University System News:

The Red & Black

USG will not rename buildings or colleges despite committee recommendations
Jake Drukman

The University System of Georgia Board of Regents announced Monday that it will not pursue name changes to buildings or colleges at its 26 institutions despite recommendations from an advisory group tasked with reviewing the names. The renaming committee recommended changing the names of 75 buildings and colleges across USG, including 33 at the University of Georgia.

Dalton Daily Citizen-News

Margaret Venable: A quality education doesn’t mean debt
I recently read yet another article about the staggering student loan debt in the United States. It was a reminder of the struggles many adults face in this country trying to repay their loans while balancing mortgages, car payments, utilities, childcare costs and more. Cost should not deter a high school student — or an adult — from obtaining an education so they can pursue their professional and personal goals. But I know it often does. We at Dalton State College believe nothing should deter someone from a college education if that’s the path they choose, especially not finances. We don’t want students to accrue a large debt to achieve their dreams. Therefore, we do all we can to continue to provide our community with a quality education at an affordable cost and multiple resources to help pay for college.

The Red & Black

UGA fall 2021 commencement ceremony to be held in Sanford, speakers announced

By Lucinda Warnke

The University of Georgia has announced speakers for its fall 2021 commencement ceremony, which will take place in Sanford Stadium instead of Stegeman Coliseum. Jack Bauerle, UGA’s swimming and diving head coach, and Michelle Garfield Cook, vice provost for diversity and inclusion and strategic university initiatives, will speak at the undergraduate and graduate ceremonies, respectively, according to UGA Today. Meagan Perry will be the student speaker at the undergraduate ceremony. Bauerle has been a part of the UGA community for more than 50 years, including as a student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach. In 2008, he served as the United States’ women’s swimming and diving team coach in the Olympics.

Marietta Daily Journal

Kennesaw State students showcase research at Symposium of Student Scholars
Staff reports

Kennesaw State University’s Office of Undergraduate Research hosted its fall edition of the Symposium of Student Scholars, a university-wide conference in which undergraduate and graduate researchers present their projects. The Nov. 18 symposium showcased research projects by more than 250 KSU students across a variety of academic disciplines.

Rockdale Newton Citizen

Ava Jane Teasley is president of ABAC Ambassadors

Staff reports

Ava Jane Teasley, a senior agricultural communication major from Covington, is among 16 students at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College selected to participate in one of the most prestigious organizations on campus, the ABAC Ambassadors. In addition to Teasley, students serving as Ambassadors include Cydney Slapa, a junior agriculture major from Deltona, Fla.; Elijah Alford, a sophomore fine arts major from Ashburn; Austin Anderson, a sophomore business major from Colquitt; and Caleb Bagley, a junior rural community development major from Denton.

WGAU
UGA names new dean for College of Family and Consumer Sciences

By Tim Bryant

There is a new dean for the University of Georgia’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Anisa Zvonkovic is the dean of the College of Health and Human Performance at East Carolina University. Her appointment at UGA is effective July 1 of next year. She will take over for interim dean Sheri Worthy. From Sam Fahmy, UGA Today… Zvonkovic is currently the Harold H. Bate Distinguished Professor and dean of the College of Health and Human Performance at East Carolina University. Her appointment at UGA is effective July 1, 2022.

Columbus CEO

Recent Green Building Certification Extends CSU’s Focus on Sustainability, Innovation

Staff reports

Columbus State University’s LeNoir Hall recently received the Georgia Peach certification from the Georgia Peach Program. The program rates and recognizes buildings owned or managed by the state that optimize energy performance, increase demand for materials produced in Georgia, improve environmental quality, conserve energy, protect the state’s natural resources and reduce the burden on the state’s water supply. Built in the early 1990s, LeNoir Hall underwent renovations in July 2017, which included the addition of six state-of-the-art science laboratories, two student lobby areas, three student study areas and science equipment. The $11 million large capital project reopened for classes in January 2019.

SciTechDaily
Surprising New Information on How Salt Affects Blood Flow in the Brain
Staff reports

A first-of-its-kind study led by researchers at Georgia State reveals surprising new information about the relationship between neuron activity and blood flow deep in the brain, as well as how the brain is affected by salt consumption. When neurons are activated, it typically produces a rapid increase of blood flow to the area. This relationship is known as neurovascular coupling, or functional hyperemia, and it occurs via dilation of blood vessels in the brain called arterioles. Functional magnetic resource imaging (fMRI) is based on the concept of neurovascular coupling: experts look for areas of weak blood flow to diagnose brain disorders.

Gwinnett Daily Post
ART BEAT: Gwinnett Tech grads are leading the way in Georgia’s film industry boom

By Holley Calmes
Many works are art are not the result of one artist but the result of a group effort. Take movies for instance: Film can definitely be art, and the number of talented people it takes to create one movie can be substantial. Georgia is now the third ranked state in the country for making filmed productions, and Gwinnett County is in the forefront of this booming industry with studio sound stages at OFS and Eagle Rock Studios. According to ProjectCasting.com several weeks ago, Georgia had 75 projects over the next 18 months, needing 40,000 workers. How Georgia and Gwinnett obtained this respected position owes much to having a trained labor force available in great numbers. Workers are trained for the movie industry by existing technical colleges throughout the state and the Georgia Film Academy, launched last year by the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia.

The Red & Black
Analysis: UGA, Athens see slight COVID-19 case increases

By Simran Kaur Malhotra

As the COVID-19 delta variant continues to spread across the nation, questions about booster shots, hospitalizations, and vaccine hesitancy leave many frustrated. As part of The Red & Black’s health news coverage, we are publishing weekly reports on news relating to COVID-19 and its recent statistics. Major updates COVID-19 cases increased at the University of Georgia compared to last week, according to the university’s reporting system. UGA reported 29 new cases over the week of Nov. 8-14 compared to the 23 last week. The surveillance testing positivity rate increased this week to 1.3%.

Other News:

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated Nov. 19)

An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 25,546 | 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: 1,277,939

Georgia Recorder

Federal health officials open up access to COVID-19 booster shots to all U.S. adults

By Laura Olson

Federal health officials on Friday moved to expand access to COVID-19 booster shots to all American adults, in an effort to bolster protection against infections as case counts rise again across the United States. Officials with the Food and Drug Administration on Friday morning authorized booster shots for anyone over age 18 who received their second dose of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago. By late afternoon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory panel had affirmed that recommendation, and the CDC chief signed off later Friday. The policy change streamlines what had been a nuanced and confusing set of criteria.

Anyone older than 65 had been urged to get an additional dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, as well as anyone over 18 who has an underlying health condition. Those under age 65 deemed to be at higher risk due to their work environment also were allowed to seek a third shot. (Anyone who received the one-dose shot from Johnson & Johnson already can receive an additional dose at least two months later under the federal rules.)

Higher Education News:

 

Atlanta Business Chronicle
Build Back Better’s Pell Grant provision prompts debate in higher-ed circles

By Hilary Burns
A controversial provision in the bill is the caveat that Pell Grants, launched in the 1960s and the federal government’s largest source of need-based aid for students today, could not be used by students enrolled at for-profit institutions.

 

The Chronicle of Higher Education
Ohio State U. Unveils a Plan for All Student to Graduate Debt-Free
By Eric Kelderman
Nearly half of all undergraduates at Ohio State University take out loans to help pay the costs of attending college, borrowing an average of more than $27,000. Kristina M. Johnson, the new president of the land-grant university, wants to reduce that proportion to zero. Johnson announced a plan on Friday, at her investiture, to reach that goal within a decade. Instead of offering students federal direct loans as part of their financial-aid packages, the university will use a combination of grants, internships, and opportunities to assist with research.

Inside Higher Ed
Using Pell to Police For-Profits

By Alexis Gravely

A long-awaited increase to the maximum Pell Grant was passed by the House of Representatives Friday, but with a catch—it will only be available to students attending nonprofit institutions. The provision has raised questions about the appropriate way to hold for-profit colleges accountable, as 17 House Democrats publicly opposed the exclusion ahead of the legislation’s final vote. Under President Biden and congressional Democrats’ $1.75 trillion social spending package, the Pell Grant award—financial aid for low- and moderate-income students that doesn’t have to be repaid—would be increased by $550 per year. But the approximately 900,000 Pell Grant recipients who attend proprietary institutions won’t be eligible to receive the extra funds, a big change in how the program has historically operated.

— 
Office of Communications
Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia
270 Washington Street, SW
Atlanta, GA  30334
Tel: (404) 962-3050
Fax: (404) 962-3045
communications@usg.edu
www.usg.edu