University System News:
Georgia Trend
100 Most Influential Georgians
While this year’s Georgian of the Year Griff Lynch may come closest to literally steering ships, the job of keeping the state afloat does not fall to him alone. There are thousands of people who help ensure the state remains at the top for doing business and improving the lives of all of its citizens, That is especially true as the world continues to face challenges from COVID-19 and political conflicts, among others. For this, the 24th annual listing of the 100 Most Influential Georgians, Georgia Trend assembled a group of remarkable people, many of whom have tackled those issues and more.
2022 100 Most Influential Georgians:
Angel Cabrera, President, Georgia Institute of Technology; Brooks Keel, President, Augusta University; Christopher Markwood, President, Columbus State University; Kyle Marrero, President, Georgia Southern University; Jere Morehead, President, University of Georgia; 2022 Notable Georgians – Barbara Rivera Holmes, President & CEO, Chamber of Commerce, Board of Regents of the USG
Augusta CEO
Augusta University Human Resources Leadership Program Hosts Graduation
Paige Fowler
Human Resources recently graduated cohort members from two premier leadership development programs. The Executive Leadership Program graduation occurred Friday, Dec. 3. This program, designed for experienced, senior leaders, includes a combination of in-person and virtual programs led by a variety of subject matter experts who are committed to helping leaders at Augusta University build and foster a committed, compassionate and innovative workforce culture. Members of this cohort included: … The Professionals Program graduation occurred Thursday, Dec. 9. This pilot program, designed for aspiring leaders at Augusta University and AU Health, offers an environment for engaging and informative opportunities for learning. Members of this cohort included: … “We also want to thank all our AU faculty and leaders who presented during both programs’ sessions, and the University System of Georgia for their support and participation — without them, our programs would not have been successful.”
Savannah Morning News
Savannah State, Savannah Tech, Georgia Southern see small dip in enrollment for fall 2021
Bianca Moorman
For fall 2021, Savannah State University, the Armstrong campus of Georgia Southern University, and Savannah Technical College all saw small decreases in student enrollment, but not as much as the schools did for fall 2020. Across the state there was an overall decrease in student enrollment for fall 2021, according to a statement from the University System of Georgia, which oversees Georgia Southern and Savannah State, among others. There are currently 340,638 students enrolled at institutions in Georgia, which is a 2% decrease from fall 2020, based on a school enrollment report that was released in November 2021 from the University System of Georgia.
Savannah Business Journal
Alderman Purtee appointed to serve on NLC Public Safety and Crime Prevention Committee
Savannah Business Journal Staff Report
Kurtis Purtee, Alderman of the City of Savannah, GA and Police Captain of the Georgia Southern University Police Department has been appointed to the National League of Cities (NLC) 2022 Public Safety and Crime Prevention (PSCP) Federal Advocacy Committee. Alderman Purtee was elected to a one-year term and will provide strategic direction and guidance for NLC’s federal advocacy agenda and policy priorities. The appointment was announced by NLC President Mayor Vince Williams of Union City, Georgia.
Medical Xpress
New target may help protect bones as we age
Drugs we take like prednisone can weaken our bones and so can aging, and scientists working to prevent both have some of the first evidence that the best target may not be the logical one. They are finding that in aging bone, the mineralocorticoid receptor, better known for its role in blood pressure regulation, is a key factor in bone health, says Dr. Meghan E. McGee-Lawrence, biomedical engineer in the Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy at the Medical College of Georgia.
Savannah Business Journal
Georgia Southern’s Economic Monitor for Q3 reports increased economic activity
Savannah Business Journal Staff Report
Georgia Southern University’s latest Economic Monitor, which reflects Q3 2021, reports that the Savannah metro area economy continued to roar back for the fourth consecutive quarter. “Nearly all major indicators of regional economic activity increased during the third quarter,” stated Michael Toma, Ph.D., Georgia Southern’s Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Economics. “Tourism indicators led metro growth and skyrocketed for the second consecutive quarter.”
WSB TV
Omicron surge putting stress on COVID-19 tracking system
By Matt Johnson, WSB-TV
The omicron variant isn’t only leading to crowded testing sites across the metro area. It’s also putting stress on the system Georgia uses to track COVID-19 cases. We don’t know yet how many cases were reported over the New Year’s weekend because “a large amount of data overwhelming the system.” Dr. Jose Cordero is a public health professor at the University of Georgia. …He said there could be another month of rising omicron cases which will lead to disruptions but fewer deaths than last year.
Albany Herald
Gene that causes antimicrobial resistance in bacteria discovered at UGA
By Jennifer L Reynolds CAES News
A gene that causes bacteria to be resistant to one of the world’s most important antibiotics, colistin, has been detected in sewer water in Georgia. The presence of the MCR-9 gene is a major concern for public health because it causes antimicrobial resistance, a problem that the World Health Organization has declared “one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity.” Researchers from the University of Georgia’s Center for Food Safety collected sewage water from an urban setting in Georgia to test for the MCR gene in naturally present bacteria. Led by College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences assistant professor Issmat Kassem, whose research focuses on MCR’s presence around the world, the team was surprised at how quickly they detected MCR — they found evidence of the gene in the first sample they took. Kassem said that demonstrates that the gene is becoming established in the U.S.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated Jan. 4)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED CASES: 1,475,883
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 26,460 | 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.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Omicron scrambles metro Atlanta employers’ office plans
By Matt Kempner, Andy Peters
The latest wave of COVID-19 is again scrambling some plans for metro Atlanta workers to be back in company offices. With cases of the omicron variant surging, some big employers that earlier reopened workplaces are now discouraging staff from coming in or giving them new flexibility to opt out.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia teachers hope Kemp fulfills pay raise promise
By Ty Tagami
Teacher pay is an anticipated topic for legislative session
With state tax revenues soaring, teachers may finally get the rest a long-promised pay raise that could bolster a workforce battered by a pandemic. In his first year as governor, Brian Kemp secured a $3,000 teacher pay raise, but the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted his plans for the rest of the $5,000 he promised as a candidate in 2018. Now Georgia has billions in surplus revenue, and Kemp has been signaling that teachers will get the rest of that raise. …The Professional Association of Georgia Educators, the state’s largest teacher advocacy group, also thinks “the long-promised $2,000 educator pay raise is one of the governor’s budgetary priorities,” Executive Director Craig Harper said in a written statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kemp sets the stage for a new Georgia fight over gun rights
By Greg Bluestein
Gov. Brian Kemp is set to formally endorse legislation to expand Georgians’ rights to carry firearms, putting a divisive effort to loosen gun restrictions at the top of his agenda amid a bruising reelection campaign. The Republican is set to announce his plan Wednesday to allow more Georgians to carry concealed weapons without a state permit, which he’s likely to frame as fulfilling a pledge he made during his 2018 run for governor. …It sets the stage for what could be the most significant debate over gun legislation in the state since 2014, when then-Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law a measure that allowed Georgians to legally carry firearms in schools, bars, churches and government buildings.
See also:
The Telegraph
Georgia governor aims to loosen rules for carrying handguns
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
DeSantis: Colleges That Move Online Should Refund Tuition
By Susan H. Greenberg
Florida governor Ron DeSantis said Monday that colleges responding to the Omicron spike by temporarily switching to online instruction should offer students a full refund, FloridaPolitics.com reported. DeSantis has vowed to keep Florida’s schools open, even as the state broke its single-day COVID-19 case record on New Year’s Eve, with nearly 76,000 new cases. “Our universities are going to be open … they’re going to have in-person instruction,” he told reporters at Broward Health in Fort Lauderdale. “And I think any university that doesn’t do that should have to refund 100 percent of the tuition to the parents.” DeSantis blasted colleges for scrambling to start the term online while still charging full tuition—and even, in some cases, levying a “COVID-19 fee” on unvaccinated students.
The Washington Post
By Andrew Jeong
At least seven historically Black colleges and universities received bomb threats Tuesday, school officials said, triggering abrupt evacuations of students and employees. The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Florida Memorial University, Howard University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University, Prairie View A&M University in Texas, and Xavier University of Louisiana reported bomb threats. No explosions occurred. The schools ordered evacuations or lockdowns and alerted local law enforcement. …By early Wednesday, all of the schools had released all-clear notices to their communities. …Nationally, the frequency of bomb threats has declined in the past two years, according to the latest tallies disclosed by a federal government data center. But the number of actual bombings has risen — a trend that forces schools to take threats more seriously.