Alumni Association events and other events involving UGA

UGA celebrates a Peabody weekend in the City that Never Sleeps

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This post was contributed by former DAR communications intern Asia Casey.

The University of Georgia hosted various events in New York City that led up to the 77th Annual Peabody Awards Ceremony on May 19. The event was hosted by Hasan Minhaj, comedian, writer and senior correspondent on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.”

Minaj, award recipient for his comedy special “Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King,” served up laughs as well as praise for the program’s mission. “When we talk about hearts and minds, we’re talking about the Peabodys. When we talk about accountability, we’re talking about the Peabodys,” he said in his opening monologue.

Since 1940, the University of Georgia has been home to the most prestigious honor in broadcast media, the Peabody Awards. Housed in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Peabody is a cultural institution with international reach that each year identifies the most compelling stories across media platforms and genres.

The award program is the oldest major electronic media award in the United States. Winners were selected from approximately 1,200 entries from television, radio/podcasts and the web.

To kick off the weekend, Bonney Shuman, UGA Alumni Association board president, and her daughter visited Tibi, the successful fashion brand that was launched by Amy Smilovic (ABJ ’89).

New York City alumni and chapter leaders gathered at Mykonos Blue

The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, School of Public and International Affairs, and UGA Alumni Association hosted a reception and networking event for all New York City alumni on May 17. There are currently more than 6,100 alumni living in the New York area.

The day before the awards, President Morehead hosted a reception and dinner with alumni and donors to celebrate the award ceremony.

A couple of our alumni met “Gilmore Girls” star Alexis Bledel!

By the end of the weekend, 30 award winners from seven media categories took home their well-deserved Peabody Awards.

Carol Burnett, a beloved TV icon who won her first Peabody in 1962, was honored with the first-ever Peabody Career Achievement Award presented by Mercedes-Benz. Visit peabodyawards.com for the full list of winners.

Bulldogs gather in London

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On Tuesday, April 24, in an almost 300-year-old pub in Mayfair, passersby could find London calling the Dawgs.

The Audley, located in the city’s West End, was the site of a casual gathering of alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends of the University of Georgia. The 50+ attendees enjoyed food, drink and Bulldog fellowship in the historic setting.

Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Kelly Kerner delivered a few remarks to the room, made up of Bulldog faithful from New York, Georgia, Texas, England and beyond. He brought the news of UGA to London, highlighting research currently being done, the high-achieving incoming freshman class, and UGA’s rankings among US universities.

UGA’s reach extends across the globe, and we’re thrilled to create opportunities for friends near and far to meet and celebrate the university. We wonder what our most famous English Bulldog would have thought if he’d met these other fine English Bulldogs!

Events like these are happening all the time and around the world, thanks to the passionate alumni volunteers who help lead UGA’s 80+ alumni chapters. No matter where you travel, there is often an alumni chapter nearby or a way to connect online—find yours today!

Watch this space for photos from the London event, which will be coming soon!

Senior Signature Plaque

Graduating seniors demonstrate record-breaking giving to the university

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This post was contributed by Asia Casey

2,342 signatures. 2,342 legacies forever engraved on the heart of campus.  

Since 1991, graduating students have made their mark on campus by engraving their names on plaques in Tate Plaza. This year, the Class of 2018 broke the all-time record, raising $125,000 for scholarships. The previous record was held by the Class of 2017, which raised $110,000 with 2,164 signatures. 

The Senior Signature campaign is a Bulldog tradition that was created to provide graduating seniors a voice to express their gratitude and support for the University of Georgia. It’s the gateway to becoming an active and charitable alumnus.  

“I gave to Senior Signature as my way of thanking UGA and my department for all the opportunities, experiences and education they have provided me over the past four years,” said Daniel Seeler (BSA ’17).  

Participating seniors give a minimum $50 donation and $30 of their gift supports student scholarships through the Georgia Fund. The rest is designated to a school, college or program of their choice that helped define their UGA experience. It’s an excellent way for seniors to give to what they truly believe in.  

“I owe UGA so much; it’s provided me with ample involvement, academic rigor and opportunities that have developed me into the person I am today,” said Jasmine Somerset. “I want to make sure that Bulldogs who step into my shoes, years after I’ve graduated, have the ability to make use of everything that has been available to me.” 

In honor of the seniors’ donations, their names – their legacies – are imprinted on their class plaque that will be permanently placed in Tate Plaza. 

“I’ve decided that my UGA legacy is to make sure incoming students feel included, welcomed and wanted,” said Savannah Lockman, president of the Student Alumni Council. “My legacy may not be a building named after me, but at least it’s a feeling of family and acceptance.” 

Young Alumni events offer fun and fellowship

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This post was contributed by Elizabeth Cox

On Tuesday, April 3, in a location with reference to a different day of the week in its name, over 100 UGA young alumni filled Monday Night Garage for Young Alumni Trivia Night. Dawgs congregated with old friends and new at tables decked out in red and black decor for an evening full of Monday Night Brewing tastings, Jim ‘n Nick’s BBQ, some very clever team names and trivia by Dirty South Trivia. The Young Alumni Council’s own Courtney McCants even took over the Alumni Association Instagram to showcase the evening’s festivities.

The top three teams went home with gift bags full of various prizes, and congratulations to team “Humble Yourself” for winning the first place prize after a sudden death showdown requiring some expertise in Herschel Walker stats. Check out the event photos.

This event was the first trivia night organized specially for UGA young alumni, and was planned by the Young Alumni Leadership Council, whose members are in their first year serving on the council. Its members will be planning more events and opportunities for the nearly 40,000 Atlanta area young alumni to engage with and give back to UGA.

The next event will be our annual UGA Young Alumni Night at SweetWater on June 22. Nearly 600 were in attendance last year, so be sure to get your ticket early!

A Sweet Taste of Athens in Atlanta

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The following was written by Elizabeth Powell (BS ’06, ABJ ’06), a member of the Young Alumni Leadership Council. 

Sounds of live music, laughter, and clinks of pints rang through Atlanta’s SweetWater Brewing Company as a packed house of UGA young alumni gathered for a fun evening on Friday, June 23.

The threat of a summer thunderstorm couldn’t dampen the excitement of what became the largest turnout of the annual Young Alumni Night at SweetWater, with nearly 600 attendees coming out for an evening of sipping SweetWater tastings, enjoying Jim ‘n Nick’s BBQ, grabbing some goodies from Onward Reserve (a Bulldog 100 business!), listening to tunes from the Atlanta Wedding Band, and reminiscing about their time in Athens.

The event marked the first led by the newly-created UGA Young Alumni Leadership Council, formed in February 2017. The evening was an excellent opportunity for the members to meet some of the nearly 40,000 Atlanta young alumni who they will represent while serving on the council.

The council will be working to plan events to bring this group together throughout the year and share ways for all young alumni to find their passion at UGA and give back to those areas.

“What a turnout…nearly 600 people, even in the pouring rain,” TJ Callaway (BBA ’07), the president of the UGA Young Alumni Leadership Council, said, “It was a great opportunity to bring together UGA alumni for a fun night with a purpose.  Events like this are a great reminder of how strong our alumni base is, and how important it is for us to find ways to stay involved and connected with each other in the Atlanta community.  Hats off to the UGA Alumni Association staff for all of the work that went into building what has become an annual UGA tradition in Atlanta.”

Check out photos from the event here and learn more about the UGA Young Alumni Leadership Council here.

2016 Alumni Awards Celebration

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On April 15, the UGA community gathered together in the Tate Student Center to enjoy the 79th annual Alumni Awards Luncheon, and celebrate this year’s group of honorees. Meet this year’s accomplished honorees and learn more about their UGA experiences.

Young Alumni Award

Christie Haynes, a Double Dawg from the Class of 2010 is the president and CEO of the Dawson County Chamber of Commerce. Christie is a former president of the Student Alumni Council who re-launched the G Book, UGA’s traditions handbook, with another SAC member when they were students. She is a former 40 Under 40 honoree and a past president of SPIA’s Alumni Board.

Support Christie’s passion and make a gift to the School of Public and International Affairs today.

Friend of UGA Award

The 2016 Friend of UGA Award was presented to Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson. Larry is an emeritus trustee of the UGA Foundation and serves on the faculty of the UGA School of Law. Brenda is a current UGA Foundation trustee and chair-elect of the Georgia Museum of Art Board of Advisors.

Would you like to support the Georgia Museum of Art, too? Learn more now.

Alumni Merit Award

Henry D. “Greg” Gregory, Jr. (AB ’06) is a UGA Foundation Trustee who has shown his commitment to the UGA History Department in a number of ways, including the establishment of the Amanda and Greg Gregory Chair in the Civil War Era and his providing financial support for Civil War research on campus.

Are you a Civil War buff? Consider supporting the Amanda and Greg Gregory Chair in the Civil War Era today.

Faculty Service Award

Karen A. Holbrook, former UGA Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost, also served as the first female president of The Ohio State University. Holbrook established a number of important initiatives while at UGA, including advocating for new programs in the biomedical and health sciences, which led to the creation of the College of Public Health.

Support the College of Public Health with a gift today.

Alumni Merit Award

The Honorable Saxby Chambliss (BBA ’66) is a long-serving and well-respected politician who retired from public service in 2014 after serving four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and two terms as a U.S. Senator. Recently, he established the Senator Chambliss Leadership Forum to increase students’ exposure to domestic and international politics.

Support students participating in the Senator Chambliss Leadership Forum with a gift today.

 

Interested in learning more about the Alumni Awards and seeing past honorees? Click here.

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Are you a graduate of the University of Georgia? Please take a moment and update your information to stay up-to-date with all things UGA!

 

2016 TEDxUGA

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Join the University of Georgia for the fourth annual TEDxUGA on Friday, March 18.

TEDxUGA 2016: Illuminate will bring UGA’s brightest minds into the spotlight to share their stories, experiences, and ideas worth spreading. Today’s ideas will illuminate tomorrow’s possibilities. The faculty, staff, student and alumni presenters of TEDxUGA 2016 know that all it takes is a single spark. Several alumni will present at this year’s event:

  • Phillip (AB ’06, ABJ ’06) and Eileen Blume – international award-winning, socially conscious photographers and owners of Blume Photography Studios, a 2016 Bulldog 100 business. The pair will be TEDxUGA’s first duo presenters.
  • Marc Gorlin (ABJ ’95) – owner of Kabbage, Inc. and the 2015 No. 1 Bulldog 100 business, Roadie.
  • Melaney Cook-Smith (BBA ’89) – founder of Books for Keeps, a grassroots effort to provide books to those children that might otherwise have none and a 2016 Bulldog 100 business.
  • Reese Hoffa (BSED ’02) – represents the United States as an Olympic shot putter in London, Athens, and Beijing. He won the bronze medal in 2012 and is currently training for the 2016 Olympics.

Registration opens tomorrow, February 11, at 8:00 a.m. to all UGA alumni, students, faculty and staff.

Building a welcoming and supportive campus community

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Launched during the 2015 Homecoming Weekend in October, UGA Black Alumni is the official affinity group for black graduates of the University of Georgia. Similar to the Women of UGA program, UGA Black Alumni exists underneath the umbrella of the UGA Alumni Association and seeks to connect black alumni and students.

Each year, UGA enrolls an increasingly diverse student population and it is important to connect alumni and students with shared experiences to continue building a welcoming and supportive campus community.

“As a student and an alumna, one thing I felt was missing from my UGA experience was the presence and mentorship of UGA alumni who looked like me. In 2008, I saw the first Black Alumni Homecoming Tailgate on Myers Quad and was full of emotion,” said Ambre Reed (BSFCS ’09), a member of the UGA Black Alumni Leadership Council. “The creation of UGA Black Alumni and its Black Alumni Leadership Council is so important to our community. Becoming involved was a no-brainer for me.”

The mission of UGA Black Alumni is five-fold: recruit black students, faculty and staff; support black students to completion of a degree program; engage current students and alumni by mentoring and professional development; ‘friendraising’ and fundraising for UGA needs; and serve as UGA ambassadors in the community and to fellow Bulldogs

Raymond Phillips (BS ’12), another member of the UGA Black Alumni Leadership Council says that groups like UGA Black Alumni and Women of UGA send an important message to the university community, as well as prospective students.

“The time and resources the university is investing into UGA Black Alumni demonstrates its commitment to diversity and inclusion,” he said. “This investment shows there is a place for everyone at UGA, regardless of one’s race, gender or age.”

Reed echoed this message.

“The creation of UGA Black Alumni sends the message that the university not only sees diversity as an asset while on campus, but after graduation, too,” she said.

Serving as an ambassador for UGA, a key part of the group’s mission, involves activities like participating in Give That Dawg a Bone, a card-writing campaign in partnership with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, which invites alumni to write notes to accepted students, encouraging them to call UGA home for the next four years.

Members of UGA Black Alumni also are invited to attend information sessions and recruitment fairs throughout the year, where they can educate talented black high school students about UGA, its traditions and culture.

Reed admits that as a high school student, she never considered attending UGA. It was not until a black recruiter visited her high school in metro Atlanta and spoke about UGA with passion and pride that she realized it could be a place that she, a black student, could feel accepted and comfortable.

The services that are now a core part of UGA Black Alumni are what helped recruit Ambre and are what will help recruit more talented and diverse students in the future.

Another key component of UGA Black Alumni is raising funds for the Black Alumni Scholarship, which supports up to four students a year. Charles Orgbon III, a member of the Class of 2017 and recipient of the Black Alumni Scholarship, is CEO of Greening Forward, one of America’s largest youth-driven environmental organizations. It is talented students like Orgbon, who are supported by the important work of UGA Black Alumni, that are helping to further cement UGA’s reputation as a top-tier public institution.

The UGA Alumni Association is proud to support UGA Black Alumni as it continues to engage the university’s more than 288,000 alumni around the world.

To learn more about UGA Black Alumni, visitwww.alumni.uga.edu/blackalumni.

Interested in joining Ambre and Raymond on the Black Alumni Leadership Council? Click here.

To support students like Charles Orgbon III and other recipients of the Black Alumni Scholarship, click here.

UGA Alumni Association supports Black UGA Reunion

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The UGA Alumni Association welcomes the opportunity to assist student groups and other organizations on campus and provide financial support for events. In October, the UGA Alumni Associaton and its UGA Black Alumni Group helped to support the Black UGA (BUGA) Reunion, which brought together students and alumni from across campus. Below is a recap of the event from Zari Wilson, president of theBlack Educational Support Team at UGA.

The purpose of the BUGA Reunion was to unite students and encourage inclusivity at UGA. In additon, the reunion served as an opportunity for students to learn more about the UGA Alumni Association and its programs, including UGA Black Alumni. This was a collaborative effort with more than 10 organizations from UGA’s Multicultural Services and Programs Department and International Student Life Department. The event, which attracted more than 200 attendees, featured a T-shirt giveaway, games, food and time for mingling and conversation. The event created a relaxed atmosphere for students to meet one another and allowed several African Amnerican student organizations to network and work together as a team. This collaboration sparked a desire among the African American student body to continue to co-host events together in an effort to bring about unity in the campus community. It was awesome to see the efforts of so many come together to produce an event that will continue into the future. 

Drumroll, please … announcing the 2016 Bulldog 100!

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The UGA Alumni Association is pleased to reveal the 2016 Bulldog 100! Bulldog 100celebrates the 100 fastest-growing Bulldog businesses owned or operated by UGA alumni. This year, the university is excited to not only unveil a new group of honorees, but a new logo for the Bulldog 100 program – check it out!

The 2016 Bulldog 100 includes businesses of all sizes and from industries such as veterinary medicine, IT consulting and pest control. Several areas of the country are represented, including companies from as far north as New York and as far west as California. Of the 100 businesses, 80 are located within the state of Georgia, and only two business have made the list all seven years: Mom Corps and Vino Venue/Atlanta Wine School.

The ranked Bulldog 100 list will be revealed at the awards celebration on Saturday, January 30 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. Registration for this event will open soon.

The awards ceremony will feature a keynote address by Jeff Dunn, CEO and president of C-Fresh, a division of Campbell Soup Company that includes Bolthouse Farms, Campbell’s retail fresh soup unit, and Garden Fresh Gourmet. Dunn earned a bachelor’s degree in 1980 from UGA’s Terry College of Business.

Please view the complete list and congratulate the honorees on social media using #Bulldog100!