UGA Columns Sept 21, 2015

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‘Stronger Together’: UGA’s community of innovators under new leadership QUESTIONS&ANSWERS

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University Theatre to open season with dark comedy ‘A Behanding in Spokane’ Vol. 43, No. 9

September 21, 2015

www.columns.uga.edu

University receives national diversity award for 2nd year

By Camie Williams camiew@uga.edu

Annie Cheatham/Athens Photo Booths

Terry College of Business staffers Laura Clark, left, and Jessica Daniels were among the more than 275 people who attended a reception that thanked them for helping UGA close the books on a record-breaking fundraising year.

BIG ‘ThankU’

University thanks faculty, staff and retiree donors at reception

By Tyler Daniels jt88@uga.edu

UGA thanked faculty, staff and retiree donors who supported the university in fiscal year 2015, which ended June 30, with a Western-themed reception.

Held Sept. 1 in the Tate Student Center Grand Hall, the reception celebrated the 1,905 faculty, staff and retirees who donated nearly $4 million to help UGA achieve a record-breaking fundraising year, a 40 percent increase over 2014.

More than 275 faculty, staff and retirees were in attendance, and UGA President Jere W. Morehead and Kelly Kerner, UGA’s vice president for development and alumni relations, thanked them for their generosity.

“You have set an example that

says to our alumni and friends on whose philanthropic support we depend, that we believe in UGA so much we are willing to give of our own resources to further its advancement,” Morehead said. “With your support, the University of Georgia is reaching new heights of excellence.”

Several scholarship recipients and students from the Arch Society and Student Alumni Council were in attendance to thank donors who have improved their university experiences.

The Office of Donor Relations and Stewardship, a unit of the Office of Development, hosted the reception as part of the “ThankU” initiative, which promotes an attitude of gratitude at UGA. “The goal of the reception was to show appreciation to faculty, staff and retirees who supported the university by making a gift during

FY15,” said Tony Stringer, director of donor relations and stewardship.

“It is important to show potential donors that UGA faculty and staff members believe strongly in the university’s mission, and one way to do that is by making an annual gift. University employees commit themselves every day to making UGA a more vital institution, and when they show their financial support, it demonstrates pride in our great institution and speaks volumes about UGA as a place for philanthropic investment.”

The event included a chili bar, s’mores station and a Westernthemed photo booth, where attendees had the chance to take photos with mascot Hairy Dawg, who was dressed in his cowboy best. A slideshow that featured faculty and staff “Why I Give” quotes played throughout the event.

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Nominations sought for Women’s Leadership Fellows

By Sam Fahmy

sfahmy@uga.edu

The Provost’s Office is seeking nominations for a new fellows program created through the university’s Women’s Leadership Initiative.

The Women’s Leadership Fellows Program will provide a selected group of current faculty and administrators with dedicated time to develop and hone leadership skills and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities confronting research universities.

A particular focus of the program will be on the issues women face in

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academic administration.

This year’s program will begin in December and will run through June 2016. Fellows will attend a monthly meeting where they will learn from senior administrators on campus as well as visiting speakers from academia, business and other fields. The program also will feature a concluding weekend retreat, to be held June 3-4, 2016, for more in-depth learning.

“The Women’s Leadership Fellows Program seeks to identify and develop emerging leaders in higher education,” said Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Pamela Whitten. “We have talented faculty members

throughout our campuses, and I am confident that we will have a strong applicant pool for this innovative program.”

Nominations by deans and other senior administrators are welcome, as are self-nominations.

Application materials are due to Meg Amstutz, associate provost for academic programs, at mamstutz@ uga.edu by Oct. 21.

ON THE WEB

For more information on the Women’s Leadership Fellows Program, see http://t.uga.edu/1Mi.

UGA has received national recognition for its efforts to foster an inclusive, diverse campus for the second year in a row as a 2015 recipient of the INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award.

The HEED Award is the only designation of its kind awarded to institutions that exhibit outstanding efforts and success in the area of diversity and inclusion throughout their campuses.

“The university is pleased to receive, once again, this important recognition for the diversity of our campus community,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “The University of Georgia strives to cultivate an environment where individuals from all backgrounds feel valued and supported. We

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are pleased to be recognized for our efforts to create a positive and inclusive academic community.”

As a HEED Award recipient, the university will be featured in the November issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity, the oldest and largest diversity magazine and website in higher education.

“As an institution we are proud to be recognized as a HEED Award recipient,” said Michelle Garfield Cook, associate provost and chief diversity officer. “Units throughout the university are engaged in celebrating diversity and making our campus a more inclusive and welcoming place. It is truly a community effort that supports a core value of the University of Georgia.”

UGA’s successes include initiatives to recruit diverse students, faculty and staff and to improve graduation rates of

See AWARD on page 4

ODUM SCHOOL OF ECOLOGY, COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

NSF grant to fund graduate training in disease ecology

By Beth Gavrilles bethgav@uga.edu

UGA has received a five-year, $2.99 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop an interdisciplinary graduate training program in disease ecology.

Led by Vanessa Ezenwa, an associate professor in the Odum School of Ecology and the College of Veterinary Medicine’s infectious diseases department, the program will provide students with the skills to solve complex problems in an increasingly high-priority field and, in the process, transform the way graduate students are educated at UGA and beyond.

The grant is part of the new NSF Research Traineeship program, which was established

Vanessa Ezenwa

to support innovative and transferable models for interdisciplinary graduate education in science, engineering and math, with a focus on criti-

cal research needs.

“This important win is primarily a result of the remarkable creativity our faculty demonstrated in developing this truly innovative training program,” said David Lee, vice president for research. “But it is also a tangible result of the university’s efforts to build a world-class infectious disease program.”

The emergence and spread of

See GRANT on page 8

Readership survey to take place this fall To help determine the future direction of Columns, the News S ­ ervice has contracted with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government to survey the newspaper’s readers this fall.

Approximately 3,000 staff, faculty and administrators will be randomly selected to take part in an online survey that will begin Sept. 28.

Selected employees will receive a letter the week of Sept. 21 inviting them to take part in the survey. Responses will be coded so that they are confidential.

The survey will help Columns staff measure its success in informing employees about news of institutional importance. It also will help determine whether there are ways to better deliver Columns to UGA faculty, staff and administrators.

If you are contacted, please consider taking part in the 10-minute survey. We appreciate and value your feedback.

2 Sept. 21, 2015 columns.uga.edu

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Around academe

Georgia Regents University renamed Augusta University by USG regents

At its Sept. 15 meeting, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia renamed Georgia Regents University as Augusta University.

“The new name Augusta University builds on the momentum we have with President Brooks Keel’s leadership,” said University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby.

“We are committed to the long-term success of this institution and appreciate the support of the Augusta community.”

The research institution’s name change to Augusta University is effective immediately.

U. of California plans to attract more African-American students

Officials at the University of California at Berkeley have launched the African-American Initiative, which they hope will increase support for and enrollment of black students to the campus. A key part of the new initiative will be a $20 million scholarship fund for black students who are admitted. Currently, Berkeley’s black undergraduate enrollment is around 3 percent, and school officials say they hope the initiative will encourage additional African-American students to enroll.

Join International Coffee Hour

News to Use

Join UGA students, faculty and staff of all backgrounds at International Coffee Hour each week (see related story, page 4). The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Memorial Hall Ballroom. Excluding scheduled university breaks, the coffee hour takes place every Friday during fall and spring semesters.

Hosted each week by student organizations and campus departments, UGA’s International Coffee Hour is one of the longest running programs of its kind in the U.S. The program offers a unique experience to engage in conversation with people of different cultures and backgrounds. Typically several hundred people attend International Coffee Hour each week.

International Coffee Hour often includes a sampling of finger foods from around the world. It also has a different host each week including UGA international student organizations, university departments and offices, community groups and many others.

While each week has a new host or sponsor, the International Student Life office typically hosts the first and last International Coffee Hour of each semester.

The International Coffee Hour at Memorial Hall has been run by International Student Life since 1972 and is open to members of the UGA and Athens communities as an opportunity to learn about other cultures through food, music, performance and conversation.

For more information email ugaisl@uga. edu or contact Chee Ia Yang at 706-542-7911.

Source: UGA International Student Life

Good medicine UGA’s College of Pharmacy placed in the top 10 in a list of most affordable pharmacy schools in the U.S. The top 10 university programs are:

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U. of Missouri-Kansas City U of Arkansas for Medical Sciences U. of Texas at Austin U. of Kansas U. of Maryland-Baltimore U. of Connecticut U. of Oklahoma U. of Kentucky

9. UGA

10. U. of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Source: InsiderMonkey

Janet Beckley

4 named Fellows for SEC Academic Leadership Development Program

By Camie Williams camiew@uga.edu

Four UGA faculty members—Erica Hashimoto, Jessica Kissinger, Kecia Thomas and Mark Wilson—will gain a deeper perspective on academic leadership as the university’s 2015-2016 SEC Academic Leadership Development Program Fellows.

Created by the Southeastern Conference in 2008, the fellowship program seeks to identify, prepare and advance academic leaders for roles within SEC institutions and beyond. Hashimoto is the associate dean for clinical programs and experiential learning and the Allen Post Professor of Law at the School of Law; Kissinger is the director of the Institute of Bioinformatics and a professor of genetics in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Thomas is a professor of industrial/organizational psychology, the founding director of the Center for Research and Engagement in Diversity and the associate dean for faculty leadership development and diversity in the Franklin College; and Wilson is associate dean for academic affairs and UGA Foundation Professor in Public Health in the College of Public Health.

The participants will work with senior administrators at UGA based on their areas of interest and attend two SEC-wide workshops that include lectures, panel discussions and opportunities to interact with their counterparts from other SEC institutions.

“The program gives faculty a focused, thoughtful look at leadership opportunities in higher education,” said Meg Amstutz, associate provost for academic programs and UGA’s SEC ALDP liaison.

Hashimoto has received numerous teaching honors, including being named a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor. She created the

Dorothy Kozlowski

From left, Kecia Thomas, Erica Hashimoto, Jessica Kissinger and Mark Wilson are 2015-2016 SEC Academic Leadership Development Program Fellows.

Law School’s Appellate Litigation Clinic, through which she supervises students who brief and argue cases on behalf of indigent clients. Her scholarship focuses on criminal defendants’ right to the assistance of counsel and the availability of remedies for constitutional deprivations in criminal cases, and her work was cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in its decision upholding the constitutional right of self-representation.

Kissinger directs an international bioinformatics training program and two large multi-institutional research contracts. She has served on numerous committees at different administrative levels at UGA as well as on several National Institutes of Health scientific working groups for national and international research. Kissinger’s research focuses on data mining, data integration and systems biology approaches to the study of infectious parasitic diseases.

Thomas is an elected Fellow of both the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the

American Psychological Association, and a recipient of the Janet Chusmir Award for Distinguished Service from the Gender and Diversity in Organizations division of the Academy of Management. Thomas focuses her scholarship and institutional engagements on the issues of strategic diversity recruitment, supporting diversity in STEM workplaces and understanding the career experiences of high-potential women of color.

Wilson co-founded and directs the Workplace Health Group, an interdisciplinary research group that focuses on organizational health issues. He has served in a variety of administrative capacities, including graduate coordinator and department head before becoming associate dean. He also has served on advisory boards and scientific working groups for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and NIH. The application deadline for next year’s SEC Academic Leadership Development Program is April 8. To learn more, visit http://t.uga.edu/109.

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

CAREER CENTER

UGA listed as top contributor Roles for Faculty to Teach for America program Affairs, Provost’s

By Aaron Hale

aahale@uga.edu

Thirty UGA graduates have committed to teach in high-needs schools across the nation through the competitive Teach for America program. They will join 4,100 other recruits this year, tying UGA as the No. 14 contributor to Teach for America among large universities.

Teach for America, part of the AmeriCorps national services network, recruits and develops college graduates and professionals who make a two-year commitment to teach in high-needs rural and urban schools across the country. Only 15 percent of this year’s 44,000 applicants, whom had an average GPA of 3.4, were admitted to the program.

“UGA students who are hired at Teach for America tend to be strong organizers with a passion for helping children succeed in the classroom,” said Scott Williams, director of the UGA Career Center. “They represent future leaders in a myriad of professional career fields who continue to support and influence the quality of education in the classroom.”

UGA traditionally has been a top contributing school for the program.

That trend comes in part from students’ commitment to service, which is embedded in the university’s curriculum, said Rahul Shrivastav, vice president

for instruction. In 2014, more than 8,100 students participated in servicelearning courses that built on their desire to give back to their communities.

“University of Georgia students are some of the most engaged students in the nation,” Shrivastav said. “They are passionate about making a real and lasting impact and helping others.”

Zack Kroll of Roswell enlisted in Teach for America after he graduated in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Terry College of Business.

“I really wanted to find something where I was making an impact by being positive and productive,” he said.

After being accepted into the corps, Kroll served from 2011 to 2013 at a rural school in the Mississippi Delta.

Though challenging, Kroll said, it was an eye-opening experience for him, and it propelled him to come back to UGA to get his master’s degree from the College of Education. He completed his Master of Arts in Teaching this May. “I really, really enjoyed connecting with people on a different level and teaching them something they didn’t know before,” he said. “I plan on working with young people for as long as I can, and a lot of that came from this experience.”

Kroll now teaches geometry at Centennial High School in Roswell and plans to eventually work in education administration.

offices to expand

By Sam Fahmy

sfahmy@uga.edu

Provost Pamela Whitten has announced a reorganization that will shift responsibilities held by the Office of Academic Planning into the Provost’s Office and into an expanded Office of Faculty Affairs.

Effective Jan. 2, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Russell Mumper will coordinate the university’s accreditation process and the implementation of its strategic plan. The Office of Faculty Affairs will oversee program review and assessment as well as the UGA Elements professional profile system. Jerry Legge, associate provost for academic planning since 2012, recently announced that he will retire in December after 35 years at UGA. The position of associate provost for academic planning will be eliminated, and the position of associate vice president for faculty affairs will be elevated to the associate provost level. As associate provost for faculty affairs, Sarah Covert will be a member of University Cabinet.

“Eliminating an administrative position enables the university to invest more resources into our core missions of instruction, research and service,” Whitten said. “It also broadens the scope of the Office of Faculty Affairs to enhance efficiency and streamline services to faculty.”

RESEARCH NEWS

columns.uga.edu Sept. 21, 2015

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Digest University’s 31st annual Education Abroad Fair to be held Sept. 21-22

Peter Frey

Rod Dishman, a professor of kinesiology in the UGA College of Education, was the lead author on a study that found students who don’t feel in control of their exercise choices or who feel pressured by adults to be more active typically aren’t.

Guilt free

College of Education study finds pressuring teens to exercise won’t work

By Kristen Morales kmorales@uga.edu

Just like attempts at influencing hairstyles or clothing can backfire, adults who try to guilt middle-schoolers into exercising won’t get them to be any more active, according to a new study

by UGA researchers.

The study, which appears in the September issue of the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, found students who don’t feel in control of their exercise choices or who feel pressured by adults to be more active typically aren’t. Middle-schoolers who feel they can make their own decisions about exercising are more likely to see themselves as a person who exercises, which in turn makes them more likely to exercise.

This age is a critical juncture in a child’s life, as kids typically decrease their activity levels by 50 percent between fifth and sixth grades, said Rod Dishman, the study’s lead author and a professor of kinesiology in the UGA College of Education.

“Our results confirm that the beliefs these kids hold are related to physical activity levels,” Dishman said. “But can we put these children in situations where they come to value and enjoy the act of being physically active?”

Dishman and colleagues at the University of South Carolina now are looking at ways to help kids identify with exercise at a younger age, so that by the time they reach middle school they are more likely to identify as someone who exercises. This might mean teaching more structured games in elementary

school, integrating physical activities into classroom lessons or expanding community recreational leagues to give kids more opportunities to improve on a particular sport.

“Just like there are kids who are drawn to music and art, there are kids who are drawn to physical activity,” he said. “But what you want is to draw those kids who otherwise might not be drawn to an activity.”

What parents and teachers don’t want to create, Dishman said, is a sense of guilt for not exercising. The research overwhelmingly found that students who felt obligated to be more active were less likely to embrace activity overall.

“The best thing is to do it because it’s fun,” Dishman said. “It’s the kids who say they are intrinsically motivated who are more active than the kids who aren’t.”

FRANKLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Research links borderline personality traits with lowered empathy

By Molly Berg

mberg14@uga.edu

Those with borderline personality disorder, a mental illness marked by unstable moods, often experience trouble maintaining interpersonal relationships. New UGA research indicates that this may have to do with lowered brain activity in regions important for empathy in individuals with BPD traits.

The findings were published recently in the journal Personality Disorders: Theory, Research and Treatment.

“Our results showed that people with BPD traits had reduced activity in brain regions that support empathy,” said the study’s lead author Brian Haas, an assistant professor in the psychology department of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “This reduced activation may suggest that people with more BPD traits have a more difficult time understanding and/or predicting how others feel, at least compared to individuals with fewer BPD traits.”

For the study, Haas recruited over 80 participants and asked them to take a questionnaire called the Five Factor Borderline Inventory to determine the degree to which they had various traits associated with borderline personality disorder. The researchers then used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure brain activity in each

of the participants. During the fMRI, participants were asked to do an empathetic processing task, which tapped into their ability to think about the emotional states of other people, while the fMRI measured their simultaneous brain activity.

In the empathetic processing task, participants would match the emotion of faces to a situation’s context. As a control, Haas and study co-author Joshua Miller also included shapes that participants would have to match from emotion of the faces to the situation.

“We found that for those with more BPD traits, these empathetic processes aren’t as easily activated,” said Miller, a psychology professor and director of the Clinical Training Program.

Haas chose to look at those who scored high on the Five Factor Borderline Inventory, instead of simply working with those previously diagnosed with the disorder. By using the inventory, Haas was able to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between empathic processing, BPD traits and high levels of neuroticism and openness as well as lower levels of agreeableness and conscientiousness.

“Oftentimes, borderline personality disorder is considered a binary phenomenon. Either you have it or you don’t,” said Haas, who runs the

Gene-Brain-Social Behavioral Lab. “But for our study, we conceptualized and measured it in a more continuous way such that individuals can vary along a continuum of no traits to very many BPD traits.”

Haas found a link between those with high borderline personality traits and a decreased use of neural activity in two parts of the brain: the temporoparietal junction and the superior temporal sulcus, two brain regions implicated to be critically important during empathic processing.

The research provides new insight into individuals susceptible to experiencing the disorder and how they process emotions.

“Borderline personality disorder is considered one of the most severe and troubling personality disorders,” Miller said. “BPD can make it difficult to have successful friendships and romantic relationships. These findings could help explain why that is.”

In the future, Haas would like to study BPD traits in a more naturalistic setting.

“In this study, we looked at participants who had a relatively high amount of BPD traits,” he said. “I think it’d be great to study this situation in a real-life scenario, such as having people with BPD traits read the emotional states of their partners.”

UGA will host the 31st annual Education Abroad Fair for students on Sept. 21 from noon to 5 p.m. and Sept. 22 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Grand Hall on the fifth floor of the Tate Student Center. Education abroad is a general term covering everything from traditional study abroad to interning, working, volunteering and conducting research abroad.

Organized by the Office of International Education, the fair will feature 80 exhibitors showcasing programs led by UGA faculty and/or at UGA residential centers, as well as programs run through international partner universities and external providers. The fair is free and open to the public.

Coinciding with the fair is a workshop for faculty and staff interested in starting a new study abroad program, or those interested in enhancing or simplifying an existing program. The workshop will be held Sept. 22 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Room 480 of the Tate Center. Faculty and staff are welcome to come for just a portion of the event, but registration is required for all attendees. Register at http://goo.gl/forms/69C6k7YDzF.

Museum to host lecture on Western art

The Georgia Museum of Art will present a lecture by Seth Hopkins, executive director of the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville. The lecture, “Contemporary Western Art: More than Cowboys and Indians,” will be held Sept. 24 at 5:30 p.m. It is open free to the public.

Hopkins will define what the terms “contemporary” and “Western” mean for art today, while tracing the artistic developments of Western art over the past 50 years. He also will discuss the lasting legacy of Western artists from the early 19th and 20th centuries for artists working today.

Hopkins has served as the executive director at the Booth Western Art Museum since 2000 and the executive director of Georgia Museums Inc., the parent company that operates the Booth Western Art Museum and two other museums, since 2003.

STaR regional scientific conference to be held Sept. 24-25 at Georgia Center

UGA will host a regional scientific conference for faculty, students, residents and fellows that focuses on the latest advances in translational research for improving human health. The sixth annual Southern Translational Education and Research conference will be held Sept. 24-25 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.

In addition to discussing state-of-the-art topics in clinical and translational research, the conference will offer opportunities for trainees and faculty to showcase their research and network with others to develop new scientific collaborations.

The theme for this year’s STaR conference is “Inflammation in Health and Disease” but translational research in other areas also will be presented.

Keynote addresses will given by Richard Meagher, Distinguished Research Professor of Genetics at UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and Kathy Griendling, the R. Wayne Alexander Professor of Medicine and vice chair for research at Emory University School of Medicine.

Excellence in clinical and translational research will be recognized with the STaR Graduate Student Award, the STaR Post-Doctoral Fellow Award, the STaR Young Investigator Award and the STaR Travel awards.

Conference sponsors include the UGA College of Pharmacy, the Medical College of Georgia Center for Pharmacy and Experimental Therapeutics, the Office of the AU Vice President for Research, the AU/UGA Medical Partnership, the UGA Center for Drug Discovery and the UGA Health Sciences Institute.

Registration ends Sept. 23. Visit www.rxugace. com/STaR-2015 for more information or to register.

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 UGA News Service. Periodicals postage is paid in Athens, ­Georgia. Postmaster: Send off-campus address changes to Columns, UGA News Service, 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 North, Athens, GA 30602-1999.

4 Sept. 21, 2015 columns.uga.edu

HEED DIVERSITY AWARDS

Photos by Student Affairs

The LGBT Resource Center, established in 2005, is one of few centers of its kind in the South and is visited by an average of 30 students per day. UGA’s six-year graduation rate for African-American students is 81.5 percent, more than double the national average, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Something for everyone University offers variety of organizations, programs to foster diversity and inclusion on campus

By Elizabeth Fite

jfdksla2498@uga.edu Student Affairs

Last year’s International Street Festival drew more than 5,000 attendees to College Avenue in downtown Athens, where student organizations sponsored interactive cultural displays as well as musical and dance performances.

AWARD from page 1 underrepresented groups. All students are required to complete a course that explores cultural diversity, and the university offers several diversity related events, curricular offerings and training and certificate programs for faculty and staff.

Programs such as the Georgia African American Male Experience, the National Institutes of Health-funded PREP@UGA and Peach State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation have increased minority enrollment at UGA over the past decade from 22 percent in 2004 to 30 percent in 2014.

UGA’s six-year graduation rate for African-American students is 81.5 percent, more than double the national average, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The graduation rate for Hispanic students is 79.5 percent, which also far exceeds the national average.

UGA recently has taken steps to expand its efforts to promote inclusion, including opening a Student Veterans Resource Center in 2013 and broadening the Office of Institutional Diversity’s portfolio to include women in 2014. Earlier this year, the university launched a Women’s Leadership Initiative to enhance the representation of women in leadership roles on campus.

“Fostering diversity among our faculty, staff and students gives the University of Georgia a competitive edge in today’s globalized world,” said Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Pamela Whitten. “We all benefit when a broad range of perspectives and ideas are considered, and I am delighted that UGA’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion continue to receive national recognition.”

UGA also offers the Diversity and Inclusion Certificate program, which has reached about 1,000 faculty and staff members in the past three years across three UGA campuses, as well as a lunchtime series called Dialogues in Diversity that was created in 2012.

The university offers more than a dozen multicultural/ diversity events each year for students, faculty and the community, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Breakfast, the International Street Festival, the HolmesHunter Lecture, which honors the first African-American students to enroll at UGA, and other special events.

“The HEED Award process consists of a comprehensive and rigorous application that includes questions relating to the recruitment and retention of students and employees—and best practices for both—continued leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion,” said Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We take a holistic approach to reviewing each application in deciding who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where diversity and inclusion are woven into the work being accomplished every day across a campus.”

Several organizations, programs and people across campus help make UGA a national leader in fostering diversity and inclusion. Below are just a few.

The Black Male Leadership Society

The recently revitalized Black Male Leadership Society is using its momentum to foster the academic, social, intellectual and spiritual growth of black male students and alumni.

The society was named UGA’s Organization of the Year for the 2014-2015 academic year during the 14th annual H. Gordon and Francis S. Davis Student Organization Achievement and Recognition Awards.

A student organization within the Division of Student Affairs, BMLS works closely with the President’s Office and the Office of Institutional Diversity to recruit black male scholars, conduct forums, sponsor clothing drives and host numerous events, including a fall retreat and a spring semiformal awards banquet.

“I have found a family that I can impact the campus and community through,” BMLS President Shallum Atkinson said. “They say you can’t make a small campus bigger, but you can make a big campus smaller—BMLS does that for me, and I am forever grateful.”

BMLS is one of 13 organizations advised under the Office of Multicultural Services and Programs, including the Hispanic Student Association, the Asian American Student Association, the Pamoja Dance Company and the Indian Cultural Exchange, among others.

Student Veterans Resource Center

Serving the students who served this country is the mission of the Student Veterans Resource Center.

The center offers wide-ranging support to and advocacy for student veterans and is the go-to location for wayfinding and entry into an array of university, community, state and federal services.

“It has boosted my engagement level by connecting me with other student veterans and faculty and staff who have a heart for veterans and their issues,” said Justin Sailers, a senior majoring in finance and president of the UGA Student Veterans Association.

This year, the center is piloting a new Black Belt Certificate Program, which focuses on easing transition and facilitating career readiness.

“The program is designed to encourage student veterans to engage in experiential learning opportunities—mentoring, internships, study abroad, leadership—to enhance their learning and position them for success after graduation,” said Ted Barco, director of the Student Veterans Resource Center.

Established in 2013, the center is open to all student veterans enrolled at UGA and also provides a relaxation and study lounge. It is located in Room 481 of the Tate Student Center and is open 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. fall and spring semester.

International Student Life

The aroma of coffee and cuisine from across the globe beckons people to the Memorial Hall Ballroom every Friday, drawing students, faculty, staff and community members to share cultures.

International Coffee Hour, a gathering held weekly for more than 40 years, International Street Festival and ethnic nights are some of the many events brought to campus through International Student Life.

Last year’s street fest in April drew more than 5,000 attendees to College Avenue in downtown Athens, where student organizations sponsored interactive cultural displays as well as musical and dance performances. UGA Food Services contributed an array of ethnic food options to expand the free cultural experience for visitors.

“Not many institutions have a department dedicated to working with international students to support them while also working with domestic students to engage them in order to internationalize the campus experience,” said Justin Jeffery, director of International Student Life.

International Student Life advises approximately 20 international and multinational student organizations that promote the core values of advocacy, building community and cultural exploration.

The Foot Soldier Project

Many important fighters in the civil rights movement are unknown, but the Foot Soldier Project for Civil Rights Studies and Research ensures that their stories are told and their impact is not forgotten.

The project aims to advance civil rights scholarship and discourse on diversity by chronicling the lives and stories of the less-familiar “foot soldiers for equal justice.”

“The Foot Soldier Project for Civil Rights Studies is an interdisciplinary program that partners with the Russell Library to focus on research and outreach related to civil rights and social justice issues,” said Maurice Daniels, dean and professor of the School of Social Work, who is the founder and director of the project. “Its activities include documentary film production, manuscripts and volumes, archival preservation and community outreach programs.”

He added that Foot Soldier Project research has contributed to the production of a number of public television documentaries including the film Hamilton E. Holmes: The Legacy Continues and publication of manuscripts as well as the recent book Saving the Soul of Georgia: Donald L. ­Hollowell and the Struggle for Civil Rights.

For more information, see http://footsoldier.uga.edu/.

LGBT Resource Center

Cozy couches, bright colors and welcoming faces fill the rooms of the LGBT Resource Center, which creates an environment of advocacy, education and support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, ally and advocate-identified students.

“I come here more for the comfort and the safe space,” said Jose Carrillo, a sophomore majoring in chemistry and ambassador to the LGBT Resource Center. “When you’re here you’re not judged, and you know you’ll be accepted.”

The LGBT Resource Center, established in 2005, is one of few centers of its kind in the South and is visited by an average of 30 students per day.

It consists of a student lounge, conference room and reception area that houses a library of more than 1,000 books, a collection of current magazines, a DVD library of both entertaining and educational films, several varieties of organizational and education pamphlets and sexual health resources.

A variety of programs and services provide increased awareness and foster understanding of issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Some of the center’s signature events include Dawgs Making it Better, Celebration of National Coming Out Day, a LGBT History Month Display, Transgender Day of Remembrance and Lavender Graduation. The LGBT Resource Center is located in Room 221 of Memorial Hall.

UGAGUIDE

columns.uga.edu Sept. 21, 2015

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

FOOTBALL FRIDAY TOUR A guided tour of Unbeaten, Untied, Undisputed: Georgia’s 1980 National Championship. 3:30 p.m. Special collections libraries. 706-542-7123, hasty@ uga.edu.

Afloat. Through Oct. 2. Circle Gallery.

Ralph Chesse. Through Oct. 4. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-1817, ­hazbrown@uga.edu.

FILM Inside Out. Also Sept. 27 at 6 and 9 p.m. $3 for non-students 6 p.m. Tate Student Center Theatre.

Return from Exile. Through Oct. 10.

Lyndon House Arts Center, 293 Hoyt St. 706-542-5356, baflaher@uga.edu.

Infiltro: In-Vitro. Through Nov. 30. Gilbert Hall. bkaplan@uga.edu.

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

Set Off for Georgia… Through Dec. 23. Hargrett Library Gallery, special collections libraries. 706-542-8079, jclevela@uga.edu.

Unbeaten, Untied, Undisputed: Georgia’s 1980 National Championship Season.

Through Dec. 23. Special collections libraries. 706-542-8079, jclevela@uga. edu.

Seeing Georgia: Changing Visions of Tourism in the Modern South. Through July 30. Special ­collections libraries.

706-542-5788, jhebbard@uga.edu.

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21 EDUCATION ABROAD FAIR Noon. Also Sept. 22 at 11 a.m. Grand Hall, Tate Student Center. (See Digest, page 3).

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 WORKSHOP “Faculty-led Study-Abroad Programs.”

Participants will learn how the Office of International Education can assist and support study-abroad programs.

9 a.m. 480 Tate Student Center.

706-542-2900, laparis@uga.edu. (See Digest, page 3).

WORKSHOP “Using WordPress for Course ePortfolios,” Carrie Bishop, coordinator of emerging learning technologies, Center for Teaching and Learning.

10:30 a.m. 372 Miller Learning Center.

706-583-0067, tchagood@uga.edu.

UNIVERSITY COUNCIL MEETING 3:30 p.m. Tate Student Center Theatre.

ECOLOGY SEMINAR “Communicating Ecological Dynamics: Are Food Webs Misleading Cartoons or Instructive Simplifications?” Robert Paine, professor emeritus, University of Washington. 4 p.m. Ecology building auditorium. 706-542-7247, bethgav@ uga.edu.

BOOK CLUB MEETING The Rest of the Story Book Club will discuss its September selection, Tony Horowitz’s Confederates in the Attic.

5:30 p.m. 258 special collections libraries. 706-542-5788, jhebbard@uga.edu.

SWING NIGHT IN THE GARDEN Participants will learn some new steps and dance. No experience or partner required. 8 p.m. Visitor Center, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014, connicot@uga.edu.

5

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

It’s a dark farce

By Daniel Stock

daniel.stock@uga.edu

University Theatre will present A Behanding in Spokane by acclaimed Irish playwright Martin McDonagh. Directed by Kristin Kundert, the play will be performed in the Cellar Theatre Sept. 24-25, 29-30 and Oct. 1-2 at 8 p.m. with 2:30 p.m. matinees Sept. 27 and Oct. 4. 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 the Tate Student Center box office.

This dark comedy tells the story of a man named Carmichael searching for his missing left hand for nearly 30 years. When he chances upon two inept con artists with a hand to sell, it sets off a macabre farce.

A Behanding in Spokane is the most recent stage success from McDonagh, an award-winning playwright and filmmaker. While he has enjoyed immense success

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 YOM KIPPUR Jewish religious observance.

EID AL-ADHA Islamic religious observance.

LUNCHTIME GALLERY TALK A lunchtime talk with Miranda Maynard, one of the exhibitioners behind Role Models. Noon. Bridge Gallery, Lamar Dodd School of Art. 773-965-1689, kgeha@uga.edu.

ARTFUL CONVERSATION Join Callan Steinman, associate curator of education, for a discussion of Art Rosenbaum’s painting “McIntosh County Shouters.” 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662, hazbrown@uga. edu.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 STAR CONFERENCE Also Sept. 25. Georgia Center for Continuing Education. (See Digest, page 3).

UGAALERT TEST The next test of UGAAlert will be held at approximately 10:45 a.m. Campus community members should update their information prior to the test at

Calendar items are taken from Columns files and from the university’s Master Calendar, maintained by Public Affairs.

Notices are published here as space permits, with priority given to items of multidisciplinary interest. The Master Calendar is available on the Web at calendar.uga.edu/.

on the stage (The Beauty Queen of Leenane, The Pillowman, The Cripple of Inishmaan) McDonagh recently has been concentrating more on film (In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths).

McDonagh is noted for his dark, complex and sometimes strange plots, according to Kundert.

“McDonagh has created a sort of Alice in Wonderland world where nothing is logical and yet makes complete sense,” said Kundert, an associate professor in Franklin College’s theatre and film studies department. “He is unafraid to examine the sinister nature of humans.

“I find this play hysterical,” Kundert also said. “Once at rehearsal, I literally fell out of my chair laughing. The humor is dark, politically incorrect and provocative. I suspect audiences will howl all the while thinking, ‘I shouldn’t be laughing at this.’ ” The play contains explicit language that is not suitable for all ages.

www.ugaalert.uga.edu. 706-542-5845, prepare@uga.edu.

State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6156, ckeber@uga.edu.

CTL WORKSHOP “Building Successful Community Partnerships for Service-Learning in the Health Professions: The AU/UGA Medical Partnership Experience,” will be led by Laurel Murrow, assistant professor of medicine, AU/UGA Medical Partnership.

Noon. 202 Russell Hall (Health Science Campus). 706-542-1355, edwatson@ uga.edu.

PERFORMANCE A Behanding In Spokane. Also Sept. 25, 29-30, Oct. 1-2 at 8 p.m. and Sept. 27 and Oct. 4 at 2:30 p.m. $16; $12 for students. 8 p.m. Cellar Theatre, Fine Arts Building. 706-542-4400. (See story, above).

EMBRACING DIVERSITY Keynote speaker: Han S. Park, a professor and director of the School of Public and International Affairs’ Center for the Study of Global Issues. This event also celebrates individuals who have completed the certificate in diversity and inclusion series. 3 p.m. Chapel.

706-583-8195.

GUEST LECTURE “Contemporary Western Art: More than Cowboys and Indians,” Seth Hopkins, director of the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville. 5:30 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662, hazbrown@uga.edu. (See Digest, page 3).

CLASS “Entomology: Insects, Sustainable Foods and You.” 6 p.m. Visitor Center,

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 INTERNATIONAL COFFEE HOUR 11:30 a.m. Memorial Hall Ballroom.

706-542-7911, cheeia@uga.edu. (See News to Use, page 2).

WOMEN’S STUDIES LECTURE “A Real Life ‘Scandal’: Black Women Writers, Images and Representation in Hollywood,” Kristyl Tift, women’s studies and theatre and film studies. 12:20 p.m.

150 Miller Learning Center. Part of the Friday Speaker Series. 706-542-2846, tlhat@uga.edu.

GUEST LECTURE “The Ecology, Design and Management of Sustainable Meadow and Prairie Plantings,” James Hitchmough, University of Sheffield. 12:30 p.m.

125 Jackson Street Building.

706-254-8685, mcobrien@uga.edu.

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, News Service, 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 North, Campus Mail 1999.

CLASS “Fall Wildflowers of the Georgia Piedmont.” Linda Chafin, conservation botanist, will teach students how to recognize the most common fall-blooming wildflowers in the Georgia Piedmont. $50. 9 a.m. Classroom 2, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6156, ckeber@ uga.edu.

23RD ANNUAL INSECT-IVAL This is a creepy, crawly and fun family festival. Discovery stations, roach and beetle races, an insect cafe, puppet shows and lots of live insects will highlight this year’s event. $5; $20 per family. 9:30 a.m. Visitor Center, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014, connicot@uga.edu.

FOOTBALL vs. Southern University. To be televised on the SEC Network. Noon. Sanford Stadium. 706-542-1231.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 WOMEN’S SOCCER vs. Texas A&M. To be televised on ESPNU. 1 p.m. Turner Soccer Complex.

706-542-1621.

VOLLEYBALL vs. Tennessee. 1:30 p.m. Ramsey Student Center. 706-542-1621.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 BLOOD DRIVE 2:30 p.m. East Campus Village.

LECTURE “How to Create the Perfect Harmful Algal Bloom; Nonsustainable Water and Nutrient Management in Agricultural Watersheds,” Susan Wilde, an assistant professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. 3:30 p.m.

103 Conner Hall. Part of the Sustainable Food Systems Seminar Series.

706-542-8084, sustainag@uga.edu.

COMING UP BFSO SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEON Sept. 29. Keynote speaker: the Rev. Francys Johnson, the state president of the Georgia NAACP and a graduate of the UGA School of Law. $45; $360 for a table of eight. Noon. Grand Hall, Tate Student Center. 706-583-0404, rickyrob@uga.edu.

NEXT COLUMNS DEADLINES Sept. 30 (for Oct. 12 issue) Oct. 7 (for Oct. 19 issue) Oct. 14 (for Oct. 26 issue)

6 Sept. 21, 2015 columns.uga.edu

FACULTY PROFILE

NEWSMAKERS Navigating narcissism

A New York Magazine column posed the question, “Are you an undercover narcissist?” and suggested that beyond the obvious, extroverted narcissism lies a more subtle and introverted version.

In the article, Keith Campbell, a professor and head of the psychology department in the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, said that because covert narcissism isn’t as boisterous as its overt companion, it is more difficult to observe and it gets less attention.

“It’s not somebody with a big personality,” Campbell said. “It’s somebody who’s a little paranoid, who thinks they’re not being treated fairly. They’re a little suspicious, entitled.”

His go-to example of a covert narcissist is the Seinfeld character George Costanza.

The Greek divide

Far-left and far-right political parties in Greece are finding rare common ground through their skepticism of the European Union, according to Ryan Bakker, an associate professor of political science in the School of Public and International Affairs.

In his contributing column to the The Washington Post, Bakker and political science scholars Seth Jolly and Jonathan Polk argue the temporary union of political parties in the Greek ruling coalition does not suggest long-term effective governing. “(Greek) parties may be able to agree on the EU and corruption, but they disagree on most issues and the coalition is finding it difficult to govern,” Bakker wrote with Jolly and Polk. “With a wide array of Euroskeptic parties, on the far left and right, gaining strength in national parliaments, Greece—and other EU countries—will find it increasingly difficult to form effective governments, so long as this apparently neverending crisis continues.”

Sitting in judgment

Kent Barnett, an assistant professor in the School of Law, was quoted by The Wall Street Journal in an article detailing the Securities and Exchange Commission’s controversial use and naming of in-house judges.

The SEC has met several constitutional challenges recently that question its streamlined process.

“The SEC’s handling of this whole issue around administrative-law judges shows how it caught them flat-footed,” Barnett said.

‘Cold chain’ milk delivery

American-bought milk has an approximate shelf life of three weeks, a luxury not afforded consumers in other parts of the world, according to an NPR article.

But research is underway to provide more sustainable networks to preserve dairy perishables in developing countries.

William Kisaalita, a professor in the College of Engineering, is working to create a “cold chain” system of trucks and storage units to keep milk cold from the supply chain to the consumer in Uganda.

“Many people (in Uganda) don’t have the means to cool milk,” said Kisaalita, who was born there.

“Farmers (who produce milk) make $5 a day. That’s not enough to invest in a fridge, and if they did have one, there’s no electricity. The cost there is so high for electricity.”

Dorothy Kozlowski

Sonia Hernandez, an associate professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the College of Veterinary Medicine, traces her love of nature and animals back to her childhood in Spain.

Faculty member turns her love of nature into career studying wildlife

By Aaron Hale

aahale@uga.edu

Dr. Sonia Hernandez traces her love of nature and wildlife back to her childhood in Spain, where as a young adventurer she would explore the outdoors and bring home critters.

“I was the kid who had frogs and turtles in the tub. I had snails around my house getting out and climbing in the ceiling. I stuffed the house with animals,” said Hernandez, an associate professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the College of Veterinary Medicine.

She describes scenes of herself as a young girl well-tanned from the sun, wearing nothing but bathing suit bottoms and riding around on a donkey at her grandmother’s house in Caceres.

“My mom called me Mowgli (from The Jungle Book) because I had really short dark hair,” she said.

The adult Hernandez has a more sophisticated approach to interacting with wildlife—she holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and a doctorate in ecology—and her dark brown hair has gotten longer, but her enthusiasm for the natural world is just as strong as when she was a little girl. Now Hernandez combines a medical background with fieldwork and ecological principles to examine diseases in wildlife populations in the U.S. and beyond—all while also training a new generation of scientists to work in the field.

Most of Hernandez’s work looks at

how human activity affects the spread of diseases in wildlife and harms biodiversity.

“We recognize that every living creature—whether it’s well-defined or not—plays an important function in its ecosystem,” she said. “(Humans) are tinkering with those functions at unprecedented rates.”

Herndandez’s two doctoral degrees underscore her long journey to turn her passions into a career; they also give her a unique skill set for research and teaching.

“I was split between two worlds,” she said. “Between the clinician who took care of individual animals—whether it was a pet rabbit, the lion at the zoo or an owl hit by the car—and looking at the bigger picture of how diseases affect wildlife populations.”

Most of her work at UGA has focused on the latter. Hernandez has studied salmonella in wild animals, the health of white ibis populations in South Florida and the behavior of domestic and feral cats outfitted with “KittyCam” video cams.

Like the young girl riding outdoors on her grandmother’s donkey, Hernandez said she feels most at home working in the field. However, she isn’t doing the work alone.

Undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students have gained fieldwork experience in these projects and others through the Hernandez Wildlife Disease Lab, which she leads in the Warnell School.

Henry Adams, who graduated from the Odum School of Ecology in May, got to work in Hernandez’s lab as an undergraduate student and now as a research

FACTS

Sonia Hernandez Associate Professor Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and College of Veterinary Medicine Ph.D., Ecology, UGA, 2008 D.V.M., Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, 1996 B.S., Biology, University of New Orleans, 1992 At UGA: 7 years

technician on staff. As a student, Adams thought he wanted to work with animals and promote conservation efforts.Working with Hernandez was an opportunity to give it a shot.

“The field and lab work helped me confirm what I wanted to do,”Adams said.

In addition to her lab, Hernandez teaches a summer course in Costa Rica that focuses on field techniques in conservation biology and medicine.

“We spend most of our time doing things, touching things, exploring things, catching, poking and prodding,” she said.

For Hernandez, teaching is one of the best ways to leave a legacy. Realistically, Hernandez said, she never will win a Nobel Prize so her biggest contribution is in training students.

“What we can do is make a significant difference in the next generation of scientists,” she said. “I’m here to make sure they are better than me.”

OBITUARIES Gail Lester

Former director Office of Special Events

Margaret Gail Bennett Lester, former director of special events, died Sept. 11 at Athens Regional Medical Center. She was 68. Lester retired in 2005 after 35 years at UGA with a long career in what is now Gail Lester the Division of Development and Alumni Relations.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ronald H. Lester,

and longtime friend and college roommate, Juanita Dooley. Gail, Ronnie and Juanita each battled different forms of cancer for many years, and Gail was especially wellknown among her many friends for her compassionate caring support of her family and friends. Devoted caregiver and advocate defined Gail’s years of volunteering and support of various cancer causes.

She was a volunteer and supporter for many years of the Northeast Georgia Cancer Foundation, the American Cancer Society and the Loran Smith Center for Cancer Support. Memorials may be made to the Northeast Georgia Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society.

A funeral was held Sept. 14.

Howard Wiarda Dean Rusk Professor SPIA

Howard J. Wiarda, the Dean Rusk Professor of International Relations in UGA’s School of Public and International Affairs, died Sept. 12.

He was 75.

Wiarda, who was celebrating his 50th year in higher education this year, Howard Wiarda was the founding head of SPIA’s international affairs department. He was a professor at Harvard University, the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, George Washington University, Georgetown University and Ohio State University. He joined the faculty at UGA in 2003. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Ieda Siqueira ­Wiarda; a daughter, Kristy Williams (Lt. Col. James Williams); son Howard E. Wiarda (Ann); son Jonathan Wiarda (Karen); and five grandchildren.

A funeral was held Sept. 18.

Albert Ligotti

Emeritus Faculty Member Hugh Hodgson School of Music Albert F. Ligotti, an associate professor emeritus in Franklin College’s Hugh Hodgson School of Music, died Sept. 12 at age 88. Born in Bronx, New York, Ligotti held a bachelor’s

degree from Queen’s College and a master’s degree from Columbia University. He also enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard where he was a member of the Coast Guard Band.

He was a professional trumpet player with the New York Philharmonic until he joined the UGA faculty in 1968 where he taught for 27 years. Ligotti was the founder and director of the UGA Wind Ensemble, played in the UGA Faculty Brass Quintet and was music director of the Opera/Music Theatre.

He also helped establish the Athens Symphony Orchestra.

Ligotti is survived by his wife of 50 years, Arlene F. Ligotti, daughter Fran Rothman Prince of Athens, and brother Raymond Ligotti of Long Island, New York.

QUESTIONS&ANSWERS

‘Stronger together’ University’s community of aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs under new leadership

By Terry Hastings thasting@uga.edu

Thinc. UGA, the university’s community of aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs, is back this fall with re-energized student and faculty support. Thinc.’s new director, Jared Bybee, talks about what’s next.

Columns: What’s prepared you to lead Thinc.?

Bybee: I am an attorney and have worn a variety of hats in my time here at UGA: teaching at the School of Law, the Terry College of Business and the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. I also have worked at the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development.

These experiences put me in a good position to not only appreciate the depth of resources and talents that exist all across campus, but also to be effective at organizing the variety of people who have a stake in innovation and entrepreneurship at UGA. I have a particular interest in developing the student and faculty interest in social enterprise, those businesses that can turn a profit while addressing pressing social problems. Students and universities across the country are at the cutting-edge of building organizations in this space, and I think UGA can be a part of that.

I ran a company distributing solar lights in Ghana and found the experience incredibly challenging and rewarding.

Columns: What’s new with Thinc. UGA? Bybee: Thinc. focused in previous years on a weeklong celebration of the innovation and entrepreneurship that happens all across campus. Now we are building that energy and enthusiasm into a year-round effort to support student entrepreneurs.

Innovation happens when students and faculty from colleges all across campus get together to solve problems, share ideas and sometimes just eat pizza. We want to build a community here at UGA that makes those opportunities happen more often.

Columns: Who’s involved?

Bybee: Thinc.’s value is in organizing the incredible entrepreneurship efforts that already exist at UGA so that those voices get stronger together.That means bringing together the variety of student organizations and faculty across campus who are interested in innovation and entrepreneurship, and helping our alumni—in any field and any geography—connect with

Dorothy Kozlowski

Jared Bybee, director of Thinc., talks with students during the Thinc. Entrepreneur Fair. Bybee is aiming to develop student and faculty interest in social enterprise, those businesses that can turn a profit while addressing pressing social problems.

and help mentor students in a meaningful way.

Thinc. is a broad coalition of people across campus—the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Terry College of Business, the School of Law, the College of Environment and Design, the Lamar Dodd School of Art, the College of Engineering, the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, Ideas for Creative Exploration, the Division of Student Affairs and the Center for Teaching and Learning, to name a few—that have been particularly involved so far.

But students are at the center of what we’re doing. So far a core group of students has been instrumental in our rebranding, early organizing and development of program offerings.

Columns: What’s happened so far?

Bybee: We had a great club fair in September with close to 10 clubs and 70 students interested in innovation and entrepreneurship—and those were just the ones that we knew about.

I believe student organizations are a direct line to interesting and engaged students. Several of the clubs will start holding their meetings at the CED Studio 1 on West Broad and Hull (streets), turning the studio into a place for collaboration.

WEEKLY READER

Autobiography recalls decades of change

A Life to Remember

By Balawant S. Joshi Xlibris Publishing Paperback: $19.99 Hardback: $29.99

Born in a village in rural India in 1924, Balawant S. Joshi has lived through nearly a century of enormous changes in science, technology, culture and education.

In his recently published autobiography, A Life to Remember, the retired UGA scientist recounts how he navigated that changing world through scientific exploration, extensive travel with the support of family, friends and colleagues.

Joshi worked at UGA’s Institute for Natural Products Research from 1982 until 2001, continuing research he had begun 20 years earlier in India.

His work in India and at UGA focused on the structure of chemical compounds in medicinal plants and the use of those compounds against such diseases as diabetes, hepatitis and Parkinson’s disease.

Columns: What’s next?

Bybee: Thinc. is about to launch a new cohort of students in a business idea accelerator program.

We also will host a series of marathon weekend design-thinking challenges this semester and in the spring that address real problems here at UGA and in Athens. The success of these events depends on our ability to recruit a real diversity of students with skills, education and backgrounds that represent the entire UGA community. We also hope to bolster the offerings for faculty and alumni interested in being part of this growing community at UGA. Columns: How can faculty get involved?

Bybee: Thinc. has faculty, staff and administrators from across campus on its advisory board, but we’re always looking for allies and likeminded faculty to help steer the organization and make sure it is responsive to the entire campus. Thinc. needs faculty help to organize Thinc. Week this spring, mentor students and come up with new ways to develop the innovation and entrepreneurship community.

If faculty are strapped for time but still want to let us know they are out there, they can email me at bybeej@uga.edu, and I will include them in our list of affiliate faculty.

columns.uga.edu Sept. 21, 2015

Athletic Association makes upgrades to Sanford Stadium

By Sydney Devine srdevine@uga.edu

With two home games completed this season, UGA fans have gotten their first taste of upgrades made to Sanford Stadium by the UGA Athletic Association.

Over the summer, upgrades were made to stadium bathrooms, concession stands, seating areas and more with a goal toward creating an “exceptional experience” for fans, said Melvin Robinson, UGA’s assistant athletic director for facility operations.

“It’s all about enhancement,” Robinson said.“We did it all without moving any walls or building a new stadium.”

Stadium restrooms on the east, south and west sides of the stadium were renovated from floor to ceiling.

“We now have restrooms in the stadium that no longer look like stadium restrooms,” Robinson said.

The stadium’s Sky Club and North Side Suites, premium space for exclusive fans, also were refurbished completely to give the areas a cleaner, newer look.

Other upgrades included technical enhancements to concession stands, mobile phone service and speakers.

Concession stands now have point-ofsale systems, so customers have the choice of using cash, credit or debit cards as well as Apple Pay and Google Wallet.

Stadium speakers were improved so the music that is piped in is clearer. In addition, speakers were installed closer to the field—ensuring everyone, including the players, can enjoy music and hear any announcements.

To keep attendees cool early in the season, 62 fans were installed on the ceilings of the 100-level concourses and in the seating areas in the 200 level.

To offer more food options, UGA partnered with new brand-name vendors.

Fan food now includes Sonny’s BBQ, Papa John’s, Chick-fil-A, Edy’s Ice Cream, Subway, Houston’s Peanuts and Herschel’s Famous 34.

The stadium improvements are a part of what Robinson describes as phase one of improvements.

The Athletic Association has a threephase plan of enhancements to Sanford Stadium that is scheduled to be completed by fall 2017.

For the next phase, the Athletic Association will begin in the 200-level portion of the stadium, upgrading restrooms and making other improvements. Phase two will begin next summer.

ABOUT COLUMNS

CYBERSIGHTS

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

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

Editor Juliett Dinkins Art Director Janet Beckley Photo Editor Dorothy Kozlowski

UGA’s home page updated http://uga.edu

The university’s home page has been updated with a refreshed, responsive design.

Featuring large hero images, the website greets visitors with stories that highlight UGA, its accomplishments and its students, faculty, staff and alumni.

University news and events

7

are featured more prominently, and profiles of student and faculty members are available for visitors to read.

A social media feed helps show a multifaceted view of campus through the eyes of UGA students, faculty, staff, friends, alumni and visitors.

Senior Reporter Aaron Hale Reporter Matt Chambers Copy Editor David Bill 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.

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8 Sept. 21, 2015 columns.uga.edu

Dorothy Kozlowski

TIPPING HIS HAND—First-year student Vinayak Eranezhath shows off his football catching ability during a pickup game with friends on the Myers quadrangle.

Photos by Dorothy Kozlowski

Mary Cate Marchert, an animal science major, plays with a puppy after volunteering at the Athens Area Humane Society during Dawg Day of Service.

Students get hands-on in Athens during Dawg Day of Service

By Molly Berg and Erica Hensley mberg14@uga.edu erica.hensley25@uga.edu

Twenty-five UGA students crammed into the Athens Area Humane Society to tackle mundane chores—cleaning out sheds and kennels, straightening the pantry and updating landscaping. Their reward would come later in the form of cuddling and socializing with the shelter’s dogs and cats.

After buckling down for a few hours of hard work, they were ready for the licks, purrs and love—plus Instagram photos of adorable animals—that were waiting for them.

The students on this assignment had traveled from the Tate Student Center, their rally point on campus for the fifth annual Dawg Day of Service on Aug. 29. More than 450 students had gathered before dispersing to 21 sites around Athens.

Each student volunteered three hours at various sites for Dawg Day of Service, which began in 2011 as a project of the Center for Leadership and Service in the Division of Student Affairs. Combined, they volunteered 1,365 hours of service this year to help the Athens community. The sites included nonprofits like the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia and Keep Athens Clarke-County Beautiful.

Each site had leaders—upperclassmen who helped organize the students and work with staff. Rahul Shah, a third-year economics and biology major, was one of the site coordinators and had participated in Dawg Day of Service the previous two years.

“I don’t expect us to change things in just one day of service,” he said. “But what we did today is the first step.”

Jed Kaylor, manager of the Athens Area Humane Society, said that community service is mutually beneficial for the shelter and the students.

“Volunteering serves as an education opportunity for kids and high school and

Anthony Gordon holds a kitten while volunteering at the Athens Area Humane Society during Dawg Day of Service.

college students,” he said.“Having volunteers of different ages, sexes and backgrounds helps socialize the animals and makes them more adoptable. If we didn’t have volunteers, we wouldn’t have much.”

The Athens Area Humane Society is the only permanent Athens intake shelter. It depends heavily on foster homes for its cats and dogs—100-plus currently reside there.

The society also provides spay and neutering services, smaller satellite adoption sites and a new mobile surgery bus that does free to low-cost procedures on the weekends.

“We really rely on volunteers and community service, they make a huge difference,” said humane society staff member Ashley Bushnell.

Perry Siniard, a fourth-year Spanish and international affairs major, also served as a site leader at the shelter.

“Getting involved with Dawg Day of Service was a peer thing,” he said. “My friend group is very service-oriented. I wanted to find something helpful and altruistic and have a way to volunteer.”

He and Shah gathered up the students once their work and animal cuddling was done. For 15 minutes, they, like other students involved in Dawg Day of Service, spent time discussing and reflecting on the work they had done, focusing on the importance of service to a particular organization.

“We don’t just volunteer, we volunteer and reflect,” Shah said. “Before we tackle issues, we have to raise awareness.”

GRANT from page 1 infectious diseases is a serious and growing problem worldwide, as the recent Ebola epidemic in West Africa demonstrated.

It’s also a problem that can’t be solved with a purely medical approach, but requires an understanding of the ecological context in which hosts and pathogens interact. By integrating knowledge across scales—from cell to biosphere—the new program is designed to meet the demand for scientists with this big picture perspective.

The hallmark of the UGA program is a series of courses that will teach students to think about problems in infectious diseases from this integrated perspective, according to Ezenwa.

“Instead of having separate courses in cell biology, microbiology and population biology of infectious diseases, these courses will integrate all of these levels simultaneously using a case-study-based approach,” she said. “For instance, we might focus on tuberculosis as a disease and teach fundamental principles about the causative pathogen and its interaction with hosts, all the way from what’s happening at the cellular level to the global spread of TB and TB drug resistance.”

The grant will support 30 doctoral students in the program, but the new courses and professional development activities designed for these students will be open to other UGA graduate students in the sciences. Students beyond UGA will benefit, too.

“One of the themes of this grant program is to make these ideas transferable and scalable to other institutions,” Ezenwa said. “So one of our goals is to put together an online textbook of our case studies so that they can be used at other universities for teaching

Bulletin Board UGAAlert test

The next test of the UGAAlert emergency notification system will take place Sept. 24 at 10:45 a.m.

In advance of the test, the Office of Emergency Preparedness encourages faculty, staff and students to verify and update their contact information at www.ugaalert.uga.edu.

Service-Learning presentation The Office of Service-Learning, a public service and outreach unit, will present the “Graduate Portfolio in Community Engagement” ­information session Oct. 21 from 3:30-5 p.m. in the Training Room of the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development. Register at http://tinyurl.com/ogz8ntr.

For more information, contact Susan Parish at sparish@uga.edu or 706-542-8924.

Golf course open house From left: Cierra Matthews, Emilie Vainer, Neta Kanny and Perry Siniard take out the recycling at the Athens Area Humane Society during Dawg Day of Service.

infectious diseases with this approach.”

Experiential learning is also an important component of the program. Students will participate in internships or study-abroad opportunities where they will have the chance to apply their academic training in real-world situations, gaining the kind of hands-on experience that can’t be acquired in the classroom.

Given the breadth and depth of infectious disease research and interdisciplinary collaboration already underway across campus, UGA is an ideal place to undertake such a program, according to Ezenwa.

The interdisciplinary Faculty of Infectious Diseases boasts more than 100 members, and the project’s participating faculty span 13 academic units.

Those faculty also bring connections to institutions beyond UGA, like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and the EcoHealth Alliance, that will provide the internship and study-abroad opportunities for participants.

The program also will emphasize mathematical and statistical modeling and other quantitative skills necessary to manage and analyze the rapidly increasing amount of infectious disease data, taking advantage of UGA’s strength in computational and quantitative methods.

The first cohort of doctoral students will enter the program in fall 2016.

“Our goal is that when they’re done, these students will understand the principles of infectious disease ecology across scales, and have the skills and global perspective to tackle the most pressing infectious disease problems of our time,” Ezenwa said.

The staff of the UGA Golf Course will hold an open house Oct. 22

from 5-6:30 p.m.

The event is open free to all UGA faculty and staff members, who each will receive a complementary basket of golf balls. In addition, golf staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide “quick tips” to help attendees improve their game. Those who need to use equipment should send an email to cudell96@uga.edu.

Dental clinic fall special

The University Health Center’s dental clinic is having a $99 fall special until Dec. 23. The special includes a routine cleaning, bitewing X-rays and exam.

The clinic is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to noon and from 1-5 p.m.

Free parking is available to patients.

To schedule an appointment, call 706-542-8700. For more information, visit www.uhs.uga.edu.

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