UGA Columns Sept. 19, 2016

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New Glass Blowing Shop manager creates needed devices for scientists CAMPUS CLOSEUP

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Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to perform in Hodgson Concert Hall Vol. 44, No. 9

September 19, 2016

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jgleason@uga.edu

Andrew Davis Tucker

Participants in the fourth annual state agriculture tour learned more about the industry in middle and south Georgia.

Georgia grown

UGA, state officials tour agricultural sites, see strength of industry firsthand cbthomps@uga.edu

UGA and the Georgia Department of Agriculture continue to make Georgia’s No. 1 industry a top priority.

UGA President Jere W. Morehead and Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, along with UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean and Director Sam Pardue, headed the fourth annual state agriculture tour, this time through middle and south Georgia, on Sept. 7.

Accompanied by state Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Wilkinson, state House of Representatives Appropriations Committee Chairman Terry

England and state House of Representatives Agriculture Chairman Tom McCall, their objective was to learn more about the state’s top industry and see what makes it an international success.

“We are excited to continue our spirit of cooperation and education with the university through the coordination of our annual farm tour,” Black said. “President Morehead has been extremely responsive with his deep commitment to the agriculture industry, and these tours have been a great opportunity to open the communication channel between our farming community and those who support it.”

From watching how a peach is picked, packaged and delivered to learning how federal and state regulators ensure that only the

highest quality produce is shipped from Georgia, the day covered a range of agricultural topics.

“This tour is a great reminder of the strong partnership that exists between the University of Georgia and the agriculture community,” Morehead said. “As a land-grant institution, UGA remains focused on providing research, education and outreach programs to help the state’s No. 1 industry continue to thrive.”

The tour started in Fort Valley with a visit to Lane Southern Orchards, a business that gives visitors a close-up view of a real working farm. Peaches are picked, processed on the packaging line and then delivered to neighborhood grocery stores.

See GROWN on page 8

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

Measures help university reduce annual energy consumption by 20 percent over 9-year period

By Aaron Hale

aahale@uga.edu

In keeping with its commitment to sustainability, UGA has reduced annual energy consumption by more than 20 percent since 2007, saving $5 million per year as a result. The reduction is the result of several measures, including infrastructure repairs and investments, replacement of the old coal-fired boiler, and individual efforts to conserve.

“We’ve broken the 20 percent mark thanks to the efforts, large and small, of everybody on campus: faculty, staff and students,” said

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UGA jumps to 18th in ‘US News’ public university rankings

By Jan Gleason

By Clint Thompson

UGA GUIDE

David Spradley, director of energy services in the Facilities Management Division.

Individual energy-saving habits, like turning off the light in a residence hall room or shutting down a computer overnight, have a multiplier effect when practiced by the tens of thousands of people on campus, according to Spradley.

The Conserve Georgia initiative, introduced in 2008, committed state agencies to reduce energy usage 15 percent by 2020 over 2007 energy-use levels. UGA met that goal in 2014, six years early, and campus progress is continuing.

By the end of fiscal year

2016, the university achieved a 20.24 percent reduction in energy consumption, as measured by British Thermal Unit (Btu) per square foot. Btu is the standard unit of measurement for energy consumption. The costs saved are reinvested in more energy conservation efforts.

“We have already surpassed the initial goal of 20 percent and are now closing in on the UGA Strategic Plan’s goal of 25 percent by 2020,” said Spradley. “We feel like we’re going to meet that mark, and then we’ll stretch ourselves to go further in the decades after that.”

See ENERGY on page 8

UGA moved up three spots to No. 18 in the latest U.S. News & World Report ranking of best public universities, released Sept. 13.

“I am pleased that the University of Georgia continues to be recognized as one of the very best public research universities in the nation,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “I want to thank our outstanding faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters for this achievement. UGA’s upward trajectory is a testament—above all else—to their hard work and dedication to excellence.”

Outstanding performance on key measures of student success contributed to the university’s

strong position in the national rankings: UGA’s first-year retention rate increased from 94 percent to a record 95 percent during the rating period, and its six-year graduation rate remained at an all-time high of 85 percent.

Increases in student selectivity measures also led to the top 20 ranking. UGA’s acceptance rate decreased from 56 percent to 53 percent during the rating period; the percentage of students in the top 10 percent of their high school class increased from 52 percent to 53 percent; and test scores for the 25th-75th SAT/ACT percentile increased as well.

These measures reflect the continuing rise in the quality of the student body at UGA as well as a

See RANKING on page 8

COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH

College of Public Health, Forum Institute partner for new initiative

By Rebecca Ayer alea@uga.edu

The UGA College of Public Health has announced a new strategic partnership with The Forum Institute, an Oregon-based nonprofit think tank, to implement a first-of-its-kind preconception to infancy public health initiative for the state of Georgia.

The Forum Institute will provide $2.4 million in funding to the UGA College of Public Health over two years to support the establishment of the P2i Center of Excellence, the nation’s first center focused on preconception to infancy care. Dr. Jose F. Cordero, UGA’s Patel Distinguished Professor of Public Health, will serve as

director of the new center, which will open in Atlanta in early 2017.

The Forum Institute established the Preconception to Infancy initiative, or P2i, on the conviction that existing strong science and clinical practice offer a means of improving outcomes and significantly reducing the incidence of chronic disorders among infants when women reduce exposure to toxins, ensure proper nutrition, and maintain optimal health before and during pregnancy.

Cordero and the College of Public Health will lead the center’s efforts in developing best practices for preconception care, while expanding current knowledge in the field through clinical research,

See INSTITUTE on page 8

ATHENS WELLBEING PROJECT

UGA, ACC teams to conduct DIY community assessment More than 100 graduate students from UGA’s School of Social Work and the College of Public Health, as well as Family Connection-Communities in Schools of Athens neighborhood leaders, will administer surveys for eight weeks this fall.

Wearing distinctiveT-shirts,they will work in teams of five to seven to collect data Sept. 19-Nov. 18 across Athens-Clarke County.

“This is our community’s opportunity to do something in a way that hasn’t been done—a DIY assessment that speaks to our assets and needs to shape our ­community’s future” said Delene Porter,

president/CEO of the Athens Area Community Foundation and an advisory committee member for the Athens Wellbeing Project.

The project is supported by collaboration between the AthensClarke County Unified Government, the Clarke County School District, the Athens Area Community Foundation, Family Connection-Communities in Schools of Athens, the United Way of Northeast Georgia, and UGA’s College of Social Work and College of Public Health.

“Our goal is to use the data collected to monitor community

See PROJECT on page 8

2 Sept. 19, 2016 columns.uga.edu

BLACK FACULTY AND STAFF ORGANIZATION

Around academe

Interest in student loan forgiveness program is high among borrowers

The U.S. Department of Education’s student loan forgiveness program doesn’t start until October 2017, but hundreds of thousands of borrowers already are sending in paperwork to have their loans cleared, according to an article on Inside Higher Ed. Under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, former students can have their debts expunged after 10 years of payments if they work in the government or in a nonprofit organization. The program was created in 2007 as part of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act.

Federal Trade Commission goes after academic journal publishing group

Academic journal publisher OMICS Group is facing a complaint filed in a U.S. district court by the Federal Trade Commission that alleges the publishing group is preying on scholars by falsely promoting its journals as legitimate purveyors of peer-reviewed articles, according to an article on Inside Higher Ed. OMICS publishes more than 700 journals, many with titles resembling legitimate journals. Once accepted, scholars are told they must pay for the articles to appear in print, and the journals make it difficult for researchers to pull papers from publication if they cannot pay or have found placement in another journal.

The OMICS complaint marks the first time the FTC has pursued an academic publishing group in court.

Office of Emergency Preparedness offers assistance referral forms

News to Use

To be effective in the event of an emergency situation, the university seeks to identify and support students, faculty, staff and visitors with disabilities who need assistance during an emergency.

If you are a person with a disability— even if you have not otherwise self-identified or asked for an accommodation—the university encourages you to complete an Emergency Assistance Referral Form if you may need assistance in the event of an emergency.

Completed Emergency Assistance Referral Forms will be kept on file by the Office of Emergency Preparedness, will not be kept in student or personnel records, and will be used only to develop an emergency plan for those who want one.

The university’s emergency procedures for students, faculty, staff and visitors with disabilities and Emergency Assistance Referral Forms may be found at http://t.uga.edu/1MZ. For more information, contact the UGA Office of Emergency Preparedness at 706-542-5845 or by email at prepare@uga.edu.

Source: Office of Emergency Preparedness

Source: discover.uga.edu

Lindsay Robinson

Black Faculty and Staff Organization awards five scholarships at luncheon

By Krista Richmond krichmond@uga.edu

The focus wasn’t just on education at the 14th annual Black Faculty and Staff Organization Founders’ Award Scholarship Luncheon. It was also on what comes after the degree.

UGA President Jere W. Morehead welcomed the more than 350 attendees and spoke about the BFSO’s impact.

“I want to thank you for the work you’ve done,” he said. “It will take all of us here today to continue those efforts.”

Shirley Sherrod, executive director of the Southwest Georgia Project for Community Education Inc., gave the keynote address. She shared her journey from working with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee as a college student to founding the Southwest Georgia Project and New Communities Inc. with her husband, the Rev. Charles Sherrod, to accepting a position as Georgia’s first African-American state director of rural development.

That journey started with the death of her father during her senior year of high school, after he was shot, reportedly over a dispute about livestock. His death changed the course of her life and cemented her desire to help others in rural communities.

“You cannot give up,” she said. “You can’t act like it’s all over.”

At that time, her dream was to go to college in the North and stay there.

After her father’s death, she realized that she could make a difference by

Dorothy Kozlowski

From left: UGA President Jere W. Morehead, graduate scholarship recipients Tameka Oliphant and Jasmine Jenkins, keynote speaker Shirley Sherrod, Mark Dawkins Leadership Award recipient Mansur Buffins, BFSO President Deborah Elder, undergraduate scholarship recipient Lamar Fletcher and Myron G. Burney Service Award winner Ebonie Medious.

staying in the South and working to better conditions for farmers like him.

“When you do the right thing, know that good will come back to you,” she said.

Sherrod emphasized two things she considers vitally important: getting an education and owning land. She also spoke about the value in taking that education and putting it to use in rural areas.

“We forget that you can make an even bigger name for yourself by going into communities that need your help,” she said. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”

Proceeds from the luncheon, held Sept. 9 at the Tate Student Center

Grand Hall, go toward the BFSO scholarship fund and programming. At the event, a total of $4,000 in scholarships and awards were given to UGA students.

Lamar Fletcher received the undergraduate Founders’ Award, and the graduate Founders’ Awards went to Jasmine Jenkins and Tameka Oliphant.

Ebonie Medious was named the Myron G. Burney Service Award recipient, and Mansur Buffins was given the Mark Dawkins Leadership Award.

“The scholarships given today are an important component of what we need to continue to do,” Morehead said.

WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE

Second cohort for Women’s Leadership Fellows sought; nominations will be accepted through Sept. 28

By Camie Williams camiew@uga.edu

Through one of UGA’s newest fellowship programs, Jean MartinWilliams was inspired to have more confidence in her skills, take risks and think creatively about leadership.

Just a couple of months later, the Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor and co-director of the Lilly Teaching Fellows program was named associate dean for the fine and performing arts in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

“It was fascinating to see how leaders go about their day and how they put their vision into action,” Martin-Williams said of the training and mentorship she received as one of nine faculty members in the first cohort of the Women’s Leadership Fellows program, part of the broader Women’s Leadership Initiative that President Jere W. Morehead and Provost Pamela Whitten launched in March 2015.

“I saw the creativity that can come into leadership,” Martin-Williams added. “As a musician, that really resonated with me.”

Women’s Leadership Fellows meet monthly to hear from senior administrators on campus as well as visiting speakers, and a concluding retreat offers opportunities for more in-depth learning.

Nominations for the next cohort of fellows are due on Sept. 28, with more information at http://t.uga.edu/1Mi. “I was impressed, but not at all surprised, by the intellect, insightfulness and energy of our inaugural group of Women’s Leadership Fellows,”Whitten said. “They have already accomplished so much in their careers, and they’re

now poised to make an even greater impact on the university.”

Ellen Evans, professor of kinesiology and director of the Center for Physical Activity and Health in the College of Education, said her experience as a Women’s Leadership Fellow left her with an invaluable set of mentors, both in the upper-level administrators who spoke to the group and within the talented members of her cohort.

“It was a safe space in terms of expressing challenges and fears as well as

ambitions,” Evans said. “We need more strong women in higher education, and around the table there was a large mix of us who come from a variety of disciplines and personal experiences. I know if I have a leadership dilemma, I will call them and ask them to meet for coffee.”

Evans said she also valued the opportunity to learn from others about how to balance personal and professional goals.

“The experience was really empowering,” she said.

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Nominations accepted for ‘Extreme Makeover: Office Edition’ competition now through Oct. 1 The Office of Human Resources work/life balance coordinator Kiz Adams is partnering with the textiles, merchandising and furnishings department in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences to sponsor an “Extreme Office Makeover” contest.

Inspired by the hit reality TV show Extreme Home Makeover, hosted by Ty Pennington, UGA faculty and staff are invited to nominate their office as the “ugliest office on campus” in need of an extreme makeover.

Do you have a cramped, windowless office? Is every available flat space covered in papers, files and boxes? Are your office walls bare and uninspiring?

Judges will select five offices on campus to be the design projects for students enrolled in Lilia Gomez-Lanier’s Studio Design course. The students will create five designs for each office, and Gomez-Lanier will select one winning

design for each office. Through sponsorship funds provided by Chastain’s Office Furnishings and Supplies and UGA’s Office of Service-Learning, the offices will be made over according to the winning design elements.

“One of the issues that greatly affects an employee’s work/life balance is his or her office space,” said Adams.

Gomez-Lanier said the students will be challenged to propose a design concept and furniture, fixtures and equipment for each space that echoes the essence of the employee/client given the limitations of the budget and no reconstruction.

Faculty or staff members who would like to nominate their office for this competition should contact either Adams by email (worklifebalance@ uga.edu) or phone (706-542-7319) or Gomez-Lanier by email (lglanier@uga. edu) or phone (706-542-8777) by Oct. 1.

INSTRUCTIONAL NEWS

columns.uga.edu Sept. 19, 2016

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Digest Saturday Morning Club series turns 4

Wingate Downs

UGA undergraduate and graduate students worked with more than 80 Clarke County students during Camp DIVE, a summer program aimed to prevent “summer slide” and increase literacy skills.

Fighting ‘summer slide’ Camp DIVE, new College of Education program, helps children rethink how they see a classroom

By Kristen Morales kmorales@uga.edu

Eleven-year-old Talia Henderson’s summer plans did not involve spending time at Clarke Middle School, where she began sixth grade this fall.

Talia’s plans changed when her mother said that she would be attending Camp DIVE this past June. Until then, Talia’s summer plans were decidedly less academic.

“I’d be on Musical.ly,” said Talia, referring to a music- and video-based social media app on her phone.

Her friend Ashari Potts, also 11, had similar plans.

“I’d be at home watching TV and playing on my iPod,” she said.

But the camp was a nice change of pace, they said.

The girls were among more than 80 Athens-area students who took part in the inaugural year of Camp DIVE, a free, daylong summer camp coordinated by the College of Education in partnership with the Clarke County School District. Part of the goal behind the program was to fight summer boredom through two-week classes in topics such as robotics, local history, food production and literacy.

The camp gave kids the chance to

experience these academic topics in nontraditional ways, with additional literacy-focused programs to help give students a boost in their reading skills during the summer months.

“It was so amazing to have two years of planning and preparation actually come to life and wonderful to see kids engaged and having fun,” said Janna Dresden, camp organizer and a clinical associate professor. “Those of us doing the organizing and teaching learned so much and are beginning to think about changes, both large and small, for next year. But our goal of creating a community of learners was certainly realized as we definitely learned along with the UGA students and CCSD campers.”

Along with giving elementary and middle school students a place to think, Camp DIVE also gave College of Education faculty a place to create lessons that push beyond what’s found in a typical classroom and a place for students in the college to hone their teaching skills. In this way, the camp extends the reach of the college’s Professional Development School District partnership, a program with the school district that brings faculty and students into local schools.

The Camp DIVE days were

structured with literacy in mind but also with an eye to different ways to engage the students. Mornings featured community- and literacy-building activities, followed by the different classes. After lunch, volunteers from various community organizations came to teach the students about other topics or get them involved in other activities.

One afternoon, Tyler Dewey, executive director of BikeAthens, worked with middle-schoolers on how to fix a bike. Down the hall, local artist and College of Education alumnus Jamie Calkin worked with elementary-age students on a mural.

In the end, Jason Mizell, a doctoral candidate in the language and literacy education department, said he hopes the experience not only helped the kids stay engaged over the summer but also showed them that learning is more than sitting at a desk in a classroom.

“This keeps their mind working, but it also lets them know they have a voice, and it is worth our while, as adults, to listen to them,” he said. “For a lot of these kids, this is the first time they were in a school space where they have been asked their opinion, and it was heard.”

ODUM SCHOOL OF ECOLOGY

Odum School of Ecology lectures, events set for Sept. 23-24 to honor retirement of James Porter

By R.E. Denty

robert.denty25@uga.edu

The Odum School of Ecology is hosting a series of events Sept. 23-24 celebrating James W. Porter’s nearly half-century career of teaching, research and service.

The two-day celebration and lecture series begin Sept. 23 with a talk

by Porter at 4 p.m. in the Chapel. The lecture will be followed by a reception in the administration building. A ticketed dinner celebration will take place in the Conservatory at the State Botanical Garden at 6:30 p.m.

The event will conclude Sept. 24 with a pair of lectures at 4 p.m. in the auditorium of the ecology school by the first and last students Porter advised

as a major professor. The talks will be followed by a reception in the ecology school’s courtyard.

The lectures and receptions are open free to the public.

A marine ecologist who specializes in Floridian and Caribbean coral reefs, Porter had a career that spanned more than 40 years in education and research science. Porter’s lecture, “Butterflies, Corals and the Future of Humankind: A Last Lecture,” will be the culmination of his tenure as a professor and mentor.

“As the writer Brendan Gill said, ‘The work of a good teacher often does not reveal itself directly; it is reflected in the accomplishments of others,’ ” said John Gittleman, dean of the Odum School. “That will be on full display during the school’s celebration of Jim

and his teaching, as so many of his former students will attend and contribute to his ‘Last Lecture,’which, of course, is not really an accurate term.

All great teachers keep teaching, as James Porter will Jim.” Porter’s influence on the ecology program at UGA will continue in other ways as well. With a generous gift, he and his wife, Professor Emerita Karen G. Porter, have started the James W. and Karen G. Porter Endowment.

For more information, to purchase dinner tickets or to make a donation, visit www.ecology.uga.edu.

The UGA Performing Arts Center is beginning the fourth season of the Saturday Morning Club family series. Designed for children ages 4-12, the Saturday Morning Club features performances by UGA student ensembles and other young performers. The Saturday Morning Club is presented in partnership with Athens Regional Health System.

Open free to the public, all performances begin at 10 a.m.

The UGA Symphony Orchestra will open the 2016-2017 Saturday Morning Club season Sept. 24. The concert will be followed by performance of the UGA Wind Symphony on Oct. 22 and the UGA Theatre on Nov. 5. All performances will be held in Hodgson Concert Hall. The UGA Core Concert Dance Company will perform Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. in the New Dance Theatre. The season will conclude March 25 with a performance by the Georgia Children’s Chorus in Hodgson Concert Hall. For more information, call the Performing Arts Center at 706-542-4400.

2016 Athens Jazz Festival to be held at Georgia Center for Continuing Education

WUGA-FM and JazzAthens, GA will present the 2016 Athens Jazz Festival, free concert featuring local jazz musicians Sept. 25 from 1-7 p.m. on the lawn of the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.

The performers at the 2016 Athens Jazz Festival include Classic City Swing Band, Period Six, Mary and the Hot Hotty-Hots, the Trey Wright Quartet, Athens Tango Project, Whitehall Jazz Collective, Chris Enghauser Trio and Louis Romanos Quartet.

The 2016 Athens Jazz Festival is sponsored in part by the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, the UGA Performing Arts Center, Kathy Prescott and Grady Thrasher, Cine, Zaxby’s, Chick Music, Musician’s Warehouse and the UGA Hotel and Conference Center.

UGA business startup wins University Shark Attack competition in Atlanta

MiraBlue Bio LLC, a startup business representing the University of Georgia, took the top prize at a University Shark Attack competition in Atlanta. The Ritz Group sponsored the Sept. 8 contest where five collegiate teams pitched privateequity startup ideas to a panel of investment community “sharks.”

“It’s nice to have a win,” said Davis Beauchamp, the co-founder and CFO of MiraBlue. “But it was also good to get out there and talk about our product and find out it’s something investors are interested in backing.”

Beauchamp, a UGA senior majoring in economics, delivered the pitch for the team and explained MiraBlue’s innovative, acid-proof biopolymer. The polymer can be used to make capsules that deliver nutraceuticals, probiotics and pharmaceuticals to treat conditions like Crohn’s disease.

MiraBlue’s biopolymer is designed to be absorbed in the colon, without first dissolving in the stomach or gastrointestinal tract.

UGA earned its victory over teams from Emory University, Georgia State University, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State University.

“I am very proud of the MiraBlue Bio team and all that they have done in creating a worldclass product and in representing UGA,” said Bob Pinckney, UGA’s director of entrepreneurial programs. “UGA is creating one of the top programs in entrepreneurship in the country. We expect to see teams from UGA receive even more recognition in the future.”

In addition to Beauchamp, the MiraBlue team includes Areeba Abid and UGA alumnae Kristin Henry and Song Kue, who is MiraBlue’s CEO and co-founder.

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For a complete listing of events 7 8 5 at the University of Georgia, check the Master Calendar on the Web (calendar.uga.edu/­).

I

The following events are open to the public, unless otherwise specified.

Dates, times and locations may change without advance notice.

UGAGUIDE Performing Arts Center presents Havana Cuba All-Stars in US debut tour

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to perform in Hodgson Concert Hall

By Bobby Tyler

By Bobby Tyler

The UGA Performing Arts Center will present the Havana Cuba All-Stars Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall in a program called "Cuban Nights."

The band is celebrating a new era in CubanAmerican relations with the Asere Tour; asere is Cuban for “friendship.” The tour marks the U.S. debut of the All-Stars.

Comprised of Cuba’s most prominent musicians, the Havana Cuba All-Stars is devoted to promoting the entire tapestry of Cuban music.

The "Cuban Nights" program draws its inspiration for the traditional Cuban Son, which is the root of most Salsa music today. The All-Stars have created and maintained the songs and music of the rich culture of the Cuban people, staying true to an acoustic base while developing a fresh sound with inventive songwriting.

Tickets for the concert are $26-$41. They can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center, online at pac.uga.edu or by calling the box office at 706-542-4400. UGA students can purchase tickets for $6 with valid a UGA ID, limit one ticket per student.

The UGA Performing Arts Center will present the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Sept. 25 at 3 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall. Music director Robert Spano will conduct the orchestra in a program featuring Trombo lontana (“Distant trumpet”) by John Adams and the Fifth Symphony of Jean Sibelius. Garrick Ohlsson will join the orchestra as guest pianist for a performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3.

Since his triumph as winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, Ohlsson has established himself worldwide as a musician of magisterial technical prowess. Although long regarded as one of the world’s leading exponents of the music of Frederic Chopin, Ohlsson commands an extensive repertoire, which ranges over the entire piano literature. To date, he has at his command more than 80 concertos, ranging from Haydn and Mozart to works of the 21st century, many commissioned for him.

Tickets for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert are $31$72. They can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center, online at pac.uga.edu or by calling the box office at 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.

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btyler@uga.edu

btyler@uga.edu

University Theatre presents near future of humans and robotics in ‘Uncanny Valley’

columns.uga.edu Sept. 19, 2016

Capitol Steps return for Sept. 26 performance

By Scout Storey

By Bobby Tyler

hobbit87@uga.edu

btyler@uga.edu

University Theatre presents Uncanny Valley by Thomas Gibbons. Performances will be held in the Cellar Theatre Sept. 22-24, 27-30 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 2 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.

Uncanny Valley examines the relationship between Claire (played by second year MFA acting student Katherine Butcher), a pioneer in the field of robotics, and her most recent robotic creation, Julian (played by second year MFA acting student Larry Cox Jr.). As Julian, under Claire’s guidance, develops physically and mentally to become more and more human-like, both Claire and Julian are gradually forced to grapple with philosophical and moral questions that sciences cannot answer: What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be alive? Why does the uncanny valley that separates reality from simulation frighten and intrigue us?

“It’s a science fiction play,” said director David Saltz, who also heads the theatre and film studies department, about the general appeal of the work. “I, like lots of people, love science fiction. And I love theatre, of course. But while there are countless science fiction movies and novels, you rarely see a science fiction play.”

EXHIBITIONS Keep Your Seats, memorabilia celebrating the 110-year history of the UGA Redcoat Marching Band. Through Dec. 23. Special collections libraries. 706-542-8079.

Gifts and Prayers: The Romanovs and Their Subjects. Through Dec. 31. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu Icon of Modernism: Representing the Brooklyn Bridge. Through Dec. 11. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu On the Stump—What Does it Take to Get Elected in Georgia?

Through Aug. 18, 2017. Special collection libraries.

706-542-5788. jhebbard@uga.edu

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 WORKSHOP “Reacting to the Past and Setting the Stage for Active Learning.”

Part of the Pedagogy and Practice Series. Noon. Instructional Plaza.

PRESENTATION Trends in Experimental Latin American Animation. Part of the Latin American and Caribbean Screening Series. The film screening at 8 p.m. is preceded by a reception and presentation by the curators at 7 p.m. This event is sponsored by the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Institute, UGA Film Studies, the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts and the Universidad Javeriana. 7 p.m. Cine, 234 W. Hancock Ave. 706-461-5875. linitaguirre@gmail.com CONCERT The UGA Wind Symphony, directed by Jaclyn Hartenberger, and the UGA Symphonic Band, directed by Mike Robinson, will perform. 8 p.m. Hodgson Concert Hall Performing Arts Center.

706-542-4752. ccschwabe@uga.edu

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 INNOVATION GATEWAY LUNCH & LEARN The program will feature Dodge Communications, a full-service agency that offers expert PR, integrated marketing communications and a broad range of digital services. Noon.

128/130 CAGTECH. 706-542-7065. sschulze@uga.edu TUESDAY TOUR A free, guided tour of the exhibit galleries of the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library and the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies. Participants should meet in the rotunda on the second floor of the special collections libraries. 2 p.m. 706-542-8079. jclevela@uga.edu SEMINAR “River Food Webs: An Integrative Approach to Bottom-up Flow Webs, Top-down Impact Webs and Trophic Position,” Art Benke,

America’s favorite political satirists return to Athens when the UGA Performing Arts Center presents the Capitol Steps Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall. The comedy troupe, founded by former Congressional staffers, bills itself as “equal opportunity offenders.”

Tickets are $47 to $52 and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center, online at pac.uga.edu or by calling the box office at 706-542-4400. UGA students can purchase tickets for $6 with a valid UGA ID, limit one ticket per student.

The Capitol Steps began in 1981 when staff members for Sen. Charles Percy were planning entertainment for a Christmas party. Digging into the headlines of the day, they created skits and song parodies that conveyed a special brand of political humor.

Since that time the Capitol Steps have recorded 35 albums including their latest, What to Expect When You’re Electing.

They’ve been featured on Good Morning America, the Today Show, 20/20, Entertainment Tonight, CNN’s Inside Politics, and they can be heard twice a year on their Politics Takes a Holiday specials on National Public Radio.

Many of the performers have worked on Capitol Hill, some for Republicans, some for Democrats, and some for members who sit firmly on the fence.

The Capitol Steps performance was originally scheduled for 8 p.m. but was moved to 7 p.m. due to the presidential debate. Patrons are invited to stay after the show to watch the debate, which will be televised in Ramsey Concert Hall.

University of Alabama. Reception precedes seminar in lobby at 3:30 p.m. 4 p.m. Auditorium, ecology building. 706-542-7247. bethgav@uga.edu CLASS “Hypertufa Planters.” Attendees should wear something they do not mind getting wet or dirty. Registration required. $40. 6 p.m.

Visitor Center’s Classroom 2, State Botanical Garden.

706-542-6156. garden@uga.edu

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Tennessee. 7 p.m. Turner Soccer Complex. 706-542-1621.

for Leadership Advancement. 10:10 a.m. Chapel. valeriej@uga.edu

UNIVERSITY THEATRE Uncanny Valley. In this compelling new play by Thomas Gibbons set in the near future, a scientist teaches a robot how to move, think and feel like a human. In the process, the pair forges an unexpectedly profound and complex friendship. 8 p.m.

Sept. 22-24 and 27-30 and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 2. $16; $12 students.

Cellar Theatre, Fine Arts Building. 706-542-4400. (See story, above left).

LECTURE “It’s not as Easy as We Make It Look: Pathways to Motherhood for Seven (Lesbian) Couples and the Legal Impact of Marriage Equality Rulings on their Parental Status,” Erin Richman, Division of Student Affairs. Part of the Women’s Studies Friday Speaker Series. 12:20 p.m. 214 Miller Learning Center.

706-542-2846. tlhat@uga.edu

LECTURE “Conservation Science & Opportunities in the US Geological Survey,” Mary Freeman, U.S. Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and adjunct professor in the Odum School of Ecology. 1:25 p.m. 201 ecology building. cpringle@uga.edu

FACULTY CONCERT Ray McClellan, professor of clarinet, will perform quintets for clarinet and strings with a group of School of Music faculty and students. 8 p.m. Ramsey Concert Hall. 706-542-4752. ccschwabe@uga.edu

MAKE IT AN EVENING Attendees can enjoy coffee, dessert and a gallery tour at the museum prior to the performance in Hodgson Hall by the Havana Cuba All-Stars. 6 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu

MUSEUM MIX The museum’s thrice-annual late-night art party features a live deejay, free refreshments and galleries that remain open until 11 p.m. #museummix. 8 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu

GUEST ARTIST CONCERT American saxophonist Chris Condon performs. 6:30 p.m. Edge Recital Hall, Hugh Hodgson School of Music. 706-542-4752. ccschwabe@uga.edu CONCERT A performance of Cuban music by the Havana Cuba All-Stars, a band comprised of Cuban musicians. $25-$41. 8 p.m. Hodgson Concert Hall. 706-542-4400. ugaarts@uga.edu (See story, above top).

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 WORKSHOP “Investigating Teaching and Learning in Your Course(s).”

9:30 a.m. 372 Miller Learning Center. 706-542-1713. ckuus@uga.edu AMERICAN INDIAN RETURNINGS TALK LeAnne Howe, the Eidson Distinguished Professor in American Literature, in conjunction with the UGA Creative Writing Program, will present an American Indian Returnings or AIR talk by Joy Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke Nation.

4:15 p.m. 214 Miller Learning Center. 706-542-2659. cwp@uga.edu DISCUSSION The REAL TALK, REAL TEACHING: #CHARLESTONSYLLABUS discussion is designed as a dialogic space where the speakers and the audience can engage in real conversations on the history and reasons for racial inequalities and violence and ways that educators can address the difficult realities of race, racism and racial violence in education. 6 p.m.

Auditorium, special collections libraries. 706-542-4244. cdillard@uga.edu

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/

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 CONFERENCE The Southern Translational Education and Research Conference will include topics in clinical and translational research and offer opportunities for trainees and faculty to showcase their research and network with others to develop new scientific collaborations. $50-$60. 7:30 a.m. Georgia Center.

CHARLESTON SYLLABUS SYMPOSIUM Inspired by the #CharlestonSyllabus campaign born in the wake of the June 17 massacre at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, this symposium is open to UGA students and faculty to come together to discuss the current state of race relations, racial violence and civil rights activism. Featured speakers include historians Chad Williams, Kidada E. Williams and Keisha N. Blain, editors of Charleston Syllabus: Readings on Race, Racism and Racial Violence, an anthology recently published by the University of Georgia Press. 8 a.m. Auditorium, special collections libraries.

CLASS “Fall Wildflowers of the Georgia Piedmont.” $50. 9 a.m. Visitor Center’s Classroom 2, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6156. garden@uga.edu MORNING MINDFULNESS WORKSHOP A guided mindfulness meditation practice in the galleries. Each session includes instructor-led meditation followed by a period of reflection and discussion. Stools without backs are provided; attendees should bring a cushion if desired. Register by calling 706-542-8663 or emailing callan@uga.edu 9:30 a.m. Georgia Museum of Art. TERRY LEADERSHIP SPEAKER SERIES Speaker: Karole Lloyd, Ernst & Young. Presented by the Institute

LECTURE “Butterflies, Corals and the Future of Humankind: A Last Lecture,” James W. Porter, Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor of Ecology. Reception follows in the Administration Building.

4 p.m. Chapel. 706-542-7247. bethgav@uga.edu (See story, page 3).

SHOUKY SHAHEEN LECTURE Suzanne Massie is both the 2016 Shouky Shaheen Distinguished Lecturer in the Arts and keynote speaker for the museum’s two-day symposium on Russian art and the history of collecting Russian art in the U.S. Massie, together with her former husband, Robert K. Massie, wrote the book Nicholas and Alexandra: An Intimate Account of the Last of the Romanovs and the Fall of the Russian Empire. This book had immense impact on the development of Russian studies in the U.S. She served as a personal advisor on matters of Russian art and culture to U.S. President Ronald Reagan and acted as the unofficial liaison between Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. 5:30 p.m.

S150 Lamar Dodd School of Art. 706-542-1511. artinfo@uga.edu GUEST ARTIST RECITAL Thomas Otten, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 6 p.m.

Performing Arts Center. 706-542-4752. ccschwabe@uga.edu

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARLY SYMPOSIUM “Gifts and Prayers: The Romanovs and Their Subjects.” Speakers from Europe and the U.S. will discuss the history of collecting Russian art in America. Papers will be devoted to individual works of art featured in the exhibition of the same name. The presentations will include reports on the conservation and restoration of the objects of art as well as detailed findings of a scientific, multispectral imaging of a hitherto unknown painting

by Aleksei G. Venetsianov (1780-1847), one of Russia’s most significant 19th-century artists. Sponsored by the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts and C. V. Nalley III. 10 a.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu ALPHA AND OMEGA LECTURES HONORING JAMES PORTER “The Alpha and Omega Lectures” given in honor of James W. Porter by the first and last students he advised as major professor. “From Georgia (via Michigan) to the Deep-Sea: Biodiversity and Chemosynthetic Symbioses” by Colleen Cavanaugh, the Edward C. Jeffrey Professor of Biology at Harvard University, and “Diagnosing the Decline of a Caribbean Coral Reef Foundation Species: A 22-Year Journey with a Pioneer in the Field of Coral

TO SUBMIT A LISTING FOR THE MASTER CALENDAR AND COLUMNS Post event information first to the Master Calendar website (calendar.uga.edu/). Listings for Columns are taken from the Master Calendar 12 days before the publication date.

Events not posted by then may not be printed in Columns.

Any additional information about the event may be sent directly to Columns. Email is preferred (columns@uga.edu), but materials can be mailed to Columns, Marketing & Communications, 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 North, Campus Mail 1999.

Reef Ecology,” by Kathryn P. Sutherland, an associate professor in the biology department at Rollins College.

Reception follows in the courtyard. 4 p.m. Auditorium, ecology building. 706-542-7247. bethgav@uga.edu (See story, page 3).

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 2016 ATHENS JAZZ FESTIVAL 1 p.m. Georgia Center. 706-542-9842. thaxtona@uga.edu (See Digest, page 3).

WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Auburn. 2 p.m. Turner Soccer Complex. 706-542-1621.

2ND ANNUAL “I LOVE UKULELE” FESTIVAL Listen to, play and sing along with the Athens Ukulele Philharmonic and other ukulele groups and soloists. 2 p.m. Theater-inthe-Woods, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6156. garden@uga.edu SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT TOUR Led by docents. 3 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu

COMING UP OPEN FORUMS: FLSA Sept. 26. A panel of UGA FLSA experts will assist affected staff with questions. The 9 a.m. forum will be available on the web via Collaborate at https://us.bbcollab.com/guest/C2C7DF94755AB6580A1DCEE898C2DA9D. The 2 p.m. session will be available on the web via Collaborate at https://us.bbcollab. com/guest/847C209E9CF1D947C02716C3AD7B67BB. Mahler Auditorium, Georgia Center.

CAPITOL STEPS Sept. 26. 8 p.m. $47-$52; $6 students. Hodgson Concert Hall. pac.uga.edu (See story, above).

PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE WATCH 2016 Sept. 26. Doors will open at 8 p.m., followed by discussion led

by UGA political science professor Paul Gurian at 8:30 p.m., and the debate at 9 p.m. Part of Ready, Steady, Vote!, a series of events hosted by the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies. 8 p.m. Auditorium, Russell Library for Political Research and Studies. 706-542-5788. jhebbard@uga.edu WORKSHOP Sept. 27. “Student-Centered Teaching and Social Media.” 2 p.m.

Reading Room, Miller Learning Center.

SIGNATURE LECTURE Sept. 28 .“Strengthening International Alliances in a World That Wants to Tear Them Apart,” Sir Ivor Roberts, president of Trinity College, University of Oxford. Sponsored by the University of Georgia Press, the School of Public and International Affairs and UGA at Oxford. 4 p.m. Chapel.

NEXT COLUMNS DEADLINES Sept. 21 (for Oct. 3 issue) Sept. 28 (for Oct. 10 issue) Oct. 5 (for Oct. 17 issue)

6 Sept. 19, 2016 columns.uga.edu

CAMPUS CLOSEUP

Deadly food chain

For more than a decade, a toxic algae has been poisoning and killing birds throughout the South.

In 2001, Susan Wilde, an associate professor in UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, discovered how hydrilla, an invasive plant, was carrying a deadly bacteria that was causing brain lesions in bald eagles.

She recounted her story to the Tampa Bay Times. It turned out that smaller waterfowl, like coots, were eating algae-covered hydrilla. “(Those birds) would get sick and start flopping around,” she said, “and they would be easy prey for the eagles to eat.”

Wilde explained that eagles typically eat fish but would not miss a chance to eat the vulnerable coots.

It was a costly mistake for the eagles, which became infected with the bacteria.

“All the birds die within 24 hours,” Wilde said.

Wilde and other ecologist are studying the algae and looking for ways to curb its effects.

Reality check

The instant popularity of the video game Pokemon Go changed the way many people thought about mobile phone games.

Using a smartphone camera, the game allows the user to see cartoon characters “existing” in the real world on their screens.

Grace Ahn, an assistant professor of advertising at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, argues that this game may become a precursor to augmented reality, or AR, games. Now in development, AR devices aim to create a live view that fuses the real and virtual worlds.

“Pokemon Go is indeed playing a critical role in democratizing the idea of AR, so that everyday users will be more prepared to adopt the technology when it is later introduced,” wrote Ahn, in an essay for IEEE Spectrum. “Shifting the public’s understanding of what is ‘normal’ is critical for the adoption of emerging technology. Remember when the hands-free feature first became available for cellular devices? People walking in the streets, ostensibly mumbling and laughing to themselves, confused many nonusers. Nowadays, people barely even notice this. Likewise, today’s Pokemon Go players look odd to outsiders, but norms will shift here as well.”

Clone call

Twenty years after scientists cloned the first mammal, a sheep named Dolly, U.S. News & World Report wrote an article about the state of cloning in the science world.

The article asked UGA researcher Steven Stice, a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, about the ethical issues surrounding cloning and people’s fears about cloned human beings.

“Are there people out there hoping to clone humans? I hope not,” said Stice, director of UGA’s Regenerative Bioscience Center. “I don’t see any great value or reason for cloning humans. I’m against it from an ethical side. I don’t know of anyone doing it.”

Stice told U.S. News that cloning is useful in circumstances related to reproducing animals but should only used in a “limited scope.”

“I think cloning is safe,” he said. “It’s one of many reproductive tools that can be used by people trying to get better quality and safer meat and milk for more people.”

Return reluctance

In a column for Bloomberg View, Stephen Mihm, an associate history professor in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, outlined the history of presidential candidates releasing their tax returns.

“Candidates don’t enjoy this ritual, and more than a few have initially resisted demands to expose their financial data,” Mihm wrote. “But no president was more averse to releasing this information during his political career than Richard Nixon was.”

Dorothy Kozlowski

Kyle Meyer, manager of the UGA Glass Blowing Shop, helps create and repair glassware for the university’s science departments.

New manager of Glass Blowing Shop makes needed devices for scientists

By Leigh Beeson lbeeson@uga.edu

A chance scholarship to a community college in New Jersey introduced Kyle Meyer to the art of scientific glass blowing more than 13 years ago, and he’s been hooked ever since.

Meyer is the new manager of the UGA Glass Blowing Shop, where he creates and repairs glassware for the university’s science departments. The shop first opened in 1960, but after the last shop manager retired in December 2015, there was a seven-month period when UGA’s scientists headed to the Georgia Institute of Technology for their glass needs. Meyer’s arrival in July helped researchers get the materials they need closer to home.

For 13 years, Meyer worked for Sigma-Aldrich, now part of MilliporeSigma, producing and repairing glass labware. But he’s found the research university environment compelling.

“It’s that one-on-one interaction helping the chemist that’s special to working for a university,” he said. “If you work for a big company, you’re just there making piece after piece and you never get to interact with anybody. Here, it’s fun; you feel like you’re helping out.”

Researchers frequently drop by with designs in mind for future experiments, sometimes bringing Meyer a sketch of what they’re hoping he can bring to

fruition. A few weeks ago, he created a mosquito feeder for scientists in the infectious diseases department that used a jacketed piece of glass, which enables researchers to control the temperature of the liquid held inside the device, to attract and feed mosquitoes held in a container below the feeder.

The more complex the job, the better for Meyer, who enjoys challenging himself with complicated projects.

“I like those super intense jobs that take a long time and that you have to be very precise and accurate at every step or the device isn’t going to work,” he said.

There are different types of glass, hard and soft, and selecting the right kind is the key to successful projects.

The glass used in scientific research is called hard glass, which is mostly borosilicate- or quartz-based, and it requires a high temperature to melt and become malleable. The torch he uses to fire the glass goes up to 2,000 degrees F, and one of the kilns, or ovens that finishes off fired glassware, tops 1,000 degrees F. More artistic projects, such as the creation of decorative glass bowls or even Coca-Cola bottles, require soft glass, which melts at a lower temperature and stays hot longer, allowing the glass blower more time to manipulate it into the desired form.

Meyer always has been creative, but his art exposure in school left him unfulfilled.

FACTS

Kyle Meyer

Glass Shop Manager, Glass Blowing Shop Center for Applied Isotope Studies • A.A.S., Scientific Glass Technology, Salem Community College, New Jersey, 2003 • At UGA: 2 1/2 months

“I’ve always liked to work with my hands and create, but painting and drawing were things I was never really good at or felt I was good at,” he said.

“Then when I got into glass blowing, I felt like it fit.”

When he was offered a scholarship to Salem Community College in Carneys Point, New Jersey, he jumped at the opportunity to master a new craft, figuring that the five-year commitment—two years of school, three years of working for Sigma-Aldrich, which sponsored the scholarship—would be bearable even if he found glass blowing tedious.

Prior to attending Salem, the only school in the country to offer a degree in scientific glass technology, Meyer had never heard of glass blowing.

“I just fell into it; it’s kind of crazy,” he said. “I love being a glass blower, but it’s nothing I ever dreamed of.”

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH

Moore appointed associate vice president for research

By James Hataway jhataway@uga.edu

Julie Moore, a professor of infectious diseases, has been appointed associate vice president for research at UGA. Moore assumed her new role July 7 following a faculty-led search to identify a successor to Robert Scott, professor of chemistry, who has served as associate vice president for research since 2007.

Moore will take on various roles in OVPR, including overseeing internal grants and awards, helping to promote interdisciplinary research at UGA and working closely with the Office of International Education to encourage UGA’s involvement in global research.

“I’m looking forward to working

with my colleagues to promote partnerships that will foster innovative research both at UGA and abroad,” she said.

In addition to her faculty appointment in the Julie Moore College of Veterinary Medicine, Moore is a member of the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases. Her research aims to better understand the role of host-parasite interactions in malaria, particularly during pregnancy.

Moore also serves as principal investigator and director of the NIHfunded Post-Baccalaureate Research

Education Program (PREP@UGA), a research experience-based initiative that helps prepare students from underrepresented backgrounds for successful application to top U.S. Ph.D. and M.D./ Ph.D. programs.

“Her obvious commitment to research, scholarship and training will be a strong asset to OVPR, and her presence will help to ensure that service to faculty remains foremost in our minds,” said Vice President for Research David Lee. “I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Bob Scott for his near decade-long service to OVPR.” Despite stepping away from his formal role, Scott will continue to work with OVPR in key areas that align especially well with his interests and expertise, Lee said.

UGA LIBRARIES, CENTER FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

Forensic detectives

Fellows program promotes archives-based learning

columns.uga.edu Sept. 19, 2016

7

SCHOOL OF LAW

Three named to inaugural class of Alston Fellows

By Aaron Hale

By Lona Panter

aahale@uga.edu

lonap@uga.edu

With Google searches, online textbooks and e-readers, students increasingly rely on digital tools to learn without ever needing to pick up a physical book.

There is nothing inherently wrong with digital learning tools, said Jill Severn, head of access and outreach at the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, but students get a different kind of learning experience from putting their hands on physical books, documents and other primary sources. That’s especially true with the rich materials available at UGA’s special collections libraries.

A partnership between UGA Libraries and the Center for Teaching and Learning aims to help faculty incorporate archival material into the curriculum. This kind of tactile learning—the look, smell and feel of a document—offers a complement to 21stcentury digital resources.

“We’re not saying do this instead,” Severn said. “We’re saying do this, too.”

To help UGA instructors take advantage of the breadth of material housed in the special collections libraries, UGA is offering the Special Collections Libraries Faculty Fellows program. Introduced last year, the program provides instructional support plus a $2,000 stipend to develop or (re)design courses that make significant use of the special collections libraries, which include the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, and the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection.

CTL is accepting applications until Oct. 3 for the 2017 SCL Faculty Fellows at http://t. uga.edu/1Z3.

The program begins in December, followed by monthly meetings in which Fellows delve into the foundations of archives-based learning. Fellows meet for a Maymester Institute to focus on course design, planning and development.

Recent studies by the Brooklyn Historical Society found that effective archives-based learning, such as the kind encouraged by the SCL Faculty Fellows program, enhances student engagement, performance and retention, and promotes observational, research and critical thinking skills.

“It’s a way of thinking about finding,

The UGA School of Law has named the inaugural class of its Distinguished Law Fellows program.

This elite fellowship program offers annually three law students the opportunity to receive a unique legal educational experience that includes domestic and international externships and guided research experiences, opportunities to meet some of the country’s top legal leaders and a full-tuition scholarship.

The fellowship is reserved for students who demonstrate extraordinary academic achievement and exceptional professional promise.

The Distinguished Law Fellows program is modeled after the university’s prestigious Foundation Fellows program for undergraduates. It is a result of a $2 million founding gift from The John N. Goddard Foundation that was facilitated by foundation trustees and UGA alumni Robert G. “Bob” Edge and John G. “Jimmy” Alston Sr. All but one of the trustees of the foundation are children or grandchildren of Elkin Goddard Alston and Philip H. Alston Jr. The Philip H. Alston,Jr. Distinguished Law Fellows for 2016-17 are first-year law student Lindsey R. Bunting, secondyear law student Taryn P. Winston and third-year law student Katherine G. “Kate” Howard.

“These three women, as the inaugural Alston Distinguished Law Fellows, are outstanding students who will receive a premium level of support and unrivaled learning opportunities,” said Georgia Law Dean Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge.

Benefits of being an Alston Distinguished Law Fellow include a professional development stipend to be used at the end of the fellow’s first and second years of law school for summer externships; study abroad offerings or research projects; special travel opportunities to meet some of the nation’s foremost legal advocates and jurists, including U.S. Supreme Court justices with the law school’s dean serving as the guide for at least one of these trips; and a full-tuition scholarship.

“This opportunity for our students aligns with the university’s mission, and we are very grateful for the Goddard Foundation’s assistance in this effort,” Rutledge said.

Dorothy Kozlowski

Kristen Smith (center) and several of her graphic communications students look at original printings of The Great Speckled Bird, a counterculture underground newspaper from Atlanta that ran from 1968 to 1976.

searching and discovery,” Severn said.

Faculty in the Fellows program brainstorm ways to create a sense of awe when handling the archives.

Severn compares a student’s initial interaction with a primary source to a first date.

One of the keys to this program is to guide students on a good first date with archival material, one that makes an impression. For example, Cynthia Camp, an associate professor of English literature in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, wows students by introducing them to a large, leather-bound 16th-century Catholic songbook. Camp asks students to describe—like forensic detectives—what they observe and determine what that says about the book’s origins.

Although history and literature are natural fits for this program, faculty from all disciplines are welcome to apply to find creative ways to use archives-based learning.

Among last year’s inaugural SCL Faculty Fellows cohort were faculty in theatre and public relations.

Kristen Smith, a senior public relations lecturer in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, is using the special collections libraries to introduce her graphic communications students to graphic design history. Special collections has an assortment of 20th-century posters

WEEKLY READER

Book helps students with their career prep Many human development and family sciences students struggle to identify who they are and how best to use their knowledge and skills.

Navigating Career Roadmaps: Developing Your Professional GPS through Internships provides students with step-by-step instructions and tips for using internship and professional opportunities to reach their final desired destination: a fulfilling career.

Now in its second edition, this book by two faculty members in UGA’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences, Jennifer L. Gonyea, a senior lecturer in human development and family sciences, Navigating Career Roadmaps: and Melissa Scott Kozak, a lecturer and Developing Your Professional undergraduate program coordinator in GPS through Internships human development and family sciences, aims to help readers identify who they

By Jennifer L. Gonyea and are, who they want to be and how they can Melissa Scott Kozak get there, as well as how to find, secure and make the most of their internships.

Kendall Hunt Publishing Company This new edition also features a new Print: $80 chapter on generating self presentation Ebook: $40 through writing.

and magazines that give students a sense of how graphic design evolved.

Whereas this class has traditionally focused on assignments that build students’ design skills, Smith has built a new curriculum that includes research papers and projects centered on graphic design history.

“You can’t be a great graphic designer without some sense of history,” Smith said.

Amma Y. Ghartey-Tagoe Kootin, an assistant professor in Franklin College’s theatre and film studies department and the Institute for African American Studies, has designed a performance arts course around archival material. The idea is that physical objects can be inspiration to the creative process—that’s especially true for objects with a rich history.

“The archives gives us a great opportunity to play,” Ghartey-Tagoe Kootin said to her students.

Severn believes this creative use of archives-based learning can go even further; she wants to see faculty in sciences or math learn take part in the program to reach even more students.

“My dream is for every UGA student to have some experience with material in this building,” said Severn, “not to see them become historians but so they have some sense of the fascinating materials we have here.”

ABOUT COLUMNS

CYBERSIGHTS

Columns is available to the campus community by ­subscription for an annual fee of $20 (second-class delivery) or $40 (firstclass delivery). Faculty and staff members with a disability may call 706-542-8017 for assistance in obtaining this publication in an alternate format.

Columns staff can be reached at 706-542-8017 or columns@uga.edu

Digital Humanities Initiative launches site http://digi.uga.edu/ The Digital Humanities Initiative is an interdisciplinary endeavor sponsored by the UGA Libraries, the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, and the UGA Press that seeks to create a community of praxis surrounding digital humanities methods and tools.

The initiative includes the Willson Center Digital Humanities Lab, known informally as the DigiLab, which serves as a digital instruction space as well as an

incubator for digital humanities projects.

The lab also supports the DIGI undergraduate certificate program, grant writing and project consultations, as well as training for integrating digital humanities methods into the classroom.

The DIGI website contains class listings, requirements and application. Current digital humanities projects and news on the initiative are also found on the website.

Editor Juliett Dinkins Art Director Jackie Baxter Roberts Photo Editor Dorothy Kozlowski Senior Writer Aaron Hale Communications Coordinator Krista Richmond

The University of Georgia is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.

The University of Georgia is a unit of the University System of Georgia.

8 Sept. 19, 2016 columns.uga.edu

RANKING

GROWN from page 1 Next, the group learned about UGA carbon research being conducted at SuperSod, one of the South’s largest producers of turfgrass sod and seed.

Tour members also learned about how crops originate. In Plains, they stopped at the Georgia Seed Development Commission facility, where various seed types relating to high-value crops such as peanuts, soybeans, blueberries, muscadine grapes, rye, wheat and forages are reproduced and marketed.

Most of the cultivars at the Georgia Seed Development Commission were developed by scientists from UGA’s agricultural and environmental college.

The tour concluded with a trip to Albany, where the group visited Plantation Seed Conditioners and the Georgia Federal-State Inspection Service. At this facility, regulators inspect more than 35 different commodities, including peanuts, fruits, vegetables and pecans.

“One of the things that has impressed me since coming to Georgia is the deep appreciation people have for the art and science of agriculture. To see that appreciation extend to the President’s Office at the University of Georgia is significant,” Pardue said. “It’s

PROJECT

good for our college and Georgia agriculture that the university’s commitment to the ag industry is strong and still growing under President Morehead’s vision and leadership.”

This was Morehead’s fourth tour with Black since Morehead took over as UGA president in 2013. Last year, the group visited the northeast part of the state and learned about food processing and food safety. The year before, the group toured south Georgia and learned about cotton ginning and the operations at Brooksco Dairy in Quitman.

According to the UGA Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, Georgia’s total agricultural production reached $14 billion in 2014, the most recent year for which data are available, up $398 million from 2013. Agriculture contributes more than $74 billion annually to Georgia’s economy.

Georgia’s top five commodities remain broilers, beef, cotton, eggs and timber.

Georgia also leads the nation in peanut and blueberry production. One in seven Georgia residents works in forestry, agriculture or related fields. In 2012, there were 42,257 farms in Georgia, a total of 9,620,836 acres of land; the average size was 228 acres.

from page 1

needs, target resources and track progress,” Porter said.

The mission of the AWP is to integrate planning efforts and improve outcomes achieved by local institutions, organizations and community stakeholders through the collection and sharing of an openaccess, neighborhood-level, longitudinal dataset that is representative of the county’s population.

In its inaugural year, the AWP will include a 15- to 20-minute household survey designed by researchers at UGA. An interdisciplinary team facilitated by Grace Bagwell Adams in the College of Public Health includes Jerry Shannon from the geography department in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Amanda Abraham from the School of Public and International Affairs; Rebecca Matthew, Y. Joon Choi and Lemuel LaRoche from the School of Social Work; and Celia Eicheldinger with Research Triangle Institute International.

“We’re asking basic questions, but the answers add up to a map—both literally and figuratively—of how to improve housing, transportation, lifelong learning, community safety, wealth and employment, civic vitality and health in Athens,” said Bagwell Adams.

Following data collection, information will be analyzed by Bagwell Adams and the team and then disseminated to the public in summer 2017. Data collection is completely

anonymous; it will not include participants’ names or any identifying information.

“We want households to participate and to feel free to answer the questions honestly, so we designed a process that will not ask for names and will not report individual household information,” Bagwell Adams said.

“Results will be reported at the neighborhood level, which we define as the elementary school attendance zone.”

Households will be randomly selected to complete the survey, and each participating household will have the chance to be entered into weekly drawings for prizes.

Each institutional partner has specific plans to use the data once it is available next year. For example, the Clarke County School District, in its transition to a charter system, plans to provide its new local school governance teams with data on each elementary attendance zone. The Athens-Clarke County Police Department also plans to use the data to strengthen its community policing strategy.

“We recognize that community safety is about more than law enforcement,” said police Chief Scott Freeman. “Sponsoring summer camps, health fairs and basketball tournaments may not be typical police department activities, but listening to our neighbors is how this police department builds relationships and strengthens neighborhoods from within.”

Bulletin Board Libraries survey

UGA undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff will be surveyed using LibQUAL+, a web-based tool offered by the Association of Research Libraries, to gauge satisfaction with the libraries’ services, collections and facilities. The UGA Libraries has conducted the survey periodically since 2004. This year’s survey will end Sept. 30.

Past LibQUAL+ data helped guide improvements in service, such as greater access to study spaces, enhancements to interlibrary loan service, and the addition of improved search tools and renovations at both the main and science libraries.

Those who complete the survey will have the chance to win one of 10 Walmart gift certificates worth $25.

For more information, contact Diana

Hartle by email (dhartle@uga.edu) or phone (706-524-6399).

TEDxUGA presenters

​Do you have an idea worth spreading? ​Since 2013, ​TEDxUGA has been engaging the campus community in an exploration of ideas worth spreading and is currently seeking dynamic faculty and staff presenters to take the stage for TEDxUGA 2017. ​ Visit tedxuga.com/nominate to submit a nomination for a faculty or staff member by Sept. 30. Self-nominations are welcome and encouraged.

Email tedxuga@uga.edu with any questions.

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

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steady increase in the number of applications for admission. This fall marked the fourth consecutive year in which the incoming class of first-year students set a record for academic quality, and applications for fall admission reached an all-time high this year at nearly 23,000, surpassing last year’s record total.

“It’s no surprise that demand for a UGA education continues to surge,” said Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “Our long tradition of excellence and bold new academic initiatives have created an unparalleled learning environment that fosters the highest levels of student success.”

UGA’s top ranking also benefited from an improved academic peer assessment rating, which measures how a university is regarded by administrators at peer institutions. The reputational score is determined by surveying presidents, provosts and deans of admissions, or officials in equivalent positions, at institutions in the same ranking category.

UGA has made national headlines in recent years for major faculty hiring initiatives and innovations in undergraduate education.

This fall, UGA became the nation’s largest public university to ensure that all undergraduate students benefit from hands-on learning experiences—such as internships, research projects or specialized study abroad opportunities—that prepare them for success after graduation. In addition to implementing its experiential learning initiative, the university also recently implemented a small class size initiative that has brought more than

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statistical analysis, and the publication and distribution of scientific findings. The college also will collaborate with The Forum Institute in developing curricula for physicians and mothers-to-be in preconception care and related topics.

“We are very pleased to establish this partnership with The Forum Institute to advance the Preconception to Infancy public health initiative,” said Phillip Williams, dean of the College of Public Health. “With Dr. Cordero, we have one of the leading experts in child and maternal health guiding this program. His role places us in an ideal position to implement an outstanding public health program for Georgia residents.”

Representatives from UGA and The Forum Institute met Sept. 9 to formalize the partnership. UGA officials in attendance were Cordero; Williams; Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost; David Lee, vice president for research; and Kelly Kerner, vice president for development and alumni relations.

Representatives from The Forum Institute included board Chair Gleason Eakin, board President David Humphrey, Executive Committee members Lee Grossman and Judi Rees, and P2i Program Executive Director Mary Closson.

“I’m honored to serve as the director for the P2i Center of Excellence,” Cordero said.

“This is an outstanding partnership that will leverage the public health expertise at UGA and will be able to help many couples have healthy babies. The research developed at the center will prove invaluable for future generations of families in Georgia and around the country.”

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50 new faculty members to campus to create more than 300 additional course sections in high-demand subjects.

Vice President for Instruction Rahul Shrivastav has played an important role in implementing these and other academic initiatives since he assumed his position in February 2015.

“The university has been committed for many years to enhancing the learning environment for students, and new initiatives in advising and experiential learning, along with more classes, are elevating undergraduate education to new heights,” said Shrivastav.

“The higher education community has taken note of our pioneering spirit and our strong commitment to excellence in teaching and learning.”

The state of Georgia is one of only three in the country with two institutions—Georgia Institute of Technology and UGA—listed among the top 20 public universities. In addition, UGA was one of only two institutions in the Southeastern Conference, along with the University of Florida, to rank in the top 20 among publics.

UGA recently was ranked No. 17 on the Forbes “Top 25 Public Colleges 2016” list and consistently ranks as one of the nation’s best values in public higher education. Kiplinger’s ranked UGA at No. 12 on its 2016 list of the 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 2015 College Access Index.

An internationally recognized researcher and public health leader, Cordero has dedicated his career to addressing maternal and child health, minority health and health disparities. For 27 years, he served in the U.S. Public Health Service at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During his time at the CDC, he attained the rank of assistant surgeon general of the Public Health Service and held a number of leadership positions focused on improving the health of mothers, children and adults in programs such as immunizations, birth defects and disabilities. The most prominent of these roles included deputy director of the National Immunization Program and founding director of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.

“We are delighted to be working in cooperation with UGA to implement the public health component of P2i,” Eakin said.

“Dr. Cordero’s participation in our think tanks over the past few years, combined with his role on the UGA faculty and the P2i initiative give him a unique perspective into the steps which must be taken to successfully deliver the program through a public health mechanism.”

Whitten noted that the P2i initiative has the potential to impact the lives of children and families for generations to come.

“Improving pregnancy outcomes and reducing the incidence of chronic conditions in infants is an urgent priority,” Whitten said, “and the strategic partnership between the University of Georgia and The Forum Institute underscores our shared commitment to creating a healthier future in Georgia and beyond.”

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In addition to energy savings resulting from the campus community, the Facilities Management Division continues to make key energy conservation investments. Replacing the 50-year-old coal-fired boiler with a new electrode boiler in 2015 resulted in an estimated 3 percent reduction in energy use as well as a significant reduction in emissions of sulfur dioxide and particulate matter. Three district energy plants are being constructed and expanded to efficiently cool campus buildings, including District Energy Plant (DEP) #1 located across from Bolton Dining Commons, DEP #2 adjacent to UGA’s Central Steam Plant and the planned DEP #3 on Riverbend Road for late 2017. To date, more than 4,000 LED lighting fixtures have been installed across campus, and many

more are planned over the next five years.

More than 1.5 miles of leaking steam lines and over 100 steam pits have been repaired and insulated.

The Office of University Architects also is constructing buildings that are increasingly energy-efficient. Since 2007, the university has added more than 2 million square feet in building space—including the Health Sciences Campus—an amount comparable to adding five Ramsey Student Centers to the university. New facilities include the recently opened Science Learning Center, Correll Hall, the special collections libraries, Pharmacy South and the Veterinary Medical Center, all of which are now contributing to the university’s overall reduction in the rate of energy consumption.