The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia House panel backs budget for upcoming year with teacher raises
By James Salzer
Georgia House budget writers approved a spending plan for the coming year on Thursday that includes a $2,000 pay raise for teachers and continues attempts to slow state government turnover. …The midyear budget, which runs through June 30, includes $2,000 bonuses for teachers and school workers and $5,000 cost-of-living raises for most state and university employees.
Times-Georgian
Former UWG football player reflects on lifetime of leadership, philanthropy
In the early 1950s, Moses Spence roamed the campus of what was then West Georgia College, playing football and preparing for life after college. Seventy years later, he is still a part of the campus of the University of West Georgia. While he is no longer a student, he has been a major cog in helping build and better the lives of students and student-athletes at UWG. “West Georgia will always have a special place in my heart,” said Spence. “I’m happy to be able to do what I can to support these young athletes.” There are two scholarships that have a connection to Spence and his family at the University of West Georgia. In 2016, the Moses Spence Football Scholarship was created and has since provided seven athletes with financial assistance in attending UWG. In addition, Spence created an endowed scholarship for his late sister, Jean, who passed away while attending UWG in the early 1950s. That scholarship benefits the College of Education, as Jean Ann was studying to become a teacher at the time of her death.
Valdosta Daily Times
Small business center offers workplace workshop
The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center at Valdosta State University presents “Fearless Women of Business: Creating the Workplace Culture,” 8:30-10 a.m. Tuesday, March 15. Sponsored by Guardian Bank, “Fearless Women of Business: Creating the Workplace Culture” helps new and established business owners/operators learn to “develop an emphasis on employee wellness, meaning and purpose and devise a strategy to successfully keep a talented and skilled workforce,” university officials said in a statement. …”Creating the Workplace Culture” is the first of a four-part “Fearless Women of Business” series offered by the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center at VSU. The others are “Retail Marketing: It’s More Than Social Media” May 24, “Aligning Your Business Mission and Give Back to the Community” Aug. 23, and “Finding Your Financial Balance” Nov. 1.
The Union-Recorder
Sonny Perdue named USG chancellor
Gil Pound
Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue was named as the next chancellor for the University System of Georgia last week. When he formally steps into his new role April 1, he will be the 14th person to hold the USG chancellor title. The Bonaire, Ga. native was a two-term Republican governor from 2003 until 2011 before serving as agriculture secretary under Pres. Donald Trump from 2017 to 2021. Now Perdue will guide Georgia’s university system, which houses 26 members such as Georgia College locally and the University of Georgia in Athens. He is not the only one to make the jump from politics into the education sector. Current GC President Cathy Cox is a former elected member of the Georgia House and later served as secretary of state. Part of her secretary of state tenure overlapped with Perdue’s gubernatorial tenure. Following an unsuccessful run for governor in the mid-2000s, Cox was president of Young Harris College for a decade then became dean of Mercer’s Walter F. George School of Law before accepting her current post as GC president in October 2021.
The Tifton Gazette
Women’s History Month events underway
Women’s History Month events began at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College last week when Teri A. McMurtry-Chubb spoke on “What Can a Black Feminist Teach Me About Being White? Hope and Healing After Race Unequals.” McMurtry-Chubb, the associate dean for research and faculty development and a professor of Law at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law, lectured via Microsoft Teams, college officials said in a statement. Other speakers during the month include Dr. Elizabeth Medley on “Rise of the Resistance: Immigrant Women’s Political Activism from Ellis Island to the Modern Era” March 3 and Dr. Jennifer Koslow on “A History of Women’s Engagement in Public Health in the United States,” 5:30 p.m., March 15, Bowen 100. Diantha Ellis, ABAC associate professor of business, will speak on “Women’s Equal Pay Day: Salary Negotiation,” 11 a.m., March 17, in the Donaldson Dining Hall, and Kayla Myers will speak on “Advocacy for Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Survivors,” 5:30 p.m., March 29, in Bowen 100.
Fruit Growers News
Precision Ag Researcher of the Year Simer Virk talks future of agriculture
Asked what his day looks like on a regular basis, Simer Virk laughed out loud. “There are no average days in research and Extension work — every day is different and every season is different,” said Virk, an assistant professor and University of Georgia Cooperative Extension precision agriculture specialist in UGA’s Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. From working on sprayer projects in the field, meeting with producers to address concerns with recently implemented technology, and analyzing data from early morning trips with his research team, Virk’s research and outreach in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is primarily focused on advancing the adoption of precision agriculture technology. His goal is to ensure that producers are able to effectively use technology and data management systems to increase production and efficiency on farms across Georgia.
Rome News-Tribune
GHC students awarded for Lake Allatoona STEM project
Following the success of a science-based cross-curriculum research project at Lake Allatoona, Georgia Highlands College has received a $5,000 award from the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation. “The project met two major criteria — the first was our work with the Lake Allatoona Association, a local nonprofit organization,” said Erin Shufro, division chair for the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. “The second was the fact that our research project is very student-driven, which was a major criterion of the award.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Opinion: Georgia schools are so white they alienate students of color
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
Professor says schools are designed and staffed to serve dominant culture
Educator Peter Smagorinsky retired from the University of Georgia at the end of 2020. His book, “Learning to Teach English and the Language Arts,” was awarded the 2022 Exemplary Research in Teaching and Teacher Education Award from the American Educational Research Association. In this essay, Smagorinsky explains why schools don’t relate to children of color, who are fast becoming the majority of public school students in Georgia.
By Peter Smagorinsky
Popular Science
A parasite could be killing millions of monarch butterflies as they migrate
Is captive breeding part of the problem?
By Kristine Liao
Populations of the beloved monarch butterfly have dropped to concerning numbers over the past three decades, but ecologists haven’t quite been able to put a finger on the issues. The downward trends are likely due to a combination of factors, including habitat loss and climate change. But in a recent study published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, researchers from Emory University and the University of Georgia added another culprit to the list: the Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) parasite. The rise in OE-infected monarchs has led some experts to wonder whether certain conservation tactics may be aiding the pathogen’s spread.
Rome News-Tribune
Highlands Writers Conference returns for fifth year with featured speaker Hank Klibanoff
Veteran journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hank Klibanoff will be the featured speaker for the 2022 Highlands Writers Conference at Georgia Highlands College. The March 12th event will also feature filmmakers, poets and fiction writers leading workshops through the day, starting at 9AM. The event is free for all GHC students and will take place at GHC’s Cartersville location.
Rome News-Tribune
Annual writers conference at Georgia Highlands College elevates program each year
Five years ago, Georgia Highlands College created the Highlands Writers Conference to bring acclaimed writers together to engage and connect with the northwest Georgia community. What started as a conference with more locally recognized talent has now elevated to include nationally recognized writers, too. Interim Dean for School of Humanities Jessica Lindberg stated that the continued support of the community is what makes the conference possible and is the major contributing factor for continuing to elevate the conference to include more and more writing styles, well-known guests, and an expanding event schedule. The upcoming March 12 event features filmmakers, poets and fiction writers leading workshops through the day at GHC’s Cartersville location, starting at 9AM.
11Alive
Lawmakers work to temporarily suspend gas tax | What to know
Gov. Brian Kemp said he would work with the General Assembly to suspend the 29-cent state gas tax through May 31 in the wake of surging gas prices
Author: Joe Ripley
A bill in the works to lift the state gas tax through the end of May could offer relief, but experts say the move could delay much-needed revenue for transportation projects and infrastructure in Georgia. Governor Brian Kemp (R-Georgia) first announced the measure Tuesday in response to surging gas prices across the state. According to AAA, a gallon of gas costs $4.27 on average in Georgia as of March 10. In metro Atlanta, a gallon of gas costs $4.31 on average. The national average for gas is also $4.31/gallon. …Dr. Iryna Hayduk, an economics professor at Clayton State University, said Georgia’s revenue could take a hit and miss out on hundreds of millions of dollars if the suspension of the state gas tax went into effect. That money typically pays for transportation projects and infrastructure across Georgia.
WSAV
Rise in diesel costs have regional economic effect, professor says
by: Brian Rea
Gas prices in Georgia exceeded the record set back in 2008 on Wednesday, rising $0.10 overnight and $0.63 from last week, according to AAA. As of Wednesday evening, the average for regular gas in Georgia is $4.17 per gallon and diesel is $4.88, according to AAA. In South Carolina, the average for regular is $4.02 per gallon and $4.85 for diesel. The record-high prices come after President Biden announced the U.S. will ban imports of Russian oil. While the high cost at the pump certainly affects drivers, it also impacts the local economy. Richard McGrath, an economics professor at Georgia Southern University, explained that companies aren’t tied to the market price of crude oil. The more uncertainty there is, the more gas retailers tend to increase prices out of caution.
Kake ABC News
Forget oil prices. Watch the cost of bread
Analysis by Zachary B. Wolf, CNN
No Netflix. No Disney. No HBO Max. No Big Macs. McDonald’s, Starbucks, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, the global brands that scream mass consumption, are the latest to pull out of Russia, which is swiftly being canceled by corporate culture in moves that range from symbolic to strict.
…Export ban on agricultural goods
Ukraine will now ban exports of key agricultural goods including wheat, corn, grains, salt and meat, according to a Cabinet resolution that passed Tuesday. Who does one ask about the price of wheat?
I talked to Berna Karali — a professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Georgia — after Google led me to her paper, “Supply Fundamentals and Grain Futures Price Movements,” which was written with two other academics, Scott H. Irwin from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Olga Isengildina Massa from Virginia Tech. My conversation with Karali, conducted by email and lightly edited, is below.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated March 9)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED CASES: 1,917,130
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 30,252 | 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.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
Biden Officials Hint They May Extend Loan-Repayment Freeze
By Scott Jaschik
The Biden administration is sending signals that the May deadline for student loan borrowers to begin repayment may be extended, Politico reported. Education Department officials instructed the companies that manage federal student loans to “hold off on sending required notices to borrowers about their payments starting, according to three people familiar with the matter,” Politico said.
Inside Higher Ed
$400 Increase in Pell Grant Is Part of Budget Deal
By Scott Jaschik
The House of Representatives was taking up the remaining budget bills for the current fiscal year Wednesday night, and the current plan would increase the maximum Pell Grant by $400. The current maximum is $6,495 per year, and the increase is the largest in more than a decade. Jonathan S. Fansmith, assistant vice president for government relations at the American Council on Education, said he was pleased with the increase. But he said it was far from the goal of doubling the maximum Pell Grant and much more work needed to be done.
Inside Higher Ed
Attacking Legacy and Early-Decision Admissions
New York legislation would bar both practices by public and private colleges. The private colleges are opposed.
By Scott Jaschik
A bill was introduced Wednesday in the New York Assembly and Senate to bar public and private colleges in the state from offering either legacy admissions preferences or early decision. Colleges that violate the law would be fined 10 percent of the tuition and fee revenue paid by enrolled freshmen the prior year. The funds collected from the fines would go to low-income students in the form of financial aid/scholarships.
Inside Higher Ed
Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine raises the question to the globally interconnected world of academe.
By Simon Baker for Times Higher Education
The sheer brutality of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has presented a challenge to the interconnected global academic community that it has arguably never faced on such a scale. Ukrainian academics within and outside the country—as well as many other scholars horrified at the terror inflicted by Russian forces—have often been vociferously clear: there are no circumstances under which academic ties between Western academics and those in Russian institutions can continue while such an onslaught is being maintained. Such pleas have come at every level, from institutions such as the National Research Foundation of Ukraine asking academics around the world for the “immediate severance of all your ties with Russian scientific structures” to individual scholars urging action as they shelter in Kyiv from the bombardment.