University System News:
The Tifton Gazette
Department of Agricultural Education and Communication at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College representatives say they are providing opportunities to combat the shortage of agricultural educators in Georgia. ABAC and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission have collaborated to provide a one-year teaching certification program for agricultural education, college officials said in a statement. Dr. Frank Flanders, coordinator of the agricultural education program at ABAC, said the post baccalaureate teacher certification program is targeted toward students who have completed or are in the process of completing a bachelor of science degree in any area of agriculture.
The Augusta Chronicle
Susan McCord
Community officials take part in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the HUB for Community Innovation on Tuesday, a project backed with a $10 million gift from Augusta National Golf Club and corporate partners. A few hundred friends and supporters celebrated the start of construction Tuesday for the HUB for Community Innovation, an outreach center in Augusta’s Harrisburg community. The project began 18 months ago when the MCG Foundation, which owns much of the land around the former 15th Street Kroger property, connected with project co-leaders the Community Foundation of the CSRA and the Boys & Girls Clubs of the CSRA in an effort to create sustainable change in Harrisburg and the Laney-Walker communities, which flank the downtown medical district, organizers said.
Medical Xpress
‘Brain glue’ helps repair circuitry in severe traumatic brain injury
by Charlene Betourney, University of Georgia
At a cost of $38 billion a year, an estimated 5.3 million people are living with a permanent disability related to traumatic brain injury in the United States today, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The physical, mental and financial toll of a TBI can be enormous, but new research from the University of Georgia provides promise. In a new study, researchers at UGA’s Regenerative Biosciences Center have demonstrated the long-term benefits of a hydrogel, which they call “brain glue,” for the treatment of traumatic brain injury. The new study provides evidence that not only does the gel protect against loss of brain tissue after a severe injury, but it also might aid in functional neural repair.
WJCL
Savannah State University offering COVID-19 vaccinations
Dave Williams
Savannah State University is moving one step closer toward a possible return to normalcy. “We are offering it here for the purpose of convenience,” said Savannah State Interim President, Dr. Kimberly Ballard-Washington. And that is why Savannah State University is now making it easier for their students, faculty and staff to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Tuesday, the school teamed up with Compounding Solutions Pharmacy to administer about 130 shots of the Pfizer vaccine to those who signed up for one.
Savannah CEO
Public Health Education Soars in Wake of Pandemic
Maybe a silver lining can be found from the COVID-19 pandemic, as interest in public health education is soaring at U.S. colleges and universities, says a nationally prominent public health professor. Public health education has become a logical choice for students when looking at changing public health practice trends and their implications for public health education, explained Gulzar Shah, Ph.D., who authored an invited editorial in the March issue of the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH). Shah is department chair and professor of health policy and community health in Georgia Southern University’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health. His editorial is titled “Public Health Education and Changing Public Health Realities in the Public Health 3.0 Era.” “For many of the 19 million college students enrolling annually in public and private colleges in the United States, public health is becoming a logical choice,” he said. “Because of COVID-19, interest in public health careers is soaring, evident from the 20% increase nationwide in Master of Public Health applicants.” The editorial also drew insights from the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health’s national-level data from schools and programs of public health about the first employment destinations of public health graduates.
Fox 5 Atlanta
UGA legend Vince Dooley inducted into Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame
By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Georgia Bulldogs legend Vince Dooley has been inducted into the Georgia Military Veterans Hall of Fame Class of 2020. The former University of Georgia head football coach and director of athletics was inducted this past Saturday for his military service and “his lifetime of selfless service to others.” Dooley served in the Marine Corps for two years following his 1954 graduation from Auburn, where he played football. After receiving an honorable discharge with the rank of captain in 1957, he headed back to Auburn to complete his master’s degree before beginning his long and successful coaching career in 1963.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Coronavirus in Georgia: COVID-19 Dashboard
Latest stats and the news on the coronavirus outbreak
Q: What is the latest on confirmed and probable coronavirus cases in Georgia?
856,303 TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES
1,065,160 TOTAL INCLUDING PROBABLE CASES
Q: What is the latest on coronavirus deaths in Georgia?
16,749 TOTAL CONFIRMED DEATHS
19,212 TOTAL INCLUDING PROBABLE DEATHS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UK variant now dominant form of COVID in U.S., CDC director says
By Tim Darnell
The head of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the coronavirus’ U.K. variant is now the dominant form of COVID-19 in the U.S. Dr. Rochelle Walensky reportedly made the observation during a White House coronavirus team meeting. Walensky said the strain, formally known as B.1.1.7, is “now the most common lineage circulating in United States.” The strain has been shown to be more transmissible and infectious among younger Americans, which Walensky says contributed to rising case counts in recent weeks.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Study suggests link between COVID-19 and mental health problems
By Nancy Clanton
1 in 3 survivors received a neurological or psychiatric diagnosis within six months of infection
In the largest study of its kind to date, researchers found 1 in 3 COVID-19 survivors received a neurological or psychiatric diagnosis within six months of infection. “These are real-world data from a large number of patients,” professor Paul Harrison, lead author of the study, said in a press release. “They confirm the high rates of psychiatric diagnoses after COVID-19, and show that serious disorders affecting the nervous system (such as stroke and dementia) occur too. While the latter are much rarer, they are significant, especially in those who had severe COVID-19. “Although the individual risks for most disorders are small,” he continued, “the effect across the whole population may be substantial for health and social care systems due to the scale of the pandemic and that many of these conditions are chronic. As a result, health care systems need to be resourced to deal with the anticipated need, both within primary and secondary care services.”
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
Secure File Sharing Compromises University Security
A list of higher education institutions affected by a vulnerability in supposedly secure file transfer software could grow, cybersecurity experts say.
By Lindsay McKenzie
Multiple higher education institutions have now confirmed they were victims of data theft related to a security flaw in file transfer software sold by IT security company Accellion, but the true scale of the data breach is still not fully understood. Sensitive information from the University of California system, Yeshiva University, the University of Miami, the University of Colorado, Stanford University’s School of Medicine and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, was recently discovered on the dark web in connection to the Accellion cyberattack, which took place earlier this year. All institutions have confirmed they are customers of Accellion and are actively investigating the incident. Data files that include personal information such as Social Security numbers were stolen from the universities and made available to download via a website called Clop that is run by cybercriminals. A sample of documents reviewed by Inside Higher Ed included academic transcripts, medical records, research grants and employment contracts.
Inside Higher Ed
4 More Colleges Will Require Vaccinations
By Scott Jaschik
Northeastern University announced Tuesday that it will require all students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the first day of classes in the fall. Ken Henderson, chancellor and senior vice president for learning at Northeastern, said, “If all, or nearly all of our students are vaccinated, we expect that we’ll be able to achieve herd immunity.” Also in recent days, Brown University, Fort Lewis College and St. Edward’s University announced similar moves. Rutgers University was the first college with such a requirement. It was followed by Cornell and Nova Southeastern Universities. But St. Edward’s, located in Austin, Tex., will create an exemption to the policy because of an executive order by Texas governor Greg Abbott, a Republican. Abbott barred any organization that receives state funds from requiring proof of vaccination. Although St. Edward’s is private, it receives state funds for financial aid.
Inside Higher Ed
Parents Want Alternatives to 4-Year College
By Scott Jaschik
A new survey by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Gallup, released today, finds that many parents want alternatives to college for their children. Fifty-four percent of parents wish their high school graduate would attend a four-year college (highest among Black families, at 67 percent) versus 46 percent who would prefer their child pursue alternatives, including community college (8 percent), skills training programs (16 percent) and options such as the military or a paid job (22 percent).
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Opinion: Where you go to college is not who you are—or will be
Professor urges students to ignore marketing ploys and decide whether campus is right fit
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
In a guest column, Todd L. Pittinsky, a professor at Stony Brook University in New York, cautions high school seniors weighing college choices this month not to get caught up in believing where they go to school sets their life course. Yes, going to college is important, he says, but where students go plays less of a role than what they study and how hard. Pittinsky’s most recent book is “Leaders Who Lust,” with Barbara Kellerman. Prior to joining Stony Brook, Pittinsky was an associate professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he served as Research Director of the Center for Public Leadership.
By Todd L. Pittinsky
In the coming month, culminating on the May 1 National College Decision Day, college-bound high school students across Atlanta will have to finalize their decision where to go.
Inside Higher Ed
Education Department Starts Review of Title IX
By Scott Jaschik
The U.S. Department of Education has started a review of the rules issued over Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, in response to President Biden’s executive order last month. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said, “Today’s action is the first step in making sure that the Title IX regulations are effective and are fostering safe learning environments for our students while implementing fair processes. Sexual harassment and other forms of sex discrimination, including in extracurricular activities and other educational settings, threaten access to education for students of all ages.”
Inside Higher Ed
Driving Transformation in Higher Education: A Compilation
By Doug Lederman
“Driving Transformation in Higher Education,” a new print-on-demand compilation of articles and essays from Inside Higher Ed, is now available for free download here. The articles in this booklet offer numerous examples of institutional adaptation, as well as insights from experts on how colleges and universities, individually and collectively, might reimagine themselves to respond to the opportunities and challenges presented by today’s pressure-filled, fast-changing environment.