UGA’s Black Faculty and Staff Organization held its 15th Annual Founders’ Award Scholarship Luncheon this afternoon. President Jere Morehead delivered the university greeting and Terry College Dr. Dawn Bennett-Alexander delivered the keynote address. Dr. BA, as she is affectionately known, emphasized the need for the students and other attendees to have a well of experience, support, and knowledge, to draw from. Seven students were awarded scholarships and recognized for their efforts at this year’s event. Third year doctoral candidate Brittany Williams was one of those receiving awards.
"I feel privileged to be in the number of people who have been awarded through BFSO, the number of folks who have come through the University of Georgia and gone on to do really great work and amazing things," said Williams. "I'm just trying to make my contributions and my imprint on this world. I feel like other people have paved the way for me and it's my turn to do the same."
BFSO president Henry Young is a professor in the College of Pharmacy. He says the organization had humble beginnings.
"BFSO started in the early 1980s. A group of faculty members and staff got together and they recognized the need to address African-American folks' needs on campus," said Young. "And they decided to create a network to support one another, to advocate for issues, and and overcome the challenges and hurdles they were seeing."
The event was rescheduled from September due to Hurricane Irma.
