University System News
USG NEWS:
www.gpb.org
http://www.gpb.org/news/2013/08/07/new-fvsu-president-hbcus-must-change
New FVSU President: HBCUs Must Change
By Adam Ragusea
MACON, Ga. — The new president of one of Georgia’s three historically black public universities says that identity needs to change. …During a recent interview in his new office, Griffith said HBCUs have played a special role in helping Americans forge “a more perfect union,” as envisioned in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution. But, he added, “over time, the people with whom the more perfect ‘union-ing’ needs to happen have not been only blacks.” Historically black schools need to broaden their focus to serve all under-served student populations, Griffith said, mentioning Hispanics in particular, as well as whites lacking economic or cultural status.
www.globalatlanta.com
http://www.globalatlanta.com/article/26420/presidents-israel-trip-to-spur-new-programs-for-kennesaw/
President’s Israel Trip to Spur New Programs for Kennesaw
by Trevor Williams
Is it more productive to meet a prime minister or a pollster? For understanding a conflict, surprisingly, the latter might have been the better choice, Kennesaw State University President Daniel Papp said about a chance meeting on his “eye-opening” trip to Israel in July. …They also traveled to Haifa to visit the Technion, which Dr. Papp called the “Georgia Tech of Israel.” …He conceded that the Technion wasn’t the best partner for Kennesaw but was hopeful that meetings at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University would pave the way for formalized student and faculty exchanges. Although he didn’t visit, he also cited Bar-Ilan University as a potential partner. The trip also produced bonds among the American universities. After striking up a friendship with Portland State University President Wim Wiewel, Dr. Papp said a Kennesaw group would head to Oregon to study its community engagement strategies.
GOOD NEWS:
www.13wmaz.com
http://www.13wmaz.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=241459
Fort Valley State University Brings $157.2 Million to Central Ga. Economy
Austin Lewis
Fort Valley State University brings in around 157.2 million dollarsto the Central Georgia economy, that’s according to a study conducted by the University System of Georgia. Some businesses in Fort Valley say they see that in their bottom line. At Valley Athletic Club in Fort Valley, owner, Wade Yoder, said FVSU students are big part of his business. “It has at least a 25% impact and an increase in business when the students come back in town and we always look forward to that,” said Yoder.
RESEARCH:
www.gseagles.com
http://gseagles.com//headlines/13379-nbc-nightly-news-to-feature-eagles-new-helmet-technology-sunday-at-6-30-p-m-et
NBC Nightly News Features Eagles’ New Helmet Technology
VIDEO: Game Changer — NBC Nightly News Feature on Eagles’ New Helmet Technology
NEW YORK & ATLANTA – As Georgia Southern Football practice held its first full-contact practice Monday, August 5th, there were more than just Xs and Os discussed on the banks of “Beautiful Eagle Creek.” An initiative from Georgia Southern University President Brooks Keel after the National Institutes of Health awarded a grant to study concussions led to the installation of the Helmet Impact Telemetry System (HITS) technology to measure and record helmet impacts during practices and games.
www.13wmaz.com
http://www.13wmaz.com/sports/article/242208/45/Ga-Southern-Scores-New-Concussion-Prevention-Tool
Ga. Southern Scores New Concussion Prevention Tool
Katelyn Heck
In one football practice, some players may take several hits, while others take a few big blows. For coaches and trainers, keeping track of it all can be difficult. “A lot of times when we’re on the field, it’s hard to see every hit. When we’re looking at particular players, there could be a hit somewhere else,” says head athletic trainer Brandy Clouse. So Georgia Southern University bought a system called HITS, which stands for Helmet Impact Telemetry System.
Related article:
www.11alive.com
Ga. Southern scores new concussion prevention tool
http://www.11alive.com/news/article/302343/40/Ga-Southern-scores-new-concussion-prevention-tool-
www.romenews-tribune.com
http://romenews-tribune.com/view/full_story/23343092/article-Health-care-in-your-hand–MyJourney-Compass-program-puts-cancer-patients-in-control-of-their-care?instance=home_news
Health care in your hand: MyJourney Compass program puts cancer patients in control of their care
by Alan Riquelmy, staff writer
The future of health care might rest in the palm of your hand. That future — a tablet computer — already sits the in hands of several Rome and Floyd County breast cancer patients. They’re part of the MyJourney Compass pilot program that allows them electronic access to health records on a device that can fit in their purses… Lamson, senior health care consultant at Georgia Tech and the project director for the program.
www.ibtimes.com
http://www.ibtimes.com/4-billion-year-old-fossil-protein-resurrected-thioredoxin-may-have-lived-mars-1378539
4 Billion-Year-Old Fossil Protein Resurrected, Thioredoxin May Have Lived On Mars
By Zoe Mintz
Researchers have “resurrected” a 4 billion-year-old protein that may shed light on how life evolved on Earth. The findings published in the journal Structure describe how a certain class of proteins called thioredoxins probably existed in the most primitive life forms… Researchers also tested the protein to see how well it coped with heat. “We have looked at a number of gene families now, and for all of them we find the most ancient proteins are the most thermally stable. From this, we conclude that ancient life lived in a hot environment,” Eric Gaucher, a professor at Georgia Tech who helped with the study, told the BBC.
www.news.science360.gov
http://news.science360.gov/obj/story/ed2f2dba-c16b-4dd3-9879-2c641601a158/device-capturing-signatures-uses-tiny-leds-created-piezo-phototronic-effect
Device for capturing signatures uses tiny LEDs created with piezo-phototronic effect
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology want to put your signature up in lights – tiny lights, that is. Using thousands of nanometer-scale wires, the researchers have developed a sensor device that converts mechanical pressure – from a signature or a fingerprint – directly into light signals that can be captured and processed optically.
www.techhive.com
http://www.techhive.com/article/2046357/will-smartphones-kill-passwords-on-all-platforms-.html
Will smartphones kill passwords on all platforms?
By Antone Gonsalves, CSO
The ubiquitous smartphone, which many people now depend on for business and in their personal lives, is emerging as a promising replacement for passwords used in authentication. Most experts agree that a password killer is necessary to bolster Web site security. People’s fondness for easy-to-guess passwords that are often used across sites has severely weakened their effectiveness. In addition, sophisticated decryption technology has made even encrypted passwords easily acquirable by hackers… Another possibility is phone sensors that can identify the user by the way he or she walks. Such technology, called gait recognition, is currently in the research stage at Georgia Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
www.wabe.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net
http://wabe.drupal.publicbroadcasting.net/post/project-engage-pt-v-quiet-killers
Project ENGAGE Pt. V: The Quiet Killers
By Jim Burress
All week, we’ve aired stories about two African-American high schoolers navigating through Georgia Tech’s first-ever Project ENGAGE, a program designed to bring more minorities into the “STEM” fields — Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. For this final component of the five-part series, I sat down in-studio for a conversation with Project ENGAGE co-founders Drs. Manu Platt and Robert Nerem. [A transcript of the interview wouldn’t do it justice, so if you can, take a few minutes and listen.] One thing I’ve struggled with in this series is how only two of the 12 ENGAGE scholars were able to make it onto the air.
www.onlineathens.com
http://onlineathens.com/uga/2013-08-11/uga-scientist-we-need-predict-climate-related-disease-changes
UGA scientist: We need to predict climate-related disease changes
By LEE SHEARER
Global disease patterns are changing as the world heats up, and scientists need to build models that can predict future shifts, according to a University of Georgia ecologist and other scientists. “It’s not enough just to say things are changing. You want to be able to predict when and where, so you can manage (new disease problems),”said Sonia Altizer, a professor in UGA’s Odum School of Ecology. Altizer was lead author calling for the new modeling research published in the journal Science, co-written with Richard Ostfeld of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Susan Kutz of the University of Calgary and the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre, Pieter Johnson of the University of Colorado and Drew Harvell of Cornell University.
www.onlineathens.com
http://onlineathens.com/uga/2013-08-09/ugas-joye-science-leader-again-wake-gulf-well-blowout
UGA’s Joye a science leader again in wake of Gulf well blowout
By LEE SHEARER
University of Georgia marine scientist Samantha Joye is once again at the forefront of scientists’ efforts to understand a man-made environmental spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Joye was a leader as scientists sought to understand the extent and impact of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a mile below the surface in the gulf.
Editorials/Columns/Opinions
www.onlineathens.com
http://onlineathens.com/opinion/2013-08-10/mcshane-implementation-issues-could-spell-trouble-common-core
McShane: Implementation issues could spell trouble for Common Core
By MICHAEL Q. MCSHANE
WASHINGTON — Even if you believe that the Common Core standards are high-quality, internationally benchmarked and would provide a solid foundation for the American education system, you should be worried about how they are being implemented. If the Common Core standards — which are meant to define what knowledge and skills should be acquired by students during their K-12 education — are not integrated into the American education system with care, any positive attributes that they may have will be washed out by incoherence, misalignment and evaporation of political support.
www.politifact.com
http://www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2013/aug/12/dubose-porter/hope-changes-hurt-enrollment-porter-says/
HOPE changes hurt enrollment, Porter says
The four people vying to become the next chairman of Georgia’s Democratic Party spent most of their time at a recent forum discussing ways to help get candidates elected, but one of them said something about education that made us quite curious. “Look at our technical schools now. We had the best in the world. And (Republicans) ruined that by what they did with the HOPE Grant to try to fix it a little bit the last time. There are half as many students in the Heart of Georgia in technical colleges than there were two years ago,” said DuBose Porter, a former state representative who ran for governor in 2010.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/55183/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=043b90c0082245b1b59058c0dba45e67&elqCampaignId=33#
HBCU Closures: A Reversible Trend?
by Dr. Matthew Lynch
Though their original purpose has evolved, the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities is still a vital one in America’s education system. As more HBCUs start to look like the rest of the secondary education institutions in the country, they must find ways to blend tradition with progressive ideas about diversity and equal education. …Lately it seems there are just too many HBCUs in the news for the wrong reason, one being financial and accreditation woes that threaten, or deliver, closure.
www.savannahnow.com
http://savannahnow.com/exchange/2013-08-09/obama-signs-student-loan-deal-says-job-isnt-done#.UgjgW-CTpGM
Obama signs student loan deal, says job isn’t done
By JOSH LEDERMAN AND PHILIP ELLIOTT
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama signed into law Friday a measure restoring lower interest rates for student loans, pledging the hard-fought compromise would be just the first step in a broader, concerted fight to rein in the costs of a college education. Encircled by lawmakers from both parties in the Oval Office, Obama praised Democrats and Republicans alike for agreeing — finally — on what he called a sensible, reasonable approach to student loans even as he cautioned that “our job is not done.”
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/08/12/open-letter-president-obama-college-costs
Dear Mr. President …
By Richard Ekman
Dear President Obama:
In higher education policy, you and Secretary Arne Duncan have consistently focused on two goals of critical national importance: 1) Expanding access to higher education and degree completion rates, especially by low-income, minority, and first-generation students, to increase the number of Americans who enter the work force with 21st-century skills; and
www.rn-t.com
http://rn-t.com/view/full_story/23336530/article-EDITORIAL–Compass-to-tomorrow?instance=article_results
EDITORIAL: Compass to tomorrow
by Rome News-Tribune
IT’S A BIG DEAL, as the news coverage elsewhere in today’s paper about the launching in Greater Rome of MyJourney Compass, a national pilot project on the cutting edge of health-care provider interaction with patients, makes clear. Perhaps one can call it a test of how medical “bedside manner” might evolve in the age of technology except that the target population (those with breast cancer) are largely ambulatory.
www.blogs.wsj.com
http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2013/08/09/innovation-as-a-journey-into-the-future/
Innovation as a Journey into the Future
Irving Wladawsky-Berger
Guest Contributor
I recently read an excellent innovation report, “Surfing Toward the Future: Chile in the 2025 “, which naturally focuses on Chile, but offers many findings and recommendations that apply to the U.S. and most other advanced and emerging economies. The document was developed by Chile’s National Innovation Council for Competitiveness (CNIC), a public-private organization charged with providing advice to strengthen innovation and competitiveness in the country. The report was presented to Chile’s President Sebastian Piñera on August 6. But this is like no innovation document I’ve read.
Education News
www.myajc.com
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local/collaborative-learning-earns-teachers-praise/nZKQw/?icmp=ajc_internallink_textlink_apr2013_ajcstubtomyajc_launch
Collaborative learning earns teachers praise
BY MARK NIESSE – THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
Surprised teachers got the red carpet treatment as they paraded into Northwestern Middle School and were surrounded by cheering parents and the marching band’s booming drums.
It isn’t every day that teachers receive such recognition, but these flattered educators won their hero’s welcome last week after their school was honored as a national model for successful teaching.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/08/12/study-suggests-two-distinct-impacts-have-emerged-students-who-borrow
Student Loan Lifestyles
By Scott Jaschik
NEW YORK — Student loan debt is much in the news of late, with a steady stream of articles about how borrowing decisions may limit graduates’ ability to take certain jobs, live in certain areas, or even own a home. But what about the impact of borrowing during the college years? A study released here Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association suggests that students who borrow are likely to have notably different experiences while in college from those who are able to enroll debt-free.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/08/12/study-finds-choice-major-most-influenced-quality-intro-professor#ixzz2bl4pTAwF
‘Majoring in a Professor’
By Scott Jaschik
NEW YORK — Why are some majors more popular than others with undergraduates? Is it the perception that they lead to good (well paying) jobs? Are certain fields naturally more attractive to new undergraduates? Will students respond to tuition incentives to pick (or bypass) some fields? Maybe it’s much more simple: Undergraduates are significantly more likely to major in a field if they have an inspiring and caring faculty member in their introduction to the field.
www.rn-t.com
http://rn-t.com/bookmark/23343062
An easier journey with the MyJourney Compass tablet
by Lauren Jones, staff writer
When Koren Sinnock found out she had breast cancer in February, among the slew of emotions coursing through her mind at the life-changing news was the dread of an overwhelming amount of medical paperwork the 39-year-old couldn’t quite face. …But Sinnock, who was the first out of more than 25 cancer patients to use the Google Nexus 7 for the MyJourney Compass program, was able to put her mind at ease once she entered her pass code into the tablet and a world of helpful information was resting in her palm.
www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com
http://www.usnewsuniversitydirectory.com/articles/university-of-california-will-provide-free-access_13314.aspx#.UgjuxuCTpGN
University of California Will Provide Free Access to Science Research
By Samantha Gordon
Students will have better access to more research thanks to a new University of California policy. Learning how to conduct thorough research is crucial for college students, especially those seeking science degrees, and the University of California (UC) will soon make the process much easier. The college’s Academic Senate recently passed a new “Open Access Policy” that will provide all faculty-written research articles to students and the public at no cost.
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/tech-savvy-is-essential-to-student-affairs-survey-finds/45345?cid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en
Tech Savvy Is Essential to Student Affairs, Survey Finds
By Steve Kolowich
People who work in student affairs say that using modern media—including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube—has become a big part of their jobs, according to the results of a new survey. That is not, of course, an earth-shattering insight. But the extent to which those and other technological tools play a role in the working lives of student-affairs professionals surprised Kevin Valliere, a graduate student in student-affairs administration at Texas A&M University at College Station, who conducted the survey.
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/Quiet-No-Longer-Rape/141049/
Quiet No Longer, Rape Survivors Put Pressure on Colleges
By Libby Sander
In February, writing on her blog, Tucker Reed identified a classmate at the University of Southern California as the man who raped her. Ms. Reed, then a junior, included his name, three photos of him, and a detailed account of their troubled relationship. The post went viral. Within two weeks, Ms. Reed’s apartment became a haven for fellow students who also identified as survivors of rape. They baked cookies, killed zombies on Xbox, and began writing letters to the university, expressing their dissatisfaction with how it had treated them. Before long they had formed a group, the Student Coalition Against Rape, or SCAR.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/08/12/unc-system-bars-gender-neutral-housing
UNC System Bars Gender-Neutral Housing
The board of the University of North Carolina system voted Friday to bar campuses from offering gender-neutral housing, The Raleigh News & Observer reported.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/55187/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=043b90c0082245b1b59058c0dba45e67&elqCampaignId=33#
University of North Carolina System Schools Facing Layoffs
by Associated Press
GREENSBORO N.C.—At least two schools in the University of North Carolina system are facing layoffs after lawmakers cut state spending to 13 of the 16 member institutions. The News & Record of Greensboro reports North Carolina A&T Chancellor Harold Martin said his school will cut about 50 positions this fall. UNCG Chancellor Linda Brady said she’ll decide on job cuts next week.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/08/12/some-nevada-faculty-question-states-decision-reinstate-merit-pay-without-ending#ixzz2bl57ByB8
Merit Furloughs
By Colleen Flaherty
Faculty members at Nevada’s two public universities have seen close to a 5 percent pay cut (about half of that through furloughs) since the beginning of the recession. So the Legislature’s recent decision to reinstate a merit pay program before fully restoring their salaries by ending ongoing furloughs has some professors questioning its priorities.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/08/12/governor-objects-salary-uc-riverside-chancellor
Governor Objects to Salary of UC Riverside Chancellor
California Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat whose position makes him a member of the University of California Board of Regents, voted (with the minority) against the salary set for the new chancellor of the university’s Riverside campus, The Los Angeles Times reported.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/55192/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=043b90c0082245b1b59058c0dba45e67&elqCampaignId=33#
American Indian Higher Education Consortium Celebrates 40 Years; Prepares for Future
by Helen Hu
SANTA FE, N.M. – The American Indian Higher Education Consortium proudly celebrated its 40th anniversary during a conference last week, but also had a sense of urgency about preparing for the future.
Teachers, administrators and students who attended AIHEC’s annual conference explored new ways to preserve their culture and languages, boost student retention and form international partnerships, among other efforts.
www.reuters.com
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/09/illinois-universities-downgrades-idUSL1N0GA1W820130809
Moody’s downgrades Univ. of Illinois, cites state’s pension woes
Aug 9 (Reuters) – Moody’s Investors Service downgraded $1.56 billion of debt issued by the University of Illinois and lowered its ratings on six other state universities on Friday, citing concerns about the potential effect on their finances from the state’s pension problems. “If pension reform is passed, UI may need to fund a portion of its pension expense, possibly as early as FY 2015,” Moody’s said in a report. “If pension reform fails to be enacted, we expect continued pressure on state operating appropriations.”