University System News:
www.bizjournals.com
Georgia State President Mark Becker and his wife giving school $500,000
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2017/05/03/georgia-state-president-mark-becker-and-his-wife.html
David Allison
Editor, Atlanta Business Chronicle
Big blue is getting some big green. Georgia State University said Wednesday that President Mark Becker and his wife, Laura Voisinet, will give the school $500,000 to support of student scholarships, athletics and the Rialto Center for the Arts. The gifts are part of the university’s $300 million fundraising campaign, which has raised $260 million in its first two years. The campaign is scheduled to end in 2019.
www.tiftongazette.com
ABAC establishes the Lisa Purvis Allison Spirit of Nursing Endowment
http://www.tiftongazette.com/news/abac-establishes-the-lisa-purvis-allison-spirit-of-nursing-endowment/article_8ade4728-2e9c-11e7-9244-1b0818692236.html
The School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and the family of Lisa Purvis Allison have announced the establishment of the Lisa Purvis Allison Spirit of Nursing Endowment. “Scholarship support is critical for so many of the students in ABAC’s nursing program,” said Troy Spicer, Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences. “We were very honored that Lisa’s family made the decision to honor her memory and love of the nursing profession in this special way. “This award is presented at our fall and spring pinning ceremonies and is a very high honor for our students to receive. I want to especially acknowledge the hard work of Professor Becky Arnold who has worked tirelessly with the family and the nursing faculty and staff to raise the funds for this endowment through our annual Run for the Nurses.” The Lisa Purvis Allison Spirit of Nursing Award is named in honor of Lisa Purvis Allison who began her studies in the nursing program at ABAC as a single parent of two children following the accidental death of her husband. While completing the last year of the program, she was diagnosed with colon cancer.
www.tiftongazette.com
Tucker family spans three generations of ABAC ambassadors
http://www.tiftongazette.com/news/tucker-family-spans-three-generations-of-abac-ambassadors/article_8e969a3a-2e9e-11e7-8c0e-a34ebb74eeb9.html
When he was growing up, Matthew Tucker heard a lot about Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Both his parents, Tony and Laura Beth, and his older brother, Brett, are alumni of the college. “For the most part I chose ABAC to continue the family tradition,” Matthew said. “I had my choice of where to go, and my parents didn’t push me in any particular direction. I took a tour, and it felt like coming home. That is why I chose to attend ABAC.” And now the computer science major from Camilla is continuing in yet another Tucker family tradition. He is the third generation of Tuckers to be a part of the ABAC Ambassadors, a select group of students chosen for their enthusiasm, premier leadership ability and exceptional communication skills, who represent ABAC in Tifton and across the state of Georgia. The Ambassadors provide official campus tours, host visiting dignitaries and assist with on-campus functions. The Ambassadors were formed in 1987 and Matthew’s mother, Laura Beth, was one of the founding members.
www.ozy.com
WHEN A SOUTHERN STATE LED THE NATION ON FREE COLLEGE
http://www.ozy.com/flashback/when-a-southern-state-led-the-nation-on-free-college/76963?utm_source=eGaMorning&utm_campaign=12a8185c07-eGaMorning-5_3_17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_54a77f93dd-12a8185c07-86731974&mc_cid=12a8185c07&mc_eid=32a9bd3c56
By Nick Fouriezos
A Democratic governor, flush with political capital, decided to make free college a reality. After wrangling with state lawmakers, a compromise was struck, uniting the warring factions of public and private interests. The measure ultimately helped middle-class students the most, much to the chagrin of its proponents. Yet the headlines that followed sparked national debate as experts declared it a model for educational reform. This isn’t the story of the free-tuition plan passed by New York last month, but that of another ambitious program that aimed to greatly reduce the cost for in-state students. Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship, created in 1993, revolutionized schools in the Peach State and now serves as a telling example of both the possibilities and pitfalls that await the Empire State. …The champion of education reform in this tale? Zell Miller, aka “the establishment.” The former segregationist state senator had just clocked 16 years as Georgia’s longest-serving lieutenant governor. Despite his good-ol’-boy status, Miller realized Georgia needed to turn around dismal education rankings that had it in the bottom 10 of most national benchmarks. Free tuition became the centerpiece of his 1990 campaign for governor. “It was almost that any question he was asked, he would answer, ‘Well, I’ve got this HOPE Scholarship,’” says Charles Bullock, a professor of political science at the University of Georgia.
www.spoke.com
Hyatt Regency Atlanta Announces New Scholarship at Georgia State University
Historic hotel commemorates 50th anniversary with $100,000 endowment for hospitality students
http://www.spoke.com/press_releases/5908d1a6b2897bdc590015c9
Hyatt Regency Atlanta and Georgia State University today announced the creation of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta Hospitality Scholarship, funded by a $100,000 endowment to provide opportunity to young leaders pursuing degrees in hospitality. As part of Hyatt Regency Atlanta’s 50th anniversary celebrations in May 2017, the annual scholarship has been established through a collaboration between the hotel and the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration in Georgia State’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business.
www.hubga.com
UGA receives $1 million NSF grant to extend STEM minority program
http://www.hubga.com/tag-press-release/uga-receives-1-million-nsf-grant-to-extend-stem-minority-program/
The University of Georgia will launch a new program to increase underrepresented minority enrollment in graduate programs in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The Bridges to the Doctorate program, which is funded by a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation, builds on the university’s longstanding Peach State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program. In the decade since the Peach State LSAMP was established, minority undergraduate enrollment in STEM fields at UGA has tripled. Through the new grant, students who successfully complete the undergraduate program will have an opportunity to continue their education at UGA and pursue a doctorate.
www.wgauradio.com
UGA RESEARCHER ELECTED TO NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
http://www.wgauradio.com/news/local/uga-researcher-elected-national-academy-sciences/5IGfDneAwvruXxrUMfBzjL/
By: Bryant Tim
University of Georgia Regents’ Professor Michael R. Strand has received one of the highest honors a scientist can receive-election to the National Academy of Sciences. Strand, who holds an appointment in the entomology department of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and an affiliated appointment in the genetics department of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, is UGA’s eighth member of the National Academies, which include the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine. “The University of Georgia commends Dr. Strand on this most prestigious recognition,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “Dr. Strand’s influential research is representative of the high caliber of faculty at UGA and the strength of our growing research enterprise. It is an honor to have him represent this university in an organization of such tremendous national importance.”
www.wtvm.com
Armstrong State honors military graduates
http://www.wtvm.com/story/35325045/armstrong-state-honors-military-graduates
By WTOC Staff
Armstrong State University honored its military graduates Tuesday evening. More than 75 National Guard, Reserve, Active Duty military members and Veterans crossing the stage to earn doctorates, master’s, bachelor’s and associate’s degrees. Seven times = just this year – Armstrong has received national recognition for its efforts to support military-affiliated student success. Tuesday’s event though is not at all about those accomplishments. It’s about the accomplishments of the graduates.
www.wctv.tv
Gov. Nathan Deal to speak at Valdosta State’s graduation
http://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Gov-Nathan-Deal-to-speak-at-Valdosta-States-graduation-421080993.html
By: Noelani Mathews
VALDOSTA, Ga. (WCTV) — Valdosta State University says Gov. Nathan Deal will speak at their 223rd Commencement Ceremony. Deal will deliver the keynote address during during the ceremony at 7 p.m. on Saturday, on the Front Lawn.
www.wgxa.tv
Social media playing increased role in college admissions
http://wgxa.tv/news/local/social-media-playing-increased-role-in-college-admissions
by Evan Watson
Monday is College Decision Day for high school seniors so many of them will pick where they’ll head in the fall. However, some colleges and universities could have already made their decisions on some applicants based on social media. Ramon Blakley, Director of Admissions at Georgia College, said most schools don’t actively monitor an applicant’s profiles, but that doesn’t mean they can’t. …Blakley thinks the number of schools who look at sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will continue to rise. That can be trouble if someone is living a double life.
www.13wmaz.com
Public college free for Georgians over 62
http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/public-college-free-for-georgians-over-age-62/436153180
Earlier in the week, we told you about Fort Valley State University Wildcat Matthew Brown. He’s 70 years old and about to graduate. His story got some of you talking on social media about state rules that say anybody who’s 62 years or older can go to a state college for free. Jobie Peeples went to Georgia College in Milledgeville to talk to a 67-year-old student who says she never wants her education to stop. “I truly just want to enjoy life, and this is one way of doing that,” says Connie Rickenbaker, who has been at Georgia College in Milledgeville for two semesters now. Although she’s a retired educator, Rickenbaker’s here as a student. …Rickenbaker is taking college courses for free. It’s part of a program through the University System of Georgia. If you’re over the age of 62, you can enroll in any public Georgia university at no cost. “Here at Georgia College, we encourage lifelong learning,” says Tumaini Afful, ransfer Admissions Counselor.
www.recentnews.press
Peace named Statesboro Herald Humanitarian of the Year – Georgia News
http://www.recentnews.press/2017/05/03/peace-named-statesboro-herald-humanitarian-of-the-year-georgia-news/
The 2017 Statesboro Herald Humanitarian of the Year “moved our community to new heights of caring,” said Billy Hickman on Tuesday night during the 29th annual Deen Day Smith Service to Mankind Awards gala held at Georgia Southern University’s Nessmith-Lane Continuing Education building. After sharing the Biblical story of the Good Samaritan, Hickman praised Dr. Karl Peace as “a true public health hero” who not only influenced and helped the community but also “the world.” Peace spoke briefly as he accepted the award. “This is quite a surprise,” he said. “I am very humbled and very appreciative.” Peace “has given over $8 million to Georgia Southern University in various ways, developed numerous medications that have likely saved countless lives, and inspired and enabled hundreds to obtain degrees in various medicine-related fields,” Hickman said. “He began college at GSU in 1959 with a loan of $532 that paid for two quarters of tuition. For his third quarter, he secured a Georgia State Teacher’s scholarship, and throughout the rest of his college career at GSU, he achieved a Bachelor of Science in chemistry while he worked seven part-time jobs to pay for his schooling. This was also how he supported his siblings and mother, who suffered from cancer,” he said.
www.13wmaz.com
Georgia College student named the nation’s winningest intramural player of all time
http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/georgia-college-student-named-the-nations-winningest-intramural-player-of-all-time/434083514
Nicole Butler, WMAZ
In college, you may have played an intramural or two, but what about 10? Nicole Butler met up with a Georgia College student whose passion for intramurals lead to him being named the winningest intramural player of all time in our nation’s history. From Ultimate Frisbee to flag football, Nathan Vickroy gives his all. …Georgia College Recreation Sports director, Bert Rosenberger, says it’s nothing for Vickroy to play five games back-to-back in one night. “It’s actually really hard to win across all sports. He’s not a one-sport wonder. I mean, every single sport, you’ll find Vickroy in a championship,” Rosenberger says. And Vickroy says he’s not ready to leave rec sports behind just yet. “Well, I’m actually staying another year to get my Masters, in order to play more intramurals, and get my Masters, but mainly to play more intramurals,” Vickroy says.
www.ajc.com
West Georgia student killed in wreck after hydroplaning
http://www.ajc.com/news/local/west-georgia-student-killed-wreck-after-hydroplaning/Rennk3ydlNqgE0w3AJnoZP/
Ellen Eldridge The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A University of West Georgia student was killed and another woman was hurt in a car wreck Monday morning, officials said. Angel Thompson, 18, of Jonesboro, lost control of her car after hydroplaning on Ga. 166 in Carroll County about 8:30 a.m., Georgia State Patrol officials said. Thompson crossed the double yellow lines and was struck by a Honda Accord driven by 21-year-old Tiffany Humphrey of Villa Rica.
www.wtvm.com
Columbus State University creates “safe space” system for students
http://www.wtvm.com/story/35323935/columbus-state-university-creates-safe-space-system-for-students
By WTVM Web Team
Columbus State University is seeking new ways to give students shelter and solace. CSU’s Counseling Center is spearheading the installation of a “safe space” system across campus. Safe spaces are rooms or offices that guarantee students a place to be heard, respected and accepted. Official CSU safe spaces are identified by a poster that reads “This room or office is a safe space.”
www.albanyherald.com
Albany State University non-renews 24 positions
Albany State President Art Dunning says cuts necessary because of falling enrollment
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/local/albany-state-university-non-renews-positions/article_7d75c994-974d-54ef-8991-6766e9b38eaf.html
By Terry Lewis
Albany State University President Art Dunning has announced that, due to a decline in revenue and the need to improve operational efficiency, the institution recently decided to eliminate 24 faculty positions. The 24 have received non-renewal notices, which means their teaching assignments at ASU will end May 30, 2018. “We are fortunate to be able to give our faculty a year’s notice,” Dunning said. The latest round of ASU non-renewals, which occurred last Wednesday, brings the total university job losses since August of last year to more than 130. “This has been a challenging decision. However, it is important that we have the right number of people and resources to meet the university’s goals and priorities,” Dunning said. “Those affected by the reduction play a significant role in creating a holistic learning environment that empowers students to be successful. We are grateful for their service and commitment.”
www.wtvm.om
ASU Provost VP talks faculty cuts, improving enrollment plans
http://www.wtvm.com/story/35335506/asu-provost-vp-talks-faculty-cuts-improving-enrollment-plans
By Amanda Hoskins, Reporter
We are learning more information about the faculty cuts at Albany State University. The university announced Tuesday it is eliminating 24 faculty positions for the 2018 to 2019 academic school year. ASU’s President said it’s due to the decline in revenue, which comes from the decline in enrollment. Provost Vice President of Academic Affairs Tau Kadhi said the cuts aren’t something the university wanted to do, but had to. To make the cuts, Kadhi said the university looked at how many students were enrolling in courses and how many teachers were really needed for those numbers of students. “A process was used that looked at rank first, second specialty, what was the specific specialty within each and every major and then from there seniority,” said Kadhi. Kadhi said tenure also played a role in the cuts.
www.wsfa.com
Students react to ASU eliminating 24 faculty positions
http://www.wsfa.com/story/35323483/students-react-to-asu-eliminating-24-faculty-positions
By Kristen Pozar Keeter, Digital Content Manager
ASU President Art Dunning announced on Tuesday that 24 faculty positions have been eliminated at the school. He attributed the elimination to the several years of decreases in enrollment at the institution, stating that when enrollment decreases revenue also decreases. …Albany State students expressed concerns after the university announced plans to not renew the two dozen faculty contracts. The campus Student Government Association (SGA) President Andrew Armour said he lost a professor during the layoffs in September, where the university eliminated 80 positions, of which 48 were filled. Students were shocked that the school didn’t notify them.
www.huffingtonpost.com
Globally Engaged Higher Education Institutions Must Innovate and Embrace Technology
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/globally-engaged-higher-education-institutions-must_us_59067537e4b084f59b49fa6b
Rahul Choudaha, PhD, Contributor
Global Higher Education Strategist
What is the role of emerging technologies and innovation in helping higher education institutions to fulfill their educational mission in areas of learning, collaboration, inclusion, and administration? This was the focus of The Lewy Global Education Technology Forum at the School of International Training (SIT) in Brattleboro, Vermont. The Forum convened faculty, students and administrators to discuss challenges and opportunities to improve the use of technology to teach, to collaborate, and to include a diversity of students, faculty, and staff in achieving the mission of education the next generation of global leaders… On the student side technology allows institutions to experiment with new models of outreach. ‘Glocals’ are an expanding segment of students seeking international education experience/credential while staying in the country or region. Consider the case of Georgia Tech’s Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMS CS) costs under $7,000 over five terms. Non-resident tuition fee for on-campus master’s is eight times as much that of the online master’s. Almost one out of every five students in this online program are prototypical ‘glocal’ students who are based overseas.
www.myajc.com
Delta tests chatbots and other ideas at innovation center
http://www.myajc.com/business/delta-tests-chatbots-and-other-ideas-innovation-center/tOclw2oio7o3hFRN2tEJrL/
By Kelly Yamanouchi
Could Alexa or Siri someday give you your flight status or check in for a flight? In the future, could a ride in an autonomous vehicle become part of a itinerary booked by a passenger with an airline? Those are some of the questions Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines is exploring on the seventh floor of the Centergy building at Georgia Tech’s Technology Square. About 20 people work at the Delta office space called The Hangar, including a handful of Georgia Tech interns. The employees have titles like “innovation consultant” and “customer experience designer.” The Hangar has been open for about a year with a $2 million grant from Delta. It’s one of a number of innovation centers at Georgia Tech borne of partnerships with major companies including AT&T, Home Depot and Coca-Cola. It’s no secret that Delta needs to improve some basic operational functions, like rebookings and crew tracking in the wake of mass cancellations and meltdowns over the past year. But the company is also pushing to improve how it delivers other amenities and services. Delta is “a company with problems. They’ve got things they’d like to improve,” said Georgia Tech president Bud Peterson. “We’ve got people who are looking for problems and [Delta] is looking for solutions.”
www.gwinnettcitizen.com
Lawrenceville Selects Project Manager for New Multi-Million Dollar Arts & Cultural Complex
Croft And Associates Selected to Spearhead Project, Expanded Arts Facility and College Campus Planned for Downtown
https://gwinnettcitizen.com/local-news/local-news/3226-lawrenceville-selects-project-manager-for-new-multi-million-dollar-arts-cultural-complex
By Staff Reports
Lawrenceville (Gwinnett/Metro Atlanta) GA – May 2, 2017 – The City of Lawrenceville has selected a project management firm to spearhead a multi-million dollar facilities expansion in downtown. Croft and Associates, also leading the construction management of the City’s new Public Works Facility, was selected through a request for proposal process to lead the development and expansion of the arts and cultural facility, home of Aurora Theatre, in downtown Lawrenceville. The project, slated for completion in 2020, is expected to house a 500-seat auditorium, parking deck, a common area for meetings and networking functions and classrooms for Georgia Gwinnett College’s fine arts program while preserving and utilizing the existing theatre facilities. “Lawrenceville’s vision is to combine its greatest strengths in arts and education to create a vibrant and active downtown and county seat for Gwinnett,” said Mayor Judy Jordan Johnson. “Through strategic property acquisition, SPLOST planning with the County and collaboration with our partners at both Aurora Theatre and Georgia Gwinnett College, our desire is to become a destination for tourists, a strong activity center for our residents and Gwinnett’s first – and different – college town. We are glad to be working with Croft and Associates and look forward to getting this project underway.”
www.diverseeducation.com
University of Georgia Builds On Lessons Learned from Slave Cemetery
http://diverseeducation.com/article/96068/?utm_campaign=DIV1705%20DAILY%20NEWSLETTER%20MAY4&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua
by Catherine Morris
In 2015, the University of Georgia broke ground on a planned expansion of Baldwin Hall, an academic building on campus. Baldwin Hall’s graceful neoclassical façade masks the fact that the building’s foundations rest on a burial ground that is nearly two centuries old. At the time, the university was unaware of what lay beneath the earth. So it came as a surprise when workers excavating the site uncovered a human skull. Work halted so that an archaeological team could step in to examine the findings. Other human remains were soon discovered. Baldwin Hall sits close by Jackson Street Cemetery, also known as Old Athens Cemetery, Athens’ original burial site. The burial ground was in use from approximately 1810 to 1856, before the cemetery ran out of land and Athens developed Oconee Hill Cemetery. …Fast forward to 2017: after careful study, a team of UGA anthropologists and the Southeastern Archaeological Services determined that they had discovered 105 grave sites by Baldwin Hall. …Through DNA testing, it was determined that the remains belonged to people of African descent, meaning that the people buried by Baldwin Hall were most likely enslaved during their lifetimes, according to Dr. Laurie Reitsema, an assistant professor in the UGA Department of Anthropology and director of the Bioarchaeology and Biochemistry Laboratory. …The university is in the early stages of planning what Cook calls “an interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary research project.” The research project is borne out of the recognition that, “there is a real interest on the part of the community, as well as the university, to understand who these individuals were and how they lived, and to learn more about that time period in Athens,” as Cook put it.
www.news.wabe.org
Police Respond To Deal’s Criticism Of Campus Border Safety
http://news.wabe.org/post/police-respond-deal-s-criticism-campus-border-safety
By JOHNNY KAUFFMAN
Police departments near Georgia’s biggest universities said they don’t have immediate plans to increase security around campus boundaries after Gov. Nathan Deal told reporters Tuesday he wasn’t “satisfied” with what local law enforcement have done to protect students. Deal was responding to questions about whether he will sign a “campus carry” bill that would allow licensed gun holders to take weapons on property at state colleges and universities. He vetoed a similar bill last year, but has said this year’s “is a much different bill.” “It’s one thing to simply rail against students having the right to defend themselves, but those students have a right to expect that civilian law enforcement would give them the protection that they deserve,” Deal said. “We take great efforts” to make sure the area around the University of Georgia’s campus is safe, said Epifanio Rodriguez, a spokesperson for Athens-Clarke County Police. Rodriguez said the department does everything it can to keep people safe around UGA, and there aren’t any changes in the works. “We might not have the staffing available to be able to physically watch each individual UGA student go to their cars,” he said.
www.ajc.com
Students, parents await governor’s decision on campus carry
http://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/students-parents-await-governor-decision-campus-carry/jzbPkwsW61aLOjSGI6O9uO/
Maureen Downey The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Many Georgia parents and college students are holding their breaths waiting to see whether Gov. Nathan Deal will again veto guns on Georgia campuses as he did last year. Deal’s comments of late suggest he may be more willing this year to consider the bill passed by the General Assembly that legalizes campus carry on Georgia’s public campuses. He has cited worries about safety of students in areas outside of campuses, such as parking lots. And Deal contends this year’s gun bill is more palatable because it excludes firearms from places where he had concerns, including campus child care centers. However, his veto statement last year didn’t even mention child care centers. His objections were not about where guns would be allowed on Georgia’s colleges, but whether they should be allowed.
www.getschooled.blog.myajc.com
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
If governor needs reasons to nix campus carry, go back to his 2016 veto statement
http://getschooled.blog.myajc.com/2017/05/02/if-governor-needs-reasons-to-nix-campus-carry-go-back-to-his-2016-veto-statement/
Gov. Nathan Deal is not being subtle in his clues to whether he plans to sign the campus carry bill this week. Unlike last year when he vetoed similar campus carry legislation, Deal appears ready to sign House Bill 280. In doing so, Deal will be repudiating his passionate veto argument last year in which he cited the historic precedent against guns on college campuses. Deal’s veto was an act of courage we are not likely to see repeated. The governor contends this year’s bill is more palatable because it excludes guns from places where he had concerns, including child care centers. But his veto statement last year didn’t even mention child care centers. …Deal ought to reread his powerful statement, especially the part that states, “That college campuses should be a ‘gun free zone’ is a concept that has deep roots in Georgia as well…From the early days of our nation and state, colleges have been treated as sanctuaries of learning where firearms have not been allowed. To depart from such time-honored protections should require overwhelming justification. I do not find that such justification exists.”
www.savannahnow.com
Once a straggler, sea turtle set free
Loggerhead ‘Rider’ was saved, then raised at UGA aquarium at Skidaway
http://savannahnow.com/news/2017-05-02/once-straggler-sea-turtle-set-free
By Mary Landers
Officials prepare to release “Rider,” a 3-year-old loggerhead sea turtle on Tuesday. Rider raised at the UGA aquarium at Skidaway, seemed reluctant at first to make the ocean his home. His keepers put tags on the 3-year-old turtle and escorted him to Wassaw on a motorboat Tuesday. But when Devin Dumont and Lisa Olenderski lifted him from his carrying tub and placed him on the beach he seemed content just to sunbathe. Moved to the water’s edge, he turned to face the beach three times. Lifted into a slough, Rider paddled in circles. It wasn’t until he found himself in knee-deep water and launched by a gentle push that the 50-pound loggerhead nosed into a wave and swam seaward. Sea turtles nest in record numbers during ‘insane’ season on Georgia beaches. He periscoped his chunky head up and looked back one last time as if to say goodbye. Rider should’ve made his inaugural beach scramble three years ago as a hatchling. Instead, he didn’t emerge from his nest on Wassaw. He would’ve died there, but researchers with the Caretta Research Project found him on a routine post-hatching nest inventory and gave him to the UGA Aquarium. …Rider was even a university educator. Sea turtles have true color vision, said Amanda Mahoney, assistant professor of behavior analysis at Savannah State University. That allowed her class to test the color preferences of Rider and the aquarium’s younger turtle, Lefty, by hiding food in containers of various colors. Both Lefty and Rider prefer bright yellow. In tests of food preferences Rider was all about a gel food packed with fish and vitamins.