FA C U LT Y M E N T O R S From the moment Fellows arrive at UGA, they build meaningful relationships with professors and administrators across campus and across disciplines, contributing to their development as scholars, researchers, and global citizens.
I met Dr. Martin Kagel somewhat as an accident. Freshman year, I took a class on a whim all because a friend of mine said the professor was good. Dr. Kagel’s class ended up following me through my college career; I’m writing a senior thesis with him now on the very same subject. It’s all because Dr. Kagel approached me near the end of that class and, knowing I was a freshman, asked if I was looking for a faculty mentor. He was willing to stick with me and encourage me to do more with the German department, even though I was a science major at the time. Eventually, I did end up as a German student. Dr. Kagel was the mentor for all of my research as an undergrad, but more than that, he’s been an advisor, a friend, and one of the driving forces behind my academic experience here at UGA.” — Kelsey Lowrey ’16
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Trang Nguyen ’17 “I first reached out to Provost Pamela Whitten because of her interdisciplinary expertise in communications health policy – my two areas of study. She agreed to be my faculty mentor for a directed reading course, which focused on the Affordable Care Act, barriers to policy implementation, and the use of effective communication campaigns to mitigate these barriers to implementation. Following that directed study, I enrolled in a CURO course with Provost Whitten to continue my health communications research. She is sincerely committed to my learning and success, and despite her busy schedule, she always pushed me to ask more questions and dig deeper with my ideas and research.” Justin Payan ’17 “When I was a freshman, senior David Millard took me into the basement of the computer science building to meet his robotics professor, Dr. Potter, whose laid-back yet enthusiastic attitude instantly convinced me to take his Intro to Artificial Intelligence class. Ever since starting that class, Dr. Potter has pushed me to succeed by putting me in advanced courses, prompting me to start a joint master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence, and helping me reach out to AI developers in industry. Despite running the Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Dr. Potter always has time to chat in his office or reply to emails at 3 AM. I’m really grateful to him for bringing me into the eclectic community of the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and for introducing me to the broader world of AI.” Krystal Lo ’17 “Freshman year I attended a dinner seminar on welfare economics led by Dr. Julio Garin. After a lively discussion on issues such as minimum wage policy, we somehow ended up on the topic of classical music. I invited him to my string quartet recital, and much to my surprise, on the day of the recital he was there in the audience—and would be for recitals to come. In addition to becoming an A-list groupie, Dr. Garin has become a close mentor and friend, who is always ready to lend an ear and offer advice. Last summer he helped me organize an internship with the Central Bank of Uruguay, an incredible experience I will always cherish.” Zoe Li ’19 “Dr. Maryann Gallagher’s passion for her field (international affairs) is contagious. During her office hours, I happened to ask about the research she is working on. Halfway through my second semester in college, I had already begun research with her through CURO on the prosecution of gender-based crimes in the International Criminal Courts, a topic I have quickly become fascinated with, and I will travel with her to The Hague in summer 2016 to visit the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to interview prosecutors and interest groups.”
Foundation Fellows & R a m se y Honor s S chol ar s A nnual R ep ort