UGA Columns June 25, 2018

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Malware, cybersecurity research at UGA helps make the internet safer RESEARCH NEWS

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Organic Twilight Tour, corn boil spotlight work on UGA’s research farms

June 25, 2018

Vol. 45, No. 38

www.columns.uga.edu

UGA GUIDE

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UGA in Washington reception celebrates D.C. alumni, friends

By Kelundra Smith and Clarke Schwabe kelundra@uga.edu, ccschwabe@uga.edu

Photo courtesy of Kirk Meche

Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee, USA Today Sports

The UGA women’s track and field team won its first indoor national championship in March, and the UGA men’s track and field team captured its first outdoor national championship on June 8.

Championship season Track and field teams win first NCAA titles

UGA’s women and men’s track and field teams each won a national championship this season.

The men’s team captured its first national team track and field title June 8 at the NCAA championships in Eugene, Oregon.

The team title for the men comes three months after the women’s team captured its first team title at the 2018 NCAA indoor championships. The women’s team fell one point shy of sweeping indoor and outdoor nationals to take second June 9 at the NCAA track and field championships, which also were held in Eugene, Oregon.

Following the conclusion of the track and field season, head coach Petros Kyprianou and three UGA student-athletes received individual, national honors.

Freshman Lynna Irby and senior Keturah Orji have been named two of the 10 semifinalists for the Bowerman, which is given

annually to the nation’s most elite collegiate male and female.

Irby, a native of Indianapolis, Indiana, swept the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) South Region Indoor/Outdoor Women’s Runner of the Year honors in her first year with the Lady Bulldogs.

A native of Mount Olive, New Jersey, Orji was named the National Women’s Field Athlete of the Year for the fourth time by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

The honor made her the first four-time semifinalist (2015-2018) in USTFCCCA history. She was also one of three finalists for the Bowerman in 2016 and 2017.

With a total of eight NCAA titles indoors and outdoors, Orji is the most decorated Division I women’s field event athlete in history.

In the classroom, Orji is an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient after graduating in May

with a 3.97 in financial planning.

She will start her master’s degree program in sport management in the fall and is one of four nominees for Honda Sport Award for track and field.

Orji, junior Denzel Comenentia and Kyprianou earned national outdoor awards from the USTFCCCA. Orji, along with Arizona State’s Maggie Ewen, was named the National Co-Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year, Comenentia was named the National Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year, and Kyprianou was honored as the National Men’s Outdoor Coach of the Year.

Comenentia, a native of Amsterdam, Netherlands, is the National Men’s Field Athlete of the Year for the first time after sweeping the USTFCCCA South Region honors indoors and outdoors.

See TITLES on page 4

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

The nation’s capital felt like the Classic City when the University of Georgia hosted its annual UGA in Washington reception on June 20 at Union Station.

At the event, UGA alumni and friends in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area connected with one another as well as with UGA Vice President for Government Relations Griff Doyle.

More than 130 UGA alumni work on Capitol Hill. Among those in attendance at the reception were

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Sen. David Perdue.

Reps. Buddy Carter, Rick Allen, Karen Handel and Jody Hice also attended.

“It’s always a pleasure to host UGA in Washington because we get to meet with our terrific D.C. alumni,” said Meredith Gurley Johnson, executive director of alumni relations. “Georgia is well represented in the capital by our alumni working in the area and our students in Delta Hall.”

Since Delta Hall’s opening in 2015, more than 200 UGA students have taken classes,

See RECEPTION on page 4

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

CAES launches agricultural data science certificate program

By J. Merritt Melancon jmerritt@uga.edu

From remote moisture sensors that produce a real-time feed of soil conditions to drones that use optical data to spot plant disease, new streams of data will fuel the next green revolution.

Remote sensing technologies will offer farmers the ability to customize irrigation and fertilizer applications for areas that have unique characteristics within fields, which will reduce ecological impacts and costs. However, putting precision agriculture strategies into practice requires agricultural scientists who are equipped to interpret the data that these sensors generate.

In fall 2018, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will launch an interdisciplinary certificate in

agricultural data science to equip CAES graduate students with the data analysis expertise that they will need to capitalize on this big data revolution.

“In other disciplines— business and health care— programs that are focused on data science have already taken off,” said Harald Scherm, professor and head of UGA’s plant pathology department. “But there is no such formal program in agricultural data science. We think there is a need for that.”

CAES’ certificate program will be one of the first of its kind in the nation.

CAES faculty have heard from students, researchers and employers that there is a need for data analysis expertise in agricultural research and applied agricultural science, See CERTIFICATE on page 4

USG board of regents names Whitten president of Kennesaw State University

Morris named as interim senior vice president for academic affairs, provost

The Board of Regents named Pamela Whitten president of Kennesaw State University.

Whitten will begin her new position July 16.

Whitten has held the position of senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of Georgia since 2014.

“Dr. Whitten brings a deep commitment toward building an outstanding academic experience for students, as well as an uncompromising dedication toward quality research and leadership that will serve KSU and its community well,” said University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley. “We are excited about the feedback from students, faculty and staff who participated in Dr. Whitten’s campus visits. I look

University of Georgia President Jere W. Morehead has named Libby V. Morris as interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, effective July 16. A seasoned administrator and prolific scholar, Morris directs UGA’s Institute of Higher Education and holds the Zell Miller Distinguished Professorship of Higher Education.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Morris for her willingness to serve once again in this critical role,” said Morehead. “The University of Georgia is on a remarkable trajectory to new heights of excellence, and Dr. Morris will help ensure our great momentum continues and our major initiatives move forward during the national search for a

forward to seeing KSU thrive as she takes this important role.”

“It is an honor and privilege to join the KSU community,” Whitten said. “I am thrilled to be able to partner with the entire Owl Nation to Pamela Whitten champion our students, faculty and staff across Georgia and beyond.”

As UGA’s chief academic officer, Whitten oversees instruction, research, public service and outreach, student affairs and information technology—a portfolio that includes 17 schools and colleges with See WHITTEN on page 4

permanent provost.”

This marks Morris’ second stint as interim provost. Morehead selected her for the role in July 2013 when he assumed the presidency following a three-year tenure as UGA’s provost. DurLibby Morris ing her first interim assignment, Morris helped to expand interdisciplinary research and education, including overseeing a presidential hiring initiative to recruit more faculty members with interdisciplinary research interests.

She also played a major role in launching See MORRIS on page 4

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Digest ‘The Georgia Review’ celebrates spring issue with party on June 25

To celebrate its upcoming issue, The Georgia Review will host a reading by Elly Bookman, winner of the fifth annual Loraine Williams Poetry Prize.

The event will be held June 25 at 7 p.m. at Cine, which is located at 234 W. Hancock Ave. Sponsored by The Georgia Review and the National Endowment for the Arts, the event is open free to the public. A reception with light refreshments will follow the reading.

Georgia Review assistant editor Soham Patel will be the opening reader for the event, which also will include a musical performance by Cortez Garza.

Bookman’s poem “Lesson” will be published in the forthcoming issue of The Georgia Review. Bookman also has received the inaugural Stanley Kunitz Memorial Prize from the American Poetry Review.

Her poems have appeared, or are forthcoming, in the New Yorker, the American Poetry Review, the Florida Review and elsewhere. Bookman writes and teaches in her hometown of Atlanta.

The Georgia Review, an award-winning literary journal that publishes original poetry, fiction, essays, reviews and visual art, was founded at the University of Georgia in 1947.

Professors from Yale, Duke universities named Lillian Smith Book Award winners

James Forman Jr., Yale law professor, and Nancy MacLean, history professor at Duke University, are the 2018 recipients of the Lillian Smith Book Awards.

Forman’s Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America examines how mass incarceration, which disproportionately affects people of color, stems from the war on crime that began in the 1970s and was supported by many AfricanAmerican leaders in the nation’s urban centers.

Locking Up Our Own also won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction.

A former public defender, Forman uses research combined with that experience to look at how the crisis of mass incarceration in the U.S. was constructed incrementally over a 40-year period.

MacLean’s Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America looks at the history behind the libertarian movement to constrict the function of democratic governance.

MacLean is the William H. Chafe Professor of History and Public Policy at Duke. Democracy in Chains also is the winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and a finalist for the National Book Award.

Internationally acclaimed as author of the 1944 novel Strange Fruit, Lillian Smith was the most outspoken of white, mid-20th century Southern writers on issues of injustice. The Southern Regional Council established the award after her death in 1966. Today, the University of Georgia, the Georgia Center for the Book and Piedmont College join the SRC in presenting the awards.

UGA’s Green Lab Program recognized with award for sustainability initiatives

The UGA Green Lab Program received the Athens-Clarke County 2018 GreenFest Award for Business and Industry Waste Reduction. The award recognizes sustainability leaders in AthensClarke County who have gone above and beyond in the areas of environmental stewardship, innovative sustainable design and other community improvements.

Leadership in sustainability research, education and service is a hallmark of UGA’s 2020 Strategic Plan. The Green Lab Program, part of the Division of Finance & Administration, promotes and supports world-class science by engaging researchers in best practices that enhance safety, conserve resources and reduce waste.

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RESEARCH NEWS

Georgia malware, cybersecurity research helps make internet safer

By Leigh Beeson lbeeson@uga.edu

The internet has made many things easier. You can buy just about anything, make bank transactions and find information on almost any topic all without leaving the comfort of your living room couch.

With the increased connectivity, though, comes a new and ever-evolving threat: cybercrime.

The University of Georgia is fighting back with its recently established Institute for Cybersecurity and Privacy, a state hub for cybersecurity research and education.

Georgia is already reaping rewards from establishing the center by using the anti-malware software developed by the institute’s network security expert, Roberto Perdisci, to detect malware downloads on its own networks. The University of Alabama-Birmingham also is using Georgia’s tool to monitor its systems.

“Your antivirus software installed on your computer to protect against malware attacks will always be behind,” Perdisci said.

Such software scans downloads for malicious code, but cybercriminals have found ways to disguise malware as legitimate-looking code, enabling them to evade traditional security measures.

“I’m not saying the antivirus products are useless—they’re not useless—but they’re much less useful than they used to be,” Perdisci said.

That’s why he created AMICO, the open source software system that analyzes where downloads are sourced from online and detects malware downloads with startling accuracy, flagging 95 percent of malicious downloads on

Peter Frey

Roberto Perdisci’s work focuses on analyzing where downloads come from and detecting malware downloads.

a network serving tens of thousands of users and alerting network security personnel to malware other defenses missed.

Grants from the Department of Homeland Security and the National Science Foundation are helping take AMICO to the next level to get the software to a wider market than just institutions of higher education.

“Ideally,” he said, “users may not even notice that we’ve done something to improve cybersecurity because they will just go about their business without having to deal with malware infections, not having to deal with scams, not having to deal with anything else that is a potential threat.”

As Perdisci points out, cybercrime isn’t really that different from traditional crime. Both involve people who are determined to exploit vulnerabilities in systems and other people and profit from doing so. But one takes place in cyberspace,

making it slightly more intricate to track than crimes with physical evidence left behind. His work on understanding the mechanisms behind cyberattacks and the distribution of malicious software, however, is helping inform new ways of fighting back.

“Cybercrime will never go away completely,” Perdisci said. “But the investments in cybersecurity that universities like UGA are making are helping us get much, much better at fighting it. We may not eliminate it completely, but the important thing is to make cybercriminal activities less impactful, less damaging to normal users. That’s, I think, a realistic goal that we can and are working toward.”

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.

DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

UGA SKIDAWAY

New departmental directors named to Student Affairs leadership team

Skidaway Institute ship crew rescues stranded boaters

By Stan Jackson ugastan@uga.edu

The University of Georgia continues its commitment to student support and success, recently selecting new leaders for three Student Affairs departments.

Rosa Githiora has been named as director of Multicultural Services and Programs, and Erin Benson will serve as director of the Disability Resource Center. Yvette Leverett, who already led University Testing Services as associate director, has been promoted to director and joins the Student Affairs leadership team.

Githiora will serve as a key campus leader in efforts to foster a more inclusive, welcoming and equitable community for students at UGA. She will oversee advisement for 13 multicultural student organizations and direct The Intersection, a campus hub for student dialogue, community building and multicultural education.

In addition to serving as a primary point of contact and mentor for students, particularly those from underrepresented populations, Githiora will lead efforts to provide dynamic learning activities, programs and dialogues that engage the campus community and foster shared understanding.

She brings unique expertise in diversity and inclusion, previously serving as director of Global Diversity and Inclusion for Stratus Group Consultants, a Diaspora board member for the Center for Health Advocacy Network Gender

and Education, or CHANGE, in Nairobi, Kenya, and in leadership roles at Case Western Reserve University, the University of Toledo and the University of Akron.

Benson initially joined the staff of the Disability Resource Center in 2015 as senior coordinator and has served as senior assistant director since December 2016. Previously, she served more than nine years in student affairs at the University of North Georgia Oconee campus, including seven years working directly with students with disabilities.

As director, Benson will lead the university’s commitment to educate and serve students with disabilities, ensuring equal educational opportunities as required by the ADA and other legislation.

Leverett joined the University Testing Services staff in 2008 as coordinator and has served the past several years as associate director. As director, she leads University Testing Services’ efforts to provide centralized testing and evaluation services for students, faculty and the surrounding community.

Prior to joining the university, Leverett worked as a program director for Boley Centers, Inc., in St. Petersburg, Florida. Leverett’s experience in the fields of management and mental health services enables her to offer exceptional, tailored testing support for the university community.

Leverett was promoted this past spring, Benson’s appointment will be effective July 1, and Githiora will begin at UGA on July 16.

By Mike Sullivan

mike.sullivan@skio.uga.edu

A routine research cruise quickly turned into a lifesaving, nighttime rescue mission for the crew of UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography’s Research Vessel Savannah.

On June 8, the ship rescued two Florida fishermen who were clinging to the hull of their capsized boat in the open ocean, approximately 10 miles off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The Savannah was conducting a fish survey with a team from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration when, around 8:30 p.m., they were contacted by the Coast Guard to assist with a vessel in distress believed to be three and a half miles from the Savannah’s position. Captain Raymond Sweatte steered the Savannah toward the boat’s last known position, eventually coming across a capsized 24-foot boat with two fishermen holding on for dear life.

The fishermen were identified as Justin Desoto and Andy Odom out of Port Canaveral, Florida. They said the boat started taking on water.

Both fishermen were brought onboard and provided blankets and water.

A Coast Guard vessel met the ship and carried Desoto and Odom back to shore.

Afterward, the Savannah continued on with its original, planned research cruise and arrived back at its home dock at the UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography in Savannah on June 14.

UGAGUIDE

columns.uga.edu June 25, 2018

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

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

EXHIBITIONS

Kenneth Storey. Through July 1. Visitor Center, State Botanical Garden.

706-542-8717. wtonks@uga.edu.

Bloom Where You’re Planted: The Collection of Deen Day Sanders. Through July 29. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu.

A Legacy of Giving: C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry. Through Aug. 5.

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

Wrestling Temptation: The Quest to Control Alcohol in Georgia. Through Sept. 21. Special collections libraries. alexis.morgan@uga.edu.

TUESDAY, JUNE 26 THE REST OF THE STORY BOOK CLUB Monthly titles are selected (and discussions led) by special collections staff who help to create displays and programs. June selection: Brittle Innings by Michael Bishop. 5:30 p.m. 258 special collections libraries. 706-542-5788. jhebbard@uga.edu.

SWING DANCE NIGHT Choose between an East Coast Swing or Lindy Hop lesson from 7-8 p.m. Then enjoy an open dance from 8-10 p.m. No previous dance experience or partner necessary. $6, general admission; $4, students. 7 p.m. Visitor Center, State Botanical Garden.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27 ARTFUL CONVERSATION Join Callan Steinmann, curator of education, for a closer look at and conversation on O. Louis Guglielmi’s painting “Tenements.” 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu.

THURSDAY, JUNE 28 NATURE RAMBLERS Also July 5, 12 and 19. Join Nature Ramblers and learn more about the natural areas, flora and fauna of the State Botanical Garden. 9:30 a.m.

Fountain in front of Visitor Center, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6156. ckeber@uga.edu.

CLASS “Summer Perennials” focuses on the plants that thrive during the longest and hottest days of the year. Topics of discussion will include both woody and herbaceous plants that are at their most ornamental near the summer solstice, such as clematis, daylilies, iris and roses. Other topics include perennials that bloom in late summer, including tall phlox, coneflowers and rudbeckias. $20. 4:30 p.m. Visitor Center, Chapel, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6156. cscamero@uga.edu.

MUSEUM MIX The museum’s thrice-annual, latenight art party features a live DJ, free refreshments and galleries open until 11 p.m. 8 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu.

Organic Twilight Tour, corn boil to be held in late June

By J. Merritt Melancon jmerritt@uga.edu

From pollinators and pumpkins to corn and cattle, June is a great time to learn about what’s happening on the University of Georgia’s agricultural research farms.

At the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Durham Horticulture Farm and J. Phil Campbell Sr. Research and Education Center, it’s a tradition to open the gates each summer and show off the research being conducted at each farm. This year’s tours will be held the last week of June.

The researchers and staff at the Campbell Center, located at 1420 Experiment Station Road in Watkinsville, will host their annual farm tour and corn boil June 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Conceived as a way to introduce neighbors to the farm’s research back when the 1,055-acre farm was operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the center’s annual corn boil is just what it sounds like: a feast made from the corn grown on the property.

Since 2013, the Campbell Center has been the hub of CAES’ sustainable row crop and pasture research. From living mulch to rotational grazing for grass-fed beef, researchers here work to make traditional agriculture more profitable and sustainable.

FULL MOON HIKE Be prepared to hike up to 2 miles.

A backpack carrier is suggested for infants and young children. Preregistration is required. $5 per person or $15 per family. 8 p.m. Visitor Center fountain, State Botanical Garden.

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

FRIDAY, JUNE 29 CLASSES END For short session I.

Services will be provided by graduate student clinicians under the guidance and supervision of UGA faculty members with expertise and required credentials in speech-language pathology, special education and early childhood education. $500. Financial assistance or scholarships may be available; contact Amber Laws at 706-542-2413 or alacy0@uga.edu. 10 a.m. 593 Aderhold Hall.

TUESDAY, JULY 3

MIDTERM, WITHDRAWAL DEADLINE For thru term.

SUNDAY, JULY 1 CLASSIC CITY BAND ANNUAL PATRIOTIC CONCERT This annual concert includes popular and patriotic tunes. 8 p.m. Visitor Center, State Botanical Garden.

MONDAY, JULY 2 FINAL EXAMS For short session I.

DROP/ADD DEADLINE Through July 5. For short session II. CLASSES BEGIN For short session II.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4 INDEPENDENCE DAY No classes; offices closed.

MONDAY, JULY 9 GRADES DUE For short session I. Due by noon.

ORIENTATION, ADVISEMENT, REGISTRATION For short session II. SMOOTH DAWGS Through July 13. Smooth Dawgs is one of three summer intensive communication programs offered by the College of Education’s communication sciences and special education department.

Smooth Dawgs focuses on prolonged speech and offers a research-supported approach to smooth, fluent speech for adolescents and adults who stutter.

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/.

UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences researchers will host two open houses the week of June 25.

Van tours of the farm will depart every the farm June 28 from 6-8 p.m.

15 minutes and will highlight the farm’s For the past seven years, the Organic roughly 30 ongoing UGA research projects Twilight Tour at Durham Horticulture Farm related to sustainable farming systems, nutri- has provided the northeast Georgia farment cycling, water quality, organic production, ing community and those who are simply livestock grazing systems, forage breeding and curious about where their food comes from variety trials. with a chance to walk UGA’s 90-acre organic Lunch will be served at about 11:30 a.m. research and horticulture farm and learn the The researchers and farm managers at latest information about organic growing Durham Horticulture Farm, which is located methods. at 1221 Hog Mountain Road in Watkinsville, In case of inclement weather, the Organic will open the gates for an evening stroll around Twilight Tour will be held June 29.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11 SEAT IN THE SHADE The summer poetry series “Seat in the Shade” kicks off with a reading by poets Soham Patel and Jenny SadreOrafai. Patel is an assistant editor at Fence and The Georgia Review and is the author of several chapbooks and two full-length collections of poetry.

Sadre-Orafai has written two books and five chapbooks, and her collection of poetry, Book of Levitations, will be published next year. 5:30 p.m. Hendershots.

706-714-6474. cahnmann@gmail.com.

FRIDAY, JULY 13 COMMUNITY-BUILDING WORKSHOP In this workshop hosted by the College of Education’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, participants will learn skills related to generating awareness of how to leverage privilege for social change, initiating courageous conversations and dialogues across differences, consciousness-raising in speaking up and disrupting patterns of oppression and sustaining social change strategies that are consistent and meaningful.

This workshop counts toward the faculty/staff Certificate in Diversity & Inclusion. 9 a.m. G-23 Aderhold Hall. coedei@uga.edu.

FRIENDS FIRST FRIDAY Connie Cottingham will share events coming up in several locations; the best ways to discover events happening within a short drive; and apps, local organizations and online resources for learning about gardening and garden history. Includes a full breakfast. Register by July 6 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.

SUNDAY, JULY 15 MEETING Plants in the genus Oncidium and closely related orchid genera and hybrids are among the most easily grown and widely available orchids.

Dennis O’Connell will lead a discussion on Oncidium alliance plants and how to

TO SUBMIT A LISTING FOR THE MASTER CALENDAR AND COLUMNS Post event information first to the Master Calendar website (calendar.uga.edu/). Listings for Columns are taken from the Master Calendar 12 days before the publication date. Events not posted by then may not be printed in Columns.

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

grow them. 2 p.m. Visitor Center, Classroom 2, State Botanical Garden. northeastgaorchidsociety@gmail.com.

MONDAY, JULY 16 BIG DAWGS Through July 27. Big Dawgs is one of three summer intensive communication programs offered by the College of Education’s communication sciences and special education department. Big Dawgs includes evidence‐based intervention and enrichment in early literacy, speech and language production, and social communication for children in a creative, interactive atmosphere. $500.

Financial assistance or scholarships may be available; contact Amber Laws at 706-542-2413 or alacy0@uga.edu.

9 a.m. 593 Aderhold Hall.

COMING UP MIDTERM, WITHDRAWAL DEADLINE July 17. For short session II. BOOK SIGNING July 17. In Seeking Eden, authors Staci L. Catron, Cherokee Garden library director for the Atlanta History Center, and historic preservationist Mary Ann Eaddy promote an awareness of, and appreciation for, Georgia’s rich garden heritage. The stories of nearly 30 designed landscapes first identified in Garden History of Georgia, 17331933, published by the Peachtree Garden Club in Atlanta in 1933, have been updated and expanded. $15; free for Friends of the Garden and Athens Area Master Gardener Association. 6:30 p.m.

State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014. connicot@uga.edu.

NEXT COLUMNS DEADLINES July 3 (for July 16 issue) July 18 (for July 30 issue) Aug. 1 (for Aug. 13 issue)

4 June 25, 2018 columns.uga.edu WHITTEN

MORRIS from page 1

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37,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. Among other initiatives, during her tenure UGA hired 56 new faculty to reduce class sizes for undergraduates, increased external research support 37 percent, added 30 endowed chairs and professorships and increased summer enrollment by 25 percent.The campus also launched a new learning requirement to give undergraduates out-of-classroom experience through internships, research and other forms of experiential learning.According to the 2018 U.S. News & World Report rankings, over the past three years UGA has jumped from 21st to 16th among the top public universities in the nation.

Prior to joining UGA, Whitten’s career included working as director for telemedicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center before she joined the faculty at Michigan State University, where she worked her way up through the faculty

ranks before eventually serving as dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.

She is an internationally recognized expert in the field of telemedicine—the remote delivery of health care services and information—and has conducted research with nearly $30 million in funding from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Commerce. She has co-authored two books and published more than 100 peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters.

Whitten holds a doctorate in communication studies from the University of Kansas, a master’s degree in organizational communication from the University of Kentucky and a Bachelor of Science in management degree from Tulane University. Among other organizations, she sits on the boards of the UGA Athletic Association, UGA Foundation, Georgia Museum of Art and Georgia Humanities.

the Science Learning Center building project.

“My thanks to President Morehead for entrusting me once again with this assignment,” said Morris. “I am honored to step away from IHE for a limited time to provide leadership and support to the university during this important transition.”

From 2010 to 2013, Morris served as vice provost for academic affairs at UGA, in which she coordinated two major hiring initiatives to boost the number of tenure and tenure-track faculty. She also coordinated the launch of the UGA Arts Council in that role and oversaw the council’s first Spotlight on the Arts festival, which has become one of the

CERTIFICATE

university’s signature annual events. Morris has been a faculty member in the university’s Institute of Higher Education since 1989 and has served as its director since 2006. She serves as the current editor of Innovative Higher Education, an international journal focused on innovations in post-secondary education.

Morehead also announced that a committee will be formed later in the summer to lead a national search to select a permanent senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “I am confident that this position will attract a number of well-qualified applicants, and I look forward to getting the search process under way,” he said.

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RECEPTION from page 1

The interdisciplinary agricultural data science certificate will be offered in the fall.

Photo courtesy of Dennis Kan

UGA alumni and friends in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area had an opportunity to reconnect at a reception June 20. In attendance were, from left, Vice President for Government Relations Griff Doyle, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, Government Relations Assistant Samantha Cadet, Director of Federal Relations Carly McCallie and Government Relations Intern Cameron Keen.

participated in internships and immersed themselves in D.C.’s dynamic culture.

Many of those students remained in the area after graduation and stay connected to the university through the D.C. Dawgs alumni chapter.

The D.C. alumni chapter is one of

the most active in the country and hosts dozens of professional development and cultural events every year, in addition to game watching parties during football season. All UGA supporters are invited to participate in events and programs hosted by local alumni chapters.

Bulletin Board Summer fitness classes

Free fitness classes are being held for faculty/staff/retirees at the Ramsey Student Center through July 26 as part of UGA’s Well-being campaign.

Participants must have a Ramsey membership ($15/month) and register for Walk Georgia at walkgeorgia.org to help track and encourage physical activity.

A yoga class will be held Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. A cycle class will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:15-12:45 p.m.

Contact Kiz Adams by phone (706-542-7319) or email (walkga@uga.edu or wellbeing@uga.edu) with questions.

Strahan gate project

The piers and gate at the Jackson Street entrance to Owens Fountain will receive a preservation make-over this summer.

The gate doors will be removed, cleaned, primed and painted before reinstallation.

The piers, which have suffered a great deal of water damage since their construction circa 1950, will be rebuilt.

All of the work, which started June 20, will be done by UGA’s Facilities Management Division.

Current plans call for the project to be completed by July 20.

Parking permit

Registration for the first and largest­round of parking permits for the 2018-2019 school year will end June 29.

After this date, fewer permit assignments will be available, and employees will be placed on the waiting list for a parking permit.

Visit parking.uga.edu to register for a parking permit. Assistance with registration is available in the Parking Services Office weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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said Scherm, who worked with colleagues in the UGA statistics and computer science departments and in the UGA College of Engineering to develop the certificate program.

Through the certificate, current and future CAES graduate students will plan a schedule of elective and related courses that will complement their agricultural research and expose them to a range of principles and practices of data analysis.

“The goal of the graduate certificate is to develop a curriculum that will produce crossdisciplinary and cross-functional, data-smart graduates who can bridge the gaps between the generation, analysis and interpretation of complex data in the agricultural field,” Scherm said. “We’re not looking to train computer scientists, but we want them to be able to discuss data issues and incorporate analysis into their practice.”

A summer 2017 survey of CAES graduate students showed that almost 90 percent were interested in the certificate program, and almost 50 percent said they were definitely interested in learning to integrate big data science into their disciplines. The certificate program will be open to all graduate students at UGA but will be most helpful to those studying agriculture or environmental sciences, Scherm said.

CAES’ interdisciplinary certificate in agricultural data science will leverage UGA’s strength in agricultural research and UGA’s campus-wide informatics initiative to build a reputation as a leader in agricultural data science, Scherm said. Elective courses will be drawn from four colleges (CAES, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, and the

TITLES from page 1 In his third year as the Bulldogs’ head coach, Kyprianou also was named the 2017-2018 National Women’s Indoor Coach of the Year as well as the 2014 and 2015 National Women’s Indoor Assistant Coach of the Year during his days as an assistant at UGA. “I am proud to say our program is officially the best in the country as far as the numbers go since we finished first, first, second and third at the NCAA indoor and outdoor meets and scored a combined 104 points at this year’s outdoor meet,” said Kyprianou, who is in his 10th year with the UGA program. “Now it’s time to rejuvenate and get back to business.”

Clint Thompson

College of Family and Consumer Sciences) and two institutes (GII and Institute of Bioinformatics).

Many areas of agricultural research and practice generate big data streams, from consumer analytics to crop modeling, statistical genetics and precision agriculture, among others. Precision agriculture refers to farming in which data, collected from an ever-expanding array of sensors ranging from satellites to soilmoisture sensors, helps farmers decide how to vary the application of agricultural inputs like irrigation, pesticides and fertilizers within a field to meet crop needs rather than applying these inputs uniformly across the field.

This more judicious approach to using inputs is critical to helping farms increase their efficiency and profitability while reducing their ecological footprint, said George Vellidis, precision agriculture researcher, professor of crop and soil sciences, and director of academic programs at the UGA Tifton campus.

“With the increasing number of sensors that we use on a daily basis in agriculture, we are collecting terabytes of data each growing season, and precision agriculture has morphed into information agriculture,” Vellidis said.

“At the moment, we do not have the systems in place to fully mine these tremendous data sets and capture all the knowledge that is embedded in them. Our certificate will allow our graduates to do this.”

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