Winter Newsletter 2021
Dear UGA Classics in Rome Alumni,
No one will deny that the last two years have been challenging. After celebrating the program’s 50th Anniversary with a big reunion in the fall of 2019, we were ready to start our second semicentennial when Covid hit. Like all study abroad programs, ours was affected and we had to cancel the 2020 and 2021 trips. However, things have improved and we are now preparing and looking forward to summer 2022.
Recruiting for summer 2022 has been very successful and we have a lot more applicants than spots available. As always, the biggest hurdle for the students is finding ways to finance their trip. Although we always try to keep the fees down, some of those who were accepted are still unsure if they will be able to come due to cost concerns. The scholarships that we are able to offer thanks to the generosity of our donors are a tremendous help. In the past few years we have been able to award a good number of David Thompson and Linda Piper scholarships as well as grants from the Rome Study Abroad Support Fund. Now we are about to start awarding the Edward and Jenny Best Scholarship , and we are overjoyed to announce a newly created one: the Tom Poss Scholarship. All these professors loved Rome, they believed in the value of studying there, and they played a very important part in the success of the program as well as the Classics department. There is no better way to honor their memory than by donating and supporting students who want to participate in the program.
Best wishes to everybody for a peaceful and merry Holiday Season,
Elena Bianchelli, Program Director
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Gifts to our scholarship funds allows us to make study abroad a reality for many of our students. Your support is greatly appreciated.
(newly created thanks to the generosity of the Best family)
Dr. Best, a well-respected member of the UGA Classics faculty from 1961 to 1997, decided to start a study abroad program in Rome and Greece in 1970, and he went along with his wife Jenny and their three very young children. He returned as the program director in 1971, 72, 75, 76, 77, and 82. His courageous and forward-looking decision to take a group of students to Rome and Greece was the start of the now 51-year-old program.
(newly created thanks to the generosity of the Poss family)
We all remember Dr. Tom Poss as a beloved friend with an interest and expertise in every possible field. He was a member of the UGA Classics Department from 1976 to 2005. He joined the faculty of the program in 1978 and 1984 and both times he was also visited by his girlfriend, and later wife, Brenda. He infused the program with endless charm and fun.
The David Thompson Scholarship
(our first scholarship)
A member of the UGA Classics Department between 1971 to 1977, Dr. Thompson joined the UGA Classics in Rome faculty as the assistant professor in 1974, 1987, and 1992, but he was also a frequent guest of the program, especially during the Campania trip. In his will, he provided for the first scholarship for our program.
(shared with the History department and awarded by Classics in odd years)
Dr. Piper was a member of the UGA History Department where she specialized in Classical History. She joined UGA Classics in Rome in 1985. The scholarship that was established in her name is awarded in alternate years by the Classics and the History Departments.
The Rome Study Abroad Support Fund
(for the program’s specific needs and also to award grants)
In the past, grants have been offered in memory of Drs. Jimmy Alexander and Timothy Gantz, and in honor of Drs. Jim Anderson, Bob Curtis, and Ingrid Edlund-Berry.
From left to right:
Dr. Jimmy Alexander (1973, 74, 78, 79, 81, 83)
Dr. Timothy Gantz (1977-80, 1983-2003)
Dr. James Anderson (1981, 2003-13)
Dr. Robert Curtis (1980, 1982)
Dr. Ingrid Edlund-Berry (1975, 1976)
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The University of Georgia Foundation is registered to solicit in every state and provides state specific registration information at http://www.ugafoundation.org/charity.