The Campus Chronicle
 

The Campus Chronicle,
an online newspaper
for University of West Georgia faculty and
staff, is the official
source for news and information to all members of the campus community.

I Am UWG

James DeVita

James DeVita is UWG.Job title: Assistant Professor of Professional Counseling-College Student Affairs.

What I really do: Teach classes in Student Affairs/Higher Education Administration and research methods; advise master’s students in the CSA program; conduct research (often collaboratively with graduate students) on LGBTQ and marginalized populations in higher education; advise GSAP, the graduate student organization for our CSA program.

Years at UWG: About 6 months.

Before UWG, I: Last academic year I served a one-year appointment as a visiting professor at Iowa State University where I taught courses and advised graduate students in the Higher Education-Student Affairs program. Before that I was working on my Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

One thing I would change about UWG: Be more supportive of marginalized and targeted populations, especially LGBTQ people.

I was born in: Sayre, Pennsylvania – but raised in upstate New York about halfway between Binghamton and Ithaca.

Family members are: Mother Judy, father Jim, sister Kim, brother Fred, niece Bianca, nephews Quentin and Rocco, grandmother Micki – all of whom still live in my hometown of Owego, N.Y.

People describe me as: I had one student from last summer tell me that I am very charismatic…I’ll take it.

Most colleagues don’t know that: I am a huge sports fan; college and pro football, college basketball, hockey, tennis, soccer…can’t get enough.

Favorite things to do: I like watching sports events, playing sports, teaching dance, and hanging out with friends.

Favorite quote: “True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us.” - Socrates

Proudest accomplishment so far: Finishing my two graduate degrees (M.S. and Ph.D.) in just over 4 years.

Pet peeve: Rude drivers.

Best advice ever received: Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Best advice for new faculty and staff: Take time to get to know the people who support your work on campus. There are so many under-appreciated, under-celebrated support staff members who really make things happen.

What I most want to contribute to students: I want students to get excited about education because it is intellectually stimulating. I hope that my love for learning is contagious and that students develop a desire to learn more about the topics we cover in class.

The book everyone should read: “Faces at the Bottom of the Well” by Derrick Bell. It’s an eye-opening book about race, racism and privilege in the US.

The movie everyone should watch: TransAmerica.

The person, dead or alive, I’d most like to meet: I was a history major in undergrad and still have a passion for ancient history, so Julius Caesar is high on the list.

The place I’d love to travel to where I haven’t been yet: I have been fascinated with Incan culture since I took a South American archaeology class in undergrad and have always wanted to visit Machu Picchu, Peru.

Although you didn’t ask, I’d like to tell you anyway: Although I was raised a Yankee, I love living in the South. Admittedly, I don’t like grits or sweet tea, but the people, culture, environment and history are all things I appreciate about the region. During my tenure at UWG I hope to continue to honor where the institution has come from and be a part of shaping its future.