March 2019

UGA Celebrates World Water Day 2019

March 21, 2019/by Zach Armstrong

Water lettuce plants float in cups inside a plant biology grow room.

Water is nearly everywhere, and it’s important.

Whether it is flowing through the College of Engineering’s new 35-foot water tunnel, through Athens’s own Oconee rivers, or being enjoyed and stewarded by the UGA community, it affects our lives. As with the rest of nature, even our understanding of water and the ecological systems it participates is constantly growing.

Today has been designated World Water Day by the United Nations for a host of reasons. It is a finite resource in a world with a growing population, and many people are without access to clean water or reliable irrigation methods; these challenges are serious across the world, including our very own Georgia. This is why it is so exciting to have people like Professor George Vellidis here at the University of Georgia, who is taking a critical look at traditional agricultural irrigation systems in use in the state’s farming industry and developing solutions for smarter water use.

(L-R) Professor George Vellidis and graduate student Anna Orfanou check the circuit board of a UGA Smart Sensor Array node in an experimental crop field on the Tifton campus.

If you’re like me and don’t have a background in agricultural science, there are still plenty of ways you can help, in the Bulldog spirit of taking on these grand challenges together.

Reducing water usage and water-related waste. Showers over baths, shutting off the tap when you’re brushing your teeth, and using refillable water bottles instead of plastic are all ways you can save water and reduce water-related waste. When you do so at work and home, you’re being frugal for yourself, stewarding the university’s resources well, and leaving more fresh water for later.
Supporting organizations that are solving water challenges. I’ll let you do your own research on those; there are many worthy organizations out there. As a part of UGA, you should be aware of the Crop Soil Sciences Discretionary Fund, related to Professor Vellidis’s work mentioned earlier, and the College of Environment and Design’s fundraiser for a water bottle refilling station (with only a few days left in its fundraising effort).

Water is a precious resource, and deserves our attention as it affects both our state and many other people across the rest of the world. Pick up a water bottle for use at work, put a sticky note in your bathroom mirror to remember to turn off the sink, or whatever creative way you can think of to make your own drop in the bucket for World Water Day.

Georgia Women of Achievement Announces 2019 Hall of Fame Inductees

March 19, 2019/by UGA Alumni

94-year-old pediatrician Dr. Leila Denmark on the front porch of her office in Forsyth County. Dr. Denmark is a graduate of the UGA medical school (now Medical College of Georgia). Denmark enrolled in the Medical College of the University of Georgia, now the Medical College of Georgia, receiving her M.D. degree there in 1928.

Two women who made significant contributions to Georgia’s history were inducted into the Georgia Women of Achievement Hall of Fame on March 7, 2019, at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia.

The Georgia Women of Achievement Induction Ceremony is an annual event held during Women’s History Month. This year’s event was held at 11:00am in Pierce Chapel on the Wesleyan Campus and will be followed by a reception and seated luncheon in the stately Anderson Dining Hall, Wesleyan.

Georgia Women of Achievement recognized the contributions of two women whose contributions were extremely noteworthy, courageous, and impactful.

Dr. Leila Alice Daughtry Denmark (1898 -2012) of Atlanta and Athens was a pioneer in pediatric medicine, research and an advocate for the pediatric community. She was a co-developer of the pertussis vaccine. Until her retirement in 2011, she was the world’s oldest practicing pediatrician.

Mary Dorothy Lyndon (1877-1924) of Newnan was the first woman to receive a degree from the University of Georgia in 1914, four years before women were admitted to the University as regular students. She helped organize the first sorority at UGA and made significant contributions to the Athens community.

Medical College of Georgia (MCG) Executives meeting with alumna Dr. Leila Denmark

Cathy Cox, Dean and Professor of Law at Mercer University, was the keynote speaker for this year’s Induction Ceremony. Cathy began making her impact on Georgia’s political landscape in 1993 as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives. She went on to have a successful tenure as the first woman to serve as Georgia’s Secretary of State. After her time in office, she became president of Young Harris College where she oversaw the College’s transition from a two-year college to a four-year institution. Since 2017, she has served as dean of Mercer University’s School of Law. Her contributions to the state are evident from her involvement in numerous philanthropic and civic organizations.

Georgia Women of Achievement was created in 1990 to honor women of Georgia’s history who contributed extensively to the community through their professional and personal lives. Honorees must have exceptional accomplishments, be a continuous inspiration, and deceased for a minimum of five years. The two 2019 inductees will be among the almost ninety other women previously honored by Georgia Women of Achievement.

National Poultry Day: Why Did the Chicken…

March 19, 2019/by Elizabeth Elmore

… cross the road, roll in the mud and cross the road again? [Because he was a dirty double-crosser!]

Buh-dum-chuh.

Every day is a good day for a cheesy ‘chicken crossed the road’ joke, right? Not just National Agriculture Week (last week) or Georgia Agriculture Awareness Week (this week) or National Poultry Day (today). Every day is also a great opportunity to recognize the impact that agriculture has on our state’s economy and on the lives of people around the world who depend on that industry.

So today, we wanted to highlight two leaders of UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) who know the true value UGA brings to the poultry industry.

Dean Sam Pardue
University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences

CAES Dean Samuel L. Pardue penned a column last week that notes the role UGA plays in in the poultry industry:

“If Georgia were a country, we would be the seventh largest poultry-producing country in the world. Much of that $22.9 billion industry is located within 60 miles of Athens. Along with our close partners at the USDA Poultry Research Center and our counterparts in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, we want to make Athens, Georgia, the epicenter of poultry science for the world. We are working hard to raise funds to build new facilities that will allow us to grow our research programs, develop new educational opportunities for our students, and provide a transparent center for the public to come and learn more about how their food is safely and sustainably provided.”

If you’re interested, check out the rest of his column, which mentions other ways UGA is top Dawg, if you will, in agriculture.

Todd Applegate, head of CAES’s Department of Poultry Science, and other researchers are addressing critical poultry industry problems on a daily basis, such as antibiotic use, intestinal health, rearing challenges, disease prevention, farm management and more.

“In Georgia, an estimated 138,000 jobs are linked directly or indirectly to poultry production,” he says. “In short, ensuring the health and well-being of our birds in Georgia is critical to the economy of our state. There’s a much bigger need for multidisciplinary solutions to technical problems, which are getting more complicated to solve. There’s no other place in the world that has nearly 70 scientists focusing on poultry. I’m proud of the range of things that we do in an industry that’s constantly evolving.”

Hungry to learn more (no pun intended) about his team’s efforts? Visit UGA’s Great Commitments website.

Everyone knows a Georgia Bulldog is relentless. We never give up when the going gets tough, whether it’s in the lab, on the field or in the classroom. And we certainly don’t give up when there are opportunities to improve the lives of people across our state and the world. As a pioneering American research university with a land- and sea-grant mission, we are committed to solving problems and serving communities—especially when it comes to the poultry industry, which employs and feeds millions of people around the world each year. (And did you know you can provide funding for the Poultry Science Department and help in these efforts, too? Even $25 or $50 can go a long way!)

Okay, one more chicken joke before I go?

How do comedians like their eggs? [Funny side up!]

(I promise our research in poultry science is far more impressive than my chicken jokes.)

National Dentist’s Day 2019 – Dr. Vy Do (BS ’10)

March 6, 2019/by Katy Clements

Dr. Vy Do (BS '10) in front of a dental clinic he volunteered his talents at in Kikiyu, Kenya.

Dr. Vy Do (BS ’10) volunteering at a dental clinic in Kikiyu, Kenya.

Is there a better feeling than freshly cleaned pearly whites? We owe halitosis-free breath and healthy gums to our fearless dentists, without whom the world would have far less smiles! On National Dentist’s Day, we’d like to recognize all those who care for our toothy grins.

We have many alumni who go on to become dentists – take Dr. Vy Do (BS ’10), for example. Vy is an associate dentist at several Atlanta-area practices, treating everyone from young children to grandparents. He believes that his varied experiences and interests at UGA prepared him for his career and gives back to his alma mater to make a difference for current and future students.

Learn more about Vy’s UGA experience – from studying abroad in Italy to playing in the university orchestra – and his journey to become a dentist here.

A special thanks to Vy for being a lifelong supporter of UGA – and thank you to all of our dentists for reminding us to floss. Happy National Dentist’s Day!

Clementine Creative: Marketing Agency Brings Juicy Storytelling

March 4, 2019/by UGA Alumni

Sometimes big stories start in small places. One of those places: Clementine Creative Agency, a boutique marketing agency based from the first floor of a century-old building on the edge of bustling Marietta Square. Founded in 2015 by Jennifer Minton Nilsson (BBA ’00) and Merissa Corbet Davis (BFA ’03), Clementine Creative has become a wellspring of creative branding, dauntless design and authentic storytelling for a diverse and growing list of clients in the metro Atlanta area and beyond.

The agency initially sprang from the decade-long professional history of its two founding partners who worked together as part of an in-house corporate marketing and creative team for a prominent Atlanta-based homebuilding company. “I was the Vice President of Marketing and Merissa was our Art Director. We were lucky in that the company placed a value on branding and creative visioning that a lot of others may not. We rode out a lot of challenging times in the industry, but we learned a lot in the process too,” says Jennifer. “As we collaborated, we began to focus in on how powerful our craft could be in terms of creating a brand and a vision and then communicating that story in a way that was unique and genuine, something that people could connect with. That kind of storytelling makes things happen. It is not only fulfilling to create, but it makes a real impact on the business, even in the hard times.”

“So much of it became about just taking those extra moments to be thoughtful,

having the courage to take a step back and think creatively, look for the fresh approach – then the persistence to follow through the details and get it right,” adds Merissa. “Doing what, in a lot of cases, others wouldn’t take the time to do. Ultimately, we knew we wanted to create an environment built around that way of working and really honor the craft with great design that had an impact on people. And that was the seed of Clementine.” As Clementine’s reach has grown, so has its team – currently rounded out by two more UGA alumnae, Rachel Regal Melvin (BBA ’12) who heads up social media and engagement and Emily Noles (AB ’18), the agency’s client account and marketing coordinator.

With a select team for support, Clementine has been busy bringing stories to life from logo and branding packages to websites, social media campaigns, retail experience centers and more.

Highlights of Clementine’s recent work include two national award winners: a creative branding implementation (complete with onsite, web and social media components) for Marietta Square Market, the city’s anticipated new food hall destination opening this spring, as well as a brand experience center for Pratt Stacks, a new condominium destination in Atlanta’s Grant Park. Located in The Beacon Atlanta, the center is defined by a full wall mural, commissioned from a local artist, and combines everything from street art to architecture with video and interactive presentations for an immersive lifestyle experience. “We’ve had the opportunity to work with a growing list of clients from all walks and that’s a part of the challenge and the fun for us,” says Rachel. “We get to create these things and then see them come to life out in the world. When our clients see success, we get to celebrate with them. Everyone has a unique story to tell, so there’s always a new creative challenge for the team.”

And, at least for now, that team is red and black through and through. “There’s always room for another Dawg in the office,” jokes Rachel. Emily, the team’s most recent alum, adds, “When you think about it, it’s fun to have this team where you can see all these different facets of UGA working together. Merissa studied on the fine arts side in Lamar Dodd. Jennifer and Rachel both have a background in marketing from Terry. I was in advertising at Grady. We all have a common ground in the Georgia community, but we also all have different training, different specialties, different experiences that we bring to our work as a team and I think that collaboration really shows in the finished work.” Sounds like the makings for a great story.

Want to see more? Get a taste of Clementine’s work on their website at clementinecreativeagency.com.

Archive for month: March, 2019