USG eclips for June 3, 2019

University System News:

 

Gwinnett Daily Post

PHOTOS: Georgia Gwinnett College welcomes new president

Georgia Gwinnett College introduced its new president to faculty and staff Monday. Jann Joseph is Georgia Gwinnett College’s third president since the school was founded in 2005. She takes over for the previous president Stanley C. “Stas” Preczewski, who retired in January.

 

Fox28Media

Savannah State to offer financial courses in fall 2019

by Marah Brock

Savannah State University (SSU) is joining 12 University System of Georgia (USG) institutions in offering courses in financial technologies, also known as FinTech. SSU will offer the first set of online courses, through USG eCampus, as electives, beginning in fall 2019. SSU students will be also able to earn a FinTech certificate. Students can take these courses regardless of major. The area of FinTech encompasses a range of emerging technology, such as money transfer, depositing a check via smartphone, bypassing a bank branch to apply for credit, raising money for a business startup or managing investments, generally without the assistance of a person. Georgia is particularly central to the industry.

 

freecodecamp.org

660+ Free Online Programming & Computer Science Courses You Can Start This July

Dhawal Shah

Founder of Class Central.

Seven years ago, universities like MIT and Stanford first opened up free online courses to the public. Today, more than 900 schools around the world have created thousands of free online courses, popularly known as Massive Open Online Courses or MOOCs. I’ve compiled this list of 660+ such free online courses that you can start this summer. For this, I leveraged Class Central’s database of over 12,000 online courses. I’ve also included each course’s average rating.

Introduction to Computing using Python from Georgia Institute of Technology; …Computer Networking from Georgia Institute of Technology ★★★★☆(4); Software Development Process from Georgia Institute of Technology ★★★☆☆(4) …Software Architecture & Design from Georgia Institute of Technology ★★★★★(1) …Cybersecurity and Mobility from University System of Georgia ★☆☆☆☆(1) … Introduction to Graduate Algorithms from Georgia Institute of Technology; Software Analysis & Testing from Georgia Institute of Technology; Database Systems Concepts & Design from Georgia Institute of Technology; Database Systems Concepts and Design from Georgia Institute of Technology …Cybersecurity and the X-Factor from University System of Georgia; Cybersecurity and the Internet of Things from University System of Georgia …

 

ThoughtCo

The Best Biomedical Engineering Schools

By Allen Grove

Biomedical engineering is a growing field thanks to both technological advances and growing need by the aging population. As with most engineering fields, salaries are relatively high, with a median of $88,550 according to the Bureau for Labor Statistics. To become a biomedical engineer, you’re going to need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. Your job opportunities will be best if you attend a university with a program that has experienced faculty members, excellent facilities, established collaborations with other science and engineering departments, and lots of opportunities for hands-on experience. The 11 schools on our list offer biomedical engineering programs that consistently place at the top in national rankings. Located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia Tech is one of the least expensive universities on this list (especially for in-state students), yet its engineering programs are among the best in the country. The biomedical engineering program is unusual in that it works in partnership with nearby Emory University, a top-ranked private research university with a highly regarded medical school. The program prides itself in its entrepreneurial spirit and the creative problem solving skills students develop by working on real world problems.

 

White House Gov.

President Donald J. Trump Announces Recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

Today, President Donald J. Trump announced the recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).  The PECASE is the highest honor bestowed by the United States Government to outstanding scientists and engineers who are beginning their independent research careers and who show exceptional promise for leadership in science and technology. Established in 1996, the PECASE acknowledges the contributions scientists and engineers have made to the advancement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and to community service as demonstrated by scientific leadership, public education, and community outreach.  The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy coordinates the PECASE with participating departments and agencies.

Recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers listed by State, Research Institution, and Nominating Federal Agency:

Georgia

Dhruv Batra, Georgia Institute of Technology, Department of Defense

Mark Davenport, Georgia Institute of Technology, National Science Foundation

Christopher Jett, University of West Georgia, National Science Foundation

Paula Lemons, University of Georgia, National Science Foundation

Matthew McDowell, Georgia Institute of Technology, Department of Defense

 

aisd.org

ASID Announces 2019 ASID Foundation Scholarship and Grant Recipients

ASID Foundation Provides Support for Scholarships, Education, and Research

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has announced the recipients of the 2019 ASID Foundation Scholarship and Grant awards. Presented to those pursuing projects that explore how interior design directly affects the well-being, health, and behavior of occupants within a space, the ASID Foundation’s annual scholarships and grants support research and expand public knowledge on the impact of design. “We are honored to provide these opportunities to those leading the charge within the design industry to proactively build a better world for all,” states Randy Fiser, Hon. FASID, ASID CEO. “We look forward to seeing how our 2019 recipients continue to improve and impact the human experience and the design profession.” The ASID Foundation actively provides funding and support for innovative initiatives that align with the Society’s “design impacts lives” mission. …The Joel Polsky Prize recognizes outstanding academic contributions to interior design through print or digital communication. Types of entries can include, but are not limited to, books, whitepapers, blogs, and videos.

Joel Polsky Prize

Beth McGee, Ph.D., Allied ASID

Assistant Professor/Program

Coordinator for Interior Design

Georgia Southern University

 

WJCL

Georgia Southern Athletics recognized for Community Service

Georgia Southern finishes in Top 15 nationwide as a department

Frank Sulkowski   Anchor/Reporter

The Eagles are getting the job done on the fields and courts, in the classroom and in the community. Georgia Southern student-athletes are being recognized for giving back to the Statesboro/Bulloch County community. The Eagles 12th in the NCAA Division I in community service hours logged during the 2018-19 academic year. According to data collected via the Helper Helper platform, the Georgia Southern football team finished with the most logged hours in the country in its respective sport while the swimming & diving program finished fourth.

 

The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education

Georgia Senator’s Bill Would Place Three HBCUs Into a New University System

A new bill introduced in the Georgia legislature would remove three historically Black state-operated universities from the University System of Georgia and place them into a new university system named Georgia A&M University. The three historically Black state universities that are part of the plan are Savannah State University, Fort Valley State University, and Albany State University. Combined the three schools enroll nearly 14,000 students, according to the latest data supplied to the U.S. Department of Education.

 

Diverse Issues in Higher Education

UNCF Convening Helps HBCUs Prepare Students for Changing Workforce

by Jamal Watson

The United Negro College Fund brought together representatives from historically Black colleges and universities to strategize about how best to prepare students for the shifting 21st century workplace. The three-day convening, “HBCUs Linked: Promise to Purpose,” drew hundreds of college administrators, faculty and staff to Atlanta to discuss outcomes for student success at the 4th annual UNCF Career Pathways Initiative and Data Institute. “The CPI Convening and Data Institute is an opportunity to lift up innovation and promising practices at HBCUs, while also integrating the distinct but interdependent streams of work that the UNCF Institute For Capacity Building drives at HBCUs,” said Dr. Brian Bridges,  vice president of research and member engagement at UNCF. “This convening is a great opportunity to surface how social justice undergirds all work at HBCUs.”

 

WSB Radio

$8.25 MILLION TO ATLANTA’S HBCUS SEEN AS ‘BIG DATA’ PIPELINE INVESTMENT

By: Eric Stirgus The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Joshua Atkins remembers business leaders telling him during his second year at Morehouse College that many students there lacked the data skills necessary to excel at their companies. Atkins was motivated, he said, “to be on the other side of that trend.” A year later, Atkins took a data analytics course on campus and got an internship at Accenture. This fall, the 21-year-old Morehouse College graduate said he’ll be working at the global consulting firm. Data science — using math, science and statistics to solve problems — is one of the highest in-demand careers, but educators and business leaders say there are not enough African Americans in the industry (about 7%, some say). UnitedHealth Group announced Tuesday it is investing $8.25 million over the next five years toward an effort to enhance data science education at Atlanta’s historically black colleges and universities. …Nationally, there are a labor gap and a skills gap, Wichmann said. Job postings for data scientists rose 29% between December 2017 and December 2018, according to an Indeed report. The University of Georgia last September became the first school in the University System of Georgia to offer an undergraduate major in data science. The new program will begin with its first cohort of undergraduates in the fall semester of 2019, officials said.

 

Statesboro Herald

New GS police K-9 on duty

Finding explosives is ‘Rocky’s’ specialty

The Georgia Southern Office of Public Safety’s newest K-9 officer is on duty and soon will receive a ballistic vest from Protecting K-9 Heroes, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping fund K-9 operations and reducing K-9 fatalities around the country. Officer BJ McKellar has been paired with K-9 Rocky, a 21-month-old Belgian Malinois, who was certified in May. Rocky is an explosive detection K-9, and his main job is to search for explosive odor materials as well as weapons that use black powder.  “If Rocky and I are called out to a scene, we will immediately begin searching the area to establish a command post and safe evacuation area if need be,” McKellar said.

 

Macon Telegraph

How honey bee deaths could have economic impact on Middle Georgia’s agriculture

BY ANISAH MUHAMMAD

Honey bee colonies across the United States, including Georgia, have been in decline since the mid 2000s. However, more bee colonies died this winter than in any other year in the previous decade, according to a new study done by Bee Informed Partnership with Auburn University and University of Maryland. The problem could be bad news for some of the region’s farmers, as well as for bee keepers who sell local honey and honeybees nationally. As a result, bee experts continue to explore a variety of ways to combat the decline. …Several Georgia and Middle Georgia crops including watermelon, blueberries and peaches depend on pollinators like honey bees. Those are the three crops with the highest economic values of pollination, according to research done by Keith Delaplane, the director of University of Georgia’s Honey Bee Program, and colleagues, which was published in 2015. Delaplane explained that economic value of pollination is simply the income realized by the yield increase provided by pollination. Some crops are still able to produce without honey bees, but the yield could increase with the presence of honey bees. In other words, farmers would still make money if the crops can produce without honey bees, but if honey bees are present, farmers would make more money because they would have a bigger yield. “The annual economic value of pollination in Georgia alone is over $360 million dollars a year. $360 million. So it’s a pretty significant contribution to our local state’s economy,” Delaplane said in an interview with The Telegraph last week.

 

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Federal disaster aid is coming, but S.W. Georgia will have to wait

Politics

By Tamar Hallerman, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Last month, dozens of farmers and local bankers gathered in the South Georgia town of Doerun, a farming community still aching from the damage wrought by Hurricane Michael, to celebrate Congress’ passage of a long-awaited disaster relief bill and learn about what’s next. What they heard from state officials was a broad outline that help was on the way – but few specifics. “We’ve got a lot of details to work out, but we believe we have a plan that will work,” state Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black said. “We’re ready to go. “When President Donald Trump put his signature on the $19.1 billion relief package on June 6, he freed up federal dollars for Georgians still struggling to recover from Michael and other natural disasters from the past 18 months. But it will likely take weeks or months — and potentially the better part of a year — for money to filter down to the state. That’s because the funding must first pass through dozens of individual federal agencies, which are currently interpreting Congress’ guidance to determine who is eligible to receive the emergency funding.

 

 

Higher Education News:

 

The Chronicle of Higher Education

Why Don’t Colleges Do More to Help Students in Need? Money, Attitudes, and More

By Goldie Blumenstyk

You’re reading the latest issue of The Edge, a weekly newsletter by Goldie Blumenstyk. Sign up here to get her insights on the people, trends, and ideas that are reshaping higher education. I’m Goldie Blumenstyk, a senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education, covering innovation in and around academe. Here’s what I’m thinking about this week. What keeps colleges from doing more with emergency aid? Money, attitudes, and more. Why don’t colleges just tap into their own housing programs and meal plans to help students in need? That was the essence of a comment I got from a reader, Mark Mazzone, responding to my newsletter last week. It was about a start-up company’s plans to help colleges optimize their emergency-aid services, and its naming of Sara Goldrick-Rab as its chief strategy officer for emergency aid.

 

NASFAA

Report: Free College Movement Continues to Exclude Older Students

By Joelle Fredman, NASFAA Staff Reporter

While College Promise programs—often referred to as “free college” programs—increase access to higher education for some, a new report found that a majority of efforts continue to exclude older students due to strict eligibility requirements related to age, enrollment type, and academic standing, as well as a lack of financial support for non-tuition costs. The report, published by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), found that while “the growth in College Promise programs offers a unique opportunity to intentionally serve students who might overwise bypass college,” programs with such eligibility criteria are primarily used by students who already planned to go to college, and can be difficult to meet for those toying with the idea. For example, the report’s authors wrote that “students from higher-income backgrounds—those who are more likely to attend college without financial aid and scholarships—are more likely, for a range of reasons, to meet ‘merit’ and enrollment intensity requirements than students from lower-income backgrounds.” Additionally, adult learners with jobs and/or children often cannot meet full-time enrollment requirements attached to many programs, and many require students to be recent high school graduates. In fact, the report’s authors noted that a majority of the existing 300 College Promise programs—which span 44 states—are inaccessible to students over the age of 25.

 

Inside Higher Ed

Colleges Curtail Health Benefits for Domestic Partners and Retirees

Fewer colleges offer health-care benefits for domestic partners, both for same- and opposite-sex couples, new survey finds. Retiree benefits dip, too.

By Doug Lederman

As states across the country have responded to a 2015 Supreme Court decision by passing laws to allow same-sex marriage, colleges and universities have increasingly reined in their health-care benefits for domestic partners, be they of the same or different sexes. That is among the findings of a biennial survey by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources on the health-care benefits offered to campus employees. CUPA-HR releases the health care benefits survey in odd-numbered years and a survey of other, non-health-care benefits in even-numbered years. As seen in the chart below, “this year’s survey marks the first time since 2005 that there has been a decrease in health care benefit offerings — both for same-sex (10-percentage-point decrease since 2017) and opposite-sex (six-percentage-point decrease since 2017) partners,” the survey’s authors wrote. Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of the 365 institutions surveyed still offered health-care benefits to same-sex domestic partners, while the comparable figure for opposite-sex partners was 45 percent.

 

The Chronicle of Higher Education

Demand for Campus Child Care Is Growing. Choosing How to Provide It Can Be Fraught.

By Liam Knox

The need for campus child care is growing — and not just among instructors and graduate students. According to a 2014 study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, almost five-million undergraduates are parents. A 2011 report from the same policy group found that access to affordable child care is one of the most important factors in a student-parent’s decision to enroll at a college or university. The decision to offer child care is complicated by questions of resources.