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AROUND UNG
RANKED ONE OF THE BEST—AGAIN
UNG ranked among the best in the South by U.S. News & World Report.
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Our high-quality, affordable programs enable students to graduate with less debt and ready to be leaders in a variety of fields.
Our students are making a difference — and that’s getting noticed. Again this year, UNG was lauded by U.S. News & World Report for excellence overall and as the state’s most affordable public university.
We’re the public university of choice in Georgia for veterans, and our growing computer science program is one of the best in the state.
MORE RANKING ACCOLADES
UNG also is ranked among the best public universities in Georgia for: • Undergraduate Computer Science Programs • Undergraduate Teaching Programs • Undergraduate Business Programs • Undergraduate Nursing Programs
Bonita C. Jacobs, President
Six students earn coveted Boren Scholarship
Two members of UNG’s Chinese Flagship Program will study Chinese at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, California, thanks to the Boren Scholarship. They are among six UNG students to earn the scholarship.
Meghan McPeak of Chapel Hill, N.C., and Dillon Evans of Columbus, Georgia, both studied Chinese in UNG’s Summer Language Institute. The two seniors also are pursuing degrees in modern language with a concentration in Chinese for global professionals. In addition, McPeak is pursuing a second degree in strategic and security studies.
The Boren Scholarship provides up to $25,000 for students to intensively study language and culture abroad. In exchange, students agree to work for the federal government for at least a year and receive coaching and mentoring upon their return to facilitate this objective.
“Everything that I have planned for so long now is set in place,” Evans, a captain in UNG’s Corps of Cadets and member of the Honors Program, said.
The four other students to win the Boren award were: • Phillip Ly, a senior cadet from Forest Park, Georgia, pursuing a degree in strategic and security studies. • Daniel Shearer, a senior cadet pursuing a degree in East
Asian studies. • Rhiannon Smith, a May 2021 graduate from Dahlonega, Georgia, with degrees in psychology and modern languages with a Russian concentration. • Katherine “Kat” Torres, a May 2021 graduate from Hoschton,
Georgia, with a degree in political science with a pre-law concentration.
Dillon Evans
Phillip Ly
Meghan McPeak Daniel Shearer
Rhiannon Smith
Katherine Torres
Students place second in Korean language contest
A pair of UNG students placed second in their divisions of the fourth annual Southeastern U.S. Korean Speech and Quiz Contest.
Ann Lim finished second in the nonheritage level three competition, and Emelia Thompson took second in nonheritage level one. Both are pursuing minors in Korean.
Lim is a senior from Lawrenceville, Georgia, pursuing a degree in cybersecurity.
Thompson is a junior from Covington, Georgia, pursuing a degree in communication with an organizational leadership concentration. Ann Lim Emelia Thompson
Nine students earn Gilman Scholarships
Denise Gonzales, a sophomore from Flowery Branch, Georgia, was one of nine UNG students to receive the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship this year. The program, aimed at students with financial need, provides funds for study abroad.
Gonzales said she wanted to study abroad after an eighth-grade trip to Costa Rica.
“I worked on the weekends to save money and applied for as many scholarships as I could,” Gonzalez, who is pursing a degree in accounting, said.
The other eight students selected include: • Cassandra Canakis, a junior from Watkinsville, Georgia, pursuing a degree in marketing with a minor in Japanese, plans to study in Japan. • McLaren Christensen, a sophomore from Atlanta pursuing a degree in international affairs, plans to study in France. • Maren Cooper, a senior from Augusta, Georgia, pursuing a degree in international affairs and a member of the Corps of Cadets, plans to study in Taiwan. • Christian Cruce, a senior from Braselton, Georgia, pursuing a degree in strategic and security studies and a member of the Chinese Language Flagship, plans to study in Taiwan. • Gicel Sagastume, a senior from Winterville, Georgia, pursuing a degree in elementary and special education, plans to study in Spain. • Anh Tran, a senior from Gainesville, Georgia, pursuing a degree in marketing with a minor in graphic design, plans to study in the United Kingdom. • Christy Villeda, a junior from Cumming, Georgia, pursuing a degree in nursing, plans to study in Spain. • Mikalyn Wilkes, a senior from Cleveland, Georgia, pursuing a degree in elementary and special education, plans to study in Spain.
For some their experience will be altered due to COVID-19, while others are choosing to defer their scholarships to later dates.
Denise Gonzales
FEA scholarships fund study abroad
Students Ketsia Malala and Robbie Griffin originally thought a study abroad was out of their financial reach, but both grabbed onto their overseas opportunities after winning the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) scholarships in spring 2021.
“I was really happy and excited,” Malala, a senior from Buford, Georgia, pursuing a degree in
Robbie Griffin management, said. “It was nice to succeed and know my efforts didn’t go to waste.” Griffin and Malala were
Ketsia Malala the only two students to receive the scholarship.
Griffin, a sophomore cadet from Grovetown, Georgia, pursuing a degree in strategic and security studies, said winning the scholarship eased his financial concerns.
“It was a lot of work to apply, and it was stressful to wait for the news,” Griffin said. “Finally getting the award was a huge relief. It made me optimistic and excited for the future.”
His and Malala’s futures involve trips abroad in summer 2022. The FEA allowed students to defer their scholarships because of travel disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic. Malala will head to South Korea while Griffin will study in Athens, Greece.
Alumnus Mitchiner to lead new Institute for Cyber Operations
Retired Army Col. Chris Mitchiner, ’91, has joined UNG as the executive director of the new Institute for Cyber Operations in the Mike Cottrell College of Business.
Mitchiner’s mission is to work with the university’s academic programs to build UNG’S cyber program into one of the top programs in the country.
“The university is poised to become a beacon of cybersecurity expertise and excellence, which will provide many opportunities,” he said. “Cybersecurity is not going anywhere. It’s here to stay.”
Mitchiner’s responsibilities include developing opportunities for cyber research with the government, military and corporate partners and raising additional funds for student scholarships and faculty support.
He will also work with programs across the university, such as healthcare, to identify the best way to bring cybersecurity knowledge to related industries.
DeSandre selected as dean for health sciences
Dr. Carolynn DeSandre has been named the dean of UNG’s College of Health Sciences and Professions following a national search. DeSandre had served as interim dean since December 2019. She is eager to meet the college’s mission by helping to fill the region’s persistent health care workforce gap that has been exacerbated by COVID-19. “My vision for the college is to grow our amazing programs and enroll more students so they can get out there and fill these jobs in rural north Georgia,” DeSandre said.
Dr. Chaudron Gille, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, announced DeSandre’s selection as dean.
“Dr. DeSandre has provided valuable leadership during the COVID-19 crisis and in other significant college initiatives,” Gille said. “I am pleased to have her lead the university’s College of Health Sciences and Professions.”
DeSandre joined UNG’s nursing faculty in 2007. She was one of the co-authors of UNG’s proposal for the Doctor of Nursing Practice, which launched its first cohort in fall 2019.
Bennett teaching in Romania as Fulbright Scholar
Dr. Tanya Bennett, a professor of English, has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award for the fall semester from the U.S. Department of State and Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
She plans to teach in an American studies program at the University of Bucharest in Romania from September through January. Bennett is one of more than 800 U.S. faculty, administrators, professionals, artists, and journalists who will conduct research and teach around the world during the upcoming academic year through the scholar program.
“At this stage of my career, it’s an honor to be able to do this,” Bennett said. “It’s a chance for me to share my expertise, but it’s also a chance for me to expand my expertise by thinking about it from a completely different perspective.”
Bennett researched Europe to discover where her expertise could be most useful. She is excited to teach about literature of the American South. She also looks forward to exploring the Romanian countryside and the literary history of Bucharest, the Romanian capital, during her downtime.
Jacobs, Gowan named among Who’s Who in Education
UNG President Bonita Jacobs (left) and Dr. Mary Gowan, dean of UNG’s Mike Cottrell College of Business (MCCB), earned inclusion on the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2021 Who’s Who in Education list. The pair are among 100 education leaders in metro Atlanta to be recognized.
Through Jacobs’ leadership, UNG has been named a top producer of Fulbright students for four years in a row and scored consecutive decisive victories in the NSA Codebreaker Challenge.
In recent years, UNG has been recognized by numerous national publications, including Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, Money magazine and Kiplinger, as one of the nation’s leading universities for academic excellence, student success and affordability.
Since she became dean in February 2019, Gowan has helped plan and design the Cottrell Center for Business, Technology and Innovation.
Georgia General Assembly honors Johnson for her diversity efforts
Dr. Lauren Johnson, assistant dean of UNG’s College of Education, was recognized by the Georgia General Assembly in March for her work in diversity.
State Rep. Will Wade, R-Dawsonville, presented a resolution to honor Johnson during the 2021 session for her effort to recruit and support diverse high school students from Hall County and Gainesville City Schools who want to be educators.
“The proclamation demonstrates the legislature’s commitment to representation of people from diverse backgrounds,” Johnson said. “And it showed the Georgia Assembly was recognizing the efforts of women and people of color during Women’s History Month. Those are steps in the right direction.”
Johnson’s previous honors include Governor’s Teaching Fellow, Fulbright-Hays Seminar Abroad Program, UNG Diversity Champion Award and UNG Emerging Leader Award. She also has secured five UNG-based research grants over the years.
Hollabaugh earns teaching award
Dr. Nicole Hollabaugh, an associate professor of chemistry, has earned the G.E. Philbrook Teaching Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching. The award was presented by the Northeast Georgia Section of the American Chemical Society.
“I can’t believe I am getting recognized for something that I have wanted to do for so long,” she said. “It is such a high honor.”
Dr. Patricia Todebush, associate department head of chemistry, said Hollabaugh deserved the prestigious recognition. Hollabaugh earned tenure last year and consistently has great student evaluations, Todebush said.
Elementary Education degree program honored by national literacy group
UNG’s elementary and special education degree has received National Recognition with Distinction from the International Literacy Association (ILA).
UNG is the first undergraduate program to earn this honor and one of three total since it was first awarded in 2019.
“Our review team was particularly impressed with UNG and its clear emphasis on continuous improvement in teaching across all areas of literacy,” Diane Kern, ILA National Recognition program coordinator, said in a press release.
Physics majors share research during “Posters on the Hill” virtual session
Suzy Steel
Rebecca Corley
Two physics students presented their research to the U.S Congress in a virtual event in April.
Recent graduate Suzy Steel and senior Rebecca Corley participated in the Council on the Undergraduate Research’s Posters on the Hill 2021 event. The two women were among 60 students selected for the annual event.
Steel, who earned a physics degree in May, said it is especially rewarding since UNG is considered a small institution.
“The Council of Undergraduate Research and others have recognized the importance of our research and how it can impact science,” Steel said.
The two students’ research focuses on collisions between electrons and different nuclei. The two study the collisions and the particle debris field through computer simulation.
D.C. programs provide insight on governing
Two students from the Department of Political Science and International Affairs were selected for prestigious programs based in Washington, D.C. Anna Caitlyn “AC” Anderson was selected by UNG President Bonita Jacobs as the 2021-22 UNG Presidential Fellow for the Center for the Study of
Anna Caitlyn the Presidency
Anderson and Congress. Anderson will follow Bradley Booth, who interned and studied in Washington, D.C., during the spring through the Fund for American Studies Capital Semester
Bradley Booth on International Affairs and Public Policy.
Booth graduated in August with a degree in international affairs with a European concentration. He worked an internship with military intelligence contractor Praescient Analytics and took courses on the American presidency, the presidency and the media, and international economics through George Mason University and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.
Anderson is a senior from Gainesville, Georgia, pursuing a degree in political science with a pre-law concentration. Monthly online seminars will allow Anderson to study the public policymaking process and the president’s relationship with Congress, allies, the media, and the public. A multiday leadership conference in Washington, D.C., will wrap up the program.
Second fraternity establishes home on Gainesville Campus
Despite challenges presented by the pandemic, Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity established the first North American Interfraternity Conference (IFC) group on the UNG Gainesville Campus. Thirteen students were initiated in spring 2021.
“I was super excited,” Matt Caldwell, first president of UNG’s chapter, said. “It was an awesome experience”
Delta Sigma Phi is the second Greek-lettered organization to call the Gainesville Campus home.
Aubrey Frazier, director of fraternity and sorority life, said installing another group on the Gainesville Campus was part of her office’s strategic plan.
“It demonstrates our continued effort to expand fraternities and sororities to the Gainesville Campus and enhance the college experience for those students,” she said.
Thirteen UNG students were initiated into the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity in spring 2021 on the Gainesville Campus. Delta Sigma Phi, known as Delta Sigs, is the second Greek-lettered fraternal organization to call the Gainesville Campus home.
UNG’s Pi Kappa Phi chapter celebrated its 50th anniversary in May. The national fraternity initiated nearly 60 new members in spring 1972 on UNG’s Dahlonega Campus. This golden anniversary is a milestone for the group, which is the longest, continuous-running fraternity on the Dahlonega Campus.
Pi Kappa Phi celebrates 50 years
UNG’s Pi Kappa Phi chapter celebrated its 50th anniversary on May 22. The golden anniversary was a major milestone for the social fraternity, which is the longest, continuous-running fraternity on UNG’s Dahlonega Campus.
“This demonstrates the caliber of men we have as members, starting with our founders,” said Justin Harper, public relations chairman and past president of UNG’s Pi Kappa Phi chapter.
The celebration was held virtually due to COVID-19, but there are plans to have an in-person event in the future.
Founding member Bill Pope, ’72, said the lack of an in-person event doesn’t diminish the significant milestone or his memory of helping charter a new fraternity.
“When we had our first meeting, we had 99 students there,” Pope, who now lives in Fayetteville, North Carolina, said. “When we got to initiation, 57 of us joined.”
UNG Press celebrates 10th anniversary
The UNG Press was admitted as an affiliate member of the Association of University Presses this year – the highest accolade possible for a higher education publisher. UNG Press Director BJ Robinson (right) and Managing Editor Corey Parson also celebrated the 10th anniversary of the press this fall.
“You can write a great book, but that doesn’t mean much if no one reads it,” BJ Robinson, director of the UNG Press, said.
For the past decade, the scholarly, peer-reviewed press has worked to publish and showcase academic works that range from monographs, nonfiction and textbooks to literature, fiction and children’s books.
“We help authors and try to do justice to their work,” Robinson said.
The UNG Press has made a name for itself in the state and among other institutions. One of its most prominent accomplishments is being the state leader in Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Textbooks. It has published 16 open textbooks with nine more in progress.
Corey Parson, managing editor of UNG Press, said the OERs and low-cost textbooks have saved students about $5 million. And the 2017 UNG alumna knows first-hand how beneficial that can be.
“I was a student at UNG for 10 years,” Parson said. “And I remember calling my parents to ask for money for textbooks. Knowing we have a small part of making college more affordable for everyone is my proudest moment.”
Robinson said their success has resulted in the Clemson University Press, State University of New York Press and University of Texas Press seeking consultations from them about the open textbooks.
Robinson said UNG Press being designated as a University Press Partner with Affordable Learning Georgia, a University System of Georgia initiative, made the achievement possible.
The UNG Press also cultivated a second high-profile partnership in 2020, when it joined forces with the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Book Program to publish books addressing subjects such as military land power and land warfare history, technology, combat, and strategy and tactics. This curated collection serves to educate members of the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense, the AUSA, U.S. government officials, and the public.
Children’s book lauds Gainesville community
UNG President Bonita Jacobs and Richard Oates, vice president of UNG’s Gainesville Campus, collaborated to pen a children’s book featuring the Gainesville Campus and its signature community event, the Starlight Celebration and Fireworks.
The UNG Press launched the book “UNG Best Day Ever!” in August during the annual community event. It is the second in a series of books spotlighting each of the university’s five campuses. The first book, “UNG The Gold I See: The Legacy of UNG’s Dahlonega Campus,” was released in fall 2018.
“UNG Best Day Ever!” features the culturally diverse and multigenerational characters of Ana Green, her grandmother, and her dad, a UNG alumnus from the Gainesville Campus. In the story, the Green family prepares for Starlight by touring the campus and visiting landmarks in Gainesville, Georgia.
Jacobs and Oates knew it was important to emphasize the close connection between the Gainesville Campus and the community in the book. Several key sites in the story include Green Street, the Ed Cabell Theatre, the historic downtown district, and the poultry monument.
“UNG’s Gainesville Campus legacy and its impact on students and the area are closely linked with the community it serves,” Jacobs said. “This book illustrates the strong interplay between the two by showcasing iconic points of interest in Hall County, making it entertaining for children and nostalgic for adults and former students at our Gainesville Campus.”
The illustrated, hardcover 40-page book costs $29.99, with
UNG President Bonita Jacobs and Richard Oates, vice president of UNG’s Gainesville Campus, authored a children’s book featuring the Gainesville Campus and the Starlight Celebration and Fireworks.
all proceeds going to UNG student scholarships. One of Jacobs’ top priorities as president has been to raise money for student scholarships. The UNG Foundation awarded $3.2 million in scholarships to more than 4,000 students last year, including more than $450,000 in emergency COVID relief.
The book’s illustrator is J’Nelle Short, Jacobs’ sister. Short has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Stephen F. Austin University and is an accomplished artist who has taught art for more than 30 years, including being named “Teacher of the Year” six times.
