The Jerry Tanner Show – Week 11, 2022: Kentucky

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Danny Nantahala, coach counselor, can help you rekindle the spark between you and your school. And if not, hey, Arizona State is open.

The postseason is starting to take shape, so it’s time to make sure you know where to go to watch Georgia’s biggest games of the season. Go to alumni.uga.edu/gamewatching to find a UGA Alumni game-watching party near you—the best places to Call The Dawgs outside of Sanford Stadium!

Jerry Tanner is everyone you’ve ever met at a UGA tailgate, everyone who’s ever talked about Georgia football by your cubicle, and every message board poster who claims to have a cousin who cut Vince Dooley’s grass. He’s a UGA alumnus, he’s a college football fanatic with a Twitter addiction, and he’s definitely a real person and not a character played by Clarke Schwabe.

UGA seeking nominations for annual Footsteps Award

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The University of Georgia is accepting nominations for its Footsteps Award. This annual award recognizes a UGA graduate each year who is following in the pioneering footsteps of Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Hamilton Holmes and Mary Frances Early.

Members of the UGA community are invited to submit nominations for the Footsteps Award by completing a short form available online at alumni.uga.edu/footstepsnomination. The nomination period ends on Dec. 4, and the recipient will be announced on Jan. 9, the 62nd anniversary of the day Hunter-Gault and Holmes, the first African American students at UGA, enrolled in classes.

The honoree must be a UGA graduate who has made a significant positive impact in human rights, race relations or education in their community. Selected by a committee of UGA faculty, staff and students, the award recipient will be presented with the award during the 2023 Holmes-Hunter Lecture in February.

“This award reflects the pride we have in our alumni who are seeking to improve their communities both personally and professionally,” said Meredith Gurley Johnson, executive director of alumni relations at UGA. “They are an outstanding representation of a University of Georgia education, and the Footsteps Award is just one way for us to honor their tremendous work and commitment.”

In February 2022, the inaugural Footsteps Award was presented to Eugenia Harvey, chief diversity equity and inclusion officer for the WNET Group and a 1982 UGA graduate.

Submit a Nomination

Tasty Tailgating: Amanda Wilbanks’ Sloppy Joe Football Hand Pies

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Up next in our Tasty Tailgating series is Amanda Wilbanks (BBA ’09), founder and owner of Southern Baked Pies. She’s sharing her recipe for Sloppy Joe Football Hand Pies.

“These football hand pies are my favorite thing to make for tailgates! Not only are they delicious and sure to impress, they’re also easy as, you guessed it, pie! Talk about a dream team–the hardy, savory flavor of sloppy joes and flaky, buttery pie crust are a game-winning duo that’ll have everyone asking for the recipe,” says Amanda. “You can also check out the Southern Baked Pie blog for some other great tailgate recipes, including Pimento Cheese Pie Bites and Berry Slab Pie, or grab a copy of my cookbook Celebrating Life with Pie for an entire tailgate menu!”

Sloppy Joe Football Hand Pies

Ingredients

1 pound ground chuck

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

½ cup ketchup

2 recipes Southern Baked Pie Dough (directions below)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the meat and onion in a large skillet. Cook, breaking up meat with a spoon until it is no longer pink and the onions are softened. Drain excess grease from meat. Add the mustard, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Roll out dough into 2 (12-inch) circles. Cut 5 hand-size football shapes out of each circle for a total of 10 footballs. Reroll the scraps if needed to get all the football shapes. Place 5 football shapes on parchment. Spoon Sloppy Joe mix evenly onto each shape. Place remaining 5 football shapes over the mixture and press around the edges to seal closed. Using a sharp knife, cut slits in the top of each football to look like the laces. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

 

Sloppy Joe Football Hand Pies

 

Southern Baked Pie Dough

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

¼ cup water

Instructions

Makes dough for 1 single-crust 9-inch pie

Cut the butter into small cubes. Combine butter and flour in a mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour. Add the salt and sugar. Continue to work the butter into the flour until the mixture has a consistency of coarse-ground cornmeal. The cubes of butter should now be smaller than the size of a green pea.

Add the water all at once. Continue to work the dough until the dough begins to come together. Form the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and press into the shape of a disk. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to chill.

Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out to desired size on a lightly floured surface.

If you’re looking for more Tasty Tailgating recipes, be sure to check out Ivy Odom’s recipe for Bacon Jam.

 

Bacon Jam

The Jerry Tanner Show – Week 10, 2022: Mississippi State

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MSU’s season: a little good (Arkansas 😄), a little bad (LSU 😩), but definite improvement! (beat Memphis 😐)

We want to know what you’re up to! Keep UGA Alumni updated on the latest with you, and we’ll make sure you’re in the know on everything happening at UGA. Go to alumni.uga.edu/update to fill us in.

Jerry Tanner is everyone you’ve ever met at a UGA tailgate, everyone who’s ever talked about Georgia football by your cubicle, and every message board poster who claims to have a cousin who cut Vince Dooley’s grass. He’s a UGA alumnus, he’s a college football fanatic with a Twitter addiction, and he’s definitely a real person and not a character played by Clarke Schwabe.

The Jerry Tanner Show – Week 9, 2022: Tennessee

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The Vols are still figuring out how to be winners. Case in point: the Bama goal post is sitting at the bottom of the Tennessee River.

Whether you’re loading up for the holidays or you want to get yourself something nice, Alumni Night at the Bookstore is the perfect time to grab some new UGA gear. On Friday, November 4 from 5 to 7 PM, UGA alumni receive an additional 10% off on top of their usual 10% off of bookstore purchases. Check alumni.uga.edu/football for more.

Jerry Tanner is everyone you’ve ever met at a UGA tailgate, everyone who’s ever talked about Georgia football by your cubicle, and every message board poster who claims to have a cousin who cut Vince Dooley’s grass. He’s a UGA alumnus, he’s a college football fanatic with a Twitter addiction, and he’s definitely a real person and not a character played by Clarke Schwabe.

UGA career fairs host record number of students, employers

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This story was originally published on UGA Today on Oct. 20, 2022.

The University of Georgia Career Center hosted a record number of students and employers during its annual Fall Career & Internship Fair and Fall Engineering & Computer Science Career & Internship Fair held on Sept. 28 and 29.

Over those two days, 526 employers and more than 3,900 students passed through the doors of The Classic Center in downtown Athens where the events were held. The day after the fairs concluded, more than 60 employers hosted individual interviews with 388 students.

“The increase in attendance by companies this year signals that the appetite for recruiting UGA students has never been greater,” says Scott Williams, executive director of the UGA Career Center. “We’ve seen uncertainty and upheaval in labor markets, and it’s really exciting to help additional employers actively engage our pipeline of well-prepared students.”

A bevy of companies from a wide array of fields attended the events. Among those recruiting during the career fairs were The Home Depot, Google, Deloitte, AT&T, Delta Air Lines, FedEx, General Electric, Peace Corps, Siemens, BMW, Lockheed Martin, and Oracle. They were seeking to fill both full- and part-time positions, as well as internships in a variety of industries.

Successful events like these are one of the ways UGA has achieved a reputation for securing successful futures for its graduates. For the past ten years, over 90% of each year’s graduating class gained employment, entered graduate school or engaged in post-grad internships within six months of graduation. The fields these graduates entered—as reflected in the career fairs’ attending businesses—run the gamut, but engineering and computer science are rapidly growing interests among UGA graduates and students. Growth in those areas figures to continue with the establishment of the UGA School of Computing and the recent completion of the UGA College of Engineering’s renovation of the Driftmier Engineering Center.

“We were also pleased at the impressive number of UGA alumni who were back on campus representing their employer during the fairs,” says Williams.  “They proudly wore their ‘alumni’ ribbon on their nametag and were able to more directly connect with students who may share a major or extracurricular activity with the recruiter.”

To prepare students for the fairs, the Career Center holds Resume Review Days. This year’s four-day event attracted 738 students for individual meetings with a Career Center staff member or volunteer employer representative.

“We knew that such strong student interest in our Resume Review Days was a harbinger for successful career fairs,” says Williams.  “But watching a record number of students walking into the hall, realizing all the opportunities open to them and making personal connections that will improve their future was tremendously fulfilling for our team.”

Checking in with Alumni Board Member Chuck Kinnebrew

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There’s a group of committed UGA alumni who dedicate their time, energy, and financial resources to bringing Bulldogs together year-round, worldwide, and lifelong. The UGA Alumni Board of Directors represents UGA’s diverse and passionate alumni family and strives to provide feedback, guidance and leadership as the university seeks to ensure that its graduates Never Bark Alone. Throughout the year, we’ll get to know these spirited graduates who hail from various backgrounds and are involved in all corners of campus.

Where do you live?Chuck Kennebrew headshot
Smyrna, Georgia

Where do you work?
I am retired now, but I was the vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Floor and Décor.

When did you graduate from UGA?
I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Education in 1975.

When did you join the alumni board?
This year – 2022!

How do you support UGA?
I am a member of the Georgia Bulldog Club, the Letterman’s Club, McGill Society, the Five, and the President’s Club. I also serve on the Lamar Dodd School of Art board of advisors.

If you had $1 million, what fund would you support on campus?
I would establish a scholarship endowment for the Black Alumni affinity group to support African American students.

What was your first job after graduation?
I served as the graduate assistant for the freshman football team and a first line supervisor.

What makes you most proud to be a Georgia Bulldog?Chuck Kennebrew as a student at UGA
I am most proud of carrying on the legacy of being part of The Five, the first Black football players at UGA, and I am proud of graduating with my BSED.

What’s one story that stands out from your time as a UGA student?
My time as a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity stands out because it helped me to develop my philosophy of being an inclusive servant leader.

What were you involved in outside of the classroom as a student?
As a student, I was on the football team, in Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, and was a member of the Black Student Union

What was your favorite place to study as a student?
My room in McWhorter Hall, which unfortunately no longer exists.

Share a graduation memory.
My first grade teacher came to see me graduate from UGA.

What has been the most significant change to the physical campus since you were a student?
The athletic facilities have expanded exponentially since I graduated in the 1970s.

What is your favorite UGA tradition?
Hanging out with my fraternity brothers at the diamond.

Who is your most disliked athletic rival?
Alabama and Georgia Tech for sure.

What is your No. 1 tip to a fellow Georgia grad who has lost touch with their alma mater?
Come home and find a way to give back.

For more information about Chuck’s involvement within UGA—both on and off the football field—go check out this extensive profile we ran about him in 2021.

Tasty Tailgating: Ivy Odom’s Bacon Jam

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It’s tailgating season, which means Bulldogs near and far will be gathered on Saturdays to cheer on the Dawgs. In honor of the occasion, we’re bringing back our Tasty Tailgating series to supply you with all the best alumni recipes.

Ivy Odom (BSFCS ’15, AB ’15) is an editorial producer for Southern Living in Birmingham, Alabama. She’s here to share her recipe for Bacon Jam–it’s perfect on sandwiches, crackers, and deviled eggs!

 

Ivy Odom

 

Bacon Jam

Makes about 1 cup

Total time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb. bacon chopped

2 cups sweet onion chopped (from 2 small onions)

1 Tbsp. water

1 tsp. minced garlic, from 2 cloves

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Directions:

  1. Cook bacon in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium, stirring occasionally, until fat renders and bacon is starting to crisp on the edges, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour drippings into a heat-proof measuring cup. Add 1/4 cup drippings back to skillet, reserve remaining drippings for another use.
  2. Add bacon back to skillet with onion and cook over medium until onions are caramelized, about 20 minutes, adding up to 1 tablespoon water as necessary to prevent onions from burning.
  3. Stir garlic and crushed red pepper into bacon mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil over medium high. Boil until mixture is reduced and thickened, about 2 minutes, then remove from heat and transfer to a heat-proof pint jar. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Serve warm.

Serving suggestions: With pimento cheese on a cracker, deviled egg topper, jalapeño popper topper, as a condiment on a grazing board, or on a cheeseburger

Check out the full recipe video on our Instagram!

 

Recipe Video

 

Bacon Jam

New PLC Chairs highlight importance of parent philanthropy

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Talia Murphy first stepped foot on campus as a freshman in 1980 just in time to experience the University of Georgia’s national championship win later that year. Now she enjoys the pride of yet another national championship victory for the Georgia Bulldogs, as her daughter, Lily, attends classes. Talia states, “being back on campus with this victory buzz in the air has been so fun, and finding our own place on campus through the Parents Leadership Council has strengthened the experience for our whole family.” Along with her husband, John, Talia serves as the chair of the Parents Leadership Council (PLC), an organization of parents who are eager to contribute to the university and support student-serving organizations.

After her graduation, Talia and John spent 30 years overseas with their three daughters. She was relatively removed from the university during this time, but when John was called back to Atlanta for his career at Coca-Cola, UGA was back on the couple’s radar—especially as their youngest daughter, Lily, was getting ready to apply for colleges. All it took for her to be sold on UGA was attending the renowned, annual Georgia-Georgia Tech football game. Through their daughter, John and Talia reconnected with UGA and have remained passionate ever since. Even though John, an Irish citizen who did not go to college in the United States, had no previous connection to UGA, he has become an avid Dawgs fan.

For the past few years, John and Talia have known they wanted to invest in UGA. Together, they have pledged to create a Georgia Commitment Scholarship, a need-based scholarship program built on private donations. In supporting Lily, the Murphys have developed a passion for supporting every UGA student across campus. As Talia states, “Where your kids are, that’s where you put your time, your effort, and your financial support.” This philosophy steered the couple to the Parents Leadership Council.

The Murphys became involved in the PLC during the height of the pandemic. Though they were unable to meet other members in person, they believed in the program and wanted to stay involved. As time went on, they were able to find a community in the PLC and encourage other parents to do the same.

“We love that there’s an organization where we can really make a difference as parents”, said Talia. “It taps parents into what’s happening on campus and allows us to address the needs of students as they come up through the grants program.”

After the Murphys dedicated over a year to the PLC, getting deeply involved with the campus community and student life, the two were presented with the opportunity to serve as chairs. The couple takes great pride in holding this position, and they are striving to make the PLC even more active and engaged with campus organizations. The PLC Grants Program, a longstanding PLC effort and a major focus for John and Talia, awarded $875,000 last year to 100 campus organizations. The Murphys, working with the PLC Grants Committee Chairs, want to raise more money for grant funding than ever before: their goal is to reach $1 million in donations from PLC members this year.

John and Talia encourage any interested parent to consider joining the PLC for the tight-knit community, the service to the university and an opportunity to continue supporting your children throughout their years in college, as well as many other students and student organizations. The PLC offers parents a unique chance to show up in a very tangible way for their children.

“Whether it’s attending meetings or mingling with fellow PLC members, council members have an opportunity to be on campus. But best of all, we have an opportunity to make a difference in a student’s life,” said the Murphys. “Exploring downtown restaurants with Lily and her friends is one thing, but now we are able to feel an extra sense of gratification knowing that we are supporting her journey one step further through the PLC.”

Mentorship isn’t scary!

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National Mentoring Day, October 27, falls in the middle of “spooky season.” In honor of the day and the season, the UGA Mentor Program is debunking the myth that mentorship can be scary.

We spoke with UGA mentee and UGA Mentor Program Ambassador Sahar Joshi (Class of 2024) and her UGA mentor Will Caplan (AB ’16, AB ’16), senior wargaming analyst for Booz Allen Hamilton, about their experiences in the program and what they would say to ease the fears of potential participants.

Did you have any fears about joining the UGA Mentor Program?

S: I was a little intimated. Browsing through the profiles of potential mentors, I found they were all somebody I wanted to impress; somebody I wanted to be like. I was afraid I wasn’t worthy, and I’d be wasting their time. But the program emphasized that UGA Mentors are volunteering their time because they WANT to hear from students.

W: For me, I was afraid that I wasn’t far enough removed from being a student myself. What if my journey was too specific to be of help to anyone else? But I thought back to when I was in their shoes. This was before UGA had established this mentorship program, and people took time to help me out. I just knew I needed to pay it forward.

What inspired you to sign up?

S: I knew what I wanted to do. I was focused on national security and wanted to end up in D.C. I felt like the mentor program would be a great way to empower myself to learn from people who had been through the same process as me and had made it in this field.

W: I remember back when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do, I wished for someone to talk to. I wanted to find someone established in their career but not so far along that they could no longer relate to college life or understand pop culture references. I signed up to serve in that role for a student looking for what I had been looking for at their age.

Were you nervous to meet for the first time?

W: Definitely. I have an eccentric sense of humor and I talk really fast. With my personality, you either really enjoy it or find it overwhelming. And not knowing this other person and what they’re looking to get out of mentorship brought up questions. Am I going to be able to do enough? Am I going to meet their expectations?

S: That comes as a complete shock to me. I didn’t pick up on that at all. When I first met Will, I was just so focused on digesting the information we were going through. Every time I thought of a question while he was talking, he’d move on with what he was saying and answer it, without me having to ask. Will came across as someone who was completely prepared and confident. But I am kind of glad to hear that we were actually in the same boat at that first meeting.

Is there a fear mentorship helped you overcome?

S: There are so many. Going for an internship in D.C. was scary. I had never been that far away from home and family. But Will helped me out in so many ways. I remember being scared of not being perfect in front of him, but, especially during mock interviews, Will helped me understand it was better to make a mistake in front of him than in the actual interview. I honestly think that’s a great example of what mentorship is like. A mentor is someone you can make mistakes in front of. You learn you don’t have to be perfect, just be prepared and be comfortable with yourself.

W: One of my favorite pieces of advice to give mentees is to not make perfect the enemy of good. I think the best part of the mentee/mentor relationship is being able to talk things through. I always tell mentees not to feel like they have to have everything figured out. No one has everything planned and in place. Ask questions. Be flexible. It’s okay not to feel totally in control of every aspect. That’s life.

What surprised you about mentorship?

Will and Sahar at Braves game in D.C.

W: I’d say I was most surprised about how the relationship is so much fuller and focused on topics beyond professionalism and career. For instance, Sahar and I have really bonded over our shared love of the Atlanta Braves baseball. When Sahar was in D.C. for her internship, we made it a point to go watch the Braves play the Nats. And being a part of the mentor program has made me feel more connected to UGA. It’s made me want to give back even more because I can see how rewarding and helpful it is.

S: I came into this with a vision of what I wanted my future to look like. Then Will played a part in destroying that vision in the best way possible. (She laughs.) But he also helped me build it back up in a more realistic way. There is so much you don’t know, can’t know, until you talk to someone who DOES know—especially with industries that are specialized or location-based. Mentorship is great for bridging that gap! It’s amazing the confidence you get from someone being your personal cheerleader and encouraging you every step of the way—whether it’s a rejection letter or an acceptance letter, and we’ve been through both.

W: When Sahar got that internship and was able to come to D.C., it was so satisfying like, “We did it!”

S: Yeah, I remember when we grabbed coffee in D.C. and I was sort of debriefing Will on my internship. We celebrated because we had set this goal and worked through all the steps, then we made it happen together.

So, if mentorship isn’t scary, what’s something that is?

S: Zombies.

W: Mannequins. (shudder)

Learn more about the totally non-scary UGA Mentor Program at mentor.uga.edu.

BECOME A MENTOR