University System News:
Marietta Daily Journal
Kennesaw State professor encourages women to pursue construction management
By Staff Reports
As a student, it wasn’t uncommon for Irish Horsey to look around and find herself as the only woman in a classroom full of construction management majors. Now an assistant professor and interim chair of KSU’s Department of Construction Management, she uses her platform to demonstrate it doesn’t have to be that way. Construction managers are similar to project managers in other industries, only specialized for the built environment, she added. It’s a discipline that calls for creativity and best suited for students who see themselves as problem solvers. It’s also a rapidly growing industry. However, having spent nearly 20 years in construction management for the public and private sectors before making the leap into academia, Horsey saw firsthand that women were disproportionately represented among the workforce.
The Albany Herald
Georgia State University awarded $500,000 grant
By Staff Reports
The Prevention Research Center at Georgia State University has received a one-year, $500,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify behaviors and solutions to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake in the African American and refugee, immigrant and migrant community in Clarkston. Clarkston, in DeKalb County, is one of the largest refugee resettlement communities in the country, with thousands of refugees having resettled there and in surrounding communities over the past two decades. The project aims to train and deploy “community navigators” representing the various cultural groups living in Clarkston, including the Burmese, Congolese, Afghan, Somali, Middle Eastern and African American communities. The navigators will use a peer-to-peer, in-person approach with residents by conducting listening sessions to hear and address questions and concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Study International
4 top US institutes leading the way in computing and IT
As one of today’s fastest growing fields, computing holds the potential to unlock not just a fulfilling career, but the very future of mankind. Every industry supporting modern civilisation is being transformed by IT on a daily basis — and computing experts are leading the way. The US Bureau of Labour Statistics predicts an 11% growth in the demand for experts in this field over the next decade, which will create more than 500,000 jobs in the country by 2029. Though most of the human capital in this revolution comes from China and India, these professionals seek to develop a well-rounded global perspective during their postgraduate education. Programmers, analysts, designers, and developers — the architects of our digital space — who want to grow and leverage their expertise are therefore looking to the US for its esteemed institutions. Here are four such universities with leading computing departments and programmes… The College of Computing and Software Engineering (CCSE) at Kennesaw State leads the way to nationally accredited programs fit for ambitious international students. With various undergraduate and graduate degrees located in metro Atlanta, Kennesaw State is helping shape Georgia’s next generation of workers, leaders, and innovators.
Info Docket
By Gary Price
The Digital Library of Georgia has made its 2 millionth digitized and full-text- searchable historic newspaper page available freely online. The title page of the May 27, 1976 issue of the Augusta News-Review will become the 2 millionth page digitized by the Digital Library of Georgia. The newspaper, published by Mallory Millender from 1971 to 1985, identified itself as a “community paper with a predominantly Black readership” that presented the issues of the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) from a “Black perspective.” The digitization of the title was made possible by Georgia Public Library Service.
Yahoo! News
Fort Valley plans loan webinar for minority farmers
Minority farmers are encouraged to attend a free Zoom webinar about federal loan and land programs hosted by Fort Valley State University’s Cooperative Extension Program June 29, from noon-1:30 p.m.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service representatives will provide updates that will be broadcast on Facebook live (facebook.com/pg/FVSUCAFST/videos). To register for the event, visit bit.ly/fvsu-fsa-nrcs-updates-june2021.
CleanTechnica
NREL Announces Plans To Collaborate With Georgia Institute of Technology
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Georgia Institute of Technology have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to bolster the interactions, collaborations, and joint scientific output of both institutions. The purpose of the MOU is to leverage the expansive capabilities and infrastructure of both institutions in a multidisciplinary approach; expose a pipeline of talent to challenges of practical importance and complex nature early in their academic programs; and introduce new ideas, science, and technology into the industrial and federal marketplace with jointly developed intellectual property.
Tifton Gazette
ABAC Anticipates ‘Full House’ for Fall Semester
By Staff Reports
With almost every room filled at ABAC Lakeside and ABAC Place, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College expects a “full house” when fall semester classes begin on Aug. 10. “I am really excited about returning to normal this fall,” ABAC President David Bridges said. “Our students can expect the full college experience. They will be living in on-campus housing, going to club meetings, playing sports, and eating in the dining hall. Our students deserve the total college experience, and they will get it here at ABAC.” A year ago, during the pandemic-tightened 2020 fall term, ABAC students took a mix of online classes and in-person classes. In the 2021 spring semester, ABAC students took mostly in-person classes with some online classes.
Inside Higher Ed
How COVID-19 Damaged Student Success
By Melissa Ezarik
Many students think the pandemic impeded their learning and academic progress, but the experience likely taught them some lessons about higher education and themselves. One way to sum up the recent learning lives of students is this: they had a lot more to worry about than course content. “I was handling more referrals to emergency services and mental health services than expected,” says Catherine Shaw, a first-time adjunct who taught a microeconomics course at Georgia State University this past fall. “I wasn’t prepared for the volume and sensitive nature of it all.” One student confided about an inability to concentrate because her uncle was battling COVID-19. Two football players shared the pressure they felt as pandemic-era athletes with virus worries and having to meet academic requirements. Others couldn’t afford the digital textbook and tried to jam all coursework into the two-week free access period.
Clearly students felt lost, and there was no community of peers sitting nearby for support.
WJBF
Lessons learned and knowledge gained at Augusta University
By Marlena Wilson
In the past year, Augusta University found itself on the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic. They played a prominent role in the state for testing and the rollout of the vaccine. This week “The Means Report” sits down with the university’s president, Dr. Brooks Keel, to talk about that role. He also looks to the future to how the university would respond should another pandemic hit. Plus, a new hospital is on the horizon in Columbia County; Dr. Keel lets us know how that will shape healthcare in the CSRRA. Brad Means: Dr. Keel, thank you for joining us. Thanks for always being available for everybody here we appreciate it. Dr. Brooks Keel: Well thank you for having me Brad and I always look forward to the opportunity to spend time with you and what and I always the point the opportunity to talk about Augusta University that’s for sure.
CISION
Best Health Degrees, an independent, free online source for information on healthcare degrees and careers, has released three rankings of the best Exercise Science and Kinesiology Bachelor’s degree programs in the US… The Top 3 Most Affordable Exercise Science and Kinesiology Bachelor’s Programs for 2021 are: 1. California State University, Northridge – Northridge, CA; 2. University of Texas Permian Basin – Odessa, TX; 3. University of North Georgia – Dahlonega, GA
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated June 21)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is keeping track of reported coronavirus deaths and cases across Georgia according to the Department of Public Health. See details in the map below. See the DPH’s guide to their data for more information about definitions.
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 18,403 | 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: 901,198 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.
Higher Education News:
The Albany Herald
By Ariane de Vogue and Chandelis Duster
A unanimous Supreme Court said on Monday that student athletes could receive education-related payments, in a case that could reshape college sports by allowing more money from a billion-dollar industry to go to the players. College sports raise billions of dollars from ticket sales, television contracts and merchandise, and supporters of the students say the players are being exploited and barred from the opportunity to monetize their talents. In 2016, for example, the NCAA negotiated an eight-year extension of its broadcasting rights to March Madness, worth $1.1 billion annually.
Inside Higher Ed
Ph.D. Oversupply: The System Is the Problem
The jobs crisis is built into institutional structures, and to push past the logjam, universities must improve communication, information and incentives, argue Jonathan Malloy, Lisa Young and Loleen Berdahl.
By Jonathan Malloy, Lisa Young and Loleen Berdahl
Every year, in almost every discipline, newly minted Ph.D.s outnumber tenure-track job postings by a substantial margin. While that trend has gone on for decades, most Ph.D. programs continue to maintain or even increase student enrollments and remain structured as a form of academic career training. Thus, growing numbers of Ph.D. graduates are trained for, and often expect, an academic career that’s not available to them.
Inside Higher Ed
The Bachelor’s Education Market: Trends and Insights in Key Disciplines
By Wiley Education Services
Unwavering momentum: The bachelor’s education market has grown by a brisk 22% since 2010.
While universities need to understand opportunities for developing a dynamic program portfolio, they should also be aware of disciplines that are on the decline. Based on the latest data from the 2018/2019 academic year, here’s a snapshot of the four largest undergraduate verticals and programs within them to watch.
Inside Higher Ed
Groups Ask Education Department to Take Action on College Voting
By Alexis Gravely
Over 40 education and civil rights groups are offering recommendations to the Department of Education for increasing voter registration and participation on campuses as it develops a strategic plan in response to a March executive order from President Biden.