Columns:: Digest

since 12/15/98

Columns::December 3, 2001

Digest

Social Work endows first professorship
The School of Social Work has established its first endowed professorship. The Thomas M. “Jim” Parham Professorship of Family and Children Studies: Issues in Social Policy honors the late Jim Parham for his contribution to social welfare policy and his work helping needy children and families throughout Georgia and the nation.
“I think this is a wonderful tribute to a man who apparently had a profound effect on many people, and I think it’s great to be able to come together and celebrate the people who brought private support to make something like this possible,” says Kathryn Costello, senior vice president for external affairs. “His name will now be linked forever with the University of Georgia and the School of Social Work.”
Parham died in 1996 after a 55-year career in public service. Before teaching in the School of Social Work from 1979 to 1994, he headed the Georgia Division for Children and Youth and the Georgia Department of Human Resources, and served as deputy assistant to the Secretary for Human Development Services in the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare.
The search to fill the Parham Professorship has begun. The school is seeking a nationally recognized scholar of social policy analysis. A Parham Professor is expected to be in place by July 2002.

Law students reach competition finals
A UGA School of Law mock trial team advanced to the final round of the Georgetown White Collar Crime Mock Trial Competition in Washington, D.C., and won the best advocate award.
The UGA team defeated all three preliminary round opponents as well as semi-final opponent Loyola University of Chicago. The team lost the final round of the national championship to the Southwestern University School of Law.
Third-year students Julie C. Hall, C. Todd Hayes, Michael J. Cates and Addie M. Smith comprised the mock trial team for the law school. Cates won the best advocate award for his individual performance in the three preliminary rounds.
This was UGA’s second final-round placement in as many years at the Georgetown competition.
In addition to the win by the mock trial team, third-year students Dylan E. Wilbanks and Sha-Lena M. Cook won first and second place honors respectively at a private closing argument competition held in Atlanta.

Peach State Poll examines 2000 election
Georgians are still troubled about the 2000 presidential election process and the problems associated with recording and counting votes, according to the Peach State Poll, a quarterly survey of public opinion in Georgia by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
The survey finds that a strong majority of residents (four out of five) approve of the Statewide Uniform Electronic Voting Initiative passed during the 2001 legislative session. Proposed by Secretary of State Cathy Cox, the legislation mandates that all voter precincts use the same type of voting machines by the July 2004 general primary. A majority (79 percent) of Georgians believe that the legislation will improve the accuracy of vote counting.
In regard to modernizing election equipment, 69 percent of Georgians support state spending but are not in favor of raising taxes for that purpose. The survey shows that those residents most likely to vote are also more apt to express high concern over the state of election equipment than are those who are less likely to vote.
Almost one-half (47 percent) of likely voters said they are “very concerned” about the state of election equipment in the nation as compared with 29 percent of those unlikely to vote who report being “very concerned.”

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