University of Georgia Magazine December 2015

GEORGIAGEORGIADecember 2015 Vol. 95, No. 1 Magazine

The University of

STANDING FIRMFive years after enduring criticism for her research on the BP oil spill, Samantha Joye is still focusing on the facts

SELFIE SNAP

President Jere W. Morehead (JD 80) joins members of the class of 2019 for a selfie at Freshman Welcome, held in Sanford Stadium in August. Morehead (center) joined Houston Gaines (left) and Johnelle Simpson (right)vice president and president, respectively, of the Student Government Associationas freshmen formed a G on the field for a class photo.

Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker

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2 GEORGIA MAGAZINE www.ugamagazine.uga.edu

Best place to network with UGA alumni?

YOUR COUCH.

The University of Georgia is proud to offer a free series of virtual networking events for UGA alumni and students. Individuals will participate in up to one hour of 10-minute,

one-on-one chats with fellow participants via desktop or mobile device.

Because each event can be accessed by mobile device (no app necessary!), you can join in from work, home, coffee shop or even the treadmill.

See the spring lineup at alumni.uga.edu/virtualworking

DECEMBER 2015 GEORGIA MAGAZINE 3

Best place to network with UGA alumni?

YOUR COUCH.

The University of Georgia is proud to offer a free series of virtual networking events for UGA alumni and students. Individuals will participate in up to one hour of 10-minute,

one-on-one chats with fellow participants via desktop or mobile device.

Because each event can be accessed by mobile device (no app necessary!), you can join in from work, home, coffee shop or even the treadmill.

See the spring lineup at alumni.uga.edu/virtualworking

ON THE COVER

Joye poses on the front deck of the research vessel Endeavor, docked in Gulfport, Miss., for World Oceans Day in June.

Photo by Rick OQuinn

26 Quest for knowledge Memberships soar for UGAs Osher Lifelong

Learning Institute, an outreach program for older adults who crave learning.

30 Cooking connection Campus Kitchen opens the door to different worlds

for UGA students, taking them beyond buzzwords to understand how hunger and poverty affect society.

20Standing firmFive years after the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, UGA marine scientist Samantha Joye continues to lead multimillion-dollar research efforts to understand the fate of the oil and its impact on the ecosystem.

Features

PETER FREY

UGA marine scientist Samantha Joye presents her research to a panel during the Gulf Oil Spill Symposium, an event that brought about 500 scientists to UGA in 2011.


5 Take 4President Jere W. Morehead (JD 80) on how UGA supports economic development in Georgia.

Around the Arch

7 $1 million giftSanford (M 55) and Barbara Orkin (M 56) establish a scholarship fund for low-income students.

9 Que pasa?The Bulldog Nation welcomes Uga X, known previously as Que.

10 Diverse univers(ity)UGA wins award two years in a row for efforts to foster an inclusive, diverse campus.

Close ups12 Innovative initiative

With a new experiential learning requirement, UGA is the largest public university in the nation to give all students hands-on learning experiences.

16 Growing TerryUGAs Terry College of Business set a new precedent for business education with the opening of Correll Hall and the ceremonial groundbreaking of Amos Hall in September.

GEORGIA MAGAZINE

Allyson Mann, MA 92, Editor

Margaret Blanchard, AB 91, MA 98, Managing Editor

Lindsay Robinson, ABJ 06, MPA 11, Art Director

Pamela Leed, Advertising Director

Fran Burke, Office Manager

Peter Frey, BFA 94; Robert Newcomb, BFA 81;

Rick OQuinn, ABJ 87; Andrew Davis Tucker; and

Dorothy Kozlowski, BLA 06, ABJ 10; UGA Photographers

Daniel Funke, Editorial Assistant

PUBLIC AFFAIRSJanis Gleason, Interim Director of Communications Alison Huff, Director of Publications

ADMINISTRATIONJere W. Morehead, JD 80, PresidentPamela Whitten, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and ProvostRyan Nesbit, MBA 91, Vice President for Finance and AdministrationKelly Kerner, Vice President for Development and Alumni RelationsRahul Shrivastav, Vice President for Instruction David C. Lee, Vice President for ResearchJennifer Frum, PhD 11, Vice President for Public Service and OutreachVictor Wilson, BSW 82, MEd 87, Vice President for Student AffairsJ. Griffin Doyle, AB 76, JD 79, Vice President for Government RelationsTimothy M. Chester, Vice President for Information Technology

Change your mailing address by emailing information to [email protected] or call 888-268-5442.

Advertise in Georgia Magazine by contacting Pamela Leed at [email protected] or 706-542-8124.

Find Georgia Magazine online at ugamagazine.uga.edu.

Submit Class Notes or story ideas to [email protected].

FINE PRINTGeorgia 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

In compliance with federal law, including the provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the University of Georgia does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or military service in its administration of educational policies, programs, or activities; its admissions policies; scholarship and loan programs; athletic or other University-administered programs; or employment. In addition, the University does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation consistent with the University non-discrimination policy. Inquiries or complaints should be directed to the director of 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.

Magazine

The University of

GEORGIADecember 2015 Vol. 95, No. 1

Class Notes37 Die-hard Dawg

Eleanor Banister (BSEd 73, JD 79) embraces a new leadership role at the UGA Foundation.

38 Alumni AssociationNews, a calendar of upcoming events and how to get involved.

45 Art, acceleratedMaggie Smith Khn creates on-the-spot watercolor portraits at weddings and other events.

56 Back PageErica Hashimoto, the Allen Post Professor of Law, was named a 2015 Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, UGAs highest recognition for excellence in instruction.

Departments

9 16

45

Send address changes to [email protected]

Send Class Notes to [email protected]


Q: The University of Georgia is focused heavily on supporting economic development in the state. Talk to us about some of the major initiatives in this area.

A: Promoting economic development is an important part of the universitys land-grant mission. In

fact, UGA has been designated an Innovation and Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities for our efforts to help existing businesses thrive and to make Georgia a desirable place for new companies to locate. Aiding these efforts is UGAs Office of Economic Development in Atlanta, which puts university resources into the hands of those who are working to build our economy. Among other things, the office assists the Georgia Department of Economic Development and its allied partners in recruiting companies to our state and retaining those with a Georgia presence. The offices location in Midtown Atlantas Centergy building allows for greater accessibility to the states economic ambassadors and is a strategic location for UGA in contributing to the states development efforts.

Q: What are some other economic development initiatives?

A: The universitys 17 Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) provide training, consulting and research assistance to small businesses across Georgia. Last year, SBDC consultants worked with nearly 4,000 clients to improve planning and management, capital access, accounting and finance, marketing, exporting and procurement functions in their businesses. In the last five years, SBDCs have helped clients raise $525 million in capital, start more than 1,400 new businesses and create nearly 12,000 jobs. Medical practice management, minority business development, international trade and agribusiness are among the SBDCs areas of expertise.

Q: How does faculty research contribute to economic development?

A: Research discoveries boost Georgias economy while improving lives around the world. To date, UGA faculty research has led to the creation of more than 525 commercial products and more than 130 start-up companies. Products based on UGA research range from prescription medicines for the treatment of Hepatitis B (Clevudine) and chronic dry-eye (Restasis) to cell lines that aid in understanding neurological disorders to peanut, blueberry and turfgrass cultivars. Last year, the university established Innovation Gateway, a new campus unit dedicated to moving new technologies to the marketplace as efficiently as possible. This month, we are breaking ground on the Center for Molecular Medicine, a state-of-the-art, purpose-built facility that will facilitate the development of new therapies, cures and diagnostics for human diseases.

Q: What role do alumni play as economic drivers in Georgia?

A: The University of Georgia operates as the states most effective talent pipeline, producing nearly 8,000 graduates each year who are ready to lead and succeed in todays economy. Most of our alumni stay in Georgia, working for Georgia companies or starting their own businesses. Our alumni head some of the most dynamic enterprises in the state, from Fortune 500 companies to biotech startups. With new academic initiatives that foster experiential and entrepreneurial learning by our students, UGA is doing more than ever to ensure that graduates are highly qualified to serve in Georgia communities and lead in Georgia businesses.

TAKE An interview with President Jere W. Morehead (JD 80)4


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UGAs Inseok Song (PhD 00) and fellow researchers are one step closer to understanding how planets formed around the sun after the discovery of a new planet, 51 Eridani b (depicted above). The Jupiter-like planet is actually an exoplanet, which means it revolves around a star other than the sun. The discovery is the first by the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), a new instrument operated by an international partnership of researchers. Song, an associate professor in the department of physics and astronomy in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, is co-principal investigator of the GPI exoplanet survey team. He explains that images from 51 Eridani b provide information on the planets atmosphere, which in turn will eventually allow astronomers to examine biosignatures [scientific evidence of present or past life] from mature planets during the next decade. The discovery comes after more than 10 years of collective efforts by more than 50 researchers. Results were published in the October issue of Science.

DANIELLE FUTSELAAR, FRANCK MARCHIS - SETI

UGA TOPS RANKINGS The University of Georgia remains a top uni-versity in the nation according to magazine rank-ings measuring student performance and value. UGA placed 21st on the list of Best Public Universities 2016 by U.S. News & World Report, released in September. Two critical measures of student success contributed to the ranking: a freshman retention rate of 94 percent and a graduation rate of 85 percent. The university came in at No. 3 on Washington Monthly magazines list of Best Bang for the Buck Colleges in the Southeast 2015. The rankings consider graduation rate and performance, the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants, the net price of attendance and whether students go on to earn enough to pay off loans.

Law gains Atlanta footprint The School of Law is launching its first Atlanta Semester in Practice in January. The program offers second- and third-year students the opportunity to receive full-time, practical experience through placements in the judicial, government, corporate and nonprofit arenas. The initiative provides new experiential learning and professional development options for law students.

Students will work in full-time placements in the offices of the governor and attorney general, the Georgia Supreme Court and the House Democratic Caucus, as well as a number of other government, nonprofit and corporate locations. In addition to the externships, students will take a clinical seminar and upper-level courses, earning up to 16 credits for the semester.

The School of Law Atlanta Campus will be housed within the Terry College of Business Executive Education Center in Buckhead.


Donors give $1 million for need-based scholarships Sanford (M 55) and Barbara Orkin (M 56), an Atlanta couple with a long history of generously supporting the University of Georgia, have given $1 million to establish a scholarship fund for low-income students.

Eligible scholarship recipients may be first-generation college students with little to no parental involvement and few financial resources. The fund will provide financial support for tuition, books, room and board and other living expenses for outstanding, academically talented students.

A secure source of funding that helps students meet their housing, food and educational requirements, we hope, will help these remarkable young people stay at the university through graduation and on the road to successful careers and full lives, Sanford Orkin says.

The gift addresses a top priority for the university by increasing scholarships for students with significant financial need. I am deeply grateful to Sanford and Barbara for their enduring generosity and for establishing this scholarship fund, which will have a transformative impact on the lives of many UGA students, says President Jere W. Morehead (JD 80).

SPEAKING IN TRUTH Emphasizing fearlessness and standing in your truth, Alice Walker spoke to packed houses at both the Morton Theatre and the UGA Chapel this fall. Students like Mansur Buffins identified with the authors message. I love how she lives freely, says Buffins, a second-year social studies education major. Buffins was among students from UGA, Emory University and Spelman College who met with Walker during her two-day visit as the inaugural Delta Visiting Chair for Global Understanding. The endowed chair was established by the Willson Center for Humanities and Art, through the support of the Delta Air Lines Foundation, to host outstanding scholars, creative thinkers, artists and intellectuals on campus. Valerie Boyd, associate professor of journalism, who moderated the Morton Theatre discussion, is currently curating and editing Walkers personal journals for a book scheduled for release in fall 2017.

PETER FREY

Acclaimed author Alice Walker read from her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple at the Morton Theatre in Athens Oct. 15.

UGA MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR LOW-INCOME STUDENTS The University of Georgia continues to make strides in creating opportunities for students from low-income backgrounds.

In July, UGA received a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help support first-generation students as well as those from low-income families. The funding is part of the Federal TRIOs Student Support Services Program, which provides outreach and assistance to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. Current TRIO programs at UGA include Student Support Services, Upward Bound and Talent Search. The grant, distributed over five years, will provide academic development and assistance to participants in an effort to increase college retention and graduation rates.

Such efforts are paying off in terms of public recognition. In September, UGA placed 10th among public universities (and 24th among all universities) doing the most for low-income students in the 2015 New York Times College Access Index. The index is based on the percentage of students who receive Pell Grants, the graduation rate of those students and cost of attendance for low- to middle-income students.

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BEST IN SHOWA BARK OUT TO

Alan Covich, professor in the Odum School of Ecology, who received the Distinguished Service Citation for more than 40 years of volunteer service from the Ecological Society of America.

WUGA-FMs The Guest List for winning a GABBY Award for Excellence for the best locally produced program (non news/sports) from the Georgia Association of Broadcasters.

Marie Scoggins, administrative financial director of UGA Ma-rine Extension, who received the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Patriot Award from the U.S. Department of Defense.

Denisa Gndara, doctoral candidate in the Institute of Higher Education, who received dissertation fellowships from the Ford Foundation and the American Educational Research Association.

Meredith Meyer (BSA 15), Brooke Oot (BSA 15) and students Juliana Fritts, Adam Gresham, Shemaine Mensah, Sara Muntean and Faustine Sonon, who won first place in a competition sponsored by the DuPont Company for a breakfast muffin using quinoa they developed in a food science class taught by Professor Yao-wen Huang (MS 78, PhD 83).

Malcolm Mitchell, wide receiver for the Georgia Bulldogs, who was named to the Allstate AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) Good Works Team for his commitment to help others and make a positive impact on his community.

Kamal Ghandi, associate professor of forest entomology, who was named a science policy fellow for the Entomological Society of America.

Ny Raivo Voarintsoa, geology doctoral student, who was selected for the Faculty for the Future Fellowship Award from the Schlumberger Foundation.

the Digital Library of Georgia, the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the Atlanta History Center and the Georgia Historical Society, which received the 2015 Award for Excellence in Documenting Georgias History from the Georgia Historical

Records Advisory Council for the digital collection Americas Turning Point: Documenting the Civil War Experience in Georgia.

Chad Austin, a student in turf grass management, who received the Pete Dye Agronomic Scholarship from the Ford Plantation.

Matthew Nahrstedt, a graduate student in environmental planning and design, who was accepted into the Virtual Student Foreign Service eInternship program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

Jameson Kenerly, feature twirler with the UGA Redcoat Band, who was named National Collegiate Downfield Champion at Americas Youth on Parade, the most prestigious twirling competition in the U.S.

Kamal Ghandi

Denisa Gndara

Alan Covich

UGA MOURNS PASSING OF JANE WILLSON Jane Seddon Willson, one of UGAs most generous benefactors, died Nov. 3 in Albany. Together with her late husband Harry, Willson established a tradition of giving at the university that spanned more than six decades. Jane set a standard for philanthropy and service that few have surpassed, says UGA President Jere W. Morehead (JD 80). She supported all aspects of UGA ranging from the Honors Program to the arts and humanities for many decades, creating avenues to promote research and creativity among faculty and to facilitate international travel-study for our students. One of the most visible results of her philanthropy is the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts, named in honor of an endowment established by Jane and Harry Willson in 2005. Willson was an emeritus trustee of the UGA Foundation and served on the UGA Research Foundation and the Georgia Museum of Art board of advisors, among others. In 2006, UGA honored Willson with a Doctor of Laws degree.

DOT PAULJane Willson and Mac


GROWING THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE Research expenditures at UGA grew 7 percent in fiscal year 2015 due to strategic investments in health-related research and determined efforts to attract more funding from private foundations. Federal funding for research at the university held steady from fiscal year 2014 to 2015, but support from private foundations rose dramatically to boost overall research expenditures to $154.6 million. For example, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Trust all provided support for research into infectious diseases and vaccines. Overall, UGA faculty had nearly 1,500 funded research grant proposals in fiscal year 2015. Funding from the federal government and from private foundations enables our faculty to conduct research that benefits health, safety and security, the economy and overall quality of life, says Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. These grants also enable promising graduate students from across the nation and around the world to work alongside our faculty to make UGA one of the nations leading research universities.

DAMN GOOD DOGS The Bulldog Nation welcomed a new mascot Nov. 21 when Uga X was officially collared during halftime of the Georgia-Georgia Southern football game. Uga X, known previously as Que, assumed his new title after a three-month audition. He appeared at the Countdown to Kickoff event in July and Picture Day in August before presiding over Georgias first seven football games this fall. As Que stepped into the mascot role, Uga IX, known as Russ, officially retired at the age of 11. The half-brother of Uga VII, Russ compiled an overall record of 44-19. He worked 25 games as an interim mascot from 2009-12 and then another 38 games as Uga IX from 2012-14. The continuous line of Georgia Bulldog mascots has been owned by Frank W. Sonny Seiler (BBA 56, JD 57) and his family since 1956.

ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER

Que, now known as Uga X, waits in the middle of the field before the start of UGAs homecoming game versus Missouri in October.

Uga IX, known as Russ, retired in November after serving as mascot for 63 games.

ROB SAYE

FRESHMEN GEOGRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION:

86% from Georgia 443 133

443 high schools133 countiesand

Students from Georgia represent

SCORES:Honorsstudents:525525

Fall 2015 FreshmenFall 2015 Freshmen

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LEARNING FROM THE PAST One of the worlds leading scholars on modern Jewish history explored how the United States came to understand the Holocaust during a University Lecture Oct. 22. Deborah E. Lipstadt traced how the term holocaust entered the American parlance in 1945 and gradually became the accepted term for the Nazi genocide of European Jews. She also spoke of how the term was used as a metaphor by writers and artists during the 1960s to shed light on the countrys shortcomings. Lipstadt, the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University, is author of Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory and the Eichmann Trial. She warned against appropriating the Holocaust to advance a personal agenda. We have to be careful about our language, she says. We have to draw lessons from the past, but be careful about too easily using the past for our own particular political or social goals.

PETER FREY

Deborah E. Lipstadt, a scholar of modern Jewish history, gave a preview of her forthcoming book at a University Lecture Oct. 22.

DIVERSITY EFFORTS LAUDED For the second year in a row, UGA received national recognition for its efforts to foster an inclusive, diverse campus as a recipient of the INSIGHT Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for 2015.

The award is given to institutions for outstanding efforts and success in diversity and inclusion throughout their cam-puses. As a HEED Award recipient, the university was featured in the November issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity, the oldest and largest diversity magazine and website in higher education.

Fostering diversity among our faculty, staff and students gives the University of Georgia a competitive edge in todays globalized world, says Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. We all benefit when a broad range of perspectives and ideas are considered, and I am delighted that UGAs efforts to promote diversity and inclusion continue to receive national recognition.

Successful initiatives include recruiting diverse students, faculty and staff and improving graduation rates of underrepresented groups. UGAs six-year graduation rate for African-American students is 81.5 percentmore than double the national average, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The graduation rate for Hispanic students is 79.5 percent, which also far exceeds the national average.

UGA Foundation boosts student investments The University of Georgia Foundation invested $750,000 from its endowment to support the Terry College of Business Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) as part of its long-term portfolio strategy. The investment grew SMIFs capital to more than $1 million.

Terrys SMIF provides students interested in investing or careers within the financial sector to serve as investment managers for the foundation. Responsibilities include regular reporting of market values and reinvesting returns back into the portfolio.

The foundations commitment is a confirmation of the huge impact that SMIF is having on Terry/UGA students in setting them up for tremendous professional success, says Mitchell Reiner (BBA 05), chairman of the board of trustees for SMIF and COO of Capital Investment Advisors.

Foundation Trustee Darren DeVore (BBA 86) and his wife, Pam (BFA 86), donated $100,000 to start the fund in 2006 to give students practical, rather than hypothetical, experience in investment management.

The program pairs well with UGAs experiential learning initiative. Student managers present their investment strategies and fund analysis to the foundations investment committee three times a year. The highly competitive program annually receives more than 150 applications for 42 student manager positions.


Former provost gives $500,000 for professorship The College of Public Health has received a $500,000 gift to establish the Karen and Jim Holbrook Distinguished Professorship and an endowed fellowship to support graduate students in the global health field.

Karen Holbrook served as provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at UGA from 1998-2002. Her husband, Jim, is a retired oceanographer and past deputy director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Pacific Marine Environmental Research Laboratory in Seattle.

During her tenure as provost, Holbrook was instrumental in creating new programs in the biomedical and health sciences, leading to the eventual creation of the College of Public Health. The UGA Foundation is providing an additional $250,000 for the distinguished professorship in recognition of Holbrooks transformative time at UGA and in honor of her service to higher education.

Together, the Holbrook Distinguished Professorship and Graduate Fellowship will build on the colleges existing strengths in global health research, increase international collaborations and expand experiential learning activities for students in international public health. The first Holbrook Professor is expected to be named by January 2017.

DAWGS TEACH FOR AMERICA UGA graduates committed to service are making a difference in high-needs schools through Teach for America. Thirty recent alumni joined 4,100 other recruits this yearmaking the university a top 20 feeder school for the program among large universities.

Teach for America, part of the AmeriCorps national services network, recruits and develops college graduates and professionals who make a two-year commitment to teach in high-needs rural and urban schools across the country. Only 15 percent of this years 44,000 applicants were admitted to the program.

UGA is traditionally a top contributing school for the program and tied for No. 14 this year. Rahul Shrivastav, vice president for instruction, attributes the trend in part to students commitment to service, which is embedded in UGAs curriculum. In 2014-15, more than 7,300 students participated in service-learning courses that build on their desires to give back to their communities.

University of Georgia students are some of the most engaged students in the nation, Shrivastav says. They are passionate about making a real and lasting impact and helping others.

$1 MILLION GRANT WILL COMBAT ILLNESS IN CHILDREN UGA researchers have received $1 million from the Wellcome Trust and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to speed the development of new drugs for treating cryptosporidiosis, a major cause of diarrheal disease and mortality in young children around the world. Cryptosporidiosis is caused by a microscopic parasite commonly spread through tainted drinking or recreational water. There is no vaccine and only a single drug of modest efficacy available. Cryptosporidiosis is a tremendous public health challenge, says Boris Striepen, Distinguished Research Professor in Cellular Biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and a member of UGAs Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases. Earlier this year, Striepen and his research group created new tools to genetically manipulate the parasite. His team will use funds from the Wellcome Trust and Gates Foundation to leverage this new technology and speed drug discovery.

UGA joins South Big Data Hub Researchers at UGA will participate in a National Science Foundation initiative called the South Big Data Regional Innovation Hub, which aims to solve the nations most pressing challenges related to extracting knowledge and insights from large, complex collections of digital data.

Led by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of North Carolinas Renaissance Computing Institute, members of the South Big Data Hub (SBDH) will engage businesses and research organizations to develop common goals impossible for individual members to achieve alone.

SBDH will apply big data analysis to scientific and social issues in five areas: health care, coastal hazards, industrial big data, materials and manufacturing, and habitat planning.

Researchers in many diverse disciplines are accumulating unprecedented volumes of data , says Lakshmish Ramaswamy, associate professor of computer science in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and a SBDH co-investigator. This initiative will foster collaborations that will help us extract information from these mountains of data so that we can develop solutions to complex problems in multiple domains.

ROBERT NEWCOMBBoris Striepen

CLOSE UP

Innovative initiativeWith a new experiential learning requirement, UGA becomes the largest public university in the nation to give all students hands-on learning experiences

by Allyson Mann (MA 92)

UGA student body President Johnelle Simpson spent the Maymester term in China with a study abroad program. On the flight overhis first time leaving the countryhe wrestled with misgivings. Would anyone speak English? Would he like the food?

He quickly learned the answer to both questions was yes, and Simpson says the immersive experience brought a new perspective to his classes this semester.

When the markets crashed in China and we were talking about it in my finance class , I was able to relate, he says. Beyond academics theres a whole relatability piece to it and being able to understand it even more.

Thats exactly the kind of benefit thats expected next fall when the University of Georgias new experiential learning requirement goes into effect. All incoming undergraduates will be required to engage in hands-on learning prior to graduation, and UGA will become the largest public university in the nation to ensure that each of its students has transformative experiences such as internships, study abroad, service learning or research.

With a spirit of innovation and a deep commitment to student learning, faculty at the University of Georgia continue to push the boundaries of undergraduate education, says UGA President Jere W. Morehead (JD 80).


UGAs experiential learning requirement is new, but students have been taking advantage of hands-on learning opportunities for years. Ricky Patel (center) worked as an intern for Dr. J. Benjamin Patrick in 2009. At left, Patel (BS 11) and dental assistant Tiffany Well (right) assist Patrick as he performs dental bleaching on a patient.

ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER


PETER FREY

Offering a tailored, hands-on experience to our undergraduate students not only will further enhance this institutions world-class learning environment but also will further distinguish them as graduates.

Experiential learning is often defined simply as learning by doing.The American Association of Colleges and Universities

includes experiential learning on a list of high-impact educational practices that have been widely tested and have been shown to be beneficial for college students from many backgrounds. Research suggests that these practices increase rates of student retention and student engagement while improving students ability to analyze and synthesize information.

Studies also show that benefits may include improved academic performances, increased content knowledge and greater ability to apply that knowledge, says Tim Cain, associate professor and historian at UGAs Institute of Higher Education.

Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, notes that in addition to enhancing learning, hands-on experiences help position students for success after graduation.

Our students will have a competitive edge when they apply for graduate school or begin their careers because of the experiences they have gained through this requirement, she says.

Linda Bachman (EdD 13), UGAs director of experiential learning, spent more than a year laying the groundwork for the initiative. In 2014 she chaired a university-wide committee that explored what an experiential learning program might look like, resulting in the requirement that was passed in April by University Council.

UGAs initiative is ambitious, Bachman says, and aims to provide the kind of experience thats normally found at a small liberal arts college.

To be able to deliver something thats hands-on and personalized to this many studentsthats a challenge, and its one were up to.

Linda Bachman (EdD 13), UGAs director of experiential learning, started working on the initiative in 2014, chairing a committee that explored what the program might look like. After the requirement was approved, she worked with UGAs schools and colleges to draft plans for how each would define the activities that fulfill the requirement.


Each student will be able to select from a diverse slate of opportunities that reflect his or her individual interests and aspirations. The requirement will not increase the number of credit hours required to earn a degree, and the majority of experiential learning opportunities come with no additional cost.

Bachman spent summer and fall working one-on-one with the deans and curriculum committees of UGAs schools and colleges to determine how each would define the activities that fulfill the requirement.

The question [was] how much, how rigorous, how independent? Bachman says. Whats the line at which an experiential learning opportunity meets the requirement?

The resulting plans for each school and collegeapproved in October by the University Curriculum Committeeinclude a list of already-existing courses or programs that meet the requirement. They run the gamut from internships to service learning to field schools to study abroad to research, and Bachman expects that each school and college will continue to develop additional opportunities.

UGAs experiential learning requirement is new, but the concept is not. The university has a strong history of providing such opportunities

to its studentsparticularly through study abroad, service learning, research and internships.

UGA is consistently among the nations top universities for study abroad participation, ranking 17th on the 2014 Open Doors report on the number of U.S. students studying abroad. More than 7,300 UGA students participated in service-learning courses in the last academic year. And during the past 15 years, more than 2,000 undergraduates have participated in classes, summer research fellowships, and assistantships through the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO).

At UGA, conducting research with a faculty member is associated with better GPAs and more timely degree completion, says Martin Rogers (MA 01, PhD 10), associate director of the Honors Program and CURO.

In 2014, Anquilla Deleveaux (right) was a CURO student working on research with Anna Karls (left), associate professor of microbiology. Above, Deleveaux (BS 15) cultures plates with strains of salmonella.

ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER


The universitys new experiential learning requirement goes into effect next fall, but

heres what UGA is doing now:

CREATINGCONNECTIONSNearly one-third of UGA students complete internships in diverse elds like health care, international affairs, journalism, arts and business.

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ENABLINGDISCOVERIESThrough UGAs Center for Under-graduate Research Opportunities, students conduct independent research in disciplines ranging from the humanities to the sciences.

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MAKING AN IMPACTMore than 7,300 UGA students participated in service-learning courses in 2014-15.

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EXPANDINGHORIZONSMore than 2,400 students study abroad at our three residential campuses in Oxford, Cortona and Costa Rica, or through programs in almost 60 countries across all seven continents.

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CREATING PARTNERSHIPSUGA is developing partnerships with businesses, community agencies and other organizations on mutually benecial internship, research, service-learning and study abroad opportunities.

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www.ugaexperience.com

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNINGThe thinking is that the more hands on the learning

is, the more committed and successful the students will become, he says.

Cain says the requirement has the potential to significantly change the university by integrating experiential learning into the fundamental concepts of undergraduate education.

Over time, it has the chance to become part of what the UGA experience is known forwhat students come to expect as a core part of their education, he says.

A lthough the experiential learning requirement goes into effect next fall, financial support for it is building. The UGA Athletic Association established a $1 million endowment for the initiative, and Morehead also established a scholarship fund to support undergraduates pursuing experiential learning opportunities.

Bachman also is working on generating new partnerships. When the Oconee Hills Cemetery, located in Athens, approached her to discuss how they might work with students, Bachman listened to their needshelp with mapping, GPS and historyand immediately thought it would be a good fit for UGAs Willson Center for Humanities and Arts. The Willson Center agreed, setting the stage for a future partnership with the potential for research projects, student internships and course-based service learning.

Its a good example, I think, of a community partnership that has many different levels of engagement in many different dimensions of experiential learning, she says.

But the bottom line is what students will take away from these experiences, Bachman says.

We have fantastic students, and a lot of them are seeking out experiential opportunities on their own, even without a requirement, and thats great, she says. But we owe it to every single one of our students to make sure that they have this kind of enriched educational experience that really does equip them to take their education out into the world and be immediately effective. Making it a requirement means that those students who arent already seeking it out are going to have the benefit of this experience.

As a senior, Simpson is not subject to the universitys new experiential learning requirement. But the president of UGAs Student Government Association says the trip to China opened his mind to the international world, and he sees value in making such experiences mandatory for future generations of students.

Rogers agrees.Over and over again you hear from the students that

these are transformational experiences, he says. They have tremendous influence on how students continue on with their path or choose a career.

GRAPHIC BY LINDSAY ROBINSON


UGAs Terry College of Business set a new precedent for business education with the opening of Correll Hall and the ceremonial groundbreaking of Amos Hall in September.

Correll Hall marks the completion of Phase I of the colleges planned Business Learning Community.

As the times have changed, so has the Terry College, which has remained on the leading edgealways adapting in order to prepare the next generation of business leaders, says President Jere W. Morehead (JD 80). The Business Learning Community was born out of this pioneering spirit and commitment to excellence.

Correll Hall is named in honor of A.D. Pete Correll (BBA 63) and his wife, Ada Lee (BSEd 63).

Ada Lee and I are immensely proud to be tied to the legacy of the Terry College and the University of Georgia, which has helped so many young men and women over the years, says Correll, chairman emeritus of Georgia-Pacific. I know firsthand that the state of Georgia and its workforce benefit directly from the

teaching and learning that happen here. Were excited to enhance that contribution to our state and nation by helping the Terry College reach new levels of excellence.

Correll Hall, home to the colleges graduate programs, was designed with collaboration in mind and includes a business innovation lab, multiple team project rooms and a graduate commons. The $35 million project was funded entirely by private donations.

Amos Hall, the centerpiece of Phase II of the colleges Business Learning Community, will house its undergraduate programs. Named in honor of Daniel P. Amos (BBA 73), chairman and CEO of Aflac, the facility is slated for completion in 2017.

Phase II, supported by $43 million in state funds and $14 million in private donations, will encompass approximately 140,000 square feet with two large auditoriums, eight classrooms, a trading room, a behavioral lab, undergraduate commons, conference rooms and faculty and staff offices.

CLOSE UP

Growing TerryBusiness college expands learning community

(Left to right) Terry Dean Ben Ayers, Ada Lee (BSEd 63) and Pete Correll (BBA 63), President Jere Morehead (JD 80) and Dan Amos (BBA 73) celebrate the dedication of Correll Hall Sept. 18.

ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER


Above, Associate Professor Santanu Chatterjee, director of the Full-Time MBA Program, leads a doctoral class in economics in the Barry L. Storey Team Room. Correll Hall features multiple project team rooms in addition to several larger classrooms.

Left, large windows, tall ceilings and group seating in the Graduate Commons offer students an ideal place for networking and studying inside Correll Hall.

Correll Hall is the first facility in the colleges planned Business Learning Community, located at the corner of Baxter and Lumpkin streets. The 74,000-square-foot building serves as a world-class learning environment for graduate students.

DPR HARDIN

ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER

ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER


Correll, left, chairman emeritus of Georgia-Pacific, and Amos, chairman and CEO of Aflac, were honored for their significant support of the project. Below, an architectural rendering of the Business Learning Community includes the now complete Correll Hall (top) and Phase II (center), future home of Terrys undergraduate programs, with Amos Hall as the centerpiece.

ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER

JEFF STIKEMAN FOR ROBERT A.M. STERN ARCHITECTS, LLP


Left, David Mustard, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, leads a law and economics class in the Robert W. Scherer Memorial Classroom on the first day of fall semester.

Above, students (left to right) Laura Drake, Abby Weinstein and Steven Huynh follow along on their laptops during a management information systems class at Correll Hall.

Left, second-year MBA student Chris Henseler uses an interactive Sharp Aquos Board as he works on a group project in the Innovation Lab. The state-of-the-art lab and multiple meeting rooms within Correll Hall were designed to encourage collaboration and the development of new ideas.

www.terry.uga.edu

ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER

ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER

ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER


STANDING FIRMSTANDING FIRM

When the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in April 2010 and discharged more than 200 million gallons of oil, UGA marine scientist Samantha Joye was one of the first scientists to investigate the disaster and one of the few who had prior knowledge of the ecosystemshes been studying the natural seepage of oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico for more than 20 years.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMANTHA JOYE/UGA


by Krista Reese (MA 80)

STANDING FIRMSTANDING FIRM

On a gorgeous June day in Gulfport, Miss., the white sand beaches have a pristine, swept-clean lookin part a legacy of the devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina. That natural disaster seems far away now in the bright hot sunshine bearing down on this citys massive namesake seaport, where enormous container ships, and a gigantic yellow tanker labeled with the Dole brand, are docked, waiting to bring bananas and other goods ashore.

Beneath these gently lapping waters, however, lie the unseen and still to some extent unknown results of another catastrophe, one inarguably and directly man-madethe April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, which killed 11 people and discharged at least 5 million

barrels (about 210 million gallons) of crude oil and 250,000 metric tons of natural gas into the Gulf of Mexico.

A month after the explosion, UGA marine scientist Samantha Joye was in the Gulf, documenting the immediate results of the spill. Her research would have a major impact, shaping the international dialogue surrounding the event. In the five years since, Joye and the university have led multimillion-dollar research efforts to understand the fate of the oil, its impact on the ecosystem and the recovery of the Gulfquestions with significant economic implications for coastal states and industry as well as the potential to guide environmental policies around the world.

Samantha Joye endured a firestorm of criticism for her research contradicting

early governmental reports on the BP oil spill. Five years laterand having

been proven correctthe UGA scientist is still focusing on the facts.


A t the Port of Gulfport, a throng of kids from local Boys and Girls Clubs sit squinting on a broiling asphalt jetty near two bobbing vessels dwarfed by the commercial ships. A slight, ponytailed woman in khakis and bright blue polo shirt demonstrates a makeshift robot, constructed of PVC tubing and a small aquarium motor, and sets it off to burble around a tub of water. This helps investigate whats under the surface, she tells them. Now, who wants to help make one? Me! ME! MEEEEEE! the kids yell, arms waving, hot day forgotten, as they race to participate.

Joye, known universally as Mandy, has that effect on people. Despite numerous scientific accolades (in 2014 she was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; in 2015 she won a Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award), she is as interested in making sure everyone understands the

consequences of information revealed by her work as she is in unearthing it.

For more than 20 years, Joye has studied the natural seepage of oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico. When the Deepwater Horizon exploded, she was one of few scientists who had extensive prior knowledge of the ecosystem to compare to what she saw in the aftermath of the accident. Joye led UGAs comprehensive response to the crisis, fulfilling a critical role by providing up-to-date, impartial information to national and regional leaders, the disaster response team and the public. A year later she was named science director of the Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf (ECOGIG) program, a research consortium including 29 investigators from 14 institutions. Last fall, Joye and her team were awarded an additional $18.8 million, three-year research grant.

Joye speaks to local youth from Boys and Girls Clubs on June 8, World Oceans Day, in Gulfport, Miss. She and colleagues from the ECOGIG Research Consortium hosted a media and education day at the Port of Gulfport about halfway through their teams three-and-a-half-week cruise on the research vessel Endeavor.

RICK OQUINN


Today, on World Oceans Day, Joye has invited the press to tour the research vessels, Endeavor and Point Sur, that she and other scientists and students use to reveal whats happening under the deep blue waters. Journalists and photographers, as well as two documentary film crews, will follow her all day, but Joye has insisted on also inviting local youth to tour the boats and meet the ECOGIG team. The kids are our only hope, says the UGA Athletic Association Professor of Arts and Sciences and professor of marine sciences. Adults are set in their ways. We love our SUVs and air conditioning too much. Too many people are disconnected from the natural world.

That doesnt mean Joye hasnt tried talking to the group normally described as grown-ups. In the aftermath of the Deepwater explosion, she was interviewed, quoted or featured in more than 4,000 news stories. Later she would testify before Congress and help author a report on the damage.

Joye was one of the first scientists to investigate the disaster. She did her research firsthand, taking samples with her group on the research vessel Walton Smith, breathing acrid, burning air as they scooped up dead jellyfish and birds along with oil-tinged water. Their findings would contradict what the public had heard from BP CEO Tony Hayward (The oil is on the surface. There arent any plumes) and the U.S. governments National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) chief, Jane Lubchenco, who initially insisted Joyes teams research findings were inconclusive. Lubchenco would change her statements in a press conference just prior to Joyes appearance before Congress: Thick oil and gas plumes did indeed exist, 1,000 meters below the surface. Joye questioned the effectiveness of dispersants in removing the oil, rather than simply rendering it invisible. She described some parts of the seafloor to The New York Times as a graveyard.

Her reports drew the fire of an angry horde of skeptics who claimed she had

sought the spotlight and exaggerated her findings to burnish her own career and fame. Through it all, Joye remained steadfast, reporting what she knew to an incredulous nation. The issues involved revealed how little scientists know about the oceanmuch less than the moon or Mars, and its here on Earth, says Joyeand how the Gulf ecosystems would respond to the spill. She was criticized not only by industry and government, but also those who pressured her to cross the line from advocacy to activism. The difference between the two is not even a fine line, says Joye. Its a four-lane highway. I believe Im a responsible advocate. The best way to influence policy is to publish papers that document important things that then drive science and policy changes. I feel I can do much more as a scientist than as an activist.

Sylvia Earle, NOAAs former chief scientist under President George H.W. Bush, takes a few moments away from a crammed schedule on the eve of a

trip to the Arctic to talk about Joyes early findings. She was compelled to share that evidence, says Earle, also founder of engineering firm Deep Ocean Exploration and Research and nonprofit Mission Blue. A lesser person might have knuckled under. The pressure that was imposed upon her for speaking the truth in a very clear, unbiased way has made her a hero in the eyes of those who respect integrity and the truth. Its hard when your job and reputation are on the line, and she just says, Look, I tell you what I see. Im telling the public what the world needs to know.

Lindley Mease, a senior research analyst for the Stanford University-affiliated Center for Ocean Solutions, sought out Joye for a project on better ways stakeholders, academics and government agencies can prepare and respond to environmental emergencies. Shes been a key communicator in the Gulf and in Washington, D.C., Mease says. She has provided pivotal and

On Endeavor, Joye spends time online participating in a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything). Reddit is an entertainment, social networking and news websitesimilar to an online bulletin boardwhere users can submit content.

RICK OQUINN


insightful information. Its been fantastic to work with her and have a voice that is both independent and self-possessed.

Christopher Martens, William B. Aycock Distinguished Professor of Marine Sciences at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC), was a member of Joyes Ph.D. advisory committee. He describes her as the best kind of leader. Its common for people to view persons at the front of the pack as wearing capes, like Superman or Wonder Woman , he says. Id rather describe Mandy as like a point guard [on a basketball team]. Shes a leader who runs directly at a challenge, and enthusiastically goes after tough things, because she knows they potentially bring fruitful discoveries. And she wants to bring the rest of the team with her.

When Ive been on cruises with her, he says, she was always the hardest-working person on the ship.

On an early fall semester morning, Joye is editing a paper in her basement office in UGAs Marine Sciences Building, which houses the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences marine sciences department. As a planned 30-minute interview stretches to over two hours, Joye slowly reveals herself in ways large and small, from a scrappy upbringing in a small town on the border between North and South Carolina to being a bullied shrinking violet in high school, and finally deciding she would overcome her shyness and reinvent herself at UNC, where she earned three degrees. By turns wryly humorous, emphatically serious, and occasionally emotional, she describes the events after the spill and her current projects with a natural storytellers ease.

Her office is lined with photos of her husband, UGA Marine Sciences

Associate Professor Christof Meile, and three daughters, Sophie, Nicole and Zo, and with some of the awards that she has only recently framed and hung. In a corner, a bright quilt and toys await her daughters. The girls are never far from her mind, not only personally, but as representatives of the next generations she believes will inherit the problems weve left them. Joye says they know the ocean as a close friend who is sick. Have you fixed the ocean yet? Sophie would often ask her in the days after the spill.

Five years after the disaster, Joyes teams most recent research (and the paper she is working on today) only confirms in greater detail her initial concerns about the plumes and dispersants. This whole question of whether chemical dispersants are an effective way to stimulate oil degradation is fundamentally important, she says. Theyre considered the first line of defense, but there may be other negative consequences on fish larvae and coral larvae, even on the very microorganisms that degrade oil. And, in some cases, they do not stimulate oil degradation. Its possible they are doing harm as well as good.

Its impossible to know much about the ocean without studying it, and the costs of research vessels are enormously expensive, Joye says. The Alvin submersible and its attendant ship and crew is about $85,000 a day or thereabouts, she says. Youve got to write a hell of a good proposal for a 20-day cruise, and you might end up with five [days]. If her $18.8 million grant sounds like a lot of money, she points

Steve Dykstra (left), a Ph.D. student at Dolphin Island Sea Lab, demonstrates a mini-ROV (remote operated underwater vehicle) to children during the media and education day June 8. Joyes Science at the Stadium program has brought similar demonstrations to home football games, where she and her research team educate UGA alumni and fans, including hundreds of school-aged children, on science and oceanography.

RICK OQUINN


out that over its three-year span, $2-$3 million per year will go for the cost of the ships and crews and vehicles alone, and much of the rest is split among investigators. Im not rich, she says succinctly, pushing up her taped-together glasses. And she will retain her independent voice: The ECOGIG grants were awarded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, an independent entity established to manage the $500 million fund set up by BPthe oil company leasing the Deepwater Horizon at the time of the explosionto pay for independent scientific research.

In addition to ongoing research, Joye is also spearheading several planned media-based outreach projects. She believes that filmmaking will be her teams signature mark and the most effective way to educate and empower a global environmental movement, she says. When people start to realize that climate change impacts were hitting the proverbial fan decades ago and that the consequences, such as coral bleaching, are now globally apparent they will wake up. That will start a grass-roots effort, not driven by politics, but driven by people. These people will demand action. The changes she envisions start small, like walking instead of driving and turning down the heat during winter. But the collective consequences are large.

During the oil spill, I spent many wakeful nights wondering, Why exactly am I in the middle of this firestorm? she says. Early one morning, I realized that people are listening. A lot of people. With that came the awareness that I had an opportunity, a voice, but with this opportunity came an immense responsibility. You cant walk away from that. This is not just about oil spills, its about climate change and environmental resiliencefrom recycling and plastics and pollution and low oxygen zones and overfishingall of these critically important issues of our time.

Its about my kids, and all the kids, she says. Its about securing our future. For me, thats the silver lining of the horrible dark gloomy cloud that was the oil spill. I realized that I can make a difference. I believe that I was meant to make a difference. I think I have the ability and the opportunity to do it. And if I keep at it, Im going to help light the fire that changes our course toward one that makes the world more ecologically secure and the future more in balance with nature.

Krista Reese is an Atlanta-based freelance writer.

Joye and Sarah Harrison (left) discuss an experiment in the laboratory aboard the Endeavor. Harrison, a doctoral student in marine sciences, is microprofiling how deep oxygen penetrates into ocean sediment.

RICK OQUINN


Jere Langford (MSW 67) attends UGA Over the Centuries, one of more than 150 classes offered during fall by UGAs Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Taught by Nash Boney, professor emeritus in UGAs department of history, the class covers the history of the university from its chartering in 1785 to the present.PHOTO BY ANDREW DAVIS TUCKER


A s she approached retirement, Betty Jean Craige often was asked, What are you going to do? The UGA professor, scholar, translator and writer planned to stay busy and remain in Athens, but didnt have a solid answer.

After retiring in 2011, Craige figured it outshe decided to become a student again. Each semester, the University Professor emerita of comparative literature and director emerita of the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts signed up for more than 20 classes from the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UGA (OLLI@UGA), which offers 250 to 300 noncredit classes annually to individuals 50 and older.

I just love the classes. Ive taken classes, not in literature, which I taught for 38 years, but in geology, geography, history, wine, balsamic vinegar, says Craige, now president of OLLI@UGAs board of directors. I like learning about new things all the time. I like meeting people I havent known before.

Membership in the program has more than doubled since 2011, growing from about 600 to 1,372 individuals

in 2015. UGA alumni and former faculty join longtime Athenians and newcomers from careers as diverse as aviation, engineering, the arts, technology and business.

It provides a good way to meet people your age with varied interests, people whove done all kind of things in their life, says Wyatt Anderson (BS 60, MS 62), dean emeritus of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and a retired genetics professor. The range of topics is huge, and everyone can find something of interest.

OLLI@UGA brings all kinds of adults to UGA to learn and participate in education and is a great example of outreach, says Ron Cervero, professor of education and associate vice president for instruction.

Were the land-grant university for Georgia, and our mission is to support the educational efforts of everyone in the state, not just the students who are admitted to the university, he says.

Outreach is part of the universitys mission, says Katy Crapo, OLLI@UGA executive director. OLLI is a wonderful program to do that.

OLLIs evolutionOLLI@UGA began more than 20

years ago as Learning in Retirement, which offered classes to seniors through an informal relationship with the College of Education (COE). In 2009, Learning in Retirement received the first of three $100,000 grants from the Bernard Osher Foundation, a San Francisco-based organization that supports what it describes as a national lifelong learning network for seasoned adults.

With Cerveros help, the organization secured a formal connection with the university and became known as the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Georgia, or OLLI@UGA, a unit of the COE. OLLI@UGA, which also has chapters in Washington and Madison, is among Oshers 119 lifelong learning institutes on U.S. campuses. (Visit osherfoundation.org to find a program in your area.)

Two larger Osher Foundation endowment gifts$1 million in 2011 and $1 million in 2013helped expand OLLI@UGA. Now, OLLI@UGA is transitioning from a small, volunteer-run organization to a professionally run 501(c)3 organization with three full-time staff and numerous committed volunteers, who serve on the board and on committees and who facilitate classes and other events. OLLI@UGA is funded by the interest earned from endowments, membership dues ($50 annually), course fees and business sponsorships.

Growth has coincided with Athens-Clarke County evolving into a top retirement destination. The city has received national attention in publications and websites including Forbes, AARP Bulletin and Where to Retire for amenities such as UGA and its proximity to Atlanta.

Membership soars in UGA outreach program for seniors who crave learning

by Lori Johnston (ABJ 95)

knowledge for Quest


One of the reasons Athens receives such accolades is because of the learning opportunities for retirees, says Jack Parish (EdD 99), COE associate dean for outreach and engagement.

Learning is a lifelong process and doesnt stop whenever we complete our formal education, Parish says. The OLLI@UGA members certainly model and embody lifelong learning in many ways.

Demand for senior learning programs is likely to increase; the earliest baby boomers turned 65 in 2011, and the U.S. will experience considerable growth in its older population as more boomers reach that milestone. In 2050, the U.S. population aged 65 and over is projected to be 83.7 millionalmost double its estimated population of 43.1 million in 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Theres a lot of literature out there that keeping your brain engaged

can ward off dementia and Alzheimers , says Laura Bierema, professor and associate dean for academic programs at the College of Education. Theres an old proverb that says, If youre not learning, youre dead. I think that really speaks to the importance of learning across the life span and finding continual ways to pique your curiosity and learn new things.

Active and interestedOLLI@UGAs classes arent typical

college courses. Most are one-meeting-only classes, taught during the day at UGAs Rivers Crossing building, where the College of Education makes classroom space available. The topics are variedArrival of Sound and Musicals in Hollywood, The New Cuba, Growing Shiitake Mushrooms, African American Quilters, Google

Glass in Musical Performance and Pedagogy, iPhoneographyand draw an enthusiastic audience.

Theyre here for the joy of learning, Crapo says.

Bierema (EdD 94) agrees. They love learning, and the topic almost doesnt matter, but its that chance to be using their brain and meeting new people and learning new things, she says.

The unpaid instructors include former and current faculty from UGA, such as Loch Johnson and Gary Bertsch (who also serves on the board of directors), as well as industry professionals and subject matter experts. The seniors pepper their teachers with questions, sometimes even interrupting them. They show their attention and appreciation for learning, even though there are no tests.

Classes and events also provide a social component, giving aging adults another reason to get dressed and out of the house. Crapo says children sometimes give memberships as gifts.

Since Chuck Murphy joined in 2007, hes taught 29 courses on digital photography and other topics. His special interest group, Picture This, has grown to more than 100 members who learn about photography and go on outings to the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, waterfalls and other spots in Georgia.

OLLI is the No. 1 way that I find to give back to the world, doing something that other people enjoy and enriching their retirement, he says.

Full calendars and minds About half of OLLI@UGAs

members participate in its more than two dozen special interest groups. The groups, such as Enjoy Opera in Athens and Garden Enthusiasts, typically meet once a month. Breakfast, lunch and dinner groups include SOLOSeniors. Even a few folks who have met through OLLI@UGA have gotten married.

Without question, the love of OLLI@UGA for my wife and I [stems

PETER FREY

Instructor Debbie Wagner (standing) leads participants (left to right) Marihope Flatt (BSHE 58, EdS 74, EdD 87), Pat Davis, Donald McKim and Peggy Cole (MEd 75, EdS 80) in a beginning bridge class at the Athens Bridge Center. During the two-hour session, Wagner (MEd 78) shows students how to formulate a plan and execute it.


from] the unmatched opportunities for mental and intellectual growth through OLLI classes and the friends made through the social interactions, says John Songster, who joined OLLI in 2005.

Members connect with the community through special events. In 2015, OLLI@UGA partnered with the Athens-Clarke County Library System for the Created Equal film series. After an August screening of a PBS documentary based on Douglas Blackmons Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II, dozens of people in the standing room-only library auditorium raised their hands to ask questions and discuss civil rights.

OLLI@UGA is active beyond Athens. The travel/study program offers day trips in Georgia and multiday trips to destinations such as Cuba and Croatia.

Nancy Canolty and her husband, Tom, dreamed of visiting Cuba. After he died in 2002, she decided that when she retired from the College of Family and Consumer Sciences faculty in 2004, she would go for both of them. But twice, in

2006 and 2007, tour companies canceled her Cuba trips.OLLI@UGA finally took her to Cuba, in 2014.Making it to Cuba was a big deal, she says. It was eye

opening. The people are wonderful.As membership grows, leaders are trying to determine

the ideal number of members, based on factors including classroom space. For 2016, OLLI@UGA plans to continue to expand its offerings and build its endowment. One new event is a spring conversation series; Craige will interview Mary Francis Early (MMEd 62, EdS 71), the first black student to graduate from UGA, for the first one.

We want to keep our minds sharp, our bodies active and our social calendar full, Craige says. Its our motto.

Lori Johnston, a frequent contributor to GM, operates Fast Copy News Service.

olli.uga.edu

Jim Marshall and Sheila Marple dig in after participating in a cooking class at the Healthy Gourmet. Led by Tim Dondero, the class involved preparing a complete meal with commentary on methods and techniques used as well as a discussion of wine pairings. Participants received copies of the recipes and wine pairings.

OLLI Volunteer Coordinator Sandy Clark welcomes members and guests to The OLLI Bash, an activity fair held in September. The Bash gave attendees a chance to ask questions about activities and sign up for special interest groups as well as learn more about membership, committees and sponsors.

PETER FREY PETER FREY


Its a hot August afternoon, and the inside of Ashley Owens black SUV smells faintly of the meatballs, chicken and sauted vegetables she helped package this morning. In the trunk is a red-and-white cooler packed with meals in plastic containers and tote bags filled with gourmet bread, fresh fruit and vegetables.

The foodall locally sourced and prepared by studentsis made possible through Campus Kitchen at UGA (CKUGA). Launched in fall 2012, the program aims to increase access to adequate food among senior households in the community. Its also a powerful learning tool for students.

En route to deliver meals to five different households, Owens, an intern with the program for almost two years, explains how she ran across Campus Kitchen as a work-study option.

I had no idea it had anything to do with my majorI got pretty lucky, says the senior dietetics major, who plans to train as a nurse practitioner in geriatrics.

Owens considers working with elderly people a calling similar to teaching.

[Working] with older people, you can see a difference youre making and in the end you can make a connection, she says. You just have to watch me doing it to understand how much I love it.

Campus Kitchen opens the door to different worlds for UGA students

by Margaret Blanchard (AB 91, MA 98)

photos by Dorothy Kozlowski (BLA 06, ABJ 10)

COOKING CONNECTION

From garden to kitchen to table, students provide healthy meals for low-income households through Campus Kitchen at UGA. Far left, Carson Dann, a senior agricultural science major, harvests peppers at UGArden, which provides fresh produce for the program. Near left, a student prepares meals using donated ingredients in the kitchen of Talmage Terrace and Lanier Gardens Senior Living Community. Above, Bobby Harrison, a senior economics/pre-med major, delivers meals to area households of grandparents caring for grandchildren like Autumn, 7.


And shes right. On this steamy afternoon spent hopping in and out of a hot car, hauling food and patiently waiting for clients to answer the door, Owens remains upbeat and focused. Before each visit, shes careful to share any special circumstances regarding a client: T. J. Shelton is blind and prefers that food be placed directly in his hands. Mildred Huff is a gregarious woman who loves to chat and may repeat the same funny stories a couple of times.

More than 100 clients look forward to deliveries every other week from CKUGA students and other volunteersfor some older adults it may be their only connection to the outside world. Owens says the visits are mutually beneficial.

The more hands-on experience the better. [Theres] nothing compared to doing it in the real world, she says. She also credits the program with broadening her view of the local community. Its humbled me. [Students] need to get out of the bubble and see more of Athenstheres a huge dichotomy. Its been an education.

Such experiential learning is the point of programs like Campus Kitchen, which aims to take students beyond buzzwords to understand how hunger and poverty affect society. The project, run out of the Office of Service-Learning under the offices of the vice presidents for public service and outreach (PSO) and instruction (OVPI), is part of a national network of universities called The Campus Kitchens Project.

Client Allyson Meeler (right) unpacks provisions provided by CKUGAs Harrison as her granddaughter Autumn looks on. The program partners with the Athens Community Council on Agings Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program to identify households in need; they receive food deliveries every other week.

UGAs program evolved out of a service-learning project for a womens studies class. A group of students developed the project to address issues of food waste and food insecurity in the Athens community. They partnered with the Athens Community Council on Aging (ACCA) to identify grandparents raising grandchildren who needed assistance. The students sourced the food, prepared meals and delivered them to families in spring 2011. The next year, UGAs branch of Campus Kitchen was founded, the first in Georgia and 33rd overall. Funding for the program comes from PSO and OVPI as well as organizations like the AARP Foundation, CoBank Rural Hunger Solutions and the UGA Parents and Families Association, among others.

Food insecurity is a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food, according to the United States Department of Agricultures Economic Research Service. A defining characteristic includes household members reducing their food intake and normal eating patterns due to a lack of money or other resources.

When Owens or other CKUGA volunteers knock on the doors of clients like Shelton and Huff, its a welcome visit. Shelton, 79, says that although he gets around and has friends, he doesnt have anyone else bring him food during the week.

Kirsten Allen, a sophomore pharmaceutical science major, rolls out dough in the kitchen of Talmage Terrace, which provides free access to its facility. CKUGA thrives in part through its strong community partners and enthusiastic volunteers.


Providing healthy meals for older adults is a critical aspect of Campus Kitchen (CKUGA), but some clients also benefit from much-needed social interaction. For more than a year, Joshika Money, a senior at UGA, and Elise Robinson (above right) have had a standing lunch date on Fridays at the latters Athens home. The two meet to share food and catch up with each other as part of the Lunch Buddy Program, a partnership between CKUGA and the Athens Community Council on Aging. Designed to address poor nutrition caused by social isolation, the program matches a homebound or otherwise isolated senior with a student volunteer for a weekly meal. Robinson, 94, is grateful for the food, provided free-of-charge by Talmage Terrace and Lanier Gardens Senior Living Community, but the purpose of the visit is more about connecting than eating. She is like a family member, she says of Money. Anything in her life that she doesnt understand, she talks to me about it. She knows Ive been here long enough to know some things! Money isnt able to spend much time with her own grandmother, who lives in India, so Miss Elise

serves as a surrogate. Both are religious and like to talk about things that happened in their childhood, she explains. Despite age and cultural differencesMoney is vegetarian and Hindu; Robinson is a devout Baptistthe two have bonded. She is just like my own child, Robinson says. We teach each other. We talk about everything. Things like friends and relationships, Money agrees. Shes open and easy to talk to. After simultaneously seeking a bachelors degree in health promotion and a masters in public health, Money hopes to become a physician focused on combining patient-based medical care and prevention. For now, she credits the Lunch Buddy Program with putting a face to the place we live during the important time were here. Its more personal than just delivering mealsyou really get to sit down and talk to them [Its] a recognition that they are a valuable part of the community.

accaging.org/lunchbuddyprogram

Lunch buddies enrich food with friendship


Huff, 89, also credits the program with helping keep her kitchen stockedespecially with fresh items. Its wonderful food! They bring me vegetables, and I love them, she says.

Together with community partners such as ACCA and the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, CKUGA has helped reduce food insecurity among seniors by more than 30 percent.

The programs success has a lot to do with students like Owens. In addition to preparing and delivering meals to clients, students harvest fresh vegetables and recover surplus food from local restaurants, grocery stores and caterers. Last year, the program drew more than 400 students from

across disciplinesfrom social work, foods and nutrition, and agriculture to geography and womens studies.

We touch so many important ideasfrom nonprofit management to food insecurity and sustainability. Were kind of a perfect model for service learning and a great example of collaboration within the university, says Brad Turner, coordinator of Campus Kitchen at UGA.

Students enrolled in courses with a service-learning component usually complete 15-20 hours per semester. Faculty members provide students a variety of opportunities relative to their area of study. For example, a public health major may focus on the food delivery aspect of the program while a student studying nutrition learns to plan meals using appropriate USDA guidelines for older adults.

An important food source and partner is the UGArden, where students help harvest vegetables a couple of times a week. JoHannah Biang (BSA 09, MS 12), farm manager, and other workers guide new students.

Founded in 2010, UGArden has quickly become a popular training ground for students as well as a community asset for its fresh vegetables. Student volunteers like Jay Morris, right, a senior health promotion and behavior major, harvest vegetables and learn about sustainable agriculture on the 4-acre plot off South Milledge Avenue.

The Campus Kitchen at UGA makes a difference in the local community. Numbers for FY 2015 include:

BY THE NUMBERS

300+ clients served

313 Lunch Buddy visits

51,900 lbs. of food recovered

3,095 lbs. of fresh produce harvested

17,700 meals delivered

32,000 lbs. of food donated in addition to meals


servicelearning.uga.edu/campuskitchen

youtube.com/watch?v=fBOk0u01xDM

Theres definitely some on-the-fly training, she says. I tell students theres no such thing as stupid questions. They just have to have a willingness to do it and thats itwe can fill in the blanks.

That mentality applies to menu planning as well. Because food is donated from local grocery stores such as Trader Joes and The Fresh Market, volunteers never know what to expect.

At one evening cooking session in August, Aiden Holley, a junior in international affairs, is charged with menu planning and guiding new volunteers in the kitchen of Talmage Terrace and Lanier Gardens Senior Living Community. Tonights offerings include beef tips, chicken tenders and drumsticks, broccolini, eggplant, green peppers, basil and bags of potatoes.

We get lots of random stuff, explains Holley, a Campus Kitchen intern whos also seeking certificates in international and organic agriculture. He cites as example the dozen boxes of frozen cherries awaiting transformation in the freezer. Im not sure what well do with them. Maybe make a bunch of pies at Thanksgiving

Preparing meals for large groups and navigating commercial equipment is an additional opportunity to learn through experience, especially for students whose culinary experience amounts to boiling water for a bag of Ramen noodles or microwaving a frozen entre.

Ive learned how to cook meatthey call me the Meat Queen, Owens jokes. When I first started, I learned that I didnt even know how to use a knife correctly.

Students like Owens and Holley serve as shift leaders for cooking crews of up to six volunteers. Shift leaders must complete food safety traininga written test and four-hour classin order to supervise volunteers. In addition to learning the importance of wearing gloves and a hairnet, they learn safe practices for recovering food. For example, they cannot use cut fruit or dairy products due to the need for refrigeration. These items instead are passed on to other organizations to distribute.

Each semester brings a fresh crop of student volunteers like Rachel Deese to Campus Kitchen at UGA. A couple of weeks into her freshman year, Deese, a social work major, explains what attracted her to the program as she dices potatoes and tosses them into a stainless steel bowl during a cooking session.

My favorite thing about Campus Kitchen is that it incorporates so many aspects of our UGA and Athens community: the UGArden, community stores, local assisted-living homes, and some of the older folks, she says. CKUGA is a hands-on way to encounter people I would not typically interact with, and I love that! Top: Brad Turner (right), coordinator of CKUGA, provides instructions regarding a client to Harrison before the latter sets out on his

delivery route. Students and volunteers deliver meals and donated food to approximately 100 clients in the Athens area on Thursday afternoons. Bottom, Turner checks food temperature before delivery; the program must adhere to strict food safety regulations and appropriate dietary guidelines.


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CLASS NOTESCompiled by Daniel Funke and Margaret Blanchard

Fastest T44 man alive Jarryd Wallace (M 13) set a new world record in the 100-meter race at the Parapan American Games held in August in

Toronto, finishing with a time of 10.71 seconds. The Athens native competes in the T44 division against athletes who also have single-limb, below-the-knee amputations. Wallaces right leg was amputated in 2010 after numerous surgeries failed to repair damage caused by chronic exertional compartment syndrome. Next year, he plans to compete at the 2016 Paralympic Games that will be held in Rio de Janeiro in September.

NATHAN DENETTE/THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP

1945-1949Julian D. Fleming (ABJ 46) of Cumming was one of 10 Georgians named to Frances National Order of the Legion of Honor on June 4 at the state Capitol. The countrys highest honor allows American veterans who fought in French territory to be decorated. Fleming was a bombardier captain in the 15th Air Force during World War II.

1950-1954Kay Huston Hind (BSHE 51) of Albany received the Excellence in Leadership Award at the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging conference in Philadelphia in July. She has worked to

improve services offered to senior citizens in Southwest Georgia for more than 40 years.

1960-1964Arnold Young (BBA 63, LLB 65) of Savannah was included in Best Lawyers in America 2016, an annually published list of top-rated lawyers in the U.S. Young is an attorney with the HunterMaclean law firm.

1965-1969Theresa Hulsey Johnson (BS 65) of Conway, S.C., received an inaugural Van Rensselaer Award from the Colonial Dames of America, the oldest womens lineage society in the U.S. The award is given to a member who has made significant contributions to the preservation of history in her state or

community. Johnson retired in 2007 from a long career in medicine. Murray Poole (ABJ 65) of Brunswick was nominated to the Glynn County Sports Hall of Fame, Class of 2016. Poole served as the sports editor and senior sports editor for The Brunswick News for 40 years and has worked as a writer and columnist for Bulldawg Illustrated magazine for the past 14 years. John Tatum (AB 65, LLB 68) of Savannah was included in Best Lawyers in America 2016, an annually published list of top-rated lawyers in the U.S. Tatum is an attorney with the HunterMaclean law firm. Susan Percy (ABJ 66) of Atlanta won two first-place awards for her feature writing and commentary in Georgia Trend magazine as part of the 2015 Green Eyeshade Competition, held annually by the Society of Professional Journalists. Percy is editor-at-large for Georgia


After nearly 34 years of practicing law, Eleanor Banister retired in December 2014 with the intention of not taking on any new commitments during 2015. I have a lot of interests, but I didnt have any particular one that I wanted to pursue, she says, other than making sure that I made it to as many Georgia football games and basketball games as I could. Banister (BSEd 73, JD 79) is a die-hard sports fan, the kind who stays till the bitter end and would rather watch in person than on TV. I would almost always rather be there, even if its bad weather, just because the energy is so incredible, she says. Theres nothing like being at Sanford Stadium. Its just the best. In addition to attending sporting events, Banister also found time this year to travelto Ecuador and the Galapagos Islandsas well as raft do

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University of Georgia Magazine December 2015

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