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| Jorge Atiles has been an
associate dean in FACS since July 1. (Photo by Nancy
Evelyn) |
When Jorge Atiles arrived at Virginia Tech in 1988 as
a young architect seeking a master’s degree, he
had never heard of family and consumer sciences. Now,
as associate dean for outreach and extension in the College
of Family and Consumer Sciences he’s one of its
biggest advocates.
“When I met my wife I was studying for my master’s
in urban and regional planning at Virginia Tech, which
gave me the big picture about infrastructure,” he
says. “I knew about sewers, landfills and those
sorts of things, but I was lacking something—the
people factor.”
Atiles, a native of the Dominican Republic, thought he
would complete his degree and return home to a job with
the National Housing Bank. Instead he “fell in love
with Julia and housing.”
A few years after they married, the couple moved to UGA
and Atiles landed an assistant professor and housing specialist
position in 1999. Julia heads the pre-K–grade 2
program in the child and family development department.
|
| FACTS |
| JORGE ATILES |
Associate professor of housing
and consumer economics
Associate dean for
outreach and extension
College of Family and
Consumer Sciences |
| Ph.D.:
Virginia Tech, 1995
M.U.R.P.: Virginia
Tech, 1990
B.Arch.: Universidad
Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña,
1986
At UGA: 5 years |
|
“When I learned about family and consumer
sciences I bought into the ecosystem theory,” Atiles
says. “There are some people who wonder why we need
a College of Family and Consumer Sciences, but families
don’t exist in a vacuum.
“They don’t just have financial problems or
housing problems. They have financial problems because
they can’t find a job because there’s no one
to care for their children or because they have health
problems,” he says. “It all ties together.”
Since becoming associate dean on July 1, Atiles has juggled
learning his new duties with keeping up with numerous
projects from his housing position.
“There’s healthy homes, lead pre-renovation
rule grant, children’s environmental health grant,
radon education, residential water and energy conservation,
the OSHA Hispanic workers safety. . . ,”
he lists, ticking off project after project.
Although it will be several months before his former position
is filled, Atiles says he’s soaking up all of the
information he can about his new position.
“This is a great opportunity to listen to people
who I haven’t heard speak before talk about important
issues,” he says. “I’m learning how
the wheels turn. For example, I’ve had the opportunity
to hear Provost Mace talk about the university’s
strategic plan, so I’m learning where our leaders
want to take the university. All of this helps me learn
the best way to develop ideas for the college’s
outreach and extension activities so they’re consistent
with the overall strategic plan for the university.”
A major component of Atiles’s new position is working
with colleagues in the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences and 4-H as the UGA Extension Service explores
ways to restructure itself in response to tightening budgets
and the state’s changing demographics.
“I’m working closely with Mel Garber in agriculture,
Bo Ryles in 4-H, and faculty and staff in the Office of
the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach to
explore how we can work together to advocate for more
resources and use those resources in the most efficient
manner,” he says.
Atiles says he hopes to see family and consumer sciences’
outreach and extension efforts strengthened in coming
years.
As he continues to define his role as associate dean—both
within family and consumer sciences and the university
and throughout the state—Atiles draws on a saying
in his native language to explain his view of outreach
and extension.
“La union hace la
fuerza,” he says. “Unity makes us stronger.”
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