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Researchers receive NIH grant to explore, exploit bacterial immune systems RESEARCH NEWS
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UGA Opera Theatre brings ‘Don Giovanni’ to stage Feb. 10-12
February 6, 2017
Vol. 44, No. 24
www.columns.uga.edu
UGA GUIDE
4&5
UGA joins initiative to advance biotech manufacturing in US By Charlene Betourney cbetourney@uga.edu
Dorothy Kozlowski
The Food Technology Center, known as the FoodPIC building, on UGA’s Griffin campus houses the university’s Food Product Innovation and Commercialization Center.
Dedicated to innovation New UGA facility in Griffin will help businesses launch new food products
By Sharon Dowdy sharono@uga.edu
UGA scientists are now better equipped to help businesses launch new food products with the opening of the Food Technology Center, locally known as the FoodPIC building, on the UGA Griffin campus. The facility houses the university’s Food Product Innovation and Commercialization Center. The $7.4 million project was funded by $3.5 million from the state of Georgia and additional funds from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the Griffin-Spalding County Development Authority and UGA. The state-of-the-art 14,500-square-foot facility was dedicated Jan. 30 with a
ribbon cutting ceremony. Speakers at the ceremony included Board of Regents Chairman Dr. C. Thomas Hopkins Jr., state Rep. David Knight (R-Griffin), Chairman of the Griffin-Spalding County Development Authority Board Charles Copeland, Dean and Director of the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Sam Pardue and Pike County STEM Academy student Nikki Dodson, along with UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “The Food Product Innovation and Commercialization Center is an outstanding example of the University of Georgia using its resources to help strengthen our state’s economy,” said Morehead. “We are grateful for the support we have received for the new Food Technology Center, and we
are excited to expand the reach of FoodPIC within the global food industry.” “This facility is a great addition to the Griffin campus,” said UGA Griffin campus Assistant Provost Lew Hunnicutt. “Housing FoodPIC on our campus allows us to make an impact on economic development, with regard to food and food products, in the GriffinSpalding County community, across Georgia and potentially around the world.” While awaiting funding for and construction of the building, faculty in the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences used existing laboratories on the UGA Griffin campus to help food entrepreneurs with product development, See GRIFFIN on page 8
UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA
The University of Georgia is partnering in a biopharmaceutical innovation institute that aims to boost market production of cell-based therapies and develop a skilled workforce trained for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. The new public-private partnership, called the National Institute for Innovation of Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals, or NIIMBL, will focus its efforts on driving down the cost and risks associated with
manufacturing advanced cell and gene therapies for biopharmaceutical production. Steven Stice, director of UGA’s Regenerative Bioscience Center, is the UGA lead in the partnership, which is coordinated by the University of Delaware. NIIMBL represents a total investment of $250 million, including $129 million in private cost-share commitments from the NIIMBL consortium of 150 companies, nonprofits, educational institutions and state partners across the country, combined with at least $70 million in
See BIOTECH on page 8
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Veteran administrator, policy scholar named dean of SPIA By Sam Fahmy
sfahmy@uga.edu
Matthew Auer, a veteran administrator and policy scholar, has been named dean of the School of Public and International Affairs. Auer is currently vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Bates College in Maine, where he is also a professor of environmental studies. His appointment at UGA is effective July 1. “Dr. Auer is committed to creating extraordinary learning experiences for students while also advancing scholarship and service that has a national and international impact,” said Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Pamela Whitten. “He is an ideal choice to lead UGA’s highly regarded School of Public and International Affairs into a new
era of excellence.” As dean of the faculty and vice president for academic affairs, a position he has held since 2013, Auer Matt Auer has helped shape the academic mission of Bates College. His responsibilities include faculty recruitment, review, tenure and promotion, as well as nurturing faculty career development. He co-chaired the campus-wide institutional planning process and is leading major campus initiatives, including the revision of general education requirements and the enhancement of academic support programs. See DEAN on page 8
PUBLIC SERVICE AND OUTREACH
Two employees recognized for service excellence PSO programs help Georgia By Jim Lichtenwalter
james.lichtenwal25@uga.edu
UGA employees David Akers and Ted Barco were recognized in the Chancellor’s Service Excellence Awards as part of the University System of Georgia’s Service Excellence Program. Akers received a gold medal in the outstanding individual category, while Barco received an honorable mention. The award recognizes university employees who have demonstrated exceptional “service to the students, colleagues and other customers of the USG over the last year.” A bus driver in UGA’s Campus Transportation and Parking Services, Akers implemented an
David Akers automated program to schedule 250 UGA bus drivers, many of whom are students, who log over 4,000 hours of work each week. The system replaced an Excel spreadsheet used to schedule the
drivers and a Facebook page for driver changes. Under the old system, it would take two to three people several days to manually complete the schedule; under the new system, scheduling takes two minutes to run. The new system is paperless and can be accessed from a mobile device. It takes into account students’ scheduling preferences and proactively identifies multiple, simultaneous leave requests. The system, implemented in summer and fall, reduced the number of scheduling gaps from 66 per day to less than two per day. The new system also has a built-in trade board for students, who make up See AWARD on page 8
communities grow, prosper
By Kelly Simmons
simmonsk@uga.edu
University of Georgia outreach programs had a $753 million impact on the state of Georgia last year, with communities benefiting from leadership training, downtown revitalization, workforce development and assistance to small businesses, among others. Overall, UGA had a $5.25 billion economic impact on the state last year, according to a new study that analyzed how the three-part teaching, research and service mission of the university
contributes to the economy. “Citizens of this state can see and feel the work that the University of Georgia is doing in their communities, helping to create jobs, develop leaders and address critical issues,” said Jennifer L. Frum, UGA vice president for public service and outreach. “As a land- and sea-grant institution we are committed to extending our resources to every corner of the state.” In the past year, the Small Business Development Center, a unit of UGA Public Service and Outreach,
See PSO on page 8
2 Feb. 6, 2017 columns.uga.edu UGA administrator named College of Coastal Georgia interim president
Around academe
Margaret A. Amstutz will succeed the College of Coastal Georgia’s outgoing president, Greg Aloia, effective July 1. Amstutz, UGA’s associate provost for academic programs, was named interim president Jan. 23 in a USG press release. Amstutz served for 16 years in UGA’s Office of the President as an assistant, faculty and academic affairs liaison and chief of staff.
Report: UGA School of Law offers great return on investment
UGA has one of the best returns on student loan debt for law students in the nation, according to a new report from online student loan company Social Finance Inc. The report compared average salaries from law school graduates to the debt students incur and found UGA to be fifth in the nation, tied with Harvard and Stanford universities.
Georgia Tech to offer new online graduate degree in analytics
Students planning to earn a graduate degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology now have the option to get one online for less than $10,000, according to a news release from the university. Georgia Tech is now offering an online master’s degree in analytics that costs less than a third of the cost of the residential program. Plans are to enroll 250 students during the program’s first semester.
Tate Student Center adds private lactation room for nursing mothers
News to Use
UGA’s Tate Student Center has added a designated private room for nursing mothers. The space is one of 14 lactation rooms on the main campus, with others located at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and on the Health Sciences Campus. A map of lactation rooms is online at http:// hrdocs.uga.edu/map-campus-lactation-rooms.pdf. Tate’s lactation room is located on the fourth level adjacent to the Student Veterans Resource Center. Access is available through a keypad lock; users may get the code by visiting or calling the Office of the Dean of Students. “Previously, we would accommodate nursing mothers by making temporary space available on an as-needed basis,” said Jan Barham, associate dean of students and director of the Tate Student Center. “We’re pleased to join the university’s efforts to enhance resources for women by designating a permanent lactation room.” The Tate Student Center is a department within UGA Student Affairs. For more information, call 706-542-7774 or see http://tate.uga.edu. For information about women’s resources on the UGA campus, see http://women.uga.edu. Source: Division of Student Affairs
More than 2 million people visited the UGA Libraries during fiscal year 2015.
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARIES
23,057
MILLER LEARNING CENTER
1,921,647
MAIN & SCIENCE LIBRARIES
990,752 TOTAL
2,935,456 Source: 2016 UGA Fact Book
OFFICE OF RESEARCH
Life sciences association honors four faculty, staff at annual awards By Terry Hastings thasting@uga.edu
UGA faculty and staff were honored with multiple awards by Georgia’s life sciences industry association, Georgia Bio, at its 2017 annual awards dinner Jan. 26 in Atlanta. This year, four UGA leaders were recognized for significant contributions they and their units have made to Georgia’s life sciences industry: Derek Eberhart, director of Innovation Gateway; Alan Darvill, director of the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center; Robert Ivarie, emeritus professor of genetics; and Steven Stice, director of UGA’s Regenerative Bioscience Center. Georgia Bio members include pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies, medical centers, universities and research institutes, government groups and other business organizations involved in the development of life sciences related products and services. “We are pleased to see such strong recognition of UGA’s impact on the state’s burgeoning life sciences industry,” said UGA Vice President for Research David Lee. “These awards to UGA bioscience leaders affirm the advances we have made in supporting entrepreneurship and translational research at the university.” Eberhart was honored with the
Community Award “for his leadership in connecting industry with university expertise and inventions for the public good, promoting economic development and increasing research visibility.” Innovation Gateway, a unit of the Office of Research, encompasses UGA’s intellectual property licensing and startup support functions to help streamline the path from the lab to the marketplace, ensuring that UGA research discoveries reach their full potential for public benefit. UGA’s commercialization program has facilitated the generation of more than 600 products and 150 startup companies to date based on UGA research. UGA’s Complex Carbohydrate Research Center also received the Community Award, accepted by Darvill, Regents Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Plant Biology. Founded in 1985, the CCRC is home to 17 interdisciplinary research groups devoted to increasing knowledge of the functions of complex carbohydrates. CCRC scientists study the structures and functions of the complex carbohydrates of plants, microbes and animals to determine the role of carbohydrates in growth and development, host-pathogen interactions and disease processes such as cancer. The center has generated considerable intellectual property and multiple startup companies since its inception.
Ivarie was a recipient of the Georgia Innovation Award, honoring those who forge new ground by thinking outside traditional paradigms to create a unique technology. Ivarie is co-founder of Avigenics, which subsequently was known as Synageva, a company based in UGA’s startup incubator. Synageva developed rare disease therapeutics based on technologies Ivarie invented using transgenic chickens as bioreactors to produce medically relevant proteins. Synageva was acquired by Alexion for over $8 billion in 2015, and Georgia Bio honored the acquisition as a “Deal of the Year” in 2016. A drug based on Ivarie’s invention is now on the market in the U.S., Europe and Japan. The company maintains a significant footprint in Oconee County, Georgia. Stice was honored as a recipient of the 2017 Georgia Bio Industry Growth Awards, the highest honor bestowed each year by Georgia Bio. Stice was recognized for his longstanding commitment to growing the life science industry in Georgia as well as the advancement of regenerative medicine research and commercialization in the state. He is the D.W. Brooks Distinguished Professor, a GRA Eminent Scholar and founder of two Athens-based biotechnology companies, ArunA Biomedical and SciStem.
GLOBAL GEORGIA INITIATIVE
FOUNDERS WEEK 2017
By Dave Marr
By Krista Richmond
Viet Thanh Nguyen, a winner of the Pulitzer Prize in fiction for his 2015 novel The Sympathizer, will visit UGA Feb. 13 to give the comparative literature department’s annual Betty Jean Craige Lecture. He will also take part in a Feb. 14 public conversation hosted by the Dean Rusk International Law Center. Nguyen’s Feb. 13 talk, “Nothing Ever Dies: Ethical Memory and Radical Writing in The Sympathizer,” is part of the Global Georgia Initiative of the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, as well as the Signature Lecture Series. It will take place at 4 p.m. in the Chapel. “Vietnam/War/Memory/Justice: A Conversation with Viet Thanh Nguyen” Viet Thanh Nguyen will be held at 4 p.m. Feb. 14 in the Larry Walker Room in Dean Rusk Hall. For full details, visit http://www.law.uga.edu/events/47633. The Sympathizer is the story of a double agent in the South Vietnamese army who flees with its remnants to America in 1975, continuing his efforts in the lost war amid the refugee community of Los Angeles. Nguyen’s 2016 follow-up, Nothing Ever Dies: Vietnam and the Memory of War, was shortlisted for a National Book Award in nonfiction. It examines how the memorialization of the Vietnam War by all of its participants helps to obscure important truths about war’s ravages of all humanity, and to hinder the true reconciliation that might prevent future conflicts. A collection of short stories, The Refugees, is scheduled to be published Feb. 7. Nguyen will have public book signing events following his talk in the Chapel and at Avid Bookshop, 493 Prince Ave., Feb. 12 from 6-7 p.m. Nguyen’s visit is co-sponsored by the comparative literature department, the Willson Center, the Dean Rusk Center for International Law, the President’s Venture Fund, the Office of the Dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, the Office of International Education and the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association. The Betty Jean Craige Lecture is named for Craige, University Professor Emerita of Comparative Literature and a former director of the Willson Center. The Global Georgia Initiative presents global problems in local context with a focus on how the arts and humanities can intervene. The series is made possible by the support of private individuals and the Willson Center Board of Friends. The Signature Lecture Series highlights campus talks.
The University of Georgia celebrated its 232nd anniversary with a week of events, including the 15th annual Founders Day Lecture. “At the University of Georgia, we recognize Founders Day as an occasion not only to commemorate the founding of this institution, but also to celebrate the birthplace of public higher education in America, which began with the signing of the charter by Abraham Baldwin and others 232 years ago in Savannah. Those founders established a firm foundation that has now grown into one of the top 20 public higher education institutions in the United States and the flagship institution of this state,” UGA President Jere W. Morehead told attendees at the Founders Day Lecture, held Jan. 23 at the Chapel. Charles Bullock III, the Richard B. Russell Professor of Political Science, a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor and University Professor, delivered the lecture “The Highs and Lows of the 2016 Presidential Election.” Bullock spoke about the split between the electorates and the popular vote, mentioning two various models. The geographic wall model refers to states that traditionally vote for a specific party. The pendulum model, according to Bullock, happens when “one party is in for two terms, then the pendulum moves to the other party.” He pointed out the difficulty of one party winning the presidency for three terms in a row, saying that it has only happened once in the last 64 years when former President George H.W. Bush was elected after former President Ronald Reagan’s two terms in office. Bullock also discussed the South’s role in the 2016 elections, saying that “the South provided the margin of victory.” “For a political scientist, this was a good year, in that Georgia was thought to be one of the states in play—hadn’t happened in 20 years,” he said. He noted that neither presidential candidate spent much time in Georgia, but the state set a record for voter turnout. “We in Georgia—we turned out to vote. We set a record for turnout—1.4 million,” Bullock said.“So, the things you’ve been hearing about people not wanting to vote, not being inspired to vote, didn’t affect us here.” The lecture is sponsored by the Office of the President, the UGA Alumni Association and the Emeriti Scholars, a group of retired faculty members known for their teaching abilities who continue to be involved in the university’s academic life through part-time teaching, research and service assignments.
Noted author to deliver Betty Jean Craige Lecture davemarr@uga.edu
UGA celebrates 232nd anniversary with lecture krichmond@uga.edu
RESEARCH NEWS
columns.uga.edu Feb. 6, 2017
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Digest UGA to take part in severe weather drill
Gene editing tool
Amy Ware
Michael Terns’ research looks at CRISPR-Cas, a powerful gene editing tool derived from a defense mechanism evolved in bacteria.
Researchers receive $2.78 million NIH grant to explore, exploit bacterial immune systems By James E. Hataway jhataway@uga.edu
Researchers at UGA have received a $2.78 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study CRISPR-Cas, a powerful gene editing tool derived from a defense mechanism evolved in bacteria and other singlecelled organisms. Like a pair of molecular scissors, CRISPR-Cas allows scientists to precisely edit sequences of DNA in everything from plants to humans, and it could one day be used to silence the genes that predispose humans to a myriad of diseases, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders and mental illnesses. “This is a technology that has taken the scientific world by storm,” said Michael Terns, Distinguished Research Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and principal investigator for the project. “But there are still a lot of things that we don’t know, and this project will help us expand and refine our ability to exploit CRISPR for research and biomedicine.” CRISPR is often discussed as a single entity, but there are actually many
different CRISPR-Cas systems, Terns said, and researchers are only beginning to understand the complex molecular processes that make these systems work. Fundamentally, CRISPR-Cas is a defense mechanism that single-celled organisms use to ward off attacks from viruses and other invaders. For example, when a bacterium is attacked by a virus, it captures some of the virus’ DNA, chops it up into pieces and incorporates a segment of the viral DNA into its own genome. It then uses this DNA to make RNAs that bind with a protein, and this complex seeks out and destroys the viral DNA. As the bacterium experiences more threats, it accumulates a bank of past infections in a special part of its genetic code called CRISPRs, short for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. “This ability to cleave DNA is what makes CRISPR-Cas such a powerful research tool, but we don’t yet fully understand how many CRISPR-Cas systems capture foreign DNA sequences or how they selectively recognize and destroy foreign nucleic acids,” Terns said. “This grant will give us the freedom to explore these processes,
which will ultimately speed the development of new methods to fight human disease.” In particular, Terns hopes that their discoveries will lead to new methods of combating pathogenic bacteria, especially those that have become resistant to antibiotics. However, Terns is quick to point out that this project is focused primarily on basic science and the examination of fundamental biological processes. “Basic science is what gave us CRISPR in the first place; nobody knew that the most powerful gene editing tool in the world would come from singlecelled organisms until scientists did the basic research to discover it,” he said. “I don’t think CRISPR has revealed all its secrets yet, and there may be even more powerful genetic tools waiting to be found.” Terns’ research is funded by a grant from NIH’s Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award, or MIRA. The goal of MIRA is to increase the efficiency and efficacy of National Institute of General Medical Sciences funding by providing investigators with greater stability and flexibility, thereby enhancing scientific productivity and the chances for important breakthroughs.
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Study: Cooperatives may provide elder care alternative By Laurie Anderson laurie@uga.edu
A growing elder care shortage could be eased by worker-owned cooperatives, a little-used business model that also improves the working conditions and the quality of life for caregivers. That’s the conclusion reached by UGA faculty member Rebecca Matthew and Vanessa Bransburg, a cooperative development specialist, in a recent, award-winning case study. Matthew, an assistant professor at the UGA School of Social Work, and Bransburg, a staff member at the Democracy at Work Institute in San Diego, California, looked for a successful system of home-based caring labor that puts equal emphasis on the wellbeing of both the care recipient and the provider. They examined the most popular forms of paid child care—for-profit and nonprofit services—alongside
worker-owned child care cooperatives. The latter system is popular in other parts of the world, but represents a fraction of the caregiving services available in the U.S. The cooperatives, which give employees greater control over their working conditions and a share in profits, improved the quality of life of both care recipients and providers. As an example, they cited a case study of the Beyond Care Childcare Cooperative, an organization that provides home-based child care services to the Sunset Park community in Brooklyn, New York. Women who joined the BCCC as worker-owners reported a 58 percent increase in hourly wages. As wages grew, more than half of the employee-owners—primarily immigrant women—were able to reduce their work hours, enabling them to spend more time with their own children and families.
The model also could be applied to the provision of elder care, said Matthew and Bransburg, pointing out that nearly half of people employed in that job sector rely on public benefits such as Medicaid to support themselves and their families. Since home care for the elderly is expected to grow from nearly 40 million jobs now to 73 million by 2030, the potential impact of worker-owned cooperatives could be huge. “Worker-owned cooperatives provide a truly promising alternative through which to provide quality jobs and care,” said Matthew. The study, “Democratizing Caring Labor: The Promise of CommunityBased, Worker-Owned Childcare Cooperatives,” won the Council for Social Work Education’s 2016 Feminist Manuscript Award. It was published online before print in Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work.
UGA will participate in the Georgia Statewide Severe Weather Drill Feb. 8 at approximately 9 a.m. In conjunction with the drill, the Office of Emergency Preparedness will conduct a test of the UGAAlert system. The National Weather Service will initiate the drill, and the Athens-Clarke County community and UGA will participate. Campus outdoor tornado sirens will be activated per normal drill procedures; however, NOAA weather radios only will display a test message and may not produce an audible alert. No all-clear message will be sent after the test, so those participating in the drill can move to their shelter location when the test message is sent and then end the drill after accounting for personnel in individual buildings. In case of inclement weather, the drill will be rescheduled to a day when conditions are more favorable. Direct questions about the test of the UGAAlert system and the severe weather drill to OEP at 706-542-5845 or by email at prepare@uga.edu. To verify and update UGAAlert information, visit http://www.ugaalert.uga. edu. After the drill, a short survey will be available at www.prepare.uga.edu.
Parthemos Lecture to be given Feb. 10
Lee Epstein, the Ethan A.H. Shepley Distinguished University Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, will deliver the 2017 George S. Parthemos Lecture Feb. 10 at 10:30 a.m. in Room 214 of the Miller Learning Center. Her lecture, “Why We Should Study the Behavior of Judges,” is sponsored by the political science department in UGA’s School of Public and International Affairs. “I’m always thrilled to have someone of Dr. Epstein’s caliber visiting our department,” said Scott H. Ainsworth, interim head of the political science department. “She’s taught in both law schools and political science departments at some of our nation’s best universities. Her work has been influential for generations of law and courts scholars, including faculty in our political science department. Epstein is a great addition to our distinguished group of visiting Parthemos Scholars.” A Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Epstein also serves as co-director of the Center for Empirical Research in the Law, a lecturer in law at the University of Chicago, a principal investigator of the U.S. Supreme Court Database project and co-editor of the Journal of Law, Economics and Organization. The Parthemos Lecture honors the late political science professor who taught at UGA from 1953 until his death in 1984. During his career at the university, Parthemos was an Alumni Foundation Distinguished Professor, head of the political science department and vice president for instruction. Each year, the Parthemos Scholar not only delivers this lecture, but teaches classes and interacts with students and faculty over two to three days.
College of Veterinary Medicine benefit auction, dinner to be held Feb. 11
The UGA College of Veterinary Medicine’s student chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association is hosting its annual benefit auction Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. To be held in the Veterinary Education Center on the Veterinary Medical Center campus, the event will include dinner, a live and silent auction, entertainment and other activities. Tours of the new Veterinary Teaching Hospital, which opened in 2015, will be available to CVM alumni beginning at 4 p.m. Items collected for the 2017 auction include a variety of gift baskets and gift cards, dinners hosted by CVM professors, handmade quilts, signed memorabilia from the UGA Athletic Association, beach getaways and show tickets. Admission includes dinner, beverages and live entertainment. Tickets are $35 each and may be purchsed in advance at www.vet.uga.edu/student_clubs/scavma.auction. Free parking, outside the Veterinary Education Center, will be available to attendees.
PERIODICALS POSTAGE STATEMENT Columns (USPS 020-024) is published weekly during the academic year and
biweekly during the summer for the faculty and staff of the University of Georgia by the Division of Marketing & Communications. Periodicals postage is paid in Athens, Georgia. Postmaster: Send off-campus address changes to Columns, UGA Marketing & Communications, 286 Oconee Street, Suite 200 North, Athens, GA 30602-1999.
For a complete listing of events at the University of Georgia, check the Master Calendar on the web (calendar.uga.edu/). The following events are open to the public, unless otherwise specified. Dates, times and locations may change without advance notice.
UGAGUIDE
EXHIBITIONS
Artists of the New York School. Through March 19. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu Driving Forces: Sculpture by Lin Emery. Through April 2. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu To Spin a Yarn: Distaffs, Folk Art and Material Culture. Through April 16. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu Advanced and Irascible. Through April 30. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu Necessary Words & Images: 70 Years of The Georgia Review. Through May 12. Hargrett Library Gallery, special collections libraries. 706-542-8079. jclevela@uga.edu Equality Under the Law: History of the Equal Rights Amendment. Through May 12. Hargrett Library Gallery, special collections libraries. 706-542-8079. jclevela@uga.edu The NCAA Tennis Tournament in Athens. Through May 30.
Black History Month observance to include lectures, films, service By Stan Jackson
Rotunda, special collections libraries. 706-542-5788. hasty@uga.edu
On the Stump—What Does it Take to Get Elected in Georgia? Through Aug. 18. Special collections libraries. 706-542-5788. jhebbard@uga.edu
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6 ANIMAL VOICES FILM FESTIVAL Racing Extinction is an eco-thriller that examines humanity’s role in mass extinction and explores solutions that inspire hope for a more sustainable future. Oscar-winning director Louie Psihoyos assembles a team of artists and activists on an undercover operation to expose threats to endangered species and the race to prevent extinction. 7 p.m. 148 Miller Learning Center. 706-224-3796. sos@uga.edu
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7 DISCUSSION: RESEARCHING BLACK LIVES MATTER Doctoral students share their experiences while conducting research on Black Lives Matter and the Movement for Black Lives. Noon. G23 Aderhold Hall. ECOLOGY SEMINAR “The Phytochemical Landscape: Linking Trophic Interactions and Nutrient Dynamics,” Mark Hunter, University of Michigan. The seminar is followed by a reception in the Odum School lobby at 4:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. Auditorium, ecology building. 706-542-7247. bethgav@uga.edu MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Florida. $15. 7 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum. 706-542-1231.
ugastan@uga.edu
The University of Georgia will celebrate Black History Month 2017—“Black Joy: Celebration as a form of activism, highlighting the existence, resilience and resistance of black culture”— with a variety of programs and activities across campus. Throughout the month of February, dozens of student organizations and campus departments will host events ranging from lectures and days of service to film screenings and social events. Zoe M. Johnson, director of multicultural services and programs, explains that this year’s events will “highlight laughter, love and joy as vital components of black culture.” “While the challenges we face in the quest for racial justice are complex, it is wonderful to center joy as a form of activism,” Johnson said. University events associated with Black History Month include: • Feb. 6: Black History Jeopardy Party, Russell Hall Lobby. Hosted by University Housing. • Feb. 6: Living History, 7 p.m., Tate Student Center, fourth floor. Hosted by University Union. • Feb. 6: Stories of Everyday Black History Series, 6 p.m., The Intersection. • Feb. 9: Moonlight screening and discussion, 7 p.m., Tate Theatre and The Intersection. Hosted by University Union. • Feb. 10-12: Loving, 6 p.m.; Moonlight, 9 p.m., Tate Theatre. Hosted by University Union. • Feb. 13: Stories of Everyday Black History Series, 6 p.m., The Intersection. • Feb. 13-17: NAACP Week. • Feb. 15: Black Women, Eurocentrism and the Media, 6 p.m., The Intersection. Hosted by Counseling and Psychiatric Services, the Student Government Association and Multicultural Services and Programs • Feb. 15: Tsotsi (Cinema Politique Series, see story, far right.), 7 p.m., Miller Learning Center. Hosted by the School of Public and International Affairs and the Brown Media Archives. • Feb. 17: International Coffee Hour, 11:30 a.m.1 p.m., Memorial Hall Ballroom. Hosted by Caribsa and International Student Life. • Feb. 19: Belles of Liberty, 2 p.m., Catholic Center at UGA. Hosted by the Catholic Student Association. • Feb. 20: Stories of Everyday Black History Series, 6 p.m., The Intersection. • Feb. 20: Hidden Figures of Journalism, 6 p.m. Hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists UGA chapter. • Feb. 21: 13th Documentary Screening and Discussion, 6 p.m., The Intersection. Hosted by the Center for Social Justice, Human and Civil Rights, NCNW, ABSW, NAACP, the Center for Leadership and Service and the Institute for African American Studies. • Feb. 23-24: Georgia Daze. Hosted by the Office of Institutional Diversity. • Feb. 24-25: Africa Night, 7 p.m., Fine Arts Theatre. Hosted by the African Student Union. • Feb. 25: Speak Out, Leave Forward, 9 a.m.4 p.m., Tate Student Center. The Division of Student Affairs comprises 18 campus departments that enhance the learning environment for students at the University of Georgia by stimulating the learning process, integrating the in-class and out-of-class experiences, promoting an environment conducive to growth and discovery and facilitating intellectual, spiritual, social, occupational, physical, cultural and emotional development. For more information, see studentaffairs.uga.edu.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8 ARTFUL CONVERSATION Join Callan Steinmann, associate curator of education, for an in-depth gallery discussion featuring selected works from Advanced and Irascible. 2 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu
By Clarke Schwabe ccschwabe@uga.edu
The UGA Opera Theatre’s spring production of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” will bring the talented singing actors of the Hugh Hodgson School of Music back to the UGA Fine Arts Theatre for three performances Feb. 10 and 11 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. This version of the classic Don Juan tale is a cornerstone of opera repertoire, according to Frederick Burchinal, the Opera Theatre’s director. “As a great work of operatic and musical art, ‘Don Giovanni’ always ranks in the top ten of the most favorite and well known, most attended and most produced operas of the entire repertoire,” Burchinal said. “Historically, it has been considered by most to be one of the greatest works ever written.” Indeed, the opera has drawn praise from all corners for centuries—even famed Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard wrote that “Mozart’s ‘Don Juan’ occupies pride of place among all classical works of art.” Perhaps part of what makes the opera so highly regarded is the musical mastery demanded by a Mozart composition. Burchinal believes that Mozart’s music is both a challenge and necessity for singers to master and incorporate into their repertoire.
“Whether intended or not, Mozart has written music that tests the technical abilities of every singer to produce vocally and musically the pure beauty of tone combined with precision of execution,” said Burchinal. He is confident his group of singing actors—“an outstanding group whose talents seem ideally suited to take on their roles, vocally and dramatically”— are up to the task. Audiences will recognize many of the performers from recent performances with the UGA Symphony Orchestra, the Hodgson School’s Choral area and even the theatre and film studies department, with which the lead of “Don Giovanni,” Isaiah Feken, performed as the titular Sweeney Todd in April 2016. Joining the Hodgson School students are Maestro Hilary Griffiths as conductor of the UGA Opera Orchestra and Vince Liotta as stage director. Liotta has worked with the UGA Opera Theatre on multiple past performances, and Griffiths is a newcomer. “Our guest artists have long international careers in opera and the experience of producing productions of ‘Don Giovanni’ worldwide,” said Burchinal. Tickets to the concert are $20 each or $6 with a UGA student ID and can be purchased at pac.uga.edu or the PAC UGA students Laura Anne Cotney, Isaiah Feken, Rachel Eve Holmes and Bree Jordan Nichols are featured in the UGA Opera Theatre’s upcoming production of “Don Giovanni” at box office. the UGA Fine Arts Theatre Feb. 10-12.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13
LECTURE “Editing Richardson’s The History of Sir Charles Grandison; or, A Good Man is Hard to Find,” E. Derek Taylor, Longwood University, and Elizabeth Kraft. 5 p.m. 277 special collections libraries. legette@uga.edu
SCREENING The Venezuelan historical epic Bolivar, Man of Difficulties (Luis Alberto Lamata, 2013), will be screened, followed by a Q&A session with actor Gilbert Laumord and director Luis Alberto Lamata (via videoconference). This event is part of artist Gilbert Laumord’s residency. 3:30 p.m. 214 Miller Learning Center.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Kentucky. $5. 7 p.m. Stegeman Coliseum.
GLOBAL GEORGIA INITIATIVE “Nothing Ever Dies: Ethical Memory and Radical Writing in ‘The Sympathizer,’” Viet Thanh Nguyen, Pulitzer Prize winner for his 2015 novel, The Sympathizer. Part of the Signature Lecture series. 4 p.m. Chapel. (See story, page 2.)
IRASCIBLES FILM SERIES Robert Motherwell and the New York School: Storming the Citadel. 7 p.m. Georgia Museum of Art. 706-542-4662. hazbrown@uga.edu CONCERT The 2017 Piano Extravaganza showcases the UGA Hugh Hodgson School of Music’s piano area. $20; $6 with a UGA student ID. 7:30 p.m. Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall. 706-542-4752. ccschwabe@uga.edu
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10
BIOINFORMATICS SEMINAR SERIES “The Plant Genetics of Nuclear, Endophytic and Exophytic Microbes,” Jeffrey Bennetzen. 11:15 a.m. B118 Life Sciences Building. LECTURE “The Curious Case of Mammography: Breast Cancer, Science and the Rhetoric of Risk,” Nicole Hurt, communication studies. Part of the Women’s Studies Friday Speaker Series. 12:20 p.m. 213 Miller Learning Center. 706-542-2846. tlhat@uga.edu UGA ENGINEERING DISTINGUISHED SEMINAR SERIES “Guiding Principles for Scaling of Lignocellulosic Biofuels and Bioproducts,” Michael R. Ladisch, Purdue University. 1 p.m. Auditorium, Coverdell Center. 706-543-0882. mwooten@uga.edu SOFTBALL vs. Winthrop. 3 p.m. Jack Turner Stadium. 706-542-1621. PHILOSOPHY COLLOQUIUM EVENT “American Exceptionalism as White Exceptionalism,” Linda Alcoff, Hunter College, City University of New York. Part of the Kleiner Colloquium Series and partially funded by the Wilson Center for Humanities and Arts. Reception will follow lecture. 3:30 p.m. 115 Peabody Hall. 706-542-2823. SOFTBALL vs. Syracuse. 5:30 p.m. Jack Turner Stadium. 706-542-1621.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11 ORCHID MADNESS: WORKSHOP The Northeast Georgia Orchid Society is leading this hands-on orchid repotting workshop, where attendees can bring up to two plants and containers and work with an expert to repot their plants. $15. 10 a.m. Visitor Center, State Botanical Garden. 706-542-6014. connicot@uga.edu
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12 SOFTBALL vs. East Carolina. 1 p.m. Jack Turner Stadium. 706-542-1621.
Calendar items are taken from Columns files and from the university’s Master Calendar, maintained by Marketing & Communications. Notices are published here as space permits, with priority given to items of multidisciplinary interest. The Master Calendar is available at calendar.uga.edu/.
4&5
Opera Theatre brings ‘Don Giovanni’ to stage
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9
GEORGE S. PARTHEMOS LECTURE “Why We Should Study the Behavior of Judges,” Lee Epstein, Washington University in St. Louis. 10:30 a.m. 214 Miller Learning Center. 706-542-2057. sainswor@uga.edu (See Digest, page 3.)
columns.uga.edu Feb. 6, 2017
Renee Fleming will perform a Valentine's Day concert.
Renee Fleming to sing at Feb. 14 concert By Bobby Tyler btyler@uga.edu
The UGA Performing Arts Center will present soprano Renee Fleming Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. in Hodgson Concert Hall. Her Valentine’s Day concert will include songs by Brahms, Harold Arlen, and Rodgers and Hammerstein. Known as “the people’s diva,” Fleming was the first opera singer to perform the national anthem at the Super Bowl. In 2013, former President Barack Obama awarded her the National Medal of Arts, America’s highest honor for an individual artist. She has performed at momentous occasions around the globe including the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. In 2012, she sang on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in the Diamond Jubilee Concert for Queen Elizabeth II. Fleming has been nominated for 14 Grammy Awards, winning four times. She has performed with Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo and also with Elton John, Sting and even the Muppets. For her Athens recital, she will be accompanied by pianist Gerald Martin Moore, who has performed for such international dignitaries as former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, HRH Prince Charles and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Tickets for the concert are $62 to $112 and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center, online at pac.uga.edu or by calling the box office at 706-542-4400. A pre-concert lecture will be given 45 minutes prior to the performance in Ramsey Concert Hall in the Performing Arts Center.
DISCUSSION: FROM ATTICA TO FERGUSON A discussion on race and the criminal justice system featuring Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Princeton University, and Heather Thompson, University of Michigan. The discussion will be following by a book signing featuring Taylor’s From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation and Thompson’s Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy. This event is sponsored by the department of history, the Office of Institutional Diversity, the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, the Institute for African American Studies and the departments of sociology and political science. 4:30 p.m. Auditorium, special collections libraries. history@uga.edu CONCERT The UGA Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band perform. 8 p.m.
COMING UP TOUR D’AMOUR: LOVE STORIES IN THE ARCHIVES Feb. 14. This one hour tour will take a closer look at love stories from the archives in the galleries of the special collections libraries. Tales of love from the fickle to the forbidden revealed through the documents, artifacts, and audiovisual materials are on display, assisted by fun gallery games and selfie stops. 2 p.m. Second floor rotunda, special collections libraries. 706-542-8079. jclevela@uga.edu ECOLOGY SEMINAR Feb. 14. “Dynamics and Controls of Ecosystem Carbon Cycling,” Jim Tang, associate scientist at MBL Ecosystems Center in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. A reception follows the seminar at 4:30 p.m. in the Odum School lobby. 3:30 p.m. Auditorium, ecology building. 706-542-7247. bethgav@uga.edu CONCERT Feb. 14. Renee Fleming is one of the most acclaimed singers of our time and has been awarded the National Medal of Arts. $62-$112 for non-UGA students; call the box office about UGA student tickets. 8 p.m. Hodgson Concert Hall. 706-542-4400. ugaarts@uga.edu (See story, right.)
Movies, documentaries to provide jumping-off points for political discussions at Cinema Politique By Jean Cleveland jclevela@uga.edu
Cinema Politique, a program that aims to introduce and discuss international and national political developments on the basis of documentaries and movies, will begin a trial run at UGA this semester. Led by Cas Mudde of the School of Public and International Affairs, and Mary Miller, Peabody Awards Collection archivist with the UGA Libraries, the series will draw largely from the vast Peabody Awards Collection and will take place once a month. A UGA faculty member will introduce each film, lead a discussion afterwards and make additional reading suggestions. “My own teaching experiences have taught me that many students, particularly at institutions like UGA, learn better and more about many political phenomena when, by and large, abstract and theoretical academic texts are combined with documentaries or movies,” Mudde said. “This is particularly true for phenomena that are so far removed from their daily life and limited life experience that they literally cannot imagine it. This applies to many contemporary and historical phenomena outside of the U.S., ranging from Nazi Germany to child soldiers in Africa, but also in the U.S., from Jim Crow to the ‘War on Drugs.’ ” During the spring semester, movies will be shown the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Miller Learning Center. Mudde noted that, while the primary audience for the program is students, all members of the UGA and Athens communities are welcome to attend. He said that this semester will be
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Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall. 706-542-4752. ccschwabe@uga.edu
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a trial run to work out structural and logistical issues. “Each year, we aim to have a good mix of national and international (films) and documentaries and movies addressing a broad range of topics and hopefully attracting a diverse audience,” Mudde said. The Cinema Politique schedule for the spring semester is: • Feb. 15: Tsotsi (2005), discussion led by William Finlay, department of sociology. A South African hoodlum named Tsotsi lives by a code of violence, and he and his gang of thugs prowl the streets of Johannesburg day and night, attacking those who fail to give them what they want. After casually shooting a woman and stealing her car, he discovers her baby in the back seat. Instead of harming the infant, he takes it home and cares for it. The child acts as a catalyst for the hardened thug to regain his humanity. • March 15: India’s Daughter (2015), discussion led by Laura Zimmermann, departments of economics and international affairs. The life and death of Jyoti Singh, an Indian medical student whose violation and murder by gang rapists exposed the violent misogyny of Indian society. • April 19: La Haine (1995), discussion led by Cas Mudde, department of international affairs. When a young Arab is arrested and beaten unconscious by police, a riot erupts in the notoriously violent suburbs outside of Paris. Three of the victim’s peers, Vinz, Said and Hubert, wander aimlessly about their home turf in the aftermath of the violence as they try to come to grips with their outrage over the brutal incident. After one of the men finds a police officer’s discarded weapon, their night seems poised to take a bleak turn.
NEXT COLUMNS DEADLINES Feb. 8 (for Feb. 20 issue) Feb. 15 (for Feb. 27 issue) March 1 (for March 13 issue)
6 Feb. 6, 2017 columns.uga.edu
Anna Scheyett, dean of the School of Social Work, and David Okech, an associate professor in the school, were invited to join the 2017 class of Fellows of the Society for Social Work and Research. The SSWR Fellowship was established to honor and recognize current SSWR members for their individual accomplishments, leadership and contribution to SSWR as a scientific society. The organization’s more than 1,800 members include faculty in schools of social work and other professional schools, reAnna Scheyett search staff in public and private agencies and master’s/doctoral students from more than a dozen countries. SSWR Fellows serve as role models and mentors for individuals pursuing careers in social work research. The number of inductees in 2017 was approximately 3 percent of the SSWR membership. Scheyett and David Okech Okech were recognized as Fellows Jan. 14 at the society’s annual conference, held this year in New Orleans. Kun Wang, a doctoral candidate in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences physics and astronomy department, received a Materials Research Society graduate student award for research he presented at the 2016 MRS fall meeting in Boston. Wang is the first UGA student to receive the prestigious MRS research award. In all, 19 students received the silver award, which recognizes students whose academic achievements and materials research display a high level of excellence and distinction. Seven students received gold awards in the competition. Wang won the award for his work on designing molecular-scale electronics, research that could pave the way toward smaller and more powerful electronic devices. Working with his faculty adviser, Binqian Xu, a professor in the College of Engineering, and a team of other researchers, Wang helped investigate the use of single DNA-based molecules as a replacement for conventional electronic diodes. The team’s research was published in the journal Nature Chemistry. David P. Landau, Distinguished Research Professor and founding director of the Center for Simulational Physics, has been awarded a “Doctor Honoris Causa” by the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Landau’s scientific interactions with UFMG, one of the highest ranked universities in Brazil, began in 1989 and were instrumental in the inception of the Brazilian Meeting for Simulational Physics, a biennial event patterned after the annual workshop hosted by the Center for Simulational Physics at UGA. In addition, multiple students and faculty members from UFMG have visited the Center for Simulational Physics to learn more about state-of-the-art simulation methods. In 2014, Landau was elected to the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. Katie Erlich, an assistant professor of psychology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, was named a “Rising Star” by the Association for Psychological Science. The Rising Star designation recognizes outstanding psychological scientists in the earliest stages of their post-doctorate research career whose innovative work already has advanced the field and signals great potential for their continued contributions. The Association for Psychological Science is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1988. Kudos recognizes special contributions of staff, faculty and administrators in teaching, research and service. News items are limited to election into office of state, regional, national and international societies; major awards and prizes; and similarly notable accomplishments.
CAMPUS CLOSEUP
Dorothy Kozlowski
In addition to her work with doctoral candidates and master’s students in the School of Social Work, Kat Farlowe is a volunteer with the nonprofit organization Project Safe, which is working to end domestic violence in the local community.
Social Work administrative assistant makes a difference on and off campus By Krista Richmond krichmond@uga.edu
Kat Farlowe puts work into social work. As the administrative assistant for students in the social work doctoral program and Master of Arts in Nonprofit Management and Leadership Program in the School of Social Work, she not only guides students through the admissions process, but she also advises them and helps with paperwork as they continue through their program, providing “a shoulder” when needed. “It’s all about the students,” she said. “The most important thing I can do is to help these students on their road to success. We have Ph.D. students who are here four or five years, so I get to know them so well. I feel like they’re part of my family. You remember these people forever.” In addition, she works with the school’s dean,Anna Scheyett, on external events, planning details and logistics and creating materials. Before joining the School of Social Work, Farlowe was in the restaurant business for 23 years.After that, she went to work for a temp agency. She tested well in managerial areas because of her experience, and the agency placed her at the School of Social Work. Within three months, she became the dean’s assistant. Her desire to help others comes naturally. Farlowe’s mother ran
Interfaith Community Services in Columbia, South Carolina, and her father, Horace Farlowe, was a professor of sculpture in the Lamar Dodd School of Art. “I like doing things that make a difference,” she said. “It’s amazing what a little bit can do to help other people. Being around all these lovely people, the faculty, you see how they get out there and work with disadvantaged or special-needs people. The things that they’re doing really opened my eyes to a whole new world of opportunity of giving. It’s made me a much more charitable person.” This month, Farlowe is at the helm of a local charity project directing Project Safe’s 18th annual production of Eve Ensler’s award-winning play The Vagina Monologues. Farlowe took part in last year’s production, reading a monologue about a woman witnessing the birth of her grandchild. When Joan Prittie, Project Safe’s executive director, began making plans for this year’s production, she asked Farlowe to direct the cast of 25 women. “I cannot wait for everyone to see what they can do,” Farlowe said. “It’s just the most rewarding thing to be with them, knowing what some of these women have been through.” Productions of The Vagina Monologues are Feb. 16-18 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. at the Chapel. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at project-safe.org. All proceeds benefit
FACTS Kat Farlowe
Administrative Specialist II School of Social Work At UGA: 16 years
Project Safe. “The organization does amazing things for women,” she said. As a “huge fan” of the TV show Outlander, Farlowe also got involved in fundraising for two charities supported by the stars of the series. She joined the Heughan’s Heughligans fan group, which raises money for Bloodwise, a charity in the United Kingdom. Sam Heughan is Scottish president of the nonprofit, which is striving to beat blood cancer. Farlowe helped plan an event in North Carolina that brought in $11,000 for Bloodwise. She’s also part of Outlandish Gatherings and helped with an online auction that raised $11,000 for World Child Cancer, a charity actress Caitriona Balfe supports as a patron that helps children in developing countries with cancer. In her spare time, Farlowe also creates suncatchers and jewelry, spends time with her dog and two cats, enjoys classic movies from the 1930s and 1940s, cooks and bakes (and is known for her rum cake).
CENTER FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING
Mittelstadt named CTL assistant director By Tracy Coley tcoley@uga.edu
Megan Mittelstadt, the former director of training and education in the Landry Cancer Biology Consortium at Harvard Medical School, has been named assistant director of faculty development and recognition in UGA’s Center for Teaching and Learning. Mittelstadt began her new position Feb. 1. As director of training and education, Mittelstadt worked with faculty to design and implement innovative graduate curriculum and managed the
Landry Cancer Biology Consortium. In addition, she collaborated with faculty to implement and assess curricular and cocurricular offerings for research Megan Mittelstadt fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Prior to her appointment as director of training and education, she was a Curriculum Fellow in the Landry Cancer Biology Consortium and Can-
cer Biology Area of Concentration as well as a Charles Follen Folson Teaching Fellow at Harvard Medical School. Mittelstadt had been a lecturer in genetics at Harvard Medical School since 2013. Following the completion of a Bachelor of Science in biology and a doctorate in molecular, cellular and developmental biology, both from the University of South Carolina, Mittelstadt completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Texas A&M Health Science Center.
DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS
‘Eye-opening experience’ Student tour of Athens emphasizes community
By James Lichtenwalter
columns.uga.edu Feb. 6, 2017
7
PUBLIC SERVICE AND OUTREACH
New signs helps visitors to State Botanical Garden along trails
james.lichtenwal25@uga.edu
By Lee Redding
Nearly three dozen UGA students gained a greater understanding of the Athens community during a recent, daylong tour organized by the Leadership UGA program. In January, the students visited Action Ministries’ community kitchen where they talked with volunteers helping Athens’ homeless population, followed by a stop at the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce for a panel discussion with representatives from the school system, hospitals and government. The day concluded at the Lyndon House Arts Center, an art engagement organization that supports local art, hosts exhibits and is home to a historic museum. Brian Heredia, a junior from Athens, most enjoyed the panel discussion, where students and leaders engaged in a conversation about various topics, including the transportation system, bringing high wage jobs to the community and collaborations with university officials. “I liked how the leaders brought up issues that they see in the community and the candid conversation we had,” Heredia said. Kyle Anderson, the tour’s organizer and the senior coordinator of campus and community outreach in UGA’s Center for Leadership and Service, explained that the program is designed to expose the students to parts of Athens that students typically do not consider. “The hope is that the students come away with strategies and connections for how to create change in a community, whether they stay here after graduation or go somewhere else,” Anderson said. Leadership UGA is a cohort program for upperclassmen and graduate students focusing on leadership and community service. The program provides students opportunities to connect with local and state-wide community leaders. Members are selected through an application process that includes recommendations from UGA
New signs posted along the nearly 5 miles of trails at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia will help runners or hikers who have lost their way or are injured let search teams know where to find them. Each new sign includes a map of the trails on one side and safety tips on the other. The signs, which use a new labeling system for trail markers, are placed at every trail intersection and at most bridges and benches on longer trails, with no more than half a mile between each. “In the past, when someone has gotten lost or gotten hurt, it has sometimes taken up to an hour to find them, even with our staff or emergency services walking all along the complex and miles into the woods,” said Cristina deRevere, facility rental coordinator for the State Botanical Garden. “We wanted to see if the (Office of Emergency Preparedness, or OEP) could help us figure out a better labeling system for our trail signs to potentially limit the number of emergencies.” Staff at the garden reached out to the OEP to get input on the best way to label the new signs so that university and local police could help those on the trails. Steve Harris, director of UGA emergency preparedness, serves as one of UGA’s representatives on the Oconee Rivers Greenway Commission. Harris put deRevere in touch with Athens-Clarke Leisure Services officials who manage parks and trails in Athens. “It made sense to link up garden staff with those at ACC,” Harris said. “While the labeling systems may be different, I knew someone from ACC Leisure Services would be able to give advice on what might work well at the garden.” While those who walk or run the trails frequently often know their way around, many trail regulars found the new signs more visible and accessible than the trail marking system already in place. David Francis, a registered forester and real estate broker, noticed the signs when he was at the garden playing Pokemon. “These signs are great for people who don’t know trails and how to find their way with means like tree markings,” said Francis, who walks the trails often. “I can see how it would be helpful if you needed someone to get to you.” KT Truszczynski, a Master of Public Administration student from Cincinnati, Ohio, found the new signs beneficial while out running on the trails. “Even though I work part time at the garden, I still found them so useful during my run,” said Truszczynki, who runs the trails biweekly. “The ‘You are Here’ markings gave me a good idea of how much farther I had to go, and I actually made the decision to run longer based on my location on the trail.” The garden will continue to update the trail maps and communicate with Athens-Clarke County and UGA Police on modifications so that emergency responders can reach injured or lost hikers more easily.
leeredd@uga.edu
Dorothy Kozlowski
Leadership UGA students pose for a photo at Athens First Baptist Church.
Dorothy Kozlowski
Samuel Peraza, a fourth-year public relations/public affairs communications major, considers his options on a budgeting worksheet during a poverty simulation.
faculty and staff. Currently there are 29 undergraduate and six graduate students in the program. The group meets on a monthly basis and travels to different communities around the state to engage in tours like their day in Athens. Leadership UGA appears to be meeting its goal. Antonio Mantica, a doctoral candidate from Leesburg, described the tour as an “eye-opening experience.” “As a student, it is very easy to think of yourself as living in the bubble of the university,” Mantica said. “This tour showed me that this community has a diverse and rich history and is filled with kind and fascinating people.”
WEEKLY READER
Dorothy Kozlowski
Akash Shah, a fourth-year biology and cellular biology major, and Damisi Fawole, a fourth-year public relations/ public affairs communications major, discuss their options during a simulation led by Action Ministries.
CYBERSIGHTS
ABOUT COLUMNS
Professor’s book wins ‘outstanding’ award Nineteenth-Century American Literature and the Long Civil War has been selected as one of Choice Magazine’s outstanding academic titles for 2016. Published in 2015, the book was written by Cody Marrs, an associate professor of English in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. The award is presented each year to the best academic titles reviewed by the magazine and announced in its January issue. American literature in the 19th century is often divided into two asymmetrical halves, neatly separated by the Civil War. In Nineteenth-Century American Literature and the Long Civil War, Marrs argues that the war is a far more elastic boundary for Nineteenth-Century American literary history than has frequently been Literature and the Long assumed. Civil War Focusing on the later writings of Walt By Cody Marrs Whitman, Frederick Douglass, Herman Cambridge University Press Melville and Emily Dickinson, the book Hardback: $103 details how the war took imaginative shape across, and even beyond, the 19th century, inflecting literary forms and expressions for decades after 1865.
Columns is available to the community by subscription for an annual fee of $20 (secondclass delivery) or $40 (first-class delivery). Faculty and staff members with a disability may call 706-542-8017 for assistance in obtaining this publication in an alternate format. Columns staff can be reached at 706-542-8017 or columns@uga.edu
Editor Juliett Dinkins Art Director Jackie Baxter Roberts
UGA Libraries website gets new look
www.libs.uga.edu
The UGA Libraries started 2017 with a redesigned website. Using the Drupal platform, the redesign was quietly introduced at the end of fall semester, just in time to incorporate the new UGA Libraries logo. One notable feature is a cycle of background images of interior and exterior
spaces of the UGA Libraries in Athens. “Our goals for this redesign were to reduce clutter, put the things that people use most front and center and make the site easier to navigate and more visually appealing,” said Deborah Stanley, web editor.
Photo Editor Dorothy Kozlowski Senior Writer Aaron Hale Communications Coordinator Krista Richmond The University of Georgia is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. The University of Georgia is a unit of the University System of Georgia.
8 Feb. 6, 2017 columns.uga.edu GRIFFIN
BIOTECH
from page 1
packaging, food safety, consumer acceptance and marketing. Kirk Kealey, whose career in food development includes launching products for General Mills, M&M Mars Inc. and PepsiCo Inc., became director of FoodPIC in 2015. The center focuses primarily on Georgia food companies and Georgia commodities such as peaches, peanuts and blueberries, but Kealey would like to see the UGA center become the best facility of its kind in the U.S. Past FoodPIC projects include improved drying technologies for Georgia’s rabbiteye blueberries, frozen desserts using Georgia fruits and a grain-based milk beverage now being produced in California. Kealey said FoodPIC has a current project with an ingredient company that hopes to see its reduced-sodium salt used in convenience foods such as potato chips. FoodPIC scientists in Griffin also are working with a company that plans to incorporate its probiotic into extruded foods, “something like Cheetos,” he said. FoodPIC is designed for short-term partnerships between food entrepreneurs and UGA scientists, not long-term food production and packaging. “We help companies get a pretty good idea about how big their business potential is. We don’t want to become their partner for life. We want to help them get to the next stage in their journey and then send them
on their way,” Kealey said. “They then can go either to their own manufacturing site or to a co-manufacturer who will make their recipe to their specifications.” After meeting with UGA FoodPIC faculty and learning about the rules and regulations of the food industry, some potential clients decide to stay small and just create recipes in their home kitchen to share with friends and family. “FoodPIC is where food entrepreneurs go with their ideas, and we turn them into reality—into physical prototypes that they can eat.” Kealy said. “If they decide they want to continue their journey, we can help them with process development, package development, shelf stable studies, thermal process validation and the nutrition facts panel—we’re a one-stop shop.” The new Food Technology Center in Griffin, and the equipment now housed in it, gives the UGA faculty working there the ability to develop larger batches and more finished products. In the past, the scientists were constrained by the size of the existing small, pilot plant. “Ideally, what we have now is a place where we can help people scale up their products,” Kealey said. “If they’ve gone beyond the kitchen and need help to make more product in larger batches, we can now help them much more efficiently than we could last year.”
Bulletin Board Benefits enrollment system
The University of System of Georgia has announced its plan for a new system-wide benefits enrollment system for all faculty and staff at the 28 USG institutions and the USG office. The USG has selected Aon Hewitt’s benefits administration system and plans to implement the new system in July 2017. At UGA, the new benefits enrollment system will replace the current “MyBenefits@ UGA” system used for benefits enrollment and benefits changes. No action is required at this time. More information about the changeover to the new USG benefits enrollment system will be distributed in the coming months.
University Woman’s Club
The University Woman’s Club will meet Feb. 14 at 11 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Central Presbyterian Church, 380 Alps Road. Guest speaker Michelle Garfield Cook, associate provost for institutional diversity and chief diversity officer at UGA, will discuss “Diversity at the State’s Flagship University.” Tickets for the spring luncheon will be available for purchase at the meeting.
Flu vaccine study subjects
The UGA Clinical & Translational Research Unit is looking for individuals ages 65-90 who have not yet received a flu shot this season to take part in a study evaluating the flu vaccine. Participants will receive a free flu shot as well as $90 for completing the study. Call 706-713-2721 or email ctru@uga.edu for more details.
Winter golf special
The UGA Golf Course is offering UGA students, faculty and staff an opportunity to experience the range of service and amenities for a
discounted price with its Winter Golf Special. Partnering with UGA Dining Services, the Winter Golf Special includes an 18-hole green fee, an 18-hole cart fee and a hot dog, bag of chips and 20 ounce beverage from the Champion’s Cafe for $35 plus tax. This offer is valid Monday– Thursday in February. Open to students, faculty, staff, alumni and the general public, the UGA Golf Course welcomes both experienced and beginner golfers alike with six sets of tees to help golfers of all abilities to enjoy their round on the course. To take advantage of this offer, call the UGA Golf Course ahead of time for tee time availability. For more information, visit golfcourse.uga.edu or call the UGA Golf Course at 706-369-5739.
WIP course proposals
The Franklin College Writing Intensive Program invites proposals from Arts and Sciences faculty in all disciplines for innovative courses that encourage writing. The WIP aims to enhance undergraduate education by emphasizing the importance of writing in the disciplines by offering “writing-intensive” courses from classics to chemistry, from music to microbiology throughout the college. Faculty who teach WIP courses are supported by a teaching assistant specially trained in writing-in-thedisciplines pedagogy. Visit www.wip.uga.edu to find proposal forms and guidelines, as well as information about the program. The deadline for proposal submissions is March 14. Email questions to Lindsey Harding, program director, at lharding@uga.edu. Bulletin Board is limited to information that may pertain to a majority of faculty and staff members.
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federal funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce. NIIMBL is the 11th institute under the Manufacturing USA National Network for Manufacturing Innovation initiative created to advance manufacturing leadership and restore jobs to the U.S. This recent success follows an announcement in 2016 by the U.S. Department of Defense that an MIT-led team involving UGA was selected for funding as the eighth NNMI institute. “We are pleased to have UGA participate in these high-profile public-private partnerships that are aimed at advancing U.S. leadership in key manufacturing sectors,” said UGA Vice President for Research David Lee. “We are eager to assist industry partners in
meeting their goals through the development of new and existing intellectual property, and the training of an appropriate workforce.” Biopharmaceuticals are showing promising results in treating some of the most prevalent and debilitating diseases affecting human health. But manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals is not without large-scale operational and technological challenges, Stice said. “There is a crippling regulatory gap, which is commonly referred to as ‘the valley of death’ in moving biotech products from discovery to commercialization,” Stice said. “What NIIMBL presents is an opportunity to help improve government regulation, minimize failure, create job growth and improve health care quality, all while reducing costs in the U.S.”
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PSO
He helped Bates garner a $1 million Mellon Foundation grant to build the college’s long-term capacity for recruiting diverse faculty as well as a $270,000 grant to support up to 45 student research positions in science, technology, engineering and math over a four-year period. Auer began his academic career in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington. As director of undergraduate programs in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, he oversaw eight majors and six certificate programs and increased the enrollment of students in the school by 25 percent. In 2008 he was named dean of the university’s Hutton Honors College, where he oversaw a student body of approximately 4,200 and helped raise more than $1.6 million in private support. “I am pleased that Dr. Auer is joining the University of Georgia as dean,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “His record of academic leadership is outstanding, and he has the experience and expertise to elevate even further our renowned School of Public and International Affairs.” Auer is the author of more than 50 peerreviewed journal articles and book chapters on environmental policy and foreign aid. His professional and public service includes serving as a consultant for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of Energy. He has advised the Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs and held visiting professorships at the World Maritime University in Switzerland, Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the Stockholm School of Economics. His scholarship has been recognized with several top honors in his field, and his teaching awards include the Indiana University President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and the university’s Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching Award. “I am thrilled to join the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia,” Auer said. “The professional and scholarly contributions of its faculty, staff and students are in high demand, and my goals are to continue fortifying SPIA’s strengths in political science, international affairs, and public administration and policy while sharing the school’s talents with the world.” Auer holds doctoral and master’s degrees from Yale University, as well as a Master of Arts in law and diplomacy degree from Tufts University. He earned his bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from Harvard University.
which has 17 offices around the state, helped create more than 3,300 jobs. Over the past five years, business owners and entrepreneurs who have sought assistance from the SBDC have created more than 1,600 businesses and over 12,000 jobs. Among those in Macon are a brewpub and bar that are helping to reinvigorate the blighted downtown. Just Tap’d, with its 65 beers on tap as well as more than 500 by the bottle, and Ocmulgee Brewpub, which serves beer brewed in-house and a dinner menu, are a block apart in the heart of downtown. The SBDC office in Macon helped owner Jeff Kressin acquire funding for the businesses and develop a business plan. It “has helped redefine the image of downtown,” said Macon Mayor Robert Reichert, whose strategic plan includes revitalizing the business district. “They put out their wrought-iron tables and chairs every morning and by late afternoon, especially on pretty days, people are buzzing around that corner.” In addition to new businesses and jobs, UGA outreach programs are having other positive impacts in communities throughout the state. For example: • The Carl Vinson Institute of Government helped the Richmond County School System identify a need in the community for workforce-prepared high school graduates. The system revised its curriculum to include partnerships between local high schools and businesses that allow students to work at a company as part of their school day to learn skills that will help them get a job when they graduate. • The J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development partners with Girls Inc. of Columbus and Phenix Russell to help teenage girls better understand postsecondary opportunities, financial aid and scholarship availability. Currently, 13 former participants of that program are in college on scholarships. • Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant is helping communities on the Georgia coast qualify for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Community Rating System, which can significantly lower flood insurance rates for property owners in flood prone areas. • The Vinson Institute helped the city of Gainesville develop a plan that will increase pedestrian traffic and boost economic development in the downtown business district. The plan calls for high visibility crosswalks and landscaped medians to make it easier and safer for people to walk downtown. It also includes plans for new mixed-use and commercial development. Learn more about UGA Public Service and Outreach at http://outreach.uga.edu/.
AWARD
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80 percent of the drivers, to trade shifts. The new system incorporates not only day-to-day routes, but also driver training, charters and special events. Barco was named an honorable mention in the outstanding individual category. A retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, Barco is the director of the Student Veterans Resource Center, which provides support to the many veterans attending UGA. Since joining the university in 2013, Barco has increased the amount of support available to veterans across campus.
He created a comprehensive veteran orientation and meet-and-greet each semester, a mentoring and coaching program to connect new and established student veterans, and partnerships with campus advisers to make sure veterans are advancing academically. He co-founded the UGA Veterans Success Council and opened a service desk with the Student Veterans Resource Center. In partnership with the UGA Career Center, he established Corporate Connect to pair student veterans with companies and organizations that want to hire veterans.