Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia Graduate School will begin its 100th anniversary celebration with the Centennial Kickoff on Jan. 28 at 3:30 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the Tate Student Center. A reception will immediately follow the program for all faculty, staff, students and friends of UGA.
The inaugural event to the year-long celebration includes speeches from three distinguished educators and the presentation of the first annual Graduate School’s Innovation in Graduate Education Award.
“The Graduate School’s centennial allows us to recognize graduate education in its entirety,” said Maureen Grasso, dean of the Graduate School. “This centennial will be a time for students, faculty and alumni to celebrate the past accomplishments of the Graduate School and set goals for the future of graduate education at UGA.”
The Graduate School has changed dramatically over the past 100 years. It was founded in June 1910 when the Board of Trustees named Willis Henry Bocock the first dean. Over the next 100 years, the Graduate School grew from seven original students to more than 7,000 today.
The scheduled speakers at the Centennial Kickoff are Debra Stewart, president of the Council of Graduate Schools; UGA President Michael F. Adams; and Dean Grasso.
Stewart, who has been the president of the Council of Graduate Schools for nearly 10 years, will talk about the opportunities and challenges facing graduate education in the next decade and beyond. She has held leadership positions at University of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina State University. Her own research concerns managerial decision making and ethics.
The Graduate School is planning a series of events during 2010 to celebrate the centennial. Future events include a tree planting ceremony in February and the Mary Frances Early Lecture in April. More information can be found on the Graduate School Web site, www.grad.uga.edu.