University of Georgia Magazine Winter 2020

Celebrating

of Georgia Magazine

CONTENTS Charlayne Hunter-Gault delivered the commencement address to UGA’s Class of 1988.

She also appeared on the cover of the Summer issue of the Georgia Alumni Record. See more covers of the Record and of Georgia Magazine starting on p. 28.

the magazine of the university of georgia winter 2020

INSIDE 5

The President’s Pen

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UGA to Z

Medical Partnership alumna Dr. Cristina Elstad looks under the microscope in the lab area at the offices of Athens Ob/Gyn in Athens, p. 20.

President Jere W. Morehead on expanding vital research at UGA.

Highlights from across the UGA community.

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On the Bulldog Beat Mask up, Bulldogs! These alumni are protecting others from the spread of COVID-19 and making a statement about their love of the red and black.

36 Bulldog Bulletin News, updates, and virtual events from the UGA Alumni Association.

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Class Notes UGA alumni are leading the way pursuing racial justice, promoting mental health awareness, and protecting our men and women in uniform.

56 Faculty Focus Get to know Henry N. Young, Kroger Associate Professor of Community Pharmacy and Director of the Pharmaceutical Health Services, Outcomes and Policy Graduate Program.

andrew davis tucker

FEATURE

ON THE COVER

16 A Student Lifeline

Since its founding in 2006, the John Fontaine Jr. Center for Alcohol Awareness and Education has helped create a safer campus culture.

20 Just What the Doctor Ordered The AU/UGA Medical Partnership is celebrating its 10th year helping address the state’s shortage of physicians.

24 Food for Thought

UGA’s Griffin-based Center for Food Safety partners with industry leaders and government agencies to keep you healthy.

28 The Georgia Magazine Century Happy 100th birthday, Georgia Magazine! We want a really, really big cake.

Over its 100-year history, Georgia Magazine and the Georgia Alumni Record have featured more than 500 covers. We couldn’t fit them all on the front cover of this particular issue, but Georgia Magazine Art Director Jackie Baxter Roberts sure tried.

Several are reproduced inside this issue and all can be found in their original print forms on the third floor of the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries.

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Winter Blossoms the cooler months may see fewer leaves on the trees, but there is still color all across campus.

Especially on North Campus, where these vibrant camellias thrive during winter.

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peter frey

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winter 2020

VOLUME 100

ISSUE NO. 1

georgia magazine

Editor · Eric Rangus MA ’94 Associate Editor · Aaron Hale MA ’16 Writers · Leigh Beeson MA ’17 and Hayley Major Art Director · Jackie Baxter Roberts Advertising Director · Kipp Mullis ABJ ’93 Office Manager · Fran Burke UGA Photographers · Peter Frey BFA ’94, Rick O’Quinn ABJ ’87, Andrew Davis Tucker, Dorothy Kozlowski BLA ’06, ABJ ’10, Chad Osburn Contributing Writer · Elizabeth Elmore BBA ’08, ABJ ’08 Editorial Interns · Rachel Floyd AB ’19, Madeleine Howell BSFCS ’20, Hannah Barron, and Ireland Hayes

marketing & communications Interim Vice President · Kathy Pharr ABJ ’87, MPA ’05, EdD ’11 Executive Director · Janis Gleason Brand Strategy Director · Michele Horn

administration President · Jere W. Morehead JD ’80 Senior VP for Academic Affairs & Provost · S. Jack Hu VP for Finance & Administration · Ryan Nesbit MBA ’91 VP for Development & Alumni Relations · Kelly Kerner VP for Instruction · Rahul Shrivastav VP for Research · David C. Lee VP for Public Service & Outreach · Jennifer Frum PhD ’09 VP for Student Affairs · Victor Wilson BSW ’82, MEd ’87 VP for Government Relations · Toby Carr BBA ’01, BSAE ’01 VP for Information Technology · Timothy M. Chester

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

advertise in Georgia Magazine by contacting Kipp Mullis at e: gmsales@uga.edu or ph: 706-542-9877 fine print

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dorothy kozlowski

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

The University of Georgia does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or military service in its administrations of educational policies, programs, or activities; its admissions policies; scholarship and loan programs; athletic or other University-administered programs; or employment. Inquiries or complaints should be directed to the Equal Opportunity Office 119 Holmes-Hunter Academic Building, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602. Telephone 706-542-7912 (V/TDD).

Fax 706-542-2822. https://eoo.uga.edu/

THE PRESIDENT’S PEN

Expanding Vital Research at UGA

Our research enterprise is responding to the world’s most pressing needs.

As COVID-19 continues to impact our lives, the University of Georgia remains committed to fighting the global pandemic on multiple fronts. It is one of many grand challenges our renowned researchers are tackling on behalf of our state, nation, and world.

UGA was recently ranked among the Top 10 schools working to solve the coronavirus pandemic by Successful Student, a testament to our thriving and responsive research enterprise. Among the many efforts in our schools and colleges across campus, UGA faculty are evaluating new therapeutics to treat individuals who are infected with COVID-19 and developing vaccines to stop the virus in its tracks. Some are working on new diagnostic tests to detect the virus faster, while others have developed a tool to map its spread and forecast outbreaks.

“Growing research and innovation is central to the mission of the University of Georgia, and the future of our vital research enterprise has never been brighter.”

Overall research and development expenditures at UGA topped nearly $500 million in Fiscal Year 2020, exceeding last year’s R&D total by almost 4% and representing a 41% increase since Fiscal Year 2013. This truly remarkable growth stems from the hard work of our faculty; strategic investments in capital projects; and new programs and services that enable, incentivize, and reward externally sponsored research.

Several faculty members received multimillion dollar awards last year, including Ted Ross in the College of Veterinary Medicine, who received an NIH contract worth up to $130 million over seven years to develop a more effective flu vaccine; David Okech in the School of Social Work, who was awarded nearly $20 million from the U.S. Department of State to find ways to combat human trafficking; and Jessica Kissinger in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, who received two awards worth a combined $16 million to develop specialized health informatics databases.

As UGA’s research enterprise grows, we are strengthening the economy of our home state.

Gains in agricultural productivity and the creation of new, marketable products are just some of the many benefits. The new Interdisciplinary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Research Complex currently under construction will further add to our capabilities, as will the proposed Poultry Science Complex now in the design phase.

The emerging Innovation District initiative also will play a key role in this expansion.

Growing research and innovation is central to the mission of the University of Georgia, and the future of our vital research enterprise has never been brighter.

Jere W. Morehead President

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UGA Z to

News, accomplishments, and accolades from the UGA community

DAWGS IN SPACE

UGA’s First Research Satellite Launches into Space A student-led effort to get the University of Georgia’s first research satellite into space was a success. The small satellite SPOC (pronounced like the pointy-eared Star Trek character), short for Spectral Ocean Color, lifted off aboard an Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Oct. 2.

It traveled aboard a cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station for deployment.

SPOC was built by the Small Satellite Research Lab, a collaboration between students and faculty researchers across multiple disciplines. The lab creates small satellites—about the size of a loaf of bread—to support UGA research.

“This project would be nowhere without students,” says Deepak Mishra, a UGA geography professor and director of UGA’s Small Satellite Research Lab. “Undergraduate students came with the skills, and faculty researchers gave them a scientific purpose.”

A years-long project in the making, SPOC will monitor the health of coastal ecosystems from space. The satellite is poised to provide valuable data to researchers at UGA and beyond. It features an advanced optics system that can zoom in on coastal areas to detect chemical composition and physical characteristics on ocean and wetland surfaces. special

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UGA to Z TOP PUBLIC UNIVERSITY

UGA Ranked No. 15

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The University of Georgia has advanced to No. 15 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 U.S. News and World Report ranking of the best public universities in the nation. This marks the fifth consecutive year that UGA has placed in the top 20, climbing from the No. 16 position last year.

UGA is one of two institutions to make the top 20 from the state of Georgia. Georgia is one of only four states (along with California, Virginia, and Florida) to have more than one institution in the top 20. In addition, UGA is one of only two institutions from the Southeastern Conference to be in the top 20.

UGA climbed in U.S. News’ reputational category this year—a peer assessment rating by presidents, provosts, and deans of admissions that accounts for 20% of an institution’s score. In addition, the university continued to excel in key measures of student outcomes such as retention, degree completion, and student selectivity. UGA’s six-year graduation rate increased to 87%, and retention rose to 96%, with incoming students averaging a 4.0 GPA or higher the past four years consecutively.

BEST PUBLIC UNIVERSITY

LEADERSHIP ADDITIONS

New Deans Appointed Nick T. Place, top, will become the dean of the College of Agricultural and Enviornmental Science. Ron Walcott is the new dean of the Graduate School and also the inaugural vice provost for graduate education.

The University of Georgia has named new deans for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the Graduate School.

Nick T. Place will become dean of the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and director of the Cooperative Extension and Agricultural Experiment Stations effective Jan. 1, 2021. Place is the current dean of extension at the University of Florida.

As dean and director of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension, Place oversees faculty located in each of Florida’s counties, 13 research and education centers, 15 academic departments, and the School of Forest Resources and Conservation.

Ron Walcott is now UGA’s inaugural vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School. In this role, he will work with schools and colleges across campus to enhance the recruitment, support, and success of graduate students.

Walcott is a professor in the department of plant pathology and had been serving as interim dean of the Graduate School.

His appointment as vice provost for graduate education and dean of the graduate school began Oct. 1.

VIRTUAL MOVIE NIGHT

Brown Media Archives Celebrates 25th Anniversary

The University of Georgia Libraries celebrated the 25th anniversary of one of its special collections this fall. A series of virtual events highlighted the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection’s contributions to media preservation, scholarship, and filmmaking.

The Brown Media Archives preserve more than 250,000 titles in film, audiotape, and other recording formats—including home movies and news film—spanning the past 100 years.

The anniversary festivities featured virtual discussions with documentary filmmakers, scholars, and partners, along with a celebration of amateur films.

The celebration culminated on Nov. 11 with a virtual panel discussion focused on media archival research, which was part of UGA’s Spotlight on the Arts festival.

graphic by lindsay bland robinson

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UGA to Z HEED AWARD

UGA Earns National Diversity Award

Even as it was being recognized as a higher education leader in diversity and inclusion, the University of Georgia has recommitted itself to improving in these areas.

UGA’s efforts to foster diversity and inclusion have been in place for years, but new initiatives and programs coupled with a commitment to building on past successes earned UGA its seventh consecutive INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award.

The HEED Award is the only national recognition honoring colleges and universities that exhibit outstanding efforts and success in the area of diversity and inclusion.

In August, President Jere W. Morehead JD ’80 announced a Presidential Task Force on Race, Ethnicity, and Community to develop concrete recommendations that can be implemented during the 2020-21 academic year to continue to improve campus culture and strengthen the learning environment. In addition, Morehead charged a Planning Committee on Diversity and Inclusive Excellence to develop a comprehensive plan, with specific goals and measures of success, that builds on UGA’s most recent diversity plan.

Emma Amos: Color Odyssey Georgia Museum of Art Jan. 30 – April 25, 2021 TRUE COLORS

10-Year ‘Odyssey’ Makes It to UGA

A decade in the making, the exhibition “Emma Amos: Color Odyssey” opens at the Georgia Museum of Art on Jan. 30. Organized

by Shawnya Harris, the museum’s Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Curator of African American and African Diasporic Art, it surveys the career of the Atlanta-born artist through 63 works.

Amos died in May and is best known for her bold and colorful mixed-media paintings that create visual tapestries, which examine the intersection of race, class, gender, and privilege in both the art world and society at large. After its run at UGA, the exhibition will travel to the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute in Utica, New York, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Harris edited the exhibition catalogue, which includes essays by artists LaToya Ruby Frazier and Kay WalkingStick, as well as other scholars in the field.

TASTE OF INNOVATION

Entrepreneurial Experience

As the University of Georgia prepared to reopen campus for classes in August, a few first-year students donned masks to preview in-person learning for fall semester.

Sixteen incoming UGA students participated in Dawg Camp Innovate, an extended orientation program that introduced them to the UGA and Athens entrepreneurship community and the resources to help them grow businesses or develop their ideas.

Students met in Studio 225, UGA’s Student Center for Entrepreneurship, to learn about entrepreneurship opportunities, brainstorm hypothetical startup companies, and get a taste of pitching their own business ideas.

The effort is part of UGA’s nationally recognized Dawg Camp program, which assists students with their transition into the university community. peter frey

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UGA to Z

CAMPUS COVID RESPONSE Measures such as social distancing, mask wearing, and sanitizing stations have allowed the return to inperson classes to continue as safely as possible.

A NEW NORMAL

Campus Reopens

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HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES

Health Center Pivots to Fight COVID-19

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The University Health Center, led by executive director Dr. Garth Russo, below, has been a great asset to the campus and Athens i community over sk w the course of the pandemic. doro thy ko zlo

CORONAVIRUS.UGA.EDU

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Fall 2020 at UGA looked different from past semesters.

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced us to concepts like social distancing and flattening the curve, and those phrases were very much at the center of UGA’s preparations to reopen campus safely while still providing quintessential college experiences in August.

One of the most obvious changes is the mask mandate, which requires everyone to wear face coverings inside campus facilities where appropriate social distance may not always be possible. Bulldogs are also encouraged to keep at least 6 feet away from others whenever possible—even outdoors.

Disinfectant stations and hand sanitizer dispensers were installed throughout central locations across campus. The University of Georgia’s Facilities Management Division also ensures classrooms and learning spaces across campus are cleaned and disinfected every day.

More than 700 classes were reassigned to larger classrooms to allow a greater number of students to learn in a face-to-face environment; 793 instructional spaces were prepared for social distancing this fall; and technology was added, upgraded, or modified in 111 centrally managed classrooms. This included installing webcams or monitors, as well as microphones for in-room sound amplification and Zoom broadcasts.

Transportation and Parking Services implemented new bus schedules and sanitation procedures as well, including using disinfectant sprays on all buses every night and installing protective barriers around drivers. The number of people permitted on a bus at one time has also been reduced. Five extra minutes have been added between classes to promote walking.

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In early March, the University of Georgia Health Center prioritized its resources to meet the needs of the campus and surrounding community and pivoted to both mitigate the potential for exposure to COVID-19 and continue care for UGA patients.

“Many of our staff had not experienced a major infectious disease threat such as COVID-19 or H1N1 or even measles in the late 1980s,” says Dr. Garth Russo, the health center’s executive director. “But our culture is resilient, we remained engaged and present onsite to a great extent, and literally reconfigured our services several times from the spring to the present so that we could continue to do the work that needed to be done.”

New offerings included telehealth visits for specialty care, curbside pickup for the pharmacy, virtual platforms to address mental health and wellness, symptomatic COVID-19 testing, and surveillance testing for asymptomatic participants.

Throughout the fall, up to 500 volunteers per day participated in surveillance testing at Legion Field and other pop-up locations across campus each week.

UGA to Z

owens50 i n di vi dua l s

ADAMS

ADAMSON

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AKERS

ALLEN

BELLAFIORE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

BREEDEN

CASSITY

CASTRO

College of Environment and Design Honors ‘Owens 50’

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COTHRAN

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FIRTH

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JORDAN

JURAS

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LINLEY

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PHILLIPS

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WIGGINTON

As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of its founding, the College of Environment and Design is honoring 50 individuals who have shaped the college throughout its history. The group has been termed the “Owens 50,” named for the college’s founding dean, Hubert Owens.

“These talented individuals brought unparalleled passion, expertise, and commitment to our professions, the college, and the betterment of the world at large,” says Sonia Hirt, the college’s dean. “Through their vision and hard work, they shaped our programs and enhanced the CED’s ability to serve students and enrich lives.”

The first landscape architecture classes were taught on campus in 1928. The School of Environmental Design was established in 1969; it became the College of Environment and Design in 2001.

The college is also honoring six institutions for making an indelible impact. They range from alumni organizations to highly regarded professional allies to generous friends and donors.

The honorees have been invited to a ceremony, tentatively scheduled for March 2021. For more information and a full list of the Owens 50,visit

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CED50.UGA.EDU/OWENS_50

i n st i t ut i on s

CED ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CEDAA

GEORGIA CHAPTER ASLA

GEORGIA POWER

GEORGIA TRANSMISSION CORP

PEACHTREE GARDEN CLUB

DAWGS GIVE BACK

WORMSLOE FOUNDATION

Bulldog Stars Commit to Major Gifts

Meet the College of Environment and Design’s “Owens 50” Last year marked 50 years since the establishment of the School of Environmental Design, which became the College of Environment and Design in 2001. As part of the year-long celebration, CED faculty, staff, and alumni honored the most amazing individuals and groups who have shaped the college throughout its history.

GROWING RESEARCH

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UGA once again posted new highs in research and development expenditures, a key measure for research output, nearly topping the $500 million mark and exceeding last year’s R&D total by almost 4%.

Fueled by new advancements in infectious diseases, plant sciences, behavioral research, animal health, informatics, and many other disciplines, UGA posted $495 million in R&D expenditures in Fiscal Year 2020, which ended June 30. For six of the past seven years, the university has reported annual increases in R&D, which has grown by 41% during that time.

UGA has focused strategically on growing its research enterprise through faculty hiring initiatives, capital projects dedicated to research (such as the ongoing effort to modernize and expand Science Hill, including the I-STEM Research Building currently under construction), and enhanced administrative support to faculty seeking external research funding.

In another survey, UGA ranked No. 10 for innovation productivity, or turning research expenditures into economic output.

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In addition to the 50 individuals, we also honor six institutions that have had an indelible impact on the CED. They range from alumni organizations to highly-regarded professional allies to generous friends and donors.

The Owens 50 are featured on our website. https://ced50.uga.edu/owens_50

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Record high R&D

The winners have been invited to a ceremony, tentatively scheduled for March 2021, which will allow them to revisit with their colleagues, classmates, and campus. We could not be more proud of our Owens 50.

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From the first landscape architecture classes in 1928 to our beginnings as a college in 1969, the CED has been shaped by and has produced many trailblazers and visionaries. Through their scholarship, teaching, service, and professional practice, these individuals have demonstrated unwavering commitments to advancing the principles of design, planning, and preservation.

A committee of CED faculty, staff, and alumni undertook the difficult task of narrowing down the list of about 100 nominees to the 50 finalists: the Owens 50, named after CED’s founding Dean, Hubert Owens. These talented individuals brought unparalleled passion, expertise, and commitment to our professions, the college, and the betterment of the world at large. Through their vision and hard work, they shaped our programs and enhanced the CED’s ability to serve students and enrich lives.

Above, Matthew and Kelly Stafford after the 2009 Capital One Bowl.

Below, Coach Kirby Smart and wife Mary Beth with their children (from left) Weston, Julia, and Andrew in May 2020.

Several notable former Bulldog student-athletes recently made major gifts to support multiple areas on campus, including a new social justice program created by the UGA Athletic Association.

Former UGA quarterback and current Detroit Lion Matthew Stafford M ’10 and his wife, Kelly M ’12, a former UGA cheerleader, joined head football coach Kirby Smart BBA ’98 and his wife Mary Beth BBA ’03, a former UGA basketball star, in supporting the program. Its goal is to continue developing an environment to effect meaningful change in the areas of diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice for all the association’s members, including student-athletes, coaches, and staff.

The Staffords’ $1.5 million gift will also create two Georgia Commitment Scholarships and support UGA Cheerleading and the ButtsMehre Expansion Project. The Smarts’ $1 million commitment will support the Butts-Mehre project as well, in addition to creating scholarships for senior student-athletes whose final seasons were impacted by COVID-19.

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UGA to Z FISH TALES

Sturgeon Adjust to Survive

In the lower Missouri River, a fish with prehistoric ties has learned to live hard—and, too often, die young.

A study by UGA researcher Marty Hamel details the ways pallid sturgeon have adapted to less-thanideal conditions. The fish that live where their habitat has substantially changed over the years have responded by growing faster and reaching sexual maturity at an earlier age, resulting in a shortened lifespan.

This study’s findings are a first for this type of species and detail the fish’s plasticity, or ability to adjust rather than genetically adapt to their environment.

“For a traditionally long-lived species, this plasticity hasn’t been documented before,” says Hamel, an assistant professor of fisheries and ecology in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources.

“They’re an endangered species, so having that age information is really important for understanding the population.”

Fish hatcheries have microchipped and released wild pallid sturgeon to track their growth and travel.

Hamel used these tags to estimate age for wild fish.

He now plans to apply additional genetic tools to sturgeon across the Southeast.

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After Marty Hamel, assistant professor of fisheries and ecology, caught this pallid sturgeon in the lower Missouri River, he safely returned the fish to its aquatic home.

OH DEER

Researchers Use Socks as Fawn Face Coverings

For students who work in the University of Georgia’s Deer Research Laboratory, the concept of face coverings is not new.

Researchers studying white-tailed deer often use face coverings to keep the animals calm while collecting data. But when fawns are being studied, the scientists have to get a little more creative with their deer masks.

Enter the modified baby sock.

These socks quickly calm fawns down so researchers can gather data to monitor their health for the first three months of their lives as part of a five-year study on the decline of North Georgia’s deer population.

Now in its final year, the study partners Warnell with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to understand the effects predators and habitat have on deer numbers in Georgia’s mountains. Fawn survival is an integral part of this work.

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A young fawn is calmed by a sock face covering while UGA researchers collect important health data.

SAFER FOOD SUPPLY

A New Method May Reduce Pathogens on Tomatoes

When vegetable farmers harvest crops, they often rely on postharvest washing to reduce any foodborne pathogens. But a new University of Georgia study shows promise in reducing these pathogens—as well as lowering labor costs—by applying sanitizers to produce while it is still in the fields.

Salmonella outbreaks associated with the tomato have increased in recent years, and fresh produce accounted for 21% of E.coli outbreaks in the past 20 years.

Laboratory and field research by Tong Zhao, associate research scientist with the Center for Food Safety on the UGA Griffin campus (see page 24), revealed that a non-chlorine-based sanitizer outperformed other treatments and significantly reduces incidences of a variety of bacteria on tomato plants.

The sanitizer, which is made of two food additives approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration—levulinic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate—had never been used as a preharvest treatment, Zhao says. Preharvest treatments are also practical, labor-cost effective, and environmentally friendly.

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HISTORIC TIME

60th Anniversary of Desegregation Will Bring Whole Campus Together Jan. 9, 2021, will mark the 60th anniversary of the University of Georgia’s doors being opened to all citizens.

The entire university community will celebrate this milestone with 60 events scheduled throughout the spring semester to not only recall this historic moment but also explore what it means for our present and future.

“The 60th Anniversary of Desegregation at UGA provides us an opportunity to reflect on how far we have come as an institution. It also reminds us that the work of diversity and inclusion

is ongoing,” says Michelle Cook, vice provost for diversity and inclusion and strategic university initiatives.

The 60 events that will make up the anniversary calendar are still being finalized. Once that process is complete, a full schedule will be released.

“While we have work to do, this celebration of the courage of Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Hamilton Holmes and Mary Frances Early inspires us to continue to move forward and strive toward an inclusive and welcoming campus for all,” Cook says.

“While we have work to do, this celebration of the courage of Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Hamilton Holmes and Mary Frances Early inspires us to continue to move forward and strive toward an inclusive and welcoming campus for all.”

— michelle cook, vice provost for diversity and inclusion and str ategic university initiatives

Event information and more available soon at DESEGREGATION.UGA.EDU.

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BULLDOGS GIVE BACK

Supporting Healthier and Happier Students

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eeling excluded in a sea of thousands. A volatile relationship. Social mediadriven anxiety. Struggles with substance abuse. Losing or caring for a family member with COVID-19.

It’s difficult to make the Dean’s List while facing these, and many other, obstacles.

and stable communities in Georgia and around the world.

UGA is encouraging students to immerse fully in the campus experience and to practice skills and mindsets daily that will help them embrace challenges in the future. The university is focused on four aspects of a holistic well-being

“I personally feel strongly as a successful UGA graduate that I should try to help students have the space to participate in activities outside the classroom.”—anne beckwith BBA ’90 This is why the University of Georgia places student well-being as a top priority in preparing students for life on campus—and beyond. It is essential to academic success, meaningful social interactions, and for reaching goals. Therefore, increasing a student’s sense of belonging and commitment to creating positive change improves not only their experience at UGA but also their capacity for leadership in creating more healthy, prosperous,

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experience: physical wellness, mental health, financial literacy, and social engagement.

These come together in UGA’s Student Affairs Well-being and Success Network that connects campus partners, public health experts and students to form a powerful, collaborative network of support resources to aid students in handling—and preparing for— the stressors they will face in an increasingly complex world.

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Private support is crucial to many of these programs and resources, and donors can help ensure students achieve their academic dreams by successfully navigating their physical, mental, financial, and social circumstances.

Anne Beckwith BBA ’90, a UGA Alumni Association board member, and her husband, Brian BBA ’91, an emeritus member of the Terry College Alumni Board, are particularly committed to student success. The couple contributed to the Embark@UGA Journey Fund earlier this year.

“I personally feel strongly as a successful UGA graduate that I should try to help students have the space to participate in activities outside the classroom,” Anne says.

“And we can do this by increasing UGA’s ability to address financial need. It’s hard to do more than go to class when you are worried about your next meal or where you will sleep that night.”

Anne and Brian Beckwith’s support touches many corners of campus, but the alumni couple is particularly committed to helping students be academically successful by focusing on their well-being.

edwin hammond

ADDITIONAL STUDENT WELL-BEING RESOURCES COUNSELING AND PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES (CAPS) Provides UGA students and their eligible partners with affordable and confidential services that include individual, couples, and group counseling; psychiatric services; crisis intervention; and a variety of educational workshops.

STUDENT EMERGENCY FUNDS Provides limited, one-time financial assistance to students who are unable to meet immediate, essential expenses because of temporary hardship related to an emergency situation.

FONTAINE CENTER Promotes a safe environment for students by focusing on alcohol and drug prevention, early intervention and recovery services, relationship counseling, sexual violence prevention. See page 16 to learn more.

SUNSHINE FUND Provides support for the emergency and mental health needs of UGA students in crisis and helps provide funds for off-campus recovery and treatment centers.

EMBARK@UGA Provides direct support to students who have experienced homelessness and/or foster care.

DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER Promotes a welcoming academic, physical, and social environment for UGA students with disabilities.

LET ALL THE BIG DAWGS EAT FOOD SCHOLARSHIP Provides a need-based scholarship that awards meal plans to UGA students each fall, spring, and summer term.

Donors like the Beckwiths are making a difference every day in the lives of students—alongside thousands of other donors each year.

Learn more about supporting student well-being at GIVE.UGA.EDU/WELL-BEING.

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A Student Lifeline Nearly 15 years in, the Fontaine Center has helped create a safer campus culture.

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Liz Prince is UGA’s director of health promotion and the John Fontaine Jr. Center for Alcohol Awareness and Prevention.

y th ro i wsk zlo ko

“For people in general, the positive typically resonates better than the negative,” Prince says.

It’s that uplifting approach that drives the Fontaine Center. The center, housed within the University Health Center and the Division of Student Affairs, offers programs focused on prevention, early intervention, and recovery support for issues related to alcohol and other drugs. It also offers programs related to relationships and sexual violence prevention and advocacy. The center has been helping to shift the campus culture away from the kind of high-risk drinking that plagues colleges across the country toward healthier ways to cope with stress and navigate the college experience.

Now, the center is playing a crucial role in helping students stay safe and manage anxiety in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

do

iz prince spends her days helping students navigate difficult situations, traumatic experiences, and consequences of their decisions. But she always focuses on the positive.

Even when talking about the ongoing pandemic, which has forced students to adjust to new realities, Prince starts by looking at the bright side.

“In the spring, we saw more people getting outside to enjoy fresh air in a social distancing manner and many people adding exercise to their daily routines. For many people, that wasn’t happening pre-COVID,” says Prince, UGA’s director of health promotion and the John Fontaine Jr. Center for Alcohol Awareness and Education.

And there were other ways that people, particularly UGA students, have been focusing on selfcare. “In that sense, things probably got a little bit better.”

Make no mistake. Prince is not blindly positive or disconnected to harsh realities—she can easily catalog a list of pandemicrelated concerns. But she starts difficult conversations with a sense of hope.

written by aaron hale ma ’16

The Vision W

hile guided by hope, the Fontaine Center is deeply rooted in an acknowledgment of a serious problem.

In 2000, John Fontaine Jr. was only 16 when he got into a car with a friend who had been drinking. Jack M ’79 and Nancy Fontaine got the kind of late-night call that parents dread. The friend had lost control of the vehicle, and it hit a tree.

John died instantly.

Through their grief, they resolved to take action. Jack, who had been a student at UGA in the 1970s, dropped out because he succumbed to a problematic campus

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drinking and drug culture. The Fontaines saw an opportunity to improve the culture and hopefully have a broader impact through the Fontaine Center.

“What happened to John and so many others across this country is totally avoidable,” says Jack Fontaine, who has been sober now for 33 years. “But it starts with awareness. It starts with education with the parent, child, and the school.”

Dr. Jean Chin BS ’78 was the executive director of the University Health Center when the Fontaines provided a gift to create the Fontaine Center in honor of

John Jr. She recalls a conversation with the Fontaines in which they laid out their hope for the center.

It was pretty simple. “If we could prevent one parent from receiving the tragic phone call we received, that’s how we would see the center as a success.”

Over time, the Fontaines’ definition of that “tragic phone call” has evolved.

There are other tragedies that happen from substance abuse, Jack Fontaine says, including DUIs, failing grades, or sexual assault. The Fontaine Center aims to reduce all of these.

As a student mentor, Carolina Slater (on screen) has committed to helping first-year students avoid unsafe drinking practices and find ways to have fun without drugs or alcohol. dorothy kozlowski

Prevention

O

ver its nearly 15 years of existence, the Fontaine Center has gradually expanded its services to create a safer campus environment.

It started by creating programs aimed at abuse prevention. Previously, there was no coordinated effort on campus aimed at substance misuse prevention. Instead, the health center addressed the behaviors of individuals who found themselves in trouble.

“It took some time,” says Chin, “but gradually the Fontaine Center was able to broaden our ability to move from individual treatment to a broader campus environment focus.”

This included educational programs for first-year students, one of the highest risk groups for substance misuse.

Carolina Slater was a freshman at another university when two of her friends were hospitalized because of alcohol-related incidents. One had alcohol poisoning from drinking too much at a party; the other, it appeared, had someone slip a drug into her drink. The experiences made an impression. So, when Slater transferred to UGA, she joined one of the Fontaine Center’s peer mentoring programs.

Student mentoring and participation is crucial to the center’s work. Students not only expand the reach of the center’s

six-person professional staff, but they also provide a gut-check for the messages being delivered to young adults.

Slater, a biology major and public health minor, is part of a group of students who reach out to freshmen. They offer guidance on avoiding unsafe drinking practices and encourage first-year students to find fun outside of drugs and alcohol. She likes to share a list of 25 things to do in Athens without alcohol.

“We focus on harm reduction,” Slater says. “So, we tell them, ‘You don’t have to go out every night or every weekend to have fun in college.’”

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Beth Kindamo, a nutrition education coordinator, leads a virtual cooking class for the Fontaine Center.

Virtual yoga, mindfulness, and other well-being classes keeps students connected even during the pandemic.

Adapting to Sudden Change W

hen the pandemic hit in the spring, the Fontaine Center went virtual, setting up confidential counseling and education sessions, reaching out to students through social media and hosting virtual yoga, mindfulness, and nutrition classes.

When campus reopened this fall, the center took a hybrid approach of in-person and virtual programming. Counselors and coaches measured their offices in the University Health Center to ensure a 6-foot distance between chairs and couches. Before entering the center, everyone must go through a health screening process. If the weather’s nice, they might meet with students outside.

“If we can be in an environment where we’re able to practice social distancing in addition to wearing masks and the environment is safe, we’ll do it,” Prince says. “Otherwise, it’s done virtually.”

dorothy kozlowski

‘Meeting Them Where They Are’ W

hether in-person or virtual, the Fontaine Center staff greet students with a consistent approach. Prince describes it as “meeting them where they are”: a strategy that focuses on harm reduction rather than tough love.

A few years ago, a student was referred to the center because he was having academic challenges and had received alcohol-related tickets from the police.

Prince says the student was consuming as much as a dozen drinks in a night and blacking out. Still, he didn’t see anything wrong with what he was doing.

“Had I gone in guns blazing and said you just need to stop everything, the student is probably going to go through the motions.

Probably with very little changing,” she says.

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Instead, Prince asked about the student’s aspirations and then asked about how his choices might affect them. Eventually, the student—not Prince—suggested he try to cut back on the number of drinks consumed in a night. Prince offered some tips on strategies for that.

After some success, the student decided to cut back even further. Eventually, he showed enough progress to move on from the program.

Sometime later during Commencement season, Prince was walking through campus when she heard someone shout from a car, “Hey, Alcohol Lady!”

She turned to see that student she had nudged toward more moderate drinking.

He pulled over to speak with her. As Prince

recalls, he said, “I really appreciate what you did. You didn’t pass judgment on me, you didn’t tell me to stop, but you allowed me to work through what I needed to do.

I’m being much safer, and I feel better.” He looked healthier, too, Prince adds.

In a typical year, the Fontaine Center staff hold more than 1,800 individual appointments with students and meet with thousands more through group sessions. Still, it’s impossible to tally the many lives that have been changed thanks to the center.

But with dozens of stories such as these piling up over the years, it’s not too hard to imagine that the Fontaine Center has fulfilled Jack and Nancy’s hope to avert a single late-night tragic call. And more than likely, the center has done this many times over. GM

Other Programs: • Alcohol, especially on college campuses, is a contributing factor to sexual violence. A landmark 2001 study estimated that half of sexual assaults on college campuses involve a situation in which the perpetrator, the victim, or both were consuming alcohol.

Chin says it’s a matter of consent.

“Bottom line: You can’t make consent decisions when you’re impaired,” she says.

To address the relationship between sexual violence and alcohol, the Fontaine Center offers counseling, peer mentoring about healthy relationships, and a 24-hour support hotline (706-542-SAFE).

• The Fontaine Center has a Collegiate Recovery Community, which provides support for students who are in recovery and committed to leading a sober, healthy life.

“It’s helpful for them to connect with other students who have done the work and have been successful,” says Chin. “That community allows interaction to happen.”

• To prepare students before they even come to college, the Fontaine Center has established programs related to stress management, well-being, and alcohol and other drug education at high schools in Athens, Atlanta, and Houston (where the Fontaines live).

The Fontaine Center relies heavily on private giving to deliver its services. To support the Fontaine Center and the students it serves, make a gift at GIVE.UGA.EDU/FONTAINE-CENTER.

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just what the doctor ordered AU/UGA Medical Partnership is taking on the state’s physician shortage.

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Students in the AU/UGA Medical Partnership head to class in this file photo from 2015. The partnership was established on UGA’s Health Sciences Campus, on the grounds of what had been the Navy Supply Corps School.

written by leigh beeson ma ’17

S

mall class sizes. case-based learning.

And a real sense of community.

That’s what drew Cristina Elstad MD ’14 to the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership. It was 2010 and the partnership’s first year educating medical students. Elstad had applied to med schools all over the country after graduating from Notre Dame, but her family was Georgia-based and she felt called back.

“One of my future professors, Dr. Clive Slaughter, was in the building and gave me a tour,” Elstad says.

“You could just tell immediately that it was a very personal feel. By the end of my time there not only did the dean recognize me personally, but she knew what my family did and where they were from.”

Her experience as part of the inaugural class at the partnership did not disappoint.

“I think they did an astounding job at building a program that was forward-thinking in the way that it is taught,” Elstad says. “And from a handson standpoint, I felt more prepared surgically and procedurally than I think students from other places just because it is a smaller environment and it is more one-on-one learning. I felt a step ahead on some things because of the opportunities that I was provided here.”

In 2009, the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and the University of Georgia established a four-year medical school campus in Athens to grow the number of physicians produced by the state’s only public medical school and to help address physician shortages across the state and region.

The partnership’s first home was a historic building right beside the North Oconee River. But when the Navy vacated its 56-acre Navy Supply Corps School on Prince Avenue, the university jumped at the chance to develop a new Health Sciences campus. (The revamped building on the Oconee now houses the School of Social Work.)

Commissioned in 1954, the property served for years as a training site for Navy Supply Corps officers in leadership, food service, data processing, and more. The school also provided specialized advanced logistics training to U.S. Naval personnel and military officers from abroad.

After more than a year of renovations, the partnership moved into its current home on Prince Avenue in 2012.

dorothy kozlowski

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Ryan Lam pulls his paper piñata onstage with his classmates to reveal his match results at Match Day 2016.

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“According to the latest data by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the projected shortfall of physicians in the United States will be close to 139,000 by 2033,” says Dr. Michelle Nuss, campus dean at the AU/UGA Medical Partnership. “The shortage has been magnified by the ongoing pandemic but also is attributed to the aging population and physician retirement. The class expansion at the Medical Partnership will help offset this growing physician shortage.”

The situation in Georgia, specifically, is particularly bleak.

The state has 22,471 physicians to serve over 10.5 million Georgians, according to the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce’s

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2018 physician renewal survey. But about 3,000 of them don’t work full time, and more than half of those actively practicing are age 50 or older, with retirement looming.

Georgia has increased its total number of physicians by about 4,000 over the past decade, but the rate of physicians to the Georgians they serve has continued to hover at around 200 physicians for every 100,000 people. Rural areas of the state are particularly hard hit. Nine of Georgia’s 159 counties don’t have a single physician, let alone specialists like gynecologists or pediatricians.

The AU/UGA Medical Partnership is working to change that.

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combating the physician shortage

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andrew davis tucker

“The class expansion at the Medical Partnership will help offset this growing physician shortage.”

—dr . mich el le nu ss

vis tucker rew da and

Cristina Elstad, a member of the Medical Partnership’s first graduating class, takes part in a CPR class in this file photo from 2010.

Right, Elstad and her husband, Parker Smith, both returned to practice in Athens after graduating from the Medical Partnership. dot paul

growing its impact Ten years after its founding, the partnership still boasts those small groups, hands-on learning, and bonded cohorts that appeal to students like Elstad. But this fall, the medical school increased the class size from 40 students to 50, with plans to add 10 more students each year through 2024, bringing total enrollment to 240 students at the Athens campus.

“For the last decade, the partnership between the state’s flagship university and Georgia’s only public medical school has produced not just more physicians for Georgia, but expanded research collaborations that address some of the state’s major maladies like stroke, obesity, and cardiovascular disease,” says Dr. David C. Hess, dean of the Medical College of Georgia. “I am confident the continued

growth of both campuses will ensure that for years to come.”

Alongside the increase in student enrollment, the partnership also upgraded Russell Hall on UGA’s Health Sciences campus. The state-funded $3 million renovation included a state-of-the-art simulation suite and clinical skills lab, active learning classrooms, and specific spaces for small-group learning, studying, and collaboration.

Georgia is already seeing the benefit of the collaboration between universities, with 68 Medical Partnership alumni choosing to practice or complete their residencies and fellowship programs around the state. Sixteen grads decided to stick around and are now practicing in the Athens area.

Elstad is one of them, and so is her husband, Parker Smith BS ’10, MD ’15. After completing her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Emory University, Elstad joined Athens ObGyn. Smith practices emergency medicine at Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital. And both have given back to the university where they first met.

“Part of the excitement of coming back to Athens was that I loved to teach, and I really have been excited to be involved in teaching at the program where I trained,” Elstad says. “We’ve done some hands-on sessions with the students, both of us. And I’ve given a handful of lectures, and we do some interest groups and mentoring.

I think it’s a fantastic program, and it’s super fun to be back and seeing it from the other side.” GM

Preparing the next generation of physicians. That’s our commitment. GIVE.UGA.EDU/MEDICAL-PARTNERSHIP geo rgia maga z ine | winter 2 02 0

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for thought The Center for Food Safety partners with industry and government agencies to keep your food secure. written by leigh beeson ma ’17

H

ard-boiled eggs tainted with listeria. Romaine lettuce harboring E. coli. Ground beef laced with salmonella. Raw oysters contaminated with more disease-causing bugs than you can count.

Those are just four of the thousandplus foodborne outbreaks of illness in the United States in a given year. Contaminated food products make tens of millions of people sick each year, result in thousands of hospitalizations, and cause more than 1,300 deaths annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And that’s just in the U.S. It’s the University of Georgia Center for Food Safety’s mission to prevent those outbreaks before they happen.

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L

Francisco Diez-Gonzalez leads a dedicated team of food safety faculty and staff out of UGA’s Griffin-based Center for Food Safety.

ed by director Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, the Griffin-based center, which is part of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, conducts research on foodborne pathogens and finds ways to minimize the risks they pose to people. The center has eight faculty, including Diez-Gonzalez. But for such a small academic unit, Food Safety’s expertise is broad, with experts on everything from detecting and reducing dangerous microorganisms during the food handling process to the study of parasites that hitch a ride on the fresh produce people consume.

Or, as Diez-Gonzalez’s son used to say, the center’s scientists are fighting “very dangerous bugs” that make people sick when they eat contaminated food.

Over its 28 years, the center has developed close ties to the CDC, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the FDA, and industry partners that include everyone from General Mills to McDonald’s to Publix.

“Food safety is critical for the overall well-being of a country or society,” says Diez-Gonzalez. “A century ago, a lot of people were dying from gastrointestinal diseases because of poor hygiene and food safety practices. We’ve been able to progress in part because we make sure that we don’t get sick from what we eat.”

peter frey

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BAKE IT AWAY

DISEASE ON ICE Five years ago, 10 people were hospitalized in four states and three of them died after eating ice cream tainted with listeria, a species of bacteria that typically causes fever and diarrhea but can pose significantly more risk if it spreads beyond the gut.

UGA scientists like Henk den Bakker isolate and track the different strains of bacteria like listeria, using computer programs to map the dangerous outbreaks and find connections between bacterial strains and the populations they infect. The algorithms help him determine how and why strains of listeria are able to adapt and become resistant to common sanitizers and what researchers can do to overcome that hurdle.

You probably don’t think of the flour coming straight out of the bag as raw. It is.

And unless it’s cooked, it can carry germs such as salmonella and E. coli. But how many of us are guilty of licking the spoon from that bowl of cake batter or popping a piece of raw cookie dough into our mouths, putting us at risk of infection?

Research led by Francisco DiezGonzalez and post-doctoral researcher Fereidoun Forghani showed when manufacturers treated flour with heat and stored it at about 95 degrees for a couple of months, the levels of bacteria dropped significantly.

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fr

p et er

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BAD BERRIES When she first spotted it, Ynes Ortega was a microbiologist at the University of Arizona. She was focusing on children with diarrhea in the shantytowns of Lima, Peru. They were obviously infected with a parasite— one with striking similarities to toxoplasma, one of the world’s most common parasites.

But it was something she’d never seen before. And it seemed to only be causing illness in certain developing countries at first. But then it started showing up in the U.S. in the 1990s, apparently hitching a ride on imported y f re p et er raspberries from Guatemala every summer and giving people who ate the fruit a nasty case of diarrhea that could last for weeks.

She named it Cyclospora cayetanensis.

Fast forward a couple of decades, and the parasite started showing up in American-grown produce, meaning it now may have a stronghold in U.S. soil and other nations.

Cyclospora is a tough adversary and almost impossible to kill. That’s why Ortega is seeking better ways to detect the bug and determine the source of outbreaks. At the same time, she’s also rooting out where the parasite dwells during the offseason months before outbreaks start like clockwork in the summer.

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y

CONTAINING COVID-19 After news broke of a coronavirus that was rapidly infecting people in China, Malak Esseili knew immediately that people would have questions about the safety of their food. How long does it survive al s pe ci on the plastic wraps around chicken? Can it live on the surface of leafy greens? Should people wash their groceries with soap?

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S., infections at meat processing factories quickly skyrocketed. Some plants temporarily closed due to exposure. Meat shortages became an issue. Food safety experts were concerned both about the factory workers’ conditions and how the pandemic would affect already strained food supplies.

Esseili specializes in food virology, focusing on how contaminated foods can serve as vehicles for infecting the people who eat them. Previously, the assistant professor worked on a team at Ohio State University that was trying to develop a vaccine for a different coronavirus that hit the swine industry in 2013.

She quickly adapted her lab’s work to include the novel coronavirus, with the goal of determining how the food industry can protect its workers and consumers from the virus. Esseili’s lab continues to focus on determining how long the virus can live in the environment and on surfaces of food and food packaging, as well as which inactivation strategies are the most effective at destroying the virus. GM

RESEARCH AREAS AT THE CENTER FOR FOOD SAFETY 1. FOOD SAFETY BIOINFORMATICS: Applying

2. ANTIMICROBIAL INTERVENTIONS: Developing

advanced technology applications such as

novel technologies and ingredients to inhibit

whole genome sequencing, machine learning,

or inactivate microbial risks in

and data analytics to solve foodborne

fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains.

pathogen contamination issues.

3. FOOD MICROBIAL ECOLOGY: Advancing the

4. PRE-HARVEST FOOD SAFETY: Targeting the control,

understanding of pathogen interaction and

elimination, and detection of foodborne

survival in food-related environments, in

pathogens before crops are harvested

particular the control of salmonella in poultry.

or livestock is slaughtered.

Support the Center for Food Safety’s mission to prevent food-borne illnesses. GIVE.UGA.EDU/FOOD-SAFETY geo rgia maga z ine | winte r 2 02 0

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t h e

Georgia Magazine c e n t u r y written by eric rangus ma ’94

O

n Aug. 15, 1920, 4,000 copies of a new publication were distributed to University of Georgia graduates and other supporters. One hundred years later, that publication—the one you are holding right now—is still covering the Bulldog community.

In tracing its 100 years, what stands out is how Georgia Magazine represents the times and culture of the University and society at large through the years.

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1920s

The Early Years The Georgia Alumni Record, the forerunner of Georgia Magazine, launched with a very specific purpose: to help the War Memorial Fund raise $1 million in honor of the UGA students and alumni who fought and died in World War I (see right). The fundraising campaign was Georgia’s first, and it exceeded expectations. By the time the campaign closed on Nov. 11, 1921—the third anniversary of the armistice

that ended the war—the fund had raised $1.12 million, and part of that money went to build Memorial Hall.

With the money in hand, that could have been the end of the Record, but founding editor Robert P. Brooks AB 1904 (the namesake of Brooks Hall) saw value in continuing the publication. The Record could be an essential tool in keeping UGA’s 7,000 alumni connected to the university—and encourage them to donate to it. It could also promote university priorities and market the institution (even though that term was decades from coming into vogue).

The administration agreed, and the Record not only continued but expanded. An advertising manager and four associate editors were hired—including Nell Upshaw MA 1923, who focused on women students and alumnae; she would eventually join UGA’s faculty. Subscriptions for the 12 monthly issues were $1.50 a year.

The stories were a grab bag, and some had a distinct activist bent.

Faculty members wrote detailed essays asking for new facilities or additional program funding. Campus speeches were reproduced verbatim, and in 1928 a story announced a stadium was proposed for Athens.

That would not be the last we’d hear of that project.

“Now that the campaign is behind us, however, and Alumni Record has become the regular organ of the Alumni Society, the editor feels that it should be made more truly representative of the University than it has hitherto been.”

—robert p. brooks, founding editor and business manager

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Ads in the 1930s resembled this Coca-Cola ad from January 1934.

1930s

Surviving the Depression The Great Depression hit the magazine just as hard as it did the rest of the country. The Record suspended production for much of 1933, and when it came back, it was shorter and combined issues weren’t uncommon. Its focus turned to themed issues that promoted university strengths like agriculture, journalism, and the sciences.

Editor Thomas Gray worked without a salary for a time since there was no money to pay him. On the production side, color began to make regular appearances on the cover, and the first color ad appeared in 1932—for Chesterfield cigarettes. It was a different time.

The 1930s brought color, if not variety, to the cover of the Georgia Alumni Record as well as to the ads that appeared in the interior pages.

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Near right: President Harry S. Truman presenting the Congressional Medal of Honor to UGA alumnus Daniel Warnell Lee. Far right: The November 1947 issue celebrating Thanksgiving.

1940s

War and Peace Beginning in February 1941, the Record listed alumni serving in the military, including their rank, branch of service, and domestic station. After the United States entered World War II, the long lists went away and were replaced with news briefs on the accomplishments of individual alumni fighting overseas.

Alumni killed in action would often receive a small profile along with a photo. That continued until the numbers grew so much that a war obituaries section was added to the Class Notes. The practice would continue into the late 1940s as alumni who had been missing in action were declared dead.

After the war, enrollment at UGA surged to an all-time high. Of the 6,754 students on campus to start the Fall 1947 semester, the Record reported, 3,789 of them were veterans—56.1%. Of those 3,789 vets, 68 were women.

1950s

A Larger Post-War World While the Record maintained its focus on the campus and state following World War II, there was significant curiosity about the wider world. Each year brought features and photos about exchange students studying on campus (mainly in agriculture).

The magazine underwent a major redesign in October 1956.

The covers became flashier, and there was a new focus on off-campus features. While alumni obituaries remained in the magazine, the Class Notes section, which previously took up half the publication, went away. Readers didn’t appreciate the change. In November, one letter writer asked, “What happens to classmates short of death?” Class Notes returned in December.

The October 1956 cover of the Georgia Alumni Record featured a new look as well as a focus on the wider world.

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1960s

Changing Campus, Changing World

In 1961, Charlayne Hunter-Gault ABJ ’63 and Hamilton Holmes BS ’63 enrolled as UGA’s first African American students, forever changing the university. The Record did not cover their admission directly. But in January 1962, a story about a meeting of the Southern Regional Educational Board—a group working to improve college education in the Southeast—included this phrase: “Everyone who can profit from a college education should have a chance to get that education.”

That was far from a declarative statement promoting inclusion as we know it today, but rather a quiet call to open higher education’s doors to all.

The Record may not have taken a direct stand on race relations in the 1960s, but it dove deep into other subjects that remain relevant today. Its highly detailed articles could just as easily have been written last week, with stories like “The Plight of the Humanities”; “To Keep Pace with America,” which detailed how colleges were adapting to modern society; and “Life with Uncle [Sam],” which explored federal influence in education.

The 1960s saw a plethora of different design directions for covers. It was a time of creativity in American culture and at UGA.

1970s

The Me Generation

In the 1970s, the magazine shifted from big thematic pieces and got more personal. Faculty profiles and student profiles became regular elements of the publication. Alumni stories were not just about the featured but about what they were doing to change the world.

The Record didn’t shy away from showing a sense of humor, either.

The May-June 1978 issue featured “The Unknown Candidate” on the cover, complete with a paper bag over his head, similar to The Unknown Comic, a popular comedian of the day. He ran a joke campaign for SGA president and actually won.

Speaking of winning …

Roger Strauss graced the cover of the May-June 1978 issue as he ran for SGA president as “The Unknown Candidate.” He won.

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1980s

We Are the Champions Since the 1920s, Georgia Bulldog football has been a staple of the Record. Most every year, the football team appeared on at least one cover.

But when the Bulldogs finally won their first undefeated national title following the 1980 season, the cover of the Alumni Record went in in a different direction.

Instead, the January-February 1981 Alumni Record cover featured a Bulldog legend from a different time: Fran Tarkenton BBA ’61, pictured with then-President Fred Davison in front of the Coliseum.

The issue kicked off the university’s upcoming $40 million campaign.

Tarkenton would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987, and he remains a

much-beloved and dedicated supporter of the university, especially the Terry College of Business.

Inside, the Record detailed Georgia’s Sugar Bowl win with reprints from The Atlanta Journal or The Atlanta Constitution. (They were separate newspapers at the time.)

One of the pieces was written by the legendary Lewis Grizzard M ’84.

For the rest of the decade, the magazine continued the 1970s editorial mix of general university stories and alumni profiles. The publication’s biggest changes were yet to come.

The 1981-82 academic year is when the Record moved to the quarterly publication schedule Georgia Magazine uses today.

Even though the January/ February 1981 issue did not feature the championship team on the cover, the Fall 1981 cover recognized several of the Bulldogs’ stars, including Herschel Walker.

The 1981-82 academic year is when the Alumni Record moved to the quarterly publication schedule Georgia Magazine uses today.

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1990s

Hello Georgia Magazine

In September 1995, the Georgia Alumni Record became Georgia Magazine. For years, the publication reached beyond the alumni audience; renaming the publication finally acknowledged that fact.

The 1990s also saw a rise in ambitious storytelling. Case in point, the March 1995 cover story “UGA & That Psychedelic Year: 1970” explored one of the most turbulent times in our nation’s history. Eight authors contributed to the 15-page spread, one of the largest in the publication’s history.

On a more positive note, the Summer 1996 issue was dedicated to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta (and Athens, which hosted volleyball, rhythmic gymnastics, and soccer). The issue was notable not only for its content but also because it was the first to feature color photos exclusively. While color photos were part of the magazine since the 1960s, for cost reasons, the majority of pictures continued to run in black and white. After 1996, though, color was the way to go.

Right, Turner Broadcasting executive Pat Mitchell appeared on the September 1995 issue, which was also the first issue titled Georgia Magazine.

The Summer 1996 issue was a souvenir issue celebrating Atlanta/Athens as the home of the 1996 Olympic games.

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2000s

A New Millennium

All of the varied influences and priorities of Georgia Magazine’s previous 80 years seemed to come together at the beginning of the 21st century.

Faculty research, alumni accomplishments, the importance of a college education, the student experience on campus, and the University of Georgia’s influence on the world all blended to create a thoroughly modern publication for an increasingly media-savvy audience.

UGA faculty went to the Amazon, Antarctica, and the bottom of the sea, and Georgia Magazine went with them.

Bold cover imagery, which began in the 1990s, really hits its stride in the 2000s as many of that decade’s images remain exciting today.

Bright, bold covers became the norm in the 2000s. Beautiful photography and illustrations ushered Georgia Magazine into the new millennium.

2010s

and Beyond Here’s to the Next 100 Years

In 2017, the magazine went through a redesign to carry forth a new university-wide visual identity. The 2010s have continued a bold mix of photography, illustration, and conceptual covers.

It eventually had to happen. In the 2010s, UGA’s flagship print publication went online in a PDF format. In 2018, the magazine launched the current electronic version that’s hosted at news.uga.edu/georgia-magazine. This digital format complements the print product, which is cherished by generations of UGA alumni, parents, faculty, friends, and other supporters. Those 4,000 readers from 1920 have grown to 150,000 in 2020.

Georgia Magazine was last redesigned in 2017. The change coincided with the kickoff of the public phase of the Commit to Georgia Campaign, and it helped carry forth a new university visual identity. Whether this new design lasts for the next 100 years remains to be seen. Change does happen. GM

All 100 years of Georgia Magazine are available in the Special Collections Libraries.

To support this important UGA resource, visit LIBS.UGA.EDU/DEVELOPMENT/SUPPORT.

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ON THE BULLDOG BEAT

Mask Up

BULLDOGS

The word is out. Wearing a mask is fashionable and fun!

And it saves lives. These alumni are protecting others from the spread of COVID-19 and making a statement about their love of the red and black.

I just want to try to do my part to help stop the spread of COVID. I’m so ready for my country to get back to normal.

BARRY DODSON ABJ’86, EdD’06

I wear a mask to protect my patients, my colleagues, my friends, and my family. #DawgStrong #GoDawgs MIA WALKER BS ’92

Show your Bulldog spirit with an exclusive pair of face coverings from the UGA Bookstore. Each purchase includes a donation to the UGA Student Emerge

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It’s the right thing to do.

BETH HOOD BBA ’89

We wear masks because we couldn’t imagine a year of not seeing the Dawgs between the hedges.

AIMEE DRIVER DEAN BBA ’96

I wear my mask to keep others safe in case I am infected and asymptomatic.

And to show my DAWG PRIDE! JACOB MOYER MOATS AB ’01

ency Fund to provide limited, one-time assistance to students struggling to meet immediate, essential expenses due to hardships caused by the pandemic.

ALUMNI.UGA.EDU/UGAMASKS

THE NATION

news and events

A Message from the Executive Director

This year has been a challenge. Lives were changed— how we work, how we live, and how we interact with one another. But amid it all, there was so much good being done, especially among the UGA family. It makes me proud to represent the 332,000+ living alumni around the world, many of whom helped ensure their communities, their industries, and their alma mater continued to thrive despite the circumstances. You donated to funds across the university to ensure the teaching, service, and research that takes place here continues to improve lives.

You volunteered as mentors during the UGA Mentor Program’s first year. You connected over Zoom with other Bulldogs via our new virtual programs. You participated in social media campaigns to celebrate the Class of 2020, and you became Digital Dawgs (see right) to help spread the word about great things happening at UGA. And you understood when we needed to change our programming to protect the health and safety of our community. I want to thank you, our alumni, for all that you’ve done this year. We made it through 2020 together. As we enter 2021, remember that UGA alumni Never Bark Alone.

Have a happy holiday season and continue to take care of yourselves and each other.

—Meredith Gurley Johnson BSFCS ’00, MEd ’16

executive director, uga alumni association

A BULLDOG BARK TO ...

Since we couldn’t gather with the 40 Under 40 Class of 2020 during the pandemic, we brought the celebration to them! Each honoree received a special kit of items to recognize their achievement alongside their immediate family and friends. Mamie Marie Harper BSW ’09, executive director and founder of Carrie’s Closet of Georgia, posted a photo on Instagram during the virtual recognition event. See the list of this year’s honorees at ALUMNI.UGA.EDU/40U40. special

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Between the Pages

Alumni have been raving about the UGA Alumni Association’s virtual book club, Between the Pages.

Perfect for lifelong learners and avid readers the world over, a new book is featured every two months. Ongoing discussions are held on Goodreads, and exclusive discussions with the authors are hosted on Zoom. Previous book discussions have included: • July: Mary Kay Andrews (Kathy Trocheck ABJ ’76) – Hello, Summer • September: Tayari Jones M ’98 – An American Marriage • November: Chuck Bryant AB ‘95 and Josh Clark M ‘99 – Stuff You Should Know: An Incomplete Compendium of Mostly Interesting Things Grab your book or e-reader for our next discussion. ALUMNI.UGA.EDU/BTP

Beat Week | UGA vs. AU Giving Challenge

For more than a century, Georgia and Auburn have battled on the gridiron.

In early October, the rivalry moved to a new playing field: charitable giving.

Many thanks to the thousands of alumni, students, faculty, staff, fans and parents who participated in a one-week giving challenge between those of us who yell “Go Dawgs” and those who chant “War Eagle.” When the week ended, the Bulldogs not only won in Sanford Stadium, 27-6, UGA also received the most gifts, 3,2522,978. We’re happy to see that Bulldogs are committed to improving lives, especially during challenging times.

Collectively, the two schools raised more than $3.5 million to support UGA and Auburn.

Seeking Alumni Social Media Ambassadors

Are you loud and proud about being a Georgia Bulldog? Then become a Digital Dawg, a UGA alumni social media ambassador. We’ll regularly drop quality content into your email inbox that is ready for sharing across your social networks. Join today!

ALUMNI.UGA.EDU/DIGITALDAWGS

ABC news correspondent Deborah Roberts ABJ ’82 moderated a lively discussion with Tayari Jones M ’98 about her New York Times best-selling book An American Marriage. Thanks to both women for participating in the second Between the Pages virtual book club. Learn more at ALUMNI.UGA.EDU/BTP.

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from the uga alumni association

Employers like Truist Bank are eager to engage with UGA students despite challenges in place during the pandemic.

The trio of (from left) Kirby Thompson BBA ’76, senior vice president for community and government affairs; Walker Keadle BBA ’08, special market president (and former UGA Mic Man); and Jenna Kelly, president of the Northern Georgia Region enjoyed a masked tour and socially distant lunch in the SunTrust Pitch Deck area of UGA’s Studio 225. Custom cookies by student entrepreneur Baylee Marsh Thornton were also a hit. Tap into UGA’s pipeline of outstanding students at HIREUGA.COM.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay connected with us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. #AlwaysADawg // ALUMNI.UGA.EDU/SOCIAL

DON’T MISS OUT

Molly Swindall AB ’16, AB ’16, ABJ ’16 spent the summer driving an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile across the country, an experience she described as “a bunderful opportunity to drive miles of smiles, ‘meat’ people, and see America through the windshield of an American icon.”

Career Development Webinars

Join the UGA Career Center for a series of free webinars to help you build—and grow—the career of your dreams. Register and confirm details ahead of time.

career.uga.edu/calendar/alumni_events

• 1/26 – Jumpstart Your Career in 2021 • 2/23 – Making the Most of Unemployment Gaps • 3/23 – Networking: LinkedIn and Beyond • 4/20 – Interviewing with Powerful Stories • 5/25 – Salary Negotiation 101 • 6/22 – Mid-Life Career Exploration

FEBRUARY 2021

40 Under 40 + Bulldog 100 Nominations

Nominate outstanding young alumni for the 2021 40 Under 40 and Bulldog-owned or -operated business leaders for the 2022 Bulldog 100.

@mollyswindall

Alumni across the country participated in the UGA Alumni Association’s annual Welcome to the City event in mid-August, which was held virtually.

Special guest Uga X even logged on to Zoom with UGA alumni.

alumni.uga.edu/40U40 alumni.uga.edu/b100

2021 Bulldog 100 Celebration + 2021 Alumni Weekend

Details surrounding these two events were underway as the magazine went to print.

For more information on how these annual events will take place in 2021, please visit the UGA Alumni website.

@dawgsinvegas

alumni.uga.edu/b100 alumni.uga.edu/weekend

On North Campus or a beach, the @ugalawschool always looks nice. Check out this impressive sandcastle built by Dylan Edward Mulligan JD ’18.

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

contact us: Moved? Changed your name? Added a new Bulldog to the family? Let us know! alumni.uga.edu/update or (800) 606-8786.

CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT CHAPTER NAME: Forsyth County CHAPTER PRESIDENT: Deidre Macbeth AB ’02 NUMBER OF ALUMNI IN THE AREA: 9,300 Find your chapter: ALUMNI.UGA.EDU/CHAPTERS

@thegeorgiasandman

The Forsyth County Chapter was revitalized in 2018 and is now led by seven passionate board members.

During the pandemic, the chapter hosted virtual school supply and food drives to benefit individuals in need in its community. In August, the chapter participated in the UGA Alumni Association’s nationwide Welcome to the City event that virtually connected alumni across the country with fellow Bulldogs. The chapter invites anyone interested in learning more to sign up for its listserv at ALUMNI.UGA.EDU/LISTSERVS. Find your chapter: ALUMNI.UGA.EDU/CHAPTERS special

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classnotes

Compiled by Rachel Floyd AB ’19 and Madeleine Howell BSFCS ’20, Hannah Barron, and Ireland Hayes

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chad osburn

HYPE MAN

The Man Behind the Mic As the “Mic Man” at home football games, Chip Chambers is no stranger to big moments. After spending four years hyping up massive crowds of students in Sanford Stadium, Chambers BS ’19, AB ’19 has his own achievement to celebrate.

Chambers received a Marcus L. Urann Fellowship from the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi—the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Chambers is one of only six recipients nationwide to receive the prestigious $20,000 fellowship, named for the society’s founder.

The Mic Man platform isn’t the only place where Chambers has shined. He graduated with bachelor’s degrees in economics and biology, a minor in health policy and management,

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and certificates in interdisciplinary writing, as well as personal and organizational leadership.

“Additionally, I’ve had the privilege of being an Honors Teaching Assistant, CURO Honors Scholar, Honors Ambassador, SGA Freshman Board senator, Phi Kappa Phi member, Woodruff Scholar, and recipient of the Blue Key Honor Society Tucker Dorsey Memorial Scholarship Award. But most people just know me as ‘that crazy dancing guy,’” says Chambers, a native of Watkinsville.

As a Urann Fellow, Chambers will pursue a dual Doctor of Medicine and Master of Business Administration at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

1960-1964 Arnold Young BBA ’63, LLB ’65 was selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America for 2021. He is an attorney at Hunter Maclean.

Ron Carreker BBA ’64 retired from his position as public accountant at the Federal Home Loan Bank in Atlanta.

1965-1969 John Tatum AB ’65, LLB ’68 was selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America for 2021. He is an attorney at Hunter Maclean.

Jim Word ABJ ’65 is a consulting manager at Aviation Resources Alliance.

CLASS NOTES APPLAUSE FOR ALUMNI

Keeping Her Head Up

Adrienne Madison PhD ’13

A

drienne madison didn’t plan to attend the University of Georgia. But she now calls it one of the best decisions she’s ever made.

In 2007, Madison was working toward a master’s in biological engineering at the University of Missouri when her major professor, Mark Haidekker, relocated his research lab to what would become UGA’s College of Engineering. Madison joined him, was accepted into UGA’s doctoral program in biological and agricultural engineering, and made herself a home.

“My time at UGA was destiny fulfilled,” says Madison PhD ’13.

“Every aspect of my six years of matriculation has shaped and molded me into the person I am today.”

Madison is one of the College of Engineering’s first graduates, and her doctoral work—which focused on the use of medical imaging and modeling to predict the biomechanical behavior of muscles, tissue, and bones—set her up for some of the most innovative and important work going on in the country right now.

In 2015, she joined the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory at Fort Rucker, Alabama. She eventually moved to what would become the Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention and Protection Team and became its chief in 2018. In her role, Madison oversees injury biomechanics research related to military head protection systems for both service members on the ground and in the air.

Central to those systems are helmets, but they are much more sophisticated than that.

scott childress/u.s. army

Advancing technology plays an increasingly important role on the battlefield. And tools such as night-vision goggles, masks, and heads-up display devices can be standard issue for U.S. service members. Helmets are the common mounting platform for those technologies, and the added bulk is significant.

All told, the systems can weigh between 2 and 5 pounds.

That may not sound like a lot, but for the service members who wear them for hours on end in what are frequently life-ordeath situations, the stress that weight places on their necks can be debilitating.

That’s where Madison’s work comes in.

“So in addition to the weight involved, you also have to consider where you place things on the helmet,” she says. “So if you’re placing something really heavy toward the front of the helmet, then the natural reaction is for your head to fall forward. Those posture changes could affect the mission or contribute to potential long-term muscle injuries.”

Madison’s team conducts both lab and field testing of different scenarios with regard to head protection systems. Since technology upgrades arrive all the time, her work is always like trying to hit a moving target, but one area that has been addressed is helmet guidelines for service members on the ground.

Before Madison’s work began, those guidelines existed only for aviators.

Madison takes great inspiration from her family, and in many ways, her career accomplishments honor them. Her father and grandfather are veterans, her mother is a nurse, and her sister is studying mechanical engineering. While Madison figured out early on a medical career like her mom’s wasn’t in her future, the intrigue of science fascinated her.

“I could not resist the temptation of taking things apart and putting them together again— many times unsuccessfully,” she quips. “But one of my most memorable bonding activities with my mom was when she was helping me find topics for the science fair. She really nurtured that in me.”

written by eric rangus MA ’94

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CLASS NOTES

Betty Frady BFA ’66 is a substitute teacher for Cherokee and Cobb counties and a Red Cross aquatics teacher. She is also an assistant coach at Cherokee County High School and a member of the Cherokee Chorale.

David Sipple AB ’66, MPA ’69 was selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America for 2021. He is an attorney at Hunter Maclean.

Jim Toole AB ’67 was named chairman of the State

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Advisory Council for the NC State Extension.

Mal Law Jr. BSEd ’68 is the owner of Pocono Indian Museum and Starting Gate Ski Shop in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

Mac McClure BBA ’68 is a senior specialist at Long Term Care Associates.

1970-1974 Bob Sosebee BBA ’70 is an agent for R&D Realty in Commerce.

John Godbee Jr. BSA ’72, MS ’74

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was named to the State Board for the Registration of Foresters

by Gov. Brian Kemp BSA ’87.

Samuel Ozburn BBA ’73 retired from his position as superior court judge in the Alcovy Superior Court. He was appointed as a senior superior court judge by Gov. Brian Kemp BSA ’87.

Thomas Estes BS ’74 is a general surgeon at Colquitt Regional Medical Center in Moultrie.

1975-1979 Deen Borders BBA ’75 is a professor of marketing and professional sales at Kennesaw State University.

Mark Hollinger BLA ’76 is a member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and a fellow in the American Society of Landscape Architects.

John Ramay BSA ’76, EdS ’98 is a council member for the City of Hazlehurst.

Joe Wilson ABJ ’77 is a teacher for the San Diego Unified School District.

Regina Downey BSA ’79, DVM ’83 is founder and owner of Holistic Animal Healing Clinic in Exeter, New Hampshire.

Patti Minton BSEd ’79 is a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines.

Paul Williams BBA ’79 was named chairman of the State Charter School Commission in June. He has served on the commission since 2013 and is the vice president of external affairs and advancement at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton.

Cathleen Young AB ’79 is executive director at Humanitas in Los Angeles. She received a Christopher Award for her book The Pumpkin War. 1980-1984 Joy Drummond BFA ’80 is a docent at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.

Robert Rohr AB ’80 is director of human resources and corporate compliance at Sun Life Family Health Center in Casa Grande, Arizona.

David Maxwell ABJ ’83 is the managing editor of the Donalsonville News.

CLASS NOTES

APPLAUSE FOR ALUMNI photo cou rte sy of em

The Warrior

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ndy lipman was born a warrior.

Actually, that’s not quite accurate.

But he did learn at a very young age that he needed to become one if he wanted to live past his 20s.

Lipman BBA ’96 was in elementary school when he learned that cystic fibrosis, the disease with which he was born, was supposed to lead to an early death. CF is a genetic disease that causes the body to produce excess mucus in the lungs. It is the No. 1 genetic killer of children and at the time Lipman learned about the disease, people with CF rarely lived past 25. Even today the median age of survival is just 37.5 years.

Lipman turned 47 in September and is on the emeritus board for the Terry College of Business. He is a husband, father, philanthropist, author, athlete, advocate, motivational speaker, and most definitely a CF warrior.

Still, looking back two-plus decades, that wasn’t always the case. When it was time for Lipman to go off to college, he was wary. “I knew that I didn’t want to go too far away,” says the Dunwoody native. “How was I going to do it?”

Lipman admits that his UGA experience wasn’t all positive, yet he credits his time in Athens for changing and, quite possibly, saving his life. During his first two years on campus, Lipman frequently wore a plastic vest that was hooked to a loud machine, both of which helped clear out his lungs. Needless

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Andy Lipman BBA ’96

special

to say, his social life suffered and, eventually, so did his academic one. Lipman sunk into a depression and eventually landed on academic probation. Physically, he’d lost so much weight that he wasn’t much more than skin and bones. He stopped his treatments and even quit taking his meds.

During his junior year, on one of the few occasions he left his room, Lipman hung around the basketball court outside his fraternity house. The players needed one more, so he joined in. Almost as soon as he started, Lipman got knocked to the concrete. A bad joke about his scrawny physique followed.

That was a turning point in Lipman’s life.

“I ran into the house, looked in the mirror and started making a list of the things I wanted to accomplish,” Lipman says. And the warrior emerged.

One of those was taking a weightlifting class. He eventually gained more than 20 pounds of muscle. And he’s stayed active too.

Lipman ran his first Peachtree in 1997 and has done so every year since, including this year’s virtual one. He runs a few miles and works out with weights 40 minutes a day and has completed a triathlon.

One of Lipman’s most memorable runs came in 2001, when he carried the Olympic Torch down Lumpkin Street on its way to the 2002 Winter games in Salt Lake City. His route took him past that old fraternity house, where he was knocked on his behind.

But Lipman’s battle against CF is more than personal. Through his family’s Wish for Wendy Foundation (named for his older sister who died from CF when she was just 16 days old), Lipman, along with his family and friends, has contributed more than $4.5 million to the fight against CF. Lipman wrote his first book when he was 25—complete with forewords by the likes of Chipper Jones and Celine Dion. In 2019, he released his fourth book, The CF Warrior Project: 65 Stories of Triumph against Cystic Fibrosis.

“I’ve previously written a lot about myself,” says Lipman, a prolific blogger in addition to author. “But in the past few years I’ve been reading social media posts by other people chronicling their fight against CF. My wife, Andrea, encouraged me to write a book about that, and over time hundreds of people had submitted their stories.”

He narrowed them down to 65 because of the “65 Roses” term that a young child with CF famously used to pronounce the name of the disease. Book five will pick up where that leaves off.

Even with all that, Lipman says one of his proudest accomplishments remains his family—he and Andrea have a daughter Avery and a son Ethan, and neither has CF. Lipman says that he will continue to advocate for warriors like himself in the cystic fibrosis community until the day when CF finally stands for Cure Found.

written by eric rangus MA ’94

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CLASS NOTES Christopher Phillips BSFR ’83, MFR ’85, JD ’88 was selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America for 2021. He is an attorney at Hunter Maclean.

Karen Ragan BSEd ’83 is an art teacher at Grace Christian Academy in Bainbridge.

1985-1989 Marie Cochran BFA ’85 was named a Lehman Brady Visiting Joint Professor at Duke University.

Lisa Nicholson BSPH ’85 is a clinical pharmacist at Habersham Medical Center in Clarkesville.

She is also a contract pharmacist for the Georgia Department of Corrections.

Myra Howard ABJ ’86 is an agency owner for State Farm Insurance and is chair of the Virginia Fair Housing Board.

Chandra Wilson AB ’86, JD ’89 is an attorney at Georgia Legal Services in Columbus.

Tamra Bolles ABJ ’88 is an engineering and instructional technologies teacher for Cobb County Schools. She is a contributor to Animal Wellness Magazine, Georgia Backroads, and Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Paul Alliston ABJ ’89 is the founder and president of Valcourt Building Services in Bradenton, Florida.

Davis Sikes Jr. BS ’89 is a microbiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination in Atlanta.

Tom Washburn AB ’89 is executive director of the Law & Public Safety Education Network in Alpharetta.

1990-1994 Felton Jenkins BS ’90 is an investment portfolio manager

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CLASS NOTES APPLAUSE FOR ALUMNI

The Casserole Dish Illness

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ards, checkups, and personally delivered home-cooked meals are all common responses to big life events or serious injuries. But what about when someone is affected by mental illness? Kim Jones believes we need to show the same kind of support.

“Mental health is not a casserole dish illness,” says Jones BSW ’91. “If someone is hurt, their neighbors and friends will send them well wishes and bring them a casserole. If someone is experiencing a

mental health crisis, people don’t do that.

They don’t know what to say, and they don’t know how to support that person.”

To this, Jones says, bring them a casserole.

“People deserve the same care for mental health that they would receive for physical health.”

Jones is the executive director of Georgia’s National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), an organization that helps families and individuals affected by mental

Kim Jones BSW ’91

illness. For Jones, one of the most important aspects of NAMI is breaking the stigma surrounding mental health. And in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are listening than ever before.

“People who have never understood mental health issues are now, for the first time, experiencing the depression and anxiety caused by isolation,” Jones says.

“I’m seeing a lot more empathy and hearing people question, ‘If this is what it’s like for me, what is it like for someone who lives with this every single day?’”

Even before the pandemic, Jones and others were laying the groundwork for improving access to mental health services in Georgia.

Last September, state House Speaker David Ralston JD ’80 appointed Jones to the Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission. The commission—which includes experts, judges, and law enforcement officials—aims to improve outcomes for Georgians impacted by mental health conditions. Jones serves on a subcommittee where she hopes to help transform the way Georgia addresses the state’s mental health needs.

“What I’m most excited about with the commission is that it’s opening doors. For the first time in a long time, we as advocates are working together and not against each other on important issues like funding and access to services.”

While Jones and the committee are making recommendations at the legislative level, she encourages every company, family, and resident to be loud and proud on a personal level.

“When it comes to mental health, people don’t want to talk about it. So we need to be intentional,” Jones says. “Check in with people. Ask how someone is feeling, and be honest when someone asks you. Because our stories are powerful and empowering, and they can help others realize they’re not alone.”

And when you learn that someone’s having a hard time, Jones says, don’t be afraid to listen and talk about it. Maybe even consider making a casserole.

written by hayley major

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CLASS NOTES duces astronomy to children through sports. He published Sports Stars: Astronomy for the Sports Fan in All of Us.

and owner of Trimaran Capital in White Salmon, Washington.

He is also the treasurer of the Flyfisher Foundation of Oregon.

Jay Fulmer BSA ’91, DVM ’94 is owner of Hamilton Mill Animal Hospital in Buford.

Michelle Sears BSFCS ’91 is an ESOL teacher at Satilla Elementary School in Douglas and serves on the Coffee County Board of Education.

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Jeff Robinson ABJ ’92 published Taming the Tongue: How the Gospel Transforms Our Talk. He is pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church and director of communications and adjunct professor of church history at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

Christy Throupe BBA ’92 is an associate broker at Keller Williams Realty in Centennial, Colorado.

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Mary Newsome BSFCS ’93, MEd ’98, EdS ’99 is pursuing a doctorate degree in education at Liberty University. She is also a fourth grade teacher for McDuffie County Schools.

Muriel Stewart BMUS ’93 is a music teacher at James Jackson Elementary School in Clayton.

Scott Rockfeld BBA ’94 is founder of Sports Stars, a Seattle-based creator and publisher of children’s books that intro-

1995-1999 Selina Kirkland BBA ’95 was promoted to Community Tennessee Rehabilitation Center network director in Murfreesboro.

Tammy Andros AB ’96, MS ’15 served as the Schistosomiasis Consortium for Operation Research and Evaluation (SCORE) research program administrator and as a SCORE Secretariat member at the University of Georgia.

Roxanna Caspar BSPHR ’96 is a pharmacy manager at Sam’s Club in Buford.

Orissa DePass BSEd ’96 is an ESOL teacher for Rockdale County Public Schools.

Brian Johnson ABJ ’96 is senior associate county attorney at the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.

Todd Tucker AB ’96 is an office manager at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in Roswell.

Betsy Brafman Alpert BSEd ‘97, MEd ‘08, EdS ‘10 was named Counselor of the Year by Marietta City Schools.

Jon Hawk JD ’97 is an attorney at Morgan & Morgan in Atlanta and Macon.

Kimberly Ivester BSEd ’97 was elected as Zeta Tau Alpha’s vice president collegiate III for the National Council’s 20202022 term.

Sayge Medlin BSFCS ’98, MSW ’03 is assistant director at the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development. She was promoted to public service associate at UGA.

CLASS NOTES

our georgia commitment helping bulldogs broaden their horizons

From charting coral reefs to painting under a Tuscan sun, Chris PhD ’74 and Jenny D’Elia M ’74 were experiential learning pioneers at the University of Georgia. Today, they commit to helping future Bulldogs embark on lifechanging adventures.

I

n 1968, connecticut native chris d’elia journeyed by train to the University of Georgia to begin his graduate studies in ecology. Today, Chris is dean of Louisiana State University’s College of the Coast & Environment. He attributes much of this success to the opportunities he had at UGA to get his feet—figuratively and literally—wet.

Chris fondly recalls his UGA graduate assistantship as “an unbelievable gig.” He spent summers conducting research by snorkeling Hawaii’s coral reefs. He traveled to nearly every Georgia county to help classify the state’s freshwater fish species. And in 1971, he embarked on a two-month expedition that proved so seminal to his career that he is now writing a book about it.

That year, Chris traveled to the Marshall Islands as part of the UGA-led Symbios Expedition to study coral reefs. Under the waves, he observed the most biodiverse ecosystem he’d ever seen. On the atoll, Chris experienced an equally impressive display of diversity—his 24 fellow researchers came from a variety of backgrounds, institutions, and academic disciplines. It was an inspiring melding of the minds that led to more than just groundbreaking discoveries about coral reefs’ vitality. Chris formed lifelong professional partnerships that led to decades of fruitful collaborations.

“My life has been on the downswing ever since,” Chris jokes. “Honestly, I am forever grateful that I was on that cruise. UGA helped me become what I am today.”

While Chris explored the Pacific Islands, his future wife, Jenny Hunnicutt D’Elia, had her own overseas adventures.

In 1970, she enrolled as a graduate student in the Lamar Dodd School of Art. The Moultrie native’s first semester was in Italy’s picturesque Tuscan hills. A scholarship enabled Jenny to participate in the inaugural UGA Cortona Program.

Between studies abroad, Chris and Jenny “fortuitously” met in Athens. Now, they continue to travel the world, nurturing a shared adventurous spirit that was sparked when

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they were students. And their mutual love for Italy has led to many more visits.

The D’Elias know firsthand how enriching it can be to experience new places and perspectives. They recognize the importance of diversity for not only personal growth but also scientific discovery. To help students of all backgrounds pursue ecological studies, the D’Elias have generously chosen to include the Odum School of Ecology in their estate plans. They hope their gift will enable future Bulldogs to seek adventure, getting their “hands and feet muddy” alongside world-class scientists in the field.

“We have a tremendous allegiance to Georgia,” Jenny says.

“We want to acknowledge what we’ve been given and give others those same opportunities.”

Join the D’Elias in creating a lasting impact at UGA. Learn how to leave your legacy with a planned gift at UGALEGACY.ORG.

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CLASS NOTES 2000-2004 Mary Gebel BSEd ’00 is pursuing a doctorate degree in speech language pathology.

Michael Gebel BBA ’00 was named CEO of McIntosh Clinic in Thomasville.

Jesse Johnson BSFR ’00 was named to the State Board for the Registration of Foresters

by Gov. Brian Kemp BSA ’87.

He is an associate broker at Southern Land Exchange and a registered forester at Southern Timberland Consultants.

Cami Bremer ABJ’ 02 was elected to the Board of Commissioners of El Paso, Colorado. She is also a committee chair of the National Association of Counties.

Danielle McNair ABJ ’02 is director of business develop-

ment at Viceroy Hotel Group in Snowmass, Colorado.

Tamieka Weeks BBA ’02 is a risk manager at Southwire Company in Douglasville. She was named president of the Atlanta RIMS Chapter, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the profession of risk management.

Ashley Freeman ABJ ’04 released The Duke’s Mayonnaise Cookbook in June.

Will Gruver BBA ’04 was an All-Star Candidate with the Man & Woman of the Year campaign for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, raising $73,000 for LLS. Rebecca Miller BSEd ’04 is the associate director of policy at the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious

Diseases at the CDC. Itauma Udosen BSEd ’04 is a primary care physician at Emory Healthcare.

2005-2009 Sara Freeland ABJ ’05 was named to the Forty Under 40 list for the Public Relations Society of America Georgia Chapter.

Robert Murphy ABJ ’05 is a realtor at eXp Realty in Atlanta.

Jacqueline Smith AB ’06 is a victims advocate for the Georgia District Attorney’s Office of Cordele Judicial Circuit in the Victims Witness Advocate Program.

Nicole Webb BFA ’06 is the director of business development for VocoVision and BlazerWorks, specializing in health care staffing and managed

service provider solutions.

Molly Anderson BMus ’07, JD ’11 is founder and attorney at Anderson Legal Innovation in Cumming.

Amee Nelson BBA ’07 is senior eDiscovery lead at Walmart’s eDiscovery and Forensic Services Laboratory in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Evan Dawson BBA ’08 is director of sales at Sun Bum in Seattle Ashley Eason BSA ’08 is a pediatric hematologist and oncologist at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah.

Josh Jones ABJ ’08, AB ’08 is principal of Halifax Strategies and senior adviser to September Group. He was named a distinguished alumnus by the State YMCA of Georgia in 2019.

SAFE FOOD The University of Georgia’s Center for Food Safety, headquartered in Griffin, advances the science that leads to safe food, free of pathogens and other dangerous microorganisms. Through a combination of innovative research and strong industry partnerships, from farm to store to table, the Center for Food Safety works every day to protect all of us.

CFS.CAES.UGA.EDU

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CLASS NOTES

APPLAUSE FOR ALUMNI

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nder bright lights on an otherwise dark stage at the Classic Center, Malcolm Mitchell AB ’15 revealed what had become inevitable, if also unthinkable.

Before thousands in the audience at the 2019 TEDxUGA speaker showcase, the standout Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver and New England Patriots Super Bowl champion laid out the long list of injuries he suffered in the sport that has defined him.

“My knees have finally had enough,” he said. “Football is over.”

He was 25 and retiring from a career he had trained for his whole life.

Onstage, he paused, fighting his body’s urge to break down and weep in front of everyone.

But he gathered himself and declared his resolve to move on.

“Adversity is inevitable,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, how much money you have, how well you’re liked.

It’s about understanding there is a bright light in that cycle of unforeseen storms. Opportunities to grow and expand.”

Mitchell has been growing.

Even before his retirement, he founded the literacy foundation Share the Magic, aimed at inspiring a love for reading in children. It

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includes programs like ReadBowl, which creates reading competitions between schools across the nation and even around the world.

He’s the author of the children’s book The Magician’s Hat. His next, My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World, comes out this month. It’s about a reluctant reader named Henley who gets what he thinks is “the scariest homework assignment in the world”: finding his favorite book and sharing it in front of his class. In the story, Henley searches to find a book that speaks to him.

It’s a journey Mitchell knows something about. Despite his love of reading and writing now, he had no interest in books as a child.

It wasn’t until his time at UGA—when he realized he had a hard time even reading labels at the grocery store—that he started to have a change of heart.

He became curious about becoming a better reader. During a chance meeting at the Athens Barnes & Noble, he met a woman who was part of a small local book club. He asked to join, even though he would be the youngest, the only male, and the only Black member.

They welcomed him with open arms.

That story is the inspiration for a greenlit TV pilot Football Book Club (although the

Malcolm Mitchell AB ’15

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studio postponed production because of the pandemic).

A year after his announcement at TEDxUGA, Mitchell says retirement is still hard—harder than he had expected. His brain and his body yearn for him to be a football star, for him to catch a pass in front of capacity crowds, to elude tackles, to sprint toward the end zone. For most of his life, he explains, his body learned to find reward in these moments, for the neurons to fire up and deliver him sheer joy. But the same body that yearns for these moments can no longer support it.

These days, Mitchell lives in Atlanta. He has a newborn son. And he’s getting more hands-on in the day-to-day aspects of running of his foundation. Just as Mitchell retrained himself to love reading, he’s learning how to be a dad and how to be an even more effective advocate for literacy.

Mitchell says he’s game for his new journey as an author, a philanthropist, and a father.

“As long as you’re here, you’re always searching for something to find purpose, to provide value,” he says. “Right now, I’m very fortunate for what I have in my life.”

written by aaron hale MA ’16

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CLASS NOTES Chris Brock M ’09 was promoted to chief information officer at Drummond, a nationwide commercial printer and manufacturer.

Austin Childers AB ’09, AB ’14 is community manager for Map Dynamics in Athens.

Kara Christ ABJ ’09 was named director of marketing and communications for United Bank in Falls Church, Virginia.

Kendell Connell BBA ’09 is a cybersecurity consultant at Coalfire in Reston, Virginia.

He also serves part time in the U.S. Army Reserve in Washington, D.C. Donavan Eason AB ’09 is an attorney at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard and Smith in Savannah. He was named to the Board of Trustees for the Zell Miller Foundation and serves as the co-chair for the Premises Liability Section of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association.

2010-2014 Meredith Manwiller BSEd ’10 is an onboarding specialist at Insperity in Kingwood, Texas.

David Reynolds AB ’10 was promoted to to captain in the Navy Reserve and is the commander of the Reserve Component at Training Air Wing Two, NAS Kingsville, Texas. He is also a captain for Southwest Airlines.

Tanner Stines BBA ’10, MS ’14 was promoted to senior associate athletic director at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Claire Wyrembelski AB ’10 married Timothy Lam BSEd ’96 in November.

Jordan Echols ABJ ’11 is a project manager at Stable Kernel in Atlanta.

Andrew Furmanski BLA ’11 is founder of Studio Hai in New York City.

Ryan Reese AB ’11 is an attorney at Taylor, Day, Grimm & Boyd in Jacksonville, Florida. He is a member of the Florida Bar

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Aviation Committee.

Tom Eisenbraun AB ’12 is equipment technician at Bongo Java in Nashville.

Jacob Parnell BS ’12 is a geriatric and internal medicine specialist at First Clinic in Nashville.

Julian Brown AB ’13 is the executive director of the Grady County Joint Development Authority. He is also a volunteer firefighter.

Sophia Danner-Okotie ABJ ’13 is founder of Besida, a clothing brand based in Nigeria that has sold African print face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maggie Gaskins BSEd ’13 is a science, social studies, and special education teacher for Newton County Schools.

Megan Hewitt BSEd ’13 is a district language arts instructional coach for Gwinnett County Schools.

Thomas Stukes AB ’14 is a revenue analyst at Delta Air Lines in Atlanta.

2015-2020 Shawn Balcomb AB ’15 is the communications director for the office of Rep. Jodey Arrington in Washington, D.C. Melanie Charyton BBA ’15, MA ’17 is a media planner at Razorfish in Atlanta.

Catherine Smith BSA ’15, MS ’17 is a sensory research specialist at ITG Brands in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Rikerrious Geter BLA ’16 is an associate and project manager at Gustafson Guthrie Nichol in Seattle.

Erinn Hartley ABJ ’16 is associate producer for Stars in the House with Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley, a virtual talk show created to raise money for The Actors Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anna Zuver BSEd ’16 is a licensed massage therapist at Life Moves Manual Therapies in Marietta.

CLASS NOTES APPLAUSE FOR ALUMNI

The Human Side of Economics

Ilka McConnell AB ’98, MPA ’04, PhD ’13

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lka mcconnell has earned three degrees from UGA: one in anthropology, another in public administration, and a third in adult education. For McConnell, a long-time Athens resident, each discipline has opened up various opportunities. Most importantly, though, all three center on human connection.

McConnell serves as director of economic development for the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government. She took on the role in April, right after the COVID-19 pandemic exploded across the country.

“I’m a person who always thinks that in challenges lie opportunities. I knew this position would be a large undertaking, but I love Athens. This is where I’m raising my family and have put down roots,” she says.

A former Archway Partnership director with UGA’s Public Service and Outreach program, McConnell AB ’98, MPA ’04, PhD ’13

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now works with community partners, leaders, and businesses to help expand and strengthen Athens’ economic footprint.

Her team not only supports local businesses and helps attract new ones, they also promote workforce development through training and educational programs.

One such program in development is Athens Community Corps, which will provide training to residents in high-demand skills and careers within the ACC government. The inaugural cohort will include workers who have been displaced due to COVID-19 and will focus on civic and sustainability projects including cemetery restoration and invasive species removal.

As the program grows, the vision is that it will expand to offer training in other high-demand, well-paying areas such as commercial driver’s licensing, skilled trades, and IT networking.

“The government has been working hard to get resources out to the community and make sure that our most vulnerable neighbors are well taken care of. It’s important that people don’t just have information but also have access and connections when they want to explore their options,” McConnell says.

Engaging the Athens community to help strengthen its economy comes with challenges, especially during a pandemic.

But McConnell remains optimistic, believing that the heart of the Classic City lies in its diverse and active communities.

“Really, it comes down to the people,” she says. “People are so adaptable and amazingly resourceful. And they need to be involved in creating solutions that they feel part of and that they are excited to see happen.”

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CLASS NOTES Mario Saad BSBE ’20 is an inside sales engineer at Nixon Power Services.

grad notes agricultural & environmental sciences Todd Lasseigne MS ’96 is the executive director of Bellingrath Gardens in Theodore, Alabama.

Brian Little MS ’14 is a soybean breeding research professional in the Soybean Breeding and Genetics Laboratory at the University of Georgia.

arts & sciences Alexis Barnes BSA ’17 is a field business-to-consumer specialist for John Deere’s Northeast and Mid-Atlantic dealers.

Ricardo Alvarez AB ’17 married Jessica Sagastume AB ’16 in October 2019. Alvarez is project manager at Lobo Landscape and Construction, and Sagastume is the front office manager at Five Points Chiropractic in Athens.

Nate Bryan BSME ’17 is an innovation team engineer at Bell Flight in Dallas, Texas.

Andrew Dixon BBA ’17 is a valuation analyst at Walker & Dunlap in Dallas, Texas.

Patricia Duffy AB ’17 married John Fiske BBA ’17, MACC ’17 in

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July in Pine Mountain.

Ellie Engquist AB ’17 is a fundraising specialist at Spektrix in New York City.

Hannah Farhadi BS ’17, BBA ’17, MPA ’20 is a development coordinator at Southern Conservation Trust in Fayetteville.

Delaney Olson ABJ ’17, MA ’18 is a robotics advisor and Internet of Things pathway educator at Mary Persons High School in Forsyth.

Brandon Sweeney AB ’17 is a special education and social studies teacher at Haraway High School in Columbus.

Candace Young BLA ’17 is an in-house designer in the Charleston area for DesignWorks.

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Sarah Buck AB ’18 is a digital video and social content associate at ESPN. Anna Davidson AB ’18 is pursuing a doctorate in Russian and European studies at the University of Oxford.

Andrew Edwards BS ’18 is a sales operations associate at Network 1 Consulting in Atlanta. He is also a bartender at Gate City Brewing Company.

Solomon Greene AB ’18 is pursuing a master’s degree in security studies at Georgetown University.

Samuel Hendrix BSCSE ’20 is pursuing a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics at Purdue University.

Emily Scheinfeld MA ’12 is an assistant professor of communication at Kennesaw State University.

Molly Atkinson PhD ’18 is an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of North Texas in Denton and conducts chemistry education research.

business Bob Plante PhD ’80 retired from his position as university chair of management at Purdue University.

Wes Griffin MBA ’01 is a process engineer for Wells Fargo in Charlotte. He is retired as a Naval Supply Corps officer after finishing his service as senior lecturer and military faculty member

CLASS NOTES APPLAUSE FOR ALUMNI

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ia

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A Magical Experience

Jim Farmer ABJ ’88

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im farmer was ecstatic.

Out on Film, Atlanta’s 33-year-old LGBTQ+ film festival, had officially hit the big time in early 2020. Winning the festival’s Best Drama Short category would now mean eligibility to compete for the Academy Awards’ Live-Action Short category.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“At the beginning of the year, I was jumping up and down because we were Oscar-qualifying and I was looking forward to this year, and then COVID hit and it took me down,” says Farmer ABJ ’88, executive director of Out on Film. “It just knocked me out.

I didn’t get sick, but it was just so horrible. It took time to process it.”

Then he got to work. And Out on Film went virtual in early summer in prepara-

tion for the fall festival, which took place Sept. 24 through Oct. 4.

“We definitely missed the community aspect of the festival this year in terms of seeing people we don’t see often, the filmmakers we bring in here,” Farmer says. “But having said that, the positive of being online was that the films are available longer. So people with odd hours or kids or who live outside the metro area were able to watch.

For me, it’s great to be able to showcase LGBTQ films and reach an audience we could never reach with a physical festival.”

Farmer’s been running Out on Film for a little over a decade and has been at the helm as the festival grew into one of only six LGBTQ+ film festivals worldwide that can put a dramatic short in the running for an

Oscar. At the same time, Atlanta became an unexpected haven for television and moviemakers from indie to big studio productions.

Choosing the films to feature is always tough, and it’s a job the Out on Film team takes very seriously. As the festival’s official gatekeeper, Farmer watches all the submitted films. The festival itself is 11 days long, and that’s once the team has whittled down the selections.

“What I never wanted to do was program a film festival simply for gay white men,” says Farmer. “That would be a snooze. It would be really easy to do, but it would not reflect who we are as a community.”

For Farmer, the film festival has always been focused on one thing: bringing the community together. He wants representation of everyone who makes Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ scene what it is.

“What I love about the festival is that you get people who have never seen themselves on screen before,” Farmer says. “A lot of our audience is from metro Atlanta, and in the metro area there are plenty of places you can go to be around other LGBTQ people. But for people outside of Atlanta, people from other parts of Georgia or other states, they don’t always have that. A lot of times they can’t be open at home, so it’s a great experience to see themselves on screen and with people who embrace them. It’s a magical experience.”

written by leigh beeson MA ’17

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CLASS NOTES APPLAUSE FOR ALUMNI

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ey

Opportunities Found

Jeffrey Brown AB ’05

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n the early 2000s, when jeffrey Brown was a student worker at UGA, he came up with a great idea. A perfect idea.

Wouldn’t it be cool, he said to his supervisor in the Office of Multicultural Services and Programs, if we sent a packet to new students—maybe including some letters from current students or faculty—that welcomed them to the Bulldog family?

Brown’s supervisor, Vanessa Williams Smith, who is now director of programs and outreach in the Office of Institutional Diversity, agreed with him. Then she added, “But that’s not in your budget.”

Brown was crestfallen—but just for a moment. Smith, noticing his reaction, came back with a suggestion to talk with people around campus to see if they could offer some funds to pay for the mailing.

Within days, Brown was sitting across desks from deans and even in the Office of the President pitching his idea.

He got the money, and the mailing went out.

“That’s what my UGA experience was for me—opportunity after opportunity,” written by eric rangus MA ’94

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says Brown AB ’05, who earned a degree in international affairs. “When I go back and talk to students now, one of the things that I tell them is that they will learn things both inside and outside the classroom.”

Perhaps it’s no surprise that after graduating, Brown entered the nonprofit world.

First, he worked in fundraising with the Boy Scouts of America for more than eight years. Then, in 2016, he took on the role of vice president of development and marketing for the Decatur-based Partnership Against Domestic Violence, which has challenged him to dig deeper and uncover perspectives he didn’t know he had.

“When I started, I wasn’t sure they were going to want to have a man speaking on behalf of something that society perceives as a women’s issue,” he says. “But I can reframe that conversation. It’s not just a women’s issue. It’s a family issue. It’s my issue if my son is sitting in class with another boy who didn’t get any sleep last night because his mom was getting beaten up in another room. Now I can stand up in front of people and say enough is enough.”

Brown clearly has no problem putting

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himself out there. His newest opportunity is as president of the UGA Black Alumni Leadership Council for 2020-21. The council leads the official affinity group for the 19,000 living Black graduates of UGA. When he first volunteered for the group, he saw it as a chance to reconnect to the university. He didn’t expect his presidency would coincide with a pandemic and the most significant conversations about social justice in a generation.

“As a leader, you don’t get to pick when you are called,” Brown says. “When that happens, your only response should be ‘yes.’ And it’s our responsibility to lead in our moment.”

Brown freely admits to bouts of selfdoubt, then quickly credits his circle of support—his family, friends, and colleagues—for helping him push through. So while he fully sees the serious issues the council faces today, Brown also sees opportunities. Just like when he was a student.

“Why can’t we speak as a university with one voice on social justice issues?”

Brown says, not asking a question so much as throwing down a gauntlet. “When I think about the state of Georgia and its history with civil rights, UGA as this state’s flagship institution has this awesome moment to be leader, a catalyst for change, that other universities around the country could follow.”

CLASS NOTES

at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Marline Thomas MIT ’09 was appointed to the Duluth City Council.

Dena Cross MBA ’10 is a senior consultant at the Environmental Science Research Institute and leads the Community of Executive Consulting.

Kendrick Hardison MA ’18, MA ’19 is pursuing a joint doctorate degree in political science and public policy at Duke University.

Jerome Baudon MBA ’20 was named head of global strate-

gic marketing of the poultry business unit at Boehringer Ingelheim in Gainesville, Georgia.

Patrick Ravita MBT ’20 is the vice president of NeoCom Solutions in Atlanta.

education Alicia Homrich PhD ’97 was named professor emeritus in the graduate studies in counseling program at Rollins College.

Elizabeth Okuma MEd ’98 was promoted to senior vice president and dean of students at Hiram College in Ohio.

Shiang Wang PhD ’03 was named vice president of academic affairs at Harold Washington College at the City Colleges of Chicago.

Christopher Abreu MEd ’20 is an audio designer at CNN in Atlanta.

family and consumer sciences Morgan Bryant PhD ’18 is an assistant professor of marketing in the Haub School of Business at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and serves as faculty liaison of diversity and inclusion.

want to reach the bulldog nation?

pharmacy Sandeep Artham PhD ’18 is a postdoctoral research associate at Duke University.

public health Ashley Thompson MPH ’06 was featured on the cover of the May 2020 issue of Business Record Iowa. She is the system director of government and external affairs for UnityPoint Health, a board member of the Iowa Rural Health Association, and an executive committee member of the Iowa Rural Development Council.

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FACULTY FOCUS

Henry N. Young Director, Pharmaceutical Health Services, Outcomes and Policy Graduate Program Kroger Associate Professor of Community Pharmacy Interim Department Head, Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy

“Many Georgians face challenges as they manage chronic health conditions, which affect their families and communities. I love focusing on research that helps people overcome such challenges to improve their health and wellbeing. It’s important for this work to be done at UGA because we have a responsibility to discover innovative strategies to improve the overall quality of life of all Georgians.”

Making informed decisions about your health is often daunting. Henry Young wants to make it more approachable.

Working with physicians and pharmacists across the state, Young is helping health care practitioners connect with patients to help them understand the benefits and risks that come with medication use. His work in rural, underserved, and minority communities is helping Georgians learn how to use medications effectively and safely to improve their quality of life.

dorothy kozlowski

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Endowed chairs—positions that receive supplemental support generated from private donations—are essential to recruiting and retaining leading faculty who are committed to world-changing research and preparing the next generation of problem-solvers, pioneers, and leaders. Learn more about supporting UGA’s leading faculty at GIVE.UGA.EDU.

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