LEAD DAWG
Two-thousand miles Ryan Kerr hikes AT from Georgia to Maine
PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED
Despite a calf injury and an aggressive black bear, not to mention time and mileage, alumnus Ryan Kerr (BSES – Environmental Economics and Management, ’15) emerged victorious at Mt. Katahdin, Maine, the end of the Appalachian Trail and the conclusion of his thru-hike, on Sept. 22, 2016. Kerr, a Suwanee, Georgia, native who now samples and monitors groundwater and methane for Woodstock, Georgiabased EM Services, started his seven-month, 2,189.1-mile journey on Feb. 28, 2016, at Springer Mountain, Georgia. A lifelong dream, Kerr thought the time between graduation and starting his career provided the best opportunity to pursue the thru-hike. He was able to slowly acquire gear. A month before he left, he started using the stair machine at the gym, wearing his backpack with a 35-pound weight inside. A few months — about 900 miles — into his journey, Kerr injured his calf and was off the trail for three weeks. “I thought it was the end of my hike, but I didn’t want to give up,” he said. Back on the trail, he encountered a juvenile black bear, scared it away, then came across the mother bear. When she started running at him, making noises with her jaw and huffing, Kerr said he “stood his ground” and talked to the bear while trying to remain calm. She took off after a “very long” 10 seconds. “That was the scariest moment of my life,” Kerr said. Kerr found practical applications for his University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences education during his thru-hike. Research skills paid off in his pre-hike study of terrain and weather patterns, and in his use of GPS to chart meal drops. Problemsolving skills and his knowledge of hydrology and basic geology helped him to find water sources not listed in the trail guide. “I learned how to think outside the box at school,” Kerr said. “I learned stewardship and sustainability in the classroom, and I saw it applied on the trail.” • Kathryn Schiliro
44 southscapes // SPRING 2017
class notes 1980s Brian Carnes (BSA – Poultry Science, ’89) was named Cherokee County, Georgia, School District’s 2017 Teacher of the Year in November 2016. Carnes teaches Advanced Placement and honors chemistry courses at Sequoyah High School, where he was named that school’s Teacher of the Year prior to receiving the honor at the district level. Carnes spent 15 years in the poultry industry before becoming a teacher in 2004. He resides in Woodstock, Georgia, with his wife, Pam, who graduated from UGA in 1990 with a bachelor’s degree in home economics journalism, and daughters, Sarah Carnes (BSES – Environmental Economics and Management, ’15) and Rebekah, a high school junior. 1990s Steve Morgan (BSA – Agricultural Economics, ’90; MS – Agricultural Economics, ’92) is the district sales manager for Monsanto BioAg in Georgia, Florida and Alabama. Morgan works with retailers and farmers who specialize in the proper selection of biologics and seed-applied technologies. He resides in Carrollton, Georgia. Rob Elsner (MS – Food Science, ’95) established a “Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation” minor and graduate certificate program at Erskine College, where he is a professor and chair of psychology. The first graduate of the program has completed projects on the provision of sustainable
drinking water in Thailand and aquaculture farming methods in South Carolina. Using funding from the Sullivan Foundation, many other environmentally friendly projects are being developed by Elsner’s students as sustainable alternatives to traditional charities and to provide employment to underprivileged and disabled persons. Brent Dykes (BSA – Crop Science, ’96) is a special projects manager for the Division of Family and Children Services. He resides in Athens, Georgia. Brent Marable (BSA – Horticulture, ’96; MAL – Agricultural Leadership, ’13) succeeded alumnus John David Williams (BSA – Agriculture, ’80; MAEX – Agricultural Extension, ’81) as chairman of the board of Antioch Christian Church in Watkinsville, Georgia. Marable is the assistant director for plant licensing for Innovation Gateway at UGA. Thomas “Tommy” Bass (BSA – Animal Science, ’97) is an associate Extension specialist at Montana State University focusing on livestock sustainability and environmental management. He is currently working part time on a doctorate, studying spatial and temporal optimization of Montana’s local beef supply chain.