University of Georgia Magazine Winter 2024

Adventure 101

UGA students explore America the Beautiful through the Interdisciplinary Field Program

OSCAR

JAMAAL JARRETT

SACOVIE WHITE WR #18

LAWSON LUCKIE

President Jere W. Morehead discusses UGA’s GRA Eminent Scholars

Interdisciplinary Field Program students and staff hike the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in California’s White Mountains. The forest is home to the world’s oldest trees. Some of these gnarled yet resilient bristlecone pines are over 4,000 years old. Learn more about the Interdisciplinary Field Program on page 28.

It's UGA’s Game Changers! Unstoppable students who don’t just shine on Saturdays; they redefine excellence every day of the week.

News for UGA alumni in Georgia, across the country, and around the world.

Notes UGA alumni are business leaders, community heroes, and even Jeopardy! masters. Meet some of them.

Get to know John A. Maltese, Albert Berry Saye Professor of American Government and Constitutional Law, School of Public and International Affairs.

Combating Crises

In business, education, health, or any number of other disciplines, good communication is one of the most important ways to diffuse a crisis. And the best place to learn how to produce these sensitive messages is UGA.

Making a Difference

The Mary Frances Early College of Education is a national leader in the training of teachers who work with children diagnosed with dyslexia and other learning differences.

The Chicken or the Egg

Which came first? Well, that might be the only poultry-related question that UGA’s experts aren’t trying to answer. Everything else? Visit our new Poultry Science Building to find out.

For Spacious Skies

Over 60 days in the spring and summer, UGA’s Interdisciplinary Field Program takes students from sea to shining sea and more than 20 national parks in between. It’s experiential learning at its finest.

Third-year undergraduate student Chloe Myers (foreground) and other Interdisciplinary Field Program students hike the Bright Angel Trail at the Grand Canyon. Due to heat concerns, students were up by 4 a.m. to begin the hike as dawn broke.

COVER PHOTO BY CHAMBERLAIN SMITH

PETER FREY

Good eggs ahead, p. 24.

Good Vibes

THE REDCOAT MARCHING BAND HELPED THE BULLDOGS kick off the 2024 football season against Clemson at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Andrew Latimer, a first-year music major from Canton, on the vibraphone contributed to the musical wall of sound. Founded in 1905, the band has been both creator and keeper of the university’s most beloved traditions. The Redcoats bridge the gap between Dawgs of all ages, inspiring everyone to “Attack the Day.”

ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER

GEORGIA MAGAZINE

Editor · Eric Rangus MA ’94

Associate Editors · Aaron Hale MA ’16 and Leigh Hataway MA ’17

Staff Writers · Jayne Roberts and Savannah Peat AB ’19

Art Director · Lindsay Robinson ABJ ’06, MPA ’11, MA ’22

Advertising Director · Kipp Mullis ABJ ’93

Photo Editor · Peter Frey BFA ’94

UGA Photographers · Andrew Davis Tucker, Dorothy Kozlowski BLA ’06, ABJ ’10, and Chamberlain Smith ABJ ’18

Contributing Writers · Elizabeth Elmore BBA ’08, ABJ ’08, Clarke Schwabe ABJ ’08, Ireland Hayes AB ’23, Alexandra Shimalla MA ’19, and Rachael Andrews AB ’17, MPA ’21

Contributing Designers · Andrea Piazza ABJ ’12, MA ’19, Whitney Mathisen, Kaiya Plagenhoef, Justin Patton ABJ ’15, and Amy Gunby BFA ’20

Editorial Interns · Caroline Newbern, Maura Rutledge, and Navya Shukla

Research Writing Intern: Sydney Barrilleaux BS ’24

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Vice President · Kathy Pharr ABJ ’87, MPA ’05, EdD ’11

Senior Director for Integrated Media Communications · James Hataway MA ’10

Assistant Vice President & Chief Operating Officer · Fran Burke

Project Manager · Brittney Wurdeman

ADMINISTRATION

President · Jere W. Morehead JD ’80

Senior VP for Academic Affairs & Provost · S. Jack Hu

VP for Finance & Administration · Ryan Nesbit MBA ’91

VP for Development & Alumni Relations · Jill S. Walton BSA ’99, MPA ’03

VP for Instruction · Marisa Anne Pagnattaro PhD ’98

Interim VP for Research · Christopher King

VP for Public Service & Outreach · Jennifer Frum PhD ’09

VP for Student Affairs · Michelle Cook

VP for Government Relations · Kevin Abernathy AB ’99

VP for Information Technology · Timothy M. Chester

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https://eoo.uga.edu/ VOLUME 104 ISSUE NO. 1 WINTER 2024

“I look forward to all that the GRA Eminent Scholars at UGA will contribute to our university, our state, and the world in the coming years.”

GRA Eminent Scholars at UGA

Improving lives and growing the economy through groundbreaking research

This fall, the University of Georgia was excited to welcome three new Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) Eminent Scholars. With the addition of Scott Jackson, Nathan Lewis, and Yana Zavros, UGA is now home to 19 GRA Eminent Scholars. This incredibly talented group is helping us grow Georgia’s economy through groundbreaking research while solidifying UGA’s reputation as one of the nation’s top public research universities.

Through its generous support, GRA fosters cross-university collaboration and helps Georgia’s research universities attract funding, make discoveries, create workforce opportunities, and improve lives. GRA’s Eminent Scholars program brings world-class scientists to Georgia to translate research findings into commercial products, create start-up companies, and increase our state’s national competitiveness for industry investment.

Scott Jackson is the inaugural GRA Eminent Scholar in Synthetic Biology. Highly accomplished in both academic and industry research, he uses plant DNA to increase the productivity and sustainability of crops, such as peanuts, that are vital to Georgia’s economy. At UGA, Jackson will recruit a cohort of additional faculty to establish a center of excellence in the application of genomic tools for crop improvement.

Nathan Lewis is the GRA Eminent Scholar in Molecular Cell Biology. His research has helped scientists more successfully—and more efficiently—develop therapeutics such as antibodies and drugs. He will boost research capabilities in UGA’s Center for Molecular Medicine and Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, sharing a wide range of skills and knowledge that includes cellular engineering and applications of AI to biological systems analysis.

Yana Zavros is the inaugural GRA Eminent Scholar in Molecular Medicine. An internationally renowned scientist, her work has led to new treatments for gastrointestinal cancer, and she has recently broadened her research to include Cushing’s disease, a neuroendocrine disorder with few existing treatments. Zavros will recruit additional medical research faculty to create a high-caliber, translationally focused research center in UGA’s School of Medicine.

I am grateful for everything the Georgia Research Alliance does to support discovery and economic development, and I look forward to all that the GRA Eminent Scholars at UGA will contribute to our university, our state, and the world in the coming years.

Jere W. Morehead President

BULLDOG ADVENTURES

to

UGA Z

UGA Students Cover Paralympics as AP Freelancers

For many, a trip to Paris is a dream vacation.

For a group of nine students and two professors from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, however, their trip to Paris to cover the Paralympics was all about work.

“This is not about tourism or study abroad,” says Welch Suggs PhD ’09, associate director of the Carmical Sports Media Institute. “This is about

students who went to do a job, and they rose to the occasion and produced amazing stuff. It’s going to have a longlasting impact on how the Paralympics are seen in this country.”

The group of writers and photographers spent six days producing content, which resulted in 20 written features and 175 photographs published by the Associated Press to a worldwide audience.

Highlights from across the UGA community

“I think the biggest realization was that I was doing what I wanted to do and I was having fun,” says Felix Scheyer, a third-year journalism student. “This has been a job, but I really had a blast in Paris. I would go home tired but so happy that I would fall asleep smiling, and I would wake up and do it again. I had been given the tools, and I was using them. Everything just clicked for us in Paris.”

MARK E. JOHNSON CITY OF LIGHTS

Nathalee Simoneau, a fourth-year journalism student from Valdosta, photographs Paralympic track and field for the Associated Press. Simoneau was one of nine UGA students who covered the Paralympics over the summer.

ON THE BLINK

Rare Firefly Lights up Athens

A rare species of firefly, the Loopy Five, has been discovered at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens.

The Loopy Five name comes from the unique light show the bugs put on—a series of blinks, usually four, followed by a loop of motion on the fifth.

The species is petitioned to be on the Endangered Species List and has been spotted in a handful of locations in Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee. But so far, there is scant formal documentation.

The wetlands boardwalk area at the State Botanical Garden contains what scientists suspect are the right conditions for these fireflies to thrive. On a visit to the garden, biologists from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources found many of the elusive Loopy Five fireflies.

Hollywood A-Lister Highlights Halftime

The Bulldogs’ 41-31 win over Mississippi State on Oct. 12 featured some special halftime entertainment.

Glen Powell, the A-list star of Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters, visited the Classic City to film scenes for his upcoming Hulu series, Chad Powers

Powell pulls double duty as executive producer and star of the series, in which he plays a disgraced quarterback who walks onto a struggling team, adopting the alias “Chad Powers.” Powell co-created the series with Michael Waldron ABJ '10, and it's based on a character created by Eli Manning.

One of those Athens-based scenes took place at Sanford Stadium just before the start of the second half of the MSU game. Fans were encouraged to boo Powell, in character, and his teammates as they ran onto Dooley Field, which they did three times. The scene also featured dialogue between Powell and actress Perry Mattfeld (In the Dark), who plays an assistant coach.

Those playful boos grew deafening when Powell’s face appeared on the JumboTron. As the last take finished, a sly, knowing smile flashed across Powell’s face, and with a wave he jogged off the field and back down the tunnel.

“It’s exciting to find such a rare firefly in this area,” says Anna Yellin, a wildlife biologist with Georgia DNR. “It shows we still have opportunities to discover and conserve native species within our communities, even in areas surrounded by development.”

PROTECTING HEALTH

Type 2 Diabetes Becoming More Common

Type 2 diabetes increased by almost 20% between 2012 and 2022, according to new research from the University of Georgia.

While a rise in diagnoses was seen across the board, the disease hit certain groups of people especially hard. More than 15% of non-Hispanic Black study participants reported being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. And individuals 65 or older were 10 times more likely to have the disease than those between 18 to 24 years of age.

The study also found that individuals with lower incomes had a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes than their higher income counterparts.

Overweight and obese participants were also more likely to report being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. About one in five obese individuals reported having the disease in 2022, and one in 10 overweight participants reported having the condition.

While some of these factors cannot be controlled, researchers say eating healthy, staying active, and losing weight can help lower the chances of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Glen Powell (No. 2, center) leads his fictional football team onto Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium. The scene will appear in Powell’s upcoming Hulu series, Chad Powers

GETTY IMAGES

DOROTHY KOZLOWSKI

Vegetarian Diet Benefits Aren’t One-Size-Fits-All

Thinking about trying a vegetarian diet to improve your health? Genetics may play a role in its effectiveness, according to a recent study from the University of Georgia.

For many, a vegetarian diet leads to health benefits like lowered cholesterol and decreased risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. But for some, this diet may come with a cost, the researchers found.

UGA researchers examined the genetic information from more than 150,000 participants, including over 2,000 vegetarians, to determine how specific gene variants changed both the benefits and consequences of their diets.

While most vegetarians saw lower cholesterol and vitamin D levels, those with a variant of the gene MMAA saw higher calcium levels compared to those without it. This could lead to improvements in bone health and dental health, but high levels of calcium can also have negative health effects including kidney stone development or cardiovascular issues.

Genetic variations also affected kidney filtration rates as well as testosterone levels.

Uncovering these factors can help people focus on eating the food that can keep their bodies healthy.

READY TO MAKE THEIR BARK

Welcome, Class of 2028

The Class of 2028 is one of the most academically qualified in UGA’s history.

The 6,175 first-year students had an average GPA of 4.13 and carried an average of 10 Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or dual-enrollment courses. This marks the eighth consecutive year that the average weighted high school GPA of the incoming class exceeds 4.0.

A total of 25% of incoming firstyear students are considered firstgeneration students, which means neither of their parents has earned a four-year college degree.

The incoming class includes students from 463 Georgia high schools, 144 Georgia counties (out of 159), 44 states, and 12 nations. More than 2,000 transfer students also are beginning their studies at the university this fall, an increase of almost 18% from the previous year.

ACADEMIC POWERHOUSE

Nine Straight Years as Top 20 Public University

The University of Georgia climbed two spots to No. 18 in U.S. News & World Report ’s 2025 ranking of the best public universities in the nation. This marks the ninth consecutive year that UGA has placed in the top 20.

UGA joins elite company with this year’s ranking, as 19 of the institutions in the top 20 are members of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU).

Among the factors that influence this ranking are UGA’s 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio, its robust offering of more than 800 student organizations, 130 study abroad programs, 40 domestic field study programs, and 200 undergraduate majors and certificates.

Several individual programs earned high marks from U.S. News as well. The Terry College of Business ranked No. 23 for undergraduate business programs. The college’s insurance program ranked No. 1 in the nation, the real estate program ranked No. 3, the management and information systems program ranked No. 12, and the accounting program ranked No. 15.

The university also ranked No. 25 among the best U.S. schools for veterans.

“Our growing reputation as a national leader in higher education speaks to the remarkable dedication of our faculty, staff, and students, as well as the unwavering support of our alumni and friends,” says President Jere W. Morehead JD ’80

GREENS VS. GENES

UGA Receives $18 Million NSF Award for Glycoscience

The University of Georgia received a six-year, $18 million award from the National Science Foundation’s BioFoundries program to launch the BioFoundry: Glycoscience Resources, Education And Training (BioFoundry: GREAT).

This grant will focus on activities to promote glycoscience: resources, education, and training, all available through a dedicated user facility based at UGA’s Complex Carbohydrate Research Center.

Glycoscience is the study of glycans, a basic building block of life. The surfaces of all biological cells have a diverse coating of glycans that impact communication with other cells.

The grant is the latest for the center, which has garnered many millions of dollars in research funding, as well as a catalog of scholarly publications and prestigious awards.

Studying these carbohydrates could have applications in the medical life sciences, the production of biofuels, and plant-based new materials.

UGA Welcomes Three New GRA Eminent Scholars

The University of Georgia welcomed three new Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) Eminent Scholars this fall.

• Renowned plant genetics researcher Scott Jackson returned to the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to serve as the inaugural GRA Eminent Scholar in Synthetic Biology.

• Prominent gastric cancer researcher Yana Zavros joined the new School of Medicine as the inaugural GRA Eminent Scholar in Molecular Medicine.

• Systems biologist and professor of pediatrics and bioengineering Nathan Lewis was named the GRA Eminent Scholar in Molecular Cell Biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.

The Georgia Research Alliance is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to drive economic impact in the state from university research and entrepreneurship. GRA Eminent Scholars are leading experts in their fields at Georgia’s top universities. Collectively, the scholars attract hundreds of millions of dollars in public and private grants each year.

The new hires bring UGA’s total to 19 current GRA Eminent Scholars.

Fish Oil May Reduce Genetic Risk of High Cholesterol

Fish oil supplements are a multibillion-dollar industry, with about two out of every 25 people popping the popular omega-3 pills.

A new study from the University of Georgia suggests that people with a family history of high cholesterol may want to look into them too.

It’s no secret that high cholesterol is bad for the body. Arteries start to harden, and the risk of heart attack or stroke increases. While a healthy diet and exercise can help prevent it, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in four American adults has high cholesterol. And for many others, they’re at higher risk because of a factor they can’t control: genetics.

The UGA study used data from more than 441,000 people to predict someone’s genetic risk of high cholesterol. Researchers found that participants who reported taking fish oil had lower blood lipid levels than expected. This was especially true for LDL cholesterol (also known as “bad” cholesterol).

For people whose families have a history of high cholesterol, the study’s findings offer another possibility to help safeguard their health.

FACULTY EXCELLENCE

HEALTHY CHOICE

From top to bottom: Scott Jackson, Yana Zavros, and Nathan Lewis are UGA's newest Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholars.

Drug-Resistant Fungus Found in Garden Items

That pile of soil you bought at the home improvement store may contain more than just dirt, according to new research from the University of Georgia.

A UGA study found high levels of multidrug-resistant fungi in commercially available compost, soil, and flower bulbs.

Aspergillus fumigatus is a widespread fungus that thrives in soil. But it also poses a serious risk to human health if inhaled, particularly for people with compromised immune systems.

The researchers sampled products, including compost, soil, flower bulbs, and a variety of food products sold at big box retail stores from 2019 through 2021.

The study found more than 500 strains of Aspergillus fumigatus in the products, which included an assortment of different brands. Of the 525 samples, most of the drug-resistant strains of fungi were found in soil, compost made from manure, and flower bulbs, including daffodils, dahlias, gladioli, and tulips.

The researchers highly recommend individuals with compromised immune systems take precautions when gardening and discuss the potential risks with their physicians. Devoted gardeners can also wear N-95 masks to provide some protection.

Life on the Street for New Urban Dwellers

UGA Alumni, Faculty Highlight Inaugural Athens Film Festival

Coyotes may be wily, but they’re also quite shy, even in the densely populated city of Atlanta and its suburbs.

New video footage from UGA researchers reveals how far coyotes go to avoid human interaction. During daylight hours, coyotes often rested in the small, wooded areas that still exist in metro Atlanta. Once night fell, coyotes were on the prowl, looking for an easy meal like a discarded fast-food bag.

The video footage, taken from collars placed on the coyotes’ necks, is part of a partnership among UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Wildlife Atlanta, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

“Coyotes have expanded their range east, demonstrating their incredible resilience and ability to adapt,” says Michel Kohl, an associate professor in Warnell. “Now, they’re even found in some of the densest urban centers in the country.”

Despite their proximity to human spaces, there is little reason to fear. Coyote attacks on people are rare. And taking steps to reduce interactions with coyotes greatly reduces the risk they pose to people and their pets.

If you see one that’s too close, don’t feed or approach it. Secure garbage, pet food, and birdseed so coyotes can’t access it. Keep small pets inside or on a leash when outside. And make sure to keep pets updated on their vaccines.

The film industry is thriving in Athens, as evidenced by the 2022 opening of Athena Studios; growing momentum of UGA’s Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Program in Film, Television, and Digital Media; and this year’s inaugural Athens Film Festival.

UGA faculty and MFA film students screened films and led discussions during the festival, which took place at Ciné and the Morton Theater in downtown Athens from Aug. 15 through 17.

For recent alumni such as Alex Thomas MFA ’23, the festival was a chance to contribute to the growing Athens film scene.

“Athens has a dedicated arts community that has not yet had its moment in the spotlight,” says Thomas, whose master’s thesis film, The School Mistress, premiered at the festival. “I think it’s tremendous they are finally building this community and getting their moment to showcase it.”

Lauren Musgrove, an assistant professor in the Grady College, screened her first feature film, Ugly Sweater, which received the Indie Spirit Special Recognition Award at the Boston International film festival.

“I have always been fascinated by memories, dreams, and the inner corners of truth in our minds,” Musgrove says of her film’s coming-of-age storyline. “It’s about this symbolism that an ugly sweater brings together all of your feelings and your past.”

A total of six full-length and short films from UGA students, faculty, and alumni were showcased during the festival.

WILY COYOTES

BIG SCREEN DAWGS

A LEGACY REIMAGINED

New Beginnings for the Holmes-Hunter Academic Building

Dignitaries and special guests from across the state gathered on North Campus in October to celebrate the completion of renovations to the Holmes-Hunter Academic Building.

The building is named in honor of Hamilton Holmes BS ’63 and Charlayne Hunter-Gault ABJ ’63, the first African American students to attend the University of Georgia.

The renovations include restored historic features, improved accessibility, and a courtyard that pays tribute to the building’s namesakes. On the north side of the building, two new portraits honor Holmes and HunterGault. Graphic displays that depict their story and impact highlight the first floor.

The Holmes-Hunter Academic Building began as two separate structures—the Ivy Building (completed in 1834) and the Library (completed in 1863). The two buildings were connected in 1905 to create the Academic Building. Additional modifications continued over the century. The building was renamed in 2001 to mark the 40th anniversary of UGA’s integration.

Today, the building houses the Office of the Registrar, the Office of Student Financial Aid, and the Office of Inclusive Excellence, as well as the Institute for African American Studies and the African Studies Institute.

The $30 million renovation, including $15 million in private gifts, was approved in 2021.

AWARD WINNING

UGA Honored for its Commitment to Inclusive Excellence

The University of Georgia has received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award (HEED) for the 11th consecutive year.

Presented by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the HEED Award reflects the university’s deliberate efforts to create a welcoming and inclusive learning environment. This includes initiatives and programs that assist first-generation, rural, low-income, underrepresented, and underserved students; veterans; and students from Athens-Clarke County.

In addition to the institution-wide honor, multiple individual programs at UGA received 2024 Inspiring Programs in STEM Awards from INSIGHT Into Diversity.

The College of Veterinary Medicine was honored for Ready.Vet.Go., a program that brings students and their families to UGA for a daylong series of events, including anatomy laboratory demonstrations, clinical skills workshops, and a comprehensive hospital tour. The college’s Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory was recognized for its efforts to tackle a regional shortage of veterinarians.

The College of Pharmacy, UGA’s Pre-Professional Advising Office, the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Educational Diversity Program also received honors from the magazine.

PAYING IT FORWARD

Bad Economic Conditions May Mean Fewer Volunteers

Volunteering used to be a mainstay of U.S. culture.

But in recent years, many Americans have not prioritized giving back to their community. New research from the University of Georgia suggests that economic issues may be to blame.

Researchers used a dataset of 90,000 individuals and found people living in disadvantaged communities or areas that have high levels of economic inequality were less likely to volunteer.

The recession of 2008 didn’t help. More than a decade and a half later, the negative effects persisted, which may indicate lingering social or psychological effects that make people more hesitant to invest time and resources into volunteer efforts.

“Local economic conditions matter for volunteering,” says Rebecca Nesbit, lead author of the study and a professor in UGA’s School of Public and International Affairs. “That’s something we can’t ignore.”

CHAMBERLAIN SMITH

Hamilton Holmes’ wife Marilyn takes a moment with her husband's portrait. New portraits of Holmes and Charlayne Hunter-Gault, painted by Richard Wilson, are highlights of the renovated Holmes-Hunter Academic Building.

BRIDGING THE GAP COMMITTED TO

UGA donors help students with great ambition but limited resources

Savonte Wilson BS ’21 always knew he wanted to go to the University of Georgia. The Moultrie native worked hard in hopes of becoming a Bulldog— maintaining a 4.0 GPA throughout high school—but when his dream came true and he opened his acceptance email, he couldn’t celebrate.

“The cost was too much for my family,” Wilson (left) says. “Initially, they were against me going because I would have to take out loans. But this was my dream school, so we were all very conflicted.”

A few weeks later, Wilson received a second email, this one from the Office of Student Financial Aid. It notified him that he would be part of the first class of Georgia Commitment Scholars, a remarkably successful need-based aid program launched in 2017. It has removed financial barriers for hundreds of deserving students and continues to empower the many UGA students faced with significant need.

“If it weren’t for the kindness and generosity of the donors who created my scholarship, I couldn’t have gone to UGA,” Wilson says. “That scholarship allowed me to grow in my faith, grow in my major, and get more involved at UGA.”

Throughout his first stint at UGA, Wilson was involved in

collegiate ministries, youth mentorship, UGA Club Track, a UGA choir, and community theater while completing his bachelor’s in psychology. “First stint” is important to note because Wilson’s college experience was so impactful that he’s now pursuing a second degree at UGA, a bachelor’s in Spanish.

“My experience with Georgia has been everything I wanted and more, and none of it would’ve been possible without my God providing a way for me to be the first recipient of my scholarship,” Wilson says.

WHY IS NEED-BASED AID IMPORTANT?

In the 2023-2024 academic year, 17% of UGA undergraduates received the federal Pell Grant, which is awarded to students who display exceptional financial need. Because of need-based scholarships, UGA is able to help bridge the gap for students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend UGA.

Need-based aid targets those driven students who pursue education in the face of financial strain, giving them the resources to focus on their studies. Through need-based aid, students can build their future with a UGA education to match their Bulldog determination.

EDWIN HAMMOND

OF THE 5,767 UGA STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED A PELL GRANT IN THE 2023-2024 ACADEMIC YEAR:

• 19% reported a family income less than tuition and fees.

• 42% received no financial contributions from their families.

• Those who received no family financial support had an average cost-of-attendance gap of $11,945.

GEORGIA COMMITMENT SCHOLARSHIPS (GCS) DEMONSTRATE THE POTENTIAL NEED-BASED AID HAS TO POSITIVELY IMPACT UGA STUDENTS.

IN THE 2023-2024 ACADEMIC YEAR:

• 716 students benefitted from GCS.

• Students from 119 counties in Georgia received a GCS.

• 43% of GCS recipients were first-generation college students.

• 95% of first-year GCS students in 2023 returned for their second year.

If it weren’t for the kindness and generosity of the donors who created my scholarship, I couldn’t have gone to UGA. That scholarship allowed me to grow in my faith, grow in my major, and get more involved at UGA.

Savonte Wilson BS ’21 and his scholarship donors, Beth and Barry Storey BSA ’82, in 2018.

Graduate Certificate

Make a plan

Combating Crises

UGA is becoming the go-to place for crisis communication education.

WRITTEN BY LEIGH HATAWAY MA ’17

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER FREY BFA ’94

Curt Harris PhD ’08 knows his periodic table, chemical compounds, and how to work a lab. What the physical scientist wasn’t expecting was to become just as adept at the complicated field of communications.

But when he joined the University of Georgia’s Institute of Disaster Management, housed in the College of Public Health, one thing became abundantly clear.

“Communication was always a problem when we were looking at disaster responses and engaging in disaster preparation exercises,” says Harris, who became the institute’s director in 2019. “Communicating was something that we did, but it wasn’t something we did extremely well—primarily because we didn’t train on it.”

That’s something he wanted to fix when he began developing the curriculum for the Master of Public Health in Disaster Management in the early 2010s. But Harris soon realized that a single crisis communications course wasn’t going to cut it. Crisis communications needed to be integrated into every class the institute’s faculty taught. Glen Nowak, co-director of the Center for Health and Risk Communication in UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, was a guest lecturer in disaster management courses over the years. A few years later when Nowak mentioned that a graduate program on crisis communications was in the works, Harris was all in. Beginning in fall 2024, UGA began offering the Graduate

Certificate in Crisis, Risk, and Disaster Communication, one of few programs nationwide that offers this combination of courses in a graduate certificate.

The new interdisciplinary certificate is a collaboration among three nationally recognized programs to educate students: the Crisis Communication Think Tank at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Risk Management and Insurance program at the Terry College of Business, and the Institute for Disaster Management at the College of Public Health.

The 12-credit program provides specialized coursework in crisis, risk, and disaster communication. The program connects the academic theories in these fields with industry

Curt Harris heads the College of Public Health's Institute for Disaster Management, which features a curriculum heavily focused on crisis communications.

practice, preparing students to manage and communicate through complex and difficult situations.

“Our goal is to make UGA the place to study, to research, and to get training on crisis communication management,” says Yan Jin, the C. Richard Yarbrough Professor in Crisis Communication Leadership at the Grady College and director of the certificate program. “How can you be proactive? How can you be ready?”

Being Ready

That theme of readiness is a cornerstone of both the certificate program and the Crisis Communication Think Tank, which Jin co-founded in 2018. The Think Tank combines the evidence-based expertise of academics from wide-ranging disciplines with the experience-driven insights of communication executives from corporations and other prominent institutions, including the American Medical Association, Ketchum, and Wellstar Health Systems.

The Think Tank draws on UGA’s extensive and internationally recognized scholarship in crisis and risk research.

Terry’s Risk Management and Insurance program is the largest undergraduate program of its kind in the U.S. and has been ranked No. 1 for the past five years by U.S. News & World Report.

Meanwhile, the Institute for Disaster Management is one of only six entities

nationwide to offer a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in disaster management. And the program emphasizes working with communities, government agencies, nonprofits, and more to maximize experiential learning opportunities for students.

A Program for Professionals

Crisis communications training at UGA isn’t just for students, though.

The Think Tank and Terry’s Executive Education program recently partnered on a crisis readiness workshop for business leaders in Atlanta, with the goal of educating executives on proactive crisis management strategies, how legal and risk management interact, the complexities of technology, media training, and a crisis scenario simulation.

“I think part of the challenge for business executives is the word ‘crisis,’” says Mike Pfarrer, the C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry Distinguished Chair of Business Administration and Professor in the Terry College and the associate dean for Research and Executive Programs. “Executives often think they don’t have crises because it’s just such a strong word.

“But ‘crisis’ can mean a lot of things and is defined by the industry you are in. Every company and its executives should prepare for something bad to happen, whether it’s a data breach, an oil spill, or whatever it is. And what we’re finding is that a lot of firms

want to be better prepared.”

That’s why workshops like this one emphasize industry-specific challenges with actionable advice that executives can put into practice in their workplace immediately.

The Model for Crisis Comms

UGA is well on its way to becoming the go-to spot for crisis communications training, according to the founders of the program, with many institutions modeling their own programs after Grady’s successful Think Tank model.

But for the crisis communications leaders at the university, it’s less about earning a degree or certificate and more about shaping a mindset. Everyone, whether they’re in business, public relations, or public health, will likely face a crisis. And what they do in a stressful moment can mean the difference between a successful image rehabilitation plan for a company or the complete destruction of a brand.

“Regardless of whether it’s an undergraduate class or an executive training program, I think the key is understanding that crisis communication is not just about communication,” Jin says. “It’s thinking about crisis management as an ongoing process, from prevention, to preparation, to response, to revisiting to learn from any mistakes.

“How can you always be ready?” GM

Yan Jin, the C. Richard Yarbrough Professor in Crisis Communication Leadership, directs the Crisis Communications Think Tank.

Mike Pfarrer, the C. Herman and Mary Virginia Terry Distinguished Chair of Business Administration, leads programs that teach executives how to handle crises.

Making a Difference

The Mary Frances Early College of Education is a national leader in the training of teachers who work with children diagnosed with dyslexia and other learning differences.

WRITTEN BY ERIC RANGUS MA ’94

F M O P V A Y L

X EB K R

From the time he started elementary school, Richard W. Courts IV struggled with conventional learning. He was smart, no doubt, but reading, spelling, and math were a challenge.

In sixth grade, he found out why. Courts was diagnosed with dyslexia, the most common learning difference among school-aged children.

“It’s just a different way of thinking,” Courts says. “Having dyslexia taught me from an early age how to struggle and be comfortable struggling. And that’s a great life skill.”

Working through those struggles gave him the tools he needed to thrive. Courts BBA ’95 earned a finance degree from the Terry College of Business. Since graduating, Courts has been a leader in the commercial real estate business in Atlanta and is president of the Atlantic Realty Company. He’s held the role since 2012. Throughout his career, Courts has

also worked hard to give back to his community. In 2014, he served on the board of Atlanta’s Schenck School, which specializes in teaching children with dyslexia and other languagebased learning differences in grades K-6. He’d also recently joined the UGA Foundation Board of Trustees.

Through that role, Courts learned about some intriguing work coming out of the Mary Frances Early College of Education. Associate professors Kristin Sayeski and Jennifer Lindstrom were putting together a 15-hour graduate certificate program designed to provide educational professionals with specific knowledge and skills related to language development and reading disabilities. They wanted to help teach teachers how to work with children diagnosed with dyslexia and specific learning disabilities.

Now an emeritus trustee, Courts would be the first person to say his involvement was minimal. He’d also be the only person to say that. He

helped bring these varied groups together, including UGA faculty and administrators, and Schenck leaders, who provided subject matter expertise. Their ideas became a proposal, and in 2016, that proposal became UGA’s Dyslexia Endorsement and Certificate Program, the first of its kind in the state.

Since the launch of the certificate program, UGA has grown into a national leader in the training of teachers who work in the field of dyslexia. The university’s efforts and influence reach beyond the campus and into schools, classrooms, teacher workspaces, and even the halls of Georgia’s legislature.

“All the data and research show that the sooner you get help, the greater the impact it’s going to have,” says Courts, who has since stepped back from his board and foundation positions but remains supportive of the work. “It just excites me to know that there are folks out there who are pushing the boundaries and using the science and the skills we have to teach our future educators for years.”

In sixth grade, Richard W. Courts IV was diagnosed with dyslexia. He learned to think differently, and he thrived. When he found out UGA faculty were working to create a certificate program, his support helped make it happen.

WHAT IS DYSLEXIA?

Adopted by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) in 2002, dyslexia is defined, in part, as “a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”

It’s an overly formal, not-easily-penetrable statement that after 22 years may be changing. The IDA formed a steering committee to review this definition, and it could be updated as soon as next year.

“Not unlike autism or other areas of disability, we are learning more through increased research,” says Jennifer Lindstrom, an associate professor in the Mary Frances

Early College of Education. “Dyslexia is not always what we thought it was.”

Kristin Sayeski’s description is much more straightforward than that of the IDA.

“The key question for parents is, ‘What does my child need that is different because they have dyslexia? What are the skills my child struggles with?’” asks Sayeski, also an associate professor in the college. She follows with a detailed answer.

“They are having difficulty understanding how alphabetic languages work and how to map speech sounds to letters and letter patterns.

“We weren’t having kids pay attention to individual parts of words. Now there is systematic instruction. Let’s talk about what this speech sound is and how do we spell this sound. There is an alphabetic code here, and this is how we unlock it.”

Building a Program

Kristin Sayeski wrote the book on dyslexia education.

Unraveling Dyslexia: A Guide for Teachers and Families was released in 2023 by the academic publisher Rowman & Littlefield.

It’s a guidebook for educators and parents seeking to improve learning outcomes for students with dyslexia. Unraveling Dyslexia is also a required textbook in more than one class in the College of Education.

“Conducting the research was fascinating, and it has informed my teaching,” Sayeski says about the process, which took 18 months. “I thought about what my UGA students want to know, and I could have sent them to four different articles and six different podcasts, but now I just ask them to read a chapter.”

When Sayeski came to the University of Georgia in 2011, she met Jennifer Lindstrom PhD ’06, who joined the College of Education faculty two years earlier to teach special education courses.

Lindstrom had ambitious ideas.

She wanted the college’s curriculum to focus more on literacy, reading, reading instruction, and teacher preparation. Sayeski shared those ambitions, and it took her arrival, and her partnership, to make that shift possible.

“I felt like I wasn’t doing this alone,” Lindstrom says.

The Dyslexia Endorsement and Certificate Program, which they continue to co-direct, was one of their first achievements and by no means their last.

In 2018, Lindstrom testified in front of a state senate committee on special education. Her subject matter expertise was influential in the passage of the Dyslexia Law in 2019 and the Georgia Early Literacy Act in 2023, which emphasize literacy and dyslexia screening as well as teacher training for students and teachers in elementary school.

In 2021, the Georgia Department of Education named Lindstrom its first statewide dyslexia coordinator. As part of that role, she travels to school districts throughout the state to meet with teachers and school administrators. It’s also common for teachers to ask Lindstrom for advice about how to incorporate interventions and supports into their curricula to meet the needs of students with and at risk for dyslexia.

And sometimes those teachers just need a pep talk.

“Jennifer is so good about responding to every email,” Sayeski says about her colleague. “She schedules private Zoom meetings with people. She just goes above and beyond.”

Kristin Sayeski's book

“The key question for parents is, ‘What does my child need that is different because they have dyslexia? What are the skills my child struggles with?’”

KRISTIN SAYESKI, ASSOCIATE

PROFESSOR OF COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND SPECIAL EDUCATION

F M O APWBNR B D B

SWCT

An Innovative Classroom

Associate professors

Kristin Sayeski (left) and Jennifer Lindstrom are co-founders of UGA's Dyslexia Endorsement and Certificate Program. Their innovative work is helping a new generation of educators as they help children with learning differences.

WCT

Assistant professor Kelly Williams teaches the First-Year Odyssey Seminar, Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities. Among the lessons, students read and write sentences without articles or prepositions or with missing letters to simulate what a child with dyslexia sees.

F PM V NWLURR T B

Experts estimate that between 5% and 12% of the population has dyslexia, although the real number could be higher. Because learning falls on a continuum, some children (and, of course, adults) may exhibit signs that are related to a dyslexia diagnosis without necessarily having dyslexia.

The college continues to approach dyslexiarelated teaching and research from a variety of angles.

For instance, the Mary Frances Early College of Education and the Georgia Department of Education partnered to launch a series of animated YouTube videos, created by Sayeski, that explores the relationship between dyslexia and reading instruction and give teachers helpful hints on working with students with dyslexia.

Elsewhere in the department, assistant professor Kelly Williams received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences for a four-year project to develop a reading intervention program for middle school students with dyslexia. She is partnering with teachers and schools in Jackson County, just north of Athens. If the project is successful, Williams hopes to expand it across the state.

“I worked with students with learning disabilities, which includes dyslexia, and many of them were not

graduating,” says Williams, who—like Sayeski and Lindstrom—was a special education teacher before entering academia. She came to UGA in 2023, and her teaching load includes a FirstYear Odyssey seminar, Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities.

“I wanted to know how we could better help those kids,” she continues, “and how we could use evidence-based practices to improve their reading outcomes.”

The work in Jackson County is not UGA’s only current dyslexia outreach effort. In June, 10 education students spent four weeks at the Schenck School providing reading interventions for 30 students from the Metro area.

Many of the young students, who were first, second, and third graders, had been diagnosed with dyslexia. The UGA students helped the pupils develop both their word reading and language comprehension, spending two hours each day on phonics, spelling, word recognition, reading comprehension, and writing. The UGA students used the skills acquired in their coursework and were mentored and coached by supervisors who specialize in supporting students with dyslexia.

There are a variety of innovative teaching processes that address dyslexia. Students with dyslexia often benefit when teachers break down skills into smaller, more manageable steps. They also need more repetitions of practice to gain proficiency. This means spending more time on a topic or skill and distributing learning across time—sometimes days or weeks. Finally, providing a mnemonic or physical prompt, such as biting an apple to remember the short /ă/ sound, also supports learning.

“In just a few weeks, I saw students make great progress,” says Anna Boswell, a fourthyear elementary education major. “Learning how to teach students and receiving feedback and professional development from trained specialists added so much to my ability to teach structured literacy lessons.”

Sayeski and Williams spearheaded the effort, which also includes a research aspect related to the literacy and language outcomes of the young students.

“The most exciting part of this project is to see the translation of what our dyslexia endorsement students have been learning in our program and then getting to see them implement and practice with young students in real time,” Sayeski says. GM

UGA’s Poultry Science Department sometimes houses and raises chicks on the bottom floor of its new building. The department uses opportunities like these to collaborate with UGA Extension to provide educational and service-related programs for commercial and small flock poultry producers, industry representatives, and K-12 students.

PETER FREY

THE CHICKEN or the Egg?

New UGA Poultry Science Building enhances years of consequential research

WRITTEN BY SAVANNAH PEAT AB '19

We may call ourselves the Peach State, but when it comes to raw numbers, poultry is unquestionably the king of Georgia agriculture.

And the chicken business is booming.

On an average day, Georgia farmers produce 30 million pounds of chicken, 7.8 million table eggs, and 6.5 million hatching eggs, contributing more than $25 billion to the state economy every year.

For decades, researchers in the University of Georgia’s Department of Poultry Science have worked at the forefront of the discipline, and their innovations in genetics, nutrition, and

disease prevention have transformed the industry both at home and abroad.

Now, scientists working in this critical field will reach even greater heights thanks to the addition of a new state-of-the-art Poultry Science Building on UGA’s main campus. The $54.1 million, five-story structure comes equipped with more than 70,000 square feet of research and instruction space that will allow students, faculty, and staff to conduct the innovative research needed to contribute to this thriving industry.

Opening New Doors

The original Poultry Science Building opened during the Eisenhower administration on East Campus Road. It hosted one of the state’s most important departments for more than half a century, but the facility was not keeping pace with the work being done inside.

“Issues facing the poultry sector have grown inordinately complex. Faculty in our prior space were mostly within their own labs,” says Todd Applegate, chair of the Department of Poultry Science. “In our new building, we have clustered faculty into six thematic areas to face these current and future issues. Additionally, this environment allows our students a more robust experience garnering different research perspectives.”

Every classroom, student innovation space, and research lab in the new Poultry Science Building has been planned down to the individual chair. It includes massive, modular classrooms that give students comfortable spaces to learn, plus a basement facility where chicks and hens of all ages and sizes can be cared for. The walls are adorned with local, chic farm art, and the frosted doors feature environmental patterns that reflect the industry. That’s largely thanks to the support of donors and alumni, who had valuable experiences of their own in poultry science.

Hands-on, innovative education is a cornerstone of the new building and the program it houses. For example, associate professor Andrew Benson BSA ’02, PhD ’06 incorporates lessons in anatomy and surgical demonstrations into his courses, lessons that would be difficult to teach in regular laboratories.

Benson aims to show students the real-world implications of their studies. His own work, which centers on fertility improvements, has allowed farmers to significantly increase the number of healthy chickens hatched and raised for the poultry industry.

“Every one of our labs is engaged with research that is addressing a need or opening up future endeavors for the poultry industry,” Benson says. “We wouldn’t be able to have a Chick-fil-A sandwich for under $9.50 if we didn’t make the progress that we do in our departments.”

Benson utilizes two different 1,500 square-foot learning labs lined with microscopes, incubators, and other scientific tools to help students participate in the research process. That’s just a few floors beneath two new, specialized research labs at the ready for students and faculty.

“I get to teach the course that I fell in love with, and that’s really why I like the new building the most,” he says. “Everything that I fell in love with about this department is still intact. Now, it just has a prettier face.”

Associate professor

Andrew Benson hosts “Hug a Chicken Day” for his Introduction to Poultry Science class.

Outreach specialist Sarah Beth Kersey (center) convenes with students (from left to right) Jalen Potter, Anna Thomas, Cooper Mattox, and Tianna Ramey in the foyer of the new Poultry Science Building.

PETERFREY

“We wouldn’t be able to have a Chick-fil-A sandwich for under $9.50 if we didn’t make the progress that we do in our departments.”

ANDREW BENSON, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF POULTRY SCIENCE

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTES

$25BILLIONANNUALLY

TO GEORGIA'S ECONOMY

ABIT MASSEY: A LIFETIME OF LEADERSHIP

Akey component of the new poultry science building (above) is the Abit Massey Classroom. Massey BBA ’49, who died in June, was a poultry industry giant, a beloved entrepreneur, and a strong UGA supporter. Following his graduation from the Terry College of Business, Massey’s tenure as executive director of the Georgia Poultry Federation made Georgia the poultry leader it is today. The classroom, adorned with a large display and official lettering, is dedicated to his memory, and it recognizes his role in making the university and the state a leader in the poultry sector.

Abit Massey, the longtime leader of the Georgia Poultry Federation and one of the University of Georgia's most beloved alumni, reacts to the announcement that a classroom inside the new Poultry Science Building would be named in his honor.

ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER

ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER

A New Generation of Poultry Scientists

It’s not just the prestige of the new building that keeps poultry science alumni involved with the department.

Sarah Beth Kersey BSA ’24 was in eighth grade when she and her class toured UGA’s old poultry science building on a field trip.

“I fell in love with the department,” Kersey says. “After the open house, I was completely set on coming to UGA and studying poultry science. We are bringing that strong community forward, and the new building is the icing on top of the cake.”

After earning her bachelor’s degree in poultry science, Kersey wanted to give back by reaching out to the next generation. She’s doing just that as a communications and outreach specialist for the department while also pursuing a master’s degree in agricultural education in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

“Education is the common goal for my job. Being able to apply what I learned in the classroom about poultry and then show how it works in daily life is really big. I think it adds a unique aspect of poultry science— learning, then helping people expand their knowledge,” she says.

Associate professor Brian Kiepper MS ’03, PhD ’07 knows something about building up future poultry scientists. As the teacher behind a very popular introductory course in the field, he instructs 350 students every semester.

“My whole focus is for our students to understand how agriculture changed it all,” says Kiepper. “When they leave the University of Georgia as a doctor, lawyer, teacher, engineer, or whatever, they can be that because of agriculture. They couldn’t if somebody else didn’t take on the responsibility of creating those calories you need to survive.”

Kiepper can be creative in his teaching. For instance, in his First-Year Odyssey Seminar, “Chicken Que: Science Behind the Grill,” students prepare, flavor, and cook their own meals from scratch to truly understand the farm-to-table perspective.

It’s a creative way to learn about such an important industry beyond just numbers and slides. With the minds of the poultry science department and the capabilities of the new building, Georgia’s poultry leadership is well positioned to grow.

“When you see our new building, it really is a place to show people what we do,” Kiepper says. “With the old building, we had to entice people into poultry science. Now, with the new building, it’s almost like it makes that stamp itself.” GM

THE STATE OF GEORGIA IS

#1 IN THE COUNTRY FOR PRODUCING POULTRY PRODUCTS

UGA'S DEPARTMENT OF POULTRY SCIENCE INCLUDES: 22 FACULTY

50 DOCTORAL STUDENTS 535 UNDERGRADUATES

THE POULTRY INDUSTRY REPRESENTS MORE THAN

Abigail Christie (left) and Madison Stone handle a white-crested Polish chicken on “Hug a Chicken Day."

for SPACIOUS SKIES

UGA's Interdisciplinary Field Program mixes geology, ecology, and anthropology into an epic road trip across America.

WRITTEN BY AARON HALE MA '16

PHOTOS BY PETER FREY BFA '94 & CHAMBERLAIN SMITH ABJ '18

Compared to some of the long, more strenuous hikes at Yosemite National Park in California, the venture up the granite outcrop at Olmsted Point is short if a little steep. But an epic view awaits the 18 University of Georgia students who make the climb.

High above Yosemite Valley, they gaze westward to make out Half Dome in the distance. Other peaks of various shapes and features stretch on endlessly.

After snapping a few photos with their phones, the students find a seat on the stone slab and take out their orange novella-sized notebooks and pencils. Class is now in session.

A SINGULAR OPPORTUNITY

Today’s lesson covers the sweeping history of the Ansel Adams-worthy landscape before them. And not just human history. The first lesson explains the geological features and the prehistoric phenomena that forged them.

“You’re sitting on granite that once fed a volcano,” says Deb Dooley PhD ’95, an instructor in UGA’s Interdisciplinary Field Program.

Dooley pauses for effect, then exclaims, “Whoa!”

Students learn the chemical and biological processes that determine the flora and fauna that live here. And finally, Jenn Thompson, an associate research scientist in UGA’s Department of Crop and Soil Sciences and adjunct professor in anthropology, weaves the human story of Yosemite, dating back to the indigenous Ahwahnechee, who once called this majestic place home.

Olmsted Point is just one stop on the Interdisciplinary Field Program, a 60-day experience that takes students from Sapelo Island, Georgia, all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

They travel through 20 states and to 23 national parks and monuments—including the Grand Canyon, Muir Woods, Mount Saint Helens, and Yellowstone National Park—and log nearly 12,000 miles on the road, and then tack on another 100 miles or so hiking on foot.

For adventurous students, it’s a singular opportunity.

“I’d never be able to do all this on my own no matter how hard I tried,” says Ava Macie, a second-year ecology major. “I couldn’t hit all these parks in an entire lifetime. This trip offered everything in one go.”

The journey, however, is much more than a sightseeing road trip. A rotating cadre of UGA faculty and teaching assistants leads the program. And at every stop, the travelers get a lesson about the landscape, the environment, and the human aspects of their location. Piece by piece, they develop a more holistic sense of America’s natural world, its history, its society, and perhaps its future.

The group tours a water treatment plant in Mammoth Lakes, California, learning about waste management in what might be seen as a pristine environment.

Students Hailey Bos (left) and Guy Kemelmakher (center right) discuss a feature of the Grand Canyon with instructors Debra Dooley (center left) and Carolyn Cummings (right).

Students spread out in a stream for an assignment at Zion National Park Park in Utah.

1. 2. 3. 4.

The Interdisciplinary Field Program kicks off at Sapelo Island on Georgia's Atlantic Coast before heading west and visiting several National Parks and Monuments.

EXPEDITIONARY LEARNING

The program begins with a weeklong “boot camp” at UGA’s Marine Institute on Sapelo Island, where instructors drill the basics of geology, ecology, and anthropology into the students. Lab work and excursions on the mostly undeveloped barrier island break up the class sessions. Boot camp ends with an exam to ensure students have a baseline understanding of these disciplines before the traveling begins.

And then the crew heads West.

The caravan includes three white 12-passenger vans and a 15-foot box truck to lug duffels, camping gear, and cooking supplies. On top of students and instructors, the travelers include a handful

of student staffers and two program cooks. They cross through the South and Southwest toward California before heading to the Pacific Northwest and then around the Great Plains.

The group will stop at one location for a few days to camp (no hotel rooms on this trip) and to explore surrounding features before moving on to the next. Even on the long travel days, faculty build in stops for mini lessons at, say, a mineral outcrop on the highway, a fruit stand, or a museum.

Students have an assignment to complete at most locations, from creating a geological map of an area to sketching ecological patterns across a landscape. Assignments

are etched into their orange field books; students will cycle through two or three of them on their journey. And then every couple weeks, students take exams at their campsites.

“There is a lot of fun involved in the trip, and the students definitely have an adventure, but the academic and learning component is so baked into the day-to-day that it never gets lost along the way,” says Kait Farrell PhD ’17, a lecturer in the Odum School of Ecology and UGA’s director of domestic field study.

Ava Macie puts it another way.

“I’ve never learned this much this fast in my entire life,” she says.

From bottom right, clockwise: 1) Ava Macie at Muir Woods, 2) Julie Cox and students on Sapelo Island, 3) students on the trail at the Grand Canyon, and 4) Carolyn Cummings gives a lecture at Glen Canyon in Arizona.

MESA VERDE

GRAND CANYON

ZION CANYON

DEATH VALLEY

YOSEMITE VALLEY

MUIR WOODS

MOUNT ST. HELENS

DAY IN THE LIFE

Typically, everyone wakes up as dawn breaks.

Breakfast (oatmeal, cereal, bagels) and hot coffee are served by 6:30.

The students might have a brief lecture at camp before beginning the day’s activities, which could include a hike, soil composition sampling, or water testing. There’s something different every day, and, usually, multiple stops fill the agenda.

After exhausting days in the field, the students have something comforting to look forward to: a hot gourmet meal.

Brothers Greg BSES ’17, MS ’21 and Eric Zock have been the program’s chefs since 2018. And they take their job seriously.

With the assistance of staff and students, the Zock brothers whip up some new, tasty meals every night. Impressive, considering dinners are prepared on a couple of picnic tables and a campfire.

Before embarking on their journey, the Zocks take requests, and throughout the course of the trip, they fulfill every single order: Asian noodle bowl, lemon salmon and artichoke dip, seafood gumbo, even sizzling steak fajitas and a chili apple crisp for Professor Aaron Thompson’s birthday. Vegan and gluten-free foods are always available.

The Zocks keep the menu fresh and raise the eyebrows of local grocery cashiers by filling several shopping carts every few days.

Luke Majors, a fourth-year biology and pre-med student, says it might be the best he’s eaten in his life.

“I was expecting when I signed up for a college road trip, it was going to be mostly sloppy Joes, hot dogs over the fire, and PB&Js, but they really turn out for dinner,” he says.

As dusk settles, there is usually an evening lesson or student presentation. The day closes with a nightly campfire for conversation and music plucked from a guitar or played from a violin before it all begins again the next morning.

Anna Grubs, a student staff worker, and Greg Zock, a program chef, fill up a few shopping carts with groceries at a Safeway in Page, Arizona.

Arwen Coy, an environmental studies major, finds a moment for leisure reading at camp in Mammoth Lakes, California.

35 YEARS AND COUNTING

The Interdisciplinary Field Program started in 1988 as an Honors geology field course. At the time, UGA didn’t offer many off-campus programs.

Jim Whitney, then the head of the geology department, conceived of the program as a unique way for non-geology majors to learn his field of study. His guiding principle: “It’s much more interesting to study in the national parks where you’re seeing all of these different settings.”

The inaugural trip included 10 students who rode in the geology department’s

The Doug Dvoracek IFP Scholarship Fund helps students participate in the program: GIVE.UGA.EDU/IFP

15-seat passenger van, their bags strapped to the roof. Two cooks followed along in a pickup truck. The program brought two out-of-commission U-Haul trailers for towing cooking and camping supplies. Whitney joined part of the trip with his wife, Sandy BS ’73, PhD ’92, now a retired UGA faculty member, who served as an unpaid teaching assistant and de facto “program mom.” The Whitneys followed behind in their family van along with their dog and two sons.

That first go-getter effort was successful enough to keep the program going.

Julie Cox BS ’90, MS ’97 first attended the trip in 1992 as a graduate student teaching assistant. She and her husband, Doug Dvoracek PhD ’03, ran the program for a decade before Dvoracek died in 2022 from pancreatic cancer. Cox is now the

program’s director and the chief force behind organizing and keeping the program running.

Over time, the Honors geology program morphed into its interdisciplinary form, first adding anthropology and then ecology as it became clear that focusing strictly on the geology of a location was telling only a sliver of the story. In its present form, the Interdisciplinary Field Program is the only one of its kind in higher education.

With UGA’s emphasis on experiential learning, President Jere W. Morehead JD ’80 has encouraged more place-based learning opportunities. The president funded a Domestic Field Study Fellows program in 2023 to train faculty on launching new programs, including Dance in New York City and Writing and Community on the Georgia Coast.

Archival photos of the program's first trip in 1988. The program began as an Honors geology field course. The inaugural trip included 10 students who rode in the department's 15-seat passenger van. Bags were strapped to the roof.

'WOW' MOMENTS

Students on this 2024 trip attest to the power of learning beyond the classroom.

The day after the lecture on Olmsted Point, students embarked on a 10-mile thru-hike on Panorama Trail around the Yosemite Valley. Traveling together, Emme McCumiskey, Caty Watts, and Chloe Dierkes chatted away until a break in the trees revealed a jaw-dropping view of Nevada Fall, still miles ahead.

McCumiskey interrupted her own sentence to gawk. The environmental resources and ecology major says witnessing such spectacles makes a difference in how she retains information and concepts.

“Being able to see it in the flesh and not just in a textbook makes me feel like I’m learning more,” she says. “It’s sticking a lot better.”

It helps that faculty members are always around to answer questions or point out details that would otherwise go unnoticed.

“It’s constant office hours,” McCumiskey says. “Whenever you have a question about anything, you just go up and ask them.”

Luke Majors, Jo Robinson, and Arwen Coy (from left) paddle across the 1 million-year-old Mono Lake in California.

Paul Schroeder, a geology professor and co-director of the program, gives a lecture about San Fransisco earthquakes at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge.

BIGGER LESSONS

Throughout the trip, students collect T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and stickers from their visits.

They also go home with new perspectives. A recurring theme is the interplay between the natural world and human activity. Even places students once thought of as pristine wilderness, such as Sapelo Island and Yosemite, have been influenced, even shaped, by humans for centuries.

Students also come away with a clearer picture of America.

Paul Schroeder, a geology professor and program co-director since 1992, says, “In a way, they actually see more cultural diversity— and especially ecological diversity—on this program than they would in a two-week trip to a foreign country.”

Students also come away changed on a personal level.

The students work as a team to accomplish daily chores and group assignments. They gain confidence in learning, exploring, and sleeping outdoors. By trip’s end, many students forgo tents and sleep open-air in a hammock and sleeping bag where they can look up at the stars at night and wake up with the sun.

Before this summer, Ava Macie had never been camping. A few weeks in, she never wanted to sleep inside again.

“I’m a completely different person,” she says. “The thought of my dark bedroom at home sounds dreadful.”

30 campgrounds BY THE

20 states

23 national parks and monuments

18 students participated

60 days

12,000 miles driven miles hiked 117 lunches packed 1,456

Students take detailed notes during lectures and sketch highlights from the landscape in their field books. Books are gathered by instructors and graded. Students will fill three of these novella-sized journals over the course of the trip.

Students wade in the surf at McClures Beach in Northern California for an ecology project.

What makes Saturdays in Athens the best place to be every fall?

Tradition? Yes. Excellence? Absolutely. But those traditions and that excellence are renewed every year by University of

Georgia students, who embody the Bulldog spirit between the hedges, in the stands, and behind the scenes. From watering the turf on Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium to playing on it. From whipping up smoothies to fuel

players’ practices to providing support for student-athletes to thrive off the field.

Meet these Game Changers who shine on Saturdays and redefine excellence every day of the week.

Clockwise from top left: Halle Bynum, accounting major and athletic tutor; Alexandra Milano, Master of Arts in Sport Management and graduate assistant of The Georgia Way; Nazir Stackhouse, housing management and policy major and defensive lineman for the Georgia Bulldogs; and Emma Schroeder, civil engineering major and spirit squad member.

dates to remember!

NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH

January

The UGA Mentor Program will offer a series of events and webinars for students and alumni to learn more about the power of mentoring—especially through the university’s only campus-wide mentoring program. Learn more at mentor.uga.edu.

MENTORSHIP MONDAY

Jan. 27 + March 17

(Noon-1:30 p.m. ET on Zoom)

Join Women of UGA for virtual panels designed to empower women through professional development and advice from successful alumnae. Details at alumni.uga.edu/calendar.

chapter spotlight

ATLANTA CHAPTER

Chapter President:

William Ferrand BBA ’15

Number of Local Alumni:

• 90,000 (in Atlanta proper)

• Nearly 200,000 (in metro Atlanta)

The Atlanta Chapter’s purpose is simple: connect Bulldogs with each other, promote the University of Georgia, and strengthen the ties between alumni and the Atlanta community. Through volunteerism in the city, supporting local professional athletic teams and hometown businesses, and connecting Bulldogs throughout the metro area, the chapter ensures that “no Dawg ever barks alone!”

Find your chapter at: ALUMNI.UGA.EDU/CHAPTERS

UGA SPRING CAREER FAIRS

Feb. 5-6

The UGA Career Center gathers hundreds of employers in the Classic Center for its career fairs that are open to students and alumni. Details at career.uga.edu/events.

DAWG DAY OF GIVING

March 27

Get ready for this year’s 24-hour fundraising extravaganza. Every gift—no matter the size—supports the university’s mission. Join in this powerful campaign that celebrates the Bulldog Nation’s collective impact. Details at givingday.uga.edu this spring.

CLASS OF 2025 SENIOR SIGNATURE DEADLINE

March 31

Any student graduating in May or December 2025 is encouraged to contribute $30 to the annual Senior Signature campaign by March 31. Of that gift, $20 can be directed to a fund of the student’s choice on campus, and the remaining $10 supports the Class Gift initiative. As a thank you for donating, students’ names will be included on the class plaque in Tate Plaza, just steps from Sanford Stadium. Learn more about Senior Signature at alumni.uga.edu/seniorsignature

RINGS + DECALS = GREAT HOLIDAY GIFTS

’Tis the season to celebrate being a proud Georgia Bulldog by securing a UGA state decal or an official UGA Class Ring. If you bleed red and black, these items will show your friends, family, and co-workers your love for the University of Georgia. Secure them at alumni.uga.edu/decals or alumni.uga.edu/rings.

WHO WILL MAKE THE BULLDOG 100?

WELCOME, CLASS OF 2028!

Each year, the incoming class of students is invited into Sanford Stadium on the eve of the first day of class to celebrate the start of their college careers, learn UGA cheers, and hear from special guests such as UGA President Jere W. Morehead JD ’80 and head football coach Kirby Smart BBA ’98. Welcome to the Class of 2028, and best of luck on your UGA journey!

The 2025 Bulldog 100 will be announced in alphabetical order in December at alumni.uga.edu/b100. Who will make this year’s list of fastest-growing businesses owned or led by UGA alumni? The final rankings, including which company lands at No. 1, will be revealed during the annual Bulldog 100 Celebration on campus in early 2025.

At UGA, groundbreaking teaching, research, and innovation are key to tackling the world’s most pressing issues. Graduate students sit at the intersection of those areas; they carry a heavy academic workload, teach and mentor students, and contribute to UGA’s research enterprise.

UGA attracts outstanding graduate students, but even with assistantships and

GRADUATE STUDENT SUPPORT–ARE YOU IN? Stay Connected!

other aid, the costs of graduate school can leave a financial gap for students to fill themselves. Endowed fellowships created with private support give UGA a competitive edge in bringing those students to campus— and they are vitally important to the university. Learn how you can contribute to their success by visiting give.uga.edu/story/thegraduate-school or emailing gifts@uga.edu.

Check out what's going on for alumni and update your email or mailing address with UGA.

class notes

PROFILE

Sweet Success

Compiled by Caroline Kostuch, Navya Shukla, Maura Rutledge, and Caroline Newbern

Southern Living’s lifestyle brand has been a familiar household name for generations. From the treasured family recipe your grandmother taught you to the holiday decorations you pass on to your children, the magazine touches lives in far-reaching ways.

The same is true for Ivy Odom BS ’15, AB ’15, senior lifestyle editor at Southern Living. She may not necessarily be a

household name, but she is a familiar face on The Today Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, and Good Morning America. Her social media videos for recipes, etiquette, home decor, and style and gardening tips have changed the face of Southern Living

“Videos are a really great way to expand on the magazine, and they’re more accessible for a wider audience,” says Odom. “It’s a modern way to bring

the magazine to life and encourage newer audiences to fall in love with the brand.”

Odom’s first video for Southern Living thrust her into social media stardom.

As an intern in 2017, she was developing recipes in the test kitchens. One day, with no recipe on the schedule, Odom whipped up a Southern favorite called the Little Layer Chocolate Cake. The 18-layer dessert had mouths watering

ALUMNI

PETER FREY

Southern Living's Ivy Odom has made a career out of her hit social media videos for gardening, home decor, fashion, and recipes, including a surprising tip for making sweet tea.

1960-1964

Robert H. Whitaker Jr. BSA ’63, MS ’68 retired after a nearly 60-year career in agriculture and trade, and 14 years as administrator for Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church in Lexington, SC. William Carter’s AB ’63, MA ’67 book, Marcel Proust: A Life, was included on The New York Times’s The Book Review’s Best Books Since 2000 list.

1965-1969

Barry Hicks BSF ’67 is retired from the U.S. Forest Service.

Dr. Charles A. Dasher BSPY ’68 is a practicing gastroenterologist in Birmingham, AL, and was recently selected for the 2023 Patient Experience Award at UAB Medicine.

from Georgia to California. Southern Living editors knew they had found something special, and demand for Odom’s videos skyrocketed after that day.

“At the time, there were no other videos in the company like the ones we started making, which was almost a mini cooking show where you could take two or three minutes to explain an in-depth recipe,” says Odom. “We created that style of video for the brand, and it was the most successful one in the company for the entire year because no one had ever done that before.”

What started as a simple baking video grew into a career that is custom-made for Odom. If there’s one thing she knows how to do, it’s how to take advantage of an opportunity, a skill she developed as a student at the University of Georgia. Odom double-majored in consumer journalism and Spanish language and literature. When she wasn’t in class, she was actively involved with programs like Shop with a Bulldawg, a student-led non-profit that provides funding and mentorship to children during the holidays. She was also a member of the Blue Key Honor Society and Palladia Women’s Society, studied abroad in Spain, and worked almost every event hosted by the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

After the original chocolate cake sensation, Odom continued her baking videos. This launched a video series, television show, and TikTok channel. In her most famous video, Odom suggested a pinch of baking soda in sweet tea would cut the bitterness.

Southerners had a lot to say about that. “It was very controversial. For the longest time, people called me the Southern Living Sweet Tea Girl,” she says about the

Written by Jayne Roberts

video, which premiered in 2020. “Strangers would ask me, ‘Are you the baking soda girl?’ Even today, people will walk up to me on the street and call me the Sweet Tea Girl.”

Odom still has a lot she wants to do at Southern Living and is working on new ventures, including an upcoming cookbook.

“I would have never in a million years,

when I was a student at UGA, thought this is what I would be doing now, but I feel like I am living my dream job,” she says. “I just want to keep working toward these unpredictable moments. And whatever is going to keep me on my toes, whatever life throws at me, I want it to be an exciting adventure.”

Ivy Odum BS ’15, AB ’15

Odom takes great care when it comes to her home garden in Birmingham, Alabama.

1970-1974

Frederick A. Green ABJ ’73 married Margaret Mary Casey in October 2023. They live in West Melbourne, FL.

1975-1979

Single Family, Land, Hotels, and Vacation Homes in AL, FL, GA, NM, OK & TN

ColeyProperties.com

ColeyProperties@gmail.com

Chris Coley CEO/Founder

UGA Alumni

Hartman Donor Basketball Donor

Jim Dove BSEd ’75, MPA ’82 was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp BSA ’87 to the Upper Oconee Regional Water Planning Council. Patricia Daniels Murphy BSEd ’77 earned a master’s degree in pastoral ministry from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. She was also appointed chaplain of the Stone Mountain Lithonia Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Allen Levi AB ’78, JD ’81 left a successful legal career to pursue his passion for music as a singer/songwriter in 1996.

In October, he published his first novel, Theo of Golden

Christie Esco BSEd ’78 has worked for 42 years in education at Forsyth County Schools.

Jeff Lewis AB ’78, JD ’82 is a senior litigation partner at Arnall Golden Gregory. He is also resuming his career in show business, having performed in several

music shows at The Old Vinings Inn and elsewhere in Atlanta.

Tom Barton ABJ ’78 retired from his position as editor at the Savannah Morning News after 39 years.

1980-1984

Keith Sanders BBA ’82 and Susan McDonald Sanders BSEd ’76, MEd ’84, EdS ’92 published their book Our Georgia Football Signs: From a Footstool to National Championships last June. The book includes pictures and comments about the football signs they created and displayed each game day in their Athens neighborhood.

1985-1989

Barry Gillespie AB ’87 completed a metaverse project featured in Forbes as a first of its kind.

Bruce Bradford BSA ’88, MS ’91 served 30 years in the Farm Credit System as a commercial loan officer.

David Barnard BBA ’88, MBA ’91 teaches supply chain management and operations management to Professional MBA students. Susanne Petersen BSEd ’88 published her first children’s book, Cloud Catcher

Up in the Air

Saheedat Onifade understands frequent flier miles.

Over the past few months, she’s jetted out from her home in New York to California (multiple times), Japan, the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Europe, and South Africa.

As an investment strategist for Churchill Asset Management, Onifade BBA ’14 raises capital for the investment management firm’s private equity and junior capital funds in Asia, Australia, and the western U.S.

She deals in billions of dollars. It’s the type of work that requires an in-person touch.

“My company either really likes how I do my job or they want me to be really far away,” Onifade quips.

The truth is certainly the former. And it’s not just her company that’s impressed.

In 2023, Onifade received a Black Women in Asset Management 40 Under 40 Award, an international honor. This year, Forbes named her to its 30 Under 30 list for finance. The Forbes honor is a notable, multidisciplinary collection that puts Onifade in the company of famous faces like Gracie Abrams (music),

Written by Eric Rangus MA '94

Sha’Carri Richardson (sports), Kendall Jenner (art & style), and many others.

It can be heady stuff for the unprepared, but Onifade never is.

Onifade, the youngest of five children, was born in Chicago to Nigerian parents and raised in Lagos. One of her older brothers graduated from Georgia Tech, another from Georgia State. So when Onifade was considering U.S. universities, she was drawn to Georgia.

She graduated high school at just 16 and came to UGA.

“I was probably the youngest in my classes in a lot of cases,” she says. “But I think I’ve always been very focused in my life and my career. College wasn’t that big of a challenge for me, at least from an educational perspective. The challenge was more from a people perspective.”

When she entered the Terry College of Business, Onifade got involved in every project she could. The most meaningful was as a Terry Ambassador. Ambassadors engage with students and alumni to promote community in the college. As an ambassador, Onifade perfected the soft skills of conversation, networking, and camaraderie that she continues to use every day.

Saheedat Onifade BBA ’14

After a Terry College experience filled with honors, Saheedat Onifade is now collecting awards in the professional world. An investment strategist for Churchill Asset Management, Onifade was named to Forbes' prestigious 30 Under 30 list earlier this year.

“[Terry Ambassadors] was a fantastic program. The peer mentorship was a tremendous growth opportunity.”

SAHEEDAT ONIFADE

“That was a fantastic program,” she says. “The peer mentorship was a tremendous growth opportunity.”

As Onifade honed her networking prowess, she also shined on the academic side as a member of the Blue Key Honor Society and Terry’s prestigious Deer Run Fellows program. She was president of the Honors Student Organization and a Presidential Scholar, and she earned a UGA Academic Award of Excellence.

Onifade graduated from Terry two months after her 20th birthday, and embarked on her next big adventure.

She found it in New York’s financial world, taking a job with Goldman Sachs. Positions at KKR and then Nuveen—parent company to Churchill—followed.

She began her current role at Churchill in August 2023 and quickly made an impression.

“I’ve been on the banking side, I’ve been on the investment side, I’ve been on the capital markets side, and now I’m in the capital formation,” Onifade says. “I’ve been very lucky and grateful to have moved very quickly in my career. But I spend too much time on the fly.”

Linda Hurtado Bond ABJ ’89 released her fifth book, and the second of a trilogy, the thriller All the Missing Girls, in August.

1990-1994

Michael Abramowitz ABJ ’90 was named vice president of public relations and communications for Concert Golf Partners, which owns more than 30 country clubs across the U.S.

David L. Cannon Jr. BBA ’92 won election for his third term as Superior Court Judge of Cherokee County. He and his wife, Jory ABJ ’92, live in Canton, GA.

Alicia Karell ABJ ’93 won the 2023 Michigan Regional Emmy Award for Best Anchor for her work at WXYZ-TV 7 in Detroit. She has been working in broadcast news for 30 years and for 17 at News Detroit.

Phillip Ramati ABJ ’93 wrote the awardwinning comedy short Terminator: Bad Judgment Day, which is now available on YouTube and has screened in 17 film festivals.

Kerry Courchaine BSA ’94, MS ’96 is the vice president of quality and regulatory affairs for Darling Ingredients.

1995-1999

Pete Peters BBA ’95 is senior vice president at Southeast Mortgage of Georgia.

Sean Treadway BSFCS ’95 started a new position as a commodity manager of electrical equipment at Google and received re-appointment in the Navy Reserve as a lieutenant commander supply officer.

Stacey Hudek Gross BBA ’96 is director of tourism development at the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce.

Jason Shepherd AB ’98 was appointed to the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission. Shepherd is an attorney specializing in health care regulatory law and is an assistant professor of political science at the Kennesaw State University School of Government and International Affairs.

Amanda Little Long BSA ’99 has been an agricultural education teacher in Georgia for 25 years.

Chad Paulin BFA ’99 is senior managing director at the international consulting firm Ankura, where he co-founded the strategic visual communications division.

Kelly Paynter BBA ’99, EdS ’04 was promoted to full professor in the College of Education and Professional Studies at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, AL.

2000-2004

Ivy Cadle BS ’00, MAcc ’02 was installed as the 62nd president of the State Bar of Georgia in June. He is managing shareholder of Baker Donelson’s Atlanta and Macon offices, and is a business litigator.

Jennifer Tonkin Flood BFA ’02 married Scott Flood in April.

Jon Ostenson BBA ’02, MBA ’06 is the founder and CEO of FranBridge Consulting, which was recently recognized by the Inc. 5000 as the ninth fastest growing private company in Georgia. He also wrote the book NonFood Franchising

Kyle Kobold BS ’03 was promoted to the rank of captain in the Navy.

James A. Robson AB ’04, AB ’04 was inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). ABOTA members must have tried at least 10 civil jury trials to conclusion and possess significant litigation experience.

Tiffany Davidson BSEd ’04 joined the legal team at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in the Savannah area.

2005-2009

Bert Hummel AB ’07 of Hummel Law in Kennesaw was elected to serve on the Board of Governors and the Executive

Committee of the State Bar of Georgia. He was installed in June.

Brandon Marano BSFCS ’07 wrote and published a children’s book, On the Road to Nana’s House

Kirk Shook BSEd ’07, MPA ’13, EdD ’24 graduated with a doctor of education degree in educational administration from UGA in May.

Alexander Evans BBA ’08 joined Colliers as managing director and market leader for its brokerage operations in Orlando, FL.

B.K. Katzmann AB ’09, BS ’09 is a lawyer in Ballard Spahr’s national finance department and received the Public Service Award from the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Large Firm Management Committee.

Ken Connell BBA ’09 retired in May from the Army Reserve as a counterintelligence officer in the rank of major. He served for 24 years. He and his wife also celebrated the birth of their second daughter in June. He has been employed with Accenture since 2013 and continues to work as a cybersecurity leadership executive.

Kris Ward BBA ’09 is a lieutenant commander in the Navy and assumed duties as director for administration at Naval Health Clinic in Charleston, SC.

OUR GEORGIA COMMITMENT

Stephanie BSEd ’94, MEd ’97, EdS ’99 and Chad Powell AB ’98 are Bulldogs through and through.

Through expansive volunteering and philanthropy, Stephanie and Chad Powell have seen the promising future of the University of Georgia. It’s a future that will include their three children, Georgia, Kate, and Bo, who will join their parents as Bulldogs on campus this fall either as full-time students or through dual enrollment.

“Having our children attend UGA is a dream come true for our family and really cements the foundation we have been building for a number of years,” Chad says.

He is the president and owner of Joe Powell and Associates, a 52-yearold, second-generation business that has been honored as a Bulldog 100 company. By hiring and training students through internships and employment with his company, he speaks to the heart of mentorship between alumni and students.

“The university has always been there for us,” Stephanie says. “It’s a big part of who we are as a family. It provided a wonderful experience for us, and it has shaped who we are.”

As a former scholarship recipient herself, Stephanie knows firsthand the impact financial support can have on students at the university.

“The scholarship I received helped me so much, and I have made sure to give back to it each year,” she says.

The couple serves UGA as members of the Parents Leadership Council and the UGA Athletic Association’s Magill Society. They have endowed a scholarship for a student-athlete on the football team each year and have made gifts to support the development of leaders

in the UGA Greek community. They ensure their children understand the power of philanthropy as well. For the past few years, the kids have selected a fund to support on UGA’s annual Dawg Day of Giving.

Chad and Stephanie’s commitment to the university goes beyond donations to the causes they’re passionate about. They also stress the importance of service, as Stephanie serves on the executive committee for Georgia Women Give and is a past

member of the UGA Alumni Board of Directors.

Both Chad and Stephanie have given countless hours to helping students succeed on campus through speaking engagements, volunteering, and giving, which speaks to the heart of who the Powell family is.

“Many people think they have to give a lot of money to really make an impact,” Stephanie says. “I keep saying that everyone has something to give, whether it’s $5 or five hours, just give where you can.”

What are you passionate about? Giving back to UGA in a related area is as easy as exploring the myriad funds across campus at give.uga.edu/commit.

Among their support for UGA, Stephanie and Chad Powell have endowed a scholarship for a studentathlete on the Bulldogs' football team.

2010-2014

Nao Ueshima ABJ ’10, MS ’11 oversees international social media strategy and execution for the PGA Tour in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.

Cam Mason AB ’11 is a senior associate at Percipient Strategies and recently worked with the super PAC Never Back Down.

Josh Johns AB ’11 is director of marketing partnerships for Homefield Apparel, which makes officially licensed vintage campus and gameday apparel for more than 180 colleges and universities including UGA.

Kelby Lamar AB ’11, ABJ ’11, MA ’14 is director of outreach for the Keen on Being Excellent Program at Southern Crescent Technical College. The program is designed to support Black male students earning college degrees.

Anna Thomas BSEd ’12, MEd ’13 published a children’s book

with her mother titled Yes, We Are Together

Josh Paine BSA ’12, MA ’18 started a new job as director of corporate and foundation relations at Kennesaw State University.

Dr. Graham Mercier BSEd ’13 joined St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens as a general surgeon.

Adrienne Graham BS ’13, PhD '24 accepted a visiting assistant professor position at LenoirRhyne University while also working as a mental health counselor.

Sara Byrd Millspaugh AB ’13, BS ’13 is a clinical and forensic psychologist with Gold Standard Forensics in Albuquerque, NM.

2015-2020

Brandon Quarles BMus ’15 started as an assistant professor of saxophone at UGA in August.

Faren Kelly BSEd ’16, BBA ’20 is recently engaged and manages

USI Insurance Services offices in Orlando and Tampa, FL.

Justin Robinson AB ’16 has joined Dean Mead as the team’s newest attorney with the Corporate and Tax Department where he will advise clients on tax issues.

Chase Baran ABJ ’17 concluded six years of service with the Marine Corps as a communication strategist for “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in Washington, DC.

Alyssa Gill AB ’18, AB ’18 joined Berman Fink Van Horn in Atlanta as a litigation associate. Prior to joining BFV, Gill was an associate attorney at an international law firm in New York.

Ryan Bray BSEd ’18 is an Air Force pilot.

Taylor Bahin AB ’18 is pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Brenau University and will graduate in December 2024. She currently teaches

YOUR CONFERENCE, OUR CAMPUS

third grade at Trip Elementary School in Grayson.

Nicole Hodge BSEd ’19 was selected as a top three teacher of the year honoree for Muscogee County School District.

Alexandra Hammock AB ’20, JD ’23 started work with James Bates Brannan Groover in June after obtaining her master’s degree in tax law at the University of Florida.

Anna Golding AB ’20 is an influencer marketing manager at The Zimmerman Agency in Tallahassee, FL.

Kristen Atkins BBA ’20 completed the first year of her employment at Anderson University in South Carolina as the marketing campaign specialist.

Luke Riel Galvin BSW ’20 obtained his clinical social worker license and is now working as a licensed clinician in an emergency room in Austin, TX.

Finding New Directions

Cedric Knight never underestimates the power of hard work.

Knight BSA ’74 transferred to the University of Georgia his junior year; after graduating, he served two decades in the Navy and retired as commander.

In 1995, at the cusp of the internet age, he launched New Directions Technologies Inc. (NDTI), an IT, software, engineering, and cybersecurity services company, where he’s still CEO.

During his military service, he saw potential in emerging technologies.

“In the ’80s, it became obvious to me that computers were going to be a part of the future,” Knight recalls. “I just didn’t have any idea how fast, how big, or how bright that future would be.”

His vision was ahead of its time: Knight wanted to create an enterprise resource planning (ERP) tool for managing government contracts. These tools organize various aspects of a business, from the human resources side of the house to finances. While in the Navy, one of his roles was navigating these contracts, and he wanted to use that experience to create new software.

Written by Alexandra Shimalla MA ’19

Knight’s company began by offering internet connections to residents in Ridgecrest, California, back when the World Wide Web was still a novelty. He’d settled in Ridgecrest, a city of about 28,000 east of Bakersfield, after the Navy. The project grew so quickly, a local cable company purchased it from him.

After that, it took almost a decade to grow his software as a service company and gain the funding he needed to finally build his ERP solution.

“Being an internet service provider allowed me to start visualizing my concept of what is possible for ERP software,” Knight says.

Since then, NDTI has continued to provide solutions to the Navy, NASA Kennedy Space Center, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Department of Defense. Knight jokes that it may have taken him 30 years, but the company has consistently had the best year to date— every year. NDTI now employs roughly 360 people in 13 states.

Knight has no plans on retiring anytime soon. His father retired at the age of 91, and at only 71, Knight has a lot

Shortly after retiring from the Navy, Cedric Knight started a company to provide internet access to his new hometown of Ridgecrest, California. That company is a now nationally recognized IT firm that employs more than 350 people in 13 states.

“Do things that allow you to turn back and make a contribution to improve life for those who don’t have the same opportunities.”

CEDRIC KNIGHT

left to give.

His brain is an impressive reservoir of life connections. From securing a scholarship to attend UGA and getting into pharmacy school—even though he switched majors after one year—to the brothers he made in Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and all that he learned as a logistician in the Navy, if Knight met someone at any point along his life journey, he remembers their full name and exactly how they helped him.

“I left the pharmacy school, which was a disappointment for the people who fought to get me there, but I filed that away for later in life,” Knight says.

It’s these memories—and the hard work of those who offered support— that propel him to give back to his communities, including endowing two scholarships for UGA students.

“Do things that allow you to turn back and make a contribution to improve life for those who don’t have the same opportunities,” Knight says. “That’s what I owe all of the people who sacrificed so I could have the opportunity to be a student at UGA.”

Cedric Knight BSA ’74

Savor Your Story

Lyssa Kligman Harvey collected 80 recipes and almost as many personal stories to compile her first book, the entertaining and educational Kugels & Collards: Stories of Food, Family, and Tradition in Jewish South Carolina

When Lyssa Kligman Harvey hits the road, she takes her grandma Ida’s kugel with her.

For the unfamiliar, Harvey describes the dish as “Eastern European comfort food,” a noodle pudding that is a staple of the cuisine Jewish families brought with them when they immigrated to America.

“The kugel originates from Lithuania and was originally a potato pudding,” Harvey says. “Eventually it morphed into a sweet pudding that’s served with brisket or other meats. I make mine with butter, but for a kosher or dairy kugel you can make it without butter.

“But everything is better with butter.” Harvey BSEd ’76 tells excellent stories. They include a dash of history, a pinch of personal experience, and a strong base rooted in the engaging culinary history of Jewish families in the South. Over the last 12 months, Harvey’s had a lot of opportunities to share those stories.

And a lot of kugel.

In August 2023, Harvey and her cowriter Rachel Gordin Barnett released their first book, Kugels & Collards: Stories of Food, Family, and Tradition in Jewish South Carolina. Several tours followed, taking the pair across the Southeast and up the Atlantic coast. They spoke to audiences ranging from 500 South Carolina state legislators—who ate brisket over collards—to smaller groups in rural Carolina libraries.

“I never saw myself as a writer,” Harvey says. “A collaborator? Yes. A gatherer of stories? Yes. I love hearing people’s stories.”

For Harvey, becoming an author, if anything, is a third career.

She earned her undergraduate degree in art education at UGA and then a

PETER FREY

master’s in art therapy and an advanced degree in counseling. For the last 50 years, she dedicated her career to helping children and families as a child and adolescent counselor; she recently retired from her private practice.

While at UGA, Harvey took art classes at the Lamar Dodd School of Art and began painting again after her three children left for college. Her paintings in water mediums on paper and canvas highlight Southern waterscapes. Her award-winning art is represented by The Low Country Artists Gallery in Charleston.

In 2017, the nonprofit Historic Columbia invited Harvey and Barnett, a longtime friend, to serve on a committee tasked with recording a living history of the city’s Jewish community.

“We are both foodies, and we love history,” Harvey says. “We had a hunch that telling food stories might be a good way to gather that history.”

Their hunch was correct. They created a blog called Kugels & Collards, and by 2019, they collected more than 50 stories and recipes. The University of South Carolina Press approached them for a book proposal.

“Food is visceral. When people talk about food, it brings up memories that can be emotional,” Harvey says. “You remember your mother’s holiday dishes and linen or your grandmother’s food and special recipes. You remember who is at the table and who is no longer there.”

Over the next four years, they continued to gather stories, in person and over Zoom. They expanded their scope incorporating stories to honor African American men and women who enhanced the culture of the Jewish Southern table. The book has 60 stories told by individuals in their own voices and 80 recipes that are easy to follow and delicious to taste.

The book’s success has led to a second one, just begun, Southern Simchas Food Traditions for Jewish Celebrations, which will explore Southern food traditions in Jewish holidays and other celebrations.

When Harvey signs copies of Kugels & Collards, she adds “Savor Your Story.”

Written by Eric Rangus MA ’94

Lyssa Kligman Harvey's first book was such a success that she and her co-writer are already working on a second.

“When we started this project, I didn’t realize how important remembering food and recipes are not only to us but for the world. Food brings us together. Sitting around a shared table is meaningful and memorable,” Harvey says. “So, at the next holiday ask a family member for that special recipe and the story behind the recipe. Write it down. And savor the memory.”

Samantha Gastelum AB ’20, MIP ’21 obtained her Juris Doctor degree in May from Boston College where she was on the Law Review. She is also the author of the article, The Ticketmaster Live Nation Merger: Why They Should Have Never Ever Been Together, and was interviewed on SiriusXM radio with regard to the Justice Department’s action against Live Nation Ticketmaster.

2021-2024

Andrew Stephens AB ’21, AB ’21 served in the office of Gov. Brian Kemp BSA ’87 on his re-election campaign and is now attending law school at Georgia State University.

Aubrey Newby AB ’21, MHP ’23 was named director of Hay House in Macon by The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Gabe Deen BS ’21 is a second lieutenant in the Georgia Army National Guard and deployed overseas. Before the deployment, he was pursuing his master’s in biology at Georgia College & State University.

Jordan Elliott AB ’21, BS ’21 works for the Solicitor General’s office in Fayette County and previously worked for Griffin Judicial Circuit’s District Attorney’s office. Rachael Keaton BSFR ’21 married Josiah Buskirk AB ’21.

Taylor Kilgore BSA ’21, MS ’23 started a new job as a marine biologist and educator at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Dauphin Island, AL.

William Shelton BBA ’21, MS ’22 took a sabbatical to travel to more than 20 countries over the past two years, working predominantly in New Zealand. Haylee Peters BBA ’22 is a human resources internal systems analyst for The Walt Disney Company in Orlando, FL.

“When people talk about food it brings up memories that can be emotional.”

LYSSA KLIGMAN HARVEY

Isabella Kerbers BSA ’22 started an associate position at Glen Echo Group, a public affairs firm specializing in the technology industry.

Jack Rush BBA ’22, BBA ’22, BBA ’22 is a consultant for KPMG in Orlando, FL.

Abigail Ryder AB ’23 moved to New York to pursue a career in environmental science and started a job as a Phase 1 environmental analyst.

Delaney Mason AB ’23 is attending New England Law in Boston on a full-tuition scholarship.

Lyssa Kligman Harvey BSEd ’76 ALUMNI PROFILE

Elise Dijkstra BSAB ’23 is currently employed at RWDC Industries, headed by Daniel Carraway PhD ’96 in Athens.

Morgan Bryant BFA ’23 is the art teacher at Ocee Elementary School in Fulton County.

Taylor Talley AB ’23, BSFCS ’23 is attending law school at the Catholic University of America and plans to graduate in 2026.

Chandler Denton BBA ’24 is a first-generation college student who graduated cum laude from UGA and is now working with Deloitte.

Mary Butler Adams BBA ’24 joined Russell Reynolds Associates in New York as a full-time analyst working with the banking and private capital team.

Shivani Patel BBA ’24, BBA ’24 started a technology risk consulting role at EY in Atlanta.

Terell DeShawn Roberts AB ’24, AB ’24 is attending Georgetown University to obtain his master’s in real estate and pursue his Juris Doctor degree.

GRADNOTES

BUSINESS

Bhupinder Bhalla MBA ’02 is secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for the government of India.

Jeremy Harp MBA ’15 was promoted to director of finance planning and analysis at The Coca-Cola Company.

Zach Groome MBT ’23 is a small business consultant at Groome Consulting Group.

LAW

Maggy Randels JD ’14 opened Randels Injury Law on March 1, 2024.

Sonya Lee Coggins MSL ’20 retired from the District Court, Northern District of Georgia, having served more than 23 years under Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker JD ’89 and District Judge Steven D. Grimberg.

Kimberlee Styple JD ’22 joined Smith Husley & Busey’s litigation practice as an associate in Jacksonville, FL.

SOCIAL WORK

Claudia Calle MSW ’23 is a social worker and has worked for the UGA Extension office in Muscogee for the last 13 years. She is program coordinator for First Steps and works with Healthy Families of Georgia and Parents as Teachers.

VETERINARY MEDICINE

Dr. India Lane DVM ’88 was named the winner of the 2024 Billy E. Hooper Award for Distinguished Service by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges. Lane is associate dean for academic and student affairs at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Jason Macomson DVM ’98 published his book, Red Barn

Tales, a novel of his years growing up in northeast Georgia and coming to work at Lavonia Animal Hospital, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Don Schaffner MS ’85, PhD ’89 was appointed chair of the Department of Food Science at Rutgers University in July 2023. Schaffner is also a Distinguished Professor and Extension Specialist.

Sarah Buchanon MNR ’20 and Michael Buchanon BSFR ’17, MS ’21 welcomed their first daughter, Hannah Leigh, on Dec. 5, 2023.

Growing GEORGIA BUSINESSES

Senior Business Consultant Antonio Barrios (left) working with Massage Envy Franchise Owner Mark Preetorius (right)

Mindful Moments

It’s easy to think of yoga as a simple workout routine, a way to relax or lose weight. But Elizabeth Thompson BBA ’07 has found a deeper purpose for this popular exercise: supporting pediatric cancer patients.

After graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in finance, Thompson started her career in accounting. That experience gave her the

Written by Jayne Roberts

business savvy she needed to establish Jollie, a mindful movement company that specializes in yoga accessories. She has practiced yoga since she was a teenager. When she was 18 and hurt her back playing soccer, practicing yoga helped rebuild the damaged muscles, relieve the pain, and give her a sense of stability. This helped open her eyes to the uses of yoga in health care.

“Moving your body is necessary for both children and adults beyond the physical benefits,” she says. “It’s good for your brain, for endorphins, and for managing your stress and emotions.”

Thompson is committed to bringing these benefits to young cancer patients by donating yoga-themed games and accessories to 13 major children’s hospitals across the country. Every time someone purchases a yoga mat, Jollie donates one to a child in need. These products help sustain yoga therapy programs where Thompson says yoga can be practiced in any position including “a hospital bed, chair, or wheelchair.”

“Yoga is something different that you can offer to a child in such a stressful situation,” says Thompson. “It’s something they can take with them to manage their anxiety and confusion. Teaching them the right poses and breathing techniques can have a major impact on alleviating their stress and helping regain control over their body.”

Thompson finds yoga to be a fulfilling way to relax and regain energy. She also uses yoga to connect with her two young daughters. They and the other children who use Jollie yoga mats love the fun prints and designs on mats that are perfectly sized for them. Butterflies and rocket ships soar under their hands and feet as they practice their poses.

Thompson spent years teaching children’s yoga classes and part of her motivation comes from not only the physical and mental benefits but how much fun the children have. Like many yoga instructors, she used storybooks to teach different poses. Children stretch into butterfly pose during The Very Hungry Caterpillar and reach up to the sky in tree pose during The Snowy Day

“Even if they’re not doing yoga poses, they’re moving creatively and learning how to tell a story with nothing but their bodies and their imaginations,” says Thompson. “Being able to move around and get lost in your own imagination is a beneficial skill that we sometimes lose as adults and is especially vital for children.”

MEREDITH FLAHERTY PHOTOGRAPHY

The founder of the Houston-based yoga accessories company Jollie, Elizabeth Thompson donates proceeds from mat sales to help children in a variety of ways.

In the Form of a Question

The clue: This UGA alumna has conquered TV’s most popular game show.

And the answer is: Who is Victoria Groce?

A lifelong “quizzer,” Groce AB ’01 has achieved trivia and quiz bowl superstar status, winning Jeopardy! Masters earlier this year. Less than two months later, she placed first in the 2024 World Quizzing Championship, the first woman in the competition’s 21-year history to do so.

Quizzing was a big part of Groce’s young life, and she had her television debut on High Q as a high schooler in Atlanta. While attending UGA on a piano scholarship, she moonlighted for four years with the competitive quiz bowl team. Groce eventually changed her major to comparative literature, but her passion for quizzing continued after graduation.

She appeared on Jeopardy! “on a lark” for the first time in 2005 and won $23,801, ending her opponent David Madden’s 19-day streak, the eighth longest in the game’s history.

After being knocked out in the next Jeopardy! episode, Groce drifted away from trivia. The responsibilities of life, her job as a writer, motherhood, and going back to school left little room for the long hours and commitment required by competitive trivia.

“Quizzing has meant different things to me at different times in my life,” Groce says. “It wasn’t like I made a big decision to step away from it; it just got squeezed out.”

But after a seven-year hiatus, Groce drifted back.

Over the years, bar trivia with friends progressed to competitive team trivia, then international competitions. And in 2022, the ABC game show The Chase invited her to serve as a “chaser,” a quiz expert who competes against contestants. There, she earned the title “The Queen” and was launched back onto the game show scene.

But she never thought she would appear on Jeopardy! again.

“Up to this point, nothing like that had

Written by Ireland Hayes AB ’23

ever happened before, so returning to Jeopardy! did not even occur to me as a possibility,” Groce says.

Groce says contestants rarely get a second chance to compete. When she received the invitation to participate in a new Jeopardy! Invitational Tournament, she was shocked. After only a month of preparation, she won the invitational and advanced to a spot on Jeopardy! Masters

Groce entered Jeopardy! Masters as an underdog, competing alongside more recent Jeopardy! powerhouses like James Holzhauer and Amy Schneider.

But the 20-year gap between her appearances took some pressure off. Her lightning-fast buzzer technique—a skill she attributes to her musical background—and quick recall time made her an immediate standout. She entered Final Jeopardy with a big lead and secured the victory by correctly identifying Henrietta Lacks following the

clue, “The New York Times wrote of this woman who had died in 1951, ‘Though she was forgotten at the time, part of her remained alive.’”

Groce walked away from the competition with $500,000, the Alex Trebek Trophy, and a new level of fame. She says since her victory, she has had many pleasant interactions with fans, even on a recent vacation in Portugal.

Groce currently writes for quiz competitions all over the world. She is also working on a book proposal and hopes to eventually branch out into translating literary works.

“I love being exposed to new things, and I think quizzing has made my world a lot bigger,” she says. “My life will change because life always changes, but I figure I will keep on doing quiz stuff as long as it continues to be enjoyable for me. And it probably will be for a while.”

PETER FREY

Earlier this year, Victoria Groce bested a lineup of trivia all-stars to win the inaugural Jeopardy! Masters tournament, and the $500,000 first prize to go along with it.

Victoria Groce AB ’01

UGA'S OLYMPIC FEATS

Four current and former Georgia Bulldog student-athletes won a combined six medals for Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

Swimmer Nic Fink BSAE ’16 collected one gold and two silvers in the pool to lead the Bulldogs’ medal tally. Fink earned one of his silvers in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke. His second came in the men’s 4x100m medley relay. Fink won gold in the mixed 4x100m medley relay as Team USA set a world record in the event.

UGA swimming and diving’s total Olympic medal count now stands at 42, including 16 gold, 16 silver, and 10 bronze. One of those golds belongs to Melanie Margalis-Fink BSFCS ’14, Nic’s wife, who was

part of the women’s 4X200m freestyle relay team that stood atop the podium at the Rio Games in 2016.

Anthony Edwards played a key role on the United States’ men’s basketball team, scoring in double figures in four straight games as Team USA went on to win its fifthstraight gold medal. He is the first Bulldog men’s basketball gold medalist since Vern Fleming in 1984.

Croix Bethune was originally selected as an alternate for the gold medal-winning women’s soccer team. She was called up during the group stage and played in Team USA’s 2-1 win over Australia. She is the first Bulldog soccer player to win an Olympic medal.

Rising junior Aaliyah Butler also won gold as a member of Team USA’s women's 4x400meter relay squad.

In all, 33 current and former UGA athletes competed at the Paris Olympics. The six medals they won increased the Bulldogs’ all-time tally to 76: 34 gold, 22 silver, and 20 bronze.

The Paris Paralympics, which concluded on Sept. 8, also saw a Bulldog athlete reach the podium.

Jarryd Wallace AB ’19, a three-time Paralympian, won bronze in the men’s long jump T64. It was Wallace’s second Paralympic medal. Wallace previously took bronze in the 200m T64 at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

Nic Fink

Anthony Edwards

Croix Bethune

Aaliyah Butler

Jarryd Wallace

MICHAEL STEELE/GETTY IMAGES

EZRA SHAW/GETTY IMAGES

QUINN ROONEY/GETTY IMAGES

GREGORY SHAMUS/GETTY IMAGES

ALEX LIVESEY/GETTY IMAGES

ARTS AND SCIENCES

Cliff Torban MA ’75 retired after a 48-year career in financial services. He was the co-creator of an industry-leading sales seminar system on fixed annuities and taught industry management training classes.

Michael Thrasher MS ’96, PhD ’98 is a physician in Kissimmee, FL. Cade Orchard MS ’24 is working with the National Park Service as a paleontology assistant through the Scientists in Parks Program at Badlands National Park and is working toward earning a hiring authority for a GS9-level park scientist job.

EDUCATION

David Lorenzi MA ’98 is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Sport Science at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and was inducted as a fellow in the North American Society of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport, and Dance.

Pete Peters BBA ’95 is senior vice president at Southeast Mortgage of Georgia.

Russell T. Keen EdD ’19 was named president of Augusta University in July.

Phillip A. Sullivan PhD ’22 is the new dean of students

at McDaniel College after serving as the associate dean of campus life and director of residential education and services at Oxford College of Emory University.

Jordan Brooks EdD ’23 is a speaker who facilitates conversations at conferences with students and professionals with research focused on student affairs and leadership development. He is a member of the Association of Student Conduct Administrators and the Association for Title IX Administrators.

PUBLIC HEALTH

Jacob Lorino MS ’23 is a client specialist for The Trust Company of Tennessee and has earned the Certified Financial Planner designation.

KEEP UP WITH THE BULLDOG NATION

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John A. Maltese

Albert Berry Saye Professor of American Government and Constitutional Law SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

In another life, John Maltese might have been a musician. Maltese writes about music in his spare time and collects all manner of musical ephemera that’s been displayed in exhibits around the world. He even earned a Grammy in the Best Historical Album category for the liner notes he penned with his father for famed violinist Jascha Heifetz’s 65-CD set, The Heifetz Collection, in 1996.

Instead, a childhood fascination with Watergate led Maltese down a different path, that of constitutional law scholarship and decades of political science research in academia.

What do you find most fascinating about the world of political science?

I am fascinated by how to interpret the Constitution and other legal texts, and how different interpretive theories can lead to such significantly different outcomes with potentially profound policy outcomes. Who sits on courts and how they interpret the law matters.

I am also fascinated by the institutional structures presidents have created in their attempts to manipulate media coverage of their administrations. My book Spin Control focused on the latter, and I also wrote a book on the evolution of the Supreme Court appointment process called The Selling of Supreme Court Nominees. I’m also proud that the presidency textbook I co-authored, The Politics of the Presidency, has been continuously in print now for 38 years.

What is something you wish people understood about how American government works?

I think everyone should understand the basics. They should at least be familiar with the text of the Constitution, the powers of governmental institutions, the rights we have as citizens, and hopefully have some understanding of the balance of power between the national government and the states, and the various political theories that shape it all.

That knowledge empowers us to assess public policy and to engage politically as responsible citizens. That’s why it’s fitting that POLS 1101 is a required course.

Endowed chairs—positions that receive supplemental support generated from private donations—are essential to recruiting and retaining leading faculty who are committed to world-changing research and preparing the next generation of problem-solvers, pioneers, and leaders. Learn more about supporting UGA’s leading faculty at GIVE.UGA.EDU

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