Athens, Ga. – Fifteen University of Georgia students will be spending their spring semester living and working in the nation’s capital as part of a new Washington Semester Program that was launched in the fall under the auspices of UGA’s Office of the Vice President for Instruction.

“I am very excited for this inaugural group, who represent some of UGA’s best and brightest students, and know that they will be outstanding ambassadors for UGA in the nation’s capital,” said Don De Maria, director of the Washington Semester Program.

The group of juniors and seniors will be enrolled in 12 credit hours of courses and serve as interns for about 30 hours per week in congressional offices, think tanks and nonprofit organizations. A traditional course and a seminar featuring guest lecturers from UGA and D.C. will encompass six credit hours. The other six credit hours can be applied to internship, directed study and/or research courses through the student’s academic department.

For the inaugural semester, Susan Haire, associate professor of political science at UGA, will teach a course entitled, “Politics and Public Policy in the United States.” Her research interests include a focus on the study of the judicial process, especially in the lower courts.

“I am very impressed with the quality of the students as well as the quality of the placements for this first class of Washington Semester students,” said Jere Morehead, vice president for instruction at UGA. “Under Don’s leadership and through the support of many individuals on this campus, the much anticipated Washington Semester program now is a reality for our students.”

For more information about the Washington Semester Program, see: http://www.uga.edu/dcsemester.

The spring 2008 participants in the Washington Semester Program are:

Name Hometown Major Internship placement

Ryan Anderson, Tampa, Fla., political science
Quinn Gillespie & Associates LLP

Tori Bertsch, Cumming, anthropology
Arctic Studies Center, National Museum of Natural History

Lauren Coleman, Marietta, political science
Office of Congressman Tom Price

Matthew Duckworth, Peachtree City, political science, speech communication
Office of Congressman John Linder

Pasley Gordon, Cataula, Ga., international affairs, psychology
Center for International Trade and Security

Matthew Greco, Woodstock, economics, Spanish
Center for Global Development

Amanda McLeod, Madison, Ga., marketing
Office of Senator Johnny Isakson

Caitlin Monahan, Watkinsville, international affairs
Office of Senator Mark Pryor

Hadas Peles, Bothell, Wash., history, political science
Office of Congressman Hank Johnson

Alexandria Rizzo, Suwanee, public relations, Spanish
Office of Senator Saxby Chambliss

William Rooks, Atlanta, English
Office of Congressman Jack Kingston

Natalie Stroud, Macon, finance
Office of Congressman Paul Broun

Arthur Tripp Jr., Lawrenceville, political science,international affairs
Office of Congressman David Scott

Sarah Tunkle, Rabun Gap, geography, pre-journalism
Office of Congressman John Barrow

Marlee Waxelbaum, Roswell, international affairs, newspapers
Office of Senator Byron Dorgan

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