ATHENS, Ga. (January 8, 2007) — The University of Georgia will honor outstanding faculty and staff for excellence in public service and outreach on Thursday, February 15, 2007, during the annual UGA Public Service and Outreach meeting and awards luncheon. The event will take place at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education from 8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. The theme for this year’s meeting is “Global Competitiveness and the Role of University Outreach.”

James C. Votruba, president of Northern Kentucky University, will present the keynote address on “Global Competitiveness and the Role of University Outreach.” Since 1997, Votruba has served as president of Northern Kentucky University, which is located in the Greater Cincinnati area. He has a long-held interest in public university involvement in communities. Dr. Votruba serves on the National Campus Compact’s board of directors and chaired the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ national task force on public engagement in 2002.

He recently co-chaired a regional strategic planning process for northern Kentucky called Vision 2015. He will draw on that experience as he discusses how university outreach and public service can contribute to a region’s ability to compete in the new knowledge-based global economy where innovation rules and the competition for talent determines the winners and losers.

Art Dunning, vice president for public service and outreach at UGA, will address the plenary session on “The State of Public Service and Outreach at the University of Georgia.”

The meeting will conclude with the luncheon and awards presentation. The 16th annual Walter Barnard Hill Awards will be presented to outstanding faculty and the second annual Staff Awards for Excellence in Public Service and Outreach will honor exceptional staff members.

The Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach sponsors the meeting and awards luncheon. The registration fee is $20. To register or for more information, call the Georgia Center for Continuing Education at (800) 884-1381 or (706) 542-2134. To register online go to http://outreach.uga.edu/annual-meeting.
##

This article was posted on Friday, January 26th, 2007 at 11:20 am and is filed under Event, Awards, News.