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Engineering faculty member leads study about lung injuries in elderly patients RESEARCH NEWS
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Thursday Scholarship Series concert to showcase wind chamber music Vol. 45, No. 13
October 23, 2017
www.columns.uga.edu
UGA GUIDE
4&5
UGA president visits Sunbelt Agricultural Expo in Moultrie
By Clint Thompson cbthomps@uga.edu
Andrew Davis Tucker
From left: Patient Jeanette Bell talks with pharmacy students Jordan Whitehead and Kelsey Eberlin, along with clinical associate professor Catherine Bourg Rebitch, in one of the clinic rooms at Mercy Health Center.
‘Two-way street’
Students learning, patients improving through UGA’s partnership with Mercy Health Center By Kellyn Amodeo
kwamodeo@uga.edu
Mallory Walters, a University of Georgia senior majoring in biology with the goal of becoming a physician’s assistant, has volunteered for several health-related causes. One that holds a special place in her heart is Mercy Health Center, a faith-based primary care clinic that provides free health care to uninsured patients in AthensClarke County and surrounding communities. “As a medical assistant, I worked hands on with the patients who let me be a part of their story,” Walters said. “Each week I heard the hardships of lack of access to health care due to socioeconomic status. While this was hard, I also felt hope and pride watching the providers in this community volunteer their time to
fight this disparity.” Walters is just one of hundreds of UGA students and faculty members who have placed a priority on providing community support by volunteering at the center. Mercy began in 2001 as a oncea-week clinic at a local church. Today, the clinic has a staff of 16 and more than 800 volunteers, offering 14 specialties and serving almost 4,000 patients per year. Some of that growth is thanks to the clinic’s relationship with UGA. Students and doctors in the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, as well as students and faculty in other schools and colleges, use Mercy for experiential learning opportunities, a relationship that proves beneficial for both patients and students. “We are unbelievably blessed to have UGA,” said Tracy Thompson,
executive director of the center. “I feel like it’s a two-way street— students are learning and patients are improving.” Dr. Catherine Bourg Rebitch, a clinical associate professor in the College of Pharmacy, serves as a pharmacist at Mercy and uses the clinic as a practice site for her students. “For students in a health care profession, nothing substitutes hands-on learning in a real patient care environment,” she said. “Our patient population at Mercy is extremely complex, and we focus on a whole-person care model. We recognize that people needing health care have spiritual and emotional needs as well.” In addition to medical disciplines, students and faculty from several schools and colleges at UGA See MERCY on page 8
COMMIT TO GEORGIA CAMPAIGN
$1 million gift will enable university to transform historic barn on Griffin campus into Dundee Café
Agricultural leaders from across Georgia had an opportunity to discuss the future of the state’s largest industry with UGA President Jere W. Morehead Oct. 17 during the Sunbelt Agricultural Expo in Moultrie. “I look forward to the Sunbelt Expo every year,” Morehead said. “Speaking with agricultural leaders from across the state always serves as a constant reminder of the critical role the University of Georgia plays in supporting our state’s most important industry.” Morehead, who has attended
Four named to SEC Academic Leadership Development Program By Kristina Griffith
kristina.griffith17@uga.edu
Four University of Georgia faculty members will hone their leadership skills as the university’s 2017-2018 SEC Academic Leadership Development Program Fellows. Phaedra Corso, Spencer Johnston, Maritza Soto Keen and David Okech began the fellowship this fall. Created by the Southeastern Conference in 2008, the fellowship program seeks to identify, develop, prepare and advance academic leaders for roles within SEC institutions and beyond. Throughout the year, the participants will engage with senior administrators at UGA based on their areas of interest and attend two SEC-wide workshops that will
kathk1@uga.edu
A historic structure at the heart of the University of Georgia Griffin campus will undergo a $1 million renovation thanks to a gift from the Dundee Community Association. The nearly 100-year-old facility, which once housed mules that pulled plows and other farm equipment, will be repurposed into a cafe that will connect students and the surrounding community with the history of Griffin and Spalding County. The nearly 3,900-squarefoot Dundee Café at the Mule Barn
In schools across the country, students are taught to read paragraphs and then answer questions about the text. But a new grant for a University of Georgia researcher may show different—and ultimately better—ways to test students’ reading comprehension. While past research on testtaking strategies has focused solely on college and high school students, a new $1.4 million grant awarded by the Institute of Education Sciences will examine the extent to which reading
See GIFT on page 8
See LEADERSHIP on page 8
Researcher to explore test-taking behavior, reading comprehension By Kathryn Kao
gratitude to the Dundee Community Association for this generous gift,” said UGA President Jere W.
include training, mentoring and the opportunity to network with their counterparts from other SEC institutions. The fall SEC ALPD workshop will be held Oct. 23-25 at Louisiana State University, and the spring workshop will be held Feb. 21-23 at Auburn University. “One of the biggest strengths of the SEC ALDP is that it gives the fellows an opportunity to compare how UGA and other SEC institutions approach the goals and challenges that they have in common,” said Sarah Covert, associate provost for faculty affairs and UGA’s SEC ALDP liaison. “The varied interests and experiences of this year’s fellows will expose them all to a range of campus issues and expertise, while also
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
sfahmy@uga.edu
is scheduled to open in summer 2018 in the historic structure near the campus student learning center. “I want to express my deepest
See SUNBELT on page 8
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
By Sam Fahmy
The nearly 3,900 square-foot Dundee Café is scheduled to open in summer 2018 in the historic structure near the campus student learning center.
the expo every year since he became UGA president in 2013, visited the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences building, where he spoke with CAES ambassadors and met other key agricultural leaders from across the Southeast. He also delivered remarks at a “listening session” hosted by members of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture and encouraged policymakers to continue to look to UGA for information to make policy decisions on important agricultural matters. CAES educates about 2,000 students every year and has more than 11,000 alumni living
comprehension tests really measure the reading comprehension skills of younger students. Scott Ardoin, professor and head of the educational psychology department in the College of Education, will lead a four-year, four-part study to help educators better understand the testtaking behavior of third-, fifth- and eighth-grade students. By analyzing factors such as eye movement, reading achievement, working memory and motivation, his team will determine whether adjustments are needed to improve the effectiveness of reading See BEHAVIOR on page 8
2 Oct. 23, 2017 columns.uga.edu Why I Give
Name: David L. Cotten
Commit to Georgia 2018
Position: Assistant Research Scientist At UGA: 11 years (as an employee and graduate student)
David Cotten
Beneficiary of his gift to the university: The Small Satellite Research Laboratory
Why he contributes: “I feel that I am personally enhancing the lives of undergraduates at UGA with this gift. This lab consists of about 40 undergraduate students from all over campus who have come together for a common goal: to get UGA to space. They are full-time students working with an extremely tight budget to reach an incredible goal, and my contribution will help them achieve their goal.”
To make your contribution to the Commit to Georgia Campaign, please contact the Office of Annual Giving at 706-542-8119 or visit give.uga.edu.
Around academe
Survey: Stark gender gap in political views exists among college freshmen
The political divisions that emerged and intensified during the 2016 U.S. presidential election were particularly apparent at colleges and universities: Students protested candidates, registered to vote and debated hot-button issues inside and outside of their classrooms. According to findings of the Freshman Survey, an annual study of first-year college students administered by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute, political polarization on campuses is the most extreme it has been in the study’s 51-year history. The 2016 report is based on responses from 137,456 full-time, first-year students at 184 U.S. colleges and universities. The report reveals the survey’s largest-ever gender gap in terms of political leanings. An all-time high 41.1 percent of women identified themselves as “liberal” or “far left,” compared to 28.9 percent of men. Women also were more likely than men to favor stricter gun control laws (75.4 percent versus 58.8 percent). The rising cost of college was a prominent theme of the 2016 election cycle, and the survey found that 55.9 percent of students had concerns about paying for college.
Employee Assistance Program now available for eligible faculty and staff
News to Use
A new Employee Assistance Program is now available for full- and part-time UGA faculty and staff. The program offers a n umber of services including counseling and other support. The University System of Georgia has partnered with Espyr to provide this benefit to all full-time and part-time faculty and staff and their family members. Established in 1989 and headquartered in Georgia, Espyr is a leading, national provider of services that help people and organizations achieve their full potential. Services are free and confidential and can be accessed through a dedicated USG EAP hotline, which is available 24 hours a day/ seven days a week, 365 days of the year (1-888-960-3305). Full- and part-time faculty and staff also can access services and resources through the USG EAP website or at www.espyr.com (the company ID/password is USGCARES). UGA faculty and staff who have questions about the new Employee Assistance Program should call the EAP phone number above or visit the website at https://eapconsultants. personaladvantage.com/portal/landing. Source: Human Resources
PUBLIC SERVICE AND OUTREACH
Native plants installed in garden on South Campus as educational tool A garden of native Georgia plants installed on South Campus by the State Botanical Garden of Georgia will offer students a place to observe and study plant and insect interactions to better understand the role plants play in maintaining biodiversity. The garden, located on D.W. Brooks Mall close to the Odum School of Ecology, the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the plant sciences department, is part of the State Botanical Garden’s Connect to Protect program, which encourages businesses, civic organizations and homeowners to support pollinator communities by using native species in their gardens and plant displays. “We wanted to create a space that inspires our community to think about the way that our landscape can function and look,” said Lauren Muller, a graduate student in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences who has been working with UGA faculty and staff at the botanical garden. The plants chosen for the site are those that would do well in the moist soil conditions along D.W. Brooks Mall, said Heather Alley, a UGA conservation horticulturist at the botanical garden. Among them are buttonbush, which attracts bees, butterflies and
Shannah Montgomery
The garden was installed by botanical garden staff, UGA students and volunteers to help educate students and visitors about the importance of native plants in an urban environment.
sphinx moths; Georgia aster, which attracts bees; swamp milkweed, which attracts monarch butterflies; and scarlet hibiscus, which attracts hummingbirds. The plants were cultivated at the Mimsie Lanier Center for Native Plant Studies at the State Botanical Garden, a UGA Public Service and Outreach unit. Muller already is using the South Campus garden as an outdoor classroom for the undergraduates she helps teach about medicinal plants. She also
takes time in these lectures to discuss Connect to Protect as a public service and outreach program that encourages people to think about the potential ecological function of the landscape. “Our hope is that we will be able to install interpretive signage at the garden,” Muller said. “This could be a place where entomology, ecology, plant biology and horticulture students could observe plant-insect interactions in an urban landscape setting.”
PUBLIC SERVICE AND OUTREACH
ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
New class begins PSO leadership academy By Charlie Bauder
Charlie.Bauder@fanning.uga.edu
Steve Colquitt
The center-hung scoreboard in Stegeman Coliseum now includes 1,008 square feet of HD video and 1,054 square feet of LED sections.
Stegeman Coliseum renovation completed
The $8 million renovation to the University of Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum has been completed, providing a dramatic new look and opportunity for equally impressive enhancements to the venue’s atmosphere. The coliseum’s updated “look” features new black seats, an improved LED lighting system, a state-of-the-art sound system and graphics above the horseshoe end celebrating past teams and retired jerseys. What will catch spectators’ eyes immediately, however, is the addition of a massive centerhung scoreboard. All of the aforementioned, coupled with considerably more LED graphics panels, will greatly enhance the atmosphere within the venue. This summer’s work was Phase II of plans to upgrade Stegeman. Prior to last season, Phase I included the addition of an HD scoreboard and a dramatic mural covering the distinctive end wall of the arena’s east end. More than $20 million has been spent over the past decade to give Stegeman a 21st-century facelift. The current projects follow a $13 million renovation in 2010 that transformed Stegeman’s concourses, upgrading the graphics, enhancing spectator access to concessions and restrooms and adding 5,000 square feet of concourse space on each side of the arena. Those efforts won awards from both the American Institute of Architects and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America.
The 2017-2018 Vivian H. Fisher Public Service and Outreach Leadership Academy includes 19 faculty and staff representing each UGA Public Service and Outreach unit, Cooperative Extension, and academic schools and colleges. Offered through the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, the program emphasizes personal leadership development and communication skills, and it also helps participants recognize the role of outreach at UGA, see the scope of the work the units perform across Georgia and learn how that work ties into the university’s mission. “By discovering more about themselves as leaders, learning more about each other’s leadership styles and gaining exposure to the university’s public service and outreach mission, this academy helps prepare graduates to assume leadership roles within PSO and UGA,” said Fanning Institute Director Matt Bishop. “The Fanning Institute is honored to be a part of continuing Vivian H. Fisher’s legacy of professional development and service.” Fisher was an associate vice president for PSO from March 2001 until her retirement in January 2008. She launched the academy in 2007. Fisher died in 2008. The academy was named in her honor in 2012. Participants in the Vivian H. Fisher PSO Leadership Academy will meet for two days during most months of the fiscal year, visiting each PSO unit, including an Archway Partnership Community and Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant in Savannah. They will spend a day in Atlanta, visiting the state Capitol and learning about UGA’s relationships with state government officials. Participants will graduate with a certificate from Public Service and Outreach during a ceremony in May. The 2017-2018 Fisher PSO Leadership Academy participants are Tracy Arner, CVIOG; Mark Butler, Small Business Development Center; Stephan Durham, College of Engineering; Bryan Fluech, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant; Brian Freese, CVIOG; Chris James, Public Service and Outreach; Shana Jones, CVIOG; Dan Lasseter, CVIOG; Jennifer Lewis, College of Environment and Design; Sharon Liggett, Archway Partnership; Mandy Marable, Cooperative Extension; Sayge Medlin, J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development; Jeff Miller, Cooperative Extension; Bart Njoku-Obi, Small Business Development Center; Kiel Norris, Center for Continuing Education & Hotel; Josh Podvin, Office of Service-Learning; Shelly Prescott, State Botanical Garden; Carolina Ramon, Small Business Development Center; and Sarah Sorvas, Center for Continuing Education & Hotel.
RESEARCH NEWS
columns.uga.edu Oct. 23, 2017
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Digest NPR’s Marilyn Geewax to be Industry Fellow at Grady College’s Cox Institute
Mike Wooten
UGA engineering professor Ramana Pidaparti was senior author of the study, which led to the development of a computer model that helps scientists better understand changes in lung function and respiratory mechanics as people age.
Breathe better
Study of lung function sheds light on ventilator-induced lung injuries in elderly patients By Mike Wooten
mwooten@uga.edu
Mechanical ventilation can be a lifesaver for patients suffering from lung disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and pneumonia. Unfortunately, the use of ventilators to support breathing can cause further lung injury, particularly in elderly patients. Now, a team of researchers at the University of Georgia and Virginia Commonwealth University has developed a computer model to help scientists better understand changes in lung function and respiratory mechanics as people age. They say their work could lead to improved treatment protocols for patients requiring mechanical ventilation. The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE. “In general, our dynamic lung function and respiratory mechanics degrade as we grow older,” said Ramana
Pidaparti, a professor and associate dean for academic programs in UGA’s College of Engineering, who served as the study’s senior author. “Our study demonstrates and quantifies the effects of aging on airflow dynamics and lung capacity. Understanding these underlying mechanisms can help us develop ways to better treat elderly patients.” Despite the benefits of using mechanical ventilation to assist or replace spontaneous breathing, the therapy can lead to a range of complications known collectively as ventilator-induced lung injury, or VILI. These complications include air leaks, oxygen toxicity and structural damage to the lungs. The death rate for elderly patients requiring mechanical ventilation is about 53 percent. While scientists know that lung function decreases as people age, Pidaparti said it’s been difficult for researchers to learn about underlying changes in the mechanical characteristics of lung tissue over time and how
those changes are related to VILI. Using MRI and CT scan data, the UGA and VCU scientists created models of a 50-year-old’s and an 80-yearold’s tracheobronchial tree, bronchioles and alveolar sacs, where aging effects are more pronounced. The researchers performed computational simulations to estimate lung function of the models under mechanical ventilation. The researchers found lung compliance increased by 41 percent for the 80-year-old as compared to the 50-year-old, suggesting that extra work was required to fill the lungs of an older patient with air. In addition, the simulation showed the elderly are significantly more susceptible to VILI due to changes in the mechanical properties of the lung as measured by pressure, wall shear stress and tissue strain. “The ultimate goal of our research is to determine the patient-specific optimal settings for mechanical ventilation airflow that support breathing without harming the patient,” said Pidaparti.
TERRY COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Pulling medications from market can affect absenteeism By Matt Weeks
mweeks@uga.edu
A little pill can have a big effect on worker absenteeism, according to a new study from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. When a popular pain reliever was taken off the market, the consequences for absenteeism were greater than if it had never been available at all. The finding is from a study that analyzes the labor market effects of Vioxx, a joint pain medication that was introduced in the U.S. in 1999 and in Europe in the early 2000s and then removed from pharmacy shelves in 2004, after studies showed that it may cause an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The introduction and withdrawal of Vioxx, which was commonly prescribed for conditions like arthritis, created a natural laboratory for economists Meghan Skira of the Terry College and Aline Butikofer of the Norwegian School of Economics to study its effects on the labor supply of individuals with joint pain. They used administrative
data from Norway on sickness absence and disability pension receipt for the analysis. “We found that when Vioxx entered the market, it decreased quarterly sickness absence days among individuals with joint pain by 7 to 12 percent relative to the pre-entry period,” Skira said. “But the withdrawal of Vioxx from the pharmaceutical market increased sickness absence days by 12 to 16 percent and increased the quarterly probability of receiving disability benefits by 6 to 15 percent relative to the pre-entry period.” While Vioxx helped keep people well enough to work, the economic consequences of taking it off the market were substantial for workers and their employers. Skira said the disproportionate labor market effect has compelling implications for the drug approval process and for predicting the consequences of taking a pharmaceutical off the market. The study also emphasizes the importance of weighing economic factors when determining the net benefits of advances in medical and pharmaceutical technology.
“Considering labor supply effects and not just focusing on clinical outcomes and medical costs has potentially significant implications for regulatory decision-making and the coverage and reimbursement policies of insurance plans and national health care systems,” Skira said. But why was the effect on absenteeism so large? A couple ideas emerged, according to Skira. Partly, it could have been the result of the speed of Vioxx diffusion upon entry and how suddenly the drug was pulled and partly because of how people make decisions. “It took a few years for sales to peak, as it probably took doctors some time to learn about the drug and determine who should be switched to it,” Skira said. “Second, the withdrawal may have led to a significant reaction by patients and physicians to the information about the cardiovascular risks associated with the drug, and its removal may have sent a negative signal about similar drugs.” While men and women suffer from joint pain, Vioxx’s removal from the market had a larger impact on women’s sickness absence, the study found.
Marilyn Geewax, a senior business editor at NPR, will serve as an Industry Fellow with the James M. Cox Jr. Institute for Journalism Innovation, Management and Leadership during the spring 2018 semester at the University of Georgia. Geewax, who has worked for NPR since 2008, will present six open lectures during the semester and will serve as a training resource for students taking a business journalism course at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Geewax’s appointment was announced Oct. 13 in New York during the Fall Conference of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. She is an SABEW board member and co-chairs its First Amendment Committee. Geewax’s Industry Fellow lectures for 2018 will be held in Studio 100 of the Grady College at 11:15 a.m. on Jan. 22, Feb. 5, 19, 26, March 26 and April 9. In addition to assigning and editing business radio stories, Geewax often writes for the NPR website and regularly discusses economic issues on NPR shows, including Here & Now and the weekend edition of All Things Considered. Her editing work contributed to both an Edward R. Murrow Award and a Heywood Broun Award for NPR’s coverage of the foreclosure crisis. Before joining NPR, Geewax served as the national economics correspondent for Cox Newspapers’ Washington bureau and had worked at its flagship paper, the Atlanta JournalConstitution. She started as a business reporter for the Akron Beacon Journal.
UGA-Griffin launches new graduate program in financial planning
A new graduate program in financial planning is now accepting students at the UGAGriffin campus. The master’s of science, non-thesis in financial planning, housing and consumer economics program offers small class sizes and flexible schedules and will prepare graduates to sit for the Certified Financial Planner examination. The application deadline for spring 2018 is Nov. 15.
Two School of Social Work graduate students receive national fellowship
Two master’s degree students at the UGA School of Social Work will carry out their final master’s year as CSWE Fellows. Star Farrington and Dashawna Fussell-Ware have been selected by the Council on Social Work Education for its Minority Fellowship Program Youth Master’s Student program. The fellowship is highly competitive; of 180 applicants, only 40 fellowships were awarded. FussellWare and Farrington are the first students from the UGA School of Social Work to receive the award since its inception in 2014. Fellowship recipients receive specialized training on mental health issues of children, adolescents and transition-age youths; a monetary stipend of $6,500 for one year; and other professional development support. The program is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The goal of the fellowship program is to reduce health disparities and improve behavioral health care outcomes for racially and ethnically diverse populations by increasing the number of culturally competent master’s-level behavioral health professionals serving children, adolescents and populations in transition to adulthood (aged 16–25).
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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
Modern Masters from the Giuliano Ceseri Collection. Through Nov. 12. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu Gold-digging in Georgia: America’s First Gold Rush? Through Dec. 5. Special collections libraries. 706-542-8079. jclevela@uga.edu Louise Blair Daura: A Virginian in Paris. Through Dec. 10. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu A Partial View. Through Dec. 15. Circle Gallery, Jackson Street Building. 706-542-8292. mtufts@uga.edu Covered With Glory: Football at UGA, 1892-1917. Through Dec. 22. Special collections libraries. 706-542-7123. hasty@uga.edu Martha Odum: Art Intersects Ecology. Through Dec. 31. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu
French-African artists visit for conversation, screening at Cine Oct. 26
Muse: Mickalene Thomas Photographs and Tete-a-Tete. Through Jan. 7. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu
MONDAY, OCT. 23 BFSO FOUNDERS AWARD SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEON Keynote speaker: Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander, associate professor of employment and legal studies, UGA School of Law. 12:30 p.m. Grand Hall, State Student Center. yspnarke@uga.edu CLARK HOWELL HALL OPEN HOUSE 2:30 p.m. Clark Howell Hall.
TUESDAY, OCT. 24 WORKSHOP “Implementing Critical Reflection in Service-Learning Courses” includes resources and hands-on experience with several modalities and types of effective reflection strategies. 9:30 a.m. Conference room, rear annex, Office of Service-Learning Building. 706-542-0535. swilder@uga.edu DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER RECOGNITION RECEPTION The Disability Resource Center’s annual Faculty and Staff Recognition Reception honors an outstanding faculty member and the recipients of DRC scholarships. 3 p.m. Grand Hall, Tate Student Center. ECOLOGY SEMINAR “Predator Effects in Predator-Free Space: The Remote Effects of Predators on Prey with Complex Life Histories,” James Vonesh, Virginia Commonwealth University. 3:30 p.m. Auditorium, ecology building. A reception hosted by Craig Osenberg follows the seminar at 4:30 p.m. in the lobby. 706-542-7247. bethgav@uga.edu
A still from Alain Gomis’ film Felicite.
By Dave Marr
davemarr@uga.edu
Filmmaker Alain Gomis and graphic novelist Marguerite Abouet will visit Cine for an evening of events Oct. 26, beginning with a reception and book signing at 5 p.m. in the CineLab. Abouet and Gomis will join UGA faculty members for a conversation on representations of West African life through film and visual arts at 5:30 p.m., and Gomis will introduce a screening of his film Felicite at 7:15 p.m. All events are open free to the public. Gomis and Abouet will visit Athens and Atlanta as guests of the Consulate General of France in Atlanta. Their Cine event is presented by the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts and the department of Romance languages as part of the year-long celebration of the Willson Center’s 30th anniversary. The conversation with Gomis and Abouet will include Rachel Gabara, associate professor of French in the department of Romance languages, and Esra Santesso, associate professor in the department of English. Abouet was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, in 1971, and at the age of 12 moved to France, where she has lived since. The Aya comics, which she creates with artist Clement Oubrerie, are set in the 1970s Abdijan of her youth, where Abouet’s eponymous protagonist and large cast of characters navigate life and love in the working-class enclave of Yopougon-Koute (“Yop City”) as well as the more glamorous environs of the cosmopolitan West African capital. The Aya books are popular with readers around the world and have been translated into 17 languages. Abouet also has written for film and television, and she and Oubrerie co-directed the 2012 animated feature film Aya of Yop City. Gomis is a Parisian writer and director whose films, including L’afrance (2001), Aujourd’hui (2012), and Felicite (2017), have focused on Africans and African immigrants in France. Felicite stars Vero Tshanda Beya Mputu as a nightclub singer in Kinshasa, Congo who scours the sprawling city in a desperate search for money to pay for her son’s surgery after he is injured in a motorcycle accident, won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival. Cine is located at 234 W. Hancock Ave. The Willson Center for Humanities and Arts was founded as the Humanities Center in 1987 and subsequently renamed the Center for Humanities and Arts in 1997. In 2005, it was rechristened the Jane and Harry Willson Center for Humanities and Arts after the gift of an endowment by the Willsons of Albany, Georgia, longtime benefactors of the humanities and arts at the university. The center’s mission is to promote research and creativity in the humanities and arts. It supports faculty through research grants, lectures, symposia, publications, visiting scholars, visiting artists, collaborative instruction, public conferences, exhibitions and performances. It is committed to academic excellence and public impact. To learn more about upcoming Willson Center events and programs, visit willson.uga.edu.
SHOUKY SHAHEEN LECTURE “The APPEAR Collaboration: A Comparative Study of Ancient Romano-Egyptian Mummy Portraits,” Marie Svoboda, conservator of antiquities, J. Paul Getty Villa. 5:30 p.m. S150 Lamar Dodd School of Art. 706-542-8146. abbe@uga.edu NORTH CAMPUS GHOST TOURS Through Oct. 25. The University of Georgia’s Student Alumni Association is hosting its annual Nightmare on Broad Street ghost tours on North Campus. Tours are free and leave from the Arch at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. both nights. Canned food donation is encouraged. smithter@uga.edu
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 25 INNOVATION GATEWAY STARTUP STORIES The Innovation Gateway Startup Stories is a monthly forum where entrepreneurs and founders of university-grown startup companies can share their insights and experiences
By Melissa Tufts mtufts@uga.edu
The College of Environment and Design at the University of Georgia will host an exhibit celebrating 15 years of the FindIt cultural resource survey partnership. The retrospective exhibit and reception will be held at the Jackson Street Building Nov. 1 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. A sampling of documented buildings, sites and landscapes will be on display from Nov. 1 until Dec. 15 in the barrel vaulted hall at the Jackson Street Building. FindIt is a statewide cultural resource survey program sponsored by Georgia’s statewide electrical cooperative—the Georgia Transmission Corp. in partnership with the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Housed at the Center for Community Design and Preservation at the environment and design college, FindIt is was created to document historic resources throughout Georgia. FindIt began in 2002 to provide data to the HPD by teaching students at the college to identify and document cultural resources. Students are trained to identify historic structures and perform fieldwork, including architectural identification, mapping and data analysis. The program serves as one component of GTC’s environmental review requirement, as a federally funded utility, and provides support to the university through the funding of staff positions and graduate assistantships. This partnership creates a unique student learning experience; students are
in creating and cultivating new ventures. The Startup Stories seminar series provides excellent opportunities to network with like-minded entrepreneurs and learn firsthand about the legal, financial and organizational challenges startup companies often face during their formation. The October program will feature Arun Swaminathan, co-founder and chief executive officer of Lynkogen, Inc., a preclinical stage biotechnology startup company developing protein-based pharmaceutics for the treatment of obesity, fatty liver and other metabolic diseases. Noon. Conference room 128/130, CAGTECH. 706-542-8969. tduggins@uga.edu CONSERVATION SEMINAR “Hurricane Matthew on the Georgia Coast: Examining Societal Attitudes Toward Adaptation Options in the Wake of the Storm,” Meredith Welch-Devine, director, UGA Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs. 1:25 p.m. Auditorium, ecology building. 706-542-7247. bethgav@uga.edu
The College of Environment and Design is celebrating 15 years of the FindIt program with an exhibit Nov. 1-Dec. 15 in the Jackson Street Building. As part of the program, students are trained to identify historic structures and perform fieldwork, including architectural identification, mapping and data analysis.
exposed to Georgia counties and cities at the resource level, often in locations traditional classwork does not take them. The FindIt program is student-based and has provided more than 60 assistantships and 130 hourly positions since 2002. Cultural resource survey is the first step in the
VOLLEYBALL vs. Arkansas. 7 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. LECTURE Jenny Brown, author, activist and co-founder of Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, will discuss the ethical and sustainability issues inherent in animal agriculture, challenging listeners to take a closer look at the realities of the food production system and inspiring people to find a better way of feeding the world that respects animals and helps preserve Earth’s resources. 7:30 p.m. 150 Miller Learning Center. 706-224-3796. sos@uga.edu
THURSDAY, OCT. 26 NATURE RAMBLE Join Nature Ramblers and learn more about the natural areas, flora and fauna of the State Botanical Garden. Sessions start with an inspirational reading by a nature writer. This is a ramble not a hike; the group will stop to view interesting plants, insects, butterflies, mushrooms, etc., along the way. 9:30 a.m. Meet at the botanical garden’s Shade Garden Arbor. FILM DISCUSSION Join the Georgia Museum of Art for films discussed by scholars, filmmakers and students. Each film will include a 15-minute introduction by a guest speakers and short conversations about the film following the screening. Introduction by Shawnya Harris, Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Curator of African American and African Diasporic Art, Georgia Museum of Art. Through a Lens Darkly, the first documentary to focus on the role of photography in shaping the identity, aspirations and social emergence of African-Americans from slavery to the present, brings to light photographs by both professional and vernacular African-American photographers. Featuring work by artists Carrie Mae Weems, Lorna Simpson, Anthony Barboza, Hank Willis Thomas, Coco Fusco, Clarissa Sligh, James Van Der Zee, Gordon Parks and many others. (2014, PG, 92 min.) Presented in conjunction with the Muse: Mickalene Thomas Photographs and Tete-a-Tete exhibition. 7 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Kentucky. 7 p.m. Turner Soccer Complex. 706-542-1621.
FRIDAY, OCT. 27 The Georgia Wind Quintet, the Hugh Hodgson School of Music's faculty woodwind quintet, is one of the performing ensembles during the Thursday Scholarship Series’ Faculty/Student Wind Chamber Showcase in Hodgson Concert Hall Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. jluton@uga.edu
The November program in the Thursday Scholarship Series will bring together the Hugh Hodgson School of Music’s best student wind chamber ensembles with their faculty counterparts in a performance featuring works ranging from the Renaissance to the modern day. The concert will be Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall. “The idea of this concert is to combine some of our best woodwind and brass students with our faculty to present some larger chamber pieces,” said Amy Pollard, associate professor of bassoon and concert organizer. “We have some spectacular graduate chamber groups in residence at Hodgson, including the graduate woodwind quintet, the Southern Wind Quintet, the graduate brass quintet, the Bulldog Brass Society as well as many outstanding saxophone chamber groups.
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
Exhibit to celebrate 15 years of FindIt program
Thursday Scholarship Series will showcase faculty and student wind chamber music
By Jessica Luton
columns.uga.edu Oct. 23, 2017
“They will be joining up with our faculty wind groups—the Georgia Wind Quintet and the Georgia Brass Quintet—and saxophone professor, Connie Frigo, to play some standard larger works for winds,” she also said. “This is a chance to highlight our outstanding faculty and students in the wind area at the HHSOM.” The audience will hear works of varying styles, including pieces by Paul Dukas, Giovanni Gabrieli, Peter Warlock and Dmitri Kabalevsky. “The sound of these instrumental combinations will differ greatly between groups,” Pollard said. “It will be a wonderful experience for the audience to see and hear these students working and performing alongside their mentors.” Tickets are $20 each or $6 for students and children. Tickets can be purchased at pac.uga.edu or the Performing Arts Center box office. Those unable to attend can watch the concert live on the Hodgson School’s website at music.uga.edu/streaming.
FALL BREAK For students. MRI SAFETY TRAINING The Bio-Imaging Research Center provides MRI safety training for individual researchers and their teams who are directly using BIRC resources. Sign up for this course at least 48 hours prior to the preferred time/date at https://birc.uga.edu. 2:30 p.m. 339 Coverdell Center, unless otherwise specified. 706-583-5548. kmason@uga.edu LECTURE “Black Holes and Gravitational Waves: Einstein’s Legacy,” Deirdre Shoemaker, Georgia Tech. 7 p.m. 202 Physics Building. 706-542-2860. rls@physast.uga.edu
SUNDAY, OCT. 29 VOLLEYBALL vs. Missouri. 1:30 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum.
COMING UP TUESDAY TOUR AT TWO Oct. 31. Guided tour of the exhibit galleries of the Walter J.
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preservation planning process. In 15 years of work, the program has identified and added more than 15,000 resources to Georgia’s Natural, Archaeological and Historic inventory; the state’s interactive web-based historic resource clearinghouse. A corresponding reception will be held during the exhibit.
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. Meet in the rotunda on the second floor of the special collections libraries. 2 p.m. 706-542-8079. jclevela@uga.edu ECOLOGY SEMINAR Oct. 31. “Dissecting Host and Viral Contributions To Set Point Viral Load in HIV,” Sebastian Bonhoeffer, professor of environmental system science at the Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zurich. Co-sponsored by the UGA Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases. 3:30 p.m. Auditorium, ecology building. A reception hosted by John Drake will follow the seminar at 4:30 p.m. in the lobby. 706-542-7247. bethgav@uga.edu CONSERVATION SEMINAR Nov. 1. “The Impact of Melting Ice on Antarctic Coastal Marine Ecosystems,” Patricia Yager, professor of marine sciences, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. 1:25 p.m. Auditorium, ecology building. 706-542-7247. bethgav@uga.edu TOUR AT TWO Nov. 1. Shawnya Harris, Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Curator of African American and African Diasporic Art, will give a special tour of Muse: Mickalene Thomas Photographs and Tetea-Tete. Part of the Spotlight on the Arts Festival. 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu UGA STAFF COUNCIL MEETING Nov. 1. 2:30 p.m. 267 Miller Learning Center. 706-425-3183. mmoore10@uga.edu EXHIBIT OPENING: PRESERVATION ON WHEELS Nov. 1. A reception and exhibition celebrating 15 years of the FindIt program. 5:30 p.m. Barrel vaulted hallway, Jackson Street Building. 706-369-5882. lkviklys@uga.edu (See story, above). KALEIDOSCOPE: SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS OPENING CELEBRATION Nov. 1. To kick off the Spotlight on the Arts festival, UGA’s arts programs present an hour-long kaleidoscope of student performances and presentations. This brilliant, non-stop collage of the arts provides a window into the vast scope of the creative work on our campus, from dance to music, theater, creative writing and art. 7 p.m. Performing Arts Center. SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS FESTIVAL Presented by the UGA Arts Council, the sixth annual Spotlight on the Arts festival features dozens of events and exhibitions in the visual, literary and performing arts. The 12-day festival, scheduled for Nov. 1-12, includes museum tours, discussions with writers, concerts, dance and dramatic performances. For the complete schedule, go to www.arts.uga.edu NATURE RAMBLE Nov. 2. Join Nature Ramblers and learn more about the natural areas, flora and fauna of the State Botanical Garden. Sessions start with an inspirational reading by a nature writer. This is a ramble not a hike; the group will stop to view interesting plants, insects, butterflies, mushrooms, etc., along the way. 9:30 a.m. Meet at the botanical garden’s Shade Garden Arbor. SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS: STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Nov. 2. An all-day event featuring performances from student organizations and individuals displaying their talents in music, theater, dance and creative writing. Part of the Spotlight on the Arts Festival. 10 a.m. Tate Plaza, Tate Student Center. HOCKEY Nov. 2. vs. Liberty. $2, students; $10, general admission. Classic Center, Akins Arena, 300 N. Thomas St., Athens. 706-207-8819. jeb@ugahockey.com MEN’S BASKETBALL Nov. 2. Exhibition game vs. Valdosta State. 7 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum.
NEXT COLUMNS DEADLINES Nov. 1 (for Nov. 13 issue) Nov. 8 (for Nov. 27 issue) Nov. 22 (for Dec. 4 issue)
6 Oct. 23, 2017 columns.uga.edu
CAMPUS CLOSEUP
Scott Ardoin, professor and head of the educational psychology department in the College of Education, was recently named president-elect of the Society for the Study of School Psychology. During his three-year term, which will begin in January, Ardoin will serve as presidentelect, president and past president of the exclusive society. SSSP is a nonprofit and invitation-only organization Scott Ardoin focused on recognizing and supporting scholarship and research. Invitations to join SSSP are generally only extended to those whose research has made a significant impact on the field of school psychology. Members of SSSP conduct research in a variety of areas and work to improve the behavior and academic performance of school-aged students, including through refining assessments, improving instructional practices and enhancing the collaboration between homes and schools. As president of SSSP, Ardoin plans to develop a new, research-based conference for school psychology researchers and assess the impact of the organization’s awards on both early-career and mid-career scholars.
A former Miss UGA and Miss Georgia United States, Jenna Jackson worked in the Athletic Association before joining the School of Law in 2015 as assistant director of recruitment and student experience.
Kathleen deMarrais, professor and head of the College of Education’s lifelong education, administration and policy department, recently received the 2017 Excellence in Education Award from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania for her superior teaching ability and commitment to students at the college level. Since graduating from ESU in 1971, deMarrais has spent nearly five decades serving Kathleen deMarrais the academic community as a special education teacher, faculty member and mentor to dozens of doctoral candidates in the education college’s qualitative research program, which she helped to create. Her background is in anthropology and sociology of education, and her recent research is focused on how philanthropic funding is used to shape and impact educational policy and practice. Over the years, she has integrated her passion for teaching and research into various books and articles focused on social sciences and qualitative research. In addition to her research, deMarrais works closely with doctoral students, several of whom have started new qualitative research programs at universities across the country. Jason Christian, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering, has been named 2017 Civil Engineer of the Year by the Georgia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Georgia ASCE honored Christian for his outstanding contributions to the engineering profession, the organization and his community during its annual awards ceremony Aug. 26 in Atlanta. At the College of Engineering, Christian draws on more than 20 years of experience as a practicing engineer in the private sector to present realistic career expectations to undergraduates. Christian’s research focuses on unsteady and uncertain hydrologic and hydraulic systems, water resource management, floodplain delineation and analysis, and analysis of the reliability and interdependence of infrastructure systems. An active member of ASCE at the state and local level, Christian serves the ASCE Georgia Section as a director on its board of directors and the ASCE Northeast Georgia Branch as treasurer. 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
Assistant recruitment director helps students find home at law school By Krista Richmond krichmond@uga.edu
Jenna Jackson felt at home as a student at UGA’s School of Law in 2011. Now, she’s helping others find a home at the law school. It’s not the first time she’s recruited students to UGA. In 2012, she took a student recruiting assistant position with the football team, and that turned into a full-time position in 2014. She accepted her current position as assistant director of recruitment and student experience in the School of Law in September 2015. “I get to know people, and I try to figure out what they need out of this next phase in their life,” she said. “That’s where I think I’m very lucky. I get to easily talk about my experience when I was a student and also about what we’re looking for and what our goals are.” Jackson’s interest in law started as a student-athlete at Mercer University. She ran track and frequently visited her coach’s office. She saw how much went into running the athletics program and noticed how many people running it were lawyers. That, coupled with her desire to work with young people, brought her to UGA, where she specialized in contracts. “I can give [potential students] a look that’s different, I can give them an interest that’s different, and I can give
them a background that’s different,” she said. “I think that’s what makes me valuable to our team.” As Miss UGA in 2013, Jackson said she was “an ambassador for the university,” which involved everything from working with volunteer and service organizations to talking with donors. That experience taught her to be prepared for anything, which included keeping a black dress and heels in her car so that she could “put on her crown and go where I needed to be.” “Being a figurehead for something as storied as the University of Georgia was an adjustment, it was a trial, and it was worthwhile,” she said. Another lesson Jackson said she learned from holding a pageant title, including Miss Georgia United States in 2015, is how to be a “wise advocate,” particularly to young girls who are watching. Her reigns gave her an opportunity to inspire them to be themselves. That sentiment holds true in her current position. Jackson said she wants prospective students “to make the best decision for themselves.” She sees her role as “bridging the existing School of Law to the generation and era that is to come.” Recruiting is important, she said, because admissions to law schools have become even more competitive. More important for Jackson, though, is the opportunity to reach people who
FACTS
Jenna Jackson
Assistant Director of Recruitment and Student Experience School of Law M.P.A., University of Georgia, anticipated 2019 J.D., University of Georgia, 2014 B.A.,Communication Studies, Mercer University, 2011 At UGA: Six years as student and staff member
haven’t been reached. “Historically, everyone wasn’t privy to this type of education,” she said. “It’s important to get people out there to reach minds that might not be sparked by traditional means of legal recruitment.” According to Jackson, strong candidates have the mental prowess to complete law school and pass the bar exam. She said being genuine and keenly aware of strengths and weaknesses also sets law students up for success. “This isn’t a transaction. You’re not giving us your money, and we’re not just giving you a degree,” she said. “This is a community that you’re joining—a community that you’ll belong to the rest of your life.”
RETIREES August
Thirty-two UGA employees retired Aug. 1. Retirees, their job classification, department and years of service are: Deborah Ann Ansley, food service worker I, Oglethorpe Dining Commons, 29 years, 11 months; Deborah A. Baker, administrative associate II, law school library, 12 years; K azuko H. Broocks, library associate I, librariesgeneral operations, 30 years, 6 months; Myra L. Byrd, public service associate, Institute of Government, 14 years, 5 months; Timothy J. Carithers, structural maintenance manager, Russell Hall, 30 years, 6 months; Joseph L. Corn, senior public service associate, Wildlife Disease Study, 32 years, 9 months; Fredric T. Dolezal, associate professor, English, 28 years, 1 month; Raymond P. Freeman-Lynde, associate professor, geology, 32 years, 10 months; Shari L. Griffeth, business affairs manager, Franklin College-Dean’s Office, 38 years, 4 months; Michael A. Horvat, professor, kinesiology, 31 years, 10
months; Karen S. Howard, administrative manager II, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, 32 years, 3 months; Karen H. Huff, administrative specialist II, Athletics, 20 years, 2 months; Sharon Key Kelley, administrative specialist I, Athletics, 14 years, 5 months; Harvey G. Kendrick, agricultural specialist, Coastal Plain Station, 28 years, 5 months; Karl W. Kuhnert, associate professor, psychology, 29 years, 10 months; Waydene Waller Latimore, building services worker II, Reed Hall, 19 years, 5 months; Lisa K. McLain, program coordinator II, psychology, 18 years, 11 months; Richard B. Meagher, Distinguished Research Professor, genetics, 40 years, 11 months; Elizabeth J. Meyer, program coordinator I, marketing, 38 years; Maureen C. O’Brien, horticulturist, College of Environment and Design, 10 years; Patti D. Orr, information analyst, Terry College-Dean’s Office, 19 years, 10 months; Laurence J. O’Toole Jr., Distinguished Research Professor, pub-
lic administration and policy, 24 years, 10 months; Victoria Lang Outlaw, fire safety inspector, Environmental Safety Division, 11 years, 1 month; Sandra Carol Phillips, administrative specialist I, Academic Affairs, 26 years, 2 months; Laura Manning Richardson, academic advisor II, marketing, 29 years, 7 months; Cindy H. Roberts, administrative specialist I, School of Social Work, 24 years, 3 months; Nancy Sorrow Roberts, student affairs professional III, Terry College-Dean’s Office, 27 years, 1 month; Houston D.Taylor, diagnostic services manager, University Health Center, 13 years, 5 months; Ronald S. Warren Jr., professor, Terry College-Dean’s Office, 31 years, 10 months; Martha Webb, baker I, Bolton Dining Commons, 16 years, 3 months; Josephine A. Westman, associate procurement specialist, procurement, 26 years, 4 months; and Earl Whitley, painter, Coastal Plain Station, 19 years, 9 months. Source: Human Resources
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
columns.uga.edu Oct. 23, 2017
‘Adapt to the future’
7
National Science Foundation funds UGA study of coastal economies By Sharon Dowdy sharono@uga.edu
University of Georgia natural resource economist Craig Landry will use his portion of a $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study how the economy and the environment are affected when humans and coastal regions commingle. “With the storm engine pumping the past few weeks, it’s as if Mother Nature is asking for us to get moving with this research,” said Landry, a professor in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “My goal is to answer fundamental questions about the future of coastal habitation.” The four-year project is a team effort by researchers from UGA, the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ohio State University, East Carolina University and the University of Colorado. Led by Dylan McNamara, associate professor and chair of the UNCW physics and physical oceanography department, the scientists will create and investigate computer-modeled coastal communities similar to those found along U.S. East and Gulf coasts’ barrier islands. “We are heading into a critical phase where coastal communities will have to make important decisions about how they are going to adapt to the future,” said McNamara. “We are hoping we can inform some of that policy. The stakes are high for communities along every coastline, as the recent storm tragedies highlight. Our goal is to understand the complex dynamics at play along human-occupied coastlines. Rather than reactively dealing with a disaster event, we aim to proactively understand the dynamics that so often lead to disaster.” As a UGA undergraduate in CAES, Landry studied management of coastal erosion in Georgia. His master’s thesis focused on coastal erosion policy on Tybee Island. He completed his doctorate at the University of Maryland and worked in North Carolina, both areas that are part of the focus of the current NSF project. “In Dare County, North Carolina, and Worcester County, Maryland, we are going to study property markets,” he said. “We want to know what people expect when they buy coastal properties and why they decide to sell. Is it because of high flood insurance costs, the volume of tourists, or is it just too expensive to maintain their property?” Owning beach property sounds like a dream to many, but sometimes owners feel like it’s a nightmare. Those who install sea walls to fight erosion affect the coastal system and, if tourists are unhappy with the wall, they affect the economy, too, Landry said. “For example, on Tybee Island, as a student, I used models to look at the benefits and costs of adding sand to help fight erosion,” he said. “By analyzing improvement in property protection and recreation and weighing those against the costs of adding sand, you can understand the optimal timing of this ‘renourishment’ and what the return to the economy will be in tourism.” People like wider beaches, but they don’t like it when
Photo courtesy of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Sandbags work to keep the sea at bay in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. There are places along the coast that are so at risk of eroding that they are pushed to embrace a “phased retreat,” according to UGA scientist Craig Landry. Tourists could stop visiting because of beach erosion, and homeowners would sell because they can’t afford insurance or are worried about losing their investment, he said.
improvement work interrupts their beach vacation, he said. On Jekyll and Tybee Islands, Georgia Sea Grant funded Landry’s study of visitors’ responses to changes on beaches. Many factors play into the changes that occur on the coast, including storms. “Changes occur on the coast through evolving landforms. Geologists study these phenomena, and some claim that we should retreat from the coast. Economists, on the other hand, often want to develop coastal land to build the tourist economy,” he said. “A sustainable management approach will balance these competing disciplinary perspectives.” In the NSF-funded study, Landry is looking at the coastal system to find out how things change when human systems and the natural system come together. “For example, there are parts of Tybee Island that are on historical tax maps, but if you go there, they’re underwater. Coastal landforms are very dynamic,” he said. “Real estate development, infrastructure investment and other human institutions aren’t always designed to deal with changing environments.” Landry hopes to better understand property markets, tourism, hazard insurance and disaster assistance provisions. He also plans to research the behavior of coastal property investors. “People who buy houses along the coast sometimes
WEEKLY READER
Letters chronicle Civil War love story
Practical Strangers: The Courtship Correspondence of Nathaniel Dawson and Elodie Todd Edited by Stephen Berry and Angela Esco Elder University of Georgia Press Paperback: $32.95 Hardcover: $89.95
Stephen Berry, the Gregory Professor of the Civil War Era at UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and Angela Esco Elder, the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies Postdoctoral Fellow at Virginia Tech, have edited an anthology of letters that chronicle the wartime courtship of a Confederate soldier and the woman he loved. Practical Strangers gives readers a glimpse into the romantic correspondence between Nathaniel Dawson and Elodie Todd, sister-in-law of Abraham Lincoln. Dating back to April 1861, the book contains more than 300 letters that detail Dawson’s departure as a captain in the Fourth Alabama Infantry, where he narrowly escaped death in battle. Todd, who had two brothers die while in Confederate service and six siblings who sided with the Union, felt the emotional weight of belonging to the war’s most famous divided family. The pair had barely met when they were separated by the war, and the letters were their sole lifeline to each other until their marriage in April 1862.
have little information on the risks. And, if insurance rates are not risk-based, they have little signal of what the risks might be. Migrants from the North often don’t understand the risks of hurricanes,” he said. Coastal cities and their residents pay the costs of maintaining homes, businesses and infrastructure while attracting the tourists who feed the economy. “Some places along the coast are so at risk of eroding that they are pushed to embrace a phased retreat, but they don’t know when that will happen. Tourists could stop coming because of beach erosion, and homeowners could sell because they can’t afford insurance or they are worried about losing their investment,” Landry said. “This can create a tipping point where some locations become unviable.” Landry will collect data to identify areas along the East and Gulf coasts that are at a high risk for failure. The results of the team’s research will provide insight into how real estate markets respond to complex changes in environmental conditions, public policies, scientific knowledge, and individual attitudes and values. Landry and his graduate students have compiled a survey of coastal residents and potential homebuyers that will be administered through UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, a public service and outreach unit.
CYBERSIGHTS
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Editor Juliett Dinkins
GALILEO@UGA website interface updated
libs.uga.edu/research
GALILEO@UGA, the university’s online library resource, has been updated by the Web Accessibility Group. The project involved moving old database records into the LibGuides system from the previous system. The update also includes improvements to the website’s
home page, which now has a clean and simple interface. Databases are now listed by subject, course guide, “how-to guides” and database name, making them easier to find. Additionally, the new subject list combines subjects under broader categorizations so that more databases can be added to the site without overwhelming users.
Art Director Jackie Baxter Roberts Photo Editor Dorothy Kozlowski Writer Leigh Beeson 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 Oct. 23, 2017 columns.uga.edu BEHAVIOR from page 1 comprehension assessments and instruction by teachers. “The eye-tracking data we collected as part of a previous grant-funded project led us here because the data allowed us to recognize that some students were not reading the entire text,” said Ardoin, who also serves as co-director of the Center for Autism and Behavioral Education Research at the college. With improvements in eye-tracking technology, researchers can now do more than assess how many questions students answer correctly. They can observe exactly how students read text and respond to questions. However, if reading comprehension tests are meant to measure a student’s ability to understand the passages they’re reading, how can educators ensure its effectiveness if one student is reading the passage and another is just searching for the answers in the text? “We know that individuals read text differently based on their purpose for reading,” he said. “If students’ purpose for reading a text is simply to answer comprehension questions, they are likely to read the text differently than if their purpose for reading the text is to develop an understanding of the text. Their response accuracy is also likely to differ based on their purpose of reading.” Ardoin also found that test-taking strategies taught by test-prep companies and school districts, which are meant to help students, also might affect performance.
MERCY
from page 1
are involved at Mercy, from the College of Education offering counseling and mental health services to the UGA School of Law offering legal counsel at the Health Legal Partnership (HeLP) clinic. UGA also has helped Mercy gain local support. Led by Dr. Phaedra Corso, UGA Foundation Professor of Human Health in the College of Public Health, a recent research project allowed students to plan, implement and present research that illustrated the benefit of Mercy to the community and encouraged support from Athens-area hospitals.
“Our goal is to make sure that quality health care is given to people who come in our doors, regardless of how they got here,” Thompson said. “We realize there are many barriers, but no barrier is too big for people to be respected and loved and see quality health care. We could not do what we do for our community without UGA.” Mercy Health Center Inc. welcomes professional volunteers, such as doctors and dentists, as well as community volunteers. If you are interested, contact Thompson at tracy@mercyhealthcenter.net.
Currently, these strategies are inconsistent and some might actually negatively impact students. Unfortunately, due to a lack of research, little is known regarding what strategies are helpful and which might be detrimental. “Preliminary data suggest that reading questions before the text, as some students are taught, could be detrimental, especially for students with poor working memory,” said Ardoin. “Unfortunately, ineffective, possibly detrimental strategies, are more likely to be given to those students who are already from page 1 struggling to read.” Additionally, different test characteristics, like text length, text type and question type, may cause the same student to earn drastically different scores on two separate reading comprehension tests. As a result, while the first study will examine eye movements to measure testtaking behavior, the remaining studies will manipulate the question-response format to see if assessments can be improved to more accurately measure reading comprehension. By varying the types of questions students need to answer, such as multiple choice or short answer questions, and controlling whether students have access to passages when responding, Ardoin and his team, which includes Katherine Binder at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, can analyze if Peter Frey different test formats might provide a better UGA President Jere W. Morehead, right, meets Armond Morris, Irwin county farmer and chairman measure of students’ comprehension skills. of the Georgia Peanut Commission, while visiting the 40th Sunbelt Agricultural Expo in Moultrie. in Georgia. The college contributes to the to showcase our college and educate high state’s food, fiber and horticultural sectors school students about the degree programs from page 1 through research conducted at various re- offered on our UGA campus in Tifton,” search stations and farms statewide. said Katie Murray, student recruiter for the UGA Extension serves Georgians in UGA-Tifton campus. “This is an excellent all 159 counties through local offices and opportunity to recruit students who aspire reaches 180,000 elementary, middle and to a career in agriculture.” high school students through the Georgia At the expo, UGA Extension specialists 4-H Youth Development program. also lead daily seminars on topics like beef “Many Georgians, especially young cattle management, forages, dairy, aquapeople, may not be aware of the total impact culture and poultry. There also are field that UGA CAES faculty and staff have on the demonstrations at the 600-acre, on-site, economy and in their lives,” said CAES Dean working research farm. Visitors can see Sam Pardue. “Sunbelt Expo is a perfect op- peanut digging and cotton, peanut, soybean portunity to showcase our great partnerships and hay harvesting. as well as our educational programs across “We work very closely with the CAES the state that are available to everyone.” researchers on a daily basis on the Darrell The expo is one of many events where Williams Research Farm on various row CAES ambassadors serve as hosts and pro- crop and forage studies,” said Chip Blalock, Andrew Davis Tucker vide information for guests. On Oct. 18, executive director of the expo. “During UGA’s 2017-18 SEC Academic Leadership Development Program Fellows, from left, are Spencer middle and high school students from across show time, these researchers, along with Johnston, Maritza Soto Keen, Phaedra Corso and David Okech. the Southeast flocked to the expo for student the livestock specialists, participate in our providing them with opportunities to learn for Leadership Development, a public ser- day. Many visit the CAES building to learn demos and seminars. from each other.” vice and outreach unit. She is an expert in more about agriculture and opportunities “It is all tied together with the CAES Corso, a UGA Foundation Professor nonprofit leadership and multicultural com- offered at CAES. exhibits in their permanent exhibit buildof Human Health in the College of Public munity engagement, with a particular focus “The Sunbelt Expo is one of the largest ing,” he also said. “We appreciate our great Health, is the associate director of the Owens on board development, strategic planning agricultural events every year, and it’s literally relationship with CAES as we work together Institute for Behavioral Research as well as and program assessment. held in our backyard. This is a great chance to make life better on the farm.” founder and director of the Economic EvaluBefore coming to UGA in 2002, Keen ation Research Group at UGA. spent 17 years as the executive director of Corso spent the first 15 years of her ca- the Latin American Association, a nonprofit from page 1 reer at the Centers for Disease Control and based in Atlanta. Keen is the creator of the Prevention, where she served as the senior Leadership sin Limites program, which was health economist in the National Center the state’s first leadership program focused Morehead. “The new cafe will enhance the walls where their bridles were hung, as well for Injury Prevention and Control. She was on underrepresented communities. In 2012, Griffin campus while further strengthening as crop weight calculations written in pencil a U.S. Fulbright Scholar for the 2015-2016 she received the university’s Walter Barnard the ties between the university and the sur- and ink. These and other historic features will academic year, conducting research and Hill Award, which recognizes distinguished rounding communities.” be protected during renovation and will be teaching in Quito, Ecuador. achievement in public service and outreach. The $1,023,000 gift will completely cover a highlight of the cafe, which also will host In 2014, she was the recipient of UGA’s Okech, an associate professor in the the cost of the renovation, which will create music and other events and house rotating Creative Research Medal and in 2016 School of Social Work, directs the university’s the first dining facility at UGA-Griffin and exhibits on the history of the campus and surreceived the College of Public Health’s Master of Social Work program. He has served support a key pillar of the university’s Commit rounding community, including the nearby Outstanding Teaching Award. Her research as the school’s director of global engagement to Georgia Campaign, enhancing the learning Dundee Mills. interests focus on the application of economic and has co-led numerous study abroad pro- environment. Tom Gardner, chair of the Dundee Comevaluation to the prevention of substance use, grams to Ghana and Northern Ireland. He “As the second-oldest structure on munity Association, noted that textiles were a violence and childhood obesity. spent nearly 10 years working in domestic campus, the Mule Barn represents a part of key industry in Spalding County, with Dundee Johnston, a professor in the College of and international nongovernmental orga- Georgia Experiment Station and University Mills being the area’s largest employer for Veterinary Medicine, has served as head nizations, including serving as the national of Georgia history that will be preserved nearly a century. of the small animal medicine and surgery director of a child development program that and cherished thanks to the generosity “The Dundee Community Association department for the past six years. Under served more than 3,000 children in Kenya. of the Dundee Community Association,” was focused on being a good corporate his leadership, the number of faculty in the Okech’s research focuses on the socio- said Lew Hunnicutt, assistant provost and citizen and an essential partner in Griffin department has grown by nearly 33 percent. economic well-being of economically disen- campus director at UGA-Griffin. “It will and Spalding County,” Gardner said. “It Johnston has served on various commit- franchised families and children. Specifically, be the center and heartbeat of the academic was known for its dedication to supporttees and boards for the American College he is focused on programs and services for quad, serving students and members of the ing and enhancing the quality of life of the of Veterinary Surgeons. He is a member of vulnerable children and families; evidence- Griffin/Spalding County community as well.” mills’ employees and their families. Today, the Council on Education for the American informed programs for victims and survivors The UGA-Griffin campus was established the Dundee Community Association is Veterinary Medical Association and also of sex and labor trafficking; and the inter- in 1888 as the Georgia Experiment Station, truly pleased that we can make this grant of serves on the leadership committee of the action among globalization, human rights part of a national network of agricultural $1 million to the UGA-Griffin campus. We Association of American Veterinary Medi- and justice and its implications for poorer research stations that were the forebears of believe the campus will be a vital part of cal Colleges. households or nations. today’s Cooperative Extension programs.The the future growth of Griffin and the SpaldHis research interests include the treatMore information on the SEC Academic Mule Barn was built in 1920 to demonstrate ing County community as it continues to ment of osteoarthritis, particularly with Leadership Program is at http://bit.ly/2yxcgkf. a new construction technique to the state, expand educational opportunities, provides nonsteroidal and anti-inflammatory drugs. The application deadline for nominations and original woodwork remains on several additional employment and gains even more Keen is a senior public service associate for the 2018-2019 SEC Academic Leader- walls. Additional historical elements include worldwide recognition through its research, at the university’s J.W. Fanning Institute ship Development Program is April 6, 2018. the names of mules written on the interior instruction and service.”
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