Instructors for Spring 2009

Harriette Austin earned her AB from Barnard College at Columbia University and her MFA from the Yale University School of Drama. She received the "39th Lifetime Achievement Award" from the Georgia Writers Association. In 2003, four of her students published novels through national publishers, including St. Martins, Cumberland House, Harlequin-Worldwide, and Signet. Austin has taught at the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education for 28 years and is the founder of the Harriette Austin Writers Conference (for more details, see http://harrietteaustin.org/default.aspx. Course: Harriette Austin's Creative Writing Workshop.

Hernan Borda, a native of Colombia, is formally trained as an engineer and taught for many years at the Universidad Autonoma de Occident in Cali, Colombia. Borda has been teaching Spanish for the Georgia Center since 1992. Courses: General Spanish, Levels 2 & 3.




Natalie Grier Cox has served as the president of the University of Georgia Ballroom Performance Group and has been a principal dancer in the group since 2002. She attended Brigham Young University's Ballroom Camp, studying under Jean Marc Genereux and France Mousseau. She graduated from UGA School of Law and is a practicing attorney. Courses: Traditional Ballroom Dances: Foxtrot, Waltz and West Coast Swing; Cruise Dances: East Coast Swing, The Salsa and The Shag

Meloney Chenevey has designed interiors for more than 10 years. She has successfully completed projects for builders as well as residential and commercial clients. Her creativity, use of color, and insight are essential in planning and executing design schemes for model homes, in addition to redesigning and staging homes. She enjoys using her abilities to create esthetically pleasing environments in a range of styles, budgets, and needs. Courses: Ideas for Accessorizing Your Home; Staging Your Home for a Quick Sale

Jenny DeRevere is a Georgia Green Association Certified Landscape Specialist. She has worked in the landscaping business for 12 years. Currently she is employed by the Georgia Center as a garden designer, specializing in annual color and container gardening. Previously, she was employed by The State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Course: Landscaping Your Yard for Curb Appeal.

Larry Dillard has been teaching the Georgia Real Estate Pre-License Sales Course at the Georgia Center for more than 15 years. He is thorough, helps participants understand a great deal of material, and knows the real estate business. Dillard's got a great sense of humor, and he is the kind of guy that goes the extra mile to help you succeed. A University of Georgia graduate, he received his salesman's license in 1977. In 1981, he earned his broker's license. Over the last two decades, Dillard has worked in management and training and owned a real estate company. He is currently an associate broker with Dillard Realty. Course: Georgia Real Estate Pre-License Sales Course.

Holly Dunlap has a BA in English from Auburn University and an MA in English/creative writing from the University of Colorado. She has taught creative writing and poetry workshops at the University of Colorado, Red Rocks Community College, and Southwestern Community College in Sylva, North Carolina. She has also taught preschool for the Early Head Start Program. Course: Writing Children's Literature

Wallace Eberhard, PhD, has been a reporter and editor since he started a newspaper in the firth grade. After a decade in daily and weekly journalism, and magazine writing and editing, he began a 36-year career in teaching. In 2007, he was the recipient of the Sidney Kobre Award for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism History, which recognizes "an exemplary record of sustained contributions to journalism history through teaching, research, professional activities or other contributions to the field of journalism history." He has recently retired form the Henry Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at UGA. He has a BA in Journalism from the University of MI, an MA in American studies from Bowling Green, and a PhD in Mass Communications from the University of Madison-Wisconsin. He spent 35 years in the Army, active and reserve. Course: Writing for Money: The Art of Freelance Nonfiction Journalism

Duncan Elkins has an MS in ecology from the University of Georgia and is working on his PhD in fisheries. He has a BS in biology from Stanford University and has extensive classroom teaching experience in the sciences and mathematics, including the GRE, GMAT, and LSAT test prep courses where he is considered the resident expert. Courses: GMAT Strategy Workshop, GMAT Test Prep, GRE Strategy Workshop, LSAT Strategy Workshop, and LSAT Test Prep

Todd Emily graduated from Rhodes College and moved to Athens in 1993. He has taught basic investing, stock picking, and investing in real estate. He has provided educational programs for Georgia Power, AT&T, and the University of Georgia, as well as agencies within the State of Georgia. Emily's hobbies include vintage cars, travel, and gardening. Course: Recovering Your Financial Life: Making Good Investment Decisions in a Volatile Financial Environment

Phillip Faulkner, a photographer with the UGA Athletic Department for four years, has had his photographs published in Georgia Bulldog Magazine, on GeorgiaDogs.com, Tennessee Vols.com, the 2005 and 2006 UGA media guides, and Inside Tennis of Northern California. He also takes photos for The Oconee Enterprise, the Athens-Banner Herald, and Dawgprints, and often takes freelance photographs of families, pets, weddings, and other special events. He graduated from Gwinnett Technical College with a degree in commercial photography. Examples of his work may be found at http://www.dawgprints.net. Course: Photographing Weddings and Other Special Events

Susan Gill has taught English to international students in programs from New York to California. She holds an M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Courses: English for Speakers of Other Languages, Level 4.

Serge Gonzales, PhD, is an avid wine enthusiast and gourmet cook. Gonzales is a former wine judge, and he was an elected member of the Knights of the Vine located in Sonoma, CA. He is the founding member (1973) and former Chairperson of the American Wine Society, Athens Chapter. He has participated in wine classes, varietals tastings, wine seminars and wine evaluations for the past 20 years. He thinks that we should all feel privileged that fermentation of a simple fruit, like the grape, can provide us with such an array of aromas, delicious tastes, and wonderful interactions with food. Wine is second nature in France, Spain, Italy, Argentina, and Hungary, etc., and he hopes that his course can make the participants think about wine in the same way. He is a retired faculty member and geologist with an AB from Duke University, an MS from University of Miami, and a PhD from Cornell University. Course: Wines of the Southern Hemisphere

Stephen Harris received his PhD in philosophy from Florida State University. He has served as an item writer for the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and American College Testing (ACT) for six years, furnishing materials for the LSAT, GMAT, and GRE exams. Since 1996, he has developed and instructed test-preparation items for a number of exams, including the GMAT, GRE, LSAT, ACT, FCAT, MCAT, and SAT. As director of development for Educational Testing Consultants, Inc., he currently teaches graduate-level test-preparation courses at Florida State University, the University of North Florida, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the University of South Carolina. Course: LSAT Test Prep

Mike Healy, EdD, has practiced meditation for 28 years, 19 years studying mindfulness meditation. He has taught this program for several years at the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education and at the Athens Regional Medical Center's Mind Body Institute. Healy has participated in a seven-day professional training program under the direction of Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical School; has completed the Teacher Development Intensive at the University of Massachusetts Center for Mindfulness; and has had additional training attending multi-day mindfulness meditation retreats. Healy completed a doctorate in adult education at the University of Georgia, studying the mindfulness transformational learning process. Go the instructor's Web site at www.mindfuliving.org for additional information about this course. Course: Realizing Greater Health & Happiness: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Margaret Heathman is an author, designer, teacher, mentor, and creativity coach. Author of Knitting Languages, which is sold around the world, Heathman's designs can be found in craft stores throughout the United States. As a writer, Heathman shares her knowledge through magazine articles and books. She teaches knitting, spinning, and creativity classes, traveling widely to share her knowledge in workshops where she teaches others to have fun with fiber. Heathman says that fun is at the heart of her fiber adventures. Courses: Skinny Yarns, Luscious Laces; Spin Your Own Yarn on a Hand Spindle: For Beginners; Oops! Knitting Mistakes and How to Fix Them; The Magic of Spinning Hand-Painted Fibers

Prochi Jain. Course: SAT Prep

Ashia James, PhD is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, NY where she received an associates degree in Fashion Design. She also has a BS in occupational education from the New York Institute of Technology. During the 1970s and 1980s she had her own clothing label in New York City-Ashia James. She has a MS in teaching and training from Capella University and has just received her PhD in education. James is also trained in American Sign Language (ASL). She graduated from the University of Tennessee American Sign Language Interpreter Training program and has taught ASL for the Jersey City Public Schools, in Jersey City, New Jersey since 2005. She is also a certified hypnotherapist with the National Guild of Hypnotists, The American Board of Hypnotherapy, and the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association. She has recently been employed with the Natural Solutions and Education Center in Elberton and is opening her own hypnotherapy business in Elberton. Courses: Introduction to Sewing; Introduction to American Sign Language.

Kara Kirz graduated from Georgia Southern University with a BA in art education. She has had courses most recently in Renaissance Oil Painting, Ceramics On and Off the Wheel, and Photoshop. This past year, she taught art at the Madison County middle and high schools. Subjects taught were: drawing/painting, photography, printmaking, calligraphy and ceramics. Course: Mixed Media Design

Patrick Klem is the director of program development for Educational Testing Consultants (ETC). He also teaches the GRE, GMAT, and SAT prep courses. Until June 2007, he was a clinical research associate at Duke Clinical Research Institute at Duke Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. He has a BA in psychology from New College of Florida and a masters degree in public health with a concentration in social epidemiology and biostatistics from Florida A & M University, College of Pharmacy. Courses: SAT Test Prep, GMAT Strategy Workshop, GMAT Test Prep, GRE Strategy Workshop, and GRE Test Prep

Carol Koenigsknecht became interested in herbalism and aromatherapy when she was faced with a personal illness many years ago. She decided to give natural healing a whirl when she wasn't responding positively to allopathic treatments and it changed her life! She took steps to become an herbal practitioner and started her own company in 1998 in which she created many different aromatherapy and herbal blends to promote health and healing to others. She manages an online support group for women with endometriosis called EndoNatural. Courses: Aromatherapy for Improved Health & Well-Being; Aromachemistry & Natural Perfumery Workshop

Suzanne Lindenau, PhD is a native of Europe. She speaks fluent Italian, French, Spanish, and German. An instructor for the Georgia Center for more than 12 years, she is retired from UGA's Department of Romance Languages. Lindenau is an outstanding instructor who consistently receives excellent evaluations from her students. All say they not only learn, but they have a really good time. Courses: Italian Language & Culture, Level 1, 2, & 2/3; French Language & Culture, Level 1

Nancy Lloyd has taught painting and drawing at Athens Academy since 1984. She has also taught watercolor in the UGA Studies Abroad Program, serving as an artist-in-residence for the program in 1997. She has a BA in art and an MA in art from the University of North Carolina. Courses: Beginning Painting with Oils and Acrylics, Levels 1 & 2

Barbara Mann is a well-known Athens jewelry artist whose work is shown throughout the Southeast. A part-time instructor at the University of Georgia Lamar Dodd School of Art, she has been teaching the jewelry courses for the Georgia Center for more than 11 years. Mann has taught in UGA's Cortona, Italy, program for several summers. Her jewelry, in demand throughout the United States, resides in private collections. With Gary Noffke, she designed the "Delta Prize for Global Understanding," an annual award sponsored by Delta Air Lines and UGA that is given to individuals who provide, on their own initiative, greater understanding among cultures and nations. Course: Intermediate Jewelry Design & Metalwork

Julia Marlowe is the owner of Athens Home Organizer: Stash It. Store It. Find It. Use It. She is a retired professor from the University of Georgia, where she taught consumer economics, financial management, and home resource management in the College of Family & Consumer Sciences. Visit her website at: http://www.athenshomeorganizer.com/about.php Course: Organize Everything in Your Home: Tips and Ideas to Get You Started

B. Bettie Miller, a self-employed local artist, studied at the Corcoran Gallery of Art School in Washington, D.C., and earned an MFA from the University of Georgia. She works in various media, including etchings, cloisonné, enamel, batik, pastels, and oils. Miller has been painting since 1965, and her paintings are in private collections throughout the United States. She has been teaching at the Georgia Center for more than four years. Course: Painting en plein Air at the Botanical Garden

Jim Morgenthaler has been teaching photography for 30+ years. He has won "First Place" in many shows, and many of his photographs have been published in magazines and books. He wrote and hosted the Taking Better Pictures television series that aired on Georgia Public Television for 14 years. Morgenthaler purchased his first Nikon in Korea while he was stationed there. His avocation soon became his vocation. He wants photography to be fun, and he tries to make the classroom experience enjoyable. See the instructor's photographs. Courses: Taking Better Pictures; Basic Digital Photography; Fundamentals of Photography; Photoshop for Photographers

Brenda Murphy is the founder of the Georgia Centre for Parental Coaching. She is also Georgia's only Certified NHA specialist (Nurtured Heart Approach Specialist). Murphy has an MA in psychology and a CTACC (Coach Training Alliance Certified Coach) but, she says, she is first and foremost a believer in the redeeming power of relationships. She is a positive, solution-oriented specialist who helps people find relief from "relationship stress." Her graduate educational background is in psychology with certification in the management of relationship stress in families due to a child's challenging behaviors. Murphy is continuing her postgraduate education in attentional studies and its impact on family dynamics. She is an adjunct faculty member at Athens Technical College for students majoring in nursing. She works extensively with professionals in the community, ranging from court officials, law enforcement professionals, social workers, psychotherapists, physicians, and educational specialists. She also consults with hospital board members in other states and is currently serving as the official patient coach for Spherios Medical Center in Atlanta. Murphy's first book of organizational hints and tips for those with AD/HD, was published in April 2007. She gives lectures and speeches to groups seeking help with parenting and relationship stress issues, including professional organizations and faith-based groups. Murphy's passion is to communicate with parents and nonparents about what makes people "tick" and to find strategies for successfully dealing with the important people in our lives. A grandmother of four, Murphy regularly gets to "practice what she preaches." See her Web site at: http://www.parentcoachingcenter.com/. Also, go to: http://www.lifetips.com/expert-guru/6261-brenda-murphy.html. Course: The Love and Logic Classroom: Nine Essential Skills for Management & Parenting

Sarah Pattison is a freelance artist who has a BFA from the University of Georgia. She has taught art classes for UGA for the last seven years, and exhibits and sells her work locally. She has studied for many years with Stewart Cubley and now is on his summer teaching staff. See her website: http://www.sarahpattison.com. Courses: Traditional & Experimental Watercolor; Seeing with a Wild Eye: Painting from Intuition

Tom Payton is the founder and president/publisher of Hill Street Press, an independent book publisher in Athens. Payton gets outstanding evaluations each time he offers this workshop. If you are interested in publishing, don't miss this annual one-day course. Go to: www.hillstreetpress.com, the Web site for Hill Street Press. Course: Books in Print: A Book Publishing Workshop




Steve Pettis is an ISA Certified Arborist and is a former Gwinnett County Extension Agent, a former nursery manager, and a former newspaper columnist for the Gwinnett Daily Post and Athens Banner Herald. He is a research technician for the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the owner of Complete Horticultural Consulting, LLC, an Athens area green industry consulting firm. He is also the host of The Athens Home Gardening Show heard Saturday mornings on AM 1350 WGAU. Pettis holds a BS in horticulture and an MS in plant protection and pest management from the University of Georgia. Pettis is also an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist SO-5226-A. Go to the instructor's Web site at www.completehortconsulting.com. Courses: ISA Certified Arborist Test Prep Course; Georgia Center Certificate in Professional Tree Care

Scott Phelan worked for New England Financial where he set up 401k plans for small business. Later, he joined Hartford Financial and consulted with business owners and wealthy individuals developing estate planning and business transfer strategies. For the last five years, he has been with Edward Jones where he currently manages $130 million in client assets, and where he works with individuals from all walks of life, from retirees to young couples. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia. Course: Recovering Your Financial Life: Making Good Investment Decisions in a Volatile Financial Environment

Melinda Raser is a Master Gardener who has gardened in Georgia for 25 years. She was a floral designer with Epting Events, a caterer in Athens, and is a painter who studied at the Kansas City Art Institute. Course: Fundamentals of Fresh Flower Arranging

Jack Smith is an Atlanta-based management consultant and professional freelance instructor. He established The Smith Group in 1987, a private consulting practice that works primarily with public organizations. He is the principal trainer, and his work is grounded in 26 years of nonprofit senior management experiences with more than 100 different agencies. He also conducts training with state governments, nonprofit agencies, and universities, as well as with state, and national associations. His development work has been cited at the federal and state levels. He has an MPA from the University of Maine. You can find additional information about him at: http://www.grantsalert.com/grant_writers_directory.cfm?pg=4&id=1297 and at http://www.jsmithconsult.com/ Courses: Grant Writing Certificate: Program Development for Grant Writers; Writing Skills for Grant Writers; Funding Resources for Grant Writers; Fundamentals of Nonprofit Development; Professional Copyediting and Proofreading Workshop

Janis Stephens is a Master Wire Jewelry Artist, and designs with silver, gold, copper, semi-precious and precious gemstones, as well as cameos, crystals, and beads. She has a passion for design and makes many beautiful pieces. Professionally, Stephens has been the director of the Office of Early Learning in the Clarke County School District for the past 16 years where she supervises 203 employees. She has a total of 29 years in public education. Her Web site can be found at: http://www.wrapsodyjewelry.com/about.html. Courses: Innovative Wire Jewelry, Levels 1 & 2

Aaron Talbert began his ballroom training by joining the University of Georgia Ballroom Performance Group, where he has showcased many types. He has studied under Mark Wheeler, April Layden, and Troy Inman. Talbert is a Salsa instructor at Dancespace. Courses: Traditional Ballroom Dances: Foxtrot, Waltz, and West Coast Swing; Cruise Dances: East Coast Swing, The Sala, and The Shag

Abraham Tesser has been designing and building furniture for more than 30 years. He has studied with several of the country's leading furniture makers such as Doug Jones at the Shelburne Craft School in Shelburne, Vermont; Michael Dunbar at the Windsor Institute in Hampton, New Hampshire; and Michael Fortune at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking in Franklin, North Carolina. He has also studied at the Appalachian Center for Craft in Smithville, Tennessee, with Alfred Sharp, III and Nick Cook. In 2004, he studied technical design graphics at UGA with Roger Hill and CAD and fabrication with Thomas Houser and Michael Oliveri. He has participated in juried shows since 1993 and was judged to have one of the award-winning pieces in the Lyndon House Arts Center 32nd Juried Exhibition in 2007. Tesser is a member of the Furniture Society, The American Society of Woodturners, and the Classic City Woodturners. Samples of his work can be found at http://tesserfurniture.com/. Tesser is a retired professor of psychology from UGA. He has his PhD and MA from Purdue University. Course: Fine Woodworking: Appreciation of Design and Construction

Tina Venus holds both a B.S. in English Education and an M.A. in English and will receive her ESOL endorsement this summer. She has experience teaching students of various backgrounds and age levels, most recently for the UGA Department of English and community organizations here in Athens. She currently works as an academic specialist for the Division of Academic Enhancement at UGA. Courses: English for Speakers of Other Languages, Levels 1 & 2.