The University of Georgia Presidents Club includes alumni and friends of the university whose ongoing and impactful generosity empowers UGA to inspire future leaders, advance global research, and improve lives everywhere. Brian Quinif (AB ’06, MA ’06), a member of the Presidents Club, has translated his powerful student experiences and subsequent post-graduate success into support for future students to enrich their studies through travel, research and other transformative opportunities.
A foundational campus experience
Brian Quinif as a student in the Foundation Fellows program.
For Brian, the world opened up as a result of his time at the University of Georgia. Originally from Thomasville, Georgia, Brian actually began his Bulldog journey as a senior in high school, participating in a dual enrollment program with the university. President Jere W. Morehead — former director of then-named Honors Program — helped Brian navigate the program’s Foundation Fellowship as a non-traditional applicant.
“Being involved in the Fellowship and the Honors Program as a whole was very impactful for me, so I’m very thankful to President Morehead for helping me figure out that process and get where I needed to be,” Brian says.
And where Brian needed to be at that moment was the honors section of Loch Johnson’s introductory political science course — at a time when the world changed. In the fall of 2001, not only was Brian beginning his first semester in college while still technically a high schooler, but he and the other students in his class were able to lean on Johnson’s expertise in intelligence operations and world affairs in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“That experience really helped shape the rest of my college career and my relationship with Professor Johnson and eventually his wife, Leena, as well,” Brian explains. “My family has been able to stay really close with the Johnsons, and that’s part of the reason why my wife, Kristine, and I helped to create the graduate student support fund in their name.”
In fact, Brian and his family know the Johnsons as honorary grandparents of sorts, watching Georgia football together and sharing in each other’s successes, like when Johnson was recognized as the inaugural SEC Professor of the Year in 2012.
That relationship would go on to serve as the foundation for Brian and Kristine’s giving to the university and their support for students.
A legacy in name and action
“Coming from a small town, I wasn’t expecting to have such tremendous opportunities at college,” Brian says. “But having people at the university that were willing to invest in me really inspired me to pay it forward so that more students get that feeling of being supported.”
Brian’s experiences with dedicated faculty and with immersive programs like the Foundation Fellowship led him to continue his impact with the university beyond his time as a student, and now he encourages others to do the same.
“There really are limitless opportunities for how to have an impact on UGA and the students and faculty there,” he continues. “Starting a conversation with the development team as well as staying connected to the university through getting to know other Dawgs in your area are some great ways to keep updated on what’s going on and what needs your help.”
Brian combined his pivotal experiences at UGA with a desire and ability to support future generations of Bulldogs and was able to help create the Loch and Leena Johnson Graduate Student Support Fund, which supports students in the School of Public and International Affairs.
“The impact that the Johnsons have had on me and students like me is a testament to the quality of faculty and small class sizes that students benefit from in the Morehead Honors College,” Brian says.
By honoring the Johnsons through his fund, Brian is well on his way to further cementing not only their already-impressive legacy at the university, but his own as well.
As far as staying connected to UGA, Brian attends various UGA and SPIA-sponsored events in New York and is committed to passing on his Bulldog passion. “My older son is learning his ABCs now, and he knows that the ‘G’ stands for ‘Georgia.’”
