Seven University of Georgia faculty received awards Monday for their commitment to fulfilling the university’s land-and sea-grant through their public service and outreach efforts. 

The awards were presented at the 35th Annual Public Service and Outreach Awards Luncheon, held at the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel. 

Public Service and Outreach continues to expand UGA’s impact across the state. The most recent economic impact study shows UGA contributing a record $9.2 billion to the state in 2025, fueled in part by expanding efforts in research and public service. UGA has engaged more than 9,000 students and has engaged over a million individuals at the local level through outreach education, programming and training efforts. 

“Through public service and outreach efforts, UGA connects expertise with communities across Georgia to strengthen local economies, build leadership capacity, and support Extension outreach in both rural and urban areas,” said Stacy Jones, vice president for public service and outreach. “This work is central to our land-grant and sea-grant commitment to improving quality of life statewide. This year’s honorees exemplify that commitment through efforts that create lasting impact.” 

Leigh Askew Elkins, a senior public service associate at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, 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. 

Since joining the institute’s Environmental Policy Program in 2012, Elkins has helped Georgia communities integrate sustainability with economic progress using participatory planning, strategic visioning and public facilitation. In her work with Gainesville, Georgia, she led major community driven planning initiatives, and her facilitation work helped Gainesville and Hall County secure $4.4 million in state funding and leveraged nearly $300 million in private investment for neighborhood revitalization, improved connectivity and expanded greenspace.  

Five UGA faculty members received Walter B. Hill Awards. These awards recognize the distinguished achievements by public service faculty who have contributed to a better quality of life for the people of Georgia.  

• Tammy Cheely is a senior public service associate and the County Extension coordinator and Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent for Warren and Glascock counties in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. In more than 30 years with UGA Cooperative Extension, she has demonstrated exceptional service and community leadership. A visionary in applied agriculture, she transformed beef cattle production through the Warren County Calf Network, which has facilitated the sale of more than 30,000 calves and generated over $991,000 in added profits, while her producer cooperative has saved members more than $1.8 million. Cheely also revitalized Warren County school gardens with $80,000 in funding to boost food education and agricultural literacy, and secured $827,000 worth of medical and veterinary services from the Department of Defense that benefited more than 1,800 residents. 
• Karen DeMeester is a public service associate in the Survey Research and Evaluation Support division at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. She partners with campus and community stakeholders to strengthen programs through rigorous, impact driven evaluation and research. DeMeester provides evaluation leadership across disciplines, writing evaluation plans for competitive grants, leading interdisciplinary teams and delivering technical assistance and training that help translate research into measurable public value. Her collaborative approach has supported initiatives addressing natural disaster impacts, access to quality childcare, workforce readiness and long-term sustainability. Through partnerships with more than 30 UGA faculty in public service units, DeMeester has contributed to projects securing more than $20 million in grant funding that spans major state and federal efforts. 
• Bryan Fluech is a public service associate and associate director of extension for Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. He provides strategic leadership for Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, coordinating multidisciplinary programs that strengthen coastal resilience, water quality, sustainable fisheries and ecosystem health across Georgia’s coast. His strong relationships with fishers have positioned UGA as a trusted and valued partner for addressing the challenges facing Georgia’s commercial fishing industry, which generated $51.4 million in sales in 2024. Over the past decade, Fluech has secured more than $6.6 million in grant funding, produced 89 scholarly and creative works and engaged thousands of stakeholders through outreach programs and trainings. He has also mentored 20 undergraduate and graduate students, helping cultivate the next generation of coastal professionals. 
• Lauren Healey is a senior public service associate and associate director at the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development. She advances youth leadership and civic engagement through research-based, community-focused programming. Since joining the Fanning Institute in 2014, Healey has led major updates to the Youth Leadership in Action curriculum, expanding it to include a K-5 curriculum and training more than 50 schools and organizations. The efforts have reached over 22,000 individuals and generated more than 108,000 contact hours, positioning the Fanning Institute as a trusted resource for youth leadership development. Healey also played a key role in the launch of Youth LEAD Georgia, a groundbreaking statewide initiative from the Fanning Institute now in its third year. Hundreds of high school students have engaged with UGA through the program. 
• Kyle Hensel is a public service associate and director of continuing education for the UGA Small Business Development Center. Hensel provides statewide leadership for UGA SBDC’s continuing education programs, overseeing strategy, development and delivery of more than 300 programs across 18 offices serving thousands of small business owners and entrepreneurs each year. A nationally recognized speaker and trainer, he has delivered over 40 national and international presentations on strategic marketing, program development and funding strategies for outreach organizations. Hensel has secured more than $3.7 million in private funding and $6.8 million in federal funding, developing scalable education models replicated nationally and strengthening UGA’s long-term outreach impact. 

The UGA Public Service and Outreach Engaged Scholar Award was presented to Jon Calabria, a professor in the College of Environment + Design, where he specializes in ecological restoration, green infrastructure and water quality improvement. Calabria consistently connects academic expertise with community needs to strengthen environmental resilience and student learning, and his work has contributed to over $4 million in statewide community improvements. Jon’s strong partnership with PSO has led to supporting downtown planning efforts and engaging students in PSO supported design projects that serve communities across Georgia. His collaboration with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant on the Bradwell Park redesign in Hinesville, Georgia, helped secure more than $1 million in implementation funding for the project.