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09.25.2012

Arthur Blank, Fran Teague to speak at UGA fall undergraduate Commencement

Philanthropist Arthur M. Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons football franchise, will be the speaker for the University of Georgia fall 2012 undergraduate Commencement exercise December 14 at 9:30 a.m. in Stegeman Coliseum. In addition, he will be awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree from UGA during the ceremony.

Fran Teague, long-time UGA faculty member who holds a joint appointment in the department of English and the department of theatre and film studies, will speak at the graduate Commencement exercise at 2:30 p.m. in the same location.

Blank’s career is highlighted by his co-founding of The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement store and fourth largest retailer in the U.S. When he retired as co-chairman in 2001, the company was one of Fortune magazine’s “Global Most Admired Companies.” He is now the owner of the Atlanta Falcons. In 1995, Blank established The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, which has granted more than $250 million to support early childhood development, education, the arts, and parks and green space.

Joining the English department at UGA in 1977, Teague moved up the ranks to professor in 1991, and in 2003, she was named a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, the university’s highest teaching honor. She received the University Professorship in 2011, the 25th faculty member to receive the honor, which was first awarded in 1974 and stipulates that only one faculty member from UGA can receive the designation in any one given year.

Commencement is a time to celebrate our students’ time at the University and their life ahead. To have two such accomplished Commencement speakers serves as a great opportunity to learn from their successes as these newest graduates prepare to go out into the world. Early congratulations are in order for our fall graduates, and I look forward to all you will accomplish before and after December!

CLICK HERE for the full press release.

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06.18.2013

UGA alumnus receives 2013 Honorary State Degree from Florida FFA

Despite UGA’s longstanding rivalry with the University of Florida, UGA graduates are living south of the Georgia border and making great contributions to the Sunshine State.

This month, Ralph Garrison (BBA ‘75) was honored with the 2013 Honorary State Degree by Florida’s Future Farmers of America.

Deb Barry, a high school agriculture teacher in Florida, nominated Garrison because of his commitment to educating students in Florida’s Manatee County about agriculture.

According to the Bradenton Herald, the Honorary State Degree is the highest honorary award presented by the Florida FFA. It recognizes individuals who contribute to the advancement of agricultural education and provide outstanding service to the FFA program.

Garrison is a member of the Manatee County Farm Bureau board, where he has served as president for 12 years. He and his wife, Sandy, own and operate Suncoast Nursery in Bradenton, Fla., and take great pride in working with plants.

Congratulations on behalf of the UGA Alumni Association, Ralph. Best of luck in your future endeavors!

This blog post was sourced from the Bradenton Herald.

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06.17.2013

Forrest Griffin (AB ’03) retires from UFC

Forrest Griffin (AB ‘03) is hanging up his gloves as an Ultimate Fighting Challenge competitor. The alumnus has been a UFC fighter for eight years and played a major role in the company’s success.

Griffin was cast in the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, which he won after the live finale that has since been deemed one of UFC’s hallmark fights. During his career, Griffin went 19-7 in MMA fights and 10-5 in UFC fights. Adam (BSBE ’98, MS ’07) and Rory (BSBE ’99) Singer, owners of Bulldog 100 business Athens Fitness & MMA, played an integral role in launching Griffin’s career.

Griffin cites his health as the main reason for going into retirement. Despite his great MMA and UFC success, he has suffered a number of injuries during fights. He is expected to take on a position with UFC in the near future.

Congratulations on a successful career, Forrest – you are one tough Bulldog! I look forward to seeing what this next step on your UFC journey has in store for you.

This article was sourced from USA Today.

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06.14.2013

UGA young alumni to gather at SweetWater Brewing Company tonight

Each summer, hundreds of young alumni descend upon SweetWater Brewing Company in Atlanta for an evening of networking and socializing. This year’s gathering will be held tonight from 9 p.m. to midnight – and it’s not too late for you to join in the fun!

Online registration has closed, but the Alumni Association invites you to still attend – attendees can register at the door for $30 per person.

This admission price includes a SweetWater pint glass for each attendee, beer tastings, and appetizers from the new Barberitos locations in Buckhead and Sandy Springs. In addition, the UGA Music Business Certificate Program helped coordinate the band for tonight’s evening, Universal Sigh out of Athens.

I hope you are able to make it tonight – the Young Alumni SweetWater Gathering is one of our most spirited events of the year and you won’t want to miss it!

To register for tonight’s event, please click here.

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