Knoblich

Andrew John Knoblich, a master’s student in professional school counseling, is featured as this week’s (Sept 30-Oct  4) Amazing Student on the UGA home page.

Vang deadlifting at Junior Worlds with Club Powerlifting alumnus Brooks Conway coaching him.

College of Education student James Vang came home ranked fourth in the world in his age group and weight class after competing in the International Powerlifting Federation’s Junior World Championships in Killeen, Texas.

Vang, a junior from Bethlehem majoring in health and physical education, placed fourth in the 20-23 year-old age group and 145-pound weight class in his international debut for the U.S. National Powerlifting Team at the Aug 26-Sept. 1 event.

Powerlifting is a strength sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press and deadlift. The squat is a weightlifting exercise in which one squats and stands while holding a weighted barbell supported by the back of the shoulders. The bench press is an exercise in which one lays on his or her back, lowers a weight to chest level, and then pushes it back up until the arms are straight. The deadlift is an exercise in which one lifts a loaded barbell off the ground from a stabilized, bent over position.

A native of Appleton, Wis., Vang has only been lifting for about two years at UGA. In the competition, which drew lifters from 32 countries around the world, Vang was not only representing Wisconsin and UGA, but also the Hmong-American people.

“Being able to lift on the team as the first generation of Hmong people is a stepping stone not only for me in the sport, but also for Hmong-Americans as a whole,” he said.

Vang bench pressed 369 pounds, deadlifted 545 pounds and finished with 573 pounds on the squats for a total of 1,488 pounds.

“James appears to bring the same dedication to his powerlifting that he does to the classroom,”
said Bryan McCullick, professor and coordinator of the physical education program in the department of kinesiology.

Vang made the U.S. National Powerlifting Team by competing and being at the top of his weight class in two national meets.

But how did he become interested in powerlifting?

“I was always a lifter at heart, but just didn’t have any connections with anyone who knew about powerlifting. When powerlifting comes to mind many people think of the Olympics, but the Olympic lifts and Powerlifts are two totally different cultures,” said Vang.

In December 2011, Club Powerlifting at UGA held the Strongest Dawg competition which featured the squat, bench press and deadlift.

“I didn’t know what the deadlift was at first, but since it consisted of the bench and squat, I decided why not learn the deadlift as well and compete in it,” said Vang. “After two or three months of training for that meet at UGA, I won and met Mark Freeman, who is a UGA graduate student and head coach / president of the UGA Powerlifting Club.

“He guided my entire powerlifting career after that to Collegiate Nationals and I won there. He introduced me to many people who were heavily involved in powerlifting like Sherman Ledford and Brooks Conway,” he said.

After he graduates, Vang said he hopes to coach weightlifting classes at a high school or higher level education environment.
 

Chu

Tiffany Chu, simultaneously working toward both her bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree inn English Education, is featured as an Amazing Student on the UGA Home Page for the week beginning September 13.

Namdar

Bahadir Namdar  and Shannon Dubois, doctoral students in science education, were among two dozen young scholars who discussed their research projects with experienced mentors at the week-long  Sandra K. Abell Institute. The institute was co-hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Namdar was highlighted in a  video and article reporting the Institute on the AAAS website.

Namdar and Dubois and two visiting scholars at UGA — Betule Ekiz  and Selcan Kutucu were selected from over 50 applicants to attend this prestigious Institute. Namdar was highlighted in a  video and article reporting the Institute on the AAAS website.

Lance

Jennifer Lance (BS ’01, BSA ’04, MEd ’06), a high school science teacher and doctoral candidate in science education, is featured in the July 9 issue of the Atlanta Journal Constitution in an article titled, “A passion for teaching science in rural areas.”

L-R: Casey Mull, Dionne Rosser-Mims (Conference Organizer and Associate Director of Academics, Troy University), Jenny Jordan, and Katherine Adams

Three University of Georgia College of Education graduate students presented their research at the opening symposium of the 54th annual Adult Education Research Conference May 31 in St. Louis, Mo.

Katherine Adams, a PhD candidate; Jenny Jordan and Casey Mull, both fourth-year doctoral students, all in adult education, were invited to present their research titled, Boundary Spanning Roles in Communities & Organizations: Implications for Adult Educators at the conferences’ opening symposium.

The selection of their research for the plenary presentation in one of the most notable conferences in the field of adult education was significant because they are usually reserved for college presidents, titans of the field and well-known adult educators, said Adams. The three UGA students were also selected to write a paper that was submitted to the annual proceedings journal.

Jordan, of Bogart, is a UGA Extension 4-H specialist in volunteer and teen programs. Mull, of Athens, is a UGA Extension 4-H specialist in military programs. Adams, of Athens, is an: academic advisor in UGA’s Odum School of Ecology. Lorilee Sandmann, a professor in the department of lifelong education, administration, and policy, is the major professor for all three students.

Katie Leathers, Sarah Ann Visser and Shelly Gleaton received $1,000 awards to be used during their student teaching semester in fall 2013. The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree in the Early Childhood Education program is intended for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree and wish to gain teaching certification while working on a master’s degree.

Leathers

Leathers, of Conyers, is part of the early childhood certification option (ECCO) in the MAT program and is going to school while also holding a full-time job as a paraprofessional in Rockdale County. She will begin her student teaching semester in the 3^rd grade at Bethlehem Elementary in Barrow County.

The ECCO is designed for candidates seeking initial certification to teach children in Pre-K to grade 5. Candidates in ECCO are recommended for T4 certification after they successfully complete student teaching and submit a certification portfolio that is approved by the ECCO faculty. To obtain T4 certification, candidates must pass the appropriate GACE tests and submit an application for certification to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

Visser

Gleaton

Visser, of Athens, has worked in social services, elementary schools and childcare centers in the area since 2003. She has also taught pottery classes to children and adults with disabilities for the past seven years at Good Dirt Ceramics Studio. Visser is also in the ECCO program. She plans to integrate art into the regular classroom in student teaching. She also plans to earn a certification in Art Education. Visser hopes to teach in the Athens area after completing her degree.

Gleaton, of Monroe, was an assistant Pre-K teacher at the Goddard School in Atlanta for the 2011-12 school year. Gleaton will work with five-year old students at the Scuola Materna Cimabue in Modena, Italy this summer and she hopes to teach younger grades in the Athens or Atlanta area after graduation.

Paschal

Danbury

University of Georgia College of Education students Caroline Paschal and Samantha Danbury have received Paul Tappan Harwell Scholarships for 2013.

The scholarships are awarded annually by the department of educational theory and practice to early childhood education majors. Both students will receive awards of $750 to use during their student teaching semester in fall 2013.

Paschal, a senior from Alpharetta, does volunteer work with the After School Program at Barrow Elementary School in Athens. She also participated in the UGA Relay for Life, UGA Miracle. Paschal has made the Dean’s List from 2010-12, has been a Hope Scholarship recipient from 2010-13, was a Presidential Scholar in spring 2011 and 2012, and has received the Del Jones Memorial Scholarship from the department of educational theory and practice.

Danbury, a senior from Cumming, received the Presidential Scholar Award in 2012 and was on the Dean’s List. She has tutored children in the Clarke County School District and is currently working as a substitute teacher in the district. During her summers, she has worked at Montessori Kids Academy in Cumming.

UGA alumna Donna Harwell Odum donated $25,000 in 1983 to establish the Paul Tappan Harwell Scholarship Fund in honor of her late husband, who graduated from UGA with a degree in business administration. The Harwell family stipulated that the purpose of the fund is to provide scholarships for students in the College of Education majoring in early childhood education. The fund has provided $38,250 in scholarship support.

Lance

Jennifer Lance, a doctoral candidate in science education and a high school science teacher in Wilkes County, has received a Berneta Minkwitz Scholarship of $10,000 for the 2013-14 academic year from the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, a proffesional honor society for women educators.

Lance, who has taught for the past nine years at Washington-Wilkes Comprehensive High School in Wilkes County, was one of just 24 students across the nation to receive the scholarship.

Lance has already earned a M.Ed. (2006) in science education, B.S.A. (2002) in horticulture, and B.S. (2001) in plant biology from UGA. She is a student of Mary Atwater, professor of science education. Lance will begin teaching at Oconee County High School in fall 2013.

Scholarship recipients must have earned a bachelor’s degree, be enrolled in a recognized graduate program and have been a society member for at least three years to qualify for consideration.

The Society promotes excellence in education and personal and professional growth of women educators, leading in the field of graduate scholarships given to members and emphasizing leadership development for its more than 90,000 members in 18 countries.

Since its scholarship program began in 1940, the Society has given 1,043 women educators $4 million in scholarships.

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/