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Leadership program accepting nominations

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This story, written by Charlie Bauder, was originally published on UGA Today on Aug. 3, 2023.

The University of Georgia continues to accept nominations for rising 10th and 11th graders to participate in the inaugural Youth LEAD Georgia class in January 2024.

This past January, UGA received a $1.5 million pledge from Chick-fil-A Inc. to support the development of Youth LEAD Georgia, a new UGA-led statewide youth leadership program, as well as an annual youth leadership summit at UGA.

Students participating in Youth LEAD Georgia. (Photo by Charlie Bauder)

Students participating in Youth LEAD Georgia. (Photo by Charlie Bauder)

“Communities of all sizes continue to nominate outstanding youth to participate in the program,” said Matt Bishop, director of the UGA J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, which is creating and implementing both Youth LEAD Georgia and the annual summit. “We are excited about the interest in Youth LEAD Georgia and look forward to assembling an inaugural class that represents all corners of the state.”

Nominations will remain open through Sept. 1 and nominated youth will have until Sept. 30 to complete their application.

An adult must nominate students, after which the student and their parent or guardian will receive an email with a link to the application form. For the selection committee to consider students, they must complete the entire application form.

Youth LEAD Georgia participants. (Photo by Charlie Bauder)

Youth LEAD Georgia participants. (Photo by Charlie Bauder)

There is no cost for student participants. Meals, transportation for tours and program activities, and program materials are available through the pledge from Chick-fil-A. Those selected for the inaugural Youth LEAD Georgia class will be expected to attend all sessions and will be invited to the annual summit in July 2024 at UGA.

During Youth LEAD Georgia, Fanning Institute faculty will work with the youth to build their leadership skills, develop awareness of issues facing Georgia and explore ways to apply their knowledge to issues within their communities. Also, youth will learn more about postsecondary opportunities, businesses and industries in Georgia.

To support youth in applying those leadership skills, Rodney Bullard, CEO of Atlanta-based nonprofit The Same House, has made a $100,000 gift over the next three years to UGA. Bullard’s gift will provide funding for Youth LEAD Georgia participants to plan and implement specific projects in their respective communities.

“This new gift to UGA’s Youth LEAD Georgia program will not only benefit our participants but also help these youth have a meaningful impact in their communities,” said Bishop. “We appreciate Rodney’s commitment to the program, and we look forward to working with both him and Chick-fil-A moving forward.”

Such an effort aligns with the mission of The Same House, Bullard said.

“Inspired by other leadership programs, Youth LEAD Georgia is exactly the kind of program of collegiality and collaboration that we want to foster in tomorrow’s leaders and as a legacy to the state of Georgia,” Bullard said. “It covers three of our key focus areas: youth, education and training, and community improvement and development through the service projects the participants will undertake over the next three years.”

Bullard, along with fellow Georgia businessman and colleague Fred Hicks, has been instrumental in shaping the programming and curriculum.

UGA will announce the inaugural Youth LEAD Georgia class this fall.

Those wishing to nominate a youth for Youth LEAD Georgia may do so here.

For more information on Youth LEAD Georgia, click here.

Travon Walker’s TW Foundation Donates To UGA Athletics

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This story was originally published on the UGA Athletics site on July 24, 2023.

Former Georgia Bulldog Travon Walker, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has donated $44,000 to UGA Athletic Association via the Travon Walker Foundation.

“The University of Georgia has made a major impact on my career in many ways,” Walker said. “Without the University of Georgia, to be honest, I really don’t know where I would be at this point. I’m truly grateful that I went to the University of Georgia, which helped instill me with leadership, integrity and discipline. One of the main things that made me contribute and give back to the University of Georgia was just the simple fact that the university poured so much into me. UGA helped provide me with the opportunity to continue my journey and do things that I like to do, which are to play football and go to school to get a great education. Those factors played a major role in my decision to attend the University of Georgia, and I’m extremely thankful about that decision.”

Walker’s gift is part of the Foundation’s #BlessUp44 campaign. The initiative will annually donate $4,400 44 times, synonymous with the jersey No. 44 Walker has worn throughout his football career. The donation to UGA represents 10 of those offerings for 2023.

The Walker Foundation’s donation has been specifically ear-marked for UGA Athletics’ Sports Medicine program and the purchase of specific equipment to assist in both rehab and training.

“We greatly appreciate Travon’s generous donation through the Travon Walker Foundation,” said Ron Courson, the UGA Athletic Association’s Executive Association Athletic Director for Sports Medicine. “Travon represented the University of Georgia extremely well both on and off the field and continues to make positive impacts now through his play in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars and in the community through his foundation. The funds will be used to purchase a Kineo Intelligent Load system. Kineo is a new generation robotic machine from Italy designed for both rehabilitation and training. It offers a wide variety of testing and training capabilities and is the first unit that can test with both open chain and closed chain. This gives us outstanding functional training capabilities and will greatly benefit our student-athletes.”

Walker was a standout at Upson-Lee High School in Thomaston, Ga., where he was named first-team all-state in football and second-team all-state in basketball as a senior. He was ranked among the nation’s top-10 defensive line prospects in the Class of 2019 by every major recruiting services.

Walker blossomed at Georgia and started at defensive tackle in all 15 games during the Bulldogs’ 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship season. As a junior, he tallied 37 tackles, 6.0 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss and a team-high 36 quarterback pressures, closing out his Georgia tenure with a career-best seven pressures in the national title win over Alabama. Walker was named SEC All-Freshman in balloting of league coaches in 2019 after recording 15 tackles, with 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. He helped clinch the SEC East title with a fourth-down sack at Auburn.

Walker became the fifth Georgia player to be selected first overall in the NFL Draft when he was chosen by the Jacksonville Jaguars. With the pick, Georgia tied Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and USC for the most first-overall picks by one institution at five. In his rookie season, Walker started 14 of 15 games played and recorded 49 tackles, 3.5 sacks, one interception, two passes defended and one forced fumble while helping the Jaguars reach the Playoffs for the first time since 2017.

About the Travon Walker Foundation 
The Travon Walker Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to helping the youth of today be where their feet are. We show young people how to use their strengths to identify, plan, and pursue their passions. The Travon Walker Foundation aims to inspire the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, and community builders. The foundation’s focus areas include job creation in Thomaston, Ga., (Travon’s hometown); business and financial literacy for youth; youth sports facility & equipment improvements; and community development in Thomaston.

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UGA three-year fundraising average hits record $235.1 million

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Donors have long been a powerful source of progress at the University of Georgia, and the past year was no exception. Private donations to UGA in fiscal year 2023 reached $242.8 million, the second-highest fundraising total in the university’s history.

“I want to express my sincere thanks to each and every donor for helping us continue to elevate the University of Georgia to new heights,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “UGA would be a vastly different place without the generous support of our alumni, friends and the UGA Foundation. Private giving helps faculty members raise the bar in their fields, helps connect communities across Georgia to university resources, and helps students achieve things they never thought possible.”

From July 2022 to June 2023, 71,223 donors contributed to UGA, resulting in the third consecutive year—and sixth year of the last seven—that donations have surpassed $200 million. The university’s three-year rolling average, which averages the three most recent years of giving, rose to a record $235.1 million—the third consecutive year this number has risen and the sixth consecutive year it has exceeded $200 million.

“What is so special about the UGA community is that their support is not just strong, it is always so consistent” said Neal Quirk, who chaired the UGA Foundation Board of Trustees during FY23. “Year in and year out, our donors give generously, and that reliable support is so very valuable. No matter what economic conditions arise, the university and its students can thrive thanks to the backing of our great alumni and friends. It makes our entire board very grateful and very proud.”

Over the course of the year, donors endowed 16 faculty positions, bringing UGA’s total to 356, and created 158 scholarship funds. In total, private giving established 301 endowed funds, which will provide reliable, long-term funding to a multitude of areas at the university.

But these numbers tell just a small part of the story. Donor support for UGA took many forms during the 2023 fiscal year. Among them:

  • The UGA College of Engineering is significantly expanding its work in electric mobility thanks to a $5 million investment from Georgia Power Company—the largest single gift ever made to the college. This funding will create scholarships for students pursuing an e-mobility certificate, support e-mobility research and facilitate a statewide e-mobility network and community partnerships.
  • A new, women-directed fundraising group, Georgia Women Give, launched in March to invite more women to become philanthropists and deepen their engagement with UGA. Since then, the group of 75 founding donors have raised over $1.8 million, all directed to three funds supporting scholarships, study away and UGA priority areas.
  • The UGA Poultry Science Building continued to receive significant support, including the largest single gift toward the building to date: a $3 million pledge from the Luther and Susie Harrison Foundation. The building—a 70,000+ square foot, state-of-the-art facility on D.W. Brooks Drive—will help make UGA the global epicenter of poultry science. Its doors will open this fall, with classes beginning in spring 2024.
  • A gift of $1.5 million that, along with a previous commitment, established the John and Alice Sands Offensive Coordinator position on the football team.
  • Chick-fil-A pledged $1.5 million to develop a new statewide youth leadership program and annual summit. The Youth LEAD Georgia program will provide college- and career-readiness through leadership development for 30 to 40 rising Georgia high school sophomores and juniors each year, and the summit will take place at UGA, bringing together high school students from each of Georgia’s 159 counties.

The University of Georgia’s annual Dawg Day of Giving provided perhaps the best example of how widespread support for UGA has become. On March 30, donors contributed 11,091 gifts to UGA in 24 hours, setting a single-day giving record at the university for the second year in a row. Donors hailed from all 50 states, and their gifts totaled $5.6 million.

The annual Senior Signature student giving campaign also set a record this year, with 3,377 members of the Class of 2023 donating to the class gift program, which has been in place since 1991. Parents of UGA students set high watermarks as well when the Parents Leadership Council both raised and awarded over $1 million to benefit campus organizations.

“UGA’s status as a powerhouse of academics and athletics relies so much on donor support. We just can’t thank our generous supporters enough,” said Jill S. Walton, interim vice president for development and alumni relations. “Our successes are in large part thanks to them, so watching that support grow is exciting—just imagine where our students, our university and our state will go next.”

Alumni among new UGA Foundation leadership, members

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Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia Foundation Board of Trustees approved changes in leadership and board positions during its annual June meeting in Greensboro, Georgia. These individuals’ terms began July 1. 

The board voted unanimously to elect Allison C. Ausband as chair for a two-year term running through June 30, 2025. She succeeds Neal J. Quirk Sr., whose term concluded June 30. The board also elected trustees E. Howard Young as executive vice-chair, Bonney S. Shuman as secretary, and James G. Cochran Jr. (Guyton) as treasurer. 

The UGA Foundation elected three new trustees who will join current members to comprise a 46-member board. Those individuals include Yvette K. Daniels, Edward R. Castro and Mark L. Jennings. 

The board also accorded emeritus status to six trustees: Eleanor F. Banister, Mark B. Chandler Sr., Jennifer D. Flanagan, Ted McMullan, John H. Crawford IV and Barry L. Storey. 

Two advisory trustees, Mark A. Kauffman and R. Scott Kingsfield, were elected to assist foundation committees in defining and achieving their strategic goals. 

Individuals with new positions or status in relation to the UGA Foundation are: 

Officers 

  • Allison C. Ausband, of McDonough, chair, is the executive vice president and chief customer experience officer for Delta Air Lines. She previously served as vice-chair, chair of the foundation’s Nominating and Trusteeship Committee, and strategic vice-chair. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from UGA in 1983. 
  • E. Howard Young, of Atlanta, vice-chair, is president of General Wholesale Beer Company. He previously served as chair of the Student Scholarships and University Initiatives Committee, and strategic vice-chair, which oversaw the Development Committee, Student Scholarships and University Initiatives Committee, and Special Projects. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from UGA in 1982. 
  • Bonney S. Shuman, of St. Simons Island, secretary, co-founded Stratix Corporation in 1983 and served as president and then CEO. She previously held the treasurer position, chaired the Finance Committee and, from 2017 to 2019, she was the UGA Alumni Association president. She earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from UGA in 1980. 
  • James G. Cochran Jr. (Guyton), of Carrollton, treasurer, is executive vice president and chief financial officer for Southwire Company, LLC. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from UGA in 1988. 

Elected Trustees

  • Yvette K. Daniels, of Stone Mountain, is the deputy director of workforce management for the Georgia Department of Public Health. Daniels is the immediate past president of the UGA Alumni Association. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from UGA in 1986 and a law degree from UGA in 1989. 
  • Edward R. Castro, of Atlanta, is the president of Ed Castro Landscaping in Roswell. He earned a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from UGA in 1988. 
  • Mark L. Jennings, of Watkinsville, is the owner of Athens Construction Group, LLC. 

Advisory Trustees

  • Mark A. Kauffman, of Atlanta, is the retired former owner and president of Kauffman Tire, Inc., and Treadmaxx Tire Distributors, Inc. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from UGA in 1984. 
  • R. Scott Kingsfield, of Atlanta, is a partner with Luminate Capital Partners. 

Ex-Officio Voting Trustee

  • C. Lee Zell, of Atlanta, has succeeded Yvette K. Daniels as UGA Alumni Association president. Zell earned a bachelor’s degree from UGA in 1996, and is a national account executive with WBD Sports, the sports marketing and broadcast arm of Warner Bros Discovery. 
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE UGA FOUNDATION

Family connection to UGA inspires commitment to giving and service

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Charlene Johnson Benn (BS ’85) had a connection to the University of Georgia before she could even walk. She was named after Charlayne Hunter-Gault (ABJ ’63), who was an award-winning journalist, foreign correspondent, civil rights activist and one of the two first Black students to attend UGA. Benn has big shoes to fill, and she takes honoring her namesake’s legacy very seriously.

Charlene’s family bleeds red and black–she, two of her siblings, her goddaughter and her children attended UGA. Their family’s journey at UGA began when her older sister, Dianne East (BBA ’83, MACC ’86), made the decision to enroll.

Dianne and Charlene babysat as teenagers for a neighborhood family who was deeply connected to UGA, and the family encouraged them to apply. Although neither of the sisters’ parents had graduated from high school, they had encouraged their children to prioritize their education. Dianne enrolled first, next was their brother, Albert Johnson Jr. (AB ’82), then Charlene.

“It was a no-brainer by then,” Charlene said of her decision to attend UGA. It was the only college she applied to.

Charlene and Charlayne Hunter-Gault pose for a photo

Charlene and Charlayne pose for a photo in the UGA Chapel.

The start of a family legacy

The three supported one another during their time at UGA, all sharing one car on campus and meeting up frequently for football games and other activities. When the Georgia Bulldogs won the college football national championship in 1980, Charlene and Dianne were cheering on their brother as he played in the Redcoat Band. After Dianne joined Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Zeta Psi Chapter, Charlene joined the sorority as well, an experience she said helped bring her out of her shell and make the most of her college experience.

As a student, Charlene devoted herself to uplifting UGA’s Black community. She served as president of Delta Sigma Theta as well as being involved in Pamoja Singers and the Committee for Black Cultural Programs.

Charlene has continued her service to the university as an alumnus through her giving efforts and membership on the UGA Alumni Association Board of Directors. She has had the opportunity to meet her namesake, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, a few times, an experience which deepened her emotional connection to UGA even further.

She served on the Black Alumni Leadership Council, focusing on ensuring that all alumni feel a sense of ownership and passion for continuing the legacy of Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Hamilton Holmes through their giving and their support of diversity and inclusion.

Continuing the legacy

When it was time for her children and goddaughter to apply to college, Charlene strongly urged them to attend UGA because of her own experience. Both of her daughters and her goddaughter chose to attend and remember being impressed by Charlene’s love and commitment for the university years after her graduation.

Charlene and her sister were overjoyed that her children had chosen UGA because it continued their family’s legacy and deepened their own connections to the university. She showed her daughters around campus during their orientation, pointing out places that were important to her along the way—places at which her daughters would go on to make their own memories.

Peyton Fraser (BS ’14, BSED ’14), Charlene’s youngest daughter, said that coming to UGA “felt like a sense of home.”

“Our family legacy made our experience unique,” she said.

Charlene's daughters pose in the stands at a UGA football game

Charlene’s daughters, Taylor and Peyton, pose in the stands at a UGA football game.

The impact of giving

Charlene’s family ties to the university have inspired her to give back. Both she and her sister received scholarships to attend UGA and are very grateful for the contributions that helped make their time at UGA possible. The two created a need-based scholarship in 2020 in support of minority students. The scholarship, called the Albert and Naomi Johnson Scholarship, is named in honor of their parents and empowers students who otherwise may not have been able to attend college.

“We wanted to make a path for anyone who really wants to get an education,” Charlene said. “Small scholarship funds made all the difference for us.”

Charlene credits UGA with her professional success. She got her first job after graduating from UGA at SunTrust (now Truist) after meeting her boss, a fellow Bulldog, at a UGA job fair. The job launched her lifelong career in information technology and financial services. She currently works as senior director of operations and technology strategy at Fiserv, a financial technology company.

“I will tell anyone that my attendance at the University of Georgia has made all the difference in my life,” she said.

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Delia Owens creates ecology fellowship at University of Georgia

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Delia Owens, author of “Where the Crawdads Sing,” recently made a $50,000 commitment to the University of Georgia to establish the Delia Owens Fellowship in Ecology.

For Owens, creating support for graduate students—specifically, doctoral students in Ecology or Integrative Conservation and Ecology in UGA’s Odum School of Ecology—is something that hits close to home.

“I remember what it’s like to be a graduate student,” said Owens, who received a bachelor’s of science in zoology from UGA in 1971. “I had been working for seven years, doing research for zero salary, when I decided to go to graduate school. I was basically broke, wondering how I was going to pay for it, when someone came along with a scholarship, and I’ve never forgotten that. So, I thought ‘well, I can do the same thing for other people.’”

The Thomasville native’s $50,000 pledge will be matched by the UGA Foundation to establish a $100,000 fund that will create the Odum School’s first doctoral student scholarship. Initially, the scholarship will prioritize summer stipends for Ph.D. students, who often go without support while performing field work in remote locations during the summer months, or for the development of research projects separate from those funded by students’ faculty mentors.

“I thank Dr. Owens for her generosity and express my gratitude to the UGA Foundation for their ongoing support of student scholars,” said Sonia Altizer, interim dean of the Odum School. “Scholarships like this one are crucial for recruiting and retaining outstanding, diverse graduate students to the Odum School, to produce the next generation of leaders in the field of ecology.”

The idea to create a fellowship came after UGA Libraries proposed that Owens donate her papers—manuscripts, records, field notes, research papers, and more—to the university’s Special Collections Libraries.

“I was so honored by that,” said Owens. “Just a couple of months into the publication of ‘Crawdads,’ they asked me to donate my archives. It’s something I hadn’t even thought about, but now it’s wonderful to know that my notes and so forth will be preserved.”

With her archives secured in a place where they could be of use to generations of students, it didn’t take long for Owens to consider other ways she could help UGA students. Owens chose ecology as her fund’s focus not just because it’s been at the center of her career—she co-wrote three non-fiction natural history books before “Where the Crawdads Sing”—but because she feels supporting the study of ecology is of the utmost importance.

Doctoral students from the Odum School of Ecology observe the landscape of Sapelo Island, Georgia, as part of an ecology course in 2022.

Doctoral students from the Odum School of Ecology observe the landscape of Sapelo Island, Georgia, as part of an ecology course in 2022.

“Ecology has always been important, but right now it’s critical,” said Owens. “We’re down at our own one-yard line. We’re not where we want to be right now with Earth. So, we have to do everything we can to keep our first-string in there, and hopefully this fellowship helps us do that.”

Owens becoming a graduate student may have seemed unlikely before she went to UGA—“In high school, my friends never thought of me as a good student”—but she credits a liberating experience in Athens for opening a world of possibilities to her.

“Just opening the catalog and seeing all the courses I could take was eye-opening,” said Owens. “I knew I loved nature, but I had never seen all the details of how I could explore that. And I had a great professor, Dr. Murray Blum, who made me realize how connected all the different sciences are. It felt like he really brought me into the field of science more than just teaching me as a student.”

That feeling is one she hopes her fellowship can help students experience: realizing that they can be a valuable part of the scientific community, even as a student.

“That was an important part of the process,” said Owens. “A lot of people fail when they perceive this huge line between student and scientist. But if you have the right help, you realize ‘I can do this,’ and you can start passing that line early on in your career.”

Owens currently lives in North Carolina, where she is working on her next novel, a story of mystery, romance and nature that weaves an ecological message into the narrative.

More information on UGA Graduate School scholarship and fellowship opportunities can be found at grad.uga.edu/funding.

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2023 UGA graduates set class giving record

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Senior Signature campaign supports strong overall student giving

Each University of Georgia graduating class contributes a gift to the university to mark their legacy on campus for generations of students to come, and the Class of 2023 has taken this tradition to new levels.

The 2023 graduating class set a record when 3,377 of them—more than any other year—contributed over $112,000 through Senior Signature, the university’s class gift program that has been in place since 1991. Undergraduate, graduate and professional students were invited to participate in the campaign.

Madison Polk, Class of 2023

Madison Polk, outgoing president of the UGA Student Alumni Council and the 2022 Homecoming Queen, is proud of her peers for giving back in record numbers through Senior Signature.

“I am so proud of my fellow members of the Class of 2023,” said Madison Polk, outgoing president of the UGA Student Alumni Council and the 2022 Homecoming Queen. “Even in a challenging economic environment, the students at UGA right now are driven by their passions and are committed to leaving things better than they found them.”

The minimum Senior Signature donation is $30 and is an opportunity for students to learn how financial support can be designated to funds across campus in which students are interested. Each student donor is invited to direct $20 of their gift to an area of campus that enhanced their student experience. This year, students contributed to more than 500 funds at UGA.

The remaining $10 of a student’s donation is pooled with peer gifts to provide grant funding to a student organization. Each student donor gets to vote on which organization receives the financial support to create awareness of philanthropic needs on campus. This year, student donors selected Period Project at UGA to receive the grant during the upcoming academic year to support its student-led initiatives.

In addition to supporting future generations of Bulldogs, student donors’ names will be engraved on the Class of 2023 plaque in Tate Plaza, just steps away from Sanford Stadium, Tate Student Center and Memorial Hall. The plaque will be installed ahead of Spring Commencement.

Record student giving
Polk and fellow members of the UGA Student Alumni Council engage their peers throughout the year to connect with alumni, to participate in campus traditions that enhance the student experience—and to give back philanthropically to UGA. Their efforts, which include hosting fundraising events, peer-to-peer education via social media and email, and tabling on campus during the 2022-2023 academic year, resulted in record levels of overall student giving to the university. More than 4,600 students contributed over $400,000 to support the university now and for generations to come.

“It’s not just seniors giving back,” said Polk. “Students even in their first years on campus contributed through initiatives such as Beat Week, Dawg Day of Giving, and other special fundraising campaigns. Paying it forward is a hallmark of being a Georgia Bulldog.”

To learn more about Senior Signature, go to alumni.uga.edu/seniorsignature.

UGA donors set record with 11,091 gifts in 24 hours

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University of Georgia supporters set a single-day giving record for the second consecutive year when donors made 11,091 gifts to the university during UGA’s Dawg Day of Giving on March 30.

“I am grateful to our amazing donors for their support on Dawg Day of Giving,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “We owe so much of our success to their strong and steadfast commitment to UGA’s progress. This outpouring of support will elevate our students, our university and our state for years to come.”

UGA’s goal for the day was 10,000 gifts—after reaching 9,339 gifts on last year’s giving day—and donors surpassed that mark around 10:45 p.m. EST. Gifts totaled $5.6 million, and donors hailed from all 50 states.

“I hope that every donor who contributed yesterday—whether they gave $5 or $500—understands the enormity of this day and their role in it,” said Kelly Kerner, UGA vice president for development and alumni relations. “This one day will impact Georgia for generations through scholarship support, enhanced campus resources and greater access to educational opportunities, and it’s all because of the Bulldog Nation.”

President Jere W. Morehead talks with a student at the 2023 Dawg Day of Giving event at Tate Plaza. (Photo by Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

President Jere W. Morehead talks with a student at the 2023 Dawg Day of Giving event at Tate Plaza. (Photo by Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

Giving challenges were a feature throughout the day, incentivizing donors to contribute by unlocking additional funds for UGA once a donation goal was met. Some challenges were open to all donors, while others looked for donations to a specific fund or from a specific audience, such as students, who surpassed their challenge goal with 1,264 donors. Schools and colleges also competed with one another for the most gifts to their area to unlock additional donations. Fulfilled challenges resulted in more than $100,000 in additional funding.

Notable Bulldogs and friends of the university helped promote Dawg Day of Giving, including head football coach Kirby Smart, Southern Living producer Ivy Odom Aponte and Atlanta meteorologist Chris Holcomb. Dawg Day of Giving events on campus energized students, faculty and staff, and more than two dozen UGA Alumni Association chapter events spurred donations from New York, San Diego, Chicago and elsewhere across the country.

“When we talk about the power of Bulldog Nation, this is precisely what we mean,” said Yvette Daniels, president of the UGA Alumni Association. “The unity and devotion this university inspires came to life in a beautiful way for Dawg Day of Giving. I am always proud to be a Bulldog, but especially so today.”

Those unable to donate on Dawg Day of Giving can still make a difference at UGA. Visit givingday.uga.edu to make a gift, learn more about the day and see leaderboards for a variety of giving categories.

2023 Dawg Day of Giving event at Tate Plaza. (Photo by Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

2023 Dawg Day of Giving event at Tate Plaza. (Photo by Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

Dawg Day of Giving results

UGA CARE Center receives major gift with touching dedication

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Elliott Marsh (BSA ’02, MAL ’11) is highly involved in his alma mater, serving on the board of directors of the University of Georgia Alumni Association and having been a president of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association, but his most recent commitment to the university is among his most personal.

For nearly eight years, Elliott’s father, Chris Marsh, suffered from Lewy Body Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. His mother, Annette Marsh, was Chris’s primary caretaker until she unexpectedly passed away from cancer. Throughout her husband’s illness, Annette struggled to find a diagnosis, care assistance at home and general information on care for dementia.

“My mom stood behind my dad, probably to her detriment,” said Elliott. “She sheltered all of us from some of the symptoms and issues that went along with his dementia and did not want it to take away from our lives.”

Following his father’s passing, Elliott, his wife Christy (BBA ’02), and their daughters Adison—a UGA student—and Annalee wanted to find a way to honor Chris and Annette’s memory while helping other families with similar medical histories. This drew the two to the UGA Cognitive Aging Research and Education (CARE) Center.

The CARE Center, a unit within the Institute of Gerontology in the College of Public Health, is a clinical, research and outreach space that delivers education on dementia risk reduction, conducts cutting-edge research and provides planning and support for persons with dementia and their care partners. Their team works to change dementia education, diagnosis, and support — expanding services to rural and underserved communities across the state. The mission of the CARE Center hit the Marshes close to home.

At a UGA Alumni Association board meeting last January, Elliott found himself in the College of Public Health listening to Marsha Davis, dean of the college, discuss the CARE Center and the impact it planned on having.

“I remember sitting there and almost starting to cry,” said Elliott. “What she described was exactly what my family needed.”

This impactful meeting convinced the Marshes that the CARE Center had the ability to affect millions across the state and the country suffering from dementia just like Elliott’s father. In memory of his parents, Elliott and Christy made a $25,000 gift to create the Chris and Annette Marsh CARE Center Student Support Fund to further the CARE Center’s life-changing mission.

“CARE faculty, staff and students see dementia differently,” said Dr. Lisa Renzi-Hammond, co-director of the CARE Center. “We see a Georgia with less care crisis, more access to early and accurate diagnosis, and in the long run, less dementia.”

“The Marsh family sees the same Georgia that we do, and their gift enables us to take students to the communities that need us most, allow students to see the beauty of Georgia’s rural communities, and form meaningful relationships with people in our rural communities that will change how our students approach their careers in health.”

Those who share the Marshes’ and the CARE Center’s aim to improve dementia outcomes can donate to the Chris and Annette Marsh CARE Center Student Support Fund.

“My parents modeled many traits in their lives including compassion, sacrifice, and commitment,” said Elliott. “They taught us to dream, care and counsel. Most of all they demonstrated and lived an undying love for each other and us. They touched many people in their lives, and I hope this gift helps to carry on that legacy of generosity and provide comfort to others in need.”

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Kelly Layton supports UGA’s future artists and designers

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University of Georgia alumna Kelly Layton made a significant investment in the future of the program that gave her her start with a $500,000 gift to create the Layton Graphic Design Endowment.

“Georgia has a great graphic design program, and more people need to know about it,” said Layton. “If you want to pursue art, UGA presents such a great opportunity: a quality program, a rich campus community and a well-rounded, liberal-arts education.”

The endowment will provide substantial support for the graphic design area—part of UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art. Graphic design is the most high-demand, selective major in the School of Art, and with her contribution, Layton hopes to both elevate the program and inspire future artists and designers.

“This gift will be transformative for graphic design and our students as we have minimal to no discretionary funds,” said Julie Spivey, graphic design professor and area chair. “We truly cannot thank Kelly enough.”

Layton, who received her bachelor of fine arts degree in 1990, is a longtime donor to the university along with her husband, Brent. Her gift came after a campus visit to the School of Art.

“I had not been to see the graphic design area since I was in school,” said Layton. “And after I went, met with the professors, listened to what the area’s needs were and sat in on a class, I knew the difference I could make and knew I had to contribute.”

Layton works on her senior portfolio in 1990.

Layton works on her senior portfolio in 1990.

Layton’s gift is the largest single commitment in the graphic design area’s history. Spivey, along with the rest of the graphic design faculty, believe that the endowment will help to further improve the small, but accomplished area of study.

Layton herself secured a design position at BellSouth after she graduated, and for half a decade, she climbed the ranks there until the tragic death of her younger sister led her to re-evaluate her life. She decided then to devote herself to supporting her family—she and Brent had a son two years prior to this decision and found they were expecting another two weeks after—and helping Brent grow his consulting business.

“I made sure to keep in touch with my art,” said Layton. “I made logos for my sons’ sports teams, did some volunteer graphic design for their schools, made logos for friends, calligraphy for weddings, things like that.”

The business she helped her husband grow opened doors that eventually led to him becoming president and COO of a company ranked 26 among the 2022 Fortune 500.

Brent and Kelly in 1987, just before that year's Georgia-Florida game.

Brent and Kelly in 1987, just before that year’s Georgia-Florida game.

Her family moved to St. Louis in 2010 and built a life there, but Georgia was never far from their minds—they continued to cheer for the Dawgs, and her oldest son even earned a master of science in business analytics degree last spring. Thanks in part to one of the Laytons’ neighbors, that affinity became something more in the last five years.

“Our neighbor was talking to us about all these organizations he was involved with, all this philanthropy, and he said, ‘First, you learn. Then, you earn. Then, you return,’” said Layton. “And I thought that was a great lesson. And so my husband and I decided: we’ve been blessed to earn a lot, we’re doing well, now we need to start returning.”

Since 2017, they have made numerous substantial gifts to UGA, committing to support—among other areas—athletics, scholarships targeting UGA students from their hometown, UGA’s study abroad program in Spain and now the graphic design endowment.

“The more involved we’ve gotten, the more connected we feel, and the more we want to do,” said Layton. “It’s been such a joy to get reconnected with the university in all these ways, to visit and feel the excitement of being on campus. We just feel like we’re home again, and this is where we want to be.”