The University of Georgia Press is pleased to announce a new endowment to support its undergraduate internship program in book publishing. The Candler Family Experiential Learning Scholarship Fund will provide funding for the university press’s paid experiential learning opportunities for UGA students.
The UGA Press has enjoyed a long relationship with the Candler family. Peter Candler Sr. and Shannon Ilges Candler are founding members of the Press’s Advisory Council. Following their retirement, son Pete Candler joined the council in 2018.
The $100,000 gift from the Ilges Foundation was matched by $50,000 from the UGA Foundation as part of a university-wide scholarship campaign.
“It is truly an honor to be able to support the Press in this way. We are so grateful for all of you and the heroic work you do,” said Pete Candler on behalf of the Candler family.
UGA Press hosts over 15 undergraduate interns annually. Students gain experience in a broad range of publishing areas, including acquisitions, marketing, editorial, design, production, business, and intellectual property. Former interns have gone on to work across the publishing industry, including at Penguin Random House, University of Chicago Press, the Georgia Review, NYU Press, Yale University Press, W.W. Norton, Southern Living, and the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency.
“This generous gift ensures that the University of Georgia Press can continue to offer paid, substantive internships to undergraduates interested in the publishing profession,” said Press Director Lisa Bayer, Director. “We are grateful to the Candler family for their belief in the value of university presses, the power of knowledge and ideas, and the Press’s ongoing experiential learning work with students at the University of Georgia.”
A major practical impact of the fund is that it reduces the necessity for students to choose between jobs to cover expenses and internships that provide valuable experience toward a career in publishing.
“Having held an on-campus job throughout college, the opportunity for paid internships never put me in the position to choose between professional development and necessary income,” said April Cerritos, a UGA Press marketing intern who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in English and comparative literature. “I know that my time is valued here at UGA Press, and I'm grateful for the paid internships available to students.”
About the University of Georgia Press:
Since its founding in 1938, the mission of the University of Georgia Press is to publish innovative scholarship and compelling stories that inspire and inform the people of Georgia and the world. The Press is a founding partner of the New Georgia Encyclopedia and the new Publishing Certificate program offered by UGA’s Department of English.
As a nonprofit university press, UGA Press upholds a high standard of peer review and thorough vetting as a member of the Association of University Presses. To learn more about supporting the Press and its publications, authors, events, and internships, visit www.ugapress.org.