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UGA researchers are using living cells to change the course of chronic diseases RESEARCH NEWS
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Traveling exhibition opening June 1 focuses on art made of paper Vol. 46, No. 36
May 28, 2019
www.columns.uga.edu
UGA GUIDE
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Commencement speakers share defining moments
By Krista Richmond krichmond@uga.edu
Dorothy Kozlowski
Jennifer Young, who works in business services at the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel, enjoys one of the many rides, games and activities at this year’s Staff Appreciation Day.
Afternoon of thanks Staff Appreciation Day brings more than 3,000 UGA employees together
By Kellyn Amodeo
kwamodeo@uga.edu
The fifth annual Staff Appreciation Day, organized by the Office of the President, brought more than 3,000 UGA staff members together for an afternoon of food, music, games and relaxation. Coming the week after spring Commencement, the event was a way for the administration to recognize the hard work and contributions of staff. “This annual event is an exciting way to celebrate the hard work and dedication of the many contributions of our staff in support of the university,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “On behalf of the university, thank you for all you do.” For many UGA staff members, this event is a time to interact with others across campus. “This is my second time coming
to this event, and I love it,” said Layonta Hill of the Facilities Management Division. “This day brings us all together from all departments. It’s a great time of fellowship.” Activities included various games and entertainment, including lunch with live music by Back in Time and Tropical Breeze. Attendees had a chance to win prizes donated from event sponsors, local vendors and on-campus departments. Staff members like Tracy Coley are grateful for the outpouring of appreciation. “I think this is a great morale booster,” she said. “I know we’re appreciated all year, but on this day in particular where we’re allowed to get away from our offices and see people we don’t normally see, it’s fun. Thanks [to the administration] for taking the time to appreciate us.”
The event is planned by a committee from across campus. “The UGA Staff Appreciation Day event is an outstanding way for the University of Georgia to say thank you to our outstanding staff members,” said Arthur Tripp Jr., assistant to the president and chair of the planning committee. “This event is one that our planning committee looks forward to every year.” Marie Mize, president of the Staff Council, echoed the sentiment of appreciation. “We are extremely grateful to the Office of the President and to the Staff Appreciation Day Committee for a wonderful celebration,” she said. “It is a joyous event and is one more example of why the University of Georgia is a great place to work. Thank you everyone who helped make this year’s celebration so much fun.”
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Commencement is a defining moment in any student’s education. It marks the start of a career, the culmination of a scholastic journey or even the accomplishment of a goal. For ABC News correspondent Deborah Roberts, who delivered the address at the spring 2019 undergraduate Commencement ceremony, getting her degree in broadcast news from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication in 1982 was a defining moment—she was among the first in her family to go to
college. “Like so many of you, this was a particularly special moment of pride for me. I represented my parents’ wildest Deborah Roberts dream,” she said. “I hope you will hold on to this feeling—this deep-down, in-your-gut reservoir of endless power, happiness and hope. However you wound up here—whatever privilege you were or were not born with—however difficult
See COMMENCEMENT on page 8
OFFICE OF RESEARCH
Startup gateway generates $531M into economy across the country By Allyson Mann tiny@uga.edu
The University of Georgia’s startup program generates economic value of more than half a billion dollars annually, according to a new analysis. Startup companies created through Innovation Gateway, the university’s arm for research commercialization, have an economic impact of $531 million across the United States, including $322 million in the state of Georgia. “We’re thrilled to be able to attach an economic impact number to the university’s work in startups,” said Derek Eberhart, associate vice president for research and executive director of Innovation Gateway. “We know there’s a lot of value created by startup companies emerging from
UGA research, and we now have data that quantify that impact.” The study, conducted by UGA economist Jeffrey Dorfman, is the most comprehensive survey to date on the impact of UGA-assisted startups. Dorfman used data from Innovation Gateway’s 2018 survey of startup companies—including jobs created, payroll and operating expenses—to calculate an estimate of overall economic impact. Despite the impressive results, Dorfman’s study probably isn’t capturing all the relevant impact data, according to Eberhart. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” he said. “The startup survey is voluntary, and not all of the more than 175 companies based on UGA research provide a response. In addition, this study only captures a portion of the See STARTUP on page 8
GRADY COLLEGE
Georgia College Advising Corps celebrates Peabody Awards ceremony 10th year of counseling high school seniors celebrates Stories That Matter By Camie Williams camiew@uga.edu
Brionna Johnson always had big dreams of going to college. She did well in high school, but her parents and peers didn’t have any experience to offer help in figuring out how to apply to a university. “I didn’t even know what I didn’t know,” Johnson said. “I didn’t go to any college fairs. I didn’t study for the SAT/ACT. I didn’t know what a FAFSA (financial aid form) was until my orientation at the University of Georgia.” Many potential college students encounter those issues, especially
those with limited resources who are the first in their family to pursue higher education. To help students like Johnson, UGA’s Institute of Higher Education launched the Georgia College Advising Corps a decade ago as a resource in underserved high schools to guide seniors through their college admissions journey. The corps is comprised of 21 recent college graduates, many of whom were first-generation, underrepresented or low-income students themselves, to work alongside school counselors at 16 high schools throughout Georgia. Now, Johnson is a member
of the team. “Working as an adviser has helped me to dive deeper into my passion for service,” she said of her placement at Clarke Central High School in Athens. “I most enjoy building relationships with students and their parents or families and being able to give the advice and encouragement that I so badly needed when I was in their shoes. It has been so much fun getting to see students reach the goals they set for themselves.” The Georgia College Advising Corps program is one of 25 partners of the national College See ADVISING on page 8
By Margaret Blanchard mblanch@uga.edu
Peabody Awards honored the best stories in broadcasting and digital media May 18 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. The evening featured the traditional slate of powerful storytelling— from news and documentaries to groundbreaking entertainment television and compelling radio programs and podcasts—as well as special awards for people and institutions that have made an impact on the industry. The Peabody Awards are based at the Grady College of Journalism
and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. Ronan Farrow, a contributing writer for The New Yorker and an investigative reporter and producer based at HBO, served as host. Beloved entertainer Rita Moreno received a standing ovation upon accepting a Peabody Career Achievement Award presented by Mercedes-Benz for her stellar career spanning seven decades. The Puerto Rico-born actress shattered culture and color barriers in the pre-civil rights era, becoming one of the few artists of
See PEABODY on page 8
2 May 28, 2019 columns.uga.edu
HONORS PROGRAM
Four Franklin College students named 2019 Goldwater Scholars
HONORS PROGRAM
By Stephanie Schupska schupska@uga.edu
Stephanie Schupska
Diane Klement is one of 55 undergraduates from across the U.S. to be named a Udall Scholar.
Udall Scholar focuses on land preservation and art By Stephanie Schupska schupska@uga.edu
University of Georgia junior Diane Klement aspires to create strong bonds between people and the land, and her focus has earned her national recognition as a 2019 Udall Scholar. She was one of 55 undergraduates from across the nation and U.S. territories selected. The scholarship is awarded to sophomores and juniors on the basis of their commitment to careers in the environment, Native American health care or tribal public policy. Klement, from Evans, is majoring in ecology with a minor in studio art. An Honors student, she plans to pursue master’s degrees in environmental science and creative writing. She hopes to work as a director of land conservation and community stewardship and as a contributing writer and illustrator. “Diane is a most dedicated and deserving Udall recipient, and we congratulate her on earning this prestigious award,” said David S. Williams, associate provost and director of UGA’s Honors Program. “She has a strong record of service and achievement across the board—exploring and promoting conservation on national, state and local levels.” With the addition of Klement, UGA has had 13 Udall Scholars in the past nine years and 18 total since the scholarship was first awarded in 1996. Through work with conservation organizations, Klement hopes to expand their advocacy for preserving public lands and lands considered grey areas, such as farms, campus greens and roadside forests. These grey areas may lack land conservation statuses, she said, but can still serve as havens where nature flourishes. She also aspires to use her creative skills to write and produce visual art. “From Georgia to Montana to Colorado, Diane Klement has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to and boundless energy for environmental stewardship,” said Jessica Hunt, UGA’s major scholarships coordinator. “Her interdisciplinary, arts-focused approach to conservation is sure to have a tremendous impact on our respect for public lands and green spaces.” Klement was selected to participate in the Orion Environmental Writers’ Workshop this past March. Last fall, she studied human/land relations through the University of Montana’s Wild Rockies Field Institute. She has interned for the Great Old Broads for Wilderness, Cumberland Island Museum, Odum School of Ecology, Savannah Riverkeeper and Augusta Locally Grown. At UGA, she serves as a research assistant in the lab of Jeb Byers, Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor of Ecology. She was also involved in ecological problem-solving and as a Watershed Learning Network website artist, Odum School of Ecology volunteer and UGA’s Catholic Center Environmental Club founding member. She is a Wild Cumberland board member,Wild Intelligence youth mentor and member of the Georgia Society for Conservation Biology and UGA Chew Crew Restoration Initiative. She assisted with the UGA old-growth forest restoration plan and was a CURO research assistant. The Udall review committee also awarded 55 honorable mentions, including UGA’s McKenna Barney. An Honors student and Foundation Fellow, she is a junior studying economics, geography and mathematics. The Udall Scholarship provides up to $7,000 for eligible academic expenses and includes a four-day orientation in Tucson, Arizona. The Udall Foundation was established in 1992 to honor Rep. Morris K. Udall for his 30 years of service to the U.S. Congress. Legislation in 2009 incorporated the name of his brother, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall. The independent agency conducts programs that promote leadership, education, collaboration and conflict resolution in the areas of the environment, public lands and natural resources.
University of Georgia third-year students Monte Fischer, Mackenzie Joy, Kaitlin Luedecke and Sarah Saddoris are among 496 undergraduates from across the nation to be recognized as Barry Goldwater Scholars, earning the highest undergraduate award of its type for the fields of the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. The increased number of national Goldwater Scholars in 2019—more than double last year’s 211—is the result of a new partnership between the Goldwater Foundation and the Department of Defense National Defense Education Programs, which views the partnership as a way to maintain global competitiveness and security in the U.S. Fischer, from South St. Paul, Minnesota, is majoring in mathematics and computer science and is working toward a master’s degree in mathematics. Joy, from Woodstock, is majoring in physics and astronomy. Luedecke, from Peachtree City, is majoring in chemistry with a focus on chemical synthesis. Saddoris, from Greenville, South Carolina, is majoring in plant biology and working toward a master’s degree in bioinformatics. All four are students in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “I am pleased that UGA has once again received the maximum number of Goldwater Scholarships awarded to any institution in a single year,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “The University of Georgia is proud of these four students and all they have achieved so far as undergraduates.” Since 1995, 60 UGA students have received the Goldwater Scholarship, which recognizes exceptional sophomores and juniors across the nation. This year marks the first time since 2012 that UGA has had four recipients and the sixth time it has happened in the last 21 years. “Individually, each of these students richly deserves recognition by the Goldwater Foundation for their hard work and research excellence,” said David S. Williams, associate provost and director of the Honors Program.“Together, they represent the strength of UGA’s undergraduate research program.” T h i s y e a r, a w a r d e e s w e r e selected from a field of more than 5,000 sophomores and juniors nominated by 443 academic institutions nationwide. Each awardee will receive up to $7,500 toward the cost of tuition,
Stephanie Schupska
UGA’s 2019 Goldwater Scholars are, from left, Kaitlin Luedecke, Monte Fischer, Mackenzie Joy and Sarah Saddoris.
fees, books, and room and board. “The Goldwater Scholarship is a major accomplishment for these students as they build a distinguished body of work as undergraduates,” said Alan T. Dorsey, dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “This prestigious affirmation of their abilities is a testament to our instructional capabilities across the STEM disciplines at UGA, where our faculty create a platform for young scholars to thrive.” Fischer, an Honors student and Foundation Fellow, plans to pursue a doctorate in mathematics to investigate questions of stochastic processes, probability and computation. Through a summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts in 2018, Fischer learned how to apply tools of mathematics and statistics to model financial markets. Previously, he worked on research with UGA’s Neil Lyall and Georgios Petridis in the mathematics department in an effort to improve Plünneke’s inequality, a foundational result in the subfield of mathematics called additive combinatorics. Joy, an Honors student and Foundation Fellow, plans to earn a doctorate in theoretical cosmology or particle physics, teach at the university level and support young women in physics. She intends to research the pre-inflationary universe, large-scale cosmic structure and missing pieces of the Standard Model to help build a more complete picture of the universe. She has presented at meetings of the American Astronomical Society,
American Physical Society Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics and CURO Symposium. Luedecke, an Honors student and Foundation Fellow, plans to pursue a doctorate in chemistry, specializing in inorganic chemistry with a focus on carbene chemistry, and teach at a research university. She plans to develop mentorship and outreach opportunities for females in STEM at the sub-collegiate level. She conducts research under the mentorship of UGA Foundation Professor Gregory Robinson in his inorganic chemistry lab. She has presented at the southeastern and national meetings of the American Chemical Society, CURO Symposium, UGA’s Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunities Symposium and UGA Chemistry Club meeting and has published in the journal Dalton Transactions. She was an invited participant at the American Chemical Society’s Inorganic Undergraduate Symposium. Saddoris intends to pursue a doctorate in plant genetics. She is interested in the mechanisms and functions of the various pathways in plants responsible for controlling gene expression during development and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses such as pathogens and drought. She currently works as a research technician in the laboratory of UGA associate professor and Lars G. Ljungdahl Distinguished Investigator Robert Schmitz, which focuses on plant epigenetics and epigenomics. She researches the mechanisms of histone H3 lysine 36 trimethylation in plants.
PUBLIC SERVICE AND OUTREACH
College of Education, Cooperative Extension faculty named PSO Fellows for their research and training Faculty members from the College of Education and Cooperative Extension, in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, have been named Public Service and Outreach Faculty Fellows for 2019-20. Darris R. Means, in counseling and human development services at the College of Education, will work with the Archway Partnership to study the tools, skills and resources that rural high school Darris Means students need to prepare for college. The research is designed to help underserved populations—such as African American, lowincome and first-generation college students from rural Georgia—succeed
in higher education. Means’ studies, which include data collected from Pulaski and Candler counties, will be replicated and expanded to include more Archway Partnership communities so that the Archway professionals there can make data-informed decisions to improve educational attainment across the state. Svoboda “Bodie” Vladimirova Pennisi, a full professor and UGA Cooperative Extension specialist at the UGA Griffin campus, will work with the Small Business Development Center to implement online Svoboda Pennisi learning opportunities. Pennisi’s online business training module will be designed to
help entrepreneurs and managers run a successful landscape management business by covering critical topics such as financials, marketing, cost estimating, employee retention and customer service, all catered to the landscape management field. In the future, the module will be used across UGA Extension and adopted for a new online class for undergraduate students. An experienced online educator, Pennisi will apply her horticulture and landscape expertise to help small businesses across Georgia. Launched in 2011, the Faculty Fellows program provides professors with an opportunity to apply their research and course curriculum to the needs of a specific PSO unit. As a result of the program, departments across the university have a sustained relationship between the designated unit and the Faculty Fellows’ departments.
RESEARCH NEWS
columns.uga.edu May 28, 2019
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Digest UGA Presents unveils lineup for 20192020 season; tickets now on sale
GREAT COMMITMENTS Peter Frey
Researchers including, from left, Lohitash Karumbaiah, Luke Mortensen, Steven Stice and Art Edison are working to discover cures for chronic diseases.
Collaborating with purpose UGA researchers using living cells to change course of disease
By Charlene Betourney cbetour@uga.edu
Aging baby boomers are driving the graying of America. For the first time in U.S. history, the Census Bureau projects that by 2035, seniors will outnumber children. And as the population grays, a dark cloud of uncertainty over rising health care costs looms in the distance. Health care spending is projected to accelerate over the next decade, and a RAND study found that 60% of American adults now live with at least one chronic condition. Chronic diseases, such as asthma, cancer, diabetes and heart disease, cost Georgia approximately $40 billion each year, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Steven Stice, GRA Eminent Scholar of Regenerative Medicine at the University of Georgia, believes one solution to combat the cost of chronic disease is producing cell-based therapies—products designed to cure and promote self healing—in much larger quantities and more consistent quality. And Stice is not alone. Over the next five years, Stice will lead UGA researchers from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Regenerative Bioscience Center as they work to transform the
manufacturing of cell-based therapeutics. The UGA team is working closely with a multidisciplinary consortium, called the Center for Cell Manufacturing Technologies, or CMaT, backed by the National Science Foundation. The CMaT research consortium, consisting of more than 100 members working in universities, industry and government agencies, is headquartered in Atlanta at Georgia Tech, as part of the Marcus Center for Therapeutic Cell Characterization and Manufacturing. The collaboration between scientists, researchers and manufacturers is centered on discovering lifetime cures for escalating chronic diseases and bringing them to patients. These types of curative therapies have the potential to keep populations healthier longer and reduce the cost of health care. Cell-based therapies or “living therapies” have the potential to cure disease, where most drug therapies only treat symptoms. For example, CAR-T cells, short for chimeric antigen receptor T cells, are removed and modified from a patient’s own immune system. Once lab modified, the collected cells are placed back in the body to detect and kill cancer cells. But the entire process can take weeks to complete, and that’s not the only obstacle.
“CAR T-cell therapy is expensive, and treatment is specific to each individual. Today’s process is one patient, one batch,” said Stice. That’s why CMaT researchers are working to make this effective treatment more efficient, so thousands can benefit from a batch. UGA, ranked No. 1 in bringing new products to the market, is uniquely positioned to fill the need of early stage biotechs. CMaT is building on UGA’s commitment to fostering innovation and economic development. The partnership shows promise in translating research into products and jobs with industry partnerships ranging from large life science companies, such as ThermoFisher Scientific and Celgene, to small startup businesses, like Vicapsys. “By bonding together around a common goal and CMaT’s crossinstitutional investments,” Stice said, “we will have a greater impact on the development and the prosperity of each other’s local economies, as well as that of the state of Georgia.” 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.
COLLEGE OF PHARMACY
College of Pharmacy, CDC develop new CCHF vaccine Research teams at the University of Georgia have successfully discovered a single-dose vaccine that provides complete protection against the CrimeanCongo Hemorraghic Fever, or CCHF, virus in mice, a disease that poses a public health risk and has the potential to cause a major epidemic. Results of the study have been published in Emerging Microbes and Infections. The study was led by associate professor Scott Pegan at UGA’s College of Pharmacy department of pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control, led by Éric Bergeron. Since December 2015, the World Health Organization has maintained a list of Blueprint priority diseases in an effort to accelerate the research and development of urgently needed vaccines and drugs to treat them. This list includes diseases that have the
potential to cause major epidemics and no effective treatment or vaccine exists to combat them. In February 2018, WHO reviewed its Blueprint for the prevention of epidemics and placed Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever at the top of the priorities list. This tickborne viral disease is found throughout Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and Asia and has the potential to emerge in Western Europe as evidenced by two recent cases in Spain. First described in Crimea in 1947 and later in the Congo in 1956, CCHF has a high fatality rate: Between 10% and 40% of cases end in death. In some regions, the fatality rate is as high as 80%. CCHF is acquired through bites from infected ticks of the genus Hyalomma and is also spread by contact with infected animals, such as
goats and sheep, or handling infected animal tissue during slaughter. This virus can be spread from human to human in hospitals, placing medical workers at risk. Travelers to regions where infected ticks are found may also contract CCHF. Often occurring in remote regions, CCHF is difficult to prevent. There is no therapeutic treatment for this disease. Antiviral drugs, such as ribavirin, have not proven effective as a method to treat CCHF. UGA and the CDC have filed a joint patent for the new vaccine. The article, “Single-dose replicon particle vaccine provides complete protection against Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in mice,” was published in Emerging Microbes and Infections. The study was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
University of Georgia Performing Arts Center Director Jeffrey Martin has announced the roster of artists for 2019-20. The upcoming season will include 35 events in seven different series showcasing the world’s premier entertainers. In addition to the regularly scheduled series, UGA Presents will feature two special events: the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis on March 28 and Tony winner Patti LuPone in her one-woman show, “Don’t Monkey with Broadway,” April 24. The season opens Sept. 6 with a concert by the Aaron Diehl Trio, featuring virtuoso jazz pianist Diehl, bass player Paul Sikivie and drummer Quincy Davis. Subscription packages are now on sale for the 2019-20 season with savings up to 25% off single ticket prices. Subscriptions can be purchased online at pac.uga.edu or by calling 706-542-4400. Tickets can also be purchased at the Performing Arts Center box office, 230 River Road. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
The Georgia Review to launch spring issue with May 31 reading, reception
The Georgia Review will celebrate the launch of its spring 2019 issue May 31 with a reading and reception featuring poets Natasha Trethewey and Ama Codjoe. Open free to the public, this event will take place in the Georgia Museum of Art auditorium at 7 p.m. with a reception to follow in the museum’s Grand Hall. Copies of Trethewey’s books and The Georgia Review will be available for purchase, and ASL interpretation will be provided. The reception will also include live music and light refreshments. Attendees may park for free in the UGA Performing Arts Complex deck. A UGA alumna and the 19th Poet Laureate of the U.S, Trethewey was the final judge for The Georgia Review’s sixth annual Loraine Williams Poetry Prize competition in 2018, selecting Codjoe’s “Etymology of a Mood” as the winner of the $1,000 award. The poem is the lead piece in the spring 2019 issue of The Georgia Review.
UGA to host regional quantum computing workshop on June 7
UGA will host a regional workshop on quantum computing and quantum information science June 7 at the Center for Simulational Physics in the Physics Building. The third Southeast Quantum Computing Workshop is free, but registration is required. The workshop will cover all aspects of quantum computing and quantum information science. Quantum computers, which use quantum states of subatomic particles to store information, were initiated as a field in 1980, and though its development remains in the early stages, some online capabilities are now available. Large-scale quantum computers could spur development in science, medicine and infrastructure by tackling problems that are not practically feasible on classical computers. Invited speakers for the workshop include Francesco Evangelista, assistant professor at Emory University; Amara Katabarwa, quantum physicist at Zapata Computing, Inc.; and Siddarth Srinivasan, doctoral student at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The growing impact and capacity of quantum computing is the focus of the regional workshop, which will offer researchers an opportunity to share short presentations. Visit https://bit.ly/2VvVYAb to register.
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4 May 28, 2019 columns.uga.edu
RESEARCH NEWS
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
UGA’s first-generation student success honored By Tracy Coley tcoley@uga.edu
Over the past several years, the University of Georgia has launched programs and created opportunities to support the success of first-generation students through partnerships between the Office of Instruction and the Division of Student Affairs. Now UGA is being honored for its commitment through selection in the inaugural cohort of 80 First Forward Institutions by NASPA–Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Developed by the Center for First-generation Student Success, an initiative of NASPA and The Suder Foundation, the First Forward designation recognizes institutions of higher education committed to improving experiences and advancing outcomes of first-generation college students. Selected institutions receive professional development, community-building experiences and a first look at the center’s research and resources. Last fall, the Office of Academic Advising Services received funding from the President’s New Approaches in Diversity program to launch 1st at the First, a holistic effort to serve first-generation students at UGA, the birthplace of public higher education in America. The 1st at the First Leadership Institute provides opportunities for students to meet other first-generation students while developing their leadership and professional skills. The inaugural cohort graduates from the institute this May and will become 1st at the First Ambassadors for the next cohort of UGA firstgeneration students. “The University of Georgia has long supported our first-generation students through academic and student life programming,” said Associate Vice President for Instruction Naomi Norman. “Realizing the critical importance of supporting our first-generation students before they set foot on campus, we have ramped up our efforts in the last two years to ensure they don’t just succeed in their first year, but to prepare them for their entire college career and beyond.” Other first-generation resources at UGA include the First Generation Handbook, which includes information about how college works and what to expect at UGA, as well as a dictionary of the vocabulary of higher education, an overview of the critical resources on campus and a preview of some of the changes students may experience as they transition from home to UGA. The handbook is also available in Spanish, Korean and Chinese for students’ families and supporters. Programs in UGA’s Division of Academic Enhancement advance the success of first-generation students. Some of these include Early Start | Early Success, an opportunity for first-generation students to start their college career early by becoming part of TRIO Student Support Services and attending the Freshman College Summer Experience, a transformative four-week academic residential program for a diverse community of first-year students. In addition, the DAE offers first-gen and other students a variety of resources, including course tutoring, study pods, academic coaching, innovative UNIV courses that assist first-year students with the transition from high school into higher education, student success workshops and networking opportunities. Several scholars programs like the CocaCola First Generation Scholarship program and the ALL Georgia program serve as integrated networks of support for underserved students from their first year to degree completion. “The center is so pleased to welcome the University of Georgia into our inaugural cohort of First Forward institutions. Through the application process, it was evident that UGA is not only taking steps to serve first-generation students, but is prepared to make a long-term commitment and employ strategies for significant scaling and important advances in the future,” said Sarah E. Whitley, senior director of the Center for First-generation Student Success.
‘Finding a needle’
Leidong Mao, right, and doctoral student Yang Liu are researching ways to isolate circulating tumor cells from blood.
Scientists develop technology to capture tumor cells By Mike Wooten
mwooten@uga.edu
Instead of searching for a needle in a haystack, what if you were able to sweep the entire haystack to one side, leaving only the needle behind? That’s the strategy researchers in the University of Georgia College of Engineering followed in developing a new microfluidic device that separates elusive circulating tumor cells from a sample of whole blood. CTCs break away from cancerous tumors and flow through the bloodstream, potentially leading to new metastatic tumors. The isolation of CTCs from the blood provides a minimally invasive alternative for basic understanding, diagnosis and prognosis of metastatic cancer. But most studies are limited by technical challenges in capturing intact and viable CTCs with minimal contamination. “A typical sample of 7 to 10 milliliters of blood may contain only a few CTCs,” said Leidong Mao, a professor in UGA’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the project’s principal investigator. “They’re hiding in whole blood with millions of white blood cells. It’s a challenge to get our hands on enough CTCs so scientists can study them and understand them.” Circulating tumor cells are also difficult to isolate because within a sample of a few hundred CTCs, the individual cells may present many characteristics. Some resemble skin cells while others resemble muscle cells. They can also vary greatly in size. “People often compare finding
CTCs to finding a needle in a haystack,” said Mao. “But sometimes the needle isn’t even a needle.” To more quickly and efficiently isolate these rare cells for analysis, Mao and his team have created a new microfluidic chip that captures nearly every CTC in a sample of blood—more than 99%—a considerably higher percentage than most existing technologies. The team calls its novel approach to CTC detection “integrated ferrohydrodynamic cell separation,” or iFCS. They outline their findings in a study published in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Lab on a Chip. The new device could be “transformative” in the treatment of breast cancer, according to Melissa Davis, a geneticist at Weill Cornell Medicine and collaborator on the project. “Physicians can only treat what they can detect,” said Davis, who was recruited to Weill Cornell Medicine as an associate professor of cell and developmental biology in surgery.“We often can’t detect certain subtypes of CTC’s with current FDA approved devices, but the iFCS device will capture all subtypes of CTC’s and allow us to determine which subtypes are the most informative concerning relapse and disease progression.” Davis believes the device may ultimately allow physicians to gauge a patient’s response to specific treatments much earlier than is currently possible. While most efforts to capture circulating tumor cells focus on identifying and isolating the few CTCs lurking in a blood sample, the iFCS takes a completely different approach by
eliminating everything in the sample that’s not a circulating tumor cell. The device, about the size of a USB drive, works by funneling blood through channels smaller in diameter than a human hair. To prepare blood for analysis, the team adds micron-sized magnetic beads to the samples. The white blood cells in the sample attach themselves to these beads. As blood flows through the device, magnets on the top and bottom of the chip draw the white blood cells and their magnetic beads down a specific channel while the circulating tumor cells continue into another channel. The device combines three steps in one microfluidic chip, another advance over existing technologies that require separate devices for various steps in the process. “The first step is a filter that removes large debris in the blood,” said Yang Liu, a doctoral student in UGA’s department of chemistry and the paper’s co-lead author. “The second part depletes extra magnetic beads and the majority of the white blood cells. The third part is designed to focus remaining white blood cells to the middle of the channel and to push CTCs to the side walls.” The researchers say their next steps include automating the iFCS and making it more user-friendly for clinical settings. They also need to put the device through its paces in patient trials. Mao and his colleagues hope additional collaborators will join them and lend their expertise to the project. The project was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.
COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Study identifies lifestyle factors that could cause hardening of arteries By Lauren Baggett lbaggett@uga.edu
A new study from the University of Georgia pinpoints lifestyle factors that could lead to hardened arteries. One of the largest of its kind, the study performed an untargeted metabolomics profile of more than 1,200 participants of the Bogalusa Heart Study to identify metabolites linked to the hardening of arteries. Hardening arteries, or arterial stiffness, is an independent risk factor for heart disease and death, and the mechanisms that contribute to arterial stiffening are not well understood. That’s where metabolomics can help pull back the curtain on how and when arterial stiffness begins to occur.
Metabolomics is the study of metabolites, which are created each time there is a transfer of energy in the body. Metabolites play a key role in maintaining the body’s normal function, and changes in metabolite levels can reflect how environmental factors, like smoking, diet or pollutants, influence health. “Metabolomics can accurately measure the amount of exposures entering the body,” said study author Changwei Li. “In this study, we identified many metabolites related to coffee drinking, alcohol drinking, Southern foods, dietary supplements, and even pesticides,” said Li, an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at UGA’s College of Public Health. Using the most up-to-date panel of metabolites, Li and
his colleagues ran an analysis on participant blood samples, looking for environmental exposures that had an impact on measures of arterial stiffness. The study found 27 new metabolites associated with arterial stiffness. “We were able to identify some environmental and lifestyle related-metabolites, build metabolite networks to show how the body reacts to the environmental exposures, and more importantly, tested the effect of those metabolites on arterial stiffness,” said Li. To be clear, said Li, the current study is a snapshot of metabolites. The relationship between some of the metabolites and arterial stiffness over time is unclear, and he has plans to run this study again using longitudinal data.
UGAGUIDE
columns.uga.edu May 28, 2019
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
Jean Mann. Through June 23. Visitor Center, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014. connicot@uga.edu. Corals, from Sea to Screen. Through June 28. Atrium, Ecology Building. 706-542-7247. bethgav@uga.edu.
Under the Big Top: The American Circus and Traveling Tent Shows. Through July 5. Special collections libraries. 706-583-0213. jhebbard@uga.edu. Sculptured Adornment: The Jewelry of David Hayes. Through July 28. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu. Our Town and Beyond: Works by Early Members of the Athens Art Association. Through Aug. 11. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu. Out of the Darkness: Light in the Depths of the Sea of Cortez. Through Oct. 27. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-1817. hazbrown@uga.edu. Storytelling in Renaissance Maiolica. Through Jan. 5. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu.
TUESDAY, MAY 28 RAMADAN Through June 4. Islamic religious observance. FACULTY/STAFF GOLF LEAGUE Also June 4 and 11. All UGA faculty and staff of every skill level are welcome to join each Tuesday evening of daylight saving time for 9-hole events in individual or team formats. Weekly and season-long winners will receive golf shop credits. Entries into weekly events are on a first-come, first-served basis. Weekly event entry fee is $5 per player. League 9-hole green fee is $11.85 including tax; 9-hole cart fee is $10.17 including tax. 5 p.m. UGA Golf Course. john.crumbley@uga.edu.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 29 TOUR AT TWO Tour of highlights from the permanent collection led by docents. 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu. PROJECT STATUS REPORT TRAINING This in-person training on the new Project Status Report is targeted at faculty and staff, particularly those who need help determining the balance on a sponsored project. RSVP to cathya15@uga.edu to reserve a spot. 3 p.m. C128 Davison Life Sciences Complex. 706-542-9441. MIDWEEK MELODIES Also June 5. Singer-songwriter Caroline Aiken has performed and recorded with many national acts and toured the U.S. but calls Athens her home. Enjoy free concerts on Wednesday evenings in May and June in the Pecan Tree Courtyard or inside if it’s raining. 5:30 p.m. Pecan Tree Courtyard, Georgia Center. 706-542-1932. john.parham@georgiacenter.uga.edu.
THURSDAY, MAY 30
GARDEN EARTH EXPLORERS Also June 1, 6 and 8. Join members of the State Botanical Garden of Georgia’s education team as they bring a new program to the Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden called Garden Earth Explorers. Families enjoy a morning of adventure discovering Garden Earth through songs, puppets, stories, hikes, activities or games. The Garden Earth Explorers program is an informal way to give young naturalists a better understanding about the importance of this planet. Thursday mornings will be geared towards ages 3-6, and Saturday mornings will capture the interest of more advanced learners ages 7-10. This event will not take place during inclement weather or a scheduled festival. 10:15 a.m. Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6156. cscamero@uga.edu.
FRIDAY, MAY 31 ASCB REGIONAL MEETING The American Society for Cell Biology has selected UGA as a site for its inaugural regional meeting: Teaching Tomorrow’s Scientists: An ASCB Regional Meeting. The goal of this meeting is to promote professional development and networking among life science educators who don’t have the time or funds to travel to the national meetings. This day-long meeting is designed for a teaching-intensive audience of life scientists. The meeting will include biological research and education research plenaries, a poster session, a networking lunch, afternoon workshops and an end-of-day networking mixer. The cost is $40 for ASCB members and $50 for nonmembers, which includes coffee breaks, lunch and an end-of-day mixer. 8 a.m. Coverdell Center. MRI SAFETY TRAINING Bio-Imaging Research Center provides MRI safety training for individual researchers and their teams directly using BIRC resources. Sign up for this course at least 48 hours prior to the preferred time/date. 1:30 p.m. 339 Coverdell Center. kmason@uga.edu.
MONDAY, JUNE 3 EXHIBITION OPENING Now and Then: 1979. Through Dec. 24. Russell Gallery, special collections libraries. 706-542-5788. washnock@uga.edu.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5 EID AL-FITR Islamic religious observance. CLASSES END For May Session. ORIENTATION For Thru Term, Short Session I. TOUR AT TWO Join Bill Eiland, director, and Chris Langone, researcher and treasurer of the Athens Art Association, for a special tour of the exhibition Our Town and Beyond: Works by Early Members of the Athens
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/.
Art Association. 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu.
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TRAVELING EXHIBITION FOCUSES ON ART MADE OF PAPER
UGA STAFF COUNCIL MEETING 2:30 p.m. 250 Miller Learning Center. 706-910-9230. ahannem9@uga.edu.
THURSDAY, JUNE 6 ADVISEMENT AND REGISTRATION For Thru Term and Short Session I. FINAL EXAMS For May Session.
FRIDAY, JUNE 7 CLASSES BEGIN For Thru Term and Short Session I. DROP/ADD For Thru Term and Short Session I.
SATURDAY, JUNE 8 EXHIBITION OPENING Larger Than Life: New Deal Mural Studies. Through Sept. 8. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu. EXHIBITION OPENING Women of the WPA. Through Sept. 8. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu. OPEN HOUSE The Trial Gardens holds a public open house every year to let plant enthusiasts come together to see some of the newest ornamental plant varieties. One may also learn more through guided tours and volunteers and garden workers present to answer questions. $5 recommended donation per family or individual is appreciated but not necessary for entry. 8 a.m. Trial Gardens. 706-583-0285. trial-gardens@uga.edu.
SUNDAY, JUNE 9 SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT TOUR Tour of highlights from the permanent collection led by docents. 3 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu.
MONDAY, JUNE 10 DROP/ADD Through June 13. For Thru Term and Short Session I. GRADES DUE For May Session. Due by noon.
COMING UP FILM SCREENING June 13. Athens in Our Lifetimes is a documentary film directed by longtime Athens residents Kathy Prescott and Grady Thrasher that examines the evolution of the personality of Athens as a community over the past six decades, as experienced and told by 90 Athenians from differing viewpoints. 2017, NR, 88 min. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Our Town and Beyond: Works by Early Members of the Athens Art Association. 7 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu.
Jerushia Graham’s “From Where I Stand” will be part of the Cut and Paste: Works of Paper exhibition.
By Hillary Brown
hazbrown@uga.edu
The state of Georgia has long been known for its five P’s in agriculture—poultry, peaches, peanuts, pecans and paper—but only one of these has attracted a wide array of Georgia artists. Organized by the Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia and Athens’ Lyndon House Arts Center, the exhibition Cut and Paste: Works of Paper will travel the state of Georgia starting this summer, featuring 11 Georgia artists, each of whom works in paper. From Steven Anderson’s “Tree Rings,” featuring torn, scratched and sanded paper drawn on with markers and pens, to Jerushia Graham’s complex and delicate cut paper pieces, Elizabeth Lide’s three-dimensional paper-pulp vessels, Teresa Bramlette Reeves’ life-size paper-doll dresses and Lucha Rodriguez’ cascading wall sculptures, all of them push the limits of this fragile medium. Cut and Paste is part of “Highlighting Contemporary Art in Georgia,” a triennial series of traveling exhibitions that began in 2016 with Pushing the Press: Printmaking in the South. Each exhibition is organized by the Georgia Museum of Art and the Lyndon House and made available at minimal cost to interested venues in metropolitan areas big and small across the state, in keeping with the University of Georgia’s statewide public outreach mission. Curator Didi Dunphy, who is the program supervisor at the Lyndon House, assembled both exhibitions with assistance from museum staff. An accomplished artist, Dunphy received a Master of Fine Arts degree from San Francisco Art Institute in the contemporary arts and has had exhibitions in major venues. She is a former visiting scholar and professor in the contemporary and digital media arts at UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art, serves as gallery director at the Hotel Indigo-Athens and Indigo’s GlassCube project space and is a guest curator for the Albany Museum of Art, Albany, Georgia. She is a member of Americans for the Arts, the American Alliance of Museums and the College Art Association and has served on a number of advisory panels for the Georgia Council for the Arts. The exhibition opens at the Lyndon House, where it runs June 1July 27. The opening reception is June 6 from 6-8 p.m. It then travels to the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Aug. 17-Nov. 14; the Museum of Arts and Sciences, Macon, Dec. 5, 2019-Feb. 14, 2020; the Albany Museum of Art, Albany, Feb. 27, 2020-June 27, 2020; and Telfair Museum of Art’s Jepson Center for the Arts, Savannah, Aug. 1, 2020-Feb. 21, 2021.
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.
NEXT COLUMNS DEADLINES May 29 (for June 10 issue) June 12 (for June 24 issue) July 3 (for July 15 issue)
6 May 28, 2019 columns.uga.edu
Catherine Pringle, Distinguished Research Professor in the Odum School of Ecology, has been named a Fellow of the Ecological Society of America. ESA Fellows, who are appointed for life, are selected in recognition of outstanding contributions to the advancement or application of ecological knowledge. Pringle is the eighth current or former Odum School faculty member so honored. Pringle was elected for “contributions to understanding stream ecosystems through the perspective of leading long-term research from tropical to temperate systems and sustained mentoring to generations of students in aquatic conservation ecology,” according to the announcement from ESA. Alexander Scherr, associate professor and director of the School of Law’s Veterans Legal Clinic, was selected to be a member of the editorial board of the Clinical Law Review, a semi-annual peer-edited journal devoted to issues of lawyering theory and clinical legal educaAlexander Scherr tion that is jointly sponsored by the Association of American Law Schools, the Clinical Legal Education Association and the New York University School of Law. Courtney Kupets Carter, who just finished her second year as head coach of the University of Georgia gymnastics team, has been named the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association Southeast Region Coach of the Year. Kupets Carter brought the GymDogs to new heights in 2019. Georgia posted its highest seasonopening score since 2007—a 196.600 against Ohio State—and was the fifth school in the nation to record a 197.000. The GymDogs hit that mark in week four against Iowa State in Athens. For the first time since 2008, Georgia defeated Florida in Gainesville. The then-No. 7 GymDogs upset then-No. 3 Florida, 197.450-197.375, handing the Gators their first SEC loss of the season. The gymnastics team had its best SEC Championship finish since 2014 this year. Karen Whitehill King, a Jim Kennedy New Media Professor and professor of advertising in Grady College, has been appointed president of the American Academy of Advertising. AAA’s mission is to be the home base for advertising scholars when it comes to academic growth, knowledge generation, Karen Whitehall King global insight, networking and the shared mission of educating the next generation. The organization has many goals, including to emphasize the value of professional education for advertising, to coordinate efforts to advance advertising education and to develop closer liaisons between academic disciplines. To accomplish these goals, AAA unites its many diverse members to foster advertising research and to share their personal ideas and insights. The academy then shares all of its findings to the advertising profession and to advertising educational programs. The AAA organization started in 1958 and now has more than 600 members. King has a notable history within AAA. In 2015, King was the recipient of the Charles H. Sandage Award for Teaching Excellence. This is a national award given by the American Academy of Advertising to recognize outstanding contributions to advertising teaching. Kudos recognizes special contributions of staff, faculty and administrators in teaching, research and service. News items are limited to election into office of state, regional, national and international societies; major awards and prizes; and similarly notable accomplishments.
COLLEGE OF PHARMACY
Dorothy Kozlowski
Before returning to UGA as dean of the College of Pharmacy last fall, Kelly Smith spent 25 years in various academic, clinical and leadership roles at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy and its affiliated medical center.
College of Pharmacy dean, alumna is committed to success of others By Mickey Montevideo mickeym@uga.edu
Passion drives Kelly Smith. The new dean of the College of Pharmacy is passionate about many things in her life: her chosen profession of pharmacy; serving as the leader of the college that is her beloved alma mater; her current presidency of a national pharmacy organization; family ties to her hometown in South Georgia; among others. But her greatest passion is what sets her apart— Smith is dedicated to helping others succeed. Just nine months into the job, Smith is working closely with faculty, staff and students to increase the visibility, impact and outreach of UGA’s pharmacy program. Adopting the motto “Always Be Learning,” she encourages people to think outside the box, be fearless in sharing an idea or thought and work collaboratively to break down barriers and eliminate silos. The strategy is working as is evidenced by the responsiveness of her team and key new initiatives that are in place at the 116-year old UGA college. Early on, she assembled a group of faculty and staff members in an effort to be more visible, creative and cohesive with the college’s outreach efforts. The group identified more than 70 new and existing outreach programs in the 2018-2019 academic year alone that allowed for the college to reach various target audiences and increase participation in such areas as student engagement, alumni affairs and faculty involvement. As another example, Smith’s actions to fill available faculty and staff positions have been innovative, according to Ken Duke, interim assistant dean for professional affairs at the College of Pharmacy’s extended
campus in Savannah. “Dean Smith has filled several posts in an interim fashion to allow the college to look at things from a ground-up perspective,” he said. “This will allow us to evaluate what we need and then prepare job descriptions to attract the most qualified candidates to continue to advance our programs, promote our students and expand our reach throughout the pharmacy practice.” Smith’s journey on her career path began in her hometown of Statesboro, when a mentor told her that “… pharmacists are problem solvers, they help people and they make a difference in people’s lives.” His message resonated with the young Smith, who had a knack for science. She came to UGA, where she earned her undergraduate degree in pharmacy in 1992, a Doctor of Pharmacy in 1993, and did a residency at the University Medical Center (now UF Health/Jacksonville) in Jacksonville, Florida. However, it was another mentor, this one from her UGA classroom, who steered her toward her specific area of pharmacy practice—drug information and policy—which focuses on the evaluation of research and literature as evidence when making medication decisions for patients. Said this mentor, Rusty May, who still is with UGA as a clinical professor and associate department head at the College of Pharmacy’s extended campus in Augusta, “The field of drug information is a great skill set to bring to the job of educating our future pharmacists. In addition, Dean Smith has vital leadership experience as president for one of the most influential pharmacy organizations in the world, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. This combination of experiences, and, of course, being an alumna of our program, allow her to be perfectly positioned to provide the
type of leadership this college needs to develop the best and most innovative pharmacy practitioners for the state of Georgia and beyond.” Her affinity for all things red and black would lead one to believe that Smith has been at UGA for her entire career. While she is a self-proclaimed, die-hard Bulldog, Smith actually spent almost 25 years in various academic, clinical and leadership roles at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy and its affiliated medical center. Some of her titles included diversity and inclusivity officer, director of residency program advancement, associate dean for academic and student affairs, and interim dean. “No doubt, the experience I gained while at Kentucky was instrumental in preparing me for my role as dean at this college,” she said. “That time was pivotal in my career; it helped me deepen my understanding of all facets of a college environment and not just those tied to the practice of pharmacy. But I am thrilled to be back in Athens. I have come home to the university I love.” Through it all, she values connectivity as an invaluable sentiment. “Caring requires connecting with others, while being intentional and inclusive in the processes we develop,” Smith said. “A pharmacist has expertise in disease management and patient communication and can help patients access community and financial resources.” She added, “No profession may be better positioned to support the physical, mental and social health of the population than pharmacy. If I can connect our faculty, staff, alumni and key stakeholders in a collaborative effort to best prepare our students for stellar careers in research and practice, then we’ve accomplished our mission. We’ve had a good day.”
James L. Brown, skilled trades worker, Cooperative Extension-4-H and Youth, 10 years, 10 months; Jennifer Cowart, clinic assistant, University Health Center, 26 years, 3 months; Jan Hudson, human resources manager, librariesgeneral operations, 11 years; Melissa Kilpatrick, event manager, College of Veterinary Medicine-Dean’s Office, 15 years, 4 months; Verna King, administrative specialist I, Skidaway Institute, 31 years, 6 months; Viola Martin-Jarrett, building services
worker I, Skidaway Institute, 11 years; Jeanne J. Nichols, food operation manager, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences-Rock Eagle 4-H Center, 2 years, 6 months; Teresa Nolan, administrative associate II, Terry College of Business Office of Development and Alumni Relations, 10 years, 5 months; and Dena T. Watson, administrative associate I, Cooperative Extension-Office of the Assistant DeanTifton, 18 years, 6 months.
RETIREES March
Twelve employees retired March 1. Retirees, their job classification, department and years of service are: Judy P. Barber, county secretary, Cooperative Extension-Southwest District, 18 years; Jinn Jonp Bau, scientific computing professional specialist, Institute for Behavioral Research, 27 years, 5 months; Willie D. Bolton, building services worker II, Facilities Management Division-services-building services-North Campus, 10 years;
Source: Human Resources
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Page to screen
columns.uga.edu May 28, 2019
RETIREES April
Film on energy harnesses power of biography’s tale By Kristen Morales kmorales@uga.edu
When Mary Atwater’s science textbook about energy and electricity landed in the hands of William Kamkwamba, it changed his life. “When he saw the picture of the windmill on the cover of the book, Using Energy, he said, ‘If someone else built that, I can build one too,’” recalled Atwater, a professor of science education in the University of Georgia College of Education who co-wrote the eighth-grade book. “Can you imagine a person saying that?” Kamkwamba went on to construct his own windmill using the book’s diagrams and experiments to help save his family from the famine that was gripping Malawi in 2002. The result of this happenstance—it was the only book donated to his village by MacMillan/ McGraw-Hill through an international book donation program—not only powered several lightbulbs and radios in a country where most don’t have reliable electricity, but it also led to more discoveries and an award-winning book about his accomplishments. Now, the story of Kamkwamba and his intrepid accomplishment is finding an even larger audience on Netflix, where it’s inspired the new film, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. The movie debuted on the streaming network in March and is based on the book of the same name by Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, which was released 10 years ago. The movie stars Maxwell Simba as Kamkwamba and marks the directorial debut of Chiwetel Ejiofor, who also wrote the screenplay and plays the role of Kamkwamba’s father. It won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Atwater, who has followed the reallife story of Kamkwamba since the book’s release, noted the differences between the book and the movie—for example, the role of the boy’s mother was much more influential than what’s depicted in the film, and a few situations are highly dramatized compared with the true story. But, she added, she was impressed to see a copy of the actual textbook used in the film.
Mary Atwater’s book Using Energy plays a pivotal role in a new Netflix film.
Published as part of a multi-grade set of books, workbooks, companion DVDs and teacher editions, the sprawling set covered all aspects of the sciences. Atwater was one of many faculty members across the country who contributed expertise, although Using Energy was one in which she was heavily involved. Originally, it wasn’t meant to be used by itself—it was part of a larger curriculum. But after the New York Times best-selling book about Kamkwamba was released, she said, that particular book received renewed interest. “When William and Bryan’s book got that (best-seller) award, Using Energy sold out around the world,” said Atwater. At that point the textbook series had long been out of print and any available copies were snapped up across the internet.
WEEKLY READER
“When I met William, he told me that his copy got misplaced. He didn’t know what happened to it,” Atwater added. “I only had two complete copies of that science program, so I said, I’ll give you one of my copies. So, now I only have one copy of that book. You can’t find a copy of Using Energy.” She had to explain the predicament to a father just recently. Inspired by the new film, he contacted Atwater about buying a copy for his son. “I said, ‘Well, I’m sorry, but I don’t know where you can find a copy,’ ” she said. “ ‘You can’t get it on Amazon—you can’t get it anywhere. But I wish you well, and I wish your son well.’” The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is rated PG and will appear in select movie theaters across the U.S. as part of the Netflix deal.
Thirty employees retired April 1. Retirees, their job classification, department and years of service are: Allan Hatcher, police sergeant, UGA Police Department, 30 years, 2 months; Edward L. Ayers, public service assistant, Cooperative Extension-Northeast District, 34 years, 4 months; Jeffrey A. Barker, senior research scientist, College of Education Centers, 5 years; Roberto I. Bernales, cabinet maker, Facilities Management Division-Structural Support Shop, 32 years, 7 months; Joy Turner Brudon, administrative assistant II, University Health Center Medical Clinic Green, 17 years, 1 month; Albert L. Bryan Jr., research professional III, Savannah River Ecology Lab, 11 years, 5 months; Terri P. Camp, 4-H Center director III, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences-Rock Eagle 4-H Center, 31 years, 6 months; Paula Joy Chadwick, county secretary, Cooperative Extension-Southwest District, 14 years, 4 months; Jeff G. Chandler, IT manager, Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel-Tech Support Services, 32 years, 7 months; Paula G. Ciembor, assistant research scientist, small animal medicine/surgery, 21 years; Carol J. Cleveland, public relations specialist II, libraries-general operations, 30 years; J. Griffin Doyle, vice president, government relations, 21 years, 11 months; Matthew P. England, plumbing shop manager, Facilities Management Division-Operations and Maintenanceplumbing shop, 28 years, 9 months; Dexter L. Fisher, director of facilities management, Facilities Management Division-Services Administration, 30 years, 9 months; Tammy Lee Fitzpatrick, administrative specialist I, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences-Center for Applied Genetic Technologies, 24 years, 9 months; Kim Fuller, accounting technician, Mail and Receiving Services, 29 years, 7 months; Michael Goltzer, services quality specialist, Transportation and Parking Services, 5 years, 8 months; Mary Lou Grimes, lab animal care supervisor, Office for Research, 28 years, 11 months; Jill E. Jerome, system administrator principal, Finance and Administration-information technology, 13 years, 3 months; L.J. Lester, building services supervisor, Facilities Management Division-Services-Building Services, 24 years, 4 months; SueEllen McCullough, laboratory technician II, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences-Food Product Innovation and Commercialization Center, 26 years, 8 months; Julie A. McEver, student affairs professional III, mathematics department, 22 years, 5 months; Thel Robert Melton, instructional technology development professional specialist, College of Veterinary Medicine-Dean’s Office, 29 years, 9 months; Laura Moak, program coordinator, College of Education Centers, 2 years, 8 months; Sherry M. Noell, building services worker II, Facilities Management Division-Services-Building Services, 29 years, 7 months; Batbayar Nyamdari, research professional III, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, 10 years; Paul T. Stankus, research professional I, Savannah River Ecology Lab, 31 years, 5 months; Dana E. Strickland, executive director of external affairs, College of Pharmacy, 24 years, 10 months; Terri Lee Vaughn, administrative associate I, Cooperative Extension-animal science, 19 years, 4 months; and David G. Wynne, web developer principal, research communications, 23 years, 6 months. Source: Human Resources
CYBERSIGHTS
ABOUT COLUMNS
Book explores impact of warming soils
Ecosystem Consequences of Soil Warming: Microbes, Vegetation, Fauna and Soil Biogeochemistry Edited by Jacqueline Mohan Academic Press Paperback: $175 eBook: $175
As global temperatures rise, it is not only the air and water growing warmer: soils are affected too. A new textbook, Ecosystem Consequences of Soil Warming: Microbes, Vegetation, Fauna and Soil Biogeochemistry, explores the worldwide implications of warming soils. Edited by Jacqueline Mohan, an associate professor in the Odum School of Ecology, it features contributions from more than 70 experts from a variety of scientific perspectives. Integrating insights from the fields of ecology, soil science, genetics and molecular, evolutionary and conservation biology, it offers the first comprehensive look at how plants, animals, microbes and their physical environment respond to warmer soils. Ecosystem Consequences of Soil Warming is intended as a textbook for teachers and students and a reference book for scientists and should also be useful for managers and conservationists. It is published by Academic Press, an imprint of Elsevier.
Columns is available to the community by subscription for an annual fee of $20 (second-class delivery) or $40 (first-class delivery). Faculty and staff members with a disability may call 706-542-8017 for assistance in obtaining this publication in an alternate format. Columns staff can be reached at 706-542-8017 or columns@uga.edu
Legacy employee website will be retired
https://employee.uga.edu
On June 30, the legacy UGA employee self-service site will be retired and no longer available to view, download or print pay stubs and W-2s. Pre-2019 pay stubs and W-2s will not be migrated to OneUSG Connect. Employees who wish to keep copies of pre-2019 pay stubs or W-2s should download them before June 30. Log into employee.uga.edu and click on “My Paychecks” and “My W-2s” in the left sidebar. Both
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paychecks and W-2s are available in PDF format. After June 30, employees can contact oneusgsupport@uga.edu or 706-542-0202 (option 1) to request copies of pre-2019 pay stubs or W-2s. These records are retained for five years from their issue date. For pay stubs and W-2s dated after Jan. 1, 2019, visit o nesource.uga.edu and log into OneUSG Connect to view, download or print these documents.
Editor Juliett Dinkins Communications Coordinator Krista Richmond Art Director Jackie Baxter Roberts Photo Editor Dorothy Kozlowski Writers Kellyn Amodeo Leigh Beeson The University of Georgia is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. The University of Georgia is a unit of the University System of Georgia.
8 May 28, 2019 columns.uga.edu STARTUP
ADVISING
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overall economic impact of UGA’s commercialization program, which includes a robust licensing program in addition to supporting startups.” Such data demonstrates why UGA is known nationally for its strong innovation ecosystem, which has seen a 40% increase in new discoveries by university researchers over the past three years. UGA is among the best in the nation at licensing these new discoveries to industry partners for product development, ranking among the top 10 universities for deal flow for 11 consecutive years. This licensing activity leads to new products that benefit the citizens of Georgia and beyond. In 2017, the university ranked No. 1 in the country for the number of new products brought to market. Such products include things like poultry vaccines—for which College of Veterinary Medicine professor Holly Sellers was recently honored as UGA Inventor of the Year—as well as an eco-friendly charcoal lighter; soil remediation products; research and educational tools; and new peanut, pecan, soybean, wheat, citrus and ornamental plant varieties. Sales of these products generate licensing revenues for UGA. Since 2015, there has been a 60% increase in licensing revenue to more than $10 million in 2018, placing UGA in the top 15 among
public universities. Growth in Innovation Gateway’s startup pipeline, from 42 projects to more than 100, was facilitated by a $500,000 Innovation Corps (I-Corps) grant from the National Science Foundation and a $500,000 i6 Challenge award from the Department of Commerce. The I-Corps grant enhances UGA’s ability to provide early evaluation of projects through a customer discovery process. The i6 Challenge award created a New Materials Innovation Center, a largescale testing facility for new materials being developed by entrepreneurs, startups and researchers. Innovation Gateway represents just one option available to UGA entrepreneurs, who can also receive assistance through the Small Business Development Center or the student-focused Entrepreneurship Program. UGA’s innovation ecosystem is poised to accelerate through development of a new Innovation District, a hub designed to encourage innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity and industry collaboration. Plans include an interconnected set of facilities offering a broad range of spaces and amenities that will foster collaboration, nurture a culture of entrepreneurship and help develop the pathways necessary to accelerate commercialization of discoveries and ideas generated at the university.
COMMENCEMENT from page 1 your journey here has been, you are your ancestors’ wildest dream.” In fact, Roberts has committed $100,000, matched by the UGA Foundation, to establish a need-based scholarship through the Georgia Commitment Scholarship Program to help other students reach their goals. Roberts also spoke to the 5,697 undergraduates about the importance of connecting with others, offering the graduates a challenge to put down their devices, at least temporarily, in order to fully experience their lives. “Ditch your devices from time to time, and step out from the safety of filters and anonymity,” she said. “Live your real life. Have real conversations, and see real people, not for who they appear to be on social media or how many likes they have, but for who they are.” In addition, she encouraged the graduates to “seek out people who don’t look like you or think like you” because “you may learn something new if you open your eyes and open your heart.” She also told them to not be afraid of “spectacular failure.” The important thing, she said, is learning to get back up. “The way you live your life matters. You can help change this world,” Roberts said. “Graduates, we need your energy, your optimism, your creativity and—this is a big one—your kindness and compassion. We need good citizens among us.” Joshua Clifford, who received bachelor’s degrees in geography and comparative literature from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, gave the student address and shared how he defines being an ambassador after serving as a Redcoat Marching Band drum major, IMPACT site leader and Visitors Center tour guide. “To be an ambassador of this institution means to use our education to improve the world around us,” he said. “UGA did not teach us to be comfortable. It taught us to be curious, to challenge ourselves and to pay attention to the community around us. To be indifferent to our world would be to inhibit the potential that this university has given us.” At the graduate Commencement ceremony, Loch Johnson, Regents Professor of Public and International Affairs and Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, defined two words from one of his favorite books, the Oxford English Dictionary: empathy and service. “We have done much good in the world,” said Johnson, who retired at the end of the spring semester after more than 40 years
at UGA, “but we can do so much more.” He shared with the estimated 211 doctoral candidates and 1,054 master’s and specialist degree graduates that “life is about service to others” and “converting empathy into civic action.” “You are individuals of high promise, or you would not have come this far,” Johnson said. “In our society, you will be the drivers, the masters, the lifters, the creators and the contributors. As you move forward, let empathy and service be your lodestar.” A total of 6,962 graduates were welcomed as alumni in the university’s spring Commencement ceremonies. Fifty students were recognized as First Honor Graduates during the undergraduate exercises for maintaining a 4.0 cumulative GPA in all work attempted at UGA as well as all college-level transfer work prior to or following enrollment at the university. For the third year in a row, the graduating class has set a new giving record through Senior Signature, with an all-time high of 2,540 seniors donating through the program. The Class of 2019 collectively gave $127,000 to the university in an effort led by council members of the Student Alumni Association, and each donor’s name has been engraved on a plaque in Tate Plaza in honor of their commitment to UGA. “To our graduates, you represent tangible and inspiring evidence of the wisdom and foresight of those who drafted the charter of the University of Georgia and thus began in 1785 the great American tradition of public higher education,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “Whatever your future holds for you, your time here preparing for life and citizenship gives special meaning to the words in the university’s charter that call the young people of this state ‘the rising hope of our land.’ ”
The Georgia College Advising Corps is comprised of 21 recent college graduates, many of whom were first-generation, underrepresented or low-income students themselves, to work alongside school counselors at 16 high schools throughout Georgia.
Advising Corps, which began as an effort at the University of Virginia in 2005 to help lowincome, first-generation and unrepresented students navigate the college admissions and financial aid process. “The Georgia College Advising Corps has reached more than 28,500 high school students since its founding a decade ago, and the program continues to expand,” said Interim Provost Libby V. Morris, who founded the program at UGA as director of the Institute of Higher Education. “The dedication of our advisers and the support of our donors are transforming the lives of young people while helping our state meet its critical goal of increasing college participation and completion.” The program has quadrupled its presence in the past decade, and its impact is measurable. High school seniors who met with a GCAC college adviser during the 2017-2018 school year were 21% more likely to visit a college or university, 20% more likely to apply for a scholarship and 30% more likely to apply to at least one college. Hannah Gale, a student served by the Georgia College Advising Corps at Clarke Central High School last year, said she made mistakes with one college application, but thanks to her adviser, she was able to apply to eight universities and chart a course toward her dream of becoming a teacher. “My adviser really helped me narrow down my options as well as realistically choose where my best fit would be,” said Gale, currently a first-year student at UGA.“Money
PEABODY
Legion Pool open
Legion Pool is open for summer season. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through July 31 and 3-7 p.m. Aug. 1-8. Use of Legion Pool is limited to students with valid UGACards who pay activity fees on the Athens campus; faculty and staff with valid UGACards; guests of students, faculty and staff; and Friends of Campus Life members. All guests must be accompanied by
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color to reach mainstream audiences on the big screen, the stage and in their living rooms. “I am keenly aware of the high value Peabody places on storytelling, and I am humbled that you consider the story of my life and career worthy,” she said. Katie Couric introduced Sesame Street, honored with an Institutional Award on its 50th anniversary. “As the world has changed and the media landscape has been transformed, Sesame Street has always been true to its mission,” she said. “It’s finding new ways to reach its target demographic while adjusting to the ever-evolving needs of children, helping them navigate some of the toughest, most complex issues of our time—from HIV-AIDS to autism to homelessness to immigration.”
Bulletin Board
was a big deciding factor for which school I would be attending, so she also helped me find scholarships.” Jessica Robinson, who directs the Georgia College Advising Corps, said that in addition to coordinating financial aid workshops, helping students register for college placement tests and planning college tours, advisers meet one-on-one with students. “Individual meetings provide opportunities for advisers to offer information and inspiration by engaging students in meaningful conversations about their postsecondary plans,” she said.“This year our advisers have met with 94% of seniors at our partner high schools and have held 14,115 one-on-one meetings with students.” The experience can be life-changing for the advisers as well. Of the 73 Georgia College Advising Corps alumni from the past decade, 85% have pursued careers related to the program’s mission, including work in K-12 and higher education as academic advisers, counselors, student affairs professionals and teachers. “I saw so much of myself in my students, the majority of whom identified as students of color from low-income backgrounds with hopes of being the first in their family to go to college,” said Janai Raphael, who worked as a GCAC adviser at Maynard H. Jackson High School in Atlanta from 2016 to 2018 and is now enrolled in a master’s degree program in higher education at the University of Maryland. “It was an honor to play a small part in the lives of so many students and help them to achieve their dreams.”
the UGACard holder. Admission is $3 for students, $4 for faculty and staff, $3 for children ages 3-15 (who must be accompanied by an adult) and $5 for guests and members of Friends of Campus Life. Friends of Campus Life memberships are available for a minimum $40 donation at the pool. Membership dues help to support the student programs and services offered by the Tate Student Center.
Kartemquin Films also received an Institutional Award for its commitment to unflinching documentary filmmaking, such as the seminal Hoop Dreams (1994) and this year’s winner, Minding the Gap. Dolores Huerta, subject of the Independent Lens documentary Dolores, roused the audience with a call-and-response chant reminiscent of her activist days in the 1960s. The evening ended with the creators and cast of Pose taking the stage. The FX drama tells the story of trans and gay people of color in 1980s New York City and features television’s largest cast of transgender actors. The show plumbs the depths of everyday trans life, love and community. For more information about this year’s winners, visit peabodyawards.com.
Parking registration
Registration for the first and largestround of parking permits for the 2019-2020 school year will end June 28 at 5 p.m. Visit tps.uga.edu to register for a parking permit. Bulletin Board is limited to information that may pertain to a majority of faculty and staff members.