Kinesiology program is 14th in nation
The College of Education’s doctoral programs in kinesiology have been ranked 14th in the nation in a new evaluation recently released by the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education.

Ph.D. programs in the kinesiology department include research-focused specializations in exercise science, physical education and sport studies. The degrees prepare individuals for careers in universities, government, private industry or the health professions.

The AAKPE has been working on developing a method for accurately ranking doctoral programs in the field for the past decade. It identified 61 institutions with doctoral programs of which 32 participated in the evaluation.

Basketball player voted in Hall of Fame
Dominique Wilkins, who brought national attention to UGA’s men’s basketball program in the early 1980s before he embarked on a career in the NBA, was recently elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

An official announcement was made in Indianapolis, site of last month’s NCAA national championship. To gain election into the Hall of Fame, a finalist needs 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee. Official induction ceremonies are scheduled for Sept. 7-9 in Springfield, Mass., home of the Hall of Fame.

Wilkins played three seasons for UGA and won All-America honors both as a sophomore and junior in 1981-82. During his tenure, the team made its first post-season appearances in school history, playing in the National Invitational Tournament in both 1981 and 1982. He finished his three-year career with 1,688 points before electing to turn professional.

Wilkins was the third player selected in the 1982 NBA draft. Taken by the Utah Jazz, he was soon traded to the Atlanta Hawks, for whom he played 12 seasons and scored 23,292 points, making nine straight All-Star teams and winning the NBA scoring title in his sixth season. He also led the Hawks to the greatest moments in their history. Four times during his tenure they posted 50-win seasons, the benchmark for any NBA team.

Wilkins is the only UGA player ever to have his jersey number (21) retired. The Atlanta Hawks have also retired number 21. Wilkins’s nephew, Damien, played two seasons for the men’s basketball team (2003-04).

Law school wins national competition
UGA’s School of Law captured its second national advocacy title this year when it overcame a team from the University of Kentucky to win the Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition.

Third-year students Tiffany N. Carter and Carl E. Jones Jr. partnered with second-year students Kimberly R. Bourroughs and Jeffrey A. Reeves to win the national contest, organized by the National Black Law Students Association, which had 68 teams from 54 schools vying for the top trophy.

Coach and third-year student Veronica L. Richardson says this year’s tournament was especially challenging due to the number of teams and competitors. Third-year student C. Brock Brockington also helped coach the team.

The law school has competed in the national tier of this tournament three of the past four years. Every year, each law school in the state fields one or two teams from their institution.

Second-year students Tedra C. Hobson and Glenn T. Singleton teamed up with third-year student J. Dean Taylor to overcome teams from Emory, Mercer and Georgia State universities and John Marshall Law School, which competed in the tournament for the first time this year.