Rodney Nash is an innovative teacher. He recently received a competitive fellowship from the National Science Foundation for a project called “The Science Behind Our Foods.” As one of ten recipients in the state of Georgia, Nash uses the fellowship to keep high school students interested in science by showing them about how the sciences are involved in food production, food safety and environmental protection. He was also a Graduate Recruitment Opportunities Assistantship Mentor. In this role, his duties were to advise and counsel his mentee about the challenges of graduate school. His teaching lesson presentation, “Kool-Aid Gel Electrophoresis,” was presented at the Georgia Governor’s Honors Awards in 2004. He has also been an invited speaker at the UGA Graduate School’s 4th Annual Visitation Day, Athens First Presbyterian Church, the 2004 Southern Region Teaching Symposium and on the UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Recruitment CD. After graduation, he plans to take a few weeks off and then begin a post-doctoral fellowship.
Hometown:
Decatur, Georgia
High School:
St. Pius X Catholic High School
Degree objective:
Ph.D. in Animal and Dairy Science
Other degrees:
M.S., Biology, Georgia State University
B.S., Biology, Georgia State University
Expected graduation:
Spring 2006
University highlights, achievements, awards and scholarships:
Besides having been awarded a National Science Foundation fellowship, I am also a proud member of the UGA Chapter of Blue Key National Honor Society and the honor society for agriculture, Gamma Sigma Delta. Additionally, I am a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Society for Stem Cell Research, the National Education Association, the Georgia Association of Educators, the National Science Teachers Association and the Georgia Science Teachers Association. I have also received a NASA Space Grant for “Embryonic Stem Cell Development Under Micro-Gravitational Conditions.” Additionally, I have been a member of UGA ’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Strategic Planning Committee, where our goal was to develop a ten year plan to improve the operations of our college.
Current Employment:
I am employed as a Ph.D student through my National Science Foundation Fellowship. In addition to my research duties, my duties include teaching high school students.
Family Ties to UGA:
My mother, Tommie Nash, received her Specialist in Education at the College of Education here at UGA. Additionally, my father , Rutherford Jack Brice, has served as a committee member in the School of Social Work.
I chose to attend UGA because…
…of the things I read on the web page for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. I was impressed with their application of the basic sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, etc.) to more practical fields involving product development, food and environmental safety, and medical biotechnology in an effort to improve people’s everyday lives.
My favorite things to do on campus are…
…research, finding a parking spot on campus at any of the three buildings where I work without receiving a ticket from parking services, and having an international skirmish in a game of squash with my Australian and German colleagues at the Ramsey Center.
When I have free time, I like…
…adopted a dog who was a Hurricane Katrina survivor. I saw him on television. He was rescued from the ruins and, due to his injuries, had a leg amputated. The shelter received only one phone call in reference to his adoption…mine. I adopted him. He is a very special dog.
My favorite place to study is…
…the Barnes and Noble bookstore. They have countless books and magazines…and cappuccino.
My favorite professor is…
…my major professor Stephen Dalton. He has allowed me to grow both by his guidance and by letting me learn through trial and error.
If I could share an afternoon with anyone, I would love to share it with…
…my dad, Jack Brice, and it would be a Sunday afternoon during the football season. We have shared a number of Sunday afternoons watching football and doing father-son type things. Since I have started my degree, my time with him has been limited, and I really miss seeing him.
If I knew I could not fail, I would…
I would not have interest in things at which I could not fail, because through my failures, I learn how things don’t work. This often leads me to discovering how things “do” work.
The one UGA experience I will always remember will be…
…my first UGA football game at Sanford Stadium. I have never felt so much energy from a crowd. Go Dawgs, Sick Em! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!