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Graduating engineering student shows dedication in class, in the community CAMPUS NEWS
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University candlelight memorial service to be held May 3 at Chapel Vol. 43, No. 35
May 2, 2016
www.columns.uga.edu
jdinkins@uga.edu
Dorothy Kozlowski
An estimated 1,500 UGA students, family, faculty and staff gathered April 28 to remember four undergraduates who died after a car accident.
‘Devastating tragedy’ University community gathers to remember four students who died after car accident
schupska@uga.edu
An estimated 1,500 UGA students, family, faculty and staff gathered Thursday on the Tate Student Center Plaza to remember four UGA undergraduates whose lives were lost too soon. The crowd gathered at the end of a day that marked April 28 as the most tragic in recent university history. A Wednesday night car accident claimed the lives of Kayla Canedo, 19, a second-year psychology major from Alpharetta; Brittany Feldman, 20, a second-year human development and family science major from Alpharetta; Christina Semeria, 19, a second-year exercise and sports science major from Milton; and Halle
Scott, 19, a third-year marketing major from Dunwoody. Agnes Kim, 21, a marketing major from Snellville scheduled to graduate this May, remains in critical condition at Athens Regional Medical Center. UGA President Jere W. Morehead met with the campus community throughout the day to express the university’s sadness. At the gathering on Tate Plaza, his words were echoed in quiet sobs and tears. “In my 31 years as a faculty member and administrator at the University of Georgia, I cannot recall a time when we’ve suffered a loss of this magnitude,” he said. “The loss of any student is very difficult. A tragedy of this magnitude is truly devastating.” In a morning press conference with local and statewide media,
Morehead and other members of the UGA administration responded with solemn answers to reporters’ questions. In the afternoon, he led the campus community in the reflective gathering at the Tate Center. Speakers helped strengthen others as they stepped onto the podium to share their memories. “Kayla and Christina, these two girls were life-lovers,” said Courtney White, Alpha Chi Omega chapter president. “They were compassionate, selfless, loving, caring, individual, unique, hilarious, dedicated, driven and spirited, and they were also best friends along with Halle and Brittany. If anything in this tragic situation is positive, it’s knowing beyond a doubt that See TRAGEDY on page 8
SCHOOL OF LAW
Civil rights pioneer Horace Taliaferro Ward, the first AfricanAmerican to apply for admission to UGA, died April 23 at the age of 88. A retired federal judge, Ward is credited with helping to set the tone for the civil rights movement in Georgia in the 1950s. “The University of Georgia mourns the loss of Judge Horace Ward, whose courage and determination paved the way for AfricanAmerican students to gain equal access to the state’s flagship institution of higher learning,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “Judge Ward leaves behind a legacy of dedicated public service. The thoughts of the university community go out to his friends and family.” Born in LaGrange, Ward graduated as valedictorian from
Sally Quillian Yates, U.S. deputy attorney general, will deliver the keynote address at the UGA School of Law’s Commencement to be held May 21 at 10 a.m. on the North Campus quadrangle in front of the law school. Yates, a 1986 magna cum laude graduate of Georgia Law, was confirmed as deputy attorney general in May 2015, after being nominated by President Barack Obama. Previously, she served as the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia from 2010 to 2015. As the chief federal law enforcement official for the district, she oversaw
tion of all federal crimes and the litigation of civil matters in which the government has an interest for a district with more Sally Yates than 6 million residents. While in this post, Yates was appointed by Attorney General Eric Holder to serve as vice chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, which represents U.S. attorneys nationwide and provides advice and counsel to the attorney general on policy, management and operational issues impacting the
she was the first woman to serve as a U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Georgia. Yates has spent most of her professional career in public service and has 25 years of prosecutorial experience in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Approximately 195 students will receive their Juris Doctor and two students will receive their Master in the Study of Law at this year’s ceremony. Additionally, approximately 15 Master of Laws candidates, who have completed one year of graduate legal study, will be recognized. In the event of rain, graduation will be moved to the Ramsey Center Volleyball Arena.
East Depot High School. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College in 1949 and earning a master’s degree from Horace Ward Atlanta University in 1950, he applied for admission to UGA’s School of Law. When his application was denied, Ward sought legal resolution to the matter. When that effort failed, Ward joined the U.S. Army and served a tour of duty in Korea in the 1950s. He later applied to and was accepted in the law school at Northwestern University in Chicago. After earning a Juris Doctor from Northwestern University in
See WARD on page 8
WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE
Mary Sue Coleman to co-lead women’s leadership discussion By Sam Fahmy
sfahmy@uga.edu
Incoming Association of American Universities President Mary Sue Coleman and UGA President Jere W. Morehead will share their insights on managing change in higher education in a discussion later this month with the university’s Women’s Leadership Fellows. The conversation with Morehead and Coleman, who is president emerita of the University of Michigan, is one of a series of monthly meetings in which the nine Women’s Leadership Fellows learn from senior administrators on campus as well as visiting speakers. “The University of Georgia is honored to have Dr. Coleman join
US deputy attorney general to address graduates OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT By Heidi M. Murphy the prosecu- Department of Justice. Notably, hmurphy@uga.edu
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UGA mourns passing of Horace Ward, its first black applicant By Juliett Dinkins
By Stephanie Schupska
UGA GUIDE
us for this occasion,” Morehead said.“Her leadership experience in higher education is extraordinary, and the university and the Women’s Mary Sue Coleman Leadership Fellows program will be deeply enriched by her contributions.” Coleman, who will assume the presidency of the AAU on June 1, led U-M for 12 years before retiring in 2014 and was previously president of the University of Iowa. She is a nationally recognized leader in higher education who was named
See DISCUSSION on page 8
Staff Appreciation Day event to be held May 25 By Stephanie Schupska schupska@uga.edu
Planning for the second annual Staff Appreciation Day is in full swing at UGA as it gears up to celebrate its more than 6,300 staff members. The event will take place May 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the intramural fields. It will include food, music, door prizes, sponsor giveaways and interactive activities. Staff are encouraged to drop by at some point during this
scheduled time. “We are looking forward to saying ‘thank you’ again this year to the thousands of individuals who support the university in so many significant ways,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “Our staff members are essential to the University of Georgia’s success, and we are grateful for their commitment and dedication.” Preparations for Staff Appreciation Day are proceeding extremely well, said Michael Lewis, chair of
See APPRECIATION on page 2
2 May 2, 2016 columns.uga.edu
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Around academe
Some minority students see gains in the humanities; overall numbers down
While overall bachelor’s degrees in the humanities have declined, the number of Latino students earning those degrees has increased. The analysis by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences found these gains did not extend to doctoral degrees awarded, which have declined overall. Inside Higher Ed reported that the current gains could lead to more doctorates earned by minorities, although students earning undergraduate degrees in humanities rarely stay on to earn doctoral degrees, and if they do, it would likely take eight or more years to see the turnaround.
Syracuse U. plans hybrid JD program
The Syracuse University College of Law announced plans to partner with 2U Inc. to create a hybrid online Juris Doctor program if approved by the New York State and American Bar associations. The J.D. program would feature live, face-to-face online classes and course content delivered through 2U’s platform. 2U Inc. is an education technology company that partners with institutions to bring degree programs online. To date, only one other program that has a hybrid online program has received the ABA’s approval, according to The Wall Street Journal. That program is Mitchell Hamline School of Law in Minnesota. Other state accredited schools in California offer online law degrees.
News to Use
Register early to ensure prime placement for parking next year
Parking permit registration is now open for the 2016-2017 school year, and Parking Services recommend employees register early for prime placement. Use your online account to log in and register at www.parking.uga.edu before 5 p.m. on July 1 to be considered in the first and largest round of permit assignments. After July 1, fewer permits will be assigned, and you may end up being waitlisted. You can upgrade your lot assignment throughout the year based on space availability during weekly assignments. Current permits are not automatically renewed, but you can extend spring 2016 permits at the Parking Services Office before May 13. When registering, you may make up to five lot selections. For best chances of success, make selections where your priority group has precedence on the parking priority chart. Assistance is available at the office weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Summer 2016 permits are also now available until July 31. New summer parking permits may be purchased at the Parking Services office in the Joe Frank Harris Commons after spring Commencement.
The IT factor The Terry College of Business’ Management Information Systems program for undergraduates ranked 8th in the nation. The top 10 schools that made the list are: 1. Notre Dame 2. U. of Washington, Seattle 3. Georgetown 4. Villanova 5. U. of Texas at Austin 6. Santa Clara U. 7. BYU 8. UGA 9. U. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 10. Rochester Institute of Technology
Source: College Factual
Janet Beckley
CAES dean visits with agriculture industry leaders in south Georgia By Clint Thompson cbthomps@uga.edu
Weeks of visits and tours across Georgia has UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean and Director Sam Pardue excited about the college improving upon the state’s No. 1 industry—agriculture. Most recently, Pardue trekked across the state April 20 with UGA Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Pamela Whitten. The daylong tour stopped in Screven County and the cities of Jesup, Douglas, Doerun and Albany, providing Pardue with an opportunity to meet leaders in the agricultural industry. “I’m fortunate enough to serve on the CAES Dean’s Advisory Council, so I’ve had the opportunity to interact, from time to time, with Dean Pardue already,” said Steven Meeks, who farms tobacco, cotton and peanuts in Wayne County and helped greet Pardue and Whitten in Jesup. “I think it’s great that he’s participating in a tour like this, meeting producers in these communities face to face at the onset of his career here at the University of Georgia.” Pardue visited with scientists on the UGA Tifton campus recently and learned about various agricultural topics. The April 20 tour gave Pardue a chance to meet farmers, visit with industry personnel and discuss ways in which the college can continue to meet the needs of the state’s constituents. “Tours like (these) give me an opportunity to meet the people who are on the ground, who are the beneficiaries of the research and UGA Cooperative Extension programs that we provide,” Pardue said. “I always say that some of
STAFF COUNCIL
Clint Thompson
Dean Sam Pardue talks with Andrea Taylor at Premium Peanut in Douglas. Pardue visited spots across south Georgia April 20 to meet leaders in agriculture.
our best products are the young men and women who come through our academic programs, who go out to work for companies and individual enterprises. These visits help me to connect with those folks. It helps to build relationships so that people have the freedom to pick up the phone and say, ‘Hey, here’s a need that’s not being addressed.’ ’’ The tour culminated in visits to the Premium Peanut plant in Douglas and the Mobley Gin Co. in Doerun. The stops highlighted two commodities that dominate Georgia’s agricultural landscape. Doerun is located in Colquitt County, the state’s fourth-leading cottonproducing county in 2014, according to the 2014 Georgia Farm Gate Value Report, published by the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development. Colquitt County netted more
than $41.6 million in farm gate value for cotton. Douglas is located in Coffee County, one of the state’s top peanut-producing counties. Coffee County recorded more than $15.2 million in farm gate value in 2014 for peanuts, according to the center. Whitten, who also visited with UGA Extension personnel in March in Tifton, emphasized that the university has a $4.4 billion annual economic impact on the state and is working to make that figure even higher. “UGA has a long and proud history of advancing agriculture in Georgia, and Dean Pardue and I have crisscrossed the state to help make sure that our teaching, research and outreach support the needs of Georgia’s largest industry for years to come,” Whitten said.
APPRECIATION from page 1
Morehead discusses challenges, priorities at Staff Council By Aaron Hale
aahale@uga.edu
At the April 6 Staff Council meeting, UGA President Jere W. Morehead thanked staff for their service and asked for a continued collaborative effort to move forward UGA’s priorities. “We face a number of unique challenges,” Morehead said. “If we can continue to work together and work through those issues to find solutions, then we are doing things to benefit this institution, its employees and its students.” During Morehead’s remarks, he confirmed that UGA anticipates receiving a 3 percent merit-based raise pool for faculty and staff for fiscal year 20162017, in keeping with Gov. Nathan Deal’s recommendation. This increase will make it the third consecutive year of raises, and Morehead acknowledged there was still more work to be done to keep the university competitive in hiring and keeping “the best and brightest” faculty and staff. “That will continue to be my highest priority at the General Assembly every year,” said Morehead, noting that the university lost ground to other institutions for compensation during and after the Great Recession. “It will take a sustained period of salary raises for UGA to get back to where it ought be in terms of faculty and staff compensation.” Morehead also discussed the upcoming Staff Appreciation Day May 25. “It’s a chance for the University of Georgia to say thank you,” he said.
Robert Newcomb
Decator Dunagan from Facilities Management plays the bean bag toss during the first Staff Appreciation Day in 2015.
the UGA Staff Council and an IT professional in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ geology department. “We set the bar high last year and want to keep it there.” Several features of the 2015 event will be repeated this year, including the two bands Tropical Breeze Steel Band and the Back in Time Band. “As chair of Staff Council, I frequently interact with administrators from all over campus. One common theme always emerges: Gratitude for the work done by staff,” Lewis said. “The president, provost, vice presidents, deans and directors all acknowledge the vital importance of work done by staff. People should walk away from this event knowing that the administration truly cares about the staff of UGA.” This year’s Staff Appreciation Day,
made possible by private contributions and corporate sponsors, will be held in the middle of Staff Appreciation Week, designated by Morehead to take place May 23-27. During that week, other university departments will be hosting unit-level activities to recognize and celebrate staff contributions. Parking will be available on site at the intramural fields, with E01 reserved for staff with disabilities. UGA buses will provide service for the event. If weather conditions prohibit the event from being held outside, Staff Appreciation Day will be moved indoors to the Tate Student Center.
ON THE WEB
For more information, visit www.facebook. com/UGAstaffappreciation.
RESEARCH NEWS
columns.uga.edu May 2 , 2016
3
Digest Health center awarded full accreditation
Mike Wooten
From left, Javad Mohammadpour, Farshid Abbasi and Rebecca Miller teamed up to design a lightweight robot that can glide along electrical distribution lines, searching for problems or performing routine maintenance.
Inspector gadget Robot developed by UGA engineers offers safer, more efficient way to inspect electrical lines
By Mike Wooten
mwooten@uga.edu
A robot invented by researchers in the UGA College of Engineering could change the way power lines are inspected—providing a safer and more cost-effective alternative. Currently, line crews have to suit up in protective clothing, employ elaborate safety procedures and sometimes completely shut off the power before inspecting a power line. It can be difficult, timeconsuming and often dangerous work. A team led by Javad Mohammadpour, an assistant professor of electrical engineering, has designed, prototyped and tested a robot that can glide along electrical distribution lines, searching for problems or performing routine maintenance. Distribution lines carry electricity from substations to homes, businesses
and other end users. The self-propelled robot looks like a miniature cable car and is approximately the size of a coffee maker, much smaller and lighter than similar devices now used by utility companies. “This is a tool that’s small enough for a single utility worker to pack in a truck or van and use daily,” Mohammadpour said. “Some of the robots currently in use weigh 200-300 pounds while our robot is only 20-25 pounds.” Equipped with a spinning brush, the robot can clear utility lines of vegetation, bird droppings, salt deposits—a problem particular to coastal areas—or other debris that may degrade the line. It also has an onboard camera, which allows crews to closely inspect potential problem areas. The robot is wireless and can be controlled by a smartphone, tablet or laptop. Mohammadpour worked with
doctoral student Farshid Abbasi and master’s student Rebecca Miller on the project.Abbasi focused on the mechanical design of the robot while Miller developed the device’s programming, electronics and sensors. Their work was funded by Georgia Power. “This is our first prototype, and there are a number of advances we would like to explore, including making the robot more autonomous,” Mohammadpour said. “For example, some decision-making could be made on board. If the robot detects a problem, it could send a signal to the controller instead of requiring a person to monitor the robot in real time.” In addition, Mohammadpour said the robot could be outfitted with GPS technology. This would allow the robot to geo-tag potential problems along electrical lines, alerting utility workers to the need for follow-up inspections at specific locations.
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Study: Exercise can help enhance diabetes medication By Kristen Morales kmorales@uga.edu
Exercise can help enhance the effects of blood glucose-lowering medication, according to an award-winning study by a UGA graduate student. The study, which is a finalist for a national award from the American College of Sports Medicine, examined the effects exercise had on blood glucose levels among patients taking metformin, a common drug prescribed in the early stages of diabetes. Participants in the study were given a high-carb breakfast and then walked for 50 minutes while their glucose levels were constantly monitored. The result, said researcher and doctoral candidate Melissa Erickson, showed exercise lowered blood glucose levels even beyond what metformin controlled. In cases where metformin was combined with exercise, glucose levels were even lower than metformin alone.
“Diabetes is a progressive disease; it gets worse over time, and then additional medications are needed,” said Erickson, a student in the UGA College of Education’s kinesiology department studying exercise physiology. “But whenever muscles contract, they need glucose for energy. So your muscles are going to help remove glucose from your bloodstream.” The study found that when patients on metformin exercised after eating, they saw a 21 percent decrease in their peak glucose levels, compared to when they remained seated. At the same time, exercising after eating had a similar glucose-lowering effect as taking metformin and not exercising. The idea behind the study, she said, was to test whether exercise could be used in tandem with the medication to not only lower blood glucose levels but also to extend the time patients can use the drug. Typically, metformin is effective for lowering blood glucose for about four to five years before it becomes
inadequate and a secondary medication is needed. Exercise, in addition to metformin, may help extend the drug’s benefits, Erickson said—although, she noted, a longer-term study is needed to fully understand the effects. One result that was clear from the study, she said, was the benefit from exercise in conjunction with taking metformin. Kevin McCully, a professor in the kinesiology department and Erickson’s advisor, added that the study also shows that diabetics can benefit from exercise after eating a meal. “It’s not how much exercise you do, but when,” he said. “And for this population, the timing after you eat, particularly after breakfast, will have an effect on your blood glucose.” Erickson is now recruiting participants for the second phase of her study, which looks at the effects exercise has on people taking metformin as well as a second “add-on” medication to control their blood sugar.
UGA’s Health Center was awarded accreditation for all services by the Joint Commission. The recognition is the second consecutive time the University Health Center received a flawless report of findings. The three-day unannounced survey on March 21-23 was conducted by the Joint Commission. The review found the health center in full compliance. In addition to achieving Ambulatory Health Care reaccreditation, the health center received Primary Care Medical Home accreditation. Accreditation as a primary care medical home affirms the health center’s compliance with additional standards regarding care coordination, patient centeredness, access and continuity. From a patient perspective, PCMH accreditation signifies the health center is recognized by the Joint Commission as an advanced practice with comprehensive services and committed to partnering with patients to achieve the highest quality of care and services. The University Health Center voluntarily goes through the rigorous accreditation process to ensure that UGA students receive the highest quality health care. The Joint Commission surveyors conduct an unannounced visit every 18-39 months and the health center must complete a self-review annually. Only 17 out of nearly 1,800 college health centers nationwide choose to go through the challenging Joint Commission accrediting process. The only college health center accredited by the Joint Commission in the state of Georgia, the University Health Center has been fully accredited since 1989.
Georgia Museum of Art to reach out to low-income families through program
The Georgia Museum of Art at UGA became the first museum in the state to officially commit to serving low-income families through the Museums for All program. Organized by the Association of Children’s Museums and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Museums for All encourages families of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum habits. Museums with an admission charge offer reduced or free admission to visitors who present an Electronic Benefits Transfer card. The Georgia Museum of Art already offers free admission to all visitors, thereby removing the need to present a card or an ID. About 15 percent of families living in Athens-Clarke County have incomes below the poverty line.
Golfer receives Peach of an Athlete Award
UGA golfer Sylvie Brick received the female Peach of an Athlete Award from the Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America at the organization’s annual Role Model banquet. A senior from Frankfort, Illinois, Brick has been a standout for UGA in all facets of being a studentathlete. Most notably, she was selected to represent Southeastern Conference female student-athletes for all sports and schools at the 2015 NCAA Leadership Forum. Last season, Brick competed in six tournaments for the golf team and registered counting scores in 75 percent of her 12 rounds. She played a key role in UGA’s runner-up finish at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic and also posted her first collegiate top-10 finish at Seton Hall’s Pirate Invitational. In the classroom, Brick has been selected to the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Currently president of UGA’s Student-Athletic Advisory Committee, Brick not only has participated in numerous community service activities, she also spearheaded several efforts. The Role Model banquet honors a professional individual, a professional athlete and 10 college athletes. Brick was the overall female Peach of an Athlete recipient while UGA swimmer Ty Stewart and football player Malcolm Mitchell were among the five male student-athletes recognized.
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4 May 2, 2016 columns.uga.edu
GRADY COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION
DIVISION OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
New faculty and staff meal plan available for 2016-17 academic year By Allison Brannen abrannen@uga.edu
UGA has announced a new meal plan option designed for faculty and staff members. Available for the 2016-17 academic year, the new plan aims to provide faculty and staff the convenience of dining on campus at a reduced average meal cost. “The University of Georgia offers award-winning campus dining,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “I am pleased that our faculty and staff will now have an additional incentive to remain on campus at meal times and contribute to the community atmosphere of the dining commons.” The 10-block plan allows participants to eat 10 meals in any of the five dining commons for $9.20 per meal plus tax for a total of $98.44—an 18 percent savings on the regular cost of lunch and a 40 percent savings on the regular cost of dinner. Additional blocks can be purchased in 10-block increments at any time. The blocks do not expire. Paw Points may be added to an individual’s plan in 50-point increments. Paw Points are redeemable at any UGA Food Services location, including retail cafes, eateries and on-campus Coca-Cola machines. One Paw Point is redeemable for one dollar’s worth of food and beverages. Points remain active for one calendar year past the customer’s last purchase. Sales of the faculty and staff meal plan will begin June 1 at which time faculty and staff members can call the Food Services Administration office at 706-542-7130 or visit foodservice.uga.edu to purchase a plan. The university is working to allow faculty and staff to use after-tax payroll deduction as a form of payment. This option is expected to be available by the fall 2016 semester. “Food Services is excited to offer this new and affordable meal plan to faculty and staff,” said Interim Executive Director of Food Services Bryan Varin. “We welcome all members of our campus community in our dining commons and hope that faculty and staff will take this opportunity to dine with us on a regular basis. Our dining commons offer a wide variety of options that we believe will meet the dining needs of everyone on campus.” For more information about the new plan, call the Food Services Administration Office at 706-542-7130 or visit foodservice.uga.edu.
Stories that matter
‘Black-ish,’ ‘UnREAL’ ‘Wolf Hall,’ ‘Deutschland 83’ among this year’s Peabody 30 winners The reality-show spoof UnREAL, the classical British drama Wolf Hall, the German spy thriller Deutschland 83 and the family comedy Black-ish are among this year’s Peabody 30 winners. The Peabody Awards are based at UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Entertainment and children’s program winners
The 11 entertainment programs chosen by the Peabody Awards board of jurors are Netflix’s Beasts of No Nation, the Idris Elba film about an African warlord training an orphan child to join his guerrilla army; ABC’s Black-ish, a comedy about an affluent African-American family working overtime to keep it real; SundanceTV’s Deutschland 83, a spy drama—told from the perspective of East Germans and West Germans—that takes place a few years before the Soviet bloc cracked; and Netflix’s Marvel’s Jessica Jones, the drama about a PTSD-stricken superhero who hangs up her costume and opens her own detective agency. Other winners in the entertainment and children’s program categories include Master of None, a comedy that chronicles the misadventures of Dev, a 30-year-old Indian-American who’s still trying to figure out what to do with his life; USA Network’s Mr. Robot, a first-season drama about Elliot, a tormented, anti-social cyber-security whiz caught up in a techno-anarchy conspiracy; HBO’s The Leftovers, a drama about the survivors of a global cataclysm that thins Earth’s population by 140 million; Amazon Video’s Transparent, in which Jeffrey Tambor’s transsexual Maura is not just the lead character but she’s also the catalyst for her typically dysfunctional modern family’s ongoing re-evaluation of itself; Lifetime’s UnREAL, a behind-the-
scenes send-up of “reality” shows like The Bachelor; PBS’ Wolf Hall, a drama based on Hilary Mantel’s novels about the intrigues of Henry VIII’s court told from the viewpoint of the king’s main man, Thomas Cromwell; and CBeebies’ Katie Morag, the British children’s show based on Mairi Hedderwick’s popular books about a feisty, wee, red-headed girl and the Scottish island community in which she’s growing up.
News, radio/podcast, Web winners
Among the Peabody 30 honorees in news, radio/podcast and Web are HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel: The Killing Fields,” a report from Congo, Tanzania and Kenya about the billion-dollar, criminal ivory trade enterprise; “911: Lost On The Line,” a report from WXIA-TV in Atlanta that revealed government oversights and technical shortcomings in supposedly smart iPhones and in telecommunications infrastructure that were causing needless deaths across the country; “Do Not Track,” a report by the website donottrack-doc.com that provides information about the science of cookies, tracking and who is profiting from individual social media participation; NPR’s “Secret Mustard Gas Experiments,” which documented the U.S. Army’s testing of a chemical weapon on some 60,000 of its own World War II soldiers, most of whom were black; WQXR.org’s “Meet the Composer” podcasts, which are devoted to the work of current classical composers; and “Burning Questions: WTAE Investigates Fire Response Times,” a Pittsburgh television station’s report of the wildly varying response times of Pennsylvania’s volunteer fire departments and a chronically inefficient system that hadn’t changed substantially since the days of horse-drawn
trucks and bucket brigades. The report prompted legislative hearings and the passage of bills aimed at quickening response and saving lives. Other Peabody 30 winners are PBS’ “Desperate Journey,” which reported on the men, women and children fleeing Syria and other Middle Eastern war zones; BBC’s “European Migrant Crisis/A New Life in Europe/The Year of Migration,” television and radio reporting about the reality and ramifications of the surge of millions of Middle Eastern refugees into Europe; “The Case for School Desegregation Today” segment from the podcast This American Life, which uses personal stories to weigh the statistical benefits of desegregation against the pressure, even humiliation, that many minority students experience; and “The LaQuan McDonald Investigation,” a report by WMAQ-TV in Chicago that brought to light a host of police procedural infractions, official disinformation and outright lies that contributed to a police department shake-up. The probe was launched six months before a Chicago police office was charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of 17-year-old LaQuan McDonald. The Peabody 30 will be honored May 21 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. Hosted by Peabody Award recipient Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele, Fargo), the gala will be televised in a 90-minute special, The 75th Anniversary Peabody Awards, June 6 at 8 p.m. on Pivot.
ON THE WEB
The complete list of Peabody 30 winners, including those in documentary and education, is online at http://www. peabodyawards.com/.
2015-2016 PUBLIC SERVICE AND OUTREACH FACULTY FELLOW
Environmental health science professor researches impacts of discarded drugs, toiletries By Kelly Simmons
simmonsk@uga.edu
For most people, washing clothes, dishes and even their hands are a daily practice in good hygiene. To Erin Lipp, these common behaviors can be a threat to coastal ecosystems and the people who live near them. As a 2015-2016 Public Service and Outreach Faculty Fellow, Lipp and her students study how products containing triclosan, an antibacterial ingredient found often in soaps, cosmetics and some plastics, affect the salt marsh along the Georgia coast. They are looking at whether estuarine bacteria, especially Vibrio, which are a growing cause of disease in humans, may be resistant to this ingredient, a problem similar to antibiotic resistance. As triclosan enters the estuary from discharged wastewater, it could allow increased growth of resistant bacteria, which could mean an increased risk of exposure to these pathogens for people who are in the water or who eat shellfish that live there. “We’re concerned that they could be developing resistance to the (antibacterial ingredients), which could potentially increase the risk of (people) being exposed to pathogens in marine waters,” said Lipp, a professor of environmental health science in the College of Public Health. The work Lipp is doing in conjunction with Marine Extension is valuable to Brunswick-Glynn County, said Mark Ryals,
Elle Smith Photography
Erin Lipp, a 2015-2016 Public Service and Outreach Faculty Fellow, studies how products containing triclosan, an antibacterial ingredient found often in soaps, cosmetics and some plastics, affect the salt marsh along the Georgia coast.
superintendent of the Waste Water Treatment Plant Operations Division for the consolidated city-county government. It is important that the county educate residents about the consequences of flushing products containing chemicals down their toilets. “We want to get that word out as much as possible,” Ryals said. On a cold fall morning last year, Lipp and her students, including Keri Lydon, a 20152016 Public Service and Outreach graduate
assistant, left on skiffs from a boat landing in Brunswick to collect samples of water from the tidal creeks that connect to the Frederica River, near a wastewater treatment plant. On the boat, they checked the temperature, salinity and pH for each tube of water collected, which was then capped, documented and stored for later processing. They also collected sediment from the creek bottom. Samples of water and sediment were collected above and below the wastewater treatment plant, and near the point where water is
discharged into the river. Back at the lab in Brunswick, Lipp and the students did the initial processing of the water and sediment. At one table, water dripped through a filter, where the bacteria would collect, a process that took hours to complete. Once collected the researchers sequenced the DNA for the entire community of bacteria to identify changes in the types and levels of bacteria that were present. This helped them understand how the changes were related to their proximity to the wastewater treatment plant and compared those findings to the data on the levels of triclosan in water from the same area. Nearby, another of Lipp’s students used a vacuum pump to filter bacteria onto membranes attached to agar, a jelly-like substance that held the membranes in place and allowed the bacteria to grow overnight. The next day, the team counted the bacterial colonies on the membrane to determine the number of Vibrio and compared those numbers to the concentration of triclosan in the corresponding sediment and water sample. They also looked for fecal matter, which indicates the influence of wastewater in the sample and could mean a higher presence of triclosan. “We have been very pleased with the opportunities that Dr. Lipp’s PSO fellowship has provided to environmental health science,” said Dr. Jia-Sheng Wang, UGA Athletic Association Professor in Public Health and head of the environmental health science department.
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.
UGAGUIDE
EXHIBITIONS
columns.uga.edu May 2, 2016
David Ligare: California Classicist. Through May 8. Georgia Museum of Art. hazbrown@uga.edu
TERRY COLLEGE OF BUSINESS GRADUATION CONVOCATION 2 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. 706-542-4590, elizwill@uga.edu
Frank Hartley Anderson: Forging the Southern Printmakers Society. Through June 19. Georgia Museum of Art.
SPRING UNDERGRADUATE COMMENCEMENT 7 p.m. Sanford Stadium.
Refining Realities. Through June 19. Georgia Museum of Art. Seeing Georgia: Changing Visions of Tourism in the Modern South. Through July 30. Special collections libraries. 706-542-5788, jhebbard@uga.edu
MONDAY, MAY 2 SPRING SEMESTER CLASSES END WILLIAM A. OWENS LECTURE “Mindfulness Enters the Mainstream: Overview and the Case of the Human Service Professions,” Robert Roeser, a mindfulness expert and professor at Portland State University. 1 p.m. Room F/G, Georgia Center. 706-542-2983, jshaikun@uga.edu ENGINEERING SENIOR DESIGN SHOWCASE 1:30 p.m. Grand Hall, Tate Student Center. 706-870-5166, mwooten@uga.edu PROMOTION AND TENURE RECOGNITION CEREMONY A ceremony hosted by the Office of the Provost and the Office of the President honoring faculty members being promoted to professor and clinical professor. Invitation only. 6 p.m. Magnolia Ballroom, Georgia Center. staciaf@uga.edu POETRY READING The Creative Writing Program will host poet Brian Blanchfield for a reading. 7 p.m. Athica Athens Institute, 160 Tracy St. 706-542-2659, cwp@uga.edu
TUESDAY, MAY 3 READING DAY WORKSHOP “Designing Your FYO Seminar.” 8:30 a.m. Center for Teaching and Learning. 706-583-0067, tchagood@uga.edu MOLECULAR PARASITOLOGY/ VECTOR BIOLOGY SYMPOSIUM Dr. John Boothroyd of Stanford University School of Medicine will be the keynote speaker. 9 a.m. Georgia Center. 706-542-9417, donnah@uga.edu CANDLELIGHT MEMORIAL SERVICE 7 p.m. Chapel. 706-542-7774. (See story, above right).
Candlelight memorial service to be held By Don Reagin
dreagin@uga.edu
Twenty-six UGA students, faculty and staff members who died since last April will be honored at the university’s annual candlelight memorial service May 3 at 7 p.m. on the steps of the Chapel. UGA President Jere W. Morehead will lead the service, called “Georgia Remembers … a Candlelight Memorial.” Students whose names will be read, along with their hometowns and the areas of study they were pursuing, are: • Emmanuel Agyei Agyemang, a third-year student from Savannah majoring in chemistry; • Khaled Mohamad Alsafadi, a fourth-year student from Suwanee majoring in psychology; • Kayla Leigh Canedo, a secondyear student from Alpharetta majoring in psychology; • John Michael Eden, a third-year student from Winder majoring in computer science; • Brittany Katherine Feldman, a second-year student from Alpharetta majoring in human development and family science; • Allison Thomas Johnson, a fourth-year student from JonesProvost and the Office of the President honoring faculty members being promoted to associate professor and clinical associate professor and being granted tenure. Invitation only. 6 p.m. Magnolia Ballroom, Georgia Center. staciaf@uga.edu
THURSDAY, MAY 5 STUDIO WORKSHOP “Realism and Representational Art.” Call 706-542-8863 or email callan@ uga.edu to register. $15. 6:30 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662, hazbrown@uga.edu
FRIDAY, MAY 6
STAFF COUNCIL MEETING 2:30 p.m. 207 Miller Learning Center.
MORNING MINDFULNESS: MONASTICS EVENT Monks from the Magnolia Grove Monastery in Batesville, Mississippi, will give a lecture and guided walking meditation in the sculpture garden. Brown bag lunch will follow. RSVP to 706-542-0448 or branew@uga.edu. 9:30 a.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662, hazbrown@uga.edu
PROMOTION AND TENURE RECOGNITION CEREMONY A ceremony hosted by the Office of the
BASEBALL vs. Ole Miss. $5-$8. 7 p.m. Foley Field. 706-542-1231.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 4 SPRING SEMESTER FINAL EXAMS Through May 10.
Calendar items are taken from Columns files and from the university’s Master Calendar, maintained by Marketing & Communications. Notices are published here as space permits, with priority given to items of multidisciplinary interest. The Master Calendar is available on the Web at calendar.uga.edu/.
boro majoring in English; • Harrison Austin Jones, a fourthyear student from Columbus majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology; • Jonathan Gray Kicklighter, a first-year student from Colquitt majoring in chemistry; • Samantha Kaye Pohl, a master’s student from Halletsville, Texas, studying avian medicine; • Caroline Daniel Ramsey, a doctoral student from Athens studying English; • Halle Grace Scott, a third-year student from Dunwoody majoring in marketing; • Cara McKim Seckman, a firstyear student from Marietta majoring in advertising and public relations; • Christina Devon Semeria, a second-year student from Milton majoring in exercise and sports science; • John Kyle Spencer, a master’s student from Columbus studying conservation ecology and sustainable development; and • Lei Wang, a doctoral student from Beijing, China, studying infectious diseases. Faculty and staff whose names will be read, along with the positions they held, are: • Robert John Antonelli,
information technology director with the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography; • Robert Andrew Bahn, research professional in forestry and natural resources; • Debra Inglett Belvin, administrative associate in agricultural and applied economics, Griffin campus; • Glenn Roger Clements, fire safety inspector in the Environmental Safety Division; • Kevin Blair Garrison, project manager in the Office of the Vice President for Research; • Joseph Ernest Lowe IV, constituent-based director in the College of Pharmacy; • Jacqueline Virginia Mitchell, administrative assistant in human resources; • Charles Allen Nasworthy, director of the 4-H and Youth Center in Hampton; • Patrick Theodore Nolan, carpenter in the Facilities Management Division; • Desiree Andrea Hammond Oliver, research professional with the Center for Family Research; and • Howard John Wiarda, professor in the School of Public and International Affairs. In the event of rain, the service will be held in the Tate Student Center Grand Hall.
SATURDAY, MAY 7 BASEBALL vs. Ole Miss. $5-$8. 2 p.m. Foley Field. 706-542-1231.
SUNDAY, MAY 8 BASEBALL vs. Ole Miss. $5-$8. 1 p.m. Foley Field. 706-542-1231.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11 JOE L. KEY SYMPOSIUM Through May 12. Thirteen renowned speakers, including a University Signature Lecture by Sir David Baulcombe of the University of Cambridge, will present. Sponsored by the UGA Plant Center and the Office of Academic Programs. 1 p.m. M. Smith Griffith Auditorium, Georgia Museum of Art. ARTFUL CONVERSATION A discussion of Bouche’s “Italy” (1918). 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662, hazbrown@uga.edu BASEBALL vs. Western Carolina. $5-$8. 7 p.m. Foley Field. 706-542-1231.
THURSDAY, MAY 12 GRIFFIN CAMPUS GRADUATION CELEBRATION, BRICK CEREMONY 10 a.m. Stuckey Conference Center Auditorium, UGA Griffin campus. 770-229-3464, ccm16@uga.edu COLLEGE OF EDUCATION SPRING CONVOCATION 3:30 p.m. Classic Center, 300 N. Thomas St. 706-542-1497, jnaylor@uga.edu COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES RECOGNITION CEREMONY 5 p.m. Classic Center, 300 N. Thomas St. 706-542-1611, emartin@uga.edu BFA EXIT EXHIBITION III CLOSING RECEPTION 6 p.m. Lamar Dodd School of Art. kgeha@uga.edu
FRIDAY, MAY 13 SPRING GRADUATE COMMENCEMENT 10 a.m. Stegeman Coliseum.
TO SUBMIT A LISTING FOR THE MASTER CALENDAR AND COLUMNS Post event information first to the Master Calendar website (calendar.uga.edu/). Listings for Columns are taken from the Master Calendar 12 days before the publication date. Events not posted by then may not be printed in Columns.
Any additional information about the event may be sent directly to Columns. Email is preferred (columns@uga.edu), but materials can be mailed to Columns, News Service, 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 North, Campus Mail 1999.
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SATURDAY, MAY 14 FAMILY DAY Attendees will learn about Georgia’s folk pottery traditions in the galleries, meet local potters and then make their own face jug in the Michael and Mary Erlanger Studio Classroom. 10 a.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662, hazbrown@uga.edu
SUNDAY, MAY 15 SPRING SEMESTER GRADES DUE 5 p.m.
MONDAY, MAY 16 MAY SESSION, EXTENDED SUMMER SESSION CLASSES BEGIN DROP/ADD FOR EXTENDED SUMMER SESSION For undergraduate level courses (10005999) and graduate level courses (6000-9999). Through May 20. DROP/ADD FOR MAY SESSION Through May 17.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 ROBINSON JEFFERS BOOK DISCUSSION A group discussion on Robinson Jeffers and his poetry. 5 p.m. Athens-Clarke County Library, 2025 Baxter St.
THURSDAY, MAY 19 BASEBALL vs. Tennessee. $5-$8. 7 p.m. Foley Field. 706-542-1231.
FRIDAY, MAY 20 BASEBALL vs. Tennessee. $5-$8. 7 p.m. Foley Field. 706-542-1231. CONCERT The UGA Hodgson Singers will perform. $10; $5 for students. 7:30 p.m. Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. 706-542-4752, c cschwabe@uga.edu
SATURDAY, MAY 21 2016 LAW SCHOOL GRADUATION The 2016 Law School Commencement ceremony will feature U.S. Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates as the keynote speaker. 10 a.m. North Campus quadrangle. 706-542-5075, lcmathis@uga.edu.(See story, page 1). BASEBALL vs. Tennessee. $5-$8. 2 p.m. Foley Field. 706-542-1231.
NEXT COLUMNS DEADLINES May 11 (for May 23 issue) June 1 (for June 13 issue) June 15 (for June 27 issue)
6 May 2, 2016 columns.uga.edu
FACULTY PROFILE
Sheila W. Allen, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, was named Veterinarian of the Year for 2015 by the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association in recognition of her exceptional service to Georgia veterinarians. Headquartered in Atlanta, the GVMA is committed to advancing the veterinary medical profession and supporting the veterinarian’s role in improving animal and public health. Donna Alvermann, the Omer Clyde and Elizabeth Parr Aderhold Professor in Education and Distinguished Research Professor in the College of Education’s language and literacy education department, was appointed to the International Literacy Association’s Literacy Donna Alvermann Research Panel for a three-year term. She also will start her two-year appointment as the “Policy and Practice: Remix” columnist for the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. In 2012, ILA—formerly the International Reading Association—formed the Literary Research Panel to respond to critical literacy issues facing policymakers, school administrators, teachers, parents and the general public. As an LRP member, Alvermann will be responsible for answering any questions the public may have in her area of expertise. She also will write one or more entries for ILA’s comprehensive blog about equity issues, gendered literacy instruction and its consequences on adolescents’ literate identities. The Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, published by ILA, is a peer-reviewed academic journal that covers classroom-tested ideas grounded in research and theory. As the journal’s “Policy and Practice: Remix” columnist, Alvermann will analyze and write about current news events, such as the passage and implications of the Every Student Succeeds Act, which was recently signed into law, replacing the No Child Left Behind Act. Alvermann’s research interests include adolescents’ digital literacies, written communication, youth media literacies and the democratization of online text production. The American College of Sports Medicine recently named College of Education professor Rod Dishman among its 2016 Citation Award winners. This award is one of ACSM’s most prestigious, and it recognizes individuals who have made “outstanding contributions to the fields of sports medicine Rod Dishman and/or exercise science.” Dishman and other award winners will be recognized at the ACSM’s annual meeting at the end of May. Dishman is a professor of exercise science and director of the kinesiology department’s Exercise Physiology Laboratory. His research into the relationship between mental health and physical activity helped coin the phrase “exercise adherence,” and his groundbreaking work on understanding regular participation in physical activity led to his appointment to the Scientific Advisory Committee to craft physical activity guidelines for Americans. The author or co-author of nine books and hundreds of publications and book chapters, he also has served on editorial boards for leading journals in exercise science. And as principal or co-investigator, Dishman has received grants totaling more than $17 million. 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.
Peter Frey
Dr. Ben Brainard, an associate professor of emergency and critical care medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine, said it’s important to have a teaching hospital at a veterinary school.
Associate professor teaches how to explore ‘new ways around problems’ By Kat Yancey Gilmore kygilmor@uga.edu
Dr. Ben Brainard possesses a penchant for challenges and real-time physiology in crisis. On a near-daily basis in his role as an associate professor of emergency and critical care medicine at the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, Brainard works at the vortex of life and death. His naturally calm demeanor is an asset amid the chaos of caring for patients in crisis. It sets the tone for keeping the interns, residents and fourth-year veterinary students under his tutelage, as well as the veterinary technicians who assist them, focused on the sickest patient of the moment. Brainard is one of two clinicians who co-created and co-directs the UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s emergency and critical care service. When he is on the clinic floor, Brainard is the veterinarian in charge of both the Small Animal Emergency Room and the Small Animal Intensive Care Unit. He possesses two board certifications in two of the most challenging areas of medicine: emergency/critical care and anesthesia. “My main interest is in physiology, in terms of understanding how the different body systems work to maintain oxygen and profusion to the tissues,” he said, noting that in a laboratory, you may study one system at a time, but in his typical setting “there is so much interaction with all the organ systems of the body that you have to take a much larger view of everything. The clinical applications of physiology are intriguing and what’s best about anesthesia and critical care is you tend to see the extremes of physiology.” Brainard didn’t grow up with pets, so it was his love of science and its neverending questions that lured him into his career. After receiving his veterinary
degree at the University of Pennsylvania, he did what many of his students do: He entered a yearlong small animal rotating internship, where he worked in a hospital on all the services. He did his internship at UGA. A rigorous five-year dual residency training program at the University of Pennsylvania came next, a program for which, he said, he was better prepared to tackle, thanks to his strenuous year at UGA. Penn’s SVM is known for having one of the busiest emergency rooms and highest caseloads of all veterinary teaching hospitals. Brainard’s pursuit of an anesthesia specialty provided him with the added benefit of working with multiple species—even humans, thanks to a rotation at a human hospital. “With anesthesia, you have to be able to anesthetize anything put in front of you, from sea horses to gorillas to horses,” he said. “The real benefit of it was the exposure and having to think in a truly comparative physiological sense, as you have to know the idiosyncrasies of every species you anesthetize. It’s helpful to have this background. We do anesthesia every day in critical care.” As he neared the end of his residency and realized he wanted a future in teaching and conducting research, Brainard applied to become a clinical instructor of critical care medicine at the veterinary medicine college and helped launch the hospital’s emergency and critical care service for small animals. A decade later, his services are located at the new Veterinary Medical Center and have expanded to two rooms. Over the last two fiscal years, he said, the caseload for the service has grown by 50 percent (30 percent in the last fiscal year), and they now average about 411 cases per month. When Brainard’s not working in the hospital, he’s likely working on research.
FACTS Ben Brainard Program Coordinator, Associate Professor of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, and Assistant Department Head Small Animal Medicine and Surgery College of Veterinary Medicine AB, Biophysical Chemistry with Honors, Dartmouth College, 1996 VMD, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 2000 Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Anesthesiology, 2006 Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, 2006 At UGA: 10 years
His specific areas of interest are pain management in ICU patients, long-term ventilation, and disorders involving coagulation and platelet function. He recently received a $180,000 award from the Morris Animal Foundation—a significant award for a clinical study of a feline disorder—for a three-year multicenter study to evaluate two drugs in the treatment of cats with recurring arterial thromboembolism. Brainard credits his time at Penn with providing him a strong research background. “All discussions then were based on, ‘This is what we know. What can we do to change the parameters?’ ” he said. It’s a methodology he strives to impart to his own students. Brainard believes research and dealing with patients go hand-in-hand. “This is why it’s important to have a teaching hospital at a veterinary school, as what you see makes people think about new approaches and new ways around problems,” he said. “Without one, you can’t have the other.”
RETIREES March
Eleven UGA employees retired March 1. Retirees, their job classification, department and length of employment are: Paula M. Brooks, research professional/high containment, infectious diseases, 16 years, 4 months; Danny J. Cash, carpenter, Facilities Management Division-Structural Support Shop, 19 years, 3 months; William M. Graves, professor, animal science-
UGA C ooperative Extension, 15 years; Joseph J. Hortz, facilities manager II, Physical Plant-Griffin campus, 32 years, 9 months; Jean C. Keesee, administrative associate II, human development and family science, 11 years, 1 month; Sherri K. Lawless, senior public service associate, Carl Vinson Institute of Government 16 years, 6 months; Elaine D. Miller, county secretary, UGA Cooperative Extension-
Northwest District, 15 years, 6 months; Janet McCook Sheppard, county secretary, UGA Cooperative ExtensionSoutheast District, 30 years; John Sherwood, assistant dean, CAES, 18 years, 8 months; Glenn D. Sizemore, building services worker I, Physical PlantTifton campus, 22 years, 3 months; and Forrest E. Stegelin, associate professor, agricultural and applied economics, 21 years, 5 months. Source: Human Resources
2016 SPRING COMMENCEMENT
columns.uga.edu May 2, 2016
Engineered for success
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Graduating engineering student shows dedication in class, in the community By Aaron Hale
aahale@uga.edu
Engineering student Bryan Grommersch has squeezed a lot into his four years at UGA. Beyond his busy load of STEM courses, Grommersch has worked on undergraduate research in the College of Engineering’s Nano Electrochemistry Lab, served on the Honors Program Student Council and even started an after-school program for children in Jackson County. With all of these activities and more, Grommersch, recipient of the UGA Presidential Award of Excellence, sometimes gets asked whether his plate is too full. He offers a response true to his passion for engineering as well as his energy and optimism. “Plates are two-dimensional objects, but you can stack your plate as high as you want in the third dimension,” he said. “In a way, your plate can never be too full, it just keeps getting higher.” Or at least that seems to be true for Grommersch, who has figured out the physics to stacking his plate to the ceiling. His activities are a blend of academics, research and volunteerism, which fit with Grommersch’s interests and personality. He’s deeply inquisitive but likes both personal interaction and to see results, especially the kind that brings a smile or—even better—a spark of understanding to a child’s face.
Focus on people
That focus on people is what led Grommersch, who hails from Alpharetta, to apply to UGA and enroll in the engineering college. “People view engineers as these numbercrunching robots, which sometimes may not be too far off,” he said. “But engineers at Georgia break the mold.” Grommersch talks about the Driftmier Engineering Center, where the college is based, as kind of a home. Faculty members know their students’ names and let them “learn and explore what they want to get out of engineering,” he said. Learning and exploring are exactly what Grommersch has done. In the lab, he worked on improving the lithium ion battery as a CURO research assistant and CURO summer research fellow under Ramaraja Ramasamy, an associate professor of engineering and an adjunct professor of chemistry. The process taught Grommersch how a lab worked and let him investigate his passion for scientific exploration.
Dorothy Kozlowski
Bryan Grommersch, an engineering student who will graduate this month, established an outreach program with East Jackson Elementary School, which provides after-school scientific and engineering activities for third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students. “Working with kids is refreshing,” he said. “They don’t understand the laws of thermodynamics. That doesn’t matter there. All that matters is being present with people and sharing your time and gifts.”
“There’s potential, and there are things that haven’t been discovered,” he said. “And even the things that were discovered 200 years ago are fascinating to me.” Grommersch shows that same enthusiasm in the classroom. Mark Eiteman, a professor in engineering and microbiology, has taught Grommersch in two engineering courses. In both classes, Eiteman said, Grommersch was extraordinarily engaged and asked lots of terrific questions, which tended to encourage more involvement from fellow classmates. “He’s real sharp every moment of the class,” Eiteman said. “He’s the kind of individual who adds value to my instruction by engaging with the class.”
Empowering children
And it’s not just engagement in the classroom. Grommersch has taken the initiative to engage with the local community, particularly in regards to empowering children with problem-solving skills. In 2015, Grommersch established an outreach program with East Jackson Elementary
WEEKLY READER
Book documents FDR’s time in Georgia Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited Georgia 41 times between 1924 and 1945. A President In Our Midst: Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Georgia is a collection of photographs and remembrances that document the vital role of Georgia’s people and places in FDR’s rise from his position as a despairing politician daunted by disease to his role as a revered leader who guided the country through its worst depression and a world war. A native New Yorker, FDR A President in Our Midst: called Georgia his “other state.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Georgia Seeking relief from the devastating effects of polio, he was first drawn By Kaye Lanning Minchew there by the reputed healing powUniversity of Georgia Press ers of the waters at Warm Springs. Hardcover: $34.95 FDR immediately took to Georgia, and the attraction was mutual. The book contains nearly 200 photos that show him at the Little White House.
School, which provides after-school scientific and engineering activities for third-, fourthand fifth-grade students, with the help of Tim Foutz, a Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor of Engineering. Grommersch recruited engineering classmates and developed a curriculum for the STEM Club. Every other week, Grommersch and his peers give children hands-on learning activities that teach them about problem solving and experimentation. To demonstrate, for example, the concepts of environmental engineering, Grommersch helped elementary school students build water filtration systems with rudimentary materials: cotton balls, sand and gravel. “These things are so simple, but that’s what so cool about working with kids,” he said. “You can do a lot with a little.” He also participated in an Experience UGA project to teach engineering concepts to fourthgraders closer to campus. A partnership between the Clarke County School District and the university’s College of Education and the Office of Service-Learning,
Experience UGA brings every student in a Clarke County public school to the UGA campus for a field trip each year. While some might view the volunteering projects as another commitment or chore, Grommersch sees it as a nice break from the demands of schoolwork. “Working with kids is refreshing,” he said. “They don’t understand the laws of thermodynamics. That doesn’t matter there. All that matters is being present with people and sharing your time and gifts.”
Looking forward
Looking forward, Grommersch expects the lessons he’s learned in all these activities to be valuable in his next venture. After graduating from UGA May 13, Grommersch plans to go to medical school. He recently took the MCAT and will be applying to schools in the summer. But even as a doctor, he expects to keep his engineering mindset. “I’d like to be a surgeon because I think it’s the most hands-on, problem-solving form of medicine,”Grommersch said.“No matter what, I’ll be an engineer, even if it’s not in my title.”
ABOUT COLUMNS
CYBERSIGHTS
Columns is available to the campus community by subscription for an annual fee of $20 (secondclass delivery) or $40 (first-class delivery). Faculty and staff members with a disability may call 706-542-8017 for assistance in obtaining this publication in an alternate format. Columns staff can be reached at 706-542-8017 or columns@uga.edu
Editor Juliett Dinkins Art Director Janet Beckley
Alumni Relations unveils new site
Photo Editor Dorothy Kozlowski
alumni.uga.edu
The Office of Alumni Relations has unveiled a website redesign to better engage graduates of the university. The new site is responsive, mobile-friendly and focuses on three calls to action for alumni and friends: connect, hire and give. Highlights of the new site include an enhanced events calendar, alumni chapter pages that are
easily customized and more visually appealing multimedia content to drive longer visits. The site will continue to grow in the coming months as the communications team reviews traffic and site analytics. The redesign is the first phase of a new website strategy being rolled out in the Division of Development and Alumni Relations in the coming year.
Senior Reporter Aaron Hale Reporter Matt Chambers The University of Georgia is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. The University of Georgia is a unit of the University System of Georgia. I
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8 May 2, 2016 columns.uga.edu
WARD
DIVISION OF DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS
Mary-Morgan Logan
College of Environment and Design students stand with UGA President Jere W. Morehead to show their thanks to UGA’s donors.
UGA students set participation record for Thank a Donor Day April 14 By Leigh Raynor lraynor@uga.edu
More than 650 students—a record number—participated in UGA’s Thank a Donor Day on April 14. Coordinated by the Office of Donor Relations and Stewardship,Thank a Donor Day gives members of the UGA community an opportunity to show their gratitude to those who support the university through private donations. Celebrating its fifth year, TADD has solidified itself as a campus tradition and has been added to the Student Alumni Association’s G Book, the university’s traditions handbook. “Thank a Donor Day began with a simple idea,” said Tony Stringer, director of donor relations and stewardship, whose goal each year is to promote a culture of philanthropy on campus. “We weren’t sure how UGA students would respond, but we were blown away from the start. We learned that if you create easy and fun opportunities for students to express their gratitude, they will rise to the occasion.” TADD educates the UGA community about the effect private donations have on
university life. The university is consistently ranked high on Kiplinger’s list of public universities with the best value for cost of attendance; however, private support has become increasingly important to the university. Private donations also help fund more than 180 chairs and professorships across departments and disciplines and more than $21 million in gifts went to building, maintaining and updating facilities on campus last year. During TADD, a record-number of students signed a large thank you card to donors, wrote more than 650 thank you notes and created posters to show their appreciation. Many schools and colleges showed their pride by creating unique messages. The College of Environment and Design came prepared with a poster that illustrated their students’ creativity and eye for design. “What most impressed me about this poster was that it was 100 percent studentdriven,” said Jennifer Messer, director of development and alumni relations at CED. “Our students really understand the importance of donor support and how impactful private gifts are to the college.”
Bulletin Board Business continuity plan
A business continuity plan details how a department will provide services or conduct business after an emergency. In addition to identifying essential services, equipment and contact information, the plan also prepares staff for possible emergency situations and instructs employees on how to respond. UGA’s Office of Emergency Preparedness offers an online planning tool at http://t.uga.edu/2fl that can help departments develop a business continuity plan. OEP staff also teach the one-hour course “Taking Care of Business: How Your Department Can Continue Operations After an Emergency” at Training and Development. The next class will be held June 1 at 10 a.m. in the Training and Development building. For more information, visit www. hr.uga.edu/training .
Family communication study
Researchers in the psychology department are conducting a study to learn more about how families communicate about emotions in their marital and parenting relationships. Those eligible to participate in the study must be married and have a child between the ages of 7-11. Participation in the study will involve completing questionnaires at home and a one-time
campus visit of one to two hours to the psychology building. Both parents and the child are required to attend the session together. Participating families will receive $75. Call 706-542-1299 or email ugamarriagelab@gmail.com for more information.
Breast cancer survivors study
The HEELS Study (Healthy Eating, Mindfulness, Exercise and Lifestyle in Breast Cancer Survivors) is recruiting breast cancer survivors for a study. There is an immediate need for female breast cancer survivors 50 or older with a body mass index of 25 or greater (overweight or obese) who are able to perform moderate-intensity exercise (like brisk walking). Participants may be asked to attend study sessions at the UGA Health Sciences Campus once a week for eight weeks. Participants will receive an incentive valued at $185 for completing the study. Those interested in participating in the study should call the Clinical and Translational Research Unit front desk at 706-713-2721 and leave a message. For questions about the study, call Lilian Sattler at 706-542-1040. Bulletin Board is limited to information that may pertain to a majority of faculty and staff members.
from page 1 1959, Ward returned to Georgia and joined the legal team—led by civil rights attorney Donald Hollowell—that represented Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter-Gault in their landmark efforts to enroll at UGA in 1961. While a partner in the law firm of Hollowell, Ward, Moore and Alexander, Ward worked on several other significant civil rights cases throughout Georgia. In 1964,Ward became the second AfricanAmerican since Reconstruction elected to the Georgia General Assembly. Re-elected to four terms in the state Senate, Ward was appointed to several key legislative committees. In 1974, Ward became the first AfricanAmerican trial court judge in Georgia when he was appointed to the Civil Court of Fulton County. Three years later, he was elevated to Fulton County Superior Court judge. In 1979, Ward was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia—and sworn in as a federal judge in the same courtroom in which his lawsuit to enter UGA had been dismissed 22 years earlier. Ward took senior status in 1994 and retired from the federal bench in 2012. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from UGA in 2014. “We at the School of Law mourn the passing of this legal giant, the Honorable Horace Taliaferro Ward,” Georgia Law Dean Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge said. “Although his application to the law school was denied, we at Georgia Law remain grateful for Judge
Ward’s acceptance of the honorary Doctor of Laws, which was a well-deserved recognition. We also express our sincere condolences to his family.” Ward’s story is the foundation for UGA’s Foot Soldier Project for Civil Rights Studies, an interdisciplinary research effort that seeks to uncover and illuminate the history of successful efforts in the state and region that had an impact on the civil rights movement. He is the subject of the award-winning biography Horace T. Ward: Desegregation of the University of Georgia, Civil Rights Advocacy, and Jurisprudence, authored by UGA School of Social Work Dean Maurice Daniels, who also served as executive producer and senior researcher on Foot Soldier for Equal Justice, Parts I and II. Both award-winning documentaries explore Ward’s story, the history of desegregation at UGA and the segregation policies in higher education across the country. “Generations of Georgians are the beneficiaries of Judge Ward’s activism, civil rights work, public service and jurisprudence,” Daniels said. “I am keenly aware and immensely grateful that he and his comrades made it possible for me to teach and research and serve as a dean at the University of Georgia. “I was deeply humbled and honored to confer with him in writing his biography and developing a civil rights documentary chronicling his ground-breaking contributions to society,” he also said. “I will miss him and his wise counsel.”
TRAGEDY from page 1
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these best friends met Jesus last night.” All four students were involved in campus ministries and in Greek life—Kayla Canedo and Christina Semeria were sisters in Alpha Chi Omega, Halle Scott was a Delta Delta Delta and Brittany Feldman was a Pi Beta Phi. “This is really tough, but y’all are making it a whole lot better,” said Halle Scott’s brother Will, who had planned to spend the weekend at home with his parents until he saw an announcement about the reflection ceremony and decided to turn around and attend. He was joined onstage by Nick Semeria, Christina’s brother. “Christina loved to sing,” Nick said of his sister. “I have no doubt she’s leading the choir up there in heaven right now.” “As a parent,” said Victor Wilson, UGA vice president for student affairs, “I can’t even imagine the pain and tragedy of a loss like this. Nothing we can say can ease the pain, but our being here says so very much.” The comments continued to pour in, through wavering voices and the singing of the first verse of “Lean on Me.” “We mourn the loss of these beautiful people.” “These were incredible, incredible women, and they will be remembered.” “We miss her, y’all.” “There’s no community I’d rather be a part of than UGA right now. And when the breeze comes, that’s their presence.” “We have four amazing guardian angels looking over us now.” “I’m just confident that the life in their years has been profound.” “With the support of the Bulldog nation, there is no doubt in my mind that we will overcome such a tragic loss.” A large group of girls took the stage to talk about Kim, who works in Russell, a freshman residence hall. “Agnes Kim, our R.A., basically shoved us into a room on our first day of college and said, ‘go make friends,’ ” they shared. Others asked for support and prayer for Kim during her hospital stay and in the coming months. Morehead urged all members of the university community to care for each other during this difficult time. “In this time of great sorrow, let us all draw together as members of the UGA community,” he said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of our students, and we ask you to keep these students and their families and friends in your thoughts and in your prayers.” Counseling services are available, as needed, at the University Health Center.
one of the nation’s “10 best college presidents” by Time magazine and has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Council on Education. She is co-chair of the Lincoln Project, an initiative of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences to explore strategies to preserve the strength and diversity of public colleges and universities. She also serves on the board of trustees of the Society for Science and the Public, a nonprofit organization dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education. She is a member of the board of trustees of the Kavli Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing science and support for scientists, and the board of trustees of the Gates Cambridge Scholars. She also serves on the board of trustees of the Mayo Clinic and the University of Denver and on the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director. As U-M president, Coleman was named by President Barack Obama to help launch the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, a national effort bringing together industry, universities and the federal government. She led “The Michigan Difference,” a campaign to raise $2.5 billion for the future of the institution that, at its conclusion in 2008, stood at $3.2 billion. Her extensive leadership positions in higher education have included membership on the NCAA board of directors and the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and serving as chair of the AAU. Elected to the Institute of Medicine, Coleman also is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The inaugural cohort of UGA’s Women’s Leadership Fellows includes representatives from seven schools and colleges as well as the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. The fellows were chosen from nominations from deans and other senior administrators as well as from self-nominations. The Women’s Leadership Fellows program is part of the broader Women’s Leadership Initiative that Morehead and Provost Pamela Whitten launched in 2015. In addition to expanding opportunities for leadership development, the initiative is addressing recruitment, retention and hiring as well as work-life balance. “Dr. Coleman’s visit will give our inaugural class of Women’s Leadership Fellows a deeper understanding of what it takes to move large and complex organizations forward,” Whitten said. “Her perspectives will be invaluable to our fellows and will undoubtedly inspire them to make an even greater impact on the University of Georgia.”