University System News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kemp taps 2 new members to powerful Regents board after shakeup
By Greg Bluestein
Longtime Regent Don Leebern is out
Gov. Brian Kemp appointed two new members to the powerful Georgia Board of Regents on Tuesday after he used an error that Nathan Deal made in his last days of governor to force the vacancies and exert more control over the higher education system. The governor used the openings to appoint Sam Holmes, a commercial real estate executive with CBRE; and Jose Perez, the retired head of Target Market Trends and a Gwinnett Republican. He also re-appointed Dean Alford, a veteran regents member with ties to the state’s GOP establishment. They replace Richard Tucker and Don Leebern Jr., who have long been mainstays on the board, which oversees Georgia’s largest colleges and universities and is considered one of the most coveted posts in state government. The 12-month general fund budget for the University System of Georgia, about $9.6 billion, is about one-third of the entire state budget. The appointees will serve seven-year terms.
Albany Herald
Synovus announces Albany Jack Parker Scholarship recipients
This year, 133 scholarships totaling $110,500 were awarded to children of Synovus team members across five states
Synovus Financial Corp. has announced its 2019 Jack Parker Scholarship recipients. This year, 133 scholarships, totaling $110,500, were awarded to children of Synovus team members across the company’s five-state footprint. Scholarship funds are generated each year through team member donations and internal fundraising activities. Among the scholarship recipients were Brennan McLean and Taylor Turoski of Albany. McLean attends Georgia Southern University, and Turoski attends the University of Georgia. he scholarship program is named in honor of Jack B. Parker, whose career with the Synovus family of companies spanned 44 years. It is managed by the Jack B. Parker Foundation Inc. to award college or vocational institution scholarships to team members’ children who “excel academically, demonstrate strong leadership and are involved in activities to improve their communities.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
5 students in Fulton named college-sponsored National Merit Scholars
By Ben Brasch
Five graduates of schools in Fulton County were named National Merit Scholars on Monday. They join the 51 other scholars honored in June. These five have been awarded scholarships sponsored by universities. Those institutions schools are set to give the graduates between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate studies at those schools. This year, 173 colleges and universities (95 private and 78 public) sponsored about 4,100 Merit awards across the country, according to the scholarship organization. Of the five in Fulton, two were given scholarships by the University of Georgia, …And they are: Agazi S. Meijer (University of Georgia) Henry W. Grady High School, Atlanta Probable career field: Biochemical Engineering …Austin Schulz (University of Georgia) Fulton Science Academy, Alpharetta Probable career field: Computer Science
Tifton Gazette
Kids Theatre Camp starts preparations for ‘Aristocats’
By William Malone
The Tift Theatre kicked off the Summer Theatre Kids Camp on Monday, July 8. The program has almost 30 children signed up. The director of the kid’s summer camp program is Robert Reid Goodson, or as the children calls him, “Captain Giggles.” Reid has been involved with the Tift Theatre for several years. Goodson will prepare campers to perform the Walt Disney movie, “Aristocats,” as a live theatre production. “What’s really great about this [is] students get the opportunity to be successful, and they get the opportunity to be a part of a team,” said Goodson. Goodson has a long background in theatre including a master’s of arts from New York University in educational theatre and worked as the director of Tift Theatre before Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) began the partnership. According to Goodson, every child that signed up will be in the production. Students have the choice to be on stage or learn how to do technical work backstage with lighting, sound and costumes.
Marietta Daily Journal
SALLY LITCHFIELD: Horizon Atlanta at KSU offers character building for underserved children
Horizon Atlanta at Kennesaw State University is a nonprofit that serves rising first through fifth graders from underserved communities through its signature six-week summer learning program. Horizon Atlanta is excited to end this year’s summer series with a free student performance of “Character Matters,” a musical from Bad Wolf Press. …The musical, led by Horizons Atlanta at KSU Theatre Director Katy Bridges, addresses character issues and conflicts in a humorous way through popular childhood fairy tale characters such as the Big Bad Wolf, Cinderella and Jack in the Beanstalk. With nine program sites, including KSU, the nonprofit is celebrating 20 years of helping Atlanta-area youth close the achievement gap by participating in a high-quality summer learning program. The KSU program site began in 2015 and has since grown to support 75 students, 15 per grade, from Allgood and Dallas Elementary schools.
Tifton Gazette
Tifton natives complete internship for Rep. Scott
Grant Metts and Jane Anne Veazey, both of Tifton, recently completed six-week internships in Washington, D.C. with U.S. Representative Austin Scott (R-GA-08). Metts is a graduate of Tift County High School and is currently pursuing a degree in Political Science at the University of Georgia. Veazey is also a graduate of Tift County High School and is currently pursuing a degree in Agricultural Communications at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. “Our internship program provides college students and recent graduates an opportunity to learn more about the legislative process while gaining valuable work experience. It allows them to experience how our federal government works firsthand,” said Rep. Scott. “Students who intern with our office are an integral part of our team, and Grant and Jane Anne are certainly no exception. We thank them for their hard work and attentiveness to the people of Georgia’s Eighth District this summer, and we look forward to seeing their continued growth and success.”
7th Space
Research program aimed at diversity brings young scientists to MCG through July 30, 2019
A program aimed at increasing the diversity of young scientists is being hosted for the seventh year at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. PRIDE, or Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research, is a mentored research program funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute that pairs young scientists and seasoned researchers with the goal of helping junior faculty learn what it takes to advance their careers. Participants work with a mentor to learn grant writing skills and hands-on bench research skills. At MCG the program is directed by Dr. Betty Pace, professor of pediatrics and Francis J. Tedesco, MD, Distinguished Chair in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, who started one of the first three PRIDE programs in the country at the University of Texas at Dallas in 2006. Pace brought the program, now one of only nine in the country, with her to MCG in 2010. This year, nine mentees from universities across the country will be in Augusta through July 30 for the PRIDE Summer Institute, which will focus on functional and translational genomics of blood disorders.
Savannah Tribune
Savannah Branch NAACP July Mass Meeting To Address Savannah State University’s Future
On Sunday, July 28, 4 pm, the Savannah Branch NAACP will hold a Mass Meeting at First African Baptist Church located at 23 Montgomery Street. Don Waters, chairman of the Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia, and Savannah State University Interim President Kimberly Ballard-Washington will address public concerns questioning the future of Savannah State University. The Board of Regents is the single governing board for 26 universities in the University System of Georgia, including Savannah State University.
WGAU
By: Tim Bryant
The University of North Georgia campus in Dahlonega will be the site for next week’s Georgia Chamber of Commerce forum: the Chamber says the focus of next Wednesday’s event will be the economy of rural north Georgia.
Gwinnett Daily Post
GCPS orientation aims to inspire, introduce teachers to district’s culture
By Taylor Denman
Tuesday was the start of something new for University of Central Florida graduate Nykyle Gooden-Peters. The recent college graduate spent his morning in a packed ballroom at Infinite Energy Center listening to a crash course in working for his first full-time employer. As a STEM teacher resident, Peters isn’t a certified teacher yet, but is on track to become one through a program for recent college graduates. He’ll be earning his certification on the job with Gwinnett County Public Schools during the 2019-20 school year. “I went to school for math, so I only know content; I don’t know how to deliver it,” Peters said. “It was very insightful because they showed some things to expect how students react — basically the understanding of students.” …Jennifer Keyros, a North Gwinnett High School and Georgia Gwinnett College graduate, was particularly taken by Antonetti’s speech. She said GGC prepared her and her classmates for teaching students, and Antonetti’s comments reminded her of the compassionate side of what it means to be an educator. “It’s something we’re going to deal with probably daily — every year,” Kyros said. “I think the school that we graduated from (GGC) prepared us for that very well.”
WFXL
Albany State University names new police chief
A law enforcement officer that has spent over 20 years working for Albany State University, Albany Police Department and other departments is now moving up to chief. Albany State University officials announced Tuesday afternoon that Gregory L. Elder, Sr. has been named Chief of Police for the university. “I believe in making a difference through accountability and relationship building. I am a proud product of Albany State University, and I understand the substance associated with affording all students a learning environment where they are directed using structure and consistency,” Elder said. “Our department will be supervised by leaders who understand that the safety and education of our students is our top priority.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
College student critically injured in hit-and-run after leaving Buckhead bar
By Michael Hebert
Police are searching for the driver who hit a 20-year-old University of West Georgia student in Buckhead on Sunday without stopping. The student, Chelzie Parmer, is currently in the intensive care unit at Grady Memorial Hospital with three skull fractures and bleeding in her brain, according to Channel 2 Action News. She could be there for a month, the news station reported. …Ashia Pace said she and Parmer were walking back from Hole In the Wall off Peachtree Road when a car, which she described as a black Dodge Charger, sped through the crosswalk and hit Parmer twice before driving away.
WTOC
Testimony begins in murder trial for suspect accused of 2015 deadly shooting
By Sean Evans
The murder trial for a suspect charged in a deadly shooting on Savannah State University’s campus back in 2015 is finally getting underway. Justin Stephens is accused of killing Chris Starks. He faces 10 felony charges including murder, assault, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Police say Stephens shot and killed Starks at the SSU Student Union after an argument. He was arrested two years later. Now that a jury has been selected, opening statements have been made, and the trial that was postponed in May is underway. Prosecution set up their case for jurors in their opening statements, explaining why they believe Justin Stephens is the person responsible for firing a single round that hit and killed Chris Starks in the Savannah State University student union in 2015.
The True Citizen
Individuals, groups join forces to end violence
Diana Royal
One by one, the different Greek organizations lit candles in prayer for a community crippled by teen violence. As the lights were dimmed, names began scrolling on a screen stationed just above the candles’ glow. “Who will be next?” Dr. Thaddeus Shubert rhetorically asked the group. Earlier in the evening, he shared a picture of himself at Georgia Southern University from the spring of 2014. In it, he’s flanked by groups of young men – some who’ve fought successfully to complete high school and progressed into the work force, some who’ve been murdered and others, once friends of the fallen, now standing accused as their killers. “We don’t have to know who’s who. These are all our children. They are killing each other. Our children are dying in the streets.” Shubert, a guidance counselor at Burke County High School, called the meeting of the Divine 9, composed of local chapters of nine different national Greek organizations, in order to reconnect and move forward with a plan of action following two recent murders of teens by teens in Burke County.
Moultrie Observer
Destination Ag reaches a record number of students in its third year
The buzz of children’s excited voices easily matched that of the bees inside the observation hive at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village. The observation beehive was one of the new additions to the Destination Ag program at the museum during the 2018-19 year. It was also one of the favorite stations for the record 10,980 students who participated in the program in its third year of existence. “Destination Ag had a great year,” Museum Director Garrett Boone said. “We have the nuts and bolts of the program in place, and now we’re concentrating on minute details that will provide the best possible fun, educational experience.” Destination Ag allows school children an up-close and personal look at where their food, fiber, and shelter originate.
Savannah Tribune
The Beach Institute Lecture and Learning Series Presents…
“Strategies of Success: African-American Students’ Perspectives On Increasing Retention and Graduation Rates At Predominantly White Colleges and Universities”
By Savannah Tribune
The Beach Institute Lecture and Learning Series Presents..“Strategies of Success: African-American Students’ Perspectives On Increasing Retention and Graduation Rates At Predominantly White Colleges and Universities” on- Wednesday, July 24, 2019, 6:00 – 7:30 PM at the Beach Institute, 502 E. Harris Street Dr. Alicia Brunson, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Georgia Southern University (Armstrong Campus) will discuss the experiences of Black students at predominantly White institutions of higher education in the South. Drawing on extensive research, Dr. Brunson will outline common obstacles leading to attrition and lower graduation rates, and discuss counter-strategies derived from students themselves that portend greater success if supported by the host institution.
accessWDUN
UNG to celebrate 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 lunar landing
The University of North Georgia’s (UNG) Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Dahlonega Science Council is hosting an event this weekend to mark the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing. The keynote speaker is NASA aerospace engineer Sabrina Thompson, who works at Goddard Space Flight Center. Thompson will speak about the historic mission at 7:30 p.m. July 20 in the Health and Natural Sciences (HNS) building at University of North Georgia’s Dahlonega Campus. Thompson said she will share the history of the space program, but she also plans to discuss what’s in the future for space exploration.
WTOC
Georgia Southern professor reflects on 50th anniversary of Apollo 11
By Dal Cannady
Apollo 11 went into orbit on July 16th, 50 years ago. Four days later, three American Astronauts: Neil armstrong, Buzz aldrin and Michael Collins landed on the moon. A first for the United States, and the world. The Apollo 11 mission is considered one of the greatest achievements in space travel. Dr. Clayton Heller with Georgia Southern says the Apollo 11 mission has a special place in history, for our country and beyond. “I believe it’s the single greatest achievement of mankind,” Dr. Heller said. “Since then, I don’t think there’s been anything to generate as much excitement worldwide.” He remembers the attention it drew leading up to the launch. He knows even more about it now as an astronomy and physics professor and head of the university planetarium. The mission, he says, was no walk in the park.
The Brunswick News
Seminar to highlight rising sea level effects on bird nesting
By LAUREN MCDONALD
Living on the coast offers residents a front-row seat to observe the ongoing effects of climate change. Some effects, though, are taking place in small ways that are challenging to notice without looking closely. As sea levels rise, habitats across the Golden Isles are changing. And one species feeling the full effects of these rising waters is the seaside sparrow, whose nests are frequently destroyed by the higher tides. Conservationists are paying close attention to these changes and are working to raise awareness among the general public. Corina Newsome, a graduate student at Georgia Southern University, will share her research Thursday into how the seaside sparrows have been affected, and she will connect her findings to the larger scope of potential climate change concerns.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
Is Amazon Training Its Workers or Creating a College Alternative?
The retailer is pouring $700 million into worker training — mostly through its own programs. We asked some experts on postsecondary education and training to assess whether Amazon’s initiative is threat or boon to higher education.
By Doug Lederman
Amazon announced last week that it would spend $700 million on training its employees, the latest (and perhaps biggest) decision by a company to make a major investment in ensuring that its employees have the skills and knowledge they need to succeed there (and, the company says, perhaps after they leave — among the programs it is offering are those in fields such as nursing). Amazon’s announcement is part of a larger move Inside Higher Ed and others have been writing about of employers getting (in many cases, back) into the business of educating and training their employees, after decades in which they seemed increasingly content to subcontract that work to the postsecondary education and training ecosystem (running the gamut from community colleges and for-profit institutions to continuing education programs at research universities). …Do these moves by Amazon and others to educate their own employees represent a threat to higher education, especially when they choose to bypass traditional institutions?
The Chronicle of Higher Education
‘Everybody Is Panicking’: Thousands of Alaska Students Scramble With Scholarship Money in Jeopardy
By Sarah Brown
Despite the University of Alaska’s budget crisis, classes for the fall semester are to go on as scheduled, according to university system leaders. The spring could be a different story. That’s when program cuts may start taking effect. But there’s a more immediate problem. Thousands of students rely on state scholarship money that currently isn’t available. With classes starting next month, many students are scrambling. Some have already decided to transfer, while others are looking into it. “Everybody is panicking,” said Joey Sweet, a master’s student at the Anchorage campus who recently served as the student regent on the university’s board. The Alaska Performance Scholarship and the Alaska Education Grant, the largest financial-aid programs in the state, have become victims of political chaos as lawmakers and the governor clash over the state’s finances. About 12,000 students were sent emails this month telling them that their scholarships might not be funded.