University System News:

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Georgia leaders want to pay bonuses to many state workers

By Jeff Amy Associated Press

Georgia officials are proposing one-time bonuses of $1,000 to many state employees who make less than $80,000 a year. Gov. Brian Kemp, House Speaker David Ralston and Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, all Republicans, announced the plan Wednesday. They said they wanted to recognize the hard work of employees during the pandemic. “Our state employees work incredibly hard despite the global pandemic,” Kemp said. “They have to be going above and beyond the call of duty to deliver essential services to our most vulnerable, keeping our businesses open and delivering financial assistance to those that quite honestly many days were losing hope.”

U.S. News & World Report

Georgia Lawmakers Restore $567 Million for K-12 Education

Georgia lawmakers have approved their changes to the current year’s budget, including more money for K-12 schools and public health and $1,000 bonuses for more than 50,000 state employees.

By Associated Press, Wire Service Content

By Jeff Amy, Associated Press

Georgia lawmakers approved their changes to the current year’s budget on Thursday, including more money for K-12 schools and public health along with $1,000 bonuses for more than 50,000 state employees. The House and Senate agreed to the changes by overwhelming votes, sending House Bill 80 to Gov. Brian Kemp. A spokesperson said that he will sign it. The measure spends $26.6 billion in state funds and $15.6 billion more in federal money in the current year ending June 30.

Marietta Daily Journal

Coronavirus cases continue downward trend, including at UGA

Staff reports

The University of Georgia announced Wednesday that new coronavirus cases among students, faculty, and staff have dropped “dramatically,” with the fewest new cases in a single week since Thanksgiving. Between Feb. 1 and 7, the university reported 115 new COVID-19 cases, a 37% decrease from the week prior. The university also says its positivity rate—the percentage of positive cases among those tested—was also at its lowest since Thanksgiving, at just 1.61%.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

University of West Georgia outlines strategic goals

By Eric Stirgus

Plans include more student projects, faculty research

University of West Georgia leaders on Thursday announced a five-year strategic plan officials hope will boost enrollment, improve graduation rates and increase research opportunities for its faculty. The “Becoming UWG” plan includes pushing students to complete projects that take more than a semester and reevaluating the cost of some fees. University leaders will also work to enhance its graduate program. About one-quarter of the university’s enrollment consists of graduate students, one of the highest rates in the University System of Georgia.

The George-Anne

Marrero talks COVID-19 and university growth

Marrero: “These have been challenging times… I’m proud of how we’ve navigated through this”

Andy Cole, Editor-in-Chief

From his office on the Armstrong campus, Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero spoke virtually Wednesday with The George-Anne about the spring semester amidst a pandemic and the growth the university is soon set to undergo. “For our spring, what we really focused on is that continued classroom safety,” said Marrero. “Data shows us that the classroom is the safest place to be for our faculty and for our students.” Marrero acknowledged that while the university has reported nearly 500 cases since Jan 1, GS has mitigated the spread through the CARES Center

Douglas Now

SOUTH GEORGIA STATE COLLEGE HONORED AS 2020 COMMUNITY PARTNER OF THE YEAR

South Georgia State College was the recipient of a 2020 Community Partner of the Year award during the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber of Commerce’s 94th Annual Event and Awards Program virtually on Thursday evening, February 4, 2021. The event celebrated the community by recognizing deserving individuals and businesses who consistently give of their time and talent, For the Love of Coffee. SGSC president Dr. Ingrid Thompson-Sellers accepted the award on behalf of the College and expressed her gratitude for being a member and partner of the Douglas-Coffee County Chamber. …The Community Partner of the Year award celebrates the contributions of a community agency or organization who has an on-going commitment and partnership with the business community to address the needs of the Douglas-Coffee County area. South Georgia State College is one of the recipients of this year’s award which includes educational institutions for their unwavering commitment to meet the critical needs of Coffee County.  The pandemic’s impact has been extensive and the adjustments made are certainly unprecedented.

Tifton CEO

ABAC Celebrates 113th Birthday on February 20th in Midst of Pandemic

As Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College prepares to celebrate its 113th birthday on Feb. 20 in the midst of a global pandemic, it pays to remember that it’s not the first time that students at ABAC faced a health crisis that affected the world’s population. The deadliest pandemic of the 20th century took place in 1918-19 when a flu virus resulted in 50 million deaths worldwide and approximately 675,000 deaths in the United States.  Ironically, the solutions to coping with the flu at that time included isolation, quarantine, good personal hygiene, use of disinfectants, and limited public gatherings. Pictures from the era show Americans wearing cloth masks over their faces.  Such is the case again in 2021 on the ABAC campus.

News Break

$1 Million Gift from PooI Industry Pioneer Establishes MCG’s Newest Endowed Chair

A $1 million gift from the estate of a pool industry pioneer has established the newest endowed chair at the state of Georgia’s only public medical school. The gift from the estate of the late Leon Bloom, founder of BioLab, Inc., an international swimming pool chemical company, honors him and his late wife by creating the Leon and Dorothy Bloom Chair in Medical Research at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.

Morning AgClips

Entrepreneurial competition accepting proposals for $10,000 prize

Will be accepting proposals through Feb. 20

It’s not too late for University of Georgia students to turn their novel ideas into a chance at a grand prize of $10,000. The UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Food and AgriBusiness Entrepreneurial Initiative (FABricate) is accepting proposals through Feb. 20. Preliminary interviews will be conducted March 17, and finalists will be invited back to pitch their ideas virtually to a group of judges March 24. Categories for the contest include new food products, agricultural technology, agriculture or food businesses, and environmental or sustainable businesses. This is the fifth year CAES has held the entrepreneurial competition.

Growing America

UGA CAES Reports Results from Survey on COVID-19 Impact on AG

By: Georgia Farm Bureau

A survey by the UGA Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development revealed farmers’ concerns about the health impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, UGA researchers revealed during the annual Ag Forecast, held virtually on Jan. 29. Dr. Sharon Kane, a senior public service associate with the CAES Center for Agribusiness & Economic Development, encouraged Georgia farmers to participate in the Year-End COVID-19 Impact Study she is conducting. The participation deadline has been extended to Feb. 15. It initially ran from Dec. to Jan. 15.

The Oconee Enterprise

Professor helps develop vaccine for COVID-19

by Julia Fechter

After dedicating much of his career to the development of treatments and vaccines for cancer, viruses and autoimmune disorders, Bogart resident and University of Georgia immunology and microbiology professor Ken Rosenthal is turning his attention to COVID-19 vaccine efforts. The professor, along with the biotech company CEL-SCI and other colleagues at UGA’s Center for Vaccines and Immunology, is working on a study to develop a new type of vaccine for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease. …The vaccine that he and CEL-SCI are working on can be maintained at room temperature for extended periods of time before it is reconstituted and administered.

Patch

Contemporary Antisemitism To Be Discussed In Hoag Lecture Series, U. of N. Georgia

Exposing students to contemporary issues with historical significance followed by a discussion is one purpose of the Hoag Lecture Series.

Exposing students to contemporary issues with historical significance followed by a discussion is one purpose of the Hoag Lecture Series at the University of North Georgia (UNG). “We want to get students and faculty talking about current issues, especially ones important to them,” said Dr. Lauren Oliver2, chair of the lecture series committee and assistant professor of biology3 in the College of Science and Mathematics4. Another purpose of the lecture series is to bring well-known experts to UNG who can impart their knowledge to students, faculty and staff in addition to the public.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Microsoft says it plans significant Atlanta expansion

By Andy Peters

West Coast tech giant could add thousands of jobs in the coming years

Microsoft President Brad Smith said the company plans to make metro Atlanta a major hub as it embarks on a significant expansion. The tech giant is adding two regional data centers and could bring thousands of jobs to 90 acres of land it bought in recent months at the stalled Quarry Yards development on the city’s Westside. “You don’t buy 90 acres if you don’t have plans to grow substantially,” Smith told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an interview. …The broader expansion should burnish Atlanta’s reputation as a regional tech hub that provides a diverse workforce. Microsoft will recruit heavily from Georgia Tech and Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College, three historically black colleges and universities. It’s already developed a relationship with the Atlanta University Center colleges, partnering with Morehouse to provide tablets to all new students. Microsoft will primarily recruit graduates with computer science, software development and data science degrees, Smith said.

Scienmag

Biomedical Engineer Earns AAAS Mentor Award For Commitment To Students’ Success

Manu Platt, a biomedical engineer and associate professor at the joint department of biomedical engineering between Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, will receive the 2021 AAAS Mentor Award for his commitment to supporting the diverse members of his laboratory, providing opportunities for their growth and encouraging his students out of their comfort zones to reach their fullest potential. The award, established by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1993, honors an individual with less than 25 years of professional experience who has mentored a significant number of students underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, including women of all backgrounds, African American, Native American and Hispanic men, and people with disabilities.

Albany CEO

Georgia Tech’s Tim Brown on Supply Chain & Logistics Programs at MCLB-Albany

Managing Director for the Georgia Tech Supply Chain and Logistics Institute Tim Brown talks about Georgia Tech’s partnership with the MCLB-Albany and the Supply Chain & Logistics programs they offer.

Other News:

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated Feb. 10)

An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state

CONFIRMED DEATHS: 13,599 | Deaths have been confirmed in all counties but one (Taliaferro). This figure does not include additional cases that the DPH reports as suspected COVID-19-related deaths. County is determined by the patient’s residence, when known, not by where they were treated.

CONFIRMED CASES: 780,494 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.

Higher Education News:

Inside Higher Ed

House Committee Moves Ahead With Additional Aid

By Kery Murakami

The Democratic majority on the House education committee early Wednesday approved, along party lines, a coronavirus relief package that would include another $40 billion in aid to colleges and universities. The package sets the education and labor pieces of the $1.9 trillion proposal House Democrats are assembling to send to the Senate. In a marathon meeting that began at 3 p.m. Tuesday and stretched until after 4 a.m. Wednesday, Democrats also beat back a slew of Republican amendments that would have denied emergency grants in the package to undocumented students, denied relief funds to institutions with partnerships with China and steered funding from those with large endowments to community colleges.

Inside Higher Ed

Student Loan Borrowers Miss Out on COVID-19 Small Business Help

By Kery Murakami

Those who own small businesses and are behind on repaying their student loans are facing another problem, according to a new study. About 800,000 small business owners may be ineligible to receive help from the Paycheck Protection Program, which was created in last year’s federal coronavirus relief packages. Those who have defaulted or are delinquent in repaying federal loans are ineligible for the loans to help small businesses survive the economic downturn during the pandemic, the Center for Responsible Lending found.

Inside Higher Ed

New Variant Makes Inroads Onto College Campuses

Six universities have now reported cases of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2.

By Lilah Burke

The University of Michigan was the only major institution to have reported evidence of the new coronavirus variant B.1.1.7 on campus at the beginning of last week. Five additional universities have since joined that list. Tulane University; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Miami; the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Washington have all now reported cases of the B.1.1.7 variant. …Florida is so far the worst state for the B.1.1.7 variant, with 343 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Florida tops California, the state with the next highest count, by 187 cases. (Florida officials have attributed this to more testing for the variant.)

Forbes

An Uncertain Future Ahead For College Students—And They Know It

Mark C. Perna Contributor

The pandemic has made everyone uncertain about the future, but no one more so than Generation-Z college students. Some weren’t sure if they should even go back to school last fall. Career scarring, that can significantly affect workers launching their careers during a recession, is a real danger. They’ve reached a high-stakes moment in their education and career journey—and the pandemic isn’t making it any easier. According to a recent CollegeFinance.com survey, only 3 in 10 college students now feel confident about getting their desired job once they graduate. Even fewer (23%) believe they will receive their desired salary after graduation. Nearly 1 in 6 students lost the positions they had lined up before the pandemic hit, with only 9% of students reporting they were able to work at jobs offered to them before Covid-19 struck.

Diverse Issues in Higher Education

Campaign Pushes for Reauthorization of Higher Education Act

by Sara Weissman

On Monday, the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers launched a national joint campaign, in collaboration with the Roosevelt Institute, called “A New Deal for Higher Education,” which advocates for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and large-scale federal investment in the higher education sector. “Decades of disinvestment in public education, in particular higher ed, has led to chronic underfunding of our institutions,” said Dr. Irene Mulvey, president of the American Association of University Professors, at a virtual launch event on Zoom. “This is responsible in large part for the student debt crisis, for widening racial inequities and for an impoverished academic profession. Those of us in higher ed have long recognized that this is unsustainable. Now is the time for a New Deal for higher ed.” Mulvey encouraged educators to take immediate action and support President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which would put $35 billion in emergency funding toward protecting jobs in higher education and toward enabling in-person learning through vaccinations, testing and other safety measures. But she warned against a “Band-Aid approach” to higher education’s inequities in reaction to the pandemic.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Alabama university removes Wallace name from building

By The Associated Press

The University of Alabama at Birmingham has removed the name of four-term governor and presidential candidate George C. Wallace from a campus building over his support of racial segregation. A resolution unanimously approved by trustees Friday said Wallace rose to power by defending racial separation and stoking racial animosity. While noting Wallace’s eventual renouncement of racist policies, the resolution said his name remains a symbol of racial injustice for many. A UAB building that was named after Wallace in 1975 will now be called simply the Physical Education Building. Removing Wallace’s name from the structure “is simply the right things to do,” Trustee John England Jr. said in a statement.