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UGA Theatre stakes out season with opening of ‘The Last Witch’ Sept. 22 CAMPUS NEWS
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The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to perform at the Performing Arts Center
September 18, 2017
Vol. 45, No. 8
www.columns.uga.edu
UGA GUIDE
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New presidential hiring initiative focuses on student success By Kellyn Amodeo
kwamodeo@uga.edu
Photo courtesy of the UGA Division of Development and Alumni Relations
University of Georgia jumps to No.16 in U.S. News and World Report ranking By Kellyn Amodeo
kwamodeo@uga.edu
The University of Georgia has climbed two spots to No. 16 in the U.S. News & World Report 2018 ranking of best public national universities, the highest ranking in UGA’s history. “This recognition serves as yet another signal of the rise in stature of the birthplace of public higher education in America,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “I want to thank our faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends for their unyielding commitment to academic excellence.They are elevating UGA to heights never before imagined.”
This is the second consecutive year the university has risen in this ranking, and UGA is one of two institutions—along with the Georgia Institute of Technology—to make the top 20 from the state of Georgia. Georgia is one of only three states (including California and Virginia) to have more than one institution in the top 20. In addition, UGA and the University of Florida are the only two institutions from the Southeastern Conference to make the top 20. Student selectivity was one factor that contributed to the higher ranking. The percentage of incoming freshmen in the top 10 percent of their high school class increased
from 53 percent to 55 percent. In addition, the average standardized test scores of incoming freshmen increased. These metrics reflect the steady rise in the quality of the UGA student body. This fall marked the fifth consecutive year that the freshman class set a record for academic qualification, as the Class of 2021 enrolled with an average high school GPA of 4.0 and a record average ACT score of 30. Applications for admission also have reached an all-time high. “With bold new academic initiatives, the University of Georgia is pushing the boundaries of teaching See RANKING on page 4
GRADUATE SCHOOL
New GAIN, GREAT Fellowship programs help attract promising graduate students to UGA By Camie Williams camiew@uga.edu
After earning his undergraduate degree in biology, Preston Basting aspired to become a scientist specializing in bioinformatics. Figuring out the next step for graduate school was difficult. That is, until a new fellowship program at UGA made his decision easier. Basting, who recently began his doctoral studies in UGA’s Integrated Life Sciences program, is among the first cohort of students recruited through a competitive fellowship program known as the Georgia Research Education Award Traineeship. GREAT Fellowships are awarded to academically outstanding students who demonstrate superior potential in fields that align with the university’s Signature Research Themes. GREAT Fellows receive
a graduate research assistantship with an annual compensation of $27,000 and a tuition waiver, and the fellowship is renewable for up to five years of total support. “My nomination occurred around the time I was making my final decisions on where I wanted to attend graduate school, so it definitely made it easier for me to choose UGA,” Basting said. For students at the master’s level, the Graduate School has created the Georgia Impact Now Fellows program, which recognizes outstanding students pursuing degrees in fields that are critical to Georgia’s economic vitality. GAIN Fellowships
are renewable for up to two years of total support, and they provide an annual compensation of $20,000 and a tuition waiver. GAIN FelPreston Basting low Heejung Son worked as a clinical research coordinator in Korea before her interests shifted and brought her to Athens this fall as a master’s student in the department of epidemiology and biostatistics. “I know that it’s quite competitive to get into graduate school, so just in case, I considered other schools,” she said, adding that she is particularly excited about receiving a research assistantship, since See FELLOWS on page 4
The University of Georgia has launched a new presidential hiring initiative to continue to enhance the learning environment for students. This latest hiring effort—called “Investing in the Student Experience”—will recruit exceptional faculty members in academic disciplines with majors that are seeing dramatic growth in student demand. Additional academic advisors also will be hired to support undergraduate students pursuing degrees in these high-demand areas.
“At the heart of the University of Georgia is an unrelenting commitment to excellence in teaching and learning—it is our first principle,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “This exciting new initiative represents the latest in a series of strategic investments to elevate—even higher—the academic experiences of our students.” Over the past several years, the size of the incoming class of first-year students has steadily increased, while the academic qualifications of entering freshmen continue to rise. The most recent class of first-year students, for example, enrolled with an average
See HIRING on page 4
COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Global Health Institute director receives 2017 Beckman Award By Lauren Baggett baggett@uga.edu
For the third time in three years, a University of Georgia professor has been honored with the Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award for teaching excellence. Dr. Christopher Whalen in the College of Public Health was one of eight professors nationwide selected for the honor. The award is given to faculty members who inspire their former students to “make a significant contribution to society,” typically in the form of an organization that substantially benefits their communities. “I commend Dr. Whalen for this achievement and for the lasting impact he has made on global health through his outstanding teaching and mentoring,” said UGA
President Jere W. Morehead. Whalen is the Ernest Corn Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and director of Christopher Whalen UGA’s Global Health Institute.As a physician-epidemiologist, he is one of the leading international researchers studying HIV/ AIDS and tuberculosis transmission in Africa. Joining the faculty at the College of Public Health in 2008, Whalen brought with him a program he established at Case Western Reserve University to train Ugandan health professionals in the scientific disciplines necessary to address the infectious See AWARD on page 4
FRANKLIN COLLEGE
UGA to lead national network for undergrad research experiences By Alan Flurry
aflurry@uga.edu
Despite a nationwide emphasis on increasing the number of students entering science, technology, engineering and math fields, many leave the disciplines within their first two years. Now a group of institutions led by the University of Georgia will spearhead a new phase of development of a national network to support integration of research experiences into undergraduate life science lab courses. The network, called Coursebased Undergraduate Research Experiences Network, or CUREnet,
was established to broaden the availability of research opportunities for students across the U.S. Supported by a new grant from the National Science Foundation, a large network of institutions, including other institutions in the University System of Georgia and a group of historically black colleges and universities across several states in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic, will work with CUREnet to reinvent their life science lab courses to engage undergraduates in research at scale. “There are many researchrelated careers that we need the See RESEARCH on page 4
2 Sept.18, 2017 columns.uga.edu ACADEMIC AFFAIRS BYU administrator will lead UGA Performing Arts Center By Sam Fahmy
sfahmy@uga.edu
Jeffrey Q. Martin, an administrator with a proven record of bringing campus and community together to celebrate the arts, has been named director of the UGA Performing Arts Center. For the past decade, Martin has served as the presenter and senior arts producer for the Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center at Brigham Young University. His appointment at UGA is effective Nov. 13. “Jeff Martin brings a commitment to collaboration and creativity to the University of Georgia, where the arts are a vital part of the learning environment and help build connections with individuals and communities across the state and beyond,” said Provost Pamela Whitten. In his role at BYU, Martin curates and produces BRAVO!, an annual series that brings nationally and Jeffrey Martin internationally recognized artists in music, dance and theater to campus. Ticket sales for the BRAVO! series have increased fourfold under Martin’s leadership, and he works closely with faculty to implement residency projects, outreach activities and performances with curricular tie-ins. “I am thrilled to be joining the University of Georgia to lead the staff of the Performing Arts Center as we chart this beautiful venue’s future,” Martin said. “UGA’s commitment to the performing and visual arts is very impressive, and I look forward to continuing and enhancing the role of the Performing Arts Center in the everyday lives of students, employees and the community.” Currently in its 22nd season, the Performing Arts Center brings world-renowned performers to Athens for the benefit of the campus and community. “We are fortunate to have a vibrant performing arts program at the University of Georgia,” said President Jere W. Morehead, “and the Performing Arts Center certainly is a cornerstone.”
OFFICE OF RESEARCH
New director, new direction for UGA Obesity Initiative Leann Birch, the William P. Flatt Professor in the foods and nutrition department in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences and a leader in research on early obesity prevention, has been named the new director the UGA Obesity Initiative. “Dr. Birch brings renewed energy as well as a focus on transdisciplinary research that informs effective and sustainable obesity prevention programs, especially for young children and their families,” said UGA Vice President for Research David Lee. The UGA Obesity Initiative was launched in 2012 as a campus-wide initiative. Leann Birch Directed by Clifton A. “Cliff” Baile, a D.W. Brooks Distinguished Professor and GRA Eminent Scholar in Biotechnology at the University of Georgia, the initiative’s mission is to address the epidemic of obesity and overweight that faces the state of Georgia and the U.S. Under Baile, UGA responded to this critical health issue with a broad initiative that harnessed the efforts of a diverse group of UGA faculty. Although Baile died suddenly in 2014, the initiative has continued with Lee as its interim director. It is well established that dietary habits formed early in life have profound impacts on the risk of obesity in later life. Under Birch’s direction, the Obesity Initiative will emphasize the reduction of obesity-related health disparities among lowincome African-Americans through a partnership with the UGA Center for Family Research.
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 offcampus address changes to Columns, UGA Marketing & Communications, 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 North, Athens, GA 30602-1999.
FRANKLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
UGA Theatre’s season will open with Rona Munro’s ‘The Last Witch’ By Daniel Stock
daniel.stock@uga.edu
The curtain will rise on UGA Theatre’s 2017-2018 season Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. in the Fine Arts Theatre with Rona Munro’s The Last Witch. Additional performances will be held Sept. 26-30 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 24 and Oct. 1 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $16, $12 for students, and can be purchased at drama.uga.edu/box-office, by phone at 706-542-4400, or in person at the Performing Arts Center or Tate Center box office. The Last Witch is based on the true story of the last woman legally executed for witchcraft in England. Janet Horne, played by third-year MFA actor Anna Pieri, is a woman scorned and ridiculed. Janet carefully cultivates her reputation, her intelligence and her womanly charms to bend others to her will. However, her ability to survive on the lowest rung of the social ladder soon attracts the attention of local law enforcement, and the lines between curiosity and passion become blurred. Is Janet merely a cunning fighter or might she possess actual supernatural powers? “Her life up to this point has been a hardscrabble existence in the hostile, barren east coast of northern Scotland,” said director Ray Paolino about the titular witch. “Every mouthful of food and taste of fresh water is the result of her sole efforts and the occasional kindness of a neighbor to keep Janet and her young daughter alive.” “The fear these 18th-century characters have of witches is a powerful metaphor for the way many men continue to demonize powerful women today,” said David Saltz, head of the theatre and film studies department, which is part of the Franklin College
SCHOOL OF LAW
Photo courtesy of UGA Theatre
Rona Munro’s The Last Witch is based on the true story of the last woman legally executed for witchcraft in England. UGA Theatre’s production will begin Sept. 22.
of Arts and Sciences. “Witchcraft is often situated at the fringes of society, either in a celebratory fashion or out of the obvious superstitions that it conjures,” said costume designer Kelsey Albright. “It is of note that witchcraft also is primarily associated with women, painting them as evil, wild or untamable.” Dramaturg Lukas Woodyard, a third-year theatre and English major who serves as a research assistant to the production, said, that like Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and its relationship with McCarthyism and the Red Scare, Munro’s play draws a
comparison between Janet’s story and the demonization of femininity in today’s patriarchal culture. “ B u t u n l i k e M i l l e r ’s p l a y, Munro’s is a more intimate and sympathetic portrayal of the ‘witches’ and the true horror of their situation,” he said. UGA Theatre’s The Last Witch is “an engaging and visceral work that explores the lies we tell others and ourselves to survive,” said Saltz. “Munro’s play is wryly humorous, often chilling and certain to be a production that will stay with the audience long after the curtain falls.”
OFFICE OF RESEARCH
Renowned tax Innovation Gateway’s ‘Bridging scholar will deliver the Gap’ educational series helps 115th Sibley Lecture researchers commercialize research By Claire Taylor
By Terry Marie Hastings
Edward D. Kleinbard, holder of the Packard Trustee Chair in Law at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law and Fellow at The Century Foundation, will deliver the University of Georgia School of Law’s 115th Sibley Lecture. Open free to the public, the lecture, Edward Kleinbard “What’s a Government Good For?: Fiscal Policy in an Age of Inequality,” will be given Sept. 25 at 3 p.m. in the Hatton Lovejoy Courtroom of Hirsch Hall. Kleinbard, whose scholarship focuses on the taxation of capital income, international tax issues and the political economy of taxation, was one of four individuals honored as a 2016 International Tax Person of the Year by the nonpartisan policy organization Tax Analysts. He is the author of We Are Better Than This: How Government Should Spend Our Money and, in 2017, Kleinbard co-authored the leading law school introductory income tax casebook. He has testified before Congress on tax policy matters.
University of Georgia research has led to more than 675 products reaching the market and the formation of more than 150 startup companies. Now University of Georgia researchers interested in commercializing their research can learn from that experience through Innovation Gateway’s annual Technology Transfer Educational Series, “Bridging the Gap Between Academia and Industry,” which kicks off Sept. 20 from 1-2 p.m. in Coverdell Auditorium S175. “Industry is outsourcing more of its research and development operations and looking to universities as sources for innovation and expertise,” said Derek Eberhart, director of Innovation Gateway. “This four-part series highlights how we collaborate with researchers to maximize the impact of their discoveries by partnering with industry, or helping to launch startup companies, to move discoveries from the lab or field to the marketplace.” The first of four events, “Industry Needs vs. Research Discoveries: Identifying the Value Proposition,” features Innovation Gateway staff discussing how they help researchers identify the product or service that will ultimately be sold by industry partners. Joining the discussion will be Innovation Gateway
lawprstu@uga.edu
thasting@uga.edu
staff Cory Acuff, associate director for licensing, and Shelley Fincher, plant licensing manager. Next in the series, “How to Make Technologies Discovered at UGA More Attractive to Industry,” will be held Nov. 8 from 1-2 p.m. in the Coverdell Auditorium S175. Patent attorney Matthew Hoots of Smith Risley Tempel Santos LLC will discuss how the patent process creates value around a technology by reducing its risk to industry. In February 2018, the series will partner with the student organization Graduate Research Assistants Diversifying STEM at UGA to address how a startup company can reduce the risk associated with a new technology in “How to Move a Discovery Forward When Industry is Not Ready for It.” In April 2018, the fourth event in the series, “UGA Technology Success Stories,” will feature a panel of UGA researchers sharing their licensing and startup success stories, followed by questions from the audience. All of the sessions will be followed by a networking hour with refreshments in the Coverdell lobby. Space is limited and registration is encouraged. RSVP to Tyler Duggins at tduggins@uga.edu or 706-542-8969. For information about the Technology Transfer series, visit https://research.uga.edu/gateway/.
UGAGUIDE
columns.uga.edu Sept. 18, 2017
For a complete listing of events, check the Master Calendar on the Web (calendar.uga.edu/). The following events are open to the public, unless otherwise specified. Dates, times and locations may change without advance notice.
EXHIBITIONS
Warren H. Manning: Landscape Architect and Environmental Planner. Through Oct. 6. Circle Gallery, Jackson Street Building. 706-542-8292. mtufts@uga.edu Spirited: Prohibition in America. Through Oct. 20. Special collections libraries. 706-542-5788. jhebbard@uga.edu 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 Covered With Glory: Football at UGA, 1892-1917. Through Dec. 22. Special collections libraries. 706-542-7123. hasty@uga.edu
MONDAY, SEPT. 18 CONFERENCE The Dean Rusk International Law Center and the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law will host “The Next Generation of International Trade Agreements.” The conference, which will mark the center’s 40th anniversary, will feature expert academics, policymakers, corporate counsels and practitioners who will explore the shifting trajectory of trade agreements. There is no cost for the conference, but registration is required online at law. uga.edu./gjicl2017. 9 a.m. Larry Walker Room, Dean Rusk Hall. 706-542-9697. hardweare@uga.edu IMPROV THEATER GAMES Take part in games led by Melisa Cahnmann-Taylor, professor in the College of Education, and her UGA students that encourage the performer within. 6 p.m. Theater-in-the-Woods, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014. connicot@uga.edu
TUESDAY, SEPT. 19 LUNCH & LEARN The Innovation Gateway Lunch & Learn series provides training and presentation sessions that occur once a month during the lunch hour. This event will feature Lisa Rawls, founder and principal of Evergreen CFO, who will discuss start-up financing and accounting practices. The event is open free to the public. Lunch will be provided. RSVP to Tina Christie at tina@uga.edu or 706-542-0796. Noon. Room 128/130 CAGTECH. ECOLOGY SEMINAR “Dialetheia: Connectivity, Complexity and Change in River-riparian Food Webs,” Colden Baxter, Idaho State University. A reception, hosted by Seth Wenger, follows the seminar at 4:30 p.m. in the lobby. 3:30 p.m. Auditorium, ecology building. 706-542-7247. bethgav@uga.edu CINEMA POLITIQUE Film screening and discussion. 12 Angry
Men focuses on the jury deliberations in a murder case. Did the 18-year-old defendant murder his father? Eleven jurors are ready to vote “yes,” but Juror #8, played by Henry Fonda, has doubts. Sidney Lumet’s 1957 film explores human nature and the American legal system. Discussant: Susan Haire, School of Public and International Affairs. 250 Miller Learning Center. 706-542-4789. mlmiller@uga.edu SUNFLOWER MUSIC SERIES Now in its 16th season, the Sunflower Music Series has placed both worldrenowned and new-on-the-scene musicians in a world-class botanical environment. David Lowery performs. $15; $5 for children ages 6-12, 7 p.m. Flower Garden Lawn, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014. connicot@uga.edu
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 20 CENTER FOR MOLECULAR MEDICINE DEDICATION 10 a.m. Center for Molecular Medicine, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER EDUCATIONAL SERIES “Industry Needs vs. Research Discoveries: Identifying the Value Proposition” is the first of four events in Innovation Gateway’s annual Technology Transfer Educational Series, Bridging the Gap Between Academia and Industry. It will feature Innovation Gateway staff discussing how they help researchers identify the product or service that will ultimately be sold by industry partners. 1 p.m. S175 Coverdell Center. 706-542-8969. tduggins@uga.edu (See story, page 2). CONSERVATION SEMINAR “Communication of Scientific Uncertainty in Addressing Conservation Challenges,” Mona Behl, associate director, Georgia Sea Grant College Program. 1:35 p.m. Auditorium, ecology building. 706-542-7247. bethgav@uga.edu ARTFUL CONVERSATION Join Sage Kincaid, assistant curator of education, for an in-depth group conversation focusing on John Linton Chapman’s painting “Via Appia.” 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu
THURSDAY, SEPT. 21 ROSH HASHANAH Jewish religious observance. CONFERENCE This one-day State of Education in Georgia conference will include a keynote, breakout session and discussions on Georgia’s state plan for the ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act). $95. Georgia Center. bmassey@uga.edu AMERICAN INDIAN RETURNINGS TALK Eidson Distinguished Professor in American Literature LeAnne Howe presents American Indian scholar and author Daniel Heath Justice for her annual American Indian Returnings (AIR) Talk. Justice is a professor of First
Calendar items are taken from Columns files and from the university’s Master Calendar, maintained by Marketing & Communications. Notices are published as space permits, with priority given to items of multidisciplinary interest. The Master Calendar is available at calendar.uga.edu/.
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ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO PERFORM BERNSTEIN AND GERSHWIN
By Bobby Tyler btyler@uga.edu
The UGA Performing Arts Center will present the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Sept. 24 at 3 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall. Music director Robert Spano will conduct a program that includes Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2, The Age of Anxiety, with guest pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Gershwin’s alwayspopular An American in Paris. A native of Lyon, France, Thibaudet has performed worldwide for more than three decades and recorded over 50 albums, earning two Grammy nominations, the Nations and indigenous studies in the Institute for Critical Indigenous Studies with a cross appointment in English at the University of British Columbia. The AIR series celebrates Native American scholars and authors and their “return” from exile to the Southeast. 4:15 p.m. M. Smith Griffith Auditorium, Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-2659. cwp@uga.edu LECTURE “A Nation of Counterfeiters: Capitalists, Con men and the Making of the United States,” Stephen Mihm, UGA history professor. Mihm’s talk is in conjunction with the exhibit Gold-digging in Georgia: America’s First Gold Rush. 5:30 p.m. Auditorium, special collections libraries. 706-542-8079. jclevela@uga.edu THURSDAY TWILIGHT TOUR Join docents for a tour of the permanent collection. Tours meet in the lobby. 7 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu
FRIDAY, SEPT. 22 AL-HIJRA Islamic religious observance. MRI SAFETY TRAINING 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. Register at birc.uga.edu. 2:30 p.m. 339 Coverdell Center. 706-583-5548. kmason@uga.edu TOUR Free guided tours of Covered With Glory: Football at UGA, 1892-1917 are offered each Friday before home games. View rarely seen artifacts and photographs from UGA’s earliest gridiron heroes that tell the story of the formative years of UGA’s football program in this new exhibit. 3 p.m. Rotunda, special collections libraries.
Diapason d’Or, the Edison Prize as well as Gramophone and Echo awards. He was the soloist on the soundtracks to the awardJean-Yves winning films Thibaudet Atonement, Pride and Prejudice and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. In 2010, the Hollywood Bowl honored Thibaudet for his musical achievements by inducting him into its Hall of Fame. Previously a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Thibaudet was awarded the title Officier by the 706-542-7123. hasty@uga.edu CAES ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARDS BANQUET Celebrate the Alumni Award of Excellence and Young Alumni Achievement Award recipients along with the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame inductees at the 63rd CAES Alumni Association Banquet. $60. 6 p.m. Classic Center, 300 Thomas St., Athens. 706 542-3390. asg@uga.edu VOLLEYBALL vs. Alabama. 7 p.m. Ramsey Student Center. PERFORMANCE The Last Witch. Performances run Sept. 22, 26-30 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 24 and Oct. 1 at 2:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Building Cellar Theatre. $16, $12 for students. 706-542-2836. wclay87@uga.edu (See story, page 2).
SATURDAY, SEPT. 23 CLASS Learn to recognize the most common fall-blooming wildflowers in the Georgia Piedmont and be introduced to the basic botanical terminology used in identifying and describing fall-flowering plants, with an emphasis on plants in the Aster (composite) Family. $50. 9 a.m. Mimsie Lanier Center for Native Plant Studies, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014. connicot@uga.edu 25TH ANNUAL INSECT-IVAL Join garden staff and volunteers for this creepy, crawly family festival. Discovery stations, roach and beetle races, an insect cafe, puppet shows and live insects will highlight this year’s event. $5 per person; $20 max per family; children younger than age 2 are admitted free. 9:30 a.m. State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014. connicot@uga.edu FOOTBALL vs. Mississippi State. Televised on ESPN. 7 p.m. Sanford Stadium. 706-542-1231.
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French Ministry of Culture in 2012. His concert wardrobe is designed by Vivienne Westwood. Tickets for the Atlanta Symphony concert are $30-$76. They can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center box office, online at pac. uga.edu or by calling 706-542-4400. UGA students can purchase tickets for $6 with a valid UGA ID, limit one ticket per student. A pre-concert lecture will be given by Ken Meltzer, author of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s program notes and host of the weekly radio show, Meet the Classics, on Atlanta’s AM-1690. The lecture will begin at 2:15 p.m. in Ramsey Concert Hall in the Performing Arts Center.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 24 VOLLEYBALL vs. Auburn. 1:30 p.m. Ramsey Student Center. WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Vanderbilt. 2 p.m. Turner Soccer Complex. 706-542-1621. CONCERT The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. $30-$76. 3 p.m. Hodgson Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center. 706-542-4400. (See story, above).
MONDAY, SEPT. 25 SYMPOSIUM Join the UGA Institute of Bioinformatics in “Parsing the Microbiome” as its biannual symposium focuses on the microbiome, a collective term for the multitude of microbial communities that form critical components of biological systems important in human health, agriculture and the environment. $25, symposium registration; $35, symposium registration and workshop; $10, student registration; $15, student registration and workshop. 8 a.m. Georgia Center. travisg@uga.edu CLASS “Fundamentals of Photography.” $219. For ages 16 and older. Participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by parent or guardian. 6:30 p.m. Georgia Center. 706-542-3537. questions@georgiacenter.uga.edu
COMING UP EMBRACING DIVERSITY Sept. 26. Embracing Diversity is an annual kick-off event to celebrate the value of diversity and inclusion. At this event, the UGA faculty and staff graduates of the Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion are recognized, as well as the recipients of the Diversity Scholarship and UGA Black Alumni Scholarships. 3 p.m. Chapel.
NEXT COLUMNS DEADLINES Sept. 20 (for Oct. 2 issue) Sept. 27 (for Oct. 9 issue) Oct. 4 (for Oct. 16 issue)
4 Sept. 18, 2017 columns.uga.edu
HIRING
AWARD
RECENT PRESIDENTIAL HIRING INITIATIVES
from page 1 disease crisis in their home country and throughout Africa. His program continues to thrive at UGA, supported by a $1.9 million grant from the Fogarty Training Center at the National Institutes of Health. Over his career,Whalen has trained more than 75 students who have returned to Uganda and made immediate impacts on the health care system there. “The impact of Dr. Whalen’s work ripples across time and continents, improving health and quality of life while inspiring others to join the fight against infectious diseases,” said Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Pamela Whitten. “He epitomizes the University of Georgia’s global reach, and I am delighted that he has been recognized with this significant honor.” Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye, who trained with Whalen in the mid-1990s, wrote in his letter of support that “the training was life changing, as I got to master not only the concepts of public health and preventive science, but got skills in writing, computing and communication. His mentorship was (and still is) inspirational and applies to my work every day.” Upon his return to Uganda,Tumwesigye founded several nonprofit organizations that provide a variety of health prevention, education and treatment services, including treatment for HIV/AIDS, to people in rural Ugandan communities. “The organizations which I started with mentoring from Dr. Whalen proved pivotal and actually catalyzed my being elected to represent my people in the parliament of Uganda in 2001,” said Tumwesigye, who led Africa’s first standing committee on HIV/
RANKING
AIDS. Tumwesigye later became minister of health in 2015. “It’s an honor to receive this award and be supported by the College of Public Health and the university,” said Whalen, “but especially to be supported by my former students and now colleagues.” Whalen also received a letter of support from Stephen Asiimwe, who trained with him at UGA and went on to earn a doctorate of public health in 2013. Asiimwe now directs Integrated Community Based Initiatives, one of the nonprofit organizations founded by Tumwesigye, where he carries forward Whalen’s spirit of mentorship. “When we hired Dr. Whalen, we were aware of his major scientific discoveries and his work to prevent the transmission of TB and HIV in Ugandan populations. We are pleased that this work has continued with the assistance of UGA faculty and students,” said Phillip L. Williams, dean of the College of Public Health. “He certainly deserves the Beckman Award.” Whalen will receive a $25,000 award and will be honored at a ceremony to take place later this year. He joins associate professor Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander in the Terry College of Business and professor Melisa “Misha” Cahnmann-Taylor in the College of Education, who each received a Beckman Award in 2015. The Beckman Award was created by Gail McKnight Beckman in 2008 in memory of her mother, Dr. Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman, who was a celebrated educator and author and was one of the first female psychology professors at Columbia University.
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and learning,” said Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “The higher education community is recognizing our efforts, and the brightest and most promising students from this state and across the nation are seeking a UGA education at unprecedented levels.” UGA has launched a number of initiatives in recent years to promote student learning and success.The university has implemented an experiential learning initiative, for example, becoming the largest institution in the nation to provide hands-on learning to all undergraduate students. The institution also has launched a campus-wide entrepreneurship certificate designed to prepare students to start their own businesses. As another example, UGA recently unveiled the Double Dawgs program to give students the opportunity to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years or less, saving time and money. Vice President for Instruction Rahul Shrivastav has played an important role in designing and implementing these and other academic initiatives. “One of the university’s top strategic priorities is to continue to enhance the learning environment for students and to ensure their long-term success. We are intensely focused on that priority every day,” said Shrivastav. “It’s no surprise that UGA is consistently ranked among the very best public research
universities in the nation for the quality of its undergraduate education.” Forbes recently ranked UGA at No. 17 in its 2017 list of top colleges that dominate academically and athletically. Kiplinger ranked UGA No. 10 on its most recent list of 100 best values among public colleges and universities, and The New York Times ranked UGA at No. 10 among public universities doing the most for low-income students in its 2017 College Access Index. UGA’s upward momentum in the U.S. News ranking also can be attributed to an increase in its alumni giving rate. Alumni support continues to grow as the Commit to Georgia Campaign advances toward the goal of raising $1.2 billion to expand the positive impact of the university on the state, nation and world. National rankings are only one of many measures of academic quality in higher education. While rankings tend to fluctuate up and down from year to year, a more precise measure of performance can be found in academic outcomes such as retention, graduation and career placement rates. UGA continues to excel in these areas with 95 percent of first-year students returning for their sophomore year and 85 percent of students graduating within six years. In addition, 95 percent of UGA students are employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation.
Bulletin Board TEDxUGA presenters
TEDxUGA is currently seeking faculty and staff presenters with dynamic ideas to take the stage in March 2018. Visit tedxuga.com/nominate to submit a faculty or staff nomination by Sept. 30. Self-nominations are welcome and encouraged. Email tedxuga@uga.edu with questions.
UGAAlert rescheduled
The campus-wide test of the UGAAlert emergency notification system originally scheduled for
Sept. 14 has been rescheduled to Sept. 28 at 10:45 a.m. due to the activity associated with Tropical Storm Irma. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to check and update their information in the UGAAlert system at ugaalert.uga.edu prior to the test. For more information, contact the Office of Emergency Preparedness at prepare@uga.edu or 706-542-5845. Bulletin Board is limited to information that may pertain to a majority of faculty and staff members.
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GPA of 4.0 and an average ACT score of 30—both record highs. Shifts in intended majors also are occurring as more students pursue degrees in areas such as computer science, management information systems, finance, financial planning, engineering, statistics, biology, biochemistry/molecular biology, and international affairs/political science. The Investing in the Student Experience hiring initiative is designed to address these changes in student profile and academic interest. “One of the things that sets the University of Georgia apart is our deep commitment to providing students with the types of learning opportunities that help them thrive during their time on campus and after graduation,” said Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Pamela Whitten. “The Investing in the Student Experience hiring initiative builds on that history, and I look forward to welcoming our new faculty members and academic advisors to campus.” A total of 25 faculty and staff members will be hired through the initiative, including
10 tenure-track faculty, 10 lecturers and five academic advisors, all of whom will support students in high-demand areas. “Advisors are an essential component to student success at UGA,” said Rahul Shrivastav, vice president for instruction. “Through this initiative, we are providing our students with resources for a challenging academic curriculum and preparing them for future success.” Since taking office in July 2013, Morehead has launched a number of major faculty hiring initiatives to promote student learning and success and to continue to grow the university’s research enterprise. In 2013, the university announced an interdisciplinary hiring initiative. In 2014, an extraordinary researcher hiring initiative was introduced, and the following year two more hiring initiatives were unveiled, one focused on informatics and the other on reducing class sizes. In addition, last fall the institution launched a hiring effort to recruit more faculty in the sciences, and just last month an initiative was introduced to provide additional startup funding to recruit new faculty to establish their research programs at UGA.
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workforce for here in the U.S., and if students don’t even know that research exists, they don’t know that it is an option for them career-wise,” said Erin Dolan, Georgia Athletic Association Professor of Innovative Science Education in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and principal investigator on the new NSF grant. “Research experiences can help support students in their early years in college while broadening their awareness of the career paths available to them in STEM fields and serving many more students than our current, traditional apprenticeship structure,” she said. The focus on introducing students to research, especially students who are the first in their families to attend college or whose families aren’t scientists or researchers, is important for building success in the laboratory and after graduation, Dolan said. “The idea of integrating research experiences into lab courses, where students are tackling a problem related to a faculty member’s ongoing research, is they try out research as they learn,” she said. “And if research appeals to them, they have a faculty member, a grad student or a postdoc working with the course who can help them find additional internships or other opportunities to do research that helps them make progress in their education and career path.” By learning lab techniques in the context of solving a real research problem, students can see how what they are learning in a lecture class applies to the real world. Typically, students in lab courses follow a set protocol to find a well-understood phenomenon, but students in research settings have the potential to make discoveries and see how science is actually practiced. “The program has multiple purposes, and it’s more appealing to faculty for that reason. It’s not just that they’re teaching a course— they’re teaching a course that has the potential to contribute to their research,” Dolan said. Steering committee institutions in the network are Arizona State University, Jackson State University, Bowie State University, Alabama State University, Hampton University and Carleton College. CUREnet will also partner with a national network of community colleges focused on supporting undergraduate research. “CUREnet nicely integrates not only research and teaching, but also UGA’s service and outreach missions as a land-grant institution. It has the potential to broaden participation in the STEM workforce by opening access to research experiences that are typically unavailable to a broad swath of talented undergraduates,” Dolan said.
they are so competitive for students at the master’s level. The GREAT and GAIN Fellowship programs are among several enhancements to graduate education in recent years. In 2016, the Graduate School launched Graduate Scholars LEAD (Leadership, Engagement and Development) professional development program. In addition, the Graduate School now offers training grant support for faculty members and a voluntary incentive program that provides matching funds for additional doctoral research assistants. This fall, the university launched its Double Dawgs linkeddegree program, which provides students with more than 100 opportunities to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in five years or less. “Ambitious and talented graduate students are a cornerstone of any research-intensive institution, including UGA,” said Suzanne Barbour, dean of the Graduate School.“Across the nation, graduate students perform much of the research that drives the discovery of new energy sources, leads to development of novel therapies, provides insights into history and culture, results in production of pest-resistant crops, and addresses other important societal issues. Through these efforts, graduate students enrich all of our lives.” For more on the GREAT and GAIN Fellows programs and other funding from the Graduate School, visit https://t.uga.edu/2xB.
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Editor Juliett Dinkins 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.