The University of Georgia Magazine December 2011

GEORGIA The University of

December 2011 • Vol. 91, No. 1

Magazine

In this issue: • Inaugural First-Year Odyssey Program kicks off with more than 300 seminar-style courses • UGA Alumni Association recognizes 40 outstanding alumni under age 40

The

Honorable Steve C. Jones

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YOU

ARE A PART OF ABRAHAM BALDWIN’S LEGACY.

Charitable gifts from donors like you enhance the student experience, cultivate alumni and student connections and strengthen UGA traditions. Continue Baldwin’s legacy with your gift to the Georgia Fund.

The University of Georgia Office of Development Annual and Special Giving 394 S. Milledge Avenue, Ste. 100 Athens, GA 30602-5582 1-888-268-5442

To learn more about the important work of our students and faculty, visit www.givingtouga.com.

GEORGIA MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD VOLUNTEER MEMBERS

Magazine

December 2011 • Vol. 91, No. 1

Departments 5 Take 5 with the President

6

Around the Arch

In a tight economy, UGA’s Career Center is helping alumni find new jobs

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Photo by Peter Frey

18 40 under 40

24 The Honorable Steve C. Jones His new position as a federal judge commands respect, but those who know him say he’s already earned it

30 The Odyssey New seminar courses for all first-year students allow them to explore a range of interests with tenured and tenure-track professors

Class Notes 36 Alumni profiles and notes Students in Assistant Professor Brad Davis’ First-Year Odyssey course, “Environmental Awareness Through Landscape Drawing,” take advantage of a beautiful fall day to learn about landscape design.

Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker

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Athens native and former Superior Court Judge Steve C. Jones took on two new roles in 2011. In March he became a U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Georgia, and in July he was named president of UGA’s Alumni Association.

Features The UGA Alumni Association recognizes 40 outstanding young alumni

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ON THE COVER

Cookin’ with charisma A student-produced cooking show touts cheap and healthy home-cooked meals

FINE PRINT Georgia Magazine (ISSN 1085-1042) is published quarterly for alumni and friends of UGA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: University of Georgia, 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 North, Athens, GA 30602-5582

In compliance with federal law, including the provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Georgia does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or military service in its administration of educational policies, programs, or activities; its admissions policies; scholarship and loan programs; athletic or other University-administered programs; or employment. In addition, the University does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation consistent with the University nondiscrimination policy. Inquiries or complaints should be directed to the director of the Equal Opportunity Office, Peabody Hall, 290 South Jackson Street, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602. Telephone 706-542-7912 (V/TDD). Fax 706-542-2822.

Campus news and events

Closeup 14 Get a job

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS

Tom S. Landrum, AB ’72, MA ’87, Senior Vice President, E­ xternal Affairs; Tom Jackson, AB ’73, MPA ’04, PhD ’08, VP, Public Affairs; Deborah Dietzler, ­Executive ­Director, UGA Alumni Association; Alison Huff, Director of Publications; Eric Johnson, ABJ ’86, Director of UGA Visitors Center How to advertise in GEORGIA MAGAZINE: Contact Pamela Leed: 706/542-8124 or pjleed@uga.edu Where to send story ideas, letters, Class Notes items: Georgia Magazine 286 Oconee St., Suite 200 North Athens, GA 30602-1999 E-mail: GMeditor@uga.edu Web site: www.uga.edu/gm or University of Georgia Alumni Association www.alumni.uga.edu/alumni Address changes: E-mail records@uga.edu or call 888/268-5442

President Michael F. Adams on programs for first-year students

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Cecil Bentley, BBA ’70, UGA journalism staff; Valerie Boyd, UGA journalism faculty; Bobby Byrd, ABJ ’80, Wells Real Estate Funds; Jim Cobb, AB ’69, MA ’72, PhD ’75, UGA history faculty; Richard Hyatt, Columbus Ledger-Enquirer; Brad King, MMC ’97, BVK Communications; Fran Lane, AB ’69, MEd ’71, retired director, UGA Visitors Center; Bill McDougald, ABJ ’76, MLA ’86, Southern Living; Nicole Mitchell, UGA Press; Leneva Morgan, ABJ ’88, Georgia Power; Donald Perry, ABJ ’74, Chick-fil-A; Swann Seiler, ABJ ’78, Coastal Region of Georgia Power; Robert Willett, ABJ ’66, MFA ’73, retired journalism faculty; Martha Mitchell Zoller, ABJ ’79

GEORGIA The University of

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ADMINISTRATION Michael F. Adams, President Jere Morehead, JD ’80, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Tom S. Landrum, AB ’72, MA ’87,

Senior Vice President for External Affairs Tim Burgess, AB ’77, Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration PUBLIC AFFAIRS Tom Jackson, AB ’73, MPA ’04, PhD ’08, Vice President Alison Huff, Director of Publications GEORGIA MAGAZINE Editor, Kelly Simmons, MPA ’10 Managing Editor, Allyson Mann, MA ’92 Art Director, Lindsay Bland Robinson, ABJ ’06, MPA ’11 Advertising Director, Pamela Leed Office Manager, Fran Burke Photographers, Paul Efland, BFA ’75, MEd ’80; Peter Frey, BFA ’94; Robert Newcomb, BFA ’81; Beth Newman, BFA ’07; Rick O’Quinn, ABJ ’87; Dot Paul; Andrew Davis Tucker Editorial Assistants, Emily Grant and Grace Morris

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anuary 21 J

2012

BULLDOG 100 Congratulations to the Class of 2012! The final rankings will be announced at a celebration banquet at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis on January 21st, featuring keynote speaker, Emmy Award-Winning Journalist Deborah Norville ’79.

The Bulldog 100 annually determines and awards the 100 fastest growing businesses that are owned or operated by UGA alumni.

For sponsorship information, to purchase tickets and to view the class of 2012: email alumni@uga.edu or call (404) 814-8820 www.uga.edu/alumni/b100

.

TAKE

5

— President Michael F. Adams on the First-Year Odyssey

Q: The First-Year Odyssey Program is a one-hour seminar course required of all freshmen that features small (15-student) classes with a tenured or tenure-track professor. How does this program benefit UGA freshmen?

A: It exposes them to a broad base of knowledge that, in all likelihood, they have not been exposed to before. It will connect every freshman early in his or her career with a senior member of the faculty who can serve as a guide and mentor as the process goes forward.

Hopefully it will build strong interpersonal relationships among each class that will last throughout an academic career. This is the sort of thing that is done at small, selective liberal arts colleges, but not many major research universities have devoted the time and resources to effect this sort of program.

Michael F. Adams

Q: How did the idea for the program originate?

A: I have been a proponent of such programs since I came here because I saw the power of them at places like Pepperdine and Centre, where I had been before. The genesis of this program, though, actually grew out of the SACS (Southeastern Association of Colleges and Schools) reaccreditation process led by Associate Provost Bob Boehmer. Professor Boehmer worked with a number of faculty members to write the plan. It was passed by the University Curriculum Committee and University Council and became a part of the university’s 10-year strategic plan.

Q: You, as well as many other UGA administrators, teach a freshman seminar. What are you teaching and what has been your experience thus far?

A: I am teaching a course I’ve never taught before on the history and development of the University of Georgia. As I have worked carefully with the development and campus planning committees over the past 15 years, it is no secret that I have fallen in love with this campus and its history. There are few basements, attics or crevices on campus that I have not now crawled through. I have read a great deal about UGA history and find it a very compelling story in American academic history. I am trying to transmit a bit of that excitement to freshmen and thus far it seems to be taking. I am actually moving the class around campus, and over a 14-week period we will meet in 11 different venues.

Q: What other programs does UGA offer specifically to first-year students?

A: We offer a summer Dawg Camp, which is a leadership development program. We offer numerous counseling programs as part of our nationally recognized orientation program. This is not a place where we just say, “Welcome.

Tomorrow’s your first class.” There are numerous efforts to inculcate students in a way that helps them feel comfortable.

I believe this is the process that has led to our 95 percent freshman retention rate, the highest among public colleges and universities in the state of Georgia.

Q: Does this set UGA apart from other major public universities?

A: Of course it does. Like international programs, I believe the Odyssey program will become a distinctive feature of UGA for many years to come. We don’t want this to be the sort of place where students are hidden in lecture auditoria. We prefer full engagement of very bright young people. I believe the Odyssey program will be a great advantage in that regard.

PHOTO BY DOT PAUL

Professor William Kisaalita talks to freshmen Monica Glosson, left, and Sara Lynn Been during a field exercise for his First-Year Odyssey seminar.

DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE 5

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Ingerman presents his design for “Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream” to show producers at Fekd Entertainment and Disney Theatrical Entertainment.

Resources for recovery Students in the School of Social Work have launched a website for Augusta residents affected by addiction. The site, which went live in September—National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month—is a compilation of available resources related to addiction.

RecoveryAugusta.org is the fifth in a series of websites that have been developed by students in Associate Professor Donna Leigh Bliss’ Clinical Practice with Addictive Disorders course.

Each year, Bliss and her students select a city in Georgia and work together to compile information, photos and resources for that community. The first website, RecoveryAthens.org, was targeted to the UGA and Athens community. The class also has developed sites for Atlanta (RecoveryAtlanta.org), Savannah (RecoverySavannah.org) and Macon (RecoveryMacon.org).

Addiction is the nation’s number one health problem, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and millions of Americans are affected by it, including children and families.

6 GEORGIA MAGAZINE • www.uga.edu/gm

SPECIAL

Dare to Design Ivan Ingermann, assistant professor of costume design in the Franklin College Department of Theatre and Film Studies, designed the costumes for the national touring show Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream. With the help of his assistant and former student Ben Philipp (MFA ’08) he created more than 100 costumes for the production. Learn more about theatre and film studies at UGA at www.drama.uga.edu.

Doctorate in epidemiology The UGA College of Public Health will begin offering a Ph.D. in epidemiology in fall 2012, the first public institution in Georgia to offer that degree. Recognizing the need for in-depth public health research in the state, UGA administrators say the new degree will prepare a new generation of epidemiologists to move directly into the professional sphere. The college will start accepting applications in January. For more on the College of Public Health, go to www.publichealth.uga.edu.

Kids in poverty benefit from pre-K, study shows A 10-year study of children in the Clarke County School District shows that those who live in poverty show higher academic achievement if they have been enrolled in pre-kindergarten. The study of about 500 kids, led by researchers in the College of Education, showed that at-risk children who attend pre-K outperformed their peers in kindergarten and first grade reading and math. In addition those children continued to outperform their peers in reading and language arts throughout elementary and middle school, and were more likely to stay in school.

ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER

Honoring Baldwin A statue of UGA founder and first president Abraham Baldwin was unveiled on North Campus, a gift from the UGA Alumni Association. Baldwin, a member of the Georgia State House, the Continental Congress and the U.S. Senate, founded UGA, the first state-chartered university in the United States, 226 years ago.

The initial idea for the statue came from Loch Johnson, Regents Professor of International Affairs and Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor. He envisioned it adjacent to Old College because the building is a replica of the building where Baldwin studied at Yale.

Funding for the statue came from private donations as well as a $90,000 matching grant from the UGA Alumni Association.

An eye on med-ed PAUL EFLAND

Bridging a divide Delegates from North Korea, South Korea and the U.S. reaffirmed a commitment to peace building and reintegration Oct. 20 following four days of Track II talks organized by Han Park (above left), director of the UGA Center for the Study of Global Issues. The event on the UGA campus, which included legislative aides, academics and experts from all three countries, came on the eve of formalized talks between the U.S. and North Korea in Geneva, Switzerland. It culminated in a conference statement in which the three groups agreed to build trust through dialogue and mutual acceptance, to commit to past agreements and to recognize the need for permanent peace among the countries. To view the full conference statement, go to www.globiscenter.org.

Graduate students in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication are documenting the first years of the medical partnership between UGA and the Georgia Health Sciences University (formerly the Medical College of Georgia) through a series of written stories, photographs and video. The Med School Project is being conducted by students studying with Partricia Thomas, Grady College Knight Chair in Health and Medical Journalism. The students began their work in August 2010, after the first class of medical students arrived in Athens, videotaping interviews and activities involving students, faculty and the Athens community. Currently there are two classes of medical students studying on the Athens campus. View the work in progress at www. medschoolproject.com

DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE 7

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ARCH BEST IN SHOW A

BARK out to

… Laura Dean, an associate professor in the College of Education, who was recently elected president of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. …Thomas R. Dunn, a lecturer in rhetorical studies in the Franklin College’s Department of Communication Studies, who was chosen to receive the 2011 Stephen E. Lucas Debut Publication Award from the National Communication Association. … Brian A. Glaser, a professor of counseling psychology in the College of Education, who has been named chair of the Strategic Planning Revision Task Force of the Association for Assessment in Counseling and Education, a division of the American Counseling Association.

BRIAN A. GLASER

… Nancy McDuff, associate vice president for admissions and enrollment management, who is the incoming chair of the Association of Chief Admission Officers of Public Universities. … Paul Roman, a Distinguished Research Professor of Sociology and Regents Professor, who NANCY MCDUFF received a MERIT award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, to extend his research on adoption of innovations in private alcohol and drug treatment centers.

PAUL ROMAN

…. College of Education counseling students An-Taria Curry, Becca Baretheson and Rachel Sloan, who received the 2011 National Recreation and Park Association’s America’s Backyard Campaign Award for their parks and recreation marketing plan. … Carrie Futch, a post-doctoral researcher with the College of Public Health, who was selected from an international array of applicants for a two-year fellowship in the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases at the CDC in Atlanta. … Micah Lewis, a doctoral candidate in biological and agricultural engineering, who received the 2011 George Washington Carver Award from the National Peanut Board for his research on peanuts.

8 GEORGIA MAGAZINE • www.uga.edu/gm

Grant for rabies vaccine study A $4.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will enable the College of Veterinary Medicine to collaborate with other institutions to test a rabies virus vaccine that could be administered after the disease sets in. Now people who have been bitten must seek immediate treatment if they suspect they have been exposed to rabies, but this vaccine could offer an interventional cure for those who have already contracted rabies and have symptoms of the disease.

West Nile less a threat in cities?

A study from UGA’s Odom School of Ecology shows that the West Nile Virus spreads more slowly into highly developed areas that are not as hospitable to the wildlife that carries and transmits the disease. Until now the virus was thought to travel at a steady or increasing rate, but using a mathematical model showing a link between the land cover patterns of New York City and the spread of the virus, researchers found that outbreaks slowed before reaching the edge of New York City. The team’s findings, published in the journal PLoS Computational Biology, show a pattern of deceleration that has not been described before and could help public health officials more efficiently target disease control efforts. West Nile virus, one of the most widespread vector-borne diseases in North America, first appeared in New York City in 1999. It is carried by birds and transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. It can cause symptoms ranging in severity from a mild fever to encephalitis and meningitis and has caused more than 1,200 fatalities in the U.S. since 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Another record year

DOT PAUL

Ashley Austin (left), a second-year GHSU/UGA Medical Partnership student, prepares for the two-mile Light the Night Walk, a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, in downtown Athens Oct. 21.

The partnership’s student government organization raised more than $2,800 for the cause, which funds research and support for people battling cancer. Students who raised more than $100 carried a red balloon, survivors carried a white balloon and those remembering loved ones carried a gold balloon.

Law students in D.C.

Eleven UGA students were offered international travel-study grants from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for the 2011-2012 academic year, tying last year’s record number. The U.S. Student Fulbright Grants, which cover research, study and creative opportunities, provide students, scholars and professionals an opportunity to complete advanced research, international graduate study, university teaching and teaching in elementary and secondary schools worldwide. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright Program is the largest U.S. international exchange program. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards approximately 1,700 grants annually to U.S. undergraduate and graduate students. For more on the Fulbright program, go to http://us.fulbrightonline.org/home.html.

A new School of Law program to launch in the spring will allow approximately 15 students to live and work in Washington, D.C., for a semester while earning course credit.

Participants in the program will have the opportunity to live in housing maintained by UGA in the Washington, D.C., area while working 35 hours per week at legal positions with federallevel governmental agencies and in the D.C. headquarters of major national organizations, among other placements.

In addition to their externship hours, students will complete a non-clinical course taught by a professor from a Washington, D.C., law school and a clinic seminar class, earning a total of 13 credits for the semester.

The program is similar to UGA’s Semester in Washington, begun in 2009, which allows up to 20 undergraduate students to work and earn academic credit while living in the nation’s capital for a semester.

Can’t make the game? share your tickets A new ticket transfer and return program for all Stegeman Coliseum sports programs, as well as Bulldog baseball games, will now allow season ticket holders to transfer their tickets electronically to other fans or return tickets to the Athletic Association to be distributed to local charitable groups in the Athens area. Season ticket holders can log in to their online account to transfer or return tickets. The recipient will then get an email notifying them of the transfer and can print tickets utilizing the print-at-home delivery option. Tickets can be transferred up until the beginning of the event and can be returned up to 24 hours prior to the event. For more information, call 877-542-1231.

PETER FREY

Like a phoenix The Georgia Theatre reopened on Aug. 1, two years after it was destroyed by fire and with $4.5 million in renovations.

The reopening was celebrated with two weeks of steady performances that included shows by The Glands, a local indie band, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones and Drive-by Truckers.

Though insurance covered little of the cost to rebuild and retrofit the 100-year-old building, a concerted fundraising effort drew in $250,000, much of it from performers with ties to the theater. For more, go to www.georgiatheatre.com.

DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE 9

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PAUL EFLAND

Trekking through the museum

Serv(ed)

Carlo Nasisse

Some UGA students spent a recent Saturday at the Athens Council on Aging, making corn husk dolls for council members to use as prizes in their upcoming fall festival. The students were part of SERV(ED) a program that provides service and education opportunities for students. Volunteer activities are sponsored by the Service Ambassadors, a registered UGA student organization sponsored by the Center for Leadership and Service.

Visits to the Georgia Museum of Art are more interactive these days with the introduction of free backpack tours that provide activities for families touring the exhibits. Every backpack includes four folders with the materials necessary to complete an activity relating to a work of art or artist in the museum’s permanent collection. For example, one activity involves a felt board and shapes with instructions to find a painting in the museum by artist Georgia O’Keeffe. Children use the board and felt pieces to create a landscape similar to those O’Keeffe painted. Through the backpack tour, children will also learn about different types of museum jobs, GMOA history and museum manners. Backpacks may be requested at the front desk of the museum before entering the galleries. The museum is open to the public Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.; Thursday from noon to 9 p.m.; and Sunday from 1-5 p.m. Admission is free with a suggested donation of $3. Learn more about the GMOA at http://georgiamuseum.org.

PETER FREY

Marketplace comes to Athens WUGA radio in October hosted a national broadcast of “Marketplace,” produced by American Public Media, which reaches about 9.3 million listeners on 500 radio stations each week. APM chose Athens so that it could play on the name of the city to showcase how the Greek debt crisis will affect the U.S. economy.

“Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal broadcast the show live from the WUGA studios in the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. His interviews included a segment with William Lastrapes, an economics professor in the Terry College of Business.

“Marketplace” airs Mondays through Fridays from 6:30 to 7 p.m. on WUGA, 91.7 and 97.9 FM.

10 GEORGIA MAGAZINE • www.uga.edu/gm

A new look After more than two years of preparation, UGA unveiled a new home page in time for fall semester. The redesigned www. uga.edu features a sleek design, simple navigation systems and user-friendly menus. It still contains the information and resources that have always been a part of UGA’s home page, but now it includes new ways to navigate the site and find information. Related websites also got a facelift: UGA’s Master Calendar (http://calendar.uga.edu), which lists daily campus events; UGA Today (http://news.uga.edu), which covers news coming out of the university; and Columns (http://columns.uga. edu), UGA’s faculty-staff newspaper.

PAUL EFLAND

SPECIAL

The end of R.E.M. as we know them

REBUILDING Rutherford The university will raze and rebuild Rutherford residence hall, despite protests from some students and alumni who had hoped to preserve the 72-year-old building. The building, which now houses 159 students, will be torn down in the spring and replaced with a new building that will hold 260 students. UGA administrators have pledged to stay true to the architectural style of the old building in constructing the new hall. It is expected to be ready for occupancy by fall 2013. Rutherford Hall was constructed in 1939, a project of the federal Public Works Administration. It was named for Mildred (Millie) Rutherford, who served the Lucy Cobb Institute in various capacities for 48 years, including principal and director. Officials said the new residence hall will continue the Rutherford name.

PETER FREY

Students in anthropology Professor Ervan Garrison’s underwater archaeology class spend some time training in the marine sciences pool to practice mapping, measuring and photographing a sunken boat. It is the first time for the course at UGA and requires students to make and sink a PVC grid, photograph and measure the boat and any artifacts found aboard, simulating an actual boat excavation.

Members of the Athens-based band R.E.M. announced in September they would part ways after 31 years of making music together. A statement released on the band’s website said simply “…we have decided to call it a day as a band. We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening.” Bassist Mike Mills and former drummer Bill Berry, friends from Macon, came to UGA as freshmen in 1979, and met singer Michael Stipe, also a UGA student, and guitarist Peter Buck. The rest is history.

A song from the band’s latest album, “Collapse Into Now,” is featured in UGA’s 2011 football public service announcement and can be seen on the big screen in Sanford Stadium on game days and during a break in the action during televised Georgia games. The song, “Oh My Heart,” plays as alumni and fans line up to ring the Chapel bell.

The 30-second spot was produced pro bono by “The Bulldog Collective,” a team comprised of Mike Martin (ABJ ’95), Ron Huey (ABJ ’83), Jason Hatfield (ABJ ’95), and Glen Owen (ABJ ’90). See it here: https://www.facebook.com/video/ video.php?v=1533677498131.

DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE 11

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DOT PAUL

Campus Pantry

DOT PAUL

A group of UGA organizations created a food pantry for students and employees who are feeling the pinch of the recession, increased tuition costs and lower HOPE allotments. The group, which includes members of 20 campus organizations, spent the past year hosting food drives and recruiting volunteers for the UGA Student Food Pantry, which opened in late September in Memorial Hall, room 208. Canned food, pasta, baked goods and snacks are among the items available. The hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. For more information on the pantry or to find out how to contribute, email ugapantry@gmail.com.

Students gathered at Reed Plaza in August to decorate and eat the “world’s largest” dog-boned shaped cookie. They also posed for a class photo in the shape of a “G” on the field at Sanford Stadium. These events were part of a special Freshman Welcome hosted by the UGA Alumni Association and the Student Government Association.

UGA grass at Florida resort Turf grass developed by UGA Crop and Soil Sciences Professor Wayne Hanna is featured on the Wannamaker Golf Course at the PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The course reopened this fall with its new TifEagle greens and TifGrand tee boxes. Both are varieties of hybrid Bermuda grass and are designed to withstand warm weather and maintain environmental sustainability. The Georgia Crop Improvement Association at UGA certified the grass to meet the highest level of golfing standards.

Keeping up with tradition

PETER FREY

12 GEORGIA MAGAZINE • www.uga.edu/gm

It’s fair to say that Trey Sinyard made the most of his undergraduate experience at UGA. A Foundation Fellow, Sinyard worked as a tour guide for the UGA Visitors Center, served as the student government liaison to the UGA Athletic Association and was a member of the Blue Key and Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership societies. Along with his bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology and business administration, he’ll take another title when he graduates this month: Tradition Keeper. Sinyard completed 45 of the 47 traditions in the Student Alumni Association’s G Book, including having his photo taken with Uga, eating a late-night meal at Snelling Dining Hall and street painting on Sanford Drive. The only two G Book traditions he missed were UGA night at Six Flags over Georgia and the Southland Stampede Rodeo. For Sinyard, “This was a great way to bring closure to an awesome four years of college.” Check out the G Book online at www.scribd.com/fullscreen/64288087?access_key=key2cnb3v93y1td1d5nedba.

GOING GREEN

Sustainability Day

Dorothy Kozlowski

Local rockers The Modern Skirts provided the entertainment at Tate Plaza for UGA’s Sustainability Day on Oct. 26, which showcased sustainable initiatives on campus and throughout the community. An afternoon forum in the Chapel offered a keynote speech by conservationist and businessman Rutherford Seydel, followed by a panel discussion to address “Where do we go from here?” The panel included School of Ecology Dean John Gittleman, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean Scott Angle, College of Environment and Design Dean Daniel Nadenicek, Center for Integrative Conservation Research Director Peter Brosius and Terry College Center for Information Systems Leadership Director Rick Watson.

(Top) Amanda Huells, a fourth-year biology and economics major from Roswell and an intern with the Recycling Division of the Athens-Clarke County Solid Waste Department, hands out information on recycling to passersby.

Dorothy Kozlowski

(Bottom) Seth Hancock (standing, with backpack), a senior agricultural business major from Braselton, helps promote the Organic Agriculture Certificate Program at UGA.

Punter gets national scholar-athlete award Senior punter Drew Butler is one of 16 recipients nationwide of the National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award and a finalist for the 2011 William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the best scholar-athlete in the nation.

The NFF award comes with an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. Butler is the only player from the Southeastern Conference to receive the award and the sole special teams player honored this year. The Bulldogs have now had 12 players in school history earn this honor.

From Duluth, Ga., Butler is a four-time SEC Academic Honor Roll honoree and has qualified for the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll every semester during his college career, as well as the President’s List, the Dean’s List and the Academic Round Table.

He also claimed a Ramsey Academic Scholarship and a HOPE Scholarship.

The NFF’s National Scholar-Athlete program, launched in 1959, is the first initiative in history to award scholar-athletes postgraduate scholarships for their combined athletic, academic and leadership abilities. The William V. Campbell award comes with a 25-pound bronze trophy and a $25,000 post-graduate scholarship. The winner from among the 16 NFF recipients will be announced during an awards ceremony this month.

SPECIAL

DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE 13

CLOSE UP

Get a job UGA’s Alumni Career Fair helps out-of-work graduates

by Emily Grant photos by Dot Paul It’s one thing to be a recent college grad looking for a job in a bad economy. It’s another to be an alumnus 10 to 20 years out of college looking for a job.

The UGA Career Center is trying to make it easier on older grads with programs that address their needs directly.

Nearly 600 alumni turned out for an Alumni Career Fair in June in Gwinnett County. One of them, Dorothy Camerio (BBA ’70), retired three years ago after a 21-year career. She was back in the job market after her husband’s job as a homebuilder collapsed due to the poor economy.

Prior to the job fair, Camerio had sought help with her resume from UGA’s Alumni Career Services Center in Buckhead.

With that in hand, she was ready to meet with representatives from Randstad and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, two of the 100 businesses recruiting at the fair.

“I think [the career fair] is wonderful. I can’t say enough about it,” Camerio says between meetings with businesses at the fair. “I feel like it has helped me. Their assistance has given me a chance to begin this new part of my life.”

Nicole Lechene, director of alumni career services, says requests for help from alumni began to pick up several years ago as the economy turned south.

“There were a number of alumni coming back wanting help,” Lechene says.

“Based on the number of alumni seeking help through our online resources, we knew there was a need for it.”

The first alumni career fair was held in 2006 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Cobb County. June’s fair featured jobs from nearly every business sector, including those featured in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s annual list of “Atlanta’s Best Places to Work” and two of the UGA Alumni Association’s 100 Fastest Growing Bulldog Businesses, Aflac and Kauffman Tire.

Alumni begin entering the ballroom at 11 a.m., first stopping at the check-in table to deliver copies of their resumes. Alumni career services uses the resumes to collect information about job seekers so that they don’t have to spend time filling out forms.

Once inside, guides are available to help job seekers locate the companies they want to approach and find out if they meet the job requirements of those companies.

Within an hour the ballroom is filled with well-dressed

alumni, many just a few years out of college, others looking for a new career after 20-30 years in the work force.

“There are a lot of gray-haired guys here,” jokes Roger Stanton (ABJ ’78, MMC ’95), who worked for the Borders Corporation before the company went bankrupt.

By 12:30 Stanton has spoken to representatives from six companies and is heading over to talk with someone from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“I think it’s more productive than most fairs,” he says. “It’s definitely helped me just by getting me out there, meeting people, dropping off resumes and talking.”

Nicole Montgomery, a human resource business partner for the Hertz Corporation, is at the career fair with the company’s manager of college recruits, John Calvo. They are looking for alumni to join their manager-training program and for candidates for a sales coordinator position in their equipment rental department.

“I was surprised and happy to see so many alumni,” Montgomery says. “I was also impressed with the quality of the alumni. They were very professional and wellprepared. It really does make a difference for us to see a polished alumnus when we are looking to hire.”

—David Ellin (BBA ’80) In addition to the career fair, the career services office offers programs like “Career Kick Start,” a four-week career development workshop at the Atlanta Alumni Center in Buckhead, and one free appointment with a career consultant.

The UGA Career Center website provides links to other resources to help job seekers design resumes, write cover letters and look for open positions online. Alumni also have free, lifetime access to DawgLink, UGA’s online job board.

To David Ellin (BBA ’80), it just makes sense for UGA to provide career resources to its graduates.

“The university owes itself to help graduates find jobs,” says Ellin, who attended the job fair to see what opportunities were available. “Connection to its alumni is vital.”

“The university owes itself to help graduates find jobs... Connection to its alumni is vital.”

14 GEORGIA MAGAZINE • www.uga.edu/gm

GET MORE For more information, go to www.career.uga.edu/alumni/alumni.html.

Top: Dorothy Camerio (BBA ’70) (left) talks with Kristen Taylor (BSEd ’05), a recruiter for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, during an Alumni Career Fair at Gwinnett Center.

Bottom: Roger Stanton (ABJ ’78, MMC ’95) (left) chats with James Baylor about jobs in media and advertising sales with the Cox Media Group.

DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE 15

Culinary talent and a flair for promotion make King (bottom) and Glasser a good team.

CLOSE UP

Cookin’ with charisma A student-produced cooking show on YouTube touts cheap and healthy home-cooked meals

by Grace Morris photos by Peter Frey When UGA student Arthur King went home for Thanksgiving last year, he cooked in good company. King grew up on Southern meals, but that holiday he stirred it up with the mother of butter and collards, Paula Deen.

“I walked in while they were filming, and she just said, ‘Put on a microphone,’” says King, a junior food industry marketing major from Savannah.

Not just anyone can waltz into Paula Deen’s studio and strap on an apron.

Southern hospitality aside, King was warmly welcomed because he had started his own cooking show at age 19.

In February of 2010 King prepared a meal for longtime girlfriend Kira Glasser and joked that he should host a cooking show.

“I told him he should really do it,” says Glasser, a junior from Savannah.

“She asked what I would call it, and ‘Cooking for College’ was the first thing that popped into my head,” King says. “Then I took off the ‘g’ ’cause we’re Southern.”

Glasser took him at his word and went straight to work brainstorming recipes, borrowing her dad’s digital camera and filming the first episode.

Within a week, King’s offhanded joke became a YouTube-based show.

He and Glasser decided to cater “Cookin’ for College” toward students with small budgets and limited kitchen experience.

“He’s not just cooking for us anymore,” Glasser says. “Now people like me who don’t know how to cook get to watch him too.”

With few culinary skills to offer, Glasser took charge of public relations in addition to filming and editing. She contacted every college publication she could think of, and students from all over the country began requesting interviews and sharing King’s videos with friends.

“I was an art history major, but after I started doing this people said, ‘You know that’s a major right?’” Glasser says. “I had just never thought about it before.”

Now a public relations major, Glasser has reeled in publicity ranging from the Athens Banner-Herald to “Fox and Friends Morning Show.” But her promotional skills would only have gone so far if it weren’t for King’s charisma and culinary chops.

“He’s one of those people who really gets excited about all of this,” she says.

“I’ve always cooked for fun,” says King. “My dad’s whole family is in the restaurant business, so I kind of picked it up from them.”

For King, the challenge of creating new recipes is the most enjoyable part of cooking.

“I get an idea, research it a little bit and try it out,” he says. “We usually experiment with a recipe for the first time when we film.”

King doesn’t just try new recipes on camera. He hosts every show without a script, and Glasser films them in one take.

After King sets up the ingredients, it takes as long to film an episode as it does to make a meal.

In the past year, King and Glasser have filmed 45 episodes of “Cookin’ for College.” King prepares traditional recipes, like sausage and hash browns, but many of his meals are less conventional.

“My favorite thing he makes are grilled cheese hamburgers,” Glasser says.

Other crowd favorites are s’more pancakes and teriyaki pork chops wrapped in bacon.

King has creative recipes to spare, but some viewers expressed a desire for healthy options as well. His first healthy show featured spinach and mushroom quesadillas, per the request of a vegetarian student. The recipe went over so well that a Weight Watchers panel in Savannah asked King to prepare it in front of them.

King (left) and Glasser film every show in his standard-sized college kitchen.

Arthur’s Kitchen Trinity • A big pot—“You’ll always need one of those.”

• A utility knife—“You need a good utility knife for cleaning chicken and that sort of thing. When we first started I used a steak knife for everything, but that got old fast.”

• A spice rack—“A spice rack is pretty much essential, one of those ones that holds about 15 spices.”

“When I finished it was zero points,” he says, referencing the Weight Watchers method of counting calories.

King and Glasser have received more professional and student feedback than they ever expected, but the future of “Cookin’ for College” is hazy beyond their graduation from UGA. But regardless of what the future holds for King’s career, he knows he wants to work with food. He might even pursue a lifelong dream of opening a restaurant.

For now, he’s committed to his college audience and adds a dash of advice for new chefs.

“Don’t be afraid to make something up,” he says. “Try anything.”

GET MORE For more about Cookin’ for College, go to www.cookinforcollege.com.

DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE 17

40 40

under

The Wray-Nicholson House serves as the headquarters for the UGA Alumni Association.

PHOTO BY ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER

18 GEORGIA MAGAZINE • www.uga.edu/gm

In September 2011, the UGA Alumni Association named its first group of outstanding alumni under 40 years old. Those named to the inaugural 40 under 40 were nominated by family, friends, business associates and UGA faculty and staff. They were selected based on the impact they have made in business, leadership, community, educational and/or philanthropic endeavors; their demonstrated dedication to UGA; and how well they uphold the pillars of the Arch, wisdom, justice and moderation. The selection committee included representatives from the UGA administration and faculty, the former Arch Foundation and the Alumni Association.

1993 Kim Reagin Metcalf (BSEH ’93, MS ’96) College of Public Health Partner at Riverbend Environmental Inc. Watkinsville, Ga. A founding member of the Arch Society, Metcalf is an environmental scientist who works as a consultant on issues regarding wetlands, storm water and erosion.

Holly Thomas (BBA ’93) Terry College of Business Director of university relations and recruiting for KPMG LLP Smyrna, Ga. The first Arch Society chairperson and UGA’s first female student body president, Thomas now leads campus recruiting efforts for KPMG in the Southeast.

1994 Carlton DeVooght (AB ’94, JD ’97) Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, School of Law Vice President and General Counsel for government relations for Southeast Georgia Health Systems St. Simons Island, Ga. Former partner at Gilbert, Harrell, Sumerford & Martin in Brunswick, DeVooght now handles legal issues for the southeast Georgia community’s largest health provider (and one of its largest

employers). In 2006, he won the District 1 State Bar Association’s Justice Robert Benham Award for community service.

R. Edward Garrett (BSA ’94, MBA ’08) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Terry College of Business Senior Vice President for Digital Strategies, the Edelman Company Chicago, Ill. Garrett leads all aspects of digital strategy for the global public relations firm. He is a member of the 2005 CNN team that received a George Foster Peabody Award for news coverage of Hurricane Katrina. Earlier this year, he was invited to join the Peabody Awards board.

Josh Jackson (ABJ ’94) Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication Editor-in-chief of Paste Magazine Decatur, Ga.

of the Southeast in 2008 and 2009 and won awards for general excellence in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

In 2010, Jackson raised over $10,000 with Paste’s “Songs for Haiti” project.

Vance Leavy (AB ’94) Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Owner and Editor of Cha Cha Cha Publishing Inc. St. Simons Island, Ga. Leavy created Bulldawg Illustrated, a magazine about Georgia athletics, in 2002. He currently sits on the board of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

A political strategist, McElhannon has run campaigns for Republican candidates for dozens of state offices including Secretary of State Brian Kemp; Bill Heath, who defeated longtime Democratic House Speaker Tom Murphy; and Casey Cagle, who defeated Ralph Reed to become Georgia’s first Republican lieutenant governor.

Daniel Minnich (AB ’94, MA ’00, PhD ’04

Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, School of Public and International Affairs Federal political analyst for the U.S. government Herndon, Va. Minnich is a leading expert on Middle East analysis in the CIA’s Directorate of Intelligence. He has received 13 CIA Exceptional Performance Awards for leadership, analysis, mentoring and teamwork.

Joel McElhannon (AB ’94) School of Public and International Affairs President of South Public Affairs Consulting LLC Atlanta, Ga.

Jackson founded the magazine on music criticism, which was named a Grand GAMMA winner by the Magazine Association

(Top) Kim Regin Metcalf, Holly Thomas, (Middle) Carlton DeVooght, R. Edward Garrett, Josh Jackson, (Bottom) Vance Leavy, Joel McElhannon, Daniel Minnich

December 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE 19

Allison O’Kelly (BBA ’94) Terry College of Business CEO of Mom Corps Farmington, Conn.

A former executive at Toys “R” Us, O’Kelly founded a job placement center for female executives looking for part-time employment.

O’Kelly also founded the Terry College of Business Professional Women’s Conference in 2009. She holds an MBA from Harvard University.

Katy Lewis Parker (AB ’94, JD ’99) Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, School of Law Legal Director for the ACLU of NC Clayton, N.C.

A primary news anchor, Bullock won an Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio and Television News Directors Association in 2001 and a Southeast Emmy Award in 2009.

Parker defends clients who have been denied their rights under the Constitution or federal or state law. She has successfully defended students segregated by race and a prisoner author who was denied the right to write while incarcerated.

Christopher M. Carr (BBA ’95, JD ’99) Terry College of Business, School of Law Chief of Staff for U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson Dunwoody, Ga.

1995 Mark Bullock (ABJ ’95) Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication News anchor for WSFATV, Raycom Media Montgomery, Ala.

Since 2004, Carr has worked full time for Johnny Isakson, first as campaign manager and chief of staff for then-Congressman Isakson and later as campaign manager and chief-of-staff to Sen. Isakson. He was named to Gov. Nathan Deal’s Judicial Nominating Commission.

William “Lance” Compton (ABJ ’95) Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication Founder, President and CEO of Red Clay Interactive Flowery Branch, Ga. Compton founded the digital marketing and web design business, based in Gainesville, in 2000. In both 2010 and 2011 Red Clay was among the UGA Alumni Association’s Top 100 Fastest Growing Bulldog Businesses.

Lisa Gipson (BSFCS ’95, (MEd ’01) College of Family and Consumer Sciences, College of Education Training and development at Chickfil-A Inc. Smyrna, Ga. Gipson coordinates Chick-fil-A’s training programs for franchise owners around the country. In 2010 she received the College of Family and Consumer Sciences Award for Outstanding Service.

(Top) Allison O’Kelly, (Middle) Katy Lewis Parker, Mark Bullock, Christopher M. Carr, (Bottom) William “Lance” Compton, Lisa Gipson, Leo Welf, Keith Blackwell

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Leo Welf (ABJ ’95) Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication President of Payscape Advisors Atlanta, Ga. Founded by Welf in 2004 with three employees, the financial services company now has more than 100 account managers and 2010 revenues of more than $5 million. Payscape was ranked in the top 10 on the UGA List of Top 100 Bulldog Businesses in 2010 and 2011.

1996 Keith Blackwell (AB ’96, JD ’99) School of Public and International Affairs, School of Law Judge on the Georgia Court of Appeals Smyrna, Ga. Prior to becoming an appeals judge in 2010, Blackwell served as deputy special attorney general for the state of Georgia, as a partner with Parker, Hudson, Rainer & Dobbs LLP and as an assistant district attorney in Cobb County.

Chris Cummiskey (BBA ’96) Terry College of Business Commissioner for economic development for the state of Georgia Sandy Springs, Ga. As economic development commissioner, Cummiskey is charged with increasing the state’s employment base by growing existing Georgia companies and recruiting new companies to the state.

Billy Skaggs (BSA ’96, MAL ’06) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Chief Operating Officer for the Georgia Department of Agriculture Gainesville, Ga. A former agricultural extension agent, Skaggs was appointed to oversee the state Department of Agriculture in 2010.

Julie Wade (AB ’96, JD ’00) Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, School of Law Attorney at The Wade Law Firm Savannah, Ga. As a former federal prosecutor, Wade coordinated the Southern Georgia Project Safe Childhood, which focused on prosecuting Internet crimes against children. Now in private law practice, Wade serves on the Savannah Chatham County School Board.

1997

(Top) Chris Cummiskey, Billy Skaggs, Julie Wade, Matthew Hunt, (Middle) Jud Turner, Mary Paige Adams, (Bottom) Teddy Russell, Matt Stinchcomb

Matthew Hunt (AB ’97, BS ’97) Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Vice President at Jones Lang LaSalle Washington, D.C. Hunt spent two years with the Peace Corps in Mauritania before returning to the U.S. to earn an MBA from Emory University. Now a development consultant in Washington, D.C., he mentors UGA students participating in the Semester in Washington program.

Jud Turner (AB ’97) School of Public and International Affairs Lobbyist and lawyer at Georgia360 LLC and Turner, Bachman & Garret LLC Griffin, Ga. Turner earned his law degree from the University of Virginia and spent three years as executive counsel to former Gov. Sonny Perdue. He served as special executive counsel to Perdue on the Tristate water negotiations between Alabama, Florida

and Georgia, a position he still holds under Gov. Nathan Deal.

1998 Mary Paige Adams (ABJ ’98, JD ’02) Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, School of Law Partner at Green & Saap LLP Atlanta, Ga. An attorney in Atlanta, Adams represents hospitals, sometimes in defending their obligation to treat patients when a parent or guardian opposes treatment. She is on the board of directors for Peachtree Childtown, a Christian school for young children, and was recently appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to the Judicial Nominating Committee.

Teddy Russell (BBA ’98) Terry College of Business CFO for Russell Landscape Group Dacula, Ga. In his nine years with the family-owned landscaping business, Russell has helped the company expand into additional locations in Atlanta as well as in locations in Alabama, Tennesee and South Carolina, making it one of the Bulldog

100 Fastest Growing Businesses.

Matt Stinchcomb (BBA ’98) Terry College of Business Client Executive for Seacrest Partners Peachtree City, Ga. A former UGA and NFL quarterback, Stinchcomb in 2005 established the Stinchcomb Family Foundation, which provides funding to nonprofit organizations that help children in need.

December 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE 21

(Top) Rebecca D. Lang, Bart Newman, Beth Shapiro, Sacha Taylor, (Middle) Shyam Reddy, Palmer Sanford, Catherine Trieschmann, (Bottom) William Gentry

help and child care with offices in six states, Taylor has raised over $4 million for charitable causes.

2000

1999 Rebecca D. Lang (ABJ ’99) Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication Owner of Rebecca Lang Cooks LLC Athens, Ga. A former contributing editor to Southern Living magazine, Lang has written three books on cooking and maintains a blog. In 2005 she was invited to join Les Dames d’Escoffier, a philanthropic organization

for professional women in the culinary and hospitality fields.

Life Sciences at Pennsylvania State University State College, Pa.

Bart Newman (AB ’99, JD ’03) School of Public and International Affairs, School of Law Director of program management and global services for FLIR Systems Marietta, Ga.

Named a 1999 Rhodes Scholar, Shapiro earned her doctorate in zoology from Oxford University in 2003. In 2009 she was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, which awards $500,000 in unrestricted funds to individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction.

A former member of the UGA tennis team, Newman was in his second year of law school when he joined the U.S. Army for a one-year tour of duty in Iraq. He wrote a book about the experience after returning to the U.S. Beth Shapiro (BS ’99, MS ’99) Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Assistant Professor of biology for Huck Institutes of the

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Sacha Taylor (ABJ ’99, MBA ’05) Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Terry College of Business Founder and President of Nannies + more…

Atlanta, Ga. The founder of a company that provides household

Shyam Reddy (JD ’00) School of Law Regional Administrator of the Sunbelt Region for General Services Administration Atlanta, Ga. A partner at the Atlanta law firm Kilpatrick Stockton, Reddy was an Obama appointee to his position with the GSA in 2010. In 2005, he was named to Georgia Trend Magazine’s Top 40 under 40.

2001 Palmer Sanford (BBA ’01, MBA ’10) Terry College of Business Forward Atlanta Campaign Manager for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Smyrna, Ga. As a campaign manager for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Sanford helped raise $27 million for the 2008-12 Forward Atlanta campaign.

He serves on the executive

board of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night event.

Catherine Trieschmann (MFA ’01) Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Screenwriter and Playwright Hays, Kan. Trieschmann has written six plays which have been produced in the U.S. as well as internationally. She wrote the screenplay for “Angel’s Crest,” an indie drama starring Jeremy Piven, Mia Sorvino, Kate Walsh and Elizabeth McGovern, released earlier this year.

2002 William Gentry (MS ’02, PhD ’05) Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Senior Research Fellow with the Center for Creative Leadership Greensboro, N.C. Gentry is in charge of and supervises the research, innovation, product and development internship and postdoctoral programs at the CCL. His research focuses on global leadership and diversity.

Tareq Hawasli (BBA ’02) Terry College of Business Director of investment placement for Arcapita Ventures London, U.K. Hawasli oversees significant fundraising initiatives in Europe and Asia. Prior to his current position he worked for Arcapita in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Christy Plott Redd (BBA ’02) Terry College of Business Vice President of global sales and marketing at American Tanning and Leather Company Forsyth, Ga. Redd joined the family tanning business soon after graduating from UGA and grew the operation into an international luxury leather supply company that was among the Bulldog 100 Fastest Growing Businesses in 2010.

2003 Garrett Gravesen (BBA ’03) Terry College of Business Chairman of the board for the Global L.E.A.D Program Atlanta, Ga. Gravesen has founded three nonprofit organizations, most recently Global L.E.A.D., an international service learning/leadership program for college students. In 2008, Gravesen was named one of Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World by the Junior Chamber International.

2005 Deondra Rose (AB ’05) School of Public and International Affairs Doctoral candidate at Cornell University Ithaca, N.Y. Named Miss University of Georgia in 2005, Rose dedicated a year of service to promoting youth leadership in Athens and throughout the state. In 2006, she was one of 10 participants selected from across the country to participate in Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can” campaign training program.

2006 Sohyun Park (PhD ’06) College of Family and Consumer Sciences Epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, Ga.

Raj Shah (BSA ’06, MPA ’06, JD ’10) College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, School of Public and International Affairs, School of Law Attorney at Parker, Hudson, Ranier & Dobbs LLP Atlanta, Ga. Shah advises hospitals and health care systems on the opportunities and challenges of health care reform. He volunteers with the Atlanta Volunteer Legal Foundation Saturday Lawyers Program and the Georgia 4-H advisory board.

Field of Dreams New Orleans, L.A. Now a senior strategy adviser on parks and recreation to the mayor of New Orleans, Bordainick also is executive director of the 9th Ward Field of Dreams, a nonprofit organization he founded to raise money for a football stadium in the neighborhood ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

2009 Matthew Suber (AB ’09)

School of Public and International Affairs Officer in the United States Army Ramstein AFB, Germany An intelligence analyst for the U.S. Air Force, Suber’s area of responsibility is Africa, where he monitors threats to U.S. personnel, drafts force protection plans and directly informs the command center of crisis situations and recommendations. Suber received the USAF Outstanding Unit Award in 2010 and 2011.

2008 Brian Bordainick (AB ’07, BSEd ’07) Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, College of Education Founder and Executive Director of the 9th Ward

Park’s research, primarily on sugar, drink, water and obesity, has been published in some of the most prestigious professional journals, and she has received numerous academic awards for her work.

(Top) Tareq Hawasli, Christy Plott Redd, (Middle) Garrett Gravesen, Deondra Rose, Sohyun Park, (Bottom) Raj Shah, Brian Bordainick, Matthew Suber

December 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE 23

24 GEORGIA MAGAZINE • www.uga.edu/gm

The

Honorable Steve C. Jones The Athens native took on two new roles in 2011—U.S. district judge and president of UGA’s Alumni Association

Jones now spends a lot of time on the road between Atlanta—where he is a U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Georgia—and Athens, where he returns for activities like the Bulldogs’ Sept. 10 game against South Carolina.

S

ometime in the late ’90s, Steve C. Jones (BBA ’78, JD ’87) and Dink NeSmith (ABJ ’70) were returning to Athens from Atlanta after a meeting of the state Judicial Qualifications Commission. Jones, then a Georgia Superior Court judge for the Western Judicial Circuit, and NeSmith, co-owner and president of Community Newspapers Inc., both served on the commission, the disciplinary board for Georgia’s 1,400 judges. They’d gotten in the habit of carpooling, which allowed them to get to know each other and also conduct extensive research on barbecue joints. On this particular day the two were deep in conversation, rehash-

by Allyson Mann (MA ’92) photos by Peter Frey (BFA ’94)

ing the events of the previous meeting, when flashing blue lights appeared behind them.

Jones, who was driving, pulled over.

“The officer said, ‘Oh my goodness, it’s Judge Jones! You really need to slow down,’” NeSmith says. “The officer was going to let him go on, and then the judge said, ‘No, no, I think you’ll need to be giving me that ticket, thank you very much, and I will slow down.’”

That story, says NeSmith, explains a lot about Judge Jones.

“That speaks of the person he is,” NeSmith says. “He doesn’t want any special favors.”

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PAUL EFFLAND

Left: Jones’ courtroom and chambers are housed in the Richard B. Russell Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in downtown Atlanta. Above: Jones congratulated new graduates at UGA’s Aug. 6 commencement ceremony.

O

n a sweltering August day, the courtroom on the 19th floor of Atlanta’s Richard B. Russell Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is cool and silent. No one moves, speaks or even breathes loudly. All eyes are on Steve Jones—now a U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Georgia—as he comes to a decision. He’s presiding over a sentencing for a defendant who has been deported twice before but illegally entered the United States again to take care of her ailing mother. Jones has listened to the prosecution and the defense, and he’s offered the defendant a chance to speak. Now it’s time for his decision.

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After a full 20 seconds of silence, Jones gives the sentence. As he explains his decision—more than three years of prison time—he seems sympathetic yet firm. There are no outward reactions from lawyers, the defendant or the defendant’s family, but the atmosphere is different. Lives have been changed.

Back in his chambers Jones confirms that sentencings are challenging, requiring a great deal of consideration before and during the process.

“When it comes to the law, you’re always dealing with people,” he says. “The repercussions of defendants’ actions are not isolated only to them.

Their actions have an effect on their family members and victims, as well.”

These are the kinds of decisions Jones will continue to face in his new role as a federal judge, which began when he received his commission March 3 after a July 2010 nomination by President Barack Obama and a February confirmation by the Senate.

Jones is well qualified, having begun his career as an assistant district attorney before serving as a municipal court judge in Athens-Clarke County from 1993-95 and then getting appointed in 1995 as a Georgia Superior Court judge for the Western Judicial Circuit. Although he’s hearing different kinds of cases now—including patent law, civil rights and Fair Labor Standards Act—Jones says the job is the same.

“You’re trying to get to the truth. The judge is impartial—you’re not pro-plaintiff, you’re not pro-defense, you’re not pro-prosecution,” he says. “You’re just trying to make sure the case is conducted in a fair way, and you’re trying to get to the truth, and you’re dealing with human beings.”

and he’s the first person I think of,” he says. “If I’ve got an ethical issue or a legal issue where there’s not a lot of law on it, I pick up the phone and call him.”

A

couple of weeks later, Jones is back in Athens and dealing with some of the most stubborn creatures in his life—and they’re not lawyers. Though he now resides in Fulton County, Jones and wife Lillian Kincey (EdS ’94) kept their property in the Athens area. It’s a large piece of land, and on the advice of friends Jones acquired goats and miniature donkeys to keep the grass under control. He’s armed with a pail of feed and cut-up nectarines, but they’re extremely shy with strangers around and Jones has to work hard to coax them close. He may be used to wielding a lot of power, but he shows no signs of irritation at their lack of cooperation. In fact, he seems to appreciate their independence.

“They don’t care whether you’re a judge, they don’t care what you do in life, they just like me for me,” Jones says.

“They’re good therapy.”

“I’m going to tell you up front that I think the greatest university in the world is the University of Georgia” —Steve Jones Jones is the right man for that job, according to his friends and former colleagues.

“Steve Jones is just a dear friend,” NeSmith says. “But if you look beneath that heavy black robe what you’d find is a real person who has a great heart, a great sense of what’s right and a tremendous passion for making the world a better place. When I first got to know him I said to myself ‘Now here is a future federal judge,’ because he represents all of the good things that you would want on the bench.”

UGA School of Law Dean Rebecca White got to know Jones through his involvement with the law school.

“When you’re a superior court judge for as long as he was, you have to make difficult decisions and you have to make people unhappy,” White says. “Despite all of that, he is someone who I think is beloved, and I don’t think that’s too strong a word.”

“There’s not anybody that I know of that’s ever said anything negative about him,” says former colleague and Superior Court Chief Judge Lawton Stephens (JD ’81).

“I used to call him all the time. In fact I called him yesterday. I had a question about an ethical circumstance,

It’s a down-home sentiment, but one that fits. Jones grew up in Athens, raised by a single mother, Katie Jones, who worked in the sewing factories that populated the area at the time. He easily recites the three most important lessons she taught him: (1) Work hard. (2) Prepare yourself for every opportunity. (3) Treat people with respect, no matter who they are.

Jones’ career proves that he learned lessons one and two, and his demeanor is evidence that he took lesson three to heart. Despite his accomplishments, Jones presents himself as ordinary folk—the kind of guy you could drink a beer with or introduce to your grandmother. If you didn’t ask, he’d probably never tell you about his work.

“Right,” Lawton Stephens says. “Because he’s interested in you.”

Jones would just as soon talk about his goats, and he’s had to talk about them since his investiture in March. The goats had flown under the radar until that ceremony, when Stephens revealed that they’re named after Supreme Court justices. Since then Jones has steadfastly refused to tell which justices they’re named after because he doesn’t want DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE

27

to appear impartial. He will, however, say that he means it as a compliment.

And compliments are something that Jones has heard a lot of since he was nominated and confirmed as a federal judge. His investiture was attended by UGA Pres. Michael F. Adams, football Head Coach Mark Richt, the entire bench of the Georgia Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The courtroom in the Russell Building was packed, with overflow audience watching via closed-circuit television in another room. A couple of months later, a reception held in Athens drew 300 that wanted to pay tribute to Jones and thank him for his service to the community.

Jones is perhaps best known for serving as chairman of Partners for a Prosperous Athens, an anti-poverty organization created in 2006. The initial meeting drew more than 750 people, and ideas that grew out of the program forged new partnerships between government, higher education and local businesses. J.J. Harris Elementary School, run in partnership with UGA’s College of Education, gives children individualized instruction while providing professional learning opportunities for UGA faculty and students. The Athens Community Career Academy allows high school students to take career-themed courses, participate in internships and enroll in college courses. And the Athens Area Community Foundation connects donors with local organizations that match their interests.

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“I think it’s probably one of the most rewarding things I’ve done,” Jones says.

He stepped down after three years, but PPA— now known as OneAthens—continues its work. And Jones continues to urge others to get involved in their community.

“Your community is only as good as the people that live in it,” he says. “Whether you’re living with five million people or you’re living with 500, people make the community.”

Jones sees it as a two-way street. Whether he’s speaking in public or one on one, when he’s the topic of discussion he often refers to himself in the third person. It’s not because he thinks of himself as larger than life. It’s because he recognizes that he’s the product of not just his family but of the larger community.

“Steve Jones didn’t do this. It is every one of you people who helped raise me,” he told the crowd at the Athens celebration.

“My foundation is right here in Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties. No matter where I go, my foundation is here, and for that, I love you all and thank you all.”

W

hen he was approached two years ago about leading UGA’s Alumni Association, Steve Jones had no idea that when the time came he would also be starting a new

Left: After becoming a federal judge, Jones and his wife moved to Atlanta but kept their Athens-area property and the goats and donkeys that keep the grass under control. The donkeys are named Oscar and Jenny; the goats are named after Supreme Court justices, but Jones won’t reveal which ones. Right: On Sept.

16 Jones returned to North Campus to help unveil a statue of UGA founder Abraham Baldwin, a gift from the UGA Alumni Association.

career as a federal judge. But on July 1, despite the less-than-ideal timing, he assumed the duties of Alumni Association president. Since then he’s made a number of appearances on behalf of the Alumni Association, which suits him just fine.

“I’m going to tell you up front that I think the greatest university in the world is the University of Georgia,” he says.

And though he’s a big fan of Georgia sports, he’s also impressed with how UGA’s influence reaches into the community beyond campus.

“That’s what I think the university should do, especially a land grant university—use that brain power and resources to help make the state and citizens of the state improve,” he says.

“I saw it firsthand with OneAthens.”

UGA is growing in a way that’s making it a distinguished university, he says. And he wants to get UGA alumni—all 270,000 of them— involved in helping to continue that growth.

“I think we have a responsibility to go back and do what we can to help out,” he says.

He figures that if he can get them back on campus for a visit, it’ll be easy.

“I feel if you come get involved in that UGA spirit, it’ll grow,” he says.

“And plus, you’re part of the family…

And the family needs to get together every once in a while.”

Steve Jones will serve as the head of UGA’s alumni family for the next two years, and he’ll be spending a lot of time on the road between Atlanta and Athens. But don’t worry—he learned his lesson about speeding during that drive with NeSmith years ago.

“Since then, I try to make sure I drive really slow,” he says. GM DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE

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The Odyssey

Intimate one-hour courses help firstyear students become more engaged with the campus community

30 GEORGIA MAGAZINE • www.uga.edu/gm

by Kelly Simmons

T

heir sheets of paper soaking in a water bath, the students prepare their copper drypoint plates for the printing process. First they clean them with soy sauce (really) and then begin to rub ink onto the plates into which they have inscribed self-portraits.

“Smash it in all over the plates,” Associate Professor of Art Melissa Harshman instructs. “Use the cardboard to push the ink down into the design.”

Once the grooves are filled with ink the students use cheesecloth to remove ink from the rest of the plate. Then one by one they pull their paper out of the water bath and wait in line to run their print through the press.

By the end of class they each have two prints of their work, suitable for framing.

The class, “The Fine Art of Printmaking,” is one of 332 offered this year through the First-Year Odyssey Program, which provides every entering freshman an opportunity to take a seminar course with a tenured or tenure-track faculty member. It is the first year of the program, which was designed as part of UGA’s reaccreditation process last year.

“To be honest, I didn’t know what this was,” admits Zachary Sins, 18, of Woodstock, Ga., as he pushes the ink down into the design on his copper plate.

“All of my other classes were math and science. I needed a break.”

Most of the 15 students in Harshman’s Odyssey course are not going to major in art—and that’s fine with her.

“I hope they really get an appreciation for art and an appreciation of original prints,” Harshman says.

She watches as Sins pulls his print from the press. “You’re Rembrandt,” she tells him.

“I feel like Rembrandt,” he says.

Left: Associate Professor Melissa Harshman outlines the steps in making a print to her students before they begin the process. Inset: Zachary Sins checks out his inked plate after it has run through the press.

PHOTOS by DOT PAUL

DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE

31

Right: Professor Loch Johnson tells the students about the C.I.A. analyst who is visiting their class that day. Inset: Megan White pays close attention to the speaker, who describes a job she thinks she may one day want to hold.

PHOTOS by DOT PAUL

T

he First-Year Odyssey program has three goals: to introduce new students to the importance of learning and academics, to give them an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with a faculty member, and to introduce first-year students to the missions of the university—teaching, research and service.

Almost 90 percent of the 2011-12 freshman class signed up for Odyssey courses in the fall. That’s what administrators were hoping would happen, says Laura Jolly, vice president for instruction, “because we think it’s powerful in the first semester.”

“If we can get them engaged with a faculty member in a smaller, more intimate class, there will be more dialogue,” she says. “That will help them see the breadth of the faculty and the university.”

Faculty members, including most of the university’s top administrators, proposed their topics for the seminars, with course titles ranging from “How to Talk About the Universe” to “Social Justice and Activism” to “Chickenology.”

32 GEORGIA MAGAZINE • www.uga.edu/gm

Incoming freshmen received a course catalog for the seminars during the summer and then were matched by one of their top 10 choices to the availability of a class. Some chose a subject related to their projected major. Others chose specific professors.

Megan White had met political science Professor Loch Johnson when she was on campus in the spring for scholarship interviews.

“The guest at my dinner table was Dr. Johnson and his wife,” says White, 18, of Alpharetta, who received a Foundation Fellowship. “We spent the evening talking about what I wanted to do in the future.”

When she saw Johnson was teaching a seminar course called “The C.I.A. in War and Peace,” she jumped at the chance to take it. “That’s always seemed like something I’d want to do in the future,” she says.

For one class, Johnson has a C.I.A. analyst come in to talk to the students about his work. For 50 minutes, the students sit at rapt attention, listening to the analyst

talk about how he became interested in the C.I.A and it in him—he had spent time in the military and was able to speak several languages.

As an analyst he shares his knowledge and expertise about foreign policy in other parts of the world with top government leaders. “We’re there to help the people you elected do the job they were elected to do,” says the analyst, who is not identified because of the sensitivity of his work.

Students get a feel for international affairs and politics in Johnson’s class, but they also begin to feel comfortable in the kind of small discussion class that is typically limited to third- and fourth-year or graduate students. He also spends time helping them develop their writing and oral advocacy, skills they will need as they move through the upper level courses.

“I’ve got them writing already. There are some students who go through UGA and never have to write a paper,” Johnson says. “By the time they get to upper level courses they have self confidence about speaking. If you can’t write and express yourself orally, you can’t succeed.”

T

he first-year students in Associate Professor Marisa Pagnattaro’s class get a head start on teamwork and developing presentations. In “Managing the Dragon: The Challenges of Doing Business in China,” students select an American company that is doing business in China and research the obstacles it faces there.

Apple, for example, is prevalent in Chinese metropolitan areas. But as the students learn, many of the Apple stores are not real, but knock-off stores. They sell products that look like they’re made by Apple but are of a lower quality.

“If you’re Apple, how do you deal with that?” asks Pagnattaro, who teaches legal studies in the Terry College of Business. “It’s a tricky issue. If you shut them down, people are out of work.”

Another American company to move into China in recent years is Google, which at first complied with government regulations and censored information provided on its web site.

Google later announced it would redirect Chinese users to an uncensored site in Hong Kong. Despite its popularity in the rest of the world, Google is not the most-used search engine in China. That title belongs to Baidu, a Chinese-run company that follows the government’s rules on censorship.

Teaching the 16 first-year students has been eye-opening, Pagnattaro says. Unlike her older students, these are nervous not knowing what to expect during their first semester in college. To help them, she brings in a research librarian to explain how to access the resources available through the UGA Libraries, and members of the Mock Trial Team to provide pointers for their presentations.

She also shares with them some of her research and talks about the trips she takes to China with MBA students.

“They didn’t have any idea of what (faculty) do,” Pagnattaro says. “Now they can understand the connection between research and teaching and why the two are important.”

PHOTOS by peter frey

Left: Dressed professionally for their class presentation, Andy Creagan, from left, Clay Clifton and Holly Boggs look over their Powerpoint. Inset: Associate Professor Marisa Pagnattaro returns a paper to a student during her First-Year Odyssey seminar.

DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE

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PHOTO by PETER FREY

William Kisaalita, an engineering professor, takes students a step further in his Odyssey class “Things You Can (or Should Not) Do to End Poverty.” In the class students look at the issues of poverty and arguments for and against programs that lift people out of poverty.

To get the students to think about poverty on a personal level, he has them complete a hands-on field exercise that requires them to get out of their comfort zones. Students choose one of three options: Pretend to be a homeless person and solicit money from strangers on the street for an hour, eat lunch in a local soup kitchen or live on just $3-5 a day for three days. The students are required to explain in writing what they plan to do and their expected outcome.

Afterward, each must write a reflective essay on the exercise.

“What I want for you is to have a sense of being on the other side,” Kisaalita tells the class.

Sara Lynn Been of Atlanta and Monica Glosson of Gainseville elect to pose as homeless people and solicit money. On a warm Sunday afternoon in October, wearing jeans and T-shirts, without makeup or jewelry, they sit down on a blanket on the Clayton Street sidewalk in front of Junkman’s Daughter and hold a sign that reads, “Help please.”

For an hour they wait, watching as people pass, some crossing the street before reaching them in order to avoid any contact. Some look curiously at the young women as they pass slowly, reading the sign. After about 45 minutes a young man bends down and drops change into the plastic lid of a can of peanuts. The donation, almost $2, is the only one they receive.

34 GEORGIA MAGAZINE • www.uga.edu/gm

PHOTO by DOT PAUL

Top: Professor William Kisaalita talks to his students about ways to help people in a community who are living in poverty. Inset: As part of a class exercise, Monica Glosson, left, and Sara Lynn Been pose as poor people who need money in downtown Athens.

“We were at first surprised,” says Been. “Then we realized we probably wouldn’t have stopped either. I was expecting to be observing other people’s actions, but I was really observing more of my own feelings.”

GET MORE Learn more about the First-Year Odyssey Program at https://fyo.uga.edu.

Brad Davis, right, an assistant professor of landscape design, works with freshman Susannah Brewton of Soperton, Ga., a student in Davis’ First-Year Odyssey seminar, “Environmental Awareness Through Landscape Drawing.”

PHOTO by Andrew DAVIS Tucker

DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE

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Justin Gage (AB ’99) is founder/ editor of Aquarium Drunkard, an independent audio blog featuring daily music news, interviews, reviews and mp3 samples. The name is loosely based on lyrics from Wilco’s “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.” Since 2005 AD has covered a wide spectrum of styles— vintage garage, folk, R&B—and interviewed artists including Henry Rollins, Alejandro Escovedo and Arcade Fire. Voted L.A.’s best music blog for 2010 by the L.A. Weekly, AD spun off Autumn Tone Records and the weekly Aquarium Drunkard show on SIRIUS/XM satellite radio. Gage also works as a music supervisor for film (“Natural Selection” is a recent project) and music consultant. He authored the 2009 guide/travelogue Memphis and the Delta Blues Trail and has produced charity benefit albums for No More Landmines and the children’s arts program at L.A.’s Silver Lake Music Conservatory. For more information, visit www.aquariumdrunkard.com.

CLASS

NOTES

Aquarium Drunkard

David Studarus

CLASS NOTES

Compiled by Emily Grant and Grace Morris

1955-1959

Emmet K. Bondurant (AB ’58, LLB ’60) of Atlanta received the American Inns of Court 2011 Lewis F. Powell Jr. Award for professionalism and ethics.

Justice Randy J. Holland of the Supreme Court of Delaware presented the award to Bondurant at the annual American Inns of Court Celebration of Excellence.

Beverly Stein (ABJ ’58) of Sedona, Ariz., received the grand prize in Arizona Highways magazine for her photograph “Sunset of the Century.”

1960-1964

Rev. Hal N. Brady III (BBA ’61) of Columbus retired as pastor of St. Luke United Methodist Church. He was the pastor there for 14 years and has been an ordained minister for 50 years. Thomas

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M. Nunnally (BBA ’64) of Pittsburgh was presented Rotary’s Service Above Self Award by Rotary International President Ray Klingingsmith. There are only 150 of these awards made to Rotarians worldwide.

1965-1969

John Alton Fowler (BSF ’65) of Bogart retired from the position of senior vice president of Athens First Bank and Trust. Darryl Cohen (AB ’67) of Atlanta is national chairman of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences—the organization that gives out Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards, News & Documentary Emmy Awards, the Sports Emmy Awards and more. Cohen has chaired the group’s legal committee. Roxy D. Crawford (BSF ’69) of Saluda, S.C., retired from South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control in 2003 as district supervisor in environmental

health. Crawford is married with two children and six grandchildren. Reynold J. Jennings (BSPh ’69) of Kennesaw was selected as the new president and CEO of WellStar Health System. William Marcus “Mark” Reed II (BBA ’69) received the Reston-Fitzpatrick Emerald Award of Merit from the Sigma Pi Fraternity International for his writing in The Emerald, Sigma Pi Fraternity International’s magazine.

1970-1974

C.R. Hill (BSEd ’70) of Canton retired on June 19. Hill worked nearly 50 years in the ministry and served as senior pastor for the Canton First United Methodist Church for 10 years. Hope Hines (ABJ ’71) of Brentwood, Tenn., retired from the position of sports director at WTVF News Channel 5. Lamar Paris (BBA ’72) of Blairsville was appointed to the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council by Gov. Nathan Deal.

ALUMNI PROFILE

Calling all swingers Alumna opens flying trapeze school in Athens

by Allyson Mann (MA ’92) Kara Dyckman is a busy woman. Seven months ago, she gave birth to her second son, Colby, who joined big brother Conor, 2. She has a house and a dog and a husband, Shain.

She’s an assistant professor of psychology at UGA. And now Dyckman (MS ’05, PhD ’07) is co-owner of Leap Trapeze, a flying trapeze school that opened in Athens in August.

Her life is “kind of crazy,” she says, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Opening a business of their own was a goal of the Dyckmans, who met while working at Club Med in Florida. Shain was a trapeze instructor there and recruited Kara, who was working with children, to perform a doubles trapeze act. Five years later—and after getting married—they headed to Athens, where Kara earned graduate degrees and the two performed together at Canopy Studio, an aerial dance company. After graduation Kara was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship through Massachusetts General Hospital, and they moved to Boston.

There they found a branch of the Trapeze School of New York (TSNY) and fell in love with flying again.

“It’s very addicting,” she says. “The TSNY slogan is ‘Forget fear. Worry about the addiction,’ which is really true because people think, ‘Oh, I’m going to be scared,’ but then once they do it they’re like, ‘I have to do it again.’”

At TSNY in Boston they met Kaz and Larissa Stouffer, fellow adrenaline junkies who’d also met while working at Club Med. Kaz Stouffer had been teaching and performing for 15 years and had dreamed of opening his own school, so it wasn’t difficult for the Dyckmans to persuade the Stouffers to join them when they moved back to Athens. The mild climate, student population and circus-friendly community provide the perfect backdrop for an outdoor flying experience.

And since the nearest flying trapeze schools are located in Washington, D.C., and Venice, Fla., Leap can draw students from surrounding states.

The rig at Leap, located in a former parking lot, looks like a giant swing set. A long net is placed strategically beneath a platform 25 feet in the air. Standing on the platform—not to mention jumping off while holding on to a trapeze bar—can be intimidating, but students are secured in safety lines every

Kara Dyckman

Dorothy Kozlowski

step of the way. And they’re getting exercise while having fun, Kara Dyckman says.

“It really provides a huge adrenaline rush,” she says. “If you’re going to the gym you’re doing things that are good for your physical health, but you don’t get that same kind of feeling.”

During the fall Leap offered its first eight-week workshop, culminating in a student show, as well as one-time classes open to the public and special events like birthday parties for both kids and adults. It takes at least three of the four partners to run the rig, and right now Kara Dyckman has a lot on her plate.

“I don’t work most of the classes because I have a thousand other things going on, but I like to go and be a part of it and hear what people are saying and watch them progress or do it for the first time,” she says.

And when Colby is a little older she’ll spend more time at Leap, both working and flying.

“I think people get addicted because you can always do better. You can always do the trick that you’re working on better, there’s always more to learn and so you can always progress,” she says. “I think it really gives people a feeling of accomplishment.”

GET MORE www.leaptrapeze.com

DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE

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CLASSNOTES

®

It is great to be a Georgia Bulldog! Each day brings news of the accomplishments of our students in the classroom and on the field, as well as the successes of our alumni out in the world. Some prime examples will be on display on Jan. 21, 2012, as we celebrate the third annual class of the Bulldog 100 at a banquet in Atlanta.

For three years, we have marveled at the innovation, leadership and perseverance of the Georgia graduates at the helms of these fastest-growing Bulldog businesses. They come from a wide array of industries and offer a diverse range of services, but their impact is Steve Jones much greater than the excellent quality of their products.

At a moment when economic growth is as daunting to achieve as it has been during most of our lifetimes, these leaders continue to push their companies forward with a confident spirit that should be emulated by anyone wishing to mimic their successes. As we steadily move our state, nation and world forward toward a bright future, it is no surprise that Bulldogs are leading the way!

This holiday season, as you gather with loved ones to remember the past year and look forward to 2012, I ask you to also reflect with the Georgia family on the importance of the university in your life. Not only are we blessed with memories of fall Saturdays, a beautiful campus and lifelong friendships, but we are also equipped with a world-class education. Back on campus, members of the next generation of Bulldogs, as they prepare to lead us into the future, are forming their first Georgia memories that we know they will cherish forever.

The University of Georgia is a hallowed institution and holds a special place in each of our hearts.

In the new year, let’s resolve to reconnect with our beloved university and with fellow Bulldogs. Your local UGA alumni chapter offers a multitude of ways to plug in, from assisting current students through admissions and freshmen send-off events to networking with fellow graduates at Bulldogs After Business Hours and lunch gatherings. Your relationship with the university is very important to us, and we look forward to growing it with you in 2012!

I wish you a wonderful holiday season. Thank you for all you do for the University of Georgia, and Go Dogs!

—Steve Jones, (BBA ’78, JD ’87), president, UGA Alumni Association

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Deborah Dietzler, Executive Director ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFICERS Steve Jones BBA ’78, JD ’87 President, Atlanta Tim Keadle BBA ’78 Treasurer, Lilburn Ruth Bartlett BBA ’76 Asst. Treasurer, Atlanta Harriette Bohannon BSHE ’74 Secretary, Augusta Vic Sullivan BBA ’80 Immediate Past President, Albany

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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION WEBSITE www.uga.edu/alumni 800/606-8786 or 706/542-2251 To receive a monthly e-newsletter, enroll at: www.uga.edu/alumni ADDRESS CHANGES E-mail records@uga.edu or call 888/268-5442

Ken Burger (ABJ ’73) of Mount Pleasant, S.C., retired in July. Burger joined The Post and Courier in 1984 and served the newspaper as an award-winning Washington correspondent, executive sports editor and metro columnist. He also won numerous writing awards in South Carolina. Judi Butin (ABJ ’73) was appointed vice president of business development for Good Measure Meals, the social enterprise for Atlanta-based nonprofit Open Hand. Sarah Sue Ingram (ABJ ’73) was elected to the board of directors of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. She lives in Holden Beach and freelances articles and columns for The Brunswick (N.C.) Beacon. Phil Kent (ABJ ’73) of Atlanta was appointed the chief executive officer at the Alpharettabased American Seniors Association.

James H. “Jim” Nutt III (BSA ’73) of Marietta was named senior vice president of the food and agribusiness industry group for Wells Fargo & Company.

J. Allison Butler (BBA ’74) of Orlando was elected as president of the International Urban and Regional Information Systems Association for 2013.

1975-1979

Sanders Edward Lewallen (AB ’75) of West Palm Beach, Fla., was named the chief executive officer of the Flint RiverQuarium. Rev. John L. Roddy Jr. (ABJ ’75) of Marietta was named the rector at St. Andrew and St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Catholic Church in Del Ray. Kerry S. Odell (BSA ’77) of Morgantown, W. Va., completed his service as campus provost at Potomac State College of West Virginia University on June 30. Ben Treen (BSA ’77) relocated to Alabama to spearhead the Dothan branch of Gulf Coast Dermatology after 23 years of solo practice in Greenville, S.C. Anthony Glenn Rainey (M ’78) of Atlanta performed in the Fox Theater’s production of the musical “Guys and Dolls” in August. Rainey, who starred in the Broadway production and national tour of “Beauty and the Beast,” played the role of Nicely-Nicely Johnson.

Steve Bell (ABJ ’79) of Athens received a Southeastern Regional Emmy Award for “Black and Blue: Beneath the Gulf Oil Disaster,” a documentary on the work of UGA researchers following

ALUMNI calendar December 2, 2011 Women of UGA Holiday Marketplace, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

UGA alumnae are invited to Maggiano’s in Buckhead for lunch and shopping. Booths will feature items from boutiques and companies owned or operated by UGA alumni. For more information, please visit the Women of UGA page at www.alumni.uga.edu/alumni.

January 21, 2012 Bulldog 100 Celebration, 6 p.m.

Join UGA alumni and friends as we celebrate the third edition of the Bulldog 100: Fastest Growing Bulldog Businesses. The final rankings of the 2012 Class will be announced at a special banquet at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. For further information, please visit www.uga.edu/alumni/B100.

January 26, 2012 Life Member Reception, 6 p.m.

In gratitude for their excellent support of the University, Alumni Association Life Members are invited to the Buckhead Club for an evening of networking, food and fun.

January 27, 2012 Founders Day Lecture, 2 p.m.

University community members will gather at the UGA Chapel to celebrate the 227th anniversary of the University’s Charter and founding.

Betty Jean Craige, professor emeritus of comparative literature and director emeritus of the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, will present this year’s lecture, titled “We Are All Part of the Tangled Bank.”

February 1 – 3, 2012 100 Days Until Graduation, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

UGA seniors are invited to the Tate Center Grand Hall to kick off the final stretch to commencement. They will be able to order their cap and gown and make their final Senior Signature gift, as well as participate in fun games, earn exciting door prizes and eat good food!

February 24 – 26, 2012 Alumni Leadership Assembly, Athens Campus

UGA Alumni Chapter leaders will gather to celebrate the previous year’s accomplishments and plan for the year ahead.

For more information on these and other exciting programs for UGA alumni and friends, email alumni@ uga.edu or call (706) 542-2251.

the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Bell is director of the broadcast, video and photography unit of UGA’s Office of Public Affairs. Keith Caudell (BBA ’79) of Braselton was named regional president for the west region of Georgia at Hamilton State Bank. Bill Evelyn (ABJ ’79) of Watkinsville received a Southeastern Regional Emmy Award for “Black and Blue: Beneath the Gulf Oil Disaster,” a documentary on the work of UGA researchers following the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Evelyn works in the broadcast, video and photography unit of UGA’s Office of Public Affairs. Deborah Norville (ABJ ’79) was honored by the New York State Broadcasters Association with its Carol M. Reilly Award. The award is presented to a woman who encompasses general excellence, leadership and professionalism.

1980-1984

Sam Macfie (AB ’80) of Macon was named to lead the 2011 United Way of Central Georgia Campaign. Macfie and his team of volunteers were responsible for this fall’s fundraising efforts that support programs that serve more than 100,000 middle Georgia residents in 14 counties. Mark Slonaker (BSEd ’80) of Macon was named executive director of the UGA Bulldog Club. Richard Stuart Harrison (BSW ’81) of Atlanta was appointed deputy commissioner with Georgia’s department of juvenile justice in January. Valerie Jones Hinesley (BLA ’81) of Savannah joined the management staff of a 25-year-old landscape nursery called Piccadilly Farms in Oconee County. She currently owns Hinesley and Associates and will continue her design work in Athens and Savannah while gradually taking over management of the nursery. Joe Krakoviak Jr. (ABJ ’82) was elected to the West Orange, N.J., township council in Nov. 2010. He serves on the five-person council helping to govern the town of more than 45,000 residents and an annual budget of more than $72 million in the New York City suburbs.

He is a marketing and business communications consultant. Scott Maughon (BS ’82) of Duluth was named the official medical provider for the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club, held in August in Johns Creek.

DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE

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I

WHY give “I give because UGA has never stopped giving back to me. As a student, UGA gave me the skills I’d need to succeed. As an alumnus, the university has continued to support me with continued learning and networking opportunities.”

— Andrew Dill (BBA ’06, BS ’07)

Andrew Dill began giving to UGA his senior year with a gift to Senior Signature. He holds a bachelor’s degree in risk management from the Terry College of Business and a bachelor’s in political science from the School of Public and International Affairs. After graduation, Andrew worked for U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (BBA ’66), and he is currently employed by General Electric as a government relations manager. Dill is on the executive committee of the UGA Alumni Association and chairs the 40 Under 40 steering committee, which honors 40 graduates who have made an impact in business, leadership, community, and educational and/or philanthropic endeavors.

Want to give? Go to www.externalaffairs.uga.edu/os/makegift.

1985-1989

Craig William Potts (BBA ’85) of Duluth was appointed executive vice president of sales of Navicure, a leading provider of automated, web-based revenue cycle management solutions for physician practices. Geof Gilland (ABJ ’86) of Bishop received a Southeastern Regional Emmy Award for “Black and Blue: Beneath the Gulf Oil Disaster,” a documentary on the work of UGA researchers following the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Gilland works in the broadcast, video and photography unit of UGA’s Office of Public Affairs. Michelle Kalis (BSPh ’86) of Bedford, Mass., was appointed provost and professor of biology and pharmaceutical sciences at Saint Joseph College. Kalis previously served as the vice president for academic affairs/provost at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Wight Mixon (BFA ’86) of Atlanta is the 85th president of the Atlanta Board of Realtors and a life member of its Million Dollar Club. Stephen “Steve” S. Pleger (BBA ’86) was promoted to senior deputy commissioner of the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance. Michael Wooten (ABJ ’86) was named operations manager of WRGC, a new public radio station operated by Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville. Kimberly Goff (ABJ ’87) of Atlanta was selected as executive director of the Atlanta 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer, a 30-mile, two-day walk

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that raises funds for Georgia’s breast cancer community. Eddie Smith Jr. (BFA ’87) of Waleska launched Salacoa Valley Studio, a pottery studio, in 2008. In June his studio was named Best in Show in Clay at the Virginia Highlands Summerfest in Atlanta. Smith was selected over 27 other clay artists. Lee Thomas (ABJ ’87) of Atlanta was promoted to director of the Georgia department of economic development’s film, music and digital entertainment division. Thomas previously served as the agency’s interim director and has been with the department for 15 years. Jim Butterworth (AB ’88) was appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to the position of adjutant general for the National Guard. Butterworth resigned his state Senate seat in October to take the position. Pete Crane (BBA ’88) of Athens joined AI Insurance Group, focusing on commercial insurance. Crane worked with Chasteen Insurance Agency for the past 12 years. Lorraine Riffle Hawley (ABJ ’88) of Arlington, Va., is the director of international government relations for Archer Daniels Midland Company. Hawley manages U.S. international government relations strategy for over 60 countries in which the company operates. Christopher N. Smith (BBA ’88) and his wife, Lyubena Smith, were formally presented to Her Majesty Queen Margethe II at a dinner at the Danish Ambassador’s residence in Washington, D.C. Smith is a Macon attorney who also

serves as the honorary consul of Denmark. Felecia Rosser Theune (ABJ ’88) of Miami is teaching fifth grade math and science through Teach for America after working more than 20 years as a journalist and corporate editor. She is pursuing a master’s degree in community and social change. Susan Johnson Cole (AB ’89) of Charlotte, N.C., is serving on the board of trustees for the Mint Museum.

She lives with her husband, John D. Cole (JD ’91), and their three children.

Teresa Edwards (BSEd ’89) of Smyrna was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Aug. 12.

Edwards was the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic team that won gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Mark Fore (AB ’89), an associate of GrayRobinson P.A., was promoted to an of counsel attorney.

William “Billy” Heaton (AB ’89) of Lawrenceville was named the principal of High Shoals Elementary School in Oconee County. Heather Kuzmich (BFA ’89), a five-time Ontario and four-time Canadian junior golf champion, was inducted into the Quinte West Wall of Fame.

1990-1994

Charlton “Chuck” Bonham (BBA ’90) of Albany, Calif., was selected by Gov. Jerry Brown to be director of the California Department of Fish and Game. Joel Bulger (ABJ ’90) of Atlanta was named senior vice president of brand marketing for Church’s Chicken. Dan Thurmon

ALUMNI PROFILE

Third time’s the charm Waco O’Guin gets another shot at a comedy series

by Emily Grant Waco O’Guin (BFA ’00) and his partner in comedy Roger Black always wanted to have a show on Comedy Central. And now, it looks as if they will.

The animated series “Brickleberry,” named after a street in Athens, is tentatively scheduled to air on the popular comedy network next fall.

O’Guin began his comedy career in college with “The DAMN! Show,” which aired on Athens local cable for one episode in 1998.

“The show was a little dirty, not really dirty,” O’Guin recalls. “But someone put it on after church on Sunday instead of late at night. They cancelled the show after that.”

Black joined “The DAMN! Show” in 2000 after O’Guin saw him doing stand up in Athens. The two then moved their act from the small screen to the stage and began to perform at the Georgia Theatre. “The DAMN! Show” consisted of live stand up and skits as well as pre-taped skits featuring characters such as Yucko the Clown and a cartoon koala bear that drinks too much.

“People became familiar with the skits and the characters,” O’Guin says. “One of our cast members moved to L.A., so in the show we ‘killed off’ his character, and some of our fans thought we were serious!”

Those shows at the Georgia Theatre later aired on the dorm channels at UGA and became popular with the college crowd.

“Students would tape the show and make copies to send to their friends at other colleges,” O’Guin says. “We started going on tour to other college towns to perform.”

With tapes and DVDs of their show circulating across the country, MTV caught on to the popularity and wanted to start a pilot of the show on their network. The show was called “Stankervision.”

Waco O’Guin (left) and Roger Black

PETER FREY

“‘Stankervision’ was pretty much the same as ‘The DAMN! Show,’” O’Guin says. “We had a bigger staff, and we were able to really crank out shows. We also got to do more animated and Yucko segments.”

“Stankervision” aired for eight episodes in 2005. Since then O’Guin and Black have been working on “Brickleberry.”

“Right when we got off MTV, we began coming up with ideas for new shows. We’ve always wanted to do an animated show,” Black says. “‘Brickleberry’ is an animated show that makes fun of park rangers who take their job too seriously.”

They came up with the idea from O’Guin’s father-in-law, a former park ranger. The show is about a park that is in danger of being shut down. In order to turn its future around, the park brings in a female ranger from Yellowstone National Park who threatens the current male ranger’s pride.

O’Guin and Black had some help from a fellow comedian, Daniel Tosh, in getting their show on Comedy Central. Tosh, who is the host of the TV show “Tosh.0,” is an executive producer and the voice of one of the characters on the show.

“We share an agent with Daniel, and he was looking for a project,” O’Guin says. “We’re lucky that he liked [the show].

He really had a hand in getting it sold.”

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CLASSNOTES

Clear eyes, full hearts

Kyle Chandler (M ’88) won the award for best actor in a drama series during the 63rd Annual Emmy Awards in September. Chandler, who grew up in Loganville and attended George Walton Academy before enrolling in UGA in 1984, played the starring role of Coach Eric Taylor in the critically acclaimed series “Friday Night Lights,” which also won an Emmy for best writing in a drama series. The series traced the trials and tribulations of rural Texas residents Taylor and his wife Tami (played by Connie Britton) as he coached high school football and raised a family in a state known for its football fanaticism. The series, which lasted five seasons, was based on a book and movie by the same name. “Friday Night Lights” also was the recipient of a 2006 Peabody Award, presented by the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at UGA.

courtesy of PICTUREGROUP

(BBA ’90) of Snellville was named to the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame. This distinction recognizes speaking excellence and professionalism. Peter Fletcher (BMus ’92) of New York City will be playing at Carnegie Hall in January. Fletcher is an awardwinning classical guitarist. The program features the premiere of a major work

by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, as well as a commission by acclaimed composer Clarice Assad. Daniel Ostick (ABJ ’92) of Washington, D.C., received his doctorate this fall from the University of Maryland college student personnel program in the College of Education.

His dissertation was titled “A Grounded Theory of Lesbian and Gay Leadership Self-Efficacy Development.” Matt Coleman (ABJ ’93) of Atlanta was accepted into the Leadership DeKalb class of 2012. Leadership DeKalb is a nonprofit organization that annually trains and builds a network of leaders who are committed to addressing and resolving issues in DeKalb County. Kevin R. Lee (BBA ’93) of Atlanta was named president and chief executive officer of CRE Secure, the industry’s leading cloud-based, secure payment solution for merchants. Mark Spain (BBA ’93) was honored by the Wall Street Journal and REAL Trends as one of America’s top real estate teams. The Mark Spain Team was No. 32 nationally for most

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transaction sides and No. 72 for sales volume. Brad Daugherty (BBA ’94) and his wife, Joy Daugherty, welcomed their son, Andrew Bradley, on Sept. 30, 2010.

Stephen Jones (BFA ’94) of Marshallville earned the certified professional photographer designation from the Professional Photographic Certification Commission. Jones is one of only 32 with this certification in Georgia.

1995-1999

Robert Brawner (BS ’95, AB ’95) is the president and founder of One Consulting Group Inc., an environmental contracting and consulting practice in Atlanta. He is also president of the board of directors of Art Papers, a 30-year-old nonprofit dedicated to the examination, development and definition of art and culture in the world today. Victoria Goetze-Ackerman (M ’95) of Cartersville was named to the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame by the Georgia State Golf Association. Goetze-Ackerman will be inducted next year. Stephanie PowerCarter (BSEd ’95) was named director of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center in Bloomington, Ind. Tiffany Walker Daniels (BBA ’97) of Atlanta was named Georgia State’s senior associate director for athletics for external affairs. Daniels previously served as director of business development for the Georgia Dome. Jason Matthew Shep-

herd (AB ’98) of Marietta and his wife, Manuela, welcomed their first child, Alexander Shepherd, on Aug. 6. Jason Allen Waters (BBA ’98) of Marietta was appointed to vice president of the commercial banking division for State Bank & Trust. Carrie Shope Campbell (AB ’99, ABJ ’00) of Concord, N.C., and her husband Sean welcomed their first child, Charlotte Jane Campbell, on June 21.

Isaac Wantland (BLA ’99) of Nashville, Tenn., and his wife Jennifer welcomed son Fletcher Abram on June 6. Isaac and Jennifer also have two daughters, Isabella Marie, 5, and Lola Genevieve, 3, and celebrated 16 years of marriage Aug. 12. Isaac’s company, Wantland Ink Landscape Architecture, focuses mainly on select residential clientele but also entertains certain civic and institutional commissions.

2000-2004

Burt Hodges (BBA ’00) of Charleston, S.C., was named the new chief financial officer for Revolutions Medical Corporation. Jaime McCutcheon (ABJ ’00) received a job anchoring FOX Eastern Carolina News at 10 p.m. Godfrey Powell Jr. (BBA ’00) accepted the position as global strategist for Samsung Corporation in Seoul, South Korea. Powell primarily does work for Samsung’s electronics division. Joshua Roberston (BBA ’00) and

ALUMNI PROFILE

Poetic genius Alicia Stallings wins a “genius grant” from the MacArthur Foundation

by Mary Jessica Hammes (ABJ ’99) Poet and translator Alicia “A.E.” Stallings (AB ’90) got the phone call in the middle of a busy evening of juggling dinner, bath and bedtime with her two young children.

She did not expect to learn that she was named one of 22 MacArthur Fellows to receive the “genius” grant, which carries an unrestricted prize of $500,000 paid over five years. Winners never expect the call, nor even know they are considered for it, as the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s selection process uses anonymous nominations and stays completely confidential.

“I was, and then my husband was, in some shock at first, and it is really just starting to sink in,” says Stallings via e-mail from Athens, Greece, where she lives with her journalist husband John Psaropoulos and their two children, Jason, 7, and Atalanta, 2.

Stallings, the poetry program director of the Athens Centre, has been published in Poetry Magazine, two Best American Poetry anthologies, and her collections: the Richard Wilbur Award-winning Archaic Smile and Hapax. She translated Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius’ epic De Rerum Natura, or The Nature of Things. She also holds a master’s degree from the University of Oxford.

But before all that, she grew up in Decatur, Ga., the daughter of a Georgia State University professor and a school librarian.

While a student at now-closed Briarcliff High School, she sold poems to Seventeen magazine for around $15 a piece— “nothing to sneeze about for a teenager in the mid-1980s,” she says, and “easier and maybe more fun than babysitting.” Soon she had a poem in the Beloit Poetry Journal.

At UGA she made lifelong friends in Church Hall, the Classics department and the Demosthenian Society, and she hung out at the Uptown Lounge on Tuesday nights to hear Widespread Panic.

A violinist, she reveled (and sometimes played) in the everburgeoning local music scene.

Richard LaFleur, UGA Franklin Professor of Classics Emeritus, recruited a then-freshman Stallings into a graduate-level class on the Roman poet Catullus. Her “performance in virtually every respect exceeded that of all others in the class, despite their post-graduate status,” he recalls.

Alicia Stallings

SPECIAL

Her translation work is known for making complex ancient texts not just understandable, but also rather modern, even topical.

“The reason a lot of people think that classical poetry sounds Victorian is from Victorian translations,” she explains.

“But the originals were ‘modern’ when they were written, unless being deliberately archaic. Catullus wrote in the contemporary vernacular of his day—even a little slangy—so instead of the correct Latin for ‘kisses,’ for instance, he has something more like ‘smoochies.’ That’s too cutsie, but I think you get the idea.

And of course, he can be very racy, even obscene.”

Stallings has referred to herself in the past as a “poet housewife”—a term that has many layers, especially for other writers, mothers or self-described housewives. Sometimes she has to remind editors that she has to buy her work time from a babysitter. Balancing writing and parenting remains a challenge, and writing often takes a backseat to mothering.

“I try not to be too hard on myself about it,” she says. “I try to look on these as fallow periods. Also, with small kids, there are times when they need your complete, undivided attention, which means you are only going to make them and yourself angry if you are trying to compose a sonnet in your head while you are making pies with Play-Doh. But I think particularly as a woman you have to be careful to occasionally define a time and space that are just for you and your thinking—it is tempting to keep relinquishing and retreating, and give and give until you become resentful. Everyone is happier if you are happier. And I think it is good for the kids to see that mommy has her own work and her own life.”

—Mary Jessica Hammes is a freelance writer living in Athens.

DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE

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CLASSNOTES

ALUMNI PROFILE

Bridging the cultural gap Martin McNeese advises businesses on international trade law

by John W. English As a trade facilitator for the Italian fashion and perfume industries, Martin McNeese has honed his credentials deftly: He speaks a host of European languages like a native; he earned an undergraduate degree in finance from UGA; he studied fashion management and both Italian and American customs law; and he has a clear passion for Italy, including dressing in casual chic style.

His Anglo name, however, comes from his late father, who hailed from Vidalia, but whose career in the U.S. Air Force took him to a base in Aviano, Italy. Growing up in Europe, Martin (BBA ’88) learned seven languages, including Russian, and realized that he had an unusual cross-cultural perspective.

“Eventually I understood that I could be a two-way bridge between America and Europe, bringing people together in a positive manner,” he says during an interview in Vicenza, where he has lived for the past 11 years and where he is senior partner in his own firm.

“When I was 18 I came to Georgia, both to go to the university and to find out about my Dad’s roots,” he says.

“I was scared when I first came to UGA, but people were welcoming and I adapted to a different culture. I lived in Russell and Reed (residence halls) and went to the International Student Coffee Hour.”

McNeese recalls some words of wisdom he received from a football player from France named Richard Tardits. Tardits, McNeese says, said simply, “to make the team as a walk-on, he had to run faster and hit harder than everyone else and to study the rules of the game. It certainly worked for him.”

A linebacker known as “Le Sac,” Tardits went on to play professional football and was an inspiration to McNeese.

Vicenza is the perfect place for his business since it is part of the fashion and textiles triangle that includes Milan and Florence, McNeese says. About three-fourths of his clients are Italian, and he helps them facilitate trade, he says.

“I often meet with clients at the conception of a new product,” he says. “I consult with them so there are no regulatory problems when it’s ready to export. I often work with lawyers to resolve problems before they become law cases. I understand the law and advise them to stay out of trouble.”

Part of McNeese’s job includes reading and

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Martin McNeese

John English

understanding new and complex international trade legislation, including an 800-page document on new European regulations, which he recently finished.

“These days we’re working on creating products that are safe for consumers,” he says, “textiles that are made without using toxic substances and perfumes that don’t cause allergies.”

“I have to know the rules and system better than the locals do. My Italian customers like that I’m an American they can relate to. I’ve learned to adapt to their system and to listen.”

McNeese lives in Vicenza with his wife Jennifer and two teenage daughters. The northern Italy location is also close to his German mother’s hometown of Trier, where she now lives.

“Italians are very creative and flexible, and there is more economic freedom here since they changed their system in the 1980s,” McNeese says. “There are new opportunities here if you have ambition and drive. I really like working with creative people and being a bridge between cultures.”

—John W. English, a professor emeritus of journalism at the University of Georgia, is a frequent contributor to GM.

Far over 40 and fabulous

Nina and Herman Fishman (BBA ’47) didn’t celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary alone. Atlanta Best Self magazine joined in their merriment and deemed them the “Publisher’s Pick” in its 2011 “Over 40 and Fabulous” competition. The Fishman’s self-nomination stood out partly because Nina insisted on mailing it the old-fashioned way, but mainly because of their enduring love and commitment to family, says the magazine’s publisher Sherri Adair. Herman, 85, and Nina, 81, have been honored for many community endeavors over the years, but see their three children and seven grandchildren as their greatest accomplishment. Now enjoying their 61st year of marriage, the Fishmans hope to travel more and check South America off their bucket list.

—Grace Morris SPECIAL

Jessica Murray Robertson (BBA ’01) of Castle Rock, Colo., celebrated the birth of their twins, William Charlie Robertson and Katherine Chatham Robertson, on Feb. 1. Dr. Cynthia Lester Shepherd (BS ’00) joined the Athens-based Northeast Georgia Cancer Care on Aug. 1. Shepherd previously worked at the Vanderbilt-Ingram National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. Amanda Endres Ebel (BSEd ’01) of Greenville, S.C., is high school principal of South Carolina Connections Academy. Connections Academy is a virtual public school that serves 2,800 students. Kyle Eugene Minshew (AB ’01) of Brooklyn, N.Y., appeared in the New York revivals of “Candide,” “The Country Wife” and “Prometheus Bound.” He completed the feature films “Tresspasses,” “The Murders of Caine Hill” and “Sold.” Minshew is scheduled to appear in the revival of Ben Johnson’s “The Alchemist” and is currently workshopping the new musical by Charles Strouse titled “Martin.” He also will be shooting a pilot for the new HBO show “Polarity.” Deanne Tibbitts (BS ’01) completed her Ph.D. in molecular and medical genetics at Oregon Health and Science University studying oncogene regulation in lymphoblastic and myeloid leukemia. Jennifer Harper (ABJ ’02) and her husband, Brian, of Seattle welcomed a baby girl, Zooey Mae, on April 13. Ste-

ven Christopher Smith (BS ’02) and his wife Tovia Martirosian Smith welcomed their first child, Edward Lee Montague Smith, on Aug. 23. They reside in Ann Arbor, Mich., where Steven is completing his residency in pathology. Josh Baine (BBA ’03) was appointed vice president of the firm Ackerman & Co., a full-service real estate brokerage firm headquartered in Atlanta. Kara “Keene” Cooper (BBA ’03) of Atlanta received the Power 30 Under 30 Award in May. Cooper also gave birth to her second child, Wyatt Keene Cooper, on June 9. Hilary Hillard DeMillo (ABJ ’03) of Little Rock, Ark., was promoted to senior media relations specialist at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the state’s only pediatric medical clinic.

Stuart Jerkins (AB ’03) of Athens joined AI Insurance Group, assisting clients with home, auto and other personal insurance polices. Jerkins previously worked for Athens First Bank and Trust in the management associate program and worked as a credit analyst. Sean Muserallo (AB ’03, ABJ ’03) of Greenville, S.C., was named to Greenville Business Magazine’s Best and Brightest 35 and Under. Torian White (BSEd ’03) of Covington was selected as an emerging leader by the Association for Supervised and Curriculum Development. The two-year emerging leader development program is for experienced educators who show promise for future leadership. White is an assistant principal at Salem High School in Conyers.

Wesley Cook (AB ’04) of Smyrna was a finalist for Rolling Stone’s Street to Stage competition. Joshua Darnell (ABJ ’04) and Melissa Lavergne Darnell (BSEd ’04) celebrated the birth of their first child, Ruby Leigh Darnell, on Sept. 10 at Athens Regional Medical Center. She was 9 lbs., 8 oz. and 22 inches long. Helen Pinson (BS ’04) of Athens was promoted to assistant vice president for commercial development for First American Bank and Trust. Tracy Duffy Ramseur (BS ’04) of Greenville, S.C, was named to Greenville Business Magazine’s Best and Brightest 35 and Under. Alice J. Thacker (BSEd ’04) of Atlanta was named director of development for the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Foundation.

2005-2009

Haley Cabe (AB ’05, ABJ ’05) opened a cupcake bakery in Athens called Silver Lining Cupcake Co. Cabe runs the business with her partner and fiancé Patrick Harrigan (BS ’07). Adam Gray (BSEd ’05) of Somerville, Mass., was named the 2012 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year for his work at Monument High School in South Boston. Douglas Harden (AB ’05) was promoted to program manager for the aerospace sustainment directorate for the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center at Robins Air Force Base. William Keith Harris (AB ’05) and Kristin Popow (AB ’06) were married on Morris Island off Folly Beach, S.C., on Sept. 4.

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NEWBOOKS Goooo Dawgs, Sic Em Five Points Press (2011)

By Glenn Grizzard (BSEd ’91, MEd ’93) Illustrations by Anthony Barkdoll (BFA ’97) Goooo Dawgs was written as a bedtime story for Grizzard’s children. Join Uga the baby bullpup as he sets out for the game and finds a world of adventure in, around and under the UGA campus.

Evolution The University of North Carolina Press (2011) Edited by Susan Stokes Roberts (BFA ’71, MFA ’86) Evolution chronicles the life of Roberts’ husband, potter Michael Simon (MFA ’82), with more than 100 photos plus interviews with the artist and others.

GEORGIA MAGAZINE • www.uga.edu/gm

I See the Animals Sleeping: A Bedtime Story American Academy of Sleep Medicine (2011)

By Thomas M. Heffron (ABJ ’95) This children’s picture book highlights the diverse and fascinating sleep habits of familiar animals, such as the tiger and giraffe, and unusual creatures, such as the platypus and sloth. The story will encourage children to crawl into bed so that they can sleep too.

Printed in the USA

AASM

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Water’s Edge Thomas Nelson (2011)

By Robert Whitlow (JD ’79) In Whitlow’s mystery, Tom Crane is about to become a partner in a high-profile Atlanta law firm but first must close his deceased father’s law practice. While taking care of this he finds two million dollars stashed in a secret bank account and evidence that his father’s death may not have been accidental.

Cake Ladies: Celebrating a Southern Tradition Lark Crafts (2011)

By Jodi Rhoden (BSW ’99) In the South, cake ladies are the ones with the skills and heart to bring a little sweetness to life’s big moments, and their communities treasure and depend upon them. Rhoden shines a spotlight on this great tradition with profiles of 17 diverse women, including cake recipes.

Heffron/Baird

Understanding and Preventing College Student Suicide Charles C. Thomas Publisher Ltd. (2011)

By Dorian A. Lamis (BS ’03) and David Lester Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death among college students in the United States. This book combines the efforts from several leaders in the field of suicidology in an attempt to gain a better understanding of college student suicide.

Ghost Wave: The Discovery of Cortes Bank and the Biggest Wave on Earth Chronicle Books (2011)

By Chris Dixon (ABJ ’89, MMC ’95) Rumors and warnings about Cortes Bank abound, but among big-wave surfers this legendary rock is famous for one simple reason—it’s the home of the biggest rideable wave on the face of Earth. In this work of narrative nonfiction, Dixon unlocks the secrets of Cortes Bank.

Damn Good Dogs! The Real Story of Uga, the University of Georgia’s Bulldog Mascots The University of Georgia Press (2011)

By Sonny Seiler (BBA ’56, JD ’57) and Kent Hannon These English bulldogs are so revered that when they die, they are buried in a mausoleum at Sanford Stadium. But Uga is also a family pet, and Damn Good Dogs! gives readers a rare glimpse into the personal history of these nationally acclaimed mascots.

I See the Animals Sleeping: A Bedtime Story

Korean War Letters from a Lieutenant and His Bride Dorrance Publishing Korean War Letters From A Lieutenant (2011) And His Bride

By Larry Knowles (BLA ’51) Larry Knowles This book portrays what it was like for a young soldier in the Army during the last year of the Korean War. It also describes the life of his young bride, who gave birth to their daughter while he was overseas.

Unbroken: The Dorothy Lewis Story Kingstone Publishing (2011)

By Frank Stanfield (MA ’80) Frank Stanfield covered thousands of criminal cases for more than 30 years as a newspaper reporter and editor, but nothing prepared him for the brutality of the Dorothy Lewis case. She was carjacked, raped, shot repeatedly and left for dead while her two daughters, ages 3 and 7, were slain. The memoir and crime story contrasts the wildly dysfunctional lives of the teen assailants with Lewis’ unbroken faith.

ONLINE Find more books by UGA graduates at www.uga.edu/gm SUBMISSIONS Submit new books written by UGA alumni to simmonsk@uga.edu. Please include a brief description of the book and a hi-res pdf or tiff of its cover.

100 candles

Lessie Smithgall’s birthday party this year was no small affair. Family, friends and admirers came from near and far to Gainesville in April to celebrate with Smithgall (ABJ ’33) as she turned 100.

“People lined up in a receiving line to speak with her,” says Horace Newcomb, director of the Peabody Awards, which honor excellence in radio, television and new media and are housed in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. “They would introduce themselves and kneel down beside her to talk and be with her.”

Newcomb holds the Lambdin Kay Chair for the Peabodys, a product of Smithgall’s generosity. She and her husband established the chair in 1997, but Smithgall played a role in bringing the awards to UGA long before that.

As a WSB television copywriter in 1938, Smithgall overheard her boss, Lambdin Kay, talking about radio awards in need of a sponsor. She set up a meeting between Kay and her college mentor, Grady College Dean John E. Drewry, and the rest is history. SmithLessie Smithgall gall attended the awards for years and even challenged host Walter Cronkite to a tennis match when she was 89.

Smithgall’s connection to the Peabody Awards may be her most famous contribution to UGA, but she has given to the university and her community in many other ways. She and her husband founded The Gainesville Daily Times, helped start the Arts Council in Gainesville and gave 185 acres for a botanical garden within Gainesville city limits. The Smithgall Woodlands Garden is still a work in progress, but thanks to Smithgall it will soon serve as a gathering place for the community she loves.

—Grace Morris

Harris is director of customer service at Transport America, and Popow is inland import supervisor at Hanjin Shipping.

Bryce McCuin (ABJ ’05) is the director of marketing for The Village at Harmony Crossing in Eatonton. Tiffany L. Stanley (ABJ ’05, AB ’05) was named managing editor of a forthcoming online journal from the Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis. Patrick Thomae (BS ’05) and Taylor Sundius (AB ’08) of Atlanta were married on May 29 in Duluth, Ga. Thomae graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia Campus with a D.O. and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. The couple resides in Portsmouth, Va. Bridget Boyd (BSEd ’06) of Elberton was hired to be an assistant coach for the gymnastics team at West Virginia University. Andrew Dill (BBA ’06, AB ’07) of Washington, D.C., completed the Experienced Commercial Leadership Program with General Electric and was promoted to manager, government relations. Coty Ervin (AB ’06) of Canton is the new city clerk for Alpharetta. Tricia Harm (BSEd ’06)

was named the new assistant coach for Florida State’s swim team for the 2011-12 season. Alex Jackson (AB ’06) was named offensive quality control assistant for the University of Arkansas football team.

Jackson previously served as the tight ends and tackles and later the co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach for Langston University. Michael Monahan (BS ’06) of Albany graduated from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine with a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree. Brennan J. Paris (BSFCS ’06, BBA ’06) of Chattanooga, Tenn., was named executive vice president of the Professional Insurance Agents of Tennessee. Ashley Chasteen (BBA ’07) of Marietta has been on tour with the musical “CATS” since September 2010, playing the role of Bombalurina.

Lauren Church (BSEd ’07) of Jacksonville, Fla., was the top points scorer in the Women’s Football Alliance this year in her second season as a placekicker for the Jacksonville Dixie Blues. She was one of two kickers on the National Conference All-Star team and played in the All-American Game in Bedford, Texas.

Walton Robinson (AB ’07) accepted the

Happy Holidays Warm up to a New Brew UGA Bulldog Blend Roasted by Jittery Joe’s Coffee

It’s the Perfect Holiday Stocking Stuffer!

www.gocoffeestore.com

DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE

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CLASSNOTES ALUMNI PROFILE

Él no habla Español A foreign language requirement drove Dink NeSmith to journalism

by Emily Grant William Henry “Dink” NeSmith (ABJ ’70) knew he wanted to go to UGA, even if his mother didn’t want him to.

“She thought the school was too large, and that I would get lost,” recalls NeSmith. “I told her I either wanted to go to UGA or Vietnam, and she laughed and said ‘Oh, I think Georgia would be great.’”

NeSmith is the president and coowner of Community Newspapers Inc., a newspaper company based in Athens that Dink NeSmith publishes 30 hometown newspapers in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina.

Journalism was not the career path he had planned when he entered UGA. He thought he wanted to go to law school, but found out that required too many courses in a foreign language.

“You had to have four foreign language credits for law school and only two for Grady, so I switched,” says NeSmith. “Spanish drove me to journalism.” He’s now trying to learn the language again.

After graduation he spent six months in the Army National Guard’s basic and advanced training before starting work in the newspaper business. Forty-one years later, he still loves it.

“Once I discovered newspapers, I knew I was lucky to pick a career to keep me engaged.”

Even though recent years have been challenging for newspapers with many moving to a website or closing shop altogether, NeSmith believes there still is a need for a printed product. People, he says, have a deep-rooted curiosity and need a reliable source of information. But he also knows that the younger population is more likely to turn to the Internet for information. He hires young Grady graduates to help him keep up with current trends and is looking at business models to incorporate trends in social media.

“You have to be a good business in order to be good at anything else,” he explains.

He advises young journalists to write something every day, even if it’s just a paragraph, in their chosen field. Up and coming journalists, he says, need to learn self-confidence without being cocky.

“If you’re not curious, find some other occupation,” he advises.

NeSmith is active in Athens, with season tickets to Georgia football games for his family. He served on the UGA Athletic Association board for 14 years and is past president of the UGA Alumni Association. In 2008, he was appointed to the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents and currently serves as its vice chairman.

In his down time NeSmith loves to read, listen to music and eat good barbecue. He also enjoys being outside—farming, fishing and quail hunting.

“If I were doing something else I’d be a farmer and a part-time carpenter,” he says. “I like to plant seeds and ideas and watch them grow.”

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DOROTHY KOZLOWSKI

position as the communications director for the North Carolina Democratic Party. Julie Franklin (AB ’08) received a juris doctor degree from New England Law-Boston during the 100th commencement ceremony at the Citi Performing Arts Center. Capt. Bobby Woods (AB ’08, BS ’08) of Rising Fawn was recognized by the Georgia House of Representatives when it passed a resolution honoring his service in Afghanistan.

The resolution also recognized the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that Woods’ father help to found.

Jennifer Aszman (BSW ’09, AB ’10) of Alpharetta accepted a job as a court-appointed special advocate for abused and neglected children for Fulton County.

Laura Benson (ABJ ’09) of Athens joined Jackson Spalding’s public relations team. Benson served as an intern for Jackson Spalding for six months prior to joining full time. Kristin A. Bernhard (AB ’09) of Roswell is Gov. Nathan Deal’s education policy advisor. William Kent (BBA ’09) of Lookout Mountain, Tenn., was promoted to assistant director of the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga Mocs Club. Laura Ann Wingate (BS ’09) of Atlanta was promoted to regional supervisor of Youth Villages’ Intercept intensive in-home services and transitional living programs. Wingate previously served as a clinical supervisor for Youth Villages’ Intercept program.

2010-

Paige Varner Benton (ABJ ’10) of Redmond, Va., was given the 2011 Chandler Award for Student Religion Reporter of the Year by the Religion Newswriters Association for her work at The Red & Black. Parker Smith (BS ’10) of Duluth placed fourth in the Tour Divide, a 17-day mountain bike race starting in Canada and ending in New Mexico.

While partaking in this race, Smith raised $4,000 for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Andrea Tabacchi (BFA ’10) traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to study with master silversmiths who specialize in medieval Celtic metal work. Harris English (BSFCS ’11) of Thomasville won the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational, making him the third former Bulldog to win on the Nationwide Tour. English also was named the Southern Golf Association’s National Amateur of the Month for July. The national selection panel picked English by acclamation rather than normal balloting among several nominees. Brian Harman (BBA ’11) of Savannah won more than $10,000 for his third place finish at the eGolf Tour’s HGM Hotels Classic in Conover, N.C. Ashton McKinnon (ABJ ’11) was named the public outreach director for Habitat for Humanity of Athens. She is responsible for all public outreach efforts, volunteer acquisition and event management for the organization. Dexter Smith (BS ’11) was accepted into the 2011 corps of Teach for America, a national corps of top recent college graduates who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become lifelong leaders in the pursuit of teaching equality. Smith will teach in Houston, Texas. Hudson Swafford (BSFCS ’11) of Tallahassee, Fla., won the $30,000 first-place prize at the eGolf Tour’s HGM Hotels Classic in Conover, N.C. Meghan Taylor (BMus ’11) of Bogart was admitted to the opera program at the Royal Academy of Music, an arm of the University of London.

Brian Watts (BS ’11) of Douglasville was awarded a Fullbright English Teaching Assistantship Grant. He will spend the 2011-12 academic year teaching in South Korea.

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DECEMBER 2011 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE

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CLASSNOTES

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GRAD NOTES Agriculture

Willaim Wiebold (PhD ’78) of Columbia, Mo., was selected to the American Society of Agronomy’s 2011 class of Fellows. Michael Richardson (PhD ’91) of Fayetteville, Ark., was selected to the American Society of Agronomy’s 2011 class of Fellows. Cathleen C. Williams (MS ’91) of Baton Rouge, La., was named winner of the Land O’Lakes/ Purina LLC Teaching Award in Dairy Production. Williams is an associate professor in the LSU AgCenter School of Animal Sciences. Donna Garren (PhD ’96) of Woodbridge, Va., is the new vice president of regulatory and technical affairs for the American Frozen Food Institute.

Arts & Sciences

Russell Eisenman (MS ’63, PhD ’66) of Edinburg, Texas, is associate professor of psychology at the University of Texas-Pan American. His most recently

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published book, Creativity, Mental Illness and Crime, came out in a second edition.

Thomas Housley (PhD ’74) of West Lafayette, Ind., retired from Purdue University. He was a professor in the agronomy department for 35 years, and the American Society of Agronomy recognized him in 2007 as the Agronomic Resident Educator of the Year for his work with undergraduates and with Indiana high school teachers and students.

David A. Garfinkel (AB ’73, MPA ’75) of Jacksonville, Fla., was recognized among the 2011 list of “Florida Super Lawyers,” an honor recognizing only 5 percent of Florida attorneys. Richard Reardon (MS ’78, PhD ’81) completed a term as associate vice president and Coeur d’Alene Center executive officer for the University of Idaho and returned to his position as associate dean of the College of Letters, Arts & Social Sciences. Jann Adams (MS ’81, PhD ’84) retired after 27 years of teaching statistics and research methods. She taught at Middle Tennessee State University

and 21 years at the College of Idaho, where she is now an emerita professor of psychology. Steven John ElliottGower (MA ’86, PhD ’89) of Athens was appointed interim director of the center for excellence in teaching and learning at Georgia College. He remains director of the honors program. Jon Mehlferber (MFA ’88, PhD ’93) of Clarkesville, Ga., was awarded tenure and promoted to the rank of associate professor at North Georgia College & State University.

Kristi Kiick (MS ’91) was named deputy dean of the University of Delaware’s College of Engineering. Kiick is a professor of materials science and engineering. John Wright (MFA ’95) of Manitowoc, Wis., was named associate dean at the University of Wisconsin-Manitowoc.

He has been teaching there since 2004.

Karen Salyer McElmurray (PhD ’97) of Milledgeville won the Chaffin Award for Appalachian writing from Morehead State University for her debut novel, Strange Birds in the Tree of Heaven. Her most recent novel, The Motel of the Stars,

Forestry professor

honored with scholarship The family of deceased Warnell Associate Professor Reid Parker (BSF ’50) has established a scholarship in his memory. The J. Reid Parker Memorial Merit Scholarship, a one-year scholarship of $2,000 awarded to a sophomore or junior, will honor the memory of Parker, who died Jan. 13 at age 86. A professor at the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources for 32 years, Parker grew SPECIAL up in South Carolina during the Great Depression before serving in the U.S. Air Corps and U.S. Army during World War II. He enrolled at UGA in 1950, earning his BSF degree before conducting his post-graduate work at other institutions. Parker returned to UGA to teach in 1954. He retired in 1986 as associate professor emeritus after a career that also included a two-year stint as UGA athletic director for administration, where he accompanied the Bulldogs to their 1980 national championship.

was named an Editor’s Pick by the Oxford American. McElmurray is an assistant professor in creative writing at Georgia College and State University and serves as creative nonfiction editor for Arts and Letters. Kelly Carolyn Gordon (PhD ’01) of Brevard, N.C., earned a certificate from the management development program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and was elected vice president of professional development for the Association for Theatre in Higher Education.

Gordon is the coordinator of Theatre Studies at Brevard College. Mark Pearson (PhD ’05) wrote a story called “The Short History of an Ear,” which was featured in an anthology called The Best American Sports Writing 2011. Kellie McHugh (MM ’11) of Athens participated in the “Schumann Liederfest,” a three-week intensive study program focusing on the work of Robert Schumann in Zwickau, Germany. McHugh studied language and vocal diction with German master vocalists and was given many opportunities to perform.

Business

John C. Patterson (AB ’75, MBA ’79) of Ogden, Utah, was named city manager of the Casper City Council. Patterson previously served as city manager of West Valley City, Utah, for 11 years.

Charles L. Guilbeau (BBA ’82, MMR ’83) is vice president of consumer strategy and insights for Anheuser-Busch InBev in St. Louis. Jeff Sherman (PhD ’90) of Bogart was named vice president of worldwide sales for Block Engineering, a leading developer of MEMS, laser and FTIR spectroscopy sensors.

Michael Thrasher (BBA ’04, MAcc ’04) was promoted to manager in the personal financial services practice at Bennett Thrasher PC, the fourth largest Atlanta-based, full-service accounting, audit and consulting firm. Susan Dowdy (BBA ’99, MAcc ’05) was promoted to manager in the tax department at Bennett Thrasher PC, the fourth largest Atlanta-based, full-service accounting, audit and consulting firm. Debbie Story (AB ’80, MBA ’06) of Dallas, Texas, was

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CLASSNOTES

appointed senior vice president-talent development and chief diversity officer for AT&T Services Inc. Larry Nedrow (MBA ’09) was named vice president of member development for a company called AFFLINK.

Education

Ouida Word Dickey (EdD ’66) of Rome was recognized by the Georgia Council on Economic Education with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her devotion to education and her impact at Berry College. Dickey spent 43 years at Berry as a professor in the business department and an academic administrator.

Sheryl Bryant Vogt (BSEd ’68, MEd ’69, EdS ’73) of Athens was named to the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board by Gov. Nathan Deal. Robin Bohannon (BSEd ’72, MEd ’73) of Augusta was reappointed to the state board of examiners for speech-language pathology and audiology. Mickey Dillard (BSEd ’71, MEd ’78) of Dillard Realty is affiliated with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. Dillard has been active with Dillard Realty since its opening in 1976. Fred Sanderson (BSEd

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’72, EdS ’86) of Roswell retired from the position of superintendent for Cobb County schools in July. Doric Capsis (MEd ’87) of East Williston, N.Y., was presented the Allen Dawson Memorial Award for contributions to the sport of track and field by the Nassau County Track Coaches Association. Steven W. Smith (BSEd ’86, MEd ’91, MBA ’10) of Atlanta was named deputy superintendent/chief of staff of the Atlanta Public Schools with executive control over all district areas. Keith J. Anderson (PhD ’92) was recognized as a Fellow of the American College Health Association.

Anderson has been a staff psychologist at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute since 1994. Allen Fort (EdS ’92) of Valdosta was appointed superintendent of Quitman County’s school system. Fort previously served as a principal of Gordon Central High School. Will Schofield (BSEd ’86, MEd ’92, EdS ’94) is Hall County superintendent of schools. He also raises dairy calves on the 12 acres of land surrounding his home. Sharon Horne (MEd ’94, PhD ’98) was named a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. Horne is an associate pro-

Celebrating a Free Spirit

Editor’s note: Brittney Fox Watts died during a July shooting spree in midtown Atlanta.

By all accounts Brittney Fox Watts (ABJ ’07) was a free spirit, fond of traveling, flea markets, photography and vintage bikes.

Her unexpected death left her husband, Brian Watts (BBA ’05, MBA ’07), and a large group of family and friends searching for a way to honor her memory. Enter Free Spirit, a farmhouse ale conceived by Brian, his brother Dustin Watts (BBA ’03) and Brittney’s brother Kevin Fox (AB ’06). It was a natural fit—Brian and Brittney had traveled often with Dustin and his wife, Terri Matthews Watts, and the couples always enjoyed sampling local offerings. So this fall Free Spirit was produced as a joint project between Athens-based Terrapin Beer Company, where Dustin is vice president of marketing and sales, and Baltimore-based Heavy Seas Beer, where Kevin works in sales.

To honor Brittney, they chose the style of beer that seemed the best fit. “Farmhouse ales are very free spirited,” Dustin says. “They have no real guidelines.” Brittney loved sunflowers, so they used sunflower seeds in the beer—“a complete experiment,” Dustin says. They also used

fessor in counseling psychology and an affiliate faculty member of the Center for Research on Women at the University of Memphis. J. Ross Peters (MEd ’96) of Atlanta was named high school principal at the Westminster Schools in Buckhead. Peters previously served as upper school director for the Hawken School in Cleveland, Ohio. Kevin M. Oliver (PhD ’99) was promoted to associate professor with tenure in the department of curriculum and instruction at North Carolina State University. Robert “Bob” Heaberlin (EdD ’00) of Newnan was named Georgia’s 2011 National Distinguished Principal by the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the U.S. Department of Education. Heaberlin is the principal of Lee Middle School in Coweta County.

Ryan Beckwith (MEd ’03) was named

elderflower to continue the flower theme. The label for Free Spirit is just as personalized. Created by 22squared, where Brittney worked, it includes a fox, a vintage bicycle with a gnome in the basket, a willow tree for her dog (who’s named Willow) and 22 sunflowers. A heart carved into the tree trunk includes Brittney and Brian’s initials, and the label also includes a quote from her blog. Even the description of the beer was tweaked to represent Brittney, with phrases like “big heart” and “beautiful soul” rendered in capital letters. Free Spirit was bottled in October, and the neck and cap were dipped in yellow wax. It was a small run of 200 cases, and distribution primarily was targeted for areas where Brittney and Brian lived—Atlanta, Tampa and Athens. “The beer turned out fantastic,” Dustin says. “There’s been no beer at the brewery that’s gotten more love.”

the new athletic director of Bakersfield College in California. Lee Newman (BMus ’01, MMEd ’03) is the new director of the concert and marching band program at Norcross High School. His wife, Katie Newman (BS ’03), also took a new job as the guard instructor for Pope High School in Pickens County.

Adam Tribble (BSEd ’02, MEd ’03) of Tuscaloosa, Ala., joined the University of Alabama coaching staff as an assistant coach. Selena Blankenship (BSHE ’89, MEd ’05, PhD ’09) of Athens was named principal of Hilsman Middle School. Ryan Fox (MEd ’07, PhD ’11) of Marietta won more than $18,000 during a two-night run on “Jeopardy!” Fox beat two other contestants on the quiz show’s July 26 episode and was invited back the next day. Robbie Latimore (EdD ’09) of Americus was inducted as

an honorary member in the South Georgia Technical College’s chapter of the National Technical Honor Society. Ron Newcomb (AB ’71, MA ’78, EdD ’11) was named interim president of Chattahoochee Technical College. Newcomb is the provost and executive vice president of the college. Bryant Odom (BSEd ’02, MS ’11) of Madison, Wis., was named assistant men’s golf coach for the University of Wisconsin golf team. Odom is a former UGA All-American and All-SEC performer. Jamie R. Riley (PhD ’11) of Farmville, Va., was named director of diversity and inclusion at Longwood University.

Forest Resources

Lenise Lago (BSFR ’83, MFR ’85) of Washington, D.C., became the deputy chief of business operations for the

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CLASSNOTES

U.S. Forest Service Department of Agriculture. Lago previously served as the deputy regional forester in the Pacific Northwest region. Emily Jo Williams (BSFR ’83, MS ’86) of Eatonton joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southeast Region in Atlanta as chief of migratory birds.

Williams is responsible for migratory bird-related programs, permitting and coordination.

Journalism and Mass Communication

John C. Futch (ABJ ’68, MA ’81) of Long Beach, Calif., was appointed news/content editor at the PressTelegram. Hanna Elise Horwitz Norton (ABJ ’94, MMC ’98, PhD ’01) of Russellville, Ark., was promoted to assistant vice president for academic affairs at Arkansas Tech.

Norton previously served as head of the Arkansas Tech department of speech, theatre and journalism.

Law

Aaron Cohn (LLB ’38) of Columbus, Ga., retired at the end of September. He was the nation’s longest serving juvenile court judge.

Dean Covington Jr. (JD ’65) of Rome joined McDonald Wealth Management, a financial services firm specializing in investment, insurance and estate planning. Neil Gordon (JD ’79) is the president of the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees. Michael A. Morris (BSEd ’73, MEd ’74, JD ’79) was elected to Athens First Bank & Trust’s advisory board of directors. Morris is a senior partner with the law firm of Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley P.C. David McDade (ABJ ’79, JD ’82) of Douglasville was elected president of the Georgia District Attorneys Association.

The association represents all 49 elected district attorneys in the state.

William A. “Bill” Gillon (JD ’83) of Germantown, Tenn., was elected to serve as the chairman of the board for Agricenter International. Gillon is the Cotton Board president and chief executive officer. Ginny Looney (JD ’85) accepted a clerk job with

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the Georgia Supreme Court. Looney previously served as Atlanta’s ethics officer at City Hall. Donna Musil (ABJ ’81, JD ’85) won the Clews Center for the Arts Artists-in-Residency fellowship to spend a month at the Chateau de la Napoule in France in October. Musil was one of eight artists to receive this fellowship. Greg Sapp (AB ’83, JD ’86) of Savannah was appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal as the new Chatham County State Court judge. Donna Avans Seagraves (JD ’87) of Athens was appointed to the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council by Gov. Nathan Deal. Joe Frank Harris Jr. (BBA ’86, JD ’89) of Cartersville was named permanent president of the Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce by the chamber’s board of directors. John Doughty Cole (JD ’91) of Charlotte, N.C., is a member at the law firm Nexsen Pruet. He and his wife, Susan Cole (AB ’89), have three children. Amy Lambert Smith (JD ’95) of Kathleen was appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to fill the Houston County state solicitor post. Smith is the chief assistant district attorney for Houston County. Ramona Murphy Bartos (MHP ’02, JD ’02) of Rincon was selected as deputy state historic preservation officer and administrator of the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office in Raleigh.

Elizabeth Allgood Blalock (AB ’00, JD ’03) of Atlanta was promoted to general counsel for the Georgia Conservancy, an Atlanta-based environmental nonprofit organization. Blalock previously served

as manager for the Conservancy’s Coastal Georgia Land Conservation Initiative. Ashley Marsh Tyndal (BBA ’04, MAcc ’06, JD ’07) and Chris Tyndal (AB ’03) of Atlanta celebrated the birth of their daughter, McClendon Bridges Tyndal, on Aug. 11. Ernest L. “Chip” Beaton IV (JD ’08) of St. Simons Island is an associate with the firm Hall, Booth, Smith & Slover P.C. in Brunswick. Efrain Poloche (JD ’08) of Atlanta associated with the firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP and celebrated the birth of his son, Cameron Cristiano, on July 18 with his wife Katie. Meghan Ryan Noblett (AB ’06, JD ’09) of Alpharetta married Andrew Mark Noblett on July 10, 2010.

Social Work

Linda Cunningham (MSW ’95) joined the guidance department at St. Bernard School. Rachelle “Shelly” Hutchinson (MSW ’00), owner and founder of the Social Empowerment Center, received the Outstanding Field Instructor-Gwinnett Award from UGA’s School of Social Work for her role as field practicum supervisor for BSW and MSW student interns from UGA.

Veterinary Medicine

Dale Bjorling (MS ’82) of Madison, Wis., was named associate dean for research and graduate training at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. Margaret Baxter (DVM ’86) sold her practice, The Vets Animal Hospital, in Windsor, Colo., to move back to Athens with her husband,

Gary Baxter (MS ’88). Baxter has owned and operated her practice since 1996.

Gary Baxter (MS ’88) resigned as a faculty member at the Colorado State University veterinary teaching hospital to become the hospital director at the vet school at UGA. Rebecca Babcock (BSA ’94, DVM ’98) and Karen Donovan (DVM ’04) opened Red Barn Veterinary Hospital, a fully computerized veterinary hospital that focuses on quality medicine and surgery in Dahlonega. Amy Belew (DVM ’99) of Marietta is Cobb County Animal Control’s first full-time veterinarian. The county commissioners approved the new position in February, and Belew started in June. Karen Donovan (DVM ’04) and Rebecca Babcock (BSA ’94, DVM ’98) opened Red Barn Veterinary Hospital, a fully computerized veterinary hospital that focuses on quality medicine and surgery in Dahlonega.

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BACK

PAGE “I didn’t want to be an anonymous student in a big lecture class, and I was trying to figure out ways to carve a little niche into an undergraduate pre-med science major. Because of this connection with my mom [who loved to garden], I always liked plants. There was this botany professor in intro bio, in this class with 500 people. And he was myopic—I don’t believe he could see beyond the first row of the classroom. He was this really stereotypically geeky science professor, and he was so excited about plants that I just decided you know, I like plants, and I really am going to try to focus on that. So I started taking classes in botany and just studying plants.”

—Rodney Mauricio on how he started focusing on plant research during his undergraduate days at Harvard. His current research includes exploring the evolutionary genetics of invasive plants like kudzu.

Rodney Mauricio Associate Professor of Genetics, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences A.B., magna cum laude with highest honors in biology, Harvard University Ph.D., zoology, Duke University Provost’s Outstanding Faculty Service Award, 2011 Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award, 2006 Richard B. Russell Award for Undergraduate Teaching, 2005 Sandy Beaver Excellence in Teaching Award, 2004 Photo shot in a kudzu stand on Riverbend Road by Peter Frey

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