CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 04/06/16

FACS associate dean receives Priester Award for exemplary leadership

By Haley Lacuesta

Debbie Murray, who has served as associate dean for extension and outreach at the University of Georgia’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences since 2012, has received the Jeanne M. Priester Award for exemplary, impactful leadership in the area of health and wellness.

Murray will be presented the award at the National Health Outreach Conference on Friday, April 8, in Roanoke, Va. The Priester Award is given in memory of Jeanne M. Priester, a leader in advancing health education within the Cooperative Extension system during her tenure at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Murray, who came to UGA following a successful career at the University of Kentucky, said working with community leaders from impoverished areas of eastern Kentucky early in her career in Extension made her realize the powerful impact access to the university’s expertise can have on families and communities.

“Tapping in to that knowledge and expertise can help solve community problems,” she said.

In her current role, Murray leads the college to fulfill the land-grant university mission of providing Georgia’s residents, businesses and communities access to quality outreach educational experiences and the institution’s knowledge base.

Known as an eager collaborator and supportive colleague, Murray helps lead the University of Georgia Obesity Initiative, working to assemble teams of specialists, agents and faculty from across campus to provide training, outreach and research to address the issue.

Murray, who calls herself an “issues-driven” educator, said the community engagement aspect and broad variety of Extension work remains her major motivator, even today.

“You have to have healthy families to have a healthy community, and because we are so engaged with the community, we require many different kinds of leadership,” she said.

Murray “exemplifies impactful leadership in our state, region and nationally in the area of health and wellness,” said FACS Dean Linda Kirk Fox. “Because of her positive attitude and ability to articulate the power of Extension, many individuals in the colleges and research units across campus want to work with her. She exhibits innovation and creative problem solving.”

Haley Lacuesta is a student worker with the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Authors:
Haley Lacuesta
Experts/Sources:
Deborah Murray
Debbie Murray is the associate dean for extension and outreach at the University of Georgia's College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Murray will be presented the award at the National Health Murray came to UGA in 2012 following a successful career at the University of Kentucky where she worked with community leaders from impoverished areas of eastern Kentucky early in her career. This made her realize the powerful impact access to the university's expertise can have on families and communities.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
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.
UGA Extension offers mindfulness and skills training to help the incarcerated reclaim their hope. CAES News
UGA Extension offers training to help the incarcerated reclaim their hope 09/30/24 Cal Powell
A train rumbles through the heart of downtown Tennille, Georgia. The southbound train cars are loaded with kaolin, the white clay that serves as the city’s main export. Avery Franklin sets his leaf blower on the ground, takes a seat on a park bench under a pecan tree and begins telling his story. He was 19 years old the first time he went to jail. He’s 63 now, released four months ago after a lifetime of petty crime. He’s sitting 3 miles from the Washington County, Georgia, jail cell where he spent most of the last three years of his life.
Radon, an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas, is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., but it can be detected and mitigated with the help of local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offices across the state. CAES News
UGA sponsoring radon poster contest for Georgia students 09/13/24 Rebecca Cantrell
Radon, an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas, is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., but it can be detected and mitigated with the help of local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service offices across the state. Radon comes from the breakdown of uranium in granite and rocky soils, so Georgia’s wealth of granite bedrock increases the chance of household radon for its residents.
Estate planning CAES News
Free workshop aims to help landowners navigate estate planning 08/05/24 Cal Powell
Most Americans die without an estate plan, which can create a host of problems for surviving family members. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension and Fort Valley State Extension are offering a free workshop, “Sustaining the family home and farm through estate planning,” on Aug. 22 to educate Georgia landowners on the benefits of creating an estate plan. Attorney Gracy Barksdale will provide an overview of estate planning, covering topics such as wills, power of attorney and health care directives.
For some students, heading back to school feels like entering a pressure cooker. Parents can ease anxieties by helping their students develop strategies for handling stressful situations. CAES News
Families should make a plan to manage back-to-school stress 07/29/24 Merritt Melancon
As summer draws to an end, both students and parents need to prepare for the return to school. While a new backpack and a collection of notebooks and pens might top their to-do list, students also need to prepare emotionally, said Diane Bales, a human development specialist for University of Georgia Cooperative Extension and a professor of human development and family science in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Coastal Acres CAES News
AgrAbility program offers a Georgia farm family a new path forward 07/03/24 Jordan Powers
When a half-ton bale of hay fell off a wagon in 2019, striking the back of Donald Adams’ head, the future of his family farm fell into immediate uncertainty. More than 200 head of cattle are worked on the land at Coastal Acres, a Dearing, Georgia, operation that involves intense manual labor. “Donald sustained a C5-C6 spinal cord injury and was paralyzed from the neck down,” said Laura Adams, Adams’ wife and co-owner of Coastal Acres.