USG NEWS:
www.atlantaga.gov
http://www.atlantaga.gov/index.aspx?recordid=3182&page=672
Mayor Kasim Reed Announces Relocation of Worldpay US Headquarters to Atlanta
Company to bring more than 1,200 new jobs to Atlanta
ATLANTA – Mayor Kasim Reed today announced that Worldpay – one of the world’s leading payments technology companies – will relocate its U.S. Headquarters into the City of Atlanta. The company offers payment solutions to merchants, partners and developers across the entire payment value chain, including transaction capturing, merchant acquiring and transaction processing. The Atlanta City Council approved $1.5 million from the Invest Atlanta Economic Opportunity Fund to assist with relocation. The relocation is expected to create an estimated 1,266 new jobs for the city. “Today, our City is home to more than 40,000 payments processing jobs, strengthening our reputation as the technology capital of the Southeast,” said Mayor Reed. “I am delighted that an industry leader like Worldpay has chosen to relocate its U.S. headquarters, and more than a thousand well-paid jobs, to the City of Atlanta.” Worldpay will generate an estimated $3.4 million per year* in new tax income and a total economic impact of $424.6 million*, growing Atlanta’s thriving FinTech industry. …”We are proud of the strength of the payment processing industry in Georgia,” said Chris Carr, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. “Worldpay’s decision to grow in Georgia speaks to their belief that we are the right place for them to remain competitive for years to come. With such supportive partners as Invest Atlanta, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Georgia Power and the University System of Georgia, not only do we believe that Worldpay will find continued success, but the payment processing industry as a whole will too.”

www.gwinnettdailypost.com
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2014/dec/01/ggc8217s-stas-preczewski-to-attend-white-house/
GGC’s Stas Preczewski to attend White House College Opportunity Summit
By Keith Farner
LAWRENCEVILLE — Georgia Gwinnett College is considered a success story by many in the world of higher education. On Thursday, President Stas Preczewski will get to share some of the reasons why with President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. Preczewski will join other college presidents at the White House College Opportunity Summit, the second of its kind, that brings together college and university presidents, business leaders and nonprofits to discuss supporting more college opportunities for students across the country. …The summit is expected to focus on building sustainable collaborations in communities with strong K-12 and higher education partnerships to encourage that students go to college, and support colleges to work together to dramatically improve persistence and increase college completion, especially for first generation, low-income and underrepresented students, a GGC press release said.

Related article:
www.ajc.com
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/ggc-president-to-attend-white-house-college-opport/njJhc/
GGC president to attend White House College Opportunity Summit

www.ledger-enquirer.com
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2014/12/01/3444322_csu-to-host-community-wide-reception.html?rh=1
CSU to host community-wide reception for retiring president
BY STEPHANIE PEDERSEN
Columbus State University will host a community-wide farewell reception Wednesday for President Tim Mescon, who is retiring at the end of the year. The reception for CSU’s fourth president will be held from 4-6 p.m. in the Cunningham Center. Refreshments will be served. …He has been president of CSU since August 2008.

www.albanyherald.com
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2014/dec/01/dougherty-county-legislative-delegation-gets/
Albany and Dougherty County government, school, post-secondary and economic leaders meet with state delegation
By Carlton Fletcher
ALBANY — The presidents of Albany State University and Darton State College said they were open to a discussion of expanding their institutions’ footprints into the community during a meeting with the area’s legislative delegation Monday morning. In response to a question from House District 152 Rep. Ed Rynders, ASU President Art Dunning said that while the proposed $19 million multipurpose academic building for which the university is seeking funding is not a candidate for off-campus location, Albany State is open to the possibility of expanding its presence into the community. …Paul Jones, president of Darton State, said he, too, believes the city’s institutions of higher education can expand outside campus boundaries and suggested a collaborative project that would be utilized by all three institutions might best serve the community and the institutions’ student populations.

www.coosavalleynews.com
http://www.coosavalleynews.com/np109485.htm
KSU to Acquire Rep. Gingrey`s Official Records
CVN News
Kennesaw State University President Daniel S. Papp and 11th District U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey will sign a Deed of Gift on Friday, Dec. 5, transferring to the University the official papers of the Republican congressman and former state senator. The acquisition marks the first congressional collection received by Kennesaw State.

www.gwinnettdailypost.com
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2014/dec/01/j-alvin-wilbanks-tells-gwinnett-legislators-to/?news
J. Alvin Wilbanks tells Gwinnett legislators to embrace Common Core
By Keith Farner
Stas Preczewski boasts about Georgia Gwinnett College (2nd article)
Funding related to Georgia Gwinnett College is in good shape, and President Stas Preczewski told lawmakers that if he comes to them with a change in that outlook, “Shoot me if I’m asking for anything extra.” The issues GGC are dealing with are related to growth and capacity, which Preczewski said is “pretty remarkable when you hear about all the criticisms” in education.

www.clevelandbanner.com
http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/26167041/article-Persecution-on-college-campuses
Persecution on college campuses
by Clyne W. Buxton
Recently Vanderbilt University, a grand old school in Nashville, forced the school’s Catholic student group off campus because the students would not allow non-Catholics in leadership. Of course, anyone could attend their meetings, but not hold office. …- One favorite and illegal tactic is to limit student speech to certain days, times, or areas. At many public universities, like the University of Georgia, school officials are forcing students, including Christians, to restrict their free speech to two small speech zones.

www.investing.businessweek.com
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/markets/news/article.asp?docKey=600-201412020304KRTRIB__BUSNEWS_48122_21949-1
Augusta ranked lowest among Georgia cities for treatment of LGBT community [The Augusta Chronicle, Ga. :: ] McClatchy-Tribune
Dec. 02–Augusta ranks in the bottom 5 percent among American cities for its treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents — a characteristic unlikely to assist the push to build the city’s tech job sector. The consolidated government scored 10 out of a possible 100 points in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Municipal Equality Index, the lowest of eight Georgia cities rated. …The study did not examine the efforts of private employers, industry or other large Augusta institutional employers such as Georgia Regents University and Richmond County Board of Education, he said. GRU, for instance, like Savannah River Site, has resources available for LGBT employees, he said.

www.facilitiesnet.com
http://www.facilitiesnet.com/security/tip/Do-InDepth-Evaluation-to-Plan-Mass-Notification-System–33067#
4 FM quick reads on security
1. Do In-Depth Evaluation to Plan Mass Notification System
To get to the point where you are effectively communicating with a mass notification system, experts recommend a comprehensive, in-depth evaluation process of what happens in your facilities on a daily basis, who is in the buildings, and how they can most efficiently be informed when necessary. But there are other considerations as well, including infrastructure and staff training to make sure the system is operated correctly. …”A lot of the older (fire) systems may not have been even meeting the fire alarm requirements,” specifically when it comes to audibility and intelligibility, says Chris Jelenewicz, engineering program manager, Society of Fire Protection Engineers. “A lot of times it’s best to just start from the beginning and do it right,” he says, singling out college campuses as facilities that are in many cases leading the way in establishing best practices. Kennesaw State University faced the question of how to handle older infrastructure as it put its overall mass notification system in place, says Bob Lang, chief security officer. Like many colleges and universities, Kennesaw State uses multiple layers of mass notification, including text messages, email alerts, desktop notifications, and voice communication through loudspeakers.

www.wtoc.com
http://www.wtoc.com/story/27521568/man-charged-in-hit-and-run-of-emily-bowman
Man charged in hit-and-run of Emily Bowman reaches plea agreement
By Rodney Harris
ATHENS, GA (CBS46) – A man who was charged in the near-fatal hit-and-run of a Kennesaw State University student reached a plea agreement on Monday. William Heaton, Jr. received a 20 year sentence, with 10 years to serve and 10 years on probation.

GOOD NEWS:
www.mdjonline.com
http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story/26171987/article-KSU-offers-new-scholarship-opportunity-for-military-spouses
KSU offers new scholarship opportunity for military spouses
by MDJ staff
Kennesaw State University’s College of Continuing and Professional Education offers a variety of financial aid options for veterans and their spouses. The most recent addition to the list, which includes VA Education Benefits and MyCAA, is the Fry Scholarship. An extension of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Fry Scholarship is now available for spouses as well as children of service members who died in the line of duty after Sept. 10, 2001.

www.philanthropynewsdigest.org
http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/woodruff-foundation-awards-22.8-million-to-georgia-state-university
Woodruff Foundation Awards $22.8 Million to Georgia State University
Georgia State University has announced a $22.8 million gift from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation to create a media production center on campus and foster partnerships with the state’s film, music, games, and arts industries. The largest gift in the university’s history will be used to fund the renovation of a three-story structure to house the Creative Media Industries Institute, an interdisciplinary institute launched earlier this fall that builds on existing programs at the school in media production, research, design, the arts, music management, and digital publishing. The funds also will support major facility and streetscape improvements to the area adjacent to Woodruff Park. A commitment from the Georgia Research Alliance will help pay for new equipment for the institute.

www.noodls.com
http://www.noodls.com/viewNoodl/26086332/university-of-north-georgia/poultry-science-program-earns-grant-to-promote-career-opport
Poultry Science program earns grant to promote career opportunities
For the third year in a row, the poultry science program at the University of North Georgia (UNG) has received a student recruiting grant from the U.S. Poultry Foundation. The $6,550 grant is more than double the previous year’s award of $3,100.

USG VALUES:
http://www.georgianewsday.com/news/savannah/305151-step-up-savannah-graduates-20.html
Step Up Savannah graduates 20
STAFF WRITER
SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) – Twenty emerging leaders graduated on Monday from the Step Up Savannah Neighborhood Leadership Academy at Savannah State University.
The men and women completed a 12-week training program focused on advocating for neighborhood issues. Step Up Savannah aims to tackle poverty in Savannah by creating more job opportunities.

RESEARCH:
www.redandblack.com
http://www.redandblack.com/uganews/preventing-an-outbreak-uga-professor-researches-disease-warning-system-with/article_4111ee44-7998-11e4-940e-eb310c1392e0.html
Preventing an outbreak: UGA professor researches disease warning system with NIH funding
Gabe Cavallaro
The Ebola virus has infected more than 15,000 people in Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone since March, according to the World Health Organization. With more than 5,400 dead, the world is searching for answers — and research being conducted at the University of Georgia just might yield one. John Drake, an associate professor of ecology at UGA, is leading a project with funding from the National Institutes of Health to test the viability of an outbreak warning system for infectious diseases using statistics-based modeling.

www.nymag.com
http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2014/12/mean-boys-may-be-as-common-as-mean-girls.html
Mean Boys May Be Just As Common As Mean Girls
By Jesse Singal
Girls, as everyone knows, are more likely to gossip, exclude, and engage in other forms of so-called “relational aggression” than boys, who tend to prefer good old-fashioned direct confrontation as a means of resolving pressing schoolyard disputes. That’s the commonly held stereotype, at least, but a new study in the journal Aggressive Behavior suggests it may be false: “Mean boys” may be just as common as “mean girls.” For the study, a team led by Pamela Orpinas of the University of Georgia followed a group of 620 students between 6th and 12th grade, using surveys conducted every year to get a sense of how often they dished out and were victimized by relational aggression. They found that, despite countless pop-culture treatments that would have you believe otherwise, boys were actually a bit more likely than girls to engage in relational aggression, and they significantly outnumbered girls among the kids engaging in moderate or high amounts of meanness. (Girls, however, were more likely to report having been targeted.)

www.wsav.com
http://www.wsav.com/story/27476948/black-gill-disease-threatens-local-shrimping-industry
Black Gill Disease Threatens Local Shrimping Industry
By Kim Gusby, Coastal Sunrise Anchor
There’s an environmental concern that threatens the shrimping industry in the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry: Black Gill Disease. Shrimpers in Georgia are trying to recover from the worst season on record as scientists, in Savannah, are working to find answers.

www.thetandd.com
http://thetandd.com/business/researchers-get-million-to-advance-carbon-storage/article_17e69ca2-785a-11e4-b132-5bf99bf05c48.html
Researchers get $1.25 million to advance carbon storage
By BRIAN M. MULLEN
CLEMSON — Clemson University researchers and their partners at Georgia Institute of Technology, UNAVCO and Grand Resources Inc. received a $1.25 million award from the Department of Energy to develop technology that will significantly improve the ability to monitor and safeguard geologic carbon storage. Geologic carbon storage involves the injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into underground formations that have the ability to securely contain the CO2.

www.phys.org
http://phys.org/news/2014-12-tools-microbes-complex-environmental-samples.html
Computational tools will help identify microbes in complex environmental samples
Microbes of interest to clinicians and environmental scientists rarely exist in isolation. Organisms essential to breaking down pollutants or causing illness live in complex communities, and separating one microbe from hundreds of companion species can be challenging for researchers seeking to understand environmental issues or disease processes. A new National Science Foundation-supported project will provide computational tools designed to help identify and characterize the gene diversity of the residents of these microbial communities. The project, being done by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Michigan State University, will allow clinicians and scientists to compare the genomic information of organisms they encounter against the growing volumes of data provided by the world’s scientific community.

www.livescience.com
http://www.livescience.com/48961-cybersecurity-for-drones.html
Cyberwarfare? New System Protects Drones from Hackers
by Tanya Lewis, Staff Writer
Military drones are often used to store sensitive data, ranging from troop movements to strategic operations. While this may make them vulnerable to enemy interference, a new system is aiming to protect these unmanned aerial vehicles from cyberattacks. Researchers at the University of Virginia and the Georgia Institute of Technology developed the system and tested it in a series of live, in-flight cyberattack scenarios. As military and commercial drone use continues to grow, protecting against such attacks will become a priority, the scientists said.

www.fa-mag.com
http://www.fa-mag.com/news/sec-faces-audit-over-rules-governing-employees–stock-trading-20048.html
SEC Faces Audit Over Rules Governing Employees’ Stock Trading
BLOOMBERG NEWS
The U.S. stock market’s top regulator is being examined over trading by its own employees. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s internal watchdog is reviewing whether the agency enforces a ban on employees owning shares that pose conflicts of interest, according to a report to Congress released November 25. The audit by the SEC inspector general follows revelations that officials in the regulator’s New York office invested in securities they’re banned from trading. SEC employees are restricted from owning shares of most Wall Street banks, which have brokerage and asset-management units that the agency regulates. SEC ethics attorneys said earlier this year they would review internal records to make sure employees are complying with the rule. …Researchers at Emory University and Georgia State University found SEC employees have made well-timed trades.

Editorials/Columns/Opinions
www.macon.com
http://www.macon.com/2014/11/30/3452536_your-say-fvsu-alumni-supports.html?rh=1
YOUR SAY: FVSU alumni supports new leadership
FVSU National Alumni Association
The Fort Valley State University National Alumni Association Inc., wholeheartedly supports Fort Valley State University and its direction under the courageous leadership of our ninth president, Dr. Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith. We are thankful that despite inherited challenges, both seen and unseen, Dr. Griffith continues to explore and find solutions to address those forces (i.e., recruitment deficits, economic challenges, personnel matters, etc.) that seek to destroy our beloved university. We are fortunate that our presidential search resulted in the selection of a person who embodies the following qualities:

www.getschooled.blog.ajc.com
http://getschooled.blog.ajc.com/2014/12/02/is-college-the-only-path-to-middle-class-for-low-income-students/
Get Schooled with Maureen Donwey
Is college the only path to middle-class for low-income students?
The Thomas B. Fordham Institute is holding an Education for Upward Mobility conference today in Washington around these critical questions: How can we help children born into poverty transcend their disadvantages and enter the middle class as adults? And what role can schools play? The conference will be opened by Fordham Institute President Michael Petrilli. His opening speech has some interesting observations I wanted to share here. This is a condensed version of his remarks:

www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/To-Prepare-21st-Century/150267/
To Prepare 21st-Century Journalists, Help Students Become Experts
By G. Pascal Zachary
The field of journalism is in crisis, and that means journalism education is also in crisis. Jobs at traditional newspapers and TV stations are shrinking, and wages are stagnant. The switch to digital media, while spawning new roles for journalists, has resulted in a drastic net decline in full-time jobs. Further pain is likely. Robot journalists, usually in the form of software or digital networks, are starting to produce usable stories, at least for the routine matters that make up most news. The upheaval is translating into slightly lower enrollments for undergraduates studying journalism, according to an annual survey by the University of Georgia. The survey prompted the American Journalism Review, published by the University of Maryland, to observe in July: “Declining journalism enrollments put pressure on administrators to make drastic changes in structure and curricula.”

www.nytimes.com

The Downside of Resilience
By JAY BELSKY
One randomized controlled trial in the forthcoming special section examines the effect on adolescent substance abuse of the Adults in the Making Program, a project led by Gene H. Brody and Steven R. H. Beach of the University of Georgia. Nearly 300 rural African-American youths and their families participated in the program, which involved six consecutive weekly group meetings. Parents were taught to provide emotional support and to encourage responsible decision making. Youths were taught to plan for the future.

www.newsminer.com
http://www.newsminer.com/features/our_town/at_the_library_column/nanotechnology-is-bringing-tomorrow-into-today/article_71a7f06a-7931-11e4-8050-3bb08bbefbc3.html
Nanotechnology is bringing tomorrow into today
Greg Hill
“Your assumptions are your windows to the world,” Isaac Asimov once said. “Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.” He meant to be open-minded about present and future possibilities. Keep that in mind as we consider the Mini Lisa. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology “painted” the famous Mona Lisa image onto a “canvas” one-third the width of a hair, or thirty microns, a micrometer being a millionth of a meter.

www.saportareport.com
http://saportareport.com/blog/2014/12/atlanta-beltlines-health-impact-to-be-measured-by-gsu-cdc/
SaportaReport
Atlanta BeltLine’s health impact to be measured by GSU, CDC researchers
By David Pendered
Georgia State University and the CDC have teamed up on a two-year research project to evaluate how the Atlanta BeltLine is affecting the quality of life of people who live near it.
The BeltLine is the nation’s largest urban renewal project. As such, there’s a great deal of interest in the degree to which the BeltLine can improve the physical and mental well being of people who live near it or use it regularly. The new study will address some of those issues. The $100,000 project is jointly funded by Georgia State University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

www.forbes.com
http://www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2014/12/01/why-you-want-ip-for-your-startup/
Why You Want IP For Your Startup
Bijan Khosravi
Angel investor
If you want to build a successful startup, you need intellectual property. That’s right, I said IP, not app – the dreaded buzzword that’s taken over all of our lives. Driving directions, coupons, magic 8 balls…? We can’t live without them, but do we need to start a business with them? The answer is no. If you’re an entrepreneur and you want to attract smart money, you need to acquire IP in order to be successful in this effervescent app startup world. First of all, the businesses behind many of these apps are rooted in the service industry. …3. Partnerships are on the table – You might not have to do this alone. Some professors are open to partnerships. In 2001, entrepreneur Dr. Jay Yadav in Atlanta, Georgia, partnered with Georgia Institute of Technology professor Mark Allen to develop a heart failure sensor that monitored a patient’s heartbeat and sent information wirelessly to the patient’s doctor. Years of close collaboration led to winning FDA approval. Two months after receiving the FDA approval, the startup, CardioMEMS, was acquired by St. Jude Medical, Inc. for $435 million. This is just one of many examples.

www.macon.com
http://www.macon.com/2014/11/30/3452531/editorial-tax-cutting-requirements.html
EDITORIAL: Tax cutting requirement’s predictable results
It was as predictable as the sun rising each morning. A committee of the Macon-Bibb County consolidated government unanimously approved a measure sponsored by Commissioner Al Tillman to ask the General Assembly to lower the 20 percent budget reduction required by the bill to 10 percent. The full commission will take the necessary vote in December. Why predictable? While there were some proponents of consolidation who stressed the included budget cuts, there were others who warned of its consequences. The brainchild of then-state Sen. Cecil Staton, the tax cut was supposed to add extra incentive for residents to vote for the consolidation proposal, but it was a loss-leader from the beginning and should have never been included. Yes, there was a big loophole also placed in the bill that said a majority of the commission could override the requirement if it was to fund public safety. That loophole survived because lawmakers knew plans were on the table to construct three new fire stations — two of which are now open for business, requiring additional firefighters. Lawmakers also were aware that, at least in other government consolidations, the cost of government actually increases before it levels off. As far back as the 1990s, consultants from the University of Georgia warned that consolidation should not be viewed as a cost savings vehicle, but rather that consolidation would slow the growth of government.

Education News
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/68164/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=34b55087277449548304cdd9547532a4&elqCampaignId=415
Peer Pressure Plays Significant Role in Student Behavior
by Jamaal Abdul-Alim
Pundits have long pointed to the power of peer pressure when seeking to explain why people—particularly young people—make bad or otherwise questionable decisions. But is it so powerful that poor students will pass up the chance to take a $200 online SAT prep course for free just to fit in with their friends? Is being accepted by one’s peers more important than increasing one’s chances of getting into a good college? A pair of researchers set out to answer those questions last school year by visiting four low-performing, low-income, predominantly Hispanic high schools in Los Angeles and offering 11th-graders the chance to take a commercially available online SAT prep course for free.

www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/68170/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=34b55087277449548304cdd9547532a4&elqCampaignId=415
Wins for College Athletes in Court Could Cost Fellow Students
by Matt Krupnick, The Hechinger Report
Wins by college athletes in courtrooms and boardrooms could end up as losses for their nonathlete classmates. High-profile legal cases and NCAA policy changes are likely to boost the cost of fielding big-time athletics programs, and students— even those who never attend a single college basketball or football game — may have to foot the bill.

www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/Why-Colleges-Haven-t-Stopped/150229/
WHY COLLEGES HAVEN’T STOPPED BINGE DRINKING
Decades of attention without much difference
By Beth McMurtrie
Despite decades of research, hundreds of campus task forces, and millions invested in bold experiments, college drinking remains as much of a problem as ever. More than 1,800 students die every year of alcohol-related causes. An additional 600,000 are injured while drunk, and nearly 100,000 become victims of alcohol-influenced sexual assaults. One in four say their academic performance has suffered from drinking, all according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The binge-drinking rate among college students has hovered above 40 percent for two decades, and signs are that partying is getting even harder. More students now drink to get drunk, choose hard liquor over beer, and front-load, or drink in advance of social events. For many the goal is to black out.