USG e-clips for March 15, 2021

University System News:

Cision PRWeb

Intelligent.com Announces Best Colleges In Georgia for 2021 

Degree holders gain increased earning potential with career opportunities upon graduation from these top ranked institutions.

Intelligent.com, a trusted resource for online degree rankings and higher education planning, has announced the Top 39 Colleges In Georgia for 2021. The comprehensive research guide is based on an assessment of 166 accredited colleges and universities in the nation. Each institution is evaluated based on curriculum quality, graduation rate, reputation, and post-graduate employment.

2021 Top Colleges In Georgia featured on Intelligent.com (in alphabetical order):

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College; Albany State University; Augusta University; Clayton State University; Columbus State University; Dalton State College; Fort Valley State University; Georgia Institute of Technology; Georgia Southern University; Georgia Southwestern State University; Gordon State College; Kennesaw State University; Savannah State University; University of Georgia; University of North Georgia; University of West Georgia; Valdosta State University

Statesboro Herald

East Georgia State College foundation receives grant for honeybees, pollinator garden

Special to the Herald

The East Georgia State College Foundation recently received two grants from the Mill Creek Foundation to supply honeybees for the EGSC Bobcat Apiary and to establish a wildflower pollinator garden at the main campus.

Athens CEO

UGA Reclaims No. 1 Spot for New Products to Market

The University of Georgia has returned to the top of AUTM’s national rankings for the number of products developed by industry partners based on UGA research discoveries, marking the seventh straight year UGA has placed among the top five schools in the country for this metric. AUTM, formerly known as the Association of University Technology Managers, conducts an annual survey of intellectual property licensing and startup activities by universities and research centers, and then turns the survey data into a report that can be used to rank those institutions along a number of tech-transfer categories.

WGAU Radio

UGA student wins Churchill scholarship

Landon Clark is from Lee County

By Stephanie Schupska

University of Georgia senior Landon Clark of Leesburg will continue his studies in the biological sciences this fall through the Churchill Scholarship, which funds American students as they pursue a one-year master’s program at the University of Cambridge in England.

WJBF (Video)

Georgia Southern alumni network in Augusta accepting donations of dog supplies

Gwinnett Daily Post

UGA alum creates scholarship in honor of mentor/friend

By Maria M. Lameiras CAES News

As a peach and pecan producer in central Georgia, Al Pearson relied on the expert advice provided by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. In addition to the valuable counsel provided by extension peach expert Maurice E. “Butch” Ferree, Pearson gained something unexpected: a lifelong friend. A member of the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Board, Pearson has established the Dr. Maurice E. “Butch” Ferree Scholarship to support students majoring in horticulture in honor of Ferree, who retired in 1998 after 24 years with UGA Extension. The scholarship, which will be awarded for the first time in fall 2021, will provide scholarship awards for Georgia residents who are rising juniors or seniors majoring in horticulture at CAES.

Statesboro Herald

Bulloch teachers receive COVID vaccine

County cases stay low, two reported Friday

…Local colleges

Georgia Southern had 20 total cases reported March 1–7 — 15 self-reported and five university-confirmed cases. GS reported 21 total cases for the week of Feb. 22–28. The 20 new coronavirus cases include 12 on the Statesboro campus, eight on the Armstrong-Savannah campus and none on the Liberty campus in Hinesville.

East Georgia State College reported no new cases across its three campuses on Friday. The college has had a total of 154 cases across its three campuses since Aug. 17.

The Red & Black

UGA students discuss impact of sleep on academics, mental health

Martina Essert | Contributor

Between classes, internships, work and socializing, a student’s sleep often slips down the priority list. However, the key to getting straight A’s could actually be getting many more Z’s. As daylight saving time returns for the year, it is more vital than ever that students adjust their sleep schedules to each get the sleep that they need and deserve, especially during this unusually strenuous and taxing semester. According to the University of Georgia Health Center, students get an average of 6-6.9 hours of sleep per night, and most college students are sleep deprived much more than is healthy during their years at school. …Freshman communications major Carter Ricker has already started to see the impact his sleep schedule has on his academic performance. Ricker even said he has sustained himself for multiple days on nothing but caffeine from coffee and energy shots in an effort to study effectively for a difficult test. Many students can relate to this paradoxical situation of needing to stay up to get homework done and study as much as possible but also needing sleep to be productive in your work and studying. It is sometimes very hard to prioritize something that seems as expendable as sleep.

Other News:

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

BREAKING: Germany suspends AstraZeneca vaccine amid clotting concerns

By The Associated Press

BERLIN — The German government said Monday that it is suspending the use of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine over new reports of dangerous blood clots in connection with the shot. The Health Ministry said the decision was taken as a “precaution” and on the advice of Germany’s national vaccine regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute, which called for further investigation of the cases.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated March 14)

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

CONFIRMED DEATHS: 15,871 | Deaths have been confirmed in every county. 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: 835,484 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.

Higher Education News:

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia schools to get over $4 billion from latest federal stimulus

By Ty Tagami

Early childhood education and higher education will also get money

Schools in Georgia will share in more than $4 billion from the latest round of federal stimulus, a massive influx of funding that comes atop two prior rounds. Local officials were still awaiting word Friday afternoon about their actual allotments, but statewide the amount earmarked for school districts and for the Georgia Department of Education is $4.25 billion, the state agency said. That excludes other education-related funds the state is expecting, such as nearly $1.6 billion for the care and schooling of children before kindergarten and at least $1 billion for higher education.

Inside Higher Ed

How Much Will Your Institution Get in Coronavirus Relief?

By Kery Murakami

Want to know how much your institution will get in the coronavirus relief package passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden last week? The American Council on Education released a simulation on Friday of how the $40 billion in aid for higher education will be distributed. Of the money, $36 billion will go to the nation’s nearly 3,500 public and private, nonprofit colleges and universities. Another $395.8 million will go to the roughly 1,630 for-profit institutions. Another $200 million will be allocated to institutions based on exceptional need. The bill also provides nearly $3 billion to historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and other minority-serving institutions.

Inside Higher Ed

Reopening, With Equity

Administrations are considering the upcoming fall. What sorts of equity issues are at play with a return to “normal”?

By Lilah Burke

Now that the fall is complete and the spring in full swing, eyes have turned to the upcoming semester. A number of colleges and universities, spurred by promising vaccine news and the beginning of admissions season, have announced that they plan to return to “normal” this upcoming fall. In-person classes and residential experiences will be the norm, administrations have said. Some higher education experts are beginning to look ahead to that return, including the possible equity concerns that may arise and how institutions can address them

Inside Higher Ed

A New Admissions Scandal

This scandal doesn’t feature as much money but allegedly involves completely fraudulent applications. And top colleges and universities were duped.

By Scott Jaschik.

Remember when Varsity Blues became public two years ago? There were vast sums of money involved. And the students faked either their backgrounds (pretending to be athletes) or had their SAT or ACT scores faked by having proctors paid to “correct” their exams. Most colleges to which the students were applying were oblivious to being duped. And most of the accused admitted their guilt. Welcome to a new admission scandal. This one involved international students, who paid for “help” on everything. Prosecutors last week indicted Yi Chen and Yixin Li, who live in Southern California, for running businesses the students paid for “guaranteed” admission to college. In return, the students received essays, doctored transcripts of their high school or college records, someone else to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language or the SAT, and help with their student visa applications. The results? The students (19 referred to in the indictment) paid thousands of dollars and were admitted to Boston College, Boston University, Columbia University, New York University, Orange Coast Community College, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Southern California and the University of California campuses at Irvine and Riverside.