35th Annual Public Service and Outreach Awards Luncheon
PSO: Where Action Meets Impact 2
Faculty from Public Service and Outreach units will showcase applied projects from across the state that demonstrate how PSO translates expertise into measurable community impact. This session highlights initiatives that integrate faculty scholarship, student engagement, and community partnerships to address real-world challenges and advance Georgia’s communities. Featured projects include the Carl Vinson Institute of Government’s Community Branding: Place-Based Identity for Economic Growth; Archway Partnership and Terry College of Business and the VITA Program; Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Fellowship Program: Fostering Environmental Literacy Leaders; and UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel’s Academic Special Programs – Focused on Georgia Science and Engineering Fair.
Carl Vinson Institute of Government / Community Branding: Place-Based Identity for Economic Growth
The Community Branding Program reflects the theme “PSO: Where Action Meets Impact” by addressing a statewide need for communities to clearly articulate their identities to compete for talent, investment, and resources. The program brings together UGA faculty expertise, PSO collaboration, local government partners, and UGA students to co-create place-based brand identities, while tracking outcomes such as increased visitation, revenue growth, private investment, and community adoption. Its measurable impact across Georgia has earned national recognition from the University Economic Development Association (UEDA) and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), underscoring the power of applied scholarship and partnership-driven work.
Speaker: Kaitlin Messich
Archway Partnership / Terry College of Business and the VITA program
The UGA Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program gained traction in Burke County through Archway Partnership support. This collaboration between the Terry College of Business, UGA Extension, and Burke County focused on increasing awareness of VITA services, understanding local perceptions of the tax system, and encouraging participation in tax filing — an essential factor in maximizing community funding.
Speakers: Erin Towery and Sam Perren
Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant / Marine Education Fellowship: Fostering Environmental Literacy Leaders
For nearly 30 years, recent graduates have participated in UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Marine Education Fellowship Program. This early-career fellowship bridges college and professional positions while providing experience in marine education and outreach, aquarium education and husbandry, and coastal extension. The program serves as a model for integrating workforce development and environmental literacy while serving communities across Georgia.
Speakers: Anne Lindsay and Celeste Rivenbark
UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel / Georgia Science & Engineering Fair (GSEF)
Managed by the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel, the Georgia Science and Engineering Fair (GSEF) is the state’s premier forum for students in grades 6-12 to showcase original STEM research, compete for awards, and engage with professional scientists and engineers. Held annually at the Classic Center in Athens, GSEF represents the culmination of a year-long, statewide system of local and regional fairs. Each year, more than 600 exhibitors share their work with 250 professionals and compete for over$45,000 in scholarships and awards, with top projects advancing to the Regeneron International Science & Engineering Fair, the world’s largest pre-collegiate STEM competition.
Speaker: Laura Brewer
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:
Kaitlin Messich, Public Service Associate, Carl Vinson Institute of Government
Kaitlin Messich has served as art director for the Carl Vinson Institute of Government (CVIOG) since 2024, where she oversees the award-winning Community Branding Program that she established in 2019. In this role, Messich manages the design team in creative direction, focusing on community branding and placemaking to help cities and counties across Georgia strategically leverage their unique assets to foster economic development, enhance quality of life, attract investment and preserve a strong sense of place. Messich has been with the institute since 2013 and has led the creative direction for more than 60 community projects, blending graphic design with research-based strategy. In 2025, the program was awarded top honors in the Place category at the University Economic Development Association (UEDA) Awards of Excellence. Messich holds a master’s degree in historic preservation and a master’s degree in interior design from UGA. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Presbyterian College.
Erin Towery, Professor, Terry College of Business
Erin Towery is a professor of accounting at UGA’s Terry College of Business. In 2023, she was awarded the endowed KPMG-Atlanta Partners’ and Employees’ Professorship. With a multitude of publications, research interests including tax compliance, financial reporting and corporate finance, as well as prior experience serving in the White House as a senior economist, Towery brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role at UGA. She received her Ph.D. and M.P.A. from the University of Texas, and her bachelor’s degree from Auburn University.
Sam Perren, Operations Coordinator, Archway Partnership
Sam Perren was appointed operations coordinator in the Archway Partnership state office in January 2023. He has been with Archway since 2017 and has served as the Archway professional in Pulaski, Colquitt and McDuffie counties. He leads Archway’s evaluation and grant-writing teams, coordinates the UGA Rural Engagement Workshop for Academic Faculty, and manages Archway’s efforts in partner communities across the state. A proud triple dawg, Sam holds a bachelor’s degree in history, a master’s in public administration, and a PhD in public administration and policy, all from UGA.
Anne Lindsay, Senior Public Service Associate, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant
Anne Lindsay has worked with the Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant at UGA since 1998. She currently serves as associate director for marine education, overseeing education programs, staff and facilities at the Marine Education Center and Aquarium on Skidaway Island. In addition to coordinating the unit’s summer marine science camps, Lindsay teaches field, lab, and boat-based programs for students of all ages. An Athens native, Lindsay holds a bachelor’s degree in zoology from UGA and a master’s degree in zoology from Clemson University.
Celeste Rivenbark, Marine Educator and Education Fellow Coordinator, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant
As marine educator and education fellow coordinator, Celeste Rivenbark instructs field, boat and laboratory programs while mentoring early career professionals at Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. Rivenbark joined the Marine Extension in 2025 and brings years of experience working along the Georgia and Alabama coasts, with responsibilities including program instruction, community partnerships development, managing educational initiatives and fostering development for early career professionals. She holds a bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology and management from Auburn University and a master’s degree in biology from Miami University.
Laura Brewer, Academic Special Programs Director, UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel
Laura Brewer has served as academic special programs director at the UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel since 2014. In this role, she oversees the coordination and administration of nationally and internationally affiliated statewide programs, with responsibilities including planning, organizing, staffing, budgeting and more. Each year, Brewer successfully recruits, trains and supervises hundreds of event volunteers. She also secures and retains sponsorships from more than 50 organizations, businesses and individuals annually. Brewer has nearly two decades of experience working at UGA, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in music theory and music performance and a master’s degree in linguistics.
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)