Featured Archives

Tech industry leader, academic honors UGA mentor with scholarship

April 27, 2021/by Michelle Versfeld

“Do not let the problem defeat you!” These words of wisdom have inspired Dr. Greg Lavender (BS ’83), since the moment they were delivered 40 years ago, when he was a Computer Science major at the University of Georgia. He attributes these encouraging words to Dr. Jeffrey W. Smith, associate professor in UGA’s Department of Computer Science.

Smith made his mark at UGA as one of the first faculty members to teach computer science. Even in those early days, it wasn’t an easy program of study. Enrollment ranged from a couple of hundred students in the first years to over a thousand in subsequent years. The fledgling department’s work was made even more challenging due to an evolving curriculum as the field of computer science rapidly expanded. However, after several years, the program stabilized and the faculty members were able to steadily expand the rate of computer science graduates at UGA. Today, computer science is one of the most popular majors on campus.

Lavender considers himself lucky to have been in the first graduating class of computer science majors to have studied under Smith. For Lavender, Smith was a role-model professor who demonstrated excellent teaching ability combined with advanced research.

Smith saw research as his obligation—understanding it was important to add to the burgeoning field of computer science—but teaching was his priority. He wanted students to learn what was useful and memorable. For example, seeing the evolving field of computer science and the rapidly growing interest in game programming, Smith developed a course to be taught around video game programming. He is a firm believer that during the short period of time students are at the university, faculty should strive to make an impact in their lives and teach what is meaningful.

Dr. Jeffrey W. Smith in his UGA office during the late 1980s

This meaningful connection was not lost on Lavender. With Smith’s encouragement and a letter of recommendation, Lavender chose to pursue his master’s and Ph.D. in computer science at Virginia Tech.

Upon graduation from Virginia Tech with a Ph.D. in computer networking, Lavender became a research scientist at a premier research laboratory in Austin, and he also started teaching in the Department of Computer Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin). His teaching style was inspired by Smith’s style, always putting students first and motivating undergraduate and graduate students with the same words that motivated him: “Do not let the problem defeat you!”

During his years in academia, Lavender became Associate Chairman for Academics, which included supervision of the graduate program. One year, a new graduate student admitted to the top-10 UT-Austin Computer Science Ph.D. program was Alison Norman (née Smith). She introduced herself to Lavender as the daughter of his long-ago undergraduate professor.

Alison exhibited a strong interest in gaining classroom teaching experience, so Lavender assigned her to teach an introductory undergraduate programming course, rather than be a traditional teaching assistant. Alison is now an Associate Professor of Instruction at the Department of Computer Sciences at UT-Austin. This was truly a full-circle moment for Lavender to be able to help the daughter of his undergraduate professor follow in her father’s footsteps.

Lavender, who is currently Chief Technology Officer of VMware, Inc., in Palo Alto, has had a long and successful professional career in research, academia, startups and major tech companies in Silicon Valley. Reflecting on that success and the people who helped him get there, Lavender wanted to honor Smith’s lifelong dedication to teaching, which he credits for inspiring him and many other students. In 2019, Lavender established an endowed undergraduate scholarship in Smith’s name as part of the Georgia Commitment Scholarship Program to pay tribute to the impact he made in his life and the lives of other UGA students.

Lavender had the privilege of sharing this news with Smith and his family over a barbecue in Texas, where Smith, now retired and emeritus, resides with his wife, daughter and her family. The scholarship was awarded to a deserving UGA student in Fall 2019.

“Having a scholarship in my name is beyond gratifying,” remarked Smith. “It does acknowledge the appreciation for the attention to teaching.”

You can help support the Dr. Jeffrey W. Smith Georgia Commitment Scholarship fund by donating via this giving form.

Where commitment meets community: Erica Parks (MPH ’11) advocates for veterans

April 26, 2021/by Caroline Odom

Erica Parks (MPH ’11) refers to herself as a “vetpreneur.” The UGA alumna leverages her experiences with the armed forces, public health and entrepreneurship to advocate for veterans through Camouflage Me Not.

The seed of advocacy was planted in Parks as a young girl, but her experiences in the United States Army Reserve and as a veteran helped the seed grow. When Parks deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan, in 2003, her leadership roles and a near-death experience taught her the importance of speaking up for herself and others.

“That time in Afghanistan means so much to me,” Parks said. “The unity I have with my comrades is unmatched.”

When she returned from deployment, Parks earned an undergraduate degree from Kennesaw State University and then applied to UGA’s Master of Public Health program. The program exposed her to health policy and the idea of working with veterans.

Parks founded Camouflage Me Not in 2018 to increase social awareness around veterans’ transition to civilian life. Through the advocacy nonprofit, she shares a specific message on behalf of veterans: “Don’t hide me.”

Erica Parks (MPH ’11) served as a medical supply sergeant with Fort Gillem’s 427th medical logistical battalion in the United States Army Reserve. Parks served almost nine months of active duty in Bagram, Afghanistan, in 2003.

The need for support

After earning her master’s degree, Parks experienced 38 months of chronic unemployment. She felt that as a woman of color and a veteran, that she was overlooked and undervalued.

“The song says, ‘And the Army goes rolling along,’” Parks said. “And it does.”

The armed forces offer housing, training, and employment services to members. When veterans transition to civilian life, many of those services are no longer available, Parks said. Women and minorities may feel the challenges of the transition into veteran status even more deeply—as Parks knows from her own experience.

“There is so much training to prepare a soldier, but not the same training when they leave,” Parks said. “Transition programs need a serious overhaul.”

Erica Parks (MPH ’11) was honored at the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s inaugural Veterans in Business Awards with the Veteran Owned Business Award. The audience listens to a video of Parks discussing her military service, lessons learned from service, Camouflage Me Not and her transition from the military to the business world.

Starting conversations

Through advocacy, research, and collaboration, Camouflage Me Not ignites conversation around veterans’ transition and uses public health initiatives and current issues to start a conversation around veteran transition. Since founding the organization, Parks has brought veterans non-veterans to the table while partnering with communities and local governments. But Parks isn’t stopping there.

Her next goal is to attain 501(c)(4) status, which transform Camouflage Me Not into a social welfare organization. With this status, Camouflage Me Not can extend the conversation about veteran transition to legislative assemblies through lobbying.

“Camouflage Me Not means don’t hide me and don’t throw me away,” Parks said. “I’m committed to people who deserve support but might not know what they need.”

Camouflage Me Not presents “Food for Thought – Mental Nourishment for Everyone.” In partnership with Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Lotus Family Wellness Clinic, Radio One, Mental Health America, Erica Parks (MPH ’11) and retired Command Sgt. Maj. Lamont Christian served as co-hosts.

Advocating for the next generation

After UGA prepared Parks to launch her nonprofit, Parks dedicates time to UGA’s next generation of change-makers. She helped establish the UGA Black Alumni Leadership Council and was named a Class of 2016 40 Under 40 honoree. She is also a member of the College of Public Health Alumni Working Group dedicated to connecting and uniting alumni of the College of Public Health.

WHERE COMMITMENT MEETS COMMUNITY

Whether life takes them to new cities or to the neighborhoods where they grew up, Georgia Bulldogs do more than get jobs – they elevate their communities. Bulldogs lead nonprofits, effect change and create opportunities for others. Wherever people are suffering, wherever communities are looking for effective leaders and whenever the world cries out for better solutions, Bulldogs are there to answer the call to service. It’s more than our passion. It’s our commitment.

Caroline Odom, an intern with UGA’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations, brings you a spring blog series that celebrates Bulldogs who embrace that commitment to helping others in their communities thrive.

Want to read about other Bulldogs impacting their communities?

Peter Dale cooks with the Young Alumni Council

April 22, 2021/by Zach Armstrong

Chef and restauranteur Peter Dale (ABJ ’99) led a virtual cooking class with the Young Alumni Council and it went deliciously. Peter is an award-winning chef and has flavored Athens’ dynamic food scene with restaurants like The National, Seabear Oyster Bar, Condor Chocolates and Maepole. Peter demonstrated three recipes over the course of the evening: a local greens with pears and asiago cheese salad, gambas al ajillo, and chocolate budino.

If you missed the event, don’t worry! The recording is just above the post title on this page, and here we have the recipes and ingredient lists straight from Peter.

Download the Recipes

By the end of the event, attendees donated an impressive $1,700 toward the purchase of a food truck for Campus Kitchen at UGA that will allowed them to expand their service. That total recently reached $2,500, triggering matched funds from the UGA Young Alumni Council (for a total of $5,000) and reaching the fundraising goal for the truck purchase. Thanks for getting that food truck rolling, Bulldog donors!

Footsteps Award to recognize social justice efforts by UGA alumni

April 19, 2021/by Clarke Schwabe

This story was originally published on UGA Today on April 19, 2021.

When Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Hamilton Holmes took their first steps onto the University of Georgia campus in 1961 as UGA’s first enrolled Black students, they opened the way for generations to follow in their footsteps. Mary Frances Early soon followed, becoming the first Black student to graduate from the University of Georgia.

A new UGA award named for those momentous steps, the Footsteps Award, will recognize those UGA alumni who honor the legacy of Hunter-Gault, Holmes and Early through exemplary social justice work.

“Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Hamilton Holmes and Mary Frances Early set a monumental example of creating positive social change,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “This award will allow us to honor those alumni working to follow their example and leave a lasting impact on communities around the globe.”

Members of the UGA Alumni Association Board of Directors brought forward the idea for the award in anticipation of the 60th anniversary of desegregation at UGA. They knew of great work being done by UGA alumni, but there was no specific recognition for it. After deliberating on the idea and presenting it to President Morehead, the Footsteps Award was born.

“I am proud in so many ways for this award,” said Meredith Gurley Johnson, executive director of alumni relations at UGA. “I’m proud of our board members for wanting to honor great and necessary work, proud of our university for adopting the award, and most of all, proud of our alumni who deserve this award by working every day to improve communities.”

Nominations for the Footsteps Award will open in November and close on Jan. 9, the 61st anniversary of the day Hunter-Gault and Holmes enrolled in classes. The honoree will 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 first recipient will be named as part of the 2022 Holmes-Hunter Lecture in February.

“I am thankful for the Holmes/Hunter/Early legacy, the university, and the strides that have been made,” said UGA Alumni Association board member Corey Dortch. “The Footsteps Award will live on in perpetuity and serve as a reminder that the work must continue. I am honored to be a part of a community that acknowledges the past and works to create a more inclusive experience for the UGA family.”

The establishment of this award is one of numerous initiatives undertaken by the UGA community within the last year to promote diversity and inclusion. UGA has adopted over a dozen recommendations made by the Race, Ethnicity, and Community Presidential Task Force, including the Judge Horace J. Johnson Jr. Lecture on Race, Law and Policy, the installation of campus markers to recognize the nine historically Black fraternities and sororities that are members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, and the revival of a student recruitment program tailored to Latinx/Hispanic students and their parents.

On National Picnic Day, picnic like a Bulldog

April 15, 2021/by Caroline Odom

April 23 is National Picnic Day. With spring blooming in Athens, it’s time to grab a blanket, pack a meal, invite a few friends and find your favorite outdoor spot at the University of Georgia. There are 700 acres of campus to choose from, and we lined up our top campus spots to help you picnic like a Bulldog.

Founders Memorial Garden

Photo: Dorothy Kozlowski, University of Georgia Marketing and Communications

You can’t go wrong with anywhere on UGA’s historic North Campus, but the Founders Memorial Garden offers a quiet escape from the usual bustle of campus. Enter on Lumpkin Street across from Morris Hall to explore the 2.5-acre garden’s network of paths, koi pond and over 300 species of plants.

UGA Horticulture Trial Gardens

Photo: Dorothy Kozlowski, University of Georgia Marketing and Communications

Whether you have a green thumb or are horticulturally hopeless, the UGA Horticulture Trial Gardens is the perfect spot for the plant lover. Tucked between Snelling Dining Hall and the College of Pharmacy’s R.C. Wilson Pharmacy Building, this spot offers a variety of blooms, shady benches and a dreamy gazebo. Bonus: you can browse the plants being tested by UGA’s horticulture department while you’re there.

Lake Herrick Pavilion and Docks

Photo: Andrew Davis Tucker, University of Georgia Marketing and Communications

Located within Oconee Forest Park, the Lake Herrick pavilion and docks offer several spots to soak up the sun on a spring day. Wander the lakeside trail or bring a frisbee to toss with friends.

West End Zone Overlook

Photo: Andrew Davis Tucker, University of Georgia Marketing and Communications

G-Day means we’re creeping closer to fall and football season! If you can’t wait to cheer for the Dawgs as they tee it up between the hedges, feed your anticipation with a picnic on Sanford Stadium’s west end zone overlook. If you have a speaker, queue “Baba Riley,” “Glory” and “Let the Big Dog Eat” to mimic that Saturday-in-Athens feeling.

Coca-Cola Plaza

a green courtyard between two brick buildings

Photo: Dorothy Kozlowski, University of Georgia Marketing and Communications

Nestled in the center of the Terry College Business Learning Community is the Coca-Cola Plaza. This grassy courtyard near the heart of campus is a great spot to share a Coke with a fellow Bulldog. If you forgot your beverages – or your picnic basket – the Au Bon Pain inside the BLC offers coffee and pastry treats.

Turtle Pond

sunlight coming through trees near a pond

Photo: University of Georgia Marketing and Communications

The more, the merrier, right? A picnic at the Mary Kahrs Warnell Memorial Garden, also known as the turtle pond, will guarantee a few aquatic guests at your picnic. This secluded spot outside the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources is a South Campus hidden gem.

Myers Quad

a grassy area with students in front of a building

Photo: University of Georgia Marketing and Communications

For the athlete or the social butterfly, Myers Quad is the perfect place to spend an afternoon. Bounded by Myers, Rutherford and Mary Lyndon halls, the quad hosts ultimate frisbee games, Spikeball matches and student gatherings big and small.

Herty Field

a fountain and green space in front of a building

Photo: Peter Frey, University of Georgia Marketing and Communications

Reconnect with UGA’s roots at the site of the first UGA football game in 1892. Before the English white bulldog was adopted as UGA’s official mascot, the Mercer Bears lost to the UGA Goats 50-0. That’s right – the UGA goats. This historic site is flanked by Moore College and the beautiful Herty Fountain.

From locker room to board room: UGA helped Chuck Kinnebrew learn to get around any block

April 14, 2021/by Laura Nwogu

Written by: Charles McNair

Most Bulldog fans need no introduction to Georgia trailblazer, Chuck Kinnebrew (BSED ’75).

They already know that, in 1971, he lined up with Larry West, Clarence Pope, Horace King and Richard Appleby to play football between the hedges of Sanford Stadium – one of UGA’s first five Black college football players.

Fifty years later, Chuck’s office in Smyrna, Georgia, has a wall of fame – a floor-to-ceiling display of UGA memorabilia. His Bulldog letter jacket hangs there. So do post–graduate achievements, awards and photos. He’s proud of his diploma.

“I received a degree in education,” he says. “I didn’t want to be the kind of former athlete that ends up with nothing to hang his hat on. I wanted to leave the university with something tangible, something to use. I wanted to be an alum.”

He played nose guard, though small even for that football era (6-foot-1, 260 pounds). What he lacked in size, he made up in strength, toughness and quickness. And, like every Black Bulldog on that first integrated team, he held himself to impeccable standards of performance, behavior and discipline. He and his Black teammates felt they had something to prove.

“If one of us started slipping up, the other four would get on him and make sure he got headed in the right direction again,” Chuck explained to UGASports writer Patrick Garbin in a February 2021 interview. “We had a tight bond and nothing was off-limits, be it football, academics, dating. We knew how important it was that we succeed. We weren’t going to let one another down.”

Because they successfully blazed the trail, others would succeed. The Bulldog Nation would come to marvel at hundreds of Black football players in years to come, including legends named Herschel Walker and Champ Bailey and Hines Ward.

Those football heroes followed Chuck as he buckled his chinstrap and trotted onto the field.

Servant leadership

Yes, most Bulldog fans know about Chuck’s football career. But they don’t know the rest of his success story. Chuck has never stopped blazing trails.

He first wanted to be a coach. He had it worked out with legendary Bulldog head coach Vince Dooley that he’d get his degree, then stick around to become a graduate assistant and maybe climb the coaching ranks.

And he did become a coach – of teams in the corporate world.

While waiting for his UGA whistle, he half-heartedly accepted an interview for a suit-and-tie job. To his surprise, he got an offer.

“That job paid twice the salary of a graduate assistant,” Chuck says. “I talked it over with my dad. He said, “That sounds like pretty good money, son. I think I’d look pretty hard at that offer.”

Suddenly, the kid from Rome, GA, found himself managing a team of 30 in a DuPont textile plant in Athens, Ga.

Now Chuck did start climbing the corporate ranks. He brought along UGA lessons from classes and coaches.

“My style of leadership is coaching,” he says. “I see myself as an inclusive servant leader. Ever since I was exposed to that concept, it’s made sense to me.”

The biggest challenge

Chuck gained expertise at DuPont in manufacturing operations, planning, marketing, and supply chain. His achievements there took him to The Home Depot where, in time, he led a department with a $7 billion budget overseeing the supply company’s indirect sourcing purchasing team, part of the supply chain operation.

Often, he found himself among the first, and only, Black faces in meeting rooms.

“It was actually no big deal,” Chuck says. “All my life, I’d been in predominantly white environments, from junior high school through UGA and now in the business world. I’d grown accustomed to it. When you’ve been the first one here, the first one there, you get used to it.”

The biggest challenge?

“Honestly, it was getting white people accustomed to me. I was familiar with being who I was, comfortable in my skin. I learned to be approachable, to help people see Chuck Kinnebrew the person instead of Chuck Kinnebrew, the Black guy.”

He’s still a trailblazer – in his latest role, Chuck serves as the first DE&I (diversity, equity, and inclusion) officer at Floor & Decor, based in Atlanta. He and his team have a responsibility to develop and execute best-in-class strategies to help the growing company become an industry leader in hard–surface flooring and something else hard: diversity, equity, and inclusion.

He looks back in gratitude at the UGA experience.

“Georgia and my fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, helped prepare me for life,” he says. “They set me up to succeed.”

Editor’s Note:

Our Georgia trailblazer series profiles UGA Black alumni who took the first brave steps to create the diverse and inclusive university we are today. Want to know more about other pioneers?

Charlayne Hunter (ABJ ’63) and Hamilton Holmes (BS ’63) were the first Black students to enroll at UGA. Read their accomplishments here: desegregation.uga.edu

Mary Frances Early (MMED ’62, EDS ’67) was the first Black student to graduate from UGA. The College of Education is named for her.

Where commitment meets community: Jack Hartpence (AB ’15) pairs passion with community empowerment

April 14, 2021/by Caroline Odom

On August 23, 2017, University of Georgia alumnus and 40 Under 40 honoree Jack Hartpence (AB ’15) was driving from Jackson, Wyoming, to Aspen, Colorado, on a business trip. As he attempted a U-turn in the large van he rented for the trip – the only vehicle the rental company had available – he was T-boned by a tractor-trailer.

“As I saw the truck coming and realized I was going to die, the only thing that came to my mind was one question: What have I done positively for the world and other people?” Hartpence said.

Walking away from the accident unscathed, Hartpence felt that he had been given a second chance to answer that question.

After graduating from UGA with a bachelor’s degree in English in 2015, Hartpence worked in politics, with think tanks and for campaigns. He used his previous experience with research and data to determine where the world struggled most.

“Water is the world’s most pressing problem,” Hartpence said. “Sustainable access to safe drinking water is the foundation for quality of life on earth today. With access to safe drinking communities can move to address secondary and tertiary quality of life indicators such as gender equality, economic opportunity, education, and health.”

In 2018, he co-founded Powwater, public benefit corporation that builds transparent technology and makes impact investments to improve access to clean water in East Africa and South Asia and empower the communities which they serve.

“A marathon, not a sprint”

As Hartpence explored how to address access to clean water, he noticed that many wells drilled by Western organizations provided only temporary solutions across Africa, Asia, and South America. With an average shelf life of only 18 months, donated wells weren’t a sustainable solution, the key problem being that they weren’t engaging the communities they affected.

Hartpence contacted Nobel laureate and professor Muhammed Yunus, the founder of microfinance. Through the mentorship of Yunus, Powwater established itself as a social business. Funding is reinvested into communities that lack access to clean water, allowing those communities to establish their own water systems that enhance their economy.

With this model, Powwater doesn’t have to rely on donations or outside funding. Instead, Powwater can “make money to do good for the world,” Hartpence said. By doing so, Powwater has brought sustainable drinking water to over 80,000 people in Kenya, Ethiopia and Bangladesh.

Jack Hartpence (AB ’15) gives a thumbs up with the Powwater team in Mombasa, Kenya.

Fueled by passion

Hartpence’s experience at UGA showed him the importance of doing what you love. He wasn’t fulfilled by what he was learning as an economics major, so he became an English major during his sophomore year. That program gave him a sense of purpose and creativity. .

“There were students who were far better writers than me, but I was passionate. I loved it,” Hartpence said about a senior class project that was recognized at graduation as the English department’s best work in digital humanities. “That lesson has played through my life. Passion is everything.”

After his accident in 2017, Hartpence found a renewed passion for life and improving the world. That commitment fuels Hartpence and his team as they consider the future of clean water across the globe.

Jack Hartpence (AB ’15) spoke on behalf of Powwater at the 2019 United Nations Global Assembly. Hartpence poses for a photo with Nobel laureate and professor Muhammed Yunus, a mentor of the company.

The future of clean water

As Powwater looks to the future, the company is using technology to create transparency around water, and better serve communities around the world with safe drinking water.

This spring, Powwater will launch the Powwater app, a mobile marketplace for water. The app will provide transparency around the quality of water, cost and timing of delivery from the thousands of private water suppliers that exist across the globe today. By creating transparency and empowering consumers, Hartpence believes Powwater can lead the way for higher quality and more affordable water globally.

With this app, Hartpence aims to optimize the private water market for the 2 billion people in the world relying on it today.

“We want to be a company that shares ideas and works with partners to get the job done,” Hartpence said. “I’m committed to empowering communities around the world with sustainable access to safe drinking water. I’m committed to doing everything I can do to be better tomorrow than I was today.”

A day in the life

In September 2020, we invited Jack to host an Instagram story takeover as a member of the 40 Under 40 Class of 2020. Watch the video below to check out a day in the life of operating Powwater:

WHERE COMMITMENT MEETS COMMUNITY

Whether life takes them to new cities or to the neighborhoods where they grew up, Georgia Bulldogs do more than get jobs – they elevate their communities. Bulldogs lead nonprofits, effect change and create opportunities for others. Wherever people are suffering, wherever communities are looking for effective leaders and whenever the world cries out for better solutions, Bulldogs are there to answer the call to service. It’s more than our passion. It’s our commitment.

Caroline Odom, an intern with UGA’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations, brings you a spring blog series that celebrates Bulldogs who embrace that commitment to helping others in their communities thrive.

Want to read about other Bulldogs impacting their communities?

Haiku for U(GA): celebrate Haiku Poetry Day 2021

April 14, 2021/by Laura Nwogu

Seventeen syllables never sounded so good. Snap your fingers as you read a few haikus we wrote to celebrate this year’s Haiku Poetry Day. Happy reading, Bulldogs!

From midfield to Capitol Hill: Sanford Stadium means the world to Christina Swoope Carrere

April 13, 2021/by UGA Alumni

Written by: Charles McNair

Christina Swoope Carrere (BS ’11) first stood on the 50-yard line in Sanford Stadium in the fall of 2004. The nervous teen from Alpharetta, Georgia was only a junior in high school.

It was halftime during a University of Georgia football game, and she was conducting the Redcoat Marching Band as it spelled out G–E–O–R–G–I–A on the gridiron. She had earned this opportunity after winning the UGA Summer Marching Band Camp Drum Major Conducting Competition, representing Atlanta’s Johns Creek High School.

Christina dreamed of one day leading the splendid UGA troupe, even though she didn’t match the typical profile of a Redcoat Drum Major. “Most notably,” she recalls, “I was not a music major.”

Three years later her dream came true. She raised both arms at midfield at the head of that same Redcoat Band – the first Black female drum major in UGA’s history.

In 2009, she once again stood at midfield in Sanford Stadium. This time, she raised a rose bouquet as one of the first Black homecoming queens in UGA history. Christina’s 100-watt smile shone through tears. The Redcoat Band – her Redcoat Band – erupted in celebration.

“That was the moment I realized how much of my life has been changed because of this university,” Christina says. “Some of the most special moments in my life took place on that field.”

Marching into a bright career

Christina’s 50-yard line has now moved north, to Washington, D.C.

At graduation, she was named a Barbara Jordan Health Policy Scholar, working in the office of then U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe. The Jordan program brings talented young scholars to Washington, D.C., to work in congressional offices and learn health policy. Christina showed an aptitude for health policy analysis, with a focus on issues affecting underserved populations. She went on to earn a Master of Science in public health at Johns Hopkins University, then became a policy analyst at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

Today she works in the White House Office of Management and Budget, focused on Medicare and the 60 million Americans it serves. She’s tasked with informing views on complex and sensitive policy areas like Medicare eligibility and prescription drugs.

It’s meaningful work. Christina led the development of a Medicare prescription drug reform package that produced nearly $90 billion in savings to the Medicare trust funds, reduced drug prices and modernized drug benefits. She also earned recognition for her pivotal role in developing a balanced government policy to reduce the supply and demand of addictive opioids.

Christina brings the same boundless energy to government work that she brought to UGA.

“Some people burn the candle at both ends,” she says. “I’m the kind who just throws the whole candle in the fire.”

This kind of zeal marked her years at UGA. She was Student Alumni Council vice president and Events Committee chair, Omicron Delta Kappa secretary, a 2009 Presidential Scholar, UGA Outstanding Senior Leader, INROADS Rising Star (and Intern of the Year), UGA EXCEL Award recipient, and UGA Choice Award recipient.

And her UGA honors still haven’t stopped.

In 2020, Christina received UGA’s Young Alumni Award, given to those who attended the university in the past 10 years, and who have embodied the Pillars of the Arch—wisdom, justice and moderation–and provided notable service to UGA.

View from a bridge

Christina loves a quote from former United States First Lady Michelle Obama:

“When you’ve worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you. You reach back and you give other folks the same chances that helped you succeed.”

“I like to expand on that,” Christina laughs. “Not only do you not slam the door, but you also open all the emergency exits and windows and get a bigger table and pull up chairs.”

“As a trailblazer, it’s my responsibility to make sure I am not the last. A path is only useful if others know it exists, and I’m committed to reaching back to help others find it.”

She’s as good as her word. She stays close to UGA as the immediate past president of the Redcoat Band Alumni Association Board of Directors, the founder and chair of the Redcoat Young Alumni Council, and a 40 Under 40 Class of 2016 honoree. She returns regularly to speak to UGA students and alumni, building new bridges to her alma mater.

And on the subject of bridges, “Some of my favorite UGA memories are of walking across campus with friends and standing on the bridge looking into Sanford Stadium,” Christina says.

From there, Christina can see the 50-yard line.

“It’s a really special place,” she says. “So much happened there that made me who I am.”

Editor’s Note:

Our Georgia trailblazer series profiles Black students at UGA who took the first brave steps to create the diverse and inclusive university we are today. Want to know more about other pioneers?

Charlayne Hunter (ABJ ’63) and Hamilton Holmes (BS ’63) were the first Black students to enroll at UGA.

Read their accomplishments here: desegregation.uga.edu

Mary Frances Early (MMED ’62, EDS ’67) was the first Black student to graduate from UGA. The College of Education is named for her. Learn more at:

Who let the pets out: National Pet Day

April 9, 2021/by Laura Nwogu

We invited the Bulldog family to share pictures of their pets just in time for National Pet Day. Do you enjoy browsing pictures of adorable animals as much as we do? Paw through these pictures of furry (and feathered!) members of Bulldog Nation.

Wendy Hsiao: This little monster is named Georgia after her mom’s beloved football team. She was adopted 5 years ago – and it’s been the best years of my life!

Kathryn McHugh: Honey was rescued from the Athens-Area Humane Society in March 2019. She now lives with my husband and I, and her pup sister Annie, in Athens. Her favorite place to be is at the lake and she loves to snuggle. She is happy to be chewing on a bone, taking a nap, or sneaking an extra treat. Honey has a sweet personality and is so loved!

Mary Ann Hawthorne: Smokey and Bandit are 8-month-old rescue kittens who are brothers. They are super adorable when they aren’t trying to kill each other.

Anna MacKenzie Clark: Kirby is my Dudley lab on the left, named after Kirby Smart. He loves chasing squirrels and sunbathing! Lutzenkirchen (Lutzie) is my dark Golden on the right, named after one of Auburn University’s tight ends. He loves snuggling his mama and his squeaky donut toy!

Grace Stewart: Star. Cheering on the 1980 Championship team.

Kristin Joyner: Bella and Rocky were surrendered. My neighbor adopted Rocky and we adopted Bella. Both are Boykin Spaniels and are inseparable. Go Dawgs!

Kim Wuenker Eilers: Ziggy is our 1-year-old pocket parrot. He’s an American Yellow Celestial Parrotlet. Ziggy loves to say “peekaboo” and “what are you doing?” We are trying to teach him to say “Go Dawgs!”

Denise Spangler (dean of UGA’s Mary Frances Early College of Education): Lucy is a 13-year-old Maltese who loves walks, treats, chasing squirrels, and sleeping on the couch while I watch Georgia football.

Stephanie Calhoun: This is Oakley. She is the best ‘rufferee’ in Dawg Nation. Her speed and bark make her great on the field. She takes off every fall football Saturday, though, to watch the Dawgs between the hedges.

Diane Maddox: Bogo is a big hunk of snuggles!

Dr. Kristy McManus: Mr. Bigsby is a French Bulldog who was rescued from a horrible breeding situation in Tennessee in October 2015. This picture is of his first visit to the pet store to get his UGA jersey. Of course this made for a great Halloween picture, too! He had a rough first few years of life, but he is well-loved and living like a king now in Athens, Georgia. He is loving life as a member of the Bulldog Nation!

Ginny Henry: Gus is a sweetheart and in this pic was sporting a new ‘do. He was looking dandy with the tie that the groomer gave him. He loves long walks and playing catch and fetch.

Donna Nesmith: We are a house divided. Meet Tebow Big Dawg Dooley and Georgia Natty Rose. Tebow and Georgia provide lots of entertainment around our house with their mischievous shenanigans. If you have never been around an English Bulldog, let me sum up their personality with a phrase, “I will only do it my way.” They take the word stubborn to a whole new level.

Mark Dzikowski: Daisy is a 16-year-old Georgia beagle by birth, but a Georgia Bulldog by the grace of God.

Patricia Dobbins Kirby: Dixie is a hard-playing farm dog! She loves going for rides, taunting her older siblings and running through as many mud puddles as she can find. But, she also loves quiet mornings snoozing between Mom and Dad. She is smart and beautiful!

Kelcie Willis: Sasha is a beagle/Chow Chow (and more!) mix. She was adopted from DeKalb County Animal Services in 2019. On top of being extremely cute, she’s strong willed, food-motivated and eager to learn and play. She’s also quick to bow-wow-wow when she thinks something is amiss or wants a game of tug. She loves to get pets and likes other dogs, but she is very much a people lover. She’s never met a stranger!

Carolina Brown: Riley is a 2-year-old golden retriever who loves to play, sleep, and chase after golf balls in the yard! He is named after that Sanford Stadium favorite, “Baba O’Riley” since my husband and I met at a pre-game tailgate when I was a student.