UGA peanut geneticist Peggy Ozias-Akins, director of the UGA Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, examines a peanut blossom. Ozias-Akin’s lab on the UGA Tifton Campus focuses on female reproduction and gene transfer in plants. Photo credit: Peter Frey (UGA)

A member of the University of Georgia’s inaugural class of the Women’s Leadership Fellows Program, Peggy Ozias-Akins is more focused on learning from colleagues than imparting words of wisdom.

The world-renowned researcher and recipient the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences 2015 D.W. Brooks Distinguished Professor Award was one of nine UGA faculty members selected to be part of the prestigious group. Deans and other senior administrators within the university submitted nominations for the inaugural class of the program.

“The purpose of the Women’s Leadership Fellows Program is to give women the opportunity to learn from other women who have been in leadership positions, particularly administrative positions within the university,” Ozias-Akins said. “It’s helping those of us who already have some role that requires leadership.”

Ozias-Akins is a leading researcher on the UGA Tifton Campus. She is the director for the UGA Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics and Genomics. Ozias-Akins is also a co-chairman of the Peanut Genome Sequencing Consortium, an extension of the International Peanut Genome Initiative. While Ozias-Akins has accomplished much during her time at UGA Tifton, she insists that being a part of this group will be just as much of a learning opportunity for her as it will be for others.

“It will be exciting to be involved in this, to learn from others who are at the level I am in terms of having some administrative responsibility, all the way to other women who have progressed through the ranks at other institutions to very high leadership positions,” Ozias-Akins said. “It really is for me to learn more about leadership roles and how to be a successful leader. How to be a facilitator, I think, is one thing to learn. How to make it easier for people to get their jobs done is another.”

The various faculty members will attend a monthly meeting to learn from UGA senior administrators as well as visiting speakers. The program will also feature a weekend retreat in June.

“The university is pleased to welcome the members of the inaugural class of Women’s Leadership Fellows,” said UGA President Jere Morehead. “This program is an important way to cultivate talent throughout UGA’s colleges and departments located across the state. It will offer valuable professional development and networking opportunities to the participants while strengthening the leadership capacity of the institution.”

By Clint Thompson, University of Georgia

After devoting years to building an energy-efficient house of the future for the University of Georgia, Craig Kvien has a better understanding of conserving and saving energy. These tips, based on his work, could help Georgia residents save money during the upcoming holiday season.

“Some people think that, by ‘energy-efficient home,’ you mean putting on a jacket in the winter and shorts in the summer, but energy-efficient homes are more comfortable to live in than your standard house. They hold the temperature better and don’t leak as much,” said Kvien, a UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences professor who spearheaded the Future Farmstead project on the university’s Tifton Campus.

Kvien said that money could be saved during the upcoming cold winter months by adding proper insulation to the attic.

“If homeowners look upstairs and see that there’s not much insulation up there, (they should consider adding insulation). That’s another good way to save financially. You want to try to get at least an R30 rating up in your attic, and an R13 (rating) in your wall if you can,” Kvien said. “Along with getting insulation in there, make sure you don’t have any gaps in the insulation.”

The “R” rating refers to insulating power. The higher the value, the more effective the insulation will work in keeping heat in or out of the house.

Proper insulation will allow for a more comfortable living space, he said. Though Georgia doesn’t experience the same wintry conditions that blanket states in the Northeast, power usage in December and January reflects Georgians’ willingness to heat their houses.

“Power usage in Georgia is primarily driven by the weather,” said John Kraft, a Georgia Power spokesperson. “For instance, a cold November could easily result in higher energy usage than a mild December, even with holiday lighting.”

Kraft said that heating and cooling represent 25 to 35 percent of a house’s energy use.

Holiday decorations are on display as Georgia residents celebrate the holiday season during November and December. Kvien stresses that simple fixes can be made to adjust for the added cost of holiday lighting.

“Lights are a good place, a simple target. Start with one, start with 20, whatever works,” Kvien said. “Replace your incandescent lights with compact fluorescent or LED lights, which are a little more efficient and last longer. If you shop around, you can find some pretty good prices.”

Other lighting tips from Georgia Power include using timers to turn off displays after several hours and replacing old light strings or displays with mini-lights or fiber optic displays.

Kvien only has one recommendation that is 100-percent guaranteed against incurring additional costs: “Cut your power way down, set your thermostat to maybe 55 degrees (Fahrenheit) and go visit the kids,” Kvien said.

For more information about the Future Farmstead, visit future farmstead.org.

By Clint Thompson, University of Georgia

Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall is traveling the country campaigning to become president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. A third-generation Georgia farmer and lifetime member of the Georgia Farm Bureau, Duvall is ready to lead the AFBF and is committed to leading it into the future while ensuring the organization stays true to its original purpose: to be the united voice of American farmers and ranchers.

“Agriculture is not only essential for life, it is essential for the security of our nation,” Duvall said. “I understand what it takes to keep Farm Bureau strong and extend our role as the respected, trusted voice for agriculture in America.”

During his nine years as Georgia Farm Bureau president, Duvall has led the state’s largest agriculture organization by building relationships with state and national legislators and building bridges with other state and national agriculture leaders to solve problems facing farmers, agriculture and consumers.  Duvall has been on international trade missions on behalf of Georgia Farm Bureau and American Farm Bureau.

“AFBF is a critical grassroots organization that provides an avenue for farmers and ranchers to engage in the important national conversations that effect our agricultural communities,” Duvall said. “From the time I first became involved in Farm Bureau as a young farmer, I learned that building relationships and bridges with others is key to getting your voice heard and making a difference. This is the core of who I am and is what I have done throughout my life both on my farm and in my public service.”

Duvall made a commitment to agriculture and public service early in his career. He has been involved in multiple county, state and national organizations as well as many agriculture groups. He lives on his farm in Greene County, Georgia, with his wife of 36 years, Bonnie. The Duvalls have four children and three grandchildren.

Duvall announced his candidacy in July after AFBF President Bob Stallman announced he would not seek another term after leading the organization for 16 years.  “I decided to run for the national office after being asked by several state Farm Bureau presidents and after much prayer with my family,” Duvall said.  “I love my job as Georgia Farm Bureau president and the thought of leaving it was the toughest part of this decision because it’s so rewarding to work with all of our county volunteers and to represent Georgia’s farmers, but I believe the diversity of Georgia’s agriculture has prepared me to represent all of America’s farmers.  The campaign responses traveling the country to state Farm Bureaus has truly been an encouraging journey for me.”

The AFBF presidential election, which is for a two-year term, will be held January 12,2016 at the annual AFBF convention in Orlando, Florida.  Each state is allotted voting delegates based on its number of Farm Bureau members. Additional delegates come from the AFBF Women’s Leadership and Young Farmers & Ranchers Committees and the sitting AFBF president for a total of 355 voting delegates. The next AFBF president will need the support of 179 voting delegates at the convention.

More information on Duvall’s campaign for AFBF President can be found at www.zippyduvall.com as well as connecting on social media via Facebook and Twitter.