Six University of Georgia faculty received awards Monday for their commitment to public service and outreach.

The awards were presented at the 32^nd Annual Public Service and Outreach Meeting and Awards Luncheon, held at the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel.

“As usual, the faculty members selected this year are among the university’s strongest advocates for outreach and are committed to helping fulfill UGA’s land-grant and sea-grant mission,” said Jennifer Frum, UGA vice president for Public Service and Outreach.

Dr. Doris Miller, a professor and associate director of state governmental relations for the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, was presented the Walter B. Hill Fellow Award for Distinguished Achievement in Public Service and Outreach. The Hill Fellow Award is UGA’s highest award in public service and outreach and is comparable to a distinguished professorship.

Miller has served on the UGA faculty for 40 years and was the first woman elected president of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. She played a key role in developing the country’s early warning system and guard against emerging and foreign animal diseases.

Four UGA faculty members received Walter B. Hill Awards. They are:

• Charles T. Bargeron IV, a senior public service associate in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and director of the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at UGA Tifton. Bargeron developed a program that collects and disseminates information on invasive species, forest health, natural resources and agricultural management. Citizen scientists have contributed hundreds of thousands of photos to his database, many through a smart phone app.

• John Hulsey, a public service associate at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. His training courses have helped Georgia’s state and local leaders operate more effectively and efficiently. Hulsey has distinguished himself by his innate ability to take complex and ever-changing financial practices and create content that resonates with learners of various levels of knowledge, skills and experience.

• Carole H. Knight, an Extension 4-H Specialist for Animal Science Programs in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Knight focuses on beef cattle and forage production, and was instrumental in the formation of the Georgia Beef Quality Assurance program, which specializes in animal handling, the correct use of health products, sustainable environmental practices and good record keeping.

• Greg Wilson, an assistant director with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. Wilson advances workforce and economic development initiatives that expand the reach and impact of UGA across Georgia. He currently serves as the manager of the Vinson Institute’s Workforce Development and Economic Analysis Unit, which provides research and strategy projects worth nearly $1.3 million per year to government clients.

The UGA Public Service and Outreach Engaged Scholar Award was presented to Henry Young, Kroger Professor and director of Pharmaceutical Health Services at the College of Pharmacy. Through his work in rural Georgia, Young has built mutually beneficial alliances with other faculty, students and communities to address critical needs and fulfill the mission of the land-grant university. His efforts include reducing patient readmission rates to hospitals, providing communications between prescribers and providers of opioid prescriptions, and expanding access to telehealth equipment in parts of the state without access to care.

For more information on the award winners, click here.