UGA Columns Nov. 11, 2019

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Faculty help train next generation of substance use, mental health experts RESEARCH NEWS

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Hugh Hodgson School of Music sets dates for annual holiday concerts Vol. 47, No. 16

November 11, 2019

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Annual Rural Health Care Symposium to focus on resilience

Andrew Davis Tucker

Department of history master’s student Thomas McShea, left, and Ph.D. student Katharine Dahlstrand, both military veterans, are working on a student veteran oral history project where they are recording a collection of stories from other UGA student veterans.

Soldiers’ stories

Graduate students help facilitate oral history project for university, student veterans

By Sara Freeland freeland@uga.edu

From near death experiences to best and worst days of their lives, the University of Georgia is keeping an archive of student veterans’ stories.

The goal is to preserve history, and to date, almost 90 oral histories have been recorded.

The stories might include why the student joined the military, what a typical day was like, where they were on Sept. 11, 2001, if they saw active duty, how they would describe service, stories that best exemplify their service, any misperceptions about the military they want to discuss, why they left the military and what their transition back to civilian life looked like.

The project is the brainchild of veteran Kate Dahlstrand, a Ph.D. student in history who is particularly interested in how veterans transition back to civilian life.

The project officially got off the ground in fall 2017. Dahlstrand introduced herself to Ted Barco,

director of the Student Veterans Resource Center, to help with the veteran coaching program. He asked her about her goals, and she mentioned the oral history project.

Two weeks later, she got an email from Barco that said he’d secured a room, recording equipment and the archival space. He’d also recruit veterans to send to her to record their stories.

“Lesson learned; always go to Ted first,” she said.

Dahlstrand recorded approximately 70 interviews, and the bulk of them were done in the spring semester. Tom McShea, a master’s student in history, took over this semester.

He’s recorded 16 interviews with a few more to schedule. The histories are housed in the Russell Library, with some audio files available online.

The project is a partnership between student veterans, the UGA Student Veterans Resource Center and the Special Collections Libraries.

The project includes stories of a hospital corpsman who did four deployments and came to UGA

with the goal of becoming a physician assistant; a medical evacuation helicopter pilot deployed to Iraq who discusses public misperceptions of the military; and an intelligence analyst in the Cold War who discusses issues that women face in the military and the effects of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico.

The stories are conversational, and the interviews run the gamut—from students who loved their service to students who saw dear friends die or experienced discrimination or racism.

The program is one of the largest Dahlstrand has heard of—but not as all encompassing as the project at the Library of Congress, which includes oral histories of all veterans. UGA’s project focuses specifically on students and their transition.

Partly inspired by Dahlstrand’s own rocky transition home, the project asks, “Is this their UGA? Do they feel out of place or welcome?”

It’s not always easy to get See VETERANS on page 8

SCHOOL OF LAW

Law school records best state bar passage rate For the sixth consecutive year, University of Georgia School of Law graduates achieved the highest bar examination passage rate for first-time takers in the state of Georgia for the July sitting.

“The faculty, staff and I are incredibly proud of our students for their hard work,” School of Law Dean Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge said.

“Our primary focus at the School of Law has been—and remains—to provide our students with first-rate legal training so they can become future leaders of state and society.

“I’d like to thank the law school’s Bar Passage Working Group—led

by Bar Exam Success Programming Director Tony Waller—and our Bar Exam Success Team for their innovative work in this field,” Rutledge said. “Special thanks also go to the law school’s generous alumni and alumnae who invested in a bar preparation stipend program, run

by Tony and the BEST team, to support those in need.”

This achievement closely follows the School of Law’s recent back-to-back ranking as the best

value in legal education in the country. This National Jurist ranking is based on outcome-driven metrics such as bar passage and employment rates as well as average indebtedness, tuition and cost of living.

“The School of Law strives to be the best return on investment in legal education,” Rutledge said.

“Bar passage success is an essential element of this vision. We are very proud of these students for their achievement and look forward to celebrating their professional successes.”

The University of Georgia School of Law will host the fourth annual Rural Health Care Symposium, which will focus on resilience in rural health care—how Georgia’s rural health organizations prepare for risk, disruption, continuity, sustained service and success.

To be held Nov. 14 in the Larry Walker Room of Dean Rusk Hall on UGA’s North Campus, the purpose of the symposium is to bring together various stakeholders—academic researchers, legislators, medical providers and community advocates—and have discussions focused on generating potential solutions to the current

rural health care crisis, according to School of Law associate professor Fazal Khan.

Stacey Abrams, former Georgia gubernatorial nominee and former Georgia House Democratic leader, will provide the event’s keynote address. As candidate for Georgia governor, Abrams committed to a plan to increase health care access in rural Georgia. She announced plans to promote telehealth to connect rural Georgians with specialists outside their community, support health professionals via service cancelable loans and special scholarship programs and increase See SYMPOSIUM on page 8

ODUM SCHOOL OF ECOLOGY

Scientists get $1.6 million NSF grant to study disease transmission

By Trippe Ross

tross312@uga.edu

Vector-borne diseases—those transmitted by biting insects like mosquitoes and ticks—pose a significant health threat to more than half of the world’s population.

Finding ways to control these diseases—many of which are zoonotic, meaning they can spread among wildlife, domestic animals and humans—requires understanding the ecological and social contexts in which they occur.

Researchers associated with the University of Georgia’s Center for

the Ecology of Infectious Diseases have received a grant to investigate the relationships between habitat characteristics, human activity and disease transmission for two zoonotic vector-borne tropical diseases: cutaneous leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.

Chagas disease infects an estimated 10 million people and is a leading cause of cardiac morbidity and mortality in Latin America.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis causes disfiguring sores and is treated with expensive and potentially toxic medicines.

See GRANT on page 8

TERRY COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

UGA’s Full-Time MBA Program ranked No. 9 by The Economist

By Matt Weeks

mweeks@uga.edu

The Full-Time MBA Program at the University of Georgia Terry College of Business is ranked among the top 10 U.S. public business schools by The Economist in its worldwide survey of the 100 best graduate business programs, called “Which MBA?” The Georgia MBA ranks No. 9 among public universities in the U.S., No. 25 among all U.S. business schools and No. 33 in the world. It rose 11 spots in the global ranking from last year to this year.

The latest rankings are the highest the Terry College has recorded in The Economist survey.

“The prominent increase in the ranking of our Full-Time MBA Program reflects the

market-focused curriculum, expert faculty and innovative experiential learning opportunities that distinguish the Terry MBA,” said Dean Benjamin C. Ayers. “We are proud of the high marks our graduates have given the program and to see how the trajectory of their careers has benefited from their MBA degrees. Helping students achieve great outcomes after graduation is our highest priority.”

The Economist’s ranking methodology is based on the survey responses of thousands of MBA students worldwide, as well as salary data, standardized test scores and measures of faculty quality provided by the schools.

The Terry MBA Program earned its highest marks for: (1) students’ rating of the college’s faculty, See RANKING on page 8

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FRANKLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY If you think you’re allergic to penicillin, you’re probably not More than 30 million people in the United States wrongly believe they are allergic to penicillin—resulting in millions of dollars in added health care costs, adverse side effects from the use of more powerful antibiotics and a risk in the rise of dangerous antibiotic resistant infections.

This misconception and public health threat could be corrected, said Christopher M. Bland, clinical associate professor at the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy, by asking those who say they are allergic to penicillin to answer a simple one-page questionnaire and, if necessary, take a penicillin allergy skin test, or PAST. “In many instances we don’t have to go past the questionnaire,” Bland said. “We’re finding out that what most of these patients think is an allergic reaction is really only a side effect that may have happened once and might never happen again.

Patients tell us that they became dizzy or nauseated after taking penicillin years ago or that their father was allergic to penicillin, so they thought they were allergic as well.”

Bland said penicillin often gets blamed when it may not be the culprit. Even those who may have once been allergic to penicillin are no longer allergic today, he said. After five years, studies show that half of the individuals who had an allergic reaction—like hives, wheezing, shortness of breath or anaphylaxis—to penicillin were no longer allergic. At 10 years, that number jumps to 80%, he said.

In research presented recently at IDWeek, the international infectious diseases meeting in Washington, D.C., Bland and colleagues demonstrated how many penicillin allergies were removed from patient records after patients were interviewed by UGA pharmacy students.

“We are able to reduce the number of those who think they have penicillin allergy by 20% right away, just by talking to them through our questionnaire,” said Bland. “Our pharmacy students were able to debunk the allergy claim by many patients just by getting a detailed history.”

While the Infectious Diseases Society of America has recommended that penicillin allergy assessment be promoted as a way to erase this label on medical records for those who are not allergic, most of the studies that have included PAST as a way to accomplish this have been done at academic medical centers by trained allergists.

Bland and Bruce Jones, an infectious diseases clinical pharmacy specialist at St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System and adjunct UGA College of Pharmacy assistant professor in Savannah, said this isn’t necessary and can be done in hospitals that do not have dedicated trained allergists on staff.

They are working with more than 50 hospitals throughout the country, sharing best practices that will allow PAST to be performed and medical records updated.

In a grant-funded study, Bland and Jones found that PAST done on patients who believed that they were allergic to penicillin—the most effective antibiotic available with the least side effects—demonstrated no real allergy.

These research findings were published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. The duo worked with nurses at Candler Hospital and found that skin testing can be done safely in a community hospital setting. When skin testing was performed at the hospital by trained nurses, 98 out of 100 patients in the study who had a penicillin allergy on their medical record were deemed not be allergic to the antibiotic.

This allowed for an immediate change to a penicillin type antibiotic for most patients, which is often safer and cheaper, improves outcomes and reduces adverse effects, the goal of the federal antimicrobial stewardship program requiring hospitals to ensure that antibiotics are used only when necessary.

In addition to the public health benefit, Bland estimated that health care savings would be in the tens of millions of dollars annually if patients could be switched back to penicillin from more costly antibiotic treatments.

Trending maps reveal what makes viral content catch on with viewers

By Katie Cowart

klcowart@uga.edu

When you think about content going viral, maps don’t typically come to mind, but “The Eclipse: Smothered and Covered,” a map with the 2017 eclipse path of totality overlaid with the best Waffle House locations for viewing, did just that.

The map was created by University of Georgia assistant professor of geography Jerry Shannon. After being retweeted by Waffle House, Shannon’s map quickly went viral. Almost 200,000 people viewed the tweet, and several news outlets picked it up.

Understanding more about viral content can help researchers better determine how people can bond over topics that are controversial as well as humorous.

“As geographers develop ways to connect with the broader public over pressing issues such as racial segregation and climate change, we can work in social media and online communities to build trust, forge new partnerships and foster productive conversations,” said Shannon.

Another viral map was created

by Texas Christian University assistant professor of geography Kyle Walker. His interactive dot-density map, “Educational Attainment in America,” allowed people to zoom and pan around the United States to see educational trends.

In a paper published in The Professional Geographer, Shannon and Walker used these two maps to analyze the factors that contributed to the viral phenomena. Though they focused on

Andrew Davis Tucker

Jerry Shannon, an assistant professor in the geography department, is researching what contributes to viral cartography.

viral cartography, their results can be applied to viral content of all types.

“Social media makes it increasingly easy to create and share all kinds of content, including maps,” Shannon said. “As scientists and communicators, it’s crucial that we understand the factors that make our work go viral.”

Shannon and Walker focused on three aspects that contributed to the virality of their maps. First, maps act as a form of phatic communication or small talk, which reaffirms social ties and shared group identities. Shannon’s Waffle House map demonstrated a distinctive tie to the Southeast, where he lives and works. People’s sense of connection to Waffle House fueled the popularity of this map. Some people visited the Waffle House locations to watch the eclipse and posted pictures that showed the viral spread of this map.

Second, viewers engage maps from

specific places and times. The Waffle House map drew responses based on the readers’ relationship to the Southeast where Waffle House is prominent.

Interest in this map was also high in the days leading up to the eclipse in 2017, and finding the right moment is key for viral content.

Third, the academic expertise and authority was important to users of the maps, who expected accuracy from university researchers.

While the mapmakers focused on the general trends presented in the maps, readers were more likely to hone in on the specifics and how the maps relate to them individually.

“We focused on the broader geographic patterns revealed by the maps, clusters of restaurants or neighborhood residents,” Shannon said.

“In contrast, lay readers focused on specific points, locating themselves on the map or identifying locations they hoped to visit.”

OFFICE OF RESEARCH

UGA awards grant to academic team to study history of slavery at the university The University of Georgia has awarded a grant to a 22-member UGA academic team to study the history of slavery at UGA from the institution’s founding in 1785 until the end of the Civil War in 1865.

The research team—which spans multiple schools, colleges and other units across the university—will conduct a multidisciplinary study of enslaved African Americans who labored on the UGA campus. In September, the team submitted a proposal, which was selected for funding by David Lee, vice president for research; Michelle Garfield Cook, vice provost for diversity and inclusion and strategic university initiatives; and Toby Graham, university librarian and associate provost.

“We are excited to have a team of faculty from several units and departments collaborating on this project,” said Cook.

“The range of expertise represented by the research team will provide a rich, academic examination of the history of slavery at UGA and contribute significantly to our scholarly understanding of the history of this institution.”

Faculty and student researchers— led by Chana Kai Lee, an associate professor of history and African American studies in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences—will analyze primary sources and archaeological data related to the history of slavery at the university, including: • Existing research conducted by the Russell Special Collections Libraries,

the Willson Center’s Digital Humanities Lab and Southeastern Archeological Services, as well as by individuals affiliated with the School of Social Work and the departments of anthropology, English, geography, history, historic preservation and sociology.

• Family and community histories.

• Personal papers of faculty who worked at UGA before 1865.

The research team plans to publish its work as a print and electronic collection of essays with the University of Georgia Press and as a roundtable in the journal The Public Historian.

The research initiative, which is supported by private funds from the Office of the President, is expected to be completed by June 30, 2021.

COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

Foster cat study trying to determine if pet can improve mental state of older adults

By Lindsey Derrick lderrick@uga.edu

A collaborative study out of Athens is trying to determine if having a pet can improve the mental state of older adults. Foster cats are being placed with people 60 and older, and researchers are evaluating the affect of the companionship.

Research has shown that seniors with pets are 36% less likely to report loneliness than non-pet owners, experience reduced stress, have fewer doctor visits, have reduced blood pressure and risk for heart disease and develop a sense of purpose that comes with helping a homeless cat.

“Much suffering among older people living alone is the result of boredom and

feelings of helplessness and loneliness,” said Dr. Sherry Sanderson, an associate professor at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, who is conducting the study. “Animal companionship is a known antidote to loneliness.”

The Foster Cat Research Study is a collaboration among the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, UGA College of Public Health, UGA’s Institute of Gerontology, Athens Community Council on Aging, Athens Area Humane Society and Campus Cats Rescue. This study is funded by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute, with supplemental support from Purina PetCare.

Researchers began recruiting volunteers

in January 2018, and the study will continue into 2020. Data will be collected and analyzed for an additional 12 months after the study concludes. Each volunteer participates in the study for four months, and the adults can choose to adopt their foster cat or allow them to be adopted by someone else.

All cats come spayed/neutered, vaccinated, dewormed, treated for fleas and microchipped. Cat supplies, litter and food are provided free of charge during the study.

Dr. Don Scott, site clerkship director of geriatrics and palliative care at the AU/ UGA Medical Partnership, is the geriatrician on the study, and he hopes they see a transformation in the adults.

“In my experience in working with older adults, and as an animal lover myself, the

importance of their relationship with their animal companions, their pets, has always been extremely important,” said Scott. “For many, especially those older adults who live alone, it is the key relationship in their lives, their source of love and caring and their bond to allow their own expression of love and caring. Older adults’ pets are often the most important thing in their lives.”

“Fostering cats provides a much-needed service to the community as some shelters strive to become low kill/no kill shelters and are often in need of foster homes as a way to bridge the time from intake to adoption into a permanent home,” Sanderson said.

If you are interested in volunteering or would like to know more, contact Sanderson (sherrys@uga.edu) or Scott (donscott@uga.edu).

RESEARCH NEWS

columns.uga.edu Nov. 11, 2019

GREAT COMMITMENTS

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Digest Saturday Morning Club will begin its season with Nov. 16 performance

Dorothy Kozlowski

Orion Mowbray, center, is teaming up with College of Education faculty to provide UGA students hands-on training in addressing substance use disorders and mental health care.

Public health crisis

School of Social Work, College of Education faculty help train next generation of substance use, mental health experts

By Leigh Beeson lbeeson@uga.edu

You can’t solve a public health crisis if you don’t have the workforce to tackle it.

And the U.S.—Georgia, in particular—has a massive shortage of health care professionals trained to address substance use disorders.

The University of Georgia’s School of Social Work is aiming to close that gap by partnering with local behavioral health agencies and a federal grant designed to help students get the handson training they need to hit the ground running after they graduate.

More than 1,000 Georgians died from opioid overdoses in 2017, a 245% increase from 2010, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Orion Mowbray, an associate professor of social work, partnered with Advantage Behavioral Health Systems, a local mental and behavioral health center, to gauge the extent of the provider shortage in Georgia’s Public Health District 10, which includes Clarke, Oglethorpe and Elbert counties, among others. The findings were bleak.

Some counties had one or two treatment centers; many had none.

That means many rural Georgians have to secure transportation and time off work, not to mention child care, to access treatment centers a county or more away.

“That takes time, money and effort.

Some people don’t have that,” Mowbray said. “One thing that we know from research is that if treatment services are far away, there’s a higher likelihood that people aren’t going to access them.”

Facilities that offer medicationassisted treatment, or MAT, are also hard to come by. These facilities substitute a safer substance, like methadone or buprenorphine, for opioids, which helps ease the pains of withdrawal from hard-core narcotics or offers a longterm, safer substitute from opioids. The ultimate goal is to safely wean patients off the opioid-substitute as well.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration supports MAT, along with counseling and behavioral therapies, but many insurers, including Medicaid, aren’t keen to cover it. Plus, providers subject themselves to intense scrutiny by the

Drug Enforcement Agency.

“It’s a highly regulated process to distribute medication,” Mowbray said. “And that creates a disincentive to provide it.”

Along with College of Education professor Bernadette Heckman, Mowbray secured a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration to train about 100 graduate students to help address the mental and behavioral health services shortage.

The graduate students will serve in treatment facilities across District 10.

The grant will also enable the students to receive advanced training in everything from screening for substance use problems to medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction.

“We can teach students all they want in the classroom,” Mowbray said, “but that direct experience, that experiential learning, is critical.”

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 ENGINEERING

Engineering researchers explore academic resilience

By Mike Wooten

mwooten@uga.edu

Resilience is a vital goal of engineering. When designing buildings and infrastructure, engineers want to create structures and systems that can adapt, absorb and respond to disruptive events.

But what about the engineers themselves?

In what may be the first study on resilience in engineering education, researchers in the University of Georgia College of Engineering are examining the role that academic resilience plays in enhancing student performance in challenging core engineering courses.Their goal is to better equip undergraduates to succeed in college and to deal more effectively with professional challenges after graduation.

“We’re particularly interested in how students respond if their initial efforts aren’t as good as they want them to be,” said Peter Carnell, a professor of practice and the study’s principal

investigator. “Resilience is the ability to adapt well in the face of adversity. It’s a valuable skill because it helps students and professionals successfully navigate difficulties and overcome setbacks.”

The study, funded by the National Science Foundation, will mix quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the relationships between resilience and academic achievement. Students participating in the study will complete resilience surveys and receive a resilience profile based on their responses. In detailing students’ specific resilience skills—such as perseverance, optimism and self-control—this profile may help students play to their strengths and develop strategies for working around their weaknesses. Class discussions will focus on the connections between resilience and academic success.

In addition, the researchers believe findings from the study have the potential to dramatically enhance student and faculty understandings of the importance of professional skills in learning

technical material in engineering and other STEM disciplines.

“Practicing engineers are well aware of the importance of professional skills, or soft skills, but it can be hard to communicate this to students,” said Nicola Sochacka, a research scientist in the College of Engineering and a co-investigator. “By connecting professional skills to academic performance in core courses, such as engineering statics, students get to see how professional skills can support the development of technical expertise.”

The project grew out of a collaboration in the Engineering Education Transformations Institute in the UGA College of Engineering.

“This project, which involves faculty members and undergraduate researchers, is a perfect example of how engineering education research at UGA is producing cutting-edge knowledge that directly benefits students in our programs,” said Nathaniel Hunsu, an assistant professor and co-investigator.

UGA Presents will kick off the 2019-2020 season of the Saturday Morning Club with a performance by UGA Theatre on Nov. 16 at 10 a.m. in Ramsey Concert Hall.

The Saturday Morning Club is a series of fun, interactive events that feature performances

by UGA student ensembles and other young performers. The performances are designed for children ages 4 through 12. Parents and grandparents are encouraged to attend the familyfriendly activity with their children.

Part of UGA’s annual Spotlight on the Arts Family Day, the Nov. 16 performance will feature students and faculty from the theatre and film studies department of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

The Saturday Morning Club series also will include a performance by UGA CORE Contemporary and Aerial Dance on Feb. 15 in the New Dance Theatre on Green Street and a performance on March 21 by the UGA Wind Symphony in Hodgson Concert Hall.

All Saturday Morning Club events are free; no ticket is required for admission. For more information, visit the UGA Presents website at pac.uga.edu or call 706-542-4400.

The Saturday Morning Club series is sponsored by Piedmont Athens Regional.

Ramsey Concert Hall and Hodgson Concert Hall are located in the UGA Performing Arts Center at 230 River Road in Athens.

Stellenbosch study abroad program named PIEoneer Award finalist

The UGA study abroad program in Stellenbosch, South Africa, administered by UGA’s Center for the Study of Global Issues, or GLOBIS, was a finalist in the “real life learning” category for the PIEoneer Awards.

The Stellenbosch Maymester program, founded and directed by Markus Crepaz (international affairs) and William Finley (sociology), is based in the School of Public and International Affairs. It offers a unique combination of classroom learning, wildlife viewing and community engagement involving a four-week service-learning project.

The PIEoneer Awards are the only global awards that celebrate innovation and achievement across the international education industry. With a judging panel that represents geographical and professional diversity, the awards recognize individuals and organizations who are pushing professional standards, evolving their engagement or redefining the international student experience.

UGA soccer player named to the 2019 SEC community service team

University of Georgia junior midfielder Ashley Andersen has been included on the 2019 Southeastern Conference Soccer Community Service Team.

The SEC names a community service team for each of its 21-league sponsored sports, looking to highlight an athlete from each school who gives back to their community in superior service efforts. This is the 15th annual women’s soccer community service team.

A native of Clifton, Virginia, Andersen is not only a leader on the team but also in the community and around campus. On top of maintaining a 3.87 GPA and earning a spot in the starting lineup, Andersen is in her second year as a member of L.E.A.D., the UGA Athletic Association’s Leadership Academy. She is very active in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee where she participates in the Special Olympics baseball game at UGA and “Empty Bowl” Project to benefit the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, in addition to her involvement in Relay for Life.

PERIODICALS POSTAGE STATEMENT Columns (USPS 020-024) is published weekly during the academic year and

biweekly during the summer for the faculty and staff of the University of Georgia by the Division of Marketing & Communications. Periodicals postage is paid in Athens, Georgia. Postmaster: Send off-campus address changes to Columns, UGA Marketing & Communications, 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 North, Athens, GA 30602-1999.

For a complete listing of events at the University of Georgia, 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

Spotlight on the Arts: Student Spotlight. Through Nov. 14.

Tate Plaza, Tate Student Center.*

Baci from Cortona. Through Nov. 16. Margie E. West Gallery, Lamar Dodd School of Art. 706-542-0069. kgeha@uga.edu.

Codified Color. Through Nov. 16. Suite Gallery, Lamar Dodd School of Art. 706-542-0069. kgeha@uga.edu.

Kiki Kogelnik, Julia Scher, Erika Vogt, Lisa Williamson. Through Nov. 16. Lupin Foundation Gallery, Lamar Dodd School of Art. 706-542-0069. kgeha@uga.edu.

Wall Works: Harrison D. Walker. Through Nov. 16. Lamar Dodd School of Art. 706-542-0069. kgeha@uga.edu.

The Georgia Incarceration Performance Project presents: By Our Hands. Through Nov. 17. Fine Arts Theatre, Fine Arts Building.

770-542-4247. wclay87@uga.edu.

Before the War: Photographs of Syria by Peter Aaron. Through Dec. 1. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu.

Beth Thompson, Photography. Through Dec. 1. Visitor Center, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014. connicot@uga.edu.

The New South and The New Slavery: Convict Labor in Georgia.

Through Dec. 13. Hargrett Library Gallery, Special Collections Libraries. 706-542-6367. kdotson@uga.edu.

Creatures of the Night. Through Dec. 20. Atrium, Ecology Building. 706-542-7247. bethgav@uga.edu.

Growing Through Art: Athens Art Association Artists Celebrate Their Centennial Year. Through Dec. 22. Gardenside Room, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014. connicot@uga.edu.

Moon Rocks! Through Dec. 24. Russell Gallery, Special Collections Libraries. 706-542-5788. washnock@uga.edu.

members will perform live in this legendary music venue, recreating a two-and-a-half-hour musical score from a typical Georgia football game, using both front and back of house of the theatre as their performance space. Simultaneously, the rest of the 400-strong band will perform the same musical score inside the empty Sanford Stadium in Athens, and their performance will be live-streamed into the Apollo, contrasting the architectures of stadium and theater. $35. 5:30 p.m. The Apollo Theater, New York City.

TUESDAY, NOV. 12 TOUR AT TWO* Join Nelda Damiano, the Pierre Daura Curator of European Art, for a tour of the exhibition Drama and Devotion in Baroque Rome. 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu.

TOUR* Get a closer look at the exhibit The New South and the New Slavery: Convict Labor in Georgia. Participants should meet in the rotunda on the second floor of the Special Collections Libraries. Reservations are required. For more information, email jhebbard@uga.edu or call 706-583-0213. 2 p.m.

TUESDAY TOUR AT 2* Join a spotlight tour of the exhibit galleries of the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library and the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies.

2 p.m. Rotunda, second floor, Special Collections Libraries.

706-583-0213. jhebbard@uga.edu.

D.W. BROOKS LECTURE AND AWARDS Ertharin Cousin, Distinguished Fellow of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and visiting scholar at the Stanford University Center on Food Security and Environment, will present the 2019 D.W. Brooks Lecture. 3:30 p.m. Mahler Auditorium, Georgia Center. 706-543-0347. regina@uga.edu.

Mary Lee Bendolph: Quilted Memories. Through Dec. 29.

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

4’33” SPOTLIGHT ON ARTS SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION* This competition highlights scholarly research by UGA students about any art form or combination of art forms, including (but not restricted to): visual art, music, theater, dance, film, literature, media arts or performance art. 7 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu.

Storytelling in Renaissance Maiolica. Through Jan. 5. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. gmoa@uga.edu.

MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. The Citadel. $15. 7 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum.

Now and Then: 1979. Through Dec. 24. Russell Gallery, Special Collections Libraries. 706-542-5788. washnock@uga.edu.

Beautiful and Brutal: Georgia Bulldogs Football, 2017.

Through Feb. 28. Rotunda Gallery, Special Collections Libraries.

706-542-6170. hasty@uga.edu.

MONDAY, NOV. 11 VETERANS DAY Classes in session; offices open.

REDCOAT MARCHING BAND* Former Lamar Dodd Chair of Art Paul Pfeiffer will present his first live performance in collaboration with the Redcoat Marching Band in Harlem’s world-famous Apollo Theater. Fifty Redcoat

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 13 2019 McGILL LECTURE The 41st McGill Lecture will be given by David McCraw, deputy general counsel for the New York Times. 4 p.m. 150 Miller Learning Center.

CEID ANNUAL LECTURE “Living Together on Short and Long Time-Scales: Hosts and Their Microbes,” by C. Jessica Metcalf, Princeton University.

There will be a reception in the Ecology Atrirum following Metcalf’s lecture. 4 p.m. Auditorium, Ecology Building.

706-542-1930. tross312@uga.edu.

Hodgson Wind Ensemble to close out festival with NY Philharmonic trombonist

By Camille Hayes ceh822@uga.edu

The University of Georgia Hodgson Wind Ensemble will be mixing it up with a Sunday performance on Nov. 17 at 3 p.m. in Hodgson Hall.

Joining them as a guest artist is Joe Alessi, principal trombonist for the New York Philharmonic.

“He is undoubtedly one of the very finest trombonists in the world and has shaped the American style of orchestral performance for the past 35 years as he has expanded the solo repertoire for the instrument.

His numerous solo recordings and live performances have almost singleJoe Alessi handedly elevated the possibilities and expectations of the instrument,” said Josh Bynum, associate professor of trombone in the UGA Hodgson School of Music.

The program opens with Aaron Copland’s “Outdoor Overture,” a musical romp by one of America’s greatest and most beloved composers.

“Time for Outrage” by Marco Putz powerfully explores the composer’s anguish at how humans treat the Earth. Finally, the program moves beyond this planet to “Music of the Spheres” by Philip Sparke, an exciting and colorful journey from the Big Bang to beyond.

In creating the program, Cynthia Johnston Turner, director of bands, imagined the concert in terms of “Earth, wind, fire and beyond.” The ensemble will be performing the Georgia premiere

of “Quaternity” by Bruce Broughton, most famous for his film scores, which musically explores the four elements. Alessi will join them for this piece, which was a commission from a consortium that included UGA’s Hodgson Wind Ensemble. “[Alessi] is simply a world-class trombonist.

As the principal trombone of the New York Philharmonic, he is considered to be one of the finest trombone performers and educators in the world today. We warmly welcome his rehearsing with our groups, teaching lessons and, most important, interacting with our students and faculty,” said Philip A. Smith, the William F. & Pamela P. Prokasy Professor in the Arts, a long-time friend of both Alessi and Broughton.

Tickets for the concert are $12 for adults and $3 for students. They can be purchased by calling 706-542-4400, online at pac.uga.edu or in person at the box office prior to the concert.

In addition to performing with the Hodgson Wind Ensemble, Alessi will be performing with the UGA British Brass Band that same evening at 7 p.m. and will be featured in Philip Sparke’s “Sambezi” and Glen Daum’s arrangement of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” The 7 p.m. concert will take place at 1690 S. Milledge Ave. in Athens.

“Both concerts will be a thrill and ought not be missed,” said Smith.

Presented by the University of Georgia Arts Council, Spotlight on the Arts is scheduled through Nov. 17 and includes dozens of exhibitions and performances in the visual, literary and performing arts. Many of the events are free or discounted for UGA students, and the annual Spotlight on the Arts Family Day will be presented free of charge Nov. 16.

More information on the 2019 Spotlight on the Arts festival, including a schedule of events, can be found at arts.uga.edu as well as on the Arts Council Facebook page (facebook.com/ UGAarts), Twitter feed (@UGA_arts) or Instagram (instagram.com/uga_arts).

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 at calendar.uga.edu/.

CED LECTURE SERIES Lecture on universal design by Jack Carman, FASLA, owner, founder and president of Design for Generations LLC. 4:30 p.m.

123 Jackson Street Building.

6TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON AFRICA AND ITS DIASPORA The theme is “The African Dispora: Afrocentrism, Africanity and Emergence of the Global Africa Agenda and Commermorating 400 Years of Slavery into America.” Nov. 13 at 7 p.m., Nov. 14 at 8 a.m., Nov. 15 at 8 a.m. and Nov 16 at 8:30 a.m. Tate Student Center. 706-542-5314. aicaid-l@listserv.uga.edu.

columns.uga.edu Nov. 11, 2019

4&5

School of Music sets dates for annual holiday concerts

MIDDLE EAST FILM SERIES* Paradise New. 7 p.m. 101 LeConte Hall. 706-372-1682. kevjones@uga.edu.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. North Carolina. $5. 7 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum.

CONCERT* The UGA dance department will present its 2019 Young Choreographers Series: Senior Exit and Emerging Choreographers Concert as part of the 2019 UGA Spotlight on the Arts festival.

The concert is a compilation of knowledge and artistic decisions that each dance major has discovered for themselves in the last four years. This year’s concert showcases pieces choreographed by five senior dance majors as well as several additional works from second-and third-year dance majors.

Nov. 13 and 15 at 8 p.m. New Dance Theatre, Dance Building. $12, $8 for students/seniors 706-542-4400. bjp@uga.edu.

THURSDAY, NOV. 14 DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER RECOGNITION RECEPTION 3 p.m. Grand Hall, Tate Student Center.

FILM SCREENING Tupinambá: The Return of the Land is a documentary film that hones in on the Tupinambá’s ongoing struggle to attain official recognition of their ancestral territory in what is now southern Bahia, Brazil. 3 p.m. 220 Hirsch Hall. 678-447-9606. tasistro@uga.edu.

MAKE IT AN EVENING* Enjoy coffee, dessert and a gallery tour at the museum prior to the performance in Hodgson Hall by Daniel Hope and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. 5:30 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu.

TEEN STUDIO* Teens ages 13-18 are invited to this studio-based workshop led

by Kristen Bach, local artist and educator. Teens will explore the innovative and abstract quilts by Mary Lee Bendolph, a quiltmaker from Gee’s Bend. Teens will then adapt and expand what they have learned to create their own work of art in Michael and Mary Erlanger Studio Classroom. Includes a pizza dinner. Email madison.hogan@uga.edu or call 706-542-4883 to reserve a spot. 5:30 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. CONCERT* Violinist Daniel Hope, music director of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, will play Vivaldi’s masterwork, The Four Seasons. $50-$80; $10 for students. 7:30 p.m. Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. 706-542-4400. ugaarts@uga.edu.

FRIDAY, NOV. 15 COFFEE AND CONNECTIONS Provost S. Jack Hu invites faculty to participate in Coffee and Connections networking events. Vice presidents, deans and other administrators from across campus are invited to attend, as well. These informal networking events are a chance for faculty to build connections with members of the university’s leadership team and among each other. Registration is limited to 30 faculty per session. Registration required. 7:30 a.m.

Studio 225.

DANCE PERFORMANCE SAMPLER* UGA dance students will perform a variety of dance styles in classical and contemporary ballet, contemporary modern and aerial dance with mixed media featuring faculty created choreographic works by CORE Contemporary and Aerial Dance and Spring Dance Concert. This will showcase a sample of works to be presented in the spring 2020 dance department concert productions. 12:15 p.m. New Dance Theatre, Dance Building.

706-542-4415. bjp@uga.edu.

LECTURE “Decoloniality and Queer Time in South Asia,” Rumya Putcha, music and women’s studies. Part of the Women’s Studies Friday Speaker Series. 12:20 p.m. 213 Miller Learning Center.

706-542-2846. tlhat@uga.edu.

POETRY READING* Enjoy an evening of poetry with 2019 Georgia Writers Hall of Fame inductee A.E. Stallings. A reception will follow. 7 p.m.

285 Special Collections Libraries. 706-542-6367. kdotson@uga.edu.

MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Delaware State. $15. 7 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum.

SATURDAY, NOV. 16 FAMILY DAY* Activities focus on the Mary Lee Bendolph: Quilted Memories exhibition. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu.

CHILDREN’S GARDEN PERFORMANCE SERIES* The State Botanical Garden of Georgia invites guests to celebrate the opening year of the Alice H. Richards Children’s Garden with family-friendly outdoor performances. Every third Saturday of the month enjoy a variety of engaging shows taking place on the Theater-in-the-Woods stage. Experience music, laughter and connection in nature as artists perform. All

The Hugh Hodgson School of Music’s annual holiday concerts feature the University of Georgia Symphony Orchestra and the combined choirs of the Glee Clubs, University Chorus and Hodgson Singers.

By Camille Hayes ceh822@uga.edu

The Hugh Hodgson School of Music will present its annual Holiday Concert on Nov. 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall. The final Thursday Scholarship Series performances of this calendar year, the program features the University of Georgia Symphony Orchestra and the combined choirs of Glee Clubs, University Chorus and Hodgson Singers.

The program will include a large portion of the orchestral music from Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic ballet, The Nutcracker, performed in the first half of the concert.

“This year’s concerts presented a unique challenge in that they are the week before Thanksgiving, which marks the beginning of the holidays,” said Mark Cedel, director of orchestral activities, about why he chose for the UGA Symphony Orchestra to perform Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite” from Act II. The second half of the program will include the choirs with orchestra and will include pieces on the theme of Thanksgiving and harvest. This section will include “The Promise of Living,” which is a choral excerpt from Aaron Copland’s opera “The Tender Land.” The combined choirs will sing hymns and shaker tunes arranged by Mack Wilberg and Kevin Siegfried, as well as some traditional holiday selections, including a setting by British composer John Rutter.They will perform a sweeping choral/orchestral holiday medley, “A Symphony of Carols,” arranged by Randol Allan Bass, which includes familiar arrangements of carols in medieval French, Spanish, German, Latin and English.

“The foreign language component of ‘A

performances will take place at 9:30 a.m. with a second showing at 11 a.m. In case of rain, performances will be in the Callaway Administration Building Auditorium. Theater-in-the-Woods, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6156. bwboone@uga.edu.

be tax deductible. $60. 6 p.m. 285 Special Collections Libraries.

706-542-6367. kdotson@uga.edu.

FALL FESTIVAL* Heritage Days Fall Festival celebrates local horticultural and agricultural history with art, crafts, stories, music and handson education classes. $2 per person; $10 per family. 10 a.m.

Children’s Garden, Visitor Center and Heritage Garden, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014. connicot@uga.edu.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Georgia Tech. $5. 2 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum.

SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS: FAMILY DAY* Family-friendly activities and performances showcasing UGA’s arts units, including theater, dance and literary workshops; art projects; a musical instrument petting zoo; performances and more. 10 a.m. Visit arts.uga.edu for specific locations.

WORKSHOP* In this workshop led by Beatrice Brown of Butterscotch Designs, participants will learn how to source nontoxic, environmentally safe and sustainable dyes from fruits, vegetables and flowers that produce vibrant color for clothing, home accessories, yarns and more. $40. 2 p.m. Visitor Center, Classroom 2, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014. connicot@uga.edu.

OPEN STUDIOS AT THE DODD* Open studios at the Dodd allows for an inside look at the School of Art at UGA. Learn about the work of students and faculty and see the spaces where their research is conducted. Open studios at the Main Building and Ceramics Building from 2-5 p.m. Open studios at the Thomas Street Art Complex from 4-7 p.m. Party at Thomas Street Art Complex from 6-9 p.m. kking22@uga.edu.

A CELEBRATION OF 21ST CENTURY GEORGIA: DINNER WITH JOHN T. EDGE* Featuring local chefs Mimi Maumus of home.made; Mike and Shyretha Sheats of The Plate Sale; and Pablo Rivadeneyra, Homero Elizaldo, and Jerry and Krista Slater of The Expat. The menu will include a drink created by Jerry and Krista Slater of the Expat, appetizers by Mimi Maumus, Ceviche de Pescado y Papa de Huancaina by Pablo Rivadeneyra, Tuskeegee Soup by The Plate Sale, Carnitas Rice and Beans by Homero Elizaldo, and a Green Tomato Crisp dessert by home.made. $10 of the ticket price will support the Libraries Excellence Fund and may

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.

Symphony of Carols’ is a bit of a challenge, and certainly, Tchaikovsky’s brilliant and colorful score for The Nutcracker presents considerable technical challenges,” said Daniel Bara, the John D. Boyd UGA Foundation Professor of Choral Music and director of choral activities.

The second part of the program will premiere a student composition arranged by graduate composition student Benjamin Dawson, student ComposerIn-Residence for the UGA Hodgson Singers this year.

“We commissioned a holiday arrangement from him for this concert, and he has written a lovely arrangement of the beloved carol ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ for choir and chamber orchestra that will be featured on the program,” said Bara.

Additionally, Philip A. Smith, the William F. & Pamela P. Prokasy Professor in the Arts and the director of the British Brass Band, will prepare a brass sextet to offer festival holiday selections as prelude music prior to the start of the concert, so audience members should be sure to arrive early.

The annual holiday concerts are a festive gathering of many student performers (more than 200 singers and nearly 100 instrumentalists) and is a culmination of the fall semester.

“The diversity of selections and the general themes of thanksgiving, community and celebration make this an annual favorite for our audiences,” said Bara.

Tickets for the concerts are $20 for adults and $10 for students and children. They can be purchased by calling 706-542-4400, online at pac.uga.edu or in person at the box office prior to the concert.

For those unable to attend, live streaming services will be available for the Nov. 22 holiday concert at music.uga.edu/live-streaming.

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.

SUNDAY, NOV. 17

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.

GEORGIA WRITERS HALL OF FAME AUTHOR DISCUSSION* This panel discussion will feature 2019 inductees John T. Edge and A.E. Stallings and be moderated by Virginia Prescott of GPB’s On Second Thought. This event is part of the University of Georgia Signature Lecture Series. 4 p.m. 271 Special Collections Libraries. 706-542-6367. kdotson@uga.edu.

GEORGIA WRITERS HALL OF FAME CEREMONY* Enjoy a reception and the induction of 2019 honorees John T. Edge, A.E. Stallings and posthumous inductee Julia Collier Harris. 6 p.m. 285 Special Collections Libraries. 706-542-6367. kdotson@uga.edu.

MONDAY, NOV. 18 CTEGD RESEARCH IN PROGRESS: MURDOCK LAB Moderators: Joshua Butler and Manuel Fierro. Advanced students, postdocs, technicians, and PIs from CTEGD labs present “in progress” work and discuss preliminary data and ideas for collaboration. Refreshments are provided by CTEGD and the host lab. 8:30 a.m. 175 Coverdell Center.

COMING UP CELLULAR BIOLOGY SEMINAR Nov. 19. “Planar Signaling Mechanisms and Cell-Matrix Interactions Underlie the Collective Migration of Gastrula Cells,” Jason Jessen, Middle Tennessee State University. 11 a.m.

404A Biological Sciences Building. *Part of UGA’s 2019 Spotlight on the Arts festival.

NEXT COLUMNS DEADLINES Nov. 13 (for Dec. 2 issue) Dec. 11 (for Jan. 13 issue) Jan. 8 (for Jan. 21 issue)

6 Nov. 11, 2019 columns.uga.edu

CAMPUS CLOSEUP

Beating the rap

Andrea Dennis, professor in the School of Law and the co-author of the forthcoming book Rap on Trial: Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America, was recently quoted in a New Yorker story about the use of rap lyrics as evidence in the legal system.

“We have searched widely, and, based on our research, rap is the only fictional art form treated this way,” said Dennis, who holds the John Byrd Martin Chair of Law. Dennis said that bringing rap lyrics into a trial is common because “prosecutors often argue the lyrics are either the defendant’s confession to the crime or circumstantial evidence the defendant committed the crime, e.g., proof of intent, knowledge, ability, motive.

No other musical genre and no other art is used in the same way or to the same extent.

“In an increasing number of cases, the lyrics are allegedly themselves a crime,” Dennis added. “In particular, prosecutors have convicted defendants on the theory that their lyrics were used to make a threat to another person.”

Spending and saving

Kristy Archuleta, an associate professor of financial planning, housing and consumer economics, was recently quoted in The New York Times in a parenting story about resetting budgets after the birth of a child. Specifically, the story looks at how new parents can save more and get on the same page about their finances.

First, it’s important to establish a financial baseline and figure out exactly how much can be spent and saved. Archuleta suggests that one person may be more financially oriented than the other, but it’s important to be in agreement with the numbers.

“The caveat to this is that both partners need to know what is going on financially,” said Archuleta, a faculty member in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Once the baseline is established, then create a spreadsheet with two tabs. One tab details how much money is coming in and any fixed expenses. What’s leftover becomes “spending money.” Enter all other purchases on a second tab that subtracts that amount from the “spending money” total. The goal is to make it to the end of the month before running out of “spending money.” Anything left can go into savings.

Forgive or forget

Keith Campbell, a professor and head of the psychology department in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, was recently quoted in a today.com story about being friends with an ex.

The story points out that before deciding to forgive whatever transgressions broke up the relationship, also consider whether you also want to remain friends or if it’s better to forgive and get away from each other.

“Most people are doing it because they want to be friends,” he said.

Remaining friendly can be particularly important when children are involved. The aim is to co-parent, and good communication is key to that reconfigured relationship, according to the story.

Comfort cravings

Emma Laing, director of dietetics and clinical associate professor in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences’ foods and nutrition department, was recently quoted in a WXIA-TV story about why people crave comfort food in cooler weather.

“Colder weather can create biological changes that make us want to eat more,” Laing said.

According to the 11Alive story, cooler temperatures can affect hunger in more ways than one.

“Our cues for staying hydrated are also altered in colder temperatures, and being dehydrated can also lead to hunger,” she said.

“In the winter months, we have an abundance of holidays, celebrations and sporting events that are centered on food,” Laing added. “And these alone can impact our eating habits. The cravings are guided by our physiology and psychology and our environment around us.”

Dorothy Kozlowski

Sarah Gibbs helps coordinate an average of two simulation sessions per day in Russell Hall on the Health Sciences Campus.

Lab coordinator in simulation center prepares students for medical field

By Krista Richmond krichmond@uga.edu

To Sarah Gibbs, practice makes perfect.

And as coordinator of the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership’s simulation center, she’s helping medical students get the practice they need as they start their careers.

“It gives them the opportunity to practice in a low-pressure environment, and it allows them to make mistakes and learn from them,” she said.

Gibbs facilitates the logistics and operations of the simulation center.

Students and faculty can participate in high-fidelity simulations, using simulation “manikins” such as Laerdal’s SimMan, to practice medical scenarios they might encounter. The center has adult, child and infant simulation manikins that can replicate a variety of emergency and nonemergency conditions. Gibbs helps plan the various scenarios and can control the simulation manikins remotely, even talking through them, to make it as realistic as possible.

On a given day, Gibbs assists faculty in running two simulations that last 30 minutes each, with a maximum of eight students (four students participating and four students observing, then reversing) in each session. The students and instructors debrief between the simulations. In January, up to 40 students will participate in simulations on a given day, thanks to recent renovations of Russell Hall on the Health Sciences Campus.

“They also help the students improve their patient communication,” Gibbs said.

In addition to communication skills, she said the simulations also serve to build their decision-making skills. The simulations also give the instructors a chance to provide much-needed feedback to the students.

Gibbs said the students are very eager to learn and are open to that feedback.

“You can tell that they want to present themselves professionally, from the way they dress to the way they speak to their general preparedness,” she said.

The students are presented with a new patient case at the beginning of their simulations, so they have little to no time to prepare and must think critically. They are meant to teach students how to respond during times of stress and answer questions accurately.

It also helps them practice translating complex medical language to terms that patients, especially children, can easily understand.

Every simulation is different, and Gibbs also learns from each one. She takes notes so that she can troubleshoot before the next simulation. She likes working with the ever-changing technology of simulation and still finds medicine and science fascinating.

Gibbs received her bachelor’s degree from Kennesaw State University, where she majored in exercise science. She knew she wanted to go to graduate school and decided on UGA’s clinical exercise physiology program in the kinesiology

FACTS

Sarah Gibbs

Simulation Laboratory Coordinator AU/UGA Medical Partnership M.S., Kinesiology, University of Georgia, 2018 B.S., Exercise Science, Kennesaw State University, 2016 At UGA: Nine months

department of the College of Education.

She then did an internship at Piedmont Athens Regional that she said opened her eyes to the applications of her studies.

Gibbs plans to work with patients in the future.

Gibbs is also a medical service officer in the Army Reserve. She got her start in UGA’s ROTC program.

“Being an officer in the Army has always been a goal of mine,” she said.

“The leadership training and experiences that I get in the Army really allow me to be challenged.”

In her free time, Gibbs enjoys photography, particularly landscapes and architecture, and plans to compete in an Olympic-distance triathlon. It would be her fifth triathlon but her first at that distance.

For now, Gibbs is helping prepare students for the long haul of starting their medical careers.

“There’s a lot of work behind the scenes and preparation that goes into the simulations,” she said.

WARNELL SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Faculty member’s innovation leads to $10K forestry prize

By Kristen Morales kmorales@uga.edu

They were called “ghost trees” because, after they died, American chestnut trees lost their bark and turned white, standing as a stark reminder of the magnificent plant it once was.

But while the trees were dying over a century ago, others managed to survive—only to be cut down anyway, while still healthy. As a result, trees that might have naturally survived chestnut blight or root rot—afflictions that caused the trees to die and turn into “ghosts”—were lost before it could be determined what allowed them to survive in the first place.

Now, thanks to the inaugural Forest Innovation Reviews, or FIRz, event, hosted recently in Athens, a University of Georgia researcher will get an infusion of funds to assist with identifying

healthy ash trees before they succumb to a similar fate as the American chestnut.

Scott Merkle, associate dean for research and professor at the UGA Warnell School of Scott Merkle Forestry and Natural Resources, was voted the top presentation among 10 given at the event. He will receive $10,000 to help engage citizen scientists to use the treesnap.org website and app to identify trees that are potentially resistant to disease and pests. The app then connects the trees with tree breeders, propagators and researchers to help confirm genetic resistance and produce trees for restoration plantings.

“The combination of these groups

working together could result in pest and pathogen-resistant trees for landowners and others to plant in a relatively short amount of time,” said Merkle.

“This approach involves no genetic engineering or even hybrid breeding.

Instead, it uses the genes that our native trees already possess but greatly accelerates the repopulation of the species using conventional breeding, plant propagation and planting.”

Today, the emerald ash borer is wreaking havoc on the population of ash trees, although there are some trees that appear to have some tolerance or resistance to the pest. Merkle plans to use the app to help identify lingering green ash or white ash trees and further test for resistance among the surviving population.

The second annual FIRz event will take place at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon.

7

PUBLIC SERVICE AND OUTREACH

Life-saving operation

UGA partners on study to find sustainable methods of harvesting horseshoe crabs for the biomedical industry

By Emily Kenworthy ekenworthy@uga.edu

Pacemakers, prosthetic implants, antibiotics, in fact every medicine or medical device approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, depend on the horseshoe crab.

A protein in the blue blood of the crab is used to test medicine and medical devices for bacteria before they are used on humans, saving millions of people from infection.

But to get the blood, the horseshoe crabs must be harvested and bled. Though they are returned to the ocean, studies have shown that some die and females are unable to produce as many offspring. Scientists are working to create a synthetic version of the protein.

Until they create it, marine researchers like those at UGA are exploring ways to protect the species from decline.

UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant is working with a pharmaceutical company to farm the horseshoe crabs in their natural habitats on Jekyll Island as a way to maintain the blood supply without depleting the horseshoe crab population.

“It’s a semi-natural environment in the fact that it’s tidally influenced, full of marine life, and it would be similar to what they might experience out in the wild,” said Bryan Fluech, associate director of Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant.

Fluech and marine resource specialist Lisa Gentit worked with Kepley Biosystems Inc., based in North Carolina, to construct four 5-by-15-foot holding pens to house the horseshoe crabs in a saltwater influenced tidal pond, established in cooperation with the Jekyll Island Authority and the UGA 4-H Tidelands Nature Center on Jekyll Island.

The site was ideal for the study because it was easy to access and because the environmental conditions in the pond are comparable to Georgia’s estuaries, where horseshoe crabs are commonly found.

Over the course of the six-month project, Flueh and Gentit monitored water quality and conducted routine health assessments of the crabs to assess their responses to being in the enclosures.

“Think about humans,“ Fluech said. “We give blood, and if we’re not careful, we can get woozy, and it can affect our health. The same can be true of horseshoe crabs. In addition to drawing their blood, we are also taking them

Shannah Montgomery

Researchers at UGA are exploring ways to protect horseshoe crabs from population decline. Their blood is used to detect toxins in medicine and medical devices.

out of their natural environment, hauling them to a bleeding center and returning them to their home hours or days later.”

Current methods of harvesting crabs often involve removing and transporting them, sometimes hundreds of miles from their natural habitat, to bleeding facilities where almost a third of their blood is extracted before they are returned to the wild.

The stress of removing them from their natural environment, collecting the blood, then releasing them without feeding or providing further care can have negative impacts on their health.

Kristen Dellinger, a research scientist at Kepley and principal investigator on the horseshoe crab project, said several studies have explored sustainable harvesting methods, but none has taken the approach of housing them in environments that are similar to their natural habitat.

“There have been some attempts to raise horseshoe crabs in captivity for bleeding purposes, but, to my knowledge, those studies were done in closed tanks, and the horseshoe crabs were given a fixed diet,” Dellinger said.

“We’re curious whether this is what caused their blood quality to decline.”

The project, funded by a National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research grant, involved conducting periodic

WEEKLY READER

bleeding and monitoring of 40 tagged horseshoe crabs that were kept in the enclosures at the research site on Jekyll Island.

The horseshoe crab’s blood contains a compound called LAL, or limulus amebocyte lysate, which causes blood to clot around deadly endotoxins, trapping them and keeping them from spreading. Thanks to this special compound, millions of patients are protected from bacterial contaminants each year.

Unfortunately, the widespread use of LAL comes at a cost to the hundreds of thousands of wild horseshoe crabs that are harvested annually for their blood.

In the outdoor, submerged enclosures on Jekyll Island,the crabs had access to natural food on the bottom of the pond and they experienced tidal rhythms as well as day and night cycles, all of which they experience in the wild.

“In a perfect world, you’d satisfy the global needs of LAL with diet, care and appropriate breeding from a captive population that can continue to flourish as well as provide a service to the medical industry,” Dellinger said.

In addition to looking at the environmental conditions, the research team tested different bleeding methods in an effort to optimize the way the blood is collected with the ultimate goal of using less blood.

Some studies have shown that the bleeding process can affect the spawning patterns of

columns.uga.edu Nov. 11, 2019

female horseshoe crabs, with some spawning less frequently or not spawning at all. Findings such as this are alarming not only when it comes to maintaining healthy horseshoe crab populations but also for other animals that depend on the crabs for survival.

Threatened shorebirds like the red knot rely on horseshoe crab eggs for essential nutrition during their annual migration.They time their migration to arrive during spawning season so they can feast on the eggs that fuel their annual flight to nesting grounds in the Arctic.

Because of their benefits to humans as well as their ecological significance, it’s in everyone’s best interest to keep a healthy population of crabs, Dellinger said.

During the six-month project, Fluech collaborated with university partners on a number of initiatives connected to the study, with the goal of spreading awareness about the project and the environmental importance of horseshoe crabs.

Fluech is working with Dawn Zenkert, coordinator of the UGA 4-H Tidelands Nature Center, to incorporate information about the project into educational activities at the center.

Campers kayaking in the tidelands pond as well as those who passed by the site on their way to the salt marsh routinely stopped to talk with Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant interns Cole Wilder and Ivy Spratling, who assisted with the project over the summer. These interactions allowed Wilder and Spratling not only to gain experience in research and experimental design but also to cultivate their informal education skills.

“This whole experience has helped me fine-tune some of the tips and tricks that I’ve already started building and geared them more toward what I think would be very helpful in a professional career in environmental education,” said Wilder, who recently graduated from the College of Coastal Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences. He plans to pursue a career in environmental education or animal husbandry.

Fluech also worked with CCGA associate professor David Stasek and his students on a small side project that involved sampling invertebrates like clams, crustaceans and worms at the horseshoe crab enclosure site.

Every other week the students identified and recorded the amount and type of invertebrates in each sample in order to create a diversity index of invertebrates commonly found where the horseshoe crabs live. Knowing what type of natural food is available to the crabs is useful for the project team.

“We’ve been able to have value added because of the connections we have here with our community partners,” Fluech said.“Regardless of the intended outcomes of this project, from a public service perspective we’re successfully advancing knowledge of the industry and supporting efforts to preserve horseshoe crab populations.”

CYBERSIGHTS

ABOUT COLUMNS

Book details ways to teach author’s works

Approaches to Teaching Gaines’s The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and Other Works John Wharton Lowe, Herman Beavers Modern Language Association Paperback: $29

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is the story of a woman, a community and the African American experience from the Civil War through Jim Crow to the civil rights movement. This narrative and other novels and short stories by Ernest Gaines, who died Nov. 5, explore the life of black people in the South,their religious traditions and folkways and their struggles under oppression.

Part 1 of this volume provides biographical information about Gaines and a discussion of critical and background studies of his narrative.The essays in part 2 will help teachers of African American literature,American literature and Southern literature convey to their students various aspects of Gaines’ work and the adaptations of it in relation to Southern literature, history, music, folk culture and vernaculars of English.

Approaches toTeaching Gaines’sTheAutobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and Other Works is edited by John Wharton Lowe, Barbara Methvin Professor of English in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and Herman Beavers, professor of English and Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.

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

Editor Juliett Dinkins

Ethics-related resources available online

http://www.hr.uga.edu/bor-ethics-training The University of Georgia is observing Ethics Awareness Week Nov. 11-17 as part of the institution’s ongoing effort to promote an ethical culture on campus and raise awareness about ethics resources available at UGA. This week has been designated by the University System of Georgia across all USG institutions

as an important reminder of shared core values of integrity, excellence, accountability and respect.

Resources on compliance, ethics and reporting are available online. Faculty and staff can report fraud, waste, abuse and other ethical concerns at https://uga.alertline. com/gcs/welcome or by calling 1-877-516-3467.

Associate Editor Krista Richmond Art Director Jackie Baxter Roberts Photo Editor Dorothy Kozlowski Writers Leigh Beeson Hayley Major 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 Nov. 11, 2019 columns.uga.edu

GRANT from page 1

Moments of transition: Dahlstrand goes from veteran to student to historian

By Sara Freeland freeland@uga.edu

Kate Dahlstrand was a combat medic in the Army who served a year in Iraq.

Now, she’s finishing up her Ph.D. in history at UGA. A self-described historian of the American veteran, Dahlstrand is interested in moments of transition—how veterans transition back to civilian life when they return home or leave the service.

And she’s combined her interest in history and veterans into UGA’s Student Veteran Oral History Project, where UGA records the oral history of student veterans and archives them in the Russell Library, with some of the audio files available online. (See story, page 1.)

The idea for the project came when doing research for her dissertation. She came across the five-volume Tennessee Civil War Veterans’ Questionnaires published in 1914 and 1920. She wondered what a history would look like with more open-ended questions and how useful that would be to future historians.

She thoroughly researched other veterans oral history projects, including those at other universities, and got the support of Christian Lopez, head of oral histories at UGA’s Russell Library.

With help from Ted Barco, director of the Student Veterans Resource Center, she got the project off the ground, and almost 90 interviews have been recorded since 2017.

The aim is to help future historians, but it’s also a personal project, partly inspired by Dahlstrand’s own transition back to civilian life after serving for a year in Iraq.

Dahlstrand was in the military for a decade. She served as a combat medic and was trained in taking blood, CPR and basic EMT certification. It’s a vocation she picked in part because she liked the idea of helping people.

Then Sept. 11, 2001, happened.

Training shifted to preserving lives— triage in a combat zone. It was treating broken bones, chest wounds as well as IED and gunshot injuries.

Dahlstrand was deployed as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, October 2005 to February 2007.

Her unit was a Black Hawk Air Assault unit. In addition to aerial support for convoys and secret squirrel night missions, her unit also flew in VIP guests from politicians to entertainers on the Kate Dahlstrand USO Tour.

The highlight of her deployment was meeting Chuck Norris while he was on a USO Tour greeting the troops. She volunteered to be his medic for the day.

“It was some of the best and worst days of my life,” she said.

Dahlstrand came home from Iraq divorced. Within 24 hours, she was diagnosed with PTSD. “I’d been carrying an M4 and my aid bag every single day for 12 months. I didn’t have to think about where meals were coming from. I didn’t have to pay bills. We had contracted laundry service.

Every single part of my life was taken care of by the Army,” she said. “I got home, and the grocery store freaked me out. I didn’t have to check in with anybody. I didn’t have to wake up at certain time. I was completely unprepared for that level of freedom.”

For six months, she described herself as a party girl, drinking and avoiding her problems. She even bought a motorcycle.

That fall, she started taking classes at Virginia Commonwealth University, going to therapy and using resources at the Vet Center. The structure of a class schedule really helped with her transition. She went on to finish her degree at Florida Atlantic University and get a master’s in history.

She came to UGA specifically to work on her dissertation and work with the history department’s John Inscoe and Stephen Berry, both civil war historians.

At UGA, she wants her oral history project to be a safe place for veterans to tell their stories. She wants to capture the stories to learn from them.

“All of these voices are important,” she said. “I’m interviewing the people who made it home—and chose not to let their service define them, but inspire them to something else.”

VETERANS from page 1 veterans to tell their stories.

“People don’t want to talk. A lot of them are apologizing that they don’t have a story that matters, especially veterans who never deployed. They don’t feel like authentic veterans,” she said. “I’ve never heard an unimportant story. They’re all different, and there’s something to learn from all of them.”

Once the veterans understand that their story is part of something bigger and that all the voices are important, they’re more likely to open up.

It also helps that they’re being interviewed by veterans. “No one is judging,” she said. “And it’s with someone who has

lived through a similar experience.”

Afterward, many of the students have told Barco that it felt good to tell their story out loud. Many veterans don’t talk about their service from start to finish like that, and they are especially guarded around civilians.

“I am excited for the day when researchers come here to study the oral histories I am collecting,” she said. “I am moved by those who have been so generous in donating their stories; they are a diverse group, and they are not done serving their community.”

For more information on the oral history project, see https://bit.ly/33erk2R.

Bulletin Board Holiday pottery sale

The UGA Ceramic Student Organization will hold its annual holiday pottery sale Dec. 3-4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the first-floor lobby of the Lamar Dodd School of Art, which is located at 270 River Road.

Work on sale will include hand-built sculpture as well as functional pottery: mugs, plates, vases, lidded boxes and bowls. All work was made by ceramic

students or faculty. Prices will range from $8 and up.

Proceeds from the ceramic sale will support student educational field trips to ceramic conferences and bring visiting artists to campus.

By-the-hour parking is available at the Performing Arts Parking Deck, which is located next to the Performing Arts Center on River Road.

For further information, contact Ted

“Better scientific understanding of how environmental factors like temperature and rainfall interact with economic and cultural factors to influence land use change and disease transmission is crucially needed to reduce the burden of these diseases,” said CEID Director and Distinguished Research Professor of Ecology John Drake, one of the study’s principal investigators.

The project is funded by a three-year $1.6 million Dynamics of Integrated SocioEnvironmental Systems grant from the National Science Foundation. Results have the potential to inform public health policy in affected communities, potentially reducing the health burden for these costly, chronic diseases, as well as lowering the risk for northward advance of the disease ranges.The approaches developed by this research may apply to other emerging infectious diseases as well.

UGA’s award will unite an interdisciplinary and international team of ecologists, veterinarians and anthropologists with scientists from the parasitology department of the Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies in Panama. Researchers will develop a new mathematical framework for studying how deforestation and reforestation, and associated human activities such as yard management and vector control, impact zoonotic infectious diseases. Mathematical models will be integrated with field data on parasite exposure and environmental conditions to demonstrate how land use change affects parasite transmission.

Researchers also will investigate how people perceive their personal health risks and how changes in human behavior affect environmental management practices, public health policy and attitudes toward land use change.

“Chagas disease and cutaneous leishmaniasis are considered neglected diseases that affect the most vulnerable populations and that need new approaches for prevention and control,” said Azael Saldaña, head of parasitology at the Gorgas Memorial Institute. “This project brings new opportunities to generate valuable information, consistent with the epidemiological scenario of these two diseases in Panama. Results from this project will assist the Ministry of Health in Panama to take relevant measures that reduce the transmission of these parasitic infections to human populations.”

University of Georgia-sponsored seed grants were critical to the proposal’s success, according to Drake and co-principal investigators Nicole Gottdenker of the College of Veterinary Medicine department of pathology, JP Schmidt of the Odum School of Ecology and Susan Tanner of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of anthropology. The project builds on a University of Georgia-U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collaborative seed grant to a team of faculty in anthropology, veterinary pathology and ecology and the Gorgas Memorial Institute. Subsequent preliminary research was supported by a UGA Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grant.

This project will benefit from UGA’s strengths in environmental and ecological anthropology and zoonotic vector-borne diseases, existing relationships with Panamanian collaborators and with CEID serving as a dedicated hub for interdisciplinary research related to disease ecology. CEID’s 72 member scientists have expertise in infectious disease modeling and both experimental and fieldbased research.

“Over time, we have come to appreciate the profound and interrelated influences of environmental change and human activity on the outbreak and spread of infectious diseases,” said David Lee, UGA vice president for research.“The development of meaningful prevention strategies therefore requires the engagement of interdisciplinary research teams that combine the relevant disciplines.

As a comprehensive research university, UGA is ideally suited to help lead this important effort.”

Researchers leading the work include Drake, co-principal investigator JP Schmidt and Sonia Altizer of the Odum School of Ecology; Richard Hall from the Odum School and department of infectious diseases in the College of Veterinary Medicine; co-principal investigator Nicole Gottdenker of the department of veterinary pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine; and co-principal investigator Susan Tanner and Julie Velásquez Runk of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of anthropology; and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

International collaborators at the Gorgas Memorial Institute of Health Studies department of parasitology include Dr. Azael Saldaña, Dr. Jose Calzada and Dr. Luis Fernando Chaves.

SYMPOSIUM from page 1

RANKING

apprenticeships throughout rural Georgia so health professionals can gain skills and serve their communities.

“I’m honored to participate in this year’s Rural Health Care Symposium to discuss how to solve the health care crisis impacting Georgia’s rural communities,” Abrams said. “We must work to ensure that Georgia’s rural hospitals have the resources necessary to operate with resilience over the long term so Georgians can get access to the care they need.”

Other conference speakers will include influential health care and policy leaders such as Dean Burke, M.D., Georgia state senator, and Priya Bathija, vice president of The Value Initiative at the American Hospital Association.

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is requested at https://www. law.uga.edu/rural-healthcare. There will be an opening reception the day before the conference on Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the School of Law.

which included a No. 5 worldwide ranking, (2) “opening new career opportunities” and (3) the percentage increase in post-MBA salaries.

Since 2014, the starting compensation for graduates of the Full-Time MBA Program has increased 27%. And 95% of the Class of 2019 was employed within three months of graduation, marking the fourth consecutive year the program’s employment rate exceeded 90% within three months.

“We have outstanding students at the University of Georgia and amazing faculty and staff to work with them throughout their time here,” said Santanu Chatterjee, director of the Full-Time MBA and MS in Business Analytics programs. “The personalized attention that we are able to offer has facilitated a significant expansion of our corporate engagement and sponsored projects, and that helps our students connect to the careers and employers of their choice. We’re very pleased to have this recognized by The Economist.”

The complete ranking and methodology are available at https://econ.st/2PE3jyu.

Saupe, professor of art and area chair for ceramics, at tsaupe@uga.edu.

MS study participants

The kinesiology department in the College of Education is looking for participants for a study of people with multiple sclerosis.

Contact Megan Ware at mew77577@uga.edu for more information.

from page 1

Columns publication break

Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, Columns will not be published Nov. 25.

The final issue of Columns for fall semester will be published on Dec. 2. Submit news items to c­ olumns@uga.edu by noon on Nov. 13.

Bulletin Board is limited to information that may pertain to a majority of faculty and staff members.