UGA News

UGA receives $1.49 million grant for HIV, TB research training in Uganda

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Every year, 50,000 people die in East Africa from tuberculosis. Worldwide, 1.5 million people die from the disease. And when HIV infection is added to the mix, TB becomes even more deadly. The University of Georgia is fighting against these numbers with a new $1.49 million grant from the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health.

UGA is partnering with Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, to train Ugandan scientists in new and emerging methods increasingly important in understanding the complex transmission dynamics of HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis.

According to the World Health Organization, TB infections now rival HIV/AIDS as a leading cause of death from infectious diseases. Persons co-infected with TB and HIV are estimated to be 27-32 times more likely to develop active TB disease than persons without HIV.

“Infectious diseases do not respect human political borders,” said Dr. Christopher Whalen, the grant’s principal investigator and the Ernest Corn Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology in the UGA College of Public Health. “What is in Africa today could be in the U.S. tomorrow. Remember the concern about Ebola? It is better to contain infectious diseases at their source. To do this, you must build capacity in areas where the disease is most serious.”

UGA will use the five-year grant to enhance computational and molecular epidemiology training in tuberculosis and HIV in Uganda. To achieve this goal, the program will train two predoctoral students in molecular and computational epidemiology, offer non-degree technical training in computational epidemiology and bioinformatics, and support a variety of additional research and training activities in Uganda.

Training will be integrated into ongoing research projects Whalen is leading to investigate how social interactions that make up daily life in Uganda contribute to TB transmission in the context of a mature HIV epidemic.

Bioinformatics and computational epidemiology are currently not available in Uganda. “Disease transmission is difficult to study because it involves a community,” Whalen said. “Since it is not possible to study everyone in a community, we use the molecular and computational approaches to infer patterns of transmission within the community.”

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True and loyal be.

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

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.

UGA to launch inclusive, post-secondary education program in 2017

Students with intellectual or developmental disabilities will soon be able to enjoy the full UGA experience with the launch of a new inclusive post-secondary education program, Destination Dawgs, beginning in spring 2017.

The program, housed within the College of Family and Consumer Sciences’ Institute on Human Development and Disability, aims to assist those students’ transition into adulthood by fully immersing them in UGA life.

Destination Dawgs, still in development, aspires to have students reside in on-campus housing, audit classes and be supported by peer mentors who will assist the students in courses and on campus to improve their independent living skills.

“The goal is for Destination Dawgs participants to come out of the program with a platform for getting a good job and for leading a good adult life,” said Carol Britton Laws, an assistant clinical professor and coordinator of UGA’s Disability Studies Certificate program within the institute. “The unemployment rate for people with disabilities nationally is about 75 percent, and we’re trying to help students build skills and gain experiences that are marketable.”

Laws envisions a five-semester model with a small cohort of five students enrolling in the program in spring 2017.

Because students won’t enter the program through the regular admissions process, they will receive a certificate of completion rather than a degree.

The emphasis on developing and expanding post-secondary education opportunities in the state can be traced back to the founding of the Georgia Inclusive Postsecondary Education Consortium in 2011, which seeks to create opportunities for students who historically have not had access to postsecondary educational opportunities. The consortium is partly funded by the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities.

“What’s changing is that the students we have here now are what we call the ADA generation,” she said. “They’re the first generation of Americans born after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, and due to that and other legislation, they grew up with peers with intellectual differences in their classrooms to a greater extent than any of us did.”

Acknowledging disability is really about understanding diversity, Laws said.

“Disability is just one characteristic that is possible in human beings, but it is often a characteristic that is used to discriminate against a person or to limit their opportunities,” Laws said. “FACS has created a plan to increase the diversity of students within the college, and this program will fit with that.”

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World Kindness Day

This guest blog is written by Abby McHan ’17, strategic communications intern for the UGA Alumni Association. 

November 13 is World Kindness Day, a day that celebrates acts of kindness, no matter how large or small. This day is dedicated to encouraging others to make a small act of random kindness and pay it forward to others. Historically speaking, November 13 is the day that the World Kindness Movement was created at the Tokyo Conference in 1997. Like World Kindness Day, the movement was created in order to create global awareness for the necessity of kindness in our world.

The UGA Alumni Association is lucky to have an alumni base that understands the concept of giving back. Many graduates commit acts of kindness through their professional careers, from educating children to providing small businesses with the financial expertise necessary for growth. Recognition and thanks need be given to alumni who are involved with their alma mater and communities. However, kindness does not have to involve giving money. Here are some small acts of kindness you might work into your everyday life:

  • Show your friends how much you appreciate them by writing a letter or even sending a quick “hope you’re doing well” text message.
  • Pick up stray litter around your community.
  • Invite friends or family over for dinner.
  • Offer to carry something to the mail room for your coworker.
  • Give someone a shout-out on your social media accounts for a job well done.
  • Be kind to yourself and don’t be afraid to splurge a little. Let yourself eat that slice of cake!

Use this day to take a step back and look around. No matter what, don’t be afraid to reach out and lend a hand to those who might need an extra boost of kindness around you.

Interview with Ted Barco, director of the Student Veterans Resource Center

Screen Shot 2015-12-02 at 12.52.43 PMToday, the UGA Alumni Association is honored to recognize those Bulldogs who have served in the military. To highlight how UGA serves its student veteran population, Assistant Director of Communications Jamie Lewis (AB ’12, AB ’12) interviewed Ted Barco, the founding director of UGA’s Student Veterans Resource Center(SVRC).

Tell me about the history and mission of the SVRC. 

The SVRC was established in 2013 and is organized under the Office of the Dean of Students. Its mission is to serve as the go-to location for sensemaking, wayfinding and entry into an array of services provided by UGA and the surrounding community. We facilitate opportunities that enhance a student veteran’s ability to transition, perform, persist, graduate, and access a meaningful career path. The SVRC does this through a variety of methods and activities as shown in our operating model.

What are some barriers to success that veterans might encounter in school and how does the work of the SVRC assist in breaking down those barriers?

According to the Veterans Administration, only 48 percent of student veterans graduate from public universities and those that do take up to two years longer than traditional students. As non-traditional students, veterans face a myriad of obstacles to their success. Student veterans are:

  • More likely to be a first-generation college student
  • Less likely to participate in co-curricular activities
  • More likely to have responsibilities outside the classroom
  • Less likely to participate in experiential learning opportunities
  • More likely than not to run out of VA benefits before they graduate
  • More likely to perceive themselves to be more self-reliant than traditional students

The confluence of these factors creates a wickedly complex set of challenges to student veteran success that cannot be untangled by traditional stove-piped approaches.

How many student veterans do we have at UGA and what are the services they expect the SVRC to provide? 

Currently, we have more than 200 student veterans at UGA. The SVRC balances its role of being both a service provider and a facilitator of services. As a service provider, we offer specialized veterans orientation and activities, mentoring programs, work-study opportunities, awards, scholarships and more. As a facilitator of services, the SVRC offers connections to most services provided on campus and off, including admissions, financial aid, health care and career services.

UGA student veterans with President Jere W. Morehead (JD ’80)

How does private support help the SVRC?  

Financial support directly helps our student veterans succeed at UGA and beyond. About 65 percent of our student veterans are former enlisted service members who are using limited-duration VA educational benefits to pursue their degrees. About half support families while attending school, and a similar number work full- and part-time jobs. Many face the daunting challenge of exhausting their VA benefits before completing a degree, or managing an insufficient level of benefits that may not cover the cost of attending UGA. Others struggle to find a viable career path that includes financial aid, mentoring and job placement. Private support, which can also mean a donation of time, is able to bridge the gap created by these situations.

In response to these challenges, we are establishing a two-tier approach to private support. The first is financial. The SVRC offers many opportunities for naming rights of key SVRC spaces, establishment of scholarsips/programs and one-time awards, or contributions to support the SVRC’s emergency and/or operating funds. The second is experiential, which includes connecting students to meaningful summer internships and full-time career opportunities.

The SVRC recognizes every donor, regardless of the size of their gift, on a wall outside its facility. We can effectively leverage contributions ranging from $100 to $1,000,000 to assist in the success of our student veterans.

Finally, what are you most proud of about the SVRC and its students?

To their credit, our military-affiliated population competes on par with the general UGA population in terms of course load, GPA, completion rates and graduation rates.

In the last two years, UGA has been nationally recognized as Best for Vets, Military Friendly, and a Top Military College/University. This fall, for the first time, UGA gained national recognition as being in the top 15 percent of the nation’s student veterans programs.

To learn more about the SVRC, please visit its Facebook page. To support the SVRC, click here.

Former Georgia Bulldog endows scholarships at UGA

A.J. Green left his indelible stamp upon the Georgia football program as a playmaking pass catcher of recent vintage.  He has now created a greater, more lasting legacy through his generosity off the playing field.

Green and his wife Miranda have announced the endowment of two scholarships at his alma mater:  The A.J. Green Family Football Scholarship, intended to provide support for a student-athlete on the UGA football team, and the A.J. Green Family Scholarships, earmarked to support two need-based UGA students, with first preference going to students from Green’s home state of South Carolina.

The Greens will be honored for their contribution at an on-field recognition at the Georgia-Kentucky game on Nov. 7.

The Greens have stipulated that the recipient of their football scholarship represent UGA ”in an outstanding manner in the classroom as an honor student, on the playing field, in the community, and who also demonstrates a commitment to the University and its football program.”

”I’m very excited and very thankful that we were in the position to give back to the University of Georgia,” Green said.  ”My time at UGA is still close to my heart.  It was definitely important for me to give back while I’m still playing professionally and I’m fortunate that we are able to do that.”

The latter scholarship also holds a special place in A.J. Green’s heart.  He was inspired as a middle schooler by his football and basketball coach in his hometown of Summerville, Louis Mulkey, who died in 2007 while performing his day job as a Charleston firefighter.

”His big thing was helping kids realize their full potential,” Green said.  ”He pushed me every day to become the best I could be, on and off the field.  By giving back, and having the opportunity to pay the way for somebody who otherwise couldn’t, is a great way for me to help them realize their potential.  That was very important to me.”

The A.J. Green Family Scholarship is intended specifically to help at least two UGA students who have financial need.  First preference will be given to honor students from South Carolina.  Second preference will be given to similar students from the metro Atlanta area.  All recipients will be chosen by UGA’s Office of Student Financial Aid.

A native of Summerville, S.C., Green earned All-SEC honors in each year he played at Georgia (2008-10).  He ranks second in career TD catches (23), third in career receptions (166) and receiving yards (2,619), all despite playing just three seasons.  A freshman All-American in 2008, Green was regarded as one of the nation’s top wide receivers in both 2009 and 2010, when he was a Biletnikoff Award finalist each year.  He was the Bulldogs’ Offensive MVP as a sophomore in ’09 and the team’s overall MVP after the following season.

”We are deeply appreciative of A.J. and his wife Miranda for this wonderful gift,” said Georgia head football coach Mark Richt.  ”With this gift, they are creating a tremendous legacy — of giving back and helping the next young person fulfill his or her dreams.  Their generosity will endure for years to come. Continue reading.

UGA sets record high freshman retention rate

The University of Georgia has set a record in a key measure of student success: Its freshman retention rate increased by a full percentage point from 2014 to 2015 to reach 95.2 percent.

The freshman retention rate measures the percentage of a school’s first-time, first-year undergraduate students who continue at that school the next year. The national average for public, four-year institutions is 80 percent, and UGA’s 95 percent retention rate places it among the nation’s top universities in this measure.

“We continue to invest in faculty, staff and innovative programs to ensure that students at Georgia’s flagship university have an unparalleled learning experience,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “Our high retention rate is one sign that these investments are having a positive impact on student success.”

In addition to reaching a new height in freshman retention, UGA also saw its six-year graduation rate increase to 85.3 percent, another record that is well above the national average of 59 percent for four-year institutions. UGA’s four- and five-year graduation rates are 62.5 percent and 82.4 percent, respectively, which compare to national averages of 39.4 percent and 55.1 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

In fall 2016, UGA will become the largest public university in the nation to require that each of its students engage in hands-on learning-through internships, study abroad, service-learning, research and other forms of experiential learning-prior to graduation. Morehead noted that in addition to helping prepare students for careers or graduate school, experiential learning has been shown to enhance student learning and promote on-time graduation.

“Our graduation and retention rates are very strong, but we’re striving for greater success for our students in this important area,” Morehead said. “In addition to changing the lives of individuals, each additional UGA degree represents a significant contribution to the economic vitality of our state and nation.”

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The power of THANK YOU

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.

Ryan Seacrest to headline UGA’s spring Commencement ceremony

When Ryan Seacrest takes the stage for the University of Georgia’s spring Commencement ceremony on May 13, 2016, in Sanford Stadium, he will have two tasks—inspire a new class of UGA alumni and receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the university he attended as a freshman.

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved Seacrest’s honorary degree during its Oct. 14 meeting. Other than an earned doctorate, the honorary degree is the highest recognition UGA can bestow and is given to recognize a person who has a sustained record of achievements of lasting significance.

Seacrest holds pre-eminent positions in broadcast and cable television, as well as nationally syndicated radio and local radio. He is celebrated internationally as host of the top-rated prime-time talent showcase “American Idol” on Fox. He is host and executive producer of ABC’s annual New Year’s eve program, “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.” He also has an agreement with NBCUniversal that includes on-air broadcasting and producing duties across the NBC and E! networks.

On radio, Seacrest is host of “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” his market-topping nationally syndicated Los Angeles morning drive-time show for iHeart Media’s 102.7 KIIS-FM, as well as a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show.

Ryan-Seacrest

Seacrest is being honored by the university for his commitment to youth-oriented initiatives.

Seacrest’s philanthropic efforts include his service as chairman of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, which has opened eight broadcast media centers—known as Seacrest Studios—in pediatric hospitals across the country. Through these studios, patients have the opportunity to explore the creative realms of radio, television and new media and are provided with a variety of programming during their hospital stays. Students from local journalism schools intern with the studios to learn about broadcasting, programming and operating a multimedia center. 2015 40 Under 40 honoree Mamie Shepherd (ABJ ’13) is a program coordinator at the Ryan Seacrest Foundation.

“We look forward to welcoming Ryan Seacrest back to the UGA campus,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “Through Seacrest Studios, he has channeled his success into a source of comfort and creativity that has positively impacted the lives of pediatric patients and their families while providing significant learning opportunities for students. I am sure he will have a compelling message to deliver as the Commencement speaker.”

Seacrest is also honorary chair of the Grammy Foundation and is on the board of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Seacrest, who attended UGA in 1992, moved to Hollywood to pursue a broadcasting career that he began as a radio intern while attending Dunwoody High School. Twenty-four years later, he is known internationally for his work in television and radio.

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