Debbie Purvis (FACS Extension Agent, Colquitt County) has been named the Educator of the Year by the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences for the innovative programs she has developed throughout her career with the Georgia Extension Service. She has developed programs in food and nutrition, as well as establishing several new programs targeting Georgia’s growing Latino population, including the Voz de la Familia or Voice of the Family.

Carol A. Watkins, a long-time family and consumer sciences teacher at Bradwell Institute, a public high school in Hinesville, has been named the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences 2004 National Teacher of the Year.

She received her award during the annual national AAFCS convention in San Diego in June.

Watkins (EdS ’87, Home Economics Education) earned her bachelor’s degree in home economics education in 1972 and her master’s of science degree in clothing and textiles in 1973 from Kansas State University. From 1978-1983 she taught family and consumer sciences at Hinesville Middle School. She has been teaching at Bradwell Institute since 1983. She became certified in family and consumer sciences in 1986.

Watkins’ program, “Dynamic Leadership and Character Education,” which she teaches to 10th through 12th graders, includes lessons on moral and ethical values, violence prevention, and civic responsibility while integrating the core curriculum through hands-on learning activities.

During Watkins’ tenure, the class has won the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America award for the best community service project in the state three times.

Since Watkins implemented her leadership class in 1999, enrollment in FACS life skills classes at Bradwell Institute has more than doubled from 225 students in 1999 to 475 students in 2003. FCCLA membership at Bradwell has also more than doubled from 106 members in 99-00 to 260 members in 03-04.
 

Don Bower, professor of child and family development and interim department head, has been chosen president-elect of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. He will begin his term as president in July 2005.

Bower, who also is a human development specialist with the UGA Cooperative Extension Service, has spent nearly 30 years with the university. Among his many awards, he was named the 2003 Walter Barnard Hill Distinguished Public Service and Outreach Fellow, the highest award offered in Public Service and Outreach.

Bower, who is certified in family and consumer sciences by AAFCS, has been involved with the national organization for many years. He served as vice president for planning from 2002-2004, has chaired the AAFCS nominating committee, the resolutions committee, and served as president of the Georgia affiliate several years ago.

“Dr. Bower will make an excellent president of AAFCS,” according to FACS Dean Sharon Y. Nickols, who served in the position from July 2002-July 2003. “His long-time involvement with AAFCS reflects his commitment to ensuring that family and consumer sciences maintains its vitality at all levels.”
Throughout his career, Bower has developed a variety of programs designed to address the needs of children and families. For example, in the late 1970s he approached the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety with a plan to educate Georgians about the importance of safety seats and how to install them correctly. The program has dramatically reduced the trauma from car crashes, the leading killer of children. In addition, the program has grown into the Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute, which has an annual budget of nearly $1 million and provides training and education throughout Georgia on a variety of safety programs.

Bower earned his undergraduate degree in family sociology from Denison University in 1974, his master’s in child and family development from the University of Arizona in 1975, and his doctorate in public administration from UGA in 1989. He is certified as a family life educator by the National Council on Family Relations.

“I’m looking forward to my term as president of AAFCS,” Bower said. “This is an organization that touches lives in so many ways. Whether it’s the researcher exploring child development, the FACS county Extension Service agent providing programs on home buying, or the high school teacher introducing students to the practical aspects of nutrition, AAFCS provides the essential support for all of our professionals to help families apply research to improve their lives.”
The American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences is the only national forum where K-12 teachers, university educators and corporate managers collaborate to improve the quality of individual, family and community life. AAFCS has more than 10,000 members.

The Certified Financial Planning Board’s Board of Examiners has renewed registration of the Family Financial Management emphasis through September 2007.

The FFM emphasis provides consumer economics majors the opportunity to study family decision-making regarding credit and debt, insurance, taxation, savings and investments, retirement, and estate planning. It is the only approved undergraduate program in the state of Georgia, according to Anne Sweaney, chair of the Department of Housing and Consumer Economics.

“The CFP designation indicates to consumers that the personal financial planners who use them have a high level of professionalism, financial planning education and ethics, and are qualified to give sound financial planning advice,” Sweaney said. “By providing our undergraduates a curriculum designed to prepare them to take the CFP certification exam, we’re also providing the general public access to highly skilled family financial planners.”

This program is led by Joan Koonce Moss, associate professor of housing and consumer economics; and Lance Palmer, assistant professor of housing and consumer economics.

The College of Family and Consumer Sciences has experienced a number of transitions this year. Some faculty members are taking on new responsibilities in administration, while others are pursuing new opportunities in the classroom and a few are anticipating retirement.

Among the changes is the promotion of Jorge H. Atiles (Associate Professor, Housing and Consumer Economics) to Associate Dean for Outreach and Extension. He will succeed Tom Rodgers (Professor, Housing and Consumer Economics), who has served in the position for the past four years. Rodgers, who has provided a total of 38 years of service to the University of Georgia – including a number of years as Associate Vice President for Outreach – officially retired in September, but has returned on a part-time basis to continue researching issues surrounding workforce housing in Georgia.

“Dr. Atiles brings broad experience to his new position as associate dean,” according to Sharon Y. Nickols, FACS dean. “In particular, the research he has conducted with colleagues on the needs of Georgia’s burgeoning Latino communities and the lack of housing for our state’s workforce represents his commitment to developing collaborations with a variety of university, community, state and national groups. These partnerships expand our college’s impact throughout the state.”

“I want to raise awareness throughout the state about our programs, market our strengths, and continue to build the connections and networks that Dr. Rodgers has established during his tenure,” Atiles said. “We have a wealth of knowledge that’s constantly being expanded through the research of our faculty.”

Atiles earned his PhD in 1995 in Housing, Interior Design and Resource Management from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; his master’s degree in 1990 in Urban and Regional Planning, also from Virginia Tech; and his bachelor’s degree in architecture in 1986 from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Ureña in the Dominican Republic.

Prior to joining UGA, he served on the administrative team of the National Housing Bank of the Dominican Republic; worked as an adjunct faculty member at the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Ureña; as an instructor at Virginia Tech; and as a housing manager with the Human and Economic Development Department for Athens-Clarke County.

Anne Sweaney (Professor, Housing and Consumer Economics) has been named head of the Department of Housing and Consumer Economics. Sweaney served as interim head for the past year and has 23 years of service to the college. She succeeds Brenda Cude (Professor, Housing and Consumer Economics), who has returned to a faculty position in the College.

Patricia Hunt-Hurst (Associate Professor, Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors) has been named interim head of the Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors. Ian Hardin (Professor, Textiles, Merchandising and Interiors), who served as TMI department head for 10 years, has returned to the faculty and will be expanding his research on enhancing cotton quality.

Don Bower (Professor, Child and Family Development) has been named interim head of the Department of Child and Family Development. David Wright (Associate Professor, Child and Family Development), who served as CFD department head for four years, is on study leave for the fall semester. He will return to teaching and research in January 2005.

To accommodate its ever-expanding enrollment, there are three new faces in the TMI department. Yoo-Kyoung Seock is a new assistant professor focusing on fashion merchandising. She earned her PhD at Virginia Polytechnic and State University in clothing and textiles with a concentration in business and economics. Kristin Deckard has been hired as a lecturer in fashion merchandising. She has a MS degree in education and a bachelor’s of science degree in retail management from Purdue University. Dawn Schueneman has been hired as a lecturer in furnishings and interiors. She has a MS degree in historic preservation and a bachelor’s of science in family and consumer sciences from the University of Georgia.

In Housing and Consumer Economics, Lance Palmer has joined the faculty as an assistant professor. He earned his PhD at Utah State University and his focus will be on family financial management.

In Child and Family Development, Charles Halverson (Professor, Child and Family Development) has retired after 27 years of service. He will continue working on his research on children’s personalities.