The University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a political panel discussion, dinner and keynote address by U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss '66 (R-Ga.) on September 7^th at the UGA Hotel and Conference Center at the Georgia Center.

The event will get underway at 5 p.m. with a presidential election panel that will include nationally known political commentators. Moderated by WSB-TV anchor and investigative reporter Richard Belcher '71, the panelists are Cynthia Tucker, Pulitzer Prize winner and former editorial page editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Mary Kate Cary, a speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush; Ralph Reed '85, a Republican strategist; and Jamal Simmons, a political commentator for CNN.  The panel will be followed by a reception at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. Chambliss will headline the anniversary dinner, which will commemorate the school’s decade of accomplishments.

Maintaining a reputation for excellence, the School of Public and International Affairs, or SPIA, is currently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the nation’s fourth best public affairs graduate school, just below Harvard University (#3) and above Princeton University (#5). Founded in 2001, SPIA was created from the department of political science in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. The school includes degreed disciplines in the areas of international affairs, political science, public administration and criminal justice studies. Currently, more than 1,500 undergraduate students are enrolled in SPIA and 250 graduate students are in the political science and public administration programs.

SPIA’s progress in the school’s short tenure has been nothing short of incredible. With the tier of students and faculty in our classrooms, this does not come as a surprise. This level of excellence is characteristic of those part of the University family.

My favorite thing about meeting with UGA graduates from across the country is hearing all of your wonderful stories and accomplishments. Recently, at UGA Day in Nashville, I was speaking with Josh Parker (BBA '00) when he told me about his father, Dr. Tony Parker (AB '90, MA '92). Last year, Dr. Parker was named curator of the "Lawrence Levy Photograph Golf Collection" at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. 

His assignment is to organize and catalogue the more than 240,000 images taken between 1978 and 1994 by Levy, who lost a battle to cancer in 1994.  Of course, living and working in St. Andrews, we hear that Tony may be enjoying a little golf, as well!

Dr. Parker isthe first Curator of Golf History in the 600-year history of the University of St. Andrews. They are currently raising funds to build a purpose-built facility to house their Special Collections. Knowing how much we cherish our own Special Collections Libraries, I know how valuable that addition will be to St. Andrews.

An excerpt from an article by Loran Smith on Parker in the September 4, 2012 edition of the Athens Banner-Herald describes his path to this project:

After graduating with a masters degree in history from UGA in 1992, Parker enrolled at the University of St. Andrews, where he received a degree in Scottish history in 1996. He and his wife, Lisa, who grew up in Alpharetta and is also a UGA graduate, decided to stay in Scotland. Last year, they became Scottish citizens and now have dual passports.

Following the conferring of his doctorate, Parker became the administrative director of the Institute for Transatlantic, European and American Studies at the University of Dundee, where he taught for 12 years.

Leaving the University of Dundee in 2008, he formed the Parker Group Scotland, which specialized in Scottish and golf-related history, educational consultations and photography.

In 2007, Parker was introduced to the Queen and Prince Philip for his "contributions to the people of the United Kingdom." 

Dr. Parker, I and the thousands of UGA graduates who are avid golfers or golf fans are so proud of your role at the home of golf. We know you miss fall afternoons 'Between the Hedges,' but we know that replacing them with fall afternoons on the Old Course is not too bad an alternative!

Well done, and Go Dawgs!

This post was sourced from an article by Loran Smith in the September 4, 2012 edition of the Athens Banner-Herald.  CLICK HERE to read the full article.  

Photo credit:  Courtesy of Tony Parker