Griffin Campus: Administration

Assistant Dean's News

Carrow is awarded Distinguished Service Award

The 2009 Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association Distinguished Service Award was presented to Dr. Bob Carrow, CAES - University of Georgia Griffin Campus, Crop and Soil Sciences on Monday, October 26 at the 2009 GGCSA Annual Meeting at the Evergreen Conference Resort in Stone Mountain. The Distinguished Service Award is one of the highest honors bestowed by the GGCSA. "Dr. Carrow is a true friend of GGCSA and golf course superintendents in Georgia. His commitment to growing the game of golf in Georgia is commendable, and we are proud to honor his efforts," stated Tenia Workman, Executive Director of GGCSA.

New Way to Diagnose Turfgrass Problems

iPhones can convert international currency, find a nearby five-star restaurant, help park your car and more. Thanks to some UGA experts, it now can help turfgrass managers diagnose and remedy turf problems. Patrick McCullough, a turf-weed scientist with the UGA Griffin Campus says he had been familiar with iPhone applications, and it sparked the idea of having a downloadable textbook for turfgrass. With input from turf specialist, Clint Waltz, entomologist Will Hudson and plant pathologist Alfredo Martinez, information from a library of turfgrass textbooks, complete with recommendations, is now easily accessible in the field. As Dr. McCullough said, "When textbooks are printed, they become out of date quickly, as new diseases or pests are identified. With this application, if something is new, we can add it right away. The technology will never be out of date." Please use this link for further information: http://www.uga.edu/aboutUGA/learn-turfgrass_iphone.html

Partners for a Prosperous Griffin-Spalding County

We are pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded a $1,000,000 grant to the Spalding Collaborative, under a new program, the Strengthening Communities Fund, created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. There were 35 nation-wide recipients who received this award, and only two of them were from Georgia. The purpose of the grant is to improve the ability of nonprofit organizations to promote the economic recovery of people with low incomes. The grant is a one-time, two-year award. The Nonprofit Capacity Building funds intermediary agencies, which also work with community organizations to enhance their economic recovery activities. Our very own Jeff Jordan, CAES - Agricultural and Applied Economics, is the Co-Director of the Partners for a Prosperous Griffin-Spalding County.

City of Griffin cruiser now UGA Griffin security vehicle

The City of Griffin has donated a surplus police car for use as a University of Georgia Griffin Campus security vehicle. Griffin Police Chief C. Frank Strickland and Lt. Darrell Dix delivered the vehicle to UGA Griffin Campus Assistant Provost Gerald Arkin and Physical Plant Superintendent Dale Hess. "This vehicle will go a long way toward helping to improve the safety of our students and employees," stated Dr. Arkin. Pictured left to right are Arkin, Hess, Strickland and Dix.

Local professor talks about native country of Jordan

Walid Alali, assistant professor at the Center for Food Safety, spoke to the Kiwanis Club of Griffin on October 28. Dr. C.J. Chang introduced him to the Club. His presentation was entitled "Jordan: A Hidden Jewel of the Middle East." To read the article, see Walid Alali

Kudos to...

Dr. Jim Demski, retired Plant Pathologist, recently hosted a tour group from Farm Credit Canada on the Griffin Campus. On Wednesday, September 23, a group of 40 people from Farm Credit Canada toured the Research & Education Garden, Center for Food Safety, Turfgrass Research, and the Weather Network Station. Dr. Demski rode on their bus and gave them some history about the Campus and shared some insight about his experiences here. The group was in Atlanta for an incentive trip and decided to visit our campus.

2009 Retiree Brunch

On Friday, September 11, the annual Retiree Brunch was held in the Stuckey Conference Center Auditorium. There were approximately 60 Retirees who returned to the Campus for the annual event. Following a time of fellowship, brunch was served and Dr. Jerry Arkin gave a presentation to the Retirees about the events that have happened since last year's Brunch and talked about the future of the Griffin Campus. Some of the events mentioned were the dedication ceremony of the Student Learning Center, the 2008 United Way Cardboard Boat Race, and the Graduation Receptions. After the brunch ended, several Retirees were given a tour of the new Student Learning Center.

Pictured above: seated - Dr. and Mrs. Webster Chandler; standing (l-r) Mrs. Turner Davis, Dr. Turner Davis, Dr. Jeff Daniell and Mrs. Jeff Daniell.

UGA honors Monique Leclerc with D.W. Brooks Award

University of Georgia atmospheric scientist Monique Leclerc was honored for her work Oct. 6 in Athens, Ga., during the annual D.W. Brooks Lecture and Faculty Awards for Excellence ceremony. Leclerc, a UGA Distinguished Research Professor was awarded the research award. For more, see D.W. Brooks Award.

Martinez honored for diversity efforts

Griffin Campus plant pathologist Alfredo Martinez was awarded the CAES Diversity Award on Oct. 6 during the annual D. W. Brooks Lecture. For more, see http://www.caes.uga.edu/unit/diversity/events/highlights/index.html

Food Science & Technology researcher uncovers way to provide antioxidant-rich water in a bottle

For ten years, UGA Griffin Campus scientist Yen-Con Hung has studied electrolyzed oxidized, or EO, water. EO water is created when a saltwater solution goes through an electrolysis process which separates the water's positive and negative ions. This makes two forms of water: one very acidic and one very alkaline.

Alkaline EO water functions as an antioxidant, but it can be unstable in that its antioxidant capacity can quickly change from a strong antioxidant to a strong oxidation agent. The UGA Research Foundation has filed for a patent on Hung's process that allows the alkaline EO water to be bottled with its high antioxidant benefits remaining stable for more than six months. Dr. Hung explains that the water isn't new, but what is new is alkaline EO water as a bottled product in the marketplace.

There is no taste difference between alkaline EO water and traditional bottled waters. Dr. Hung says it's just like drinking water you are used to, but you get many additional benefits, and the cost shouldn't be much more than currently available bottled waters. The next step will be to find a company that wants to license the technology and begin providing the water to the public.

Scientists in the UGA CAES are studying ways to use the acidic EO water produced with the electrolysis process to control food-borne pathogens on plastic kitchen cutting boards, fresh poultry and lettuce, and to fight diseases on greenhouse plants. The water drastically cuts down the levels of salmonella and campylobacter on chicken carcasses, and it would be a very effective addition to chicken processing plants. Acidic EO water can be up to ten times more effective at killing harmful bacteria than traditional methods.

Chinnan named winner of Food Engineering Award

The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers has named Manjeet S. Chinnan, Professor of Food Engineering in the Food Science and Technology and the Biological and Agricultural Engineering departments, winner of the 2009 International Association of Food Industry Suppliers and the Food and Process Engineering Institute (IAFIS-FPEI) Distinguished Food Engineering Award. The award was presented June 24 in Reno, Nevada, at the 2009 ASABE Annual International Meeting.

Dr. Chinnan was selected in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments as an educator and researcher in food engineering, which have impacted the health and well being of underserved populations worldwide. He led a team of researchers in the implementation of a 10-year project of the U.S. Agency for International Development that resulted in the development of new products and transfer of processing technologies to private industries in Bulgaria and neighboring regions. He assisted in the commercialization of vitamin-A-fortified peanut butter to alleviate deficiency of this essential nutrient among the economically disadvantaged in the Philippines.

Congratulations to the following:

Gary A. Pederson, the Griffin Campus director of the Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit (USDA), has been notified that he was selected as a Fellow in both the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America. He will receive these awards at the annual American Society of Agronomy - Crop Science of America annual meeting in Pittsburgh this November. It is a very special honor to be selected for both ASA and CSSA Fellow in the same year.

Dr. Jennifer (Jen) Williams, assistant professor for the Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication program on the Griffin Campus, has been notified that she has been awarded one of the ten positions in the 2009-2011 Lilly Teaching Fellows. Jean Martin-Williams, the director of the Lilly Teaching Fellows, said that competition for the ten positions was quite intense this year and that seven different colleges are represented. There will be a dinner on May 4 to give the new Fellows a chance to meet one another.

Griffin Campus Librarian Regina Cannon has been notified by the Special Library Association (SLA) Georgia Chapter that she is to be the 2009 president-elect. In this role, Ms. Cannon will assist the chapter president in all leadership functions and serve as the programs chair. As president-elect and president, she will represent the Georgia Chapter at the SLA Leadership Summit in January and at the Annual Conference in June.

Also, Ms. Cannon has received the 2009 Distinguished Member Award from the Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Division of the Special Libraries Association. The award was presented to her at the Special Libraries Association Annual Conference on June 15, in Washington, DC. Regina is an active member of the Georgia Chapter of the Special Libraries Association and currently serves as the President-Elect and Program Chair. She is also a member of the Public Relations Committee for the Food, Agriculture and Nutrition Division.

Dr. Anna V.A. Resurreccion, a Professor from the Department of Food Science and Technology will receive the The Bor S. Luh International Award at the 2009 Institute of Food Technologists' Annual Meeting & Food Expo in Anaheim, California the week of June 6-9, 2009. The Bor S. Luh International Award is one of the IFT's achievement awards to honor an individual for (1) international exchange of food technology ideas; (2) better international understanding of food technology; and/or (3) successful, practical transfer of food technology to an economically depressed area. Founded in 1939, the Institute of Food Technologies is a non-profit scientific society with 22,000 members working in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government.

Back-to-School Forum

A Back-to-School Forum was recently held on the Griffin Campus by the XI Beta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. More than 80 middle and high school students attended with their parents. Several sessions were presented and featured peer pressure and bullying, "sexting" and texting, dressing for success, middle school transition, and high school success. Brian Gibson, admissions Counselor for the Griffin Campus, presented information about enrollment and recruitment for the University of Georgia. For more information and a picture, see Forum.

Radio Show: UGA Griffin Campus News

The Griffin Campus hosts a radio show program on Tuesdays from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. on WKEU AM 1450.  Each week faculty, staff, and/or students participate in a live interview session where they discuss their research or instructional program.  If you are interested in talking about your research or interested in having a 30/60 second public service announcement aired, please contact Be-Atrice Cunningham in the Assistant Dean’s office.  Please tune in each Tuesday morning at 9:00 a.m. to WKEU 1450 AM or 88.9 FM to hear the latest news from the UGA Griffin Campus.

Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center Calendar of Events

The 2009 Calendar of Events for Adults at the Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center has been announced.  In most cases, there is no charge for the seminar,  and registration is not necessary.  Workshop registration is limited and opens 30 days in advance of the workshop. Please call (706) 745-2655 if you wish to attend a workshop.  The seminars and workshops are sponsored by the Outreach Committee of the Community Council.  You may access the schedule for the entire year.

CAES Newsletter

The Office of Communications has put together an excellent CAES newsletter that you may access at this link: http://www.caes.uga.edu/intranet/newsletter/