Gwinnett Daily Post
Jann Joseph invested as third president of Georgia Gwinnett College
From staff reports
Jann L. Joseph was invested as the third president of Georgia Gwinnett College at a formal ceremony Friday on the college’s campus…One of the oldest traditions in academia, an investiture is a formal ceremony that “confers authority and symbols of high office…” While Joseph became GGC president in July 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed her investiture. … Joseph also displayed gratitude to the GGC community, members of the University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents and delegates from other USG schools and elected officials — all who came to celebrate the school and its newly installed president. Among them was Sonny Perdue, whose first official act as USG chancellor was to place GGC’s presidential medallion on Joseph…This was not Perdue’s first official act at GGC. In May 2005, the former Georgia governor signed the law creating what would later be known as Georgia Gwinnett College, the nation’s first four-year, public college founded in the 21st century.
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Gwinnett Daily Post
PHOTOS: Jann L. Joseph invested as third president of Georgia Gwinnett College
Valdosta Daily Times
VSU taps James for professorial chair
Valdosta State University has selected Dr. Christine James as its first Fuller E. Callaway Professorial Chair of Philosophy and Religious Studies honoree. “I was genuinely surprised, honored and humbled. It is always wonderful to receive an award but you don’t do the work you do every day to receive awards,” she said. “You do it because you love the work. You care about the students and about how universities can change their lives. If you love it and you care about it, you feel that the award is motivation. It makes me want to keep going and do even more in the future.” James joined VSU in the summer of 2002 as an assistant professor of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies and was later promoted to associate professor in 2006. She earned tenure in 2007 and became a full professor in 2011. …The Fuller E. Callaway Professorial Chair supports VSU’s efforts to recruit and retain highly talented and dedicated faculty. It is a lifelong position supported by the Callaway Foundation Inc. Fuller E. Callaway Professorial Chair endowment.
Times-Georgian
Shortage of nurses and those who teach them is reaching crisis point, per UWG nurse educator
By Dan Minish
The shortage of nurses and the educators who teach them in nursing schools across the country are reaching crisis level. Those were the words of Dr. Susan Welch, associated dean of graduate education and professor in the Tanner Health System School of Nursing at the University of West Georgia, when she spoke to members of the Carrollton Kiwanis Club on Friday at their weekly meeting at UWG’s Food Service Center. …According to the March 2, 2022 issue of the Nurse Journal publication, Georgia currently has one of the lowest nurse-to-population rations in the nation, with only 10 nurses to every 1,000 people.
Albany Herald
PHOTOS: Albany State University Women’s History Month Panel Discussion
Photos contributed by Reginald Christian
Albany State University held a Women’s History Month Panel Discussion on Thursday, March 31, 2022.
KPVI
Georgia 4-H hosts free summer camps for students in military families
By Laura Walton Goss CAES News
Dependents of military service members are invited to apply to attend five different weeklong camping experiences at no cost, coordinated by the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program. These camps, summits and retreats are open to dependents of military members (currently serving in active, guard and reserve components) ages 8 to 18. Special camps are also being offered for Army dependents whose parents were mentally, emotionally or physically wounded due to service, along with Gold Star families. Camp fees, including a transportation stipend, are covered through grant funds.
Tifton Gazette
Baker to retire as ABAC provost
Dr. Jerry Baker announced he will retire from his position of provost and vice president for academic affairs at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College May 20. “I want to personally thank Dr. Baker for all he has done for our college,” ABAC President David Bridges said. “Dr. Baker was a key player in the success story that ABAC has written during his time here. From new ABAC bachelor’s degree programs to the Bainbridge State College consolidation with ABAC, Dr. Baker has been a trusted colleague.” Baker began his ABAC tenure as the dean of the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources from July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2017. He then took on the responsibilities of the provost and vice president for academic affairs on July 1, 2017, college officials said in a statement.
Marietta Daily Journal
Kennesaw State holds 2022 Hackathon for Social Good
Students at Kennesaw State University recently used their computing skills to help match young adults without families to volunteers who want to mentor them. The effort was part of the 2022 Hackathon for Social Good. The College of Computing and Software Engineering hosts two Hackathons a year in which businesses create a real-world, technology challenge for students to solve. The focus of the spring event is to use technology for social service and is open to students outside of CCSE. “The Hackathon for Social Good allows students to hone their skills and use their knowledge to make a difference outside the classroom for people in need,” said Dawn Tatum, director of CCSE’s partnerships and engagements.
Statesboro Herald
Local National Society Daughters of the American Colonists chapter presents book to GS library
Thelma Mallard Kilpatrick, honorary state regent for the National Society Daughters of the American Colonists, and Dr. Sandra L. Gallemore of St. Philip’s Parish Chapter NSDAC recently presented the book “Cleaning and Preserving DAC Markers and Monuments” to the Zach S. Henderson Library at Georgia Southern University. The book will be housed in the St. Philip’s Parish Chapter DAC collection of records. Dr. Lisandra Carmichael, dean of University Libraries, accepted the historical book on behalf of Henderson Library.
WRBL
Athletes of the Week: Columbus State Tennis
by: Jack Patterson, Carlos Williams
Well, both the Men and Women’s tennis teams at Columbus state University truly deserve special recognition. The men, who are 12-1 on the season, have played their way to a Number One ITA Collegiate ranking. …And the Women are having a lot of success as well. They have played outstanding tennis while sporting a 12-4 record. Coach Issacs leads the Women’s program as well. …And finally the goal for both teams right now is to continue to play high caliber tennis, with the hope of bringing home a conference title and a national championship as well. …And with that we say good luck and congratulations to the Columbus State University Men and Women’s tennis teams, your WRBL Athletes of the Week.
Athens Banner-Herald
Photos: UGA Horticulture Club holding annual plant sale
Kayla Renie
The UGA Horticulture Club held its annual spring plant sale on Friday, April 1, 2022 in Athens. The sale, which features approximately 425 plant varieties consisting of houseplants, annuals, veggie starts and perennials, as well as landscape plants and trees, will continue through April 2-3 and 8-10. Funds raised will go toward scholarships for members and educational trips visiting horticultural sites and wholesale operations.
Athens Banner-Herald
Impostor posing as UGA Athletic Director Josh Brooks scams basketball staff member
Wayne Ford
When a staff member with the University of Georgia men’s basketball team recently received what he thought was a message from the athletic department’s top official asking for an “important favor,” the staffer jumped into action. That action, according to Athens-Clarke police, cost the man $2,600 — he had been caught in a gift-card scam. The scam artist had posed as UGA Athletic Director Josh Brooks in his email and text communications with the victim, a graduate manager for the men’s basketball team, according to police. …This is the second fraud reported this year where a scammer purported to be a person involved in athletics at UGA.
WHNT
Anti-abortion group cuts CSU visit short after students protest graphic content
by: Hannah James
An anti-abortion protest group is scrapping plans to return to the campus of Columbus State University Friday, after several students launched counter protests. This week, CSU students were informed that “The Center For Bio-ethical Reform” (CBR) would be on campus through Friday as a part of their Genocide Awareness Project. The group is known for displaying graphic imagery to discourage abortions. Several CSU students rallied in protest of the imagery and directed students around the display.
U.S. News & World Report
Parole Board to Hold Monthly Meeting at Georgia Southern
By Associated Press
Georgia’s parole board plans to hold its next monthly meeting on the campus of Georgia Southern University. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles will meet at 2 p.m. on April 13 at the Williams Center on the Statesboro campus, according to an agency news release. The board’s monthly meetings, which are usually held in Atlanta, are used to provide operational updates, policy reviews and presentations. The five-member board plans to discuss the state’s parole process and criminal justice system with Georgia Southern students following the meeting. The meeting and discussion will be available by Zoom to students on the school’s Armstrong campus in Savannah.
Inside Higher Ed
A professor called campus police on two students who arrived late to class, prompting discussions about better ways to handle classroom disruptions.
By Colleen Flaherty
An associate professor of English at Georgia State University’s two-year Perimeter College is no longer teaching in person this term after she called campus police to her classroom to remove two students who arrived late and refused to leave. The two students, who have only been publicly identified by their first names, are Black, as is the professor. Internally and in public statements, Georgia State has condemned the idea of calling campus police on students for being late to class. Much of the public criticism of the professor, Carissa Gray, meanwhile, has centered on the fact that she called campus police on Black students, in particular, in this era of increased awareness of racial dynamics in policing. Gray did not respond to an interview request and has not commented publicly on the case. She will continue teaching an asynchronous online class this term, but her in-person teaching duties will be assumed by someone else, according to information from the university. Georgia State plans on making counseling available this week to students in the class in question.
Modern Farmer
The Giant Spider Heading to the East Coast Is Good News for Agriculture
Shea Swenson
Joro spiders may be a foe to arachnophobes, but they’re a friend to farmers dealing with stink bug infestations.
Joro spiders, a species native to Asia, are expected to invade the East Coast come May, according to recent research from the University of Georgia. The spiders, which first crept their way into the country in 2013, previously stayed mostly within the southwest region of the US. But new research suggests their population will spread significantly this year. Millions of them. While the big, brightly colored spiders may be terrifying to arachnophobes, they are actually harmless to both animals and humans, and they don’t seem to have any negative impact on food webs and ecosystems. In fact, these spiders are considered a plus for the agriculture industry. Joro spiders are one of the very few natural predators of stink bugs—notorious for attacking major crops such as cotton, field corn and soybeans—making them more friend than foe to American farms.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated April 1)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED CASES: 1,939,031 | Note: The DPH reports that starting on March 30 and into the next several days, it expects to clear a backlog of cases from a laboratory that were not previously recorded. DPH noted that the majority of these cases were from December 2021 and January 2022, and do not represent a spike of new cases in late March.
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 31,144 | 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
State health officials report another backlog of positive COVID-19 cases
By Ariel Hart
Metro counties now show heightened risk level, but it’s unclear if the backlog is the reason
The Georgia Department of Public Health this week announced a laboratory failed to report thousands of positive COVID-19 test results from the height of the omicron variant surge earlier this year. The first batch of 9,600 delayed positive cases were added to the state’s case logs Wednesday, and thousands more backlog continued to roll in Thursday. DPH said in a written statement that when the data was adjusted for the dates patients were tested, the new case numbers did not appear to change the current overall trend lines.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
Record Applications, Record Rejections
The most competitive colleges and universities in the country got more competitive. But most institutions are still trying to fill their classes.
By Scott Jaschik
March 31 was the day this year that many of the most competitive colleges picked to tell applicants if they’d been admitted. On March 31, top colleges boasted about record applications. But since very few of those colleges are getting any bigger, it was also a day for record numbers of rejections. …Outside the Ivies
Colleges outside the Ivy League, including public institutions, are also seeing major gains.
…The Other Side of the Story
And there is another side of the story of colleges with record applications—they mean many more students than in the past are not getting in. They are either being placed on waiting lists or being flat out rejected. (For most of the colleges involved, there will be very few students, if any, admitted from the waiting list.)
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Biden Names Chris Paul and Taraji P. Henson to HBCU Board of Advisors
Liann Herder
Chris Paul and Taraji P. Henson, photos by Associated Press/Mary Schwalm – Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP.Chris Paul and Taraji P. Henson, photos by Associated Press/Mary Schwalm – Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP.Basketball star Chris Paul, point guard for the Phoenix Suns, and actor Taraji P. Henson have been appointed by President Biden to the White House board of advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The board helps HBCUs provide high-quality education and opportunity to their students.