USG e-clips for October 20, 2022

University System News:

yahoo!finance

New Rankings of US Research Institutions Reveal Economic Benefits to Host Regions

Technology transfers – or outputs from research institutions that lead to innovation beyond the walls of academia – are essential fuel for the economic growth of state economies. Building on the insights offered in Research to Renewal: Advancing University Tech Transfer, published in May 2022 and released at the organization’s flagship event, Heartland Summit, Heartland Forward’s new report From Research to Renewal, Part 2: States Realizing the Potential of Research Institutions provides the first new benchmark comparison for public universities structured as part of a state system and also considers institutions (hospitals, private research institutes and federal labs) that do not grant degrees but are important sources of research and innovation that bolster state economies. …Top 10 State University Systems for Tech Transfer* …9. University of Georgia System

India Education Diary

Georgia Institute Of Technology: Working Groups Established To Explore Lifetime Learning Unit

By Iednewsdesk

The Georgia Institute of Technology is announcing its intention to launch a new academic unit dedicated to lifetime learning. The new unit will bring together three entities whose work underpins its mission and vision: Georgia Tech Professional Education (GTPE), the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC), and the Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U). This launch means opportunities for new and expanded research, curricula, students, and professional support for educators at every stage “from K to gray.”

Valdosta Today

VSU music students perform at investiture ceremony

VSU’s Brass Ensemble performed during Sonny Perdue’s investiture as the University System of Georgia’s chancellor.

Valdosta State University’s Brass Ensemble, a combination of the Presidential Brass Quintet and Sonorous Brass Quintet, recently performed during the investiture of George Ervin “Sonny” Perdue III as the University System of Georgia’s 14th chancellor. The special ceremony was held in the House of Representatives at the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta. “It was a great honor and privilege to be able to play at such a significant event,” shared Oscar De La Rosa, a senior music performance major from Kingsland, Georgia, who plays trombone. “When we first walked into the House chamber to rehearse, I was filled with a sense of awe at the amount of history that the room held. With all the personal pride I felt, the whole event was only made better by the fact that I had many wonderful friends right there with me.” The VSU students, as well as their accompanying faculty coaches, had an opportunity to hear a number of state leaders speak during the event, including Harold Reynolds, chairman of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia; Brian Kemp, governor of Georgia; David Ralston, speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives; and Harold Melton, former justice and former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia.

Americus Times-Recorder

GSW President Emeritus William Capitan dies at age 89

By Ken Gustafson

William Capitan, Ph.D., former Georgia Southwestern College (GSW) president, died Oct. 17, 2022, at age 89 in St. Simons, GA. Capitan, the University’s eighth president, served from 1979-1995. Capitan’s tenure as GSW president brought growth in academic and external programing, new construction, and enrollment. New degrees under his leadership included the Bachelor of Fine Arts, the Bachelor of Science in computer information systems, computer science, and computer science technology, and an expanded Bachelor of Business Administration. Capitan’s administration saw a stronger emphasis on intercollegiate athletics, including football, which never had a losing season in its four years, expansion of the Continuing Education Program, and extension of the Third World Studies Program. …Capitan was instrumental in establishing the GSW Foundation, which was chartered on Dec. 4, 1979, and the Rosalynn Carter Institute founded in 1987.

The Post-Searchlight

Dry fall weather a blessing to some farmers, a curse to others

By Ethan Reddish

The late summer months and early fall saw a dramatic increase in rainfall; at the time, nine inches more than the previous year had fallen, within just a few weeks. This rainy weather was accompanied by overcast skies and a rise in humidity; that caused problems for farmers in Decatur County, with an increase in boll rot in cotton and white mold in peanuts foremost among them. Now, within the past few weeks, the temperature has begun to drop, and farmers were graced with a much-needed, brief, dry spell. However, what has been a blessing to some farmers, is still a bit of a problem to others. “It’s a win-lose situation,” said Clark Wiggins, Ag and Natural Resources agent at the Decatur County UGA extension office. “It depends on the farmer.” For farmers currently digging out their peanut crop, the dry weather is just what they need; farmers still trying to grow out their crop may need more rain.

Connect Savannah

Southeast Georgia Leadership Forum Announces 2023 Speakers/Dates

Speakers include freestyle skier, a former Inspector General of the Army, and local James Beard Award winning chef and restauranteur

By Connect staff

The Southeast Georgia Leadership Forum announced details about the 2023 Forum, to be held February 27-28, 2023, at Kehoe Iron Works at Trustees’ Garden. With its core mission being to include, listen, learn, act and grow, the Forum was founded to help our region address generational systemic poverty, isolated silos of community and communication, while moving the community forward towards excellence and growth opportunities for all. Forum attendees include emerging, established and diverse leaders from civic groups, non-profits, neighborhoods, government, and business. Featured 2023 speakers include: …Lt. General Leslie Smith, US Army Retired/Former Inspector General of the Army/W.E. Carter Chair of Leadership, Georgia Southern University Parker College of Business. …Bird Blitch – Chief Payments Officer at Waystar/Started multiple technology companies/Served as advisory board member of Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology and Development Center (ATDC).

Athens Banner-Herald

Georgia football great and former NFL No. 1 overall pick Charley Trippi dies at 100

Marc Weiszer

One of Georgia’s greatest football players and athletes who had the distinction of being the oldest living former NFL No. 1 overall pick has died. Charley Trippi, who turned 100 last Dec. 14, passed away peacefully Wednesday morning at his home in Athens, according to UGA. Trippi hailed from Pittston, Pa., as the son of a coal miner but made a name for himself for the Bulldogs when the halfback burst onto the scene in the 1943 Rose Bowl against UCLA. He went on to become a Heisman Trophy runner-up in 1946 and landed a $100,000, four-year deal with the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals. …No wonder the Georgia football team’s most versatile player award is named for Trippi who was the NFL No. 1 overall pick in 1945.

See also:

Marietta Daily Journal

Georgia football great Charley Trippi dies at 100

The City Menus

UWG to host inaugural holiday festivities for community

Feel like walkin’ in a winter wonderland this holiday season? You’re in luck, as the University of West Georgia will host the inaugural Winter West Wonderland from Nov. 29 through Dec. 2. This community event – free and open to everyone – will feature numerous opportunities to get in the holiday spirit, including lighted displays of student-built sculptures, a holiday market, and an opportunity to meet and take pictures with Kris Kringle and Winter Wolfie. “We are excited to host this event to both showcase the incredible work of our students and invite the community onto our campus for evenings of holiday fun and engagement,” said Dr. Brendan Kelly, UWG president. “We look forward to having families from across the West Georgia region and beyond join us on campus to catch a glimpse of what UWG offers the students and communities we serve.”

Barnesville Dispatch

Playwright Douglas Jones Of “Frankenstein Lives” Visits Gordon State College

Gordon State College Humanities and Fine and Performing Arts opens their season with a 3-day performance of Playwright Douglas Jones’ “Frankenstein Lives” on October 25th – 27th at 6:30pm at the Fine Arts Theatre. Following Wednesday’s, October 26th performance will be a Gala Community Night, where special artist and playwright guest Jones will join GSC Assistant Professor of English Dr. Erik McCarthy for a “talk back” discussion session.

13WMAZ

‘Really changing people’s lives’: Baldwin County gets federal grant to help rehabilitate homes

Damien Francis says the county applied for the CHIP grant that works to provide safe and affordable housing in Georgia, with an emphasis on fixing what’s there.

Author: Jessica Cha

Eight lucky folks on the south side of Milledgeville will soon have their homes rehabbed with the help of a $400,000 federal grant Baldwin County received. 13WMAZ’s Jessica Cha went out there to see one home getting a facelift and spoke to the recipient about how it’s helping. “A third of the houses were severely blighted,” Damien Francis, an Assistant Professor of Public Health at Georgia College & State University, says. Francis says the college had already had a record of working with the community and assessing what its needs were. He says the county asked for their help locating where homes in poor condition were in September of last year.

13WMAZ

‘No voice is too small’: Georgia College students share ideas, concerns about upcoming elections

Caroline Bell, a junior, says sometimes the voices of the younger generation may not taken as seriously, but they’re just as important.

Author: Jessica Cha

‘Ear’ we go again! We had our second 13WMAZ Listening Lab Wednesday at the Georgia College & State University campus. We mostly had students stop by, but Jessica Cha was all ears when she went out there to talk to some folks, and find out what issues are on their minds. “My concerns were climate change, and abortion, and just voter awareness also,” says Emily Lanham, a sophomore political science major. Those were some of the common concerns students had, as well as, “Not raising taxes, especially when we’re also dealing with inflation. That’s something I think about a lot,” explains Michael Thomas.  Political science major Emerson Ham says one of the most important things to focus on as elections are happening is the degradation, and mistrust of who we vote for.

WSB-TV

Hispanic, Latin Georgians split down the middle on party lines, new poll shows

By Richard Elliot, WSB-TV

A new poll from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the University of Georgia shows that Georgia’s Hispanic and Latin communities are evenly split on Republican and Democratic candidates. The Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, GALEO, told Channel 2′s Richard Elliot they believe the communities will be vital to both parties. “I think the Latino electorate is vitally important. At 385,000 strong, it’s been out-performing the national Latino participation rate,” Jerry Gonzalez of GALEO said.

Action News

Best Life: Colorful diet saves eyes and brains

By Andrew Douglas

Women tend to live longer than men but suffer from more diseases. On average, women live to be about 80 years old, while men live to be 75 in the United States. Now a new study reveals that certain colorful foods can make those longer lives healthier. When it comes to debilitating diseases, the numbers for women are far higher than it is for men. “Two-thirds of Alzheimer’s patients here in the U.S. are women.” Says Sepi Shokouhi, PhD Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The numbers are the same for patients with macular degeneration. And with women having a longer lifespan, that means they will have to live with these conditions longer. But new research from the University of Georgia suggests that what women eat can make a difference.

Daily Press

Kale on Books: A different kind of ghost story

By Wilford Kale

Virginia Gazette

‘Tis the time for ghosts and goblins. A new book has appeared in the ghosts genre from an unlikely source on an unlikely subject. Alena Pirok, assistant professor of history at Georgia Southern University, has written “The Spirit of Colonial Williamsburg: Ghosts and Interpreting the Recreated Past” …Don’t let the academic atmosphere put you off. It was done for a reason. “I’m a tenure-track professor, and the academic press was chosen because it fulfills a requirement of academic focus,” she said. …I couldn’t agree more. Pirok has examined an interesting aspect of the nearly 100-year history of Colonial Williamsburg and has woven a very readable narrative that adds an element to previously unrecognized early history of the institution. Her research has been significant.

Foreign Affairs

MIL-OSI Global: President  Biden Announces Two New Nominees to Serve as U.S. Attorneys, One to Serve as U.S.  Marshal

By MIL-OSI Publisher

The President is announcing two new nominees to serve as U.S. Attorneys and one new nominee to serve as U.S. Marshal. These are officials who will be indispensable to upholding the rule of law as top federal law enforcement officials. These individuals were chosen for their devotion to enforcing the law, their professionalism, their experience and credentials, their dedication to pursuing equal justice for all, and their commitment to the independence of the Department of Justice.

United States Attorney Announcements

2. Jill E. Steinberg: Candidate for United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia

Ms. Steinberg received her J.D. from Duke University Law School in 1998 and her B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Georgia in 1995.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Despite odds, small-town Georgia hospital provides comprehensive mental health care for kids

By Carrie Teegardin

It was a longshot, The Tanner Health System knows, to try to build a system of robust psychiatric services outside of a big city. “We are a nonprofit community regional hospital in a nonurban area, so we already have all the strikes against us, right?” said Dr. Kenneth Genova, who is board-certified in psychiatry and neurology and directs Tanner’s program. Psychiatrists like Genova, who went to medical school in Philadelphia and did his residency in New York, tend to be concentrated in the Northeast and California, certainly not in west Georgia cities like Carrollton and Villa Rica, where Tanner operates. …Georgia has a new mental health parity law requiring insurers to cover mental health care on par with physical health. The state government relies primarily on nonprofit health systems to offer the services. But few have built robust lines of services for mental health, especially when it comes to children. The Children’s Hospital of Georgia, which is part of the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, used to have inpatient psychiatric beds but closed them. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta doesn’t have inpatient psychiatric beds, either. …Still, it has created a system it can keep afloat financially while also attracting psychiatrists and other providers to work outside of a major urban center. Having providers train with the system has helped it recruit.

aaup.org

Austerity, Labor Exploitation, and the Academic Stretch-Out

On job losses and expanding workloads.

By Jill Penn (associate professor of biology at Georgia Gwinnett College)

Those of us working in higher education are all too familiar with austerity cuts. Often alongside initiatives to lower taxes, especially for the wealthy, state governments cut budgets under the guise of eliminating wasteful spending. Austerity measures inevitably result in stagnant wages, low morale, and attrition. When frustrated academic employees leave, increased job responsibilities fall on the faculty and staff who remain, with no increase in pay. One term for this situation is the academic stretch-out, some­times called a speed-up. Georgia exemplifies how the stretch-out happens and whom it affects. State appropriations for higher education in the United States have been declining for decades, and the state of Georgia is no exception. In 2000, state appropriations covered 76 percent of higher education funding, and the remaining 24 percent came from tuition and fees. By 2021, the amount covered by state appropriations in Georgia had fallen to 48 percent.

Higher Education News:

Higher Ed Dive

Undergraduate enrollment declines 1.1% this fall, dashing hopes of quick recovery

Natalie Schwartz, Editor

Dive Brief:

Undergraduate enrollment this fall dipped once again compared to the year before, although the 1.1% decrease is the smallest yet since the coronavirus pandemic began, according to preliminary data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. All types of four-year colleges saw declines in undergraduate enrollment. For-profit colleges fared the worst, with a 2.5% decline in the fall term, while community colleges showed the smallest drop, of 0.4%. A 1.5% decline in first-year students this fall was particularly concerning, said Doug Shapiro, the research center’s executive director. This figure signals that high school graduates who opted to skip college during the first two years of the pandemic still haven’t returned.

See also:

Inside Higher Ed

Despite Hopes for a Rebound, Enrollment Falls Again

The decline was less steep than it has been during the pandemic, but an eagerly anticipated recovery did not materialize.

Inside Higher Ed

Ph.D.s Conferred Drop 5.4%

Preliminary data from the NSF indicate that COVID-19 hit Ph.D. production hard in 2021, but job-placement data are surprisingly rosy—just not in academe.

By Colleen Flaherty

Newly available data from the National Science Foundation suggest that the first full year of the pandemic had a major, negative impact on graduate students’ ability to finish their Ph.D.s. The NSF’s full Survey of Earned Doctorates report isn’t expected until December, and it will include fresh findings on how COVID-19 affected doctorate recipients’ graduate school experiences and postgraduation plans. But according to preliminary data out this week, the number of doctorates awarded in the U.S. dropped 5.4 percent between 2020 and 2021, the steepest decline ever for the NSF’s annual census of new Ph.D.s. In numbers, 52,250 research doctorates were awarded across fields in 2021. That’s 2,974 fewer than in 2020.

Higher Ed Dive

Are early alert systems helping or hurting students at community colleges?

Rick Seltzer, Senior Editor

On their face, early alert systems seem promising for community colleges and their overworked employees. Students who do poorly on assignments, miss classes or act out can be flagged in the system. Then support staff can take action, nudging students with text messages or intervening more intensively, depending on the situation. Supports offered could range from tutoring to mental healthcare to child care services or help with housing and food. Those actions aim to boost retention and graduation rates. But surprisingly little empirical evidence exists that they’re effective, even though they have been around for years, according to New America, a left-leaning think tank. And some of the research that does exist looks at four-year institutions, meaning even less is known about the systems’ successes or failures at community colleges. A new report from New America sheds light on how community college leaders see early alert systems, or EAS.

Higher Ed Dive

Community college students need help meeting basic needs

Laura Spitalniak, Associate Editor

Dive Brief:

A majority of food-insecure community college students, 56%, said their college did not provide food assistance, according to a new report released Wednesday by the Center for Community College Student Engagement. That’s despite 29% of students qualifying as having low food security. One in five students said they skipped meals or ate less because they didn’t have enough money for food, the report said. Researchers also found that some students tried to save food for days they had class. Housing costs challenged students as well. More than one in four respondents, 27%, said they were unable to cover their living expenses in full at least once in the past year. And 14% qualified as having a low level of housing security.

Higher Ed Dive

Colleges should use K-12 performance assessments for course placement, report says

Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Senior Reporter

Dive Brief:

Colleges should use K-12 performance assessments like capstone papers or portfolios for student course placements and advising, according to a recent report. Typical methods of determining students’ placement in early college classes — like standardized tests — don’t fully illustrate their interests and academic potential, according to the report, which was published by postsecondary education access group Complete College America. Conversely, K-12 performance assessments ask students to demonstrate real-world skills, often in a way that ends with a tangible product. The organizations recommend colleges and K-12 schools mesh their processes, such as by mutually developing a high school graduation requirement around performance assessments. This would help strengthen the K-12 school-college relationship and ease students’ transition from high school to college, the report states.

Higher Ed Dive

Half of regional admissions counselors are looking for new jobs, survey finds

Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Senior Reporter

Dive Brief:

Nearly half of 440-plus regional admissions counselors — those who recruit in areas far from their home campuses — said they were seeking a new position, either within or outside of higher education, a new survey found. Roughly half of the officials also reported they saw no clear path for a promotion at their institution, according to the survey from the National Association of Regional Admission Counselors. The counselors are looking for new roles as some colleges beef up regional admissions programs because of the coronavirus pandemic. About 28% of regional admissions officials said their institutions grew their programs as a result of the health crisis.

Diverse Issues in Higher Education

New Graduates and Employers Disagree on Graduates’ Proficiency in Career Readiness Competencies

Arrman Kyaw

New graduates seeking jobs and potential employers agree on which skills are most important for career readiness but disagree on how proficient the new graduates are in said skills, according to recent findings from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Graduating seniors and employers alike cited communication, critical thinking, and teamwork as the three most important competencies for “career readiness.” But when asked to rate proficiency, new graduates rated themselves highest in teamwork, professionalism, and communication, whereas employers rated new graduates highest in technology skills, understanding and appreciation of equity and inclusion, and teamwork.

Atlanta Business Chronicle

Gen Z is demanding colleges take action on climate change, social justice

By Hilary Burns  –  Editor, The National Observer: Higher Education Edition

In a rare moment of candor from the higher-education sector, San Francisco State University President Lynn Mahoney did not mince words when she explained why the school is shifting its endowment’s investment strategy to be more socially responsible. Her stance in a nutshell: The university has a progressive brand to maintain to keep its customers happy. More specifically, the climate crisis and racial inequities are top of mind for young people and they are sick of “statements of solidarity,” Mahoney said. “In 2020, when our students were teenagers or high school students, there were probably double-digit days where they could not be outdoors in beautiful, northern California,” Mahoney said. “And then George Floyd — every few years we have another tragic murder. We get all agitated. We sign statements of solidarity, and then we don’t do anything. Students are looking for a university that’s acting on those things.” Mahoney is onto something. Generation Z, largely thought to include individuals born between 1997 and 2012, is “deeply concerned about the state of the world,” according to Deloitte’s 2022 Gen Z and Millennial Survey. These concerns are driving young people’s behavior, including decisions about where they work or enroll in college.