The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
KSU welcomes first cohort awarded honors nursing scholarship
By Nancy Clanton
‘We’re all grateful beyond measure, and we promise to make you proud,’ one recipient said during reception
Kennesaw State University recently welcomed the inaugural recipients of the Wellstar-Tom and Betty Phillips Elite Honors Nursing Endowed Scholarship. The $5 million endowment is a venture between the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services, KSU Journey Honors College, Wellstar Health System, the KSU Foundation, and Tom Phillips. …Cruz told KSU that he and his fellow students have benefited by being part of both the honors college and the nursing school.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
PHOTOS: Clayton State University 2022 graduates
Credit: Daniel Varnado
A masters degree program graduate is all smiles after receiving her diploma during Clayton State University’s spring 2022 commencement ceremony held Friday, May 6, 2022.
Albany Herald
PHOTOS: Albany State University Health Sciences Pinning Ceremony
Photos contributed by Reginald Christian
Albany State University’s Division of Health Science held its pinning ceremony on Thursday, May 5, 2022.
13WMAZ
Georgia College nursing student graduates with furry friend and service dog by her side
Samantha Summerville has Type 1 diabetes and has had her medical support dog, Mo, with her since her sophomore year at Georgia College.
Author: Kamilah Williams
We may have best friends that are also our furry friends. For one Georgia College graduate, she tells us how helpful her goldendoodle can be. Samantha Summerville graduated Saturday with her nursing degree from Georgia College in Milledgeville, but she didn’t get there without help from her medical support animal, Mo.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fraternal bond continues as triplets to graduate from Georgia Tech
By Eric Stirgus
One name will be heard repeatedly during Georgia Tech’s commencement ceremony on Saturday. It’s Kashlan — as in Adam, Rommi and Zane Kashlan. The fraternal triplets, who will turn 19 later this month, are graduating from the College of Sciences. Three years ago, they shared valedictorian honors from West Forsyth High School. Now, they’re graduating from college a year early, each with a Bachelor of Science degree in neuroscience. That’s no easy task, considering the three-year graduation rate last year was just 6.5%, state data shows.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
21 years after leaving Georgia Tech for pro baseball, Mark Teixeira is graduating
By Ken Sugiura
Mark Teixeira said he always felt weird telling people that he was an alumnus of Georgia Tech. That would be because, while Teixeira was a former student and baseball star at Tech, as well as a significant donor, he actually wasn’t a graduate. When Teixeira left Tech in 2001 after three years to play baseball professionally – a pursuit that earned him an estimated $218 million and the recognition as one of the premier players of his generation – he had yet to earn his diploma, 41 credit hours shy of graduating. Twenty-one years later, Teixeira finally can make the claim without it disturbing his conscience. At Saturday’s commencement exercises, the semester’s 4,030 graduates will include a three-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner and World Series champion. With little incentive beyond his own sense of satisfaction and a desire to serve as an example to his three children, Teixeira will be a part of Tech’s class of 2022, having completed those remaining 41 hours for his business-administration degree over the past three semesters.
The Baldwin Bulletin
Bailey Ballard
Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities from the Life Enrichment Center graduated from the Food Safety 101 course through Georgia College & State University’s Continuing and Professional Education program. “This was their chance to go to college. Being able to partner our students with college students enabled us to adapt the curriculum to meet the skill set and the needs of each individual,” said Barbara Coleman, executive director of the Life Enrichment Center. “The simple things were made extra special because everything they did, the college students did. They were learning everything together.” …Food Safety 101 was a hands-on class course taught with repetition and review to assist with a range of intellectual and developmental disabilities. LEC students learned about a range of topics from hand washing to bacteria that can affect food.
The Tifton Gazette
Tift students awarded city scholarship
By Davis Cobb
Two Tift County High School students were given a gift by the City of Tifton, thanking them for their dedication to their academics and their community and encouraging them to keep up the good work.
Kaleb Dela Cerna and Blake Chambless were honored at a recent Tifton City Council meeting with the James E. Dove Memorial Scholarship for their academic achievement and service to their community.
The scholarship, which has been offered by the city since 2002, is in honor of James Dove, the first natural gas superintendent of Tifton, who was vital in bringing the gas system to the community. …Dela Cerna expressed his gratitude to City Council, announcing his intent to funnel the funds toward pursuing finance, first at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College for two years, then at the University of Georgia.
WRDW
How new research on PTSD is helping local veterans
By Alyssa Lyons
New research at Augusta University is changing the medical landscape when it comes to dealing with negative emotions. The study is taking a microscope to negative emotions — examining how they impact brain function. Post-traumatic stress disorder involves the unwanted retrieval of memories. That’s triggered by spontaneous cues that were independently associated with the traumatic event, said Dr. Almira Vazdarjanova, project researcher at the Medical College of Georgia. People with the disorder find themselves in a negative emotional state more often. The research showed that being in a negative emotional state impacts people’s function in a neutral, emotional environment.
The Augusta Chronicle
Richard Franza: Lessons from my Georgia ‘Mount Rushmore’ are etched in stone
…Since I have lived in Georgia for most of the past 35 years, I thought I would share with you my Georgia Mount Rushmore – four people who each provided me lessons that I think are applicable to not only those in business, but to all of us. …Zell Miller
I have spent the past 20 years working in University System of Georgia institutions as a faculty member and administrator (department chair, associate dean and dean). From the time I arrived at Kennesaw State University in 2002 through my current term at Augusta University, I have proudly watched the USG continue to see its institutions to be ranked among the best public institutions in the nation. The USG began this trajectory in the 1990s with the creation of the HOPE Scholarship under the leadership of Gov. Zell Miller. The HOPE Scholarship, which provides several kinds of funding for college and technical school to academically-successful students, helped the state of Georgia keep its best students in Georgia. As student quality improved and state investment in higher education increased, USG institutions were able to recruit better faculty, improving their reputations and education quality. It is not a coincidence that since the creation of the HOPE Scholarship, Georgia has become an economic powerhouse, becoming one of the most attractive states for business.
Gwinnett Daily Post
Gavin Heltemes, Georgia Gwinnett College baseball cruise into CAC championship round
From Staff Reports
Early offense and a dominant pitching performance from junior Gavin Heltemes led the Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team into the championship round of the 2022 Continental Athletic Conference Baseball Championship with a 9-1 victory against Fisher College (Mass.) Sunday afternoon at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.
Athens CEO
Rural Stress Summit to Connect Georgia Farmers with Community Resources
Jay Stone
Farm family health and wellness is a priority for many rural Georgia communities. As the backbone of Georgia’s No. 1 industry, agricultural producers face unprecedented pressures, including increasing input costs, a flood of produce imports, labor shortages, pandemic protocols for worker safety and more. A 2019 study by the University of Georgia School of Social Work, conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic, revealed that rural Georgians’ emotional and behavioral health suffer as a result. Recognizing this reality, the U.S. Department of Agriculture allocated funding for the Georgia Department of Agriculture and UGA Cooperative Extension to help foster enhanced local, regional and statewide collaborations to cohesively support Georgia’s farm families. As a key part of this opportunity, these partners are hosting a free, one-day summit to dive into Georgia’s farm state of mind.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
College of Coastal Georgia investigating cyberattack
By Eric Stirgus
College of Coastal Georgia officials are working to address a cyberattack that impacted multiple systems, officials said. The attack occurred late Wednesday. “We are investigating and assessing the situation while working on a restoration plan. It is not known at this time when systems will be restored,” College of Coastal Georgia officials said in a statement. “The College is using all available means of communication to keep students and employees informed.”
NewsBreak
Why some people have no symptoms, while other get severe COVID-19 and die
By Knowridge
Scientists from Augusta University found the cause of the tremendous range of responses to infection with the COVID-19 virus—from symptom-free to critically ill. They found in some of the sickest patients a handful of rare structural gene variants involved in body processes, like inflammation, which the virus needs to be successful. The research is published in journal iScience and was conducted by Dr. Ravindra Kolhe et al. In the study, the team used optical genome mapping, to get a thorough, three-dimensional assessment of the genome of 52 severally ill patients with COVID-19. In nine of the sickest patients, they identified seven rare structural variants affecting a total of 31 genes involved in key pathways mediating the response between a person, or host, and a virus.
Higher Education News:
WALB
Kemp, Georgia Lottery generate $367.2M for HOPE, Pre-K in 2022 third quarter
By Kim McCullough
On Thursday, Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia Lottery Corporation announced they raised $367,233,000 in profit for the third quarter of the 2022 fiscal year, resulting in more than $24.9 billion being transferred to the State Treasury’s Lottery for Education Account. …“These funds have had an immeasurable impact on generations of Georgians, whether setting them on the path to lifelong learning or helping them better themselves through the pursuit of higher education. I look forward to this productive partnership continuing for many years to come.” … Since its first year, the Georgia Lottery Corporation has returned more than $24.6 billion to the state of Georgia for education. All Georgia Lottery profits go to pay for specific educational programs, including Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia’s Pre-K Program. More than two million students have received HOPE, and more than 1.6 million 4-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program.
Inside Higher Ed
How Colleges Are Filling Their Classes
Many colleges and universities, public and private, are still admitting students for the fall. Even those that have met their goals for the fall are worried about summer melt.
By Scott Jaschik
…Every college, of course, depends on enrollment to fulfill its purpose of educating students. But for most colleges, enrollment of new students is also key to their financial survival. And for most colleges, May 1—the traditional date for admitted applicants to say whether they will enroll—has long ceased to be the end of the process. It is still a key date, of course, but it is one of many. So this article will not include any Ivy League colleges (or their like) or flagship public universities. It will also not include colleges that are truly in danger of not having enough students in the fall. Or community colleges, which operate on a different calendar. But it includes colleges that admit most students who apply, which the vast majority of four-year colleges do. Rather, this article will look at good colleges with programs of pride.
Inside Higher Ed
U of Tennessee Restores Tests for Admissions
By Scott Jaschik
The University of Tennessee system has restored a requirement that all applicants submit SAT or ACT scores, starting with new students who want to enroll in the fall of 2023. ACT praised the decision, issuing a statement that said, “In passing the resolution urging the system’s governing board to obtain an objective measure, the State Senate noted ‘the importance of equitable access to objective, standardized testing for college readiness and scholarship eligibility, especially for underprivileged students.’ Another factor was research finding that combining high school GPA and standardized test scores is a better predictor of college GPA than high school GPA alone.” Robert Schaeffer, the executive director of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing (FairTest), had a different view.
Inside Higher Ed
Law Schools May Get Permission to Go Test Optional
By Scott Jaschik
A key commission of the American Bar Association has voted to give law schools the right to go test optional on admissions, The Washington Post reported. Currently, the ABA says that law schools “shall require” applicants for first-year admission to submit scores from a “valid and reliable admission test.”
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Could ‘Course Sharing’ Help HBCUs and Other Minority-Serving Colleges Graduate More Students?
By Francie Diep
Seven colleges and universities with predominantly Black enrollments are betting that “course sharing” will help more of their students graduate on time. Under a new arrangement, students at any one of the institutions will be able to take online classes offered by the others. The hope is that making more courses available to students will ease their path to graduation. No worries if the accounting course you need for your major has run out of seats, isn’t offered until the following semester, or conflicts with your work schedule — maybe there’s a course-share that fulfills the requirement.
GPB
Beware, new student loan borrowers: Interest rates are about to jump
By: Cory Turner
With so much talk these days of when or whether President Biden will broadly cancel student debt – and with payments and interest on that debt paused for more than two years – it’s easy to forget that the federal student loan system remains unchanged. And one part of that system is about to deliver a shock to many borrowers: Interest rates are going up, likely by quite a bit.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Opinion: When college becomes route to a job, not to an education
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
As my four children navigated an assortment of undergraduate and graduate programs, I belonged to several online forums for parents. The most discussed topics have always been football tickets, Greek life, dorms and dining halls, study abroad, internships and jobs. With the exception of universal laments about their children’s grades in organic chemistry — reviled as a barrier to medical school admission — few conversations touched on the academic mission of the campus. A new book on higher education says that’s because colleges today have become shopping malls that provide a little something for everyone — climbing walls, art museums and lazy river pools — rather than well-stocked bookstores where students can explore who they are, examine their beliefs and think about ways they want to grow.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
HBCUs Stepping Up Support for LGBTQ+ Community
Liann Herder
Dr. Steve D. Mobley Jr., assistant professor of higher education at the University of Alabama and expert on the LGBTQ+ experience at HBCUs. Historically, many HBCUs have had conservative reputations that has led to queer and transgender students feeling marginalized. Some of these students have faced homophobic violence as evidenced by the beating of Gregory Love at Morehouse College on Nov. 2, 2002. But in the twenty years since that incident, HBCUs have come a long way toward ensuring students have the protections and support they need to truly thrive on their campuses. As more bills restricting the rights of LGTBQ+ individuals are proposed by legislators across the nation, HBCU leaders and LGTBQ+ scholars and activists are working to shore up HBCUs and make them a safe haven for queer students, faculty, and staff of color.
Inside Higher Ed
University of Florida seemingly endorses state’s new anti-CRT law and warns professors that violating the law risks state funding. Some $106 million could be on the line.
By Colleen Flaherty
The University of Florida is telling faculty members not to run afoul of the state’s so-called Stop WOKE Act, lest UF face “large financial penalties.” “Thank you for devoting your time to learning about this legislation and for your important role as an objective educator and teacher,” UF president Kent Fuchs says in a slideshow-style introduction to the law that was sent to all instructors last week. Fuchs notes that Florida passed multiple laws impacting higher education this legislative session, but he focuses on legislation known as HB 7, which he says governs “instructional topics and practices.” HB 7 is better known among its supporters as the Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (WOKE) Act. Republican governor Ron DeSantis introduced the legislation in December as a bulwark against the “state-sanctioned racism that is critical race theory.”
AP News
Tennessee Governor Signs Collegiate Transgender Athlete Ban
By Kimberlee Kruesi, Associated Press
Republican Gov. Bill Lee on Friday signed off on legislation banning transgender athletes from participating in female college sports. Last year, no other state enacted more laws targeting transgender people than Tennessee, as GOP lawmakers consistently dismissed concerns that they discriminate against an already at-risk population. Those measures included banning transgender athletes from playing girls public high or middle school sports. This year, lawmakers returned to the Nashville-based Statehouse looking to expand that ban to colleges and universities. The proposal easily cleared the Republican-controlled Statehouse, where GOP members also approved a separate bill that will add harsh penalties against public K-12 schools that allow transgender athletes to participate in girls’ sports.