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Technology brings new precision to study of circadian rhythm RESEARCH NEWS
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Performing Arts Center presents award-winning mandolin player Dec. 4 Vol. 44, No. 18
November 28, 2016
columns.uga.edu
mwooten@uga.edu
Andrew Davis Tucker
More than 1,000 faculty, staff and students helped UGA President Jere W. Morehead, Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Kelly Kerner and Hairy Dawg kick off the Commit to Georgia Campaign Nov. 10.
Commit to Georgia UGA announces $1.2 billion fundraising campaign, transformational gift
kdegen@uga.edu
The University of Georgia announced an ambitious goal of $1.2 billion for the Commit to Georgia Campaign as well as a lead gift from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation Nov. 17 at a kickoff event at the Georgia Aquarium. The kickoff followed a campus event held Nov. 10, where the university shared its campaign priorities of opening doors and removing financial barriers, enhancing the learning environment and solving grand challenges with more than 1,000 faculty, staff and students
gathered in celebration. Fundraising for the Commit to Georgia Campaign in the preceding silent phase already has reached more than $680 million, surpassing the total amount raised during UGA’s previous major campaign. The university aims to reach its $1.2 billion goal by 2020. “The success of our efforts will be measured not only by the number of dollars raised but also—and more importantly—by the number of lives changed,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. A commitment to students is at the center of this major fundraising effort, beginning with eliminating
financial barriers by increasing support for merit- and need-based financial aid. In recognition of the critical importance of need-based aid, the Woodruff Foundation has made a transformational $30 million gift to the University of Georgia. “The Woodruff Foundation is pleased to join alumni and friends of the University of Georgia to help expand opportunity for students with financial need,” said Russ Hardin, president of the Woodruff Foundation. “We recognize that many bright, hard-working Georgia students face significant See CAMPAIGN on page 8
CENTER FOR APPLIED ISOTOPE STUDIES
After major expansion, UGA’s stable isotope laboratory becomes largest in North America By Elizabeth Fite ecfite@uga.edu
The Center for Applied Isotope Studies at UGA already is worldrenowned, but the center’s role in the scientific community just became even bigger. Following an expansion of the facility on Riverbend Road and acquisition of new instrumentation, the 24,000-square-foot center is now home to the largest stable isotope lab in North America, surpassing the University of California, Davis, and cementing its position as an industry leader. Stable isotope analysis, which is the focus of the latest lab expansion, is the measurement of carbon,
4&5
Engineering college plans to restructure, create new schools By Mike Wooten
By Katie DeGenova
UGA GUIDE
nitrogen, oxygen, deuterium and sulfur isotopic signatures in environmental and biological samples. It can be used to track everything from animal migration patterns and ocean temperatures, help reconstruct ecosystems, monitor pollution or test products. “We’re rebuilding and reimagining this center into something that I believe is truly phenomenal; as a whole, there’s no place like this in the entire United States,” said Jeff Speakman, director of CAIS. “Many smaller labs struggle because they are not able to reinvest in the latest and greatest technology, so being able to continue to invest into new instrumentation is key to staying ahead of the game.”
The center, which operates under the Office of Research, was founded in 1968. It is home to one of the oldest radiocarbon and stable isotope laboratories in the world. Today, 12 full-time scientists and 13 technical staff provide analytical services, conduct research and engage in teaching students from a variety of disciplines. In addition to the stable isotope lab expansion, the center has ramped up STEM education outreach, added several powerful new instruments and achieved two distinguished recognitions: accreditation for the radiocarbon and stable isotope labs and certification for the bio-based testing lab. See LABORATORY on page 8
UGA’s College of Engineering will reorganize its administrative structure under a plan approved Nov. 16 by the University Council. The move is designed to streamline operations in the college, which has seen its enrollment quintuple in five years, while advancing the college’s interdisciplinary teaching, research and service. The College of Engineering will divide into three academic units at the beginning of the spring 2017 semester: the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; the School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering; and the School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical
Engineering. “Our rapid growth demands that the college evolve to ensure the integrity of our academic programs and the efficiency of our administration,” said Donald J. Leo, the college’s dean. “But we need to evolve in a way that preserves and enhances the interdisciplinary and collaborative spirit of our teaching and research.” In fall 2011, the year before UGA established the College of Engineering, enrollment in engineering programs totaled approximately 400 students. Enrollment reached nearly 2,000 students this fall. The engineering college has added more than 20 faculty members in the past three years, nearly a third of its total faculty.
See ENGINEERING on page 8
CHARTER LECTURE
Researcher looks at correlations between genes, aging process By Krista Richmond krichmond@uga.edu
UGA alumna Cynthia Kenyon started her research with a basic question: If you change one gene, could you live longer? The vice president of aging research for Calico LLC and former president of the Genetics Society of America spoke on “Aging and the Immortal Germline” Nov. 7 during the Charter Lecture, part of the fall 2016 Signature Lecture series sponsored by the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. “Everything ages, and it’s all around us. We see it when we’re growing up with our grandparents and eventually in ourselves,” said
Kenyon, who graduated from UGA in 1976 with bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and biochemistry. “It’s something we take for granted that is just going to happen, and that’s just the way it is.” Kenyon said one reason people accept that idea is because it’s a gradual decline. But for her, the curious part is that the decline happens at different rates in different species. Different lifespans happen because of different genes, which led Kenyon to her question. “That by itself tells you that there might very well be genes for aging,” she said. “There could be lots of them or there could be a few of them, but there’s got to be something, so we started asking
See LECTURE on page 8
GLOBAL WOMEN IN STEM LEADERSHIP
STEM Leadership Summit sparks ‘critical’ discussions By Sam Fahmy
sfahmy@uga.edu
More than 250 people from across the U.S. and abroad recently gathered in Atlanta for a summit on women’s leadership in STEM organized by UGA professor Takoi Hamrita. The Global Women in STEM Leadership Summit was supported by the Women in Engineering organization of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers as well as the UGA Office of the President, Office of the Provost and the College of Engineering. Additional sponsors included AT&T,
Cricket Wireless, Baldor, Southern Company and Georgia Tech. “We had an amazing time, and it was a remarkable opportunity for women from all facets of STEM and all paths of life to come together and to connect and share and learn from each other,” said Hamrita, a professor in the College of Engineering. “There was over 3,000 years of collective STEM experience in the room and that provided for a very deep and enriching experience. I’m very grateful to all who have contributed to the success of this program.” See SUMMIT on page 2
2 Nov. 28, 2016 columns.uga.edu
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Around academe
Humanities Center’s future status uncertain at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University is considering closing its Humanities Center, an interdisciplinary center that has a 50-year history and the support of many graduate students, faculty and alumni, according to an article in Inside Higher Ed. The center holds a unique designation as both an extracurricular and academic center that offers classes and functions as an academic department with just under 20 students currently enrolled. It offers two doctoral programs, a Master of Arts program, an honors program for undergraduates and two undergraduate courses.
UW-Madison receives $85M grant
The nonprofit Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation is giving the University of Wisconsin-Madison $85 million for the 2016-2017 academic year to focus on faculty recruitment and retention and increasing the number of graduate students, according to a news release from the foundation. The total investment from the foundation brings in around $99 million for the year due to its continued support of an annual fall research competition and other research initiatives. The organization also patents and licenses university research innovations.
New UGA Chemical and Laboratory Safety Manual now available online
News to Use
A revised Chemical and Laboratory Safety Manual is now available to all members of the UGA community online at https://t.uga. edu/2HC. The CLSM provides detailed guidance and procedures outlining the safe operation of all research, teaching and public service laboratories. “The safety of faculty, staff, students and visitors is of paramount importance at UGA, and this revised manual contains the most upto-date information about the safe operation of laboratories,” said Vice President for Research David Lee. The emphasis on UGA’s culture of safety is reflected in Academic Affairs policies 6.01 and 6.02, which establish a comprehensive Environmental Health and Safety Management System to ensure that the UGA community, including all stakeholders, has a safe place to live, work, study, conduct research and engage in service and outreach. The CLSM is maintained by the faculty-led Research Safety Committee with support from the Office of Research Safety and the Environmental Safety Division and with oversight by the Environmental Health and Safety Management System executive committee. The CLSM is the benchmark document that is used when laboratories at UGA are inspected. Call the Office of Research Safety at 706-542-5288 with questions about or recommendations for the new CLSM. Source: Office of Research
BULLDAWG NATION UGA alumni live in every state in the U.S. After the state of Georgia, which is home to 185,104 UGA graduates, the top 10 states in which UGA alumni reside are: Rank
State Alumni
1.
Florida
13,496
2.
North Carolina
10,859
3.
South Carolina
9,508
4.
Tennessee 6,343
5.
California 6,315
6.
Virginia
6,294
7.
Texas
6,194
8.
New York
4,114
9.
Maryland 2,591
10.
Illinois 2,051 Source: 2015 UGA Fact Book
D.W. Brooks speaker: Childhood hunger is not a problem to ignore By Merritt Melancon jmerritt@uga.edu
One in four children will suffer severe developmental issues due to hunger. Although this number may be overwhelming, nothing will change if people continue to ignore the problem. That was the message Roger Thurow, veteran foreign correspondent, hunger advocate and senior fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, shared Nov. 7 with the more than 200 people gathered at the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ D.W. Brooks Lecture and Awards Ceremony. Thurow has reported on the causes and effects of hunger in the U.S. and developing world since covering the 2003 famine in Ethiopia for The Wall Street Journal. His latest book on the subject, The First 1,000 Days, delves into the importance of proper nutrition in the womb and in the first two years of life, when the blueprint for a child’s cognitive and physical development is being formed. Worldwide, one in four children are inadequately fed during this crucial developmental period and become nutritionally stunted, meaning their cognitive and physical development will be limited for life because of an early period of hunger. “A lost chance at greatness for one is a lost chance at greatness for all,” Thurow told the audience of mainly agricultural
Merritt Melancon
On Nov. 7, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences honored faculty and staff at the D.W. Brooks Lecture and Awards Ceremony. Those honored included: from left front row, Brian Fairchild, Julia Gaskin, JoAnne Norris, Wayne Parrott, and Bill Tyson, and from left back row, Peter LaFayette, Carla Barnett, Lindsey Barner, Tim Brenneman, Nick Fuhrman and Ron Walcott.
scientists, agricultural students and journalism students. “That’s why everything you do here is so important and so vital to this great challenge that we’re facing: ending hunger, ending malnutrition and ending stunting.” Thurow challenged the audience not to turn away from what can seem like a background condition for the world’s poor. Reshaping agricultural policy, providing agricultural and health education to smallholder farmers, and developing new crop varieties with an eye for both nutrition and yield will be key for meeting the United Nations’ goal of ending malnutrition
WILLSON CENTER, TERRY COLLEGE
Producer encourages musicians to take chances By Krista Richmond krichmond@uga.edu
Jacknife Lee didn’t set out to become a music producer. “I accidentally fell into production because I was asked to make a record,” he said. “This thing happened, and people started calling me up and saying, ‘Can you do this one for us?’ This isn’t by design.” Lee spoke about his career in the music industry during “A Conversation with Jacknife Lee” on Nov. 3. The event was part of the fall 2016 Signature Lecture series and sponsored by the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts and the Terry College Music Business Program. “I’ve done nothing but this,” he said. Lee, who is a Willson Center for Humanities and Arts and the Terry College Music Business Program Visiting Fellow, has worked in electronic music, played in a punk band, been a DJ and even done music for a children’s television program. Eventually, he realized he didn’t truly like performing as a musician but still wanted to make music. That’s when he stepped into production. He considers himself a blue collar producer—one who’s not afraid to be hands-on in the studio. “It’s about trying to remind them to be brave,” he said. Sometimes, Lee uses unusual tactics to push the artists he’s working with beyond their boundaries. He’ll encourage them to sing in a funny voice or listen to an opposing style of music to fuel their creativity. His goal is to make them feel safe enough to try something different. Lee has worked with many artists, including R.E.M., U2, Snow Patrol and Weezer, and he’s taken something away from each experience. “I’ll be honest—they’re all significant,” he said.
by 2030, he said. In addition to Thurow’s lecture, recipients of this year’s D.W. Brooks Faculty Awards for Excellence, D.W. Brooks Diversity Awards, Outstanding Academic Adviser Awards and CAES Staff Awards were recognized. “These winners are nominated by their peers and selected by a panel of judges as the most outstanding individuals in their fields,” said CAES Dean Sam Pardue. “They really are the best of the best.” Editor’s Note: This story was cut to fit the available space. Read the entire story online at columns.uga.edu.
UGA LIBRARIES
Georgia Writers Hall of Fame inductee discusses upbringing, influences By Jim Lichtenwalter
james.lichtenwal25@uga.edu
While growing up in Decatur, Roy Blount Jr. always hoped to be in a hall of fame. Only it wasn’t the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame, into which he was inducted Nov. 7, but instead the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. “But now that I’m here, I realized that I would much rather be in a hall of fame with Flannery O’Connor than Ty Cobb,” he said during a Nov. 6 lecture before his induction. The talk was part of the 2016 fall Signature Lecture series and the Spotlight on the Arts. Blount is a renowned writer, author, humorist and journalist. He began his long career at the Decatur-DeKalb News, before receiving his bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and his master’s degree from Harvard University. In his lecture, “Where I’m Coming From,” Blount discussed his upbringing in Georgia as well as his many influences over the years including his parents, Flannery O’Connor and one of his high school teachers. This is the 15th year of the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame, where a panel of judges appointed by the UGA librarian nominates a group of writers who are either natives of the state or have produced a significant work while in the state. In addition to Blount, author Brainard Cheney, novelist Katharine Du Pre Lumpkin, short-story writer and critic James Alan McPherson, and journalist Bill Shipp are members of the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016.
SUMMIT from page 1 Several UGA faculty members participated in the event, which was themed “Design Your Future.” Elena Karahanna, the L. Edmund Rast Professor of Business in the Terry College, moderated a discussion on paths to successful careers in academia, while assistant professor of engineering Cheryl Gomillion led a discussion on how universities are advocating for STEM. Dean Donald J. Leo discussed
the growth of UGA’s College of Engineering and Provost Pamela Whitten moderated a discussion on academic leadership. Additional speakers included Jennifer Van Buskirk, regional president of AT&T Mobility’s Northeast region; Priceline.com co-founder Jeff Hoffman; Jill Tietjen, past president of the Society of Women Engineers; and Alicia Philipp, president of the Community
Foundation for Greater Atlanta. “The Global Women in STEM Leadership Summit has sparked conversations that are critical to the STEM fields and to our society,” Whitten said. “We know that diverse viewpoints encourage creative solutions to problems, and we are all better served when everyone has an equal opportunity to lead. I’m so grateful to Dr. Hamrita for organizing such an inspiring event.”
RESEARCH NEWS
columns.uga.edu Nov. 28, 2016
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Digest Economic Outlook series starts Dec. 14
How will 2017 shape up? Find out at the annual Georgia Economic Outlook series hosted by UGA’s Terry College of Business. The series will bring economic forecasting events to nine cities across the state in December, January and February. Each event features experts sharing their predictions for the local, state and national economies. The Athens event will be held Feb. 1 at the Classic Center. Built on research by the college’s Selig Center for Economic Growth, the series is a chance for industry and government leaders, small business owners and others to learn which sectors will grow and which will face obstacles in the coming year. The series will kick off Dec. 14 in Atlanta, featuring an all-new metro Atlanta forecast in addition to the state and local predictions. Individual and group tickets are available at terry.uga.edu/eo. From left, UGA’s Jonathan Arnold, Zhaojie Deng and Leidong Mao developed a new microfluidic technology that allowed them to simultaneously monitor the circadian rhythms of more than 25,000 individual cells of Neurospora crassa.
Biology’s timekeeper Technology brings new precision to study of circadian rhythm in individual cells
By Mike Wooten
mwooten@uga.edu
An interdisciplinary team of UGA researchers has developed a new technology that may help scientists better understand how an individual cell synchronizes its biological clock with those of other cells. While scientists have previously observed synchronization at the macroscopic level of millions of cells, the UGA researchers said this is the first time anyone has been able to observe single cells syncing their circadian rhythms with each other. Circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle in the physiological process of living things, including animals, plants and fungi. This daily cycle is linked to sleeping and feeding patterns, hormone production, cell regeneration and other biological activities. New microfluidic technology, in which individual cells are encapsulated in droplets and tagged with a fluorescent protein, developed by the UGA researchers provides scientists with a
stable platform to track tens of thousands of cells with single-cell precision, according to Zhaojie Deng, a doctoral candidate in the College of Engineering and the lead author of the study. The team’s findings were published online Oct. 27 in the journal Scientific Reports. In the study, Deng and her colleagues were able to monitor more than 25,000 individual cells of Neurospora crassa, a type of bread mold often used as a research model. Not only did they confirm that many cells had a distinct circadian rhythm, they also observed individual cells synching their rhythms over time. The researchers said the new process outlined in the study also will allow scientists to observe and gather data from cells over a longer period. “This technology allows us to collect a tremendous amount of data as we try to make sense of the cells’ circadian rhythm,” said Leidong Mao, an associate professor in the College of Engineering and one of the study’s corresponding authors. “We’ve been able to stabilize cells for up to 10 days,
while in the past scientists were only able to gather data from individual cells for approximately 48 hours.” Mao said monitoring large numbers of N. crassa cells is difficult work because each cell is only 10 microns in diameter. By comparison, the average cross-section of a human hair is about 100 microns. The researchers said their findings may eventually lead to advances in a number of areas where the circadian rhythms of organisms play a role. “You might want to exploit the biological clock of algae to make biofuel reactors more efficient or you might want to understand the synchronization phenomenon of agricultural pests such as locusts,” said Jonathan Arnold, a professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences genetics department and a corresponding author of the study. The team’s study provides tools and approaches that might even shed light on the synchronization of cells in the master clock of the human brain, said Arnold.
FRANKLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
New drug combination may boost chemo success By Alan Flurry
aflurry@uga.edu
UGA researchers have found a way to enhance chemotherapy’s cancerkilling powers, bringing science one step closer to a more complete cancer treatment. Chemotherapy’s ultimate goal is to destroy a person’s cancer, but one common type of the treatment known as antimicrotubule chemotherapy has the tendency to let cancer cells slip through at the exact time that it’s supposed to kill them during the cell division phase known as mitosis. These dividing cells leave through a process known as mitotic slippage. It’s here that UGA researchers have targeted their studies—in understanding how mitotic slippage occurs and how to prevent it. According to the study
published Oct. 24 in the Journal of Cell Biology, they found a drug combination that caused 100 percent mitotic cell death, thereby significantly improving the killing efficiency of antimicrotubule chemotherapy drugs. The drug combination they discovered “could revolutionize chemotherapy by dramatically improving one of the main classes of chemotherapy drugs,” said the study’s senior author, Edward Kipreos, a professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences cellular biology department. To get to that treatment, they first uncovered the cause of mitotic slippage: the action of the protein complex CRL2-ZYG11. Inactivating this protein complex can significantly improve antimicrotubule chemotherapy’s ability to kill mitotic cells. By combining conventional
antimicrotubule drugs with a new drug called MLN4924 that targets all CRL complexes, the researchers were able to achieve complete mitotic cell death during testing. MLN4924 has undergone phase I clinical trials, meaning that it has been evaluated for safety, to determine a safe dosage range and to identify side effects. The paper focuses on new insights into the regulation of mitosis, primarily on the inactivation of cyclin B1-CDK1, an enzyme complex that is essential for mitosis. Because cyclin B1 activity promotes the mitotic program, cyclin B1 must be degraded during mitosis to allow cells to exit mitosis. Previously, the understanding was that cyclin B1 is targeted for degradation solely by the action of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome, or APC/C, ubiquitin ligase.
Search committee named for University System’s next chief academic officer
The University System of Georgia is launching a national search to fill the position of executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer to succeed Houston Davis. UGA President Jere W. Morehead will chair the search committee. “The CAO plays a critical role in our system office and will continue to report directly to the chancellor,” said Chancellor-elect Steve Wrigley. “In partnership with our institutions, the position provides leadership for our university system with academic programs and planning, faculty affairs, student affairs, international programs and online learning initiatives.” Other committee members include Tricia Chastain, executive vice chancellor, USG administration; Kevin Demmitt, provost and vice president for academic affairs, Clayton State University; Paul Jones, president, Fort Valley State University; Kyle Marrero, president, University of West Georgia; Gina Sheeks, vice president for student affairs, Columbus State University; Briana Stanley, Student Government Association president, Georgia State University, Decatur campus; Charles Sutlive, vice chancellor, USG communications and governmental affairs; Wendy Turner, professor of history, Augusta University; Margaret Venable, president, Dalton State University; and Martha Venn, deputy vice chancellor, USG academic affairs.
University System of Georgia enrollment increases 1.1 percent for fall 2016
Fall 2016 enrollment in the University System of Georgia’s 29 colleges and universities totaled 321,551 students, an increase of 1.1 percent (or 3,531 more students) over fall 2015. This fall’s enrollment continues a trend, for three years in a row, of modest increases in student enrollment in the University System of Georgia. The enrollment numbers were released in the system’s “Fall 2016 Semester Enrollment Report,” which breaks down enrollment by institution, class, race and ethnicity, in-state, out-of-state and international students as well as gender and age. Dual enrollment, which allows students to earn college credit while in high school, increased from 7,916 students in fall 2015 to 10,352 students in fall 2016, a more than 30 percent increase. The increase can be attributed to the Move on When Ready program, which streamlines dual enrollment programs and removes financial barriers for students. Graduate programs also contributed to the fall 2016 enrollment increase with 46,383 students, which is 5 percent more than in fall 2015. A PDF of the full enrollment report can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/z9jozv4.
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
Icon of Modernism: Representing the Brooklyn Bridge, 18831950. Through Dec. 11. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu The Stands: Environmental Art by Chris Taylor. Through Dec. 13. The Circle Gallery, Jackson Street Building. 706-542-8292. Keep Your Seats, memorabilia celebrating the 110-year history of the UGA Redcoat Marching Band. Through Dec. 23. Special collections libraries. 706-542-8079. Gifts and Prayers: The Romanovs and Their Subjects. Through Dec. 31. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu Living Color: Gary Hudson on the 1970s. Through Jan. 8. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu Storytelling: The Georgia Review’s 70th Anniversary Art Retrospective. Through Jan. 29. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu (See story, below). Driving Forces: Sculpture by Lin Emery. Through April 2. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu On the Stump—What Does it Take to Get Elected in Georgia? Through Aug. 18. Special collections libraries. 706-542-5788. jhebbard@uga.edu
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28 MICROBIOLOGY SEMINAR “Accessory Metabolism of Methanotrophs Links the C, N and S Cycles,” Lisa Stein, University of Alberta. 11 a.m. 404D biological sciences building. 706-542-2045. khbrown@uga.edu
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29 HOLIDAY BOOK SALE Through Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This annual holiday book
Exhibition showcases works from ‘The Georgia Review’ By Sarah Dotson sdotson@uga.edu
In collaboration with The Georgia Review, the Georgia Museum of Art is presenting the exhibition Storytelling: The Georgia Review’s 70th Anniversary Art Retrospective through Jan. 29. Founded at UGA in 1947, The Georgia Review is a quarterly journal of arts and letters that publishes short stories, generalinterest essays, poems, reviews and visual art.A celebration of the wideranging roster of visual artists whose work has been reproduced by The Review, the works in this retrospective reflect the powerful Masao Yamamoto’s storytelling ability photograph “#1637” is part of of visual art. the Storytelling exhibit. Storytelling includes 25 works by 12 artists whose work The Review has published. Photographers such as Tamas Dezso, Kael Alford and Carl Bower, all committed to documenting social and political realities in countries like Romania, Iraq and Colombia, have works displayed next to sculptors Patti Warashina and Vanessa German. Other artists include Benny Andrews, Celeste Rapone, Bianca Stone, Kara Walker and Masao Yamamoto. While the exhibition includes artists who work all over the world, artists Nina Barnes and Margaret Morrison are both residents of Athens. True to The Review’s mission to facilitate partnerships in the community, their inclusion represents local art. Morrison is a tenured professor of drawing and painting at UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art, and Barnes relocated to Athens in 2002 from Norway. Jenny Gropp, managing editor at The Review and co-curator of this exhibition, has a background in creative writing and English literature. Her work can be found in Best New Poets, American Letters & Commentary, Denver Quarterly and Columbia: A Journal of Literature and Art, among others. Gropp said she is “thrilled to be presenting this particular gathering of artists.” Annette Hatton, former managing editor of The Review, is Gropp’s co-curator, and Sarah Kate Gillespie, the museum’s curator of American art, served as in-house curator. A closing reception will be held Jan. 19 from 7-9 p.m. featuring a reading by poet Jericho Brown. Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the reading is open free to the public.
sale features new and used publications in all genres. If you have books you’d like to donate, call 706-542-4662. Georgia Museum of Art.
TUESDAY TOUR A free, guided 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. Participants should meet in the rotunda on the second floor of the special collections libraries. 2 p.m. 706-542-8079. jclevela@uga.edu CONCERT Students from each discipline within the Hugh Hodgson School of Music’s strings area will perform together Nov. 29 at 3:30 and 5 p.m. and Nov. 30 at 3:35 p.m. Edge Recital Hall, Hugh Hodgson School of Music. ccschwabe@uga.edu SEMINAR “Untangling Drivers of Biodiversity Across Ecological and Biogeographic Gradients,” Jonathan Myers, Washington University. 4 p.m. 201 ecology building. 706-542-7247. bethgav@uga.edu WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Kennesaw State. $5. 7 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. 706-542-1231.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30 RESEARCH SEMINAR SERIES “Developing Chemical Tools to Interrogate Protein Methyltransferases,” Minkui Luo. 11 a.m. 201 Pharmacy South. 706-542-7385. meganjs@uga.edu LECTURE “Cold-Blooded Conservation: Educating the Public About Reptiles and Amphibians,” Kimberly Andrews, research coordinator at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, education program specialist at the Savannah River Ecology Lab and adjunct professor in the Odum School of Ecology. 1:25 p.m. 201 ecology building. cpringle@uga.edu TOUR AT TWO Tour of highlights from the permanent collection led by docents. 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662.
By Clarke Schwabe ccschwabe@uga.edu
The spirit of the holidays will rise to the rafters of Hodgson Concert Hall when musicians at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, including the UGA Symphony Orchestra, Combined Choirs, British Brass Band and more, take to the stage for the annual UGA Holiday Concerts Dec. 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m. The concerts, part of the Hodgson School’s flagship Thursday Scholarship Series, open with the UGA Combined Choirs and UGASO performing holiday standards as well as works from Leroy Anderson, Gerald Finzi and Ralph Vaughan Williams. These performances will be among the largest the music school stages throughout the year. After intermission, the UGA British Brass Band will lead the audience in a sing-along, filled with classic carols. A jazz combo will follow, performing three jazz standards featuring Greg Hankins, frequent piano collaborator at the School of Music, and vocal soloist Tereska Grynia, a doctoral violin candidate. The festivities will close with Randall Alan Bass’ “Gloria,” bringing the orchestra and choirs back on stage for a rousing finale to the concert. The Holiday Concerts will conclude the Thursday Scholarship Series for 2016. The series will return Jan. 12 with a solo performance from Evgeny Rivkin, professor of piano. Tickets are $25 each and are available at pac.uga.edu and the Performing Arts Center box office. Those unable to attend can view the Dec. 2 performance live on the School of Music’s website at music.uga.edu/streaming.
The UGA Holiday Concerts, part of the Thursday Scholarship Series, are set for Dec. 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m.
and adventurous musicians. He is joined by harpsichordist Kenneth Weiss, who performed at UGA recently with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. $36; free for UGA students, tickets are required. 3 p.m. Ramsey Concert Hall. 706-542-4400. ugaarts@uga.edu (See story, left).
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1
SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT TOUR Highlights from the permanent collection led by docents. 3 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662.
LECTURE “Marijuana: The Upsides and Downsides of a Complex Substance,” Godfrey Pearlson, director of Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine. This event is hosted by the Paul D. Coverdell Neuroimaging Program Fellowship and the Neuroscience Division of BHSI. There will be a coffee hour immediately after the lecture. 3:25 p.m. S175 Paul D. Coverdell Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences.
HOCKEY vs. Vanderbilt University. $2 student tickets; $10 general admission; $15 reserved seats. 3 p.m. Akins Arena, Classic Center, 300 N. Thomas St. jeb@ugahockey.com
MONDAY, DECEMBER 5
‘NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM SHOP’ Members of the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art enjoy a 20 percent discount in the Museum Shop. Wrapped gift memberships will be available. Light refreshments. 5:30 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662.
FALL SEMESTER CLASSES END FILM SCREENING Special EcoFocus Film Festival screening of the award-winning documentary The Burden: Fossil Fuel, the Military and National Security. 7 p.m. Cine, 234 W. Hancock Ave.
MIND, BODY, MARROW Relax with some yoga before finals start and learn more about Be The Match at UGA. $3 for admission and snacks (if you have your own mat); $5 for admission, snacks and mat rental; $8 for admission, snacks and to buy a mat. 7 p.m. Adinkra Hall, Memorial Hall. eng26585@uga.edu
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2 ATHENS WOMEN’S BUSINESS EXPO Professional Development and Networking for Women in Business. 8:30 a.m. 285 special collections libraries. 705-542-7436. athens@georgiasbdc.org GALLERY TALK Nicholas Kilmer, editor of The Frederick C. Frieseke Catalogue Raisonne (in progress), will speak about Frieseke’s Girl Sewing (The Chinese Robe). 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. FALL CONCERT Hugh Hodgson School of Music’s UGA Trombone Ensemble. 5:30 p.m. Ramsey Concert Hall. ccschwabe@uga.edu HOCKEY vs. Georgia Tech. $2 student tickets; $10 general admission; $15 reserved seats. 7:30 p.m. Akins Arena, Classic Center, 300 N. Thomas St. jeb@ugahockey.com
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Furman $5. 7 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. 706-542-1231.
COMING UP Avi Avital, the first mandolin soloist to be nominated for a classical Grammy Award, performs Dec. 4.
Performing Arts Center welcomes Avi Avital for Dec. 4 concert featuring variety of works By Bobby Tyler btyler@uga.edu
The UGA Performing Arts Center will present mandolin virtuoso Avi Avital Dec. 4 at 3 p.m. in Ramsey Concert Hall. The first mandolin soloist to be nominated for a classical Grammy Award, Avital has been hailed as “explosively charismatic” by The New York Times. Avital is a driving force behind the reinvigoration of the mandolin repertory, and more than 90 compositions have been written for him. His inspired music making has electrified audiences throughout Europe, Australia, Asia and the Americas with performances at Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, London’s Wigmore and Royal Albert halls, the Berlin Philharmonie, Zurich’s Tonhalle, Barcelona’s Palau de la Musica Catalana and the Paris Philharmonie.
Born in Be’er Sheva, Israel, in 1978, Avital began learning the mandolin at age 8. He later graduated from the Jerusalem Music Academy and the Conservatorio Cesare Pollini in Padua, Italy. Avital won first prize at Israel’s prestigious Aviv Competitions in 2007, becoming the first mandolinist in the history of the competition to be so honored. For his Athens recital, Avital will be accompanied by harpsichordist Kenneth Weiss, who performed at UGA recently with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Their program will include works by Vivaldi, Beethoven, Bach and Scarlatti. Tickets for the concert are $36 and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center, online at pac. uga.edu or by calling the box office at 706-542-4400. The concert will be recorded for Performance Today, America’s most popular classical music radio program.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3 FAMILY DAY: ROYAL TREASURE Check out exquisite examples of medals, statuettes and other royal treasure owned by the Romanov family of Russian rulers, then create your own glittering holiday ornament in the Michael and Mary Erlanger Studio Classroom. 10 a.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. BUNGALO 2016 MUSIC FESTIVAL The inaugural Bungalo 2016 Music Festival is a celebration of Athens’ unique sense of community, vibrant and lively music and arts scene, and drive for positive change. The event is a fundraising effort presented by Project One Home UGA, devoted to building homes for families in need around the world in areas such as Haiti and El Salvador. $10 minimum donation. 7 p.m.
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/.
4&5
School of Music presents annual holiday shows
MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Morehouse. $15. 7 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. 706-542-1231.
THURSDAY SCHOLARSHIP SERIES CONCERT Through Dec. 2. $25. 7:30 p.m. Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall. 706-542-4752. ccschwabe@uga.edu (See story, top right).
columns.uga.edu Nov. 28, 2016
40 Watt Club, 285 W. Washington St.
and outreach unit, organizing and assembling the resources and expertise needed to carry out the agenda. 10 a.m. Georgia Center for Continuing Education.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4 BIENNIAL INSTITUTE FOR GEORGIA LEGISLATORS New and veteran legislators count on the Biennial Institute to provide information and training that will help them make better-informed decisions for Georgia. A recognized event on the state’s political calendar since 1958, the Biennial Institute provides legislators with valuable time for learning, networking and exploring state issues prior to the upcoming session of the General Assembly. The leadership of the Georgia General Assembly cosponsors the Biennial Institute for Georgia Legislators, with UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, a public service
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE Celebrate Family Day at the Visitor Center and Conservatory, which will be decorated for the season. 1:30 p.m. State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014. connicot@uga.edu MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Marquette. $15. 2 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. 706-542-1231. CONCERT Mandolin player Avi Avital is one of the world’s most exciting
TO SUBMIT A LISTING FOR THE MASTER CALENDAR AND COLUMNS Post event information first to the Master Calendar website (calendar.uga.edu/). Listings for Columns are taken from the Master Calendar 12 days before the publication date. Events not posted by then may not be printed in Columns.
Any additional information about the event may be sent directly to Columns. Email is preferred (columns@uga.edu), but materials can be mailed to Columns, Marketing & Communications, 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 North, Campus Mail 1999.
READING DAY Dec. 6. For students. JINGLE BELL FUN RUN Dec. 6. Participants are invited to walk or run a 5K at the UGA Golf Course. A tabling event with health tips, refreshments and stress dogs will be held after the run. This event benefits Toys for Tots. 9 a.m. Club House, UGA Golf Course. 706-542-8690. kgroft@uhs.uga.edu SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT Dec. 6. Day-long event combining the Center for Integrative Conservation Research’s Annual Sustainability Science Symposium with the Office of Sustainability’s Semester in Review. 9 a.m. Jackson Street Building. 706-542-0458. SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE SEMESTER IN REVIEW Dec. 6. Semester in Review will provide an opportunity for engagement, collaboration and a shared celebration of all the projects and initiatives that have taken place this semester to further sustainability. The celebration will include welcoming remarks, a half-hour presentation by Office of Sustainability Interns, an announcement of winners of the 2016 Sustainability Grant winners, poster presentations, table displays and a light lunch. 11 a.m. Jackson Street Building. 678-697-8497. niravilango@uga.edu PHI BETA KAPPA INITIATION CEREMONY Dec. 6. 3 p.m. Chapel. 706-542-0383. kcfite@uga.edu. CLASSIC CITY BAND HOLIDAY CONCERT Dec. 6. The Classic City Band will perform holiday music during an evening concert in the festively-decorated Conservatory. 6:30 p.m. Visitor Center and Conservatory, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014. connicot@uga.edu FALL SEMESTER FINAL EXAMS Dec. 7-13. TOUR AT TWO Dec. 7. Join Asen Kirin, curator of the Gifts and Prayers: The Romanovs and Their Subjects exhibition and professor of art history, for a tour. 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662.
NEXT COLUMNS DEADLINES Dec. 7 (for Jan. 9 issue) Jan. 4 (for Jan. 17 issue) Jan. 11 (for Jan. 23 issue)
6 Nov. 28, 2016 columns.uga.edu
CAMPUS CLOSEUP
Geology doctoral candidate Ny Riavo Voarintsoa (Voary) has won the Geological Society of America’s John Montagne Award, which supports research in the field of quaternary geology/geomorphology. It was presented at GSA’s 2016 annual conference in Denver during the GSA Foundation’s Penrose Circle and Student Awards Reception and during the Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division Award Ceremony and Networking Event. Two College of Education faculty members were recently inducted as Fellows into the National Academy of Kinesiology. Ellen Evans and Bryan McCullick, professors in the kinesiology department, were among 11 new members named during the organization’s recent annual meeting in Albuquerque. They join more than 500 kinesiology scholars who have been admitted since 1926. Induction into the organization is one of the highest honors in the field of kinesiology. Evans, a professor and coordinator for the exercise and sport science program, Ellen Evans is also the director of the department’s Center for Physical Activity and Health. Her research centers on physical activity and health of middle-age or older adults, particularly women, as well as developing effective and sustainable exercise interventions. She also helps coordinate the Exercise In Bryan McCullick Medicine program on the UGA campus and is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, the NIH’s National Institute on Aging and the Obesity Society. McCullick is a professor and coordinator of the health and physical education program for the department. His research focuses on teacher and coach education as well as children’s sport and physical activity. McCullick is also a Fellow of the Association Internationale des Escoles Superieures d’Education Physique and the AAHPERD Research Consortium. Stanley Culpepper, UGA Cooperative Extension weed scientist on the Tifton campus, is the recipient of the 2016 regional Excellence in Extension Award from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. Culpepper is this year’s Southern Region recipient—he’s one of five national recipients of the award—and was recognized Nov. 13 at the 129th APLU meeting in Austin, Texas. A self-professed “farm boy,” Culpepper’s teachings Stanley Culpepper are different than most professors at land-grand universities. Instead of teaching students in a normal classroom, Culpepper travels the world every year educating farmers and industry personnel about weed management options for more than 50 different commodities. Since joining UGA in 1999, Culpepper has given more than 900 educational presentations across 24 states and countries. He has researched options to control Palmer amaranth, a devastating weed that’s costing Georgia farmers more than $100 million to manage each year. 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.
Dorothy Kozlowski
Demarrio McClary’s experience as a bus driver for Campus Transit inspired him to get a full-time job there after graduation.
Alumnus moves from driver’s seat to transit system leadership By Kat Khoury
kat@fastcopy.org
Demarrio McClary considers himself a “city explorer.” The interim operations manager of UGA Campus Transit spends his workdays managing nearly 250 drivers and his time off walking the pavement of unfamiliar cities. The UGA alumnus began driving buses as an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in finance in the Terry College of Business. “I gained a lot of experience as a student driver, learning to balance school, social activities and work,” he said. “I enjoy the challenge. It’s a fastpaced, hectic environment out there with all the buses running around, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.” McClary’s experience as a driver— and being trusted to fill in as supervisor from time to time—motivated him to pursue a full-time job with Campus Transit after graduation and to take advantage of opportunities the university offers for career development. McClary moved from driver to supervising manager to being named interim operations manager in June. Now, he pays that experience forward. A favorite part of his job is mentoring student drivers, not just behind the wheel, but also helping them develop
skills such as time management and responsibility to put them on the road to success. “They’re here obviously to get an education, and then part of that education is growing up and learning how to become an adult,” he said. Problem solving, both independently and as a team, is crucial in Campus Transit, McClary said. While drivers are in a solitary role and responsible for riders’ safety, they also must act as a team to provide timely transportation. McClary backs up his prowess as a driver in the annual UGA Campus Transit Roadeo. The competition, held in May, determines the best of the best bus drivers with a written exam, a staged pre-departure check and an obstacle course. About 10 obstacles test skills such as stopping close to an object without touching it, backing a bus into an alley and other difficult maneuvers with narrow dimensions. McClary has won so many times that he has to stop and tip his head back to think for a moment. “For our local Roadeo, I think it’s four, and then I won one at the state level too,” he said. Working for UGA has provided ways for McClary to take on more leadership responsibilities and expand his professional skill set. The fixed
FACTS
Demarrio McClary
Interim Operations Manager Campus Transit Transportation and Parking Services B.B.A., Finance, UGA, 2007 At UGA: Nine years
transit routes he manages are similar in operation to those in a city, including the Athens Transit System, but he said working for UGA also presents an opportunity to network with other areas of campus. With the recent merger of UGA’s parking services and transit system into Transportation and Parking Services, “we’re learning more about other departments and building relationships,” he said. Finding time to relax is difficult when your daily routine is making sure riders reach their destinations on time, but when McClary does kick back, he doesn’t exactly sit still. McClary enjoys spending his weekends exploring cities, recently traveling to New York, Seattle, Chicago and San Diego, just a few from the list he recounted. He hasn’t tried out his passport but says he’s hoping to do so soon. And yes, he did visit the Transit Museum in New York.
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Lawmaker, soybean producer inducted into Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame By Casey Chastain intern@uga.edu
On Nov. 11, the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences inducted former Georgia Rep. Richard Royal and Georgia soybean specialist John Woodruff into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame. The celebration was part of the college’s alumni awards ceremony and banquet at the Classic Center. The Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame was established in 1972 to recognize individuals who made extraordinary contributions to agriculture and agribusiness in Georgia. Inductees are nominated by mem-
Rep. Richard Royal
John Woodruff
bers of the public and selected by the awards committee of the college’s alumni association. Those nominated must possess impeccable character, outstanding leadership, noteworthy contributions to Georgia’s agricultural landscape and recognition for achievements in agriculture and other areas.
Also at the ceremony, the CAES Award of Excellence was presented to D. Wayne Akins Jr., chief retail banking officer of Synovus Bank; Charles Hubert Bronson Jr., former Florida commissioner of agriculture and consumer services; Beverly Lynn Sparks, former UGA associate dean for Cooperative Extension; and R. Lowry “Whitey” Weyman Hunt Jr., a sixth-generation Morgan County farmer. Luke Lanier, assistant vice president of Metter Bank; Allison Perkins, UGA Cooperative Extension county agent for Bartow County; and Cliff Riner, coordinator of the Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center, received CAES Young Alumni Achievement Awards.
FRANKLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
‘Seminar on diplomacy’
columns.uga.edu Nov. 28, 2016
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Southeast Model African Union helps students learn about countries, cultures By Krista Richmond krichmond@uga.edu
Tifara Brown has learned several lessons participating in three Southeast Model African Union conferences, from learning parliamentary procedures to honing her public speaking and writing skills to gaining an appreciation for world issues. “We’re so much more connected than I think we realize. One thing that I’ve learned from this model is that a problem on a continent halfway across the world affects me. There is something I can do to collaborate with individuals who are from there and figure out how to come together to solve these world issues,” she said. “It really is an all-around, holistic, beneficial experience for students.” The 20th annual SEMAU, held Nov. 3-5 at the Georgia Center, brought together 118 students and 29 advisers from 11 schools—nine in the University System of Georgia—to participate in discussions about Boko Haram in West Africa and then draft and vote on resolutions in what co-director Jean Kidula called a “seminar on diplomacy.” Four teams from UGA consisting of 28 students participated in the event, representing Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Ethiopia and Niger. The event is modeled on the African Union, the international organization founded as the Organization of African Unity to promote cooperation among the independent nations of the continent, and is a precursor to the national Model African Union held in Washington, D.C., in February. “There aren’t many things in the world more
Krista Richmond
Members of the Committee on Democracy, Governance and Human Rights discuss a proposed resolution on free elections and justice systems.
refreshing to experience than to be surrounded by like-minded people, and this is one of the reasons why I look so forward to being part of this incredible experience,” said Brown, a management information systems student who will graduate in May. During SEMAU, she represented Burkina Faso. Sarah Thompson, a sophomore international affairs and sociology major participating in SEMAU for the first time representing Cabo Verde, looked forward to hearing everyone’s ideas. “I feel like I spend a lot of time learning about problems in the world in my international affairs and sociology classes, but what we don’t do is think of solutions for them. To have this intellectual community coming together thinking of the future can help improve the situation,” she said. The students represent their country on a committee debating a specific issue
Chad Osburn
The Africa Night event allowed SEMAU participants to learn about the continent’s different cultures.
Dorothy Kozlowski
Tifara Brown speaks to the crowd during the opening ceremony.
area. The Committee on Democracy, Governance and Human Rights discussed issues like free elections and justice systems. The Committee on Economic Matters worked on economic growth and sustainable development. The Committee on Social Matters talked about empowering African women and youths. The Committee on Pan Africanism and Continental Unity sought to promote political unity and
WEEKLY READER
shared common history. The Committee on Peace and Security worked on conflict management and resolution. Committees spent a day and a half debating issues and writing resolutions. The committees then presented those resolutions to the Executive Council. The resolutions were then presented to Heads of State for a vote. For example, the Committee on Democracy, Governance and Human Rights proposed
five resolutions—two passed, two failed and one did not receive a vote. “Students learn the art of diplomacy and enhance their debating skills. These students research agenda topics outlined by the African Union. They research the position of their country of choice. They are then required to present that position, negotiate with delegates from other countries and find the best possible solution that works ideally for their country, for the continent and globally,” said Kidula, a professor of music in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. “The African Union is modeled after the United Nations, and the protocol in the A.U. is similar to that of the U.N. So beyond just
CYBERSIGHTS
ABOUT COLUMNS
Alumnus’ book wins award for excellence Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes has received the American Horticultural Society’s 2016 book award for excellence in writing, originality and quality. The book, published in 2015, was co-authored by Claudia West and UGA alumnus Thomas Rainer. A principal with the firm Rhodeside & Harwell in the Washington, D.C., area, Rainer has led many of the firm’s public space, campus, green infrastructure and streetscape projects. Planting in a Post-Wild World: In the book, Rainer and West propose Designing Plant Communities that rather than arrange plants in convenfor Resilient Landscapes tional masses, designers should focus on By Thomas Rainer and how to combine plants to function more Claudia West like naturally occurring plant communiTimber Press ties. They explore a hybrid of horticulture Hardcover: $39.95 and ecology, creating communities of interrelated species that cover the ground in interlocking layers. Rainer, who will return Feb. 2 to give a lecture in the College of Environment and Design, discusses the book and more in an NPR interview (http://tinyurl.com/jqatmyg).
learning how diplomacy works in Africa, students are introduced to such functionings as conducted at forums like the U.N., NATO, etc.” Michael Nwanze, a professor at Howard University and founder of the African Model Union, spoke to participants during the opening ceremony about how the event can broaden horizons. “You learn to set aside your own nationality and assume the nationality of someone else in a country you may not have visited or that you may not have heard of before today and then to see the world through the eyes of that individual, ” he said. “The issue before you today is what are Africa’s solutions to African problems, and that is what you are here to do.”
Columns is available to the 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
New site helps maintain consistent brand
brand.uga.edu
Brand.uga.edu was created to facilitate consistent internal communication throughout the university, whether about prospective students, alumni, donors or other stakeholders. Maintained by the Division of Marketing & Communications and continuously updated, the site defines and describes the UGA brand and illustrates how its parts
work together to create a distinctive look, feel and voice that people will immediately recognize. The brand toolkit gives guidance on editorial and visual representations and offers examples of how to bring the brand to life. The site provides direct access to downloads, training modules and practical advice on how to craft content within the brand.
Art Director Jackie Baxter Roberts Photo Editor Dorothy Kozlowski Senior Writer Aaron Hale Communications Coordinator Krista Richmond 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. 28, 2016 columns.uga.edu LABORATORY
from page 1 The center’s recent accreditation to conduct stable isotope and radiocarbon analyses under the International Organization for Standardization, ISO/IEC 17025:2005, is recognized universally as the highest level of quality attainable by a testing laboratory, and the ASTM International certification makes the center home to one of only two laboratories in the U.S. certified to determine whether bio-based products meet USDA standards. Industry partners, universities, government agencies and researchers across the world rely on CAIS analyses for studies in ecology, chemistry, biology, anthropology, marine science, geology, physics, plant science, horticulture and forestry. “The growth in demand for services has allowed us to reinvest into the facility, and that ultimately allows us to give students more opportunities to conduct research and engage the researchers at UGA,” said Speakman, who came to UGA from the Smithsonian Institution in 2011.
CAMPAIGN In addition to stable isotope analysis, the center houses laboratories for radiocarbon dating, bio-based product testing, elemental analysis, natural product authenticity, and organic and inorganic analyses. Last year, CAIS analyzed approximately 68,000 samples; the stable isotope lab processed about 75 percent of those samples. Additions to the new lab include three isotope ratio mass spectrometers and two flash elemental analyzers, which measure the isotopes, made by Thermo Scientific, and two gas benches used to prepare the samples. In total, the center maintains 17 instruments capable of measuring stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen. “The new gas bench is going to open up all kinds of possibilities,” said Tom Maddox, staff scientist and manager of the stable isotope laboratory. “Now you can process hundreds and hundreds of samples, and it’s effective, convenient and incredibly accurate—within minutes you have your answer.”
Amy Ware
Staff scientist Tom Maddox works with students using new instruments for stable isotope analysis in the Center for Applied Isotope Studies.
LECTURE
from page 1 what that might be.” Kenyon and fellow researchers looked at C. elegans—roundworms—to test their theories. Specifically, they looked to identify a program for aging. “We had a very simple idea. Maybe there’s some kind of dial in these species that would be the same in other species that could be turned like a thermostat—up high in an animal that ages fast and down lower in an animal that ages slower,” she said. They altered genes in various combinations in C. elegans and produced one that lived twice as long. To look at how nature counteracts aging, they also studied germlines, the cellular lineage from which eggs and sperm are derived and in which a cell undergoing mutation can be passed to the next generation.
ENGINEERING
from page 1 Each of the new schools within the College of Engineering will be led by chairs who report directly to the dean. The inaugural chairs have been selected by faculty members and will serve while the college conducts a search for candidates to fill the positions long term. The inaugural chairs are Takoi Hamrita for the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Ramaraja Ramasamy for the School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering; and Sidney Thompson for the School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering. The college’s faculty self-selected the schools with which they will affiliate based on their teaching and research interests. Currently, all faculty members report directly to the dean’s office. Under the change, the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering will administer undergraduate degrees in electrical engineering and computer systems engineering. The School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering will be responsible
Their findings indicate that these immortal cells have the ability to repair damage prior to fertilization. A protein factor made by the sperm helps clear any aggregated proteins in the egg by getting rid of a suppressor protein that stops RNAs from being used to create other proteins. One of those proteins lowers the pH in the egg’s lysosome so that it functions properly, correcting damage before the egg becomes an embryo. “Aging is the biggest risk factor for many diseases,” she said. “What’s really interesting is that these mutations that extend life also postpone a lot of these diseases related to aging. So maybe, if you make the change correctly, you’ll postpone age-related diseases as well and stay healthier longer, which is the real goal of people working on aging.”
for undergraduate and master’s degrees in biological engineering and biochemical engineering. Undergraduate degrees in environmental, civil, agricultural and mechanical engineering as well as master’s degrees in agricultural engineering and environmental engineering will be administered by the School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering. The master’s in engineering degree and doctoral programs in agricultural engineering, biological engineering and engineering will be administered collectively across all three schools. One of the primary goals of the college’s reorganization plan is to enhance the student experience, according to Leo. The new administrative structure is designed to provide a more efficient advising process and to create smoother procedures for transfer students. The implementation of a new high-demand major process in the college will be led by faculty in the three schools.
from page 1
financial barriers to attending the university and that far too many students graduate with burdensome debt. UGA’s ambitious campaign will help ensure both the educated workforce and the leadership our state needs to prosper in future years.” This is the largest single gift ever received by the University of Georgia, and it builds positive momentum for the public phase of the Commit to Georgia Campaign. “On behalf of the University of Georgia, I would like to express our deepest appreciation to the Woodruff Foundation,” said Morehead. “This monumental gift will be felt for generations to come, and the lives of countless students and their families across this great state will be forever changed by this tremendous act of generosity.” In addition to increasing scholarship support for hard-working UGA students, the Commit to Georgia Campaign also will create more opportunities for hands-on learning and mentorship. “UGA students are future leaders,” said Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Kelly Kerner. “This campaign will help more students have life-changing opportunities both in and out of the classroom, which will better prepare them to take on leadership roles in their careers and communities.” In addition to Kerner and Morehead, other speakers at the kickoff events included Student Government Association President Houston Gaines, student Ashitha Rajeurs, and UGA Athletic Association Professor in Social Sciences Marshall Shepherd. “Our faculty, staff and students are the heart of UGA and the inspiration for this campaign. Together, we will
permanently, profoundly and positively alter the course of the University of Georgia, elevating teaching, research and service to levels never before imagined,” Morehead told the crowd. Rajeurs is just one student who has benefited from those opportunities. “I’ve been able to participate in the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities alongside Dr. Russell Karls to study tuberculosis,” she said. “This type of work takes commitment. Months or even years can pass before reaching an ‘a-ha’ moment. I’ve learned what a critical role research plays in the health care industry, and when I’m a doctor, I will have a deeper level of appreciation for medical research.” Beyond supporting students, the Commit to Georgia Campaign will help faculty and staff address some of the biggest issues facing the state and world. UGA is uniquely positioned to tackle challenges ranging from preventing the spread of infectious diseases like Zika to feeding the world’s growing population to spurring economic development in the state. The Commit to Georgia Campaign not only will secure resources for such efforts but also will create more endowed professorships to attract and retain the very best and brightest faculty. “The forward momentum at the University of Georgia is electric,” said Pete Correll, honorary co-chair of the campaign committee and chairman emeritus of GeorgiaPacific. “I am proud to be a Bulldog and proud to help UGA reach the $1.2 billion goal. More importantly, I am proud of the opportunity we have to positively impact thousands of students and generations of Georgians.”
Bulletin Board Library course reserve lists
The UGA Libraries is accepting course reserve lists for spring semester until Dec. 9. Information on using course reserves including the full course reserve letter, guidelines, submission forms, processing priorities, deadlines and other important dates is at http://t.uga.edu/16h. For more information, contact Ben Lawrence (706-542-2081 or mainresv@uga.edu) or Brenda Robbins (706-542-4535 or sciresv@ uga.edu).
Holiday pottery sale
The UGA Ceramic Student Organization will hold its annual holiday pottery sale Nov. 30-Dec.1 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the first-floor lobby of the Lamar Dodd School of Art, 270 River Road. Work on sale will include small, hand-built sculpture as well as functional pottery: teapots, mugs, plates, vases and bowls. All work was made by ceramic students or faculty. Prices will range from $8-$100. Proceeds from the sale will support upcoming student educational field trips to ceramic conferences and bring visiting ceramic artists to campus. Hourly parking is available at the deck next to the Performing Arts Center. For more information, contact Ted Saupe at tsaupe@uga.edu.
Alumni Seminar registration
Registration is now open for UGA’s 2017 Alumni Seminar, “A Sense of Place,” which will be held on Feb. 17-18. Faculty, staff, alumni and friends can register to attend the annual two-day educational gathering at alumni.uga.edu/seminar. The Alumni Seminar allows attendees to reconnect with alumni and friends
while enjoying lectures by leading UGA faculty and exclusive campus tours. The keynote speaker is Roy Blount Jr., author, humorist and panelist on NPR’s Wait, Wait...Don’t Tell Me. The author of 24 books, Blount also is a former president of the Authors Guild, a member of the Fellowship of Southern Authors and a usage consultant with the American Heritage Dictionary. From Decatur, he now splits his time among Massachusetts, New York City and New Orleans. He is a 2016 inductee of the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame (see story, page 2).
UGA-grown poinsettias
Students in UGA’s Tau chapter of Pi Alpha Xi Horticultural Honor Society will hold their annual poinsettia sale Dec. 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Greenhouse 13 on Riverbend Road. Students in Paul Thomas’ greenhouse management course grew the crop of 600 poinsettias from cuttings over the course of fall semester. Poinsettias will be available for $10. There is a $2 charge for optional green foil pot liner and red ribbon. Poinsettias will be sleeved for easy transport. The students will accept cash, check or credit cards. The proceeds of the sale will fund student travel to conferences, classroom supplies and other club activities. This year, light pink, white and ruffled red poinsettias will be available in addition to the classic red poinsettias. Reserve favorite poinsettia varieties for pickup at pialphaxitau@ gmail.com. Bulletin Board is limited to information that may pertain to a majority of faculty and staff members.