Vinson Fellows Show Skills and Learning
Three Vinson Institute Fellows, in the culmination of a semester-long learning journey, presented their work on county government structure, Chinese water supply issues, and the strategic use of social media by institutes of government and other public service programs to an audience of Institute faculty and staff on December 3, 2011.
The fall cohort of fellows includes seniors Cameron Day, Logan Krusac, and Onica Matsika. The Vinson Institute Fellows Program pairs undergraduate students with Vinson Institute faculty mentors and engages them in the hands-on work of the Institute. The program plays an important role in introducing students to the benefits and challenges of careers in public service.
Day worked with local government services Manager Ted Baggett to examine the history and effectiveness of the sole-commissioner form of county government in Georgia. Day is a history major from Summerville, Georgia, in Chattooga County, one of only nine counties remaining in Georgia with a sole-commissioner government. As part of the project, he interviewed several sole commissioners. Day’s work was part of a cross-campus collaboration with the Coweeta Long Term Ecological Research Program. Together with Dr. John Chamblee, Dr. Carolyn Dehring and Dr. Ted Gragson, Day and Baggett helped develop a database that will be used to relate the growing complexities of governmental responsibilities to long-term changes in the form of government across southern Appalachia.
Krusac, a political science major from Smyrna, worked with International Center Director Rusty Brooks to examine hard and soft solutions to China’s growing water crisis. Krusac drew on extensive research and his experience studying Mandarin in China to propose that the country focus its conservation efforts on cities and encourage the use of technologies such as low-flow toilets, water-efficient appliances, and wastewater recycling.
Matsika explored how organizations like the Vinson Institute and other public service programs can use social media to engage and serve constituents. Under the mentorship of Communications Director Joycelyn Trigg, the political science major from Warner Robins assisted in enhancing the Institute’s social media presence.
“I am always amazed at the work of the Vinson Fellows,” Interim Director Laura Meadows told the assembly of faculty and staff. “They always find ways to give us fresh ideas. I often think that the Institute benefits more from the Fellows than they do from us.”
The Institute welcomes a new cohort of undergraduates each fall. In the spring, the Institute partners with the UGA chapter of the Roosevelt Institute and the UGA Honors Program to offer the Vinson-Roosevelt Fellows Program. The spring cohort is open to successful students from the fall Roosevelt Scholars course. Undergraduates interested in participating in the Vinson Institute Fellows Program can send inquiries to internships@cviog.uga.edu.
