September 28, 2017
We are excited to share updates about happenings in University Housing with our alumni and friends. We hope you enjoy this newsletter. Please stay tuned for more updates and new opportunities to be involved with University Housing during the coming year.
Russell Hall renovation underway
As you may know, University Housing is currently renovating popular high-rise Russell Hall. Russell Hall closed in May of this year and will reopen for fall 2018 with enhanced and updated lobby, lounge, study, programming, laundry and kitchen spaces. More importantly, plans also include renovations of climate control, plumbing and electrical systems as well as making the building ADA-accessible.

Plans for Russell also include increasing space flexibility in the student rooms through the removal of built-in furnishings. Community bathrooms will feature enhanced toilet and shower privacy and upgrades to modern fixtures and finishes.

Before drafting the plans for the new spaces, architects and housing facilities staff asked for current residents’ input on the types of spaces they’d like to see in the new building. Residents chimed in with suggestions for study spaces, laundry rooms, kitchens, community and lounge spaces and—of course—bathrooms. Project coordinators from Menefee Architecture and Cannon Design came away with some great input on how students envision the improved Russell Hall. 

UGA determined a renovation of Russell Hall to be more cost-effective than new construction since a main concern for the university is ensuring continued affordability of student housing on campus while also providing adequate reserves for future renovations.
Above: Main lobby area after demolition
Below: 5th floor building core after demolition
Housing awards Jim Day Housing Scholarships
This past spring University Housing awarded scholarships in the amount of $500 each to two returning residents, Javan Jacques and Oliveea Bertin. The two distinguished recipients exemplify the values and character that University Housing strives to promote within its residence halls.

University Housing offers two $500 scholarships to returning residents for the fall semester each year through the Jim Day Housing Scholarship Fund, named for Dr. James “Jim” Day, who served as executive director of University Housing from 1990 to 2006. 
Fourth-year mechanical engineering major Javan Jacques cherishes his experiences living on-campus the past three years. “The support, convenience, companionship and compassion are a few of the reasons why living on campus is so great to me” he says. “From my freshman year until now, I have always felt so welcome by the University of Georgia community.” 
Third-year student Oliveea Bertin, a public health major, is very grateful for her years spent in on-campus housing. She writes in her scholarship application, “I truly believe that living on campus provides an extraordinary experience while attending school, and I plan to take full advantage of everything that it has to offer me.” 

MAKE A DONATION  to the Jim Day Housing Scholarship Fund to support need-based scholarships at the University of Georgia. Your commitment will help give our students every opportunity to reach for greatness as they become the next generation of global  leaders.
Campus partnership leads to better wireless experience
University Housing and UGA’s Enterprise Information Technology Services (EITS) have been in a partnership to upgrade wireless service throughout the residence halls since a 2016 survey to residents about wireless service. Since that time, 14 residence halls have been fully upgraded with more than 1,900 new wireless access points installed in those buildings—including many residents’ rooms. This means faster, more reliable wireless connectivity for residents accessing the university’s wireless network, PAWS-Secure. More residence halls will continue to be upgraded throughout the year to continue improving wireless service for students.
Dawgs Ditch the Dumpster and Donate collects more than 55,000 pounds of unwanted items
Dawgs Ditch the Dumpster and Donate is an annual end of the year move-out donation drive and landfill diversion event. During Dawgs Ditch the Dumpster and Donate, all items left in a donation areas are diverted from the landfill and given to local and regional organizations in need.

READ MORE about this event and sustainability in University Housing.

Staff updates
University Housing welcomes the following new full-time and graduate staff members:

Residential Programs and Services

Rob Perez -associate director of Residence Life; John Wright -area coordinator; Rebecca Buri , Rebecca Morgan , Miles Johnson , Heather Macon, Gabriela Rojas -residence hall directors; Cory Graham -administrative assistant; Kylie Shae Keyser -graduate resident for marketing; Alexis Szelwach -graduate resident for academic initiatives; Candice Peters -graduate resident for Brumby Hall; O’Keefe Johnson -graduate resident for Creswell Hall; and Brittany McDaniel -doctoral intern for RPS

Facilities
Breaunna Brown, Autumn McConnell, Erick Johnson; Shaquita Lumpkin, Frank Solano, Kyle Waldrep, Ana Jiminez, Tekeya Jackson, Margoth Matiz, Dianne Sims, Tayler Young, Natasha Watkins, Shahid Glenn, Adriana Hurtado-Rico -building service workers; Amanda Shelnutt- administrative associate

Administrative Services and Communications

Yaminah Moses- administrative assistant


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