Albany Herald
Mother, son graduate together at Albany State
From staff reports
Albany State University has always held a special place in the heart of Roderick Hubbard. Since he was little, Hubbard had a deep connection with ASU. He would visit with his grandmother, former Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard, who worked at the college, and his mother, Yolanda Hubbard, who attended as an undergraduate student. The Hubbards have a strong family legacy of attending ASU. Attendees include Roderick Hubbard’s grandmother, his wife, his uncle, his brother, his sister-in-law, and various cousins. The Hubbard connection deepened recently as Roderick and his mother walked across the same stage and earned graduate degrees.
Moultrie Observer
ABAC graduates 397 at Spring Graduation ceremonies
Staff Reports
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College graduated 397 students during its Spring Commencement ceremonies on May 11. Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper, an ABAC alumnus, was the featured speaker. …“Graduation is always our favorite day of the year,” said ABAC President Dr. Tracy Brundage. “These young men and women have worked tirelessly to achieve this goal, and we know how special this day is for them and their families. With their ABAC diploma in hand, they are prepared for the next chapter of their lives. They are forever part of the ABAC family.” …The 2023 recipient of the David and Kim Bridges Award was Bryce Roland, an agricultural communication major from Perry. …The 2023 Spring graduation ceremony was an increase of more than 80 students from 2022.
Albany Herald
UGA graduates celebrate challenges, embrace next steps
By Krista Richmond The University of Georgia
For the University of Georgia’s newest alumni, commencement ceremonies mark a moment to celebrate the challenges they’ve overcome and embrace the challenges they’ll face in the future. “Now is your time; it is your time to celebrate as you continue to the next chapter of your lives,” said Leah Brown, an orthopedic surgeon, UGA alumna and All-American for the GymDogs who served as the keynote speaker for the undergraduate Commencement ceremony. After graduating from UGA, Brown joined the U.S. Navy and shared with graduates two lessons she learned during her time serving and two deployments. First, she encouraged them to rebound quickly and adjust their plans accordingly. Second, she encouraged them to make an effort to understand others.
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Rome News-Tribune
By John Bailey
With the level of intelligence, dedication and ability to pick and choose which medical school to attend, a Georgia Highlands College grad looked toward a school that would give him the opportunity to give back. As Jose Markland-Sanchez packs this week for his move to Chicago, one of the foremost questions in his mind is what kind of focus he’d like for his medical career. As he answers the question about his healthcare aspirations, it’s obvious that many options are open but also the sky is the limit. But for now, surgeon is on the top of the list with a potential focus on orthopedic surgery. …He, along with his family, was joined by GHC President Mike Hobbs and University System of Georgia Regents Lowery May and Cade Joiner in a send off luncheon this week. Because of his diligence, intelligence and ability to self-motivate, Sanchez had his pick of several schools including Yale School of Medicine and, after consideration, chose to attend the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine. …“I had to spend a couple of years working,” he said, because students in the DACA program aren’t offered in-state tuition. He worked as a server in restaurants until he could pay for the tuition and then came to Georgia Highlands College.
Albany Herald
Scott Steiner keynote speaker at Georgia Southwestern commencement
From staff reports
Georgia Southwestern State University will hold its Spring 2023 Commencement ceremonies on Friday in the university’s Convocation Hall of the Student Success Center, also known as the Storm Dome. Graduates from the College of Education and College of Nursing and Health Sciences will be recognized in the 10 a.m. ceremony, while graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences and College of Business and Computing will be recognized in the 2 p.m. ceremony. More than 260 students are graduating with approximately 230 graduates walking. The commencement speaker will be Scott Steiner, president and chief executive officer of Phoebe Putney Health System, a comprehensive, regional health system with more than 4,500 employees based in Albany.
11Alive
Zac Brown given honorary degree at University of West Georgia
Author: 11Alive Staff
Zac Brown, the founder of the band by his name and “Chicken Fried” luminary, was honored by the Georgia school he attended back in the late 90s. Brown received an honorary doctorate of humane letters Saturday at the University of West Georgia’s commencement, the school said. The Carrollton university said the honor highlighted Brown’s “connection to an institution that played a role in shaping his love for music.”
WGAU Radio
UGA gets $1 million from National Science Foundation
By Tim Bryant
The University of Georgia gets $1 million from the National Science Foundation. UGA says it’s funding that will be in a joint effort with Fort Valley University, focusing on agriculture.
From Michael Terrazas, UGA Today…
The University of Georgia has been awarded $1 million from the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program for the Next Generation Agriculture project, a broad collaboration intended to help Georgia farmers move toward “Ag 4.0″—the fourth agricultural revolution—in their practices. Next Generation Agriculture, or NextGA, will leverage the strengths of more than 30 public and private organizations to work with farmers in a 20-county region of south Georgia to build an infrastructure for integrative agricultural innovation “in place.”
Inside Higher Ed
Student Wellness Tip: Creating Campus Access to Free Meals
Efforts to remedy food insecurity at three institutions demonstrate various strategies to assist students with this basic need, from implementing new technologies to offering centralized locations.
By Ashley Mowreader
Many institutions offer basic needs resources for students facing challenges in affording or accessing necessities like food or housing, impacting student retention and overall success. Inside Higher Ed collected three examples of college food pantries breaking barriers to access and supporting students facing food insecurity with innovative ideas. …Wolves Don’t Waste, the University of West Georgia’s chapter of the Food Recovery Network, saves food from on-campus dining vendors to be redistributed among the campus community. Wolves Don’t Waste unites student and faculty volunteers to collect food after campus events and at the close of dining halls to store in designated recovery refrigerators, Wolf Haven, located in the campus center. While all of the Food Recovery Network campus chapters collect and redistribute food to those facing food insecurity, Wolves Don’t Waste keeps food on campus—filling the stomachs of its own community, rather than transporting meals to outside food banks. The UWG chapter collected 250 pounds of food in March 2023 alone.
Daily News
Seven sign as future educators, get intent to employee letter from TCSS for after college
By Olivia Johnson
On Friday, LaGrange High School participated in its fourth annual Georgia’s Future Educators Signing Day, a statewide initiative sponsored by the Georgia Department of Education. The event celebrated seven graduating seniors from the class of 2023 who have decided to pursue a career in education. The future teachers include Iyandra Canty, Kayla Cifuentes, Ayonna Leonard, Jazziah Kennedy, Shaniya Render, Spenser Smith, and Destiny Wilkerson. Canty plans to attend Troy State University to become a middle school teacher. Cifuentes, Leonard and Smith plan to attend the University of West Georgia. Kennedy and Render plan to attend Fort Valley State University. Wilkerson plans to attend Savannah State University to become a pre-k teacher. During the event representatives from the colleges and universities, the students will attend in the fall were present to “welcome” them to their future place of study with school merchandise.
WJCL
Here’s how Tybee’s sand dunes protect the island during severe weather, storm surge
Tybee has received beach renourishment every decade since the 1970s.
Jonathan Myers
Meteorologist
Through the years, sand dunes have protected Tybee Island from storm surge flooding. But over time, they have taken a beating. Sand dunes are the first line of defense from flooding due to a hurricane. Dr. Alexander from the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography details how the islands along the Georgia coast are resilient when it comes to severe weather. “Tybee is a focal point of good planning, good application of the kind of coastal engineering that you can do to make an island safer,” he said.
The Citizens
INDOOR/OUTDOOR: Area lawns have suffered from hard freeze
By Timothy Daly (Agricultural and Natural Resources agent with the University of Georgia Extension Henry County)
Many homeowners are concerned that all or parts of their warm season grass lawns, which include bermuda, zoysia, centipede, and St. Augustine grasses, have not entirely come out of dormancy and turned green. The unseasonably hard freeze in December has caused damage to these lawns. The temperatures were quite frigid for several days, with lows in the single digits. Additionally, our area had several days of snow and ice. The cool spring has also delayed lawns from coming out of dormancy. Some turfgrasses are less tolerant of cold than others, but the winter has impacted all types. Special care is necessary to ensure that the lawns recover and green up. The most planted turfgrass is bermuda. It can survive our summer’s hot, dry conditions and requires minimal maintenance. Local bermudagrass lawns have been slow to green up. The hybrid bermudagrass varieties have fared better than the common ones. Most of these lawns have survived the cold temperatures and are slowly turning green due to the weather conditions. Also, soil temperatures have been slow to warm up as well, thus contributing to the problem. Areas of the lawn with ice and snow present for several days have been particularly affected. Avoid applying fertilizers until the grass is roughly 90% green.
13WMAZ
Toxic hammerhead worm not actually a bad thing for Georgia | Here’s why
The snake-like worm which can grow up to 12 inches long helps control the invasive Asian jumping worm in the state that preys on the native Earthworm.
Author: Cody Alcorn
While in recent years it’s been suggested you kill the invasive, snake-like Hammerhead worm, in Georgia that’s not necessarily the case. “These worms are harmless to people and pets. And in fact, they are helping to control the invasive Asian jumping worm that is displacing our native earthworms, the Nightcrawlers,” Dr. Nancy Hinkle, a Veterinary Entomologist at the University of Georgia explained.
Tuscaloosa News
Turtles laid eggs eons before chickens | ECOVIEWS
OPINIOIN
Whit Gibbons (professor of zoology and senior biologist at the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory)
A couple of decades ago, in my herpetology class at the University of Georgia, we were discussing evolutionary ecology and someone asked the age-old question, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Brian Todd, currently professor of vertebrate conservation at UC Davis, quickly answered, “the egg.” He was correct. Archaeopteryx, sometimes called the first bird, appeared on earth about 150 million years ago, during the Jurassic period. Chickens followed much later. Eggs, on the other hand, appeared millions of years before any bird, let alone a chicken. Why? Because turtles, all of which lay eggs, entered the scene about 220 million years ago.
WRDW
Augusta University golf program shines on national stage
By Daniel Booth
Augusta University is having a great deal of success on the golf course this spring. For the first time in school history, the AU women’s golf team is going to the NCAA National Championship tournament. The Jaguars punched their ticket to nationals with a 5th place finish at the Athens Regional held on the University of Georgia golf course. AU was an 11 seed coming into the regional, and they secured the 5th and final qualifying spot by beating Ohio State by two strokes.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Chad Bishop to cover Georgia Tech sports for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By Todd C. Duncan
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is pleased to announce that Chad Bishop will cover Georgia Tech sports. …He has since held positions in print, television and online journalism in Statesboro, Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Nashville, before spending nearly four years in athletics communications at Vanderbilt University. Bishop graduated from Georgia Southern University in 2006. “Chad will help us take our coverage of the nationally-known athletic department to another level,” said Leo Willingham, assistant senior editor for sports. “Chad is arriving at an important time for Georgia Tech athletics with the recent hiring of new football and men’s basketball coaches, and I believe his dedication and knowledge of the college sports scene will be a huge benefit for the AJC.”
WRDW
One on One with Richard Rogers | AU’s new athletic director
By Richard Rogers
For the first time in 34 years, Augusta University has a new athletic director. Ryan Erlacher is the man in charge of the Jags athletic programs. He talks one on one with Richard Rogers.
Athens Banner-Herald
Police release more details of UGA student injured when tree fell on her
Wayne Ford
Numerous people rushed to help a University of Georgia student trapped helplessly under a fallen tree during a recent powerful storm on campus. Several people responded by helping to lift the tree off the 20-year-old student, who was seriously injured, according to a UGA Police Department report released late Friday. The fallen tree injured Mia Wei Corte, a student from Chattanooga, Tennessee. She remained hospitalized on Friday at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center with head and abdomen injuries. The tree fell in a storm that had a powerful wind gust of 64 mph shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to the report. …UGA officer Seth Robinson investigated the conditions leading up to the accident. Robinson was told by UGA landscape personnel that there was no known concern as to the health of the oak tree. An examination of the tree showed no rot or damage prior to the storm. It was the landscape expert’s opinion that the sudden winds in combination with the wet soil that led to the tree falling by dislodging the root ball.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
Admissions Offices, Cautiously, Start Using AI
They are divided about what to do about ChatGPT, but that doesn’t prevent some of them from embracing AI.
By Scott Jaschik
This story is not about ChatGPT. Most admissions offices are terrified that some (many?) students will find ways to use the new technology to submit essays that are not their own. But that doesn’t mean that AI hasn’t entered admissions offices—by their invitation. Some admissions offices are starting to use AI, for instance, to review transcripts, which are a key part of a college application. College officials, association leaders and the companies involved all insist that systems are safe and that there is plenty of (human) checking of the work of machines. And they all insist that no one is being admitted entirely through AI. But a few colleges are starting to use AI technology, and to talk about it.
Inside Higher Ed
Biden Draws Attention to His Debt Relief Plan at Howard U
By Scott Jaschik
President Biden spoke of his debt relief plan during Saturday’s commencement at Howard University. “My student debt relief plan would help tens of millions of people, especially those on Pell Grants. Seventy percent of Black college students receive Pell Grants. Many of you, the savings would be significant and even wiping out student debt completely for some,” he said. Biden added, “But this new Republican Party is dead set against it, suing my administration to stop you from getting student debt relief. The same opposition who received relief loans, I might add, to keep their businesses afloat during the pandemic—members of the Congress, worth thousands, even millions of dollars—most of which didn’t have to be paid back. Yet, they say it’s OK for them but not for you. I find it outrageous.”
Inside Higher Ed
Biden Administration Hears From 132,000 and Counting on Title IX Rule
The rule would prevent blanket bans on transgender athletes participating in the sport that matches their gender identity, but some groups want the Education Department to do more to protect this group of students.
By Katherine Knott
The Biden administration’s proposed rule for transgender students goes both too far and not far enough, according to the more than 132,000 comments submitted ahead of today’s deadline. The controversial rule, released last month, would prohibit blanket bans barring transgender students from participating in the sport consistent with their gender identity by amending regulations regarding Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX is a federal gender-equity law that protects students from sex or gender discrimination.
Inside Higher Ed
Mizzou Faculty Alleges Pressure to Not Seek Tenure
A U of Missouri faculty committee report says professors have been pressured to withdraw tenure and promotion applications, or to apply to non-tenure-track positions before even submitting tenure applications.
By Ryan Quinn
Several University of Missouri at Columbia faculty members within the last three years say leaders pressured them to withdraw their tenure and/or promotion applications, a faculty report says. A few more faculty members reported being pressured to apply for non-tenure-track positions before they even applied for tenure, the document says. It also says some reported pressure to delay applications for promotion. Overall, the Mizzou Faculty Affairs Committee report says 15 anonymously interviewed people “reported on events occurring since 2020 in four colleges.” About three-quarters were women.
Cybersecurity Dive
PaperCut actively exploited by multiple threat actors, targeting education sector
Education is a key market for the print management software, which has been under active exploit since mid-April.
Matt Kapko, Reporter
Threat actors are actively exploiting unpatched versions of print management software PaperCut, the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned Thursday in a joint advisory. The vulnerability, CVE-2023-27350, allows a threat actor to bypass authentication and initiate remote-code execution on a PaperCut application server. PaperCut released a patch for the vulnerability in March and researchers at Huntress began observing active exploitation in mid-April. A ransomware group identifying itself as Bl00dy Ransomware Gang attempted to exploit vulnerable PaperCut servers against the education facilities sector in early May, according to CISA and the FBI. Education is a key market for PaperCut. The company claims more than 100 million users across 70,000 organizations globally.
Cybersecurity Dive
Criminal actors switch tactics after Microsoft began to block macros last year
David Jones, Reporter
Dive Brief:
Financially motivated hacking groups are employing new attack methods after Microsoft began to block macros by default in 2022, according to a report released by Proofpoint. An attack method called HTML smuggling has risen sharply since June 2022, reaching an initial peak in October, then returning as a preferred method in February, according to Proofpoint. The method involves “smuggling” an encoded script within an HTML attachment and when the user opens the link a malicious payload is unloaded on the victim’s computer. The technique was initially employed by known threat actors TA570 and TA577, but after October was used in campaigns by other groups. Multiple groups, including initial access brokers, have been observed using PDF attachments to launch attacks since December 2022, with a spike in early 2023.