The film investigates incidents of hunger, as experienced by millions of Americans, and proposes solutions to the problem. Filmmakers Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush focus on the lives of three people who wage a daily struggle against hunger, and speak with various experts about the possibility of ensuring that every American is well fed. Despite the fact that the nation has the means and resources to feed every hungry mouth, it’s estimated that one in four American children doesn’t get enough to eat. The film asks if we possess the capability to provide these starving children with a nutritious diet but fail to do so, what does that say about us as a society?

The event kicks off with a reception at 6 p.m. with refreshments provided by local restaurants Five & Ten, The National and Farm 255. The screening of the film will begin at 7:30 p.m. A panel discussion will follow. Panelists include Hugh Acheson (chef, author, restaurateur), Paula Farmer (Clarke County School District Nutrition Director), Spencer Frye (Georgia House Representative, District 118), and Erin Barger (Director, Action Ministries and Our Daily Bread Kitchen). Admission is $20, with the proceeds going to the Athens Farmer’s Market’s Double SNAP Program that doubles the “food stamp” benefits of low-income residents at the Athens Farmer’s Market.

The UGA students worked with community residents and businesses on the event as part of a Hunger in Our Schools, anew service-learning course focused on issues of food security as they relate to young people’s experiences in schools that was developed by Kathy Thompson, a clinical associate professor and Jennifer James, an associate professor, both in the UGA College of Education’s department of educational theory and practice.

Partial funding for this event came from a grant from the UGA Office of Service Learning.

For more information on the movie, visit:
www.takepart.com/place-at-the-table

Visit the event’s facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/events/452062751554729/

Bass

Johnson

Two University of Georgia College of Education graduate students—Tobie Bass Trudeau and Lindy Johnson—received the 2013 Bulldog Vision Award for their work in creating an inaugural international conference in language literacy education.

Out of 692 student organizations on the UGA campus, one Bulldog Vision Award is given each year by the H. Gordon and Francis S. Davis Student Organization Achievement & Recognition (SOAR) Award program to a student or group that has demonstrated outstanding leadership and vision. The award recognizes a student or group that has helped their organization and community envision the future, identify paths to success, and implement their vision for the betterment of their organization and community.

Johnson, a third-year doctoral student from Provo, Utah, and Tobie Bass Trudeau, a second-year doctoral student from Columbus, both majoring in language and literacy education, were recognized for conceptualizing and creating the Journal of Language and Literacy Education (JoLLE)’s inaugural national conference last spring.

The pair focused the first JoLLE Conference on the theme of Activist Literacies. More than 120 people participated in the conference with presenters coming from Australia, Canada and across the United States. The conference was deliberately linked to community organizations and activists from outside the scholarly community, and included classroom teachers and K-12 students.

The two visionaries also collaborated to create the Spring issue of JoLLE. They reviewed submissions, designed and produced an online issue that represented and perpetuated the rich flow of ideas and interactions that happened during the 2013 JoLLE “Activist Literacies” Conference. The issue will be published in May and will feature three keynote speakers from the JoLLE Conference. It will also include reflections from practicing members of the local community and selected papers from the many breakout sessions at the conference.

Johnson taught high school English in Boston Public Schools before coming to UGA. Her research focuses on helping teachers integrate new media literacies into their classrooms. Currently, she serves as Principal Editor of JOLLE.

Trudeau served as co-conference chair at the JoLLE 2013 Spring Conference.

The award was presented at the group’s annual award dinner April 10.

Crowell

University of Georgia College of Education graduate student Candice Crowell has received the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Predoctoral Fellowship from the American Psychological Association (APA).

Crowell, of Atlanta, is a third-year doctoral student in counseling psychology whose research focuses on African-American male sexuality education. Her dissertation will qualitatively investigate sexual health among heterosexual black men of Caribbean descent.

Crowell’s advisor, Edward Delgado-Romero, a professor in the department of counseling and human development services, will serve as her mentor in this APA Minority Fellowship Program.The fellowship includes funding that covers her tuition, as well as a stipend of $22,000 for the academic year. It also provides funding to attend the 2013 APA Convention July 31-Aug. 4 in Honolulu, Hi., where she will participate in professional development workshops and present a research poster.

Crowell received her M.S. in professional counseling and M.Ed. in English education, both from Georgia State University and her B.A. in English from Spelman College.

Pictured are: (L-R) left to right: CMSD graduate students Rebecca Benson, Emily Campos and Madyson Feit and Alice Sanderson, CMSD Clinical Assistant Professor and Audiologist

A group of UGA College of Education students in communication sciences helped the UGA Speech and Hearing Clinic publicize International Noise Awareness Day on Wednesday, April 24 at the Tate Student Center.  Grady Newsource Channel 15 reports on the story.

CMSD graduate students Emily Campos and Madyson Feit with Hairy Dawg at Tate Center.

Four doctoral students in the University Of Georgia College Of Education’s educational administration and policy program received scholarships and a fifth was recognized for his scholarly work at the program’s annual awards luncheon on April 19 at River’s Crossing.

Cole

Ray E. Bruce Academic Support Award
Jennifer Cole, an instructional coach at Winterville Elementary School in Clarke County, received the Ray E. Bruce Academic Support Award, which provides a $1,500 scholarship for a graduate student enrolled in the educational administration and policy program.

Cole, a second-year doctoral student, is a longtime educator who has received the Clarke County School District’s Foundation for Excellence Teacher of Excellence Award and held the Margaret and Raymond Ponsoldt Chair for Elementary School Teachers. She also led a team that received a CiviConnections Grant for Service Learning Projects funded by the Federal Corporation for National and Community Service and the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS).

As an instructional coach, Cole works closely with teachers and administrators to plan and implement professional learning linked directly to teachers’ needs. This led her to explore the relationship between data about teachers’ performance and their professional learning. She presented findings from this project at the NCSS annual conference in Washington D.C., and has presented other work at numerous local, state and national conferences.

After graduation, Cole plans to pursue school-based leadership positions that will allow her to continue her work in instructional supervision as a means to inform and support teacher growth that promotes student success.

Patel

David J. Mullen Scholarship
Heena Patel and Bradley Bowling both received David J. Mullen Scholarships. The $1,500 nonrenewable scholarship provides assistance to doctoral candidates preparing for a public school position in the educational administration, and policy program.

A native of Athens, Patel is en route to becoming a “Triple Dawg.” She earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and a master’s degree in educational administration and policy at UGA. Currently in her fifth year of teaching in Gwinnett County Public Schools, Patel strives to create meaningful and engaging lessons for her first graders each day.

Patel’s dissertation focuses on the charter school phenomenon occurring in Georgia. The purpose of her study is to investigate and identify the factors why many conversion charter schools revert back to traditional public school models. It also explores what the consequences may be when conversion charter schools “unconvert.” The intent of her study is to help Georgia policymakers clarify why the charter option is rarely sustainable for many public schools.

As she now focuses on completing her doctorate in educational leadership, she hopes to use this educational foundation to improve the learning experiences of not only her first grade class, but someday, classrooms throughout a school or district.

Bowling

Bowling, a veteran educator of 11 years, currently serves as an assistant principal at W.R. Coile Middle School in Athens and is pursuing his Ed.D. in educational leadership at UGA.

Bowling, who earned a B.S. degree in psychology and an L-5 leadership certification from UGA, in addition to a M.Ed. in interrelated special education from North Georgia College and State University, studies interventions aimed at decreasing the dropout rate for low-socioeconomic African-American and Hispanic adolescent males.

During his career in the classroom, Bowling has worked with students with disabilities and created innovative programs and pedagogies in partnership with the community in an effort to provide young people with the skills, instruction and determination to live independently. A former coach, Bowling created and owns Bible, Basketball, Faith, and Football Camps through which he shares character virtues learned through sports but applicable to life with thousands of elementary age children He serves on the board of the North Georgia/North Coast Honduras Mission, through which he initiated a program to bring sports equipment and recreation programs to the children and youth of Honduras. He has and continues to inspire youth to refrain from drugs and gang violence, and encourages them to help their community as servant leaders in the face of poverty.

Bowling was appointed to the Athens Area Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Developmental Disabilities Board by Athens-Clarke County Mayor Nancy Denson and the Clarke County Commissioners in December, 2012. He also serves on the Athens First United Methodist Church Council.

Finklin

Carroll Wade McGuffey Scholarship
Rejer A. Finklin received the Carroll Wade McGuffey Scholarship. This $1,500 scholarship supports students whose studies include research into school organizations’ impact on teacher behavior, pupil behavior and/or pupil learning.

Finklin began her career in education as a secondary social studies teacher in Washington, Ga.  During this time, she developed an interest in the professional and social experiences of teachers of color working in rural settings. She also became interested in school leadership and the role it plays in recruiting and retaining teachers—specifically, how effective school leadership can alleviate teacher isolation and attrition rates for minority teachers in rural schools.

As part of her doctoral studies, Finklin has worked with her advising professor, April Peters-Hawkins, examining the role of the principalship in the shaping of school culture. Finklin’s dissertation will focus on the professional and social experiences of teachers of color that opt to leave rural teaching assignments for suburban and urban assignments. She has also completed requirements for the Certificate in Interdisciplinary Qualitative Studies with an interest in interview methodologies and case study.

Upon completion of her degree, Finklin hopes to pursue a post-doctorate opportunity and then enter an academic position where she can continue her research into the lives of teachers of color and rural education.

Deas

Faculty Scholar Award
Kendall Deas, a doctoral candidate from Sumter, S.C., received the Faculty Scholar Award for his exhibition of outstanding citizenship and academic progress.

Deas holds a B.S.F.S. degree from Georgetown University, a M.A. degree in globalization studies from Dartmouth College, a M.A. degree in political science from Washington University in St. Louis, and a M.A. degree in public policy from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also holds certificates in policy studies from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the University of Texas’s Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. Deas was a one-year Visiting Student at Mansfield College of Oxford University and in 1991 was named a Fulbright Scholar to Finland where he earned a diploma in international trade law at Turku International University.

At UGA, Deas has had papers accepted for presentation at several national and international conferences sponsored by the Education Law Association, National Education Finance Conference, and the American Society for Public Administration. This spring, he was one of two national finalists for the Ann Plato Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowship at Trinity College sponsored by the national Consortium for Faculty Diversity at Liberal Arts Colleges.

See more photos on COE Facebook.

Scott

University of Georgia College of Education graduate student Ciera Scott received the 2013 Mary Frances Early Award at the 13^th annual Mary Frances Early Lecture on April 2.

The lecture honors Mary Frances Early, the first African American to earn a degree from UGA, and her legacy at the university. The award is presented to a student at the lecture and recognizes their accomplishments at UGA.

Scott is a first-year doctoral student in the counseling psychology program at UGA.  She received her bachelor of arts degree in psychology with a Spanish minor from Mercer University in Macon in 2008. She then earned her masters of science degree in clinical mental health counseling from Mercer University in Atlanta in 2012.

Scott expects to graduate from her doctoral program in May 2016. Her research interests include depression and childhood trauma in minority women. After earning her doctorate, Scott plans to continue conducting research on childhood trauma in ethnic minority women, pursue a clinical career in a community mental health center conducting group therapy, and write books about her research.

The annual lecture recognizes Mary Frances Early’s dedication toward making UGA an institution of higher learning for all people. The lecture and award demonstrate the progress that has been made in achieving her vision as well as to identify the work that remains to be done.

The Mary Frances Early Lecture and Mary Frances Early Award is sponsored by the UGA Graduate School, Graduate and Professional Scholars and the Office of Institutional Diversity.

Thomas

Toney

Two College of Education students — Jordan Thomas and Collette Toney — were among 14 outstanding senior leaders honored by the University of Georgia’s Pandora Yearbook during a banquet on March 26 at the Tate Student Center.

Students, their hometowns and majors are:

• Danielle Burnette, McRae, political science
• Kasey Darley, Macon, chemistry
• Joseph Wells Ellenberg, Saint Simons Island, political science
• Justin Ernest, Norcross, finance
• Rebeka Geer, Auburn, NY, public relations
• Carlon Howard, Dublin, political science
• Melanie Lucash, Lawrenceville, health promotions and behavior
• Rashaida Melvin, Acworth, human development and family science
• Lauren Tiffany Robinson, Ball Ground, human development and family science
• Anesia Sandifer, Martinez, finance
• Adrienne Schwartzman, Suwanee, interdisciplinary studies in wilderness therapy
• Jordan Thomas, Alpharetta, sports management
• Collette Toney, Snellville, social studies education
• Fatima Youseff, Monroe, international affairs

“These students are some of the brightest and most committed individuals in the senior class,” said Donielle Ojeah Bell, senior coordinator for student activities and staff adviser for Pandora. “They’ve shown themselves to be leaders during their time at Georgia, and we fully expect that each of them will accomplish great things in the future.”

This year’s honorees were selected from among more than 30 nominees.

Nominations were accepted from faculty and staff members or from the students themselves. Students were interviewed by two faculty or staff members, and the scores from the interviews were combined with students’ GPAs to arrive at an overall score.

The 2013 Pandora Yearbook will be unveiled during the annual Pandora Premiere event on April 24 on the Tate Student Center Plaza.

Pandora Yearbook is a registered student organization within UGA’s Division of Student Affairs.

For more information, call 706/542-6396 or see http://pandora.uga.edu.

Thomas

University of Georgia sport management and public relations student Jordan Thomas has received national recognition for his work as an intern at a major entertainment corporation with a 2013 T. Howard Foundation Diversity Award.

The mission of the T. Howard Foundation is to diversify the multimedia and entertainment industry by increasing the representation of minority young men and women within it. The T. Howard Foundation partners with media industry leaders such as Time-Warner Cable, ESPN, Showtime and more to provide internships and development opportunities for minority students.

T. Howard  recognizes industry leaders in diversity at its annual Awards Dinner. A highlight of the event is the presentation of the prior internship class and recognition of their host companies. Thomas was recognized for his work as an intern with Comcast Corporation’s public relations department in the summer of 2012.

Thomas, a senior from Trenton, N.J., is pursuing a bachelor of arts in sport management in the College of Education and a bachelor of arts in journalism with a focus on public relations in the Grady College of Journalism.

Thomas works closely with students in UGA residence halls as a Resident Assistant. He creates programming, arranges company visits and workshops for individuals aspiring to work within the sport and entertainment industry. He also keeps students aware of all of the programs and events on UGA’s campus as the Public Relations representative of the student programming board of the University Union. Upon graduation, he plans to work in themarketing/communications field of the sporting industry.

He was presented the award in New York City at the T. Howard Foundation’s Annual Diversity Awards Dinner on March 20, 2013.

Fortson

Chandler Fortson, 22, of Jackson, graduated from the University of Georgia in Athens in December with a degree in Early Childhood Education. But the highlight of Fortson’s educational career at UGA did not take place in Athens, reports a feature story in the March 12 issue of the Jackson Progress-Argus.

Fortson was chosen to take part in a program that allowed her to do her semester of practice teaching in Quito, Ecuador. The semester in Quito finished her education degree at UGA, an experience that included classroom work in Clarke County elementary schools and in Costa Rica.

Erickson

Three University of Georgia College of Education graduate students were recognized for their research at the annual meeting of the Southeast chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (SEACSM), making UGA the first university to capture more than two awards at the SEACSM in one year.
The students—Michael Southern, Melissa Erickson and Terence Ryan—won three of the six highly competitive awards, enduring two levels of judging and a separate evaluation. The students, all majoring in exercise science, are advised by Kevin McCully, a professor in the department of kinesiology.

Ryan

Erickson, a first-year doctoral student from Augusta, won second place in the doctoral division for her research examining the mitochondrial response after endurance electrical stimulation training in persons with spinal cord injury.

Ryan, a third-year doctoral student from Palm Bay, Fla., won the third place prize for doctoral research for his work on reproducibility and methods to evaluate skeletal muscle and mitochondrial function.

Southern

Southern, a first-year master’s student from Greenville, S.C., won the best research poster at the master’s level for his work assessing the reproducibility of skeletal muscle oxidative function using near infrared spectroscopy.

In addition, McCully was elected president of the SEACSM and will serve a three-year term.

SEACSM is one of the largest chapters of the American College of Sports Medicine, which is the leading organization in exercise and sports medicine.