University System News:
13WMAZ
By Sarah Hammond
The base is partnering with Mercer University and Middle Georgia State University to open those centers. Prep work began back in October on the center in downtown Macon next to Capricorn Studio on Martin Luther King Boulevard, and they are scheduled to open early next year. MGA opened their center in Thomas Hall on December 5th. “They’re going to be working with an actual faculty member. Students can come in, members of the community can come in, and they can work together to solve problems, software issues, that they might be experiencing in their business,” said Miner. They’ll also be developing software and solving problems for Robins Air Force Base.
Georgia Trend
CSU’s new cybersecurity degree program
By Mary Ann DeMuth
CSU’s Cybersecurity Nexus degree includes six eight-week terms over the course of a year. Instruction will take place five days a week for half a day, resulting in 18 credit hours. Two experiential, hands-on apprenticeships will enable students to gain real-world experience. To complete the full degree, an additional 42 hours of general education is required, however a Nexus Certificate is available for those not pursuing the full degree. In creating the program, CSU received feedback from industry partners. Participating students will be trained to step into roles employers are desperate to fill.
WSAV
Coast Guard fireman surprises sister at Georgia Southern graduation
By WSAV Staff
One Georgia Southern student had an extra special graduation ceremony in Savannah on Friday. Nolan Swaim was overwhelmed with emotion when her older brother, Morgan, was waiting for her as she crossed the stage. Morgan is a Coast Guard fireman and surprised his sister by taking leave from his station in the Caribbean to see her graduate.
Nano Technology Now
Tiny magnetic particles enable new material to bend, twist, and grab
A team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and The Ohio State University has developed a soft polymer material, called magnetic shape memory polymer, that uses magnetic fields to transform into a variety of shapes. The material could enable a range of new applications from antennas that change frequencies on the fly to gripper arms for delicate or heavy objects.
Associated Press
Vandal who drew swastikas at U of Georgia won’t face charges
University of Georgia officials determined a Clemson University-bound student visiting the Athens campus was responsible for drawing swastikas on student doors inside a residence hall last month. He won’t face criminal charges, officials noted in a statement. The university didn’t identify the student in its statement last week, but confirmed he was banned from all University of Georgia system campuses.
The Augusta Chronicle
Augusta University graduates its fall 2019 class
By Miguel Legoas
After more than 10 years of homework, classes, loaded backpacks and full agendas, it all led to this. Now, Augusta University’s fall 2019 graduates had three small tasks left: keep calm, smile for the camera and don’t trip on the stage.
Livingston Ledger
Americans less eager to slim down even as poor diet claims more lives
Obesity is becoming more socially accepted in America, even as poor diet has been established as culprit of almost half the deaths from heart disease, two new studies show. Fewer overweight Americans have attempted to lose weight in recent years, to researchers at Georgia Southern University, who have published a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
WMAZ
Middle Georgia State University hosts Regional LEGO League Robotics Tournament
Middle Georgia State University hosted the First Regional LEGO League Robotics Tournament for elementary and middle school students on Saturday. Over 200 elementary and middle school students from across central Georgia fired up their circuits to compete in the event, which started around 8 a.m. The competition tested about 18 teams in all sorts of science skills – from robotics to coding.
Higher Education News:
‘Inside Digital Learning’s’ Best-Read Articles of 2019
Inside Higher Ed
By Doug Lederman
This is the final issue of “Inside Digital Learning” for 2019, and we thought we’d sum up the year with a few statistics and a look at the articles that most captured our readers’ attention… The top two articles were oldies but goodies: articles that appeared in 2017 and 2018, respectively, but stayed relevant enough to keep you coming back. Please enjoy those and the other articles again — and please come back for more in 2020.
Your Favorite Topics From a Year Covering Innovation
The Chronicle of Higher Education
By Goldie Blumenstyk
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. The newsletter topics that most clicked with you in 2019. This year, I wrote that I was “a sucker for experiments in alternative credentials.” Looks as if many of you are, too. Issues of The Edge that dealt with new approaches to credentials and certifications were among the ones that seemed to most often grab your attention over the past year. The ones about enrollment challenges and the value of degrees — undergrad and master’s — were up there too.