I’m not helping them conduct the research, but I am helping them secure

FACTS

Matt Clary

Grants Coordinator II SPIA and Grady College Ph.D., Political Science and International Affairs, UGA, 2014 M.A., Political Science, UGA, 2009 B.A., Political Science, Furman University, 2006 At UGA: 17 months

funding,” he said.“I learn a lot about their projects and feel very invested.”

The hardest part about working with grants is staying flexible and detailoriented, Clary said.

“Every grant is different, and every faculty member is different; I’ve never replicated anything,” he said. “And it’s challenging because if you don’t cross your t’s and dot your i’s, then the proposal will get rejected or you’ll have to wait to get funded.”

In his first year in the role, Clary helped create policies and procedures as well as facilitated the submission of over 30 grant proposals.This year, he’s on track to double that number.

“I feel very attached to this work. I am genuinely trying to help,” Clary said.

“The reality is there’s going to be less and less funds available to do what we want to in the future, so we have to find those external sources.”

SCHOOL OF LAW

Alumna named inaugural director of law school’s Wilbanks Clinic

Emma M. Hetherington will serve as the inaugural director of the Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation Clinic, the first of its kind in the nation.

“As the work of this important clinic gets underway, we are delighted to have identified a highly capable leader who has demonstrated a true commitment to serving those who too often have no voice,” said Georgia Law Dean Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge. “Emma’s background combined with her passion for advocating on behalf of victims will allow this clinic to make a positive impact as a meaningful avenue for providing public service to our state.”

Hetherington returns to her alma mater from private practice, where she represented individuals in child welfare dependency proceedings and special

education cases as well as survivors of child sexual assault and exploitation.

Her experience also includes work with the Georgia Law Center for the Homeless Emma Hetherington and the DeKalb County Child Advocacy Center.

“I have dedicated my legal career to the defense of abused and neglected children and am honored to have been given this incredible opportunity to continue those efforts while helping to train a new generation of attorneys,” Hetherington said.“I greatly sympathize with how helpless victims often feel and am encouraged that we will be able to provide them hope

that their perpetrators will not continue to go unpunished.”

Law students participating in the clinic will learn how to work with and represent survivors of sexual abuse and their families, according to Erica J. Hashimoto, Georgia Law’s associate dean for clinical programs and experiential learning.

“Given the sensitive and complex nature of the cases that the clinic will bring forth, it is important that the director be someone who not only has legal experience but also the gift of reaching clients,” Hashimoto said. “We are confident Emma Hetherington is the right choice for this groundbreaking program.”

It is anticipated that many of the clinic’s first clients will be survivors and their families who are able to bring civil charges forward as a result of Georgia’s Hidden Predator Act, passed in 2015.

OUTREACH NEWS

columns.uga.edu Feb. 1, 2016

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OID, HUMAN RESOURCES

Diversity, inclusion certificate program continues to grow

By Matt Chambers mattdc@uga.edu

Dorothy Kozlowski

Mansur Buffins, left, coaches Clarke Middle School sixth-grader Cordarious Williams on setting goals during a mentorship session.

Each Tuesday from 4-6 p.m., Buffins leads two one-hour sessions with seven boys as part of a mentor program he started to connect black male UGA students with their counterparts at Clarke Middle School.

‘A place for you’ Sophomore launches mentor program at Clarke Middle School

By Stan Jackson ugastan@uga.edu

Mansur Buffins first stepped on to UGA’s campus as a high school senior as part of the inaugural cohort of the Georgia African American Male Experience, a residential weekend program that focuses on leadership development and offers a glimpse into college life.

“That was my first time on a college campus,” Buffins said. “I thought, ‘This is pretty cool. This is what college looks like?’ I mean, it actually looks like the movies.”

When it came time to make his college decision, Buffins’ friends warned him against choosing UGA. “They would say, ‘Why are you going to UGA? It’s just a bunch of white students,’ ” he said. “I’m like, ‘I’m just trying to go to college, and I heard UGA was a good one. I mean, I’m from Georgia.’ ” Buffins’ experience with GAAME helped paint a picture of the university that was different than the views of his friends. The UGA students who led

the GAAME program told participants about programs like the UGA chapter of the NAACP, the Black Male Leadership Society and the Black Educational Support, which pairs an upperclassman mentor with a freshman mentee to ease the transition to campus.

“That’s what attracted me,” Buffins said. “Knowing there’s a place on this campus for me. It relieved a bunch of the unnecessary stress. I knew I wasn’t going to feel out of place.”

Buffins, who is double-majoring in social studies education and African American studies, now is helping local students feel more connected to campus. As a sophomore, Buffins has launched a new mentor program that connects black male UGA students with their counterparts at Clarke Middle School.

“Working with those kids is the highlight of every week,” he said. “It is very joyful for me.”

The spark for the program came after Buffins was attending class one day with his mentee from the Clarke County

WEEKLY READER

Ecology professor co-edits reference book

Diseases of Coral Co-edited by Cheryl Woodley, Craig Downs, Andrew Bruckner, James Porter and Sylvia Galloway Wiley-Blackwell Scientific Publishers Hardcover: $249.95 E-book: $199.99

Coral reefs are among the most valuable and diverse ecosystems on Earth. But they are rapidly declining.

“When coral reefs shrink, the economy shrinks. And in order to save coral reefs we have to understand how to protect them from the diseases that threaten them,” said James W. Porter, co-editor of the new book Diseases of Coral.

Porter, Meigs Professor of Ecology and Marine Sciences at UGA’s Odum School of Ecology, said that while there is “an accelerating interest in coral reef protection, there is a dearth of knowledge about how to protect corals themselves from the host of maladies that threaten their health.”

Diseases of Coral is intended to fill this gap by providing comprehensive descriptions, diagnostic procedures and treatments for coral disease using a uniform vocabulary.

Mentor Program.The pair observed several of the young black males sitting in the back of class and being removed from class for disruptive behavior.

During that same day, Buffins passed a classroom filled with mostly white students and asked one of the students he was with about the class.

“Those are the smart students,” the student told Buffins.

“At that point, I realized that these young men needed some encouragement,” Buffins said. “I’m seeing little brothers down the street who look like they could use something that could empower and motivate them a little bit more.”

So Buffins approached the Clarke Middle School administration with an idea about how best to reach the black male students—black male UGA student mentors.

“I’m a black male, and I’m a student at UGA,” he said. “If you’ve made it to UGA, you’re doing something right and you have some sort of advice to give

More than 1,000 UGA faculty and staff have taken it upon themselves to learn how to make the university a more welcoming and inclusive place.

The first 18 recipients of the UGA Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program, a partnership between the Office of Institutional Diversity, Human Resources’ Training and Development Center and other diversity-related offices and programs at UGA, were recognized in 2012, and since then the program has continued to grow exponentially. A total of 300 certificates have been handed out.

Shonte Wallace, coordinator of faculty and staff development in OID, oversees the program and is working on adding to the lineup of available courses.

To receive a certificate, employees must attend a core diversity class and five electives that focus on different areas of UGA’s diverse campus.

“Since we have the strong interest in the certificate, I want to start making sure that the people who are here are taking something that matters away … from the program, in which they can implement into their work here at UGA,” Wallace said.

To ensure that, Wallace and Kelly Slaton, OID coordinator of assessment and diversity initiatives, are working on a review of the program to see how it can be improved. Despite a total of 14 certificate courses being offered this quarter, Wallace wants to see even more, along with some classes focusing on topics like socioeconomics and religious diversity.

Wallace said it’s imperative that the conversation on diversity be continued even after staff and faculty fulfill the certificate program requirements.

“I don’t want it to be where people are taking this just to have something to put on their resume,” she said. “We need to know that the students see a difference, that your colleagues and administrators notice the difference.”

One of the ways she plans to keep the conversation going is to start a “mini conference” where graduates return to discuss how they’re integrating their lessons into their work.

Another area Wallace wants to focus on is having more faculty members earn a certificate.

Wallace aims to make UGA an exemplar in diversity training. She also wants to look into making the program more academic and well-respected.

“I want it to be a respected program that matters, not just something to do,” she said. “I’m hoping the Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program makes people advocates for change, advocates for diversity, advocates for inclusion,” she said. “I don’t want people to sit back and say ‘I did it for me.’ We have to do it for a better UGA. “It has to become something that’s not just I do diversity, but I am diversity,” she also said.

See MENTOR on page 8

ABOUT COLUMNS

CYBERSIGHTS

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

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

Editor Juliett Dinkins Art Director Janet Beckley

University Housing launches new website

Photo Editor Dorothy Kozlowski

housing.uga.edu

The class of 2020 will have an easier time finding and registering for housing since University Housing debuted its redesigned and reorganized website Jan. 11.

The new site includes several new features, such as an interactive map, a social media hub, a more robust activities calendar and simplified at-a-glance residence hall pages.

“We really relied on analytics and user feedback to help us streamline the content for the new site,” said Carrie Campbell, senior public relations coordinator for University Housing. “Another goal was to bring the visual identity of the site in more alignment with the Division of Student Affairs and with the university as a whole.”

Senior Reporter Aaron Hale Reporter Matt Chambers 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.

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8 Feb. 1, 2016 columns.uga.edu

BUDGET from page 1 approximately 70,000 square feet of space for classrooms and faculty and staff offices to support several academic centers. The proposed $42 million budget for this phase includes equal public and private contributions, creating a 50/50 public-private partnership for the $140 million three-phased Business Learning Community project.

The governor’s budget proposal also includes 3 percent raises for all state employees.

MENTOR from page 7

“UGA is committed to serving the state of Georgia, and key elements of this budget would ensure that we continue that service,” said Toby Carr, UGA’s associate vice president for government relations. “The much-needed salary increase would help us hire and keep the best faculty and staff. Furthermore, the Business Learning Community is already teaching our future business leaders to grow Georgia’s economy.”

ECONOMY from page 1

Dorothy Kozlowski

Donavan Juleus, a sophomore public relations major, works with sixth-grader Cordarious Williams on setting personal goals.

someone younger who’s trying to do that.”

The school administrators confirmed that there was a need for black male mentors and embraced Buffins’ idea. Not only did they encourage him to recruit black male UGA students into the Clarke County Mentor Program, but they also formally added a course to the school’s after-school programs.

With the help of a colleague, Buffins successfully recruited eight UGA students to volunteer for the one-on-one mentoring component of the program and then got to work preparing for the after-school course.

Each Tuesday from 4-6 p.m., Buffins leads two one-hour sessions with seven boys.

Some weeks, Buffins invites a guest speaker, usually a UGA faculty member or student.

Other weeks, he and the boys simply discuss things that are on their minds.

“We have a good time,” he said. “The program offers students a place to discuss topics they don’t feel comfortable discussing anywhere else. They write in journals about serious issues, and we tackle some important stuff.”

The middle schoolers aren’t the only ones learning from the program. One discussion was particularly eye-opening for Buffins.

“One day, we took on the topic of incarceration and police brutality,” he said, “and the kids started talking about their brothers, fathers and other family who were in jail. It wasn’t just some national theme to discuss— for them, it was very real.”

Buffins said that conversations like that lead him to encourage his peers at UGA to remember the reality behind some of the

issues discussed in classes and forums and to realize that real-life examples are just across the street.

When asked about his goals for the new program, Buffins doesn’t focus on growth in participant numbers or recognition, or even the program itself. His focus is on the boys.

“Five to seven years down the road, seeing the kids I’ve worked with doing well behaviorally, socially, academically, that’s what I want to see,” he said.

Buffins also has a vision for UGA’s future, expressing the importance of continuing to grow the number of black male UGA students.

“Seeing other students on this campus who look like you, studying, talking to you, that is so important,” he said. “If you don’t see yourself somewhere, you’re not going to aspire to go there.”

Buffins knows well the struggle for some young black males to stay motivated, and the opinions their friends might have about choosing UGA. He hopes they will hear his message instead.

“I’m happy at UGA,” he said. “People say, ‘Don’t go there because this and this,’ but it’s rumors. There are opportunities on this campus for you. You can have the good experience that I’ve been having. There’s a place for you.”

ON THE WEB

Read more stories about UGA’s diversity at discover.uga.edu

Bulletin Board Emergency assistance form

To be effective in the event of an emergency, UGA officials want to be able to identify and support students, faculty, staff and visitors with a disability who would need ­assistance.

Individuals with a disability, even if those who have not otherwise selfidentified or asked for an accommodation, are asked to complete an Emergency Assistance Referral Form if they feel they would need assistance during an emergency.

Completed forms will be kept on file by the Office of Emergency Preparedness and will be used only to develop an emergency plan for individuals who want one.

UGA’s emergency procedures for students, faculty, staff and visitors with disabilities and Emergency Assistance Referral Forms are at http://t.uga.edu/21r .

For more information, email ­prepare@uga.edu or call 706-542-5845.

University Woman’s Club

The University Woman’s Club will meet Feb. 9 at 11 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Central Presbyterian Church, 380 Alps Road.

Loran Smith, author, columnist and color commentator for UGA football, will discuss “People, Places and Possibilities Beyond Sports.”

Tickets for the spring luncheon also will be available for purchase.

For more information, email Kim Argo, publicity chair, at argo1230@att.net .

UGAAlert test

A test of the UGAAlert emergency notification system will take place Feb. 3 at 9 a.m. as part of the Georgia Statewide Severe Weather Drill. In the event of severe weather on Feb. 3, the drill will be rescheduled for later in the week when more favorable weather conditions exist.

Those who cannot fully participate

local governments’ budgets are likely to expand in 2016, which is a good sign for Athens’ short-term economic prospects.

In 2016, employment in Athens will increase by 1.5 percent (about 1,400 jobs).

Athens will benefit from several factors: Caterpillar’s new factory will expand over the next several years, and the clinical health care industry will continue to grow as will its role as the regional medical service center for northeast Georgia. In addition, the establishment of a medical school campus at UGA in partnership with Georgia Regents University will encourage further development of clinical health care and the biomedical industry.

The report notes that one long-term concern is that Athens is extremely dependent on state government jobs. In 2016, that’s a plus, but it makes the area vulnerable to future efforts to downsize state government. In contrast, Athens’ shares of federal and local government jobs are significantly below the state average, so the area is less vulnerable.

Georgia’s 2016 growth stems in part from projects already in the economic

development pipeline, such as Baxter International’s new facility and GM’s ITinnovation center as well as a continued upcycle in the housing recovery, supportive demographic forces and a rise in small business starts and expansions, Ayers said.

But while these projects will create employment opportunities, job growth will slow in the coming year.

“One reason why Georgia’s job growth will slow is that in the wake of the Great Recession many companies were too cautious about hiring and were essentially playing catch up in 2014 and 2015,” Ayers said. “Now, most companies are no longer significantly understaffed. So, this extra push for job growth is gone. A second reason is that businesses’ profits are coming under more stress.

That’s partially because expectations about the national and global economies moving into higher gear have not been realized.”

Specifically, Georgia’s nonfarm employment will rise by 2.4 percent, which is nearly half a percent below the estimate for state employment in 2015.

SUMMIT from page 1 creating tools like the recently launched www.usda.gov/newfarmers to help new and beginning farmers and ranchers succeed. I’m excited to return to my alma mater to discuss the importance of diversity in agriculture and promoting women’s leadership.”

According to 2012 Census of Agriculture statistics, there are 969,672 women farmers in the U.S. that lead more than 30 percent of U.S. farms. The 13-state Southern region contains 117,650 female-run farms, which are responsible for $4.9 billion in sales and account for 22.4 million acres of farmland.

“With 47 percent of agricultural-related degrees today going to women, we are excited to help jump-start a conversation about how women contribute to agriculture and STEM research and businesses,” said Laura Perry Johnson, associate dean for UGA Extension for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “This convocation of female leaders in agriculture will help generate a full picture of how women work in agriculture, the challenges they face and their dedication to providing support to future generations

are asked to consider where they would go in the event of severe weather. Campus members also should briefly discuss response actions and their building’s severe weather sheltering location.

A list of severe weather sheltering locations and safety and security building representatives is at http://t.uga.edu/21s .

Visit www.prepare.uga.edu for more drill details and preparation actions.

Contact the Office of Emergency Preparedness at prepare@uga.edu or 706-542-5845 with questions.

Summer Academy jobs

Summer Academy at UGA is hiring assistant instructors to support a variety of academic summer camps for middle and high school youth. Applications are being sought from undergraduate students with knowledge of the camp’s focus area and a passion for working with youths. The assistant instructors will be teamed with an instructor (typically a graduate student, faculty member

in solving the most pressing issues of the 21st century—strengthening global food security while protecting the environment.”

The summit is organized by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences with assistance from the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, a unit of the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach.The opening session, which includes a women’s leadership panel discussion at 10 a.m., is free and open to the general public, as is the final closing session at 3:30 p.m. For more information, see www.caes.uga.edu/events/ womensagleadershipsummit.

“Women already play critical roles in all aspects of agriculture—from production and policy to research and development,” said Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “By bringing delegates from across the region together to share ideas and inspiration, we can build on this tradition through leadership development programs and help keep our nation at the forefront of agricultural productivity and sustainability.”

or a professional in the field) to develop and lead the weeklong course.

Summer Academy offers six weeks of camp with over 35 individual camps provided in 2016. Subject areas include legal, medical, fine arts, aviation, robotics and many more. The full list of the 2016 camps is at http://t.uga.edu/1hq .

Applicants will need to meet for an interview, pass a background check and be available from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. the week of their camp. There are opportunities to be hired for multiple weeks for some subject areas.

Faculty, staff advisers and mentors are asked to share this opportunity with their students. Application deadline is Feb. 12. For more information and to apply, contact Brian Stone, program coordinator, at 706-542-7255 or brian.stone@georgiacenter.uga.edu.

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