University System News:
yahoo!news
ABAC schedules 3 spring commencement ceremonies for May 14
The Moultrie Observer, Ga.
To allow for proper social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College has scheduled three in-person spring commencement ceremonies for May 14. Two ceremonies will be held in Tifton inside Gressette Gymnasium at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and another ceremony will be held in Bainbridge at 6 p.m. at the Kirbo Center.
Georgia Trend
Georgia’s MBA programs prepare students for post-pandemic success.
Betty Darby
A master of business administration, or MBA, has long been considered the gold standard in business credentials. That thinking seems to have gained support during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the period of economic instability offered opportunities for resumé building with a degree that documents career aspirations and abilities. Between fall semesters of 2019 and 2020, the number of people seeking an MBA from Georgia’s public universities jumped by 19%
…MBA Programs in Georgia
Albany State University; Augusta University; Clayton State University; Columbus State University; Georgia College; Georgia Institute of Technology; Georgia Southern University; Georgia Southwestern State University; Georgia State University; Kennesaw State University; Savannah State University; University of Georgia; University of North Georgia; University of West Georgia; Valdosta State University
AllOnGeorgia
Amanda Weaver, a senior mechanical engineering student at Georgia Southern University, grew up with a desire to understand how things work and a passion to protect the environment. It was these interests that led her to her work with alternative fuels research at GSU.
Patch
University Of Georgia: UGA Class Of 2021 Sets Senior Signature Record
More than 3,000 students make a gift to the university in their final year
The University of Georgia Class of 2021 set a Senior Signature record with 3,009 students making a gift to the university prior to graduation. This is the fifth consecutive year that the graduating class broke the preceding class’s participation record and the highest donor count in the program’s 30-year history. Students are asked to contribute to UGA through the Senior Signature program during their final year on campus.
WJBF
Helping your kids navigate changes during pandemic, depression
by: Mary Calkins
According to the CDC, mental health related emergency room visits have sharply increased in recent months, specifically for middle and high school students. Child psychiatrist at the Medical College of Georgia, Dr. Dale Peeples, says this age group is particularly sensitive to disruption in their routines, like changes in school schedules.
The Newnan Times-Herald
Howard Warner Boys and Girls Club takes refuge at West Georgia
By Joe Adgie
The Howard Warner Boys and Girls Club took a hit from the March 26 tornado, but the club appears to be turning a negative into a positive. Laure Odom, senior executive director for the club, said the club is using space at the University of West Georgia’s Newnan campus after being connected to the group by board members Hasco Craver ad Bob Heberlin. Odom said the two connected the club to Rebecca Smith with the University of West Georgia, who was able to set up a memorandum of understanding to use the space.
Coosa Valley News
NICHOLS NAMED INTERIM PRESIDENT AT GEORGIA HIGHLANDS COLLEGE
Posted by Staff Reports
University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley has named Dr. Dana Nichols as interim president of Georgia Highlands College, effective July 7, 2021. Dr. Nichols is currently the college’s chief academic officer and provost. She will succeed President Don Green, who has accepted a new position as president of Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pa.
WABE
Provost Named Interim President At Kennesaw State
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kennesaw State University’s provost will lead the school until regents select a new president.
Chancellor Steve Wrigley announced Thursday that Kathy “Kat” Schwaig will become interim president at the 41,000-student university in Cobb County on July 1. President Pamela Whitten is leaving to become president of Indiana University. Kennesaw State is one of six University System of Georgia schools with a current or impending presidential vacancy, including Clayton State University, Georgia State University, Georgia College & State University, Georgia Highlands College and Savannah State University.
Also appeared in Athens CEO and The Brunswick News
SaportaReport
Reporter’s Notebook: President, First Lady Biden visit Georgia to celebrate 100th day in office
Hannah Jones
…A movement: Students against Sonny
A coalition of students in the University System of Georgia has banded together to petition against the appointment of Sonny Perdue as USG Chancellor. In March, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the former Georgia governor and President Trump’s agriculture secretary was a serious contender for the position.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Capitol Recap: Plan seeks big changes for Georgia’s Stone Mountain
By Jim Denery
…Potential pick of Perdue to head USG stirs new resistance
If the Board of Regents names former Gov. Sonny Perdue as the next leader of the University System of Georgia, it could hit students and parents in their checking accounts.
News Medical
Obesity and high-salt diet pose bigger, seemingly synergistic cardiovascular risks for females
Obesity and a high-salt diet are both bad for our hearts but they are bigger, seemingly synergistic risks for females, scientists report. We see younger and younger women having cardiovascular disease and the question is: What is the cause? We think the fact that females are more salt sensitive and more sensitive to obesity are among the reasons they have lost the natural protection youth and estrogen are thought to provide.” Dr. Eric Belin de Chantemele, Physiologist in the Vascular Biology Center and Department of Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University His message to women based on the sex differences they are finding: “First reduce your consumption of salt, a message the American Heart Association has been pushing for years, which should also result in a reduction in your intake of highly processed, high-calorie food and drink.”
EurekAlert
New optical hydrogen sensors eliminate risk of sparking
Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles – electric cars without the plug – made safer
Hydrogen as a clean, renewable alternative to fossil fuels is part of a sustainable-energy future, and very much already here. However, lingering concerns about flammability have limited the widespread use of hydrogen as a power source for electric vehicles. Previous advances have minimized the risk, but new research from the University of Georgia now puts that risk in the rearview mirror.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated April 29)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 17,534 | 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: 878,827 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
100 million Americans vaccinated, Biden White House says
By Tim Darnel
The White House announced Friday 100 million American adults have been fully vaccinated. “That’s a hundred million Americans with a sense of relief and peace of mind, knowing that after a long and hard year, they’re protected from the virus,” White House coronavirus response director Jeff Zients said, as reported by CNN. “Knowing their decision to get vaccinated protects not just themselves but also protects their families, their friends and their communities.”
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
Among the early adopters of COVID-19 vaccine requirements, colleges in red states lag behind those in blue states. Will the trend persist?
By Elizabeth Redden
As the number of colleges requiring COVID vaccines continues to grow, many institutions mandating the immunizations for students fit a certain profile: more often private than public, selective, located in a Democratic-leaning state. There are exceptions, of course. But the pattern is unmistakable. Just 15 of 181 colleges with COVID-19 vaccine requirements included in a list maintained by The Chronicle of Higher Education are located in states that voted for Trump in 2020. Of those 15, just one, Cleveland State University, in Ohio, is a public university. Public and private institutions in the same state are taking different approaches on vaccine requirements.
Inside Higher Ed
College Health Group Recommends Requiring COVID Vaccines
By Elizabeth Redden
The American College Health Association is recommending that colleges require vaccination against COVID-19 for all students coming to campuses this fall.
Inside Higher Ed
Grad Students and Mental Health
The well-being of graduate students has been overlooked, a new report argues. How can administrations support this population?
By Lilah Burke
The past year has seen an increased focus on mental health and well-being, as students and faculty have undergone immense stress during the pandemic. But although some graduate students have tried to bring attention to it, their mental health has escaped more dedicated focus from administrations. A new report from the Council of Graduate Schools and the Jed Foundation now finds that while graduate students face unique mental health and well-being challenges, they are underrepresented in research and in campus messaging. One recent study suggested that one-third of graduate students report symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or depression. But in a CGS and Jed survey of institutions, only 58 percent said they had a model, framework or plan to promote the mental health and well-being of graduate students.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OPINION: Biden outlines education vision with public schools at its core
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
In first formal speech to Congress, president calls for universal preschool and free community college
President Joe Biden’s first formal address to Congress lauded the role of public education in America’s primacy in the 20th century, saying 12 years of taxpayer-funded public education “made us the best-educated, best-prepared nation in the world … Universal public schools and college aid opened wide the doors of opportunity.” However, in the 21st century, Biden said educating Americans through high school is no longer sufficient, proposing free pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds and community college as key planks in his $1.8 trillion American Families Plan. Twelve years of taxpayer-funded education could grow to 15 or 16 years. “Twelve years is no longer enough today to compete with the rest of the world in the 21st century. That’s why my American Families Plan guarantees four additional years of public education for every person in America, starting as early as we can,” he said.
Inside Higher Ed
President Biden’s ambitious American Families Plan is welcome news for leaders of community colleges and minority-serving institutions.
By Sara Weissman
President Joe Biden’s American Families Plan is a game-changer for community colleges and minority-serving institutions, campus leaders say. The $1.8 trillion plan, proposed Wednesday, could bring a much-needed windfall to institutions serving students most hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan is a grab bag of opportunities for open-access institutions. It dedicates $109 billion toward two years of free community college and $39 billion for two years of tuition at minority-serving institutions for students with a household income of less than $125,000. It also invests $62 billion for “completion and retention activities at colleges and universities that serve high numbers of low-income students” and allocates $80 billion to increase the maximum Pell Grant by $1,400 per student.