University System News
USG NEWS:
www.wctv.tv
http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/Is-The-Valdosta-State-University-Campus-Safe-279191811.html
After Monday’s On-Campus Robbery, Some Are Wondering, Is The Valdosta State University Campus Safe?
Winnie Wright
Valdosta, GA – VSU activated its campus alert system Monday night after a “snatch-and-grab” robbery was reported near the University Center around 7. With armed robberies reported in January, July , and two in the same night last month near Drexel Park, do students feel safe on the VSU campus? “I feel safe on campus during the day, but not at night; walking towards the University Center, the ATM there. Or walking to my car at night, seeing as how I have a night math class”, says Sophomore, Desmond Blair. “I’ve noticed a lot more crime happens at night so I would say I feel a lot more safe during the day”, says Sophomore Patrick Bischoff. So what is VSU doing to prevent crime on or near campus? “Police are patrolling 24/7, whether on foot or in their cars”, says VSU’s Director of Communications, Thressea Boyd. Boyd says the University also recently began a campaign, known as “Safety Sam” that tweets crime prevention tips each day, but is it enough?
GOOD NEWS:
www.savannahnow.com
http://savannahnow.com/news/2014-10-16/ssu-open-chinese-language-cultural-exchange-center
SSU to open Chinese language, cultural exchange center
By Jenel Few
Officials from Savannah State University and Jiujiang University in China will celebrate the launch of a Confucius Institute at Savannah State University during the week of October 28.
Savannah State’s Confucius Institute will promote the teaching of Chinese language and culture in the Savannah area, facilitate cultural exchanges and serve as a platform to promote business cooperation between Savannah and China. Savannah State is the sixth academic institution in the state of Georgia and the third Historically Black College or University in the nation to house a Confucius Institute.
www.wjcl.com
http://wjcl.com/2014/10/16/nelson-family-and-rotary-corporation-give-major-gift-to-georgia-southern-athletics/
Nelson Family and Rotary Corporation give major gift to Georgia Southern Athletics
By Frank Sulkowski
GLENNVILLE, Ga. (WJCL) The Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation received a major financial gift from the family of the late Bill W. Nelson and the Rotary Corporation Thursday afternoon. The generosity of the Nelson family of Glennville will fund the Hall of Fame in the new Ted Smith Family Football Operations Center at Paulson Stadium. In addition, the Rotary Corporation has funded the “Field of Dreams” between the stadium’s east endzone and FOC.
RESEARCH:
www.news.discovery.com
http://news.discovery.com/tech/alternative-power-sources/atom-thin-material-bends-generates-electricity-141015.htm
Atom-Thin Material Bends, Generates Electricity
BY TRACY STAEDTER
This electric generator is thin, transparent, lightweight and bendable. “This material — just a single layer of atoms — could be made as a wearable device, perhaps integrated into clothing, to convert energy from your body movement to electricity and power wearable sensors or medical devices, or perhaps supply enough energy to charge your cell phone in your pocket,” says James Hone, professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia and co-leader of the research. Store Wind Energy Underground Hone and his team in collaboration with researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have shown for the first time that a thin layer of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) creates electricity when it bends. This characteristic, called piezoelectricity, is known to exist in other materials, but until now, had not been shown in such thin material.
www.spectrum.ieee.org
http://spectrum.ieee.org/nanoclast/semiconductors/materials/for-first-time-molybdenum-disulfide-exhibits-piezoelectric-properties
2-D Molybdenum Disulfide Shows Piezoelectric Properties
By Dexter Johnson
Joint research out of Columbia University and the Georgia Institute of Technology has demonstrated for the first time that the two-dimensional (2-D) material molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) exhibits piezoelectricity and the piezotronic effect. The research, which was published in the journal Nature, adds another dimension to the possible applications of 2-D materials like MoS2—notably the construction of new kinds of mechanically controlled electronic devices.
www.bizjournals.com
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/print-edition/2014/10/17/georgia-tech-joins-multi-university-project-on.html
Georgia Tech joins multi-university project on biomedical data
Urvaksh Karkaria
Staff Writer- Atlanta Business Chronicle
Georgia Tech is part of a multi-university effort to develop tools to gather and analyze health data generated by mobile and wearable sensors. The four-year research project, financed with a $10.8 million grant, involves 11 universities, including Cornell Tech, Northwestern, Ohio State and the University of Memphis. Georgia Tech will take a lead in developing data research, strategy and commercial opportunities for the project.
www.bizjournals.com
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/print-edition/2014/10/17/next-generation-georgia-colleges-universities.html?page=all
Next Generation: Georgia colleges, universities offer coursework to boost entertainment industry businesses
Ellie Hensley
Staff Writer- Atlanta Business Chronicle
Georgia’s entertainment scene is exploding with film and television productions looking to shoot here, while the industry’s nascent infrastructure — including the number of skilled workers available for hire — does its best to play catch-up. For every skilled tradesman who retires in Georgia, only one new worker takes his place, so productions currently rely on an influx of workers from other states, like North Carolina, to round out their crew. Fortunately, a smattering of schools in the metro area offer programs in the entertainment industry, be it for feature films, television productions or new media like app design and video games… Michael Nitsche, associate professor in Georgia Tech’s digital world and image group, said all of the programs have undergone massive changes since the program was founded in 1993. “We were founded before Facebook or Twitter,” Nitsche said. “We’re in a difficult position — [the programs] have to change because the media changes all the time.”
www.govtech.com
http://www.govtech.com/local/ATT-Ups-Race-to-Provide-Faster-Home-Internet-in-Atlanta.html
AT&T Ups Race to Provide Faster Home Internet in Atlanta
AT&T said Tuesday it will bring lightning-fast connection to Atlanta, giving the city its first broad commitment for speeds up to 100 times faster than average the American home.
BY MATT KEMPNER, MCCLATCHY NEWS SERVICE
Some metro Atlantans may soon get home Internet connections so speedy they’ll be able to download a TV show faster than it took to read this sentence. AT&T said Tuesday it will bring lightning-fast Internet hookups to the cities of Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Decatur and Newnan, giving the metro area its first broad commitment for speeds up to 100 times faster than average for American homes… Outposts of gigabit-per-second links are available already or will soon be in spots locally. For example, it’s available on Georgia Tech’s campus, and some businesses have had the service for years. But AT&T’s move would potentially provide faster connections to the homes and small businesses of hundreds of thousands of people.
www.philly.com
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/healthy_kids/Can-regular-exercise-lead-to-better-test-scores.html
Can regular exercise lead to better test scores?
Charles Hillman, PhD, from the University of Illinois and colleagues found kids who took part in a regular physical activity program showed important enhancement of cognitive performance and brain function. …The Atlantic magazine referenced the results and suggested that this might be a treatment for impulsive and overly active children. What makes these results so extraordinary is that they are not unusual. Three years ago, Catherine Davis, PhD, at University of Georgia did another study of slightly older children who were overweight and did low level (20 minutes per day) and higher level (40 minutes per day) exercise versus a control group. They only did about 15 weeks, or half a school year, and found the same results. In a small group of subjects that were examined with a functional MRI of the brain, Davis found changes in brain activity that can be seen on the visual image of brain function, along with better scores in math, organization, control of impulses.
www.tiftongazette.com
http://www.tiftongazette.com/news/article_931beef2-553e-11e4-add9-e7606ee31dee.html
Georgia leads the nation in blueberry production
Special to The Gazette
ATHENS – With the tally from the 2014 growing season complete, it’s official. Georgia now leads the nation in blueberry production. University of Georgia blueberry breeder Scott NeSmith, who is often credited with helping to create the beginnings of this blue tsunami, was surprised to hear Georgia’s production topped the nation this year. The state has been No. 1 in blueberry acreage for the last few year
Education News
www.myajc.com
http://www.myajc.com/news/entertainment/arts-leaders-push-for-renewed-state-investment-in-/nhmDw/#f87b2af6.3566685.735523
Arts leaders push for renewed state investment in culture, education
By Bo Emerson – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Brother, can you spare a dime?
In Georgia, where the state allocates less than 10 cents per citizen on the arts, a coalition of educators, arts organization directors and community leaders is sounding the alarm. “To me, we’re losing a whole generation,” said Laura Lieberman, president of Georgia Alliance for Arts Education. Lieberman is spearheading a group that filed a declaration Thursday pleading with the state to reverse a decline in public funding that began six years ago and has reduced state funding of arts programs from $4.5 million to just under $600,000. That makes Georgia’s contribution the lowest, per capita, of all 50 states.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/67422/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=8121d7563e57432eb0eb1620cd03a7b4&elqCampaignId=415
UTEP’s Aggressive Interventions Driving Student Achievement Success
by Lekan Oguntoyinbo
Vianey Alderete considered suspending her studies as a multimedia journalism major at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Alderete is the only daughter of a single mom who suffers from severe arthritis. She helps take care of her mom and also chips in for gas and grocery expenses. To help pay the bills, she took a job at a big-box store about 30 minutes from the campus. …Today, Alderete is on track to graduate from UTEP next May. …In recent years, UTEP, a school that’s about 80 percent Hispanic, has received national attention for its work at retaining students and graduating far more than expected. Alderete’s story illustrates why the school has been successful in its retention efforts. University officials say they accomplish this by rigorously analyzing their own data to help students earn degrees. Officials say they seek to address possible hurdles in students’ personal lives that may impede their success, such as a lack of financial literacy. The school uses various interventions, including a class that helps newly matriculated students adjust to university life.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/67435/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=8121d7563e57432eb0eb1620cd03a7b4&elqCampaignId=415
New Report Finds Schools Inadequately Prepare Students for Global Success
by Autumn A. Arnett
A new report by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni found that very few schools across the nation require literature, foreign language, U.S. Government or history, or economics classes as part of the core requirements for a bachelor’s degree, leading the organization to question how well students are prepared upon graduation.
www.nytimes.com
Universities Rethinking Their Use of Massive Online Courses
By REEVE HAMILTON
AUSTIN — In Texas political circles, massive open online courses — commonly known as MOOCs — have enjoyed a resurgence. Officials have praised the typically free college classes, available to anyone with Internet access, as a crucial component in the future of higher education. Last month, Greg Abbott, the Republican candidate for governor, called on colleges to offer credit for such courses. Later, after a meeting of the House Higher Education Committee on the topic, State Representative Dan Branch, a Dallas Republican and the panel’s chairman, said he was “more convinced that high-quality online content will improve and ultimately reduce the cost of education.”
www.insidehighered.com
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2014/10/17/blackboard-announces-new-end-life-date-angel
Blackboard Announces New End-of-Life Date for Angel
Blackboard will stop supporting the learning management system Angel, which the company acquired in 2009, on Oct. 15, 2016, according to Pennsylvania State University.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/67433/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=8121d7563e57432eb0eb1620cd03a7b4&elqCampaignId=415
LSU Employee Asked to Stay off Campus After Trip to Liberia
by The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana State University says an employee who trained Liberian police officers to use protective clothing has been asked to stay off campus for three weeks – the period during which Ebola virus symptoms could show up. The man is not at risk for the virus because he did not have contact with any infected people, but the Department of Health and Hospitals is calling him twice a day for random temperature checks, department spokeswoman Olivia Watkins said.
www.insidehighered.com
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2014/10/17/syracuse-u-withdraws-invitation-over-ebola-fears
Syracuse U. Withdraws Invitation Over Ebola Fears
Syracuse University has withdrawn an invitation for a campus visit to a Pulitzer Prize-winning photo journalist over fears he might transmit Ebola, even though he has been away from Ebola areas for more than 21 days, symptom-free, News Photographer magazine reported.
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/As-Ebola-Fears-Touch-Campuses/149491/
As Ebola Fears Touch Campuses, Officials Respond With an ‘Excess of Caution’
By Katherine Mangan
Colleges across the country faced Ebola scares this week that sent at least one graduate student to the hospital, several employees into quarantine, and untold numbers of students into an unnecessary panic. The widespread fear that has gripped the nation since two health-care workers in Dallas contracted the Ebola virus from a Liberian man who died there on October 8 has campus officials performing a delicate dance.
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/Why-Colleges-Don-t-Want-to/149435/
Why Colleges Don’t Want to Be Judged by Their Graduation Rates
This fall, President Obama will release a college-rating system that is likely to include graduation rates as a key measure of institutional success. That worries colleges, which have long complained that the official government figures leave out many successful graduates. The federal rate counts only first-time, full-time students who graduate within a certain time frame.
www.insidehighered.com
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/10/17/colleges-across-country-adopting-affirmative-consent-sexual-assault-policies
The ‘Yes Means Yes’ World
By Jake New
When the sexual assault prevention group Culture of Respect attended the Dartmouth Summit on Sexual Assault in July to promote its forthcoming website, the group went by a different name. The nonprofit passed out business cards and marketing all emblazoned with the phrase “No Means No.” For the last two decades, that’s been the slogan of choice for sexual assault prevention efforts, and just a few months ago it seemed like a perfect fit for the new organization. But in the weeks leading up to No Means No’s official launch, the organization began having second thoughts. “The swiftly evolving conversation about defining sexual assault signaled to us that we needed to reframe our name as something more positive,” said Allison Korman, the group’s executive director. “And it’s even possible that ‘No means no’ will be an outdated or irrelevant concept in 10 years. Students may not have even heard of the phrase by then.” That’s because at a growing number of colleges, “No means no” is out, and “Yes means yes” is in. And it’s more than just revising an old slogan — from coast to coast, colleges are rethinking how they define consent on their campuses.
www.huffingtonpost.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/14/university-research-cellphone_n_5983982.html?ir=College&utm_campaign=101414&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Alert-college&utm_content=Title
Your Smartphone Would Be Dumb Without Federally Funded University Research
The Huffington Post | By Alexandra Svokos
Federally funded research projects at universities led to the smartphone as we know it. As the Association of American Universities illustrated in a post last week, each portion of modern smartphones was developed through university research. The lithium ion battery, for instance, would have been wildly expensive without John Goodenough’s research on “less expensive, alternative materials for batteries” at the University of Texas, with funding from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. The multi-core processor, which allows your phone to run responsively without becoming heated, was first developed by professor Kunle Olukotun at Stanford University with Department of Defense funding.
www.insidehighered.com
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/10/17/survey-shows-no-signs-improvement-gender-gap-among-cisos
Gender Gap in IT Security
By Carl Straumsheim
Women who rise to the position of chief security information officer are already a rare sight in higher education, but over the next decade and a half, they may become an endangered species. The 2014 Higher Education Chief Information Security Officer Study, released this week, contains grim news about the future of university IT offices, where men already far outnumber women. Four in every five CISOs who are women are 51 years or older, and two in five plan to retire within the next 10 years.