Assistant dean gives encore performances

Mike Fulford taps into his roles in pharmacy, schooling and ballroom

Whether or not you label him a Renaissance gentleman or a Swiss navy knife, Mike Fulford definitely is a person or girl of plenty of abilities.

At UGA by yourself, Fulford’s sphere of affect entails on a regular basis perform because the assistant dean for institutional usefulness and strategic initiatives within the Faculty of Pharmacy, serving on the graduate faculty within the Mary Frances Early Greater schooling of Training, and coaching ballroom dance within the Division of Dance, precisely the place he’s co-director of the UGA Ballroom Effectiveness Group. Like a well-choreographed dance amount, Fulford skillfully executes an encore common efficiency for all the businesses he serves.

At first from Atlanta, Fulford attended UGA as an undergraduate pursuing a BBA diploma in accounting. Whereas serving as a resident assistant and a scholar employees within the Registrar’s Enterprise, he discovered his appropriate enthusiasm for scholar affairs. He went on to obtain a Grasp’s of Coaching in college scholar personnel in elevated education at UGA although doing work as a graduate resident in Creswell Corridor.

Fulford expended the upcoming 15 yrs in frequent faculty scholar affairs roles at Oglethorpe Faculty, the Georgia Institute of Know-how and Lanier Technological Faculty or college. Alongside the way in which, he gained a Ph.D. in instructional coverage experiments with an emphasis on higher schooling and social foundations at Georgia State College. His dissertation, “Failing at College Soccer Reform: The Jan Kemp Demo on the College of Georgia,” targeted on faculty soccer reform all through the nation, particularly at UGA.

A drive to shift to a school placement and lend his abilities in tutorial affairs led Fulford to UGA’s Greater schooling of Pharmacy in 2011, wherever he began out out because the director of evaluation and an instructional skilled. Throughout the earlier 10 years, he has shifted and molded into a wide range of roles on the colleges, all with the focus of serving college students.

“I’m not a pharmaceutical scientist nor pharmacist, and I actually do not faux to be,” Fulford talked about. “What we do at our college is pharmacy coaching. My process is to be the coaching certified on this important equation.”

He further, “I by no means ever imagined I’d uncover a specialist home within the Greater schooling of Pharmacy, however throughout my 10-moreover yrs right here, I’ve been confused by how actually exhausting my colleagues function and the way an important deal our faculty and staff genuinely care about each distinctive faculty scholar. All the remainder we determine by collaborating and working with one another … and attempting to maintain our faculty college students within the spotlight.”

Getting the stage

Talking of spotlights, Fulford shines within the performance beam of dance and theater. He was launched to ballroom dancing when he required a bodily schooling credit score as an undergraduate.

“I used to be a cumbersome ex-soccer participant who discovered his means into dance and theater … and I straight away fell in adore with all of it,” he defined. “Mark Wheeler, then head of the dance part, founding father of the ballroom dance system, my preliminary ballroom dance instructor, and a real mentor, happy me through which I used to be in existence. He was present with me he actually cared about my way of life and my well being. He pushed and challenged me, and enormously modified who I used to be. I try to design the way in which I carry out proper after him.”

Mike Fulford dances with graduate scholar Alma Bajramović as he demonstrates the cha-cha to his ballroom dance class. ({Photograph} by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

He remained linked to the ballroom dance system, even simply after he left UGA to launch his skilled career. When he returned to Athens and UGA, the dance program squandered no time in soliciting for Fulford’s expertise and expertise to teach commencing and extremely developed ballroom dancing.

“Sarcastically, the dance part is all through the avenue from the Faculty or college of Pharmacy. When the likelihood opened on the greater schooling, it was a indicator that that is the place I used to be supposed to be,” he defined.

He included, “I purchase psychological breaks from pharmacy and go prepare dance. As well as, it retains me linked to numerous forms of faculty college students.”

Ballroom Magic, the once-a-year encore software program of the Ballroom Total efficiency Group, is Feb. 17-19 on the Dance Making on the UGA campus. Tickets are available and could be bought by way of e-mail.

Together with instructing dance, Fulford is lively within the regional theater scene. Minoring in theatre at UGA, he commenced his intensive relationship with the City and Robe Avid gamers, precisely the place he serves on the board of trustees. He has choreographed musicals for quite a few teams and universities regionally and regionally all via the a very long time.

Driving motivations

Fulford is temporary to stage out the driving motivations in his sphere of carry out and leisure. “Definitely, the mentors in my way of life have been a supply of assist, these sorts of as Mark Wheeler, who I said. Dr. George Francisco, who retired a pair a very long time in the past because the College of Pharmacy’s affiliate dean for tutorial affairs, continues to be a mentor, mate and constant pressure in my life. And of research course, my household is my rock.”

Talking of which, UGA’s dance program gave him a lot extra than a toe-tapping capability established. It’s precisely the place he happy his dance lover for all times, Jennifer, additionally a UGA alumna. The Fulfords have just a few youngsters—the eldest is a freshman at UGA—and the household’s favorite pastime is plenty of outings to Disney Surroundings every particular person yr.

“I’ve been blessed. I’ve discovered a location and a placement the place by I’m succesful to current and provides an excellent deal, not solely to pupils but additionally to personnel and faculty,” talked about Fulford. “I’m additionally geared up to feed my creative passions, pretty so much each single day. If that can make me a Swiss navy knife or a jack-of-all-trades, I’ll gladly take folks labels.”