February 8th, 2010
Our Augusta Alumni Chapter is celebrating its fourth birthday February 9 and wants to invite all Bulldogs in the area to night of good food and fun. The Red & Black Birthday Bash will feature actor Steve Cook who does a wonderful impersonation of the late southern humorist Lewis Grizzard. Festivities get underway at 6:30 at Enterprise Mill. Click here for all the information. Special thanks to the Augusta Chronicle for helping sponsor the event.
February 8th, 2010
The Alumni Association is holding its spring Ring Week now through Friday, Feb. 12. It will take place daily from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at two campus locations, the UGA Bookstore and the Miller Learning Center (2nd floor). Wearing your UGA class ring says Tradition Never Graduates and is an outward symbol that tells the world you’re a proud University of Georgia graduate. The Alumni Association is proud to be the keeper of the official class ring. It’s available exclusively to those junior and senior students who have completed at least 60 credit hours. It’s also available to UGA alums who didn’t get a ring when they originally graduated. Check our web site if you have any questions about the official UGA Class Ring.
February 5th, 2010
Two UGA grads are participating in this weekend’s Savannah Book Festival. Featured UGA alums are Philip Lee Williams ‘72 and Lauretta Hannon ‘92.
Phil has penned 14 novels including The Heart of a Distant Forest, In the Morning, and his latest, The Campfire Boys, that came out last September.
Lauretta is a southern humorist, author of the popular book The Cracker Queen, where she describes growing up ”on the wrong side of the tracks.” The Savannah Book Festival starts today and runs through Sunday.
February 4th, 2010
I oftentimes say I have the best job on campus, and after a meeting with a group of young women earlier this week, I am thoroughly convinced that I have the best job on campus! It was my pleasure to address the UGA chapter of Delta Delta Delta sorority to discuss my job and the career path I took getting here. These were very engaging and respectful students…further evidence of the top notch quality we have at UGA. I want to thank them for asking me to speak and would welcome the opportunity again.
February 3rd, 2010
The hot, new country trio, Lady Antebellum, won its first Grammy Award last weekend. Two of the three members are UGA grads. Charles Kelley ‘04 and Dave Haywood ’04 are from the Columbia County town of Martinez, Ga. They took home the Grammy for ‘Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group.’ This is not the first recognition for Lady A. They also have won Top New Group honors from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. After singing their new song ‘Need You Know’ at the Grammys Sunday night, iTunes reported that it was the number one downloaded song. Congratulations and good luck!
February 2nd, 2010
Congratulations to the University of Georgia Graduate School celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Dean Maureen Grasso got things started last week with a centennial kickoff at the new Tate Center Grand Hall. The grad school was actually founded in June 1910 when Willis Henry Bocock was name the first dean and there were only seven students. Today the grad school boasts more than 7,000 students.
Last Thursday night it was my privilege to honor the grad school by presenting Dean Grasso with a proclamation from the Alumni Association, recognizing the importance of post undergraduate education at UGA. Visit the grad school’s web site for a complete run down of centennial activities throughout the year.
February 1st, 2010
Last Saturday night the Alumni Association honored 100 business owners and operators at our inaugural Bulldog 100: Fastest Growing Bulldog Businesses banquet. The venue at the InterContinental Hotel in Buckhead was spectacular with more than 500 attendees present. Special thanks to Aflac CEO Dan Amos for being our inaugural keynote speaker. Congratulations to Greg Hitson ‘94, owner of Hitson Land & Timber Management, Inc. in Port Orange, FL for being ranked the #1 Fastest Growing Bulldog Business. From 2006-2008, Greg’s company grew more than 370%! Please visit our web site if this is the first time you’re reading about the Bulldog 100 and click here to view the rankings. Nominations for the Bulldog 100, Class of 2011, will begin April 15.
January 29th, 2010
The University broke ground Thursday on a special collections library that will store rare and historial documents and other items. The 115,000-square-foot Richard B. Russell Building will take about two years to complete and cost about $45 million, a third of which is coming from private donations. The new South Hull Street facility will house the Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, along with the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscripts Library and the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection. UGA Library Director Bill Potter says the new building will include enough storage space to house another 40 years of collectable material.
January 28th, 2010
Today our Student Alumni Association presents the 10th annual 100 Days Until Graduation celebration. This year’s seniors are invited to drop by the Tate Center Plaza between 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. where there will be food, music and live entertainment. There also will be information about Senior Signature, our class ring program, the Career Center, UGA Graduate School, and general information about the Alumni Association, including how to join. The Class of 2010 has done a remarkable job during their four years at UGA, and I look forward to reading great things about them as they soon enter another phase in their lives.
January 27th, 2010
I hope to see you this afternoon at 3:00 in the UGA Chapel as we observe the 225th anniversary of the signing of the charter establishing the University of Georgia.
Dr. Gary Bertsch will present this year’s Founders’ Day lecture entitled “UGA and ‘the rising hope of our land’ in a New World Order.” Gary is the founding director and professor emeritus for UGA’s Center for International Trade and Security. Click here to read Gary’s entire text.
The student responder will be Josh McLaurin, a senior from Marietta majoring in International Affairs and Religion.
Also, our Student Alumni Council will be on campus today passing out cupcakes in celebration of the University’s birthday. The public is invited to attend this free event co-sponsored by the Alumni Association and the University’s Emeriti Scholars.
