University System News:
Atlanta Business Chronicle
New Georgia FinTech Academy director has ambitious goals for 2020
By Janet Jones Kendall – Contributing Writer
Within the year, Georgia FinTech Academy Executive Director Tommy Marshall hopes a minimum of 800 students take at least one academy course, to place more than 200 interns and over 200 full-time hires and put 5-7 professional education courses in market. Marshall’s goals don’t stop there. “By 2025, we intend to have over 5,000 students placed in full-time roles annually in the fintech industry, and we will self-sustain our initiative through revenues from a successful professional education course offering that is vital and relevant,” he said. “We also plan to have a successful student fintech entrepreneurship program launching 10-20 new fintech companies a year that are recent-graduate founded and led.” According to Marshall, a founding board member of FinTech Atlanta who became Georgia FinTech Academy director last October, the fintech industry is growing massively, making the war for talent real and a strategic priority for fintech companies. That’s where the academy comes in. …One way the academy will reach its goals, according to University System of Georgia eCampus Chief Innovation Officer Art Recesso, is by growing the catalog of courses that complement the five courses created at Georgia State University, which houses the academy.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
State approves $37 million dorm for Kennesaw State University
By Kristal Dixon
Kennesaw State University will address its bustling student population by building a new dormitory on its main campus. KSU hopes to open its proposed $37 million dorm next to its existing Austin Residence Complex on its Kennesaw campus by the fall semester of 2022.The dorm, which would be about 120,000 square feet, would include about 500 units and have a mix of single- and double-occupancy units, plus community and study spaces “geared towards the first-year experience,” the university said.
Growing Georgia
ABAC Students Now Enrolled in Four-Year Degrees as College Celebrates 112th Birthday
When 27 students walked up the front steps of what is now Tift Hall to attend the Second District Agricultural and Mechanical School on Feb. 20, 1908, they had no idea they were laying the foundation for an institution that would create an annual economic impact of almost a half a billion dollars on South Georgia 112 years later. The Second District A&M School was an area high school that opened on that day in 1908. The school later became South Georgia A&M College in 1924, the Georgia State College for Men in 1929, and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in 1933. That former two-year college called ABAC became a 4-year college and began offering bachelor’s degree classes in 2008, and the rest is history. Now ABAC is celebrating its 112th birthday with thousands of students pursuing four-year degrees.
WGAU
Arbor Day observance in Athens
By: Tim Bryant
Today is Arbor Day in Athens: a community observance is set for 2 o’clock this afternoon on a segment of the Firefly Trail between South Peter Street and Inglewood Avenue in Athens.
Georgia Trend
UGA School of Law’s M.S.L. program offers world-class legal education for non-lawyers
In today’s highly regulated, legislated and litigated work environments, having a strong knowledge of the law is a sound career investment.
by Julia Roberts
To that end, the University of Georgia School of Law offers a Master in the Study of Law – a 30-credit hour program that offers world-class legal education for non-lawyers, with classes in both Athens and Atlanta. Participants in the program take classes with students pursuing the traditional three-year law degree (J.D.) and have the benefit of learning from the law school’s accomplished faculty, including Atlanta-based instructor-in-residence Timothy C. Batten Sr. of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The Master in the Study of Law degree is ideal for non-lawyer professionals who work in human resources, government affairs, legal departments, compliance and other specialty or regulated areas. “The M.S.L. program at the University of Georgia School of Law was a unique opportunity for me to learn the law broadly, as well as in my field while working full time,” Mariann Burright, a 2018 graduate of the program, said.
The George-Anne
Georgia Southern debuts new kinesiology laboratories in Hanner Fieldhouse
By Blakeley Bartee
Georgia Southern University officials cut the ribbon Friday on new kinesiology laboratories located in a former pool space in Hanner Fieldhouse. The new laboratories include two biomechanics labs, a motor control lab and a human performance lab, and they are available for both undergraduate and graduate students, according to a GS press release. Area physicians can also use the facility’s patient consulting rooms for their patients, according to the press release.
Savannah Morning News
Hinesville Girl Scout Gold recipient, Georgia Southern student invited to D.C. event
By Barbara Augsdorfer
Georgia Southern University freshman Jaiden E. Thompson was a guest of Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (Georgia District 1) at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Feb. 4, according to the press release from Georgia Southern. Thompson caught Carter’s attention as a recipient of the Girl Scout Gold Award in 2019. As a Girl Scout in Hinesville for 13 years, Thompson earned the Gold Award for initiating a Community of Care project, which offers a personal hygiene closet, a clothing closet and a school supplies closet to a local school of low-income students with behavioral or emotional disorders.
Albany Herald
ASU students present at Gandhi-King initiative
By Rachel Lawrence
Three Albany State University Velma Fudge Grant Honors Program students presented research at Stanford University as a part of the Gandhi-King Global Initiative. A historic gathering in October 2019 commemorated the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth through profound conversations between some of the foremost representatives and thinkers of nonviolence in the world. The event was hosted by Stanford’s Martin Luther King Jr., Research and Education Institute. The ASU presentation, “How Gandhi and King Galvanized the Albany Movement,” featured research from Nia Kimbro, a sophomore nursing student; Krystal Pickett, a senior business student; and Kristin Martin, a junior chemistry student. Florence Lyons, director of the ASU Velma Fudge Grant Honors Program, oversaw the students’ research and provided feedback in preparation for the presentation.
Albany Herald
Colleges, universities recognize Albany area students
From staff reports
Madison Gaines of Lee County has been named to the Liberty University dean’s list, earning a 4.0 grade-point average for the 2019 fall semester. Students named to the dean’s list have achieved a GPA of 3.5 or higher during the semester. Gaines is the daughter of Shawn and Beth Gaines of Lee County and the granddaughter of Tim and Marinan Schramm, Keith and Dianne Gaines, and Debbie Gaines. Other area students recognized by their colleges or universities include: South Georgia State College …Georgia College …Valdosta State University
Savannah Business Journal
World Trade Center Savannah Announces Local Winner of Global Student Competition
Savannah Business Journal Staff Report
World Trade Center Savannah (WTCSav) recently announced that Nipuna Ambanpola and Akash Shah, the team representing IVolunteer International has been chosen as WTCSav’s nomination for the Peace Through Trade Competition, a global student contest hosted by the World Trade Centers Association Foundation (WTCAF). The local competition, sponsored by National Office Systems, asked teams to present an original project, product or other innovative idea that “exemplifies and promotes social innovation and sustainability through collaboration, fair trade and ethical business practices.” The project also needed to address one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. IVolunteer International is developing a mobile app which will reshape how volunteers are connected to volunteer opportunities in their local communities and around the world. …Nipuna Ambanpola, a former WTCSav intern, Georgia Southern University graduate, current student at the University of Georgia and IVolunteer International’s Co-Founder & Executive Director said, “Our goal is to redefine the way people of the world respond to volunteering. We are excited and honored to have the opportunity to represent Savannah with our passion project.”
TIMES-GEORGIAN
UWG nursing students gain real-world experience abroad
By Allie Smith
Ten UWG student nurses recently had the opportunity to study abroad in San Jose, Costa Rica. While there, they utilized and practiced their skills beyond the classroom. Real-world experience is an important component of academic and professional development, as 10 University of West Georgia student nurses recently had the opportunity to experience in San Jose, Costa Rica.
WGXA
MIT partners with Middle Georgia library system to offer free teen STEM program
by WGXA Digital News Staff
Middle Georgia teens are invited to join a project challenging them to design, build, and launch an aerial climate sensor. The Teen Launch Challenge at Washington Memorial Library starts Wednesday at 6 p.m. and will run weekly every Wednesday at 6 p.m. through March 11, with one additional session on Saturday, March 7 at 11 a.m. Officials say the project will help participants learn coding, electronics, soldering, design, and data analysis.
Middle Georgia CEO
MGA Accounting Students Help Others Through Volunteer Tax Preparation Service
Summer Beattie-Moore is getting some valuable work experience and helping people at the same time. Along with another Middle Georgia State University (MGA) accounting student, Beattie-Moore is helping low-to-moderate income families and individuals prepare and file their taxes through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, or VITA. The United Way of Central Georgia partnered with the Internal Revenue Service to offer the volunteer program at two locations in Macon. “This will help me learn the process and also more about tax law,” said Beattie-Moore, 25, a senior majoring in business with a concentration in accounting who is planning a career as a CPA.
Atlanta Business Chronicle
Bulldog100: Diverse entrepreneurs from UGA grow their businesses
By Melanie Lasoff Levs – Associate Editor, Atlanta Business Chronicle
Though the association does not collect race/ethnicity data in its application, there are several minority-owned-or-operated businesses on the list this year.
WGAU
Ga Center hosts UGA education conference
By: Tim Bryant
The University of Georgia’s College of Education hosts its 15th annual conference on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: it’s underway this morning at the Georgia Center.
Athens CEO
UGA Archway Helps Launch High School Welding Program to Build Local Workforce
Baker Owens
Students at Thomson High School now have an on-site training program designed to help them prepare for available jobs when they graduate and meet a growing workforce need in the community. Twenty-seven students already have enrolled in the new welding program, which began in the fall of 2019 after community leaders, including representatives from the school system, the local chamber of commerce and the UGA Archway Partnership, recognized the need to begin the training in high school to meet a growing shortage of skilled workers in the region. Kerry Bridges, area manager for Georgia Power and a member of the McDuffie-Thomson Archway Partnership executive committee, asked the Georgia Power Foundation to support the new program.
Valdosta Daily Times
Farmers defend partnership with university systems
By Riley Bunch
Farmers took to the podium at the Capitol Tuesday to defend funding for university system-driven research and innovation in agriculture. Partnerships between Georgia farmers and universities have contributed to globally renowned agricultural improvements like water irrigation efficiency and drought tolerant turf grass. But research may be put on pause with millions of dollars in cuts to the Agricultural Experiment Stations and Cooperative Extension Service programs. Farmers and higher education leaders agreed, agriculture’s spot as the number one industry in Georgia wouldn’t be maintained without the innovations from University of Georgia and other institutions with agriculture programs.
The Citizen
Korean nursing students visit Piedmont Fayette
Piedmont Fayette Hospital recently hosted students from the Korean Nursing Student Collaboration for a day of job shadowing with their nurses. The students attend Health Institute of Technology in Daejon, South Korea and have been staying at Clayton State University and studying with students in their nursing program for the past month. “The goal for this program is to provide culture immersion and to allow the students to compare and contrast nursing practices in the United States and South Korea,” said Crystal Marchant, an instructor with Clayton State’s School of Nursing and coordinator for this program.
Savannah Morning News
Report: ‘Many dead roaches’ found during initial inspection at SSU dining hall
By Asha Gilbert
Inspectors found “many dead roaches,” according to a report from the Coastal Health District after the closure of the Savannah State University Student Union on Jan. 30. The inspection of the building’s Food Court on Jan. 31 came after officials received multiple complaints about bugs in food, moldy bread and other food safety concerns. “There were many dead roaches throughout the kitchen on floors near drains, behind equipment and on some food prep surfaces,” the report said. SSU Interim President Kimberly Ballard-Washington quickly made the decision to close down the Student Union on Jan. 30 after learning of the tweet while out of town in Atlanta at Savannah-Chatham Day.
Columbus CEO
Exhibit at Bo Bartlett Center Features over 40 Columbus Artists
Staff Report
The first annual exhibition “Beyond Go Figure” honors and showcases the talents of everyone who has been part of the dream and reality of The Bo Bartlett Center, according to exhibit curator, Gloria Mani. “We have a diverse, wonderful collection of artworks on display, including various styles, medium, and subject matter. Columbus has always had a great appreciation for the arts, and this exhibition makes that statement.” Some of the artists featured in “Beyond Go Figure” include Jo Farris, Susan Culpepper, Suzanne Reed Fine, and Shannon Candler. Many members of The Bartlett Center’s Board of Advisors are artists.
The Brunswick News
College joins campaign to end sex trafficking
By Lauren McDonald
Michael Hutchins gets a red x drawn on his hand by Hudson Hedgecoth while Victoria Fryer and Wayne Farley look on Thursday at the College of Coastal Georgia. The students, members of the student ministry club Converge have held several events on campus to promote the End It 2020 national campaign to bring about awareness of sex trafficking. Students at College of Coastal Georgia joined thousands of others around the country Thursday in a campaign aimed at ending sex trafficking.
The August Chronicle
Another extension for McGarity ‘in his court,’ UGA president says
By Marc Weiszer
Greg McGarity’s current Georgia contract runs out in four and a half months but the SEC’s second longest tenured athletic director didn’t get another one-year extension Wednesday at the Athletic Association’s winter board of directors meeting. It was at the same meeting a year ago that the now 65-year old McGarity’s deal was extended and president Jere Morehead said he could remain in the position longer.
Higher Education News:
The Chronicle of Higher Education
‘Moving the Goalposts’: What You Need to Know About DeVos’s Closer Scrutiny of Foreign Gifts
By Lindsay Ellis and Dan Bauman
Calling for more reporting of foreign gifts than is widely practiced, the U.S. Department of Education’s letters to Harvard and Yale Universities this week signaled a ratcheting up of scrutiny of relations between American campuses and Chinese entities. In the two letters, each dated Tuesday, the department said Harvard and Yale may not have fully detailed their gifts and contracts with foreign entities as required by federal law. The cited provision requires universities to tell the Education Department about gifts from and contracts with foreign sources greater than $250,000. …The Education Department did not respond to a question from The Chronicle on whether it is asking for reports of all gifts, no matter the size. In an earlier letter, the department suggested that universities can track all money “at a very high level of granularity.”
Inside Higher Ed
Public Universities, Prison-Made Furniture
Public universities in several states are obligated to buy furniture and other products made in state prisons, which some students call exploitative.
By Lilah Burke
Office furniture at the University of Virginia is made in prisons. So is some of the furniture at George Mason University and the University of Mary Washington. That’s because public universities in Virginia are required to buy from Virginia Correctional Enterprises, a state-owned company that employs inmates in state prisons. About 1,300 inmates participate in the work in Virginia, and other state agencies are also required to get their furniture from VCE. Every U.S. state except Alaska features some sort of correctional enterprise, where inmates make goods like license plates and desk chairs. And in several states, public universities are required to buy from those entities.