The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2023′s top 10 Georgia colleges and universities, according to WalletHub
By Nancy Clanton
Two schools rank in top 50 nationwide
Every parent of a college-bound teen knows there are many factors — besides grades — that go in to picking a university. “You’ll also need the financial resources to attend,” financial website WalletHub wrote in announcing its 2023 Best College & University Rankings report. “On average, tuition and room and board at a four-year college costs around $23,000 – $52,000 per year. It varies depending on the school’s public or private status and whether it’s in-state. For those prices, students want to know they are getting a good deal.” To determine the best higher-education institutions in the United States, WalletHub compared 913 colleges and universities across seven key dimensions: student selectivity, cost & financing, faculty resources, campus safety, campus experience, educational outcomes, and career outcomes. …When the scores were tallied, Georgia Institute of Technology’s 76.4 earned it the No. 9 ranking nationwide and the No. 1 ranking for the state. …The University of Georgia just missed making the top 50 nationwide, finishing No. 53. Its score of 69.39 put it No. 3 in the state. … Rounding out the state’s top 10 colleges and universities were …10. Georgia College & State University, with a score of 54.78
Gwinnett Daily Post
Georgia Gwinnett College’s $3.7M grant will help address teacher shortages
By Ken Scar Special to the Daily Post
The School of Education at Georgia Gwinnett College has been awarded a Teacher Quality Grant (TQP) from the U.S. Department of Education of more than $3.7 million, disbursed over five years. GGC is the only Georgia institution among 22 schools nationwide selected to receive this funding. The grant will provide funding for 40 GGC students to complete a year of residency in addition to induction support during their first two years of teaching in the Gwinnett County Public School system. The TQP program funds teacher preparation programs in high-need communities at colleges and universities for undergraduate students and for teaching residency programs for individuals new to teaching with strong academic and professional backgrounds. The central feature of all TQP grantees is a strong partnership between the teacher preparation programs and the school districts they serve, which are often facilitated by mentor teachers who coach and prepare incoming educators. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona explained the motivation behind the TQP program and why it’s important to provide support to institutions like GGC.
See also:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Grant to assist hiring and retaining teachers in Gwinnett County
Gainesville Times
How a UNG tradition will help students facing food insecurity
Rachel Estes
An annual event of “intentional seasonal cheer” is slated to return to the University of North Georgia Gainesville campus in time for the holiday season. The 8th annual Helpful Harvest Auction is slated for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18 in the Ralph and Mary Cleveland Ballroom inside the Martha T. Nesbitt Academic Building. The ticketed luncheon — catered by the campus’ resident caterer All Catered Events — and auction benefits the campus’ food pantry. UNG is “conscious of obstacles to our students’ graduation,” said student success coordinator Kristie Kiser, “and for a lot of our students, it is just having basic needs met.”
Atlanta Business Journal
Gov. Kemp talks importance of Georgia’s agriculture industry
The Georgia agriculture industry continues to grow and Gov. Brian Kemp said it’s his mission to keep it on top. Gov. Kemp spoke about his goals with farmers on Tuesday at the 44th Sunbelt Ag Expo. “Agriculture is by far the number one industry in the state. It’s a very diverse industry, as you can imagine. From traditional row crops, like you said, see a lot of in this part of the state and South Georgia,” Kemp said. This cow is one of the biggest the expo had on Tuesday.(Source: WALB)
The governor said having events like the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Georgia is a great testament to the importance of the agriculture industry in the state. “The huge poultry industry, horticulture, you know, produce I mean, it’s all over, cattle, it’s just a great industry in our state. By far the number one economic impact. And so events like the Expo are very important to keep that alive and keep it going and also help raise awareness,” Kemp said. Kemp said one of his goals is to make the University of Georgia the number one agriculture school in the country.
The Red & Black
National Science Foundation gives UGA $1 million for future pandemic prediction
Khushi Kapadia
A group of researchers at the University of Georgia’s Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases was given a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to predict future pandemics known as the Predictive Intelligence for Pandemic Prevention Phase I . The NSF also gave this grant to researchers from the University of Michigan and the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. The research from the three institutions have 18 months to develop their projects and prove that the technology can eventually be used to effectively predict global outbreaks, said John King, the project and communications manager for the UGA Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases. The grant will be used to conduct six projects that are based on the highly pathogenic avian influenza —bird flu—which is found in wild bird species.
Grice Connect
GS to host an evening with Pulitzer Prize winner Jackie Sibblies Drury
Event takes place Oct 20th at the Nessmith Lane Conference Center Ballroom
Georgia Southern’s Theatre Department is pleased to announce that Jackie Sibblies Drury, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of Fairview, which just completed its run on the Statesboro Campus, will be in Statesboro to discuss her play, her writing, and socially relevant art. The event will take place at the Nessmith Lane Conference Center Ballroom on Oct 20th at 7:30 pm. Admission is free. Please come hear one of the most exciting and important dramatists in America speak. This event is possible with the support of the Communication Arts, Writing & Linguistic, Literature departments, The Campus Life Enrichment Committee, Fredrick Douglass grant for diversity and inclusion, Theatre South and Georgia Southern Theatre.
Forbes
Experts Are Predicting A Bad Flu Season. Here’s Why They Might Be Wrong
John Drake Contributor Scientist and Professor at the University of Georgia
Flu season is nearly upon us in the Northern Hemisphere and pundits are predicting that we will have a bad one. I’m not so sure. Three main arguments have been advanced. Let’s look at each in turn.
Misconception 1. Recent mild flu seasons mean that we have built up a large population of highly susceptible people.
yahoo!finance
J. Mack Robinson College of Business
Arun Rai, Regents’ Professor of the University System of Georgia and director of the Center for Digital Innovation at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business, has received the 2022 Practical Impacts Award from the INFORMS Information Systems Society (ISS). The award honors distinguished information systems academics for outstanding leadership and sustained impact on industry. It was presented to Rai on October 16, 2022, at the organization’s annual meeting.
NewsBreak
Feel vibrations in your pocket without your phone there?
Have you ever had the feeling that your phone is ringing, vibrating, or looking for your attention in some way, only to find that no one was looking for you in any way when you pull it out of your pocket?
Yes, right? Don’t worry, you’re not going crazy. This, according to various studies, happens to up to 90 percent of people. It’s so common that there’s an official name — Phantom Vibrate Syndrome, or Phantom Ring Syndrome — for those who turn off their phone’s vibration. Even psychologists have done research on the matter. This is a form of hallucination – a tactile hallucination in which the brain receives a signal of a sensation that does not actually exist. …Robert Rosenberger, who studies the impact of technology on human behavior at the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA, also conducted a survey among his students. 90 percent of them said they had this feeling, the specialist explained to the medical site WebMD. Although for most people the hallucination is not a particular problem, for some it can also be a type of pareidolia – the mental phenomenon in which we tend to see images in vague images – for example, a cloud-like a bird or a human face in a pile of stones. That is, it can be a psychological phenomenon and even a signal of a psychotic state.
The Star
Scientists develop tool that draws painless tattoos
A pattern is patched on the skin using a mold and the ink dissolves into skin.
by Margaret Wanjiru
With the advancement of technology comes the ease of doing things hitherto found to be painstaking Getting tattoos has for ages been a very painful affair going by the account of those who have gone through the experience. It takes hours of pain endurance as the microscopic magnum needle raves and packs large amounts of ink into the skin to achieve your desired pattern. But this painful experience may no longer be a worry to mankind thanks to researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The scientists have developed a low-cost, painless and bloodless shading gadget that can be self-administered.
WGAU Radio
UGA uses artificial intelligence to track quail populations
By Kristen Morales, UGA Today
When states want to gauge quail populations, the process can be grueling, time-consuming and expensive. It means spending hours in the field listening for calls. Or leaving a recording device in the field to catch what sounds are made—only to spend hours later listening to that audio. Then, repeating this process until there’s enough information to start making population estimates. But a new model developed by researchers at the University of Georgia aims to streamline this process. By using artificial intelligence to analyze terabytes of recordings for quail calls, the process gives wildlife managers the ability to gather the data they need in a matter of minutes.
KSTP
New Georgia Tech AD Batt in no hurry to hire football coach
By George Henry The Associated Press
New athletic director J Batt knows most Georgia Tech fans want to know who’s going to be the Yellow Jackets’ next permanent football coach. The fans will have to wait, however, to see how Batt goes about his business and learn how Brent Key performs as interim coach after a 2-0 start. Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera wasted no time getting Batt to replace Todd Stansbury as AD. Stansbury was fired Sept. 26 along with football coach Geoff Collins after the team got off to a losing start for the fourth straight year.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bell indicted on federal conspiracy charges against Georgia Tech’s Josh Pastner
By AJC Sports
Ronald Bell and Jennifer Pendley were indicted and arraigned in Atlanta on federal charges from a conspiracy to extort Georgia Tech men’s basketball coach Josh Pastner by claiming a sexual assault, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced Tuesday. Bell and Pendley were indicted by a federal grand jury Aug. 24. The indictment alleges Bell, 56, and Pendley, 50, both from Oro Valley, Ariz., committed conspiracy to transmit a threat interstate, conspiracy to extort property from another and attempted extortion.
Higher Education News:
The Washington Post
Biden administration alerting borrowers in line for automatic student debt relief
By Danielle Douglas-Gabriel
The Education Department has begun notifying an estimated 8 million student loan borrowers of their eligibility to have up to $20,000 of their loans automatically canceled under President Biden’s debt relief plan. Those borrowers, whose income information the department has on file, will not have to apply like the vast majority of people seeking to have their debts canceled. They either recently filled out the federal financial aid form, or FAFSA, or are enrolled in an income-based loan repayment plan. Those eligible for automatic relief can opt out of the debt cancellation program by Nov. 14 by contacting their student loan servicer. If they fail to bow out, the department will process the relief after Nov. 14, according to the agency. Borrowers eligible for automatic relief can fill out an application if they want the cancellation processed sooner.
Savannah Morning News
Student debt, gender, ‘divisive concepts’: Education system new campaign battleground
Nikolai Mather
Georgia’s schools are known for playgrounds, not battlegrounds. Yet as Georgia’s midterm election gets underway, with early in-person voting and absentee balloting now open, topics related to the state’s public K-12 school as well as colleges and universities are campaign fodder. Candidates are stumping on everything from student loan debt to gender identity in the classroom and on athletic fields. Education-related issues have become especially core to politicians this campaign cycle. Private equity fund titan Glenn Youngkin leveraged voter outrage over K-12 school curricula to win the Virginia governorship a year ago, and his fellow Republicans across the nation have seized upon education as a new political wedge issue. …But in the course of canvassing at universities throughout Georgia, Bell has also seen a lot of enthusiasm from young people.
Business Insider
Juliana Kaplan and Ayelet Sheffey
Colleges will often enter agreements with banks to give financial aid to students.
But the CFPB found those agreements can come with significant fees for students who sign on.
Those unnecessary expenses can come from overdraft fees, inactivity fees, and out-of-network ATM fees.
College students are probably familiar with the sight of a bank handing out free t-shirts, snacks, and other swag to get them to sign up for a bank account. But a new report shows there might be a more sinister side to the banks lobbying on campus for students’ dollars. Schools’ partnerships between major banks like Wells Fargo and PNC may actually lead to students paying more than they might elsewhere, according to an annual report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on student credit cards and bank accounts. The agency used data from 11 bank providers that offered more than 650,000 student accounts at 462 colleges in 2020-21.
Cybersecurity Dive
Cybersecurity spending on pace to surpass $260B by 2026
Gartner pinned annual double-digit growth on three transitionary megatrends: remote work, zero trust network access, and the cloud.
Matt Kapko, Reporter
Organizations will spend a collective $188.3 billion on information security and risk management products and services in 2023, according to Gartner. The market will balloon in the years following, generating nearly $262 billion in global spending in 2026, reflecting a constant-currency compound annual growth rate of 11% from 2021, the research firm projects.
Gartner identified three factors that are fueling growth:
A continued increase in remote and hybrid work.
A transition from VPNs to zero trust network access.
A shift to cloud-based delivery models are all propelling the cybersecurity market to new heights.
Inside Higher Ed
OPINION
Should Professors Need a License to Teach?
Susan N. Kahn calls for higher standards for entry into college and university teaching.
By Susan N. Kahn
Every state in America has established laws that require a license or certificate to practice in most professional occupations. Included in those fields are building and construction, law enforcement, medical practices, cosmetology, counseling, and teaching—well, not all teaching. Licenses to teach are required only for professionals in K-12 education, not for those in higher education. Why is that? The fact is that teachers in our nation’s elementary and secondary schools are held to higher standards for demonstrating competence in the practice of teaching than teachers in our nation’s colleges and universities.
Inside Higher Ed
When to Outsource Online Learning, and When Not To
A report explores how online learning leaders decide whether to use companies to deliver and manage their academic programs or handle the work in house.
By Doug Lederman
Like a lot of professors whose field of study is higher education, Jeffrey C. Sun frequently gets asked by administrators at his institution to weigh in on thorny issues they’re debating. When his bosses at the University of Louisville were considering how best to expand their online learning offerings, they asked Sun, a Distinguished University Scholar, for his thoughts on whether the university should hire an online program management (OPM) company or build the in-house expertise itself. “I realized there was not a guide for the field about what to consider, and rather than moving blindly into this world of outsourcing, particularly for a core academic function, I wanted to make sure they had something to work with,” said Sun. So he set about to create just such a guide. The result, “In-House or Outsource?,” was published this month by Louisville and UPCEA, an association that focuses on professional, online and continuing education.
Inside Higher Ed
Campus Recovery Programs Help Students Stay Sober
They were once a rarity, but a worsening addiction crisis and vigorous advocacy have led to a tenfold increase in programs to help students in recovery navigate campus life.
By Liam Knox
…Not much has changed since Canfield’s time; students with substance use disorder are still more likely to drop out without adequate institutional support. A 2016 report from the Center on Young Adult Health and Development argues that on-campus resources are crucial for students looking to get or stay sober, because off-campus resources “are not tailored to address the unique set of challenges college students face.” “The college social environment can pose significant challenges for students in recovery, especially in settings where drinking and drug use define the environment,” the report reads. “In the face of such challenges, many young people in recovery find themselves choosing between recovery and staying in school.” Meanwhile, substance misuse has risen steadily in the last decade, according to a 2019 study in the Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry. Institutions have responded to this increase in various ways, from putting more Narcan kits on campuses to hiring mental health counselors who specialize in addiction recovery. One increasingly common solution has been to establish collegiate recovery centers.
Inside Higher Ed
A chemistry instructor at the University of California, San Diego, interrupted class last week to malign “Mexican” campus workers. He’s now suspended for the term, but this hasn’t satisfied everyone—if anyone.
By Colleen Flaherty
The University of California, San Diego, removed an instructor from the classroom for the term, following racist remarks he made during an organic chemistry lecture last week. According to a video of the class—which the university was recording for student use, and which has since been shared widely on social media—the instructor, Robert Ternansky, exited the lecture hall to address noise outside. Speaking to people out of view, Ternansky said, “Sí, sí, señor. Ándale, ándale. Arriba, arriba.” Returning to class, Ternansky then asked students, “How do you say ‘quiet’ in Mexican?” He continued, “Huh? Help me! All I knew how to say was ‘Ándale, ándale, arriba, arriba,’” or “hurry up,” roughly translated. After some students’ seemingly awkward laughter, Ternansky said, “Did I insult them?” He added, “Someone tell me if they start running in here with their weapons.” The people in the hall have elsewhere been identified as campus workers. …By Tuesday, however, Ternansky had been removed from teaching his two assigned courses for the fall quarter.