University of Georgia Magazine September 2016

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GEORGIA PROUD Ryan Seacrest made his parents—and nearly 5,000 UGA graduates— proud at spring undergraduate Commencement in May. The radio/ TV impresario and host of “American Idol” offered advice with humor and confidence before receiving an honorary doctorate of humane letters more than 20 years after attending the university.

Here, President Jere W. Morehead (JD ’80) leads the processional into Sanford Stadium, followed by Seacrest and student speaker Karishma Sriram (BS ’16).

Photo by Dorothy Kozlowski

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Rodrigo Moura

FEATURES

After locating a new reef system at the mouth of the Amazon, researchers brought up coral—including the specimen above—plus 73 species of fish and 61 species of sponges.

20 Fueling innovation

Innovation Gateway shepherds university research discoveries into the marketplace. The program encompasses the technology licensing and startup support functions of the university’s research enterprise and includes an in-house team of experts that helps researchers commercialize their discoveries. Services include access to an incubator program that provides seed funding and mentoring to early-stage companies.

26 Amazing reveal

A new reef system at the mouth of the Amazon River—discovered by an international team of researchers including UGA’s Patricia Yager—has scientists reconsidering what they know about life underwater. The team published its findings in Science Advances in April, attracting attention from media including National Geographic and the Los Angeles Times.

ON THE COVER Scientific research at UGA leads to discoveries that can be transferred to the market, boosting Georgia’s economy. Photo by vitalssss/thinkstock, photo illustration by Jackie Baxter Roberts.

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vol. 95, no. 4

georgia magazine

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Q&A President Jere W. Morehead (JD ’80) on fundraising, the new Science Learning Center and the new Exploratory Center.

Editor · Allyson Mann (MA ’92) Managing Editor · Margaret Blanchard (AB ’91, MA ’98) Art Director · Jackie Baxter Roberts Advertising Director · Pamela Leed Office Manager · Fran Burke UGA Photographers · Peter Frey (BFA ’94), Robert Newcomb (BFA ’81), Rick O’Quinn (ABJ ’87), Andrew Davis Tucker, Dorothy Kozlowski (BLA ’06, ABJ ’10), Chad Osburn Editorial Interns · Camren Skelton, Mara Weissinger Contributors · John W. English, Andy Johnston (ABJ ’88), Lori Johnston (ABJ ’95), Pamela A. Keene, Rebecca McCarthy

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marketing & communications

Around the Arch 6

Vice President · Karri Hobson-Pape Executive Director · Janis Gleason

Where the wild things are

administration

UGA researchers find abundant wildlife populations at Chernobyl.

7

Plug it in UGA to purchase new electric buses.

8

Remembering a pioneer The late Horace Ward was the first African American to apply for admission to UGA.

10

Batter up!

UGA’s softball team ends the season with a top 10 ranking.

Close Ups 12

34 On the Bulldog Beat UGA surpasses 300,000 living alumni.

42 On camera Matt Stinchcomb (BBA ‘01) broadcasts football for the SEC Network.

46 Urban solutions Mark Anthony Thomas (BBA ’01) directs the L.A. Mayor’s Operations Innovation Team.

Work it Internships are helping students like Madeline Hawkins (ABJ ’16) get jobs.

Once an intern at the Smithsonian, she is now employed there as program assistant for the Luce Foundation Center.

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Class Notes

President · Jere W. Morehead (JD ’80) Senior VP for Academic Affairs & Provost · Pamela Whitten VP for Finance & Administration · Ryan Nesbit (MBA ’91) VP for Development & Alumni Relations · Kelly Kerner VP for Instruction · Rahul Shrivastav VP for Research · David C. Lee VP for Public Service & Outreach · Jennifer Frum (PhD ’11) VP for Student Affairs · Victor Wilson (BSW ’82, MED ’87) VP for Government Relations · J. Griffin Doyle (AB ’76, JD ’79) VP for Information Technology · Timothy M. Chester

50 Dude, where’s my car?

Scotty Reiss (ABJ ’87) brings a woman’s perspective to car purchasing.

Follow your heart More than 20 years after attending UGA as a freshman, Ryan Seacrest returns to campus to deliver the Commencement address and receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Send Class Notes to gmeditor@uga.edu Send address changes to records@uga.edu

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Change your mailing address by contacting e: records@uga.edu or ph: 888-268-5442 Find Georgia Magazine online at ugamagazine.uga.edu Submit Class Notes or story ideas to gmeditor@uga.edu

advertise in Georgia Magazine by contacting Pamela Leed at e: pjleed@uga.edu or ph: 706-542-8124

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 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 administrations of educational policies, programs or activities; its admissions policies; scholarhsip 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 non-discrimination policy. Inquiries or complaints should be directed to the director of the Equal Opportunity Office 119 Homes-Hunter Academic Building, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602. Telephone 706-542-7912 (V/ TDD). Fax 706-542-2822.

Q&A

with President Jere W. Morehead (JD ’80)

The University of Georgia has much to celebrate as the 2016-17 school year gets underway. What are some of the highlights?

We are delighted that the university set a new record in fundraising for the third year in a row. UGA community members demonstrated that their commitment to this institution is stronger than ever by contributing more than $183 million in new gifts and pledges—a 28 percent increase over last year’s previous record of $144 million. Private support is essential for helping us expand scholarship programs, enhance the learning environment, and recruit and retain outstanding faculty. While a long campaign of this nature will ebb and flow, this positive trend is encouraging as we prepare to launch the public phase of UGA’s comprehensive capital campaign later in the fall.

What exciting changes to the Athens campus will students and others notice this fall?

On South Campus, the new Science Learning Center opened its doors in August. This facility, which was funded entirely by our state, will transform science education at the University of Georgia at a time when the demand for training in the STEM disciplines— science, technology, engineering and math—is incredibly high in Georgia and across the nation. The Science Learning Center contains instructional labs for physics, chemistry, biology and ecology courses; classrooms designed to promote active learning; group meeting spaces; and other student-centered features.

This $48 million project represents a commitment on the part of university and state leaders to prepare students for the rapidly growing number of STEMrelated jobs in Georgia.

UGA’s new Exploratory Center also opened in August. How will it benefit students?

The Exploratory Center, housed in the Tate Student Center in the heart of the Athens campus, supports students who are undecided about their major, transitioning to a new major, or pre-qualifying for a major within the Terry College of Business or Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

It is staffed with specially trained advisors who help students develop a plan to closely align their learning experiences with their career aspirations. The advisors also promote timely graduation and cost efficiency for our students by helping them make the most of their course credits.

This is not the only initiative the university has undertaken to improve advising. What else has been done in this important area?

UGA has been working steadily to strengthen undergraduate advising to ensure the best possible experience and support for our students. The university has increased academic advising services for incoming first-year and transfer students, and the advising process at orientation has been revised to help students identify programs and resources at UGA that will enhance their education from the start.

We have hired 35 additional academic advisors over the past two years so that students will receive more personal attention. In addition, new web-based digital tools are being introduced this year to help students communicate with their advisors and track their progress toward degree completion.

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National Geographic/Jim Beasley/Sarah Webster

AROUNDTHEARCH

wildlife lives at chernobyl UGA researchers have validated findings that wildlife populations are abundant in Ukraine’s Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, site of the world’s largest nuclear accident 30 years ago. James Beasley, an assistant professor with UGA’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory and the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, led the first remotecamera scent-station survey conducted in the area. Cameras were set up on trees or tree-like structures outfitted with a fatty acid scent to attract animals. The study documents species prevalent in the zone, such as the gray wolf (above), and supports earlier findings that animal distribution is not influenced by radiation levels. Other species of mammals observed include the wild or Eurasian boar, red fox and raccoon dog, a canid species found in East Asia and Europe.

The study was published in the journal Frontiers of Ecology and Environment. Coverage of the findings appeared in National Geographic, The Washington Post and the Christian Science Monitor, and were broadcast on Voice of America.

Andrew Davis Tucker

UGA sets new fundraising record

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Special

It’s electric UGA received a big boost in its efforts to advance campus mobility and sustainability in June when it was awarded $10 million from the state to buy 19 electric buses. The university will provide $5 million in matching funds. AthensClarke County also received $6 million to buy 10 hybrid-electric buses.

“We are grateful to Gov. Deal and the Georgia General Assembly for backing this important transportation initiative, and I thank the Go! Transit Capital Program for supporting our proposal,” says UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “This significant investment will put the University of Georgia at the forefront of advancing innovative and cost-effective campus transportation.”

The 40-foot electric buses are scheduled to arrive on campus next year. UGA’s Campus Transit serves 11 million passengers a year.

udall scholar named

Graduate student receives Schlumberger Fellowship

Honors student Jonah Driggers was named a Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation Scholar for 2016.

The awards of up to $7,000 are given to outstanding students pursuing careers in environmental or Native American public policy. Driggers, a junior earning a bachelor’s degree in geography and a master’s degree in conservation ecology, is the ninth UGA student to receive the award in the past six years. After graduation he plans to pursue a Juris Doctor and eventually work as a policy leader in clean energy. His extracurricular activities include serving as director of the Center for Energy and the Environment, part of the UGA chapter of the Roosevelt Institute, a student-run think tank.

Special

UGA doctoral student María Eugenia Castellanos was awarded a 2016-17 Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowship to fund her research on tuberculosis transmission.

Established in 2004, the grant provides women scientists from developing and emerging countries up to $50,000 to pursue advanced graduate studies at top universities abroad.

Castellanos will study isolates of bacteria in HIV patients at a clinic in Guatemala. Her research will identify the strains of TB more prevalent in this particularly vulnerable population and also look at the risk factors that might increase a patient’s chance of having a recent transmission of the disease.

A native of Guatemala City, Castellanos came to the U.S. in 2014 supported by a Fulbright fellowship to study under Dr. Christopher Whalen, Ernest Corn Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at UGA’s College of Public Health.

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BEST IN SHOW A

BARK OUT TO

… keturah orji, a sophomore from Mount

Olive, N.J., who was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association National Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year.

… the georgia review, which received

an Art Works award of $10,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts to help support its 70th anniversary programming.

... the college of family and consumer sciences, whose team of

scientists placed first in the inaugural Green and Sustainable Chemistry Challenge for an innovative and environmentally friendly textile dyeing technology.

… cynthia dillard, the Mary Frances

… the georgia museum of art and james reap (JD ’76), professor of

historic preservation law, who received the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s Excellence in Preservation Service Award.

… sylvie brick (BS ’16), from Frankfort, Ill.,

a member of the UGA women’s golf team, who received the female Peach of an Athlete Award from the Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

… rod dishman, professor in the department of kinesiology, who received a 2016 Citation Award from the American College of Sports Medicine.

… deloris hesse (MS ’85, PhD ’88),

coordinator of UGA’s undergraduate anatomy and physiology program, who received a Textbook Transformation Award from Affordable Learning Georgia.

… working in the public interest, a student-run conference at the UGA School of Law, which received the State Bar of Georgia Law School Excellence in Access to Justice Award.

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Paul Efland

Early Professor of Teacher Education, who received the Henry T. Trueba Award for Research Leading to the Transformation of the Social Contexts of Education from the American Educational Research Association.

civil rights leader remembered Civil rights pioneer Horace Ward made an indelible mark on the University of Georgia. Ward, the first African American to apply for admission to UGA, died April 23 at the age of 88.

Born in LaGrange, he received a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College in 1949 and a master’s from Atlanta University in 1950. After his application to UGA’s School of Law was denied, Ward sought legal resolution.

When that effort failed, he joined the U.S. Army and served in Korea.

After earning a Juris Doctor from Northwestern University in 1959, Ward returned to Georgia and joined the legal team that represented the late Hamilton Holmes (BS ’63) and Charlayne Hunter-Gault (ABJ ’63) in their landmark efforts to enroll at UGA in 1961.

Ward served as a state senator in the Georgia General Assembly from 1965-74. In the 1970s, he became the first African-American trial court judge in Georgia and eventually was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. He retired from the federal bench in 2012.

Ward received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from UGA in 2014.

“Generations of Georgians are the beneficiaries of Judge Ward’s activism, civil rights work, public service and jurisprudence,” says Maurice Daniels, former dean of the School of Social Work. “I am keenly aware and immensely grateful that he and his comrades made it possible for me to teach and research, and serve as a dean at the University of Georgia.”

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UGA moves up on Forbes list

UGA climbed up a spot to No. 17 on Forbes’ list of “Top 25 Public Colleges 2016,” released in July. The rankings were determined by five general categories: student satisfaction, academic success, graduation rate, student debt, and post-graduate success. Such factors, according to the publication, emphasize return on investment and what students get out of college.

“Significant investments to enhance the learning environment and provide students with the support they need to succeed are clearly paying dividends, and the future of this institution is very bright,” says President Jere W. Morehead.

Forbes worked with Washington, D.C.-based Center for College Affordability and Productivity to rank 660 public and private colleges and universities.

Colleagues and friends of former Sen. Saxby Chambliss (BBA ’66) raised $250,000 in support of UGA’s Chambliss Fellows program at a June event in Washington, D.C. In attendance were Chambliss and his wife, Julianne (BSEd ’67), President Morehead, student interns, and members of the U.S. Congress including Sen. Johnny Isakson (BBA ’66) (R-Ga.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.).

The funds raised will provide experiential learning opportunities for five UGA students each fall and spring semester in the nation’s capital. The students will be selected through a competitive application process.

“I am truly excited about the future of this program and the students who will become Chambliss Fellows,” says Chambliss, who served in the U.S. Senate 200215. “It is an honor to give back to my alma mater and ensure opportunities like this one endure. I am also deeply appreciative of my former colleagues for their willingness to join us in supporting the University of Georgia and our future leaders.”

The event was hosted by Altria Group Inc., and presenting sponsors were General Dynamics, Home Depot and Northrop Grumman. Additional support was provided by The Coca-Cola Company, Lockheed Martin and Southern Company.

Special

chambliss raises scholarship funds

foreign service fellowship award UGA Honors student Valerie Tucker was awarded a Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship for students interested in careers in the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service. The highly competitive fellowship includes up to $37,500 in annual scholarship funds for two years. Tucker is a junior majoring in international affairs and Spanish and one of 30 chosen from hundreds of applicants.

Tucker completed a yearlong fellowship as a Richard B. Russell Security Leadership Scholar within the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA). She interned with TradeSecure LLC, a company that helps global businesses with issues such as export control, foreign investment and trade policies. Tucker also completed an immersive study abroad program at the University of Valencia in Spain.

“Valerie Tucker is an outstanding student in international affairs and the Center for International Trade and Security Leadership Program,” says Stefanie Lindquist, former dean of SPIA. “She is extremely impressive and we were thrilled, but not surprised, that she was selected.”

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uga softball shines

It was a postseason for the record books for the Georgia Bulldogs softball team, which made its third appearance ever at the Women’s College World Series in June. The road to Oklahoma City included sweeping No. 1-ranked Florida in two games at the NCAA Super Regional Tournament in May. In the second, the Bulldogs beat the Gators thanks to a pinch-hit home run by Kaylee Puailoa in the bottom of the seventh inning (above). The victory led UGA to an unexpected 16th seed berth in the national championship.

Senior players Puailoa, Katie Browne, Alex Hugo, Tina Iosefa, Samatha LaZear and Chelsea Wilkinson were largely credited for the successful season.

The team ranked No. 7 in final national polls, marking its sixth top 10 finish and best since 2010.

Special

Engineering graduate receives DOE fellowship

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UGA graduate Scotty Smith has been named a 2016 Nuclear Energy University Program Fellow by the U.S. Department of Energy. The scholarships of $155,000 over three years are awarded annually to graduate students in engineering and science programs.

Smith is one of 33 fellows selected nationwide. A UGA Honors student from Duluth, he graduated in May with a degree in civil engineering and will continue his studies at Georgia Tech’s School of Material Sciences.

“Scotty has been an amazing student and a great ambassador for our program,” says Donald J. Leo, dean of the College of Engineering.

Smith’s undergraduate research focused on examining the structural performance and environmental impact of increasing the allowable replacement levels of cement with fly ash for Georgia concrete pavements. Fly ash is a byproduct of coal-fired power plants.

Last summer he completed a research fellowship at Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, N.M.

around the

ARCH jack davis (1924-2016): an artistic legacy

Courtesy of Mark Maxwell (M ’85)

Dot Paul

The Bulldog Nation lost a huge fan when artist and illustrator Jack Davis (M ’52) died July 27. A founding editor of MAD Magazine, Davis was known for hundreds of caricatures of UGA’s mascot in his signature style.

Born in Atlanta, Davis studied with artist Lamar Dodd at the university, which he attended on the G.I. Bill. As a student, he honed his skills at The Red & Black, the student newspaper, and Bullsheet, a local humor publication. His relationship with the UGA athletics program began in 1948 when he drew head football coach Wally Butts for the front and back of that year’s media guide.

He later moved to New York, where he attended the Art Students League before working with William Gaines’ EC Comics. Known for his speed and images overflowing with colorful characters, Davis appeared in most of the first 30 issues of MAD. He also drew covers for Time and TV Guide, created album cover art and designed movie posters.

“Jack Davis was a seminal figure in illustration of the last century,” according to Chris Garvin, director of UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art. “His work was both timely and timeless. It perfectly expressed the era in which he worked and will endure as a true example of excellence in art and design.”

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thinkstock

CLOSEUP

ExperienceUGA.com

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WORK IT Internships are helping UGA students quickly launch their careers

by Allyson Mann (MA ’92)

A

lex Bosse and Madeline Hawkins graduated from UGA in May, earning bachelor’s degrees in finance and public relations, respectively. By the end of summer, each was working a full-time job in their field. Their good fortune is due to more than simply luck and a quality education—both completed several internships as undergraduates.

“Of the types of experiential learning UGA offers, internships provide probably the most direct connection between a student’s education and a job,” says Linda Bachman, director of university experiential learning.

That’s certainly true for these two. Bosse spent summer 2015 as an intern at J.P. Morgan in New York City, where he’s now working as an analyst. And Hawkins interned at the Smithsonian in spring 2015; she is now program assistant for the Luce Foundation Center, part of the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum.

Internships are just one example of the many options for personalized experiential learning opportunities at UGA.

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“I did a lot of internships,

Such opportunities became even more common this semester when the university’s new experiential learning requirement went into effect, mandating that all first-year students engage in experiential, or handson, learning before graduation. UGA is now the largest public university in the nation to ensure that each undergraduate student participates in transformative experiences such as internships, study abroad, service learning or research—opportunities that take them out of the classroom to gain real-world experience.

“Internships, like other experiential practices, ask students to push themselves a little bit, to go beyond their comfort zone,” Bachman says. “They’re taking risks, and they’re getting mentorship and feedback.”

They are also exploring the professional world.

Bosse was interested in finance and interned at Bank of America Merrill Lynch after his freshman year. During his sophomore year, he started thinking long term.

“I realized that in order to get the job that I wanted, I needed to perform internships starting at a fairly young age in college,” he says.

After his sophomore year, he interned with investment banking firms Frisch Capital Partners and Croft & Bender. He landed the J.P. Morgan internship after his junior year.

“Internships are the best way to figure out what you like and what you don’t like,” he says. “They allow you to evaluate different opportunities and choose the best career fit.”

Hawkins, who majored in public relations, also completed several internships, choosing opportunities that reflected her interests. She draws and paints and has always loved visiting museums, so interning at the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum was a great fit.

But Hawkins also enjoys serving others, so she spent summer 2015 interning with Make-A-Wish Georgia.

After graduating she spent the summer interning with See.Spark.Go., a media relations agency, where she honed her communication skills.

“I did a lot of internships, and they were all wonderful experiences,” she says. “I learned skills in each one that really benefitted me.”

A 2010 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers revealed that employers reported 44.6 percent of their class of 2009 hires came from their own internship programs. The study also found that 42.3 percent of the seniors who had internship experience and applied for a job received at least one job offer.

Linda Bachman expects the demand for internships at UGA to grow as students pursue their interests, seek real-world experience to home in on a career path, and strive to increase their appeal to employers.

and they were all wonderful experiences.

I learned skills in each one that really benefitted me.”

Peter Frey

Madeline Hawkins (ABJ ’16) graduated in May and is now program assistant for the Luce Foundation Center, part of the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum in D.C.

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Special

“Students who participate in one experiential venture tend to do three or four or five,” she says.

“They come back for more.”

To help meet that demand, UGA is seeking help from alumni and friends who can partner with the university to provide internship opportunities, says Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.

“The experiences our students gain from internships are invaluable, and so are the fresh perspectives they provide to organizations large and small,” she says. “It’s truly a win-win for everyone involved.”

A survey of UGA’s 2015 graduates conducted by the university’s Career Center found that within six months of graduation, 94 percent were employed (full time, part time or self-employed), attending graduate school or completing internships. The Class of 2016 will fare just as well, if Hawkins’ and Bosse’s experiences are any indication. These two new members of the Bulldog family attribute their success to classroom instruction complemented by real-world opportunities.

“Classes were the launching pad into being successful in internships,” Hawkins says. “The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication gave me the specific knowledge of what to expect in a communications position and also taught me how to be professional in the workplace.”

Bosse, who studied at the Terry College of Business, had a similar experience.

“In the classroom you’re getting your first exposure to financial concepts and how they apply in theory,” he says. “UGA did a great job of preparing me.” GM

Alex Bosse (BBA ’16), an analyst at J.P. Morgan in New York City, received his job offer in July 2015 after completing an internship with the firm.

“Internships are the best way to figure out what you like and what you don’t like. They allow you to evaluate different opportunities and choose the best career fit.”

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CLOSEUP

Before speaking to graduates at UGA’s Commencement ceremony in May, Ryan Seacrest takes a selfie with Hairy Dawg.

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Two decades after leaving UGA for Hollywood, Ryan Seacrest shares what he has learned with the Class of 2016

F O L L OW YO U R

HEART

Peter

Frey

edia mogul Ryan Seacrest returned to campus in May to deliver the address at UGA’s Commencement ceremony for undergraduates and to receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. During his remarks, Seacrest advised graduates to live their passion.

“The best path we can choose for ourselves follows our hearts more than our heads,” he told the crowd, estimated at 40,000.

Seacrest attended UGA as a freshman in 1992, but moved to Hollywood before finishing a degree in order to pursue a broadcasting career. Twenty-four years later, he is known internationally for his work in television and radio, holding preeminent positions in broadcast and cable television as well as nationally syndicated radio and local radio. He is perhaps best known as host of the prime-time talent showcase “American Idol” on Fox and as host and executive producer of ABC’s annual New Year’s Eve program, “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.”

Accompanied by his family—sister Meredith (ABJ ’03), mother Connie and father Gary—Seacrest spent the day on campus, where he met with President Jere W. Morehead and had lunch with students from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

That evening, he congratulated the Class of 2016 on their achievements and shared the code by which he lives.

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r Andre w Da vis T ucke

(left) Seacrest is hooded by Grady College Dean Charles Davis and Provost Pamela Whitten as he receives an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree 24 years after enrolling as a freshman at UGA. (right) Seacrest greets (from left) Emmeline Hale, Kendall Trammell, Emily McLanahan and Damian Reynolds before joining them and fellow Grady College students for lunch.

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Andre w Da vis Tu

cker

Following Seacrest’s remarks, President Morehead presented him with an honorary doctorate in recognition of his commitment to youth-oriented initiatives.

His philanthropic efforts include his service as chairman of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, which has opened 10 broadcast media centers—known as Seacrest Studios—in pediatric hospitals across the country. Seacrest is also honorary chair of the Grammy Foundation and serves on the board of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. “Through his demonstrated and recognized leadership in his industry, his unyielding support for children’s health and well-being, and his dedication to Georgia,” Morehead said, “Ryan continues to have a positive impact on countless individuals not only throughout his home state, but also across the nation and all around the world.” GM

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SEACREST’S LIFE CODE TRUST YOUR GUT. “When you try something new, when you take a risk, or change your course, there will be naysayers and well-meaning skeptics. ... But whatever you do, don’t let them silence you or your intuition.”

LAUGH LOUDLY, AND PREFERABLY AT YOURSELF. “Laughter keeps you sane. Laugh hard, laugh often,

but laugh at yourself.”

INDULGE YOUR CURIOSITY. “Your college degree is great evidence you’ve learned a lot over the past four years. It’s a great start, but learning never stops.”

BE PREPARED. “A long time ago someone figured out there were 24 hours in every day. But you’re looking at the guy who discovered a loophole.

There are 25. The 25th hour is the time that you make happen to get yourself prepared for whatever is next. It’s when you steal back moments in your day, wherever you can find them, to get ready for tomorrow.”

Andre w Da vis T ucke

r

BE IMPATIENT. “Patience is for people who have time to kill, not for those without a minute to waste.”

GIVE BACK. “Choosing how to express gratitude is totally up to you. It’s one of the most deeply personal choices that you’ll ever make, but it is an important one.”

Seacrest high-fives Bobby Kwon (BS ’16) after delivering the Commencement address and receiving an honorary degree.

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UGA’s technology transfer team brings discoveries to the market and boosts Georgia’s economy

by Margaret Blanchard (AB ’91, MA ’98)

Photo by vitalssss/thinkstock. Photo illustration by Jackie Baxter Roberts.

thinkstock

T

he careers of alumni Kirby Alton and Rick Shimkets were shaped by their love of science and their work in the lab as students at the University of Georgia, which ultimately connected them with the university’s efforts to commercialize research discoveries.

In the early 1970s, Alton (BS ’74, PhD ’81) was tapped by a faculty member to work as a lab technician. It was a good opportunity for the zoology major, who at the time was waiting tables downtown at The Peddler Steakhouse. Experimenting in the lab ignited the curiosity of the South Georgia farm boy, leading him to earn a doctorate in genetics.

“The timing was perfect because it was the beginning of biotechnology,” he recalls. “I had an interest in genetics, and the professors pulled me into the labs.”

Twenty years later, a teenaged Rick Shimkets (BS ’93) took a summer job in a microbiology lab supervised by his older brother, Larry, a UGA professor. He fell in love with the campus and returned to complete his undergraduate degree in genetics before heading to Yale University for a doctorate in human genetics.

Both men enjoyed successful careers in the biopharmaceuticals industry.

Alton was on the initial team of scientists at biotech pioneer Applied Molecular Genetics—now Amgen—a company that today accrues more than $20 billion in annual revenues; he retired as senior vice president of development in 1999. Shimkets is the former vice president of drug discovery and scientific development for the CuraGen Corporation, which was sold to Celldex Therapeutics for $94.5 million in 2009.

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Peter Frey

Today, thanks to Innovation Gateway, the university’s technology transfer program, the two are leaders of Abeome, a startup company based on science developed

by Rich Meagher, Distinguished Research Professor of Genetics in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

Abeome is poised to make an impact on the booming antibodies market through its AbeoMouse technology, which creates antibodies targeted to autoimmune diseases such as asthma and psoriasis and holds promise for the treatment of cancer.

Such discoveries could potentially languish in a lab without the support of Innovation Gateway, a program that encompasses the technology licensing and startup support functions of the university’s research enterprise, which until recently had operated as two separate entities, the Technology Commercialization Office and the Georgia BioBusiness Center. The units were combined in 2015 to better facilitate the commercialization of innovative UGA technologies.

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Innovation Gateway’s director, Derek Eberhart (BSA ’86, MS ’91), describes it as an in-house team of experts that helps UGA researchers commercialize their discoveries.

“The land-grant mission drives our process,” he says.

“We focus on the research breakthroughs coming out of the university that might benefit the public and strive to facilitate the process of moving those discoveries into the marketplace.”

But tech transfer isn’t as easy as flipping a switch.

Alton—executive chairman of Abeome who spent years developing products at Amgen—notes that most discoveries come out of research universities because private industry simply cannot afford the trial and error associated with science. The university’s ability to capitalize on such discoveries makes it possible to reinvest in research.

“The idea is to commercialize the science here and not have it go to California or to somewhere else,” he explains.

“The university was founded for that purpose, to educate the people of the state and create opportunities.”

Peter Frey

“I could have gone into medicine and become a doctor and maybe helped thousands of people in my lifetime, but if you develop a drug, you can help millions.” ­—Rick Shimkets

Statistics show it’s working, with an estimated economic impact of $100 million in Georgia from jobs created by products and companies within the program’s pipeline, according to a study conducted by UGA economist Jeffrey Dorfman.

Some of the best examples of products to come out of Innovation Gateway are in the agriculture, poultry and biomedical industries. UGA is a leader in the development of new peanut, blueberry and turfgrass varieties, the latter taking center stage at global sporting events such as soccer’s World Cup. While these staples are a key component of what Innovation Gateway does, Eberhart points out there is more to the story.

“Plant varieties and biomedical products generate significant revenue, but there are a wide variety of products and companies based on UGA research,” he says. “UGA has the most diverse, comprehensive research portfolio in the state of Georgia and our commercialization pipeline reflects that diversity.”

Kirby Alton (BS ’74, PhD ’81), far left, and Rick Shimkets (BS ’93) are leaders of Abeome, a biotech startup incubated through Innovation Gateway, UGA’s technology transfer program.

The company focuses on creating antibodies targeted to autoimmune diseases.

In fact, the university consistently ranks in the top 10 of all U.S. universities for total licenses and option agreements executed as well as for the number of active licenses, according to the Association of University Technology Managers. The statistic offers a good measure of UGA’s success in partnering with industry to move new discoveries and technologies to the marketplace, Eberhart says.

A chief goal of Innovation Gateway is to expand opportunities to partner with industry, according to David Lee, vice president for research.

“UGA takes great pride in its success in moving new field and laboratory discoveries into the market through partnerships with industry. With UGA’s growing research enterprise we can look forward to having success across a broader spectrum of market sectors, ranging from human medicine, bioengineered microbes and poultry vaccines to cybersecurity software and educational tools,” he says.

The Innovation Gateway team fosters discoveries into market-focused products that both make money and serve

september 2016 | georgia magazine | 23

UGA consistently ranks in the top 10 of all U.S. universities for total licenses and option agreements executed. the greatest good. Fifty-five new products were introduced in fiscal year 2015. The team consists of commercialization professionals with advanced scientific degrees and industry experience who evaluate inventions for patentability and commercial potential, work with patent attorneys to secure intellectual property rights, identify industry partners and negotiate agreements.

Services also include access to its incubator program, which provides startup support services, seed funding and mentoring to early-stage companies with established research relationships with UGA. Abeome, for example, is able to lease office and lab space on campus, benefitting from infrastructure and technology that otherwise would be prohibitively expensive for a startup, notes Shimkets, the company’s president and CEO. “No small company has the capital to buy one of these machines,” he explains of cell-sorting equipment housed in the Paul D. Coverdell Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences. “And even if we did, the maintenance and the service upgrades would just destroy you. We pay to use these machines—on the order of $100 or $200 an hour— but these are million dollar machines.”

Technological and business startup support are critical to giving discoveries a leg up in the commercial world, as Shimkets can attest. He notes that even the most brilliant researchers may not be well-versed in how to create a successful for-profit venture.

“Innovation Gateway brings together people with experience—from corporate attorneys to accountants— who can teach the basics of what a company is and how it’s done,” he says.

The process of building a sustainable company takes time and money, but the investment is worth it,

exemplified in the success of UGA startup company Synageva, acquired by a major pharmaceutical company in 2015 for more than $8 billion. Founded around technology developed in the UGA Genetics Department, the company focuses on developing treatments for several rare human diseases.

Making the world a better place through groundbreaking science and medicine is an important mission for the university and researchers alike.

“Being able to translate what we do into actually helping people directly is what I’ve been interested in from the beginning of my career,” Shimkets explains. “I could have gone into medicine and become a doctor and maybe helped thousands of people in my lifetime, but if you develop a drug, you can help millions.”

For his colleague and fellow scientist Alton, returning to the lab through Innovation Gateway has been a way to give back to the institution.

“I really feel a lot of my success was due to the university, the opportunities I had here and the people who saw promise in me and took the time,” he says. “There’s a debt there. This is one opportunity for me to pay it back.”

Alton resides primarily in California and Montana but keeps a condo in Athens for when he’s in town on Abeome business or to attend board meetings of the University of Georgia Research Foundation. The native Georgian enjoys coming home—especially in springtime or during football season.

“Obviously I’m a Bulldog,” he says with a smile. “I love walking around here—I can pretend like I’m 20 years old again. There’s always that attraction to the place where you come of age and grow up.” GM

journey of a successful startup |

eureka! After years of painstaking work, researchers make a discovery that may have commercial potential, so they get in touch with Innovation Gateway.

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Bringing a discovery to market can take two to 20 years.

analysis Innovation Gateway experts gauge the invention’s market and patent potential. Sometimes they license the invention to an established company that acts as a bridge between researchers and the marketplace. Or, experts might suggest that a startup company is the best path forward.

with

Crystal Leach

As part of its efforts to collaborate with industry, the university hired Crystal Leach as founding director of Discovery and Innovation Partnerships, an initiative jointly supported by the Office of the Vice President for Research and the College of Engineering. For the majority of her career, she worked at Kimberly-Clark, a Fortune 500 global health and hygiene company, in positions ranging from materials research to leading a global innovation and product development team.

Andrew Davis Tucker

Q&A

Q: What kinds of UGA collaborations exist already?

A: I am lucky to have a great foundation to build from in this new role. UGA has a strong history of collaborating with industries across the biological and agricultural sciences, ranging from fundamental exploration to applied research resulting in new products and services. The basic building blocks are in place to significantly expand UGA’s portfolio of industrial partners within the next few years: faculty with strong research portfolios, administrators who are engaged and supportive, and systems that enable collaboration.

Q: What assistance can you offer?

A: I’m so impressed with the faculty here at UGA and the research I see taking place across multiple disciplines. My role is like a matchmaker: helping faculty identify and engage industry partners, leveraging my own industry experience to assist them in understanding corporate culture, decision-making processes and research models.

Q: What will success look like?

A: Of course we want to increase UGA’s overall level of industry funding, especially for growing engineering programs, but there are additional factors that I will use as a measure of success. I’m especially interested in increasing our number of strategic collaborations—those long-term industry partners who engage with us across multiple fronts—research, recruitment and philanthropy. Also, I think there’s great potential for building research collaborations that span departmental and college boundaries, that is, bringing together the breadth of UGA capabilities to provide a complete solution for the challenges industry partners bring forward.

—Terry Marie Hastings

Below is an illustration of the path an Innovation Gateway startup might take.

product

If researchers go the startup route, Innovation Gateway mentors the young business and helps it grow by providing access to business expertise, funding, equipment and lab space. Once the invention is commercially viable, the company graduates from the business incubator or it may be purchased by another company.

sold

If a business makes it this far, it’s financially sustainable. Now both the inventors and the university may earn royalties from product sales based on the resources invested.

september 2016 | georgia magazine | 25

UGA scientist Patricia Yager helps discover a new reef system at the mouth of the Amazon River

by Alan Flurry (AB ’94)

A

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Lance Willis

hand-drawn map from the 1970s led an international team of scientists, including the University of Georgia’s Patricia Yager, to an unexpected discovery—a new reef system at the mouth of the Amazon River.

The revelation has attracted attention from media including National Geographic and the Los Angeles Times and has scientists rethinking long-held assumptions about life underwater.

Reefs typically are not expected in locations like the Amazon plume, where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean, because freshwater mixed with salty ocean water produces a murky, inhospitable environment. And yet the team found an extensive reef system that appears to cover 9,500 square kilometers, based on surface mapping.

“We brought up the most amazing and colorful animals I had ever seen on an expedition,” says Yager, professor of marine sciences in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

The Amazon River meets the Atlantic Ocean and creates a plume where freshwater and salt water mix. The plume affects a broad area of the tropical North Atlantic Ocean in terms of salinity, pH, light penetration and sedimentation, conditions that usually correlate to a major gap in Western Atlantic reefs.

september 2016 | georgia magazine | 27

Jason Landrum

The University of Georgia’s Patricia Yager, left, and Debbie Steinberg of the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences hold up a sample of water collected at the mouth of the Amazon River.

Yager is principal investigator of the River-Ocean Continuum of the Amazon project; she and an international team study carbon cycle research along the continuum from the river through the river plume and into the open ocean.

The team’s discovery is just one example of how UGA research is making an impact on the planet. Their findings were documented in the journal Science Advances in April, but the search began years earlier. In 2012, an expedition into the Brazil Exclusive Economic Zone included Yager, as chief scientist, plus Carlos Rezende from the State University of North Fluminense, Fabiano Thompson from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and Rodrigo Moura, a reef ecologist who has written extensively about the richness of reef corals of central and southern Brazil.

“Our expedition was primarily focused on sampling the mouth of the Amazon,” says Yager, who has spent two months in Brazil as a Science Without Borders visiting professor.

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“But Dr. Moura showed me an article from the 1970s that mentioned catching reef fish along the continental shelf and said he wanted to try to locate these reefs.”

His information was taken from a 1977 research paper, including a hand-drawn map, that suggested the presence of reefs in the area. And in 1999, Moura had found yellow stony corals, radiating disk corals and other species just south of the area. Yager, however, was skeptical. As large rivers empty into the world’s oceans, the swirls of current and discharge of sediment create unfavorable conditions and typically lead to gaps in coral reefs along tropical shelves. The Amazon River is the largest river (based on discharge of water) in the world, and its plume affects a

broad area of the tropical North Atlantic Ocean in terms of salinity, pH, light penetration and sedimentation—leading to conditions that usually block the formation of reefs.

Despite the difficulty of reconciling old map coordinates with modern GPS, the team was able to locate the reefs during the 2012 expedition using multibeam acoustic sampling and dredging up samples to confirm the discovery. In 2014 the Brazilian researchers took a full team and a Brazilian Navy research vessel back to the site and were able to collect and fully describe the findings for the study.

Between the two efforts, they brought up corals, brittle stars and basket stars, segmented worms, 73 species of fish (most of them carnivorous) and 61 species of sponges.

It seems that the reefs are deep enough underwater and currents are strong enough

The new reef system has scientists rethinking what they know about life underwater.

Yager (second from right) oversees ocean sampling equipment on board the research vessel Atlantis before it’s lowered into the Amazon River plume.

Lance Willis

september 2016 | georgia magazine | 29

Special

American and Brazilian researchers collected this sponge sample during the 2012 expedition.

to prevent sediment from settling on the bottom. And seasonal changes in runoff and currents periodically allow light to penetrate in the central and southern portions of the reef, which is more diverse than the northern section.

“The paper is not just about the reef itself, but about how the reef community changes as you travel north along the shelf break, in response to how much light it gets seasonally by the movement of the plume,” Yager says.

“In the far south, it gets more light exposure, so many of the animals are more typical reef corals and things that photosynthesize for food. But as you move

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north, many of those become less abundant, and the reef transitions to sponges and other reef builders that are likely growing on the food that the river plume delivers. So the two systems are intricately linked.”

Approximately 400 square kilometers— less than 5 percent—of the reef has been surveyed, so there is much work to be done.

Unfortunately, the newly discovered reefs already may be threatened, Yager says.

“From ocean acidification to plans for offshore oil exploration right on top of these new discoveries, the whole system is at risk from human impacts.” GM

Brazilian graduate student Nara Oliveira and Rodrigo Moura of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro sort through the reef animals brought up by the dredge during the 2012 expedition on board the RV Atlantis.

Special

Over several years, researchers uncovered corals, 73 species of fish and 61 species of sponges.

september 2016 | georgia magazine | 31

The UGA Alumni Association advances the academic excellence, interests and traditions of Georgia’s flagship university by inspiring engagement through relevant programming, enhanced connections, and effective communications.

events 40 Under 40 Class of 2016

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 21 UGA Fall Career & Internship Fair

In July, the 40 Under 40 Class of 2016 was announced, celebrating young professionals who excel in a variety of industries and philanthropic endeavors.

View the complete list at alumni.uga.edu/40u40.

Alumni are invited to participate in the annual UGA Fall Career Fair at The Classic Center in Athens. Registration is not required, but bring copies of your resume!

Learn more at career.uga.edu/calendar.

Game Watching Parties Throughout the 2016 football season, alumni chapters around the world will host game watching parties for local fans. Locate one near you at alumni.uga. edu/gamewatchings.

Honoring Veterans

FRIDAY-SUNDAY, OCT. 14-16 Homecoming Weekend

On Veterans Day last year, the UGA Student Veterans Association placed 750 American flags on campus in honor of those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Show your support by making a gift to the Student Veterans Resource Center, which offers wide-ranging support and advocacy for veterans pursuing degrees at UGA. Learn more at svrc.uga.edu.

Numerous UGA schools, colleges and departments will host Homecoming activities for students and alumni throughout the weekend. All alumni events can be found at alumni.uga.edu/homecoming.

connections

THURSDAY, NOV. 10 UGA Comprehensive Campaign: Athens Kickoff

Wingate Downs (ABJ ’79)

Alumni and supporters are invited to an on-campus launch event for the public phase of the university’s comprehensive fundraising campaign. The kickoff is open to the public and will take place at the Tate Student Center Grand Hall. Registration is not required.

Callie Dailey (BSFCS ’16) (pointing) locates her name on the Class of 2016 Senior Signature plaque, unveiled during Senior Send-Off in May. This past year, 1,752 members of the Class of 2016 donated a total of $85,550 through the Senior Signature class gift program. Participants’ names are on the plaques, which hang in Tate Plaza on campus.

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FRIDAY, NOV. 11 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences 62nd Annual Awards Banquet CAES will induct individuals into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame and present the Awards of Excellence and Young Alumni Achievement Awards. This year’s banquet will be held at The Classic Center in Athens.

Learn more at caes.uga.edu/alumni/events.

For more events, visit alumni.uga.edu/calendar.

Lisa Hause

Jace Jordan (BBA ’16)

connections

Left: Former Student Alumni Council President Derek Hammock (BBA ’15, MACC ’16) and friend and fellow Terry alumnus Jace Jordan (BBA ’16) embarked on a cross-country road trip after graduating in May. The pair traveled more than 8,000 miles through 23 states and were on the road for more than 30 days.

Here, Hammock shows his Bulldog pride on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Right: In April, the university hosted a reception for UGA alumni and friends in Austin, Texas. (l to r) UGA Alumni Association staff member Realenn Watters (AB ’04) welcomes Demetrius Gresham (BBA ’00), Kim Ransom (AB ’13) and Student Alumni Council President Briana Clark of the Class of 2017.

get involved

social media

Stay connected with @ugaalumniassoc on Twitter!

ALUMNI CHAPTERS Alumni, friends and family members are invited to participate in programs hosted

by UGA’s more than 68 alumni chapters.

CAREER SERVICES The UGA Career Center provides resources to help alumni find meaningful careers via its office in the Atlanta Alumni Center in Buckhead.

Update us!

Have you moved? Gotten married? Keep your record up to date at alumni.uga.edu/myinfo.

For more information: (800) 606-8786 • alumni.uga.edu

In April, UGA Alumni Association Board Member Bill Thomas (AB ’88), his wife Melonie Davis Thomas (BBA ’86), and their daughter Erin (AB ’16), showed their school pride during UGA’s annual Ring Ceremony. Graduates are invited to purchase a UGA Ring at any time during the year at alumni.uga.edu.

september 2016 | georgia magazine | 33

on the bulldog BEAT As of spring Commencement, the number of living graduates of the University of Georgia surpassed 300,000.

Here’s a by-thenumbers glance at the Bulldog Nation.

living uga alumni

age

gender

RANGE

83% SOUTH of alumni are settled in the

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the rest of the south 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0

ar ms ky la al tx va tn sc nc fl

around the

WORLD

just under 1% of uga alumni live outside of the u.s. the top 5 countries are highlighted below.

alumni by

COUNTY top 10 highlighted

information is accurate of june 2016, according to the uga division of development and alumni relations. september 2016 | georgia magazine | 35

Tim Harrington’s love for children and animals compelled him to take a year off from a successful job as an account manager with Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. to travel to Africa. He eventually settled in Arusha, Tanzania, focusing his efforts on building schools and infrastructure such as water aqueducts, according to his father Mike. “Living in a mud hut with no electricity was what Tim wanted to do. He was in heaven there,” he says. Tragically, Harrington (BBA ’98) died of complications from malaria in July 2015. Since his passing, his father and stepmom have placed their energy and funds into the School of Tim Harrington, which was founded in his honor by his friend Yesaya Wilfredy in December. Nicknamed “Tim’s Dawg House,” the school officially opened its doors to more than 40 children in June—most of whom live there during the week due to lack of transportation and other essential needs. As Wilfredy writes in a Facebook message, “UGA is always in my heart because Tim always associated it with every good thing he did!”

CLASS NOTES

Massell is president of the Buckhead Coalition, a nonprofit civic association.

Compiled by Camren Skelton 1945-1949 Sam Massell (M ’48) was honored as the 2016 Man of Distinction for Zeta Beta Tau at the organization’s international convention in July. He served 22 years in elected offices, including four as Atlanta’s mayor.

1955-1959 Mignon Ballard (ABJ ’56) wrote Miss Dimple and the Slightly Bewildered Angel (St. Martin’s Press, 2016). The novel is the fifth in the Miss Dimple mystery series. Bill Shipp (M ’56) of Acworth was elected to the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame at the

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University of Georgia Libraries. He will be inducted at a ceremony in November, as part of UGA’s Spotlight on the Arts.

David S. Oaks (BS ’58) of Kingsport, Tenn., is the author of Force in the Mountains (Tate Publishing, 2015), a historical novel centered around his ancestors, the Sherrill family, who were one of the first families to settle in the Southern Appalachians in the early 1700s. Bill Anderson (ABJ ’59) wrote

Special

CLASSNOTES a bulldog’s african legacy

Whisperin’ Bill Anderson: An Unprecedented Life in Country Music (University of Georgia Press, 2016). The book presents a portrait of the longtime Nashville star and introduces readers to the foundations of country music.

1960-1964 Wellborn Morton Jr. (BSA ’60) of Jesup is a retired vocational agriculture and USDA farm service agency director. Charlene Elizabeth Rushton Black (AB ’64, MA ’66) is the author of God Had a Plan Even for a Little Girl from Dexter, a story that chronicles her life growing up in Georgia. Gary B. Hulsey (BS ’64) of Dahlonega wrote Upright in a Fallen World (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015), a guide to relevant scriptures intended to make a difference in today’s world.

1965-1969 Michael Bishop (AB ’67, MA ’68) of Pine Mountain penned Joel-Brock the Brave and the Valorous Smalls (Kudzu Planet Productions, 2016), a novel that follows the adventures of 10-year-old Joel-Brock Lollis as he ventures into a fictitious world to bring his family home. Rodney Page (ABJ ’69) of Hendersonville, N.C., wrote Murcheson County (Endeavor Press, 2016), a novel that follows the lives of four families who settle on Georgia’s frontier in the early 19th century.

Corporation in Cowpens, S.C. Nancy Hadsell (AB ’72, MMEd ’74) of Denton, Texas, received the Mary Toombs Rudenberg Lifetime Leadership Award from the Southwestern Region of the American Music Therapy Association in March, and the Humphries Award for Dedication to Texas Woman’s University at the university’s annual ceremony in April. Larry Lane (BSEd ’72) of Brunswick is the pastor of Coastal Baptist Church. William (Bubba) Head (AB ’73, JD ’76) of Atlanta was named Attorney of the Month in the March issue of Attorney at Law Magazine. Bobby Heath (BBA ’73, MBA ’79) of Athens retired as president and CEO of First American Bank & Trust Company in January.

1975-1979 Rohan Backfisch (ABJ ’75) of Atlanta won his 14th Emmy at the Mid-South Emmys in Nashville in February. Backfisch is a coordinating producer at Fox Sports. Roz Dimon (BFA ’75) of Shelter Island, N.Y., is the inventor of DIMONscape, a multilayered, interactive painting technique. In May, she

presented “Digital Art: A New Dimension in Story Telling,” at Guild Hall Museum in New York. Hiram Larew (BSA ’75) of Upper Marlboro, Md., is the author of Utmost (I. Giraffe Press, 2016), a collection of poems. Larew is an adjunct professor in the department of agricultural leadership at UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Science. Avery Sledge (BBA ’75) of Springfield, Ohio, received the Outstanding Contribution to Parish Ministry Award from the Iliff School of Theology for her social justice endeavors. Sledge is the pastor of Highlands United Church of Christ.

Doug Benn (BBA ’76, MAcc ’82) of Atlanta received the Terry College of Business’ Distinguished Alumni Award at its 2016 Annual Awards and Gala in April. Benn is executive vice president and chief financial officer of The Cheesecake Factory. William M. Edge (ABJ ’76) of Snellville retired as a captain from the Navy Reserve after 30 years of service and received the Legion of Merit Medal. Edge is the public information officer for the Georgia Public Service Commission. Ronald M. Hinson Jr. (BS Continued on p. 41

1970-1974 Robert Alford (BBA ’70) of Woodstock is the human resources manager for the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners.

R. Wayne Byrd (BBA ’70, MAcc ’72) of Pawleys Island, S.C., was recognized in the 2016 edition of Chambers USA, a legal directory that ranks America’s leading business lawyers and law firms. Byrd is an attorney with Turner Padget Graham & Laney PA. Helene Uhlfelder (AB ’70, MEd ’71) of Norfolk, Va., is the author of Secrets and Deceptions (Purple Zebra ProductionZ, 2015), a story about three generations of women and the men in their lives, spanning WWII to the present day. Cliff McCurry (BBA ’71) of Savannah is vice-chairman and director of business development at Seacrest Partners Inc. John Branyan (BBA ’72) retired as operations manager for Mermet

september 2016 | georgia magazine | 37

CLASSNOTES

why i give

Special

Wise gift will help feed students

The Wise Family (l-r): Hale (Class of 2019), Halsey, Harrison, Lisha, Olivia (Class of 2019), and Cole.

A

s parents of four, two of whom are UGA students, Halsey and Lisha Wise could not imagine their children having to choose between buying books for class and buying food.

“College life is already full of stress and challenges— adding hunger to this equation is difficult to understand,” Lisha Wise says.

More students will be able to concentrate on their education and worry less about finding meals thanks to a significant six-figure gift from the R. Halsey Wise and Lisha S. Wise Family Foundation. Their donation supports the Let All the Big Dawgs Eat food scholarship, which provides UGA meal plans to students facing food insecurity. All or part of tuition costs are covered through financial aid for these scholarship recipients, but most still work two or three jobs to make ends meet.

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A majority also send money home to help support their parents or other family members.

Let All the Big Dawgs Eat, founded by Robin Hoover (BSEd ’83) in 2014, is an integral part of UGA’s commitment to need-based scholarship programs.

The Wises, who are involved with a local food bank in their hometown of Jacksonville, Fla., are happy to help those students who are most in need. “In addition to helping the student, we are able to relieve the stress of their parents, who will know that their child will have access to UGA’s impressive food system,” Lisha says.

Thirty-two food scholarships were awarded this semester. In addition to these scholarships, the Wises’ gift also supports an endowment aimed at helping eliminate food insecurity on campus.

JUNE 2016 • GEORGIA MAGAZINE

39

september 2016 | georgia magazine | 39

CLASSNOTES

Special

Members of the Seacrest family hold leadership positions in the nonprofit Ryan Seacrest Foundation (l-r): Connie is vice president of community affairs and hospital relations, Ryan is chairman and founder, Meredith (ABJ ’03), serves as executive director and COO, and Gary is president and CEO.

Helping Kids Heal Through

Performance

by Lori Johnston (ABJ ’95)

M

eredith Seacrest (ABJ ’03) works with celebrities, just like her brother Ryan. But instead of talking to them on the red carpet, she brings them into Seacrest Studios at pediatric hospitals across the country.

From her home base in Los Angeles, Meredith enlists stars like Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, along with actors, athletes and social media video sensations, to answer questions from sick children and perform on behalf of the nonprofit Ryan Seacrest Foundation.

Seacrest Studios debuted in 2010 at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. This spring, the 10th facility opened at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

In these state-of-the-art studios, patients host shows, interview celebrities, hear and participate in performances, and win prizes. The shows are broadcast to patient rooms on closed-circuit hospital TV channels.

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“A lot of these patients, they’re missing going to concerts. They’re missing going to prom. If you have to be in a hospital, how cool is it that you get to meet Taylor Swift?” says Meredith, the foundation’s executive director and chief operating officer.

The foundation seeks to offer a distraction and create experiences that aid in the healing process for patients and families.

“We never dreamed that our studios would be able to do all these things,” she says.

After graduating, the public relations major worked as communications manager for “Entertainment Tonight,” then in hospitality/entertainment public relations and TV development.

Seacrest now uses those skills to promote the foundation, plan events and celebrity visits, and work with studio managers and sponsors, including E! and The Coca-Cola Co. “All the different jobs leading up to this and my education gave me a great background to be able to take on this role,” says Seacrest, a Grady Society Alumni Board member.

UGA, the first of more than 60 colleges to get involved, has provided more than 100 student interns at Seacrest Studios.

“Who knew that this would grow and that it would be so well received by the hospitals?” she says. “This is the work that Ryan loves the most.”

Continued from p. 37

’76) is the senior pastor of Lafayette Baptist Church in Fayetteville, N.C. Shaun Toole (ABJ ’76) of Houston, Texas, is a freelance audio book editor and producer. Carl J. Vipperman (AB ’76) of Kingston Springs, Tenn., wrote Bluestone (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015), a historical novel that follows the lives of two brothers in the mining industry of West Virginia. Jack P. Gibson (BBA ’77, MBA ’79) of Dallas, Texas, was presented with a certificate of appreciation by the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association. Gibson is president and CEO of the International Risk Management Institute Inc. and CEO of WebCE Inc. Ernie Johnson Jr. (ABJ ’78) of Braselton received the John Holliman Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Johnson is the host of TNT’s “Inside the NBA.” Ken Murphy (BBA ’78) of Franklin, N.C., was named vice president for patient and donor affairs of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and the United Network for Organ Sharing.

Bill Young Jr. (BBA ’78) of Atlanta received the Terry College’s Distinguished Alumni Award at its 2016 Alumni Awards and Gala in April. Young is a partner at the General Wholesale Company. Jeffrey A. Eischeid (BBA ’79, MAcc ’81) of Marietta was named managing partner of Bennett Thrasher.

Ernie Phillips (BMus ’79, MMEd ’81) of Oakwood retired after 36 years of service to the Hall County School System.

1980-1984 Tommy Scott (BSEd ’80, MEd ’82) of Waleska is the defensive coordinator for the football team at Reinhardt University. Lillie S. Axelrod (BBA ’81) was named the 2016 Risk Management Alumna of the Year at the annual Gamma Iota Sigma Banquet hosted by the Terry College of Business’ Risk Management and Insurance program. Axelrod is an executive vice president and senior client leader with Wells Fargo Insurance in Atlanta. LeCretia Burton (BBA ’82) of Sandy Springs works for CSG Government Solutions and is the project manager for the ELIAS project in Des Moines, Iowa.

Bradley Clark (BSPh ’82, PhD ’87) of Greensboro, N.C., is an associate professor

of basic pharmaceutical sciences at High Point University. Vivian D. Hoard (AB ’82, JD ’85) of Atlanta was invited to join the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation, the nation’s leading research institute for the empirical study of law. Hoard is a partner and member of the tax practice at Taylor English Duma LLP. Herb Denmark (AB ’83) of Auburn, Ala., won third place in oral presentation at the 2015 National Black Graduate Student Association conference in Jacksonville, Fla. Susan Moss (ABJ ’83) of Atlanta was named executive director of Women in Film & Television Atlanta.

Gregory G. Schultz (BBA ’83, JD ’92) of Atlanta was recognized in the 2016 edition of Chambers USA, a legal directory that ranks America’s leading business lawyers and law firms. Schultz is a real estate attorney at Taylor English Duma LLP. Leslie Smith Sinyard (BBA ’83) of Athens wrote a novel based on the life of Olive Hammons Weathersby, titled Don’t Look...Just Jump (United Writers Press, 2016). Mark Blount (AB ’84) was named vice president of marketing at Brightree in Atlanta. Dennis Chastain (ABJ ’84) of Dacula was appointed to the state Board of Economic Development. Chastain is the president and CEO of Georgia EMC. Mark Murphy (BS ’84) is president of the Savannah Book Festival.

1985-1989 Lisa Earle McLeod (ABJ ’85) of Snellville is the author of Leading with Noble Purpose (Wiley, 2016), which seeks to increase employee engagement by showing leaders how to put purpose into the workplace.

Julie Ann Crane (ABJ ’86) of Midland was named the development director at Calvary Christian School in Columbus. Todd Markle (AB ’86) of Atlanta was appointed to the state board of the Georgia Commission on Child Support. Markle is a Fulton County Superior Court judge. Janis McKay (BMus ’86) of Las Vegas, Nev., wrote Played Out on the Strip: The Rise and Fall of Las Vegas Casino Bands (The University of Nevada Press, 2016), an in-depth account of the lives of Las Vegas hotel musicians. Eric Haley (ABJ ’87, MA ’89, PhD ’92) received the Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Haley is a professor

‘

september 2016 | georgia magazine | 41

CLASSNOTES

ESPN

Stinchcomb credits former UGA quarterback Buck Belue (M ’82), with getting him in the studio after he appeared on the latter’s radio show to promote his Countdown to Kickoff charity events.

From GRIDIRON to

Network TV

by Andy Johnston (ABJ ‘88)

M

att Stinchcomb has a gift for gab—especially when it comes to football—so settling in behind the mic was a natural progression for the former UGA All-American offensive lineman.

But he’s still getting used to other aspects of being an on-camera football broadcaster, especially listening to the voices in his earpiece while breaking down plays for SEC Network viewers.

“There’s a lot of conversation that goes on. ‘Hey, let me see the sideline here’ or ‘Zoom in on the receiver at top of screen.’ That sort of thing,” says Stinchcomb (BBA ’98). “I’m still learning. I’m not sure that you ever get fully acclimated to all that.”

Hampered by injuries throughout his seven-year career in the NFL, where he played for the Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he retired in 2006 after a back injury. The following year he started as a college football analyst, moved to ESPN in 2009 and was with the SEC Network when it launched in 2014.

He travels to SEC campuses every weekend during the fall, where he prepares for games by interviewing players and coaches. He studies rosters, statistics and facts, receives updates on injuries, and works with his

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SEC Network crew on graphics and charts to be used on Saturday.

For example, last year they featured a graphic illustrating what made one player so effective. The animation showed the player being built, “like a car being assembled in a garage,” Stinchcomb says.

“The level of detail can get kind of goofy, but you try to consider all the different contingencies,” he says. “There’s a really good team—a crack squad of folks—who can dole out that type of material during the game.”

When he’s not covering football, Stinchcomb is home in Duluth with his wife, Jenny, and their three children, Janie Kate, 11, Addie, 9, and Whitt, 6. He is also director of the Atlanta office of Seacrest Partners, a consulting and brokerage firm. In his free time, he hunts, fishes and plays “really bad tennis.”

Although Stinchcomb was teammates with new UGA football coach Kirby Smart (BBA ’98) for four years, he says that as business majors they spent more time together in the classroom than on the football field.

Stinchcomb is impressed with Smart’s leadership.

“Kirby’s challenge is not ballistic improvement,” Stinchcomb says. “He needs to bend the trajectory of the program up a little bit and maintain it. That’s the magical elixir that’s eluded almost every program.”

in the school of advertising and public relations at the University of Tennessee.

Jon Wright (ABJ ’87) of Lawrenceville wrote Tight Lines & Good Selling (Innovo Publishing, 2016) a guide on how to become a top salesperson by using the basic principles of fishing. Virginia Willis (AB ’88) of Atlanta is the author of Lighten Up, Y’all: Classic Southern Recipes Made Healthy and Wholesome (Ten Speed Press, 2015), which received a 2016 James Beard Foundation Award of Excellence in the Focus on Health category. Ted Kohn (ABJ ’89) of Waxhaw, N.C., is the president of GBailey Direct Marketing Inc. Alan Pair (BBA ’89) of Kennesaw is the assistant chief appraiser and vice president of valuations at ServiceLink.

Natasha Trethewey (AB ’89) of Decatur received the Hall-Waters Prize from Troy University in April. Trethewey is the Robert W. Woodruff Professor of English and creative writing at Emory University and former U.S. poet laureate. John Tyers (AB ’89) is president of Citizens Private Bank in Dedham, Mass.

1990-1994 Michael Abramowitz (ABJ ’90) of North Palm Beach, Fla., received the Henry W. Grady Mid-Career Alumni Award from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Abramowitz is the public relations manager for the PGA of America’s membership. Jackie Donaldson Grey (BSFCS ’90) of Columbia, Md., is the supplier diversity officer for Amtrak. Renee Harrison (ABJ ’90) of Powder Springs works for the Department of Defense as an instructor for the Starbase program at Dobbins Air Reserve Base. Joanne Sullivan (BSA ’90) of Raleigh, N.C., was appointed to the Wake County Commission for Women in March. Daver Tiryakioglu (AB ’90) of North Bend, Wash., was recognized on Barron’s “America’s Top 1,200 Advisors: State-by-State” list for 2016. Tiryakioglu is a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch. Jason Meucci (ABJ ’92) of Atlanta joined Points of Light, an organization dedicated to volunteer service, as the vice president of communications for programs. Greg Alexander (ABJ ’93) of Washington, D.C., is executive editor of I95 Magazine, a publication geared toward business executives

september 2016 | georgia magazine | 43

CLASSNOTES

for the love of teaching

Special

Casey M. Bethel (MS ’05) originally set out to become a surgeon, but after discovering a love for teaching during graduate school at UGA, he turned to education. It appears to have been the right call: Bethel was named Georgia’s 2017 Teacher of the Year in May. An AP physics, AP biology and physical science teacher at New Manchester High School in Douglasville, he also stays busy as sponsor of Project Manhood, a male mentoring club at the school. Bethel spends his summers participating in the Georgia Intern Fellowship for Teachers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he assists with researching cures for inherited glaucoma and Alzheimer’s disease.

in the Baltimore and D.C. area. Dan Jolley (AB ’93) of Ringgold penned Gray Widow’s Walk (Seventh Star Press, 2016), the first book in a science fiction trilogy featuring thriller elements and dark fantasy. Jolley’s 25-year career includes work in comic books, novels, children’s books and video games. Evelyn Champion (BMus ’94, MMEd ’04, EdS ’06) of Marietta was elected president of the Georgia Music Educators Association. Champion is the orchestra director and guitar teacher at Sprayberry High School. Stephanie Sharp (BBA ’94) and Steven Dasher (BBA ’09) were part of the Lead Athens team that tackled a project to get Athens Transit on Google Maps.

Launched in February, the project uses Google to design the best and fastest route based on time of day and location.

1995-1999 Bobby Bond (BSFR ’95) of Fort Valley received the 2015 Wildlife Manager of the Year Award from the Georgia State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Foundation.

He also received the National Wild Turkey Foundation’s Joe Kurz Wildlife Manager of the Year Award at the organization’s annual event in February. Mike Martin (ABJ ’95) of Atlanta joined Jackson Spalding as creative director. Mercer Braggs (ABJ ’97) and Ryan Lavner (ABJ ’09) won a first place award from the Golf Writers Association of America for a project on Tiger Woods and his 40th birthday. Braggs is managing editor of GolfChannel.com and Lavner is a senior writer. Walter Jones III (BS ’97) of Norcross is CEO and president of Professional Technology Integration Inc. Jason C. Morris (BSA ’97) of Ocilla joined First Community Bank of Tifton, a division of Synovus Bank, as vice president and commercial banker. Marisa Simpson (BSW ’97) of Lilburn was appointed to the state board of the Georgia Tourism Foundation.

Simpson is the director of community relations and economic development for AGL Resources. Jason Chappell (BS ’98) of Gainesville is the founder of Resource Environmental Group LLP, a company

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specializing in environmental consulting and project management. Jeff Davis IV (AB ’98) of Dublin was elected to The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s board of trustees. Davis is the president of Alterra Networks and Alterra Data Security. Melanie Bowden Simón (ABJ ’98) of Savannah wrote La Americana (Skyhorse Publishing, 2016), a memoir of how Simón met and fell in love with her husband in Cuba. Ken (BBA ’99) and Anita Corsini (BS ’99) of Woodstock filmed “Flipping the South,” a reality TV show about flipping houses in the Atlanta area that premiered in May on HGTV. Sandra (BSEH ’99, MEd ’01) and LaBrone Mitchell (BSEd ’02) of Dallas welcomed daughter Lea Alissandra on Dec. 21.

2000-2004 Angela Folkers (BBA ’00) of Stuart, Fla., was promoted to senior vice president and chief underwriter of Love Funding, a nationwide Federal Housing Administration lender. Drew Mallory (BBA ’00) of Nashville, Tenn., joined Truxton Trust

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CLASSNOTES

Searching for

URBAN

Solutions

by Allyson Mann (MA ’92)

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Hannah Arista

M

ark Anthony Thomas (BBA ’01) considers journalism his home field—while at UGA, he served as the first African-American editor of The Red & Black—but right now he’s enjoying a detour in the world of government.

Thomas is director of the Mayor’s Operations Innovation Team in Los Angeles, a public-private partnership tasked with implementing three major reforms: evaluating how to efficiently purchase $8.2 billion worth of goods and services, how to best manage vast real estate holdings, and how to reduce the city’s high workforce injury rates. He and his team of 10 are halfway through their twoyear assignment.

“We tend to go as hard as we can, because we know it’s a limited time span,” he says.

He describes the project as a “fascinating experiment” designed to bring creative problem solving into government, where the daily grind doesn’t allow much time for strategic thinking.

Since earning his undergraduate degree in business, Thomas has honed the skills needed to lead such a team. While working in New York as deputy director of the Wall Street-based think tank Center for an Urban Future, he earned a master’s degree in public administration at Columbia University. For his thesis he developed the business model to launch the center’s magazine, City Limits, as a separate new media startup, then spent the next four years as its publisher and executive director.

In 2014 he earned a master’s degree in business administration at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and moved to the west coast as L.A.’s first executive fellow with FUSE Corps, a nonprofit organization that recruits mid-career professionals to bring entrepreneurial ideas and approaches into local government. He spent his one-year tenure identifying ways to make the city more livable and then moved to his current position, where his journalism skills have been useful in working through the democratic process.

“There is a tremendous amount of time spent finessing and teaching and trying to convince people to see things a different way,” he says.

“I’ve learned how to communicate complexity in its most simple form.”

When his term with the innovation team ends next year, Thomas will be looking for new opportunities.

“I’m thirsty for a new adventure in media and technology,” he says. “That’s where I want to be next.”

Mark Anthony Thomas (BBA ’01) didn’t plan to work in government but enjoys tackling tough problems as director of the Mayor’s Operations Innovation Team in Los Angeles. “It’s been a valuable, unforgettable experience,” he says. “I’m grateful that I took this role.”

Company, a full-service bank and wealth management firm. C. Pierce Campbell (BBA ’01) of Florence, S.C., was recognized in the 2016 edition of Chambers USA, a legal directory that ranks America’s leading business lawyers and law firms. Campbell is the business litigation practice chair at Turner Padget Graham & Laney PA. Corey Deal (BBA ’01, JD ’12) of Jacksonville, Fla., was named to the Jacksonville Business Journal’s 2016 “40 under 40” list. Yoon Ko (BS ’01) is director at the National Information Society Agency in Korea. Amanda Wilbanks (AB ’01) of Gainesville took home the grand prize with her caramel pecan pie at UGA’s 2016 Flavor of Georgia Food Product Contest. Wilbanks is the owner of the Southern Baked Pie Company. Chris Dooney (BBA ’02) of Nashville, Tenn., joined Pershing Yoakley & Associates as a health care consulting manager. Karen Gailey (ABJ ’02) of Sandy Springs is the public relations and marketing communications manager for The HoneyBaked Ham Company. Steve Howard (BBA ’02) and Anne Rayborn Howard (BS ’03, MIT ’04) welcomed daughter Charlotte Leigh on Jan. 15. Charlotte is the niece of Dan Howard (BSEd ’99), Will Howard (BBA ’03) and Kimberly Rayborn (BSEd ’06). Candace Maddox-Moore (AB ’02, MEd ’04, PhD ’11) of Winder was awarded the 2016 Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) Region III Outstanding Contribution to Teaching Award. Maddox-Moore is an academic professional associate in the department of counseling and human development services in UGA’s College of Education. Jarrod Prickett (BBA ’02) of Athens is vice president of commercial lending at First American Bank & Trust. Beth Thompson (BFA ’02) of Colbert exhibited her artwork “Ocean Bound: Upstream and Downstream: Possible Perceptions” at the Madison County Public Library in August.

She is presenting “Traveling Further: Possible Perceptions” at the Unitarian Universalist Church Lobby Gallery in Athens Oct. 3-Nov. 27. Jessica Reece Fagan (ABJ ’03) of Atlanta is a partner at Hedgepath, Heredia & Rieder, which was awarded the Atlanta Bar Association’s Small Firm Service Award in May. Tiffany Griffis (ABJ ’03) of Jasper is the talent executive assistant on

“Morning Express with Robin Meade.” Kyle Kobold (BS ’03) of Pacific Grove, Calif., founded Submarine Kyle, a veteran-owned small business that provides sustainable nutrition to the U.S. submarine force.

Sam Pugh (AB ’03, BSES ’06, MS ’08) of Decatur wrote Dinosaurs of the Unwinnable West (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015), a novel that follows the adventures of two explorers as they travel into dinosaur territory. Jennafer Elmore Tuffner (BSW ’03) of Charleston, S.C., is market manager for Vineyard Brands in North Carolina and South Carolina. Jordan W. Gerheim (AB ’04) of Mobile, Ala., was named partner at Starnes Davis Florie LLP. Chris Player (AB ’04) is vice president at the Regions Insurance Group branch in Savannah. Marc Robinson (BBA ’04) of Cranston, R.I., is the managing underwriter for Falvey Yacht Insurance. Abby Headrick Wilkerson (ABJ ’04) of Sugar Hill joined the city of Suwanee as public information officer.

2005-2009 Robby Cole (AB ’05) of Little Rock, Ark., was recognized as a 2016 Top Agent by Arkansas Life. Cole is a home loan officer with Benchmark Home Loans. Douglas Harden (AB ’05) of Germantown, Md., graduated from the University of North Georgia with a Master of Arts in international affairs.

Brett Israel (BS ’05) of Nashville, Tenn., was named director of business news and communications at Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management.

Jennifer Kauffman (ABJ ’05) of Washington, D.C., is the senior vice president of advertising at Revolution Messaging. She and her husband welcomed daughter Aida this year. Mitch Reiner (BBA ’05) of Atlanta received the Terry College’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award at its 2016 Annual Awards and Gala in April. Reiner is partner and chief operating officer at Capital Investment Advisors. Ashley Sawyer (AB ’05) of Smyrna was named a 2016 “Rising Star” in family law by Super Lawyers, a rating service of lawyers with a high degree of professional achievement. Sawyer is an attorney with Hedgepath, Heredia & Rieder. Deena Isom (AB, BS ’06) of Columbia, S.C., is an assistant professor in the department of criminology and criminal justice and

1/6 page ad

september 2016 | georgia magazine | 47

Special

CLASSNOTES

Health FRONTLINES

(l to r) Lisa Nolan (DVM ‘88, MS ‘89, PhD ‘92), dean of the college of veterinary medicine at Iowa State University, with students Tia Cavender and Nicolle Lima-Barbierie, checks an E. Coli sample for bacterial growth. Nolan was recognized as a distinguished alumnus of UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine in March.

On the Public

by Rebecca McCarthy

L

isa Nolan’s roots are in Georgia, but her love for teaching and research has taken her to much different climates. When the microbiologist (DVM ’88, MS ’89, PhD ’92) left the state for a post at North Dakota State University in Fargo, the temperature didn’t break zero during her first January, she remembers.

“It was quite a change,” she says.

More than 20 years later, she leads the oldest veterinary college in the United States at Iowa State University in Ames. Nolan, the Dr. Stephen G. Juelsgaard Dean of Veterinary Medicine, is one of the country’s leading experts on poultry health. Her research focuses on Escherichia coli, aka E. coli. Nolan says the pathogen is an ideal organism for an impatient scientist; its fast reproduction rate means “you can set up an experiment in the morning and get an answer by lunchtime.”

E. coli is ubiquitous and both good (providing a natural balance to gut flora) and bad (leading to food-

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borne illness and food recalls). And never before has the bacteria been more prone to cause disease, Nolan believes. But she’s optimistic that science is going to help prevent some of those diseases, with veterinarians playing a big role.

Nolan didn’t set out to study the role of bacteria in disease. After finishing Valdosta State with a biology degree, Nolan studied parasitology, collected invertebrates in the Florida Keys and taught science at Athens Academy.

Enrolling in UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine, she pictured herself treating dogs, cats, horses, cows and sheep, eventually opening a one-stop practice like James Herriot, who recounted the life of a British country vet in All Creatures Great and Small.

But an influential professor intervened, effectively changing Nolan’s course. The late Richard Wooley (MS ’67, PhD ’69), a microbiology professor at the college, hired her to work in his laboratory and then convinced her to go into research. She focused on Salmonella for her master’s degree and E. coli for her doctorate.

“He totally changed my life,” she says. “I really got upended. He was the best mentor anyone could have.”

African-American studies program at the University of South Carolina. Aaron Joyner (BSEd ’06) of Gilbert, Ariz., is the guest experiences manager at the Phoenix Zoo. Jason Cole (BS ’07) of Athens is a software engineering manager for NCR Corporation.

Megan Mobley (BSEd ’07) of Augusta is the supervisor of occupational and physical therapists at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center. Jessie Barnett (BBA ’08, MPH ’10, PhD ’13) of Rochester, Minn., was awarded the 2016 Minnesota Presidents’ Civic Engagement Steward Award. Sarah Duke (ABJ ’08) is the economic development director of the city of West Point. Whitni J. McConnell (BSFCS ’08, MS ’13) of Athens was named the 2016 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year at the annual meeting of the Georgia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. McConnell is a clinical dietitian at Athens Regional Health System and is a board member of the Northeast Georgia Dietetics Association. Andrew Tyndall (AB ’08, MIP ’14) serves with the Army’s 4th Infantry Division and is stationed at Fort Carson, Colo. Rachel Webster (ABJ ’08) of Atlanta earned the designation of certified financial planner. Webster is a financial advisor with Vantage Wealth Management in Morgan Stanley’s wealth management office. Erin Blake (BSFR ’09) of Cumming is the owner of Peachtree Plants, an interior plantscaping company. Steven Dasher (BBA ’09) and Stephanie Sharp (BBA ’94) were part of the Lead Athens team that tackled a project to get Athens Transit on Google Maps. Launched in February, the project uses Google to design the best and fastest route based on time of day and location. Ryan Lavner (ABJ ’09) and Mercer Braggs (ABJ ’97) won a first place award from the Golf Writers Association of America for a project on Tiger Woods and his 40th birthday. Lavner is a senior writer for GolfChannel.com and Braggs is managing editor. Jheison Romain (AB ’09) and Jean-Pierre Bourget (AB ’12) started The Haitian Community Land Trust, a humanitarian effort to assist Haitian refugees in the Dominican Republic. Maria Taylor (ABJ ’09) of Ballantyne, N.C., received the John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Taylor is a college analyst

and reporter for ESPN. Amanda Walker (AB ’09) of Smyrna is a commercial insurance agent with Weathers Insurance Inc. 2010-2014 Andrew Johnson (BSBE ’10, MBA ’14) of Athens is the cofounder and chief medical officer of Ichor Sports, a fitness monitoring system built by former collegiate athletes that integrates technology into athletic training. Abby Rae Keenan (BS ’10) of Decatur is the owner of Intrepid Performance Consulting LLC, a sports psychology business in the metro Atlanta area.

Paul S. Simon (AB ’10) of Brookhaven joined Hedgepath, Heredia & Rieder as an associate. Simon is a member of the family law section of the Atlanta Bar Association and the family law section and young lawyers division of the State Bar of Georgia.

Samantha Katherine Atwood (BS ’11) of Roswell received a doctorate in pharmacy from the Georgia campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in May. Seth Anthony Courson (BS ’11) of Valdosta received a doctorate in osteopathic medicine from the Georgia campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in May. Lindsay Daniel (BSFCS ’11) of Decatur started Bennett and Sudderth LLC, an estate liquidation company in Atlanta. Neil Martin Linder (BS ’11) of Dunwoody received a doctorate in osteopathic medicine from the Georgia campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in May. Jean-Pierre Bourget (AB ’12) and Jheison Romain (AB ’09) started The Haitian Community Land Trust, a humanitarian effort to assist Haitian refugees in the Dominican Republic. Ty Frix (BSBE ’12, MBA ’14) of Athens is the cofounder and president of Ichor Sports, a fitness monitoring system built by former collegiate athletes that integrates technology into athletic training. Emily Beth Weinstein Gilbert (BBA ’12, MAcc ’12) married Russell Warren Gilbert (BBA ’12, MAcc ’13) on Nov. 14. Both are senior associates with KPMG LLP in New York City. Katherine Mason (ABJ ’12) is the founder and CEO of SculptHouse, a workout studio and shop in Buckhead.

Krelin Naidu (BS ’12) of Marietta received a doctorate in osteopathic medicine from

king of sting Justin Schmidt (PhD ’77) has a thing for pain—especially the stinging kind. In the name of science, he’s sought out and allowed himself to be stung 2,500 times by insects in the Hymenoptera family, aka ants, wasps and bees. Known as the “King of Sting,” the Arizona-based scientist recounts his adventures in The Sting of the Wild: The Story of the Man Who Got Stung for Science (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016). The product of his pain is the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, which describes sting pain and rates it on a scale of 1-4, winning him an Ig Noble prize in 2015. Schmidt is considered a celebrity in the entomological world and has been featured in Outside and Scientific American and interviewed by NPR and the BBC. “I don’t consider myself all that tough,” he told the latter. “Crazy? Well, that’s in the eye of the beholder. You probably can make an argument that I am crazy, but I enjoy what I do.”

the Georgia campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in May. Darien Labeach (BBA ’13) of Brooklyn, N.Y., is the associate planner of Huge, a digital agency that provides strategies, marketing, design and technology services to other

september 2016 | georgia magazine | 49

CLASSNOTES

Special

As founder of She Buys Cars, Scotty Reiss (ABJ ’87) testdrives more than 100 cars a year and writes reviews for 20.

Buying a car?

SHE’S GOT YOUR BACK

by Margaret Blanchard (AB ’91, MA ’98)

P

eople take road trips for a variety of reasons: to get away from it all, to seek adventure or to escape reality. Scotty Reiss (ABJ ’87) decided to use time on the road to shop for a car—with her iPhone as a guide.

The experience of finding her dream car (a used 2008 BMW 335i 6-speed in Monaco blue) on a drive from her Connecticut home to a Florida vacation led her down an unexpected career path.

After penning an article on her car purchase for TravelingMom, a multiplatform media company, Reiss was enlisted to help launch an offshoot, shebuyscars.com. Created in 2013, the website provides a voice for women in what is traditionally considered a man’s realm—car purchasing.

“Women buy or influence the purchase of 85 percent of cars,” she says, noting a dearth in resources for women consumers. “We joined literally a handful of sites written by and directed toward women.”

Today Reiss is passionate about engaging women in buying cars and in the industry as a whole.

“More women are working in automotive all the time,” she says. “It’s changing from the inside, and

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more women in the industry will make an impact on what’s produced.”

Finding a new niche was surprising but not farfetched for the seasoned communications professional. After graduating, she moved to New York City, working as a reporter and editor at Adweek for a decade before becoming a mother and deciding to freelance fulltime. She’s written for The New York Times, Town & Country, and Entrepreneur and developed program content for the American Express Publishing Luxury Summit and the annual meeting of PRWeek magazine.

Reiss also is making her mark as the first woman to serve as president of the International Motor Press Association, the country’s oldest organization of automotive journalists and public relations professionals. Highlights of her tenure, which ends in January, include establishing a social media presence and launching the first conference, held in July 2015.

She explains that such efforts were designed to better communicate with consumers.

“That’s what it’s all about,” she says. “Sharing stories with our audience.”

companies. Arthur Roche IV (BSEd ’13) of Decatur is a realtor with Georgia Associated Realty, where he specializes in the areas of Brookhaven, Virginia Highlands and Decatur. Mamie Shepherd (ABJ ’13) is the studio coordinator at Ryan Seacrest Studios in Nashville, Tenn. Jessica Bailey (BBA ’14) is a licensed real estate salesperson at Next Step Realty in New York City. Katelyn Clements (BSA ’14) of Vienna was selected as a 2016 Woodrow Wilson Georgia Teaching Fellow. The program recruits recent graduates and professionals with strong backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and math fields, and prepares them to teach in high-need secondary schools.

Michael Dailey (BBA ’14) of Raleigh, N.C., is manager of the Virginia and eastern North Carolina territories of Olympic Steel Inc. Meredith Dean (ABJ ’14) is the studio coordinator at Ryan Seacrest Studios in Charlotte, N.C. Amber Estes (ABJ ’14) of Athens joined William Mills Agency as an account coordinator. Aspen Robinson (BS ’14) of Douglasville was accepted into UGA’s PhD program for industrial and organizational psychology. Laura Spice (AB ’14) was one of 12 recipients awarded the Jefferson Fellowship, the University of Virginia’s premier graduate fellowship.

2015-2016 Timur Cetindag (BS ’15) of Auburn is a supply-chain consultant at Manhattan Associates in Atlanta. Govind Chhina (BS ’15) of Ashburn was presented with the Michael S. Irby Outstanding Chapter President Award by the Phi Delta Theta Alumni Club of Atlanta in March. Renato Ferreira (BFA ’15) of Athens is the art teacher at Fowler Drive Elementary School. Chris Gowen II (BSEH ’15) of Glennville is an environmental health specialist for the Georgia Department of Public Health in Liberty County.

Gregory Hanft (BBA ’15) of Lawrenceville is a financial services professional at The Piedmont Group of Atlanta. Skye Rubel (ABJ ’15) of Marietta is the communications and events coordinator at The Association of Magazine Media. Ashley Merkel (BS ’16) of Conyers was hired as a leadership development consultant for Kappa Delta sorority for the 2016-17 academic year.

Haley Nagle (BSES ’16) of Mineral Bluff

was selected as a 2016 Woodrow Wilson Georgia Teaching Fellow. The program recruits recent graduates and professionals with strong backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and math fields, and prepares them to teach in high-need secondary schools. Sydney Stroup (BSFCS ’16) of Suwanee is a member services coordinator at World 50 Inc. Jordan Zielinski (BSPH ’16) of Milton is pursuing a Master of Science in nursing at Emory University.

GRADNOTES Arts & Sciences Carlton A. Morrison (MA ’70) of St. Simons Island authored the second edition of Running the River: Poleboats, Steamboats & Timber Rafts on the Ocmulgee, Oconee & Ohoopee (The Saltmarsh Press, 2016). The revised edition contains more maps, illustrations and river lore. Harvey Jackson III (PhD ’73) of Jacksonville, Ala., received the 2016 Clarence Cason Award in nonfiction writing from the University of Alabama’s College of Communication and Information Sciences. Greg Shelnutt (MFA ’88) of Clemson, S.C., was elected to serve as secretary for the South Carolina Arts Alliance. J. Michael Martinez (MPA ’91, PhD ’09) of Monroe is the author of A Long Dark Night: Race in America from Jim Crow to World War II (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016), a historical account of the African-American history that followed the collapse of Reconstruction. Seretha Williams (MA ’94, PhD ’98) of Augusta received the Outstanding Faculty Award for the 2015-16 academic year at Augusta University. Williams is a professor of English and women’s and gender studies.

Ryan Judd (MA ’02) of Columbia, S.C., joined Turner Padget Graham & Laney PA as an associate on the business transactions team. Xunyu Pan (MS ’04) received the Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching from Frostburg State University. Pan is an assistant professor in the department of computer science and information technologies. Xiaojun Li (MA ’05, MS ’07) was a 2014-15 Princeton-Harvard China and the World Fellow at Harvard University’s Fairbank Center for Chinese Research. Li is an assistant professor in political science at

september 2016 | georgia magazine | 51

CLASSNOTES

thai connection

Merritt Melancon

Monchai Duagjinda (PhD ’00), standing, and Virote Pattarajinda (PhD ’01), were back on campus in April as part of an eight-member delegation from Khon Kaen University in Thailand.

Duagjinda is dean of agriculture and Pattarajinda is associate dean for agricultural research and international affairs at the university. The visit marked the renewal of a partnership that dates back nearly 30 years and includes research collaborations, faculty and student exchanges, and graduate student training. In addition to meeting with President Morehead and other administrators, the group toured campus to learn more about food services, the Ramsey Center, student learning centers and UGA’s bus service.

the University of British Columbia. Holly Mackle (MA ’05) of Birmingham, Ala., is the author of Engaging Motherhood: Heart Preparation for a Holy Calling (PCA Committee on Discipleship Ministries, 2016), which seeks to prepare young mothers for the daily ups and downs of being a parent.

Business Trevor Knott (MBA ’96) is senior vice president of business development at BSG Financial Group. Matt Reese (MBA ’14) of Brookhaven is the senior business development manager at Eric Mower Associates.

Education Betsy Bean (MEd ’73) of Athens launched BoomAthens, a lifestyle magazine for people over 50 who live in Athens and surrounding counties. Jim Puckett (MEd ’75, EdS ’80, EdD ’84) of Buford retired in May after 49 years as an educator. Guy W. Jordan (MEd ’76, PhD ’81) is the author of Simplify

Your Emotions: Steps to Happiness (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013), a guide on how to manage feelings in everyday situations. Dave Toburen (MEd ’76, EdS ’78, EdD ’85) of Washington is the director of God’s Marketplace, Thrift Store and Food Pantry.

Joanna Archer Webster (M ’77) wrote She’s a Keeper! Confessions from a Southern Girl’s Closet (Shady Grove Press, 2015) and She’s a Keeper! Anecdotes from a Southern Girl’s Attic (Shady Grove Press, 2016) under the pen name Lee St. John. Christopher T. Ray (PhD ’04) of Mansfield, Texas, is the dean of Texas Woman’s University College of Health Sciences.

Journalism & Mass Communication Anne Mather (MA ’74) of Young Harris co-authored Adventures of a Female Medical Detective: In Pursuit of Smallpox and AIDS (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016) with Dr. Mary Guinan.

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Law Dan A. Aldridge (JD ’75) of Winterville wrote To Lasso the Clouds: The Beginning of Aviation in Georgia (Mercer University Press, 2016), a historical account of the first airplane flight in Georgia. James K. Reap (JD ’76) received the 2016 Distinguished Faculty Award from the College of Environment and Design Alumni Association and the 2016 Excellence in Preservation Service Award from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Joseph Fried (JD ’93) of Atlanta was invited to join the Buckhead Coalition, a nonprofit civic association limited to 100 CEOs of major area firms. Fried is the founding partner of Fried Rogers Goldberg LLC. Emory Palmer (JD ’99) of Newnan was appointed to the state board of the Georgia Commission on Child Support.

Palmer is a Superior Court judge in the Coweta Judicial Circuit and presides over the Troup County Drug Court. Rebecca Crumrine Rieder (MEd ’94, JD ’01) of Atlanta is a founding partner of Hedgepath,

Heredia & Rieder, which was awarded the Atlanta Bar Association’s Small Firm Service Award in May. Abebe Teklehaimanot Kahsay (LLM ’07) of Athens is a doctoral candidate at the Institute for Peace and Security Studies at Addis Ababa University.

Ashley Agnew Hammack (JD’10) of Aiken, S.C., was named a “Young Professional to Follow Under 40” by the Aiken Standard.

Hammack is a prosecutor for the 2nd Judicial Circuit solicitor’s office. Heather Ostroff (JD ’10) of Orlando, Fla., opened Jordan Law, a firm that focuses on criminal law, family law and academic hearings.

Public & International Affairs Tosha Connors (MPA ’07) was hired as director of development for All About Developmental Disabilities in Decatur.

Social Work Renee Nimako (MSW ’08) of Duluth is a social worker for Vitas Health Care in Atlanta.

Veterinary Medicine Walter Stinson (DVM ’57) of Wilkesboro, N.C., was recognized as a distinguished alumnus at UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine’s Annual Veterinary Conference and Alumni Weekend in March. Sheila Allen (MS ’86) of Winterville was named Veterinarian of the Year for 2015 by the Georgia Veterinary Medical Association. Allen has served as dean of the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine since 2005. Margie Lee (MS ’88, PhD ’90) of Watkinsville was one of 10 new members appointed by U.S. Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack to the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods. Lee is a professor in the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine. Michelle Barton (PhD ’90) of Colbert is director of clinical academic affairs and head of the academic affairs office at the UGA Veterinary Medical Center.

Holly Sellers (MS ’93, PhD ’98) of

Watkinsville received the Bruce W. Calnek Applied Poultry Research Achievement Award from the American Association of Avian Pathologists. Sellers is a professor in the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine. Rebecca Dixon (DVM ’02) of Reidsville, N.C., was recognized as a distinguished alumnus at the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine’s Annual Veterinary Conference and Alumni Weekend in March. Stephan Schaefbauer (DVM ’06) of Ankeny, Iowa, was recognized as a young achiever at the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine’s Annual Veterinary Conference and Alumni Weekend in March. Kelsey Hart (PhD ’10) of Watkinsville became director of the Georgia Veterinary Scholars Program. Hart is an assistant professor of large animal internal medicine at the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine.

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CLASSNOTES

backpackers go tiny

Special

Lindsey (ABJ ’09) and Adam Nubern (BBA ’09) believe that bigger isn’t always better. In April, the couple was featured on HGTV’s “Tiny House Hunters.” After spending more than a year backpacking around the world, the couple moved back to Atlanta to begin the search for a new home.

In an effort to make traveling a permanent part of their lives, their main request was to find a house on wheels. With Lindsey’s mom as their real estate agent, the couple was presented with three choices: a little white camper, a modern cabin and a cozy cottage—all mobile, of course. Although they battled through their differences on the show, in the end they agreed that the 100-square-foot camper was the perfect place to begin their next adventure.

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PAGE BACK

J. Marshall Shepherd Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor in the Social Sciences Director, Atmospheric Sciences Program geography.uga.edu/directory/ profile/shepherd-marshall “Many people are familiar with the concept that a city, like Atlanta, is warmer than surrounding counties because of all the asphalt and the lack of trees. We call that the urban heat island. That’s one way that cities affect the weather, but we’ve done work showing that cities can also create their own thunderstorms and exacerbate urban flooding. I’ve spent a good deal of my career trying to understand why and how growing cities can affect our weather and our climate. It’s important because 50 percent or more of the global population now lives in cities, and in the next 20 or 30 years that may rise to 60 to 80 percent. These urban footprints increasingly will become significant agents of our weather and climate.”

Photo shot by Peter Frey on the North Campus lawn.

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