Quicklinks
A Look Back
The late J.W. Fanning, UGA's first Vice President for Public Service, was a pioneer in outreach programs and leadership development. Eugene Younts, who succeeded Fanning in 1972, built a public service program that has become a national model.
Public Service and Outreach (PSO) enhances quality of life in Georgia by applying the knowledge of the University to the state's evolving economic, social, and community needs. PSO has a long history at UGA.
- In the late 1800s, university professors gave lectures and agricultural demonstrations throughout the state.
- In the early 1900s, UGA's Chancellor (now called Presidents) Walter B. Hill stated that the University of Georgia had a duty to partner with the state to improve the quality of life of people living and working in Georgia. The passage of the Smith-Lever Act in 1914 established a federal funding structure for an agricultural extension service (now known at UGA as Cooperative Extension).
- In the 1920s and 1930s, UGA launched a number of new services including a radio station and correspondence courses. UGA established a unit to provide business and social data to state decision makers, and began to provide technical services to state government agencies. This partnership eventually became the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
- In 1965, UGA President O.C. Aderhold established the position of Vice President for Services (known today as Vice President for Public Service and Outreach).
1965-1971
Prior to becoming UGA's first Vice President for Public Service, J.W. Fanning worked with UGA's Cooperative Extension. He helped develop the "100 Better Farms Program" for Cason Callaway in the 1940s. From 1954-1956, Fanning served as associate director of the Division of Community Services at the just-forming Georgia Center for Continuing Education. In 1956, he became department head and division chair of agricultural economics in UGA's College of Agriculture. In 1961, he founded and served as the first director of UGA's Institute for Community and Area Development.
1972-2000
As PSO Vice President from 1972 to 2000, S.E. Gene Younts coordinated the far-reaching, international, academic public service and outreach programs of the university. His academic concentration and research activities were in the areas of plant nutrition, soil chemistry, plant physiology, and educational administration. During his early career, Younts served as a teacher and researcher at the University of Maryland, and at North Carolina State University. He and his family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1964 where he served as vice president of the American Potash Institute for more than five years. His responsibilities included directing programs in 15 southern states and across Latin America. He came to UGA as associate dean of the College of Agriculture.
2000-2010
As Vice President from 2000 to 2010, Art Dunning developed and communicated a UGA PSO vision consistent with the needs of a changing society, while ensuring that the vision was integrated into the university's research and instruction missions. Prior to coming to UGA, Dunning spent nine years with the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, where he was responsible for assisting the Chancellor with strategic planning and policy development. Dunning also served as the chief executive office of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, Inc., where he was responsible for the creation and implementation of a strategic plan to ensure quality public education in Georgia at all levels. Dunning earned three degrees from the University of Alabama including a doctorate in higher education.
2010-2011
Steve Wrigley served as the interim PSO Vice President from 2010 to 2011. Wrigley joined UGA in 1998 as the first director of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government's (Vinson Institute's) International Center for Democratic Governance (International Center). Prior to that, he spent 13 years in state government, working in the State Senate Research Office, the Lieutenant Governor's Office, and as Senior Policy Advisor and Chief of Staff to Governor Zell Miller. While director of the International Center, Wrigley helped establish training and outreach programs in several countries, and was involved in overall management and policy formulation. He was named UGA's Vice President for Government Relations in 2000, overseeing federal, state, and local government relations for the university. In 2006, Wrigley returned to the Vinson Institute as its director and continued to serve as UGA's Vice President for Government Relations. Wrigley earned a bachelor's degree in history from Georgia State University, and master's and Ph.D. degrees in history from Northwestern University.
2011-Present
Jennifer L. Frum is UGA's current PSO Vice President. She came to UGA in 1995, and to the Carl Vinson Institute of Government (Vinson Institute) in 2006 as interim director of its International Center. In 2007, she became assistant director of the broader Vinson Institute with programmatic responsibilities across the unit's divisions. Beginning August 2009, Frum oversaw the Vinson Institute's day-to-day activities as deputy director. She was appointed as the Vinson Institute's interim director in April 2010. UGA's Provost named her interim Vice President for Public Service and Outreach in July 2011.
Before arriving at the Vinson Institute, she served as assistant director of UGA's Office of International Public Service and Outreach where she led the development and implementation of projects in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. She also coordinated several donor-funded training and education projects supported by international development agencies. Prior to coming to UGA, Frum worked for the Washington office of U.S. Representative Bob Wise. Frum was a Fulbright Scholar in 1999. She earned a B.A. in political science from West Virginia University, an M.A. in international relations from George Washington University, and a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.
