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New Public Service and Outreach Faculty Fellows for 2018-19 include faculty members from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the College of Public Health, and the College of Engineering. Each will conduct research with a unit of Public Service and Outreach units over the course of the year.

The 2018-2019 Faculty Fellows are:

Sung-Hee Sonny Kim, a faculty member in the School of Environmental, Civil, Agriculture and Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering, will work with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government to implement cutting-edge research that predicts future problems in road networks. These methods have the potential to change the way local governments monitor road conditions, by predicting and assessing needs in roadways before they become hazardous to drivers. Kim uses nondestructive testing methods, such as the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), to assess layers, debonding, presence of moisture and other factors that contribute to the distress of roads. Using Athens-Clarke County as his model, Kim will publish his results in a database with help from the Institute of Government’s Geographic Information Systems department. He will also develop a Georgia Department of Transportation Forensic Guide Manual to help other counties implement his methods.

Jennifer L. Gay, a faculty member in Health Promotion and Behavior in the College of Public Health, will work with Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant to study how human health and physical fitness can be used to promote healthy ecosystems. She will identify ways to link physical fitness to activities such as citizen science, ecotourism and volunteer opportunities on Georgia’s coast. She will study how litter and debris influence physical activities in public areas, as well as quantify the type and amount of physical activity that individuals engage in during Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant programing. In addition, she will help develop educational materials linking physical activity to individual well-being and healthy ecosystems. This relationship between coastal conservation and human health is known as the “blue gym.”

James C. Anderson II, a faculty member in Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, will work with the State Botanical Garden of Georgia to help develop Learning by Leading at UGA (LxL@UGA). Learning by Leading is an inclusive and experiential learning community for students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors. The program gives students the opportunity to intern at the garden, participate in leadership training, become mentors, and rise through leadership ranks within the community. Anderson will design, implement and evaluate leadership curriculum and training for Learning by Leading. This program will provide leadership opportunities and a support network for STEM majors, specifically those studying biological and life sciences.

Launched in 2011, the Faculty Fellows program provides professors with an opportunity to connect their research and course curriculum to the needs of a specific PSO unit. The result of the program is a sustained relationship between the designated unit and the Faculty Fellows’ departments.


Writer: Leah Moss, leahmoss@uga.edu, 706-583-0964

Contact: Paul Brooks, pjbrooks@uga.edu, 706-542-3946

 

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