Clemson Tiger at heart, Georgia Bulldog by trade:

Clemson University captured my heart, and it was there I earned my first bachelor's degree, in economics — truly a fascinating social science — with a minor in creative writing.

I moved to Athens and completed a master's program in magazine journalism at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Magazines perfectly encompass my passions for writing, editing, design and photography.

After a three-year fling in the world of in-house marketing (and retail management — yikes!) for a local pet store, I began working in public relations for higher education. While working full-time at the University, I also completed a second bachelor's degree in fine arts with a concentration in photography.

I currently serve as editor for UGA Extension publications, which bring UGA research into people's hands (and homes) in the form of short publications written for the general public. These publications cover a wide variety of topics of interest to homeowners, gardeners, farmers, and the general public.

Prior to joining the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Extension, I was the public relations manager for the well-known and beloved campus landmark, the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel (a.k.a. the Georgia Center). Prior to working at the Georgia Center, I was the PR/marketing coordinator for the UGA Office of International Education, which oversees study abroad, immigration services and international partnerships — all of which are woven into the fabric of work and study at UGA. My job was to discover their stories and share them with our campus and our stakeholders, showing the positive impact of our campus's globalization efforts.

Before OIE, I worked for the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine for 10 years as part of an active and successful external affairs team comprised of public relations professionals, development officers, and a director of alumni relations/special events.

My role was to spread the word about cutting-edge research, medical procedures performed in few other places around the country, success stories of patients who beat the odds, and of course about our amazing veterinary, master's and doctoral students. With the external affairs team, we raised $29 million toward building a new teaching hospital and academic building complex, while also raising millions of dollars each year toward scholarships, professorships, research and other programs for the CVM.