June 2003: Vol. 82, No. 3June 2003: Vol. 82, No. 3 |
 |
|
For the 10th time since 1985, The Georgia Review was chosen as a finalist in the prestigious National Magazine Awards competition. UGA's esteemed literary journal, published continuously since 1947, reached the finals with two entries in the fiction category, where The Georgia Review won the top prize in 1986. Also reaching the finals in fiction were entries from Book magazine and The New Yorker, also a double nominee—and this year's ultimate winner.
|
 The Review also has a new look, courtesy of UGA Publications designer Rick Fiala. |
In an interview prior to the final judging, Review editor T.R. Hummer discussed this year's entries with Georgia Magazine's assistant editor Alex Crevar.
GM: How exciting is it to be nominated—not once, but twice—for a National Magazine Award?
HUMMER: All of us here are very excited about this nomination—partly because it is a double nomination, which gives us two lottery tickets, so to speak, in the fiction category. The Georgia Review has been in the finals a good many times in the past—10 fiction finalists over the years (plus these two, for an even dozen), 3 times in the essay category, and once in special topics. We won an Ellie in fiction in 1986, the second time Stan Lindberg applied. But at no time has there been a double finalist situation like this one.
GM: Give us some background on the entries and authors nominated.
HUMMER: Entry No. 1 presents three short stories; each takes readers to unexpected places not necessarily accessible via linear narrative, bending and extending the imaginative frame of the American realist tradition. Brock Clarke is a young writer with two books to his credit; Joyce Carol Oates, as established an author as one can be, fuses literary and popular modes of fiction in her enormous body of work; and Guy Davenport, a so-called "writer's writer," is one of a kind: simultaneously an eminence grise, a recluse, and a cult figure, he writes reviews for Harper's and books of short fiction for non-commercial presses.
Entry No. 2: In the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, we decided to gather an issue centered on the subject of loss and its aftermath, with the emphasis on the aftermath—whether that led to emotional defeat or to transcendence. The three stories presented here—Christie Hodgen's "A Jeweler's Eye for Flaw," Kevin Brockmeier's "Space," and Carrie Brown's "Wings"—were central to the resulting issue. In very different keys, each story takes the reader on an unflinching journey to the core of loss, and, for better or worse, beyond.
GM: How do these stories reflect the editorial mission of The Georgia Review?
HUMMER: The Georgia Review publishes the very best fiction available, whether by Nobel laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners or by little-known or previously unpublished writers, in a variety of styles, subjects, and lengths. Although no preference is given to either the famous or the unknown, we have earned increasing recognition as one of the magazines most open to outstanding new and developing voices in American fiction. Many stories appearing first in our pages have been reprinted in prize anthologies (Best American Fiction, O. Henry Awards, and others), as well as in individual prize-winning collections.
We seek fiction that engages readers via the inseparable powers of craft and of subject—work which, through its engagement with and challenge to the history of the art (and hence to the history of the human heart), at once reveals and extends human possibility.
The typical Georgia Review reader is a well-educated, intelligent, and inquisitive sort who takes the trouble to seek out the very best new writing. Our readers are interested in writing of all kinds, and gravitate to The Georgia Review for its balanced offering: a rich combination of complementary fiction, essays, poems, and art.
GM: Given the stiffness of the National Magazine competition, this kind of recognition must be extremely rewarding to The Georgia Review staff.
HUMMER: Enormously pleasing, especially given that a.) we are going head-to-head with The New Yorker in this category and so we are placed by the judges on a par with them, and b.) this means we have already beaten out the likes of Atlantic Monthly, Harpers, Esquire, Playboy, GQ, etc. This is a huge accomplishment for a journal such as ours. If we bring home an Ellie, that means we are the best of the best, for the time being, at any rate. But even if we lose, we win.
Greening of campus continues
The first phase of the D.W. Brooks Mall project was completed this spring, creating open grassy areas, wide sidewalks, and an impressive entrance to a beautiful greenway that begins at the intersection of D.W. Brooks Drive and Carlton Street and proceeds north. "There's never been anything like this on South Campus," says campus architect Danny Sniff. "We've all enjoyed the transformation of Herty Field. This is like five Herty Fields all in one." The $4 million project, which will take several years to complete, will eventually stretch all the way up the hill to Conner Hall. It will include fountains, a series of terraces, and an outdoor amphitheater. "As it does on North Campus," says president Michael F. Adams, "this beautiful mall will serve as an outdoor classroom and a place to relax."
Vet med, education, law, business shine in "Best Graduate Schools" issue
UGA shines in U.S. News
UGA figures prominently in the 2004 issue of U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Graduate Schools" with four colleges ranked in the top 50 nationally and several specialty areas of the University ranked in the top 10.
The College of Veterinary Medicine is ranked highest among UGA's honorees, tied for ninth. UGA's College of Education (27th), School of Law (31st), and Terry College of Business (42nd) are also ranked in the top 50.
"Graduate education is a critical component of our strategic plan and is critical to the economic future of the state of Georgia," says President Michael F. Adams. "The continuing recognition of the quality of our graduate programs across the curriculum bodes well for this institution and the state."
"We are dedicated to excellence in graduate education," adds Maureen Grasso, dean of the Graduate School. "Our exceptional faculty scholars, bright and motivated students and stellar academic programs exemplify this excellence. We are pleased with the rankings and will continue to explore ways in which we can better prepare the next generation of leaders in all disciplines for the state, nation and world."
UGA's College of Veterinary Medicine maintained the top 10 position it held in 2000, the last year that U.S. News ranked vet schools.
UGA's College of Education again made a strong showing, ranked 27th overall with six of its programs in the top 10: vocational/technical education (tied for 3rd), counseling/personnel services (4th), elementary education (5th), curriculum/instruction (6th), secondary education (7th) and educational psychology (10th).
The School of Law ranked 31st overall and tied for 11th among public universities. Other categories in which the law school saw improvement are overall ranking and the LSAT scores of entering students.
The Terry College of Business MBA program is ranked 42nd nationally and maintained its standing as a top 20 program among public business schools (tied for 19th) in the annual ranking of America's best graduate schools.
The master of fine arts program tied for 21st, and the printmaking area tied for third.
UGA's clinical psychology program tied for 28th.
The U.S. News rankings are based on two types of data: expert opinion about program quality and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research and students. For the rankings in all five areas, indicator and opinion data come from surveys of more than 1,000 programs and nearly 7,000 academics and other professionals conducted in the fall of 2002.
Students from Harvard, Yale, Brown . . . and UGA sweep top scholarships
Move over, Ivys!
UGA has previously been recognized as one of the "Other Ivys" in recognition of its academic excellence, and that label means even more after the University joined three Ivy League schools—Harvard, Yale, and Brown—as the only institutions in the country to have students receive prestigious Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, and Goldwater scholarships in the same year.
 (clockwise from lower left) Adam Cureton, Rhodes Scholarship; Laura Ellen Downs, Goldwater Scholarship; Virginia Barton, Truman Scholarship; Josh Woodruff, Marshall Scholarship; Amanda Casto, Goldwater Scholarship |
|
This marks the third consecutive year—and the sixth in the last seven—that UGA students have been named Goldwater Scholars; 16 students have received the award since 1995. UGA has had a total of 11 Truman Scholars since 1982.
Last fall, Adam Cureton was chosen to receive a Rhodes Scholarship and Josh Woodruff was named a Marshall Scholar.
Downs and Casto are among 300 winners selected from 1,093 applicants for the Goldwater Scholarship, which will cover tuition, fees, books, room and board for their senior years at UGA. Barton is one of about 80 winners of the Truman Scholarship, which will pay graduate school expenses after she graduates in 2004.
All three students are in the Honors Program and are Foundation Fellows, UGA's premier undergraduate scholarship program. They are also on the Deans List and have already been invited into Phi Beta Kappa. Downs and Casto have perfect 4.0 grade point averages. Barton, who has a 3.8 GPA, has been nominated to the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
Downs, a chemistry major, plans to earn a doctorate in chemistry and pursue a career conducting research on medicinal therapeutics. She has spent two years conducting research under the direction of UGA chemistry professor Gregory Robinson, and is co-author of three peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals. She has been president of the UGA March of Dimes chapter and was on the Collegiate Council.
Casto, who is majoring in genetics and cell biology, plans to get a Ph.D. in human genetics and direct a genetics research laboratory. She has worked on research projects at the Max Planck Institute in Germany and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. She is a volunteer in the Center for Undergraduate Research and a member of the women's lacrosse team.
Barton is majoring in cell biology and psychology. She intends to get a joint law degree/master's degree in public health, and work in the field of health policy. She has served in the Student Government Association and was elected vice president for the upcoming academic year. A co-founder of the UGA chapter of the Association for Women in Science, she is an orientation leader and a member of the Arch Society and the Georgia Recruitment Team.
Jere Morehead, associate provost and director of the Honors Program, says Honors faculty and staff played a key role in the students' success:
"We are indebted to Del Dunn and Karl Espelie, chairs of the respective Truman and Goldwater campus committees, and to Else Jorgensen of the Honors Program."—Larry Dendy (ABJ '65)
Better grades one reason UGA wants students to live in residence halls
On-campus benefits
At a cabinet meeting in May, the University adopted a new policy requiring first-year students to live in campus housing in fall 2004. The aim is to enhance the academic experience for students.
Undergraduates' first year is "a critical time for personal and intellectual growth," says Arnett Mace, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, who presented the proposal. "Building the new learning environment—one of the elements of the strategic plan—means promoting an academic community, where in-class and out-of-class learning are integrated."
|
 Currently, 85 percent of first-year students live on campus. By fall 2004, 1,200 more beds will be available in the East Campus Village (above) and a renovated Myers Hall. |
Students who live in Clarke or bordering counties may obtain an exemption from the policy. Other criteria include marital or transfer status and prior military service.
"I have long believed that living on campus is better for students and for the institution," says President Michael F. Adams. "Students who live on campus perform better and are more engaged in the life of the University."
Students who live in UGA residence halls regularly earn higher GPAs than those living off campus, according to Jim Day, director of University Housing.
"There is an abundance of evidence—nationally and here—that students who live on campus perform better," says Day. "And the partnerships that the housing department and student affairs have developed over the past several years with academic units on campus have really enriched the lives of the students. All students can participate, but it's a real advantage to have advising and tutoring right down the hall."
Dick Mullendore, vice president for student affairs, agrees that students are better off beginning their undergraduate years in a residence hall. "As a parent of a first-year student, I insisted that my daughter live on campus," says Mullendore. "I began my career running residence halls, and I know the benefits that accrue."
Other colleges and universities that require first-year students to live in residence halls include such flagship institutions as the University of Virginia, Indiana University, the University of Colorado, the University of Tennessee, and Penn State University.