Foundation Fellows Annual Report, 2012-2013

F o u n dat i o n F e l lo w s & R a m s e y H o n o r s S c h o l a r s 2012-2013 A n n ua l R e p o r t

THE ENDOWED FELLOWSHIPS

Philip Alston Fellows Megan Nicole Unger ’13 Lawrence William White ’13 Eugene Black Fellows Eilidh Geddes ’15 Addison Von Wright ’13 Carlyle Fraser Fellows Ryan Patrick McLynn ’13 Eytan Aaron Palte ’16 Avery Elizabeth Wiens ’15 Vera Milner Fellow Megan Elizabeth Ernst ’15 Torre Elisabeth Lavelle ’16 William Morris Fellow Savannah Elyse Colbert ’15 Winship Nunnally Fellow Bethany Cotten McCain ’13 Cameron Saeed Zahedi ’14 Martha Nunnally Fellow Reuben Arthur Reynolds ’13 John White Ramsey Fellow Brittany Anne Young ’13 Charlotte & Claude Williams Fellow Sara De La Torre Berón ’13 Penelope W. and E. Roe Stamps IV Foundation Fellows Joshua Andrew Chang ’15 Lee Handly Folk ’16 Kirstie Dolores Hostetter ’16 Shaun Henry Kleber ’16 Michael Tyler Land ’15 Christopher Thomas Lewitzke ’16 Katherine Ann Lovejoy ’16 Sandip Minhas ’16 Gautam Rajhar Narula ’15 Meredith Marie Flood Paker ’16 Rand Warren Pope ’16 Hannah Mary Reiss ’16 Treva Chung-Kwan Tam ’16 Megan Frances White ’15

Bernard Ramsey Endowed Fellows Yuliya Bila ’14 Sara Thomas Black ’14 Jesse Yuen-Fu Chan ’14 Caroline Grace Coleman ’16 Alexandra Rae Edquist ’16 Parker Timothy Evans ’15 Smitha Ganeshan ’14 Joseph Elliott Gerber ’14 Sophia Helene Giberga ’15 Philip Joseph Grayeski ’14 Camille Parker Gregory ’13 Osama Shariq Hashmi ’14 Anisha Ramchandra Hegde ’14 Caleb Alexander Ingram ’16 Paul Alexander Kirschenbauer ’14 Ronald Jackson Kurtz ’15 Michael Tyler Land ’15 Marianne Morris Ligon ’14 Kelsey Jane Lowrey ’16 David Richman Millard ’14 Kameel Mir ’15 Sarah Aneese Mirza ’15 Caroline Elizabeth Moore ’16 Clara Marina Nibbelink ’14 Davis Reynolds Parker ’15 Todd Warren Pierson ’13 Derek Anthony Ponticelli ’13 Giovanni Righi ’16 Leighton Michele Rowell ’16 Matthew Wyatt Saltz ’13 Rachel Claire Sellers ’14 Blake Elizabeth Shessel ’14 Grace Maastricht Siemietkowski ’15 Madison Grace Snelling ’16 Minhyuk Michael Song ’16 Karishma Sriram ’16 Jeremiah Hudson Stevens ’14 John Bradley Stroud ’16 Kevin Hongyi Sun ’16 Bert Ferguson Thompson ’16 John Henry Tab Thompson ’15 La’Ron-Chenee H. Tracey ’16 Waring Trible III ’13 Matthew Telford Tyler ’14 Jacqueline Elizabeth Van De Velde ’14 Kishore Pavan Vedala ’14

FOUNDATION FELLOWS TRUSTEE COMMITTEE MEMBERS Mary Lou Swift, Chair Columbus, GA Kathryn L. Ash Charlotte, NC Victor E. Corrigan, Advisory Atlanta, GA Joseph C. Frierson, Jr. Athens, GA Michael H. Godwin Valdosta, GA Sarah Corn Irby Atlanta, GA James L. LaBoon, Jr. Athens, GA Jere W. Morehead Athens, GA Neal J. Quirk Atlanta, GA William N. Searcy Savannah, GA Stanley W. Shelton Wayland, MA Stephen W. Smith Atlanta, GA Steven W. Smith Atlanta, GA Brenda A. Thompson, Advisory Greenwich, CT

PROGRAM STAFF David S. Williams Director Jessica B. Hunt Scholarships Coordinator Emily L. Myers Program Administrator Elizabeth M. Sassler Graduate Assistant

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Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Mission Statement . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Foundation Fellowship . . . . . . . . 6

H o n o r s

National Recognition . . . . . . . . . . 10 Faculty Mentors . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Academic Enrichment

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Travel-Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Internships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Undergraduate Research . . . . . . . . . 52 Conferences, Presentations, Publications . . . 56

Lisa Ann Coole Award . . . . . . . . . 66 Fellows Classes . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Foundation Fellows Alumni . . . . . . . 80 Ramsey Honors Scholarship . . . . . . 87 Undergraduate Research . . . . . . . 92

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Civic Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Travel-Study . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Civic Engagement . . . . . . . . . 98 Internships . . . . . . . . . .

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Spring Service Trip . . . . . . . 102 Ramsey Classes . . . . . . .

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Ramsey Alumni . . . . . .

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The greatest strength of The University of Georgia is the faculty and students who inhabit the academic core, and the best of those are part of the Foundation Fellows program. This remarkable program, part of the legacy of Bernie Ramsey, provides a way for this university to compete for the very best young people in America by offering them the best of all academic worlds: an Ivy League-quality education in the setting of one of the country’s best public universities. One of the great joys of my time at UGA has been the interaction with Foundation Fellows, and I am honored to have been a part of the success of this program.

Michael F. Adams, President The University of Georgia

Foundation Fellows and Ramsey Scholars are truly stellar individuals. Collectively, their exciting array of talents—and their sustained commitment to service and concern for others—makes a very positive impact on our campus and beyond. It is an honor and privilege to know these exceptional students and to work with them on a daily basis.

David S. Williams, Associate Provost and Director Honors and Foundation Fellows Programs

The Foundation Fellows and Ramsey Honors Scholars continue to be top students on the UGA campus who grow beyond it to become leaders in local, national, and global communities. These students earn some of the most prestigious scholarships in the country, are admitted to top graduate programs, and find jobs with leading companies. The trustees of The University of Georgia Foundation are proud of these outstanding students and are convinced that the Foundation Fellowship is the best program of its kind in the country.

Mary Lou Swift, Chairperson Foundation Fellows Committee The University of Georgia Foundation

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The Foundation Fellows Program seeks to foster a community of scholars and leaders by providing intellectual, cultural, and service opportunities in an environment conducive to learning and personal growth through shared knowledge and experience.

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T H E F O U N DAT I O N F E L LO W S H I P UGA’s Premier Undergraduate Scholarship Program

In addition to the obvious scholastic benefits, the Foundation Fellows Program emphasizes fellowship, sharing of resources and ideas, and lifelong friendships.

Peer mentoring, dinner seminars, cultural events, annual retreats, the Fellows Library in Moore College, and group travel promote a sense of community among the Fellows.

ounded in 1972 by The University of Georgia Foundation’s trustees, the Foundation Fellowship is the University’s foremost undergraduate scholarship, placing students in a community of similarly dedicated scholars, offering a stipend that approximates the cost of attendance, a post-first-year Maymester study abroad program at Oxford University, individual travel-study grants, spring group travelstudy, research and academic conference grants, dinner seminars with some of the University’s best minds, and a mentoring plan that matches Fellows with professors who share their interests.

Beyond the obvious scholastic benefits, the Fellows program emphasizes fellowship, sharing of resources and ideas, and lifelong friendships. Peer mentoring (Big and Little Fellows), dinner seminars and book discussions, cultural events, group travel, the Fellows Library in Moore College, and twice-a-year off-campus retreats promote a sense of community among the Fellows. They quickly find themselves at home on campus within a close-knit group of scholars, and through extensive travel, they extend that experience to include global communities.

In the 2012-2013 academic year, 26 first-year students and three third-year Mid-Term Fellows joined the program, bringing the total number in the program to 75.

New Foundation Fellows for 2012-2013 had an average SAT score of 1528 (math and verbal only). Their high school grade point average was 4.16 on a 4.0 scale, which indicates extra points for Advanced Placement courses.

“

It’s really impossible to express the extent of my gratitude for everything the Fellowship has afforded. From researching in Costa Rica to spring break in Korea, it’s been like I’m living someone else’s life. When I applied for the Mid-Term Foundation Fellowship, I couldn’t have imagined where I’d be just a few years later. It’s staggering and remarkable, and I am so, so, appreciative.”

—Buck Trible ’13, Doctoral Fellow, Rockefeller University, Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology

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On Campus – Honors, Research, Civic Engagement, Career Development Complementing the Foundation Fellows Program is UGA’s Honors Program, one of the oldest and most respected programs in the country.

The program provides some 2,500 students with the resources to make the most of their higher education experience – including 300 Honors classes a year with an average class size of 17 students, expert advice from Honors and faculty advisors, independent research opportunities, mentoring, internships, lunchbox lectures and book discussions with faculty, and the Myers Hall residential community. Honors students may participate in graduate courses and pursue a curriculum leading to combined bachelor’s/master’s degrees in only four years.

Through the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO), students work with faculty on projects that allow them to reach beyond classroom learning and give them important research-related experience to demonstrate their passion to admissions staff at graduate or professional schools. Undergraduate research opportunities abound across the curriculum, from laboratory and social sciences to humanities and fine arts.

The Honors Program affords numerous opportunities for local, national, and global civic engagement and career development – including internship placements in Washington, New York, and Savannah; the Roosevelt Institution, a student-run think tank that helps address poverty issues in Athens; the Corsair Society, which mentors undergraduates pursuing banking and finance and management consulting careers; MATHCOUNTS Outreach at UGA; PromoteAfrica; Association of Women in Science; Mock Trial; and the Student Selection Committee of the Delta Prize for Global Understanding.

Among the on-campus benefits provided to Fellows is access to Honors staff members, including the Major Scholarships Coordinator, who provides important counsel for a variety of pursuits – including drafting personal statements, resumes, and cover letters for job, scholarship, and postgraduate study applications.

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The Benefits of Being a Fellow  Annual stipend ($10,780 plus the HOPE/ Zell Scholarship for in-state students; $17,680 plus an out-of-state tuition waiver for out-of-state students)  Three fully funded spring travel-study programs (first through third years)  One fully funded summer study abroad program to Oxford, England immediately following the first year  Individual travel-study grants up to a cumulative total of $7,500 (closely related to students’ academic and professional goals, can be combined with semester stipends for study overseas for a full semester or academic year)  Research and academic conference grants up to a cumulative total of $1,750  Special seminars and book discussions with UGA and visiting professors  Faculty and peer mentoring  Twice-a-year, all-Fellows retreats  Participation in a community of young scholars who stimulate each other’s intellectual and personal development through the exchange of ideas and experiences

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Every time I sit down to read a nineteenth-century periodical or write a thesis chapter in the Upper Reading Room of the storied Bodleian Library, I am so incredibly grateful for the support I received from the Foundation Fellowship. I credit the Fellowship with affording me the intellectual and cultural opportunities that made my dream of coming to Oxford a reality.

“Spring break trips to India and South Korea, book discussions with eminent speakers, wise counsel from David Williams and Jessica Hunt—these only scratch the surface of what the Fellowship offered me: a chance to read widely and think deeply with guidance from great faculty; a chance to share incredible international experiences with great friends; a chance to grow into the person I wanted to become.

“The great part of being a young alum is joining a global network of Fellows, all following their passions beyond UGA. It seems every other week I’m meeting a Fellow in London, and I am endlessly impressed with my peers’ work in development, academia, law, and business. Even now, though I’m far from Athens, Oxford’s dreaming spires never feel that distant from the friendships and memories I made in the Classic City.”

— Matt Sellers, FF Alumnus ’12 Marshall Scholar, Oxford University, DPhil Candidate, English Language and Literature

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NATI O NA L R E CO GNITI O N

The University

Elizabeth Allan – 2013 Rhodes Scholar

of Georgia is a

In 2011, future Rhodes Scholar Elizabeth

national leader among

Allan, FF ’12, joined three of her

public universities in

classmates representing the University at

the numbers of major

the tri-annual UGA vs. Oxford Debate, a competition pitting the best on-

scholarships earned

campus orators against a team of

by our students. Since

England’s best young speakers.

1995, UGA has produced

“Oxford had beaten Georgia in the past two debates, so we

eight Rhodes Scholars, five

really wanted to make sure it

Gates Cambridge Scholars,

didn’t turn into a streak,” remembers Elizabeth, who graduated

five Marshall Scholars,

in December with bachelor’s degrees in English, Arabic, and

three Mitchell Scholars,

international affairs and a master’s in international policy. “I was

44 Goldwater Scholars, 11

selected for the team, and it was a little intimidating being up there in the Chapel with CNN correspondents and the Queen’s

Truman Scholars, and 12 Udall

representative watching.” UGA won the debate that evening.

Scholars. 47 UGA students were

Elizabeth now has the opportunity – if she so chooses – to join the other side when she travels this fall to begin her two

offered Fulbright Scholarships

years at Oxford. The University’s fourth Rhodes Scholar in

in the past four years, and the

the past six years, Elizabeth will pursue a master’s in modern

Chronicle of Higher Education

Middle Eastern studies and may even try her hand at Oxford-

lists The University of Georgia

style debate across the pond.

There can be no argument, however, about the impact

as one of the top producers of

the Atlanta native has had on the University community.

U.S. Fulbright students by type

Elizabeth is a member of UGA’s chapter of the Roosevelt

of institution.

Institute, a national student-run think tank, where she wrote papers about energy policy and education and also taught policy

In 2012-2013, University of Georgia students received Rhodes, Goldwater, Truman, Udall, and Boren Scholarships, and many current Fellows and Ramseys were among the list of winners.

analysis to other undergraduates. She participated in the Center for Undergraduate Research (CURO) Symposium and presented results of her research on employment dynamics at two national conferences. She also interned at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, through which she traveled to China during an annual training program the institute conducts in Beijing.

In addition to her participation in the Roosevelt Campus Network (at both the university and national levels), Elizabeth pledged her time and talents locally to the Thomas Lay After School Tutoring Program, which not only engaged hundreds of young students to improve their study habits but also drew both the UGA Honors Program and the Athens-Clarke County community closer together.

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“When I had my Rhodes interview, which lasted

or her dreams free from legal restrictions, economic

25 minutes, I spent a third of the conversation talking

constraints, or limitations imposed by social norms,” she

about the Thomas Lay program – that’s how excited I

says.

have been with it,” says Elizabeth, who rose to co-

Elizabeth, who has studied abroad in Oxford,

director of the tutoring and mentoring program. “It’s

Morocco, Australia, Peru, Germany, India, China, and

probably one of the most satisfying things I did at UGA,

South Korea during her undergraduate years, spent

to go into an organization that was operating well but

spring of 2013 interning at the Carter Center in Atlanta,

had places for improvement. When you come upon a

keeping a close eye on Lebanon, Libya, Egypt, and

problem, it’s satisfying to figure out how to solve it and

Jordan as part of the Center’s Democracy Program, and

have a tangible impact on young people’s lives there.”

she was on the ground in Egypt this summer as events

Saying her “dream job” would be setting U.S. foreign policy – in both the long and short term – in the

unfolded there.

“Elizabeth is deeply committed to whatever

Middle East, Elizabeth adds her vision for the tutoring

she does,” says David S. Williams, the UGA faculty

program and her forays abroad were quite similar.

representative for the Rhodes Scholarship. “She not only

“I am motivated to work in the realm of policy

has an uncommon intellect, but also has a great heart

by the vision of a world in which every person has the

and boundless energy. She is destined to make a very

resources and capabilities to imagine and pursue his

positive impact on the world.”

Phil Grayeski – 2013 Goldwater Scholar

CURO Symposium and at a meeting of the European

Phil Grayeski, FF ’14, a genetics and chemistry major,

Society of Gene and Cell

was named a 2013 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar. The

Therapy in Versailles,

scholarship recognizes exceptional sophomores and

France. In summer 2013,

juniors in engineering, mathematics, and the natural

he worked with Dr.

sciences. He intends to pursue a combined MD/PhD

Michael Goldberg in the

degree with a focus on gene therapy and translating

Cancer Immunology

academic research into treatments for cancer and

and AIDS department at

hereditary disorders. Tuan Nguyen, Ramsey Scholar

the Dana-Farber Cancer

’15, a CURO Honors Scholar majoring in biochemistry

Institute in Boston.

and molecular biology as well as mathematics, earned

He is the co-founder and executive director of

a Goldwater Honorable Mention. UGA students have

Whatever It Takes at UGA, where he coordinates

received the Goldwater Scholarship almost every year

a network of more than 300 student volunteers for

since the mid-1990s. The 2013 recipient brings the

educational and health and wellness programs targeting

University’s total of Goldwater Scholars to 44.

families in Athens Clarke-County. He directs two after-

Phil works in the genetics laboratory of assistant

school programs in Athens and manages 40 volunteers

professor Jonathan Eggenschwiler. He also has conducted

at each location to provide a one-to-one ratio of tutors

research with UGA genetics professor Janet Westpheling

to students. He served as vice president of programming

as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s BioEnergy

for the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and coaches three

Science Center. He spent three months at Ludwig

boys basketball teams for the Oconee County Parks and

Maximilian University of Munich, Germany researching

Recreation Department. In 2012, Phil travelled to Peru

genetic approaches for targeting melanoma treatments.

to assemble mobile clinics in medically underserved

He has presented his research findings at the UGA

communities.

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Smitha Ganeshan – 2013 Truman Scholar Smitha Ganeshan, FF ’14, an anthropology major with pre-med intentions, received a 2013 Harry S. Truman Scholarship, which recognizes juniors with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in government and elsewhere in public service. She is the 18th UGA recipient of the scholarship since 1982, the first year UGA students won the award.

Smitha, who aims to pursue dual MD and Master of Public Policy degrees, is active in healthcare and health policy issues in Athens and across the globe.

She has been involved with UGA’s Roosevelt Institute, a student-run think tank, since her freshman year and currently directs its health policy center and its environmental policy center. Through the Roosevelt Institute, she developed a policy proposal to improve access to primary care services for low-income and uninsured patients.

Sara Black – 2013 Udall Scholar Two University of Georgia Honors students were among 50 students nationwide who were awarded 2013 Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation Scholarships.

The scholarships are awarded annually to outstanding sophomores and juniors pursuing careers focused on environmental or Native American public policy. The recipients bring the university’s total of Udall Scholars to 12 in the past 10 years.

This year’s recipients are Sara Black, FF ’14, who is pursuing degrees in anthropology and ecology, and Ian Karra, a junior Honors student who is pursuing degrees in economics and finance. Matt Tyler, FF ’14, who is pursuing a dual bachelor’s/master’s degree in political science from the School of Public and International Affairs, received an honorable mention.

Sara plans to pursue a career in the environmental or food justice non-profit sector. She has held national

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Smitha volunteers at the non-profit Athens Nurses Clinic, which provides basic primary care and dental services for uninsured patients, and has interned at the Athens Health Network, an organization that works to reduce healthcare disparities by coordinating health services for the indigent population. She is a member of the Lunchbox Garden Project, an after-school nutrition education and obesity prevention program that now serves two schools in Athens through a grant from UGA’s Office of Sustainability.

As an intern at the Greater New York Hospital Association, Smitha worked under Executive Vice President and General Counsel Susan C. Waltman, a trustee of the UGA Foundation and an alumna, to translate evidencebased obesity prevention models into programs for hospital implementation. She has studied at Oxford University and interned at the World Health Organization’s M.V. Hospital for Diabetes in Chennai, India, where she worked as a member of the epidemiology team. The following winter, she worked at a mobile health clinic in Lima, Peru and later that year assisted a physician at a community health clinic in Nicaragua.

leadership positions in prominent grassroots organizations, including the Real Food Challenge, the Greenhorns, the Sierra Club and the Sierra Student Coalition, where she currently works to coordinate trainings on grassroots organizing skills for young people. She is also a co-founder of Real Food UGA, a campus organization working with Food Services on sustainability initiatives. She has participated in the UGA Washington Semester program and studied abroad at Oxford University. Ian and Sara colead Georgia YES (Youth for Environmental Solutions), a network of more than 75 student environmental leaders on more than a dozen campuses in Georgia. The organization works to promote clean energy infrastructure and policy on college campuses throughout the state.

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Matthew Saltz – 2013 Erasmus Mundus EU Graduate Scholar An accomplished computer programmer and musician, Matthew Saltz, FF ’13, is certain the work he’ll do under the auspices of the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship will be a boost to his future plans.

“I’m considering several options,” says Matthew, who graduated with combined bachelor’s/master’s degrees in computer science. “The first and most straightforward option would be to become a data scientist either at a big company – a retail or technology firm, for example – or at a consulting firm of some kind. The second option, and the one that appeals to me the most in the long run, would be to start something of my own. I think I would enjoy creating something related to language education or online education in general.”

Established by the European Commission, the Erasmus Mundus Programme offers financial assistance to promote cooperation among higher education institutions,

Ryan McLynn – 2013 Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Fellow The month of May turned out to be an extraordinary time for Ryan McLynn, FF ’13. Besides graduating with honors from the University of Georgia with degrees in biology and psychology, Ryan learned that he’d been accepted into the Yale School of Medicine.

After applying to some 15 different medical schools, he was delighted when his top choice informed him of his acceptance. He also received word he’d won one of 51 graduate fellowships awarded nationally by the Phi Kappa Phi national honor society.

“It was very exciting to be chosen by Phi Kappa Phi to represent UGA because only one student from each member school is eligible,” says Ryan, who grew up in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta.

Ryan conducted extensive research on malaria in the lab of Dr. David Peterson in UGA’s Department of Infectious Diseases and spent summer 2012 working in a gastrointestinal cancer lab in Boston. He says he’s leaning toward a career in academic medicine.

to contribute to the mutual enrichment of societies by developing student skills, and to improve accessibility and enhance the profile of higher education in Europe.

The Louisiana native, who will pursue master’s studies in data mining and knowledge management, adds that thanks to the scholarship, he will bolster his knowledge in analyzing and extracting patterns from massive amounts of data, as well as learn more about statistics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Matthew also looks forward to the cultural aspects of his studies, which will find him at the University of Lyon 2 in France for his first year, followed by a semester in Barcelona, Spain and a final semester of research in an academic or industrial locale.

Matthew, who traveled to Iceland, South Korea, Costa Rica, Spain, the United Kingdom, and France on Fellowsfunded trips, conducted research with Dr. John A. Miller and Dr. Prashant Doshi in Athens, and held internships at Home Depot in Atlanta and Envoc in his native Baton Rouge.

While at Georgia, he served on the Dean’s Student Advisory Board, received the J.G. Hollingsworth Award (given to the best student in multivariable calculus and linear algebra with theory), was a coach in the MATHCOUNTS program, and played guitar and piano in the band Up in the Air.

Ryan served as student assistant to Provost (and now President) Jere Morehead and as an Honors teaching assistant, and volunteering with ugaMiracle, Whatever It Takes At UGA, and MATHCOUNTS Outreach. He also managed to find time to serve as a tutor in the sciences for UGA student-athletes.

As he takes the next step, Ryan – who in 2011 received the Pamela Ann Henkel Award as the most outstanding organic chemistry student at UGA – is well on his way to a career emphasizing problem solving, teamwork, and service to others, and he says he owes much of what he’s accomplished thus far to the Foundation Fellowship.

“When I had medical school interviews and people asked me about what I’d been doing, I was able to have such great conversations with interviewers about spending a night in the northern Sahara on the Morocco trip and seeing the sun rise over the Taj Mahal, and visiting Machu Piccu, and a health clinic in Peru,” says Ryan. “Among medical school applicants, it’s common to have one or two stories like that, but as a Foundation Fellow, I had dozens.

That was fantastic.

“And I appreciate that the support doesn’t end when you graduate. Being a Foundation Fellow isn’t something that lasts four years. You’re in for life, and we’re in this together as long as we are able to help each other out.”

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Yuliya Bila – 2013 U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholar (Russia) Although Yuliya Bila, FF ’14, plans to utilize her Critical Language Scholarship opportunity to one day land a position with the U.S. Department of State, she also hopes her summer of intensive Russian language classes will help answer questions she’s had since childhood.

Born in the Eastern European country of Ukraine and raised in the Czech Republic, Yuliya grew up hearing stories of the mistreatment of her forebears by Russia and was also inundated by Russian music, television, and film.

Her questions centered on discovering as much as possible about the Russian citizenry and “their side of the story.”

Yuliya, who went to high school in metro Atlanta, plans to graduate with degrees in international affairs, Spanish, and Russian. As part of the Critical Language Scholarship program, she spent her summer in Kazan, in the Russian Republic of Tartarstan, to fully immerse herself

Megan White – 2013 U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholar (Russia) Megan White, FF ’15, has created an excellent foundation for a life in foreign service or within this country’s intelligence community, serving as a security leadership fellow for the Center for International Trade and Security and working as editorin-chief and senior editor of foreign affairs for the Georgia Political Review, a student-operated publication covering both domestic and international politics.

And she bolstered her bona fides this summer by traveling on a Critical Language Scholarship to Kazan, Russia, where she immersed herself in the country’s language and culture.

“CLS provided me with a degree of expertise in an area of the world that is still vital to the government’s diplomatic interests,” says Megan, who is majoring in international affairs and linguistics and minoring in French and Russian. “Studying a language is one of the best ways to understand the people who speak it, and understanding people will be valuable in a career involving diplomacy.”

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in the native language and culture.

“As someone who has learned two languages by plunging headfirst into the target environment rather than by focusing purely on classroom study, I am a firm believer in the power of immersion,” says Yuliya, who speaks English, Czech, Spanish, and Russian. “Considering my convictions about language acquisition, the Critical Language Scholarship embodies the best way for me to make a breakthrough and reach the proficiency of a native, college-educated Russian.”

With career plans that include serving as a Foreign Service Officer specializing in Russian, Central, and Eastern European affairs, Yuliya has built the foundation for her future by following her interests on and off campus.

She is the UGA committee president of AIESEC, the world’s largest youth-run organization, was a cyber warfare project researcher for the Roosevelt Institute, presented her findings locally at the CURO symposium and at the Defense, Diplomacy & Development Conference in Washington, DC, and served as an intern in the Center for International Trade and Security in Washington and the International Rescue Committee in Atlanta.

After discovering the impossibility of teaching herself Russian, Megan began an intensive study of the language and culture upon enrolling at Georgia.

She stepped up the tempo of her examination in summer 2012, working with Camp Counselors Russia, a program in the country’s Mari El Republic. While there, she supervised 20 children in camp activities, served as an American cultural ambassador, and drastically improved her Russian language skills.

While in Kazan in 2013, Megan took classes at the Institute of Social Services and Humanities and lived with a host family. “My goal was that by the end of the summer, I would be near-fluent in Russian and would have made new friends on the other side of the world,” she says. “I still keep in touch with some of the people I met through CCR, and continuing to communicate with them has been one of the more rewarding aspects of that study abroad program.”

A member of the Demosthenian Literary Society and a researcher for the Linguistic Atlas Project, Megan has done a good bit of international travel as a Foundation Fellow, and she looks to these experiences for continued enlightenment and personal growth.

“Living abroad really changes the way I live at home,” she says. “I’m a lot more independent and a lot more willing to jump into new things without feeling self conscious.”

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Ray Paleg – 2013 Freeman Asia Scholar (Thailand) Thanks to the company she kept during a six-week sojourn to Thailand, Ray Paleg, Ramsey Scholar ’16, has some compelling summer tales to tell when she returns to UGA. The recipient of a Freeman Asia Scholarship – which provides funding for American undergraduate students to study in East or Southeast Asia – Ray split her time in Chiang Mai, Thailand between working with elephants and teaching English to novice Buddhist monks.

A Maryland native who expects to graduate with degrees in geography and international affairs, Ray had a profound experience as a volunteer at the Maetaman Elephant Camp, a safe haven to some 70 elephants.

“I intend to pursue a career that incorporates animal conservation,” Ray says, “and this experience introduced me to conservation practices in Thailand. Elephants are an endangered species there, and the sanctuaries are the few places left they can live safely.”

Matt Tyler – 2013 Freeman Asia Scholar (China) Matt Tyler, FF ’14, studied abroad on a Maymester 2013 program through SPIA in Beijing, Xi’an, and Shangai and then – with the support of the Freeman Asia Scholarship – spent the month of June doing research on group learning in primary mathematics at the University of Hong Kong.

As an aspiring teacher – who one day plans to transition into what he terms “education politics, policy, and administration” – Matt hopes to bring his interest in the environment’s wellbeing into any venue where he sets foot.

“I want to incorporate experiential environmental education into an array of subjects as a means of bringing democratic learning back into education,” says Matt, who received an honorable mention for the Udall Scholarship in 2013. “Experiential environmental education is not only necessary to education reform, but also to the continuance of the environmental movement.” He sees social studies education as a means to promote civic duty and critical

For three weeks, Ray’s days consisted of bathing and feeding elephants, collecting food, shadowing mahouts (elephant riders), and interacting with the local citizenry.

When she completed her stint at the elephant camp, Ray then transitioned into her English teaching role, spending six hours a day with monks at five different temple schools. “I was also excited to be teaching English and being immersed in a lifestyle I knew very little about,” she says. “My days consisted of developing lesson plans, teaching, playing games, participating in group meditation, and learning to cook Thai cuisine.”

Ray says the summer has been “an incredible asset” to her educational and professional goals. “I am majoring in geography and international affairs, fields in which learning about other cultures is a large component,” she says. “My volunteer work has helped me to take a step towards my goal of working on environmental policy and environmental curriculum development in the future.”

Before returning to Athens, Ray will have a fall internship in Hawaii working in childcare development at a military base under the auspices of a University of Northern Iowa program called Camp Adventure.

thinking in the context of history, unbound by politics or the four walls of a traditional school.

Last year under the guidance of Dr. Ron Butchart, Matt conducted CURO research, examining studentteacher interaction throughout Western Europe and Ghana.

He also spent a semester studying at Oxford University.

Matt is currently working with Dr. Jennifer James from the College of Education on a research project that seeks to identify 21st century civic skills in the elementary school classroom by looking at innovative pedagogical techniques.

Over the past two years, he has worked with Dr. Bob Grafstein and Dr. Mike Crespin from SPIA and Dr. John Dayton from the College of Education on various research projects.

Matt has also served as president of UGA’s Students for Environmental Action and served on the executive board of the Lunchbox Garden, an innovative program for students at two local middle schools.

“Every week, a group of volunteers and I lead lessons on topics related to food literacy and environmental education based around experiential learning,” he says.

“For example, instead of teaching students about plant identification, we play a game with them in which they try to describe a ‘mystery item’ to their classmates. Instead of reading a textbook about percolation, students take different types of soil and see how they absorb water.”

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FA C U LT Y M E N T O R S Foundation Fellows benefit from the guidance of top faculty members who share their academic and broader interests. Faculty mentors are a source of inspiration and support for Fellows throughout their undergraduate years.

Mentoring from premier faculty members is a hallmark of the Foundation Fellowship. From the

moment they arrive on campus, Fellows build meaningful relationships with professors across disciplines, contributing

Rachel Sellers ’14 “I met Dr. Sally Walker my sophomore year when she was teaching my historical geology class. Since then, she has helped me establish a place in a fantastic lab in the department, working with the incredible Dr. Bruce Railsback. In addition to academic advisement, she has provided general support and advice about how to pursue a career in academia in what is a very competitive field. I know that her door is always open, even if I just need some encouragement to help me through a rough week.”

John B. Stroud ’16 “Having heard quite a bit of the infamous Math 3500 course over the summer, I thought I was ready to come to college and be challenged mathematically. To be completely honest, I was blown away by the first semester of this course and Dr. Ted Shifrin. Professor Shifrin may be the smartest person I’ve ever met.

I’ve never had to work or think as hard as I have in that class, and he has stretched me mathematically in ways I didn’t know were possible. He learned everyone’s name in the class by the third day and is genuinely interested in our plans and goals for the future.

In his office hours, he talks to us as equals and helps lead us to the answers to problems without giving anything away. Learning from Dr. Shifrin is truly a unique experience, and he will be my first contact for mathematics research and other future plans.”

to their development as

Jesse Chan ’14 “Dr. Stacie Laplante’s approachable nature and broad personal and academic experiences mean that she is someone who views the world as more than just the next exam scholars, researchers, (notoriously difficult in her course!), and an individual’s worth as more than just academic performance. Discussions with her move and global citizens. beyond taxation and into making the most of life, from traveling while young to always learning and enjoying a career. She knows how to make any topic interesting.”

“My classroom experience with Dr. John Campbell for Intermediate Accounting II was phenomenal. We discussed his experiences working across a multitude of accounting and investment banking firms and the perspective that comes at the intersection of accounting and finance. His advice on applying the skills I’ve learned in the accounting program at UGA to various career paths has inspired me to think deeply about my career and research plans. Seeing Dr. Campbell at accounting academia’s premier conference, the American Accounting Association, and discussing both his research and my own added another element to the valuable advice and insight he has provided for my career.”

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Clara Nibbelink ’14 “Dr. Pete Brosius in the Anthropology Department is a true teacher, using his wisdom, experience, and scholarship to facilitate learning. He articulates the importance of questioning norms and challenging assumptions in a way that makes me realize how vital this process is to social justice and equality. After taking one of his classes, I followed him to Costa Rica to take Anthropology of Surfing and found that alongside his intelligence, he is a soulful, easy-going person whose greatest gift is the ability to fully pursue his passions while at the same time exercising radical empathy for people from all walks of life.”

Matt Tyler ’14 “Dr. Ron Butchart has been a tremendous help throughout my college career, offering guidance for various projects and taking a personal interest in my development as a student and an adult.

Through my craziest adventures, Dr. Butchart has provided intense academic support as I trudged through the trenches of educational sociology as well as logistical planning, Skyping with me on weekends at ungodly hours from across the pond, and helping me to make sense of the real-life situations I was experiencing. Dr. Butchart walked me through an honest evaluation of my life and made me really think about who I want to be as an adult.”

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Megan White ’15 “I first met Dr. Loch Johnson at Fellows Interview Weekend. During the dinner banquet, I sat between him and his wife and had an animated conversation about high school, cooking, and journalism in foreign countries. Six months later, I registered for his Freshman Odyssey seminar, The CIA in War and Peace. Throughout my first semester at UGA, he provided me with advice on planning my future and listened with enthusiasm to me talk about my freshman experience. The next year, while I was a student in his Strategic Intelligence class, Dr. Johnson introduced me to several professionals in the intelligence field and mentored me as I wrote my first in-depth research paper. Having the opportunity to study under Dr. Johnson has been one of the highlights of my college career, and his guidance and advice will remain valuable for years to come.”

Sara De La Torre Berón ’13 “Under Dr. Ted Gragson’s guidance, I devised a research project and determined a senior thesis topic in which I combined my interests in ecology, anthropology, and French. As the only undergrad in a team of field researchers in the western French Pyrenees, I learned field techniques, became more confident in my French skills, and developed a research topic enough to undertake a month of Honors Schol

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independent research in Toulouse. Through Dr. Gragson’s encouraging and motivating mentoring, and thanks to the professors I met through our peer collaboration in France, I will be returning to the Pyrenees to pursue a one-year master’s program after graduation.”

“Professor of French, Dr. Catherine Jones, is renowned for her excellent mentoring. Despite having a busy schedule, she always has time to meet with me, whether it is regarding a class, my senior thesis, or other random inquiries I might have. She is encouraging and down to earth and provides multiple avenues and forms of advice depending on the situation. As someone with interdisciplinary interests, I know I can go to her regardless of the topic of conversation, and I will receive sound and meaningful guidance.”

Derek Ponticelli ’13 “Dr. David Mustard has always been a friend and mentor to me in addition to a professor. Beyond providing economic resources in the form of countless borrowed books or papers or articles, Dr. Mustard helped me weigh the opportunities of graduate school against my professional ambitions without ever showing signs of bias. When I called him to tell him I was accepting a position at McKinsey & Company, he was thrilled for me and never hinted at any disappointment that I planned on forgoing further academic studies. His honesty and objective view are by far the greatest resources he offers students.”

Bethany McCain ’13 “Dr. Chris Cornwell has been a valuable mentor and friend to me, even after having scared me quite a bit on my panel at Interview Weekend!

He is always available for advice and encouragement, and the importance of his role in my college experience cannot be overstated.”

Phil Grayeski ’14 “Within the genetics and developmental biology group, Dr. Jonathan Eggenschwiler has brought an added energy and a commitment to undergraduate education, working regularly on the bench alongside his students. Whether it’s a simple question or a deep discussion about my future plans or difficulties with my research, Dr. Eggenschwiler has never turned me away from his office when he was busy. He has always made my education a top priority, along with that of other students he comes in contact with, even from other laboratories.”

Eilidh Geddes ’15 “Working with Dr. Sylvia Hutchinson has been one of my most rewarding experiences at UGA. Whenever I talk to her about my research for the Roosevelt Institute, she gives me a new perspective and aspects to think about that I hadn’t considered before.

She is always ready to grab lunch and catch up.”

Savannah Colbert ’15 “Dr. Bryan Reber is my faculty mentor for public relations research on the messages in the 2012 presidential debates and those in usergenerated comments on news articles about the debates.

He’s been extremely helpful and forgiving of my non-existent research skills. He encouraged me to start my own research rather than piggy back off his and has pushed me to think about presenting my research at journalism conferences. He has walked me through each step of the process.”

I first met Dr. Marcus Fechheimer when he sat on my interview panel for the Fellowship, and I have had the privilege of working in his lab since my sophomore year. I have never met a teacher at any level who cares more about students and has such vision for a university and the wellbeing of its members. Dr. Fechheimer is a brilliant cellular biologist and an influential professor. Whether you’re talking to him about Alzheimer’s disease, discussing your future plans over coffee, pretending to understand one of his jokes, or listening to his tales of being a college tennis player, Dr. Fechheimer is a fascinating man to be around. I look forward to spending the remainder of my time at Georgia under his tutelage. He is a professor I will be in touch with long after I’ve graduated.”

— Parker Evans ’15

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ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT

What I love most about discussions with Fellows is the way

Dinner-seminars and book discussions are staples of the Fellows experience. Faculty from departments across campus, industry leaders, visiting scholars, and Fellows alumni lead activities for academic enrichment and networking throughout the year. In addition, the Fellowship provides funds for attending cultural and social events. 2012-2013 saw Fellows enjoying everything from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to the High Museum of Art’s Frida & Diego exhibit to Athens Ciné’s Miyazaki film series to Béla Fleck to Carmina Burana to amateur and professional theatre and workshops on swing dancing, painting, pottery, and rock climbing.

the conversation tends

The Supreme Court Ruling on the Affordable Care Act with Dan Coenen, Associate Dean of the School of Law, Caldwell Chair of Constitutional Law

to twist and turn down a path all its own. While FF book discussions are never what I expect them to be, that is exactly the reason I love them.

Also, I am continually impressed with how invested our alumni are in the program and how they take an active role

John Henry Thompson ’15 “Everyone seems to have an opinion on this case, but Dr. Coenen challenged us to view it through a strict, legal lens. This turned out to be more interesting than the view through the political lens. Biases and presuppositions were cast aside as we discussed ideas of judicial restraint, federalism, and the role of the court. We focused on the legal arguments employed by the justices and attorneys, as well as the wider legal implications of the decision. We each still have opinions (and strong ones at that), but those opinions are more informed now.”

Alex Rowell ’15 “As someone who has spent plenty of time arguing the politics of healthcare reform, I was incredibly excited to have the opportunity to attend a discussion of the Supreme Court’s monumental ruling on the Affordable Care Act. Dr. Coenen enthusiastically led us in a discussion free of the politics surrounding the case and focused our attention to the U.S. Constitution and how the tenets of the ACA were allowed under our nation’s supreme law.”

in current Fellows’ experiences.”

—Brittany Young ’13

S Dessert with U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Tretheway Caroline Moore ’16 “I was honored to meet and speak with U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Tretheway. She is a strong and deeply intelligent individual who has overcome adversity and transformed her heartbreak, experiences, and thoughts into art. During our discussion, she shared her poetry and challenged us to find our own meaning within the lines. She was an inspiration to us all.”

Rand Pope ’16 “It was refreshing to hear poetry read from the primary source. Ms. Tretheway helped me see how liberating and cathartic the process of writing could be.”

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Leading from the Inside with Gina Drosos, Group President (Retired), Global Beauty, Procter & Gamble, UGA Class of 1985

The Novels of Jeffrey Eugenides with Betsy Allen, Foundation Fellows Class of 2010, and Matt Sellers, Foundation Fellows Class of 2012

Bethany McCain ’13 “Meeting Gina Drosos was inspiring. As a young woman about to enter the world of business, I came to her seminar anticipating that she would have boundless knowledge and advice that would be relevant to me, and I was not disappointed. Her commitment to both her family and career is admirable, and I believe that this experience made a deep enough impression to influence my decisions moving forward.”

Sarah Mirza ’15 “As an inveterate Eugenides fan, it was lovely to revisit The Virgin Suicides and talk literature with some new faces, but the best part was when our conversation grew to encompass suburban geography, amateur psychology, and our own experiences with death and adolescence. We were all so absorbed, we probably overstayed our welcome at Two Story Coffeehouse, and I left with not only a new admiration for and closeness with my peers, but also an idea for a paper that I now plan to present at the CURO Symposium.”

Jesse Chan ’14 “The chance to ask a Fortune 500 executive about her perspectives on the modern executive, work-life balance, and finding meaning in her career was extremely enlightening as I pursue my own business career. Gina Drosos’ thoughts on balancing the priorities between a demanding professional career and raising a family particularly struck a chord with my own internal debates. Her stories from her long career at Proctor & Gamble about bringing beauty and confidence to women across the globe, from small Indian villages to suburban America, forced me to think about the broader social impact of my career choices.”

S November 2012: A Discussion of the Upcoming Elections with Jamie Carson, Associate Professor of Political Science Davis Parker ’15 “Set against the backdrop of the 2012 elections, Dr. Carson’s seminar provided students a venue in which to discuss the ever changing and always entertaining theories, themes, and theatrics of partisan campaign politics. More of a discussion than a lecture, the seminar allowed students to inquire about the change in campaigns from a brief, two-month sprint to a $1 billion marathon, while also bringing up for debate the future of bipartisan politics in America.”

John B. Stroud ’16 “This was the first seminar I attended, and it confirmed the decision I made in choosing UGA. Dr. Carson is one of the most personable and down-to-earth people I’ve met. He kept everyone in the discussion engaged and involved. I felt free to ask questions and give my opinion despite discussing topics that are often filled with high emotions and arguments.”

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S Outsider in Chief: Presidents & the Politics of Authenticity & Emotion with Grace Hale, Professor of History and Director of American Studies at the University of Virginia, Foundation Fellows Class of 1986 Bert Thompson ’16 “Food, friends, and political discussion – another great night in Moore College with the Foundation Fellowship. Dr. Hale brought an incredible point of view to a topic I had never thought about before, along with great clips of President Clinton playing saxophone, President Bush chopping wood, and President Reagan riding a horse. The different political ideologies of the people present helped to make the conversation stimulating, especially because the event occurred before the 2012 presidential election. Ever since this evening, I have thought differently about politics and the portrayal of the presidency.”

Kelsey Lowrey ’16 “I’m not a politic science major – I’m a hard science major – but it was an interesting and engaging discussion even for me! Dr. Hale’s presentation on depicting oneself as an ‘outsider’ in campaigns and the history behind its effectiveness in America linked aspects of American culture that I never would have expected.”

S Butterflies & Global Climate Change with Jim Porter, Meigs Distinguished Professor of Ecology Todd Pierson ’13 “I’ve met many enthusiastic faculty throughout my time at UGA, but I’m not sure that anyone can rival Dr. Porter in oratory performance.

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During this dinner seminar, Dr. Porter approached the topic of global climate change from a unique angle – butterflies. The living room of his house was transformed into a classroom, and we passed around hundreds of magnificent butterflies as we watched him present on the topic. I was one of the few students in attendance with an ecologically oriented education, but by the end of the night, it was clear that everyone’s interest in climate change had been piqued.”

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Bethany McCain ’13 “This special opportunity to tour the Georgia Museum of Art with its chief curator and some of my close friends ranks among my favorite cultural experiences at UGA. An amazing museum can be found right in my backyard, and as many could tell you, I have a soft spot in my heart for wandering through art museums. Hearing some of the stories behind the artwork made the evening all the more memorable.”

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Tour of the Georgia Museum of Art with Chief Curator Paul Manoguerra

A Discovery of Witches (Deborah Harkness) with Gwen Kaminsky, Foundation Fellows Class of 1990, and Kim Wilson, Foundation Fellows Class of 1989

Paul Kirschenbauer ’14 “While the Fellowship opens doors to incredible opportunities across the globe, it is also a key to many enriching experiences at home in Athens. A gourmet dinner in the Georgia Museum of Art, complemented by a personal tour of the museum’s historic collection by the chief curator, is just one example of the unique connections a Foundation Fellow enjoys at UGA.”

Eilidh Geddes ’15 “I initially read A Discovery of Witches during the Oxford Maymester and loved exploring the places around Oxford described in the book. Coming back to UGA and getting to discuss this book with other great students and Gwen and Kim, who are absolutely hilarious, over dinner was so much fun.”

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Michael Land ’15 “What can I say about paranormal romance novels? Generally, they are books that I tend to avoid. I think it speaks to the quality of the discussion leaders and the Fellowship that a dinner conversation about a paranormal romance can turn into a two-hour analysis of the intersection of science and magic, the determining role of genetics in our lives, and the treatment of LGBT characters in the field of popular literature.”

Yuliya Bila ’14 “In our fast-paced, high-pressure society, reading a book for pleasure has become a rare indulgence. Thankfully, Gwen and Kim stepped in to remind us of this simple joy. The book that they chose, A Discovery of Witches, presented a welcome intrusion of fantasy into ordinary life, and their energy in discussing its merits and inconsistencies framed the novel in a new and different light for each person there.”

S SuperPACs: Corruption, Distortion, or Good Ol’ American Freedom? with Josh McLaurin, Foundation Fellows Class of 2010 Jacqueline Van De Velde ’14 “In the spirit of a Yale Law student, Josh challenged each of us to move beyond preconceptions of whether we agreed with the principle of SuperPACs to examine instead whether the Supreme Court ruling on Citizens United was, in fact, good law.

Examining the first amendment, delving into precedent, and debating the points raised in the court’s majority and minority opinions led all of us to surprising conclusions about the ruling, as well as to a mutual respect for the legal process and our brilliant alumni engaging with it.”

Grace Siemietkowski ’15 “Having the opportunity to analyze the law and not just the politics behind the Citizens United case was fascinating, especially after having discussed it with Justice Clarence Thomas last year over spring break. Josh presented his knowledge of the law engagingly, challenging us through Socratic questioning and creating an enlightening dialogue.”

Shaun Kleber ’16 “While in this discussion about the Supreme Court’s decision on Super PACs, I didn’t think about it as an educational opportunity. I didn’t reflect on the fact that I was discussing provocative issues of corruption and politics, election funds and freedom of speech – issues that had gone all the way to the Supreme Court. It was just fun. We didn’t approach the issues

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from a dense, lofty perspective but rather discussed the moral questions behind the ongoing national debate.

And after two hours of that – when I was already running late to another meeting – I couldn’t bring myself to leave.”

S Classic Feynman (Richard Feynman) with Mir Inaamullah and Alex Squires, Foundation Fellows Class of 2011 Buck Trible ’13 “Scientists love Richard Feynman.

The Internet loves Richard Feynman. Folks worldwide love Richard Feynman, including now the twenty or so Fellows who read his recent anthology and showed up to discuss it with Fellows alumni Alex and Inaam.

Feynman was a cool dude – he was one of the earliest advocates for nanotechnology, fixed radios, worked on the atomic bomb, and was an accomplished bongo player and painter. He also did theoretical physics. Feynman reluctantly accepted a Nobel Prize in 1965, in part because a reporter convinced him accepting the prize would be less trouble than dealing with the media after rejecting it. He was a colorful character – opinionated, brilliant, and not without contradictions. What can the life of Richard Feynman tell us about our lives and how to be so successful while clearly having such a good time?

I’m convinced the answer’s in that book somewhere.”

Michael Song ’16 “This discussion reinforced the role model I had created of Feynman in my mind. From reading Classic Feynman, I learned a new way of thinking and perceiving the mundane world as something more.

I hope to acquire some of Feynman’s quirky thought processes to look at the world in a more fascinating and exciting light.”

Addison Wright ’13 “Feynman’s views on the centrality of science and his joyful renunciation of social responsibility sparked a lively debate that ranged from the importance of childhood education to the role of science in society, as well as a dissection of Feynman’s prose to determine just how much he hated the leader of his NASA investigatory commission. Inaam and Alex kept the discussion moving while surprise guest Patrick Fitzmaurice had no shortage of commentary. The chance to play my own thoughts, based in my research experience and love of science, against my more socially oriented peers is exactly the sort of thing that makes the Fellowship so wonderful.”

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Lunch with General Eugene E. Habiger, U.S. Air Force (Retired), Advisor to the Center for International Trade and Security Megan White ’15 “While waiting for General Habiger to arrive, I sat as straight as possible and straightened my clothes every few seconds. It’s not every day that a college student has the chance to rub elbows with someone who directly influenced U.S. security strategy. But as soon as the general entered the room and began enthusiastically shaking hands with everyone, I could feel the atmosphere lighten. Drawing upon a lifetime of service, General Habiger shared with participants his wisdom of the past and his advice for the future.”

S Medical School & Health Policy with Deep Shah, Foundation Fellows Class of 2008

Creating a More Tolerant Society through the Power of Music with Reuben Reynolds and Bill Casey, Boston Gay Men’s Chorus Leighton Rowell ’16 “Music has played a significant role in the development of my character since I first took violin and piano lessons. I had not contemplated music’s potential to effect change within a community, however, until I attended the dinner seminar with Reuben ‘Matt’ Reynolds and Bill Casey. I was inspired by their stories of the impact the chorus had on the views of Boston residents and on those of people throughout the world.”

Chenee Tracey ’16 “I thoroughly enjoyed the intimate, informal setting of this discussion about creating a tolerant society. Hearing Reuben and Bill speak so passionately about their experiences knocking down the stigmas and stereotypes that exist even today was heartwarming. I am a firm believer that music can change the world, and this dinner discussion strengthened my belief.”

Caroline Coleman ’16 “Talking healthcare and medicine with Deep Shah over lunch was an enlightening and stimulating experience.

His perspective on medical school and current health policies like the Affordable Care Act was insightful and thought provoking. As a Fellow alum, he also had great advice on how to best use the resources in the Honors Program and the Fellowship as a pre-med student.”

Phil Grayeski ’14 “Deep Shah provided a clear overview of each player in the healthcare debate – patients, doctors, the government, hospitals, and insurance companies. He translated the difficult language of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into an easy and understandable format, while facilitating some heated discussion among students. His talk highlighted the future healthcare problems and outcomes of the new provision. Deep also served as a valuable resource in discussing the general atmosphere of medical school, from the pressure during admissions to the excitement of clinical rotations.”

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Collapse ( Jared Diamond) with Sheena Zhang, Foundation Fellows Class of 2011

Spreading Social Innovations with Margaret Hall, Executive Director, GreenLight Fund, UGA Class of 1986

Camille Gregory ’13 “Reading Collapse changed my perspective on environmental management and climate change. It was wonderful to have Sheena back in town to lead the discussion and bring her perspective from an environmental design program at Yale. These are critical issues for our world to consider, and Diamond was an excellent choice to fuel our passionate discussion that I hope will carry over into our actions and decisions in the future.”

David Millard ’14 “Meeting with Margaret Hall on the process of facilitating nonprofit action in Boston through the GreenLight Fund was engaging and enlightening. Her leadership and experience were profoundly relevant to my own work with nonprofit aid in the Athens community.”

Clara Nibbelink ’14 “Sitting with such an impressive alum and discussing what she really cares about – finding environmental solutions – was a very cool experience. I was most impressed by the gentle way Sheena facilitated the discussion, allowing my peers – smart, informed people whose knowledge of environmental and political issues went far beyond the book – to discuss among themselves which philosophies, policies, beliefs, and actions would make for a better, greener tomorrow.”

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Torre Lavelle ’16 “Margaret Hall’s moving reflection on her work with the GreenLight Fund illuminated the critical components of expanding social empowerment and innovations in the foggy, misconstrued platitudes that permeate entrepreneurism. Her expansive, contagious vision of supporting high-performing nonprofits to work collaboratively on the local level helped me to forge a deeper understanding of leadership – that true leaders not only direct, but inspire others to become leaders themselves.”

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Book Discussions and Seminars 2012-2013 Chike Akoh*, Claire Underwood Hailey*, Rachel Pocock*, Amy Sexauer*, Deep Shah*

Applying to and Surviving Medical School

Elizabeth Allan*

A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East (Fromkin)

Betsy Allen*

Middlesex and The Virgin Suicides (Eugenides)

Betsy Allen* & Matt Sellers*

The Marriage Plot (Eugenides)

Jamie Carson

November 2012 – A Discussion of the Upcoming Elections

Dan Coenen

National Federation of Independent Business v. Sibelius: Supreme Court Ruling on the Affordable Care Act

Chris Cuomo

Environmental Change, Indigenous Knowledge, and Subsistence on Alaska’s North Slope

Gina Drosos

Leading from the Inside

Angie Fertig

The Economics of Healthcare Reform

Melissa Fay Greene

Dessert & Conversation with Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Melissa Fay Greene

General Eugene E. Habiger

U.S. National Security Policy

Grace Hale*

Outsider in Chief: Presidents and the Politics of Authenticity and Emotion

Margaret Hall

Spreading Social Innovations

Andy Herod

Global Car & the Global Economy

Mir Inaamullah* & Alex Squires*

Classic Feynman (Feynman)

Gwen Kaminsky* & Kim Wilson*

A Discovery of Witches (Harkness)

Jim Lauderdale

Neurobiology Research: Studying Development of the Vertebrate Forebrain and Visual System

Jerry Legge

Thinking About the Future of the Public University

Paul Manoguerra

Dinner and a Tour of the Georgia Museum of Art’s American Art Collection

Josh McLaurin*

SuperPACs: Corruption, Distortion, or Good Ol’ American Freedom?

Robyn Painter*

Evolving Standards of Decency and the Modern American Death Penalty’s Treatment of Mentally Disabled People

Vijaya Palaniswamy*

International Law and Energy Projects

Jim Porter

Blurring the Boundaries between Medicine and Ecology by Saving Coral Reefs in the Florida Keys

Jim Porter

Butterflies and Global Climate Change

Reuben Reynolds & Bill Casey

Creating a More Tolerant Society through the Power of Music

Martin Rogers

Quicksilver (Stephenson)

Amy Ross

Women and Winning

Deep Shah*

Med School & Health Policy

Adam Thomas*

Affirmative Action at the Supreme Court

Robin Wertheim Tolochko

Moving Abroad without a Plan (and Then Becoming an Entrepreneur)

Natasha Tretheway

Dessert and Conversation with U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Tretheway

Kyle Wingfield* 21st Century Changes in the News Industry Andrew Zawacki

Videotape (Zawacki) Poetry Discussion

Sheena Zhang*

Collapse (Diamond)

*Foundation Fellow Alumni Host

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TR AV E L- S TUDY Graduating Fellows Highlight the Influence of Undergraduate Travel-Study Experiences

Domestic and international travel-study is an integral part of the Foundation Fellowship. Fellows enjoy unique, immersive learning

Sara De La Torre Berón ’13 – Brazil, Costa Rica, England, France, Italy, Morocco “As someone who is bicultural, I’ve always found languages fascinating. With the help of the Foundation Fellowship, I’ve been able to immerse myself culturally and linguistically in multiple places and multiple languages.

Thanks to these experiences, my confidence in intercultural situations has increased immensely, and I’ve realized the importance of connecting with others in their native tongue.

“I spent a semester abroad in southern Brazil, in a metropolis that is known as a prototype of the modern ‘green city.’ During this time, I took classes in Portuguese with Brazilian students and engaged not only with my classmates but also with professors and other international students. In addition to classes, I participated in research, took several trips around the country, and met students from all over the world with similar goals to mine – to soak up Brazilian culture and improve our Portuguese. Living there for an extended period of time, I became comfortable in the language and the culture.

“With the help of the Fellowship, I also volunteered on a vineyard in France through the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms program and conducted conservation research in the Western Pyrenees Mountains. Through these experiences, I learned about different methods of sustainable land management and gained insight into the academic world outside of the U.S. These experiences were great for linguistic reasons as well, since I interacted independently with people speaking only French.

“Some of the most valuable experiences of my undergraduate career have been developing and nurturing these intercultural relationships. As I think about the next chapter of my life (returning to the Pyrenees to pursue a master’s program), my goal is to continue meeting new people, learning about different cultures, and connecting with others in their own language to positively influence the world around me.”

opportunities around the

world through individual travel grants, spring

break group sojourns led by faculty, and a study

abroad Maymester after the first undergraduate year.

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Todd Pierson ’13 – China, Costa Rica, England, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Nicaragua, Oman, South Korea, United Arab Emirates “While other factors played a role, I came to The University of Georgia specifically for the travel-study opportunities provided by the Foundation Fellowship. During my time here, I’ve tried to maximize the utility of these experiences to see the world and prepare myself for a career in conservation biology.

“Beginning with a trip to the cloud forests of Guatemala’s highlands, I joined a series of expeditions to search for a group of relatively unknown salamanders in Central America. Over the course of three separate expeditions to Guatemala and neighboring Honduras, I worked with a group of researchers Foundation Fellows & R

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Grants for Individual Travel 2012-2013 Yuliya Bila

Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Kazan, Russia

Sara Black

Washington, DC

Savannah Colbert

Cannes, France; Herrang, Sweden

Maria Cox

Cannes and Paris, France

Sara De La Torre Berón

France; Italy

Megan Ernst

Washington, DC

Parker Evans

Cape Town, South Africa

Smitha Ganeshan

Iquitos, Peru

Eilidh Geddes

Buenos Aires, Argentina; London, England

Joe Gerber

Paris, France

Sophie Giberga

Cuzco, Peru

Phil Grayeski

Boston, MA

Osama Hashmi

Palo Alto, CA

Anisha Hegde

Pune, India

Paul Kirschenbauer

Alessandria, Italy

Michael Land

Trujillo, Peru

Christopher Lewitzke

Cannes, France

Marianne Ligon

Oxford, England

David Millard

Cape Town, South Africa

Kameel Mir

Savar, Bangladesh; Marrakech, Morroco

Sarah Mirza

Austin, TX

Clara Nibbelink

Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

Davis Parker

Santiago, Chile; San José, Costa Rica; London, England

Giovanni Righi

London, England

Alex Rowell

Stellenbosch, South Africa

Matthew Saltz

Lyon, France

Rachel Sellers

Cañon City, CO

Grace Siemietkowski

Dakar and Segou Village, Senegal

John B. Stroud

London, England

Kevin Sun

London, England

Treva Tam

Istanbul, Turkey

John Henry Thompson

London, England

Chenee Tracey

Charlotte, NC

Buck Trible

Makekere Forest, Uganda

Matt Tyler

China

Jacqueline Van De Velde

Lyon, France

Kishore Vedala

La Paz, Bolivia; Charlotte, NC

Lance White

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Avery Wiens

Cuzco, Peru

Cameron Zahedi

Cape Town, South Africa

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from the University of California Berkeley and the Universidad de San Carlos and with conservation officers from Guatemala’s FUNDAECO and Conservation International to survey remote regions for these rare and declining amphibians. Additionally, a Foundation Fellows spring break trip to Costa Rica and a biological survey of Nicaragua’s Rio San Juan expanded on my experiences in the neotropics and left me with a great understanding of the region’s biology.

“In the summer of 2011, again working with UC Berkeley researchers, I worked for six weeks collecting geckos from the deserts of Oman and the UAE for future evolutionary studies. This exposure to the radically different landscape and culture of the area was invaluable. In 2012, this time funded by independent grants from the National Geographic Society and the Explorers Club, I worked for a month on the Tibetan Plateau to search for and evaluate the conservation status of critically endangered Chinese giant salamanders.

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many professional herpetologists, and to have access to them as an undergraduate has been incredibly beneficial.

“Even when traveling on non-herpetologically oriented trips abroad, I have attempted to make these travels relevant to my studies. While studying modernist literature at the University of Oxford in 2010, I made a short trip to see the peculiar salamanders of the genus Speleomantes on the Italian island of Sardegna. While delving into Buddhism during a 2012 Fellows spring trip to South Korea, I joined Korean herpetologists in searching for what is perhaps the most significant amphibian discovery of the last fifty years – a salamander of the genus Karsenia.

“The breadth and depth of these experiences could be achieved nowhere else but under The University of Georgia’s Foundation Fellowship. Now, as I watch many of my friends elsewhere try to satisfy a wanderlust that has accumulated from four years in the library, I can reflect upon the fantastic experiences I have already had.”

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Addison Wright ’13 – China, Continental Europe, Costa Rica, England, South Korea, Tanzania “The Foundation Fellowship has given me the chance to explore the world with a great deal of freedom. My first study abroad experience was at Oxford University, where I studied Tudor historiography under Dr. George Southcombe. In small groups we discussed and debated the political commentaries hidden within the works of Shakespeare and Milton, with Dr. Southcombe guiding more than dominating the flow of conversation.

“I learned how to read and process literature and turn out papers on a tight schedule as well as how to make and defend an argument, where arriving at the right answer was much less important than demonstrating how and why I came to a conclusion. After Oxford, I traveled across continental Europe with seven companions by way of plane, train, and bus, staying only a few days in each city before moving to the next.

“The summer after sophomore year I was a bit more adventurous. Derek Ponticelli (FF ’13) and I set a course for Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania. We worked at an orphanage in the suburbs of the sprawling city. In the mornings we went to an NGO school to teach English and computer skills to teens who had fallen out of the public school system and to older women looking for a second chance at an education. In the afternoons we returned to the orphanage, where we helped the kids with their homework and played soccer with them and other neighborhood children.

“For the first time, I was immersed in a lifestyle other than that of the developed Western world. Tanzanians, once they overcame their surprise at seeing two mzungu so far from the tourist hotspots, were eager to help or to talk about their country, particularly its economic and social problems. After five weeks, which included an unbelievable six-day trek to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, I returned home, sad to leave the kids and adults I had grown attached to but ready to return to showers and food other than rice, beans, and cabbage.

“Before my senior year I went to China, this time on my own. The first part of the trip was spent in Beijing, where I participated in an intensive four-week Mandarin course at the Beijing Language and Culture University.

I stayed in Beijing’s University District with an older Chinese couple whose daughter was away at university.

Through meals with them and their relatives who lived nearby I gained exposure to the culture, and though the language barrier sometimes posed issues, I became good

friends with my ‘Beijing family.’ Meanwhile I steadily improved my Mandarin with daily classes at BLCU and toured the city’s famous sights.

“I became immersed in Chinese culture when I left Beijing for Sichuan, where I worked on a farm through the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms China branch. There, away from Beijing’s large expat community and English-speaking classmates at BLCU, I was forced to practice my Chinese daily. The farm was playing host to more than half a dozen Chinese college students, friends, and relatives of the family that operated it. We spoke in a mixture of English and Chinese about our respective cultures, and I grew accustomed to a way of life far different from the fastpaced living in Beijing.

“I learned about Chinese youth, with their mixed feelings on their own government, a thirst to learn about America and the West, and an abiding love of karaoke.

My hosts were the most generous people I’ve ever met.

They refused to let me touch my wallet for the entire stay, even purchasing my train ticket back to Beijing and sending me off with a bag full of gifts. My spoken Mandarin improved by leaps and bounds while I soaked up the relaxed pace of life, with work broken up by long meals, afternoon naps, and trips to the swimming hole.

In the future I hope to bridge my study of Chinese and my study of biochemistry, particularly now as Chinese labs are becoming a larger part of the international research community.”

Lance White ’13 – Argentina, Costa Rica, England, Puerto Rico, South Korea “Spending a semester in Argentina was one of the most impactful experiences of my life. Living in the bustling, beautiful city of Buenos Aires for three months put my Spanish to the test. College-level courses with native speakers were as challenging as they were rewarding, and for the first time, I was able to go beyond studying a foreign culture to really becoming part of one.

“I made several close friends among my Argentinean classmates, and my host family quickly began to feel like a real one. As a result of developing and maintaining these relationships in Argentina and elsewhere, I now understand what it means to be a citizen of the world, and I will continue to build upon this global mindset in my professional career.”

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Ryan McLynn ’13 – Costa Rica, England, India, Morocco, Peru “Eager to volunteer at a medical clinic in a developing nation, I spent the summer of 2011 working in a rural health clinic in the Peruvian Andes. I spent 25 hours per week shadowing in primary care and obstetrics and assisting with admitting patients, taking vital signs, and getting medications from the pharmacy. The clinic was the only medical facility in the Chinchero district, so I witnessed a broad range of cases, including common respiratory and digestive illnesses, broken limbs, pregnancy check-ups, and complications from malnutrition. During the program, I lived with a family in the town of Urubamba, took advanced Spanish classes, and participated in a number of local cultural events.”

Spring Break 2013 International and Domestic Trips COSTA RICA Program Leader: Dr. Peter Brosius, Director, Center for Integrative Conservation Research; Professor, Anthropology Academic Focus: The Anthropology of Surfing  Discuss local sustainability efforts with leaders of the Guanacaste Civic Association  Visit Guanacaste’s developing Biodiesel Project  Tour the Harmony Hotel, a completely sustainable hotel in Guanacaste  Visit the Nosara dump  Turtle talk with leaders of the Ostional Wildlife Reserve  Take the Tamarindo Mangrove & Estuary Boat Tour  Explore the tourist hub of Tamarindo  Meet with the president of CEPIA, a Costa Rican nonprofit that seeks to promote culture, sports, and education for children from poor backgrounds  Attend CEPIA fundraising fashion show  Surf lessons with Choco’s Surf School in Playa Samara; surf in Playa Samara, Playa Guiones, Avellanas, and Playa Grande

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Gautam Narula ’15 “I learned about the issues facing many Costa Rican communities – environmental sustainability, the effects of market economics on communal villages, local versus foreign ownership of land, and the benefits and drawbacks of ecotourism. A conversation I had with a Costa Rican surf shop owner who gave up a life of wealth in the city for a simpler life on the coast made me rethink the way I live. Far from major sources of light pollution, we could see millions of stars in the night sky. I came out of the trip with a deeper understanding of the anthropology of surfing, with new friends, and a deeper bond with old ones.”

Megan White ’15 “I remember thinking that it would take me at least a year to stand up on a surfboard. But within two days, pretty much everyone on the trip was riding waves all the way to the shore. In the moments just before the wave would catch me, when I was unsure of whether I would ‘shred’ or be sent tumbling through the water, I learned to trust nature and my own sense of balance.”

impact that globalization, tourism, surfing, and turtles are having on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. To boot, the little wake sport of surfing reinforced our adventures in low-impact living. Pura vida indeed!”

SOUTH AFRICA Program Leader: Dr. William Finlay, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Professor and Department Head, Sociology Academic Focus: Education and Economics in PostApartheid South Africa  Take in the view from Table Mountain, Simonstown, and Cape Point  Meet with a University of Cape Town professor  Visit schools in Khayelitsha township near Cape Town  Tour the Groot Constantia wine cellars  Travel to the Rhodes Memorial and the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden  Tour the Soweto township near Johannesburg  Take a guided tour of the Apartheid Museum

Davis Parker ’15 “Our trip to Costa Rica proved to be as trying as it was tropical. Working our way up the province of Guanacaste, we came face to face with the

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 Explore the Skukuza game camp in Kruger National Park

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Clara Nibbelink ’14 “South Africa was an interesting country to visit as a class, especially as more than half of us had studied human rights and education issues, the focus of our trip. From the breezy top of Table Mountain, overlooking the southern tip of the African continent, to the stoic memorials to anti-apartheid activists of Soweto, to seeing lions, elephants, and zebras at sunset in the bush, South Africa was an unreal experience for all of us.”

Joseph Gerber ’14 “The whirlwind tour of South Africa – Cape Town, Soweto, Johannesburg, and Kruger National Park – with its wide landscape, warm people, stunning wildlife, and tumultuous history of conflict and reconciliation, left me with a better understanding of this country than did my previous three years of coursework in international relations. It also gave me a better understanding of my own ignorance and the need to learn more.”

Jeremiah Stevens ’14 “The trip to South Africa was a great opportunity to get to know the newest members of our class, the Mid-Term Fellows, and it was an exposure to a beautiful country that I would like to visit again in the future. Lions and rhinos and elephants, oh my!”

Jesse Chan ’14 “Looking out at the ocean from the continent’s southwestern tip, swimming with penguins at Boulder Beach, and observing the deep cultural and economic divide between areas was enlightening and stimulating on many levels.”

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F o u n d a t i o Fn o Fu enldl ao twi o s n& F R e la lmosw e y s & H oRnaomr ss e yS cHh oo nl o a rr ss A S cn hn ou la al r Rs e Ap o nr n tu a l R e p o r t

Neither our guides’ humor nor their rifles could keep my nerves at bay as we filed through the underbrush of Kruger National Park.

Watching the rising sun reveal herds of zebras, shifting with a distant lion’s roar, I realized these final moments of our trip to South Africa would stay with me for the rest of my life.”

—Paul Kirschenbauer ’14

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NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, DC (First-Year Fellows) New York Program Leader: Dr. Myra Moore, Director, Assessment, Rankings, and Undergraduate Programs, Terry College of Business Washington Program Leader: Provost Jere Morehead, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Academic Focus: Finance, Theatre, Public Health, and Politics New York  Meet with Susan Waltman, Senior VP and General Counsel, Greater New York Hospital Association  Meet with economists Paul Krugman and Robin Wells  Tour the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and meet with James McAndrews, Director of Research  Discuss finance careers with David Battle at Metalmark Capital and other UGA alumni working in banking and finance  Brunch with food critic Molly O’Neill and UGA alumni at Mas (la grillade)  Attend a performance of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Once

Washington, DC  Meet Chief Justice John Roberts at the Supreme Court  Meet with political consultant and CNN commentator Paul Begala at McKenna, Long & Aldridge law firm  Have breakfast with Georgia Senator Chiefs of Staff: Charlie Harman (Sen. Chambliss) and Chris Carr (Sen. Isakson) at the Monocle Restaurant  Discuss Dave Eggers’ What Is the What with Fruzsina Csaszar, Program Analyst at the Department of State  Dine with Fellows alumni at Old Ebbitt Grill

Eytan Palte ’16 “Our first official Fellows trip exceeded all expectations. Aside from providing a bonding opportunity for the first-year class, the trip exposed us to an unmatched caliber of experts in their respective fields. Meetings with renowned food critic Molly O’Neill, economists Paul Krugman and Robin Wells, CNN commentator and political strategist Paul Begala, Senatorial Chiefs of Staff Chris Carr and Charlie

Harman, and Chief Justice John Roberts provided unparalleled educational opportunities.”

Chris Lewitzke ’16 “Meeting with professionals across the cities doing everything from working on Wall Street to working with South Sudan at the State Department was an invaluable experience that helped me confirm where my passions lie. All of the alumni were warm and welcoming and really cared about giving back to Georgia. On top of that, exploring two of the most amazing cities in the U.S. with some of my best friends was full of fun and surprises. The feeling of walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, watching the sun rise as cars flew by under me was an experience I’m eternally grateful for.”

Alex Edquist ’16 “As an economics major hoping to go to law school after graduation, I got to meet and talk to two of my heroes – Nobel Prize-winning economist and columnist Paul Krugman and Chief Justice John Roberts. I’m amazed at what the Fellowship is able to give to us.”

John B. Stroud ’16 “This trip was easily the highlight of my college experience so far. From touring the gold vault in the New York Federal Reserve to attending the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy club to meeting the Chief Justice of the United States, this trip has shown more than anything else I’ve heard or experienced just how amazing a program the Foundation Fellowship is.”

Giovanni Righi ’16 “Through high school, I followed Krugman’s New York Times column as I developed an interest in economics. To my surprise, we had the opportunity as a group to have a discussion with him on the New York/DC trip! But it didn’t end with Krugman.

We had an opportunity this great every day of the trip.”

Shaun Kleber ’16 “I came out of this trip sure that I want to end up in DC one day. I was a kid in a candy store, meeting the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and talking to him about our legal system. Making connections with important figures in New York and DC while also getting closer to Fellows classmates made me more excited than ever for the three years to come.”

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First-Year Maymester 2013 Study Abroad at Oxford University Courses  Biomedical Ethics – Hanna Pickard, All Souls College  British Common Law – Paul Yowell, Oriel College  English Historiography in the Early-Modern Period: Literature and Politics – George Southcombe, University College  International Conflict – Joel Lazarus, University College

Caroline Moore ’16 “Studying at Oxford allowed us to work with some of the world’s brightest scholars and most respected professors and immersed us in a unique and magical academic environment. Wandering the streets of Oxford, we found ourselves surrounded by landmarks that inspired the fairy tales of our childhood, including Alice in Wonderland and The Chronicles of Narnia. It is impossible to feel anything other than inspiration while studying in such an enchanted city.”

Eytan Palte ’16 “We had class around our professor’s coffee table!”

 Modernist Literature: Satire and Dystopia in Modern and Contemporary Fiction – David Bradshaw, Worcester College

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Caroline Coleman ’16 “With a focus on satire and dystopia, the modernist literature course demanded a level of critical reading, discussion, and writing I’d never thought my brain could handle. Dr. Bradshaw pushed me and my peers to delve into the literature with an analytical eye and was never shy about questioning our stances or expressing his views. From reading novels in the Bodleian’s Duke Humphrey’s Library (the Restricted Section of Hogwarts) to writing papers until the sun came up, this class was an intense but rewarding experience.”

Karishma Sriram ’16 “The classes and professors were incredible, as expected. But the time spent with my classmates made the trip to Oxford even better. We crowded the kitchen every evening, attempting to pile together something edible. We flocked to Moo Moo’s and Ben’s Cookies at every opportunity. We joked, we pouted, we yelled, we laughed, we cried when our friends left for their summer travels. We became a family, closer than ever before.”

Shaun Kleber ’16 “It’s amazing what can be squeezed into a single month. With class just one day a week, that left six days for studying and writing, traveling to other countries, running to get street food at 3am, exploring the Oxford colleges and town, and playing soccer in a backyard more suited to being featured in a magazine. It was a great end to a great first year with my class.”

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INTERNSHIPS

To understand the complexities

Fellows intern in a variety of settings for academic credit and professional experience. You’ll find them working everywhere from banks to think tanks, from management consulting firms to hospitals, from government offices to nonprofit organizations. Fellows have the flexibility to design internship experiences to suit their academic and career needs.

of the world outside the university, Foundation Fellows seek handson experience in business, nonprofit, and government organizations. Some internships carry academic credit while others are purely

Derek Ponticelli ’13 – McKinsey & Company “Last summer, I worked with McKinsey & Company as a summer business analyst. Three facets of the 10-week internship stood out and led me to accept an offer with the firm – the people, the challenging environment, and the opportunity for personal development. My coworkers came from diverse backgrounds (lawyers, PhD physicists, former NFL linemen), but each was incredibly intelligent and brought a unique perspective to the team. I was staffed on a highly quantitative ‘big data’ study devoted to distilling the terabytes of information that our client was collecting into tactical insights. Even though I put in a lot of hours, I loved the blend of economics, computer science, and mathematics that the study required. Possibly because of my experience in those subjects, I was given tremendous independence and allowed to build models, lead problem solving sessions, and conduct client interviews and presentations. Finally, senior members of my team would meet with me each week to discuss my strengths and development areas. Because of these factors, I learned a tremendous amount about the consumer goods industry this summer, and I’m excited to return to McKinsey in the fall.”

experiential, some are

Bethany McCain ’13 – Central Bank of Uruguay, J.P. Morgan “The Foundation Fellowship has given me the resources and domestic while others freedom to tailor my years in college so that each experience has are far afield. Supported set me up perfectly for the next step. In the summer of 2011, I traveled to Montevideo, Uruguay. At the Central Bank of Uruguay by the Foundation, in a self-designed internship, I conducted research on sovereign debt ratings, produced overviews of Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s Fellows have the ratings methodologies, and collaborated with senior-level economists to generate professional and academic papers and presentations. I flexibility to design an set off for Montevideo with the intention of gaining international internship experience work experience and leveraging my Spanish language skills. Traveling to South America on my own proved challenging, but my summer in to suit their academic Montevideo gave me an incredibly unique story and made me stand out among the other college juniors hunting for internships the next year. and career needs.

“In the summer of 2012, I interned at J.P. Morgan in its investment bank in New York City. I worked in sales and trading in the Securitized Products Group, which originates, underwrites, securitizes, and trades asset-backed securities. In a nine-week whirlwind experience, I learned about a number of the most sophisticated and fascinating financial products from some of the best traders, salespeople, and researchers on Wall Street. The learning

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curve was the steepest I’ve faced in my life, but my initial interest in investment banking and securities took even deeper root, convincing me to begin my career in finance after graduation. Sitting at the epicenter of global finance at JPM was an incredible opportunity and a great way to understand world markets. The internship also served as a two-month interview for a full-time position with the firm. Returning to UGA with plans already laid for the future was an added benefit of an intense summer.”

Matthew Saltz ’13 – Envoc, Home Depot “Following my sophomore year, I interned at Envoc, a small software consulting firm in Baton Rouge, LA. While there, I created a management portal to collect, compile, and display useful statistics about employees from the firm’s database to ease the process of employee evaluation. I also helped to design and implement a management portal for a background check company, centralizing their data stores and eliminating redundancy in their processes. I learned effective and efficient practices for the development of professionalgrade software, all the while discovering the benefits of working in a small company with passionate employees.

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“Interning the following year in the IT department at Home Depot, I was introduced to the thrill and struggle of analyzing massive data sets. While there, I worked to develop a novel technique for segmenting customers based on their transaction histories. I implemented the automated processing pipeline, from the formatting of the data input down to the visualization of results. I also worked with another intern to create a security solution for the company’s data storage framework, and they have since launched the solution and hired another company to adapt the solution for another platform. Experiencing life within a Fortune 100 company, I realized that, even with the challenges that bureaucracy sometimes presents, I enjoy working within an organization this size to create solutions.”

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Foundation Fellows Internships 2012-2013 Yuliya Bila ’14

Research Assistant, Center for International Trade & Security, Washington, DC

Sara Black ’14

Campaign Development Fellow: Beyond Oil Campaign, Sierra Club, Washington, DC

Jesse Chan ’14

Valuation & Business Modeling Intern, Transaction Advisory Services, Ernst & Young, Atlanta, GA

Savannah Colbert ’15

Public Relations Intern, Athens Land Trust, Athens, GA

Megan Ernst ’15

Intern, Freedman Consulting, LLC, Washington, DC; Financial Analysis Intern, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, Athens, GA

Parker Evans ’15

Medical Intern, African Impact, Retreat Clinic, Cape Town, South Africa

Smitha Ganeshan ’14

Intern, Hospital Regional de Loreto, Iquitos, Peru; Intern, Athens Health Network, Athens, GA

Sophie Giberga ’15

Research Intern, The Heritage Foundation, Washington, DC

Phil Grayeski ’14

Research Assistant, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard University, Boston, MA

Osama Hashmi ’14

Research Assistant, ATHENA Decision Support System, Palo Alto, CA

Anisha Hegde ’14

Maternal and Child Health Intern, Genetic Alliance, Washington, DC; Clinical Volunteer, Child and Family Health International, Pune, India

Paul Kirschenbauer ’14

Internal Audit Intern, Unum, Chattanooga, TN

Ronnie Kurtz ’15

Government Affairs Intern, Office of Governor Nathan Deal, Atlanta, GA; Legislative Intern, Office of U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, Washington, DC

Christopher Lewitzke ’16

Facilities Intern, UGA Athletic Association, Athens, GA

Marianne Ligon ’14

Research Intern, NYU Summer Undergraduate Research Program, New York, NY

Sarah Mirza ’15

Community Organizing Intern, Workers Defense Project, Austin, TX

Blake Shessel ’14

Veterinarian Intern, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Treva Tam ’16

Intern, AIESEC, Istanbul, Turkey

Matthew Tyler ’14

Research Assistant, University of Hong Kong Faculty of Education, Hong Kong; Vinson Fellow, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, Athens, GA; Assistant to the National Director of Partnerships, CEOS for Cities, Chicago, IL

Jacqueline Van De Velde ’14

Intern, INTERPOL General Secretariat, Lyon, France; International Fellow, Carl Vinson Institute of Government, Athens, GA; Richard B. Russell Security Leadership Fellow, Center for International Trade & Security, Athens, GA; Senior Fellow for Defense and Diplomacy, The Roosevelt Institute Campus Network, New York, NY

Kishore Vedala ’14

Pediatric Intern, Child and Family Health International, La Paz, Bolivia

Cameron Zahedi ’14

Marketing Analyst Intern, Windham Capital Management, Boston, MA

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U N D E R G R A D U AT E R ESEAR CH

The University of Georgia has

Working closely with faculty research mentors and with the guidance of UGA’s nationally recognized Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO), students gain experience in designing studies, gathering data, analyzing results, and presenting their findings. Fellows receive grants to conduct research and attend academic conferences. Many also present their original research at national and international conferences and publish articles with their co-investigators in top journals in their field.

a strong tradition of nurturing undergraduate research. Fellows can explore any topic of interest with the guidance of a faculty research mentor from their first semester on campus. They learn the culture of the academy, skills for conducting investigations, and effective presentation of their findings.

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Addison Von Wright ’13 – Biochemistry “My time in Dr. Bill Lanzilotta’s biochemistry lab has been the most important aspect of my undergraduate education, certainly with regard to my preparation for pursuing a biochemistry PhD. While lecturebased classes are necessary for a science education, nothing can substitute for performing original research. After initially working closely with a graduate student to learn the laboratory’s core techniques, I was allowed to pursue my own project as I saw fit.

While Dr. Lanzilotta and the graduate student co-investigator were valuable sources of advice and direction, I always felt in control of my project. I experienced firsthand all of the excitement and frustration that accompanies scientific research, both the work at the bench and the process of writing and editing papers for publication.

“Balancing an average of 20 hours of lab time per week with a full course load had its challenges, particularly when certain experiments demanded rigid scheduling that brought me into lab after midnight or hours before my first class, but the experience and the promise of discovering something novel made the efforts well worth it. In my fourth and final semester in the lab, I pursued a slightly new direction with my research, with the goals of writing an Honors thesis and a paper for publication. The skills I gained are an absolute necessity for my future graduate work, and I hope to have an authorship in a major journal to show for my work.”

Buck Trible ’13 – Ecology, Entomology, Genetics “When I started at Georgia, I knew I wanted to work with ants. I had heard that fire ants were the species to study in the southern U.S., so I read a review article about them. It was long, but I remember marking an asterisk next to one brief section about ‘single-queen’ and ‘multiplequeen’ fire ant colonies. I asked an ecology professor if he knew anything about this phenomenon, and he laughed and said, ‘Well, the world’s expert is over in the Entomology Department.’ So began my involvement with Dr. Ken Ross and the fascinating gene Gp-9.

“The fire ant Solenopsis invicta has two ‘social forms.’ Some colonies contain a single queen while other colonies contain hundreds. These two types of colonies vary dramatically in reproduction, pathogen resistance, longevity, and other traits. In fact, the differences between single- and multiple-

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queen colonies lead to ecosystem-level differences in the impact of fire ants. Remarkably, all variation is predicted by variation at a known genetic locus, Gp-9.

It’s a dimorphic trait – one Gp-9 allele leads to singlequeen colonies while the other leads to multiple-queen colonies, with all the differences they entail. The question is, of course, how?! Dr. Ross and I have been studying one important aspect for the last three years, which is finding out how pheromone profiles vary between queens of the two types and how this leads to variable behavior of workers in their colonies. These pheromone differences are, presumably, one of the major things the Gp-9 locus codes for, and lead to many of the other traits.

“Having fallen in love with fire ants, I found time between Gp-9 assays to branch out. I spent seven months living in Costa Rica, working on a different fire ant species. I did an experiment using ants for pest control in coffee farms, and I did a demographics study looking at annual variation between single- and multiple-queen populations. The Costa Rican fire ants also have both types, but they’re different in interesting ways. There’s crazy evolution happening in these ants. I also started working on something larger-scale. One of the oldest unsolved problems in science is the question of latitudinal gradients – why are species in the tropics so much more diverse than higher latitudes? I’ve been working on this question with Drs. John Gittleman and Patrick Stephens, using patterns of ant diversity to test some of the theories that other people have put forward. Science, especially ant-science (some call it ‘myrmecology’), is the most fun thing I know. The University of Georgia and the Foundation Fellowship have given me the chance to learn and see some really cool things. I am very, very appreciative.”

Kirstie Hostetter ’16 – Urban Planning “With the help of the Roosevelt Institute on campus, I have been researching ways to improve the affordable housing system in Athens-Clarke County. My work was published in the Roosevelt Institute’s national journal, 10 Ideas. By going through this experience as a freshman, I gained valuable research skills and developed a better understanding of the community I will live in for the next three years.”

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Matt Tyler ’14 – Education “Over the past year, I have studied education from a variety of perspectives. Last spring, I organized a research project in Ghana, France, Italy, and England in which I conducted classroom observations of interactions among students, teachers, and policymakers.

With Dr. Jennifer James, I am examining civics skills in the 21st century elementary school classroom. I have also been working on a research project with Dr. Ron Butchart in two History of Education classes on the development of student journalism in the post-WWII era. In summer 2013, I worked with the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong, where I explored group learning in primary mathematics.”

Ryan McLynn ’13 – Biochemistry, Microbiology “After conducting research on malaria in a laboratory at The University of Georgia, I wanted to spend a summer conducting research in a more medically oriented setting. My hope was to improve my skills in the lab techniques for research in biochemistry and microbiology and decide whether a career in bench science suits me. For the summer of 2012, I worked in a medical oncology lab at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. My project was to recreate several recently discovered mutations in esophageal adenocarcinoma cases and determine whether these mutations cause tumor growth. While I was at DanaFarber, I finished the mutant creation and conducted several assays to assess the tumorigenesis. The lab group is continuing to look at the biochemical pathways and possible drug therapies for the mutations. While I realized that I do not want a career in laboratory research, my interest in discovery and the academic setting have led me to take an interest in clinically oriented research.”

Eilidh Geddes ’15 – Education “This year, through the Roosevelt Scholars class, I looked at teacher cheating scandals and potential policy solutions. This issue was incredibly timely given the Atlanta Public Schools teacher cheating scandal. I presented my research at the Roosevelt Conference and the CURO Symposium. I continued my research on education policy by examining the relationship between preschool and AP Programs though the Carl Vinson Fellowship at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.”

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I spent my first few years at UGA attempting to quantify detection and occupancy probabilities of a rare and enigmatic salamander in North Georgia using conventional field surveys. Now I am working in Dr. Travis Glenn’s lab to develop an ‘environmental DNA’ assay that is capable of determining the presence of the species by detecting DNA in water from its environment. It’s a big topic in wildlife monitoring programs, and I’m excited to be on board.”

—Todd Pierson ’13

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C O N F E R E N C E S , P R E S E NTAT I O NS, P U B LI CAT I O NS Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) 2013 Symposium Presenters Jesse Chan ’14 Increasing Georgian Household Participation in the Banking System

Domestic and international conferences add to Fellows’ professional education and

Savannah Colbert ’15 Democratic Dialogue: Comparing Presidential Debate Content and User-Generated Comments in Online News Maria Cox ’15 When Is a Kiss a Thimble? Sexuality in Adaptions of Peter Pan Over Time Sara De La Torre Berón ’13 The Ordinance of 1669 in Application on the Grande Maîtrise de Toulouse as Documented by Louis de Froidour Alex Edquist ’16 Academic Steroids: The Need to Control Adderall Abuse on University Campuses Smitha Ganeshan ’14 Access to Primary Care Services for Low-Income Patients in Athens-Clarke County Eilidh Geddes ’15 Teacher Cheating Scandals in Georgia and Possible Policy Solutions

introduce them to academic

Phil Grayeski ’14 Cell Cycle Gating of the Mammalian Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Pathway

communities both

Kirstie Hostetter ’16 Affordable Housing in a PovertyStricken Community

near and far.

Torre Lavelle ’16 Transforming Animal Shelters into a Service-Based Economy Kameel Mir ’15 Civil Society Collaboration Between the U.S., E.U., and Turkey Todd Pierson ’13 Traditional and Environmental DNA Detection of a Rare Amphibian Jacqueline Van De Velde ’14 A Critical Examination of Anglicanism in the Life of Laurence Sterne and Its Implications Within Tristram Shandy; Crossing the Threshold: British Integration Policy Through Haifa Zangana’s Women on a Journey Between Baghdad and London Addison Wright ’13 Clarification of the Mechanism of Aliivibrio fischeri HutW, a Class C Radical SAM Methyltransferase Enzyme

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Research and Conference Grants 2012-2013 Students Attend Professional and Academic Conferences with Funding from the Fellowship

Paul Kirschenbauer ’14 American Economic Association Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA Katie Lovejoy ’16 University Private Equity Summit, Salt Lake City, UT

Yuliya Bila ’14 AIESEC European Congress 2012, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; AIESEC US National Presidents’ Meeting, Phoenix, AZ; Spring 2013 AIESEC National Presidents’ Meeting, Seattle, WA

Marianne Ligon ’14 American Physician Scientists Association Southeast Regional Conference, Nashville, TN

Sara Black ’14 Real Food Challenge Breaking Ground Conference, Baltimore, MD

Bethany McCain ’13 American Economic Association Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA; Quinnipiac GAME III Forum, New York, NY

Jesse Chan ’14 Center for Automotive Research Management Briefing Seminar, Traverse City, MI; University Private Equity Summit, Salt Lake City, UT; American Accounting Association Annual Meeting 2012, Washington, DC Sara De La Torre Berón ’13 Cultural Landscapes: Preservation Challenges in the 21st Century, New Brunswick, NJ Megan Ernst ’15 National Conference for Media Reform, Denver, CO Eilidh Geddes ’15 University Private Equity Summit, Salt Lake City, UT Camille Gregory ’13 American Economic Association Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA; Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA; Not for Sale Global Forum, Silicon Valley, CA Osama Hashmi ’14 2nd Annual Conference on Medicine and Religion, Chicago, IL; Atlanta Start Up Weekend, Atlanta, GA

Ryan McLynn ’13 Andrews Institute Injuries in Football Conference, Destin, FL Sarah Mirza ’15 Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA Clara Nibbelink ’14 Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA Derek Ponticelli ’13 American Economic Association Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA Ben Reynolds ’13 Andrews Institute Injuries in Football Conference, Destin, FL Matthew Saltz ’13 University Private Equity Summit, Salt Lake City, UT Rachel Sellers ’14 Geological Society of America Conference, Charlotte, NC John B. Stroud ’16 University Private Equity Summit, Salt Lake City, UT Matthew Tyler ’14 SEC Biofuel Symposium, Atlanta, GA; Georgia Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Savannah, GA Jacqueline Van De Velde ’14 Religion and Security in Global Affairs Conference, Georgetown University, Washington, DC Cameron Zahedi ’14 Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Commons, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA

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Additional Conference Presentations and Publications Jesse Chan ’14

American Accounting Association Annual Meeting 2012, Washington, DC – “Ranking of Accounting Programs and Journals: A Google Scholar Citation Perspective”

Smitha Ganeshan ’14

National Council on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), LaCrosse, Wisconsin – “Access Healthcare: Improving Access to Primary Care Services for Low-Income Medicaid and Uninsured Patients”

Eilidh Geddes ’15

Solutions for the Future: Roosevelt Institute 2013 Student Policy Conference, Athens, GA – “Teacher Cheating Scandals in Georgia and Possible Policy Solutions”

Marianne Ligon ’14

Leadership Alliance National Symposium, Hartford, CT – “In Vitro Tools for Identifying SFB Signals That Stimulate Th17 Cell Development”; NYU SURP Poster Session, New York, NY – “In Vitro Tools for Identifying SFB Signals That Stimulate Th17 Cell Development”; American Physician Scientists Association Southeast Regional Conference, Nashville, TN – “In Vitro Tools for Identifying SFB Signals That Stimulate Th17 Cell Development”

Todd Pierson ’14 5th Asian Herpetological Conference, Chengdu, China – “Discovery and Detection of a Rare Amphibian”; Amphibian Academy, Toledo, Ohio – “Detecting Amphibians with Environmental DNA” Matthew Tyler ’14

Georgia Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Savannah, GA – “Moderate Southern Democrats in U.S. House Elections: The Causes and Implications of Diminished Democratic Support in 2010”

“

The AEA annual meeting was a great opportunity to learn about cutting-edge

economics research while meeting some of the biggest names in the field. I attended presentations on topics ranging from education policy to banking regulation questions, but I particularly enjoyed a demonstration of Google econometric analysis services put on by Hal Varian, Google’s chief economist and a very well known microeconomist. On top of the variety of interesting panels, the AEA hosts the always hilarious Economics Comedy Session at night, which is a must-attend event for anyone who claims to be an econ-nerd.”

—Derek Ponticelli ’13 American Economic Association Annual Meeting

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CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Graduating Fellows Highlight Their Service and Leadership Experiences

I’ve learned that being effective

Camille Gregory ’13 – “From volunteering in Athens on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to working with an international NGO, the Fellowship has

in community organizing means incorporating humility into leadership, listening more than

taught me how important it is to leverage community knowledge and develop local solutions to problems. As a first year, I mentored an autistic student at an Athens high school. Since his graduation, I’ve been involved in the Roosevelt Institute and Not For Sale at UGA. These experiences have given me confidence that our generation will change the world for the better.

talking, empowering others to develop their skills and experiences, and

“The Roosevelt Institute at UGA brings together students from across campus to discuss current domestic and international issues and to instigate change through policy initiatives. I wrote a policy paper addressing the divorce

inviting all stakeholders

mediation process for victims of domestic violence in

to the table, especially the

Georgia. Through the connections I made in the process, my recommendations were published in the 6th edition of

underrepresented. You don’t

the for judges in the state. Now I mentor students writing

have to plan rallies for a living

their own policies as they connect with stakeholders to take

to incorporate these concepts

student policies from paper to reality. As a leader in this organization, I’ve seen how well-informed student policy

into your work, however, and I

can have a huge impact on the community.

think I’ll carry these skills with

“I helped found the UGA chapter of Not For Sale, an anti-human trafficking organization, in my first year here.

me to ensure that whether I’m working in law, policy, or business, my work will always

I started by organizing fundraisers and advocacy events on campus. I went on to conduct research on human trafficking and presented my work at two conferences. Last summer, the

have an aspect of public

Fellowship funded a trip to Battambang, Cambodia, where I

service.”

worked with SALT (Sport and Leadership Training) Academy.

SALT empowers youth through soccer and works to prevent

—Sara Black ’14 Southern Energy Network, Real Food UGA, Sierra Student Coalition, The Greenhorns, Odum School of Ecology Ecotones

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human trafficking by keeping girls in school and developing community awareness. The relationships I’ve built with the amazing people in this field have inspired me to continue fighting for justice.”

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Derek Ponticelli ’13 – “The University of Georgia has

matheletes but rather to connect with the kids through

a tremendous spirit of engagement, and its location

a shared passion for problem solving. Instead of drilling

in the heart of Athens provides students with ample

questions with the kids, we give them brainteasers,

opportunities to make a difference in the community.

toothpick puzzles, or domino games to convey new

By developing clubs and organizations, students enable

concepts. So, while a couple of students would beat me

future classes to continue giving back to the Classic

at nearly every game we played and even made it to the

City. Phillip Mote (FF ’11) teamed with Betsy Allen

state math tournament, the majority of students were

(FF ’10) and Jenny Taylor (FF ’10) and did just that by

content with hanging out and learning something fun.

founding MATHCOUNTS Outreach at UGA. I’ve

“The curiosity of students at any age always

served as a coach for MATHCOUNTS Outreach every

impresses me. Last year we partnered with the UGA

year since I’ve been at UGA and as the president of the

math department and Dr. David Gay to host high

organization for the past two years. Like the Fellows

school students once a month and let them explore

before me, I’m focused on leaving a sustainable initiative

some avenue of math not covered in their curriculum.

behind that will grow for years to come.

At the first meeting, Dr. Gay spent about five minutes

“Today, MATHCOUNTS Outreach sends 150

explaining the rules of a game designed to teach kids

student coaches from UGA to nearly every middle

about knot theory, and nearly two hours later they were

school in Athens and is one of the largest service

still doodling knots on the chalk boards, discovering

organizations on campus. I’ve been lucky enough to

new theorems. Helping kids around Athens unlock

work with Malcom Bridge Middle School nearly every

an interest in math has been my favorite pastime at

semester and four other Athens middle schools for a

Georgia, and I’m happy to know that David Millard and

semester or two along the way and have formed close

other Fellows will continue to lead MATHCOUNTS

mentoring relationships with the students. At weekly

Outreach in the future.”

meetings, our goal has never been to train all-star

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FROM ATHENS TO CAPE TOWN Technology Integration and Educational Access David Millard first visited South Africa years ago on a

running on a consistent basis and load the software that

vacation with family friends. Little did he suspect that

will enable the students to get more from the resources

as a UGA student and Foundation Fellow, the country

on hand.

would one day bring together all his passions in a not-

“It is software-focused,” says David, who was aided by Foundation Fellow Cameron Zahedi during

so-tidy but inspiring package.

During his most recent Fellows spring trip, David

the month-long trip, the planning of which brought

returned to South Africa – this time, to the Khayelitsha

together professors from UGA as well as the University

township – and became aware of the crumbling

of Cape Town. “I am able to fix hardware, but that’s a

computer labs of local elementary schools. Although it’s

temporary fix. The long-term benefit I can provide is

been close to 20 years since South Africa existed under

working educational software.

the law of apartheid, there remains a disparity in the

“My goal is to provide an environment where

quality and quantity of public education, and David

kids can constructively use technology where all the

found that situation to be more than apparent in the

software is educationally geared; if they open a game, it’s

schools he visited.

educational. There’s a ton of free science software and

“On this trip, we had an educational focus,” says

free math software, and if they just want to figure out how

David, who plans to graduate in May 2014 with degrees

to use a computer, they’ll also be learning other things.”

in math and computer science. “We went to townships,

David adds that the schools’ libraries are in a

which are essentially communities outside of cities with

condition not unlike their computer labs. He hopes

temporary housing constructed by residents, and went

providing programs like Project Gutenberg (with more

to schools in the townships that were segregated during

than 40,000 free books available) and Wikipedia will put

apartheid. We had a conversation with professors from

library resources at students’ fingertips.

the University of Cape Town about why these schools

“We are trying to pack as much information as possible on these computers so it doesn’t have to be

are still underperforming and underfunded.

on the internet,” he says. “There’s a problem with

“There was a moment when we were walking through different classrooms and we walked into a

unreliable internet connections there, so we decided to

computer lab. They had really nice equipment, but a lot

set up a local server and also to put on each computer

of it was in a state of disrepair. I talked to the principal

a downloadable Wikipedia, Project Guttenberg, and a

and learned that students were only in the lab once

general education materials site called Open Educational

a week for an average of 40 minutes. And they use it

Resources Africa with an online depository of children’s

briefly for math and mainly play games.”

books. The computers can then serve as a temporary drop-in for a library and augment the amount of

Given his interest in technology and the role it plays in education, David saw a golden opportunity to meld his academic pursuits in a way that would be

information available at the school.”

David’s interests spring from his volunteer work

beneficial to the students and teachers of an entire

with several local initiatives, most notably Free IT

school, and maybe more than one school.

Athens and UGA MATHCOUNTS. Free IT Athens is a group of volunteers that collects old computers

In mid-July, the Athens native returned to Khayelitsha with networking equipment, a few tools and

and refurbishes them to sell at a reduced price, and the

as many CDs of free educational software as he could

organization also provides computer-related services

carry. His plan was to get the school’s computers up and

and free and open software. UGA MATHCOUNTS is

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a student-run, Honors Program-sponsored initiative to

acoustic-based robotic mapping, and this year he’s spent

aid area middle-school students in bolstering their math

time with Dr. Prashant Doshi in the UGA ThiNC Lab.

skills, and it’s where David began to develop the ideas that led to the “collision” course he’s on now.

“When I was a coach for MATHCOUNTS, I

With only a month in Khayelitsha, David knows he won’t be able to solve all the computer challenges that exist in even a couple of schools. He’s planning to apply

thought a lot about what’s useful in trying to motivate

for a Fulbright Grant to return to South Africa after

interested students and non-interested students,” says

graduation to continue to follow the trail he carved this

David, who now serves as president of the organization.

summer.

“I think a lot about education and technology and

David would like to “develop a similar software

free technology. It’s really exciting for me to get the

package that schools can install and can teach other

opportunity to see these things merge – collide, actually.

schools to install on their computers. Maybe it could

I guess I didn’t expect them to.”

propagate across schools in the township and the

During his time at UGA, David has also conducted research on behalf of the Physics and Astronomy

region.” He says, “Developing an easy-to-use package is the goal.”

Department, and has worked in the genetics lab of Dr. Daniel Promislow. In 2012, David traveled to the University of Freiburg in Germany for research on Foundation Fellows & R a m se y Honor s S chol ar s A nnual R ep ort

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L I S A A N N C O O L E AWA R D

The Lisa Ann This Year’s Recipient – Coole Award was established in 1999 Sara De La Torre Berón, Romance Languages to honor the memory The Foundation Fellowship develops global citizens, and no one of an extraordinary embodies this mission as completely as this year’s recipient of the Lisa young woman and to Ann Coole Award. inspire Foundation Fellows Sara arrived on campus speaking two languages, English and to translate into their Spanish, the language of her native Colombia. At that time, she lives the compassion, joy, intended to take on a third – the language of mathematics. But courage, and excellence that over the years, that interest shifted first to ecology and ultimately defined Lisa’s presence in the to the spectrum of Romance Languages, and now she is fluent Fellowship, at UGA, and in her or close to fluent in two more – having studied Portuguese and ecology in Brazil and having conducted extensive conservation communities both in Georgia research in France. After graduation, in the French Pyrenees, and in Illinois.

Lisa was a model Foundation Fellow. She graduated from The University of Georgia magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in biology in 1997.

She was a 19-time All-American swimmer, won two NCAA titles, and was selected as the 1997 NCAA Woman of the Year. Lisa had just completed her first year of veterinary medicine at the University of IllinoisChampaign when she died as a result of injuries received in an automobile accident.

In 1999, she was inducted into the UGA Athletic Association Circle of Honor, the highest tribute paid to former Bulldog athletes and coaches.

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she’ll continue her investigation of historical patterns of conservation, building not only on her linguistic skills but also on her deep commitment to ensuring a sustainable future for the planet.

Sara doesn’t just serve the global community, she is also committed to her hometown of Athens and the UGA and Fellows communities. Her classmates describe Sara as “incredibly selfless and kind,” with “an enthusiasm that is absolutely infectious.” They call her “the glue” of their class, “relating to everyone and measuring the pulse of the group.”

And they say that she is “always the first to offer to help out or organize an event,” that “she is one of those people who puts the needs of others before her own.”

One Fellow says, “Sara is like a tiny burst of happiness and energy that can’t help but light up your day. Immediately she takes an interest in your life and is eager to listen and help you however she can. Sara is the most thoughtful person I know.”

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Previous Recipients 2012 Hank Schwartz

2005 Krisda Chaiyachati

2011 Mir Inaamullah & Alex Squires

2004 Vanessa Reynolds

2010 Betsy Allen

2003 Chris Gibson

2009 Elizabeth Godbey

2002 Cathy Lee & Tina Rakkit

2008 Anant Mandawat

2001 Laquesha Sanders & Kyle Wingfield

2007 Helen Smith

2000 Bronson Lee

2006 Chloe Thompson

1999 Lacy Feldman & Torre Mills

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Camille Parker Gregory

Major(s): Romance Languages

Major(s): Geography

Minor(s): Anthropology, Ecology

Hometown: Brentwood, TN

Hometown: Athens, GA

Research: The U.S. Sex Market: How Demand Reduces Research and Visibility; Divorce Mediation and Domestic Violence Screening in Georgia; The Effect of Hirano Body Protein Content on the Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease

Research: Historical Ecology of the French Western Pyrenees; Dendrochronology and Climate Change of Southern Brazil; The Ordinance of 1669 in Application on la Grande Maîtrise de Toulouse as Documented by Louis de Froidour Travel-Study and Internships: Argentina; Brazil; Costa Rica; France; Italy; Morocco; Paraguay; Portugal; Spain; United Kingdom; Washington, DC; New Brunswick, NJ; New York, NY Campus/Community Activities: Go Green Alliance Co-Chair and Director of Member Relations, Study Abroad Peer Advisor, UGA Sustainable Tailgate Co-Coordinator, Sustainability Grant Selection Committee Member, Dawgs Ditch the Dumpster Co-Coordinator and Volunteer, Resident Assistant, Learning Ally Volunteer, Gameday Recycling Volunteer, Athens-Clarke County Mentoring Program Volunteer

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Travel-Study and Internships: Cambodia; Costa Rica; India; Ireland; South Korea; Thailand; United Kingdom; San Diego, CA; Washington, DC Campus/Community Activities: Roosevelt Institute Education and Equal Justice Center Director, Roosevelt Scholars Teaching Assistant, Not For Sale at UGA Executive Director, Demosthenian Literary Society Associate Justice, Carl Vinson Institute of Government Intern, Georgia Divorce Mediation Working Group Member, Campus Kitchen Volunteer, Athens Land Trust Volunteer, Geography Recruitment Committee Member

Honors and Awards: Lisa Ann Coole Award, Outstanding French Student in Literature, Dean’s List, Presidential Scholar, magna cum laude with High Honors

Honors and Awards: American Association of Geographers Excellence of Scholarship Award, Merle C. Prunty Scholarship, Kenyon Award, Blue Key Honor Society, Palladia Honor Society, Franklin College of Arts and Science Outstanding Student, Presidential Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude with Highest Honors

Bethany Cotten McCain

Ryan Patrick McLynn

Major(s): Economics, International Affairs

Major(s): Biology, Psychology Hometown: Johns Creek, GA

Hometown: Johns Creek, GA Research: Comparisons Between the Argentine and Greek Debt Crises Travel-Study and Internships: Argentina; India; Morocco; United Kingdom; Uruguay; San Diego, CA; Washington, DC; New York, NY Campus/Community Activities: Omicron Delta Kappa President, Corsair Society Vice President, Student Assistant in the Office of the Provost, ugaMiracle Executive Board, Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, Arch Society; Georgia Grand Strategy Research Group Honors and Awards: Palladia Honor Society, Order of Omega, Dean’s List, Presidential Scholar, Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude with Highest Honors

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Research: Developing Novel Drug Treatments for P. falciparum Malaria Infections; Studying HER2 Mutations in Esophageal Adenocarcinomas Travel-Study and Internships: India; Morocco; Peru; United Kingdom; Washington, DC; Destin, FL; Boston, MA; New York, NY Campus/Community Activities: Whatever It Takes at UGA Education Director, ugaMiracle Administration Director, Student Assistant in the Office of the Provost, Honors Teaching Assistant, MATHCOUNTS Outreach, Honors Medicine in Literature Discussion Group, Student Government Association, Tutor to UGA Student Athletes, Charter Lecture Committee Honors and Awards: Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Fellowship, Pamela Ann Henkel Award for Organic Chemistry, Student Representative to the Josiah Meigs Professorship and Russell Teaching Award Committees, Dean’s List, Presidential Scholar, Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude with Honors

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profiles

Todd Warren Pierson

Derek Anthony Ponticelli

Major(s): Ecology

Major(s): Economics (BA/MA), Mathematics

Hometown: Indianapolis, IN Research: Patch-Occupancy and Detection Rates of Headwater Salamanders; Using Environmental DNA to Survey for a Rare Amphibian

Hometown: Marietta, GA Research: Cable and Internet Investment and Bundling Strategies; Optimal Stock Market Trading Strategies

Travel-Study and Internships: China; Costa Rica; Guatemala; Honduras; Italy; Nicaragua; Oman; South Korea; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; Washington, DC; New York, NY

Travel-Study and Internships: Costa Rica; France; Italy; South Korea; Tanzania; United Kingdom; San Diego, CA; Denver, CO; Washington, DC; Boston, MA; New York, NY

Campus/Community Activities: UGA Herpetological Society Co-President, Gameday Recycling Executive Board, Ecology Club, Discover Life Amphibian Database Editor

Campus/Community Activities: MATHCOUNTS Outreach President and Public Relations/Membership Coordinator, Corsair Society, Math Club, Honors Teaching Assistant, Economics Society, Georgia Club Ultimate Frisbee

Honors and Awards: Udall Scholar, National Geographic Young Explorer, Truman Scholarship Finalist, Laerm Award for Undergraduates, Amphibian Ark 2011 Photographic Award, Blue Key Honor Society, UGA Amazing Student, Dean’s List, Presidential Scholar, summa cum laude with Highest Honors

Honors and Awards: Hollingsworth Award, Strahan Award for Outstanding Junior in Mathematics, 1st Place Kossak Calculus Challenge, UGA Amazing Student, Terry College Award for Outstanding Achievement in Economics, Blue Key Honor Society, Dean Tate Honor Society, Jaworski Award for Outstanding Student in the Physical Sciences, Presidential Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude with Highest Honors, First Honor Graduate

Reuben Arthur Reynolds

Matthew Wyatt Saltz

Major(s): Biology

Major(s): Computer Science (BS/ MS)

Hometown: Bainbridge, GA Research: Correlation Between Neck Strength and Flexibility and Cerebro-Spinal Injuries in Football Travel-Study and Internships: Costa Rica; Italy; Morocco; United Kingdom; Washington, DC; Bradenton, FL; New York, NY Campus/Community Activities: Student-Athlete Advisory Committee – UGA Co-President, Special Olympics Liaison, and Representative to the SEC, IFC Community Service Co-Chair, Chi Psi Brotherhood Development Chair, Eagle Scout Board of Review Member, Dean of Students Advisory Board – Athletic Representative, Constitutional Committee, and Diversity Fund Review Board Honors and Awards: UGA Football Scout Team Player of the Year, 3-time UGA Football Scout Team Player of the Week, UGA Football Varsity Letter, 3-time SEC Academic Honor Roll, Franklin College Student Spotlight

Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA Research: Distributed Graph Pattern Matching Travel-Study and Internships: Costa Rica; France; Iceland; Italy; South Korea; Spain; United Kingdom; Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA; Baton Rouge, LA; New York, NY; Salt Lake City, UT Campus/Community Activities: Up in the Air Keyboard and Guitar Player, Electronic Music Composer, MATHCOUNTS Outreach Mentor, Thomas Lay After School Program Mentor, Physics Tutor, Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity Honors and Awards: Erasmus Mundus European Union Graduate Scholar, J. G. Hollingsworth Award, Computer Science Representative on Dean’s Student Advisory Board, Computer Science External Advisory Board, Presidential Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude with Highest Honors, First Honor Graduate

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Waring “Buck” Trible III

Megan Nicole Unger

Major(s): Ecology, Entomology

Major(s): Biology

Hometown: Fredericksburg, VA

Hometown: Kingsland, GA

Research: Cuticular Pheromones and Fire Ant Queens: What’s the Smell of a Bearded Queen?; Manipulating Tropical Fire Ants to Decrease the Coffee Berry Borer; A Sociometry of the Tropical Fire Ant Solenopsis geminata; Testing the Relative Importance of the Metabolic Theory of Ecology and Tropical Niche Conservatism in the Formation of North American Ant Communities; The Draft Genome of Solenopsis geminata; Determining the Influence of Colony Foundation Strategies on Queen Flight Morphology in the Tropical Fire Ant Solenopsis geminata; Description of the Enigmatic Army ant Aenictogeton spp. from Males and Workers

Travel-Study and Internships: Costa Rica; Morocco; Nicaragua; United Kingdom; Washington, DC; Savannah, MO; New York, NY

Travel-Study and Internships: Argentina; Costa Rica; Nicaragua; Panama; South Korea; Uganda Campus/Community Activities: Ecology Club President; Genetics Learning Community Peer Advisor

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Campus/Community Activities: Honors Teaching Assistant, Brumby Hall Resident Assistant, Mary Lyndon Hall Resident Assistant, UGA Football First Aid Program Volunteer, Pre-Veterinary Medicine Club Secretary, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Research Assistant, College of Veterinary Medicine Wildlife Treatment Crew, Omega Tau Sigma Professional Veterinary Fraternity Member, Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association Class Senator Honors and Awards: Dean’s List, Presidential Scholar, summa cum laude with Highest Honors

Honors and Awards: Goldwater Scholar, Student Speaker for UGA Founder’s Day 2012, 1st place presenter College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences (CAES) Undergraduate Symposium 2011, 3rd place presenter CAES Undergraduate Symposium 2012, 1st place poster CAES Undergraduate Symposium 2013, Honors International Scholar, UGA Amazing Student, Ant Course Attendant, Dean’s List, Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude with High Honors

Lance William White

Addison Von Wright

Major(s): Spanish

Major(s): Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, History

Hometown: Alma, GA Research: Phonetic Characteristics of Puerto Rican Spanish Travel-Study and Internships: Argentina; Costa Rica; Guatemala; Puerto Rico; South Korea; United Kingdom; Uruguay; Washington, DC; New York, NY Campus/Community Activities: Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind Co-Area Coordinator, Tate Student Center Information Desk Attendant, UGA MATHCOUNTS Outreach, Ecotones a cappella Singer and Treasurer, Honors Teaching Assistant Honors and Awards: Dean’s List, Presidential Scholar

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Hometown: Marietta, GA Research: Biochemical Characterization of HutZ and HutW, Two Proteins Involved in Heme Utilization by Aliivibrio fischeri Travel-Study and Internships: China; Costa Rica; South Korea; Tanzania; United Kingdom; Washington, DC; New York, NY Campus/Community Activities: MATHCOUNTS Outreach Volunteer Coordinator, Cellular Biology Grader Honors and Awards: Alan J. Jaworski Science Award, CURO Scholar Distinction, Presidential Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude with Highest Honors, First Honor Graduate

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profiles

Brittany Anne Young Major(s): Finance, International Business Minor(s): Spanish; Personal and Organizational Leadership Certificate Hometown: Lewisville, TX Travel-Study and Internships: Guatemala; India; Spain; United Kingdom; Washington, DC; New York, NY Campus/Community Activities: Student Government Association Freshman Forum – President, Service Initiative Chairperson, and Academic Affairs Committee Director, Designated Dawgs Executive Director and Vice President of Finance, Leonard Leadership Scholars Program, Safe Ride Program United – CoFounder, Annual Convention Delegate, and Annual Conference Director, ExportGA Intern, Shop with a Bulldawg, Athens Latino Center for Education and Services Honors and Awards: Leonard Leadership Scholar, cum laude with Honors

When I came to UGA, I knew I wanted to be a physician. I was also able to pursue Italian, art history, and a summer program in geology, in addition to my double major in zoology and biochemistry. My mentors at UGA helped me realize that I could set my goals high, and I was accepted into the competitive MSTP (Medical Scientist Training Program) at Washington University in St. Louis – at the time rated ‘the most selective’ medical school in the U.S. I could tell that my education at UGA compared well with, and maybe even better than, that of my classmates.”

—Dr. Robin A. Kundra, FF Alumna ’92 MD/PhD, Internist, Downtown Medical St. Louis

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Yuliya Bila Cherokee HS Canton, GA International Affairs, Russian, Spanish

Sara Thomas Black Mountain Brook HS Mountain Brook, AL Anthropology, Ecology

Jesse Yuen-Fu Chan Beech HS Hendersonville, TN Accounting

Smitha Ganeshan Northview HS Alpharetta, GA Anthropology, Biology

Joseph Elliott Gerber Adlai E. Stevenson HS Lincolnshire, IL International Affairs

Philip Joseph Grayeski Bridgewater-Raritan Regional HS Bridgewater, NJ Chemistry, Genetics

Osama Shariq Hashmi Lakeside HS Augusta, GA Biology, Master of Public Health

Anisha Ramchandra Hegde Brookwood HS Snellville, GA Comparative Literature, Genetics

Paul Alexander Kirschenbauer Baylor School Chattanooga, TN Economics, German

Marianne Morris Ligon D. W. Daniel HS Clemson, SC Cellular Biology, Microbiology

David Richman Millard Athens Academy Athens, GA Computer Science, Mathematics

Clara Marina Nibbelink Cedar Shoals HS Athens, GA Geography, Women & Media Production

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Rachel Claire Sellers South Forsyth HS Cumming, GA Geology

Blake Elizabeth Shessel The Lovett School Atlanta, GA Animal Ethics, Biology

Jeremiah Hudson Stevens Northwest Whitfield HS Rocky Face, GA Agriscience & Environmental Systems

Jacqueline Elizabeth Van De Velde Glynn Academy St. Simons Island, GA English (BA/MA), International Affairs

Kishore Pavan Vedala Alpharetta HS Alpharetta, GA Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Economics

Cameron Saeed Zahedi Milton HS Alpharetta, GA Economics, Mathematics, Physics

Matthew Telford Tyler Druid Hills HS Atlanta, GA Political Science (BA/MA)

I often think about the trips I took as a Foundation Fellow, both individually and in groups, and how they prepared me for my Fulbright year. I found that I had the ‘problem’ of not being able to find space on my graduate applications to talk about all of the relevant preparation I had in French. I mean, even just fitting the words ‘France, Morocco, Montréal, Bénin, UGA French Language Community’ into the box marked ‘experience outside high school/college courses’ was a challenge.”

—Morgann Lyles, FF Alumna ’12 Fulbright Scholar, France; Stanford Teacher Education Program, Graduate School of Education, Stanford University

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Joshua Andrew Chang Gwinnett School of Math, Science and Technology Duluth, GA Biology, Genetics, Microbiology

Savannah Elyse Colbert A.N. McCallum HS Austin, TX Public Relations

Maria Gardner Cox Episcopal HS Peachtree City, GA English, Mass Media Arts

Megan Elizabeth Ernst Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School Atlanta, GA Journalism, Political Science, Master of Public Administration

Parker Timothy Evans Franklin HS Franklin, TN Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Economics

Eilidh Geddes Dunwoody HS Dunwoody, GA Economics, Mathematics

Sophia Helene Giberga St. Scholastica Academy Covington, LA Political Science

Allison Nicole Koch John F. Kennedy Senior HS Cedar Rapids, IA Anthropology, Latin American & Caribbean Studies

Ronald Jackson Kurtz Duluth HS Duluth, GA Political Science

Michael Tyler Land Pickens HS Jasper, GA Cellular Biology, Genetics, Spanish

Kameel Mir George Walton Comprehensive HS Marietta, GA English, International Affairs

Sarah Aneese Mirza Grand Island Senior HS Grand Island, NE Geography, Spanish

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Gautam Rajhar Narula Alpharetta HS Alpharetta, GA Computer Science, Political Science

Davis Reynolds Parker Huntsville HS Huntsville, AL Economics, Mathematics, Political Science

Camir Neville Ricketts Herbert Morrison Technical HS Buford, GA Microbiology

James Alexander Rowell Lowndes HS Valdosta, GA Economics, International Affairs, Political Science

Grace Maastricht Siemietkowski Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School Washington, DC French, Political Science

John Henry Tab Thompson A. C. Flora HS Columbia, SC Economics, Political Science

Megan Frances White Northview HS Johns Creek, GA International Affairs, Linguistics

Avery Elizabeth Wiens The Lovett School Atlanta, GA Chemistry, Mathematics

Perhaps the greatest thing the Foundation Fellowship offered me was the opportunity to get to know other students who, like me, strove for excellence in all that they did. I learned a great deal from my fellow Fellows as we traveled, studied, and met together with visiting scholars and artists from across the globe. And from the perspective of someone with multiple graduate degrees, it is an amazing thing to finish college with absolutely no debt!”

—Dr. Anne Kissel, FF Alumna ’94 – Instructor of Piano, SUNY Fredonia School of Music

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Caroline Grace Coleman William R. Boone HS Orlando, FL Economics

Alexandra Rae Edquist Alpharetta HS Alpharetta, GA Economics

Lee Handly Folk Ensworth HS Nashville, TN Business

Kirstie Dolores Hostetter Houston HS Collierville, TN Environmental Economics & Management

Caleb Alexander Ingram Richmond Hill HS Richmond Hill, GA Unspecified

Shaun Henry Kleber Henry W. Grady HS Atlanta, GA International Affairs, Political Science

Torre Elisabeth Lavelle Mount de Sales Academy Macon, GA Ecology

Christopher Thomas Lewitzke Grayslake North HS Third Lake, IL Marketing, Public Relations

Katherine Ann Lovejoy Myers Park HS Charlotte, NC Economics, International Affairs

Kelsey Jane Lowrey Chamblee HS Dunwoody, GA Applied Biotechnology, German

Sandip Kaur Minhas Richmond Hill HS Richmond Hill, GA Biology

Caroline Elizabeth Moore Socastee HS, Scholars Academy Myrtle Beach, SC Advertising, Master of Arts in Journalism

Meredith Marie Flood Paker James Madison Memorial HS Madison, WI Economics

Eytan Aaron Palte The Weber School Atlanta, GA International Affairs

Rand Warren Pope Brookwood School Barwick, GA Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Spanish

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Hannah Mary Reiss Decatur HS Decatur, GA Genetics

Giovanni Righi Collins Hill HS Lawrenceville, GA Ecology, Economics

Leighton Michele Rowell North Springs Charter HS Sandy Springs, GA Romance Languages

Madison Grace Snelling Henry Clay HS Lexington, KY International Affairs

Minhyuk Michael Song Brookwood HS Lawrenceville, GA Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Karishma Sriram Athens Academy Athens, GA Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

John Bradley Stroud Glynn Academy St. Simons Island, GA Economics, Mathematics

Kevin Hongyi Sun Johns Creek HS Johns Creek, GA Economics, Mathematics

Treva Chung-Kwan Tam Blessed Trinity Catholic HS Roswell, GA International Affairs, Sociology

Bert Ferguson Thompson, Jr. Stratford Academy Macon, GA History, International Affairs

La’Ron-Chenee H. Tracey Brookwood HS Lawrenceville, GA International Affairs

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Jonathan Paul Adelman Pace Academy Marietta, GA Economics, Mathematics

Tristan Paul Bagala Vandebilt Catholic HS Lockport, LA International Relations

Catherine Mahala Callaway Woodward Academy Johns Creek, GA Cognitive Science

Laura Agatha Courchesne Rumson Fair Haven Regional HS Fair Haven, NJ Cognitive Science, Economics

Jonah Stephen Driggers Glynn Academy St. Simons Island, GA Economics, Geography

Nathan Andrew Farr Webb School of Knoxville Knoxville, TN Mathematics, Spanish

Carver Lowell Harris Goodhue Clarke Central HS Athens, GA Spanish

Shuchi Goyal Northview HS Johns Creek, GA Finance, Marketing

Glenn Anderson Jacoby George Walton Academy Social Circle, GA Biology, Spanish

Susan Margaret Jones North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Hickory, NC Animal Science

Hammad Ahmed Khalid Peachtree Ridge HS Duluth, GA Biology, Psychology

Charles Edward Leasure IV Malvern Preparatory School Devon, PA Business, Engineering

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Bruce Li Milton HS Milton, GA Economics

Krystal Lo Alan C. Pope HS Marietta, GA Accounting, Finance

Vijeth Mudalegundi South Forsyth HS Cumming, GA Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Economics

Trang Xuan Nguyen James Madison Memorial HS Madison, WI Agricultural Communications

Morrison Robert Nolan Gwinnet School of Math, Science and Technology Stone Mountain, GA Chemistry

Justin Samuel Payan Woodward Academy Douglasville, GA Mathematics

Gabrielle Antoinette Pierre American International School of Kingston Kingston, Jamaica Environmental Engineering

Elijah Hunter Scott Lakeside HS Martinez, GA Political Science

Jason Patrick Terry Druid Hills HS Atlanta, GA International Affairs, Political Science

Luke Tellis Thompson A.C. Flora HS Columbia, SC Biology

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FOUNDATION FELLOWS NEWEST ALUMNI – CLASS OF 2013 Sara De La Torre Berón University of Pau and Pays de l’Adour, Master’s Degree in Anthropology, Pau, France Camille Parker Gregory

Business Analyst, McKinsey & Company, Atlanta, Georgia

Bethany Cotten McCain

Analyst, J.P. Morgan, New York, New York

Ryan Patrick McLynn Yale School of Medicine Todd Warren Pierson

Research Assistant, Detection of Aquatic Amphibians Using Environmental DNA, Environmental Health Science, Athens, Georgia

Derek Anthony Ponticelli

Business Analyst, McKinsey & Company, Atlanta, Georgia

Reuben Arthur Reynolds University of Georgia, Pre-Medical Studies Matthew Wyatt Saltz

Erasmus Mundus EU Graduate Scholar, Master’s Degree in Data Mining and Knowledge Management, University of Lyon Lumière Lyon 2, Lyon, France and Technical University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain

Waring “Buck” Trible III

Doctoral Fellow, Rockefeller University, Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology

Megan Unger (Caudill) University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine Lance William White

Web Design, Small Business Consulting, and Graduate Studies in Spanish, Athens, Georgia

Addison Von Wright University of California at Berkeley, PhD Candidate, Biochemistry Brittany Anne Young

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Analyst, Finance Foundation Program, Cat Financial, Caterpillar Inc, Nashville, Tennessee

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F o u ndation F E L L O W S A L U M N I Class of 1977 John Ernest Graves Robert Richardson Rice Joseph Allan Tucker, Jr. Class of 1978 Michael Thomas Bohannon Audrey Shields (Crumbley) Class of 1979 William Ball John Weldon Harbin Harold Bobby Lowery Class of 1980 Sara Shlaer Bryan Jay Whitfield Class of 1981 Cornelia Isabella Bargmann Class of 1982 Fred Holtz III Peter Lumpkin Patrick Michael Brian Terry Catherine Leigh Touchton Class of 1983 William Mark Faucette Frank J. Hanna Betsy Lyons (McCabe) Judson Durward Watson III Class of 1984 Stephen Robert Ellis Jessica Bruce Hunt Denise Lamberski (Fisher) Charles William McDaniel Robert Brad Mock Kevin Brett Polston Sara Voyles (Haddow) Leslie Williams (Wade) Class of 1985 Sharon Anderson (White) Charles Victor Bancroft Margaret Crowder (Lawrence) Marjorie Dixon (Mitchell) Frank Eugene Glover, Jr. Shannon Terrell (Harvey) Tab Eugene Thompson Christopher Lamar Vickery Class of 1986 Grace Elizabeth Hale Andrew Madison Martin Stephen William Smith Mark Edward White Class of 1987 Rebecca Elizabeth Biron Bruce Edward Bowers Anne Davison (Dolaher) John Edward Fowler, Jr.

Mary Ruth Hannon Noel Langston Hurley Kirsten Jarabek (Franklin) Elizabeth Ford Lehman Robert Marcus Reiner Margaret Ruth Sparks Class of 1988 Sharon Blair (Enoch) Thomas Christopher Cisewski India Frances Lane Linda Leith (Giambalvo) Cathy Luxenberg (Barnard) Neil Chandler Thom John Eugene Worth Class of 1989 Lisa Caucci Courtney Cook (Wiswall) Amy Lee Copeland Julie Kathleen Earnhart Adena Elder (Potter) Susan Golden (James) Nancy Letostak (Glasser) Leah Deneen Lowman Kyle Wayne Sager Andrew William Stith Kimberlee Walkenspaw (Wilson) Class of 1990 Maitreya Badami Albert Felton Jenkins III Gwen Renee Kaminsky Mark David Sheftall John Carlyle Shelton Alicia Elsbeth Stallings Class of 1991 James Ansley Granade III Elizabeth Hebert (Day) Paul Harvey Matthews John Phillip Piedrahita Susan Shackelford (Dawes) Marc Lane Silverboard Lougene Williams III Class of 1992 Laura Jane Calhoon (Lyttle) Robert Geoffrey Dillard Chris Gunter Anne Marie Hargaden Robert Kirk Harris Martin Allie Hollingsworth Robin Ann Kundra Andrew McSwain Millians Charles Andrew Mitchell Christina Stewart (Payton) Class of 1993 Michael Herman Burer Jennifer Cathey (Arbitter) Christine Darden (Brennan) Albert Vernon Dixon III David Michael Hettesheimer

Peter James McBrayer Mia Noerenberg (Miller) Spencer Allen Rice Thad Andrew Riddle Nevada Waugh (Reed) Philip Rodney Webb Christen Wheeler (Mitchell) H. Thomas Willman III Class of 1994 Sonja Victoria Batten Stephen Spratlin Bullock Jennifer Tracie Calvert (Rosser) Pamela Ann Hungerbuhler Michael Paul Jones, Jr. Anne Kissel (Harper) Eric Marvin Overby Brett Jerry Pellock Caroline Placey Jennifer Marie Rubin Laura Anne Shepherd Katherine Anne Smith Julie Lynne Steiner Class of 1995 Laura Barbas (Rhoden) Harold Dean Green, Jr. Scott Allen Haggard Joshua Eric Kight Molly Megan McCarthy Darren Howard Pillsbury Andrew Rhea Schretter Amanda Wojtalik-(Courter) Class of 1996 Keith Robert Blackwell Thomas Andrew Bryan Robert Compton Cartwright Timothy Paul George Bomee Jung James Benjamin Kay IV Bradley Scott Malcom Michael Justin Shoemake Robert Matthew Sutherland Stephen Jefferson Tate Robert Thomas Trammell, Jr. Class of 1997 Ryan Paul Bartlett Christie Mew Jan Leilani Cooksey Lisa Ann Coole William Stephen Steiner Andrew Abell Wade Class of 1998 Jay Chugh Adrian John Daigle Catherine Allison Evans (Webb) Brandon Edward Kremer Robyn Andree Painter Vijaya Rangan Palaniswamy Beth Alison Shapiro

Class of 1999 Leona Nichole Council Laura Lacy Feldman (McCurdy) Jane Huang TorrĂŠ Deshun Mills Ellen Sutherland (Irby) Class of 2000 Melissa Marlene Bugbee Dhruti Jerry Contractor Tiffany Celena Earley-(Spadoni) Matthew Scott Eckman Holly Gooding (Tran) Bronson Hurst Lee Michael Eugene Morris Ethan James Sims Class of 2001 Laura Ann Adang Dustin Joseph Calhoun Christopher Macdonald Caruso Semil P. Choksi Fruzsina Anna Csaszar Corey Scott Gill Amita Ramesh Hazariwala Kathryn Jessica Hull Robert Gardner Linn Thomas John Ludlam Francis Joseph Martin Amy Mulkey (McGowan) Joseph Adams Perry-(Parrish) Laquesha Shantelle Sanders Andrew Clark Thompson Kyle Burton Wingfield Class of 2002 Divya Balakrishnan Julie Dotterweich (Gunby) Laramie Elizabeth Duncan Amy Elizabeth Early Eric Jonas Gapud Allyson Elizabeth Harper Alyssa Lillian Holmgren Rachel Kassel Cathy A. Lee-(Miller) Marc Paul Lindsay Caitlin Christine Martell Lorina Naci Kameko Lanilaura Nichols Mary Catherine Plunkett Tina Rakkhit Suzanne Elizabeth Scoggins Steven Christopher Smith Kathryn Stepp (Nicolai) Lakshmi Swamy Andrew John Sucre Andrew Wright Emory Paul Wright Class of 2003 Maria Anderson (Booth) John Anthony Asalone Marshall Martin Chalmers

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F o u ndation F E L L O W S A L U M N I Timothy Tianyi Chen Kimberly Council (Sheridan) Adam Steven Cureton Brian Matthew Dunham Christopher James Gibson Jennifer Gibson (Gill) Leah Rose Givens Eirin K. Kallestad Dmitry Sergeevich Kolychev Tanya Marie Martin Meredith Neal McCarthy Robin Elizabeth McGill Jeffrey Daniel Pugh Robert Province Quinn Jennifer Srygley (Sucre) Chung Gyun “Gemma” Suh Buudoan Vinh “Doannie” Tran Melanie Monroe Venable Joseph Brendan Wolpin Class of 2004 Virginia Barton (Bowen) John Carnes Boggan Amanda Morgan Casto William Cullen Conly Blake Linton Doughty Ellen Downs (Beaulieu) Corrin Nicole Drakulich Deepti Gupta-(Patel) Sarah Nicole Hemmings Bliss Immanuel Khaw David Alan Kross Daniel Michael Ludlam Evan James Magers Megan Jean McKee Kunal Mitra Jane Adaeze Okpala Julie Walsh Orlemanski Satya Hiru Patel Nathan Willis Ratledge Daniel Winfield Reed Travis Daniel Reeves Vanessa Reynolds (Hale) Randolph Lines Starr Carson Wayne Strickland Manoj “Sachin” Varghese Josh Alan Weddle Charles Elliott Willson Class of 2005 Raechel Keay Anglin Benjamin Samuel Bain Allison Cathleen Carter Krisda Chaiyachati Eugenia Gina Chu Charles Philip Ciaccio, Jr. Renee Claire Contreras Matthew Tyler Crim John Thomas DeGenova Jeremy Paul Johnson Kathryn Elizabeth Kay Ivy Nguyen Le Ashley Marie Lott Tuquyen Mach (Yee)

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Thomas Michael Mittenzwei Brendan Francis Murphy Sarah Ellen Sattelmeyer Kacie Schoen (Darden) Allison Michelle Scott Amy Nicole Sexauer Matthew Buckley Smith Adam Martin Sparks Jeanette Eva Thurber Charles Thompson Tuggle III Katherine Helen Vyborny Leslie S. Wolcott Anne Martin Zimmerman Class of 2006 Jennifer Andrea Bartmess Jason Michael Brown Melissa Cabinian (Kinnebrew) Jana Dopson (Illston) Simon Flax Ferrari Daniel Joseph Gough Beth Grams (Margalis) Warren Brandon Holton Lisa Last (Moore) Joseph Robert LeCates William Michael Lynch Patrick Joseph Maher Katherine Leigh Morgan Jenny Page (Linton) Sara Pilzer (Weiss) Brian Patrick Quinif Heather Michaela Ripley Rebekah Lee Rogers Laura Emiko Soltis Robert Christopher Staley Matthew James Stewart Nathan Joseph Stibrich Chloe Thompson (Kelley) David Carson Turner Class of 2007 Mary Alvarez-(Hall) William Brooks Andrews Franklin “BJ” Ard John Christopher Binford Yves Wolfgang Laurent Bouillet Priya Chandan Caelin Cubenas (Potts) Lesley Marie Graybeal Anna Vivian Harrison John Floyd Howell Douglas Michael Jackson Joseph Edgar Lariscy IV Michael James Levengood Robert Bradley Lindell Andrew Campbell McKown Erin Alicia Mordecai Yannick Beale Morgan Amulya Nagarur Jayanthi L. Narain Corrine Allison Novell Sarah Brown Puryear Helen Caples Smith Zachery Philip Smith

Jake Everett Turrentine Katrin Usifo Class of 2008 Lynzi Jacqueline Archibald Maria Alejandra Baetti Sarah Ritchey Bellamy Anureet Cheema (Copeland) Benjamin Tyler Cobb Katherine Elizabeth Folkman Matthew Wood Grayson Adele Handy (Goodloe) Shannon Snead Hiller Donald Ray Johnson, Jr. Joseph Robert Kapurch Peter Tomlinson Klein Mindy Cara Lipsitz Anant Mandawat William Giles Mann Jordan Elizabeth Myers Bryan Scott Overcarsh Tyler Blalock Pratt Deep Jayendrakumar Shah Gabriel Rehman Skaukat Adam Thomas George Valentinov Vulov Rachel Elizabeth Whitaker (Elam) Class of 2009 Craig Chike Akoh Payton McCurry Bradford Kevin Kyong Chang Chuan “CiCi” Cheng Christopher John Chiego Rebecca Yeong Ae Corey Colleen Helen Cotton Jordan Allen Dalton Christina Lynn Faust William “Beau” Gilmore Elizabeth Anne Godbey Sana Hashmi (Zahiruddin) Clare JoAnna Hatfield Chadwick Parker Hume Brittany Morgan Lee Caitlin McLaughlin (Poe) Nithya Natrajan (Hall) Milner Owens (Staub) Kevin Christopher Poe Elizabeth Anne Riggle Paul Andrew Ruddle II Marlee Jean Waxelbaum Class of 2010 Elisabeth Lundsberg Allen Thomas Matthew Bailey Amanda Nicole Brouillette Sarah Marie Caruana Kevin Peter Copp Amy Patricia Davis David Dawei Fu Peter Carswell Horn David Martin Howcroft Kelsey Jones (Pratt)

Connor Lawson McCarthy Sharon Aileen Marie McCoy Laura Elizabeth McDonald Joshua Ivan McLaurin Zoe Eva Fadul Meroney Allon Mordel Virginia Susan Newman Cleveland Alcides Piggott, Jr. Lucas Llanso Puente Jennifer Ann Taylor Lila Elisabeth Tedesco Robert Barton Thrasher Jasmaine Denice Williams Class of 2011 Stephanie Lee Chapman Katherine Sara Cuadrado Ryan Michael Friday Lucy Fu Katherine Geales Goodwin Marcus Jamel Hines Mir Mohamed Inaamullah Anne Helene Karam Matthew Henry Levenson Xiaofeng (Phoeny) Li John Benjamin Marshall Aaron Bartow Marshburn Calley Aileen Mersmann Phillip Charles Mote Muktha Sundar Natrajan Rachel Hannah Pocock Sabrina Ann Ragaller Robert Nalls Rosenbleeth Robert Darnell Sinyard III Alexander David Squires Claire Underwood (Hailey) Tracy Jane Yang Sheena Shiyi Zhang Class of 2012 Victoria Suzanne Akin Juliet Elizabeth Allan Jaime Elizabeth Ayers Juan Carlos Cardoza-Oquendo Patrick Joseph Fitzmaurice Dana Lynn Higgins Hillary Dolores Kingsley Logan Hunter Krusac Morgann Ashley Lyles Tatum Danielle Mortimer Luke Hensley Mosley Saptarsi Mukhopadyay Bryn Elise Murphy Jacob Hunter Rooney Henry Louis Schwartz Matthew Richard Sellers Anuj Atul Shukla William Harry Stephenson Hemali Prakash Vin Thomas Matthew Ward David Michael Zweig

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F oundation F E L L O W S A L U M N I P rofiles

CORI BARGMANN – CLASS OF 1981

Earlier this year, Foundation Fellow aluma 2013 Cori Bargmann joined an elite group of scholars when she was among 11 scientists Breakthrough to win the inaugural Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, an award established by Prize in Life six entrepreneurs dedicated to advancing breakthrough research towards curing Sciences intractable diseases and extending human life.

The Athens native, who graduated from UGA with a biochemistry degree in 1981 and earned her PhD in 1997 from MIT, is the Torsten N. Wiesel Professor and head of the Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior at Rockefeller University in New York City.

She is also an investigator at the Huges Medical Institute.

Cori’s fellow faculty member, Titia de Lange, who is head of Rockefeller’s cell biology and genetics lab, also earned Breakthrough Prize recognition, which comes with a $3 million award A neurobiologist, Cori was recognized for her work on the genetics of neural circuits and behavior, and synaptic guidepost molecules. Using the roundworm C. elegans as the focus of her research (due to its sense of smell), Cori studies the connections among genes, the nervous system, and behavior. Her research has identified genes and nerve pathways for their actions and has determined the role of sensory inputs in regulating those circuits.

Cori, whose father Rolf Bargmann was a UGA faculty member in computer science and statistics, has been recognized for her study of human brain functions, and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She has a received a host of awards and prizes, including the Richard Lounsbery Award from the U.S. and French National Academies of Science in 2009.

Cori has said that while at UGA, she was introduced by Alumni Foundation Distinguished Professor Wyatt Anderson to Sidney Kushner in the genetics department, and in Kushner’s laboratory she studied bacterial genetics and molecular biology, which provided the blueprint for her career of discovery.

The only Foundation Fellow in the Class of 1981, Cori was just the 11th student to receive the Fellowship after it was established in 1977.

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KACIE MORENO-SCHOEN DARDEN – CLASS OF 2005

As a Ramsey Scholar, a MidTerm Foundation Fellow, and a Coca-Cola Scholar, Kacie Fellow Alumna Moreno-Schoen Darden enjoyed multiple opportunities Breaks Female for international adventure 2-Person World during her days at The University of Georgia.

Record in Race “I had the best of all worlds because I had the Coke Across America Scholarship to travel, and combined with the Foundation Fellowship, it was almost too good to be true,” says Kacie, who graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in ecology and a master’s degree in conservation ecology and sustainable development.

“I traveled a lot. My other Fellow friends were like, ‘Wait a minute. How are you traveling more than we are?’ My research for my master’s was all in India, so I went there three times inside of one year.”

And while the Northwest Georgia native has basically been to the four corners of the globe, the most important trip of Kacie’s life found her firmly ensconced within the continental United States.

In June, Kacie and her friend Dani Grabol formed the Power, Pedals, and Ponytails team and took part in the Race Across America, a grueling endurance bicycle competition that begins in Oceanside, CA and ends 3,000 miles later in Annapolis, MD. Since her UGA graduation, Kacie has frequently tested her physical mettle in a host of ultra-endurance competitions, and she owes her start to a guy from Georgia Tech – her husband, George Darden.

“My husband was a collegiate athlete – he ran for Georgia Tech,” says Kacie, who teaches science and math at High Meadows School in metro Atlanta and has taught in the Governor’s Honors Program in Valdosta.

“And when we got married, he hadn’t been running for a while because he was working on his PhD at UGA. I told him I felt like he was missing something in his life.

He said, ‘I should be running.’ And I said, ‘How about if we both signed up for a race?’”

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The couple started in 2008 with a dualathon, a run-bikerun competition, and George decided to pursue cycling competitions while Kacie delved into triathlons and ironman events, which evolved into even more difficult endurance sports.

“My first ultra-marathon in 2010, I was the first female to finish,” she says. “I realized there was something about the very long distances that I’m really good at. I never saw myself as an athlete, but I think part of what I found in sports as an adult was my mindset.

I’m extremely goal-oriented and very willing to do whatever work it takes to achieve something. And ultraendurance sports really do that for me.”

After competing in a double ironman event, which consists of 4.8 miles of swimming, 224 miles of biking, and a double marathon of more than 52 miles (all of which took 28 hours to complete), Kacie ended up with stress fractures in both of her legs, which took her off the road for anything but cycling.

“My doctor told me I could carefully ride my bike as much as I want,” she says. “So I took that literally and decided to get into ultra-bike racing while my legs healed.”

Last year, Kacie joined an eight-member Atlantabased team that competed in the Race Across America, raising funds for the Shepherd Center and completing the California-to-Maryland trek in 6 days and 18 hours.

“When we were done in Annapolis, I looked at my crew and said, ‘I think we’re going to have to do this one again,’” Kacie says. “But I didn’t want to do it with so many people – I wanted to ride my bike more.

So I called Dani, a friend from the double iron race, to be my race partner. We started talking about it, and it didn’t take me long to talk her into it.”

After nearly a year of planning, Kacie and Dani not only developed their strategy for biking across the country but also spearheaded a fundraising effort for Camp Twin Lakes, an assemblage of camps providing unforgettable outdoor experiences for thousands of children in Georgia who have serious illnesses, disabilities, and other challenges.

“When we decided to do this race together, we agreed we wanted it to be more than about us racing

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across the country,” Kacie says, noting she and Dani had raised $30,000 en route to their goal of $60,000. “Camp Twin Lakes is such a great platform. Dani works in geriatrics, and I’m a teacher, so we’re kind of at the two ends of the life spectrum.”

The duo – who traveled with a crew of 10 and three vehicles – concocted an elaborate schedule to set a new record for two-person teams. “Our race strategy was that we would alternate in the mornings for about six hours, about a half hour at a time, and try to keep the speed pretty high. Then in midafternoon, we each took a two-hour turn so the other one could sleep for about an hour or so. Then we’d do another six hours back and forth and back and forth every half hour.

At night, each of us went four hours so that we could sleep about three hours. Hypothetically, we’d get enough sleep to survive.”

Given Kacie’s admitted dogged persistence in the face of physical challenges, it would have been folly to discount her desire to claim the record in the race, which is painstakingly mapped out (“You have to follow the course and the clock never stops – not at night, not for rain, not for bad weather”) and covers 11 states.

“Of course, any finish is a success, but our goal was to take that record … It’s kind of ‘who can be the most stubborn,’ and I am really stubborn.”

On June 23, 2013, the Power, Pedals, and Ponytails team completed the race in 8 days, 2 hours, and 35 minutes, smashing the previous record by more than 13 hours and claiming the world record for two-person female teams.

Kacie – whose sister-in-law Christy Darden Brennan is also a UGA Foundation Fellow alum – says she

usually is already looking ahead to the next challenge while she’s preparing for the present one. This this time around, however, she doesn’t know what she’s going to do after the Race Across America.

But it’s liable to be something spectacular.

“Until I crossed that finish line at Annapolis and we’d really done it, I could not think ahead,” she says.

“There was no space in my brain to think ahead. But there’s a lot of stuff I haven’t done yet. I’ve dabbled with the idea of swimming the English Channel. And I still like running – it would be fun to get back to that after so long. There are lots of races – there’s always something else. This sure isn’t the end of the road.”

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PETER KLEIN – CLASS OF 2008 Serving as the chief operating officer for a start-up in China’s Aquaponics in largest city, Foundation Fellow alumnus Peter Klein is not Shanghai only working in a fascinating field in Shanghai, but he’s also fulfilling a pact he made with a UGA classmate during a study abroad summer. Peter, who graduated in 2008 with degrees in political science and sociology, earlier this year moved to Shanghai to work for Original Life Ltd., a high-tech agriculture concern developing methods of growing food that combines aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (growing plants in water, without soil) – creating aquaponics.

“Aquaponics is a closed-loop ecosystem in which fish and plants grow together in harmony.” He points out that the key operating aspect of the aquaponic process is that fish waste is converted into nutrients to grow plants, which clean the water pumped back to the fish. “Soil and water pollution are huge problems in China, and our technology system bypasses both of these pitfalls,” the Atlanta native says. “We don’t use any chemicals or pesticides. Clean water goes into the system, and fresh, healthy vegetables and fish come out.”

Managing the day-to-day operations of Original Life – with duties ranging from making plans for expansion and innovation to overseeing a technology demonstration greenhouse in the bustling Pudong area to interacting with “customers and partners who demand a higher quality of produce than what the market currently offers” – Peter is working with a fellow Bulldog, founder and CEO Irving Steel, with whom he studied abroad in China before their senior year.

Prior to joining Original Life, Peter worked for five years in Northern California for Google in a variety of roles, including privacy engineer, product innovation strategist,

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security, and data center operations. “My career with Google was through a UGA Honors connection,” he says. “I know that my experiences within the Foundation Fellows program were the primary reason Google hired me. I did not have the experience as an engineer. Yet with my diverse background and the variety of experience afforded me by the program, Google was willing to take a chance on me – so I literally have the Foundation Fellowship to thank for launching my career.” He adds that there are many UGA graduates working for Google and other high-tech companies in Silicon Valley.

During his days at UGA, Peter was involved in work and/or study programs in China, New Zealand, Peru, the Galápagos Islands, South Korea, Turkey, Greece, Thailand, Australia, and much of Europe. He says living and working in Shanghai is an experience that is both unique and somewhat familiar.

“Shanghai is somewhere in between what you’re used to and what’s different,” he says. “When you live somewhere remote like the jungles of Peru, it’s so out there that you accept all the differences at face value.

When you’re in Europe or North America, it’s so similar that you can find solace in the overlap. But Shanghai is neither of those things. Much of the infrastructure – highways, subways, skyscrapers, and even a pace of life that parallels New York – feels the same, and yet if you try to map the mentality, customs, and culture to the Western world, it feels completely askew.”

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THE RAMSEY HONORS SCHOLARSHIP

The Ramsey Honors Scholarship was created by the trustees of The

Ramsey Scholars are selected through the Foundation Fellows application process.

The program welcomed nine new students in 2012-2013, bringing the total number of Ramsey Scholars to 26. In-state Ramsey Scholars receive a $5,450 annual stipend along with the HOPE Scholarship, while out-of-state students receive an $8,840 stipend and an out-of-state tuition waiver, currently worth more than $18,000 per year. An additional $3,000 is available to each Ramsey Scholar for travel-study.

The average SAT score for the incoming class was 1543 (math + verbal only). Their high school grade point average was 4.15 on a 4.0 scale, which indicates extra points for Advanced Placement classes. The Ramsey Scholars also have impressive high school academic and extracurricular credentials.

Students enjoy Ramsey community events throughout the year, including a weekend retreat in the mountains of North Georgia, book discussions and seminars with premier faculty, kayaking down the Broad River, a spring break service trip, and the Ramsey graduation banquet.

University of Georgia Foundation in 2000

The Ramsey Honors Scholarship provides a $3,000 travel-study grant, which was utilized by the following students this year: Catherine Backus ’14

France; Switzerland; US East Coast

Emily Backus ’14

France; Switzerland; US East Coast

University’s most

Victoria DeLeo ’14

Oxford, England

Lauren Dennison ’16

Cortona, Italy

generous individual

Tuan Nguyen ’15

Vietnam

Rachel Paleg ’16

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Abigail Shell ’15

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Kathleen Wilson ’16

Meknès, Morocco

and is named for the

benefactor, the late Bernard Ramsey (BS ’37), long-time chairman of the

Ramsey Scholars Internships 2012-2013 Cody Baetz ’15 Logan Butler ’13

board of Merrill Victoria DeLeo ’14

Lynch.

Carmen Kraus ’15 Rachel Paleg ’16 Mihir Patel ’16 Mariana Satterly ’14

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Actuarial Intern, Humana, Louisville, KY Sports Communications Student Assistant, The University of Georgia Athletic Association, Athens, GA Intern, Dow AgroSciences, Indianapolis, IN Intern, Blandy Experimental Farm, Boyce, VA Summer Intern, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, MD STAR Researcher, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA Intern, MPG Ranch, Florence, MT

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Mariana Satterly ’14 — Intern, MPG Ranch, Florence, MT “Though I imagine a typical counselor would have looked on my internship-searching efforts sophomore year as overambitious at best, frivolous at their worst, I instead found leagues of support from advisors in Moore College as I attempted to craft a summer research project. After receiving offers from environmental field stations in Southern India, Cambodia, and Fiji, and an especially interesting stint with Wetlands International in the Netherlands, I settled upon a personalized internship at the MPG Ranch in Montana, a private conservation property nestled in the Bitterroot Valley.

With a research proposal and resume polished with help from Honors, I scored myself a two-month, self-guided internship with transportation, housing, and a per diem stipend included. Overambitious paid off.

“While at the Ranch, I devoted at least one day a week to office hours in the Ranch’s lab in Missoula, educating myself on the financial structures of private vs. public conservation organizations in the States. I authored a report on the feasibility of operating MPG as a nonprofit. A second composition on which I worked focused on aiding the community outreach of the Ranch, a more creative outgrowth of the possible futures I had imagined in the nonprofit report. The rest of the week I spent in the fields conducting vegetation surveys, isolating mycorrhizae cultures, sampling soils, seed collecting, and removing invasive species with the field crews.

“If those last two items sound like glorified terms for butterfly catching and weed whacking, that’s because they are – but when every houndstongue you pull adds to the data of a postdoc who’s working with labs across the nation to most effectively battle invasives in national parks, wildlife refuges, and the livelihood-producing farms of agricultural America, the small efforts of the Ranch are really put into perspective. I cannot imagine a more engaging or inspirational summer as my months spent in Montana, and I won’t soon forget the work at MPG as I look toward a future in environmental law.”

I spent my summer volunteering in Chiang Mai, Thailand at the Maetaman Elephant Camp. Every day I helped to bathe and feed the elephants, as well as clean their stalls and play with them. It was so incredible to get to know all of the mahouts and staff at the camp, and I was able to become a part of the community in the village. My elephant, Nung Ning, and I had waterfights every day (I almost always lost).”

— Rachel Paleg ’16 – Chiang Mai, Thailand

Kathleen Wilson ’16 – Meknès, Morocco “I traveled to Meknès, Morocco to pursue my dream of studying Arabic. While there, I traveled throughout the country, wandering through the bustling streets of old medinas and experiencing the warm hospitality of the Moroccan people.”

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R A MSE Y SCHOL AR S – UNDERGR ADUATE RESE ARCH Ramseys Describe Their Undergraduate Research Experiences Tuan Nguyen ’15 – Biochemistry & Molecular Biology “From the beginning of my freshman year, I’ve been studying the structural evolution of the protein kinase The thing that superfamily, an important class of enzymes that relay intracellular signals, under the guidance of Dr. Natarajan Kannan. In particular, I used genomic drew me most to sequence comparison tools developed in our lab to identify and classify each research was how kinase family’s amino acid sequence patterns. I examined these conserved residues in the wealth of available functional and structural data to develop varied science can new mechanistic models, explaining the functional divergence of each kinase family and structural consequences of cancer mutations. Due be. Like most Fellows to its fundamental role in cell signaling and various diseases, protein kinase is heavily studied by many research groups and pharmaceutical and Ramseys, I’m companies as potential drug targets. In our laboratory, we integrate and analyze all the relevant protein kinase data produced by wet labs all curious and passionate over the world. about a whole lot of “During the summer of 2013 in Dr. Susan Taylor’s lab at UCSan Diego, I was working on a protein kinase crystallization project things, and I found the of the regulatory spine’s A70F mutant to determine its structure.

Understanding how protein works is analogous to the parable field of biology to be of The Blind Man and the Elephant. We can’t exactly see these proteins in motion. While everyone tries to get a ‘feel’ for different almost as encompassing parts of the protein and its functions, we should take a step back as my interests. That and appreciate the full picture and arrive at a deeper truth.”

explains, in part, my

Carmen Kraus ’15 – Ecology, Scientific Illustration “Although my majors may seem very different, they actually complement each other. undergraduate experience Science and art depend heavily on observation, in my case observation of the natural world. I have seen the effects of anthropogenic climate at the University of change and pollution in multiple environments, from decreased rainfall in the temperate rainforests of southern Chile to a spill at a Georgia Georgia.” chemical plant that turned our local Oconee River turquoise. I am very interested in studying the responses of plants and ecosystems to these —Victoria DeLeo ’14 and other anthropogenic stressors.

“In my first year at UGA, I worked in Dr. John Pickering’s lab. I categorized 500 plants and identified more than 100 photos of native Georgia plants for his online identification guide and educational project, DiscoverLife.org. I extended my work into summer 2012, taking 400 photos of plants and insects while traveling in New Zealand. Building on this experience in plant taxonomy, I have now branched out from observational to experimental ecology.

“In summer 2013, I worked at Blandy Experimental Farm, a University of Virginia research station, thanks to a Research Experience for Undergraduates grant from the National Science Foundation. I proposed and conducted an experiment to examine effects of food resources and density-dependent mortality and reproduction on the population size of the dogbane beetle, a specialist

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herbivore of the dogbane plant. Despite the fact that the beetle has few predators, making it an ideal system to study these processes, few researchers have studied the dogbane system. I built, stocked, and monitored 40 beetle cages in an early successional field. I plan to publish my research with my mentor, Dr. Kyle Haynes, and a collaborator from Cornell University, Dr. Anurag Agrawal.

“In the fall semester of 2013 I will continue my work with Eric Goolsby, a PhD student in Dr. Rich Shefferson’s lab, on a research project to study the evolution of heavy metal hyperaccumulation by species in the family Asteraceae. These plants can collect and store heavy metals at concentrations that are toxic to most other plants. I will analyze tannin concentrations in collected leaves to investigate how defense compounds form in the presence of heavy metals. I will also conduct my own research on the effects of heavy metals and the herbicide Roundup on pigweed plants.

“Every new experience broadens and deepens my interest in ecology. I am excited about a future in research and am anxious to gain skills to develop my own line of study. I plan to pursue a PhD in plant ecology and illustrate my own publications.”

Victoria DeLeo ’14 – Applied Biotechnology, Genetics “The thing that drew me most to research was how varied science can be. Like most Fellows and Ramseys, I’m curious and passionate about a whole lot of things, and I found the field of biology to be almost as encompassing as my interests. That explains, in part, my undergraduate experience at the University of Georgia.

“I began doing research within a month of starting my freshman year, after filling out a form for lab placement that I found on the UGA Plant Biology webpage. That’s how I stumbled into the lab of Dr. Katrien Devos and started on a project dealing with intron variance in monocots. I’ve been there for three years now, and much of what I know about lab technique, genetics, crop science, science politics, and my own future prospects I learned in that lab.

“When I wanted to explore research outside of UGA after my freshman year, my primary investigator (PI) told me about an opportunity to spend the summer at Kansas State University working on a project to create a physical map of one of the wheat genomes. I gained even more experience collecting samples, running PCRs, extracting DNA, using a BAC library, sequencing DNA, 3-D pooling, and utilizing robots.

“After my second year, I had the chance to participate in UGA’s Partnerships in International Research and Education grant looking at “Genetics of Invasive Species Exchanged between the Southeastern U.S. and China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.” In other words, I spent 10 funded weeks in China, learning Chinese, travelling to various cultural and ecological sites, and taking field samples of kudzu and pokeweed.

“For a long time I’ve claimed that I want a career in the biotech industry, so for my last undergraduate summer I applied for a research internship at Dow AgroSciences. Remember those robots? Despite my thoroughly biological science education, I was accepted to work in the Automation Group at DAS. I get to apply technology, and yes, robots, to an experimental process to make that process quicker, cleaner, and safer.

Engineering and programming are not things I’m overly familiar with, so I get to learn new things and problem solve. It’s challenging, ridiculously fun, and a great culmination of my undergraduate experience in research and makes me sure that a career in R&D is what I want to pursue after my doctorate.

“Research isn’t for everyone, and not all research is the same, but the culture of finding possibilities and making connections is rewarding and exhilarating to me, and I appreciate that experiences in research I have had at UGA have been made possible in large part by the support of the Foundation.”

Mihir Patel ’16 – Biochemistry & Molecular Biology “I started researching at UGA from my first semester. I had heard that UGA was a great place for undergraduates to get involved in research, and I wanted to test the waters for myself. I began working with ovarian cancer research with Dr. Mandi Murph.

My experience started with learning basic laboratory techniques. After the first few weeks, however, I became involved in a project investigating the effects of microRNA on ovarian cancer cell viability. Applying the knowledge I had learned in so many science classes as well as balancing my time between classes, the lab, and other activities was undoubtedly challenging but also surprisingly satisfying.

“Summer 2013 I continued my research through the STAR Program at Georgia Regents University, working in Dr. Lin Mei’s lab, which focuses on neuroscience. In particular, I investigated expression levels of a protein linked with schizophrenia at different developmental stages in mice.”

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Although my majors may seem very different, they actually complement each other. Science and art depend heavily on observation, in my case observation of the natural world. Every new experience broadens and deepens my interest in ecology. I am excited about a future in research and am anxious to gain skills to develop my own line of study.”

– Carmen Kraus ’15

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R A M S E Y S C H O L A R S – T R AV E L- S T U DY

I had the opportunity my first year to study abroad in Oxford, England. It was an amazing experience that changed the way I

Glenn Branscomb ’13 – “My sophomore year I was awarded a scholarship from the Honors International Scholars Program (HISP). I used this money in conjunction with my Ramsey travel funds to go to China. I took a class from UGA’s Dr. Mark Huber with Chinese students at the Neusoft Institute of Technology in Dalian, China, where we studied the globalization of business using IT. We also heard candid perspectives from U.S. expatriates during company visits in Shanghai and Beijing on how China’s rapid growth will affect the global economy in the future. This will help me next year as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) as I now have a better understanding of the benefits and challenges of operating on a global scale. As a Michael Phelps fan, I also took advantage of the opportunity to swim in the Water Cube from the 2008 Olympics!”

think. As a statistics and Trevor Hohorst ’13 – “My undergraduate career was highlighted by two study abroad experiences – a Maymester in Oxford, England problems analytically. Dr. and a Maymester in New Zealand. My first study abroad was five weeks of classes with Oxford don Ben McFarlane in the summer Ben McFarlane, my Oxford following my first year. My studies focused on how legal precedent affects court rulings in a rapidly changing modern Britain. tutor in Common Law, Through visits to London and the newly established Supreme challenged me to think in a Court of the United Kingdom, I observed modern barristers in wigs creating new legal precedents. The differences between this more abstract way – a very system and the court system of the United States, which is based enriching, albeit difficult, task. more on constitutional law, illuminated the varying approaches that modern nations use in their pursuit of the rule of law.

That month spending time “My second travel-study experience was four weeks of action with some of UGA’s smartest learning across the width and breadth of New Zealand. The trip was administered by The University of Georgia’s Discover Abroad and highest achieving Office and focused on issues related to sustainability and humanenvironment interactions. As our class of 20 students traveled New students helped me create Zealand, we swam with wild dolphins, summitted mountains, hiked lifelong friendships.” over ancient glaciers, bungee jumped, photographed fur seals, and went sky diving. After participating in these eco-tourism activities —Glenn Branscomb ’13 during the day, our evenings were spent researching and discussing how New Zealand has addressed the problems of climate change and human impact on the environment.

“We studied under Dr. Bruce Borders from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and a local contact, John Charteris.

As a New Zealander, science advisor for the University of Waikato, and member of the Green Party, John gave us an insider’s view into the issues we studied. Being in close proximity to the environment greatly improved my understanding of the issue of sustainability that humanity faces in New Zealand and around the globe.”

business major, I solve

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R A M S E Y S cholars – C I V I C E N G A G E M E N T

Emily Peng ’13 – MEDLIFE at UGA (Co-Founder), Roosevelt@UGA (Policy Researcher), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority

I am drawn to a

Health (Intern)

career in medicine because I hope to work with and for others while solving challenging science problems. At a campus as flexible and diverse as The University

“Every year, MEDLIFE at UGA sends UGA students to volunteer in medical clinics in Peru and Ecuador. On campus, we raise money through events such as the MEDLIFE benefit concert to buy clinic supplies or to build schools for Peruvian communities. In 2011, we won an $8,000 Volunteer UGA sustainable service grant to renovate the playgrounds at Oasis Católico, an after-school program for local Latino children.

Working with MEDLIFE, I learned how to lead bright students with similar passions for medicine and service toward a common goal.

More importantly, I was able to make a positive and lasting impact on the Athens community as an undergraduate student at UGA. “Volunteering in a MEDLIFE clinic for two weeks in June

of Georgia, I realized I

2011, I saw how social factors exacerbate disease outcomes

do not have to complete

for Peruvian patients. Frightened by the government’s covert

an MD to engage with the

sterilization programs, poor Peruvian women avoid pap smears, and as a result, the rate of cervical cancer is astronomical. To

community and serve others.

better understand the socioeconomic influences on a person’s

In August 2010, I co-founded

health, I joined the Roosevelt Institute at UGA. Guided by center

MEDLIFE at UGA with Kelsey

alternatives to Medicare’s fee-for-service physician reimbursement

directors, I learned about public health policy and researched

Campolong, another UGA

system. This experience taught me how to examine healthcare

Honors student. MEDLIFE’s

problems from multiple angles and to develop a viable alternative based on political and economic constraints.

mission is to promote

“During the summer of 2012, I interned in Washington, DC at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

sustainable medicine,

Office of Minority Health (OMH). The internship was sponsored

health education, and

by the International Leadership Foundation, a nonprofit

infrastructure development

organization that places undergraduate Asian American students

in underserved

in government offices to learn about public service. At the OMH,

communities in Latin America and Athens.”

—Emily Peng ’13

I worked on federal initiatives to increase access to healthcare and human services for underserved minority communities. Through drafting a memorandum of agreement to increase Native Hawaiian representation in the healthcare workforce and attending a meeting for Hispanic students interested in health disparities, I learned about national initiatives focused on improving health outcomes for all Americans. At the same time, working in an office taught me how to be professional and to network.”

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RAMSEY SCHOLARS – INTERNSHIPS

Alex Vey ’13 – U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Lee, National Association of Counties “In my time at UGA, I have had two internship opportunities that advanced my interest in law. In the summer of 2011, I worked with U.S. Magistrate Judge

Talking with

Susan Lee in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Interning in a judge’s chambers as

and working

an undergraduate is fairly rare, and I used the opportunity to learn about the federal court system and legal practice. I wrote bench memoranda

alongside the farmacéuticos and farmacéuticas at Hospital Garrahan, I learned how similar pharmaceutical schooling

for Judge Lee summarizing and examining issues that came before the court, in addition to drafting orders on motions. I also wrote several memoranda for the pro se law clerk, who works for the court on cases where a party doesn’t have an attorney. I examined ineffective assistance of counsel claims in a death penalty appeal, looking at a potential error in allowing an expert witness to testify and opening the door to a rebuttal witness. My fellow interns and I also had weekly discussions with the Chief Judge regarding criminal law and procedure and observed court proceedings, including a criminal trial.

and care can be, even

“In the summer of 2012, I went to Washington, DC as part of UGA’s Honors in Washington program. I interned at

across the equator,

the National Association of Counties (NACo), an advocacy

and the challenge of

and education organization that works on behalf of county

speaking Spanish in all

publication summarizing and surveying state open meetings

governments. I worked in the research division, writing a laws. I also examined the statutes’ relationships to the use of

situations, both casual and

social media, trying to figure out how communication methods

professional, gave me the confidence to stride boldly into my first year in the College of Pharmacy.”

like Facebook and Twitter relate to statutory definitions of meetings. Researching state law, Attorney Generals’ opinions, and court opinions, I gained insight into how a law comes together and is carried out. I was comparing laws against each other, examining what was or was not effective in advancing the goal of open government.

“NACo’s focus on county governments provided insight into

—Abigail Shell ’15

how politics and the law affect local governance and provided valuable experience in statutory interpretation and the use of law as policy. Taken together with my other law-related endeavors, my internship experiences have cemented my interest in law as a career and will likely benefit my studies at law school and beyond.”

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R A M S E Y S C H O L A R S – S PR I N G B R E A K S E RV I C E T R I P Miami Nice While many students have been known to make the long trip to Miami’s South Beach for a week packed with sun and fun, a group of UGA’s Ramsey Scholars This year we made a similar sojourn to Miami this spring, but the 14 students – one senior, helped out at a three juniors, four sophomores and six freshmen – had a different agenda from their peers. food bank, a beach For the third consecutive year, the Ramseys planned a spring break service trip to volunteer their time and talents for a number of clean-up, and a worthy enterprises – and managed to squeeze in some fun along the research station in the way. Previous spring break stops included New Orleans in 2011 and Charleston in 2012.

Everglades. We also For Stephen Lago, who along with Victoria DeLeo and Pranay Udutha has been part of all three trips, the opportunity to get closer had the opportunity to fellow Ramseys makes the long hours of driving and volunteering worthwhile. Stephen, who declares he’ll go “4-for-4” on Ramsey to bond over Frisbee spring break excursions, said the Miami run was made memorable by on the beach, tropical the international character of the city and the Ramsey camaraderie.

“In every one of these trips, I really like the bonding that goes fruit milkshakes, Cuban on, within your own class and with the other years. That’s the best part for me,” says Stephen, a biochemistry and computer science coffee, and alligator major who served as this year’s trip organizer. “In Miami, all the encounters. This trip pieces came together perfectly – the service projects were engaging, the local food was delicious, and the excursions were lively and was very different from memorable. Spring break has been a way for the first years to get to know each other better, as well as interact with the older Ramseys, our previous adventures resulting in strong and lasting friendships.”

After a 12-hour drive from Athens, the group arrived in Miami in New Orleans and on Saturday and went right to work the next day, conducting Charleston, but it was a beach clean-up in Key Biscayne on behalf of the Dolphin Foundation, whose mission is to protect sea animals and their equally rewarding. It was habitats. On Monday, the group made the 90-minute drive to Key Largo for a day of landscaping at the campus of the Florida Bay especially nice to get District of Everglades National Park, where visiting UGA professors to know the first-year have frequently conducted research projects.

“They were putting in a butterfly garden for the dormitories, so we Ramseys.” were shoveling gravel and dirt and loading up the trucks,” says Stephen.

“It was a lot of work, but it was a nice day for it with a lot of cloud —Victoria DeLeo ’14 cover.” And there was a nice payoff for the volunteers. After volunteering at the Everglades Research Station in the Keys, students took advantage of free passes to Everglades National Park.

Tuesday brought a nice mixture of labor and leisure as the Ramseys spent the morning working at the Feeding South Florida Food Bank, which distributes about 2 million pounds of food each month to needy South Floridians. The UGA contingent worked side-by-side with a group of students from the University of South Carolina.

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“It was a really big operation, with an unbelievable amount of donations,” says Stephen, “and there was a little bit of good-natured trash talking with those Gamecocks.”

The rest of the day was spent exploring the city’s famed Little Havana, with an emphasis on enjoying the cuisine of the community, and the Ramseys spent the evening hanging out on the beach.

Planning for the spring-break getaway begins in September, at the annual Ramsey Scholars retreat. Those interested in going on the trip discuss potential locales, and several students volunteer to prepare pitches for various cities.

Students vote on their favorite, and a decision is made by Thanksgiving. At that point, opportunities for

public service and lodging accommodations are secured.

In New Orleans two years ago, the group worked on a house damaged by Hurricane Katrina and at a school for developmentally challenged students, and in Charleston last year, the Ramseys worked at a local food bank, did landscaping at an area elementary school and were involved in an oyster rehabilitation project.

Ramsey Scholars who took part in this year’s service trip: Cody Baetz, Glenn Branscomb, Victoria DeLeo, Lauren Dennison, Berta Franzluebbers, Thomas Johnston, Alli Koch, Stephen Lago, Swayamdipto Misra, Tuan Nguyen, Ray Paleg, Mihir Patel, Abigail Shell, and Pranay Udutha.

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I could not imagine a better way to spend my last spring break than with the Ramsey family in Miami!

Although it was in the U.S., we still got a taste of a markedly different culture.

Aside from exploring South Beach, trying the wonderful food, and salsa dancing, we had an array of volunteer opportunities that included helping a research center in the Everglades set up a butterfly garden. The Ramsey spring trips have allowed me to build strong relationships with these amazing students, and I greatly appreciate all the people who have made these trips a reality over the past three years.”

— Glenn Branscomb ’13

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C

lass

of

2

0

1

3

Glenn Ryan Branscomb

Frank Logan Butler IV

Major(s): Management Information Systems, Statistics

Major(s): Public Relations

Hometown: Lilburn, GA Travel-Study and Internships: China; United Kingdom; Atlanta, GA Campus/Community Activities: Athens-Clarke County Bilingual Directory of Services Editor, Corsair Society, UGA Club Ultimate Frisbee Team President, Ramsey Scholar Service Spring Break, Athens Free IT, Layer 3 Communications Network Engineer Intern, Deloitte and Touche Advisory Intern Honors and Awards: GEICO Achievement Award Winner, Terry College of Business Honors Senior of the Year Nominee, Beta Gamma Sigma, Honors International Scholar, Dean’s List, Presidential Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude with Highest Honors

Hometown: Macon, GA Research: Georgia During Reconstruction Travel-Study and Internships: Australia; France; New Zealand; United Kingdom Campus/Community Activities: UGA Athletic Association Sports Communications, Sigma Nu Fraternity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, CineClub Honors and Awards: UGA Student Employee of the Year Finalist, Dean’s List, Phi Kappa Phi, magna cum laude with Honors

Trevor Hunter Hohorst

Yiran Emily Peng

Major(s): Computer Science, Mathematics

Major(s): Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Hometown: Leesburg, GA

Hometown: Lilburn, GA

Travel-Study and Internships: New Zealand; United Kingdom

Research: A Flow CytometryBased Method of Glycosylation Profiling; Increasing Access to Specialty Services in Community Health Centers: Policy Alternatives and Implications for Minority Communities

Campus/Community Activities: CSCI 1301 Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, Ramsey Scholar Service Spring Break, MATHCOUNTS Outreach, Alpha Lambda Delta Honors and Awards: Dean’s List, Presidential Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude with Highest Honors

Travel-Study and Internships: Peru; United Kingdom; Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA Campus/Community Activities: MEDLIFE at UGA Co-Founder and Co-President, UGA Roosevelt Institute Co-Policy Director, Honors Teaching Assistant, Roosevelt Scholar, JURO Content Editor, Mercy Health Center Volunteer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Intern, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health Intern, Asian Children Mentoring Program Mentor, Leadership UGA, Honors Program Student Council Service Committee, Georgia High School Science Olympiad Volunteer Honors and Awards: Blue Key Honor Society, Palladia Women’s Honor Society, Alpha Epsilon Delta, Dean’s List, Presidential Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude with Highest Honors

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profiles

Alexander Collins Vey Major(s): International Affairs, Political Science Hometown: Chattanooga, TN Travel-Study and Internships: United Kingdom; Washington, DC; Chattanooga, TN Campus/Community Activities: UGA Undergraduate Mock Trial Team, Demosthenian Literary Society, UGA Model United Nations Honor and Awards: Mock Trial Tournament Champion, Mock Trial Outstanding Attorney, Dean Tate Honor Society, Dean’s List, Presidential Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude with Honors

C lass

Catherine Jane Backus Oak Ridge HS Oak Ridge, TN Music Therapy

Emily Elizabeth Backus Oak Ridge HS Oak Ridge, TN Music Education

Stephen Edward Lago Blessed Trinity Catholic HS Roswell, GA Biochemistry, Computer Science

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Victoria Lynn DeLeo Archbishop McCarthy HS Ft. Lauderdale, FL Applied Biotechnology, Genetics

Mariana Lynne Satterly Oconee County HS Monterey, CA Economics, English

Amanda Jane Holder Pierson HS Sag Harbor, NY Psychology, M.Ed Educational Administration & Policy

Pranay Kumar Udutha Joseph Wheeler HS Marietta, GA International Affairs

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C lass

Cody James Baetz South Forsyth HS Cumming, GA Economics, Mathematics, Statistics

Carmen Orpinas Kraus Cedar Shoals HS Athens, GA Ecology, Scientific Illustration

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Tuan Anh Nguyen Douglas County HS Douglasville, GA Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Mathematics

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Abigail Taylor Shell East Coweta HS Sharpsburg, GA Pharmacy

2 0 1 6

Melissa Carlene Cousins Northside HS Midland, GA Art

Lauren Wesley Dennison Kings HS Maineville, OH Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Berta Maria Franzluebbers Oconee County HS Watkinsville, GA Linguistics, Physics

Samuel Thomas Johnston Mountain Brook HS Birmingham, AL Statistics

Rachel Hana Paleg Albert Einstein Senior HS Silver Spring, MD Geography

Mihir B. Patel Lakeside HS Martinez, GA Biology, Psychology

Juliana Jianquan Saxton Lassiter HS Marietta, GA Music, Psychology

Kathleen Elizabeth Wilson Monsignor Kelly Catholic HS Beaumont, TX Economics, International Affairs

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Foundation Fellows & R a m se y Honor s S chol ar s A nnual R ep ort

Swayamdipto Misra Lakeside HS Martinez, GA Cellular Biology, Economics

C lass

Prentiss Rachel Autry Baconton Community Charter HS Hinsonton, GA Biology

Jacob Aaron Eden Americus Sumter HS Americus, GA Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Erin Elizabeth Hollander Cedar Shoals HS Athens, GA Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Genetics

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Moira Elizabeth Fennell Suncoast Community HS Palm Beach Gardens, FL Economics, Journalism

Heather Kimberly Huynh Gwinnett School of Math, Science and Technology Loganville, GA Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Biological Engineering

Katie Michele Googe Clarke Central HS Athens, GA Comparative Literature, Romance Languages

Megan Nicole Murphy Grovetown HS Grovetown, GA Biology, Psychology

Foundation Fellows & R a m se y Honor s S chol ar s A nnual R ep ort

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RAMSEY SCHOLARS NEWEST ALUMNI – CLASS OF 2013

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Glenn Branscomb

Associate, Boston Consulting Group, Atlanta, Georgia

Logan Butler

Public Relations and Marketing, Charleston, South Carolina

Trevor Hohorst

Associate Software Developer, General Motors Innovation Center, Roswell, Georgia

Emily Peng

Fellow, Woodruff and Whitehead Foundations, Atlanta, Georgia

Alex Vey

Vanderbilt Law School, Nashville, Tennessee

Foundation Fellows & R

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Annual Report

R amse y S cholars A L U M N I Class of 2004

Class of 2008

Class of 2011

Ladson Gaddy-(Dubac)

Matt Charles Agan

Jonathan William Arogeti

Andrew Ely Guthrie

Brent Lewis Allen

Jason Daniel Berkowitz

Virginia Wood Pate

Jeffrey Elrod

Christopher Jordan Floyd

Daniel Anthony del Portal

James Tristan Gordy

Haylee Nicole Humes

Samuel Winters Richwine III

Annie Ming Huang

Mark Paul Johnson

Rachel Elizabeth Wahlig

Joseph Tristan Knight

Jung Woong Kim

John Thompson Matthews

Nicole Elizabeth Nation

Class of 2005

James Lucas McFadden

Erika Parker (New)

Katherine Elizabeth Bugg

Noah Reuben Mink

Griffin Daniel Rice

Andrew G. Crowley

Gregory James O’Connell

Joseph Cataquiz Rimando

Lawrence Robert Ficek

Molly Beatrice Pittman

Stephen Bradford Thompson

Matthew Eric Hickman

Blake William Shealy

Andrew George Watts

Ngozi Christie Ogbuehi

Karen Christina Wong

Laura Ann Wynn

Class of 2009

Class of 2012

Nneka Alicia Arinze

Samantha Colleen Gray

Class of 2006

Shannon Chen

Tiffany Ying Hu

Elizabeth Kate Davidson

Jonathan Brown Chestnut

Whitney Marie Ising

Jarrett Horne (Jackson)

Nisha Gupta

Aisha Mahmood (Haley)

Staci Hutsell (Cannon)

Jeremiah Doug Johnson

John Bradley Otwell

Molly Beth Martin

Jeremy Howard Jones

Anna Catherine Savelle

Charles Dillingham May

Lindsay Beth Jones

Ryan Oliver Sheets

Elizabeth Alexandra Katz

Catherine Lois Shonts

Class of 2007

Madison Moore (Pool)

Sheila Vedala

Mary Beth Bereznak

Peter Samuel Shoun

Hope Carrell (Ham)

Joseph Dempsey Turrentine

James Christoper Tarr Brian William Teplica

Jonathan Andrew Charles Brian Lee Claggett

Class of 2010

Kelly Katherine Eaton

Alexander Linton Brown

Maggie McQueen Hodges

Peyton Clark Edwards

Brian Louis Levy

Carole Noelle House

Daniel Suresh Mathews

William Daniel Jordan III

Lamar Houston Moree

Halina Maladtsova

Rebecca Joyce Rahn

Nicholas Anthony Passarello

Lauren Elizabeth Sillery

Lauren Elizabeth Pinson

Teerawit “Tim” Supakorndej

Emily Frances Reed

Andrew Jay Vesper

Caitlin Gail Robinson Zao “Michael” Yang

Foundation Fellows & R a m se y Honor s S chol ar s A nnual R ep ort

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Foundation Fellows & R a m se y Honor s S chol ar s A nnual R ep ort

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