Agricultural & Applied Economics: News & Events
October 2007
Student News
Billy L. Faircloth
Billy (Bo) Faircloth, a fourth year agribusiness major from Camilla, Georgia, spent twelve weeks of the summer of 2007 working as an Agricultural Fellow in the office of Congressman Sanford Bishop, Jr. in Washington, D.C. His duties included conducting Capital tours; attending briefings, hearings and press conferences; preparing memorandums for the Congressman regarding proposed legislation; researching various legislative topics including biofuels, farm policy and energy; and attending staff meeting with interest groups and preparing statements outlining their requests.
His participation in the Fellowship program was extremely positive for Bo. It allowed him to make valuable contacts with industry leaders within Georgia and across the nation. He stated, “My stay in Washington has opened my eyes to the fact that policy decisions made in Washington impact the every day lives of every American. Lawmakers in Washington rely on young energetic individuals from universities like UGA to come to Capital Hill and assist them in providing for their constituents’ needs. One thing I learned during my stay in Washington is ‘the constituent is ALWAYS right’.”
While in Washington, Bo accompanied other Washington Fellows on visits to many of the monuments located around the city. They also traveled to the Shenandoah Valley and went tubing one weekend. Members of the group often traveled to various neighborhoods located within and around Washington, including Oldtown, Georgetown, Crystal City, and Chinatown. Also, Bo attended numerous receptions held by various lobbying groups on Capital Hill. He met several prominent Senators and Representatives and some other interesting people such as Kirk West, manager of the Allman Brother band. In addition, he witnessed several prominent anti-war activist being arrested during a protest.
Bo is on the Dean’s List and has served as treasurer of the Agricultural and Environmental Economics Club, treasurer of the Agronomy Club, treasurer of the Ag Hill Council, a CAES Ambassador and as an active member of Alpha Gamma Rho. After obtaining his degree, he hopes “to become a contributing member of the agricultural sector of our nation while further encouraging the use of agriculture to feed, cloth, and fuel America.”
In his leisure time, Bo enjoys working on his family’s farm, hunting, fishing, and UGA sports.
Alumni News
Joseph Goodenbery
Joseph Goodenbery is employed by HydroGeoLogic, Inc. (HGL) which is headquartered in Reston, Virginia. He works in Concord, Massachusetts through a contract with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), performing research on environmental cleanup of formerly used Department of Defense sites. His duties include internal audits of USACE project files, record collection and organization, database management, and writing monthly reports. He also serves as the on-site liaison between HGL and the client, USACE-New England District, and he is a member of the Society of American Military Engineers (S.A.M.E)
Joseph received a B.A. in mathematics from Ithaca College in 2004 and an M.S. in environmental economics from UGA in 2006. While at UGA, he served as vice-president of the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics Graduate Student Association for the 2005-2006 academic year. He offers the following advice to current students in the department: “Take full advantage of the faculty in the Agricultural and Applied Economics Department, for their knowledge in both economics and life experiences. Also, pursue research interest early and take the time to learn and study econometrics!”
In his leisure time, Joseph enjoys playing guitar, traveling, playing basketball and Frisbee. He is currently training for a half-marathon, with the hope of running the Boston marathon (recreationally, not competitively) in April. In addition, he has plans to further pursue his interest in home-brewing.
C. Elliott Marsh, Jr.
C. Elliott Marsh, Jr. is an instructor and agribusiness coordinator at Ogeechee Technical College in Statesboro, Georgia. His duties include managing the agribusiness curriculums, course instruction, advising students, and recruiting new students into the program. He has co-authored a number of working papers with colleagues and teaches several classes, including Introduction to Agribusiness; Agricultural Finance, Agricultural Policy, Water, Irrigation and Erosion; Introduction to E-Agribusiness; Introduction to Animal Science; Introduction to Poultry Science; Agricultural Machinery and Equipment; Advanced Global Positioning Systems; and Introduction to Agronomy. Previously, he worked for Georgia Southern University as a research associate II at Coastal Rivers Water Planning and Policy Center and as a research assistant at the Bureau of Business Research and Economic Development.
Elliott graduated from UGA with a BSA in agricultural economics in 2002. While in college, he served as Vice Noble Ruler of Planning and Noble Ruler (president) of Alpha Gamma Rho and vice president of the Agronomy Club. He was the recipient of the W. A. Sutton Leadership Award from Alpha Gamma Rho. Elliott said that during his college years he listened to the advice of his professors, especially Dr. Turner and Dr. Epperson. The life lessons they taught helped him become a better person.
Elliott offers the following advice for current students in the department: “NETWORK. Meet and get to know as many people as you can. Participate in clubs and attend social events. You will never know who may be able to help your career one day. The first job that you take out of college most likely will not be your last, so the more people you know the better chance you have of moving on and up in your career choice.....Have fun and enjoy your college experience.”
In his leisure time, Elliott enjoys spending time with his daughters – three and one half year old, Adison and one month old, Annalee. He also enjoys watching UGA football, hunting, and being outdoors. Elliott was a candidate for Bulloch County Commission and enjoys participating in Bulloch County Chamber of Commerce Events.
Faculty News
Professor Terry Centner is the recipient of the 2007 D. W. Brooks Faculty Award for Excellence in Research.
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