Written by Whitten: Year-End Gratitude

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ProvostPamelaWhittenTo celebrate the end of the year, the UGA Alumni Association is featuring a post from Written by Whitten, Provost Pamela Whitten’s blog. 

As we approach the end of 2015, the University of Georgia community has so much to be proud of—and so much to look forward to in 2016.

Our students set several new academic records that reflect their extraordinary talent and the outstanding instruction and mentorship they receive from our faculty. Our freshman retention rate, for example, climbed by a full percentage point to reach a record 95.2 percent, and our six-year graduation rate climbed to 85.3 percent.

Students in our Honors Program earned some of the world’s top academic awards—including the Marshall, Truman and Udall Scholarships—and our faculty members received some of the nation’s most competitive teaching awards. In one notable example, UGA was the only university in the nation with two recipients of the Beckman Award for teaching excellence—Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander in the Terry College of Business and Melisa “Misha” Cahnmann-Taylor in the College of Education.

Our research enterprise surged forward, as well, with a 7 percent increase in external funding in the past fiscal year. Some notable grants this year include $18.8 million for Athletic Association Professor Samantha Joye’s ongoing work to investigate the long-term effects of the BP oil spill; an $8.2 million project led by associate professor Ted Futris in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences to improve the lives of children and families in the child welfare system; and a $1.9 million grant to professor Richard Gordon to make UGA’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies Institute a National Resource Center for Latin American Studies. The success of these faculty members and many others in garnering support for their research in an extremely competitive funding environment is an indication of the quality of their work and its impact on our nation and world. Our faculty members are truly leaders in their fields.

Our dedicated faculty and staff in our Public Service and Outreach units reached across the state to strengthen the economy and enhance quality of life. Our Small Business Development Center, one of eight PSO units, worked with more than 4,700 business owners and prospective entrepreneurs to help create more than 3,000 new jobs and launch more than 330 new businesses. Marine Extension recently opened the state’s first oyster hatchery to help revive a once-thriving coastal industry, and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government trained more than 22,000 elected officials and public employees.

And last but certainly not least, our alumni and other supporters helped us achieve a new fundraising record that will result in more scholarship support for students and more endowed chairs to help attract and retain the world’s top faculty.

The accomplishments noted above and the many others that are too numerous to be listed here are the result of the dedication of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and other supporters. As 2015 draws to a close and we prepare for 2016, I’d like to once again express my appreciation for the many people who make the University of Georgia one of the nation’s leading public universities.

End of the Year Reflection

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Meredith GurleyPlease read the following note from Meredith Gurley Johnson (BSFCS ’00), executive director of the UGA Alumni Association:

The year is coming to a close and I am enjoying taking a look back at the previous 12 months – what a year it has been!

The successes we have enjoyed would not be possible without the continued support of our generous donors, loyal alumni, friends, parents, UGA faculty and students. The UGA Alumni Association’s priority is to serve our university by fostering strong relationships between our nearly 300,000 alumni and the university’s exceptional students.

I am personally thankful and proud of the Alumni Association’s staff, board members and volunteers for all that they have accomplished in 2015. Together, we created an updated strategic plan and are proposing new events and activities that will connect alumni to UGA in meaningful ways.

While there is plenty of which we should be proud, we are eagerly looking forward to 2016 and all the “new” that the New Year will bring. We will be launching an updated chapter structure, accompanied by new regional events and programs that will further connect alumni to students and the university. We will also be unveiling a new website and other digital communications resources for alumni and friends.

The work we do influences the lives of young people and that motivates us to accelerate our strategic plan to further engage alumni in the coming years.

Again, I thank those individuals who have helped us achieve so much thus far, and I invite anyone who is passionate about UGA to contact the Alumni Association to find out how they can play a role in what we do.

Happy holidays from the UGA Alumni Association – Go Dawgs!

Alumnus Spotlight: Drew Cronic (BSED ’97)

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Drew Cronic (BSED ’97) was recently honored as the American Football Coaches Association’s NAIA Region 1 Coach of the Year. Cronic has been a member of Reinhardt University’s football program since 2012, and was named head coach in 2015. In the span of a few months, he has led Reinhardt into its best season record yet, with nine wins and just two losses.

Drew Cronic

For Cronic, this passion for athletic achievement is nothing new. While at UGA, he was a member of the football team where he earned varsity letters and Southeastern Conference All-Academic honors in 1996 and 1997. After graduation, Drew continued to pursue his passion as a graduate assistant coach at the University of West Georgia, and continued to develop at other programs, such as Furman, James Madison, and Central High School in Carrolton, Georgia.

Reinhardt Director of Athletics Bill Popp said, “I’m so proud of the accomplishments of our football program, and this is one of those ‘icing on the cake’ moments for Coach Cronic. I could not be more proud of him and the young men on that team for the job they did this year. This is a very well-deserved honor for Drew Cronic.”

On the other hand, Cronic believes that the team won this award, and is looking forward to the future of coaching this young football program.

“Head coaches win awards because assistant coaches and players do an amazing job,” Cronic said. “Really, I consider this a team award. This was the year we were really able to put Reinhardt on the map and start turning some heads around the country.”

University of Georgia alumnus to lead USG Board

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The Board of Regents, the 19-member governing body for the University System of Georgia, elected new officers for 2016 on November 11.

Kessel Stelling (BBA ’78) was elected as chairman of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. Stelling, who currently is the Board of Regents’ vice chairman, will begin his one-year term as chairman January 1, 2016.

“In the eight years I’ve served on the Board of Regents, there have been significant positive changes within the University System of Georgia, and I understand we must continue to evolve in order to keep college affordable and ultimately grow our economy by graduating more Georgians,” said Stelling. “I’ve been fortunate to learn from the excellent chairmen who have come before me, and I look forward to serving as chairman of this outstanding board.”

Stelling is the chairman and CEO of Synovus, a financial services company based in Columbus, Georgia with approximately $28 billion in assets. Synovus provides commercial and retail banking, investment, and mortgage services to customers in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee. A Georgia native, Stelling is the Immediate Past Chairman of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the Terry College of Business, and serves on the board of directors of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Financial Services Roundtable.

Continue reading this story.

True and loyal be.

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Alma Mater, thee we’ll honor,

True and loyal be,

Ever crowned with praise and glory,

Georgia, hail to thee.

So goes the chorus of the University of Georgia Alma Mater. Words we proudly sing before football games and commencement ceremonies. Do we ever stop to reflect on their meaning?

Today is #GivingTuesday, a national day of philanthropy. Many spent Friday filling shopping bags with gifts, shopping local on Saturday, and scouring the internet for deals yesterday. Today is the first day of December and a symbolic beginning to the season of giving. Let us not forget the individuals and organizations that depend on our generosity to thrive.

UGA can sometimes be forgotten as a nonprofit worthy of that generosity. Tuition and state dollars do not fully fund the research, service and teaching that takes at the university; private giving closes the gap. Those donations fund scholarships for students who cannot afford to attend UGA (even with the HOPE Scholarship), incredible facilities to house endless hours of studying and teaching, events to promote networking and career exploration, and much more!

Today, UGA reminds you to keep it in mind when making your end-of-year gifts – no matter their size. Because when it comes to our alma mater, we hail to thee.

MAKE YOUR GIFT BEFORE MIDNIGHT!

UGA honors The Coca-Cola Foundation for its support of academics

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UGA recently honored The Coca-Cola Foundation for its legacy of supporting academics at the state’s flagship institution of higher education.

In an on-field presentation before the Nov. 21 football game, Coca-Cola representatives-Kirk Glaze, director of community partnerships; Gene Rackley (BBA ’90), director of federal government relations; and Scott Williamson (MMC ’92), vice president of public affairs and communications of Coca-Cola North America-were recognized by UGA officials for The Coca-Cola Foundation’s most recent gift of $1 million.

The money will provide additional funding for the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholars Program. UGA President Jere W. Morehead (JD ’80), Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Kelly Kerner and Coca-Cola First-Generation Scholars Angel Hogg ’18 and Michael Williams ’18 joined the representatives from Coca-Cola to accept the gift on behalf of the university.

“We are immensely grateful for the continued support of one of our state’s pre-eminent corporate partners,” Morehead said. “Coca-Cola’s generosity is providing vital support for deserving students from Georgia who are seeking to become the first in their families to earn a college degree.” Continue reading.

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!

Alumna recognized by L’Oreal Paris’ Women of Worth Program

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In May of 2009, Books for Keeps founder Melaney Smith (BBA ’89) met an Alps Road Elementary second-grader who was disappointed that school was breaking for summer. Why? When school ended, so did her access to books.

Smith wanted to help, and learned that many of the student’s classmates were in a similar situation. Without books, the reading skills some of these second graders had developed during the school year could decline over the summer, a circumstance recognized by educators as “summer slide”.

“I thought, ‘why doesn’t somebody do something about this?’  And then I thought, ‘I am somebody,’” said Smith.

Research led her to Dr. Jennifer Graff, a professor at the University of Georgia College of Education who co-authored a study on the topic.

Adopting the methods used in the study, Smith started Books for Keeps’ primary program: Stop Summer Slide! This flagship initiative provides 12 books to every child in the elementary schools served by Books for Keeps. In 2015, Stop Summer Slide! was offered to students in ten elementary schools, eight in Athens elementary schools and one each in Atlanta and Warrenton.

At the end of each school year, Books for Keeps hosts mock book fairs where the children come to their respective schools’ media center and select the books they would most like to own.

“If we expect them to read at home during the summer with no encouragement from adults, they have to have something they like to read,” Smith said.

Volunteers help children find the books they want, and ask the students questions to align book-collection needs for the following year. All schools in the program have been designated as Title 1 schools, which means 90 to 100 percent of students receive free or reduced lunch, Smith said.

This month, her efforts were rewarded with at $10,000 grant from the L’Oreal Paris’ Women of Worth program. Now Smith is in the running for an additional $25,000 to be determined by public vote and awarded at a ceremony in New York on December 1.

Click here to vote once per day for Smith to help Books for Keeps win $25,000.

Books for Keeps recently completed a plan to expand to all elementary Clarke County schools in Athens and at least five more in Atlanta.

“We don’t add a school until we have community support that we know will last,” she said. “Our expansion funds are seed money, but there has to be community support.”

She hopes exposure from the L’Oreal honor will help spread the word about Books for Keeps, particularly in Atlanta. And she hopes to meet and network with her fellow Women of Worth winners next month in New York.

If you would like to help, consider joining the Books for Keeps initiative by volunteering, donating books, offering a monetary gift, hosting a book drive, or spreading the word through social media and your daily personal interaction with others. Your contributions could make a difference in the life of a child.

UGA Miracle Rivalry Week

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Think back to your college days when the easiest way to make new friends outside of your residence hall was to get involved in a student organization. Through these small groups, you were able to make friends and shape your college experience. And although each student at UGA is different, they’re all brought together by a shared desire to beat Florida at the annual UGA vs UF football game. But this year, one student organization is taking the rivalry off the field.

This year, UGA Miracle has embraced the UGAvsUF rivalry and has turned it into something good. After a lot of planning and collaboration, UGA Miracle and the University of Florida’s Dance Marathon (DM) will compete against each other to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network and their respective Children’s Hospitals. Both organizations are competing with the same goal: to beat the other team “off-the-field.”

Since 1995, UGA Miracle has worked to raise money for the Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Beyond fundraising, students make hospital visits, plan events for the organization’s adopted “Miracle” children and families, and raise awareness for the hospital and Children’s Miracle Network. What started out as 300 members raising $20,000 in its first year has grown to 1,600 students raising $683,251 in 2015! Today, UGA Miracle is the largest campus organization at UGA. It will host its largest event, Dance Marathon, on February 20, 2016. For 24 hours, students and families will dance for those who cannot and help raise funds for Miracle children.

To kick off Rivalry Week, UGA Miracle hosted a Car Smash on Memorial Plaza. For a small fee, students could purchase the opportunity to smash a UF-themed vehicle. Today, UGA Miracle is hosting a series of percentage nights on St. Simons Island. Locations include Chick-Fil-a, Brogan’s, and Gnats Landing. The week’s events have raised funds for Children’s Miracle Network in the hopes of beating the University of Florida’s Dance Marathon. The winner will be revealed on Saturday, and there will be a surprise featuring one of the Miracle families during the first quarter of the game.

Alumni play a critical role in supporting UGA Miracle’s success. From the numerous donations to being involved in UGA Miracle as a student, there is no doubt that alumni have helped build the organization into what it is today.

By holding this week-long competition, the students of UGA Miracle hope to blow last year’s fundraising total out of the water and beat the Gators twice in one weekend. Interested in helping UGA Miracle reach their goal? Click here.

As their motto says, everything is “For the Kids,” so this week, help these students change the lives of the children of Children’s Healthcare.

The power of THANK YOU

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A recent UGA study found that a key ingredient to improving couples’ marriages might just be gratitude.

“We found that feeling appreciated and believing that your spouse values you directly influences how you feel about your marriage, how committed you are to it, and your belief that it will last,” said study co-author Ted Futris, an associate professor in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Last week, I stopped by my favorite bagel joint en route to work. The gentleman behind the counter remembered my “regular” and had it ready as soon as I paid. I left a generous tip as a thank you for his making me feel like a true “local.”

This morning, Executive Director of the UGA Alumni Association Meredith Gurley Johnson (BSFCS ’00) shared a number of handwritten thank you notes with our team. These were messages from alumni and friends who had attended recent events or been recognized as 40 Under 40 honorees during our luncheon last month in Atlanta. It was a wonderful way to begin a beautiful fall Friday morning.

Knowing the importance of saying thank you, the university strives to foster an “attitude of gratidude” among students, faculty and staff who benefit from the generous support of alumni and donors. We ask them to take a moment and recognize the benefits they enjoy as a result of others’ making a financial gift or volunteering their time. There are donor recognition events such as “Thank a Donor Day,” and numerous emails, cards, videos and phone calls to alumni and friends.

This morning, my team would like to take yet another moment to say thank you. We appreciate the support of so many who believe in the power of this place. UGA changes lives and makes the world a better place. Your gifts help make all of that possible.

Research like the study mentioned above, experiential learning opportunities like the International Genetically Engineered Machine Giant Jamboree in Boston (which the UGA Alumni Association helped sponsor thanks to unrestricted gifts to the Georgia Fund), and so much more.

If you have ever made a gift to the University of Georgia, pat yourself on the back this morning and accept a digital handshake (or hug!) from those of us at the UGA Alumni Association.

(And then watch this special thank you video from this year’s Thank A Donor Day!)

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This blog post was written by Elizabeth Elmore (ABJ ’08, BBA ’08), director of communications.