University of Georgia Magazine Spring 2017 by University of Georgia Alumni Magazine

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special

CONTENTS

CA M PAIGN issue

Meet the volunteers who are leading the Commit to Georgia Campaign. p. 14

the magazine of the university of georgia spring 2017

INSIDE 5

34 36

The President’s Pen President Jere W. Morehead JD ’80 on the Commit to Georgia Campaign and what it will mean for the university.

UGA to Z News, accomplishments, and accolades from the UGA community.

Bulldog Bulletin News and events from the UGA Alumni Association.

On the Bulldog Beat Through the Senior Signature program, students give back before they graduate—in return, their names are engraved into the university’s history.

Hairy Dawg makes his commitment to UGA at the Athens launch of the Commit to Georgia Campaign.

Faculty Focus Get to know Alan Darvill, director of UGA’s Complex Carbohydrate Research Center and Regents Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Plant Biology.

andrew davis tucker

FEATURE

ON THE COVER

12 Commit to Georgia

UGA embarks on a $1.2 billion campaign—the most ambitious in the university’s history—with a focus on three priorities.

Removing barriers and opening doors for students

The campaign is raising funds to support need- and meritbased scholarships, with the goal of eliminating financial barriers for students.

Enhancing the learning environment

Solving grand challenges for our state and the world

A second priority is ensuring that students have more opportunities to extend classroom learning into the real world, enriching their preparation for joining tomorrow’s workforce.

Our campaign cover features illustrations of university icons— including the Chapel Bell, the Herty Fountain, and the Iron Horse—by Seth McWhorter BLA ’11.

Generating support to create more endowed faculty positions will bolster the university’s commitment to addressing the challenges of today and tomorrow.

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Going Public uga kicked off the public phase of the commit to georgia

Campaign Nov. 17 at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, announcing a lead gift of $30 million from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation. Made in recognition of the critical importance of need-based aid, the gift is the largest single donation ever received by the university. In addition to increasing scholarship support, the campaign will create more opportunities for experiential learning; help faculty and staff address significant issues facing the state and world; and create more endowed professorships to attract and retain the best faculty. As of the kickoff, fundraising during the campaign’s silent phase had already exceeded $680 million, surpassing the total amount raised during UGA’s previous major campaign that ended in 2008. The university aims to reach its $1.2 billion goal by 2020. “The success of our efforts will be measured not only by the number of dollars raised but also—and more importantly—by the number of lives changed,” President Jere W. Morehead said.

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andrew davis tucker

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Commit to

tradition. Commit to the Campaign.

spring 2017

VOLUME 96

ISSUE NO. 2

georgia magazine

Editor · Allyson Mann MA ’92 Associate Editor · Aaron Hale MA ’16 Art Director · Jackie Baxter Roberts Advertising Director · Pamela Leed Office Manager · Fran Burke UGA Photographers · Peter Frey BFA ’94, Rick O’Quinn ABJ ’87, Andrew Davis Tucker, Dorothy Kozlowski BLA ’06, ABJ ’10, Chad Osburn Editorial Interns · Camren Skelton, Mara Weissinger Contributor · John English

marketing & communications Vice President · Karri Hobson-Pape Executive Director · Janis Gleason Brand Strategy Director · Michele Horn

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

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

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

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

Learn at alumni.uga.edu/boa Makemore your commitment, and make a difference today. The Commit to Georgia Campaign.

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In compliance with federal law, including the provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Georgia does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or military service in its administrations of educational policies, programs or activities; its admissions policies; scholarhsip and loan programs; athletic or other University-administered programs; or employment. In addition , the University does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation consistent with the University non-discrimination policy. Inquiries or complaints should be directed to the director of the Equal Opportunity Office 119 Homes-Hunter Academic Building, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602. Telephone 706-542-7912 (V/TDD). Fax 706-542-2822.

THE PRESIDENT’S PEN

Commit to Georgia A history of commitment runs deep at the University of Georgia. For more than 230 years, we have dedicated our hearts, our time, and our resources to academic excellence—making groundbreaking discoveries, preparing the next generation of leaders, and transforming lives and communities. We are just getting started, and we—the UGA family—are poised to write the next exciting chapter of our impressive story. Commit to Georgia, the comprehensive capital campaign for the University of Georgia, unites all of us in our commitment to expand the impact of our students, faculty, and staff on this state and around the world.

“I hope you will join me in committing to this historic campaign for the University of Georgia. With your help, we will raise $1.2 billion to expand the impact of our students, faculty, and staff on this state and around the world.”

Our campaign is guided by three critical priorities: (1) removing barriers and opening doors for students, (2) enhancing the learning environment, and (3) solving grand challenges for our state and the world. To advance these priorities, we are relying on the generous support of our alumni and friends, who are essential to the success of this great university. Now more than ever before, UGA is being called upon for solutions and innovations, for education and training, and for leadership and support. The funds raised through the Commit to Georgia Campaign will help us answer that call, not only this year or this decade but for the next 230 years. We should expect nothing less from America’s first state-chartered university. I hope you will join me in committing to this historic campaign for the University of Georgia. With your help, we will raise $1.2 billion to elevate teaching, research, and service at the University of Georgia to levels never before imagined.

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UGA Z to

News, accomplishments, and accolades from the UGA community

JAZZ HANDS

All the world’s a stage the arts took center

stage during UGA’s Spotlight on the Arts festival, with more than 23,000 people attending and setting a record for the fifth straight year. During 12 days in November, the festival featured more than 100 events and exhibitions in the visual, literary, and performing arts. Events featured special guests as well as hundreds of student artists, musicians, writers, and performers. For the first time in the festival’s five-year history, the UGA Arts Council held a Spotlight on the Arts Family Day. More than 1,000 children and adults participated in festivities that included dramatic and musical performances, art activities, dance classes, writing workshops, and a chance to interact with musical instruments. “This was another wonderful year for the festival,” says Russ Mumper, chair of the UGA Arts Council and vice provost. “The council is so pleased to have organized a festival aligned with its mission to foster an awareness and appreciation of the arts and a campus environment conducive to artistic innovation.”

Sculpture student Juan Espinosa works on his welding skills at the South Thomas Street Art Complex.

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UGA to Z TOP DAWG

WORTH IT

UGA is named 10th best value in public colleges The university continues to be recognized for providing a world-class education at an affordable cost, moving up two spots to No. 10 on the Kiplinger’s Personal Finance 2017 list of 100 best values among public colleges and universities. Kiplinger’s quality measures, which are weighted more heavily than cost, include the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio, and the four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include sticker price, financial aid, and average debt at graduation. UGA is one of only two Southeastern Conference universities to make the top 20 (the University of Florida ranks No. 7). Three states—including Georgia—have two public schools in the top 10 (Georgia Tech ranks No. 9). PREDICTING OUTBREAKS

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UGA student veteran Danielle Cifrodelli places flags for a Veterans Day display near the Zell B. Miller Learning Center.

John Drake is director of the new Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases.

The ecology of disease Infectious diseases pose a serious threat to human health, causing millions of deaths around the world every year. Because such diseases originate in animals, a purely medical approach is not enough to combat them. To better understand how ecological processes and human impacts on the environment influence the emergence and spread of diseases, UGA launched the Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases. With the center, UGA is poised to become a world leader in the field of disease ecology and help health officials predict the emergence and spread of global diseases. “We hope to be the best in the world within five years, and I think that’s possible because of the vibrant research community we have here,” says John Drake, a professor in UGA’s Odum School of Ecology and the center’s director.

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Supporting our veterans

UGA earned the No. 1 spot in the nation on Victory Media’s Military Friendly Schools 2017 rankings of tier-one research institutions. The designation recognizes the university for its outstanding commitment to and programs for student veterans and their families. UGA’s comprehensive student-veteran services—which focus on easing the transition to campus, enabling access to resources, and facilitating post-degree readiness—are the result of collaborations across multiple divisions and departments. “We are delighted by these national recognitions highlighting our support for student veterans,” says Victor K. Wilson, vice president for student affairs. “For all that these remarkable students have given of themselves to our nation, it is our honor to provide outstanding, tailored resources to aid in their academic, personal, and professional success.” THE BRONZE

Easy riding

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UGA received a Bronze Bicycle Friendly University award by the League of American Bicyclists for its commitment to a safe, enjoyable, and convenient bicycling campus. UGA has over 16 miles of bike lanes, trails, and shared-use paths on campus, and the university has created bike-sharing and recycling programs. The university also holds pop-up bike safety checks and has made improvements to campus bicycle infrastructure. UGA was part of a group of 51 new and renewing bike friendly universities from 25 states that were recognized. Athens-Clarke County also received a Bronze Bike Friendly Community award.

UGA to Z THE WAR ON BUGS

RHODES

New GRA Scholar

War and peace

One of the nation’s leading infectious disease researchers is UGA’s newest Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) Eminent Scholar. Dennis Kyle joined the university in January as the GRA Eminent Scholar in Antiparasitic Drug Discovery. He also serves as director of UGA’s Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases. Established in 1998, the center focuses on the development of medical and public health interventions for diseases that contribute to global death, disability, and instability— including malaria, sleeping sickness, and Chagas disease. Kyle’s research focuses on the mechanisms of antimalarial drug resistance and discovery of new antiparasitic drugs for a variety of infectious diseases. As part of an international research team, he helped identify a new antimalarial drug that has shown great promise in preclinical trials. Kyle led another project to develop human liver models that could more quickly and accurately test potential drug candidates for malaria.

Laura Courchesne is one of 32 students in the U.S. to be named a 2017 Rhodes Scholar.

SET TING RECORDS

Staying on track Concerted efforts to help UGA students earn their degrees in a timelier manner have catapulted the institution’s four-year graduation rate to a record level. Sixty-six percent of UGA students who enrolled as freshmen in fall 2012 graduated within four years. By comparison, the most recent data available show an average four-year graduation rate of 49 percent for UGA’s peer institutions. The university’s six-year graduation rate remained at its record level of 85 percent, which is 15 percentage points above the average six-year graduation rate of 70 percent for Southeastern Conference institutions. To improve graduation rates, the university has hired more academic advisors, completed a small class-size initiative, and offered more summer online courses. “This outstanding achievement reflects the dedication of many individuals across campus—over many years—to putting students first at the University of Georgia,” says President Morehead.

Dennis Kyle is the 17th active GRA Eminent Scholar at UGA and the fifth to join the university in the past two years.

A student exploring the emerging field of behavioral approaches to conflict is UGA’s 24th Rhodes Scholar. Laura Courchesne, an Honors student and Foundation Fellow from Fair Haven, New Jersey, focuses on the link between nonstate armed groups and civilian populations. “The University of Georgia is very proud of Laura for earning this most prestigious scholarship,” says President Morehead. “Her andrew davis tucker research interests have the potential to impact the world around us.” Courchesne, an economics and religions major, will pursue master’s degrees in social anthropology and politics research at the University of Oxford. She studied there previously, conducting research with the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology and completing an executive leadership course on the changing character of armed conflict. “I am fascinated with what influences non-violent populations to begin endorsing and engaging in violence,” she says. “There is an unseen human aspect to war and conflict that I aim to discover.”

85%

UGA’S 6-YEAR GRADUATION RATE OF

IS 15% HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE FOR SEC INSTITUTIONS

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UGA to Z ONWARD AND UPWARD

State of the University

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TRUE GRIT

Perseverance pays off UGA swimmer and Olympic bronze medalist Chantal Van Landeghem was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and was named the organization’s 2016 Dean William Tate Scholar. The Dean William Tate Scholar is an award given annually to an outstanding inductee of Phi Beta Kappa who earns a perfect 4.0 in her field of study. Van Landeghem, a senior psychology major, is UGA’s first-ever student-athlete to receive the award. The nine-time SEC champion and one-time NCAA champion also competed for Team Canada in the 2016 Summer Olympics. During the induction ceremony in December, Van Landeghem emphasized the importance of perseverance. “It’s not always the most talented that are likely to succeed, but the most gritty,” she said. “Here’s the great thing about grit: It can be learned, and it can be harnessed to achieve your dreams.” Other student-athletes inducted into Phi Beta Kappa were fellow swimmer Patrick Humphreys and equestrians Liza Finsness and Allie Harbert.

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Chantal Van Landeghem is UGA’s first-ever student-athlete to be named the Dean William Tate Scholar.

During his annual State of the University address, President Morehead announced three major initiatives that will accelerate that progress. • The new Georgia Commitment Scholarship Program will address the financial obstacles facing many students. Through the program, the UGA Foundation will match any gift in the amount of $50,000, $75,000, or $100,000 to establish an endowed need-based scholarship. As many as 400 to 600 new scholarships could be created. • The President’s Task Force on Student Learning and Success will examine UGA’s undergraduate learning environment, verifying that academic expectations have kept pace with the rising academic quality of the student body; ensuring the core curriculum provides the skills needed to thrive after graduation; and exploring ways to foster innovation and critical thinking. • A new $1 million interdisciplinary seed grant program will magnify UGA’s impact on the state, nation, and world. Grants will be awarded to multidisciplinary teams of researchers and scholars tackling challenges such as protecting against infectious disease, eliminating food insecurity, and preserving natural resources.

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION

Healthy choices Obesity is one of the most daunting public health challenges facing our state. Georgia ranked as the 19th most obese state in the U.S. with the 15th highest diabetes rate in the nation, according to the 2015 State of Obesity Report by the Trust for Public Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. But a two-year, $1.25 million grant awarded to UGA from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will boost obesity prevention efforts in Georgia’s most impacted rural counties— Calhoun and Taliaferro. The project will be led by the College of Public Health and UGA Extension, with the primary goal of implementing environmental changes to promote healthy eating and physical activity in places where children, youth, and families spend their time. “Obesity prevention needs to go beyond addressing individual behaviors. We must modify the environments in which we live that shape and support those behaviors,” says Marsha Davis, principal investigator.

UGA to Z HEAVY MEDAL

Honoring a legacy UGA bestowed the President’s Medal, one of the university’s highest honors, on Paul M. Kurtz, retired associate dean and professor in the UGA School of Law. “Paul Kurtz is among the most respected faculty members to have served the university, and he is renowned nationwide for his legal expertise and leadership still today,” says President Morehead. “We are pleased to recognize his many contributions to strengthening the academic mission of this university and improving the legal system in our state and nation.” Kurtz was a faculty member at Georgia Law from 1975 until 2013, specializing in criminal law and family law. He served as the law school’s associate dean from 1991 until 2013 and was named the J. Alton Hosch Professor of Law in 1994.

MATERIAL WORLD

A new testing ground UGA has strengthened its commitment to helping innovators and entrepreneurs bring their ideas to market. The university announced plans to create the New Materials Innovation Center (NMIC) to fulfill the local and regional need for a large-scale testing facility for materials being developed by entrepreneurs, startups, and researchers. The plans were made possible through a nearly $500,000 award from the U.S. Department of Commerce. UGA provided matching funds to create the facility. The NMIC will provide equipment and facilities for design and testing of new materials, including advanced textiles, plastics, and coating technologies. And that’s not all. “We want this to be a one-stop shop for materials development and testing, and we will help our customers navigate the business waters, taking their ideas from the design stage all the way to a well-tested product,” says Ian Biggs, NMIC project leader.

GREAT GRAINS Katrien M. Devos studies the genomics of grasses.

Paul Kurtz was recognized with the President’s Medal.

AAAS Fellow Katrien M. Devos, professor of crop and soil sciences and plant biology, has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an honor bestowed on members by their peers. Devos holds a joint appointment in UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. She was elected as an AAAS Fellow for her contributions to the field of comparative genomics of the grasses, particularly cereal grains, that are commonly grown in less developed countries. With the help of a $1.8 million collaborative grant from the National Science Foundation, Devos is studying the genetics of finger millet—an important food security crop for many farmers in Eastern Africa—and of the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae, which causes blast disease in finger millet. The resources developed under this project will help breeders create more efficient, sustainable varieties of finger millet that are resistant to blast disease. ROOTS

UGA is the birthplace of public higher education When Abraham Baldwin wrote UGA’s charter, he established the university as the birthplace of public higher education in America. The charter, adopted by the Georgia General Assembly in 1785, established UGA as the first college supported by a state government. The nation’s few existing colleges at that time were private. Baldwin—a Yale graduate, lawyer, theologian, and Christian preacher—was from a middle-class family, believing that all citizens in a democracy have a right to an education. The establishment of UGA as America’s first public university sparked a movement that continues to shape this nation. Today, public colleges and universities across the United States educate about 15 million students each year, including more than 300,000 students enrolled at the institutions that make up the University System of Georgia.

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COMMIT TO ®

The Campaign for the University of Georgia

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tious, but so is its underlying purpose,” says President Jere W. Morehead. “Through this $1.2 billion campaign, we will permanently, profoundly, and positively alter the course of our beloved university—expanding its impact to levels never before imagined. The success of our efforts will be measured not only by the number of dollars raised but also—and more importantly—by the number of lives changed.” During the first four years of the campaign, also known as the quiet phase, the university raised more than $680 million. These gifts helped UGA fund 68 endowed faculty positions, award more than 25,000 individual scholarships, and support facilities such as the Veterinary Medical Center, Delta Hall, the Business Learning Community, and the Indoor Athletic Facility. This success is just the beginning. As the university embarks on the final four years of the campaign, UGA is committed to providing even more opportunities for students and even more funding for research that will change the world. With the generosity of the UGA community, this dream will become a reality.

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history of commitment to excellence runs deep at the University of Georgia. That is why UGA has embarked on its most ambitious campaign ever—to raise more than $1.2 billion by 2020. At the University of Georgia, a campaign is an opportunity for the UGA family to rally together and provide resources—in the form of time, talent, and monetary gifts—to dramatically expand the university’s ability to improve the lives of those on campus, across the state, and beyond. Simply put, a campaign is an opportunity for the UGA community to do even more, achieve even more, and tackle even more of the world’s biggest challenges. The university is embarking on an aggressive fundraising endeavor—to change lives for students and their families; to provide an unparalleled learning environment that will prepare students to become the well-rounded servant-leaders of tomorrow; and to continue to make the state of Georgia and the world a better place through research and service. “The goal of this campaign is ambi-

“The Commit to Georgia Campaign will enable UGA to better prepare our ambitious students, who are the future of this state and nation. It will also create scholarships that have the potential to not only improve lives, but also to change the trajectory of entire families.” kelly kerner, vice president for development and alumni relations

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UGA kicked off the Commit to Georgia Campaign with a campus event followed by a Nov. 17 celebration held at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE CAMPAIGN GIVE.UGA.EDU

DONATE

Make a donation of any size to the university.

SHARE Talk about the campaign and share what you know about the great work UGA is doing to improve the world.

ADVOCATE Advocate for UGA students and alumni as they seek career and internship opportunities.

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COMMITTED TO

The Campaign

wingate downs

The University of Georgia thanks the following individuals for serving as volunteer committee members for the Commit to Georgia Campaign.

The Commit to Georgia Campaign Committee was on stage to celebrate the campaign kickoff in November (l-r): James W. Childs; Richard W. Courts IV; Susan C. Waltman; Jennifer G. Flanagan; Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations and UGA Foundation Executive Director Kelly Kerner; UGA President Jere W. Morehead; Campaign Committee Honorary Chair Alston D. “Pete” Correll Jr.; Campaign Committee Honorary Chair Ada Lee Correll; Allison C. Ausband; President of the UGA Alumni Association Ruth Bartlett; Campaign Committee Chair Thomas H. Paris III; UGA Foundation Chairman Kenneth G. Jackson; Robert H. Stolz; and UGA Foundation Vice-Chairman William W. Douglas III. Not pictured: John R. Parker Jr.

HONORARY CHAIRS

CHAIR

Alston D. Jr. BBA ’63 and Ada Lee BSEd ’63 Correll Chairman, Correll Family Foundation

Thomas H. Paris III BBA ’84, MBA ’85 U.S. Manager, State Government Relations, General Electric

“We commit to helping qualified students achieve a UGA education regardless of their financial situations.”

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“I commit to proudly advocate all aspects of UGA as a top research university, engaging with alumni, parents, friends, and all others for the benefit of our outstanding UGA students.”

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COMMITTEE MEMBERS Allison C. Ausband ABJ ’83 Senior Vice President – In-Flight Service, Delta Air Lines

“I commit to encouraging others to get involved at UGA.”

Ruth Bartlett BBA ’76

Partner, Frazier & Deeter LLC

“I commit to continuing to mentor these great UGA students.”

James W. Childs BBA ’90 CEO, CHILDS Advisory Partners

“I commit to helping ensure UGA continues to be one of the country’s top universities and that all qualified students, regardless of economic background, are given the opportunity to experience the impact of a UGA education.”

Richard W. Courts IV BBA ’95 Principal, Atlantic Realty Company

“I commit to investing in the future of all qualified UGA students, to push them to be highly educated problem-solvers, committed to leading and serving their communities and our world.”

William W. Douglas III BBA ’83 Retired, Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.

“I commit to making a UGA education available to all students who qualify.”

Jennifer G. Flanagan

Philanthropist and UGA parent

“I commit to making the UGA experience accessible to all UGA students.”

Kenneth G. Jackson BBA ’79, MAcc ’80

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Shaw Industries Group Inc.

“I commit to supporting the University of Georgia financially, by volunteering, and by helping to create an atmosphere in which others will as well.”

John R. Parker Jr. AB ’73 Retired, Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.

“I commit to ensuring that no student from the state who qualifies to attend UGA does not do so because of financial reasons.”

Robert H. Stolz AB ’85 Managing Partner, Sunbury Capital LLC

“I commit to spend more time on campus, working with students and faculty and supporting the entire university.”

Susan C. Waltman AB ’73, MSW ’75 Executive Vice President for Legal, Regulatory, and Professional Affairs and General Counsel, Greater New York Hospital Association

“I commit to mentoring and serving as a role model for students and alumni, both to offer them experiential learning and to guide them on their future pathways.”

COMMITTING THEIR TALENTS TO THEIR ALMA MATER

he talents of spoken word artist

Mike Young ABJ ’14 and art director/ illustrator Seth McWhorter BLA ’11 are bringing Georgia’s ambitious campaign goals to life. Young writes and performs poetry and has released two EPs and a full-length album, “Canvases.” The UGA Athletic Association has leveraged Young’s work in its football hype videos. Now, Young’s poetry is featured in the Commit to Georgia Campaign video, which can be viewed online at give.uga.edu. “There’s something poetic about the point where campus and downtown meet,” says Young, who lives in Athens. “It’s become

mike young

seth mcwhorter

a metaphor for this season of my life, making my own way in the world, but still having the university close by as a landmark to set my bearings.” McWhorter has designed logos and illustra-

tions for a variety of companies, including Coca-Cola. He began his career as a landscape architect and is now an art director with advertising firm Fitzgerald & Co. in Atlanta. McWhorter’s illustrations of campus landmarks can be seen throughout campaign print and digital materials, including the cover of this issue of Georgia Magazine. “My favorite place on campus has to be the Founders Garden, where I proposed to my wife, Claire,” McWhorter says. “It’s an honor to have something I created used to benefit UGA, a place that’s meant so much to me throughout my life.”

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Campaign Priority

REMOVING BARRIERS AND OPENING DOORS FOR STUDENTS T

he first and most pressing priority of the Commit to Georgia Campaign is to eliminate financial barriers for UGA students. While financial aid, such as the HOPE Scholarship and federal grants, provides critical assistance to students in need, a gap still remains to cover the full cost of attendance. For students whose families are unable to provide financial support, this gap may mean working several jobs or taking

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out multiple loans. It can also mean missing some internships, study abroad, or other high-impact learning experiences. Scholarships not only help hardworking students close this gap, but they also help the university compete with peer institutions for the best and brightest students, which is why the Commit to Georgia Campaign will raise funds to support more need- and merit-based scholarships at UGA.

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georgia commitment scholarship program Through the new Georgia Commitment Scholarship Program, the UGA Foundation will match individual donations in the amount of $50,000, $75,000, and $100,000 to double the impact of endowed need-based scholarships. This matching program has the potential to create 400-600 new need-based scholarships—a giant step toward eliminating the financial obstacles facing many students.

400-600 new need-based scholarships

CALL 888-268-5442 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

OUR STUDENTS

“When I received my scholarship, I felt like I could pursue my dreams and that it was a sign that I was destined to make a difference.” will brown | senior | crawford, ga agricultural business and applied agricultural economics tyler daniels

THE NUMBERS

140 25 30 Since 2012, UGA has awarded more than

MILLION

for scholarships was raised by the university during the quiet phase of the campaign (first four years).

THOUSAND scholarships that are funded by private donations.

A gift of

MILLION

from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation to support need-based aid is the largest single donation the university has ever received.

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Campaign Priority

SUPPORT IS NEEDED FOR SCHOLARSHIPS ACROSS CAMPUS. geo rg i a mag a z in e | s p r in g 2 01 7

The Athletic Scholarship Endowment Fund provides student-athletes from across the globe the opportunity to compete at the highest levels while obtaining a world-class education from UGA. The tradition of excellence in the UGA Athletic Association is made possible by scholarships that provide young people the chance to become successful and distinguished alumni.

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ATHLETICS

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION The College of Education is training its students to be the next generation of educators, counselors, exercise scientists, and allied health professionals. The Board of Visitors Scholarship Fund provides needbased aid to these future leaders so they can focus on their educations, not second jobs.

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A commitment to students is at the center of the Commit to Georgia Campaign. Students celebrated the launch of the campaignâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public phase alongside faculty and staff at a campus kickoff event on Nov. 10.

The University of Georgia is committed to providing financial assistance to hardworking students so they can pursue their dreams. Support is needed for scholarships across campus. Examples include:

COLLEGE OF PHARMACY

ODUM SCHOOL OF ECOLOGY

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

College of Pharmacy

The James W. and

The Dean Charles A.

Graduate students take

students who need fi-

Karen G. Porter En-

Stewart Scholarship

higher education to the

nancial assistance to

dowment encourages

provides

need-based

next level and contrib-

achieve success in pur-

undergraduate ecologi-

scholarship support for

ute to groundbreaking

suit of their career goals

cal research in the Odum

School of Social Work

research. Therefore, at-

are supported by gener-

School of Ecology by pro-

graduate students who

tracting and retaining

ous gifts to the George

viding scholarships for

demonstrate a clinical

the most elite students

Elrod Scholarship for

exemplary students who

focus and a commitment

is imperative. The Grad-

Student Assistance.

demonstrate great pas-

to volunteer service.

uate School provides

sion for studying ecology.

merit-based support for graduate students from all disciplines through its Graduate Education Advancement Fellowship.

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c o m m i t t o g e o r g i a c a m pa i g n

COMMITTED TO

Making the most of an opportunity Campaign Priority The Shaw-White Family Scholarship has supported more than a dozen students at UGA, including Danielle Smith, who once thought she wouldn’t be able to attend college.

anielle Smith once thought the door to higher education was shut to someone like her. Smith grew up in a single-parent, working-class home. Money was tight, and it seemed no one could afford to invest in her future. “Sometimes in our society, it feels like money is driving dreams and opportunity,” she says. Smith thought she would be left behind. Others saw something special in her. At her rural high school in Rossville, just south of the Tennessee border, Smith’s teachers were impressed with her writing. They urged her to apply to college and seek out financial aid opportunities. Now, thanks to private giving for an

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endowed scholarship, she has found the opportunity and the confidence to pursue her dreams. Smith, a junior communication studies major, receives the Shaw-White Family Scholarship, an endowed scholarship awarded to students from northwest Georgia. The scholarship was funded through a gift from Jere BBA ’77 and Lyda BSA ’77 White, Julius Shaw BBA ’76, and Lee M ’79 and Sheila Marie Shaw BSEd ’79. Lyda, Julius, and Lee are siblings. In 2006, the family made a commitment to provide the need-based scholarship after Jere White (who died in 2011) suggested giving back to their alma mater and the community where they were raised.

That gift has made a difference in the lives of more than a dozen students. For Smith, the scholarship helps cover the gap between her Zell Miller Scholarship and the total cost of attending college. It means Smith, an aspiring writer, can focus on her classes and other learning opportunities rather than worrying about how to pay for college. The biggest impact for Smith isn’t even the financial relief. “With this scholarship, I feel like people believe in me,” she says. “It’s uplifting and motivating to know that there are people out there willing to spend their hardearned money just to make sure I have an education.”

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“WITH THIS SCHOLARSHIP, I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE BELIEVE IN ME.” peter frey

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c o m m i t t o g e o r g i a c a m pa i g n

Campaign Priority

ENHANCING THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

o fully reach their potential as the leaders of tomorrow, UGA students must pair coursework with learning experiences outside the classroom such as internships, research, study abroad, and service learning. These potentially life-changing opportunities should be tailored to students’ aspirations, and should guide career development and exploration prior to graduation. Experiential learning is especially effective when paired with meaningful faculty mentorship, which can play a critical role in defining a student’s career path, and with state-of-the-art facilities

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and resources that prepare students to be tomorrow’s workforce. The Commit to Georgia Campaign will help ensure that students have more opportunities to extend their classroom learning into the real world. It will enrich student-faculty connections, and will build new learning spaces and improve existing facilities that are essential for the university to provide the best teaching and learning in the 21st century. UGA prepares the ambitious individuals who will shape our future. Supporting and improving the learning environment is crucial to the Commit to Georgia Campaign.

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OUR STUDENTS

“UGA has over 35,000 students on campus, and the Honors Program makes the campus feel much smaller. I have a lot of mentors, which speaks to the support you can find in the university. One of my mentors, Professor Julio Garin, and I connected over our love of classical music. He helped me to coordinate an internship at the Central Bank of Uruguay.” krystal lo | senior marietta, ga | economics

tyler daniels

THE NUMBERS

558 LAST YEAR

undergraduates participated in research projects with faculty through courses at the

CENTER FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES.

N E A R LY

ONE THIRD of UGA students complete

INTERNSHIPS, many of which are unpaid.

UGA students

STUDY ABROAD in

COUNTRIES.

Many students couldn’t do so without financial support.

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c o m m i t t o g e o r g i a c a m pa i g n

Campaign Priority

ALL STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM.

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES Donations to the Eterna Fund allow the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association to provide student scholarships, grants, and other opportuni-

COLLEGE OF ENVIRONMENT AND DESIGN

COLLEGE OF FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES

The College of Environment

By donating to the Student

and Design’s Technology and Equipment Fund provides students with the best software, hardware, and equipment to prepare them for today’s workforce.

ties for students and alumni to connect, further enhancing the student experience outside the classroom.

Donors to the UGA Honors Program Director’s Circle help UGA’s top students from all majors experience the world through unparalleled opportunities to study abroad, conduct research, and engage in service-learning activities.

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Fund, supporters will help recruit and retain outstanding College of Family and Consumer Sciences students through advising, career preparation, experiential learning, and student organizations.

LAMAR DODD SCHOOL OF ART The Lamar Dodd School

HONORS PROGRAM

Success and Advising Center

of Art Studio Fund helps nurture the dreams of tomorrow’s educators, designers, researchers, and artists by providing world-class facilities and equipment.

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS School of Public and International Affairs students are provided with invaluable practical experience in the world of politics through the SPIA Applied Politics Support Fund.

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Building world-class facilities, funding study abroad opportunities, and connecting students with alumni are some of the ways UGA enhances its learning environment. Examples include:

dorothy kozlowski

STUDENT AFFAIRS The John Fontaine, Jr. Center for Alcohol Awareness and Education is an important campus resource that provides prevention, early intervention, and recovery support services to the UGA community.

FRANKLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ Science Learning Center Fund supports innovative training and research opportunities in STEM fields in UGA’s newest, most engaging, and collaborative learning facility.

GRADY COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION The “Grady Goes” Experiential Learning Excellence Fund helps students in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication to engage in learning projects, internships, “study aways” in New York, Washington, D.C.,

UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

and Los Angeles, and study abroad at the Cannes Film Festival and Cannes Lions.

The Dooley Library Endowment Fund helps UGA Libraries provide access to recorded knowledge by enhancing UGA’s print and digital collections.

COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE The Veterinary Medicine Teaching Building Fund

Students at the campaign’s campus kickoff event filled out cards declaring their commitments.

provides financial support for the College of Veterinary Medicine’s new teaching hospital, which opened in 2015.

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c o m m i t t o g e o r g i a c a m pa i g n

COMMITTED TO

Helping patients heal Campaign Priority Private funding for the Honors Program has allowed student Cali Callaway to conduct research with world-class scientists at UGA, at other universities, and in other countries.

ali callaway, a uga foundation Fellow, has committed to seeking new treatments for patients with spinal cord injuries—and she hasn’t waited to finish a degree to get started. As a UGA student, Callaway has found opportunities to learn from some of the world’s leading regenerative medicine researchers, thanks to private funding support for the Foundation Fellows, UGA’s foremost undergraduate scholarship. The Foundation Fellowship, part of the Honors Program, provides transformative educational experiences for some of the nation’s best students. “The last four years absolutely have exceeded all expectations,” says Callaway, who is working on a combined bachelor’s degree in biology and master’s degree in artificial intelligence. “At every turn, I’ve found endless opportunities and met some outstanding people along the way.”

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Through UGA’s Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities, administered by the Honors Program but open to all undergraduate students, Callaway has investigated treatments for spinal cord injuries. As a Foundation Fellow, she undertook an intensive summer research experience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 2016, she was a Goldwater Scholar, a national award for students pursuing careers in science, mathematics, and engineering. Throughout her time at UGA, Callaway has worked under the mentorship of Steve Stice, a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and the director of the Regenerative Bioscience Center. Callaway says she’s learned a lot from collaborating with a preeminent researcher in his field, including how civic engagement can enhance public support for science.

It’s not just research opportunities that have shaped Callaway’s UGA experience. As an outstanding high school student, Callaway had the opportunity to study at some of the nation’s top universities. She chose UGA in part for the chance to travel the world through Foundation Fellowship opportunities. Callaway received grants to travel abroad on numerous occasions— including to Zurich, Switzerland, for a research internship at Hocoma AG, the world’s largest producer of robotic rehabilitation services. “The University of Georgia has colored my world with experiences beyond my imagination,” says Callaway, who plans to go to medical school and continue her work in regenerative medicine. “I am so grateful to all who made the global perspective allowed by these opportunities possible.”

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“ I AM SO GRATEFUL TO ALL WHO MADE THE GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE ALLOWED BY THESE OPPORTUNITIES POSSIBLE.”

andrew davis tucker

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c o m m i t t o g e o r g i a c a m pa i g n

Campaign Priority

SOLVING GRAND CHALLENGES FOR OUR STATE AND THE WORLD A

s a pioneering american research university with a land- and sea-grant mission, the University of Georgia is committed to solving problems and serving communities in Georgia and throughout the world. To address more global challenges, UGA must expand support for its committed educators and researchers. These individuals are training the entrepreneurs who will revitalize the economy, the scientists

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who will study emerging diseases to help prepare for the next outbreak, and the agricultural thinkers who will address food supply issues and help feed the world. The Commit to Georgia Campaign will help create more endowed faculty positions and support research and service, ensuring that UGA can rise to the occasion to solve the global challenges of today and tomorrow.

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OUR FACULTY

“Vaccines are one of the most important developments in the history of humankind. We have eliminated or reduced the incidence of many of the most deadly infectious diseases. Now we’re trying to understand how vaccines work in different populations so that we can construct vaccines that work well in as many people as possible.” ted ross | georgia research alliance eminent scholar of vaccines and viral immunity

billy howard

THE NUMBERS

Since the launch of the Commit to Georgia Campaign in 2012, UGA has created

E N D O W E D FA C U L T Y POSITIONS.

5.25 150+

UGA has a

As of January 2017

BILLION ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT

COMPANIES

have been created based on

UGA RESEARCH.

on the state.

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c o m m i t t o g e o r g i a c a m pa i g n

Every area of campus is helping solve grand challenges that face the state of Georgia and the world. Examples of how support affects those opportunities include:

Campaign Priority

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peter frey

THE WORLD’S GRAND CHALLENGES ARE SOLVED BY UGA EVERY DAY. Commitment cards were displayed to create a “We Commit” wall at the Atlanta campaign kickoff event.

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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH

The College of Engineer-

The College of Public

ing Student and Faculty

Health Outreach Fund

Support Fund supports pro-

provides students with the

fessorships, fellowships and

opportunity to respond to

research awards, attracting

everyday challenges facing

world-class engineering

communities in need across

faculty who serve as intell-

the state of Georgia.

GEORGIA MUSEUM OF ART Gifts

the

Georgia

Museum of Art Annual Fund support free arts education for all Georgians and programming that seeks to build bridges between the arts and other disciplines.

ectual catalysts for students across campus.

HUGH HODGSON SCHOOL OF MUSIC

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

PUBLIC SERVICE AND OUTREACH

The PAC Arts Education

By supporting the UGA Public Service and Outreach

Donors to the Hodgson

Partners Fund supports the UGA Performing Arts Center

Marine Extension and

and provides arts education

Georgia Sea Grant Fund,

experiences to people of all

donors help educate and

ages in the community.

inspire the preservation of

School of Music Enhancement Fund support performance opportunities, scholarly research,

Georgia’s natural resources.

and practice studio facilities on campus.

SCHOOL OF LAW The School of Law has established the Veterans Legal Services Clinic Fund to aid in the creation of a new clinical experience for students to support the legal needs of the nation’s veterans.

TERRY COLLEGE OF BUSINESS The Terry College of Business Endowment Fund supports faculty and their research across many topics to advance the understanding of the business world.

WARNELL SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES The Harley Langdale Jr. Center for Forest Business and the Forest Business Support Fund enable the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources to integrate sustainable forestry principles with sound business applications.

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c o m m i t t o g e o r g i a c a m pa i g n

COMMITTED TO

Improving food security and protecting human health Campaign Priority Research funding from state and national sources helps Daniel Pérez investigate the influenza virus—preserving food security, protecting the Georgia economy, and safeguarding human health.

aniel pérez is new to the University of Georgia, but he has spent 25 years studying the influenza virus. His work investigates problems related to food security and human health, and private support enables him to address these challenges. Pérez joined the university in 2015 as a Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) Distinguished Investigator and the Caswell Eidson Chair in Poultry Medicine. His research into avian influenza has serious implications in Georgia, where poultry is a significant part of the economy. In 2013, poultry represented the largest segment (47 percent) of the state’s agriculture enterprise, according to the Georgia Poultry Federation. “An influenza outbreak in Georgia’s poultry industry would be devastating,” he says. But Pérez, a biochemist by training, also investigates the animal-human interface of the influenza virus. His focus expanded

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while he was working at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where he helped to develop the first influenza H5N1 vaccine. Animal influenza viruses are primarily an animal problem, with the added potential for food security issues and economic losses. An underlying concern, however, is that these viruses can become human pathogens. “If we didn’t have influenza in animals, we would not have to worry about the next pandemic flu,” he says. Part of his research examines ways to improve biosecurity in the poultry industry. “If we have systems in place to help us keep our biosecurity guard up, we make great progress in keeping not just flu but many pathogens at bay,” he says. He’s also exploring vaccines and searching for ways to alter the influenza virus so that it’s less transmissible. Pérez is based at the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center, part of UGA’s

College of Veterinary Medicine. His lab is an integral part of the Center for Research on Influenza Pathogenesis, one of six Centers for Influenza Research and Surveillance funded by the National Institutes of Health. Support for Pérez’s work—one of the things that attracted him to UGA— has included startup funds from GRA and financial support from the Eidson Chair, funded through donations from individuals and corporations throughout the poultry industry. “I’m really thankful to poultry producers in the state for their support,” he says. With their help, he hopes to unlock the mysteries surrounding the influenza virus. “What we try to understand in the lab is what makes the virus tick,” he says. “What makes the virus jump species? That’s a fundamental question in the influenza field that we really need to pursue.”

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“WHAT WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND IN THE LAB IS WHAT MAKES THE VIRUS TICK.” peter frey

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THE NATION

news and events

2017 Bulldog 100

On Feb. 4, the UGA Alumni Association hosted the eighth annual Bulldog 100 Celebration in Atlanta to honor the fastestgrowing businesses owned or operated by UGA alumni. The keynote address was given by Debbie Storey AB ’80, MBA ’06, retired executive vice president of Mobility Customer Service at AT&T and author of Don’t Downsize Your Dreams. Find out which business landed at No. 1 this year at alumni.uga.edu/b100. Nominations for the 2018 Bulldog 100 are being accepted through May 31.

On the Job

Commencement and the end of spring semester are around the corner—which means it’s the perfect time to begin recruiting Bulldogs for full-time and internship opportunities. Hiring is one of the primary ways alumni can give back to the university, and experiential learning is now required for students to graduate—what a match! The UGA Career Center is the perfect place to learn more about how to post job opportunities and more.

40 Under 40 Class of 2017–Nominate Now!

Each year, the UGA Alumni Association celebrates 40 of the university’s outstanding young alumni who are excelling in their professional and philanthropic endeavors. Nominations for the 40 Under 40 Class of 2017 are open, and anyone—colleagues, clients, friends, and family members—is welcome to nominate a UGA graduate age 40 or younger.

alumni.uga.edu/40u40

UGA vs. Notre Dame Weekend

Prepare for an unparalleled game weekend as the Bulldogs play the Fighting Irish for the first time since 1981. Gatherings for alumni are being held in Chicago on Thursday and Friday, and the official UGA tailgate will take place Saturday in South Bend, Indiana. Details about events and travel packages are available online.

alumni.uga.edu/notredame

hireuga.com

alumni.uga.edu/b100

Keep your record up to date at alumni.uga.edu/myinfo. For more information: (800) 606-8786 | alumni.uga.edu

A BULLDOG BARK TO ... 2.

from the uga alumni association

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1. 40 Under 40 Class of 2016 honoree Steven Herndon BSEd ’99 (second from left) and wife Heather AB ’01 socialize with UGA Alumni Association board member Shelly Hutchinson MSW ’00 (second from right) and husband Edward MEd ’09 during the UGA President’s Club Reception Sept. 30 in Athens. 2. Tonya Henderson Freeman AB ’86 (left) and Sheryl M. Merritt BSHE ’88 share their commitments during the UGA Black Alumni Affinity Group’s “Winter Warm-Up: An Evening of Soul, Spirits, and Scholarship” at alumni-owned business American Spirit Whiskey in Atlanta in December. The event was a fundraiser for the UGA Black Alumni Endowed Scholarship fund.

DON’T MISS OUT FRIDAY, MARCH 31

2017 Senior Signature Deadline All students graduating in May or December 2017 have until this date to donate to Senior Signature and secure their names on the Class of 2017 plaque in Tate Plaza. Learn more at alumni.uga.edu/seniorsignature.

THURSDAY, APRIL 6

40 Under 40 Nomination Deadline Nominate outstanding young alumni for the 40 Under 40 Class of 2017 at alumni.uga.edu/40u40.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay connected with @ugaalumniassoc on Twitter and Instagram

The Colorado Alumni Chapter shared a photograph of lifelong UGA fan Sara Basinger and her dog, Memphis, keeping the Bulldog spirit alive on top of Colorado’s Mount Belford in 2016.

FRIDAY, APRIL 21

80th Annual Alumni Awards Luncheon Celebrate the achievements of distinguished alumni, faculty, and friends of UGA. For more information visit alumni.uga.edu/alumniawards.

SATURDAY, APRIL 22

G-Day Football Game Stay in town after the Alumni Awards Luncheon for the annual G-Day Game in Sanford Stadium. Admission is free and open to alumni and fans of all ages.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3 Senior Send-Off

Graduating seniors will be welcomed into the alumni family with a special celebration on campus. Details will be emailed to students in April.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31

Bulldog 100 Nomination Deadline Bulldog 100 recognizes the fastest-growing businesses owned or operated by UGA alumni. Nominate a business of any size at alumni.uga.edu/b100.

FRIDAY, JUNE 23

Young Alumni Night at Sweetwater Brewing Co.

Sravanthi Meka ABJ ’00, MBA ’07 (right) tweeted a photo with Julie Moran ABJ ’84, TV host and former sportscaster, who spoke at the Women of UGA Affinity Group’s annual Holiday Luncheon in December.

Michelle Liang BBA ’14, 2016 Miss Los Angeles Chinatown, showed her Bulldog pride during a hike in Zion National Park in 2016.

Join hundreds of young alumni for this annual gathering in Atlanta. Learn more at alumni.uga.edu/youngalumni.

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

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ON THE BULLDOG BEAT

STUDENTS MAKE THEIR MARK ON UNIVERSITY GIVING written by aaron hale MA â&#x20AC;&#x2122;16

michael white

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“I give to Senior Signature so that I can give back to a university that has given so much to me.”

rick o’quinn

Learn more at alumni.uga.edu/seniorsignature. 2017 Deadline: March 31

n 1920, uga student newspaper the red & black published an article announcing an alumni-led $1 million capital campaign. The commitment from UGA alumni to grow the university’s endowment wasn’t the only historic piece of news. The senior Class of 1920 also pledged their support ($10 per student) toward the campaign. Those who pledged asked for an engraved metal tablet to record the names of the donors. Thus, a tradition was born. While the whereabouts of that plaque have been lost to history, the gesture was not. Nearly 100 years later, the Senior Signature campaign gives students the opportunity to invest in the future of UGA—and in return, have their names engraved into the university’s history. Led by the Student Alumni Council, the official student ambassador group of the UGA Alumni Association, Senior Signature encourages students to participate in a culture of philanthropy before they graduate. “We know the millennial generation is philanthropically minded, but giving back to their university may not be as apparent to them as other causes,” says Evan Tighe BSEd ’08, MA ’11, associate director of alumni operations. In 1991, the university began engraving plaques to list the names of Senior Signature donors. The plaques for each class are installed in Tate Plaza, just across the street from Sanford Stadium. On game days in Athens, alumni and their families can be found searching for their names on one of the 25 class plates. Being part of that tradition is undeniably why a lot of students give. “As a senior, I really wanted my name to be in Tate Plaza,” says Frances D. Beusse BS ’06, UGA’s senior director of alumni outreach. “It’s a special thing to literally make your mark on the university.” But there’s also the opportunity to pay forward what the university and its supporters have done for students. “I give to Senior Signature so that I can give back to a university that has given so much to me,” says Briana Clark, president of the Student Alumni Council. Today, students participate in the class gift with a $50 donation. Donors designate where $30 of that goes (whether it’s to a school or college they love, research that inspires them, needbased scholarships, or one of the other causes UGA supports). The remainder goes to the Georgia Fund, which supports scholarships for UGA students. Last year, Senior Signature raised $85,500 from more than 1,750 gifts. An estimated $36,000 was given to the Georgia Fund. Those funds, dispersed across campus, went to help support UGA’s mission. That commitment bodes well for the university’s future. It’s well established in the fundraising world that when donors give to a particular cause three years in a row, they are likely to become lifetime donors. The Senior Signature campaign is an early opportunity to be part of UGA’s long-term success. “A common attribute of every great university in our country is that they have a very involved and supportive alumni base,” says Tighe. “The Senior Signature is about getting students ready to be a part of that.”

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class notes Compiled by Camren Skelton and Mara Weissinger

1945-1949 Sam Massell M ’48, former Atlanta mayor and president of the Buckhead Coalition, married Sandra Leigh Gordy on Sept. 21. 1950-1954 Edward C. Martin BFA ’50, MLA ’69 of Starkville, Mississippi, presented a lecture at the Edward C. Martin Landscape Design Symposium, hosted by Mississippi State University’s Department of Landscape Architecture. 1960-1964 James W. Andrews Jr. BS ’62, MS ’65, PhD ’68 of Savannah was honored by the UGA Graduate School with the 2016 Alumni of Distinction Award. Andrews was one of the first four scientists at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography and founded Savannah Laboratories and Environmental Services in 1980. 1965-1969 Chuck Livsey BS ’65 of Union Hall, Virginia, retired as hospital representative for Abbot Laboratories. Mary Ann Britt AB ’67, EdS ’81 of Alberta, Canada, is a leader and master trainer for Better Choices, Better Health Chronic Disease Self-Management, and Chronic Pain Self-Management community programs at Alberta Health Services. James Cobb AB ’69, MA ’72, PhD ’75 of Athens was honored with the Blue Key Faculty Service Award at the university’s annual Tucker Dorsey

Blue Key Alumni Awards Banquet in October. 1970-1974 Martin D. Chitwood AB ’70, JD ’73, MA ’76 of Atlanta was honored by the UGA Graduate School with the 2016 Alumni of Distinction Award. Chitwood is a senior partner of Chitwood Harley Harnes LLP and is recognized as a leader in the fields of securities litigation and corporate governance reform. Colleen Morich AB ’70 of Decatur is volunteer education chair on the board of Slow Food Atlanta. Jim Rudisill BSEd ’70 of Hendersonville, North Carolina, retired after serving as finance director for the city. Christopher J. Roesel BS ’72, MS ’78 of Kansas City, Missouri, is the author of My Development Experiences in Asia, Africa, and the Americas: Health, Nutrition, and Water (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016). Charles Hubert Bronson Jr. BSA ’73 of Tallahassee, Florida, received the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Science’s Alumni Award of Excellence at the annual CAES Alumni Awards Banquet in November. Bronson is the former Florida commissioner of agriculture and consumer services. Sandy Whitney BS ’73, PhD ’92 of Athens is the co-leader of UGA’s Tanzania Study Abroad Program and teaches African studies courses as part of the Maymester program.

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dorothy kozlowski

NOTABLE

First in physics Whitney Ingram made UGA history in December, becoming the university’s first African-American woman to graduate with a Ph.D. in physics. Ingram BS ’11, PhD ’16 grew up in Stone Mountain and exhibited an early interest in science. Before the age of 10, she was working her way through a book of science projects for kids and reading her father’s National Geographic. At Stephenson High School, she was one of only three students in an advanced physics class. She enrolled at UGA as a biomedical engineering major but quickly switched to physics, earning a bachelor’s degree in 2011. During her graduate studies she worked with Yiping Zhao, Distinguished Research Professor of Physics, whose focus is on nanotechnology. Last summer Ingram received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to work at the Savannah River National Laboratory near Aiken, South Carolina. And in 2015, she was one of 65 U.S. students selected to attend the annual Nobel Laureate Conference in Lindau, Germany. Ingram’s Ph.D. places her in a small but elite group. Fewer than 100 African-American women have earned doctorates in physics at any university in the United States.

CLASS NOTES Dennis Carey BSFR ’74 of Cobb was named the 2016 Distinguished Alumnus by UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. Carey founded Pine Timber Wood Production and Pine Timber Trucking. He also owns Southern Wood Suppliers. Mary Ellen Ciganovich BSEd

’74 of Ooltewah, Tennessee, is the author of Healing Words: Life Lessons to Inspire (Tate Publishing, 2011), a collection of writings that offers encouragement and words of wisdom. Joslin Davis AB ’74 of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was included on the The Best

Lawyers in America list for 2017. Michael Schaaf AB ’74, JD ’77 of Marietta formed the Schaaf Law Firm along with his son, Michael L. Schaaf Jr. A. Allen Seals BS ’74, MS ’75 of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, was honored by the UGA Graduate School with the 2016

APPLAUSE FOR ALUMNI

Living the American dream

peter frey

Whitney Ingram BS ’11, PhD ’16, the first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in physics at UGA, is hooded at Commencement in December by Yiping Zhao (right), Distinguished Research Professor of Physics, and Robert Bringolf, associate professor of fish biology and ecotoxicology.

n january, antonio puente became president of the American Psychological Association, a 125,000-member organization representing psychologists in the United States. Puente MS, PhD ’78 is also a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he teaches, conducts research in neuropsychology, and treats patients at his clinical practice. His life now is a far cry from where he started. Puente emigrated from Cuba in 1960 with his parents and brother. They brought only $300, a change of clothes, and some expensive watches his mother hid in her sleeve. He was 9 years old and spoke no English. The family lived in Miami Beach, Florida, with relatives, moving to Texas when his father got a job there. By then their assets had dwindled to nine cents. “It’s always good to know where your baseline is,” Puente says. “Sometimes you have to go to the bottom to know how fortunate you are.” Three years later the family moved back to Florida, settling in Jacksonville. Puente attended community college and transferred to the University of Florida, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He applied to UGA’s graduate program, excited about studying biopsychology (now known as neuroscience) and the opportunity to work with the clinical program. But Puente struggled at UGA, primarily because he still struggled with English. An adviser gave him a book about how to write, and Puente applied himself, finishing his master’s

special

Living in Wilmington, North Carolina, allows psychologist Antonio Puente MS, PhD ’78 to indulge his love of surfing.

and Ph.D. simultaneously. “They took a gamble on someone who did not know English very well,” he says of his time at UGA. “I really believe that they took a risk with me, and for that I am eternally indebted.” Puente is now author of eight books and about 200 publications. He’s also the father of two Bulldogs—Nick MS ’12, PhD ’14 and Lucas AB, BBA ’10. And he’s giving back to his alma mater; he and Don Ingram MS ’77, PhD ’78 have established a $25,000 endowed grant that will allow a UGA graduate student to attend the annual APA conference. “Georgia was the place where I emotionally and cognitively grew by leaps and bounds,” Puente says. “I left Georgia a thinker, a researcher, and more importantly, a psychologist.”

written by allyson mann MA ’92

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CLASS NOTES APPLAUSE FOR ALUMNI

From intern to CEO In January 2016, Sandy Horwitz BBA ’79 represented UGA at the University of Miami investiture of President Julio Frenk. “I was so proud to do it,” he says.

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or sandy horwitz, the adage “mother knows best” turned out to be true. Born in Miami Beach, Florida, Horwitz BBA ’79 was the fourth of five children raised by an easygoing physician father and a tough, no-nonsense mother. When he was 13, his mother insisted that he help out at her bookstore. He worked there for the next decade. “I learned everything from cashing out a register to dealing with customers to managing inventory,” he says. “I even did the books a little bit.” After graduating from high school, Horwitz attended Miami Dade College for a year and then transferred to UGA, where his first-quarter grades were disappointing. He expected his mother to be upset, but all she said was,

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“Just try harder next time.” Her low-key reaction had a strong impact on Horwitz. From then on, Horwitz kept his GPA at a 3.5 or above, graduating Beta Alpha Psi with a degree in accounting and passing the CPA exam on his first try. He also interned at Goldstein Schechter Koch (GSK), a Florida-based firm, and was offered a permanent position. There he discovered a love of working with small businesses, something he attributes to the years spent working at his mother’s bookstore. “I love the entrepreneur client,” he says. “A Delta Air Lines or a Hewlett-Packard—those are too big for me to get my hands around. I didn’t want to work on just one piece of an audit. I wanted to handle the whole client and the whole relationship.” Six years later, he became the first intern to be named partner and the youngest partner in the firm’s history. In 2013 he became CEO, leading GSK to join BDO USA in August. Now Horwitz is office managing partner for tax services at BDO’s Fort Lauderdale office. The culture and professionalism at BDO have far exceeded his expectations, Horwitz says, but he plans to retire in a few years. He and wife Janet are building a home on Orcas Island, part of the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest. He attributes his success to long-term planning, as well as the education he received at UGA. “My experience at the school was outstanding.”

Alumni of Distinction Award. Seals is a clinical and interventional cardiologist and the managing partner and director of clinical research at Baker and Gilmour Cardiovascular Institute. 1975-1979 Felicia Bryan Bessent BMus ’75 of Sacramento, California, retired as principal of Edward Harris Jr. Middle School after 41 years in education. Billy Gunn AB ’76, JD ’79 of Atlanta was included on The Best Lawyers in America list for 2017. Gunn is a partner at Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins Gunn & Dial. Joanna Cook Kjellman AB ’77 of Westwood, Massachusetts, penned two books, The ABC’s of Girls’ Lacrosse and The ABC’s of Boys’ Lacrosse (Mascot Books, 2016), children’s books that introduce readers to the sport of lacrosse. J. David Miller BSA ’78, MPA ’80 of Valdosta received the District Attorneys’ Association of Georgia and Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Miller is the district attorney for the Southern Judicial Circuit. Swann Seiler ABJ ’78 of Savannah was honored with the Blue Key Service Award at the university’s annual Tucker Dorsey Blue Key Alumni Awards Banquet in October. Seiler is the manager of corporate communications for Georgia Power’s coastal region. Beverly Sparks BSA ’78, MS ’80 of Athens received the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Science’s Alumni Award of Excellence at the annual CAES Alumni Awards Banquet in November. Sparks is the former associate dean for Extension at CAES. Kevin Williams AB ’78 of Marietta was included on The Best Lawyers in America list for 2017. Williams is a partner at Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins

CLASS NOTES Gunn & Dial. Deborah Norville ABJ ’79 of New York, New York, was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in October. 1980-1984 David Dial AB ’80 of Marietta was included on The Best Lawyers in America list for 2017. Dial is a partner at Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins Gunn & Dial. Lowry Weyman Hunt Jr. BSA ’80 of Madison received the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Science’s Alumni Award of Excellence at the annual CAES Alumni Awards Banquet in November. Hunt is a sixth-generation Morgan County farmer. Jan Jones ABJ ’80 of Milton was honored with the Blue Key Service Award at the university’s annual Tucker Dorsey Blue Key Alumni Awards Banquet in October. Jones represents District 47 in the state House of Representatives. Bruce Meyer BBA ’80, MBA ’81 of Holmes Beach, Florida, is the community engagement director for the United Way of Manatee County in Florida. Meg Barclay BFA ’81 of Gainesville received honorable mention for her piece, “Cove,” submitted to the Members’ Exhibition at the Quinlan Visual Arts Center. Barclay is a former medical illustrator and art educator. Cori Bargmann BS ’81 of New York, New York, was selected as president of Chan Zuckerberg Science, founded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. Bargmann, a respected neuroscientist and geneticist, will helm a $3 billion effort to cure, prevent, or manage all diseases by the end of the century. Darryl McDonald AB ’81 of Johns Creek is a senior level business and technology executive at Entrepreneur 21st Century. geo rgia maga z ine | s pring 2 017

CLASS NOTES Butch Naylor III BBA ’81 of Flagler Beach, Florida, retired from Saudi Aramco in December 2015. Rob Law BBA ’83 of Alpharetta passed the Certified Financial Planner exam in November. Law is a financial planning analyst at Creative Financial Group. Doug Segars BBA ’83 of London, England, is the managing director at Moody’s Investors Service, where he leads the infrastructure finance ratings and research franchise in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Crawford Clay AB ’84 of Stafford, Virginia, is a patient support navigator and advocacy coordinator for the Colon Cancer Alliance. Clay is a 12-year, stage 3 rectal cancer survivor.

1985-1989 D. Wayne Akins Jr. BSA ’85, MBA ’08 of Statesboro received the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Science’s Alumni Award of Excellence at the annual CAES Alumni Awards Banquet in November. Akins is the chief retail banking officer of Synovus Bank. Laura Bechtel ABJ ’85 of Macon is in her sixth year as a Realtor with Sheridan, Solomon & Associates. Bechtel has achieved the Circle of Excellence distinction in the Middle Georgia Association of Realtors. Paul C. White AB ’86 of St. Simons Island is the president and CEO of the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation. David Shafer AB ’88 of Duluth was honored with the Blue Key Service Award at the university’s annual Tucker Dorsey Blue Key Alumni Awards Banquet in October. Shafer serves as a

Georgia senator, representing District 48. 1990-1994 Dori Taratoot Kleber ABJ ’92 of Dunwoody is the author of More-igami (Candlewick Press, 2016), a picture book about a young boy with a passion for folding origami. The book was named to the 2016 list of Books All Young Georgians Should Read by the Georgia Center for the Book. Denise Stone Ciccarelli AB ’94 of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, was chosen as a 2016-17 James E. Clyburn Political Fellow by the South Carolina Democratic Party. Sidney McDougald David BSFCS ’94 of Statesboro joined Colonial House of Flowers as a floral designer. Her work has been featured in Pottery Barn as well as the wedding blogs Wedding Sparrow and Ruffled.

HALL OF FAME

Basketball greats honored UGA basketball legend Dominique Wilkins M ’82 was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in November. Wilkins, who earned the nickname the “Human Highlight Film” for his sensational finishes at the rim, was named an SEC Player of the Year in 1981 and was a twotime All-American. Each of his two seasons, he helped lead UGA to post-season berths. Wilkins was selected No. 3 in the 1982 NBA Draft and had a remarkable career with the Atlanta Hawks, where he tallied 26,668 points and a 24.8 career scoring average. Wilkins’ former Bulldogs coach Hugh Durham also was inducted into the 2016 class. Durham helmed the Bulldogs for 17 seasons and is Georgia’s winningest coach with 297 victories. Bulldogs hoops great Dominique Wilkins (right) and his former coach Hugh Durham (left), UGA head basketball coach from 1978-1995, were reunited at the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame induction.

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Daphne Gaines AB ’94 of Brooklyn, New York, starred in Open Crossroads Theatre’s production of “Single Black Female,” a two-woman comedy that explores the lives of middle-class African-American women in urban America. James Kreyenbuhl AB ’94 of Guyton was appointed by House Speaker David Ralston to the state ethics commission. Kreyenbuhl is a partner at Brennan, Harris & Rominger. 1995-1999 Chris Carr BBA ’95, JD ’99 of Atlanta was appointed state attorney general and moved into the new office in November. In October, he was honored with the Blue Key Service Award at the university’s annual Tucker Dorsey Blue Key Alumni Awards Banquet. Jude S. Walko AB ’95 of Los Angeles, California, wrote “The Incantation,” a fantasy/ horror film shot in France, starring Dean Cain. Scott Witzigreuter BBA ’96, JD ’99 of Atlanta was included on The Best Lawyers in America list for 2017. Witzigreuter is a partner at Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins Gunn & Dial. Angie Weeks AB ’97 of Nashville, Tennessee, was promoted to assistant director of membership and visitor experience at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. Jason Shepherd AB ’98 of Marietta received his postgraduate diploma in global business from the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and was appointed the business school’s regional alumni ambassador for Atlanta. Han Vance AB ’98 of Marietta penned Richt Era: 15 Years in Athens (Silver Stone Press, 2016) which chronicles the 15 years of Mark Richt’s tenure as UGA’s head football coach. Robert Lee Wimberly Jr. BSFCS ’98 and Corbin Miller Wimberly BBA ’02 of Charleston, South Carolina, welcomed

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CLASS NOTES twins Sims Corinne Wimberly and Robert Lee Wimberly III on July 5. Eve Anthony BSEd ’99 of Bogart is the CEO of the Athens Community Council on Aging. Chad Edwards ABJ ’99 of Cumming founded the JC Edwards Company, a real estate appraisal and consulting firm.

2000-2004 Derrick Brown BBA ’00 of Suwanee is the IT manager at Macy’s Systems and Technology. Paige Cole AB ’00, MEd ’07, PhD ’14 of Athens was named Oconee County Schools Teacher of the Year. Cole teaches U.S. history and advanced placement government at North Oconee High School.

Scott Hunter BBA ’00 of Albany was selected as a member of the Premier Advisor Program for Wells Fargo Advisors. Ashley B. Rogers AB ’00, JD ’03 of Crestview, Florida, received the 2016 Pinnacle Award from 850 Business Magazine. Rogers is an attorney and shareholder with Chesser and Barr. Cory Bennett BBA ’01, MAcc ’01 of Marietta was recognized

by CPA Practice Advisor on its annual list of 40 Under 40 advisors. Lee Skinkle BBA ’01 of Bolivar, Missouri, was appointed provost at Southwest Baptist University. Deborah Lonon BBA ’02, JD ’05 of Athens was named director of the Athens-Clarke County Housing and Community Development Department.

APPLAUSE FOR ALUMNI

No business like show business

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As president of the NYC Dawgs alumni chapter, Emily Hammond Cook AB ’07 says she feels connected to UGA, especially in the fall when some 300 alumni show up at a sports bar on 37th Street to watch Georgia games. Cook gave birth to a daughter, Sydney Grace, Oct. 23.

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mily hammond cook’s journey into the New York theater scene sounds familiar at first. After graduating from UGA, she moved to the Big Apple with no job or apartment—just big dreams and ambition. Cook’s interests, however, were not performing on the stage and under the bright lights, but working behind the scenes. Since then, Cook has carved out a role off-Broadway in the management side of nonprofit theatre, helping make the art form accessible to the general public. In that capacity, she played a supporting role in the developing stages of the smash-hit musical “Hamilton.” Cook AB ’07 majored in theater at UGA, while also taking business classes. In New York, she landed an internship in the casting department at the Manhattan Theatre Club, an acclaimed Broadway nonprofit theater company. “I loved being in on the audition process and seeing how new shows are developed,” she says. “It was a huge learning experience in how nonprofit theaters are run.” After the internship, Cook worked as an assistant to the executive producer of the company, Barry Grove, who became a mentor and, as she says, provided a “master class in theater producing.” From there, Cook took a job in general management at the Public Theater,

a premier off-Broadway nonprofit, where she works on budgets, contracts, and union matters. By chance, she took a role as the co-company manager of a new musical in development. Her job was to serve as a caretaker of the cast, “doing everything to keep them healthy and happy.” That production was “Hamilton.” “We knew the show was special and were confident it was going to be a hit, but we had no way of predicting the cultural phenomenon it has become,” Cook says. The show earned stellar reviews and played to capacity houses full of celebrities at the Public Theatre before moving to Broadway. “It was a life-changing experience getting to be a part of the revolution that is ‘Hamilton.’” Show business goes on for Cook, who now serves as the general management planning and programs manager at the Public Theatre, which produces 10 to 15 shows a year and presents the renowned Shakespeare in the Park, which has offered free productions in Central Park for over 50 years. Cook says her philosophy about theater aligns with the Public’s ethos: “Theater shouldn’t be an elitist art form; it should be accessible to all, created by all, and should share the stories of all walks of life.”

CLASS NOTES Tripp Owings BBA ’02 of Andover, Kansas, is the CEO of Wesley Woodlawn Hospital and ER. Corbin Miller Wimberly BBA ’02 and Robert Lee Wimberly Jr. BSFCS ’98 of Charleston, South Carolina, welcomed twins Sims Corinne Wimberly and Robert Lee Wimberly III on July 5. Stephanie Foerst BBA ’03 of Atlanta was named to the spring 2016 class of Salesforce MVPs. Foerst is a Salesforce team lead at GreenSky. Catherine Morrison Harris ABJ ’03, JD ’06 and Frederick Harris Jr. BS ’02 of Memphis, Tennessee, welcomed their first daughter, Patton Emmaline Harris, on May 23. Debbie Michaud AB, ABJ ’03 of Marietta accepted a job at CARE, a global nonprofit that aims to empower women and children around the world and provide aid during crises and natural disasters. Michaud, former editor-in-chief of Creative Loafing, will help create and execute CARE’s digital content strategy. Jon C. Parkman BBA ’03 of Charleston, South Carolina, opened Tropical Smoothie Cafe on Daniel Island in 2015. He plans to open four more locations in the future. Brett Farkas AB, ABJ ’04, MAT ’11, EdS ’14 of Gainesville is the author of The Runners (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016), a novel about the fate of mankind. Jane Okpala AB, BBA ’04 of San Francisco, California, was honored with the Blue Key Young Alumnus Award at the university’s annual Tucker Dorsey Blue Key Alumni Awards Banquet in October. Okpala is the lead product specialist on social good and goodwill products at Facebook. Catherine Posey BBA ’04 of Athens is a registered nurse at St. Mary’s Healthcare System.

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CLASS NOTES 2005-2009 Richard Donofrio BLA ’05 of Orlando, Florida, is the manager of planning and area development design with Universal Parks & Resorts and is working on the Universal Studios Beijing Project. Amanda Hamsley Lang BSFR ’05, MS ’08 of Bishop was recognized as the 2016 Distinguished Young Alumnus by UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. Lang is partner and the vice president of client services for Forisk Consulting. Allison Perkins BSA ’05, MAL ’10 of Taylorsville received the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Science’s Young Alumni Achievement Award at the annual CAES Alumni Awards Banquet in November. Perkins is the UGA Extension 4-H and Youth Development agent in Bartow County. Rick Pittard BSFCS ’05 and Elizabeth Hancock Pittard MEd ’14 of Athens welcomed daughter Norah on Oct. 31. Rick is the deposit operations manager at First American Bank & Trust and Elizabeth is the senior coordinator for Greek life at UGA. Katherine Yancey AB ’05 of Asheville, North Carolina, completed a two-year fellowship in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery and joined private general surgery practice Regional Surgical Specialists. Frank Reddy ABJ ’06 of Atlanta is the author of Eyes on the Island (Fiction Advocate, 2016), a chilling tale of a young preacher who moves to one of Georgia’s barrier islands, only to learn unsettling stories about his fellow islanders. Cliff Riner BSA ’06 of Lyons received the College of Agricultural and Environmental Science’s Young Alumni Achievement Award at the annual CAES Alumni Awards Banquet in November. Riner is

APPLAUSE FOR ALUMNI

Recommitting to Georgia

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Lee Zell AB ’96 (right), pictured with her brother Gary and nephew Bryce, is a diehard Bulldogs fan. She has also made giving back to the university, through her time and money, a priority.

ee zell’s relationship with UGA has been one of lifelong passion, beginning as a child in Brunswick pulling for the Bulldogs football team with her dad. When Zell AB ’96 became a student, it was her relationships with friends and faculty that created what she calls a “storybook college experience.” “For everyone I know who came here, Georgia holds a special place in their hearts,” says Zell, an account executive for Turner Sports Broadcasting in Atlanta. In her job, Zell is no stranger to spirited loyalty. She covers national sales and sponsorships for TV sporting events, including fan favorites like NCAA March Madness and the Major League Baseball playoffs.

Outside of work, Zell’s passion has been UGA—from being a football season ticket holder to serving on the UGA Alumni Association Board. Until a few years ago, Zell’s support for her alma mater largely consisted of being a diehard Bulldogs fan. Now, she’s no longer just on the sidelines. The change started with students. Zell met some of Georgia’s best and brightest through Alumni Association events like Women of UGA and Dinner with a Dozen Dawgs, which bring together distinguished alumni and students. Those meetings nudged Zell toward finding out more about the caliber of UGA’s students, learning environment, and research. “The more you know about the university, the more en-

gaging it is,” she says. “You’re drawn in and so proud, and you want to share that story.” Since then, Zell has found opportunities to give back to UGA, including establishing an endowed scholarship that is awarded to a student from Glynn County, where she grew up. The gift was inspired by learning that despite financial aid, such as the HOPE Scholarship and federal grants, some students still struggle to cover the full costs of attending college. “I decided that I wanted to be able to do something, not only for the university, but also to make a small difference in someone’s life,” Zell says, “and I felt that endowing this scholarship was the right way to achieve both.”

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CLASS NOTES APPLAUSE FOR ALUMNI

And the beat goes on

nspiration can come from unlikely leaders, serving as conductor on the field; places. Christina Swoope’s commit- behind the scenes, she managed logistics to ment to improving lives through health ensure the band’s success. care policy came from her love of the Red“It allowed me to be a part of something coat Marching Band. On the surface, the connection does not make sense, admits Swoope BS ’11, a Medicare program examiner in the White House’s Office of Management and Budget and a self-described marching band geek. What it really goes back to, she says, is finding her calling in leadership and the value that “you should always leave things better than you found them.” During her senior beth newman year, Swoope was having a crisis. She Christina Swoope BS ’11, who was the Redcoat Marching Band’s first female had planned to go African-American drum major, returns to her alma mater every to pharmacy school, Homecoming to march with the band. but as she was filling out applications, Swoope was unable to de- bigger than myself and learn how to truly put scribe why she wanted to be a pharmacist. others ahead of myself,” she says. And if not pharmacy school, then what? It also taught her that she likes to find “I was having a mini-meltdown,” she says. big picture solutions to help large groups “So I took a step back and thought about of people. what I loved.” “That made me realize, maybe I should A microbiology major and public health look into public health,” she says. minor, Swoope’s passion for UGA began with Now, Swoope analyzes the impact policy the Redcoats, who she first encountered changes could have on the Medicare probefore high school at the marching band’s gram, the millions of beneficiaries it serves, summer camp. and the overall federal budget. As she works Although she served as president of UGA’s to help people across the U.S., Swoope hasn’t Student Alumni Council and was crowned forgotten her ties to UGA—she’s a frequent the 2009 Homecoming Queen, she found donor, was named one of UGA’s 40 Under 40 the most joy suiting up in uniform for Sat- in 2016, and every year, she comes back to urdays in Athens, becoming the Redcoats’ Homecoming to march between the hedges first African-American female drum major. with the Redcoats. The drum major is one of the band’s student

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the coordinator of the Vidalia Onion and Vegetable Research Center and the UGA Extension agent for the Vidalia onion area. Lynsay Simons AB ’06, JD ’09 of Savannah is a staff attorney for Chatham County Superior Court Judge John E. Morse Jr. Jarrod Wright BBA ’06 of Atlanta joined Sterling Risk Advisors as a producer. Teresa Anthony BBA ’07 of Canton, New York, earned her Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters designation, one of the premier designations in the insurance industry. Anthony is the director of prospect research and prospect management at St. Lawrence University. Deven Cason BSFCS ’07 is the project manager for Partnership Gwinnett, where she handles companies in the manufacturing and supply chain industries. Luke Lanier BSA ’07 of Metter received the College of Agricultural and Environmental Science’s Young Alumni Achievement Award at the annual CAES Alumni Awards Banquet in November. Lanier is the assistant vice president of Metter Bank. Payton Bradford AB ’09, JD ’11 of Nashville, Tennessee, was hired as an associate in the commercial litigation practice of Burr & Forman LLP. Sara K. Hall BSW ’09, MSW ’11 of Atlanta is a social worker for Grady Memorial Hospital’s Burn Unit, Burn ICU, and Burn Clinic. Hall also volunteers with the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation. Tyler Harper BSAE ’09 of Ocilla was appointed to the Law Enforcement Task Force by Gov. Nathan Deal. Harper represents the 7th District of the Georgia Senate. Adrienne Smith BSA ’09 of Moultrie received the 9th District Young Farmer Excellence in Agriculture Award at the Georgia Farm Bureau 9th

CLASS NOTES CRAYON JUNGLE

First-class teacher

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Five years ago, Darius Phelps met a child named Burke at the Child Development Lab (CDL) at UGA’s McPhaul Center. “Through his love, I learned what it meant to truly let go, have fun, and just be yourself,” he says. After his experience with Burke, Phelps BSFCS ’15 knew he was destined to be a teacher. Last year he received the Child Caregiver of the Year Award for a large facility from the Georgia Association on Young Children. Phelps, the lead teacher in the CDL infant classroom, graduated in 2015 with a degree in human development and family science and is now pursuing a master’s in education.

District Annual Meeting. Smith teaches agriculture at Colquitt County High School. 2010-2014 Casey Bridgeman Graham ABJ ’10 of Chattanooga, Tennessee, married Dustin Graham BSEd ’10 on Sept. 3. Amanda Gonzalez Zuniga AB ’10 of Naples, Florida, opened the Lima Restaurant and Pisco Bar with her husband, Dario, in May. Kendra Abercrombie AB ’11 of Bloomington, Indiana, is the assistant director of admissions at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Thomas Aiken BSA ’11 of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, graduated in

2016 from Mercer University School of Medicine. Andrew Avram AB ’11 of Raleigh, North Carolina, joined the staff at Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP. Lindsey Epperly AB ’11 of Atlanta was nominated for a national award for travel agents, Virtuoso’s Rising Star. Allison Maier BS ’11 of Decatur co-starred as AJ in the film “Spring Break Zombie Massacre.” Anna Browning AB, ABJ ’12 joined the real estate practice at Burr & Forman LLP. Rachel Flint ABJ ’12 of Birmingham, Alabama, married Murray Flint AB ’11 in August at the UGA Chapel. Rachel is

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CLASS NOTES the coordinator of admissions events and marketing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Kyle Hayes AB, BSEd ’12 of Washington, D.C., and Luke Boggs AB ’15 of Athens launched PeachPod in June, a podcast dedicated to covering national and state politics from a Georgia perspective. Kelsie Cross ABJ ’13, JD ’16 of Atlanta joined the general commercial litigation practice at Burr & Forman LLP. Lilly Torres AB ’14 of Newtown,

Pennsylvania, is a marketing specialist for Local Wisdom, a digital agency. 2015-2016 Courtney Batchelor BSFCS ’15 of New Haven, Connecticut, is attending Yale University for the physician assistant program. Luke Boggs AB ’15 of Athens and Kyle Hayes AB, BSEd ’12 of Washington, D.C., launched PeachPod in June, a podcast dedicated to covering national and state politics from a Geor-

gia perspective. Ryan Brush BSBE ’15 of Seattle, Washington, is a program manager at Amazon Air. Nandini Inmula AB, BS ’15 of Los Angeles, California, is a student at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. This summer, she will be a Public Health Scholar with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, working with the Choose Health LA Kids Program. Brooke Owens AB ’15 of Snellville played the leading

role in Synchronicity Theatre’s production of “Anne Boleyn” last fall. Kara Ryker AB, BSEd ’15 of Tallahassee, Florida, is pursuing a master’s degree in speech-language pathology at Florida State University. Bobby Boone BLA ’16 of Millen joined Wood+Partners Inc. as a project planner. Adrienne Fuerst BSEd ’16 of Chicago, Illinois, is a suite sales and services seasonal assistant with the Chicago Bears football team.

APPLAUSE FOR ALUMNI

Retired, but not done with dermatology

espite officially retiring from both teaching medicine and practicing dermatology several years ago, Dr. Saundrett Arrindell hasn’t quite stopped working. The former faculty member at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, still attends grand rounds, where local dermatologists bring in cases for discussion. And she still gets calls from physicians and patients asking questions or for referrals. “I don’t consider myself totally retired,” she says. But Arrindell BSPh ’82 and her husband are renovating a home in Douglas, near family, and will split their time between there and Nashville. It’s not the first time she’s chosen to be near home. Arrindell grew up in Ocilla and attended nearby Middle Georgia College for two years before transferring to UGA and studying pharmacy. “I liked the idea of learning how medications interacted with the body and the body chemistry,” she says. “It was also a way to help people.” During her pharmacy internship, the self-described “people person” realized

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Dr. Saundrett Arrindell BSPh ’82 was the only person of color in her pharmacy class. “We were all going to become pharmacists regardless of how we’re wrapped on the outside,” she says. “That was what was important.”

that she wanted more patient contact. She entered medical school at the University of Iowa, where she was drawn to dermatology.

“I’m a very visual person,” she says. “Being able to look at the skin and know immediately what the problem was—or at least the top three conditions that it could be, and how to treat it—was very rewarding.” Seeking more training, Arrindell went to Vanderbilt—she’s the first and still the only African-American resident trained in dermatology there. When she became a faculty member, she worked to improve dermatology training so that physicians are prepared to treat all skin types. “It’s important to have the opportunity to go to a doctor or a specialist that understands your skin type,” she says. She co-authored a book chapter and updated it last year in the second edition of Dermatology for Skin of Color, and she has provided financial support for training physicians to treat skin of color. Arrindell has also contributed to the UGA College of Pharmacy’s enhancement fund for 25 years. “I’m proud to be a Georgia Bulldog,” she says. “I understand what they invested in me as a student, and I want to give back so that they can continue to invest in other students.”

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CLASS NOTES APPLAUSE FOR ALUMNI

Making the news TV producer Molly Kordares AB ’05 has a couple of goals—to travel more and to write for The New Yorker one day.

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olly kordares loves going to work every morning not knowing what to expect. As supervising producer of “CBS This Morning,” Kordares AB ’05 is responsible for telling viewers what they need to know, which changes all the time. “We cover what’s happened; stories are often sad—shootings and tornadoes,” she says. “Yet it’s great to be able to produce long features—classic CBS storytelling—such as going to the quietest place in the country or showing scientists tagging white sharks for research.”

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As supervising producer, Kordares programs the 7 a.m. news hour, working with a staff of 100 writers, bookers, and producers to create its daily content. She edits and approves live segments, taped packages, and scripts, coordinating the show’s anchors—Charlie Rose, Gayle King, and Norah O’Donnell—and correspondents in the field. She also supervises special-event coverage, such as political conventions and the Olympics. To keep up with the world, Kordares has an expansive daily media regimen. “I start with National Public Radio and read The Wall Street Journal while commuting [from her home in Brooklyn],” she says. “I scan the wire services—Associated Press and Reuters—and see what our own correspondents in our five bureaus have filed. I look at what our network competitors are running. I follow thousands on Twitter as well as bloggers and websites.” Kordares didn’t set out to become a television producer. Graduating as an English major with a minor in mass communication, she moved to New York because she knew it was the place to be in media. She worked briefly in public relations, including a stint with the Clinton Global Initiative, before going to Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. In 2008, she interned at “CBS Evening News” with Katie Couric and within two years started producing. Kordares said she thrives on journalism’s unpredictability and diversity. “I never have to concentrate on one thing. I’ve produced segments on everything from sniper training at Fort Benning to Charlie Rose interviewing Bradley Cooper.” Kordares attributes her success to her ability to write clearly. “I learned to write during my UGA study abroad program at Oxford. I’m glad I did,” she says, “because very few people in TV have also studied writing.”

Blake Gowen BS ’16 of Milpitas, California, is working at the Stanford Medical School’s dermatology department identifying treatable agents in squamous cell carcinoma. William Corbin Newton BLA ’16 of Brunswick joined Wood+Partners Inc. as a project planner. Andrew Roberts AB’ 16 of Charlottesville, Virginia, is attending the University of Virginia School of Law on a full scholarship. Julianne Roche BSFCS ’16 of Jacksonville, Florida, was accepted into the accelerated nursing program at the University of North Florida. Thomas Witmond BBA ’16 of Johns Creek joined Ernst & Young U.S. LLP in August.

gradnotes arts & sciences Jann Haynes Gilmore MA ’71, PhD ’75 of Alexandria, Virginia, is the author of Olive Rush: Finding Her Place in the Santa Fe Art Colony (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2016). James K. Farr PhD ’78 of Seattle, Washington, was honored by the UGA Graduate School with the 2016 Alumni of Distinction Award. Farr served as principal scientist in the Office of Response and Restoration, Environmental Response Division, National Ocean Service, during his time at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Ariel Deutch MS ’79, PhD ’83 of Nashville, Tennessee, was honored by the Graduate School with the 2016 Alumni of Distinction Award. Deutch is the James C. Blakemore Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and professor of pharmacology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Robert Goggin MA ’81 of Roswell is a financial advisor with

CLASS NOTES QUOTABLE

Searching for longevity Cynthia Kenyon’s research started with a question: Can changing your genes make you live longer? Kenyon BS ’76 and many other researchers are finding promising answers in the field of aging research. Kenyon, a molecular biologist and a foremost authority on the genetics of aging, spoke about her life’s work at UGA’s Charter Lecture at the Chapel in November. “Aging is something we take for granted,” Kenyon said. But she and her colleagues have found ways to alter the genes in roundworms, doubling their lifespans. In the process, they have found that extending the lives of organisms can also postpone age-related diseases.

Wagner Wealth Management. Jennifer Ceska MS ’95 of Gainesville is the conservation coordinator for the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance, which received an award from the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies for outstanding contributions to the association and to fish and wildlife management in North America. Jason A. Peterson MA ’04 of Summerville, South Carolina, is the author of Full Court Press: Mississippi State University, the Press, and the Battle to Integrate College Basketball (University Press of Mississippi, 2016), a book that examines how basketball loosened the grip of segregation and its proponents in the media. Stephanie Bolton MS ’12 of Lodi, California, is the grower communications and sustain-

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“Staying healthier longer,” Kenyon said, “is the real goal of people working on aging.” Other researchers have figured out ways to extend the lives of fruit flies and mice. “It’s possible that it won’t be too long before we have something for humans.”

able winegrowing director at Lodi Winegrape Commission.

business Andrew Kroll MBA ’99 of Atlanta joined Trimont Real Estate Advisors as chief operating officer. Luis Imery MBA ’03 of Athens is the founder and CEO of Imery Group, which was awarded a grand prize in the category of innovation in custom homes at the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2016 Housing Innovation Awards.

education R. Steve McCallum PhD ’79 of Knoxville, Tennessee, was honored by the UGA Graduate School with the 2016 Alumni of Distinction Award. He is a professor of school psychology in the department of

educational psychology and counseling at the University of Tennessee. Alvetta P. Thomas EdD ’04 of Fayetteville was honored by the Graduate School with the 2016 Alumni of Distinction Award. Thomas is the current president and former vice president of academic affairs at Atlanta Technical College. Paul Schlag MEd ’05, PhD ’07 of Macomb, Illinois, was appointed chief of staff in the Office of the President at Western Illinois University. Schlag is an associate professor in the department of recreation, park, and tourism at WIU. Elizabeth Hancock Pittard MEd ’14 and Rick Pittard BSFCS ’05 of Athens welcomed daughter Norah on Oct. 31. Elizabeth is the senior coordinator for Greek

life at UGA and Rick is the deposit operations manager at First American Bank & Trust.

family & consumer sciences Clara Hayes MS ’83 of Douglas retired after 38 years in public education with service to UGA Extension and the Coffee County Board of Education. She is the preschool director at Douglas First United Methodist Church.

journalism & mass communication Martha Saunders MA ’79 of Gulf Breeze, Florida, was elected president of the University of West Florida. Robert J. Williams MMC ’92 of Washington, D.C., is the

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Collaborative leadership Former Atlanta Olympics CEO Billy Payne shared his unconventional approach to leadership at the Mason Public Leadership Lecture in November. “The difference between leading and following isn’t all that clear,” said Payne AB ’69, JD ’73, who serves as chairman of the Augusta National Golf Club, which hosts the Masters Tournament. Payne’s wife, Martha ABJ ‘69, told him early in their marriage that his competitiveness was affecting his relationships. “I was making a mistake of always equating winning with leadership, and by doing so, sacrificing future successes that depended on the efforts, skills, and collaborations of others,” Payne said. Since then, he has found a balance between being aggres-

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sive when necessary but also knowing when to surrender to the expertise of others. “I have now become certain that success and satisfaction in life come from sharing goals rather than from achieving individual goals.” The Mason Public Leadership Lecture is supported by a grant from Keith Mason BBA ’82, JD ’85.

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CLASS NOTES MENTOR MENTALITY

Helping the next generation There’s a special relationship between Stacey Godfrey Evans AB ’00, JD ’03 and Trevon Smith, recipient of the Stacey Godfrey Evans Scholarship. Both grew up in single-parent Georgia homes and were the first in their families to attend college; both enrolled at UGA’s School of Law. In 2015, Evans, a state representative, gave $500,000 to create a scholarship for first-generation college graduates attending Georgia Law. She also wanted to give her time by serving as a mentor to the scholarship recipients. Smith, a third-year law student, says that’s where Evans has been a true ally. As Smith works toward his ultimate goal of joining a sports agency, Evans acts as a sounding board as he decides on internships and networking opportunities. “I look at her as a real friend and mentor,” Smith says. “She’s been there giving me support and helping navigate that process.”

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Although Smith and Evans are regularly in contact by email, the two got some face time during the 2016 Homecoming Week. andrew davis tucker

author of Strivers and Other Stories (Washington Writers’ Publishing House, 2016), which was selected as the 2016 Fiction Prize Winner by the Washington Writers’ Publishing House. The collection of stories explores African-American and Southern voices, reflecting characters striving toward their versions of the American dream. Michael Cass MMC ’95 of Nashville, Tennessee, cowrote Nashville: The South’s

New Metropolis (Publishing Resources Group Inc., 2016) with former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean. The book follows the city’s dynamic growth and changes over the past 25 years. Brett Robinson MMC ’01, PhD ’11 of South Bend, Indiana, is the communications director for the Institute of Church Life at the University of Notre Dame. Robinson also teaches social media and public relations courses in

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the Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame.

law Braswell D. Deen LLB ’50 of Atlanta penned Retired Judge Deen’s Views on National and Political Issues (Outskirts Press, 2016), a satirical book that pokes fun at politicians, celebrities, and professors. Gary E. Jackson JD ’75 of Atlanta is the president of the Council of Municipal Court Judges of Georgia.

Janet Hill JD ’80 of Athens received the 2016 Advocacy Award from the National Employment Lawyers Association’s Georgia chapter. Hill is the owner of Hill & Associates, an Athens-based law firm. Verda Colvin JD ’90 of Macon was appointed to the Law Enforcement Task Force by Gov. Nathan Deal. Colvin is a Superior Court judge in the Macon Judicial Circuit.

public & international affairs Mary Salmon Walker MPA ’97 of Tucker was honored by the UGA Graduate School with the 2016 Alumni of Distinction Award. Walker is an environmental consultant and previously served as assistant director and chief operating officer for the Georgia Environmental Protection Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

social work David Prescott Talley MSW ’85 of Smyrna was appointed coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana. Judy Fitzgerald MSW ’94 of Smyrna was appointed commissioner of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. Nancy Wesselink MSW ’94 of Canton is the founding president/CEO of One Source Counseling and Employee Assistance Services LLC. Randy Niederman PhD ’99 of Athens penned Be Your Spirit: A Guide to Health and Happiness Based on the Yoga Sutras (Outskirt Press, 2016), which outlines a seven-step program based on the practice of yoga in order to bring harmony and stability to one’s life. Olive Aneno MSW ’07 of Athens is a mental health social worker for the state of Georgia.

CLASS NOTES FAREWELL

The Bulldog Nation loses a beloved fan

want to reach the bulldog nation? advertise in Georgia Magazine andrew davis tucker

Saturdays in the fall won’t be the same in Athens. Football superfan Mike “Big Dawg” Woods, known for sporting a painted bulldog on his shaved head, died in January. He was 65. Woods, of Colbert, started painting his head for football games in 1990, carrying on a tradition started by his father, Lonnie Lee Woods Sr., who died in 1987. Mike Woods made the tradition his own, adding a signature pair of black overalls. Woods was a popular pregame figure on campus, posing for photos with fellow fans. And he was an enthusiastic presence in Sanford Stadium during games. Before he died, Woods said his son Trent will carry on the tradition of the painted bulldog.

Published quarterly and mailed to the household, your advertising message reaches your audience directly, giving you one of the strongest demographic buys in the region. For information on advertising in the award-winning Georgia Magazine, contact Pamela Leed at 706-542-8124 or pjleed@uga.edu.

send us your notes Help UGA and your classmates keep up with what’s happening in your life—both personally and professionally—by sending Class Notes items to one of the addresses listed at right. And please include your hometown to help us keep our alumni database up to date. If you send a photo, please make sure it is a resolution of 300 dpi. Class Notes is the first section we work on, so keep these deadlines in mind: for the Spring (March) issue, submit by December 1; for Summer (June), submit by March 1; for Fall (September), submit by June 1; for Winter (December), submit by September 1.

Quickest way to send Class Notes Email: GMeditor@uga.edu Website: ugamagazine.uga.edu UGA Alumni Association Please submit online at alumni.uga.edu/classnotes Or send a letter to: Georgia Magazine 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 North University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602-1999

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FACULTY FOCUS

Alan Darvill Regents Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Plant Biology Director, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center “All organisms are made up of four groups of macromolecules, one of which is complex carbohydrates. The CCRC was formed to study the function and the structure of complex carbohydrates in biology. As in all research, we’re improving the knowledge base that will affect the people of Georgia, will affect their children. Researchers in the CCRC are looking at diseases and potential diagnostics or therapeutics for those diseases. We also study plant biomass as a source of bioenergy or bioproducts. The most important role I have is to keep the CCRC running so all the great people here can do what they do best, which is their research. I see my role very much as a facilitator, and I get a lot of joy out of it.”

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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