More than 130 UGA employees were recognized for making the university a more welcoming and inclusive place during the Sept. 4 Embracing Diversity program.
The program, which took place in the Chapel, honored 137 recipients of the UGA Diversity and Inclusion Certificate, a partnership between the Office of Institutional Diversity, Training and Career Development and other diversity-related offices and programs at UGA.
Three scholarship recipients also were recognized during the program. Charles Orgbon III received the Black Alumni Scholarship, which is sponsored by the Alumni Association and is given to a first-year student who exhibits dedication to racial equality through previous experience, initiative and creativity in improving race relations in the community. Genesis Castro and Omar Frances received the Diversity Scholarship, which is a needs-based scholarship sponsored by the UGA Athletic Association. Castro and Frances were selected based on their demonstrated dedication to diversity in their community.
Michelle Cook, associate provost for institutional diversity, said it is important for the campus community to recognize and appreciate the richness of diversity at UGA.
“We are strengthened daily by the different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives that we each contribute to the intellectual and educational enterprise here at UGA,” she said. “We all should be proud of our diverse community of students, staff and faculty and of our own contributions to that rich diversity.”
J. Marshall Shepherd, the Athletic Association Professor of Geography in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, congratulated the certificate recipients during his keynote address.
Shepherd, immediate past president of the American Meteorological Society, veered into geometry as he discussed how everyone has a “radius of influence” that comes from their background, experiences and beliefs.
“Diversity expands your radius of influence,” Shepherd said. “And the larger our radius, the larger our circle of influence.”
Shepherd said that growing up in the rural town of Canton, a place where his family knew every other African-American person in town, his radius of influence was “just a dot.” After participating in 4-H, Model UN, science fairs, student government and a fraternity, Shepherd said his radius, and thus circle, grew.
“It continues to grow today,” he said.
Shepherd also pointed out that cultural expectations and lack of exposure can limit a person’s circle of influence. He said that growing up, it was assumed smart African-American men would be doctors, lawyers or business owners. Those expectations were part of the reason he agreed to run to be AMS president, despite originally declining the offer.
“I thought ‘what if some kid who’s doing his or her sixth-grade science project sees me and gets inspired?’ ” Shepherd said. “And that’s what made me call back and agree to it.”
Shepherd also called for more mentorship and told certificate recipients they were improving their world.
“With your certificate today, no matter what color you are or your gender, you’re blazing pathways,” he said. “You’re broadening your circle. And it’s not just about expanding your radius; now that you’ve gotten this certificate, you can now expand someone else’s radius.”
Employees who received certificates at the Sept. 4 program were: Jessica Ammons, Terry College of Business; Patrick Bailey, Office of Student Financial Aid; Deborah Baker, School of Law Library, Felicia Baker, Office of Student Financial Aid, Deborah Bell, Office of the Vice President for Instruction; Charles Bishop, Office of Student Financial Aid; Jason Booth, Terry College of Business; Laura Boswell, Terry College of Business; Gretchen Bowen, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Joseph Boyles, Office of Student Financial Aid; Lisa Bramlett, Gwinnett Graduate Programs; Mandy Branch, Office of Student Financial Aid; Justin Brunley, College of Education; Litashia Carter, Terry College of Business; Laura Clark, Terry College of Business; David Coe, Office of Student Financial Aid; Tonya Cox, College of Education; Katherine Daley-Bailey, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Jeremy Daniel, Facilities Management Division; Mary Daniel, Office of Student Financial Aid; Lori de la Reza, UGA Libraries; Pepe Deltcheva, Food Services; William Douglas, Greek Life; Aimee Dowd, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Adair Duke, College of Public Health; Jennifer Eberhart, College of Family and Consumer Sciences; Karen Eidson, Office of Student Financial Aid; Fuad Elhage, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Sara Emery, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Michelle Erickson, Gwinnett Graduate Programs; John H. Ernst, Small Business Development Center; Victoria Eshelman, College of Veterinary Medicine; Hayley Felts, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Khédija Gadhoum, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Dawn Garland, Office of the Vice President for Research; Andy Gerlach, Gwinnett Graduate Programs; Silvia Giraudo, College of Family and Consumer Sciences; Barbara Grossman, College of Family and Consumer Sciences; Aaron Hale, Office of the Vice President for Public Affairs; Ben Hall, Gwinnett Graduate Programs; Matthew Head, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources; Kenneth Hill, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Gerry Hinkley, Food Services; Annemarie Hitchcock, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Carol Humphries, School of Law Library; Annette Hynes, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Judith Iakovou, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Stanley Jackson, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Lisa Jackson, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Lisa Jagoda, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Rebecca Jeffers, College of Engineering; Angela Jewell, Graduate School; Phyllis Johnson, Office of Student Financial Aid; Jameelah Jones, College of Education; Ronald Jones, College of Engineering; Michael Kanning, Office of Student Financial Aid; Michelle Kean, UGA Libraries; Annelie Klein, College of Pharmacy; Bonnie Klostermann, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Caitlyn Kolesar, Office of the Dean of Students; Shannon Kuykendall, University Health Center; John Lauckner, School of Public and International Affairs; Trina Lawrence, College of Public Health; Susan Lazo, Office of Student Financial Aid; Treng Kieu-Thi Le, Office of Student Financial Aid; Kendra Lewis, College of Engineering; Amelia Longenecker, University Housing; Lisa Lowe, College of Engineering; George Matthews, Enterprise Information Technology Services; Gregory Mattox, Office of Student Financial Aid; Joanne Mauro, Graduate School; Trudy Mcafee, Gwinnett Graduate Programs; Susan McCullough, Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration; Cyndyl McCutcheon, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Arnold McGarry, Office of Student Financial Aid; Frances Mengak, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Diane Miller, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication; Donald Mofield, Gwinnett Graduate Programs; Patricia Moore, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Jann Moore, Georgia Center for Continuing Education; Delilah Nageotte, UGA Libraries; Timothy Neal, Food Services; Donovan Nichols, Office of the Dean of Students; Elizabeth Ozment, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Christine A. Packwood, UGA Libraries; Candace Parker, College of Public Health; Samantha Pattillo, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Ellen Pauloski, School of Social Work; Charles Perry, Career Center; Shannon Perry, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Lakecia Pettway, College of Veterinary Medicine; Clodagh Phair-Miller, College of Engineering; Caroline Pietrowski, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Elizabeth Pittard, Greek Life; Steven Poninski, University Health Center; Allison Popchock, University Health Center; Marcellas Preston, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Teresa Raetz, Gwinnett Graduate Programs; Arkedia Raines, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Judy Remion, Office of Student Financial Aid; Jill Rhoden, Gwinnett Graduate Programs; Heather Robalik, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Jessica Roberts, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Glenn Roberts, Gwinnett Graduate Programs; Joshua Mark Robinson, Food Services; Marilyn Rodriguez, College of Family and Consumer Sciences; Angela Romero-Shih, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Cindy Schulman, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Dominic Sevieri, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Claudia Shamp, Greek Life; Kisha Shelton, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Sarah Shockley, Office of Student Financial Aid; London Smith, Office of Student Financial Aid; Joanne Sorrow, Office of Student Financial Aid; Gregory Spillers, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Amanda Spohn, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Sherri Stephens, College of Family and Consumer Sciences; Claudia Stephens, Office of the Vice President for Research; Doug Stinnett, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Ellen Surrency, Office of Institutional Diversity; Madelyn Tarpley, Terry College of Business; Robin Taylor, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Deborah Tonks, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Alisha Townsend, Gwinnett Graduate Programs; Robert Tucker, Office of Student Financial Aid; Mica Turner, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Anne Marie Vencill, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Talley Vodicka, Institute for Behavioral Research; Kristy Walker, University Housing; Christopher Walker, Office of Student Financial Aid; Melissa Wallace, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Chera Jo Watts, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Carole Wheeler, Gwinnett Graduate Programs; Lori Whitaker, Office of Student Financial Aid; Sarita Wilkes, Office of Student Financial Aid; Ginger Williams, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; and Kevin Williams, Facilities Management Division.
