Summer 09 - UGAGS Magazine by UGA Grad Studies

Graduate The University of Georgia

School

M A G A Z I N E Can Bryan Davis Do it All? p.5 Historic Wormsloe Reveals Past p.11 Tyson Turner Tackles TB p.19

Summer lume 5 2009 VoNumber 1

Graduate The University of Georgia

School

M A G A Z I N E

N A N C Y E V E LY N

summer

CONTENTS news and highlights

Letter from the Dean

Cover Story Bryan Davis

Newly minted accountant Bryan Davis is a multitasking violinist, choreographer and world traveler. Now he’s taking to a different stage as he works on a powerful financial ethics committee.

Scholars for Tomorrow Jessica and Drew: Wormsloe

UGA’s first Wormsloe Fellows unearth information concerning Wormsloe, a pre-Revolutionary historic site and Georgia’s oldest tidewater plantation.

Scholars Worth Watching Tyson Turner

A third-year medical student and UGA public health graduate student sheds new light on tuberculosis in Georgia.

Where Are They Now? Bernice Cooper

She was the first woman to earn a doctorate at UGA in the 1950s. Bernice Cooper shares her story.

"Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last. " — Samuel Johnson

David Foster

In Memoriam: Michael Johnson

Harriet Fulbright

Terry Coffey: Why I Give

In Brief

Last Word

Harvard Forest is a grand-scale experiment in land conservation. David Foster met with UGA graduate students to discuss his vision.

Graduate School news and notes

Caesar Dawgustus

Front Cover: The Accountant, a photo illustration of student Bryan Davis created in the style of Surrealist artist René Magritte, by Nancy Evelyn.

Graduate School Magazine

SUMMER 2009

N A N C Y E V E LY N

U.S. News & World Report: UGA Graduate Programs Once Again Lead the Nation This spring, U.S. News & World Report’s 2009 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools once again rated University of Georgia graduate programs with America’s best. The College of Education, School of Law, School of Public and International Affairs, and two graduate programs in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences were highly ranked. The May 2009 edition singled out UGA’s educational studies, which has one of the nation’s largest enrollments, and law studies among UGA’s academic, professional and specialty graduate programs. Also recognized with high national ratings were UGA’s graduate programs in psychology, public administration and fine arts. In addition, the report gave high ratings to specialty programs in education and public administration. Graduate School Dean Maureen Grasso, stated in a press release the rankings indicated the high caliber work of the students and faculty alike. She added the Graduate School would continue promoting innovative research and preparing future leaders. UGA President Michael F. Adams called UGA’s graduate and professional programs “among the best in America.” He called these programs “engines of economic growth for the state of Georgia.” Last year’s report also recognized a large number of UGA graduate programs. The publication’s methodology and complete list of rankings can be viewed online at www.usnews.com.

N A N C Y E V E LY N

m e s s a g e f ro m

Dean Maureen Grasso By now, I hope you have noted the envelope inside each issue of the Graduate School Magazine, and, more important, that you are returning it with a check. Every dollar that comes to us through the magazine goes into our graduate fellowship endowment. This fund enables us to offer competitive financial-aid packages to outstanding graduate students from around the nation and the world. As state funds are reduced in this period of economic difficulty, we are increasingly dependent upon private support for the well-being of graduate programs at the University of Georgia. Friends often ask me how I can solicit support for the Graduate School every waking minute. The answer is easy: I ask because I believe it is the most important action we can take to ensure the future leadership of our state, nation and world. When the cause is this worthy, it’s not hard asking others to share the burden. This University’s influence reaches far and wide, yet we have not realized our full potential as an educational leader. Both the quantity and quality of our graduate students need to grow. My hope is that you will join with me in the ongoing effort to attract first-rate graduate students to UGA and ensure our legacy of leadership. Please take a moment—pull the envelope from the magazine and make your contribution. Your gift, no matter the size, makes an enormous difference in the lives of our graduate students. It’s also fully tax deductible. Take pride in supporting UGA and in knowing that you are helping it remain one of the leading public research universities in the nation. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. G

MAUREEN GRASSO Dean

Graduate School Magazine

SUMMER 2009

cover story

Bryan Davis: He sings, he dances, he plays the strings and he is about to make the debut of his life stepping onto the World Financial Stage. No single entry

Dancing His Way to a Dream...

into life for this young accounting star, Who is

BY CYNTHIA ADAMS PHOTOS BY NANCY EVELYN

THE GROUP ABBA POPULARIZED

“ MONEY,

MONEY, MONEY ”— a

catchy tune even though the lyrics were a lament. More

recently, Meryl Streep lustily reprised the money song in the musical film, Mamma Mia! But college students, who have witnessed

loan sources drying up, and who are increasingly turning to credit as a means to finance books, expenses, even tuition, are singing another song. STUDENT

BRYAN DAVIS SAYS THEY ’ RE SINGING THE BLUES

AND HE SAYS IT ’ S UP TO HIS GENERATION TO FIX THIS.

avis (BBA ’09 MAcc ’09) has one word of caution for moneystrapped college students who lean heavily upon credit cards: Don’t. He dislikes his recent plunge into debt as a graduate student and keeps it to the absolute minimum. Yet his parents, who live and work in Augusta, Ga., recently advised Davis there will always be some level of debt to shoulder and that reasonable debt is acceptable. Bryan says contrary to what most folks think about his generation, he and his friends really want zero debt. Trouble is, Davis says, despite fears about debt his classmates are graduating with massive credit card obligations. “We’re gong to see the repercussions of this years from now. My peers don’t like

when it comes to the topic of money.

having debt, and want zero debt, but they haven’t learned about managing the debt to achieve that goal. Many students in my age range go out to eat a lot, go to bars a lot…instead of being resourceful with their money. In addition to that, they sign up for credit cards with zero interest for seven months that balloons up to 13 percent. Come on guys...let’s start reading the whole contract.”

So they graduate strapped with a significant debt load that Davis finds worrying. “Most college students are graduating making $30,000, and graduating with that amount of debt. They aren’t necessarily graduating with good habits,” he says. Davis had paid internships throughout his student years, but still had to take out loans to finance his

prolific Graduate School Magazine

SUMMER 2009

cover story

graduate education. To keep his own obligation in check, Davis found a credit card with five percent interest. He buys food items in bulk and reins in his weakness for lobster dinner at Applebee’s. He has learned, he laughs, to pop a Stouffer’s frozen meal in the microwave and economize. “I come from humble beginnings,” the scholar says. “I’m not afraid to eat a frozen dinner. My dad works in commercial products at John Deere. My mother is a guidance counselor in a Catholic high school.” Davis says his parents taught him responsibility and accountability by example. But on April 6, the accounting wunderkind, who is completing both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in only four years, still hasn’t had a chance to work on his own income taxes. (He already has a job waiting with Ernst and Young LLP) The reason Bryan Davis is still trying to get around to filing his income taxes is really quite simple: He works constantly, and he’s dancing, singing, and playing the violin as fast as he can— literally. Davis scarcely ever sleeps more than five or six hours a night. He multitasks so much it could give a person brain freeze just reading about his daily schedule. For as long as he can remember, Davis has always been a young man in a hurry. “Even since middle school, I’ve always been busy jumping from club meeting to club meeting to orchestra practice to violin lessons to choir

“I come from humble beginnings,” the scholar says. “I’m not afraid to eat a frozen dinner.” —Bryan Davis

rehearsal to church to work and home all over again.” He entered college at age 18 as a sophomore, with a whole-year’s worth of credits under his belt (with a HOPE scholarship) by taking Advanced Placement courses at the Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School in Augusta. “I came in with 30 credit hours and passed enough exams to come in as sophomore…and I was able to enter with the Fresh College Summer Experience Program, which gave me six more credit hours.” The beginning of his UGA course work led him to important UGA mentors like Pam Kleiber in the Honor’s Program and Mark Dawkins in the Terry College of Business. These mentors helped him to review his life goals and dream job options, and to think very, very big. Davis may be running a slight budget deficit, but he’s very much in the black when it comes to dreams opening wide. His military background shows in many ways. Bryan Davis sits attentively (with military-straight bearing) wearing a yellow Ernst and Young golf shirt and crisp khaki slacks. He was born in Cape Canaveral. His father is retired from the

military and his two siblings are in the military. Davis is prone to ultra-polite “Yes Ma’am” answers; he has polish, assurance, and at the same time he exudes likeability. His dark eyes are framed by wire rim glasses, his hair is neatly trimmed, his shoes spotless, and he wears a watch but no jewelry. He already looks the part he is about to assume—a polished financial prodigy. Davis fields questions with unusual ease. Of course, he is used to questions: He’s already passed each of the four exams to become a certified public accountant, and did this while juggling a full-time academic schedule, an heroic workload and extracurricular obligations. He attended preparatory classes Ernst and Young offers accounting students earning C.P.A.s alongside his course work. This summer, Bryan traveled to Beijing, Shanghai, and Dalian during the UGA Maymester to study globalization and IT systems for nearly a month. On return, he boarded a plane and headed to Connecticut, where he joined five other interns chosen nationwide to work at the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the FASB) in Norwalk.

nimble & cur 6

“It’s an organization, nationally recognized, who set the accounting standards for the U.S. They’re supposed to be independent and yet in a time of crisis like this, [their accounting restrictions] are making financial institutions show a loss…Congress threatened to overthrow them,” Davis explains. He and other young interns are going to assist the FASB in rewriting those national standards. What is it like for Davis to step into this role in a troubled time when corruption abounds? “As an accountant, it’s great; had I gone to Wall Street in finance I might have been laid off by now, as there are people being laid off left and right. As an accountant, though, you always need them, particularly in this time. Accountants are an indispensable part of any business model. Not only do they capture past events on the financial statements, but they are great financial advisors and consultants and often provide general business advice as well. There’s huge demand for auditors to come behind and check companies to be sure they’re not committing fraud.” The role with FASB is a massive job to land on such young shoulders—Davis is only 22. He will spend one year at FASB before beginning a position as a certified public accountant working at Ernst and Young LLP in Atlanta. “It’s very tough to see a lot of my friends who don’t have jobs, and they’re graduating and don’t have anywhere to turn,” he says. His future employer appreciates

ious

what a significant opportunity it is to be an architect of a new ethics standard for the nation’s financial industries. They deferred his start date in Atlanta until summer of 2010, urging him to participate. Davis, despite his apparent calm, says he feels the weight of the FASB job even though he is thrilled by the challenge. Never before has accountancy been such a hot topic. Never before have average Janes and Joes been directly affected by the standards guiding financial institutions. In the aftershock of financier Bernie Madoff ’s massive scandal, and the collapse of AIG, terms like Ponzi scheme and financial malfeasance are now painfully familiar. “It’s nerve-wracking to go to the FASB in Connecticut as a student who has course work knowledge and not real experience. We’re expected to think on a certain level. But, the market has never seen what’s going on today,” says Davis. There are no precedents to guide them. He’s thankful to have such an auspicious start in business, though Davis knows that his internship with the FASB will pit him against accounting wunderkinds plucked from Ivy League schools. He admittedly worries that they’ll be geniuses who eat, sleep and

W h i l e a t U G A , Davis has not only pursued a BBA and MAcc in accounting, but he has also worked with the Arch Society and UGA Housing. Davis volunteers as a business consultant for the

East

Athens

Development

Corporation through the Leonard Leadership Scholars Program. He also is a member of the Corsair Society, the Delta Epsilon Iota Honor Society and Abenefoo Kuo Honor Society. He interned on Wall Street at UBS Investment Bank and will go to work for Ernst and Young LLP in Atlanta after his year-long

assistantship

with

the

Financial Accounting Standards Board in Norwalk, Connecticut. Davis shown with mentor Mark Dawkins, associate dean in the Terry College of Business.

“We’re gong to see the repercussions of this years from now. My peers don’t like having debt, and want zero debt, but they haven’t learned about managing

the debt to achieve that goal.”

—Bryan Davis

Graduate School Magazine

SUMMER 2009

cover story

“I try to get five or six hours sleep a night; it works for me to go to sleep and wake up and finish work while it’s fresh.” —Bryan Davis

talk accounting. And have interest in nothing else. This is where Davis differs sharply from other accountants. Though he is surely analytical and excels in business, Davis has an equal passion for the arts. He is also an active, accomplished musician, dancer and choreographer. “The summer of 2005, when I got here, I began my involvement with the UGA symphony orchestra. I played violin, and I’ve been playing for 13 years now,” Davis says. The symphony is normally exclusively filled with music majors—but in Davis’s case, the conductor made an exception. Davis once thought he would become a professional musician. Like his mother who sings, his father who plays the trumpet and piano, and his grandmother who plays the piano and organ, Davis is innately gifted and self-taught. He had an interest in business and music, and entered the music business program. “While I was working as an intern on Wall Street as an analyst and then got to do it (with USB Investment Bank), I saw it wasn’t my dream job.” Davis, who worked 80-hour weeks, says he “was

turned off by the cut-throatedness, the backstabbing,” and says he didn’t feel he fit the accepted culture of Wall Street. “I didn’t feel completely at ease with everyone at all. Coming from the South, I had a lot to prove, as most of the kids came from the northeastern Ivy Leagues.” He found his greatest joy in attending New York Broadway shows and the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra. Back in Athens, Davis continued a maddening schedule until he graduated in May. And even after graduation, he feels certain he’ll eventually get an MBA from Harvard, Columbia or the Wharton School. On a typical day filled with classwork, Davis attended meetings until 8 p.m. Afterward, Davis went to dance rehearsals until 10:30 p.m. He was active in the Pamoja dancers, an eclectic performance group in the African-American Cultural Center under the direction of Laretha SpainShuler. Pamoja , the Swahili word for unity, performed at the Morton Theater before moving its latest show to a larger stage and venue at the Oconee County Civic Center outside Athens. Davis choreographed and danced in the April show called Up Close and

Personal. “It was mostly hip-hop pieces, but we’re very versatile…ballet, jazz, lyrical,” he says. After cramming for and passing four Georgia state accounting examinations, then getting in his classes and the performance work he loved, Davis somehow managed to squeeze in student activities (he often had three meetings a day), worked as a residential advisor in a dorm and coped with student calls throughout the night, while mentoring other students as a graduate advisor. (He helped give programs for students every other week.) Before rest, he faced the prospect of hours of work left to do. “There was homework and study; lots of meetings and group projects,” he says. “I try to get five or six hours sleep a night; it works for me to go to sleep and wake up and finish work while it’s fresh.” Davis has literally danced as fast as he could. Now, this amazing graduate takes a much larger stage, a star turn for a young man with dancing feet, a nimble mind and many dreams to fulfill. G

stellar 8

“Bryan Davis nimbly moves between life as an artist and as a polished financial prodigy.”

—Dean Grasso

s c h o l a r s f o r t o m o r ro w

For centuries, this site has been passed down through the descendants of the original owner, Noble Jones. Today, UGA has a unique relationship with Wormsloe through both the Wormsloe Foundation and the Craig Barrow family. The current occupants, Craig Barrow III (AB â&#x20AC;&#x2122;65) and Diana Deas Barrow (AB â&#x20AC;&#x2122;65) met on the UGA campus during their freshman year. Newly elected trustee of the Wormsloe Foundation, Charles Knapp, president emeritus of UGA, said, "I am so pleased to have the opportunity to be involved with the work of the Wormsloe Foundation. There is great potential in strengthening the already productive relationships between Wormsloe and the University of Georgia."

AS OLD AS GEORGIA ITSELF :

More Than 200 Year s of Histor y Encapsulated in a SI NGLE PLACE

The Story of Historic

Wormsloe BY CYNTHIA ADAMS PHOTOS BY NANCY EVELYN

ost spectacular and famous of all is Wormsloeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entranceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; the mile-long, oak-lined drive summons the bewitching beauty of the low country and ancient tidewater plantations. Live oaks, dripping with Spanish moss, lead to the still-occupied ancestral plantation house, which has subsequently passed down through many generations. It is owned by Craig Barrow III, a direct descendant of Noble Jones. Jones, one of the original Colonial founders of Georgia, was a multitasking nobleman: surveyor as well as a builder and draftsman. He was sometimes a constable and doctor. Most likely, Jones had his choice of home sites convenient to Savannah in the 1730s. Yet Jones chose a protected, lush site on the Isle of Hope. Here he staked out and leased 500 acres of the most beautiful lands to be had in the tidewater area and soon built a fortified guardhouse.

Graduate School Magazine

SUMMER 2009

s c h o l a r s f o r t o m o r ro w

Subsequently, Jones received royal approval to build a larger structure and a permanent home in 1740. Later incarnations of the original Wormsloe house evolved, but it is what is largely invisible that makes Wormsloe more intriguing. Beyond the vista of the oak approach road, reportedly the mostphotographed site in all of Georgia, lie secrets that are being mined by UGA graduates who are working on an interdisciplinary project that is the first of its kind. Surely, Wor msloe is a muchphotographed and popular tourist destination. Yet it is more than a beautydrenched place with formal gardens and coastal vistas. It is deluged with information. Today, Wormsloe provides a setting for research and educational programs near lands where indigenous Indian tribes once hunted and fished, and where Sea Island cotton was once grown by early Georgian colonials. (The

first concrete date for Wormsloe Sea Island cotton is 1806. During the colonial era, Jones cultivated silkworms, ranged cattle, with subtropical fruits, and possibly planted indigo.) It is a prehistoric site but also a pre-Revolutionary War site. “Wor msloe is to Georgia what Jamestown is to Virginia,” says Graduate School Dean Maureen Grasso. “The funding of graduate students to conduct interdisciplinary research is thrilling and is a legacy for others to follow. These two graduate students working alone in their disciplines only can contribute a small piece of a puzzle. But working together as an interdisciplinary team, learning the language and nuances of each other's fields, they bring an understanding and perspective to Wormsloe that would not be otherwise possible.”

In the shade of oaks old enough to have been seedlings during the American Revolution, Jessica Cook Hale moves in wide sweeps with ground-penetrating radar, assessing and plotting a patch of earth not far from a family cemetery at Wor msloe. The work is tedious, unobtrusive and painstaking, but it may yield up an artifact or treasure for the graduate student. Each time she works at Wormsloe, Cook Hale has breath-taking moments of discovery. Pieces of pottery shard, or ceramic fragments called “sherd” are among her most exciting recent finds. “I have found Wilmington Phase sherds on the Old Avenue; these date to circa 500 AD or thereabouts,” she says. Cook Hale is half of a multi-disciplinary research team, as one of Wormsloe’s first Fellows, who will help decipher the many mysteries of the location. Sarah Ross, the president of the Wormsloe Foundation and director of

“The Joneses/De Rennes added on to the original plantation house structure in 1851, 1854, 1858, and again in the 1870s and 1890s. The house was remodeled as it appears today in the late 1930s/1940s (taking it back roughly to the way it looked in the 1850s),” says Drew Swanson, a doctoral student in history and a Wormsloe Fellow.

A team of UGA graduate students, the first Wormsloe Fellows at the newly created

Wormsloe

Institute

for

Environmental History, hope to unlock some of Wormsloe’s extensive secrets. Their interdisciplinary research is an exciting means to synthesize these historic parts into a comprehensive whole. Jessica Cook Hale, on left, and Drew Swanson shown on right.

the Wormsloe Institute for Environmental History, calls the methodologies and scholarship employed at Wormsloe “journal worthy.” She says it is yielding information that may be used for decades. The team sends in monthly reports to Ross. Together, the Institute and the Graduate School are the primary sources of the Fellows’ funding. “It’s remarkable when graduate students make such significant contributions to the study of science and environmental history,” Ross says, in praise of the two Fellows from UGA. Earlier this spring, Cook Hale, a graduate student in geoarchaeology, and Drew Swanson, a graduate student in environmental history, sat at a UGA conference-room table surrounded with maps—lots and lots of maps. Some are detailed images and survey maps of the historic site designated for research and conservation as the Wormsloe Institute for Environmental History. Others are copies of historic maps that help unlock secrets of the past concealed beneath Wormsloe’s sandy soil. Cook Hale and Swanson are the first Wormsloe Fellows, conducting interdisciplinary research for the institute.

The Wormsloe site is so rare, so pristine and relatively unchanged, that the history it harbors has been compared to that of the historic Jamestown site in Virginia. It is also even more intriguing than Jamestown as a living site which contains the ancestral home of a historic figure of mythic status, Georgia colonist Noble Jones. Since the 1700s, Wormsloe has established significant connections with the State of Georgia. Its owners have had distinction in education, medicine, politics, law and letters. Today, Wor msloe has evolved beyond a famously scenic site into a living laboratory for research, conservation, preservation and education. Paul Sutter (associate professor, of history) and Ervan Garrison (department head, anthropology) are the academic advisors for the two Fellows, and members of the Wormsloe Science Council (WSAC). The graduate students’ mentors, Marguerite Madden, professor and director of the Center for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science (CRMS) and member of the WSAC, and Tommy Jordan, associate director, coordinate the data generated by the Fellows at the

Wormsloe Institute for Environmental History. The institute’s director shares oversight of the Fellows’ work. For Cook Hale and Swanson, Wor msloe presents incomparable archaeological and historic riches to mine. Physically, Wormsloe even contains ruins that date back to the aboriginal Indians who lived in the southeastern United States around 2000 BC. The aboriginal “shell middens,” or mounds, to be found on the Wormsloe grounds are believed to be remnants of the Late Archaic period. Given that the lands remained consistently in one family for nine generations has meant it is pristine in many important ways as a physical site. Academically, Wormsloe was rare for another reason, as the place of origin of an historic library and manuscript collection of inestimable worth developed by Wormsloe’s prior owners. “About two years ago Ervan Garrison asked Tommy [Jordan] if CRMS could do a GPS survey of the buildings and grounds of Wormsloe,” says Madden, “That fall I went with Tommy to help him collect GPS points.” (Garrison is a full professor in both geology and anthropology.) Graduate School Magazine

SUMMER 2009

s c h o l a r s f o r t o m o r ro w

GPS, the acronym for Global Positioning System, is a satellite navigation system developed by the United States Department of Defense and fully operational since 1995. GPS is widely used for navigation, but also in land surveying and map-making. GPS receivers calculate positions via GPS satellites. A constellation of 24 GPS satellites are monitored via the U.S. Air Force and the National GeospatialIntelligence Agency. Madden prepared to join colleague Jordan for what she anticipated would be a few days of fieldwork in a pleasant coastal setting. “Little did we know that when we entered the gates at Wormsloe and met Craig, Diana, and Sarah we would instantly be welcomed to join one of the most exciting research opportunities of my career! It was love at first step on live oak-lined Wormsloe Avenue.” During that first field trip Ross rolled up her shirtsleeves and helped Madden and Jordan do the GPS survey. “We spent three days talking about satellites and remote sensing, GIS and geovisualization, spatial analysis and mobile mapping,” Madden recalls. (GIS, or Geographical Information System, refers to the computer system which stores, analyzes, integrates and displays data pertaining to geographical positions or grid coordinates. GIS is useful in revealing information culled from other existing data, such as soil types, pollution, etc. It also allows users to analyze the results in a map-like form.) “I could tell right away that Ross ‘got it’. She saw the geographic framework, computer images and maps as the critical integrating tool for the various types of research she was beginning to envision for Wormsloe.” Madden’s blood started racing as she realized the rare opportunity unfolding before them. “All of the studies would take place in time and space. All of the collected data could be organized, stored and

“How to tell the story of Wormsloe as if the landscape itself was telling the story?” asked Jordan.

This is the only plantation in Georgia REMAINED IN THE SAME FAMILY.”

displayed for all to see and use. The archaeologists could plan their exploration with knowledge of ongoing marsh ecology experiments and historical documentation of past land use. The ecologists and historians would know what the archaeologists had found and incorporate those studies into their own.” Nothing yet, Madden says, had integrated the artifacts with the property in a deeper way. There is one park ranger who lives on the site, and another three or four who work at the park. The rangers were aware of where everything was, Madden says, and had begun creating site maps. “It was an amazing experience to be a part of this conceptualization of the Wormsloe Institute for Environmental History.” The Historical Perspective Noble Jones, who lived from 1702 to 1775, is the great-great-great-great grandfather of the current occupant of the Wormsloe plantation. Craig Barrow III (AB ’65) is also related to David C. Barrow, chancellor of the University of Georgia from 1905 to 1925 as well as to Alonzo Church, UGA president from 1829 to 1859. Through the Barrow side of the family, Craig Barrow III is the ninth generation graduate of UGA, and through the Jones/De Renne side of the family, he is the ninth generation owner of Wormsloe. He walks the land, discussing its

THAT HAS

previous incarnations as a silkworm farm, a dairy farm and even a Sea Island cotton plantation. Like those ancestors stretching in a long line before him at Wormsloe, they have shared a near reverence for place that is particularly Southern. He mentions his great grandfather, who lived here from 1938 to1945. While Barrow didn’t know his grandfather, he says, “We did know he loved the land.” As Barrow walks the property, pointing out various sites with clear pleasure, he indicates a preRevolutionary hand-dug fort, or battery. He points toward the site where a rice mill operated in another century and a dairy barn once stood. He discusses the facts and lore that subsume the place, including the stills that would occasionally pop up when enterprising moon shiners were emboldened to trespass. And yes, he tells about the famous Benjamin Franklin letter written to one of his ancestors that once hung nonchalantly on Wormsloe’s library wall. Wormsloe’s a historic site to many thrilled academics and scholars, but for Barrow, this is home. Wormsloe: A Place of Letters and Scholarship The Wor msloe grounds include a detached library housing a massive collection of Georgiana acquired by the University. (The stunning library remains privately held by the family.) Those contents are the key component

of the historical research underway by history student Drew Swanson. Swanson’s work is concentrated upon the letters, papers and publications acquired by the University of Georgia from Wymberly Jones De Renne. The collection is known as the De Renne Collection. The De Renne family name has a complicated history of its own. Noble Jones descendant (a great-grandson) and Wor msloe heir, George Frederick Tilghman Jones, changed his name first to George Wymberly Jones and later to George W. J. De Renne in the 1860s. (Some speculate it had a much nicer ring to it than the simple name George Jones.) The plantation’s original spelling changed from Wormslow to Wormsloe sometime before George W. J. De Renne’s tenure. Jones descendants, now known as the De Rennes, returned to Savannah during Reconstruction, having left the South during the Civil War. They did not live on the property for much of the 1860s and 1870s. Instead, they rented the plantation to northern investors and sharecroppers. George W. J. De Renne, a passionate collector of Georgiana, made the family name synonymous with literature and publication. It was G. W. De Renne who first initiated printing historical books and pamphlets, and who began assembling an astonishing historical collection of Georgia historical memorabilia. This was no ordinary collection—De Renne acquired many rare and invaluable books, including personal letters and documents from illustrious figures such as Benjamin Franklin and General Robert E. Lee. The family eventually possessed a copy of the Per manent Confederate Constitution (now also in the De Renne Collection housed within the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library at UGA.) The collection the De Renne family

amassed was treated with due respect, and originally housed it in a worthy Greek Revival stone library that was completed in 1908 near the Wormsloe family house. Wymberley Jones De Renne was the builder of the Wormsloe library. He also was perhaps the family’s greatest collector of rare books and manuscripts. The library itself was not only astonishingly beautiful, but practical, in that it was also fireproof. However, George W. J. De Renne’s grandson, W. W. De Renne, became insolvent during the Great Depression, and eventually sold off much of the library’s important works in 1938. The majority of the collection was acquired by the University of Georgia. He later relocated to Athens, Ga., where he lived with his wife in a relatively simple house on Hill Street. De Renne spent the remainder of his life as curator of the De Renne Collection. Simultaneously, De Renne’s sister,

“The deed to the original 500 acres of land that became Wormsloe was a crown grant to Noble Jones,” explains Sarah Ross, the president and director of the Wormsloe Institute. Ross has oversight of the institute’s activities, and she is at the heart of the multidisciplinary project now underway.

Graduate School Magazine

SUMMER 2009

s c h o l a r s f o r t o m o r ro w

“The multi-disciplinary nature of environmental history at Wormsloe supports a rich experience for the Fellows that we hope will be beneficial as they build their careers,” says Sarah Ross. Shown here is Jessica Cook Hale, top, at Wormsloe and Drew Swanson in the De Renne Collection.

and operates a 15-acre parcel of land which includes the cabin. Here the work of the Fellows is conducted, as well as in the UGA's Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Fellows’ Work and Study Area

Elfrida Barrow, had resolved her brother’s debts. She took possession of Wormsloe, sparing it from likely sale. Barrow, a poet and publisher, was an intellectual woman with a passion for literature and history. She deepened Wormsloe’s connection to scholarship and publication when she created a nonprofit Wormsloe Foundation in 1951. Under the imprint of this foundation, numerous historical works have been published by the UGA Press. Famous writers and poets frequented Wormsloe, cementing its literary reputation. UGA historian Merton Coulter began a life-long affiliation with Elfrida Barrow and authored a book about the early generations of the family in 1951. It was also Barrow’s decision to protect Wormsloe in perpetuity by giving 750 acres to the foundation,

excluding 50 acres and Wor msloe House from the bequest. Later, in 1973, the lands were transferred to the State of Georgia. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources opened an 822-acre site on the Isle of Hope in 1979. Today, Wormsloe also contains a museum, nature trail, and historic ruins. Those ruins include Noble Jones’ fortified tabby fort and residence as well as a family cemetery. William Kelso, who is affiliated with Emory, excavated the fort, according to Ross. Keslo is credited with having discovered the historic Jamestown site. Excluded from public access are the family house, the De Renne library and formal grounds, as well as the Wormsloe Institute Conservation Lab and renovated historic cabin now used by Wor msloe Fellows while they are working onsite. Wormsloe Foundation also owns

Since November 2007, the Wormsloe Fellows have been involved with their work at Wormsloe. That month, Cook Hale traveled to the site with professors Jordan and Madden. They took pictures of the site and they walked—a lot. “Archaeologists walk with their heads down,” Cook Hale says. Cook Hale found herself staggered by the site. “You can be walking around and find a piece of pottery from the 1700s. But we first went all over the island with a park ranger.” Cook Hale says. She also discovered the significant value of a second Fellow, who was versed in the language and art of history: Swanson, who is doing his own type of excavation and discovery work back in the De Renne Collection in the UGA library. Meanwhile, Cook Hale was busy accumulating data from the site. She has the educated eye, the equipment and the academic drive to unlock secrets beneath Wormsloe’s surface while disturbing as little as possible. She began a limited excavation of a survey area. But beforehand, Cook Hale carefully surveyed everything before any excavation took place. Puzzles appeared immediately. “I believe there were originally 10

“When I entered the gates of Wormsloe I joined one of the most exciting research opportunities of my career! It was love at first step on the oak-lined Wormsloe Avenue.”

to 11 slave quarters. Where were the missing ruins?” she asked herself. She tried to envision how the site might have appeared a century ago. “Looking at trees and other clues on the maps, we uploaded digital images to see what the place looked like in 1908.” They had more than 20 still images to evaluate for clues. Meanwhile, back in the UGA library, Swanson considered 400 boxes of materials that comprised the De Renne Collection. He unearthed a picture of the plantation’s original rice mill. The Fellows then used the image to plot where it had actually existed.

Cook Hale working at a Wormsloe shell midden.

“How to tell the story of Wormsloe as if the landscape itself was telling the story?” asked Jordan. “This is the only plantation in Georgia that has remained in the same family.” Meanwhile, Ross worked closely with the Fellows. “We have a stellar science advisory council, made up of UGA profs and professors emerita.

They are looking at the highest and best use, historically, scientifically and ecologically. We want to have a clear, very thought-through path for how we move forward.” Ross notes, “The multi-disciplinary nature of environmental history at Wormsloe supports a rich experience for the Fellows that we hope will be beneficial as they build their careers. Ross, who has a background in science, conservancy and education, says she’s gratified by the quality of graduate students she has worked with at the Institute. “They are doing the highest quality work anyone could do—100 percent professional-level work. Jessica [Cook Hale] is comparing three different types of instruments, looking at the tools themselves, to see which is the most reliable and provides the most robust data. Through her work at Wormsloe, Jessica is producing data for the study of archaeology in general that will have value for many years to come.” Cook Hale explains the benefits of their approach: “The truly interesting aspect of working in the Rice Mill field was the way we were able to combine the geophysics with the GIS, the HABS archives of photographs, Drew’s work, and very limited excavation, in such a way that we’ve been able to pretty securely identify the building as the Rice Mill itself. It usually requires extensive artifact recovery to even begin to speculate about a building’s purpose, and that only comes with massive

A historic photograph from the De Renne Collection.

excavation. That’s not only highly intrusive (not a great thing for a site like Wormsloe); it’s also massively expensive.” Ross also wants the Institute to offer a vibrant, of-the-moment experience for students and researchers. “We have designed the Wormsloe Institute as an interdisciplinary laboratory, which is an asset for departments across the University. Working with Christian Lopez (UGA Libraries), we’re constructing a series of podcasts, where the graduate student and advisor interact to provide an instructive dialog appropriate for numerous audiences. And Ross envisions the experience will continue unfolding. Together, UGA and Wor msloe further the aims of scholarship, an endeavor surely worthy of Noble Jones. G

Graduate School Magazine

SUMMER 2009

scholars worth watching

“I GREW UP IN THE SOUTH, AND I’M FROM GEORGIA. Anytime I see someone coughing on a bus or something, my ears prick up. It’s a rare enough disease that the coughing

aspect is not a real concern. While my studies on tuberculosis (TB) have caused me to

be hyper-aware of people coughing around me, they’ve also illustrated to me

(statistically) TB should not be my primary healthcare concern.”

Physician in Training Simultaneously Mastering Public Health Degree

BY CYNTHIA ADAMS PHOTOS BY NANCY EVELYN

eet Tyson Turner, 25, a man on a speeding train headed straight to success. Turner’s about to become a double Dawg this year, and will soon after complete an MD at Duke University School of Medicine. Turner’s epidemiological research concerns the incidence of tuberculosis in the State of Georgia. Turner’s currently on track to earn an MPH in epidemiology in 2009 at UGA and an MD from Duke in May 2010. All the while, Turner is maintaining a 4.0 grade point average at UGA. He was a HOPE Scholar at UGA, and graduated summa cum laude in 2006 with a BS in cellular biology and biochemistry. He says that his UGA education was a great foundation for medical school. “The beginning of medical school was based on biology; most of which I’d already covered in my undergrad work.” Turner says his UGA basis was such a godsend. “It allows you to have a little more time to catch your breath and

not feel overwhelmed. It’s such a seachange in the overall atmosphere, from undergraduate to professional school. And, there are many people from all over the country who come here (to Duke) to med school. I felt just as prepared and my educational background was a great preparation.” Graduate School Magazine: First of all: How can you balance earning two advanced degrees at once? At different institutions? Turner: Duke’s medical school curriculum allows its students to use their third year of medical school in a wide variety of scholarly pursuits; students take this year to obtain other degrees (e.g. MPH, MPP, MBA, JD, etc), do research, etc. The vast majority of medical schools devote the first two years to learning the basics in the classroom. The third and fourth years of medical school are spent in rotations. Duke wants everyone in the third year to do some kind of scholarship work and research.

One of the most difficult parts of this year has been managing the logistics of trying to obtain the MPH in only one calendar year. Dr. Robert Galen, a senior associate dean at the College of Public Health, has been an invaluable resource. He has structured my schedule so that I will be able to complete all of the required coursework in the limited timeframe. Graduate School Magazine: Secondly, why would you attempt this? Do you plan to become an academician? Turner: One of the main reasons I’m doing this, is, that so much of medicine is about treatment and is one-on-one— exactly what you need for a patient who gets sick. But a lot of health issues need to be looked at from a different perspective, one that is populationbased. I’m hoping having this year of [graduate] study will give me that frame in the back of my mind. I’m really interested in doing outcome research, which looks at Graduate School Magazine

SUMMER 2009

scholars worth watching

population outcomes for different treatments and interventions. Epidemiology fits with that very well. But I definitely want to practice clinical medicine. Graduate School Magazine: How do you find returning to UGA for Grad School after experiencing Duke? Turner: The academic load is definitely difficult, particularly at times such as finals when multiple courses have assignments due, but the faculty at the College of Public Health has been such a help by working with me whenever necessary to accommodate my (at times) cramped schedule. Also, being in medical school has done wonders for my efficiency in regards to studying, writing papers, etc., and many of the timemanagement skills that are used there have been a major help to me here. I find a lot of similarities with Duke. The differences are also there—it’s hard to compare. UGA Graduate School was very academic in nature; the goal of professional school/med school is to train a physician. They both require an investment in the part of the student. Graduate School Magazine: Your graduate work at UGA concerned the incidence of tuberculosis in the State of Georgia. Isn’t tuberculosis nearly eradicated? Turner: Georgia has the ninth highest

Turner: Every case of tuberculosis diagnosed by a physician has to be reported to the Division of Public Health at the State level, like anything with public health implications. The way TB is treated now is, the patient must have a long course of therapy; and they are visualized taking the medication. (Literally, someone must observe the patient taking the medicine in a clinical setting. This ‘watching’ is called ‘Directly Observed Therapy,’ or DOT.) Tuberculosis, unlike bronchitis, takes months and months of therapy…and they found that people often didn’t finish the therapy. In general, TB is still a disease that kills but not like the major killers (e.g., cardiovascular disease, stroke, etc.) TB has resurgence once people get older and have a compromised immune system due to HIV, diabetes, mellitus, cancer, etc.

branch to analyze the state’s tuberculosis database. (Each time a case of tuberculosis is diagnosed in Georgia it must be reported and recorded in this State-managed database) Using this data, we’re looking into some of the epidemiological factors associated with tuberculosis diagnosis, including a description of the cases based on age, sex, race/ethnicity, etc. We’re also trying to find out how cases may cluster in certain areas of the State if possible. Our main focus, though, is to try to find out why we are seeing an increase in tuberculosis cases in the foreign-born population in Georgia. We’re thinking it could be due to either increased immigration levels (i.e. more cases just because we’re having more immigrants into the State) or due to “ongoing transmission” in foreign-born communities once they immigrate into the State. We’re also trying to look at the molecular “typing” of the TB strains (i.e., how we identify which strain of TB each individual contracts) to see how often TB strains are unique versus how often they are shared between many different cases across the State.)

Graduate School Magazine: What is your research concern?

Graduate School Magazine: Where is this work leading?

Turner: Professor Christopher Whalen [who specializes in tuberculosis research and is Turner’s major professor] and I have partnered with the Georgia Division of Public Health’s tuberculosis

Turner: The main research question is, what is the reason we see more TB cases among the foreign-born in 2009 versus the 1990s? (As the overall TB case rate is actually decreasing.)

case rate of tuberculosis in the United States. Graduate School Magazine: Should Georgians be concerned about this?

A B O U T T U B E R C U L O S I S : Georgia has the ninth highest case rate of tuberculosis in the United States. A third of the world population is infected with TB. About 90 percent of those infected will never develop active TB. TB is treatable with antibiotics. A century ago, people with TB were confined to sanitariums. To find out more about tuberculosis, visit www.tuberculosis.com.

“Dr. Christopher Whalen and I have partnered with the Georgia Division of Public Health's tuberculosis branch to analyze the state's tuberculosis database," says Turner. They hope to discover reasons for an increase in TB among Georgia's foreign-born residents.

Is that due to more immigrants coming to the U.S.? Or, is it instead due to the fact that the people who come here don’t get plugged into our health care, and also to the clustering transmission of TB in immigrants? The hope is, we will find out. If it’s true that there is a clustering phenomenon, this can lead to future studies that can then say, ‘What is the reason we’re having this clustering effect?’ Graduate School Magazine: When did you realize you wanted to become a physician? Turner: I grew up in Lincolnton, Ga., which is a small town on the Georgia/South Carolina border approximately 40 miles north of Augusta. I’m not sure when I first decided to apply to medical school; it was always something that was in the back of my mind, and I suppose eventually it just made its way to the

forefront. (Not enthralling, I know.) Looking back on it, I suppose the profession just made sense for me: I’ve always enjoyed science and have been intrigued by human health and illness, and medicine seems to be the best way for me to make a positive impact on others. No one in my family is a physician, but I did have a fair amount of exposure to the health care field through my father and sister, both of whom are pharmacists, and so I suppose I was attracted to the field in that way, too. Graduate School Magazine: You maintain an outstanding grade point average. Where do you hope this diligence and effort will ultimately lead?

short term, I hope to finish my MPH this summer and return to Duke in late summer/early fall. From there, I (hopefully) will graduate medical school in May 2010 and go on to residency in July. I’m still researching different residency programs at this point, but I’m hoping to select my future specialty sometime this summer once I’ve had more time to reflect. Ideally, whatever the specialty, I hope to use both my medical and public health knowledge to be a physician that appreciates health care on both the individual and population level. Hopefully, this year will provide me with a perspective on health that I otherwise would not have been able to obtain, allowing me to be a better physician for my patients and colleagues. G

Turner: Students at Duke tell you, you go into medicine because you want to see patients; it’s almost the sooner the better. Regarding where my future might take me, I’m honestly not sure. In the

Graduate School Magazine

SUMMER 2009

w h e re a re t h e y n o w ?

B e r n ic e Co op e r made history when she became the F I R S T WOM A N to e a r n a D O C TO R AT E a t UG A

THE YEAR WAS 1956...Dwight Eisenhower was re-elected; the film The King and I and the song Heartbreak Hotel debuted; Prince Ranier III of Monaco married American actress Grace Kelly and Bernice Cooper became UGAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first female doctorate!

BY CYNTHIA ADAMS PHOTOS BY NANCY EVELYN

The following is excerpted from the forthcoming Graduate School centennial commemorative book:

n 1956, women were more likely to read about newsmakers than be one. That year, Bernice Cooper was busy finishing a Doctor of Education, poised to make headlines of her own. There was something very special about Cooper: She was the first woman to earn a doctorate at UGA. “I didn’t know it was unusual, or that I would be the first woman until spring of 1956,” Cooper says matter-offactly. Moreover, she narrowly won that honor, as another was close behind her. “I said to my major professor I wasn’t sure I could finish in June. And she said, ‘You have to, so you can be the first woman.’ And I didn’t know this until not long before the event! I didn’t question it in any way. I didn’t think of its being different or unusual.” Meanwhile, she was working full-time. Cooper, who grew up in Thomas County, Ga., had 13 siblings. Some of her sisters entered nursing and banking. Two became educators, like her, but for short periods of time. Others became homemakers, beauticians, or followed other paths. Yet Cooper followed an inner call to pursue education. “I always wanted to do a little more, and go a little further.” After high school she entered a two-year college in Americus and earned a teaching certificate. “It was only natural I would start taking some courses; it was a normal thing to keep going forward. “I always wanted my degree from the University of Georgia. I felt it was the leading university in the state. I started teaching after those two years [of study], and continued taking courses

during summer school at UGA for six to 12 weeks, for different amounts of time.” World War II erupted, suspending both teaching and studies. In 1942, Cooper and a fellow teacher moved near the Warner Robins Air Force base outside Macon, Ga. She spent 1942 to 1945 working in a military supply warehouse in support of the war effort. “The pilots came there to pick up whatever they needed for their planes. We filled their orders. I worked in an office station, or occasionally in the aisles putting things on the shelves (propellers or whatever). It was a very interesting time.” The differences between the wartime post and Cooper’s teaching were obvious—plus, she had no paperwork to do at night. That, she recalls, made the work seem easy. Although her purpose was serious, there were times of youthful fun. Cooper participated in social efforts, including the United Service Organization (USO). With the war over in 1945, Cooper resumed her teaching and began college work part-time. “I did some correspondence work, some weekend courses, lots of summer school, and got my BS. I finished at UGA in elementary education in 1947.” Her family didn’t think it was remarkable, or attend her graduation. “You know, money,” she says without a trace of self pity. “I didn’t get yearbooks or college rings. For me, they would have

been expensive. I made $60 a month when I started teaching and I had to save some in order to go to summer school. My parents helped me through the first two years of my studies, and I worked part-time. But then, after that, I was on my own.” Afterward, Cooper continued teaching during the academic year in public schools but began graduate studies in summer school, completing her master’s in 1953. She wanted, she says, to be better prepared and to make more money. Cooper was invited to teach one year at the university after completing her master’s. At the end of that year, she was awarded a Kellogg Fellowship, analyzing the effectiveness of school administrators throughout the state. The program was directed by a professor in administration, and Cooper was the only woman among the six fellows working with him on the project. Cooper’s major professor recommended her for a teaching post, and she says she thereby “slipped into a faculty position.” Beginning in 1955, she taught as an instructor through 1957. “I don’t know what I expected, or whether I thought I might go on. But UGA opened up opportunities.” In 1956, she and three other Kellogg fellows received doctorates. Her family was still not impressed, but they gave her a friendship ring as a graduation present, which she still has and enjoys wearing it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I don’t know what I expected, or whether I thought I might go on. But UGA opened up opportunities.” —Bernice Cooper

Graduate School Magazine

SUMMER 2009

w h e re a re t h e y n o w ?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I always wanted my degree from the University of Georgia. I felt it was the leading university in the state.” —Bernice Cooper

Cooper insists her gender posed no problems and she faced no difficulties as a woman. “I was not a crusader for women’s rights. I just did it. Seems recently people think I was, but I was not. Nobody questioned it, from the beginning [her studies and earning a doctorate]. I didn’t think much about it.” Cooper has little patience for the suggestion that she felt a social imperative to be the first woman to break educational barriers. “You take care of yourself and do what you want to do, and it will all work out. I don’t feel compelled to march, hold up banners, or complain.” However, Cooper was infinitely practical about earnings as she continued teaching at UGA. “When I found out a man was making more money for doing the same thing I did, I didn’t go and complain to the dean. I just went about looking for another job,” Cooper explains.

Someone else told the dean about Cooper’s quiet job search and Cooper’s salary increased. “I didn’t challenge them, [but] I almost left. I was close to making a move.” As time passed, she moved through the faculty ranks, becoming assistant professor in 1957, associate professor in 1962, and Graduate Faculty in 1967, overseeing doctoral students. In 1970 Cooper made full professor. By 1977, she became acting chairman of UGA’s division of elementary education. She remained chair until her retirement in 1980 after 40 years of teaching, including 11 years of teaching in Florida and Georgia public schools, two years at the laboratory school of another college, and 27 at UGA. Cooper’s 40 years as an educator were never idle. “I did a lot of things when I was teaching, like giving speeches and writing articles, and helped with the Georgia Children’s Book Awards beginning in 1968, which are

still ongoing.” Her colleague, Shelton Root, originated the idea for the children’s reading project. “Children’s literature is a groundwork, a beginning for long-term reading. It’s a fun activity as well as a learning experience,” Cooper once said. There are two annual awards, for the Georgia Children’s Picture Storybook Award, selected by children in kindergarten through third grade, and the Georgia Children’s Book Award, selected by children in the fourth through sixth grade. Children read from a list of selected books and vote upon a winner. The winner’s author, along with others, is invited to UGA for an annual literary conference. Georgia children’s book writer Robert Burch won the first award, ultimately receiving it three years in total Cooper recalls. Burch’s own story, as a child of the Depression growing up in a small Georgia town, accomplished writer, and UGA alumni, made him a standout in her memory among many favorites. “We were the only university that had such a thing…and when I retired [in 1980] they gave me an honorary award, which was a plaque shaped like the state of Georgia. I’m the only person I know about who got one who was not an author.” Recently, Cooper happened upon the conference at the Georgia Center while on campus for another event. It evoked happy memories of times past. “I think it is remarkable that after this many years they’re still doing it.” G

Cooper recalls life in rural Georgia as one of 14 children. She was the first to earn a four-year degree in her family, and the only sibling to complete a doctorate. She has remained in Athens since arriving in the 1950s.

“I said to my major professor I wasn’t sure I could finish in June. And she said, ‘You have to, so you —Bernice Cooper can be the first woman.’ “

Graduate School Magazine

S U M M E R

David Foster Meets with Graduate Students

and Shares Conservation Experiences at Harvard Forest began his famous experiment and residence at Walden Pond on July 4, 1845. He wrote, "I was so low in the woods that the opposite shore, half a mile off, like the rest, covered with wood, was my most distant horizon..." HENRY DAVID THOREAU

BY CYNTHIA ADAMS PHOTO BY NANCY EVELYN

avid Foster, a forestry ecologist and writer, has become one of the country’s most prominent environmental historians since joining the Harvard University faculty in 1983. He directs both the Harvard Forest and Harvard’s department of organismic and evolutionary biology. On the afternoon of April 23, Foster first met for an hour of questions and answers with a group of UGA graduate students in LeConte Hall before addressing an audience at the Chapel at 5:30 p.m. Foster’s discussion of his professional life, experiences and projects encouraged emerging scholars at UGA. “I grew up in the southern Appalachians and was fortunate to be raised to appreciate and respect the land. I was taught that there were short- and long-term consequences to what we did to the pasture or forest. Although this attitude feels innate to me, I now know I can pursue this passion in the form of graduate studies and an eventual career,” says Carey Burda, who was invited to attend the preliminary student session. “For me personally, attending the student session helped me put a name to, and solidify what I want to pursue in Graduate School,” says Burda, who enters graduate studies at UGA this fall. “Generally speaking, that would be environmental history. I think what really impressed me about Dr. Foster was that after years in academia, he was

able to make the move to put his research to work. That is, he is actively promoting realistic and sound conservation techniques to local governments that everybody can live with. I find this extremely encouraging for myself personally, and for the future of natural resources and conservation.” In the general audience, Foster spoke to the issues of managing a New England natural resource, the 3,500acre Harvard Forest in Petersham, Mass. Under his stewardship, the region is said to have returned to a more natural state than at any time since America’s Revolutionary War. In addition to authoring academic articles, Foster has written and/or cowritten four books which have had a general readership. One, Thoreau’s Country: Journey through a Transformed Landscape , published in 1999, was drawn from Foster’s personal experiences in 1977. Emulating Henry David Thoreau, Foster built a cabin and observed the New England landscape. Referencing Thoreau’s journals, Foster noticed that the landscape differed vastly from what Thoreau described over a century earlier: “When I first paddled a boat on Walden,” Thoreau wrote in 1845, describing the area where he lived in the

book Walden , “it was completely surrounded by thick and lofty pine and oak woods, and in some of its coves grape-vines had run over the trees next the water and formed bowers under which a boat could pass. The hills which form its shores are so steep, and the woods on them were then so high, that, as you looked down from the west end, it had the appearance of an amphitheatre for some land of sylvan spectacle.” Thoreau’s Walden , National Public Radio once observed, became a Bible for those who wanted to live harmoniously within nature. In 2007, a National Public Radio program said this about the Harvard Forest: “This forest in north central Massachusetts is under a microscope. Throughout the forest, you see signs of research under way. Hundreds of trees are labeled and wear shiny metal belts to measure their growth. Buckets collect falling leaves; holes in the ground yield data on the soil. Slowly, the forest is giving up its secrets.” Foster spoke to the general audience about the preservation of wildlands, the conservation of cultivated landscapes and the management of natural resources. “Look, history has

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emulating Henry David Thoreau, Foster built a cabin and observed the New England landscape.

given us a second chance to determine what we want to do with our forests,” Foster said. “Hopefully, history will bring us many different messages, and we can use that as an inspiration and turn that into energy to protect these landscapes.” Foster, arguably one of the greatest woodsmen of the world, tends the Harvard Forest for the university. The Massachusetts lands were set aside in 1907 for study and experimentation. With 3,500 acres to care for, that’s a lot of tending. Or not. According to Foster, who’s officially the director of the Harvard Forest, says sometimes the best course of action, environmentally, is taking none whatsoever. In 2005, he helped author a 24-page piece titled Wildlands and Woodlands, which describes the benefits of leaving wildlands wild. “Forests provide critical infrastructures for us and natural processes,” Forest said during his UGA lecture. Foster has helped reframe the way environmentalists and opponents approach the subject of conservation. Human interaction is a key component of Foster’s message. He advocates managing woodlands in such a way that renews humans’ connection with nature—not by shutting them out. Foster also encourages the idea of conservation easements and tax credits for undeveloped wildlands and woodlands that are demonstrably helping lower carbon emissions. He also advocates rewarding taxpayers for not cutting down trees, comparing the concept to paying farmers not to grow certain crops. He shared his ideas about tax relief, tax reduction, and direct payment incentives for landowners who support conservation. The ecological benefits of being thoughtful caretakers of the natural world are spelled out in Foster’s seminal work, Wildlands and Woodlands . Yet there are other benefits to preserving the

natural world. The human spirit itself may well require time within nature. Yale psychology professor Paul Bloom believes there is a “nature deficit” that afflicts modern man. Our evolutionary selves may have a hardwired need to be within the natural world. “Our hunger for the natural is everywhere” says Bloom. Foster says people often protest, “If you protect all the land, where are you

going to live?” He answers, ‘If we don’t protect the land where are we going to live?” The lecture was sponsored by the Wormsloe Institute of Environmental Health, UGA’s office of the senior vice president for external affairs, the Center for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science, the departments of anthropology and history, and the UGA River Basin Center. G

David Foster, below far right, fielding questions from UGA graduate students in April.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"History has given us a second chance to determine what —David Foster we want to do with our forests."

Graduate School Magazine

SUMMER 2009

Michael A. Johnson, Assistant Dean

In Memoriam:

Michael A. Johnson, assistant

dean of the Graduate School, died suddenly on February 26, 2009.

“Michael was an incredible individual,

with a fantastic sense of humor,” says

Dean Maureen Grasso, who recruited

Johnson from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro (UNCG) in 2004.

“He was not only effective and

respected, but he was deeply liked by

those who had the pleasure of knowing

him. Mike’s humor was a gift to our

staff, making our work lighter.” Johnson, 44, joined the Graduate School faculty at UGA as assistant dean. He had previously worked with Grasso at UNCG. At UNCG, he initially directed graduate recruitment and information services, and later became the assistant dean at UNCG’s Graduate School. He was attributed with having helped create some of the best recruitment strategies ever employed, according to colleagues. Johnson’s efforts in strategic planning helped net the highest enrollment of graduate students in UGA’s history—7,160. He also worked with individual faculty in creating enrollment plans for their programs. Johnson had completed a Master’s in Public Health Administration at East Tennessee State University, and was a doctoral student in adult education at UGA. “His innovative ideas and passion for higher education have reached

thousands,” the Graduate School reported in a published memorial. Since coming to UGA, Johnson provided leadership and vision to his work in enrollment management, outreach and diversity. He was instrumental in coordinating all data UGA submitted to the National Research Council for a national study on doctoral programs. That study will be released later this year. He also helped develop the first-ever database on doctoral students for the Graduate School. A memorial honoring Johnson was held at the University on April 1 at the Chapel. Among those sharing remembrances were Cheryl Dozier, associate provost, Tom Valentine, Johnson’s major professor in adult education, Dean Maureen Grasso, and

a wide range of colleagues and friends from the University and the town. Renee Dubose, the pastor of Our Hope Metropolitan Community Church, presided. Johnson was an avid BMW motorcycle enthusiast. At the service, the director of BMW Motorcycle Owners of America spoke of their mutual fondness for cycling. Original music performed by musicians Kristin Humbard, Tommy Jordan, Richard Daniels, and Jamon Holt included a song written specifically about Johnson’s BMW fascination. “Mike was known for his playfulness and his pranks,” said Grasso. “We wanted to make his service reflect his fun, easygoing nature. He had a talent for his work, but also an equal talent for making work a pleasure.” A reception followed the memorial, sponsored by members of the UGA Arch Society and the ABK Honor Society. “Most important, Michael was fun to work with—always willing to take on any project, always so positive and upbeat. He was the type of individual you wanted to have on your team. He will be missed by all of us,” says Grasso. Contributions may be made to the University of Georgia Arch Foundation for the Michael A. Johnson Graduate Fellowship, Milledge Centre, Suite 100, 394 South Milledge Avenue, Athens, Ga. 30602. G

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johnson’s efforts in strategic planning helped net the highest enrollment of graduate students in UGA’s history—7,160.

Enrollments Soaring as Graduate Alums Excel In 1910, when the University of Georgia Graduate School was formally established, less

Connect more. Spend less. Now a Family SharePlan® comes with

than 10 percent of the population of the United States graduated from high school. By 1940, only 3.3 percent of the population of Georgia held a bachelor’s degree or higher. Since that time, 24.3 percent of Georgians hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 24.4, the national average. “More than 58,000 individuals who hold graduate degrees from the University of

With any Nationwide Family SharePlan 1400 Anytime Minutes or more. (Activation fees, taxes & other charges apply.)*

At no extra cost, you get: • Unlimited calling to your top 10 numbers, on any network, even landlines, anywhere in the U.S. • Unlimited calling with our 80 million customers on America’s Largest Mobile to Mobile Calling Family.

Georgia touch our lives every day,” says Dean Maureen Grasso. “Whether it’s teaching

• Plus, unlimited Night & Weekend Calling.

our children, creating new drugs, addressing

It’s the best value in wireless!

critical health issues, managing hallmark programs, or contributing to our local and global communities in other ways. “Our graduates make positive changes in a variety of settings—from leading large corporations to inventing new technologies, to serving in nonprofits or working in the government. Their contributions enhance our

Verizon Wireless offers faculty, staff and students special discounts on calling and data plans.

quality of life and help ensure the democratic ideals of a nation. They make a difference!” Last fall, the Graduate School saw its largest enrollment ever, with a total of 7,125 students. The Graduate School also saw enrollment of African American students increase 5.6 percent over 2007. Latino graduate students increased by 9.6 percent. Further information on graduate programs and initiatives can be found at www.grad.uga.edu.

Switch to America’s Largest and Most Reliable Wireless Network. Call 1.888.640.8776

Click verizonwireless.com Visit any store

IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: Subject to Cust. Agmt, Calling Plan, rebate form & credit approval. Up to $175 early termination fee/line, up to 45¢/min. after allowance & add’l charges apply for data sent or received. Friends & Family®: Only domestic landline or wireless numbers (other than directory assistance, 900 numbers or customer’s own wireless or voice mail access numbers) included; all eligible lines on an account share the same Friends & Family numbers, up to account’s eligibility limits; set up & manage online. Offers & coverage, varying by svc., not available everywhere. Network details & coverage maps at vzw.com. While supplies last. Nights: 9:01 pm–5:59 am M–F. © 2009 Verizon Wireless.

Graduate School Magazine

SUMMER 2009

“Hard Times Call for Imagination, Resiliency” A C H A L L E N G E from Harriet Fulbright

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------H a r r i e t M a y o r F u l b r i g h t , the president of the J. William & Harriet Fulbright Center, delivered the Graduate School Commencement address on December 18, 2008. Fulbright has devoted most of her adult life to education and the arts. She has been a tireless advocate of educational reforms and advancements. Her late husband, Senator J. William Fulbright, famously supported educational endeavors and peace initiatives around the world. Their daughter, Shelby H. Funk, is an assistant professor of computer science at UGA.

The following comments are from Fulbright’s address.

“It is a real pleasure to be here with you on this important day of your life. This year, however, I had to think hard about what to say, thanks to this difficult economy. As I searched for relevant thoughts, I realized that these times remind me of what I heard as a small child. I was encouraged to tell you the story of my father, who graduated as an engineer in 1929, the year of the crash that began the Great Depression. If there was one thing the country’s employers did not want at that time, it was a young and inexperienced engineer, something he could not have anticipated as an undergraduate in the so-called Roaring Twenties. And right after he left university, he took on the responsibility of a wife, and a couple of years later had another mouth to feed— that was mine—so when he set out to make his way in the world, he had to accept whatever position he could find. After many weeks of looking, he had to settle on the only job open to him, and that was with a little magazine on the eighth floor of the Grand Central Building in New York. The duties had nothing to do with engineering. They hired him to go out and get businesses to buy ads. Now if there was one thing he hated, it was selling, but he had no choice. So he thought deeply about how to make that job not only tolerable but successful enough to pay for rent and food.

First he would drive into a town or city and look for factories with chimneys emitting smoke or a big office with people going in and out of the front gate. Then he would note down the name of the business and head to the Chamber of Commerce to read about its work. At times, he also visited the local library to learn about the type of product or service it offered, and then he returned to the business and said he had to have an appointment with the president. Once he was ushered into his office, he spoke with considerable knowledge. He would praise the president for being able to keep his business going in such a difficult economy, and he added a few suggestions as to how he might improve the manufacturing process, or the system of distribution, or suggest a similar product that might be in demand or more profitable—something that would indicate his ability to be helpful. After that, he mentioned that the company really needed greater visibility and suggested an ad in his magazine. It was not long before he became one of the magazine’s best salesmen, and as the years went by, he worked his way up and out of selling.

By the time of World War II, he had become very successful, as had his magazine, which was called Time . But he still missed the world of engineering, so he joined Boeing Aircraft Company and was moved to Paris, where he helped to open up the European market for them. He was, of course, hired as a business executive, but he was happily talking with engineers and working with a company involved in a field that fascinated him. After his retirement, he would shake his head about that path he had taken in life but spoke about it with wonder, not sadness or frustration. Hard times require the will and willingness to make lemonade out of the lemon thrust in your hand, and the creativity to figure out how to sweeten it. You have received a superb education here at the University of Georgia, but you may not have to stray so far away from your chosen field. In fact, you might already have an employer waiting for you as you depart this campus, but remember that your years here have prepared you for more than the ability to earn a paycheck.” G

“H ARD TIMES require the will and willingness to make lemonade out of the lemon thrust in your hand, and the creativity to figure out how to sweeten it.” —Harriet Mayor Fulbright

Why I Give: Terry Coffey -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I choose to give to the graduate school because my gift goes directly to help outstanding students attend The University of Georgia. The enhancement of graduate education is the key to advancing the academic status of our university, and in order to attract the best and brightest students, we need resources to fund graduate scholarships and fellowships,” says Terry Coffey, a triple Dawg and enthusiastic UGA supporter. He knows whereof he speaks. UGA is a family affair for the Coffeys.

Terry Coffey received his bachelor's

reviewed publications and numerous

degree in agriculture in 1975, MS in

articles and research reports.

Advisory Board, Advisory Committee for Biotechnology in Southeastern

animal science in 1977, and PhD in

Coffey joined Murphy Family

North Carolina, Steering Committee

animal science/nutrition in 1981 from

Farms as director of research and

for the North Carolina Biotechnology

UGA. His wife, Elizabeth, attended

development in 1991. In 1997, he was

Center, chairman of the Animal Health

UGA and received her ABJ in 1979.

appointed senior vice-president of

Committee for the North Carolina

Their daughter, Cameron, is a 2006

production operations.

Department of Agriculture and is an

magna cum laude graduate of UGA

In 2001, Murphy Family Farms was

(ABJ, ’06). Their son, Graham, is in his

purchased by Smithfield Foods, the

elder at the First Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, NC.

world’s largest pork producer and

He has a distinguished record of

After graduation, Coffey joined

processor. Coffey became president of

professional and public service on

the faculty of the University of Florida’s

Murphy Farms LLC and in 2002

numerous community, state, regional,

department of animal science where he

became

and national organizations, including

second year at UGA.

president

production

conducted research in nutrition and

operations east for Murphy-Brown LLC.

the Board of Directors of the American

taught courses in basic nutrition and

In addition, Coffey assumed responsi-

Society of Animal Science; Board of

bility for veterinary, nutrition, and

Directors of ProLinia, Inc.; North

In 1984, Coffey moved to North

research and development capabilities,

Carolina State University Animal Science

Carolina State University’s department

as well as Smithfield Premium Genetics.

Department Advisory Board; and the

of animal science where he developed

Coffey is a member of the

United States Department of Agriculture

production management.

American Institute of Nutrition, the

nutrition. Maintaining an active program

American Society of Animal Science,

research

program

focused

and the British Society of Animal Science. He serves on the University of

courses in livestock management and

Georgia

graduate courses in quantitative

Advancement Board, Board of Trustees

Graduate

School

nutrition. In 1990, he was appointed

at the University of North Carolina at

associate department head of the

Wilmington

animal science department at North

chairman), Board of Directors for the

Carolina State University. He authored

Boy Scouts of America Cape Fear

or co-authored more than 70 peer-

Council, NC, 4-H Livestock Endowment

(currently

N A N C Y E V E LY N

in graduate student education and research, he taught undergraduate

Pork Industry Futures Project. G

serving

“ W h e t h e r y o u h e l p e d c re a t e a n a m e d f e l l o w s h i p , contributed to an existing award or included the Graduate School in your will, your gift is significant to enhancing all aspects of graduate education, from the quality of faculty to the scholarship of students. We appreciate your help in building a foundation of educational excellence and hope you will encourage others to participate in this worthwhile endeavor.”—Tom Wilfong, director of development for the Graduate School

Graduate School Magazine

SUMMER 2009

in brief

N A N C Y E V E LY N

V E R I Z O N / H O P E L I N E F E L L O W, HILARY HARDING, Receives New Fellowship ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hilary Harding, one of the Verizon/Hopeline Fellows for 2008-2009, has

received another award for research in interpersonal violence. Harding was awarded a fellowship by the Society of Public Health Education/Centers for Disease Control Student for 2009 in late February. She was selected based upon the merits of the project proposal she submitted as well as her record of past research accomplishments, according to Joan L. Jackson, the associate head of the department of psychology. The fellowship, awarded earlier this year, supports Harding’s work in injury prevention. “The Verizon/Hopeline Fellowship has made it possible for Hilary to devote the majority of her time this year to her research, and she is taking full advantage of this opportunity. It is a delight and privilege for me, as her major professor, to work with a student of Hilary’s caliber toward the goal of understanding, explaining, and ultimately preventing interpersonal violence,” Jackson wrote to Graduate School Dean Maureen Grasso. “We both are very appreciative of your efforts, along with those of your staff and Drs. Calhoun and Clay-Warner, in bringing the Verizon/Hopeline Program to the University of Georgia.” In addition to Hopeline, Verizon Wireless offers the consumer service #HOPE via their nationwide network. By dialing the number #4673, callers are connected to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The number accesses a toll and airtime-free hotline, which offers confidential help, crisis intervention, information and resources. G

G R A D U AT E D E A N R e c o g n i z e d b y CONFERENCE of S O U T H E R N G R A D U AT E S C H O O L S ----------------------------------------------------------------

Maureen Grasso, the dean of the

Graduate School, received the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate Education in the Southern Region at their annual meeting in Norfolk, Va. The conference awarded Grasso with their highest honor for contributions most benefiting graduate education in the southern region. “It is an honor and a privilege to receive this award,” she said upon receiving the peer-nominated honor which carries a $1,000 award. “Graduate education is my passion, and I’m very excited about the opportunity to continue bringing recognition to graduate programs not only at the

University of Georgia, but also at other southern institutions.” Grasso served as president of CSGS in 2004-2005. The conference recognized her contributions to graduate education over the past 10 years at both the University of Georgia and the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. She came to UGA in 2002, and created the Emerging Leaders Program and other professional development programs for graduate students. She implemented the Graduate School Teaching Portfolio Program, the Certificate in University Teaching, and other interdisciplinary certificate programs. Grasso established the Graduate Education Advancement Board, seeking to increase funding

opportunities for graduate students in UGA programs. Grasso also leads the Graduate School’s three-year Initiative for Optimal Doctoral Completion funded by a grant from the Council of Graduate Schools. G

N A N C Y E V E LY N

Master of Fine Arts EXHIBITION FIRST in new facilities --------------------------------------------------------------

The 2009 Master of Fine Arts Exhibition opened April 1,

featuring the work of 13 rising MFA candidates at the Lamar Dodd School of Art. The exhibition was the first mounted in the new art building on East Campus. They were also the first MFA candidates to work in the new facilities. The MFA candidates included: Wes Airgood, Jon Barwick, Maury Gortemiller, Joshua Dudley Greer, Jennifer Hartley, Nick Helton, Stacy Isenbarger, Soon Bae Kim, Erin McIntosh, Sam Mosby, Laura Noel, Jon Roy and Tiffany Whitfield. Their work featured media including acrylic, ceramics, printmaking, sculpture, oils, photography, metal work, jewelry making and drawing. Hartley’s work on her New Town neighborhood was featured in the magazine last summer (see summer 2008, “New Town Erupts from the Magic Brush of Jennifer Hartley.”) “This year’s fresh crop of imminent MFA degree holders is already a community of artists more than students,” observed Georgia Strange, director of the art school. “They banded together some time ago as Trans Lamar to assert their bond across eight buildings that housed the art school when they began their graduate studies in 2006. They have made tremendous progress during a time of global financial upheaval, environmental anxiety, and political change.” G

Jennifer Hartley at top with her paintings. "My paintings are an attempt to grant permission to be curious again," says Hartley. Also shown are various works in the exhibition. “Each artist has put forth their best effort to reveal to us their insights, their questions, their understandings, and their apprehensions.” —Larry Millard, graduate coordinator, Lamar Dodd School of Art.

Graduate School Magazine

SUMMER 2009

in brief

N A N C Y E V E LY N

DEAN DANIELS Gives Mary Frances Early Lecture --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The University of Georgia’s ninth annual Mary Frances Early Lecture was held April 15 at 4 p.m. in the Chapel. Maurice Daniels, the dean of the School of Social Work at UGA, spoke on “Unfinished Business: 21st-Century Civil Rights Movement.” The lecture covered highlights of the 20th-century struggle for freedom, civil rights and social justice in the U.S. It focused on the individual and collective efforts that are vital in achieving social change in the 21st century, according to Daniels, who has extensively researched civil rights in Georgia. “Mary Frances Early played a pivotal role in the desegregation of the University of Georgia,” said Daniels. “She is a trailblazer, bridge builder and an important person in the history of dismantling segregation at UGA.” Sponsored by UGA’s Graduate and Professional Scholars, the lecture series honors Mary Frances Early, who was

At right is Mary Frances Early, who holds the first graduate degree earned by a minority at the University of Georgia. She is a tireless advocate of UGA's Graduate School and serves on the Graduate Education Advancement Board.

UGA’s first African-American graduate. In 1962, Early earned a master of music education degree. She attended the lecture. “The Mary Frances Early Lecture, initiated by the GAPS program, will be institutionalized and housed in the Graduate School for perpetuity,” says Graduate School Dean Grasso. “The Graduate School will continue working closely with graduate and professional scholars to honor Ms. Early’s legacy.” Daniels wrote a book about an African-American’s struggle to desegregate UGA titled Horace T. Ward: Desegregation of the University of Georgia, Civil Rights Advocacy and Jurisprudence . He also was the senior researcher and executive producer of two other award winning public television documentary films about the civil rights struggle in Georgia. Daniels joined the UGA faculty in 1979. He became the dean of the School of Social Work in 2005. G

Dean Maurice Daniels (above), gave this year's Mary Frances Early Lecture. Daniels writes about the civil rights struggle in the 20th century and the desegregation of UGA, as well as producing documentary films. Olin Parker, emeritus professor of music, shown lower left.

ALUMNUS SANGRAM SISODIA B e c o m e s F e l l o w o f t h e A M E R I C A N A S S O C I AT I O N f o r t h e A D VA N C E M E N T o f S C I E N C E -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Society of Scholars. He was named a Fellow in the scientific society and lauded by AAAS “for extraordinary contributions to understanding the function and dysfunction of APP and Presenilin 1 in cellular and animal models of Abeta amyloidosis in Alzheimer’s disease.” Sisodia has received previous recognition by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he formerly worked, for his research combining genetic, molecular, cellular and neurobiological approaches to clarify the biology of proteins implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. The AAAS was founded in 1848. It is the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science. G

Sisodia, shown top left, conducts research integrating genetic, molecular, cellular and neurobiological approaches to Alzheimer's disease.

N A N C Y E V E LY N

G O R M A L LY S w e e p s FUTURE LEADERS AWARD --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cara Gormally, a graduate student in

plant biology, is the winner of the 2009 K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award. Gormally is the fourth UGA graduate student to win this award since 2002, according to the director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, Paul S. Quick. She is also a teaching assistant for center programs. Gormally is one of 10 recipients receiving the award at the annual meeting of the Association of American Colleges

J AY VA N R E N S S E L A E R / J O H N S H O P K I N S U N I V E R S I T Y

Sangram Sisodia, was among three university scholars and three scientists at Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory recently made Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. A total of 486 received the honor from AAAS this year “for scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its application,” according to a release issued by the University of Chicago. Sisodia directs the Center for Molecular Neurobiology and is the Thomas Reynolds Sr. Family Professor of Neurosciences at the University of Chicago. Sisodia received his PhD in biochemistry from UGA in 1985. He is also a member of the Johns Hopkins

and Universities (AAC&U) in January. Suzanne Hyers, senior director of AACU said the association received more than 200 nominations from universities nationwide. The president of the AAC&U, Carol Geary Schneider, said: “They represent the finest in the new generation of faculty who will teach and lead higher education in the next decades.” Adds Quick, “She is flat-out impressive and this simply acknowledges this.” G

Graduate School Magazine

SUMMER 2009

in brief

S T U D E N T D E B T R E L I E F Av a i l a b l e -------------------------------------------------------------------

According to the Associated Press in a

report dated June 14, 2009, nearly twothirds of college graduates now leave college with student loans averaging $22,000. Lauren Asher, president of the Institute for College Access & Success in California, also oversees the Project on Student Debt. Asher outlined ways in which students become savvy and informed about loan repayment in difficult economic times. “A lot of people are coming out of college with more debt than ever before, and they’re graduating at a time when it’s going to be harder to get a job,” says Asher. Although student loan rates are more favorable than conventional loans,

with the exception of federally subsidized loans the interest begins accruing before repayment deadlines begin. (In the case of federal loans, interest only begins when the note becomes due.) The group advises borrowers to review terms and federal loan information at www.nslds.ed.gov/nslds_SA, or to contact their lender for more information on private loans. In July, a new option for repayment of federal loans called the Income-Based Repayment program went into effect. This alternative provides monthly payment caps based upon income percentages. A calculator with the program’s qualifying information is at www.ibrinfo.org. G

Magazine PHOTO EDITOR WINS PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS ---------------------------------------------------------------

The University Photographers Association of America, UPAA, sponsors a monthly imaging contest. UPAA contest entries are peer-reviewed and selected. Our magazine’s photo editor, Nancy Evelyn, won for her entries in the following three competitions: October 2008: 3rd Place in the “Science and Features” category, for Evelyn’s photograph titled In the Lab featuring graduate student Arena Richardson; April 2009: “Best of Show” for entries in all categories, for Evelyn’s photo Dance Silhouette, which featured this month’s cover subject, graduate student Bryan Davis.

April 2009: 3rd Place in “Portrait” category, for The Accountant, a photo illustration and this month’s cover. G

Graduate School Administration Maureen Grasso Dean David Knauft Associate Dean Judy Milton Assistant Dean Tonia Gantt Business Krista Haynes Admissions Enrolled Student Services Tom Wilfong Development

The Graduate School at the University of Georgia has been enhancing learning environments and inspiring scholarly endeavors since its formal establishment in 1910. Through our professional development programs and funding opportunities, we promote excellence in graduate education in all disciplines.

Connect more. Spend less. Now a Family SharePlan® comes with With any Nationwide Family SharePlan 1400 Anytime Minutes or more. (Activation fees, taxes & other charges apply.)*

It’s the best value in wireless!

Verizon Wireless offers faculty, staff and students special discounts on calling and data plans.

Switch to America’s Largest and Most Reliable Wireless Network. Call 1.888.640.8776 Click verizonwireless.com om

Visit any store

IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: Subject to Cust. Agmt, Calling Plan, rebate form & credit approval. Up to $175 early termination fee/line, e/line, up to 45¢/min. after allowance & add’l charges apply a for data sent or received. Friends & Family®: Only domestic landline or wireless numbers (other than directory assistance, 900 numbers or customer’s own wireless reless or voice mail access numbers) included; all eligible lines on an account share the same Friends & Family numbers, up to account’s eligibility limits; set up & manage online. Offers & coverage, varying by svc., not available everywhere. Network details & coverage map maps at vzw.com. While supplies last. Nights: 9:01 pm–5:59 am M–F. © 2009 Verizon Wireless.

The University of Georgia Graduate School 320 East Clayton Street, Suite 400 Athens, Georgia 30602-4401 706-425-3111, FAX 706-425-3096

NONPROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

ATHENS, GA. PERMIT NO. 165

www.grad.uga.edu Editor/Writer Cynthia Adams Design Julie Sanders Photo Editor Nancy Evelyn © 2009 by the University of Georgia. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the editor.

This publication was printed by generous gifts from Verizon

t h e l a s t w o rd

ANDREW ROSEN

“I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble,” said Caesar Augustus, who lived from 63 BC to 14 BC. Today, his Dawg counterpart is installed near a coffee shop in downtown Athens. More than 58,000 men and women working today possess graduate degrees from the University of Georgia. Their scholarship is the alchemy that transforms the Classic City and the world beyond with possibilities. Seize the day! Caesar Dawgustus, 100 College Avenue Gretchen Fennell, artist

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

see page 2 F O R N E W S A B O U T UGA graduate programs!

THE

Terry Coffey page 31

T R I P L E D AW G ON GIVING