December 2002: Vol. 82, No. 1December 2002: Vol. 82, No. 1Mace says UGA will continue momentum despite problems of tight budgetary times
Interim provost: We'll be OK
Arnett Mace, interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, shares some thoughts about the University's budget planning process and the impact of current economic conditions on the future of the institution. This interview, conducted by Sharron Hannon, special assistant to the provost, originally appeared in UGA's faculty-staff newspaper, Columns.
Q: Some university departments seem to be having a particularly hard time absorbing the budget cuts that were imposed by the state during the past fiscal year—and there's concern about additional cuts coming. What's your take on the situation?
Mace: Our first priority is to continue to be an institution that provides quality instruction and attracts the very best qualified students. This has elevated the University's stature nationally. We're working through a planning and budget redirection process for FY 03 and FY 04 that was completed in November. I'm working with Senior Vice President Hank Huckaby and all the deans, vice presidents, associate provosts, and directors to plan for the current budget reduction. We are focusing on prioritizing programs and protecting areas that are mission-critical.
As for a recent story in The Red & Black about some departments not having enough money to make copies of class handouts, we're investigating that. If we find units in dire straits, we'll provide necessary resources. We're also encouraging faculty to take advantage of Web CT—which can be more efficient and effective than having to rely on handouts for class assignments. Training sessions are being provided for those who need them.
Q: When people see all the construction going on, they have a hard time understanding why there's money for buildings and not other things.
Mace: The current construction on campus is funded from three sources: state funds, the UGA Athletic Association, and the UGA Real Estate Foundation. There's a lag time of two to three years for state-funded capital projects. Thus, we're now moving forward on projects approved earlier. These particular funds can't be used to cover operating expenses. Funds for athletic association or Real Estate Foundation projects cannot be used for operating expenses, faculty salaries, or travel.
Q: Is this year's budget process going to be a particularly difficult one?
Mace: Since I've been a dean for a number of years, I think I have a good feel for the budget. UGA is the most comprehensive institution in the state system, but we can't be all things to all people. We're going to have to provide resources to high-demand and high-priority programs. We judge an academic unit's productivity by assessing things like the number of graduates in that area, the amount of extramural support obtained, the number of student contact hours, and the importance to Georgia, the region, nation, and world. We have more faculty in the classroom this fall than in recent years, and faculty who have low teaching loads can expect an increase this spring. We will fulfill our commitment to students to provide a very high quality educational experience at UGA.
Q: In Virginia, the governor recently announced budget cuts ranging from 8 to 13 percent at various institutions, which, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, means public colleges there are weighing mid-year tuition increases, layoffs, salary cuts and other moves. What do you see happening in Georgia?
Mace: We're not yet experiencing cuts that deep. Nevertheless, it's important to go through the process we're going through now to identify institutional priorities and needs. We need to be allocating resources on that basis, rather than across the board. I think we will have some consolidation of administrative functions for cost savings. And I also expect to see more interdisciplinary programs in academic units—and to see units assisting each other.
Q: Are there other sources of funding?
Mace: Since only about 38 percent of our total budget comes from the state, private support is always crucial. Fortunately, we've been doing well in this area, especially in light of the current economic climate. In the last fiscal year, we had a record total of $62.7 million in private giving to the University, which was 15 percent higher than the previous year's total. But we like to think of private support as providing the "margin of excellence"—not having to use that money to meet operating expenses. Then, too, return on endowments is currently down because of the market. It's additionally important that the University just had a record year in acquisition of external awards—and the first quarter of this year is higher than last year. This is a tribute to the quality of our faculty.
Q: Is there a bottom line?
Mace: The bottom line is that we're going to find a way to sustain our institutional momentum and continue to provide quality instruction despite recent budget reductions. We are and will continue to be a premier institution.
Honorary degree to Hollowell
The University will award an honorary degree to Donald L. Hollowell, the venerable Atlanta attorney whose efforts to integrate UGA, register African-American voters, and combat racial discrimination made him an icon of the American civil rights movement. Hollowell will receive his honorary Doctor of Laws degree at UGA's fall semester undergraduate commencement exercises on Dec. 21. Hollowell, now 84, and New York attorney Constance Baker Motley led the legal team that in 1961 forced UGA to open its doors to its first African-American students, Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes. His law firm also handled scores of other civil rights cases, including several decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Forty years after his efforts on behalf of Hunter and Holmes, Hollowell was invited back to campus to take part in the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of desegregation.
External funding sets new record with another double-digit increase
Topping $200M!
External grants for research, instruction, public service and outreach set a new record in fiscal year 2002, surpassing the $200-million mark for the first time in UGA history. Total external funding during the fiscal year jumped to $204.5 million, a 17 percent increase over the previous year's $174 .4 million. External funding for research—which includes contracts, grants, and agreements from federal, state, private and corporate sources—climbed 13 percent, closing the year at $139.4 million.
|
 The National Science Foundation sponsors a UGA Microbial Observatory program on Sapelo Island, where bacteria from a tidal salt marsh creek are collected on large fibers for DNA analysis. |
"Faculty deserve the lion's share of the credit," says Gordhan Patel, vice president for research and associate provost. "Major research universities are competing for the same limited resources. Proposals that receive funding are judged to be the best by reviewers who evaluate the merits of each."
UGA faculty who received awards in excess of $1 million include Leonard Poon ($7.5 million/5 yrs. from National Institute on Aging to continue studies of the physical and mental functioning of centenarians); Paul Roman ($7.3 million/5 yrs. from NIH for ongoing research on substance abuse treatment facilities); James Prestegard ($4.3 million from NIH to establish the Southeast Collaboratory for High-Field Biomolecular NMR at Complex Carbohydrate Research Center); Andrew Paterson ($3.97 million/4 yrs. from NSF to study the sorghum genome); Lee Pratt ($3.6 million from NSF to identify genes that improve plant growth in adverse environments); and Peggy Ozias-Akins ($1.1 million from NSF to study seed production in a wild relative of pearl millet).
Drama professor David Saltz also received a three-year, $900,000 NSF grant to develop a live-performance simulation system that blends live and historical performances in a virtual reality environment.
Magnetic resonance imaging now available for man's best friends
Vet school MRIs
Magnetic resonance imaging, the gold standard for medical imaging of human patients, is now available to animals at UGA's College of Veterinary Medicine. In the past, imaging had been done with radiography, ultrasonography, nuclear scintigraphy and a state-of-the-art CT scanner, "but MRI takes imaging of dogs and cats one step further," says Dr. Douglas Allen, hospital director.
 An MRI enables veterinary college personnel to detect tumors, inflammatory disease, and infection with much more assurance and exactness than a CT scan can provide. To schedule an MRI for your animal or pet, call (800) 542-9294. |
|
MRIs usually show more detail than other methods of imaging. "With MRI we will be able to see subtle distinctions and be able to identify tumors that may not show up on CT images," says neurologist Dr. Marc Kent. "You can see everything better: inflammatory disease, infections and cancers. MRI allows us to image the brain stem, which is not adequately imaged by CT scans, as well as inflammations which sometimes don't show on a CT scan."
A mobile MRI unit will park outside the UGA hospital for half a day once a week. The unit, worth well over $1 million, is owned and operated by Alliance Imaging.
Veterinarians and technicians from the college anesthetize the animals and monitor them during the procedure using special equipment that contains no metal. Because the magnet in the MRI is so powerful, nothing metallic can be allowed in or around the mobile unit.
"MRI adds one more advanced, non-invasive imaging modality to our hospital," says Kent. "It will allow us to offer veterinarians, clients, and their pets a higher standard of care, and it puts the UGA veterinary hospital at the forefront of veterinary medicine."
For information regarding appointments, call (800) 542-9294.
Former aide to Gov. Miller promoted to full-time head of external affairs
Wrigley named senior vp
Steve W. Wrigley has been named senior vice president for external affairs, a position the former chief of staff to Gov. Zell Miller has held since March 1. Wrigley has also continued to serve as vice president for government relations, a position he has held since July 2000. According to president Michael F. Adams, the government relations position will be held vacant for the time being. Randy Powers, director of state relations, will oversee day-to-day government relations functions and report to Wrigley.
Adams made the appointment after consulting with the executive committees of University Council and the University of Georgia Foundation. As senior vice president, Wrigley oversees UGA's fund-raising and development programs. In addition to government relations, he also directs the departments responsible for alumni relations, public affairs, community relations, special events, and career services.
Wrigley came to UGA in 1998 as the first director of the International Center for Democratic Governance, a unit of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. Under his leadership, the center—which assists the governments of emerging democracies—received nearly $900,000 in grants and contracts. He has extensive international experience, including helping government administrations in the Republic of Georgia, China and Ukraine, and providing technical assistance to the president of Macedonia.
Wrigley served 13 years in senior management positions in state government, including five years as chief of staff to Gov. Miller. He received a bachelor's degree from Georgia State and master's and doctoral degrees from Northwestern.
Wireless technology invades Athens!
To some students, the lush foliage of Herty Field—with a rushing fountain for company and the nearest classroom a hundred yards away—is the perfect setting for a nap. But laptop users who need to surf the Web between classes can now get connected right there on Herty Field, thanks to the new Personal Access Wireless/Walkup System (PAWS) that has been set up at various locations around campus. But to make it work, laptop users also need an 802.11b network card (cost: approx. $100), plus a UGA MyID (same as ARCHES login and password).
"Herty Field is a gathering place," says Christine Miller, director of the Systems Group in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and originator of the project, "so it is an ideal location for wireless networking."
A few blocks away, a similar project is in the making at UGA's New Media Institute, which is engaged in a collaborative effort with the city-county to create a "wireless cloud" over a 24-block area of downtown Athens. To make it happen, the city has designated 10 light poles to facilitate the WAG (Wireless Athens Group) zone. WAG boxes attached to these light poles transmit signals back to the New Media Institute at 11 million bytes per second, enabling laptop users to read their e-mail, check concert dates, or avoid going to the library to do research on a sunny day.
"It takes awhile to catch on," says Scott Shamp, director of the New Media Institute. "Right now, we're still playing in the sandbox of ideas."
$2M grant enrolls veterinary labs in fight against domestic terrorism
Homeland Defense Network taps UGA
The Georgia Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories have been selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to be included in a comprehensive national network of laboratories for the rapid detection and diagnosis of foreign animal diseases. The laboratories, which are units of UGA's College of Veterinary Medicine, will receive $2 million dollars to enhance their ability to respond quickly if foreign animal diseases, such as foot and mouth disease, are introduced into this country intentionally or accidentally.
"States and local communities, along with academia and the private sector, are critical partners in making sure we are prepared in the event of an emergency," said Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman.
The network of strategically located laboratories is designed to strengthen agricultural homeland protection by permitting rapid and accurate diagnosis of animal disease threats. Funds for the project were made available through a Department of Defense supplemental appropriation for homeland defense.
"The USDA is to be commended for taking this strategic step toward assuring all citizens that measures are being taken to ensure the safety of their food supply and the viability of the economy," says Keith W. Prasse, dean of the veterinary college. "Being selected as one of five laboratory systems in the country to assume this responsibility reflects well on the laboratories, the college and the university."
Based in Athens and Tifton, the labs were chosen by the USDA as the southeastern hub of the national network. The next closest hub labs participating in the five-state network are in Texas and Wisconsin. Seven satellite labs also will be involved.
"Lessons learned from last year's animal disease crises in Great Britain have taught us that federal resources could be overwhelmed if this country experienced an outbreak of a foreign infectious disease," said Edward A. Mahaffey, associate dean for public service and outreach at the college.
"The network could provide rapid diagnosis and rapid communication among those who need to know, and become a major determinant of success in stopping an outbreak before it becomes widespread."