UGA Honors Newsletter, spring 2008

Newsletter of the University of Georgia Honors Program

Spring 2008

One Honors Program, Two Rhodes Scholars Deep Shah and Kate Vyborny, Honors Program students and Foundation Fellows, are the newest UGA Rhodes Scholars, bringing the number of UGA Rhodes Scholars to 21, six of whom have been chosen since 1996. This year the University of Georgia is the only public institution in the country to have two Rhodes Scholars.

Deep Shah, a senior majoring in international affairs and biology, plans to pursue a master of science degree in global health at Oxford University after graduation. At UGA, Deep has pursued his interests in public policy and medicine through undergraduate research and internship experiences. His research on Parkinson’s disease resulted in a presentation at the annual Honors Program’s Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) Symposium as well as a published paper as second author in the Journal of Comparative Neurology. He held policy-oriented internships in both Senator Johnny Isakson’s Washington office and at the Greater New York Hospital Association. Deep also is the co-founder of a UGA chapter of the nation’s only student-led think tank, the Roosevelt Institution, which is supported by the Honors Program.

In addition to being selected as a 2008 Rhodes Scholar, in 2007 Deep was the sole recipient from the state of Georgia of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, a national award for academically outstanding third-year students with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in public service.

Kate Vyborny graduated in 2005 with bachelor’s degrees in economics and international affairs, and was a First Honor Graduate with a perfect 4.0 GPA. After graduation, Kate was one of seven persons selected nationally for a prestigious Fellowship with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She now works for the Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C. Beginning in the fall of 2008, Kate will pursue a master of philosophy degree in development studies at Oxford University. Kate’s interest in international public service blossomed at UGA when she traveled abroad to Ecuador, China, and Croatia, investigating development issues. On her second trip to Ecuador, Kate served as a program assistant with the Foundation for Sustainable Development, coordinating interns and assisting them in designing service projects. While at UGA, Kate also interned at the Center for International Trade and Security and participated in the center’s Security Leadership Program. Additionally, she worked extensively with the Amnesty International chapter at UGA. Currently, Kate is co-authoring a book on globalization and inequality. Y

Kate and Deep positioned themselves for this award by taking full advantage of the opportunities for study abroad, internships, undergraduate research and academic enrichment offered to them by the UGA Honors program.

“This remarkable accomplishment proves that UGA students are competitive with students anywhere. It also speaks to the quality of the Honors Program, which challenges the students and prepares them for success in the classroom and in these scholarship competitions.”

— President Michael F. Adams 1

F o un d at ion Fel lo w s a n d R a m se y S c hol a rs

IN THE MEANTIME...

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li Tedesco’s favorite part of her week is when first grader Raul welcomes her with a big hug as she arrives for his tutoring session at Oasis Catolica. Eli started tutoring at this Mexican community during her first year at UGA and has formed wonderful relationships with the children in the community. She tutors them, works with them in a dental hygiene program, and shows them that people care. Eli, a second-year Foundation Fellow from Atlanta majoring in international affairs and sociology, is motivated by the belief that students should make an impact wherever they can in their own community and beyond. It is for that reason that she became the Service Chair of the Honors Program Student Council (HPSC), where she coordinates Honors students’ service within the UGA and Athens communities. Their activities include working at the Athens food bank, cooking and serving meals at the Homeless Shelter, organizing a Halloween party at a local retirement community, and tutoring children at the Thomas Lay Center. One of the goals of the HPSC is to engage more Honors students in service activities and civic engagement.

It is apparent that service will always play an important part in Eli’s life when she says: “Even though college raises students’ awareness of the world around them, it is easy to only think about what impact you want to make after college. However, it is in this ‘meantime’ that we give substance to our goals. Consistent contact reminds and motivates me for what I plan to do in the future.”

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Writing Public Policy for Change

hen you ask other students about third-year Foundation Fellow Kevin Chang, the words hardworking, dedicated, and smart are some of the first you hear.

But the words compassionate, humble, and unassuming are the ones that immediately follow. It is his passionate dedication and commitment to public health and healthcare policy that

Kevin Chang and fellow Roosevelt students speaking with Governor Sonny Perdue.

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have gained Kevin a leadership position within the Honors Program. His focus has been both on the local community and on the world-at-large. He is co-chair of Roosevelt@UGA, a student-run think tank sponsored by the Honors Program.

Kevin also founded STEP (Students Together Ending Poverty), which links together 15 of the largest student organizations on campus to create awareness and mobilize action. This is done in coordination with a local city initiative, Partners for a Prosperous Athens. Last summer, he traveled to Arusha, Tanzania for an International Health Internship. He conducted HIV/AIDS workshops in rural communities and worked in a hospital. These experiences led him to decide that he wanted to actively build better bridges between physicians and patients, and to focus on international public health policy. Kevin has already published some policy works, including an article he co-wrote with two other students, “Risk Communication among Non-Clinical Healthcare Employees: The Key to Preserving Infrastructure in Medical Emergencies.” It is no surprise then that this coming summer Kevin will travel to New York for an Honors public health internship with the Greater New York Hospital Association, which focuses on emergency preparedness.

When he is not researching and writing papers on public health concerns, attending meetings to help end poverty in Athens, or studying to keep his perfect 4.0 GPA, Kevin likes to make an active difference in the lives of others by volunteering in a local hospital or mentoring elementary school children. No doubt, Kevin will continue to make a profound impact on the world around him in the years to come.

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Connor McCarthy, a second-year Ramsey Scholar from Mobile, Alabama, hit the ground running when he arrived on campus as a double major in international affairs and economics. In addition to taking a challenging set of classes, he conducted an undergraduate research project with Dr. Patricia Sullivan on Post-WW II military interventions, with a focus on the Soviet Union. During the 2007 Maymester term, he traveled to New Zealand where he studied sustainable resources and human impact on the environment. Connor is a natural leader, as demonstrated in the numerous activities he performs both on-andoff campus: he is the student representative to the Educational Affairs Committee for the University Council; a senator in the Student Government Association, where he is Academic Affairs Chair; a member of the Tate Society; Scholarship Chair with Beta Theta Pi; a member of the mock trial team; an Honors Teaching Assistant; an Honors Ambassador; a tutor for Hispanic students; a summer camp counselor; and a volunteer with the Athens Clarke County Mentor Program.

This summer Connor will travel to Tanzania on the Honors Program’s Courts International Study Scholarship to study sustainable business practices and intercultural communications. Connor has written that, “Thus far, my academic career has been centered around policy issues and the majority of my extracurricular career around serving those less fortunate. As the saying goes, to whom much is given, much is expected. I recognize and am thankful for my blessings, but most of all I recognize the potential for me to affect others. Volunteering in Africa and studying the issues at hand will allow me to understand world poverty [and] understand my relationship with world poverty.”

Providing Safe Water in India

by Anant Mandawat

elwara is a small village of 7,000 people located just outside the desert region of northwest India. The inhabitants, who have lived in Delwara for generations, have a very distinctive lifestyle. From fresh cow milk to tailor-made clothes, each item and each day provides a unique nuance that the pasteurized gallon of milk at Kroger cannot offer. Yet the distinctive lifestyle also involves a daily struggle against the heat of the region. Left barren from years of drought, Delwara’s fields are reduced to nothing more than dirt and stones. During the summers, temperatures average 115 degrees Fahrenheit and often top 120 degrees daily. The sweltering heat directly affects the amount of water available in Delwara. A basin that is on the outskirts of the village demonstrates the effect of the heat. In previous years, the basin used to hold enough water to act as a small lake. Now, the drought has made the bottom of the basin visible. Without the comfort of air conditioning, sometimes the only relief from the heat comes from ceiling fans. Due to a frequent loss of electricity, a shaded area can be even more valuable than a fan. The heat takes its toll not only on the crops but also on the productivity of the day. Frequently, the only way to escape the heat is to submissively fall asleep in the midday hours. The village’s hub for political and social events, including town meetings and weddings, is the Delwara Government Senior Secondary School, which serves about 350 students.

Despite these multi-functional roles, the school did not have an adequate or sanitary means to provide water for students. When I arrived in Delwara, water at the school was stored in an open-air tank buried at ground level, which was quite prone to contamination. The goal of my summer internship was to provide a means for safe and reliable water distribution at the Delwara school. By bringing in various agencies from the nearest city and coordinating them on the school grounds, a new water facility, locally called a jal mandir, was constructed. A multi-fountain water tower, the jal mandir promises to provide a clean water source for students and the community for many decades to come. In addition to being an amazing learning opportunity, the internship was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. Not a day goes by that I do not picture the school in Delwara; the very thought of students drinking clean, cold water on a hot day puts a smile on my face every time I think about it.

Anant is a fourth-year student who traveled to Delwara on a Foundation Fellow travel-study grant. He will graduate in spring 2008 with degrees in biochemistry and economics.

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Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO)

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Twelve Honors students travel to Austin, Texas for national science conference

his past November, twelve Honors Program students engaging in undergraduate research at UGA had the opportunity to present their research at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS), held in Austin, Texas. The Honors student participants were: Shivan Bhatt, Dilhara De Silva, Vanessa del Valle, Edmond Fomunung, Gabrielle Gay, Sana Hashmi, Natalie Jennings, Nithya Natrajan, Ezinne Okwandu, Tulsi Patel, Cleveland Piggott, and Sonia Talathi.

ABRCMS is the largest multi-disciplinary student conference in the United States. Each year, the conference attracts approximately 2,600 individuals, including more than 1,500 undergraduate students. At this year’s conference, third-year Honors student Sana Hashmi won a best oral presentation award in the division of molecular biology.

The UGA Honors students enjoyed the first-hand experience of a major science conference and had the opportunity to present their work on a national stage. They also were able to meet with deans and other representatives of institutions that they are considering for graduate or professional school.

SUMMER FELLOWSHIP LEADS TO PUBLISHED PAPER aren Wong, a fourth-year international business major from Wilmington, Delaware, is convinced that her participation in CURO for the last two years has led her to pursue research that not only complements her major, but also delves more deeply into her other interests such as philanthropy and business. Last year, Karen was a CURO Summer Research Fellow with Dr. Andrew Whitford, a public administration and policy professor. Under his guidance, Karen completed a project investigating possible foundations for environmental sustainability as measured across countries with varying social, economic, political, and geographic characteristics Her resulting paper has been accepted for publication in the Political Research Quarterly, a peer-reviewed political science journal. Karen is now finishing a second paper about global transfer pricing policy practices, which concerns the pricing of goods and services among divisions of multinational corporations. Last spring in Chicago, Karen and Dr. Whitford presented the first draft of that paper at the Midwest Political Science Association meeting. Karen summarizes that “the CURO Summer Research Fellowship is an incredibly positive experience,” and adds that: “By having research as my main focus during the summer, Dr. Whitford and I could achieve our research goals and I gained an in-depth understanding of global business regulation.”

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A Young Man’s Journey from Cameroon

2008 CURO SYMPOSIUM You are cordially invited to attend the 2008 CURO Symposium.

This one-day event will take place on Monday, March 31, 2008 Classic Center Athens, Georgia P rogram :

9 am – 4 pm student oral presentations 2 – 3:30 pm performing arts presentations 4 – 5 pm keynote address 5 – 6 pm student poster session 6:30 – 8 pm art show

All events are free and open to the public For more information, please contact 706/583-0698

dmond Fomunung arrived at UGA four years ago with a CURO Apprenticeship in his hand and a dream in his heart. This young man had come to the United States from Cameroon two years earlier in search of educational opportunities and a better life. He has found a home in the Honors Program. Edmond has participated in undergraduate research since he arrived on campus, mainly working with Dr. David Peterson in the Department of Infectious Diseases. Edmond’s passion for research comes from personal experience with malaria in his native Cameroon. After two years of doing antimalarial research at UGA, Edmond held a summer internship with the Department of Medical Parasitology at New York University to conduct further antimalarial research there. When Edmond received the Charles Ross Summer Fellowship with the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Michigan, he found his professional calling. The cardiovascular disease research he performed in Michigan stimulated his interest in cardiology/ cardiac surgery. Now, Edmond’s goal is to become a cardiothoracic surgeon with a Master’s of Public Health. As Edmond puts it, “coming from a place where opportunity is scarce, I deeply appreciate the opportunities the United States offers every child, and I feel an obligation to give back to this society which has already given me so much. There is no better way to repay this debt than to invest my time and knowledge in the fight against cardiovascular diseases, the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.”

Edmond plans to use his public health expertise to address the problems of malaria and other infectious diseases in the developing world. Edmond has been accepted to the medical school of Johns Hopkins University as well as the Medical College Edmond posing with fellow CURO Teaching Assistants, of Georgia.

Natalie Jennings (l) and Grace Anglin (r).

On Thursday, January 17, twelve Honors Program students who have engaged in undergraduate research participated at the annual UGA Legislative Reception in Atlanta. The students had the opportunity to meet with members of the Georgia Assembly, talk about their UGA experience, and explain their research projects.

From left to right: Marcus Hines, Jasmine Mathis, James Gordy, Leilah Zahedi, Erica Holland, Aqsa Mahmud, President Adams, Susan Guo, Courtney Thomas, Andy Kragor, Joseph Burch, and Lauren Kelley. (not pictured: Anna-Marietta Moise)

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No longer a bystander

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ne child dies every five seconds due to hunger-related issues. Half the world lives on less than two dollars a day. More than 850 million people suffer from extreme hunger daily. I hear or read facts like these almost every day. After taking a seminar and attending a conference, both dedicated to world hunger and poverty, I thought I would be able to harness these facts and images and start to understand what they actually mean. However, I have yet to come close to comprehending the lifestyle of a person living in poverty. I can describe what diseases poverty-stricken communities suffer from, how improved water quality can save millions of lives, and the importance of feeding children to promote education.

Yet, I cannot say how a person living under these extreme conditions feels or what they need, beyond tangible goods, to survive. Through traveling to Namibia and working with the local people on the Honors-sponsored Promote Africa project, I will have the opportunity to explore the developing world from a point of view I cannot get anywhere else. By being a member of a team of citizens all striving toward the goal of sustainable communities, I will also be able to feel the direct impact of our work. Given this opportunity, I will be able to spread awareness, be active on campus, and deepen my studies with an incomparable knowledge of what poverty is. I will no longer be a bystander of this seemingly distant crisis; instead I will be an active advocate and participant of the cause.”

ABROAD

Of Pakistani Women and State Annexation Laws Aqsa Mahmud has made the most of her four years in the Honors Program. She has participated in undergraduate research, traveled to Asia, interned with both the District Attorney’s office in Rockdale County and the National Association of Counties (NACo) in Washington, D.C., and has been a leader in the Roosevelt Institute and the Honors Teaching Assistant program. A double major in political science and psychology, Aqsa’s contagious smile and energy is the first thing you notice when you meet her.

And it is that energy that has helped Aqsa perform research locally and globally, resulting in four publications while an undergraduate student.

In the summer of 2006, Aqsa traveled to Pakistan’s Punjab province, where she analyzed existing trends of urbanization in Punjab. At the same time, through a CURO directed reading, she focused on female gender roles in agrarian-based economies. Following this experience, she wrote an article concerning the changing roles of rural Punjab women in light of urban pressures. The article, “Under the Rug Swept: Rural Punjab Women in the Ecotone of Urbanization,” is currently pending publication in the Geographische Rundschau, International Edition. Aqsa also won the 2007 CURO Best Paper Award with International Focus for this project. In the summer of 2007, Aqsa interned with NACo in Washington, D.C., where she researched annexation provisions. Her final product, “A Look at Annexation Laws: A State by State Report,” was published

by NACo. Aqsa has also published “The Saudi Solution: Answering the Call for Reform” in the UGA Journal of Undergraduate Research Opportunities (JURO), and “Seeking a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone: Its Analysis and Application to Northeast Asia” in The Monitor, issued by the Center for International Trade and Security.

Aqsa has been accepted to law schools at the University of Michigan and George Washington University.

— Maia Wagner

Maia Wagner is a second-year Honors student from Marietta, Georgia who is studying economics and Spanish. This coming summer, Maia will travel to Namibia to work for the Promote Africa project. Promote Africa, which is supported by the Honors Program, is a non-profit organization founded by fourth-year Foundation Fellow Ben Cobb. Ben’s project has gripped Maia, causing her to seek firsthand experience of what Ben talks so passionately about. She wants to find out what her place will be in project development and combine her academic learning with on-site experience. This summer she will have that chance as the first recipient of the Gowen Honors Scholarship.

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Aqsa (left) with fellow NACo interns and staff.

What our students are reading:

The Honors Program is grateful for the support and dedication of the members of the Honors Advisory Board to our students.

Honors Program Book Discussion Groups are still going strong.

Below is a list of books faculty members have recently discussed with Honors students.

Dr. Christopher S. Allen How Soccer Explains the World (Franklin Foer)

Dr. Kenneth Honerkamp Mirrors of the Unseen: Journeys in Iran (Jason Elliot)

Rebecca Cheney Eat Pray Love (Elizabeth Gilbert)

Jessica Hunt Never Let Me Go (Kazuo Ishiguro)

Dr. Alan Covich The World Without Us (Alan Weisman)

Dr. Steve Stice The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More (Chris Anderson)

Kacie Schoen Darden The Future of Life (E. O. Wilson) Dr. Erica Hashimoto King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero (David Remnick)

Ms. Kathryn Ash, Charlotte, NC Mr. Tom Gilliland, Blairsville, GA Dr. Patrick Godbey, St. Simons Island, GA Mr. Sheffield Hale, Atlanta, GA Ms. Catherine Knox, Augusta, GA Dr. Leah Lowman, Athens, GA Ms. Anne McGlamry, Atlanta, GA Dr. P. K. Natrajan, Augusta, GA Mr. Randall Nuckolls, Arlington, VA Mr. Neal Quirk, Atlanta, GA

Dr. David S. Williams Lincoln’s Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural (Ronald C. White, Jr.)

Ms. Natalie Schweers, Augusta, GA Mr. John Spalding, Atlanta, GA Mr. John Stephenson, Jr., Atlanta, GA Ms. Susan Waltman, Pelham, NY Ms. Kim Wilson, Tybee Island, GA

Please help us to feed our students’ passion for reading.

For $250 you can sponsor a Book Discussion Group.

Ms. Jane Willson, Albany, GA Mr. Howard Young, Atlanta, GA

Yes, I would like to support Honors Program students!

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“Medicine is a universal skill that can be employed in virtually every region of the globe. I have always been attracted to medicine because of this particular characteristic. And my experiences in a Peruvian operating room strengthened my resolve to pursue a medical education that will hopefully allow me to not only practice in the U.S., but also provide me with the ability to spread care abroad.”

— Ryan Blalock ’08, traveled to Peru “My summer experience was everything I was hoping it would be and more. From the people I met and the relationships I was able to build, to the real world experience I gained seeing the legislative process first hand, I know this entire experience will serve me well as I move forward in my academic and professional career.”

— Harry Saag, ’08, interned with

Senator Johnny Isakson

Honors Program The University of Georgia Moore College Athens, GA 30602 706/542-3240 www.uga.edu/honors

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“This service learning study abroad experience has been personally challenging, yet life changing and entirely worthwhile. I have learned so much about myself, life in the third world, and beautiful people who love their country. I have experienced every emotion possible. Through daily living and working with and among Ghanaians, I have gained a greater sense of who I am.”

— Sabra West,’09, traveled to Ghana

“Study abroad allows a student to enlarge his or her perspective by not only seeing a different part of the world but seeing the world from a different angle altogether.”

— Andrew Bossom, ’08, traveled to Vietnam

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