Dean’s Update 5/9/24

Graduation is such a special time on campus – even more special for this undergraduate class of 2024 who may have missed out on an in-person high school graduation due to Covid. We are so proud of the accomplishments and efforts of our FACS graduates! We’ve profiled many of them on our social media and website and enjoyed hearing from the student speakers at our convocation. I want to especially thank the staff and faculty who have volunteered to work in a variety of roles for our convocation. I celebrate each of you, in the various roles you have played, to help graduates get to this milestone in their lives.

We are saying our farewells to our colleague Sheri Worthy this spring. As you know, Sheri is leaving UGA to take the position of Director of the School of Human Sciences at Mississippi State University, effective July 1. She will be in the office for some of June. We are sad to see her go – she’s been a steady, skilled, and fun presence around here in the Dean’s Office and at UGA as a whole. We are counting on seeing each other at professional conferences. Sheri, you have a standing invite to come visit the FACS Bulldawg Nation any time.

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Melissa Landers-Potts has been appointed as the Interim Assistant Dean for Curriculum and Academic Programs. I’m grateful to the other colleagues who expressed interest in the position. FACS is always on the lookout for faculty and staff who are interested in leadership! Melissa is extraordinarily well-suited for this position, having attained the rank of Principal Lecturer, having served as the Inclusive Excellence Fellow at the University Level, and having been involved at the university level on a variety of undergraduate instruction initiatives, including Universal Design of courses. The appointment is 50% time, so she’ll continue to teach in her home department and will have an office in the Dean’s suite for half time.

The FACS Study Abroad Scholarship Committee prioritized financial need in awarding scholarship fund amounts. Thanks to all of our generous donors, all applicants received scholarships.

The faculty mentoring initiative (for faculty in the first level of appointment all streams: tenure-line, clinical, and lecturer) is underway in every unit. We are evaluating the mentoring with an eye toward improvement. In the fall, there will be a training from the Office of Faculty Affairs for mentors.

The FACS DEIB committee will include a liaison board with an undergraduate and graduate student from each academic unit.

We will be planning networking opportunities among students, faculty, staff, and administrators next year. We welcome ideas about these opportunities!

Governor Kemp signed into law the budget passed by the Georgia legislature this week. It includes programs that are relevant to UGA and FACS in particular. Look to UGA channels and FACS channels. More details to come.

***Additional information regarding supporting and non-supporting behaviors can be found here: UGA Staff Competency Model: A Practical Guide

Hope you all have a terrific summer!

Anisa M. Zvonkovic

Dean and Georgia Athletic Association Professor in Family and Consumer Sciences