CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 06/29/04

Georgia 4-H to give Rodgers top honor

By Janet Rodekohr
University of Georgia

Tom Rodgers, who led the Georgia 4-H program from 1978 to 1993, will be honored with the 4-H Lifetime Achievement Award during the Centennial Gala in Atlanta Aug. 14.

Considered the highest honor in Georgia 4-H, the award recognizes a person who has had an impact on the state's 4-H youth development program.

"That's an understatement," says Bo Ryles, the current head of the 4-H program at the University of Georgia.

Many accomplishments

"Under his 17-year leadership and directly resulting from his hard work and dedication, the Rock Eagle 4-H Center was completely renovated, the largest environmental education program in existence was begun, the 4-H Foundation grew exponentially in partnerships, and staff development was refined for county and state personnel," Ryles said.

"Dr. Rodgers is one of the most active and talented public servants in the state of Georgia," he said. "Each phase of his career is defined by how he empowered others and looked for ways to improve the quality of people's lives."

Rodgers will retire this year from his position as associate dean for outreach and extension in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences, where he has served since 2001. From 1994 to 2001, he was associate vice president for public service and outreach at UGA. He was the head of county operations for the Cooperative Extension Service from 1993 to 1996.

Dedicated service

Rodgers is also a founding board member of the Athens Volunteer Action Center, the development chair and board member of Athens Area Habitat for Humanity, a former Little League coach and a member of the Athens Clarke Affordable Housing Roundtable.

"Dr. Rodgers has not missed a week finding some way to continue to help 4-H," Ryles said. "He continues to give time and resources and is always -- I mean always -- ready to help. The Lifetime Achievement committee had one unanimous choice, and I'm so pleased 4-H can thank him in this way."

His many colleagues, former 4-H'ers and friends are invited to attend the Centennial Gala to thank Rodgers for his contributions to Georgia 4-H. For ticket information and other details, go to www.georgia4hfoundation.org or call (706) 542-8914.

(Janet Rodekohr is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)

Janet Rodekohr is a retired news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Experts/Sources:
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time to spend more of the holiday with guests, taking time ahead of the day to set expectations can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. CAES News
Manage holiday stress with kindness, boundaries 11/21/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Much like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time allows you to spend more of the holiday with guests, setting expectations ahead of the celebration can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science.
Conner Hall CAES News
CAES welcomes 2024 cohort of Rural Scholars 11/20/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences welcomed its fourth cohort of students chosen for the CAES Rural Scholars Program this fall just weeks after celebrating the program's first graduation. Georgia Orman, one of four inaugural Rural Scholars in CAES, graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education. The new scholars for 2024, all from Georgia, are Ela Ash of Ocilla, Lauren E. Coley of Cochran, Amelia Housley of Canon, and London O’Steen of Ambrose.
Women play a vital role in rural American farming, but much of that work is "invisible," like raising children or household chores, according to a new UGA study. (Getty Images) CAES News
The women and stress behind rural farming in America 11/19/24 Leigh Hataway
Recent research from the University of Georgia suggests the unique stresses from farm life may be taking a toll on one of the pillars of the families that make your dinners possible: the women who keep farming families running. “If we don’t control our food sources, we don’t control our health and safety,” said Anna Scheyett, lead author of the study and a professor in UGA’s School of Social Work. “It’s a matter of national security that farmers survive in the United States. And one of the big factors in helping farms survive is women.”
Mergoum at Creature Comforts CAES News
That's the spirit! 11/18/24 Maria M. Lameiras, Claire Sanders Kinnard
Wheat breeders spend years meticulously crossing varieties to coax the best traits out of each species, carefully propagating plant varieties that are healthier, heartier and better suited for the environments where they are grown. Professional brewmasters are equally painstaking when choosing the components that will give their beers a specific flavor profile.
Contest-winning concept becomes viable business for alumnus who developed solar-powered, self-propelled chicken coop as a student. CAES News
Poultry in motion 11/14/24 Sean Montgomery
Chris Ayers emerged from his orange and black rough-terrain vehicle with an ear-to-ear grin. “This is Chiktopia,” he said, sweeping his arm wide to indicate the back half of a 3,600-square-foot warehouse on his family’s farm in Ball Ground, Georgia. “This is where I manufacture and assemble the chicken coops. Everything is done entirely from over here.”
UGA Grand Farm Site Plan web CAES News
UGA Grand Farm wins stage two of 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund competition 11/13/24 Jordan Powers
Startups in the agricultural technology sector face significant barriers on the path to establishment, including access to training and capital. These barriers are heightened for underrepresented entrepreneurs seeking to start new companies. The University of Georgia Grand Farm, part of a historic partnership between the University of Georgia and Fargo, North Dakota-based Grand Farm, aims to change that.