35th Annual Public Service and Outreach Awards Luncheon
PSO: Where Action Meets Impact 1
Faculty from PSO units showcase projects across the state. In this session, projects include the UGA Small Business Development Center and the College of Pharmacy Professional Certificate in Entrepreneurship; State Botanical Garden of Georgia’s Certificate in Native Plants; J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development’s Embark Georgia Summer Precollegiate Program; and Office of Service-Learning’s Coaching 4Success.
UGA Small Business Development Center / College of Pharmacy Professional Certificate in Entrepreneurship
To prepare the student pharmacist to be able to recognize and take advantage of entrepreneurial opportunities, the Professional Certificate in Entrepreneurship was created for the PharmD class of 2018. The curriculum for the certificate program was designed to give students business and management skills and inspire innovation in all pharmacy settings. Student pharmacists who complete the program are not only prepared to own their own business, but they will be able to incorporate entrepreneurial skills into any pharmacy setting. The certificate program is a collaboration between the College of Pharmacy and the UGA Small Business Development Center. Matt Lastinger leads instruction of the elective courses (PHRM 5130 – Entrepreneurship Beyond Dispensing, PHRM 5250 – Entrepreneurship for Pharmacists) and the Entrepreneurship I experience program. In this capstone experience, classroom learning is put into action when pharmacy students consult with existing pharmacies.
Speaker: Matt Lastinger
State Botanical Garden of Georgia / Certificate in Native Plants: Cultivating Knowledge and Stewardship Across Georgia
Join the education and conservation team at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia to learn about the Certificate in Native Plants program, a course designed for individuals and professionals seeking to deepen their knowledge of Georgia’s native flora and ecosystems. This session will provide an overview of the program’s history and evolution since 2007, highlight its experiential learning approach embraced by over 1,100 participants, and showcase how graduates serve as impactful stewards of conservation initiatives across the state.
Speaker: Emory Perry
J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development / Embark Georgia Summer Precollegiate Program
This annual summer program provides an immersive, college campus experience program for high school students experiencing foster care. During the program, participants stay in residence halls, eat in the dining halls, participate in leadership development training, learn from professionals about preparing for college, spend time with college student mentors, and develop relationships with peers across the state.
Speaker: David Meyers
Office of Service-Learning / Coaching4Success
Coaching4Success is a partnership program between the University of Georgia and the Clarke County School District (CCSD) that strives to expand access to youth sports while simultaneously enhancing academic and social-emotional learning for fourth and fifth graders. Each week, a dedicated team of Academic Coaches visits local elementary schools, bringing excitement and encouragement through mentorship. These sessions are about fostering a love for learning and building the social-emotional skills that are essential for long-term success. Through this Experiential Learning activity, UGA students who enroll and are accepted by Coaching4Success program staff will be able to fulfill their Experiential Learning credit. Coaches will stand as role models and friends to their student-athletes to make an impact on youth sports.
Speakers: Karen Raymond and Josh Podvin
Learning outcomes:
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify PSO projects across the state that exemplify and amplify PSO’s “We Know Georgia” campaign
Presenters:
Matt Lastinger, Director of Entrepreneurial Innovation, Small Business Development Center
Matt Lastinger has been with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) since 2012, where he currently serves as the director of entrepreneurial innovation. In this role, Lastinger consults with various medical practices throughout Georgia on topics including leadership, finance, accounting and marketing. Lastinger is also co-faculty for the College of Pharmacy’s Entrepreneurship for Pharmacists and Beyond Dispensing classes. Prior to his time at UGA, Lastinger served in sales and operations management with Deere and Company. He received his bachelor’s degree in agriculture and his M.B.A. in finance, both from UGA.
Emory Perry, Adult Program Coordinator, State Botanical Garden of Georgia
As the State Botanical Garden of Georgia’s adult program coordinator, Emory Perry develops and coordinates over 50 continuing education programs focused on conservation, native plants and pollinators. In her role, Perry also assists with environmental education programs including children’s summer camps and field trips, as well as serves as a mentor for UGA’s Learning by Leading student program. She has been with the State Botanical Garden since 2023. Prior to her current role, Perry also served in UGA’s College of Public Health as an administrative assistant and at Apalachee High School as a science teacher. She is a proud UGA alumna, holding two bachelor’s degrees as well as an expected master’s in 2027.
David Meyers, Senior Public Service Associate, J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development
As a senior public service associate in the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, David Meyers’ area of expertise is in youth leadership development with a focus on supporting young people who have experienced homelessness or foster care, as well as the institutions and families that serve them. He serves as the director of the Embark Georgia Center, a program that serves as a statewide network to connect Georgia campuses in support of foster and homeless youth. Meyers joined the Fanning Institute with over two decades of child welfare experience, both in the public and private sectors. He also has extensive training experience, including training over 500 foster and adoptive families. Additionally, Meyers serves as an adjunct faculty member at the School of Social Work. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from UGA.
Karen Raymond, One Health Archway Professional, Archway Partnership
Karen Raymond serves as the One Health Archway Professional for the Archway Partnership. In this role, she connects UGA’s health and science resources to communities across Georgia via the One Health framework that emphasizes the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health. Additionally, Karen facilitates partnerships that address critical gaps in medical and veterinary access, working alongside UGA faculty, state agencies, and other organizations to develop healthcare workforce and community-engaged research.
Before joining Archway, Karen worked at the Office of Service-Learning, where she directed a social-emotional well-being program for elementary schools in Athens Clarke County in partnership with the local school district. Karen was also a graduate assistant with Archway.
Josh Podvin, Assistant Director for Community Partnerships, Office of Service-Learning
As assistant director for community partnerships at the Office of Service-Learning, Josh Podvin plays a key role in collaborating with local communities. Podvin supports the “Engage Georgia” platform, promotes partnerships with local communities, and coordinates communication and support of community partners, special projects and days of service. He has previous experience as the coordinator for Experience UGA, where he facilitated field trips to UGA’s campus for over 13,000 students in the Clarke County School District. Additionally, Podvin spent nine years serving as the senior coordinator for the Center for Student Organizations and National Student Exchange Program. He holds a master’s degree in landscape architecture from UGA. Podvin also holds a master’s in higher education from Arizona State University, and a bachelor’s in German, English and theatre from Wittenberg University.
View session options
Morning
- PSO: Where Action Meets Impact 1 (Room L)
- Developing Grant Proposals: Tools and Techniques to Help You Secure Funding for Your Programs (Room R)
- An Inside Look at the PSO Scholarship Academy (Room T/U)
- Mentoring for Professional Growth: Building Strong Connections in PSO (Room K)
- Highlights of Look Ahead Georgia (Room Q)
- Cultivating Meaningful Student Engagement in PSO (Room V/W)
- The Lowdown on Dossiers – Tips and Hints for Faculty Promotion (Room F/G)
Afternoon
- PSO: Where Action Meets Impact 2 (Room V/W)
- Teaming Up for Success: How to Effectively Collaborate with Academic Faculty to Secure Large Scale Federal Grants (Room R)
- Public Speaking & Impactful Presentations (Room Q)
- PSO: Integrating AI & GenAI into Work Routines (Room K)
- Managing Your Own Professional Development (Room F/G)
- Using Data Storytelling to Communicate Impact (Room L)
- Showcase Roundtables of PSO Programs for Faculty and Staff (Room Y/Z)