UGA to Host Young Students at Scholar Weekend

As many as 100 of the brightest middle and high school students in Georgia and nearby states will get their first taste of college courses during a Scholar Weekend Sept. 19-20 hosted by the University of Georgia College of Education’s Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development in partnership with Duke University and the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.

The UGA Scholar Weekend, directed by UGA’s Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development, is part of the Duke Talent Identification Program to identify academically talented children and provide resources to nurture and challenge each child’s abilities.

TIP scholars are identified through standardized test scores and invited to take the SAT or ACT in the 7th grade as part of the program. Those scoring exceptionally well are then invited to attend TIP’s Scholar Weekends where they are exposed to interesting and challenging topics not typically covered in middle or high school curricula.

This is the first of three Scholar Weekends planned this fall at UGA, which is one of only eight locations in the nation selected to be hosts. The second Scholar Weekend is scheduled for Oct. 17-18, and the third program will be held Dec. 5-6. Other sites include the University of South Carolina, Appalachian State University, New College in Sarasota, Fla., the University of Houston, the University of Kansas, Texas Christian University and Duke University’s main campus.

At TIP Scholar Weekends, students are introduced to the collegiate experience by participating in two days of intense study in one of the provided courses taught by UGA professors and Athens area school teachers. The overall goal is to enhance student skills, enrich the learning experience and foster an interest in college as well as specific collegiate majors.

The courses available for the Sept. 19 Scholar Weekend include “Introductory Robotics,” “Architecture: From Playhouses to Mansions,” “A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words: Creative Writing and Photography,” “To Climb the Great Wall: Fun with Mandarin Chinese,” “CSI: Plant Pathology,” “Biofuels: The Next Step?,” “Rube Goldberg Challenge,” “Psychology, Human Experience and the U.S. Military,” and “The Physics of the Nintendo Wii.”

Tuition for the Scholar Weekend on Sept. 19-20 is $395 for day students and $425 for overnight students. Some financial aid is available. Registration ends Sept. 1.

For more information on these programs and a printable registration sheet, see the Torrance Center’s Web site at www.coe.uga.edu/torrance/ or call (706) 542-5104.

UGA's Food Services Wins National Award

The University of Georgia’s Food Services recently received the top prize for a residence hall theme dinner from the National Association of Colleges and University Food Services.

UGA Food Services won both a gold and a national Loyal E. Horton Dining Award for its Jan. 22 “Spotlight on Broadway” dinner. The dinner was judged on menu selection, merchandising and presentation, marketing and overall impression—including the dinner’s “wow factor.”

“It’s significant for us because it’s a benchmark program,” said J. Michael Floyd, executive director of food services. “We use this program to constantly upgrade our services and see what we can do better for our customers. The national recognition is great, but the event is really for our customers.”

Served in all four dining halls, the “Spotlight on Broadway” dinner featured foods inspired by renowned New York City restaurants, indoor and outdoor décor and live entertainment.

The dining halls were decorated with outdoor marquees announcing the dinner. Inside were ticket counters, show posters and floor-to-ceiling displays reminiscent of Phantom of the Opera.

The menu included Oysters Rockefeller from Garrick, spinach gratin from Savoy Restaurant, pistachio cannoli from Rocco’s Pastry Shop and cheesecake bars with minted blueberries from Blue Hill Restaurant.

Athens Creative Theatre provided live vignettes from Broadway musicals, including Grease, Hairspray, Oklahoma and Wicked, during the dinner.

Bryan Varin, cafeteria manager at Snelling Dining Commons, spearheaded the project along with Snelling Dining Commons’ management. The idea for the dinner was a group effort, Varin said.

He said a Broadway dinner sounded like it would be fun for the students. Broadway hadn’t been done before and sounded like a good option, especially since entertainment is a major factor.

“Not only do we want to provide delicious food that we don’t serve everyday, we want to go above and beyond to really provide something memorable for the students,” Varin said.

In the dining halls, theme dinners are held about every four weeks throughout the school year, with new concepts debuting in the spring.

Planning, from dessert ingredients to center pieces, is already under way for the next round of dinners, which will include a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” dinner on Aug. 27, a “Five Star” dinner on Oct. 8, “Bulldog Bite” Homecoming dinner on Nov. 4, “Café Cretaceous” dinner on Jan. 28 and “Keep on Truckin’” dinner on March 25.

In addition to the national grand prize and the gold award, food services also won a bronze award for its retail outlet, The Red Clay Café. The award judged the diner on menu, marketing, food preparation and café design.

For its standard residence hall menu, food services won an honorable mention in the Residence Hall Dining Multiple Outlets/Concepts category.

World Experts Gather for UGA Flu Conference

The emergence of the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, in April has highlighted the influenza virus’s ability to constantly change. Natural and selective pressures allow the virus to evolve in ways that make it increasingly resistant to anti-viral drugs. The loss of immunity to the virus requires annual reformulation of vaccines to prevent against potentially pandemic strains.

In an effort to address the ongoing H1N1 pandemic and to prepare against future ones, leading influenza experts from around the world will gather at the University of Georgia for the third annual “Immunobiology of Influenza Virus Infection” conference at the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel on July 26-28.

The multi-disciplinary conference will provide a forum for virologists, immunologists and vaccine researchers from academia, government and industry to discuss advances in basic and applied influenza research.

It is organized by Andrew Park in the Odum School of Ecology, as well as Georgia Research Alliance Scholar Ralph Tripp and Professor S. Mark Tompkins in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s department of infectious diseases.

A particular aim of this year’s conference is to advance the use of mathematical modeling tools to predict the behavior of influenza virus and its interaction with hosts and the environment, according to Tompkins.

The conference features keynote speaker Dr. Jeffery Taubenberger from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health at the National Institute of Health, who will discuss the insights derived from his studies of the 1918 “Spanish” influenza on July 26.

Taubenberger hopes to shed light on the emergence, evolution, and severity of future influenza pandemics as well as seasonal influenza.

In 2007, the National Institutes of Health awarded the University of Georgia a $7.4 million contract to collaborate with Emory University through its Regional Center for Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance. Emory and UGA will receive a total of $32.8 million for over seven years for the Influenza Pathogenesis and Immunology Research Center, one of six national influenzas centers funded by the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The UGA Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study is also an external partner in a second $22.5 million NIH CEIRS contract to the University of Minnesota established to support parts of their avian influenza surveillance program.

For more information about the conference or to register, see http://www.virus-eid.org.

UGA Students Part of CURO Summer Program

Twenty-six undergraduates at the University of Georgia are spending eight weeks this summer immersed in research projects in their fields of interests through the Honors Program’s Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities.

The students, who have earned 2009 CURO summer fellowships, will be investigating various topics in disciplines such as physics, literature, psychology and veterinary medicine under the guidance of faculty in those fields. CURO has provided UGA students with these unique summer opportunities since 2001.

For more information on the Honors Program’s Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities, see http://www.uga.edu/honors/curo.

The 2009 CURO summer fellows are: Name, Hometown, Major(s) Christine Akoh, Athens, food science Sambita Basu, Griffin, chemistry Charles Blackburn, Roswell, English Corbin Busby, Woodstock, art history, English Kelly Cummings, Marietta, biological sciences Charles Ginn, Ellerslie, history, theater Erin Hansen, Lilburn, biology, psychology Dillon Horne, Loganville, comparative literature Tiffany Hu, Suwanee, microbiology Whitney Ingram, Stone Mountain, physics Daniel Jordan, Birmingham, Ala., comparative literature, anthropology Fahad Khan, Powder Springs, biology Max Klein, Marietta, biochemistry and molecular biology Susan Klodnicki, Marietta, biology, mathematics Bridget Mailley, Athens, international affairs Francisco Marrero, Columbus, chemistry Amar Mirza, Hiram, biochemistry and molecular biology Cody Nichol, Lilburn, German, psychology Emily Pierce, Lawrenceville, applied biotechnology (combined bachelor’s/master’s degrees) Akanksha Rajeurs, Roswell, biochemistry and molecular biology Al Ray III, Lithonia, cellular biology Joe Reynolds, Duluth, philosophy, psychology Matthew Sellers, Perry, chemistry, English Michael Slade, Ringgold, philosophy Alexandra Walker, Warner Robins, chemistry Shuyan Wei, Athens, biology.

UGA Holds Trial Gardens Event July 11

What began as a vacant lot of land and one man’s dream have blossomed into world-renowned research gardens, where materials from plant breeders across the world are tested and displayed each year.

The public can get a first-hand look at the University of Georgia Trial Gardens at its annual open house July 11 from 8 a.m. until noon. The gardens are located in Athens, between Snelling Dining Hall and the R. C. Wilson Pharmacy Building. Parking is available in the South Campus Parking Deck. The gardens are always open to visitors, free of charge.

During the annual open house, however, tours will be led by UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences horticulture professor Allan Armitage and his students. A well-known writer, speaker, researcher and teacher, Armitage spearheaded the gardens’ creation in 1982. The recipient of many awards, he has introduced several plants to the ornamental industry. His work with heat- and humidity-tolerant crops resulted in the national marketing program Athens Select. Approximately 30 plants have been introduced under the label, including Princess Pennisetum, Ragin Cajin Ruellia and Bonita Shea Begonia.

The author of 13 books, Armitage will have signed copies available at the open house. Advanced and novice gardeners visit the gardens throughout the year to gather ideas for their own gardens and to view the latest plant releases.

In addition to being a popular site for gardeners, CAES faculty and staff use it for research and teaching. The gardens are also a resource for breeders, retailers, growers, landscapers and consumers. A plant sale featuring interesting and hard-to-find plants is a new feature of this year’s open house. Rain barrels and garden art from a local artist will be available for purchase. The event will be held rain or shine and a donation of $5 is requested.

For more information or for directions, visit the Web site ugatrial.hort.uga.edu.

UGA Student Receives Harwell Scholarship

Jewelin Patulot, a senior from Stone Mountain majoring in early childhood education, has been awarded the 56th Paul Tappan Harwell Scholarship. She received an award of $750 and will use the money during her student teaching semester in the spring of 2010.

The scholarship is funded through a $25,000 donation that was made in 1983 by Donna D. Harwell Odum, a UGA alumna now residing in Franklin, N.C., in memory of her late husband, who graduated from UGA with a degree in business administration. The Harwell family stipulated that the fund would provide scholarships for students in the College of Education majoring in elementary (early childhood) education. With this year’s award, the fund will have provided $30,000 in scholarship support to worthy students.

The scholarship is awarded each year, based equally on financial need and academic achievement. Each applicant must submit an application form, a personal statement and three letters of recommendation. A committee of faculty members from elementary education makes the final decision.

Pair of UGA Administrators to Attend Forum

Two University of Georgia administrators have been invited to take part in the annual National Leadership Forum sponsored by the American Council on Education’s Office of Women in Higher Education.

Ruth Bettandorff, assistant vice president for academic affairs and director of UGA’s Gwinnett Campus, and Trish Kalivoda, associate vice president for public service and outreach, are among the 28 women from across the country attending the forum, to be held June 17-19 at the National Center for Higher Education in Washington, D.C.

Since 1977, ACE/OWHE National Leadership Forums have served as ACE’s principal means of identifying outstanding women and promoting their advancement to the highest levels of leadership in U.S. colleges, universities and associations.

Bettandorff assumed her position with the Gwinnett Campus in February after previously serving as associate director for learning services at UGA’s Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel. She is also a senior public service faculty member and holds an adjunct faculty position with UGA’s Department of Lifelong Education, Administration and Policy. Before coming to UGA, she held administrative positions with Kennesaw State University, Agnes Scott College and the University of Louisville.

Kalivoda has served in the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach since 2002, where she guides a number of initiatives. Previously she held positions in the Provost’s Office and in the Office of Instructional Development. She holds an adjunct faculty position with UGA’s Institute of Higher Education, and is a founding member of the university’s Teaching Academy.

UGA President, Vinson Institute Employee Honored

Michael Adams, president of the University of Georgia, and Mary Stakes, a retiring senior public service associate from the Carl Vinson Institute of UGA, recently received 2009 Governor’s Awards in the Humanities and were honored at the 24th Governor’s Awards in the Humanities luncheon, in Atlanta.

Adams received the award for his dedication to humanities based programs and projects at the University of Georgia and in the state. He was recognized for his leadership in historic preservation of the UGA campus and the impact that preservation has had in the campus culture and in the broader community. Stakes received the award for her continuing efforts to educate classroom teachers about Georgia history, government and civics.

Adams has been a champion for a variety of humanities activities since arriving in Athens in 1997 to serve as the president of UGA. He has revived the intercollegiate debate program, supported UGA’s involvement in the development of the New Georgia Encyclopedia and emphasized writing as critical to the undergraduate curriculum.

He has guided the development and implementation of a Campus Master Plan that emphasizes historic preservation and the creation of a learning environment that promotes intellectual curiosity. Under his leadership, restored buildings and green spaces serve as teaching tools for history, architecture, landscape design and related disciplines. Students, faculty, staff and visitors see Georgia’s history through these facilities.

For 30 years, Stakes has organized learning opportunities and summer teacher institutes for Georgia Teachers. She has obtained grant funding to enable teachers to attend conferences, such as “The Carter Presidency: Lessons for the 21st Century.” She has volunteered with the Georgia Council for the Social Studies and for the past five years has coordinated the Center for Civic Education’s “We the People: Project Citizen” program. She also is the co-author of The Georgia Studies Book, a textbook for the 8th grade, now in its third edition, and has published many teaching manuals, lesson plans and multimedia resources to assist teachers in meeting curriculum standards.

Adams and Stakes were among 10 award recipients. A complete list of recipients is available at http://www.georgiahumanities.org/programs/gov/awards.html.

UGA Conference to Host Top Latino Educators

Several of the nation’s top scholars in Latino education will speak at the University of Georgia next fall in the first Triennial Conference on Latino Education and Immigration, hosted by UGA’s Center for Latino Achievement and Success in Education.

The national three-day conference, titled Setting the Policy and Research Agenda, will focus on the Latino education achievement gap and ways to address the problem in the classroom as well as in legislatures and school boards. It is scheduled for Oct. 26-28 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel.

Speakers include Sylvia Mendez, longtime Latino civil rights leader; Alejandro Portes, professor of sociology at Princeton University and member of the National Academy of Science; Kris Gutierrez, professor at the University of California at Los Angeles and director of the Center for the Study of Urban Literacies; and Luis Moll, professor at the University of Arizona and one of America’s best known researchers on the connection between culture, psychology and education, especially as it relates to the education of Latino children in the United States. Registration for the three-day conference is $25 and available online at www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/conferences/2009/Oct/26/triennial.phtml.

More information on the conference can be found at www.coe.uga.edu/clase/conference/index.htm.

UGA Alumni Career Fair Set for June 3

The University of Georgia Career Center is hosting its fourth annual UGA Alumni Career Fair Wednesday, June 3, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Gwinnett Center Ballroom, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway.

This event is exclusively for UGA grads with all levels of experience and academic backgrounds. To sign up, see www.career.uga.edu. ; Walk-ups also are welcome, so bring your resume.

Employers can showcase their companies at the career fair and recruit top talent from the state’s flagship university. To register a business, see www.hireuga.com.

Last year, more than 600 grads and nearly 100 employers participated in the Alumni Career Fair.

For information about the Alumni Career Fair or the résumé-writing clinic, contact Alumni Career Director Nicole Lechene at (404) 266-2622 or nlechene@uga.edu.