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‘Starting as a Stallion’ Orientations Begin June 8 at ABAC

TIFTON—Students who are beginning their college careers at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College this fall semester can engage in a new and different orientation process. Donna Webb, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, said the “Starting as a Stallion” optional in-person orientation sessions will begin June 8. “I think our incoming freshmen will enjoy these sessions,” Webb said.  “Like most everything else in this pandemic era, we are trying something we have never attempted before, but I believe we can accomplish the purpose and practice social distancing at the same time.” Webb said the in-person orientation sessions will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. “Students will receive an email invitation for the in-person sessions which are limited for social distancing,” Webb said.  “One guest will be allowed to attend with each student.” Each session will serve as a complement to ABAC’s online videos which are also a key part of the orientation process.  In the summer of 2020, all orientation sessions were online because of the pandemic. “This is our attempt to offer interested students a more hands-on transition to ABAC,” Webb said.  “All of our key offices will be open so that after the session, students can visit with financial aid, student accounts, accommodation services, and other offices.” For more information about “Starting as a Stallion,” students can contact Webb at dwebb@abac.edu.   Fall semester classes begin at ABAC on Aug. 11.                                                                    ###

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ClicRtechnologies Donates Livestock Weighing Technology to ABAC

TIFTON–New technology is at the fingertips of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College students thanks to a $40,000 donation to the ABAC Foundation from ClicRtechnologies. A ClicRweight Bovine Solution System will be utilized at the Beef Unit at ABAC’s J.G. Woodroof Farm. Dr. Mark Kistler, Dean of ABAC’s School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, is excited about the partnership with ClicRtechnologies. “The ClicRweight Bovine Solution System will provide valuable data for the management and operation of our Beef Unit,” Kistler said. “More importantly, it will be utilized by many of our academic programs such as Animal Science and Livestock Production as well as Agribusiness and Agricultural Technology and Systems Management.” Kistler said having students use the latest in technology will help them have the knowledge and skills they need for future employment. Joseph Spicola Sr., Chairman and CEO of ClicRtechnologies, believes ranchers need to embrace technology or get left behind because technology is the future of agriculture. “We hope to emphasize skills gained in the different degrees and tracks offered at ABAC to encourage people to pursue an education in agriculture,” Spicola said. “We believe ABAC will give ranchers and small family farms an opportunity to see this revolutionary technology firsthand.” ClicRtechnologies creates technology that obtains weights in challenging situations. The ClicRweight Bovine Solution System uses 3D imaging technology that reads cattle, pig, and alligator weights without disrupting the routine of the animals. “The School of Agriculture and Natural Resources is thankful for the generosity of Mr. Spicola and all of the folks at ClicRtechnologies,” Kistler said.  “We are looking forward to a long partnership.” ###

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ABAC Plans Return to Normal For 2021 Fall Semester

TIFTON—To use a couple of time-honored expressions, Dr. David Bridges does not want to jump the gun, but he does want to be ahead of the curve. Bridges, the president of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College since 2006 and the longest serving president in the University System of Georgia (USG), says ABAC students can expect a return to normalcy for the 2021 fall semester. “Our plan is to return to normal operations in the fall,” Bridges said. “I want our existing students to know that, and I particularly want incoming freshmen to know it.” Like all the other 25 institutions in the USG, ABAC offered only online classes for the final weeks of the 2020 spring semester and the entirety of the summer term because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students during the 2020 fall term took a mix of online classes and in-person classes. Now in the middle of the 2021 spring semester, ABAC students take mostly in-person classes with some online classes. “I want students taking in-person instruction in a safe environment this fall,” Bridges said. “We will make available a limited number of online classes for those students who still may not feel comfortable sitting in a lecture hall.” Bridges is even thinking beyond the classroom. “I want students living in on-campus housing, going to club meetings, playing sports, and eating in the dining hall,” Bridges said. “Give our students what they deserve, the total college experience. “ABAC has always been known for its friendly atmosphere and a quality education that prepares students for life. Even during the pandemic, we have not backed off that premise.” ABAC enrolled 3,990 students during the 2020 fall term, the second largest enrollment in the history of the college. Those students came from 155 of Georgia’s 159 counties, 53 of Florida’s 67 counties, 19 states, and 24 countries. A record 2,353 of those students enrolled in the 12 bachelor’s degree programs that ABAC offers. Classes are scheduled to begin for the ABAC fall semester on Aug. 11. ###

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View All Campus News Stories ABAC Plans Return to Normal For 2021 Fall Semester
May 26, 2021

Spinks Selected for Roy R. Jackson Award at ABAC

TIFTON—Kim Spinks has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the Roy R. Jackson Award for Staff Excellence, presented each year to the top staff member at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Presented in memory of Roy R. Jackson, Sr., award recipients must have completed at least 10 years of continuous full-time service to ABAC.  Award criteria states that the staff member must be dependable, loyal, reliable, and one who contributes to the growth and development of the college beyond the normal call of duty. Now serving as the Office Coordinator for the Office of Academic Support, Spinks has been an ABAC staff member for 22 years. A coworker states Spinks is always pleasant and professional, whether her focus is on a recruit, applicant, student, graduate, parent, alumnus, visitor or an ABAC employee.  She has proven to be flexible and adaptive at ABAC, serving in various positions and working well as a team member or alone, depending on the task, and is always ready and willing to assist any co-worker when needed in a pinch.  Another coworker writes that Spinks processes graduation applications promptly and adds a personal touch by sending a lovely congratulatory note to the soon-to-be ABAC alumnus as well as to their advisor.  In so doing, it keeps both the advisor and student up-to-date and informed.  One colleague says Spinks is service-oriented and “others-minded, always going above and beyond to assist ABAC students.  I believe our students, faculty, and staff would all agree that this year’s awardee has a genuine desire to make the ABAC experience positive.” ###
May 25, 2021

ABAC Faculty Member Selected for Georgia Agricultural Education Hall of Fame

TIFTON—Dr. Farish Mulkey, an assistant professor of agricultural education at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, has been selected for the Georgia Agricultural Education Hall of Fame.  Mulkey joins two current ABAC faculty members, Dr. Frank Flanders and Von Peavy, in the Hall of Fame. “We are extremely proud of Dr. Mulkey and the fact that ABAC now has three active faculty members in the Hall of Fame,” Dr. Andrew Thoron, Head of the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication at ABAC, said. “I think this proves without a doubt that ABAC is vested in agricultural education in Georgia.” Mulkey began his 32-year career in agricultural education as a classroom agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at Macon County High School in 1988.  His career continues today at ABAC where he advises, teaches, and prepares the next crop of agricultural educators. In a career that saw him teach both middle and high school in Macon County, Worth County, Bainbridge, and Stephens County, Mulkey and his students have achieved a great deal of success. He served as advisor to 61 state degree recipients, 14 American Degree recipients, 18 state and four national Career Development Event winners, and nine state proficiency award winners. The role of an agricultural education teacher is very diverse. In addition to teaching and guiding students, agriculture teachers are expected to make an impact on their community and their profession. Just as he did as an FFA advisor, Mulkey excelled at those expectations. Mulkey served as a Young Farmer advisor, providing instruction for adults in his community, was named Teacher of the Year in his school system, participated on local Farm Bureau boards, and served on committees within the Georgia Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association. A Georgia Agricultural Education Hall of Fame spokesman said that Mulkey's very decorated and successful career was not highlighted by the many plaques, trophies, and ribbons that his students earned; rather his career is highlighted by the character that he exhibited and instilled in the young people he taught in class. ###
May 24, 2021

Luke-Morgan Receives Teaching Excellence Award at ABAC

TIFTON—Dr. Audrey Luke-Morgan has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the W. Bruce and Rosalyn Ray Donaldson Award for Teaching Excellence at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. First awarded in 1965, the purpose of the prestigious award is to publicly recognize superior instruction and exemplary service to the college by honoring one faculty member each year, as chosen by a special representative committee of faculty and students. The recipient is honored with a recognition plaque and a monetary award. To be eligible for consideration for the Donaldson Teaching Excellence Award, a faculty member must be a full-time instructor with five or more years of continuous service to the college. An Associate Professor in the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Luke-Morgan has taught at ABAC since 2012. She received an associate degree from ABAC, a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Georgia (UGA), a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from UGA, and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from Valdosta State University. To best meet the needs of her students, Luke-Morgan has each student complete a biography and self-assessment so that she can tailor each course to target skills such as public speaking or use of spreadsheet software. “I believe that you must move out of your comfort zone to reach your full potential to learn and grow,” Luke-Morgan said. Several letters of support reference Luke-Morgan’s passion and fire for her subject matter. Dr. Mark Kistler, Dean of the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said, “she strives to kindle each student’s curiosity for lifelong learning.” A peer recommendation states that she peaks the students’ interest in introductory classes where they often struggle with terminology with “practical and everyday examples to demonstrate use and application. She then pushes her juniors and seniors to rise to a much higher bar of performance in her classes.” A former student writes, “It is very easy to lecture about all of the things you know, but to translate that knowledge into a conversation that everyone can understand is a special gift that makes the best professors.” Luke-Morgan was the 1992 valedictorian at Fitzgerald High School. In 1994, she was selected as the top academic student at ABAC, receiving the J.G. Woodroof Scholar award with a 4.0 grade point average. ###
May 20, 2021

ABAC’s Polly Huff Receives Top Honor from Georgia Association of Museums

TIFTON—The Georgia Association of Museums (GAM) recently honored Polly Huff from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College with the Museum Professional Award, the industry’s top honor for a museum professional currently serving in the state of Georgia.  Huff, the curator at ABAC’s Georgia Museum of Agriculture (GMA) in Tifton, received the award at the virtual meeting of the Georgia Association for Museums Conference.  “The Middleton Shoe Shop,” an original exhibition at the Museum curated by Huff, also won the Exhibit Award in Category 2, which encompasses project budgets below $25,000. Nominating Committee Chair Virginia Howell, Director of the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking, and members April Moon Carlson, Independent Museum Consultant; Christa McCay, Curator of the Marietta Museum of History; and Holly Beasley Wait, Director of the National Civil War Naval Museum, singled out Huff for “more than two decades of producing innovative exhibits, maximizing limited resources in incredibly creative ways, and being an advocate for the museum field.” In her role as the ABAC curator, Huff oversees a collection of more than 100,000 GMA artifacts. She has designed and installed over 100 significant exhibitions at the GMA, the Art Gallery, and satellite locations; oversees the institutional archives on campus and at the Museum; handles the curatorial duties at ABAC’s Fulwood Garden Center; and is the staff liaison for Tifton’s Wiregrass Farmers Market. “The Middleton Shoe Shop” project took the Museum’s curatorial staff on a journey across the country and back to the 1800s when a cache of mysterious shoe shop artifacts donated by an Indiana resident was discovered at the GMA 40 years after the donation had taken place. Months of intense research with the assistance of museum colleagues from across the country eventually identified the shoemaker in the lone photograph stored with the artifacts as James Middleton, a Tifton shoemaker who lived and worked in the area in the late 1800s-early 1900s. Huff and restoration specialist David King built an exhibit duplicating the exact scene of Middleton’s shoe shop depicted in that lone photograph. Working with local restoration photographer Charles Styer, Huff recreated a life size rendering of the shop complete with a wall mural of the Middleton wagon, a lifelike museum figure replica of Middleton himself, and a display of several hundred shoemaking artifacts. The exhibit’s wooden shoe forms were treated with a special museum wax, which infused the nostalgic scent of shoeshine paste into the experience.  When the pandemic brought everything to a halt in 2020, Huff and her senior media intern, Tristin Clements from Tifton, filmed the exhibit installation and converted the opening into a virtual event, offering it to Museum guests in the early days of the pandemic to the sound of a nostalgic 1890s tune. Huff was recently elected for a third term on the GAM Board of Directors.  She is a frequent panelist and presenter for the state organization and its membership.                                                             ###
May 18, 2021

ABAC Begins Four-Day Work Week

TIFTON—For the second consecutive summer, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College will utilize a four-day work week. ABAC President David Bridges said ABAC’s hours of operation will be from 7 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on a Monday through Thursday basis. The college will be closed on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  “Closing three days a week will save energy during the hot months of the summer,” Bridges said.  “Employees can also enjoy a three-day weekend with their families during this time.” The four-day ABAC work week began May 17 will continue through July 24.  Summer term classes begin at ABAC on June 1.  The fall semester opens Aug. 10. ###
May 17, 2021

Abbeville Graduate Receives Top Award at ABAC Commencement

TIFTON—Meredith McGlamory, an Agricultural Communication major from Abbeville, received the ABAC Alumni Association Award as the top graduate participating in the commencement ceremony on Friday at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Because of social distancing guidelines, ABAC hosted three commencement ceremonies, two in Tifton and one in Bainbridge.  A total of 302 graduates participated in the ceremonies.  McGlamory received a plaque and a check for $500 from the ABAC Alumni Association, which sponsors the award and conducts the interviews which lead to the selection of the winner. The recipient of the award must participate in the commencement ceremony.  The award recognizes scholarship, leadership, and citizenship. From her role as Homecoming Queen to the time she rode on horseback carrying the flag for the Alpha Gamma Rho Breast Cancer Barrel Race, McGlamory has experienced all sides of ABAC. A stellar academic student with a 3.73 grade point average, McGlamory was a Distinguished Honor Student and made the Dean’s List and the President’s List.  She interned with Bayer Crop Science where she worked on experimental chemical plots in row crops.  She also went on a study abroad trip to Belize and took part in a mission trip to Bolivia. At one point in her ABAC career, McGlamory was the Social Media Intern for the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition.  She also served as an active member of the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow.  McGlamory has worked at the Georgia Peanut Farm Show, and she traveled with other ABAC students on the annual Farm Tour when they visited Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Closer to home, McGlamory has guided visitors on the Sunbelt Expo trams, dealt with small animals at Branch’s Vet Clinic, and worked in Plant Pathology at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station.  A Ms. ABAC Finalist, she often helped to recruit new students at Stallion Day. One of McGlamory’s references said, “she strives for success in everything she does and always represents ABAC in a positive manner.” McGlamory plans to travel to New Zealand after graduation to take part in an outreach ministry program. Summer term classes begin at ABAC on June 1, and the fall semester opens Aug. 10. ###

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View Archive Abbeville Graduate Receives Top Award at ABAC Commencement
January 9, 2025

Remembering President Carter’s long history with ABAC

For most of the century that was his life, Jimmy Carter strived to be a blessing to his fellow man. During his last visit to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, he recognized the college for providing him with the same. “ABAC is one of my favorite educational institutions in all of the world,” he said during an appearance before a standing room only crowd in the college’s Howard Auditorium in 2014. “ABAC has been a blessing to me and my family.” Carter’s death last week at the age of 100 has caused many to reflect on his impact near and far. But before he was elected as a state senator, Georgia’s governor, or the 39th U.S. President, his relationship with ABAC had begun. As a young farmer, Carter took short courses at the college on pesticide use and fertilizers. He said he learned about laying out terraces and planting peanuts and brought other farmers down from his family farms. At the time of his speech, he and his wife Rosalyn had visited over 100 countries as part of their humanitarian efforts. “A lot of times when I am visiting a country like some of the places we have visited in Africa, I think of ABAC and all the things I learned about agriculture here,” he said. During his rise to political prominence, the country heard many stories about his background as a peanut farmer from Plains and interest about agriculture in the state grew. Not coincidentally, that led to the creation of the Georgia Agrirama in 1976, the same year Carter was elected President, and he attended the grand opening. Years later, it became ABAC’s Georgia Museum of Agriculture.In 2011, the museum hosted an exhibit titled “Jimmy Carter: Georgia’s Native Son” which chronicled his life from Plains to the White House and his humanitarian career with the Carter Center. Rare photos and artifacts were displayed. In 2019, the ABAC Alumni Association voted him as an Honorary Alumnus because of his involvement and support of the college.“President Carter’s impact was felt around the world and right here at ABAC,” said Lynda Fisher, ABAC’s Director of Alumni and Special Events. “We were very fortunate to have a relationship with him throughout the years. He was an American icon, a worldwide ambassador for peace and his impact will be felt for generations to come.” In 1997, Dr. Doug Waid, an ABAC professor of Wildlife and Forestry, coordinated an effort with his students to install a series of wood duck boxes on his land. Today, Dr. Vanessa Lane, an Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management, continues to take students from her department to Plains to maintain those boxes. “One of the most remarkable aspects of President Carter’s legacy is that, in addition to his role as one of our nation’s presidents, his contributions extended far beyond the Oval Office,” said ABAC President Tracy Brundage. “His service to his home state, his country, and the world speaks to a legacy of compassion and dedication. We are proud of his connection with ABAC and grateful for his recognition of the importance of our mission and its impact on young people in our region. While his passing deeply saddens us, we know the world is better because of his impact.”
January 8, 2025

A One-Woman Exhibition Featuring New Works by Local Artist Jennifer Buckley McCall Opens at ABAC’s Museum Gallery 

Choosing to take the long way home often guarantees the most meaningful trip. A new exhibit opening at the Gallery of ABAC’s Georgia Museum of Agriculture aims to prove that.“Jennifer Buckley McCall: The Long Way Home” is a stunning showcase of rural scenes, landscapes, and animals, all captured in exquisite detail and using oil paints. While local audiences follow McCall’s artistic journey online, many of the pieces in this exhibition will be on public display for the first time. “In this spectacular study of rural landscape, Jennifer will teach us to choose to take the scenic route, inhale deeply, and appreciate the beauty around us,” said Museum Curator Polly Huff. “This body of work was created specifically for this exhibition, with some of the scenery pulled from the rural landscape around the Tiftarea, and others created on Jennifer’s Plein Air easel right here at the museum.” The exhibit’s opening reception on Saturday, January 18 will feature a food sampling of “farm bites” inspired by the paintings, and an artist talk by Buckley McCall will take place at 5 p.m. inside the GMA Gallery. Guided tours of the exhibit led by the artist and the museum’s curator will take place immediately after the talk.   McCall is a professional artist in Tifton who specializes in rural landscapes with an emphasis on her style of Romantic Realism. She graduated from Wesleyan College in 1998 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts where she studied in Graphic Design, Illustration and Painting. For the next 20 years, she worked as a graphic designer for organizations throughout the Southeast. In February 2018, she decided to pursue her artistic passions full-time and opened her studio.  She has been painting "en plein air" (outdoors and on location) for over 20 years. She also participates in plein air competitions. In 2023, she was awarded second place at the Olmsted Georgia Color PaintQuick, and grand prize at the Turner Center for the Arts ARTOber Plein Air Competition in Valdosta.  In addition to competing and commissions, McCall teaches a variety of mediums to adults and children from her home studio in Eldorado, where she lives with her husband, Walter, youngest daughter, and their two dogs and three cats. Guests will be able to take in and appreciate the beautiful and often unseen vistas which reveal themselves when taking “the long way home.” In addition, McCall will offer an unprecedented look inside her artistic process through a display of her personal sketchbooks and some of the materials she uses in her work. Hand-drawn coloring pages created by the artist will be available to those who visit the exhibition during its run at the GMA, and guests can interact with, and color in, a public “mural” drawn by the artist. After opening night, the exhibit will remain on display until May 23. For the remainder of January, the exhibit will be open on Saturdays from 10-4, after which the GMA's normal operating hours will resume.  After January, exhibit hours will be 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturdays. This special exhibit will be included in daily GMA admission tickets, and free with a valid GMA Season Pass. Tickets and season passes are sold at the Museum Country Store. For more information about this and future exhibits, interested persons can contact Huff at phuff@abac.edu.  
December 19, 2024

ABAC Named Best Residence Halls In Georgia

Over 1,300 Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College students call ABAC Place and ABAC Lakeside their home away from home. According to University Magazine, they have chosen the top-ranked residence halls in Georgia.The magazine’s recent ranking of the Best College Dorms in Georgia for 2025 ranked ABAC the best among 30 colleges and universities in the state. The article cited the facilities’ spacious rooms, study lounges, and recreational areas, stating that ABAC “sets the standard for excellent student housing in Georgia and making it a top choice for prospective students.”Trent Hester, ABAC’s Director of Residence Life and Housing, said living on campus offers some obvious advantages to students.“It allows our students to immerse themselves in the college experience fully,” he said. “We are proud to offer a residential environment that fosters personal, professional, and academic growth. We actively seek opportunities to engage students with our facilities through events. We take pride in seeing our students flourish while living on campus.”The article also noted the priority ABAC places on student safety and the dorms’ convenient access to campus resources.ABAC Place opened in 2004 and consists primarily of four-bedroom, two-bath units with some two and three-bedroom units as well. Each resident has a private bedroom and furnished living room. It is also connected to the John Hunt Town Hall Center, which contains administrative offices, recreational facilities, a group meeting space, a computer lab, and a convenience store.ABAC Lakeside, which opened in 2007, is reserved for first-year students and features two-bedroom units. It also offers a 24-hour computer lab, game rooms, lounges, laundry, and outdoor grills.“This recognizes that we are succeeding in our mission to make ABAC a destination college,” said ABAC President Tracy Brundage. “Our students enjoy all the amenities our residence halls offer and are comfortable and safe on campus, which plays a significant role in their success. Offering that at an affordable price is another reason our enrollment continues to grow.”Nikki Ooley, a Resident Assistant at ABAC Place, commuted to ABAC for a year before moving to campus. She said that decision made a difference in her college experience.“I have loved making lifelong friendships with my roommates and hosting ‘family dinners’ and movie nights,” she said. “I’ve always felt safe living on campus and the distance to class is a huge bonus.”“ABAC is committed to providing a top-tier residential experience,” said Amy Willis, ABAC’s Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. “From facilities to programming, we’re always looking for ways to improve the student experience.”
December 18, 2024

ABAC’s Newberry nominated for prestigious poetry prize

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s Dr. Jeff Newberry, a Writing and Communication professor, has been nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize for a poem in his most recent book or poetry, ‘How to Talk about the Dead.” The book, dedicated to the author’s parents, delves into the complexities of the past and draws inspiration from their childhoods as sharecroppers' kids in rural South Georgia. Through these poems, Newberry explores the ways in which we remember, honor, and preserve our personal histories. The nominated poem, "The Dead Father Speaks" has been nominated for the prize by the editors at Redhawk Publications, who published his book. The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses series, published every year since 1976, is the most honored literary project in America - including Highest Honors from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Hundreds of presses and thousands of writers of short stories, poetry and essays have been represented in this annual collection, which is one of the last surviving literary co-ops from the 60's and 70's."’The Dead Father Speaks’ was an inversion of what I usually do,” Newberry said. “So much of ‘How to Talk about the Dead’ is about trying to connect with the past. I wanted to write from the other side, so to speak, and I asked myself what a father might say to a son who spends his life constantly seeking a lost dad. ‘The Dead Father Speaks’ is an attempt at empathy. I wanted to try to understand the gruff, distant fathers that I often write about. I think that the poem gave me a new understanding of my dad.” "Dr. Newberry's poetry is both profound and accessible, and none more so than the ‘The Dead Father Speaks,’” said Dr. Cyndy Hall, head of the Department of English and Communication. “This nomination reflects what our department has known all along, that Dr. Newberry is a premier poet.  We are certainly fortunate to have him teaching ABAC's students." Award winners are expected to be named in early 2025.
December 17, 2024

ABAC graduates first criminal justice eMajor

Among the graduates at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s fall commencement was Lance Montgerard, the first graduate from the college’s Criminal Justice bachelor’s degree eMajor program. The program, ABAC’s first completely online degree program, was launched in Spring semester of 2023, according to Dr. Matthew Anderson, ABAC’s Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. “The Criminal Justice major has three tracks: law enforcement, general studies, and social justice,” he said. “These three tracks prepare students to work as law enforcement officers, probation and parole officers, and to work in corrections as well as various roles in which they may contribute to social changes. Melissa Harrell, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, oversees the program and said Montgerard was one of the first students to show interest. “He had his goals in place and was prepared to begin the program,” she said. “He was committed to the program and moved seamlessly through to become our first graduate.” “It has been my honor to go through this program,” said Montgerard, who has been an instructor at Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC), which trains new law enforcement officers, on ABAC’s campus. “I am so thankful for this program and would not have been able to complete my degree in a standard classroom environment due to my job. Balancing a full-time job and going to college at the same time was hard but not unmanageable.” Montgerard graduated from Darton College, now Albany State University, in 1990 and worked at the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office for 25 years, but wanted to continue his education. When the online degree program launched, he immediately took advantage of it. “My mom, Carolyn, was the main driving force to get my degree,” he said. “She asked me to complete this for myself and for her. I also could not have done it without the understanding and encouragement of my bosses, Marty Smith and Jared York. My wife, Lynn, has been my rock during the late nights and solo study sessions and read all of my papers. “It was difficult at first, but once I got past the learning curve with online learning, it was all downhill from there,” he added. “I found that ensuring I provided time each day to get my studies done was the biggest success for me. Professor Harrell was a wonderful advisor. I would not have made it without her help.” “The program has grown rapidly since its launch and now tops 80 students,” Anderson said. “We’re pleased to offer this degree option for students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attain their degree due to work or family obligations, and we are extremely proud to congratulate the program’s first graduate.”
December 12, 2024

ABAC celebrates graduates at commencement exercises 

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College celebrated graduates who earned their degrees in the commencement ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 12.The ceremony honored graduates from the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Stafford School of Business.“Graduation is a moment of joy, reflection, and anticipation,” said ABAC President Tracy Brundage. “It marks the culmination of countless hours of hard work, determination, and sacrifice. As you embark on this new chapter, I encourage you to dream boldly, act with purpose, and always strive to leave the world a little better than you found it.” Tom McCall, President of Georgia Farm Bureau and ABAC alum, was the commencement speaker.“There are a few things I want to tell you,” he said. “Never forget where you came from. When you embrace your future success, do it with humility and do it with purpose. And remember to be yourself. No matter how far you go or how far you rise, always look back and reflect on where you started. Your roots, espcially the roots you grew at ABAC, will keep you grounded and humble and your dreams and ambitions will push you as far as you want to go.”Patrick Towns Ethredge, a horticulture business management major from Ailey, received the prestigious David and Kim Bridges Award during the commencement ceremony.Dr. David Bridges was the longest-serving president in the history of ABAC. He retired on July 31, 2022 after more than 16 years as ABAC’s chief executive. He and his wife, Kim, are both ABAC alumni. The Bridges Award is presented in recognition of scholarship, leadership, and citizenship to a graduate receiving a four-year degree from ABAC. Ethredge was active with the Horticulture Club, the Turf Club, the Agronomy Club, and the Red Door College Ministry with Tifton’s First Baptist Church. He assisted with Stallion Days, An Evening for ABAC, and both the Board of Regents meeting and President Brundage’s Investiture ceremony last fall. For these events, he designed and implemented large floral installations. He also worked at the UGA Tifton Entomology Research Station and was the first ABAC student to earn a coveted internship at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.CThe School of Nursing and Health Sciences held its pinning ceremony after commencement and honored several graduates with awards. Casey Harrison from Tifton received the Clinical Excellence Award sponsored by Tift Regional Medical Center; the Academic Excellence Award, sponsored by Colquitt Regional Medical Center, was awarded to Brenda Guerrero from Wray; and Emily Everson of Edison received the Dedication to Nursing Award, sponsored by South Georgia Medical Center. The Lisa Purvis Allison Spirit of Nursing Award was awarded to Martin Fernandez of Norman Park (BSN), Madison Riggins of Concord (ASN – Tifton), and Stephanie Garcia of Pelham (ASN – Bainbridge).  Melissa Pierzchajlo, President of the ABAC Alumni Association, also inducted the graduates into the association.
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