Four local educators and University of West Georgia alumni were recently recognized for their work with elementary and high school students in their individual district school systems. All will compete for the Georgia Teacher of the Year in spring 2014.
Jason Backus was named Teacher of the Year for Douglas County School System where he works at Alexander High School in Douglasville, Georgia, as a math teacher. He received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 2005 and an M.Ed. in Secondary Education in 2010 from UWG. Read more ...
The University of West Georgia hosted an HIV/AIDS Talk on Tuesday, November 19, at 6:30 p.m. at UWG’s Ingram Library in the Murphy Reading Room. The keynote speaker, UWG alumna and author Lee Kearney, opened up about her experience as the mother of a son living with HIV.
With standing room only, Lee shared the synopsis of her book, “He Always Brought Me Flowers: A Mother’s Remembrance of Her Son’s Journey,” which tells the story of her son’s journey with addiction, HIV/AIDS and her grief and loss. Read more ...
Dan Peeples, a UWG alumnus, was selected by the Georgia Trend editorial staff to be recognized as an outstanding Georgian for 2013 40 Under 40. As one of the 40 honorees, Dan, 35, holds many prominent positions such as mayor of the city of Varnell, president of Peeples Monument Services and vice president of Julian Peeples Funeral Home.
“I am so honored to be chosen as one of this year’s ‘Top 40 Under 40,’” Dan says. “I truly believe that the leadership roles that I have in my community were first started while being a Chi Phi at the University of West Georgia. I have enjoyed being the mayor of my town for the past 5 years, along with being on the board of directors for several community organizations.” Read more ...
In the past couple of weeks, UWG photographers have been taking many aerial shots of UWG’s newly renovated campus. “Since I began working on campus in 1989 I have only seen five aerial shots and one video,” says Steven Broome, associate director of visual services for UCM.
The addition of more than 10 buildings since the last aerial shots were taken were key in Steven’s decision to get new aerial shots. He knew getting these shots would not work in a normal airplane, and that a helicopter would be needed. Read more ...
“Blue Coats” InauguralOn November 13, I, along with Dr. Marrero and others from the Division of University Advancement, had the distinct pleasure of inducting 14 students into a new elite student organization known as the Blue Coats. This group of ambassadors will help us bridge the gap between students and our alumni and friends of the university. As you attend events sponsored by areas of our division – the UWG Foundation, or the Alumni Association and its networks – you will likely meet some of these students and hear first-hand their very impactful stories about what UWG means to them.
These students were selected through a rigorous process. They attended a social to determine how they are in one-on-one conversations and situations as well as individual interviews with the selection committee. Read more ...
Alumni who attended the University of West Georgia’s 2013 Homecoming had the opportunity to meet not only new students, but also a new president. Among the exciting activities on Saturday, October 5, alumni encountered President Kyle Marrero at events like the annual football game. Four alumni who met in UWG’s Lambda-Delta chapter of the Kappa Sigma fraternity got a chance to have their photograph taken with President Marrero.
Dayton Preslar, who graduated in 2011, joined the fall 2013 inaugural class of the Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine. The other alumni are studying law at their respective institutions. Read more ...
We’ve talked alumni engagement and the importance of service to UWG and your communities. Let’s talk about how you support UWG. We strive to deliver quality programming that purposely connects alumni to the university through meaningful engagement. As we grow, both as an institution and association, opportunities to serve and support UWG expand.
Two critical volunteer groups that work closely with the alumni relations staff are the Alumni Board of Directors, led by alumnus Greg Benda ’05, and the Young Alumni Council, under the leadership of Emily Jones Woodcock ’11 ’12. The Board of Directors has had 100 percent giving for two years in a row – a strong statement that alumni should see financial support as an important aspect of life post-graduation. This year, the young alumni group also achieved 100 percent giving. Read more ...
University of West Georgia alum Dave Lang, of Atomic Films, won first place at the inaugural Capture Film Project on September 27 - 29. The Association for Visual Arts led this unique, community-sourced film festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
All project participants were given 24 hours to shoot footage, which began on Friday, September 27, and were to embrace the theme "simple beauty." The range of cameras included everything from professional grade to smartphones and the photographers were asked to submit their five best shots. Read more ...
University of West Georgia alumni from the 1930s and ‘40s gathered for the annual reunion luncheon on Friday, October 4. They met in the lower level Z-6 to reminisce on their time at the university. The oldest class at this year’s event was 1938, represented by alumna Rachel Hunt Rice. During the luncheon, the ‘30s and ‘40s graduates enjoyed coffee, took a group photo, and had the opportunity to share their favorite UWG memory and the impact the university has had on their lives for a historical video. Read more ...
The air is getting cooler and the days are getting shorter. Flip-flops, shorts and trips to the beach are giving way to jeans, boots and bonfires. Fall is definitely in the air on the campus at the University of West Georgia. Students are settled into their fall semester classes and social events are in full swing.
The air is practically buzzing with activity, and one of the biggest reasons for the buzz this week is Homecoming 2013. Read more ...
Shoes are often taken for granted. Think about it. For most, the biggest shoe dilemma they encounter is which pair best matches their outfit for the day. Well, imagine life without shoes. It may be difficult, considering they’ve become such a luxury for getting us from destination to destination. Going further than imagining life without shoes, it’s probably even harder to imagine that you will find thousands of people who will voluntarily embrace the extremity of going shoeless for a whole day- unless you’re business owner and UWG alumna Sidra McWhorter. Read more ...
Volunteerism is simply accepting an invitation to participate fully in empowering and serving others. My own experience in volunteerism with the University of West Georgia began by becoming an active part of the alumni association, but I had no idea what a rich and meaningful experience it would become in my life.
I have watched our volunteers dip ice cream and unload cars for incoming freshmen. I have seen them work for hours to honor the achievements of our fellow alumni. And I have witnessed them raise countless dollars so that other students could grow to love UWG. Read more ...
After deciding to “Go West,” our international students find themselves stretching their UWG ties to the far ends of the Earth. In an effort to keep these connections strong, the Alumni Association is offering International Alumni Reunions. This summer, former students converged in Switzerland for the fourth official International Alumni Reunion, adding to a list that includes Helsinki and Paris as past reunion destinations.
Though these students may have charted their own courses across the world, two common denominators remain the same: their loyalty to the University of West Georgia and their love for their mentor and “mom-away-from-home” Sylvia Shortt. Read more ...
The University of West Georgia Alumni Association honored its inaugural 30 Under 30 class with a tailgate and recognition ceremony on September 21. Despite the rainy weather, around 75 people gathered for the celebration, which was held prior to the Wolves vs. the Midwestern State Mustangs football game.
The young professionals were chosen from 53 candidates. The nomination process for the 2013 list was completed on March 15, 2013. Read more ...
On Tuesday, student organizations were invited to participate in the annual Homecoming Banner Contest outside of the University Campus Center. The Student Activities Council sponsors the contest in support of UWG’s Homecoming week.
Organizations on campus participated in the contest by painting banners that related to this year’s homecoming theme “Get A Clue. Go West!” The SAC instructed participants of specific guidelines to follow when creating the banners. Read more ...
The University of West Georgia Alumni Association is now accepting nominations for the 2014 Alumni Awards.
You can submit nominations here, or read about last year's recipients here.
These annual honors are presented to alums known for their career industry impacts, services to humanity and loyalties to UWG. Read more ...
When Poland native Agnieszka Bryk first arrived at then West Georgia College she had no idea what she wanted to study. After majoring in English at a university in Poland, Agnieszka realized that she was not pursuing English because of her interest in English, American literature or history, but because it was a “safe choice.”
In her first semester at West Georgia, she enrolled in a variety of classes from economics to French to mass communications. “I thought it was the right thing to do, to know about business and stuff,” she says. Read more ...
Maintaining and nurturing healthy relationships with UWG’s alumni serves as the foundation of all we do at the Alumni House to better serve and connect with our growing number of graduates. We are in the midst of a concerted movement to improve and increase engagement through a range of programming – most notably through our newly launched Alumni Networks.
These Alumni Networks will assist us with better communication streams with alumni in certain geographic locations as we continue to explore new networks that will be based on location and interests. We can’t do this alone. We need you to be our agents in the field to help us cultivate and sow seeds, identify alumni with affinity for UWG, and support our efforts with programming that is meaningful to you and your communities. Read more ...
In 2008, then University of West Georgia freshman, Tangela Large knew she had dreams of one day becoming an actor, but had no idea those dreams would quickly become her reality. After graduating from UWG in 2010, she received the opportunity of a lifetime to enroll in the Master of Fine Arts program at Brown University on a full scholarship.
In only her second year at Brown University, Tangela has reached an apex in her graduate career. This summer she landed a role in the 2011 Pulitzer Prize and 2012 Tony Award-winning play ‘Clybourne Park.’ Read more ...
University of West Georgia alumnus and Atlanta Association of Health Underwriters member David Knight recently received the Distinguished Service Award at the National Association of Health Underwriters’ 83rd Annual Convention and Exhibition held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Atlanta.
David was recognized for the Distinguished Service Award, which honors NAHU members who have made significant contributions to volunteer service at the local, state and national level. His efforts have greatly improved the health insurance industry through an extraordinary commitment of time, talents and professional experience. Read more ...
University of West Georgia alumnus David Johnson was recently named a qualifier for the United States Virgin Islands National Bowling Team. He currently lives in St. Croix and is a partner at Cane Bay Partners VI, LLLP, a management consulting company specializing in management consulting, risk management and scorecard development, as well as service provider analysis.
David and his six teammates represented the U.S. Virgin Islands at the Concecabol Tournament in Cali, Columbia, in May 2013. The tournament was also the qualifier for the Central American and Carribean games that will take place in Vera Cruz, Mexico, in July 2014. Read more ...
Casey Nichols, a University of West Georgia alumnus named in UWG’s “30 Under 30” list, recently returned from Moore, Okla., covering the damage left by the EF 5 tornado that occurred on May 20, 2013.
Casey has been working behind the camera for five years at WSB-TV as a photojournalist for Channel 2 News at the Cobb County Bureau, covering the Northwest Metro region of Atlanta. Casey has covered several storms in the past around Atlanta, including the tornado in Adairsville, Georgia, on January 30, 2013, but he says that the one in Oklahoma was like nothing he has ever seen before. Read more ...
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