Alex Daman, Public Service Assistant for Governmental Services and Research at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, works to address organizational issues that affect the state. One of his favorite parts of the job is traveling to communities throughout Georgia, where he gains insights into the people and needs of his home state while also seeing the positive impact of his work.
Where did you earn your degrees, and what are your current responsibilities at UGA?
I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Georgia. I currently provide policy research, project direction and technical assistance to state and local governments, not-for-profit organizations and higher education institutions concerning personnel and human resource management issues.
What is the best part about your job?
It provides me with an opportunity to travel throughout the state of Georgia and interact with a variety of organizations and people.
Describe your current research or service projects.
We are working on a variety of human resource management projects. Essentially, we are identifying the positions that exist within an organization and providing recommendations on competitive pay levels for those positions. Some of my current clients include Brantley County, the City of Griffin, Fayette County, Gordon State College, the City of Manchester, the City of Metter, Middle Georgia State College and the City of Pembroke.
Why do you serve?
I enjoy having the ability to help address organizational issues that affect communities and institutions throughout Georgia.
What do you feel is UGA’s role as a land- and sea-grant university?
The role of UGA as a land- and sea-grant university should be to bring the knowledge and resources associated with UGA to the citizens of Georgia. A lot of these issues would go unresolved without UGA’s assistance.
What does it mean to you to work at a land- and sea-grant university, both personally and professionally?
It is rewarding because I can use my knowledge and skills to assist communities and organizations that would not have the ability to work with an outside expert if it were not for UGA. Additionally, I travel to all corners of Georgia for my work, and that has allowed me to see the pride that citizens feel for UGA. This is evident from the numerous UGA flags I see in people’s yards as well as in the excitement that local elected officials have knowing that experts from UGA are assisting their communities.
Why is public service an important aspect of higher education?
Simply put, public service offers tremendous benefits to the state that would not be possible without it. Public service initiatives also create opportunities for students, teachers and virtually all other university employees to be a part of that positive impact.
What are the benefits of attending a land-grant university for students, as opposed to the experience they would get at a non-land-grant university?
It exposes them to unique learning environments by allowing them to interact and work with organizations and professionals outside of a traditional campus or classroom experience.
What are some of the service-learning and public service opportunities for students that you are involved with?
Currently we have a student worker who assists us with our service projects. She has had the opportunity to learn a lot of valuable workplace skills (communication, data analysis, etc.) and the chance to interact and network with our clients.
