UGA alumnus honors wife’s memory through lung cancer awareness efforts

/by

Today’s guest blog is brought to you by alumnus Blake Varner (BBA ’06). Since losing his wife, Angela Varner (AB ’07), to lung cancer, Blake has dedicated his time to raising awareness and funds for lung cancer research.

One in 14 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You may be surprised to learn that anyone with lungs, regardless of age or smoking history, can get this disease. I’d have never guessed that my wife, Angela, who I met at UGA, would be one of them.

When Angela was diagnosed with cancer, she was an otherwise healthy 29-year-old and an avid tennis player (she played club tennis at UGA). We had no idea that she was sick until she went through testing after giving birth to our second child. What we originally thought was a bad case of bronchitis turned out to be lung cancer.

After four short months and one heck of a fight, we lost Angela to lung cancer last February.

Significant research advances in the past decade have led to better treatments and more options for patients. The earlier lung cancer is found, the more treatment options exist – and the more likely it is that the disease can be cured.

In honor of Angela, I’ve committed to raising awareness and funds for lung cancer research. One of the ways I’ll do this is by participating in the Atlanta Free to Breathe Run/Walk August 22. Free to Breathe is dedicated to doubling lung cancer survival by 2022.

I encourage the UGA community to get involved with a cause you are passionate about, and if you’re able, please consider supporting Free to Breathe. You can sign up for the Run/Walk event at freetobreathe.org as an individual or start a team. Additionally, come play in a memorial golf tournament for Angela on Friday, September 4, before UGA kicks off its football season. A portion of the proceeds will go to Free to Breathe.

Everyone at UGA is welcome to join my 5K team, Built Ange Tough, or participate in the golf tournament. Registration and additional information regarding the golf tournament can be found here. We’d love to have the Bulldog Nation join us in the fight against lung cancer.

UGA’s Scott Angle selected to lead international agricultural organization

/by

J. Scott Angle, who has served as dean and director of UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences for the past decade, has announced that he will step down from his position to lead a global organization that works to alleviate hunger.

As president and CEO of the International Fertilizer Development Center, Angle will oversee an organization that has been active in nearly 100 countries and is focused on increasing food security and agricultural productivity through the development and transfer of effective and environmentally sound crop nutrient technology and agribusiness expertise.

“Over the past decade, Dean Angle has provided outstanding leadership to the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,” President Morehead said. “He has been one of the strongest champions of UGA’s land-grant mission, working tirelessly to connect the vast resources of the college to the challenges and opportunities faced by the agriculture industry across the state. We are grateful for his many years of dedicated service and wish him well in this new endeavor.”

Continue reading this story.