Columns:: UGA’s Faculty/Staff Newspaper

since 12/15/98

Columns::August 20, 2001

Front Page

UGA receives more than $54 million in new gifts, pledges

New gifts and pledges from private sources to support

Kathryn Costello

academic and athletic programs totaled $54.4 million for fiscal year 2001--the second-largest tally of new gifts and commitments UGA has ever received from private sources in one year.
The total includes a record $7.1 million contributed through the annual fund program. About $20 million of the total is in the form of new pledges, which rose by more than 100 percent over the previous year.
“The university’s growing stature in academic quality and reputation clearly is sparking excitement and enthusiasm among those who support higher education excellence in Georgia,” says Kathryn Costello, senior vice president for external affairs. “This momentum is cause for great optimism as we move forward on plans for a major fund-raising initiative in the next few years.”

Montana administrator chosen to lead UGA’s international programs

Mark Lusk, assistant vice president for research and director of

Mark Lusk

international programs at the University of Montana, has been named associate provost for international affairs at the University of Georgia, pending approval of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.
The associate provost position, which reports directly to Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Karen A. Holbrook, provides leadership for the university’s institution-wide focus on international faculty research activity and student study-abroad and exchange programs. As director of the Office of International Affairs, the associate provost maintains a comprehensive knowledge of UGA’s international efforts, coordinates the institutional programs associated with international education, and serves as the principle link for UGA with the University System of Georgia’s Office of International Education.

Forte season tickets on sale now

The Forte performing arts series programmed by the students at University Union is offering five performances this year in the season package, plus a sixth special-purchase option available first to season subscribers. There is also a “pick-three” alternative. Season packages ($45–$65; $20–$35 students) and the pick-three option ($25–$40; $12–$18 students) offer substantial savings off individual ticket prices.
Season tickets are now on sale at the cashier’s window in the Tate Student Center (542-8074). Individual tickets go on sale Aug. 28.

Consultants: Pay and classification system should be revamped

Andy Brantley

The university should replace its 30-year-old job classification and pay system for non-faculty employees with a new system that has clearly defined job descriptions, aligns position titles with duties, rewards employees on the basis of performance and ties pay scales to competitive markets.
Those are among recommendations coming out of a year-long study of the pay and classification system conducted by the firm of Deloitte and Touche.

Julie Burke (left) and Janet Westpheling

Moving experience

A research team at UGA, under the leadership of Janet Westpheling of the genetics department, has successfully transferred DNA into genetically uncharacterized species of the important bacterium Streptomyces.
The system is based on the use of phages (bacterial viruses) that infect these bacteria to transfer DNA from the host they are grown on to a recipient they later infect. This procedure has several important advantages over current technology and will make it far easier--in some cases, it will make it possible for the first time--for pharmaceutical companies to develop Streptomyces-based antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs.

Great universities require great faculty leadership

This issue’s Forum essay is written by Don Eastman, who left his position as UGA’s vice president for strategic planning in July to become president of Eckerd College.

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