Athens, Ga. – In observance of the University of Georgia’s 225th anniversary, Gary K. Bertsch, a former UGA faculty member and administrator, will present the Founders’ Day Lecture at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 27 in the UGA Chapel. Bertsch will discuss “UGA and ‘the rising hope of our land’ in a New World Order.” The lecture is open to the public.
The annual lecture recognizes the date UGA was established in 1785 when the Georgia General Assembly adopted a charter creating the university as the country’s first state-chartered institution of higher education.
Undergraduate Josh McLaurin, an international affairs major, will deliver the student response to Bertsch’s presentation.
“Having Dr. Bertsch deliver our 225th anniversary lecture is a wonderful opportunity for the university,” said Deborah Dietzler, executive director of the UGA Alumni Association. “Given Gary’s broad international affairs experience, the lecture will be a great way to celebrate UGA’s anniversary.”
The Founders’ Day Lecture is sponsored by the Alumni Association and the Emeriti Scholars, a group of retired faculty members especially known for their teaching abilities and who continue to be involved in the university’s academic life.
Bertsch joined the university as a faculty member in 1969 and is the founding director of UGA’s Center for International Trade and Security. He is also co-founder and co-director of the Delta Prize for Global Understanding, an annual university honor whose recipients include Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev and Desmond Tutu.