University System News:
Patch
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Georgia Gwinnett College’s School of Science and Technology faculty members a $249,000 grant to fund groundbreaking undergraduate research that could lead to new chemical products like insecticides and antibiotics that have a more benign environmental impact. The Chemistry division of the NFS bestowed the award under its Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) program, which only funded 19 awards in the fiscal year ending in September and is the only RUI award made to any institution in the state of Georgia this year.
The Red & Black
UGA doctoral students launch successful startup business
Avery Scott
Two University of Georgia Ph.D. students have come together to create a successful startup business based in Chicago, ultimately raising $3 million in seed funding. Their platform, Anthill, is a talent software created with the intention of providing deskless workers with the necessary support and communication that knowledge workers and those who do work at a desk tend to receive.
WTOC
Savannah mayor introduces new task force focused on promoting literacy
By Sean Evans
A new task force is coming together in Savannah, this time to focus on promoting literacy throughout the city. The task force, called READ Savannah, combines the resources of educational non-profits, as well as learning centers and higher education institutions like Georgia Southern and Savannah Tech. The creation of the group is part of an ongoing effort to promote literacy in Savannah.
Albany Herald
Carter Arts & Lecture Series to present ‘Churchill’ at ABAC Bainbridge
From staff reports
Guests will be invited to step back into the past through Andrew Edlin’s play titled “Churchill” on Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. in the Kirbo Center at ABAC Bainbridge. The production is a part of the Carter Arts & Lecture Series presented by Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Edlin will immerse audience members in the eloquence of Winston Churchill. His powerful performance brings Churchill’s personality to life through speeches, private revelations, comedic stories, and brilliant commentary.
The Current
Research: Fear of blue crabs grows stronger oysters
Georgia student’s work to build stronger shells has long-term economic, coastline implications.
by Mary Landers
Grad student Sarah Roney offers an oyster shell in each palm for comparison. Baby oysters the size of red lentils speckle the smooth inner surface of one shell. Babies the same age but nearly twice as big crowd the other. The secret to growing those bigger babies? …Roney, a 23-year-old Georgia Tech Ph.D. student from Statesboro and a 2019 graduate of Georgia Southern University, is working out of the Shellfish Lab at the UGA Marine Extension Service and Georgia Sea Grant on Skidaway, which is helping to fund her research. It’s a hot, sunny day in late September as her oysters face their first field test.
WTOC
COVID vaccine booster available to students, staff who qualify on GSU campus
By Dal Cannady
Georgia Southern faculty, staff, and students who qualify for the recently-approved COVID vaccine booster can get them on campus. Georgia Southern Health Services does have the Pfizer booster shot. But the director here says there’s more to it than just walking in and getting one. So far, Southern has administered more than 9,000 doses of COVID vaccine. They’re now offering the Pfizer booster shot to people in the university community who’re eligible based on federal health guidelines and have had both doses of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago. “Those qualifying groups include all persons 65 and older, persons who live in long-term care facilities, as well as people 50-65 who have certain qualifying medical conditions,” said Health Services Director Dr. Brian DeLoach.
11Alive
How do monoclonal antibodies work and why aren’t they a replacement for the COVID vaccine?
Monoclonal antibodies are an effective treatment for COVID-19, but doctors say they have a short memory.
Author: Jerry Carnes
Monoclonal antibodies have become a popular and effective treatment to guard against serious cases of COVID-19, but health experts are constantly reminding people that the treatment is not a replacement for the vaccine. Your body produces antibodies that stick to an intruder, like a virus, allowing the immune system to kill it. Monoclonal antibodies are designed in a lab to attack a specific part of a virus. Dr. M.G. Finn, of Georgia Tech, points out that laboratory created antibodies come with an expiration date. …COVID-19 vaccines teach your body how to fight an invasion by the coronavirus and continue fighting long after your shot. Vaccines help your immune system develop a memory that helps it remember how to fight the virus. Dr. Finn said protection offered from a vaccine last much longer than the fight generated by an infusion of antibodies.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated Oct. 5)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED CASES: 1,234,381
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 22,920 | 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.
GPB
State Capitol grounds ringed by foreboding steel fence spurred by 2020 protests
By: Stanley Dunlap
The new 8-foot tall steel fence surrounding the state Capitol will give a fortress-like feel as lawmakers, lobbyists and visitors return in force in early November for a special legislative session. The Georgia Building Authority completed the extensive security fence project this month after crews painted the bars and put finishing touches on the gates around the four main entrances. Trish Merriman has watched as the fence slowly took shape this year while she worked as a paralegal in downtown Atlanta. She said she understands taking safety precautions but that the sight of the imposing fence around the Capitol a bit jarring.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
‘Major Overhaul’ of Public Service Loan Forgiveness
By Alexis Gravely
UPDATE: The U.S. Department of Education released the overhaul for Public Service Loan Forgiveness this morning. The new policy will result in 22,000 borrowers who have consolidated loans — including previously ineligible loans — being immediately eligible for $1.74 billion in forgiveness without the need for further action on their part. Another 27,000 borrowers could potentially qualify for an additional $2.82 billion in forgiveness if they certify additional periods of employment.
More information may be found here. Inside Higher Ed will publish a story tomorrow with details. The Department of Education is expected to unveil a “major overhaul” of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program in the coming weeks, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Stretched supply chains and short-staffed campuses have left students hungry and parents angry.
By Lindsay Ellis
It’s a quarter past noon on a Wednesday at an Indiana University at Bloomington cafeteria, and if you want a burger in the next hour, you’re probably out of luck. Help-wanted signs hang around Wright Eatery, a popular spot among freshmen. Several staff members are behind the counter at the burger station flipping patties, scooping tater tots, and placing foil-wrapped meals on a counter for customers to pick up. No one’s taking in-person orders. Instead, students tap their smartphones to order on Grubhub. There are 74 orders in the queue. A quarter-pounder with cheddar cheese is expected to take between 58 and 68 minutes. …Colleges across the country are seeing similar stories play out as they scale up in-person operations after a year of reduced capacity. Supply chains and labor markets are stressed, reflecting local, national, and global issues that have crept onto the quad. …Higher education doesn’t always like to think of itself as a business, but when it comes to housing and dining, its students are more like customers. Those amenities are part of the sales pitch, and they account for a significant amount of revenue. Across the country, though, colleges are struggling to keep up their end of the deal with students.
Inside Higher Ed
Collins Stepping Down as NIH Director
By Alexis Gravely
Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, will be stepping down from his position by the end of the year, the agency announced Tuesday. Collins is the longest-serving presidentially appointed director, having served in the position for 12 years across three presidential administrations.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
AACOM Releases Statement Recognizing Inequity in Education
Liann Herder
The American Association of College of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) has released a unanimous statement recognizing that systemic inequities in the American education system are negatively impacting diversity in osteopathic medical school applications. AACOM also outlined policies and practices to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion.