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Researchers find that high sugar content in ‘diet’ foods can lead to weight gain RESEARCH NEWS
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Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center to close season with May 22 show Vol. 44, No. 36
May 15, 2017
www.columns.uga.edu
UGA GUIDE
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Two UGA buildings named for leaders in business community By David Dodson ddodson@uga.edu
Dorothy Kozlowski
University of Georgia Regents’ Professor Michael Strand became the university’s eighth member of the National Academies with his election to the National Academy of Sciences.
‘Prestigious recognition’ UGA entomologist elected to National Academy of Sciences
By Sam Fahmy
sfahmy@uga.edu
University of Georgia Regents’ Professor Michael R. Strand has received one of the highest honors a scientist can receive—election to the National Academy of Sciences. Strand, who holds an appointment in the entomology department of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and an affiliated appointment in the genetics department of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, is UGA’s eighth member of the National Academies, which include the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine. “The University of Georgia commends Dr. Strand on this most prestigious recognition,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “Dr. Strand’s influential research is
representative of the high caliber of faculty at UGA and the strength of our growing research enterprise. It is an honor to have him represent this university in an organization of such tremendous national importance.” Strand’s primary research interests are in the study of the interactions among insects, parasites and microorganisms. Applications of his work focus on insects that are important to agriculture and that transmit human diseases such as malaria and Zika virus. His work has garnered nearly $28 million in external funding from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Science Foundation. He has published more than 220 research papers, and his findings have been cited at a level that places him in the top 1 percent of entomologists and among the top
5 percent in the fields of biology and biochemistry. “Dr. Strand’s work underscores the profound impacts that basic science can have on agriculture and human health,” said Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Pamela Whitten. “He exemplifies the kind of worldchanging research and instruction that make the University of Georgia one of the nation’s leading public universities.” Strand’s expertise is sought around the globe. He has delivered invited seminars and symposia in nearly every department of entomology in the U.S. and at universities and conferences in Europe, Asia, South America, Africa and Australia. In Athens, he has taught undergraduate survey courses in entomology and has mentored more than 50 doctoral students See SCIENCES on page 8
Two new University of Georgia buildings have been named in honor of donors with lasting connections to the Terry College of Business. Construction of Benson Hall and Moore-Rooker Hall is near completion as part of the second and largest phase of UGA’s Business Learning Community. The buildings are located on the Athens campus at the corner of Lumpkin and Baxter streets. “I want to thank these outstanding alumni for their tremendous
loyalty and support,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “Their generous gifts will enhance the learning environment for business students at the University of Georgia for generations to come.” The two new buildings adjoin Amos Hall, the centerpiece of Phase II’s construction, and are next to Correll Hall, which opened in 2015. “We are honored to name these buildings for such respected leaders in the business community. I am especially grateful for the faith and confidence these alumni have demonstrated in the future
See BUILDINGS on page 8
COMMENCEMENT
Speakers at graduation ceremonies share advice, welcome new alumni By Krista Richmond krichmond@uga.edu
Approximately 5,625 students met the qualifications to receive their undergraduate or graduate degrees and were welcomed as UGA’s newest alumni during spring Commencement ceremonies held May 5. Avery Hudson, who received her bachelor’s degree from the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, spoke to her classmates about entering “the freshman year of adult life” and challenged them to be kind, be there for others and be themselves. “We can do the things that scare us,” she said. “Let’s not be a class that acts out of fear. Let’s be a class who knows who we are. Let’s be a class who shows up. You can never be too much.”
Ernie Johnson Jr., a UGA alumnus and host for Turner’s NBA coverage and TNT’s Inside the NBA studio show, continued that theme in his Commencement address to the 4,456 undergraduates. “You can speak up for the person who has no voice. You can engage the forgotten. You can uplift the downtrodden. ... Look beyond your own needs and help somebody else with their needs,” he said. “So strive, and when you strive and succeed, do it with humility. Do it with gratitude. Do it with grace.” He also talked about the importance of doing what you love. “I hope you will recognize the difference, as your careers begin and continue, between ‘get to’ and ‘got to.’ Too many people out there See COMMENCEMENT on page 7
FRANKLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES SCHOOL OF LAW A passion for public health turns into a career for UGA’s Georgia Supreme Court justice to deliver law school address first African-American to earn a doctorate in statistics By Alan Flurry
aflurry@uga.edu
The first African-American to earn a doctorate in statistics at UGA, Stacy Cobb has turned a passion for public health into a career as a biostatistician. Along the way, Cobb has discovered an expansive capacity for learning, the importance of role models and the crucial role that confidence plays in the formula for academic success. She returned to UGA May 5 for Commencement ceremonies to receive the doctorate she earned in the Franklin College of Arts and
Sciences. As an undergraduate at Savannah State University, Cobb was among one of the first cohorts of STEM programs for Stacy Cobb minorities. “They really pushed us to stay in the science realm,” said Cobb, who said she’s loved math since her formative school years but didn’t always have the confidence necessary to succeed in a very challenging discipline.
Cobb’s success shows that developing the interest of young women and minorities in science and technology fields results from a combination of effective programs that encourage underrepresented groups in STEM fields as well as the enduring power of societal cues and role models. “Exposure and a more welcoming environment for women and people of color will help. The recent film Hidden Figures is a great example. I didn’t grow up knowing that women like that even existed,” Cobb said. “If the interest is sparked, then more people will See DOCTORATE on page 8
By Heidi M. Murphy hmurphy@uga.edu
Carol W. Hunstein, a justice serving on the Supreme Court of Georgia, will deliver the keynote address at the School of Law’s Commencement to be held May 20 at 10 a.m. Hunstein was appointed to the Georgia Supreme Court in November 1992, becoming the second woman in history to serve as a permanent member of the court. From 2009 to 2013, she served as the court’s chief justice. Previously, Hunstein served as a judge on the Superior Court
of DeKalb County.While serving on this judicial body, in 1989, she was appointed chair of the Georgia Commission on Gender Bias Carol Hunstein in the Judicial System. She also served as the district director of the National Association of Women Judges and was the first woman to serve as president of the Council of Superior Court Judges. By virtue of the See LAW on page 8