HONORS Magazine of the University of Georgia Honors Program
FALL 2019
The heart of UGA Honors Two Honors alumni—including cardio-oncologist Anant Mandawat, pictured—focus on the heart through their cardiology specialties
INSIDE:
'The Readymade' | Music & Muse | New York Connection | Stories to Careers | Giving Families
Quotables
Christiny “C.C.” Reeves An Honors junior from Macon, C.C. is majoring in biology and criminal justice with a pre-med focus. She is the community service committee head for the Arch Society, a site leader for IMPACT Service Breaks, and a resident assistant for University Housing. This fall, she was named a Crane Leadership Scholar by the Honors Program.
“The UGA Honors Program redefined what mattered to me and helped me to find my life’s purpose. Both directly and indirectly, the Honors Program has connected me to opportunities such as Inside Out—a program that selects 15 college students to take a college course with people who are incarcerated in the Athens-Clarke County jail—that ultimately helped me to solidify my career goal to serve as a physician and social activist. I aspire to address health disparities in marginalized communities, specifically serving persons who are impacted by the criminal justice system and HIV/AIDS. The program has also played an integral role in my personal growth and development. I found a surrogate mother in my Honors advisor Michele Johnson, and I have formed lifelong relationships with my Honors peers and professors, individuals who I truly believe are some of the best people UGA has to offer. I would not be the person I am today without the Honors Program.”
20
Fall 2019, Volume 6, Issue 2
24
University of Georgia President
Jere W. Morehead Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs & Provost
S. Jack Hu
Associate Provost & Director of the Honors Program
David S. Williams
Associate Director of the Honors Program
Maria Navarro
Assistant Director & Major Scholarships Coordinator
Jessica Hunt
30 12
Assistant Director & Programming Coordinator
Maria de Rocher
Assistant Director of Development
Colleen Pruitt
Recruitment & Enrollment Coordinator
Lakecia Pettway
Magazine staff Editor/Designer
Stephanie Schupska Writers
10
Kora Burton, Sarah Freeman, Jan Joho, Eric Rangus, Stephanie Schupska Photographers
Kora Burton, Peter Frey, Chad Osburn, Stephanie Schupska, Andrew Davis Tucker Honors Magazine is published biannually for students, alumni, friends, and supporters of the University of Georgia Honors Program. For reprint permissions, address changes, or additional copies, email schupska@uga.edu. Copyright Š 2019 by the University of Georgia. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way without permission from the editor. The University of Georgia is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.
Postmaster | Send address changes to: UGA Honors Program Magazine 005 Moore College, 108 Herty Drive Athens, GA 30602-6116
Inside 4
Briefs
8
Letter
10 12
Find us online at honors.uga.edu. On social media, we are:
@HonorsAtUGA
16
14
Highlights of the Honors Program
John Newell (BA ’68) recounts the 51 years since he graduated from UGA
After school Thomas Lay volunteers tutor and mentor Athens primary students
Musical connection Honors students teach music to middle schoolers through Muse UGA
Solo act Young alumnus Brendan Abernathy pursues music as a career
16
Cover story
20
New York health
24
Global travelers
28
Staff spotlight
30
Honors giving
Two Honors alumni focus on the heart through their cardiology specialties
Summer program trains students in various aspects of healthcare
Honors International Scholars Program funds student learning experiences
Elizabeth Hughes teaches Honors students how to share their stories
The Sumner family shares why they give
Fall convocation Every fall and spring semester, the Honors Program welcomes new undergraduates during convocation. One of the highlights is a student panel, which gives new students the ability to ask questions about a variety of opportunities available in Honors—from experiential learning to service organizations to the Honors Program Student Council. Below, Sachi Shastri, a fourth-year CURO Honors Scholar from Eatonton majoring in biology and women’s studies, answers a question about undergraduate research. In summer 2019, she investigated the impact of the opioid crisis on pregnancy and birth outcomes as a research assistant through the New York University Summer Undergraduate Research Program. From left to right are Honors students Kelsey Dabrowski, Victoria Fonzi, Sachi Shastri, Aditya Krishnaswamy, Emma Hatala, and Sneha Gubbala.
2
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
Kora Burton
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
3
HONORS
in Brief
International grants
Double-digit year for Fulbright offers The University of Georgia once again hit double digits in the number of international travel-study grants offered to its students and recent alumni through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. With 12 students selected, this marks the sixth straight year— and 10th time in the past 11 years—that UGA has received 10 or more offers. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers research, study and teaching opportunities in more than 140 countries to recent college graduates and graduate students. Of the 12, nine were able to take advantage of the opportunity for 20192020. Six were Honors Program alumni, and they are listed below. • Magali Lapu of Atlanta graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in French and international affairs. She will teach at Lycée Robert Doisneau in Grand Lyon, France, and hopes to include conversations about race and social justice in her curriculum. • Kavi Pandian of Tucker graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in economics and sociology. The recipient of a Diversity Program placement in Germany, he will be assigned to a school with a significant number of minority or refugee students. • Vineet Raman of Marietta graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in biology, Spanish, and Latin American and Caribbean studies. He will be heading to India to research health inequities among tribal populations in southern Karnataka. • Dorothy Rau of Atlanta graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in international affairs and Arabic. She hopes to get involved with the artistic community in Turkey and use her theater background to engage her students. • Hannah Sharpe of Marietta graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in history and a combined bachelor’s/master’s degree in social studies education. She will spend her Fulbright year teaching at an all-boys high school in Mokpo, South Korea. • Amanda Tysor of Douglasville graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in international affairs and Chinese and a combined bachelor’s/master’s degree in public administration. She is teaching English in Taiwan.
Taking count A quick overview of this edition of the Honors magazine
Honors alumni participating in Fulbright for 2019-2020
61
6 Travel-study experiences funded through the Honors International Scholars Program
300+ Student volunteers who tutor each semester through the Thomas Lay After-School Program
40+
Student volunteers who teach music each semester through Muse UGA
6 Sweet, sweet stress relief The Honors Program Student Council continued its annual tradition of a donut and coffee break during midterms when its members carried boxes and boxes of donuts, bagels, coffee, and hot chocolate into the Moore College lobby on Oct. 16.
4
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
Honors alumni named 2019 40 Under 40 recipients
Families who share why they give through the Honors Program Parent Society
4
Sharing our amazing: Six UGA Amazing Students—all in the Honors Program, majoring in a wide array of topics and
experiencing a variety of opportunities—discuss their experiences, growth, and the value of an education at the University of Georgia.
“If you asked high school me to come up with the dream college experience, my time at UGA would far surpass that experience in every possible way. I cannot thank my family, friends, classmates, mentors, professors, and everyone in between enough for making my experience at UGA and in Athens everything it has been.”
“I decided to attend UGA after being awarded the Foundation Fellowship. It was during the interview weekend for this scholarship that I realized how committed UGA is to the excellence of its students. I owe a great deal to the Foundation Fellows/ Honors Program community, not least for the daily inspiration that I find in talking to peers who are so devoted to bringing about good in the world.”
“I am grateful for Elizabeth Hughes. She has served as an invaluable resource to me for countless occasions during my time at UGA (story on page 28). From critiquing my resume to practicing medical school interview questions with me, it is evident that she deeply cares about preparing students well for their future endeavors. ”
Sydney Erickson
Monte Fischer
Madison Read
Major: Biology and Psychology Year: Senior Hometown: Alpharetta
Major: Physics and Astronomy Year: Senior Hometown: Woodstock
Major: Biology and Psychology Year: Senior Hometown: Knoxville, Tennessee
“Being named an Honors International Scholar in 2018 was an incredible recognition because I have a passion for service on a local and global level. Through this scholarship, the UGA Honors Program gave me the opportunity to intern abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as an English teacher of elementary and high school students while studying at the Universidad de Palermo for a summer semester.”
Joi Walker
Majors: World Language Education and Spanish Year: Senior Hometown: Monroe, Connecticut
“When I came to UGA, I quickly learned how available research opportunities are to students. At the end of my first semester, I applied for and was offered a spot in the lab of Steven Stice in UGA’s Regenerative Bioscience Center. Generous financial support from CURO in the form of multiple research assistantships helped fund my research.”
Michael Bowler
Majors: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Psychology Year: Senior Hometown: Snellville
“My passion is definitely conducting chemistry research. I will always remember watching the 2018 Rose Bowl Game on New Years’ Day and the moment during halftime when I saw I was in a UGA commercial! I was so grateful to represent my school (while wearing my lab coat). Nothing will compare to the excitement and surprise I felt seeing the commercial for the first time.”
Katie Luedecke Major: Chemistry Year: Senior Hometown: Peachtree City
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
5
HONORS
in Brief National honor
2019 NOAA Hollings Scholar
International competition
Silver medal When Honors student Nick Yanek got the chance to travel to San Jose, Costa Rica, after qualifying for the Pan American U20 Championships, he had no idea he would be coming home with a silver medal in the 10K competition for the Bulldogs. “Having the opportunity to run for Team USA in Costa Rica was amazing!” Nick said. “This was my first time representing Team USA, and it was an incredible experience. I met a ton of phenomenal athletes.” Nick is a second-year studying exercise and sport science with a pre-med focus. He is involved on campus with organizations including the Student-Athlete Advisory Council, Tate Honor Society, and Athletic Association’s Leadership Academy, in addition to running for UGA’s Cross Country and Track and Field men’s teams. The race in Costa Rica felt different than his past races, Nick said. “I really focused on taking in the moment and feeling honored to have the chance to compete there. In the race itself, I ran a fairly consistent pace, and my plan was to stay even. Luckily, I was able to kick into the finish just enough for second. I’m so thankful to Coach Cunniff for getting me to be in a position for this opportunity. I appreciate all that he and the athletic department gives.” Representing UGA and Team USA in Costa Rica informed Nick’s athletic and academic aspirations. Racing forward, he keeps his goals high—hoping to become an NCAA All-American and pursue the national title, individually and with his team. “Professionally, I want to attend medical school after my time at UGA to become an orthopedic surgeon or cardiologist,” he said. “However, if the Olympic marathon becomes a possibility, I would gladly pursue that first.”
6
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
Angela Tsao was one of 130 students accepted into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2019 Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship Program, which awards academic assistance for two years of full-time study and a 10-week, full-time paid internship at a NOAA facility during the summer. A Foundation Fellow, she is studying computer science and cognitive science and conducting graduate coursework in artificial intelligence. Angela spent the summer in Inner Mongolia in China, conducting research on soil-water-vegetation interrelationships for sustainable agriculture in the Eurasian steppes. She recently completed an internship with UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, using geospatial techniques to examine data on resilience and flooding risk.
Well argued
Second at Moot Court regionals Honors students Gigi Scerbo, left, and Rosa Brown of the UGA Undergraduate Moot Court Team placed second out of 50 teams at the AMCA Mid-Atlantic Regional hosted by the Regent University Law School. They will be competing in the national tournament in Baton Rouge in January. Rosa, a sophomore Ramsey Honors Scholar majoring in international affairs and economics, was ranked as the sixth best individual orator at the competition. Gigi, a junior, is studying philosophy.
Highest honors
Sphinx Society inductees
Insta-summer
All the likes and follows This past summer, the Honors Program featured several students on our Instagram and Facebook accounts who tagged us in their study abroad posts. The response was outstanding, and we plan to increase the number of images from students in their study abroad and internship locales this upcoming summer.
Honors alumna Charlotte Norsworthy (AB ’19) was inducted into the Sphinx Society along with Honors student and Foundation Fellow Avni Ahuja (read more about her on page 20). They were honored at the UGA homecoming game on Oct. 19. Founded in 1897, Sphinx is the oldest and most respected non-academic honorary society at the University of Georgia. Membership in the Sphinx Society is considered the highest honor a student can achieve at UGA. Charlotte, a master’s degree student in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, is in her first semester of graduate education. She is the lead editor of a forthcoming digital and audio book on news media leadership and was the co-author of an innovative practice paper presented at the Association for Leadership Educators. “It is such an honor to have been inducted into Sphinx Society alongside some incredible peers,” Charlotte said. “I am so grateful and humbled to continue this esteemed UGA tradition.” - Sarah Freeman
Moore burritos
Self-control for lunch Giant burritos and lectures are a typical lunch combination in the Honors Program through Lunchbox Lectures. During these lunchtime talks, students receive a brief overview of a faculty member’s research as well as a free burrito (gifts through the Honors Program Annual Fund and Parent Society Fund pay for the lunches). One such talk on Oct. 16 covered self-control. Michelle vanDellen, an associate professor of behavioral and brain sciences, talked about her research and how it goes beyond traditional delayed gratification studies. She seeks to understand how people can be successful at self-regulation and self-control. For her work with undergraduates, vanDellen received the 2019 CURO Research Mentoring award in April. UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
7
HONORS
Alumni
“My Honors experience at UGA made a huge impact on my academic life.” John Newell, Ph.D.
Dr. Lothar Tresp, above left, browses for books with Honors Program student John Newell, pictured below in an image taken at the College of Charleston.
Emeritus professor of history and director and dean of the Honors College, College of Charleston
Letter from the unidentified student
T
he “In Memoriam” article on Dr. Lothar Tresp in the spring issue of Honors magazine included a photo of Dr. Tresp with an unidentified student. Soon after the magazine arrived in mailboxes, we received an email from that student, John Newell, now a retired history professor. He was the first dean of the College of Charleston’s Honors College, and he shares below about where life has taken him during the 51 years since his time at UGA. Dear Honors Program, I just read my new issue of the Honors Program magazine. I was saddened to learn of Dr. Tresp’s death, but happy to see the recognition and tribute given him. My wife, Sally, and I were both Honors Program students. I thought you might like to know that I am the unidentified Honors student with him in the middle photograph. The photo was taken in spring of 1968 after I was awarded a Fulbright to study in Germany. Unfortunately, I was not able to use that Fulbright because my draft board denied my request for deferral. However, after serving four years in the Air Force, I went Duke University for a Ph.D. in medieval history and was granted a second Fulbright in 1975. I came to the College of Charleston after earning my Ph.D. in 1978 and remained there until my retirement in 2013. My Honors experience at UGA made a huge impact on my academic life. When the College of Charleston established an Honors Program in 1979, two other colleagues and I established the framework for an interdisciplinary Honors Western Civilization course, which provided a key component to that program through this past academic year. I became director of the Honors Program in 1999 and dean of the Honors College in 2005. I remember Dr. Tresp fondly. I had him for the first half of Honors Western Civilization as well as for a history course on modern Germany. Thanks for the memories! — John Newell
8
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
Career highlights: A medieval European scholar, John Newell: - Graduated cum laude from UGA with a degree in history in 1968. - Served in the Air Force until 1972. - Graduated with his M.A. in history from Duke University in 1973. - Spent 1975-1976 at the University of Munich on a Fulbright-Hays Grant for Study of Medieval Latin Paleography. - Received a Ph.D. in history with a minor in medieval and Renaissance studies from Duke in 1978. - Joined the College of Charleston’s history department in 1978. - Helped found the college’s Honors Program and, in 1999, became its director. - Served as the first dean of the Honors College from 2005 to 2012.
HONORS
in Washington
Jaime Conlan Honors in Washington internship at the Library of Congress Hispanic Division
J
aime Conlan was one of 16 Honors students in Washington, D.C., this past summer supported through Honors in Washington internship program. She spent 10 weeks as a paid intern with the Hispanic Division of the Library of Congress. She will graduate from UGA in December with degrees in entertainment and media studies and Spanish and a certificate in new media.
Reading room
“I worked in an adorable alcove in the Hispanic Division Reading Room, surrounded by audio books of important Hispanic authors reading their works. My space was open to the public, and I loved peering out from behind my computer in my alcove to see visitors trickle through. I was one of 40 Junior Fellows (a program of interns assigned to around 30 unique projects throughout the Library).”
Teaching guides
“My specific project involved working on a series of Transcultural Teaching Guides. I used my bilingual skills to design engaging handouts that explain how to use the Library’s resources in the classroom. I conducted research in multiple divisions, met tons of people, conducted my own audience research by asking teachers what kind of things they’d like to see or use in the classroom, wrote educational copy in English and Spanish, designed fun handouts, and then presented them at a final exhibition called Display Day.”
Incredible internship
“I presented my work to hundreds of people, all while working in the largest (and one of the most beautiful) libraries in the world. It was a truly incredible and unique experience.”
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
9
HONORS
in the Community
After School
Tutoring program gives UGA students the opportunity to 'pour back' into children in the Athens community Story and photos by Kora Burton
T
he afternoon came together rapidly—volunteer mentors and play. The majority of children enrolled attend either Barrow partnering with elementary students for homework help, Elementary or Clarke Middle, schools within Athens-Clarke County. excited readers pulling books off the shelves of the Lay “We might only get to see the kids for two hours a week, and Park library, and children rushing down the stairs to we might only see them for a semester, but that time alone is play basketball and have a snack after enough to make an impact,” said Taylor schoolwork was done. Pigg, the program’s fourth- and fifthThis routine, on another autumn grade education coordinator and an Wednesday, was all taking place at Honors junior who is studying biology. the Thomas Lay After-School Program. “It’s really nice to be able to pour Every weekday during the academic back into the kids who live here year, volunteers spend about two hours and become an actual part of the providing individual tutoring and community,” said Katherine Shin, the mentoring at the Thomas N. Lay Park program’s first- through third-grade Community Center, about a 15-minute education coordinator and an Honors walk north of the Arch. junior studying early childhood Sponsored by the Honors Program, education. Katherine Shin Thomas Lay is staffed each semester Spending time as a mentor is Honors junior, early childhood education major, by about 300 undergraduates who strengthening Katherine’s desire to Thomas Lay's first- through third-grade education coordinator work to create an atmosphere that be a teacher—and teaching her more encourages enthusiastic learning about students than she expected.
“It’s really nice to be able to pour back into the kids who live here and become an actual part of the community.”
10
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
From left to right: 1) Co-Friday project coordinator Susan Murley, who can always be found in the middle of the action, and co-executive director Sneha Gubbala exchange smiles as they address the kids before playtime; 2) young program participants enjoy time on the playground; 3) a volunteer reads The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney from Thomas Lay's library; 4) volunteer Brooke von Seeger plays football with two elementary schoolers; and 5) at snack time, head mentor Constance Sullivan talks to the kids about their day.
“It reinforced for me the aspect that children have lives outside of school and are not just sponges that absorb everything,” she said. “They already have things they are willing to contribute.” Taylor and Katherine are two of Thomas Lay’s 11 executive board members—undergraduates who have spent two to three years mentoring elementary students through the program. While they all volunteer throughout the week—daily Thomas Lay operations are led by at least two head mentors and an executive board member—each has a favorite day with the kids. “I really like Thursdays because we have a cooking club,” Taylor said. On Fridays, Thomas Lay partners with other UGA organizations to offer weekly clubs and enrichment programs. “Fridays are very close to my heart. They’re probably my favorite because you get to interact with the kids in a very different way than you would when you’re trying to do homework with them. You get to know their personalities,” said Sneha Gubbala, an Honors senior studying international affairs and political science.
She and UGA senior Nia Freeman are co-executive directors of Thomas Lay. “Being a mentor made it very clear to me that service is something I felt was missing from my life,” Sneha said. “No matter what I end up doing, service needs to be a part of it.” Year after year—for the 13 years Thomas Lay has existed— and despite the daily chaos, there is something special about being a volunteer at Thomas Lay that keeps undergraduates coming back. “It’s definitely the kids,” said Christian Sullivan, an Honors senior studying history, religion, and political science. He is one of Thomas Lay’s co-Friday project coordinators. “They’re smart, and they think about the world in a different way than many of us do. They constantly surprise me.” “The kids keep me grounded, even when I’m super stressed and there’s a whole bunch going on,” said Keyra Moran, an Honors senior majoring in early childhood education and psychology and the program’s volunteer coordinator. “I really can’t emphasize enough how important this all is, not only for the kids but also for me.”
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
11
HONORS
in the Community
Story and photos by Stephanie Schupska
Muse UGA
The music mentorship program started with four students who occasionally taught guitar to elementary students—and stayed small for several years. This fall, with the help of Honors Program sponsorship, it has grown to about 40 volunteers who teach middle schoolers the fun of learning to play an instrument.
I
t’s Tuesday evening, and John Morris hops out of his car and grabs the guitar in his trunk. He tosses a T-shirt to Jessica Thompson—the shirts are hot off the presses, an easy way to mark the Honors students as Muse UGA volunteers. They’re joined by a few more UGA students, and together they file into Burney-Harris-Lyons (BHL) Middle School. Two days a week, Muse UGA volunteers work on the basics of guitar, piano, and ukulele with middle schoolers through after-school programs at BHL and Clarke Middle.
12
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
The service organization got its start when four students partnered with the student organization Whatever It Takes, which is also sponsored by the Honors Program, and occasionally taught guitar to elementary-aged children at the East Athens and Rocksprings community centers. In 2017, UGA alumni Brendan Abernathy and Nolan Ayers took over and moved the group into Clarke Middle School. This past summer, Muse UGA gained Honors sponsorship. The organization now has about 40 volunteers and
Photo at left: Demi Adeoye, a sophomore economics major, and Zach Rutt, a junior bioengineering major, work with Angel Pinto on finger placement on the guitar. Right, top: John Morris and Jessica Thompson teach a student how to play guitar solos. Center: Alejandra Gonzalez, a freshman studying biochemistry and English, works with a student on her keyboard skills. Bottom: John Morris shows off the ID badges—stuck to the back of his guitar—that are printed off weekly for each Muse UGA volunteer.
two locations, and reaches between nine and 14 middle schoolers at each session. “Our mission is to do mentorship through music,” John said. “It’s to get middle schoolers started and spark that passion. From a mentorship side, we just want to be ears for them, to show that we care what’s going on in their lives.” On this rainy Tuesday, the classroom is full of middle school banter and chairs squeezed between work spaces. In one corner, students experiment with keyboard sounds while learning a few notes. On another wall, two students learn the basics of finger placement on borrowed guitars. In the middle of the classroom, a volunteer tunes two ukuleles, then a guitar, and then two violins. Near the windows, violinists practice for a holiday performance, and occasional festive notes ring out among the strumming and picking and keyboarding. Muse UGA volunteers don’t teach violin, but all middle schoolers are welcome to attend, no matter what they play. And, if nothing else, John can tune their instruments. John, an economics major, is Muse UGA’s vice president of finance and organizational compliance. Jessica, a Foundation Fellow, is currently majoring in psychology and statistics, and is vice president of events. Both are juniors, are working on certificates in music business, and are sound interns at local music venues—Jessica at the Georgia Theatre and John at the 40 Watt. Jessica spent most of the session working with one advanced student who is already playing songs. He has his own guitar, an acoustic he bought for $10. It needed a lot of fixing. “I taught him guitar solos the other day,” she said. “I taught him the scale and told him to ‘just make up whatever you want on it, and I’ll play the backing stuff,’ and he just started going for it.
Everyone stopped; it was so cool. I think that was my favorite Muse moment.” One of Jessica’s goals is sustainable service in the community—meaning that she tries to make service more than a one-time thing. Through Muse, the kids make sure the volunteers keep coming back. “We have a core group,” she said.
“And they really want to work with the same volunteers,” John said. “It’s another set of reasons for people to come,” Jessica said, “because the kids are expecting you.” An announcement comes over the loud speaker at 5:55 p.m., a last call to all middle schoolers still in the building. They move quickly, setting down instruments and grabbing their backpacks. The eight college students are a little slower, chatting while they zip instruments back in their cases. “The way we know we are doing things right is when we leave an hour of teaching and feel good about it and feel like we actually helped somebody or taught somebody something,” Jessica said. “That’s the core of who we are.”
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
13
HONORS
Alumni
Solo act Brendan Abernathy tried and failed to fit music into his career options. And then he decided making music was his only option. By Stephanie Schupska
B
rendan Abernathy (BA ’19) has just finished loading sound equipment into his already overstuffed car. It’s early October, and the Honors alumnus is driving somewhere in Texas, on his way to play a house show in Fort Worth, one of nine stops on his Texas momentum-building tour. He ended October with a Sofar Sounds show on Halloween and two house shows on St. Simons Island, where he mixed music with Georgia-Florida Weekend energy. Brendan barely had enough time to shout “Go Dawgs!” before heading into November and playing more house shows, a service event, a wedding rehearsal dinner, and his first headline show at the 40 Watt Club. Brendan is feeling a mixture of “living on the road is amazing” and “the music industry is exhausting.” The singer-songwriter and performing artist graduated from UGA in May with Highest Honors and his bachelor’s degree in economics. He stayed in Athens for the summer, continuing his job at the UGA Visitors Center and building momentum for a solo career he launched in April. He then slowly started traveling west in September. “I have a group of friends who are supporting me as a musician,” he said. “I’ve been going from friend to friend, staying on their couches, and playing intimate house shows for 20-40 people.” Brendan’s hope is to build buzz around his music. Peppered among the list of living room appearances, he’s also had two sold-out performances at the Georgia Theatre Rooftop. He pulls a following from his days as lead singer of the rock band Light Brigade, which was founded in a UGA dorm room in January 2016 and played its last show this past February at the Georgia Theatre. “In my music career, I’m ahead of where I should be,” he said. “I have good traction, a good following.” It took many failed attempts for him to reach this point. In his four years in Athens, Brendan changed his major eight Brendan Abernathy times and studied abroad five times, exploring 13 countries in “The Rat Race” the process. In trying to figure out his future, he interned at a hospital, looked into a corporate job in consulting, and applied for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. “As I thought about each next step, each opportunity, what excited me about them was how I could use music in each of them,” he said. When he decided to pursue music full time, he shared his plans with the assistant directors of the Honors Program—Jessica Hunt and Maria de Rocher. Maria helped him with his Fulbright application, and Jessica “was my sage,” Brendan said. “She is a
“I don’t wanna stand idly by and watch someone else live my dream... I want it to be me.”
14
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
Jessica Thompson is master of encouragement. She just sees things in people that we don’t see in ourselves. Jessica impacted my college experience as much as anyone.” Brendan points to relationships as the best part of the Honors Program. “Even though we have Fulbright and Rhodes and Truman and Churchill scholars, even though we have all these amazingly brilliant people, it’s the community and friendships in Honors that students hold in highest regard,” he said. “Being a solo artist, it’s easy to get discouraged. It’s really important to have people who have your back and unconditionally support you, and I’ve found my friends through Honors do that.” Brendan traces his love of singing back to when he was four; his parents have video evidence of his love for the limelight. He got his first guitar when he was six—he wanted to be like Jimmy Buffett. In middle school, he dropped music altogether, and his parents bought him a red Ibanez electric guitar in hopes that he would continue to play. After hearing Taylor Swift’s music and learning that she wrote all of her own songs, he started practicing chords in the bathroom, “unplugged so no one could hear,” he said. “I was 11 years old when I wrote my first song. I uncovered this art of songwriting, and it’s how I dealt with life. When other people were playing video games, I was writing songs.” He’s moved on from that electric guitar and now primarily plays acoustic guitar with his hands and a loop pedal with his feet, mixing in effects, harmonica, and keys as needed. On Nov. 19, Brendan performed at one of Athens’ most celebrated venues—the 40 Watt Club—and also dropped the last song of seven in his “Hope You Have” project. After the show, he was back in the studio recording more songs. In January, he plans to be on the road again, driving north toward Chicago and then west toward Colorado and Utah. He hopes to land in L.A. before reevaluating. “My purpose,” he said, “is to create music and content that instills a sense of hope and joy in my listeners and my music community so that they feel encouraged and inspired to pursue freedom and excellence and to dream again.”
one half of Hotel Fiction This past spring semester, UGA students Jessica Thompson and Jade Long started an indie pop band, played a sold-out debut show at the Caledonia Lounge, recorded and released their first song, Astronaut Kids, and changed their band name to Hotel Fiction due to copyright reasons. It has been a busy year for Jessica, an Honors junior and Foundation Fellow majoring in psychology and statistics. She plays lead guitar and sings backup vocals for the band. On a recent Tuesday, Hotel Fiction opened for Brendan Abernathy at the 40 Watt Club. The show is an extension of Muse UGA’s reach, not only in the local middle school community, but also in the local music scene. Muse UGA’s main purpose is mentorship through music—to introduce middle schoolers to instruments like the guitar, piano, and ukulele. Most of the organization’s volunteers are also musicians. And when that many musicians get together, they form connections that reach beyond UGA. “All these people are so involved in my life now, and those connections wouldn’t have been made if it hadn’t started with Muse,” Jessica said. “As Hotel Fiction, we try to make music that speaks to people’s emotions. I wanted to start a band in college because I had been playing in one since I was 11. After my freshman year, I realized I was missing music more than I thought.”
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
15
HONORS
Cover Story
Heart
Two Honors al breaking new g their cardiology Story and photos by Stephanie Schupska
E
very year, the University of Georgia recognizes 40 of its alumni who are under 40 years of age. This year, six of the recipients have ties to the Honors Program. Five live in the state of Georgia, three are physicians, and two are highlighted in our first-ever magazine to feature alumni. The two we are spotlighting—Anant Mandawat (BS ’08, AB ’08) and Catherine Marti (BS ‘02) were the only cardiologists among the 40 chosen, and both are blazing new trails in their specialties.
Dr. Anant Mandawat
Anant Mandawat practices medicine at the intersection of two main specialties—cardiology and oncology. As a physician working to protect the hearts of patients who are experiencing issues because of their cancer treatments, he is at the forefront of an emerging field known as cardio-oncology. With his move to Atlanta a year and a half ago as the new director of the cardio-oncology program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, the Honors alumnus is helping the institute become a leader in this growing subspecialty. His new job at Emory also did something else—it brought him home. Anant left the South for a New England education 11 years ago, and spent his time at the powerhouses of medical instruction—Yale, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard. After residency, he moved to the research triangle, completing a fellowship in cardiology at Duke University Medical Center, where he focused on cardio-oncology and advanced cardiovascular imaging. His goal throughout his training was to one day bring everything he learned back to his home state. Anant grew up in Augusta, attended UGA as a Foundation Fellow, pulled on red and black for every football game, and believes deeply in community. The job at Winship brought it full circle.
16
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
care
lumni are ground in y specialties “When you’re training, you look for something that would be exciting, motivating, where you can make a difference every day,” he said. “Cardio-oncology really appealed to me because it’s something that’s new and requires an art to it with the patients we see. Often, people are stuck between a rock and a hard place with their cancer therapy and their cardiac complication.” Cancer therapies are designed to attack specific diseases within the body. Their use has grown tremendously over the last five to 10 years as new drugs have been approved. But as treatments like chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation work to destroy cancer, their toxicity can also destroy an organ vital to a patient’s survival—the heart. “Survival is increasing, and because of that, cardiac issues have become the forefront of what’s limiting people’s care, either from an acute (short-term and immediate) therapy standpoint or a long-term prognosis standpoint,” Anant said. “Oftentimes these patients are lost between their oncology care or their cardiology care, and often the two sides aren’t talking that well to each other. We can help bridge that gap.” Current science allows physicians to monitor their patients during cancer treatment and catch heart problems before patients show symptoms. If signs of a heart issue appear, cardio-oncologists work with a team to treat these issues quickly so that patients can then continue their cancer treatments. The cardio-oncology program at Winship was started in 2011, and the program as it exists today was initiated in 2018 with Anant’s arrival. Right now, as the patient volume is increasing, they are in the process of hiring more people and expanding to other Emory sites. In the future, Anant’s goal is to make Winship a cardio-oncology hub for the state. Anant’s journey into cardio-oncology started with a choice at the University of Georgia. He had a strong interest in both medicine and economics, and for a time thought he’d do a Ph.D. in economics.
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
17
He chose medicine because that’s where he felt he could make the greatest difference. “The Honors Program and UGA did a tremendous job of exposing me to people, to the world, to experiences around the country and internationally,” he said. “When you leave that experience of being surrounded by smart, motivated, good people who want to make a difference in the world, you want to do the same thing when you come out of college.” Anant points to the curiosity of fellow UGA students and his faculty mentors—especially through CURO—as a trait that both rubbed off on him and continues to drive him. “Through CURO, you have access to people like Dr. Michael Pierce, who are clearly world experts in what they do, and you, even as a freshman, can go in and talk to them. They always have a curiosity in what they’re doing, and that rubs off on what you want to do with your life as well,” he said. Pierce was Anant’s faculty mentor and is now the Mudter Professor in Cancer Research and director of the UGA Cancer Center. Receiving the 40 Under 40 award from his alma mater was “humbling,” Anant said, adding that he feels a lot of gratefulness toward the university for giving him a strong educational foundation. “Honors attracts very bright students, and they also attract students who really want to make an impact on the world,” he said. “I think those can be mutually exclusive in some academic settings, but the Honors Program does a really good job of mixing and melding those qualities together nicely.” As Anant and his wife Suvi are building community in Atlanta and in their prospective medical fields—Suvi is completing her residency in internal medicine at WellStar, Anant is staying connected to his hometown through a medical column he writes for the Augusta Chronicle. “I think remembering where you’re from is really important,” he said. “The world goes by at a really fast speed, and time is always at a premium for everything we do. I think having that connection really helps ground me, and I feel like I can make a difference for people.”
Dr. Catherine Marti
For the past 16 years, Catherine
18
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
Top: Catherine Marti, left, and nurse practitioner Melinda Jenkins examine an echocardiogram of a patient in the heart failure clinic, run through the Piedmont Heart Institute. Above: Anant Mandawat, center, discusses his work in cardio-oncology with a group of Foundation Fellows in Moore College.
Marti has focused her academic and professional attention on one bodily organ—the heart. In her journey as a physician, the Honors alumna is learning as much about the engine of life as she can. After medical school at Mercer University and a residency in internal medicine at Emory University, she went on to complete her fellowships in cardiovascular disease and then advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology at Emory. She brought all of that knowledge back to Athens in
2016, and she’s been changing the face of heart-based medicine in the area since the day she set foot in her office at Piedmont-Athens Regional Medical Center. “When I took this job, they didn’t have a specialist in transplant cardiology or heart failure, which is the No. 1 discharge diagnosis among Medicare beneficiaries. It’s incredibly common to diagnose it in the hospital, and it can be a deadly disease,” Marti said. “Also, the only female cardiologist in Athens was retiring as I started. I am
passionate about women’s health and I felt like I could really make a big difference in this area.” In 2016, about 12% of practicing cardiologists in the U.S. were women, according to a recent study in JAMA Cardiology. In comparison, women made up 43% of the physicians in internal medicine—the branch of medicine physicians must study before going on to specialize in cardiology. Marti said that although “you don’t have to be a woman to treat women, sometimes listening to someone who gets it, who’s been there, who has had children, and who has gone through some of these things can be helpful.” Heart disease can look different in women than it does in men. Females have different risk factors, like pregnancy-related issues and autoimmune diseases, that affect them at higher rates. Marti’s cardiology group—Piedmont Heart Institute—has both a women’s heart clinic and a new women’s heart screening program, which launched in October. These programs—and her hire as a heart failure specialist—are some of the many changes Piedmont-Athens Regional is making to take care of its heart patients. “We launched our heart failure program the moment I stepped in the door in 2016,” Marti said. “It includes a comprehensive clinic and an integrated practice unit in the hospital,” both which she directs. “We turned an entire unit, a 14-bed unit, into a place that only takes care of patients with heart failure. Everybody focuses on what we can do to help the patient be successful with this complex and deadly disease.” The average person with heart failure has about a 20% chance of living to five years past diagnosis. While that percentage can be improved with medications, a pacemaker, or other advanced therapies, patients also have to deal with a lower quality of life. They might be extremely fatigued, short of breath, and not able to do the things they want to do. “It’s a really deadly disease, and I think people don’t realize that,” Marti said. “We want to elevate the diagnosis so that people understand the seriousness of this disease. Our goal and mantra for our heart failure program is to help people live longer, feel better, and stay out of the hospital.” Part of the reason Marti was drawn to Athens is the fact that in her practice, she’s not just another doctor rotating into the office for the day. She has the opportunity to build a close-knit community with her patients. “I love the fact that I get to be their doctor, and I get to see them from the very beginning of their illness to the end, and be intimately involved the entire time,” she said. “We get to know our patients very well.” About 21 years ago, she was a freshman at UGA and just learning what it was like to live in Athens. As a pre-med student and Honors interdisciplinary studies major, she had the opportunity to choose her own path. “I got to create my own major within the Honors Program,” she said, “and I was able to take many Honors classes—like economics and religion— that I otherwise wouldn’t have been involved in as a biology major.” The encouragement she received “to get out there and learn new things is, to me, the spirit of the Honors Program,” she said. This time around, her move to Athens was a little different—children’s toys instead of dorm-room furniture, realty negotiations instead of campus navigations, and commutes that involve school, daycare, and two hospitals (her husband, Jon, is an emergency medicine physician at St. Mary’s Hospital). Marti loves the compact nature of Athens, the restaurants, shows, concerts, and sports. And she loves sharing the town—and her career as a cardiologist—with her three children. Mary Reid is in first grade, Bennett is three, and Bright is one. Recently, she talked to Bennett’s three-year-old class about blue blood and red blood and how the heart pumps. “They all listened to my stethoscope,” she said. “It was just so special to be able to go and talk to them. It was neat for them to see a mom who is a doctor. Some of them didn’t know that was a thing. That experience was absolutely the peak of my career. Full circle.”
Additional Honors alumni in the UGA 40 Under 40 Class of 2019 are listed below.
William W. Harkins
(BBA ’03, MACC ’03) Marietta, Georgia Global Director, Controllership, The Coca-Cola Company
Ling-Ling Nie
(AB ’01) Peachtree City, Georgia General Counsel and Vice President, Georgia Institute of Technology
Amanda Olson
(BS ’03) Houston, Texas MD, Associate Professor, Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Terri R. Stewart
(BBA ’03, JD ’06) Atlanta, Georgia Partner, Fisher Phillips
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
19
HONORS
in New York
New York connection
Summer program trains students in various aspects of healthcare By Kora Burton
F
uture physicians Avni Ahuja and Emma Tucker arrived in New York this past summer ready to learn more about healthcare, and flew back to Athens with a desire to expand their medical careers in new directions. The Honors students, who are also Foundation Fellows, participated in an eight-week internship with the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) through the Honors in New York internship program. Every year, two Honors students are selected to travel to New York and work with GNYHA, which provides advocacy for their member hospitals and resources for them in terms of wellness and regulation. Working behind the scenes at GNYHA gives students a new understanding of the major players in healthcare and how they interact. A cornerstone of the Honors in New York internship program is the unique mentorship of its coordinator, Susan Waltman. An alumna of the UGA Honors Program—she earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology and master’s in social work before receiving her law degree from Columbia University— Susan serves as GNYHA’s executive vice president of legal, regulatory, and professional affairs and its vice president of legal and general counsel. Avni, a senior studying sociology, and Emma, a junior studying biochemistry and molecular biology, share about their time in New York below.
Top left: Avni Ahuja takes in the sights of New York. Top right: Emma Tucker and Samia McEachin eat lunch together in Central Park. This photo: Avni and Emma join Susan Waltman for a performance at Carnegie Hall. Facing page: Samia McEachin, right, turned an internship with Susan Waltman into a job after graduation.
20
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
Describe Susan’s impact on your experience. Emma: “Susan had the dual goal of allowing us to work on projects related to our interests and to push us to explore outside of our comfort zones. The team put us to work on pretty substantial projects, legal issues especially. I ended up discovering an unexpected interest in emergency preparedness.” Avni: “Sometimes Susan would pop by our desks in the middle of the day. It was really special that even though she is an executive vice president, she prioritized us. You don’t always have a mentor like that.” How did the program help shape your future goals? Avni: “I have been trying to balance my interest in public health and advocacy and social justice
Peter Frey
Susan Waltman provides Honors students with a healthcare view of New York Even though she’s a New Jersey native and has been a resident of New York for most of her professional life, for Susan Waltman (AB ’73, MSW ’75), staying engaged with the University of Georgia has been easy. She just brings some of the UGA’s most talented students to her. Waltman is the executive vice president and general counsel for the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA), a center for healthcare advocacy and expertise that serves more than 50 hospitals across the New York region. In 2005, Waltman started an internship program that brings two UGA Honors students to GNYHA for two months each summer. The placements are ideal for students with interests in public health, health administration, and health policy. In addition to informal visits throughout the work day, Waltman schedules weekly lunches with her interns to check their progress, address concerns, and celebrate triumphs. Once the internship is over, the relationship with the students often isn’t. Waltman has written her fair share of recommendation letters for graduate schools, medical schools, and all sorts of jobs. She receives frequent emails from past interns as well. “From day one, Susan made me feel welcome,” said Eytan Palte (AB ’16), who interned the summer after his sophomore
year. “She was a wonderful mentor, always helping me find projects and people to talk to and learn from.” After graduating from UGA, Eytan moved back to New York to attend medical school at Columbia. One of his recommendation letters was written by Waltman. “It’s been such a rewarding experience,” she said. “I really think that this is the best thing that I do in my life: meeting and working with these wonderful young people.” Another of the interns was Samia McEachin (AB ’18, BSHP ’18). She interned at GNYHA two summers ago, graduated last summer with a degree in health promotion, and started her job as a project manager for emergency preparedness with GNYHA in January. In the years since Superstorm Sandy caused billions of dollars of damage to the New York area, emergency preparedness has taken on increased importance. For instance, with a mild late-afternoon February snowstorm on the way, Samia spent the morning in a conference call with dozens of hospital administrators making sure they were ready for any weather-related traffic injuries or problems. Day-to-day responsibilities mean that Waltman and Samia don’t get to see as much of each other as they did during
with wanting to become a physician. The internship definitely made me see how I could have a role and career as a physicianpolicymaker.” Emma: “The internship opened my eyes to having a career more involved with the legal and regulatory side of medicine, though I am still very much focused on the clinical side.” Was there an event this summer that really stood out to you? Emma: “We had a delegation from Columbia come in to talk about emergency preparedness and workplace wellness. We didn’t discover until they got there that they didn’t speak any English, so I was able to help with translating, having just spent a semester in Spain. The fact that I was not only allowed to sit in on this meeting, but also take an active role in translating, speaks to the trust and responsibility that Susan Waltman and our other GNYHA mentors placed in us as interns.”
her internship, but the mentee knows her mentor isn’t far away. “It’s invaluable having mentors to guide you and also give you the freedom to explore something that interests you,” Samia said. Waltman’s dedication to helping the next generation has not gone unnoticed in Athens. In 2009, she received the Honors Program’s top award for alumni and friends, the Jere W. Morehead Award. In 2017, she received the Blue Key Service Award, one of the highest honors given to a member of the UGA community. “It’s fascinating when you receive an honor for what you think is just the right thing to do, which is give back to your school,” said Waltman, who also serves on the UGA Foundation Board of Trustees. “I am made better and richer by being able to work with people like Samia and Eytan.” - Eric Rangus, Georgia magazine, June 2019
Avni: “One moment that really summed up the culture of GNYHA was our farewell lunch. Susan planned it and invited people from across the office who I actually got to work with on projects. That final lunch and the culmination of the experience with all those different figures and mentors throughout my internship was really special.” Tell us about the power of the UGA network in New York. Emma: “It was never lonely in the big city. There are so many UGA students and alumni there.” Avni: “I felt very connected, not like I was just doing this internship in a random void.” What was your favorite part about the internship? Emma: “It’s very self-directed. I really valued that autonomy.” Avni: “Everyone in the office really wanted me to have a wonderful summer. It was a good environment and culture. This was a truly unique opportunity.”
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
21
HONORS
Research Emma McMorran flips through an art history book in the Art Library at the Lamar Dodd School of Art, where she conducts the majority of her research.
A CURO Summer Fellow studies one artist's impact on an art form that started making waves a century ago
Emma’s ‘readymade’ summer Story and photos by Kora Burton
T
his past summer, Honors junior Emma McMorran took the opportunity to stay on campus and dive into her research on The Evolution of the Readymade: How Jasper Johns Altered History under the direction of Isabelle Wallace, associate professor of art history in the Lamar Dodd School of Art. She was funded by the CURO Summer Fellows program. Emma is studying art history and minoring in English in addition to earning a certificate in museum studies. Her experience through the program’s funding allowed her to deeply invest her time researching Johns, which translated to an even deeper appreciation for her chosen subject. “My project dealt with the concept of ‘the readymade’ and how that concept within art history transitioned from the time of Marcel Duchamp to Jasper Johns,” said Emma, who is a CURO Honors Scholar. Readymade is an appropriated, or everyday, object positioned as a work of art. The readymade movement
22
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
began in the early 20th century with Duchamp, who made art out of found objects. Emma’s interest is in the work of Jasper Johns in the 1950s and 1960s. “Johns took the concept of the readymade and repositioned it through his creation of Flag,” Emma said, “which is a painting of an American flag, not altered in any way. It’s just a flag on a canvas, but he added aesthetic interest to it because he was able to add his distinct painting patterns and brush marks.” What really fascinated Emma about her project is the “evolution over time of how a concept in art history can seem so radical at its conception but then becomes blasé 100 years later,” she said. “It’s why I wanted to study the evolution of the term and how Jasper Johns served as a catalyst for the readymade.” Emma’s relationship with Wallace, an expert on Jasper Johns and contemporary art, laid a strong foundation for the project. “Emma was very proactive and independent in her research,” Wallace said. “It’s interesting to see where students go when not guided by the structure of a traditional course. Her research reminded me of just how strange and opaque ‘the readymade’ is for people outside of the field of art.” Being a researcher in the humanities when research is often equated to STEM fields was exciting for Emma. “I really love getting to do research within the arts because it’s something that is not appreciated as much as it should be,” Emma said. “There aren’t that many undergraduate researchers within art history, and there is a lack of undergraduate students who are seeking research opportunities, specifically within the arts and humanities.” As an Honors teaching assistant, or HTA, Emma leads a section of HONS 1000H seminars. HTAs are peer mentors for first-year Honors students, and Emma encourages those who are considering research to take advantage of UGA’s opportunities, especially through the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities. “Whenever I talk to them about CURO, I really try to emphasize that undergraduate research is for people of all disciplines and that it’s not just for people in STEM,” she said. “There is funding and there are opportunities available for people within the humanities.” This fall, Emma focused on modernism and the work of Alfred Stieglitz. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Stieglitz transformed photography into an actual art form at a time when nobody considered photography as a form of art. In the future, she wants to curate contemporary art and advocate for the inclusion of underrepresented populations in the visitor profiles of museums and galleries.
CURO Summer Fellowship Each year, the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities, which is housed within the Honors Program, awards 30 summer fellowships to support UGA undergraduates interested in pursuing intensive, immersive, faculty-mentored research. Each recipient receives a $3,000 stipend. Students spend about 320 hours conducting research, present at a summer forum and the CURO Symposium, and benefit from CURO Summer Fellowship workshops and activities. UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
23
HONORS
Study Abroad
Global travelers
E
very year, the Honors Program sends about 60 students to various parts of the globe through the Honors International Scholars Program (HISP). The scholarship supports second- and third-year Honors students with funding ranging from $2,500 to $5,000. Our students have used HISP funding to participate in traditional study abroad programs, university-to-university exchanges, language institutes, internships, and research and public service projects. This year, the greatest number of scholarships went to students traveling to Italy (seven), Costa Rica (five), and Australia (five). Overall, our students went to at least 31 countries, as seen on the map at right. On the next few pages, our students highlight what made their trips special.
Mary Landry
Peru Medical Maymester While participating in UGA’s Peru Medical Maymester, senior Mary Landry experienced the history, culture, and medical environment of the area. With stops first in Cusco to see the Incan ruins and Aguas Calientes to take in the ancient Macchu Piccu, the majority of the program saw her shadowing in the hospital in Trujillo for four hours in the mornings and taking a course in medical Spanish to improve communication and understanding in the afternoons. “Shadowing in Spanish in a foreign country not only gave me experience in the field but also gave me some insight into both the privileges we have in our healthcare system in the U.S. as well as the unique challenges different countries face in providing quality healthcare,” Mary said.
24
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
Steven McMullen
France, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity When junior Steven McMullen found out he would be going to France to attend the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, he realized how important the trip was for understanding his advertising and public relations career path. “I got to walk through a career I had previously only read about," Steven said. "My future will forever be impacted by the personalities I grew to collaborate with and the minds at work before me on this trip. The Cannes 2019 Study Abroad group, 57 students strong, offers an unbelievably vital critique system. I wouldn’t have traded them for anyone.”
Kevin Williams Interdisciplinary Maymester in Tanzania
Senior Kevin Williams traveled through Tanzania studying subjects like anthropology and cross-cultural psychology, with stops to take in the sites and culture in Moshi, Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Ngorongoro, and Serengeti. “All these immersive experiences along with what I learned directly from UGA professors have impacted my own thought processes regarding topics of humanity, its history and future, psychology, neuroscience, and daily life,” Kevin said. “The combination of these experiences and the influences that I see and continue to find have proven my participation in this Maymester to be a lifechanging experience for me.”
Aarati Shah
Thailand, ELI Dental Internship Senior Aarati Shah, right, traveled to Thailand to intern under dentistry and oral surgery specialists at Rajavej Hospital in Chiang Mai. While there, she was able to connect her knowledge of U.S. dentistry practices to the similar practices in Thailand while also taking in Thai language, culture, religion, and local traditions. “By explaining the significance behind each procedure, the patient felt more confident in the decision they are making,” Aarati said. “I hope I can serve both as an educator and an advocate for my future patients.”
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
25
HONORS
Study Abroad
FIRST PERSON
with fourth-year Honors student
Jan Joho
Switzerland, visiting student researcher "This past summer, I had the opportunity to spend two months in Switzerland as a member of the Honors International Scholars Program. It was an intense, immersive experience in the culture and heritage of the country, allowing me to practice my German and French language skills while working as a visiting student researcher in the economics department at the University of St. Gallen. For the past year, I have been working as a research assistant to Dr. Daniel Rettl in the finance department in Terry. I developed a passion for research because it allows me to apply my business training beyond the classroom to find creative solutions and insights to challenges faced by society today. In Switzerland, I began an independent project to examine how investments in environmental initiatives impact the share price and investor valuations for oil and gas companies. Since Switzerland is one of Europe’s leading financial hubs, being there allowed me to examine how Eurocentric firms are using their market power to tackle environmental degradation. I was able to explore beyond the four walls of a classroom and learn how the private sector can use its economic influence to address and solve critical issues facing society. I presented my research at a conference in Trento, Italy, hosted by the Institute for New Economic Thinking, a New York-based thinktank. With a wide array of international participants, the conference was an opportunity to learn how different regions of the world are tackling environmental problems through an economic lens. I then took my taste buds on a research experience of their own, studying and trying out cuisines from a variety of cultures. Overall, this summer was instrumental in allowing me to become more knowledgeable on many social, political, and economic issues while getting to interact with a diverse array of people and experience a vast variety of cultures."
26
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
Alexandria Pinckney
Costa Rica, Surf and Sustainability Program Alex Pinckney, a senior who embarked on the Surf and Sustainability program, took surf lessons and two courses this past summer. She learned much about herself during the nearly daily excursions into the ocean and experiences interacting with the locals and the nature of Costa Rica than she thought she would, and came back to the U.S. even more connected to the environment. “Every day, I had to wake up with a renewed confidence that I could handle the ocean, paddle strongly, stand up, and ride the waves,” said Alex. “I had to dig deep and channel parts of myself that I did not know existed… But when you finally stand up, and feel the energy of the ocean lift you up and push you forward, the world stops spinning, and you feel like you can do anything.”
Madison Read
Ghana, FACS Ghana Service-Learning Program This past summer, senior Madison Read was eager to travel in order to learn more about medicine and children’s healthcare practices abroad. By participating in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences Ghana Service-Learning Program, she was able to shadow doctors, interact with patients, and adapt to the clinical environment in new and collaborative ways. “I am walking away from this summer more equipped to relate to diverse groups of people and with a confirmed calling to medicine,” Madison said. “As the weeks progressed, I could feel myself gaining confidence and developing my own patient-care style—something that will serve me greatly as I engage with patients one day.”
Anthony Potts
South Africa, Lawyers for Human Rights Internship Junior Anthony Potts, front row, in navy and red striped shirt, traveled to South Africa this summer to intern for the Lawyers for Human Rights organization. While abroad, he learned about the needs of refugees and asylum-seekers in the country, traveled through beautiful saharas and deserts, experienced living on his own in a new place, and learned more about issues of race, privilege, and customs. “Beyond the importance of my professional experiences, my time in South Africa shaped me as a person, as I was completely immersed in a different yet powerful culture,” said Anthony. “The office at Lawyers for Human Rights was warm and welcoming, a spirit that is essential in the field of refugee law. It made my work and life in South Africa much more meaningful, and I made many strong connections and friendships that I will keep forever.”
Xinyu Shi
Hungary, Budapest Semester in Mathematics The Budapest Semester in Mathematics program presented a prestigious academic challenge for senior Xinyu Shi, a challenge she tackled head-on, enjoying the sites and culture of Europe along the way. Hailing from China, Xinyu experienced a secondary foreign environment on top of the one she is familiar with as an international student at UGA, but that didn’t stop her from making new friends, working hard in her graph theory and combinatorics classes, and exploring her options, including setting her sights on a future graduate education in statistics. “Being immersed in the mathematical environment really trained my critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities,” Xinyu said. “Upon my return from Budapest, I felt reinvigorated and ready to face whatever challenges this next year would bring me. Sometimes challenging oneself is the best way to evolve as a person.” UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
27
HONORS
Staff Spotlight
Writing stories The fall Honors Staff Spotlight focuses on Elizabeth Hughes, who is teaching Honors students how to channel their experiences into career-shaping stories By Stephanie Schupska
A
t the beginning of each semester, a handful of undergraduates ask for directions to Elizabeth Hughes’ office. Her workspace—in Room 001 on the ground floor level of Moore College—can be a little tricky to find on the first go, but once students figure out where her office is and the professional advice she is able to give them, they don’t typically get lost again. Elizabeth is a student affairs professional in the Honors Program. She teaches students how to tell their stories in the most compelling way possible. In a space bright with windows, more than 350 Honors students a year receive professional development help, which includes feedback on their resumes, tips on cover letter writing, markups on their application essays, and practice preparing for interviews, specifically for advanced degrees and certain scholarships. “I love working with words,” Elizabeth said, “and I love the creativity, critical thinking, and challenge of this job. Every statement and resume is different, written for a different purpose and expressing a unique story.” In Elizabeth’s one-on-one appointments with students, the writing and editing skills she gained from years as an English teacher come in handy, whether pointing out quick grammatical fixes, making formatting suggestions, or helping someone connect their ideas in a coherent and compelling way. Her job, she said, involves listening, thoughtful reflection, honest feedback, critical reading, and openness to different perspectives. “Writing a personal statement is hard,” Elizabeth said. “It requires a lot of
28
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
introspection, and it can make one feel a bit vulnerable to put these personal and intellectual motivations down on paper for a stranger to read and evaluate. Students share these reflections in our conversations as they are hashing out how to represent themselves on paper—I am honored to be part of this process.” Elizabeth joined the Honors Program eight years ago, and her job has evolved to serve more and more students each year. She works with all Honors students, from the first-year who wants to talk about the path to medical school or create a first college resume to the fourth-year who is applying to med school, law school, graduate school, Fulbright English teaching assistantships, or graduate research fellowships. The range also includes midyear students applying for external scholarships, summer research programs, or internships across the globe. In addition to scheduled appointments and drop-in hours in her office, Elizabeth also holds workshops several times a semester, which allow her to work with groups to polish their resumes and cover letters. Elizabeth coordinates the campus process for the national Boren Awards and the Beinecke Scholarship and advises students for the Critical Language Scholarship and the Pickering and Rangel fellowships. And she heads the Crane Leadership Scholarship, which is awarded to rising third-year Honors students and recognizes leadership in extracurricular activities and/or involvement with civic or community organizations. Elizabeth’s role is one of the many ways the Honors Program is working
“I love the creativity, critical thinking, and challenge of this job. Every statement and resume is different, written for a different purpose and expressing a unique story.” Elizabeth Hughes
Student affairs professional, UGA Honors Program
Elizabeth Hughes leads Honors students through the basics of writing a resume during one of the workshops she held this fall.
A few notes of thanks to add additional value for its students. By having someone within Honors who can work with undergraduates on their application components—and who is housed in Moore College—students have easy access to help. On a recent afternoon, Elizabeth mentally flipped through the thank you notes and emails she has received during the years she has been with the Honors Program. What stands out to her is that students are often thanking her for helping them with the process, not the end result. “The undergraduates I have worked with have a great perspective on success,” she said. “While so many of them hear good news after they submit their applications, sometimes even highly qualified candidates don’t get selected. Yet even when that happens, students consistently tell me that the process has been important to them. They have become stronger and more confident writers through it, and they are proud of the hard work they put into their applications. And they should be.”
Dear Elizabeth, Thank you so much for all of your help with my medical school applications! Here's an update: I had fun interviewing at many schools and ultimately have decided to go to UT Southwestern. I loved my interview day there and got along well with everyone I met. Thank you for all of your endless editing and encouragement. I could not have made it through without your help! You are so invaluable to UGA students! Best, Stacie Evans (BSA ’18) (Stacie's photo is at her white coat ceremony in November.) Hi Elizabeth, I hope you are doing well! I wanted to thank you for how much you have helped me during my undergraduate career. I just finished up my first module at MCG! I couldn't have done it without all your support and guidance. At times, it felt like it was easy to get lost at UGA, but you truly made me feel like I was cared for. Best, Naomi Siddiquee (BS ’19, AB ’19)
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
29
HONORS
Giving
From left to right are Sean, Spencer, Max, Satchel, and Laura Sumner.
30
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
A family endeavor Sean and Laura Sumner are connected to UGA through their sons and support opportunities for other students through the Honors Program Parent Society Story and photo by Stephanie Schupska
T
he drive from Sean and Laura Sumner’s home in Gainesville to the University of Georgia campus takes about an hour, and it’s a trip that they have made multiple times a year since Max, their oldest son, saw the fireworks online that made his status as a UGA student official. In August 2016, Max moved to Athens as a first-year Honors student. In 2018, their middle son, Spencer, joined Max at both UGA and in the Honors Program. Now, their youngest son, Satchel, is considering UGA as one of his top choices. Their connection to the Honors Program involves more than the stories Max and Spencer share over holiday dinners. Sean and Laura are also financially committed through the Honors Program Parent Society. “I give because it’s not just about my kids,” Sean said, “It’s about the program, and it’s about the people we train here. I think it’s tremendous when you can keep your best and brightest in the state.” The Honors Program Parent Society was started as a way for parents to stay connected to their children and become involved by helping other Honors students. Annual gifts raised through the society go toward domestic internships, study abroad opportunities, undergraduate research, and Honors-sponsored student organizations. “I don’t think they would have received a better education anywhere else,” Laura said. “We’re very impressed. We absolutely see how they’re benefiting from what others have given and the opportunities through the Honors Program.” Sean and Laura have no previous ties to the university— their connection to UGA started with Max. Sean is from Canada and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill through the Morehead-Cain Scholarship (the first merit scholarship program established in the U.S.). He then went on to complete his MD at Duke University. Laura attended Oxford College of Emory University and then graduated from Emory. She holds a master’s degree in social work from UNC Chapel Hill. Sean practices internal medicine with the Northeast Georgia Diagnostic Clinic, and Laura is a family advocate and case manager for Family Promise of Hall County. They are now diehard Georgia fans—they have as much red and black in their closets as they do Carolina blue.
“What impresses me most is just how happy Max and Spencer are,” Sean said. “They are taking every advantage offered through UGA and the Honors Program. They’re getting every bit of the experience that I did because they’re making their own way and they’re finding their own opportunities. I couldn’t be happier and prouder of them.” Max and Spencer are charting individual courses through college, but their end goal is the same—medical school. Max is majoring in biology and psychology with hopes of pursuing an MD/MBA. He has worked for the Center for Health Transformation through the Honors in Washington internship program, studied healthcare in South Africa through the Honors International Scholars Program, and conducted research in the Non-Invasive Exercise Muscle Physiology Lab through a CURO research assistantship. “All those opportunities are amazing and have set up my career path,” Max said, adding that “the community and the people in Honors have really made a difference. Whenever I walk into an office in Moore College, I can ask a question, and people know who I am, and they care about my future. It’s something that’s different about the Honors Program.” Spencer is studying anthropology and biology with the intention of going to medical school. After residency, he plans to work in medical centers abroad through the Peace Corps. He is currently a CURO research assistant in the lab of Karen Norris, a GRA Eminent Scholar in immunology and translational biomedicine. “The Honors Program has opened up a lot of doors,” he said. “I haven’t had a class that I haven’t been able to get into, which has made a huge difference, especially double majoring. A lot of people in Honors are rooting for me.” Max and Spencer are both encouraging Satchel to become a Bulldog. However, Max won’t be in Athens next fall—he graduates from UGA in May. Max has applied to 17 medical schools and is currently working his way through the interview process. “I’m excited for what’s coming next, but I’m going to be sad to leave,” Max said. “I’m going to miss the friends, the people, and the ability to go out and see a concert or do some of those things special about Athens, but I’m excited to go into my next phase of life, too.” “And well-prepared to do it,” Laura said. “Absolutely,” Max said.
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
31
HONORS
Giving
Honors Program Parent Society Three families share why they give to the Honors Program. “The Honors Program at UGA has the unique ability to offer its students top level academics along with all the benefits of a large university such as highly competitive athletics, service organizations, Greek life, research programs, and a diversity of majors. As a member of the Honors Program Parent Society, we are pleased to be able to support these students in their UGA travel abroad programs, lunchbox lectures and research endeavors.” Tim & Donna Daugherty with their children Tyler, Emily, and Abbey Kate Tim (BS '87) is an Honors alumnus and Mercer Medical School graduate. Tyler (BS '17) is an Honors alumnus and a third-year at Emory Medical School; and Emily is a fourthyear Honors student.
“The Honors Program offers a unique opportunity to get involved in ongoing campus activities. The program promotes community and collaboration among students, parents, and Honors staff. It is very fulfilling to give back to the Honors Program Parent Society through various events and activities.” Manish and Priti Pandya with daughter Shreya at Sanford Stadium
“The best part about being Honors parents is knowing that our freshman son Thomas had an immediate place that welcomed him when he arrived on campus in August. Since we are from Texas, and UGA is all new to us, it was comforting to know the Honors Program had our back. Thomas has access to an office and counselors who want to help him succeed in academics and campus life. We love the small class sizes and community it provides to our son, too!” Ann and Mike Jobe with their children William, Natalie, and Thomas
32
UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
Stay engaged with the Honors Program Hello from Moore College! My name is Colleen Pruitt, and I am delighted to be part of the Honors Program. While I just joined the team this summer, I can already attest to the fact that the Honors Program at the University of Georgia is a special place. In my role, I focus on alumni relations, annual giving, and special events, and I hope to provide a variety of ways for you to stay engaged with the Honors Program. It has been a real joy to begin to get to know current students, and I look forward to meeting as many Honors Program alumni, donors and friends as possible. The year 2020 is a special one for the Honors Program as it marks our 60th anniversary. We hope you will join us in celebrating this important milestone as we look back on 60 years of academic excellence at UGA. Many more details will be forthcoming, but for now, I want to highlight some immediate ways to stay engaged with the Honors Program: 1. Update your contact information. Please take a moment to update your phone number, email address, and mailing address so that we can stay in touch with you. Visit alumni.uga.edu/update to update your records. 2. Stay connected. You can keep up with exciting happenings in Honors by reading along here in our biannual magazine and by following us on social media. Please be sure to share your life updates with us, too. You can email me at colleen.pruitt@uga.edu. I would love to hear from you! 3. Make an annual gift to the Honors Program. No gift is ever too small—every dollar helps us support our incredible students. Visit give.uga.edu/honors to learn more about ways to give to the Honors Program. I am so excited to have the opportunity to get to know so many talented and passionate individuals who care so deeply about the Honors Program. I look forward to hearing about what makes the Honors experience so special to you.
Ring the bell! We are so thankful for our many amazing donors and friends. Your gifts—whether large or small—make an incredible difference every day. Join us today in supporting Honors students, and give online in any amount at give.uga.edu/honors.
Colleen Pruitt Development and Alumni Relations, UGA Honors Program UGA HONORS PROGRAM MAGAZINE FALL 2019
33
Nonprofit Org. U. S. Postage
PAID
Moore College, 108 Herty Drive University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602-6116
A social welcome
The University of Georgia announced the first students accepted into the Class of 2024 on Friday, Nov. 22, and Honors Program Ambassadors were ready to welcome many of them into the Honors Program through social media messages on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Athens, GA Permit No. 165
