University System News:
WSB TV
Gov. Kemp issues a state of emergency for 92 Georgia counties ahead of Elsa
By Severe Weather Team 2
Gov. Kemp has issued a state of emergency for many coastal and south Georgia counties. This order was issued as Elsa strengthens and threatens parts of Georgia. The executive order issued by Kemp covers 92 counties. Elsa regained strength and became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday night. As of 3 a.m. Wednesday, it weakened back to a tropical storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. It is moving north across Florida but its impact will soon be felt along the Georgia coast.
Forbes
Michael T. Nietzel Senior Contributor
Education
What may be the most successful online graduate degree program in the United States – the Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS) from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) – has begun its eighth year of operation. The program started in January 2014 with an inaugural class of 380 students and five courses. It’s enjoyed steady growth every year since, and now has more than 11,000 students enrolled in more than 50 courses. making it the largest computing master’s program in the nation – and probably the world. Its total number of graduates now tops 5,000. One of the noteworthy features of the OMSCS is that it’s shown how successful MOOCs – the massive open online courses generally believed to have not lived up to their initial hype and promise – can be. …Georgia Tech’s OMSCS has managed to overcome those problems, serving as an example of how a combination of faculty quality, high academic expectations, a modest price tag, and strong student support services can make MOOC-based higher education successful.
The Augusta Chronicle
MCG, Paine partner to study link between cancer and heart disease in Black people
Tom Corwin
Two of the top killers, cancer and heart disease, might be linked by obesity and chronic inflammation and stress and could explain worse outcomes for Blacks in both diseases, researchers at Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University and Paine College said. They are exploring those issues through a new $11 million American Heart Association Strategically Funded Research Network that includes other centers at Boston University, the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Pennsylvania. MCG will be looking at the link between heart disease and certain cancers and trying to answer why many patients develop both and why the outcomes are worse for Blacks.
Marietta Daily Journal
Rosie the Riveter checks in at Georgia Ag Museum
The Albany Herald, Ga.
A colorful new exhibit featuring one of the iconic symbols of World War II begins a short stay on July 6 at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Georgia Museum of Agriculture. Museum Curator Polly Huff said Rosie the Riveter will be in the spotlight at the “Beyond Rosie: Women in World War II” exhibit at the Museum Gallery July 6-31. “The exhibit will explore the lives of real women in World War II,” Huff said. “I decided to display this exhibit as a thematic lead-in for our upcoming large fall gallery exhibition, which will feature preserved relief posters from the war.
Albany Herald
UGA CAES serves as a source of local produce and goods
By Courtney Cameron CAES News
Athens is known for three things: University of Georgia football, music and food. Food is as much a part of the Athenian identity as the Bulldogs. Every weekend, football or not, restaurants around Athens are filled with both locals and students enjoying the communal environment a good local dish or beverage can offer. While food is a big part of the Athens social scene, there is a more subtle connection beyond UGA-affiliated patrons filling local venues. Two popular food and beverage institutions in Athens use products grown or produced by UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia QB JT Daniels inks marketing deal
By Chip Towers
A week into the name, image and likeness era, a Georgia player reportedly has landed one of the first big deals. Georgia quarterback JT Daniels inked a deal with Everett Sports Marketing, company president Dan Everett confirmed Tuesday. The Greenville, S.C.-based firm also has made a pact with North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell. Both players are now featured on ESM’s website, which includes pro athletes such as Nick Chubb, Sony Michel, D’Andre Swift, Mac Jones and Jonathan Taylor.
WGAU Radio
Ga Tech president emeritus to address UNG summer grads
By Tim Bryant
The University of North Georgia lines up a commencement speaker for its August 6 summer graduation exercises: Dr. Wayne Clough is a former president at Georgia Tech.
From Clark Leonard, UNG…
Dr. Wayne Clough, secretary emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution and president emeritus of Georgia Institute of Technology, will serve as the keynote speaker at the University of North Georgia’s (UNG) summer commencement. More than 400 graduates plan to participate in the Aug. 6 ceremony that marks the first major event in UNG’s return to normal operations.
Georgia Trend
Political Notes: Ups, Downs and In-betweens
New laws take effect, new academic leaders and remembering prominent Georgians.
Susan Percy
In Memoriam: Former Chancellor of the University System of Georgia and longtime public servant Henry M. “Hank” Huckaby died in April at the age of 79. He was state budget director under former Gov. Zell Miller, commissioner of the state Department of Community Affairs, senior vice president for finance and administration at the University of Georgia and a member of the Georgia House of Representatives. He was chancellor from 2011 until 2016. …Huckaby was Georgia Trend’s Georgian of the Year in 2015.
Savannah Tribune
Coastal Empire Habitat For Humanity Announces New Board Members
By Savannah Tribune
The Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity is proud to announce the addition of four new Board members. Their Board service begins July 1, 2021, and lasts for a term of 3 years. Corine Ackerson Jones is employed by Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong Campus and serves as the Director of TRIO Student Support Services. Ms. Ackerson-Jones brings a wealth of knowledge regarding program planning, implementation, and budgeting. She is also well-versed in building collaborative relationships within the university and local community.
Connect Savannah
Savannah Gaelic Athletic Association heads to Ireland in 2022
Sports club seeks to deepen ties while getting in some match play on trip
By Michael Strong
Savannah’s ties to Ireland run long and deep, highlighted annually by the massive parade and related events that consume the city for St. Patrick’s Day. However, the appreciation for all things Gaelic took on another form during the Savannah Irish Fest just before the pandemic hit the country last year. A group of eight people enjoying Irish music began talking about Irish culture, and specifically sports. A few days later, the Savannah Gaelic Athletic Association sprang to life. …In addition to training with and playing against Wexford and other local clubs, the group will tour several cities, a castle, a brewery and even potentially head over to Georgia Southern University’s remote campus in Wexford. The trip will wrap up back in Dublin with additional training, a tour of the Irish Parliament given by GSU alumni as well as taking in a match at Croke Park, the GAA flagship stadium and its headquarters.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated July 6)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 18,534 | 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: 905,068
The Washington Post
The Health 202: The FDA could boost vaccinations by fully approving Pfizer’s vaccine
By Alexandra Ellerbeck
Researcher
There’s one thing that could make an immediate impact on vaccine uptake: Granting full FDA approval to Pfizer’s shot. It’s been eight weeks since Pfizer and BioNTech applied to the Food and Drug Administration for full approval of their coronavirus vaccine, but the agency has yet to act. Pressure is growing for the FDA to move faster to license the vaccine. “Tens of millions of Americans will get vaccinated once this is approved,” said Eric Topol, director and founder of the Scripps Research Translational Institute. Topol argues that full approval will reduce vaccine hesitancy and make it easier for employers, universities and the military to mandate vaccines. The lack of authorization, he said, “is the singular thing holding us back as a country right now.”
Higher Education News:
WRBL
Georgia’s 529 plan program reaches 250,000 accounts
by: Maxsim Ealy
The 529 savings account program has just reached 250,000 accounts. The 529 account is a federal program established in 1996 and helps student save for college. The state of Georgia has seen a 41.5 percent increase in contributions as well as a 9 percent increase in new account’s opened in the last 12 months. “Education is a vital building block to help our children achieve success and we are proud to offer Georgia families a way to help save for continued education,” said Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in a news release. “Today, we applaud an important achievement as the plan reached 250,000 account owners, but more importantly, we are celebrating that with every account opened, more Georgia children have a financial plan to help them achieve their goals.”