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Franklin College researcher uses cellular biology to target lethal parasites for eradication RESEARCH NEWS
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‘Princely’ collection of art currently on display at Georgia Museum of Art Vol. 46, No. 2
July 30, 2018
www.columns.uga.edu
UGA GUIDE
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University turns its vision of experiential learning into reality By Aaron Hale
aahale@uga.edu
Two years ago, the University of Georgia made a daring commitment: to provide all undergraduate students with a meaningful experiential learning opportunity. Since fall 2016, every incoming student has to fulfill an experiential learning requirement to graduate. The initiative encourages UGA students to connect their academic More than 140,000 donors have contributed to the Commit to Georgia Campaign, which has raised more than $1 billion toward its ultimate goal of $1.2 billion by 2020.
Five records in five years ‘True heroes of the story are faculty, staff, students’
By Elizabeth Elmore eelmore@uga.edu
For the fifth consecutive year, UGA donors have set a record in fundraising, contributing a total of $242 million in new gifts and pledges to the Commit to Georgia Campaign. This is the second consecutive year that the total has surpassed $200 million. “I am overwhelmed with gratitude,” said President Jere W. Morehead, “and I want to thank each and every donor who contributed to this historic achievement. They are
changing lives with their generosity and loyalty to the University of Georgia, and I am deeply grateful. I also want to thank our UGA Foundation trustees. Without their strong leadership and commitment to this institution, this level of success would not be possible. The true heroes of this great story, however, are our outstanding faculty, staff and students, who work tirelessly every day to advance the mission of UGA and expand its positive impact on the world.” UGA students, faculty and staff have inspired the more than
140,000 donors to the Commit to Georgia Campaign, which has raised more than $1 billion toward its ultimate goal of $1.2 billion by 2020. Faculty and staff are also contributing through payroll deductions, annual gifts of all sizes and/or by designating some portion of their retirement assets to UGA. These gifts are supporting the three campaign priorities: increasing scholarship support, enhancing the learning environment and solving grand challenges through research
foundations to the world beyond the classroom. To not just learn, but to learn by doing, whether that’s through an internship, facultyguided research, study abroad, service-learning or a capstone project. With this initiative, UGA became the largest university in the nation to tackle such a challenge and is now setting the standard for experiential learning in public
See LEARNING on page 4
WARNELL SCHOOL OF FORESTRY & NATURAL RESOURCES
White Dam modification project will benefit fish, other wildlife By James Hataway jhataway@uga.edu
Under the direction of University of Georgia faculty experts and partners from multiple agencies, workers have modified portions of White Dam, a stone and masonry structure that spans the Middle Oconee River upstream from its confluence with the North Oconee River. The dam is owned and managed by UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources. Warnell faculty and students spearheaded multiple studies exploring how modification of the dam could improve aquatic connectivity and
wildlife mobility. During the early 20th century, the dam provided hydroelectric power for a nearby textile manufacturing facility, but it has been inoperable for decades. “The dam doesn’t serve any economic or flood control function,” said James Shelton, an associate professor of fisheries in the Warnell School. “But we designed this process with historic preservation in mind. We removed a portion of the dam and stabilized other portions that have the greatest historical significance.” Workers even used native stone to construct the dam to stabilize See DAM on page 4
GRADUATE SCHOOL
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EIA conference for advocates of GS LEAD program brings doctoral students together to make difference in local communities insect agriculture to be held at UGA By Cole Sosebee
cjs62499@uga.edu
By Jim Lichtenwalter
james.lichtenwal25@uga.edu
It can be hard for graduate students to get involved in their local communities, but the University of Georgia’s GS LEAD program is working to change that. Funded by an award from the National Science Foundation through its NSF Research Traineeship, Innovations and Graduate Education track, the project—which is formally known as Graduate Scholars Leadership, Engagement and Development— brings graduate students together to make a difference in their community. “GS LEAD is a project that brings new doctoral students in the STEM fields in over the summer and trains them in leadership, team building, communications and community service,” said Julie Coffield, an associate professor of
Dorothy Kozlowski
Richard Hall, a faculty member in the Odum School of Ecology, discusses wildlife habitats around Lake Herrick with GS LEAD participants.
toxicology and neuroscience in the College of Veterinary Medicine and one of the program’s coordinators. “We want students to learn to reach outside of the lab, start thinking outside the box and be able to connect and communicate with the community.” The program has two important
components, one in the summer and one in the fall. Students arrive on campus over the summer and participate in an immersive, s ix-week program facilitated by Brandy Walker and Janet Rechtman of the university’s J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership See LEAD on page 4
The growing reputation of Athens, Georgia, as a gastronomic capital attracts culinary tourists from all over the Southeast. This summer, the city will welcome a new type of culinary enthusiasm. They won’t be after barbecue or biscuits. They’ll be here for the bugs. Eating Insects Athens, held by the North American Coalition for Insect Agriculture, will draw hundreds of insect agriculture and insect gastronomy advocates to Athens from Aug. 13-15. The biennial conference, held at the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel, will feature research presentations, industry information, art exhibitions, networking opportunities and, of course, several chances to eat insects. This conference is a follow-up to
Eating Insects Detroit, which was held in 2016. Marianne Shockley, an entomologist with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and founding member of NACIA, is helping to host the event. For years, she and her team of UGA entomology students, called “Bug Dawgs,” have been introducing Athens to edible insects through outreach events at local grade schools and on UGA’s campus. This conference will enable UGA entomology students to meet others who promote insect agriculture. Innovators from culinary, cultural and scientific fields will converge at the Eating Insects Athens conference, showcasing the multifaceted aspects of this burgeoning industry. More information and registration for the conference is at eatinginsectsathens.org.
2 July 30, 2018 columns.uga.edu Why I Give
Commit to Georgia 2018
Name: J. Steve Oliver Position: Professor, Department of Mathematics and Science Education, College of Education At UGA: 28 years Beneficiary of his gift to the university: The College of Education and the Department of Mathematics and Science Education J. Steve Oliver
Why he contributes: “I give because over the past 35 years—some of which I was a student and most of which I have been a professor—the University of Georgia has been an indispensable part of my life and has provided my students a preparation for professional life that endows their path for success.”
To make your contribution to the Commit to Georgia Campaign, please contact the Office of Annual Giving at 706-542-8119 or visit give.uga.edu. Source: Office of Development
Digest
UGA Presents to offer discounted tickets to faculty and staff during presale week
UGA Presents is offering UGA faculty and staff the opportunity to purchase tickets one week before they go on sale to the general public. During the presale week, faculty and staff can save 10 percent off regular ticket prices. The faculty/staff presale begins Aug. 6 and runs through Aug. 10. Tickets go on sale to the public beginning Aug. 13. When purchasing tickets, faculty/staff must use the promo code UGAP10 to take advantage of the discount. The UGA Presents 2018-2019 season will open Sept. 7 with a concert by Renee Elise Goldsberry, the Tony-winning star of Hamilton. The season will feature performers from around the world including South Africa’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Scottish singer Julie Fowlis, the Vienna Boys Choir, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Chinese Acrobats of Hebei, the Silkroad Ensemble, Jane Lynch’s A Swingin’ Little Christmas and much more. Tickets and the season brochure are available online at pac.uga.edu or by calling 706-542-4400. Tickets also can be purchased in person at the Performing Arts Center office, located at 230 River Rd. The box office is open weekdays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
BFSO to hold 16th annual Founders Scholarship Luncheon on Sept. 19
The Black Faculty & Staff Organization at the University of Georgia will host its 16th annual Founders Scholarship Luncheon Sept. 19 from noon-1:30 p.m. in Grand Hall of the Tate Student Center. Maurice Daniels, a former dean of UGA’s School of Social Work and a founding BFSO member, will be the keynote speaker. Proceeds from the luncheon will be used to support the BFSO mission and the scholarship program. Tickets purchased before Aug. 3 are $45; after that date, they are $55. Tables are available for sponsors starting at $360; after Aug. 3, they are $440. Contact Narke Norton, BFSO secretary, at yspnarke@uga.edu with questions.
PERIODICALS POSTAGE STATEMENT Columns (USPS 020-024) is published weekly during the academic year and
biweekly during the summer for the faculty and staff of the University of Georgia by the Division of Marketing & Communications. Periodicals postage is paid in Athens, Georgia. Postmaster: Send off-campus address changes to Columns, UGA Marketing & Communications, 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 North, Athens, GA 30602-1999.
RESEARCH NEWS
Pathway to a cure: UGA researcher uses cellular biology to target lethal parasites By Leigh Beeson lbeeson@uga.edu
Chagas disease and African sleeping sickness kill more than 10,000 people every year in Latin America and Africa. Millions are living with the potentially deadly diseases, and tens of millions more are at risk of being infected. With numbers like those, you’d expect more people to be paying attention. But neither Chagas nor sleeping sickness receives much press. Roberto Docampo wants to change that. “In some areas, you have 50 to 60 percent of people who are infected with Chagas disease,” said Docampo, the Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Cellular Biology. This obscenely high disease burden strains developing nations’ resources by reducing the available workforce and complicates even the most routine medical procedures by making it almost impossible to ensure a parasite-free blood supply for surgeries and transfusion. The inadequate housing that frequently dots the landscapes of impoverished nations makes eradicating the bugs much more difficult. “The insects that carry the parasite invade houses, so it’s practically impossible to eliminate the disease,” Docampo said. “The only way to do it is by improving housing, which would prevent the bugs from getting inside,” something that may not be possible in the nations where the diseases are most prevalent. Instead, Docampo is working to find new targets and tools that could eliminate the trypanosome parasites that cause both Chagas and sleeping sickness. Most cases of Chagas disease occur in Latin America, where infected kissing bugs, also known as assassin or vampire bugs, bite people or animals and transfer the parasite into their bloodstreams. African sleeping sickness is contracted through the bite of a tsetse fly. Working with colleagues in the university’s Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, Docampo discovered a specialized structure, or organelle, inside the trypanosome parasites. Proteins within this structure proved to be responsible for the parasite’s growth and replication, making ideal targets for disease interventions. “These parasites are separated by
Peter Frey
Roberto Docampo is working to find new targets and tools that could eliminate the trypanosome parasites that cause both Chagas and sleeping sickness.
millions of years of evolution from humans, and it is theoretically possible to target these organelles for chemotherapy,” Docampo said. “The idea is always to find pathways that are different in the parasite than in the host in order to find targets for vaccines, drugs or diagnostics.” Experiments proved the organelle may be the key to successfully battling the trypanosome. Once the proteins were disabled, the parasite couldn’t reproduce or cause disease in its host. Docampo is now looking for ways to specifically target those proteins with medications to combat the parasites. His lab already has shown that the parasites that cause Chagas are
v ulnerable to specific antifungal agents, and he is continuing to search for new pathways that could eliminate the dangerous threat trypanosomes pose to both humans and animals. “These are fundamental discoveries about cellular function and life,” Docampo said. “We will continue to investigate these structures and pathways in the hope of finding new therapies to treat these diseases that affect so many people.” Editor’s note: This story is part of the Great Commitments series, which focuses on cutting-edge research happening on UGA campuses. Read more about UGA’s commitment to research that changes lives at greatcommitments.uga.edu.
Baldwin Hall memorial update An advisory task force convened by UGA President Jere W. M orehead has made significant progress this summer evaluating options for the design and location of a memorial at Baldwin Hall in tribute to those who were previously buried there. The 18-member group, which includes representatives from both the campus and local community, has been chaired by Michelle Cook, vice provost for diversity and inclusion and strategic university initiatives. “It has been an honor to work with the task force,” said Cook. “I cannot imagine a more committed and thoughtful group of people to provide guidance on this project. Throughout the process, their focus has been to design a memorial that honors and respects the lives of the individuals originally buried at the Baldwin Hall site.” Cook said the memorial is planned to be located on the south end of the
front lawn of B aldwin Hall. It will be created from materials that have permanence, will reflect the aesthetic of the university grounds and will serve as a place of remembrance for these individuals, most of whom likely were slaves or former slaves. The University Architects Office will spend the next several weeks developing a timeline for completion of the project. The remains of the individuals were discovered during construction of the Baldwin Hall addition and 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, detailing what transpired, was placed at the gravesite. Acknowledgment in the form of a plaque also was placed inside the new entrance of the Baldwin Hall addition.
DEVELOPMENT & ALUMNI RELATIONS
Companies recognized for employing most UGA grads By Danielle Bezila
danielle.bezila@uga.edu
After graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in marketing last year, William Landrum was thrilled to be hired by Georgia-Pacific, one of UGA’s top 25 employers. Through the different career services offered to UGA students, Landrum discovered his strengths and how to leverage them in the workplace. “Being able to apply my unique skills has been huge in my first year of career development at Georgia-Pacific,” said Landrum, “and I can largely attribute that to my experience at UGA.” Now a regional sales specialist, he enjoys visiting UGA’s campus on behalf of his company and supporting students just as other alumni did for him. According to UGA’s Career Outcomes Survey, the top 25 employers hired a combined 760 graduates from
the Class of 2017. Eighty-seven percent of those 760 graduates remained in the state of Georgia. The top 25 employers (in alphabetical order) are Amazon.com Inc., Aon plc, AT&T, Chick-fil-A, CVS Health, Deloitte, Emory University, EY, Georgia-Pacific, IBM, Insight Global, KPMG US LLP, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Macy’s, Newell Brands, Piedmont Healthcare, PricewaterhouseCoopers, State Farm, SunTrust Banks Inc., Teach for America, The Home Depot, The Kroger Company, University of Georgia, UPS, and Wells Fargo & Company. Hiring UGA graduates not only benefits students, but employers as well. Hayley Johnson, a UGA alumna and Georgia-Pacific recruiter, appreciates UGA’s partnership with her company that gives them opportunities to interact with students and faculty and participate in on-campus career programming throughout the year.
Thanks to this partnership with UGA, Georgia-Pacific speaks in classrooms, has networking lunches with students, participates in career fairs and has introductions to key UGA faculty members. She values the traits UGA graduates bring to the workforce. “UGA students are equipped with skills that translate well into the workplace,” said Johnson. “The university provides companies with unique opportunities to engage with students and provide them with career opportunities.” Many of these companies go beyond hiring UGA students. They fund scholarships, professorships and offer matching gift opportunities to their employees who donate to the university. These companies also offer internships and share guidance with students through mentorship programs. Several companies even host UGA alumni corporate chapters.
UGAGUIDE
columns.uga.edu July 30, 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
A Legacy of Giving: C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry. Through Aug. 5. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu. A Walk Through Seasons. Through Aug. 12. Visitor Center, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-8717. connicot@uga.edu. 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.
support services and other new faculty. Registration information is available on the Office of Faculty Affairs’ website and through an email invitation circulated to deans and department heads. 8 a.m. Georgia Center. 706-542-9963. susanna.calvert@uga.edu. REDEDICATION OF RENOVATED RUSSELL HALL The rededication of Russell Hall will feature speakers and a ribbon cutting followed by tours. 10 a.m. Russell Hall. TOUR AT TWO Also Aug. 8. Docent-led tour of highlights from the permanent collection. 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu.
THURSDAY, AUG. 2
One Heart, One Way: The Journey of a Princely Art Collection. Through Jan. 6. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu. (See story at right).
NATURE RAMBLERS Also Aug. 9. Join Nature Ramblers and learn more about the natural areas, flora and fauna of the State Botanical Garden. Sessions will start with an inspirational reading by a nature writer. 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.
MONDAY, JULY 30
FRIDAY, AUG. 3
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.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ORIENTATION Through Aug. 3. Registration is required. For more information, visit isl.uga. edu/orientation. 210 Memorial Hall. 706-542-5867. bgcecil@uga.edu.
FRIENDS FIRST FRIDAY Athens wildlife and nature photographer Judy Royal Glenn created the Hummingbird Trail for the State Botanical Garden in June 2014. Trail maps are located in the Visitor Center. She will share her photography and knowledge of hummingbirds. Includes a full breakfast. Register at botgarden.uga.edu or 706-542-6138. Sponsored by Friends of the Garden. $12. 9 a.m. Visitor Center, Gardenside Room, State Botanical Garden.
TUESDAY, JULY 31
SUNDAY, AUG. 5
FINAL EXAMS Through July 31. For thru term and extended summer session. CLASSES END For short session II.
FINAL EXAMS For short session II. TUESDAY TOUR AT TWO Also Aug. 7 and 14. Guided tour of the exhibit galleries of the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library and the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies. 2 p.m. Rotunda, second floor, special collections libraries. 706-542-8079. jclevela@uga.edu. SWING DANCE NIGHT Choose between an East Coast Swing or Lindy Hop lesson from 7-8 p.m., then take part in an open dance from 8-10 p.m. No previous dance experience or partner necessary. $6, general admission; $4, students. Visitor Center, State Botanical Garden.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 1 NEW FACULTY ORIENTATION New faculty are welcomed to UGA with this daylong opportunity to learn about the university and to connect to
CONCERT This annual concert by Athens Brass Choir often includes classical music, marches and movie tunes. 2 p.m. Visitor Center and Conservatory, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014. connicot@uga.edu. SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT TOUR Docent-led tour of highlights from the permanent collection. 3 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu.
MONDAY, AUG. 6 NEW FACULTY TOUR About 40 new University of Georgia faculty members will get a tour of the state Aug. 6-10, visiting 14 cities and passing through 43 counties across Georgia as part of the 2018 New Faculty Tour. Coordinated by the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, the New Faculty Tour is made possible by major support from the Office of the President, the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach.
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/.
Additional sponsors include the UGA Alumni Association, the UGA Foundation and a multitude of other units and supporters of the University of Georgia. 706-542-6045. laveatch@uga.edu. GRADES DUE Grades for extended summer session, thru term and short session II are due by noon.
TUESDAY, AUG. 7 TUESDAY TUNES This student music series features new groups each month. In August, the Jazz Quintet will perform. All musicians are current Hugh Hodgson School of Music undergraduate and/or graduate students. The Savannah Room Restaurant & Bar is open during the performances. 5:30 p.m. Atrium/lobby areas, Georgia Center. 706-542-6749. sarah.sorvas@georgiacenter.uga.edu.
THURSDAY, AUG. 9 ADVISEMENT For fall semester. TA/LA ORIENTATION As per TA policy, all graduate teaching and laboratory assistants are required to attend TA orientation at least once before their appointment begins. For those who are unable to attend the TA orientation on Aug. 9, a makeup orientation will be held Saturday, Aug. 25, in the Miller Learning Center. 8 a.m. Fourth floor, biological sciences building. 706-542-1355. zoe.morris@uga.edu.
FRIDAY, AUG. 10 REGISTRATION For fall semester.
SUNDAY, AUG. 12 FRESHMAN WELCOME The Student Alumni Association and the Office of the President are hosting this year’s Freshman Welcome. Those who attend will enjoy a pre-party in Reed Plaza, learn game day cheers and traditions, be welcomed by UGA President Jere W. Morehead and Coach Kirby Smart, hear from Student Alumni Council President Savannah Lockman and Student Government Association President Ammishaddai Grand-Jean and participate in the official Class of 2022 “G” photo on the field. 6 p.m. Sanford Stadium. alumni@uga.edu.
GEORGIA MUSEUM OF ART SHOWCASES ‘PRINCELY’ ART COLLECTION
By Savannah Guenthner
savannah.guenthner@uga.edu
From Russia to Finland to London to Massachusetts and now to Athens, Georgia, the BelosselskyBelozersky Collection has traveled the world. One Heart, One Way: The Journey of a Princely Art Collection is on view at the Georgia Museum of Art through Jan. 6. The collection, which still belongs to its original owners, is from the family of the Russian Princes BelosselskyBelozersky. Curator Asen Kirin’s expertise was crucial in organizing the exhibition and in presenting this art to the public. The Belosselsky-Belozersky Collection was formed in the mid18th century by philosopher and poet Prince Alexander Mikhailovich Belosselsky- B elozersky, a notable collector during the Enlightenment era. With the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, Prince Konstantin Esperovich Belosselsky-Belozersky moved the collection, along with the rest of his family estate, to Finland. In 1951, the entire assembly of works of art and historic documents crossed the Atlantic to be deposited in its American home located in Ipswich, Massachusetts, on the grounds of the large coastal estate established by Richard Teller Crane, the founder of Crane Industries. These heirlooms, which date from 1660 to 1952, include paintings, many of which are portraits, and specific valuable and sentimental objects to the family. The title of the exhibition comes from the Belosselsky-Belozersky family motto, which derives from a quotation from Jeremiah 32:39: “One heart, one way.” “The last two times a large number of these paintings were on public display were in St. Petersburg, in 1870 and 1905,” said Kirin, the art museum’s Parker Curator of Russian Art. “Several of the works that are now at the and more. $250. 8 a.m. Georgia Center. entomolo@uga.edu.
MONDAY, AUG. 13 CLASSES BEGIN For fall semester. DROP/ADD DATES Through Aug. 20. For fall semester undergraduate- and graduate-level courses. EATING INSECTS ATHENS Through Aug. 15. The EIA conference will bring together global experts and leaders in the edible insect movement for presentations, culture, food, science, yoga, music, documentaries
COMING UP ALLINGER LECTURE Aug. 14. “Light Chemistry: A Journey from the Mechanistic Studies to the Development of Light-Controlled Biomedical Tools,” Vladimir Popik, chemistry. 11 a.m. 400 chemistry building. 706-542-1953. vpopik@uga.edu. ARTFUL CONVERSATION Aug. 15. Callan Steinmann, curator of education, will lead a special session on Radcliffe Bailey’s “7 Steps.” 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662.
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.
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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.
Anton Graff’s portrait of Prince Alexander Mikhailovich BelosselskyBelozersky is part of the exhibition One Heart, One Way: The Journey of a Princely Art Collection on view at the Georgia Museum of Art through Jan. 6.
Georgia Museum of Art have never been published or seen outside their owners’ home. “In contrast, some of the portrait paintings gained fame through publications in the 19th and early 20th century, yet were considered lost in the turmoil of the Bolshevik Revolution,” Kirin also said.“Our exhibition will announce to the international scholarly community and to audiences around the world the survival of the famous paintings and the existence of other highly significant, hitherto unknown works of art belonging to the Belosselsky-Belozersky Collection.” Programs related to the exhibition include Toddler Tuesday Aug. 14 at 10 a.m. (free but space is limited; email sagekincaid@ uga.edu or call 706-542-0448 to reserve a spot); a Family Day Aug. 18 from 10 a.m. to noon; a lecture by Kirin Aug. 23 at 5:30 p.m.; and a scholarly symposium Sept. 21-22 that will include the art museum’s Alfred Heber Holbrook Lecture and the Lamar Dodd School of Art’s Shouky Shaheen Distinguished Lecturer in the Arts. All events are open free to the public unless otherwise indicated. gmoa@uga.edu. ANNUAL MEETING AND RECEPTION Aug. 16. The annual meeting of the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art will include highlights from the group’s activities and the presentation of the M. Smith Griffith Volunteer of the Year Award. Reception to follow. RSVP to gmoarsvp@uga.edu or 706-542-4199.5:30 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. FRIENDS OF THE GARDEN: GIGANTIC FLEA MARKET Aug. 18. Shop among gardening items, books, toys, jewelry, baby items and more. 8 a.m. Visitor Center, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6138. NEXT COLUMNS DEADLINES Aug. 1 (for Aug. 13 issue) Aug. 8 (for Aug. 20 issue) Aug. 15 (for Aug. 27 issue)
4 July 30, 2018 columns.uga.edu DAM
Photo courtesy of the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
INSIDE LOOK—UGA professor Paul Raymer, right, gives a tour of his turfgrass breeding
greenhouse to U.S. Sen. David Perdue, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue July 13 on the UGA campus in Griffin.
FUNDRAISING from page 1 and service. Through the Georgia Commitment Scholarship Program, which launched in January 2017, donors have established 260 need-based scholarships for students with unmet financial need. Last year, 92 of these scholarships were awarded to outstanding students who are now pursuing their dreams of earning a degree from the birthplace of public higher education in America. “UGA was where I wanted to pursue my education and reach my overall goals,” said Mitzi Samano Leano, recipient of the Ernesto and Jamie Perez Scholarship and the first in her family to pursue a college degree. “My scholarship is making that possible, and I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity.” This year, phase II of the Business Learning Community was completed, featuring Amos Hall, Benson Hall and Moore-Rooker Hall, each honoring major donors with strong ties to the Terry College. The third and final phase is under construction. The West End Zone project in Sanford Stadium also is nearing completion, largely supported by private donations. “It’s amazing to see all of the hard work and years of planning become a reality,” said Terry College of Business Dean Benjamin C.
remaining structures. Perhaps the greatest impetus for modifying the dam was its effect on fish and other wildlife. While there were two large breaches in the dam, it was difficult for many fish species to travel upstream, because they cannot swim fast enough through rushing water. Slowing this flow of water by modifying the dam allows native fish, such as the Altamaha shiner, robust redhorse and the American shad, to navigate the river more easily. A more open river also allows for the easy passage of recreational watercraft like canoes and kayaks. “This was also a safety issue for us, because the configuration of the water passageways through the dam was inherently dangerous for boaters,” Shelton said. Another safety concern associated with
LEARNING Ayers. “It’s already evident that the Business Learning Community will have an enduring impact on students, who will go on to achieve truly remarkable things as a result of their education here.” Donors helped to create 18 endowed faculty positions this year. The total is now 289, up from 227 five years ago. Faculty members such as Jose F. Cordero, the Gordhan L. and Virginia B. “Jinx” Patel Distinguished Professor in Public Health and head of the epidemiology and biostatistics department, is clear about how additional funding will help change lives. “The endowment provided by the Patel Distinguished Professorship in Public Health will be instrumental in expanding research and service opportunities in maternal and child health and will lead to healthier babies and mothers in Georgia and throughout the world,” he said. Morehead emphasized the importance of endowed faculty positions to further expanding UGA’s research enterprise. “Each new endowed position is an investment in the great potential of our faculty to expand the boundaries of knowledge, to answer the important questions of our time and to help improve lives and communities across this state, throughout the nation and around the world,” said Morehead.
LEAD from page 1 Development, a public service and outreach unit, through which they work on skills such as networking, teamwork and leadership. “The summer program is designed to bring people together for different disciplines and work on a central problem or focus,” said Rachael Hart, a second-year doctoral student studying neuroscience who participated in the program in 2016. “What a geneticist understands, I won’t. What an ecologist understands, I won’t. But if we can bring our forces together, we could solve a problem more effectively than if I tried to take it head-on myself.” Following the summer program, GS LEAD students continue with the program in the fall, where they complete a “Challenge Course” along with their other coursework. In this course, the students break into small groups and apply their collective knowledge to a project benefiting the community. Hart was part of a team—made up of Christian Anderson, Carly Duffy and Kevin Kirsche—that developed a plan for a community garden for the Wimberly Center for Community Development in Barrow County. The four students believed the garden could get children outside and give them the opportunity to learn how to garden. Above all, they thought it could help with the lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables in the area. “If we can get the kids to see how fun it can be to garden, and bring this home to their parents, then maybe it would have a generational effect instead of a temporary one,” Hart said. The group solicited input from administrators at the Wimberly Center
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and then created a 50-plus-page plan that outlined everything that needed to happen for the garden to succeed. The garden plan, along with site plans produced by students from the College of Environment & Design, will be included in a business plan for the center that Kent Wolfe, director of the UGA Center for Agribusiness, is drafting. When completed, it will enable the Winder Housing Authority secure a $200,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to further develop the Wimberly Center. “It is all flowing from the guide that students pulled together...it is coming together nicely, using a well thought-out plan,” said Michelle Yawn, executive director of the Winder Housing Authority. “How exciting to know that UGA is so supportive of what we are doing here in Barrow County.” GS LEAD is now in its third year, and the 2018 cohort consists of 14 students who are entering a diverse mix of doctoral programs that range from microbiology, pharmacy and forestry to history and theater. They spent two days of their first week learning firsthand the complexities and challenges facing communities during field trips to the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education in Atlanta, the Atlanta Regional Commission and the Athens Watershed Lake Herrick Project. The experiences of the Summer Academy will prepare them for the fall Challenge Course. Hart encourages other UGA graduate students interested in community service to participate in the program. “We are all really fortunate to be in school,” she said. “We can get out into a community, make ourselves more accessible, help where we can and use this gift of education.”
the dam was the accumulation of debris. During high flow periods, woody debris collected on the two existing openings, and Warnell staff had to periodically remove the branches, scrap wood and garbage carried down river, which can be dangerous work. UGA faculty and staff worked on the project with a number of agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, American Rivers, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Nature Conservancy. Personnel from UGA’s Odum School of Ecology and College of Engineering also contributed to the project. Now that the project is completed, it could serve as a model for other similar structures throughout the U.S. that are likely to be evaluated in the future.
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higher education. “We are doing this on a bigger scale and in a different way than anyone else,” said Vice President for Instruction Rahul Shrivastav, whose office is spearheading this effort. “So, we are writing the rules as we play the game. And that’s challenging, but it’s also fun.” Since the initiative started, UGA has been approached by university representatives in the SEC, Big 10 and Big 12 conferences as well as dozens of other small colleges and universities about how UGA got the program up and running. The experiential learning initiative was also featured at the Southeastern Conference’s academic summit in 2017, at a 2016 gathering of the Indiana University system and in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Two years in, how is a flagship university with more than 28,000 undergraduates fulfilling this promise? It started with setting a high bar. The job of establishing guidelines for what qualifies as a certified EL opportunity went to a faculty subcommittee, with representatives from across the university. The committee came up with a set of demanding but flexible criteria based around targeted learning outcomes. It included, among others, the prerequisites that students must be mentored and be involved in a sustained or intensive activity. In other words, not just any summer internship or service project will pass the test. To satisfy the requirement, EL opportunities have to be pre-approved by the student’s school or college and meet the guidelines. With the criteria in place, the Office of Instruction built a database for storing and tracking the courses and non-credit activities that meet the requirements. So far there are more than 3,500 opportunities. While experiential learning has long been part of many of UGA’s pre-professional programs, there was initial concern about the feasibility of ensuring science and humanities majors had a diverse range of opportunities. In STEM disciplines, undergraduate research is the most coveted EL experience. But it would be impossible to provide UGA’s 2,000-plus undergraduate biology majors with one-on-one research apprenticeships. For years, Erin Dolan, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and Georgia Athletic Association Professor of Innovative Science Education, has been investigating this dilemma: how to make undergraduate research scalable and effective. Dolan adapted a team-based research model called Vertically Integrated Projects, originally developed at Georgia Tech. It gives undergraduates the opportunity to individually work on a piece of a faculty member’s research—the kind that requires many minds and hands—while collaborating with faculty, graduate students and peers. “You can tackle problems in a way that you wouldn’t be able to if it was just one grad student or postdoc or a handful of folks in a research group,” Dolan said. “So, it not only benefits the students, it benefits the science.” And while humanities students like English majors are finding internships in publishing or presenting their original research at conferences, English professor Sujata Iyengar also adapted the Bard into a service-learning
experience. In her Shakespeare in the Classroom course, students can earn their EL credit by working with eighth-grade English teachers on their Shakespeare curriculum of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Hilsman Middle School in Athens. It not only helps her students determine whether they want to be teachers, Iyengar said, but “They also have a much deeper understanding of the play, because in order to teach something you have to level up, you have to know it better than the people you’re teaching it to.” Internships are a key component of experiential learning, and the university is working to adapt established internships into ones that meet the EL requirements. That’s where UGA’s size becomes an advantage. Students have diverse opportunities within the wide-ranging non-credit UGA units, whether through the university’s Public Service and Outreach programs, the Division of Student Affairs, the Office of Sustainability or the university’s libraries and museums. UGA is still working out how to maintain standards with external internships, but it is making progress by working with community partners. For example, the regional startup hub Four Athens, which supports 200 local businesses, is collaborating with UGA to create an internship program built around UGA’s experiential learning outcomes. In the program, a cohort of students are placed in local startups. To validate the learning experience, students regularly meet with their cohort and with mentors to share their work and experiences. With the program entering its third year, opportunities abound, Shrivastav said. The challenge is ensuring that every student can find an opportunity that reflects their interests and goals. But Shrivastav thinks UGA and its faculty are up to the challenge. “What has made this initiative successful so far is UGA’s strong culture that values teaching,” he said. “That’s a really distinctive feature at UGA, that we have people who are world-class researchers who also care about teaching.”
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