The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kemp: College finances squeezed as demand for job training soars
By Ty Tagami
As Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp assumed his new role as chairman of a regional education board Monday, he outlined a paradox the state now faces. With student enrollment falling, higher education budgets are getting squeezed. Meanwhile, an explosion in the number of manufacturing jobs is straining Georgia’s available workforce — and the future workforce will need to be educated. “It’s a great opportunity for people, especially in rural parts of the state,” Kemp said at the annual meeting of the Southern Regional Education Board in Atlanta Monday. …The board helps advise 16 states, including Georgia, on education policy. …During a 40-minute talk to members with SREB President Stephen Pruitt, Kemp discussed college enrollment declines as well as the rapid growth in new electric vehicle manufacturing plant announcements. … The University System of Georgia saw a 1.8% enrollment decline last year. It’s a national trend. Funding is tied to enrollment, so the system has seen cuts. Even so, the Georgia Board of Regents recently voted to maintain tuition at current levels at nearly all system schools. Kemp said “tough” decisions will have to be made later, though.
Columbus CEO
Governor Kemp Announces 36 Appointments to State Boards
Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced the appointment and re-appointment of 35 people to various state boards, authorities, and commissions, as well as one district attorney position.
Georgia Higher Education Facilities Authority
Dick Anderson, Gary Bishop, and Teresa MacCartney were reappointed.
Georgia Council on Literacy
…Julie Walker is Georgia’s State Librarian and Vice Chancellor for Libraries and Archives for the Georgia Public Library Service. …She is a graduate of the University System of Georgia’s Accelerated Leadership Academy, the University System’s Executive Leadership Institute, and Leadership Athens. Walker is a member of the Board of Visitors of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Information and Library Science, the advisory board of Valdosta State University’s School of Library and Information Science, and the advisory committee of the University of Georgia’s Certified Public Manager program.
Southern Regional Education Board
Matt Dubnik represents State House District 29 in the Georgia General Assembly and is the Chairman of the House Appropriations Education Subcommittee. … Dubnik earned a B.S. in Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology. … Billy Hickman represents State Senate District 4 in the Georgia General Assembly and is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Higher Education. …Hickman graduated from Georgia Southern College.
Douglas Now
BOARD OF REGENTS HONORS SGSC’S TRINITY STRICKLAND DURING ACADEMIC RECOGNITION DAY
Trinity Strickland, a South Georgia State College (SGSC) senior, was honored with the 2023 Academic Recognition Day Award by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Trinity is pursuing a degree in SGSC’s Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. She is involved in the Pre-Med Club, Outdoors Club, and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She has been awarded the Junior and Senior Academic Award along with the OPTIMA-Chemistry Award for her excellence in class and for obtaining a 4.0 GPA.
accessWDUN
Georgia Gwinnett College lecturer wins Fulbright Scholar Award
By Hamilton Keener Anchor / Reporter
Dr. Marybeth Chrostowsky, an anthropology instructor at Georgia Gwinnett College, has been named a winner of the Fulbright Scholar Award. Chrostowsky will spend a year in Uganda working with graduate students in the Refugee and Migrant Studies program at Ugandan Martyrs University. …Chrostowsky is one of 800 U.S. citizens who will teach or conduct research abroad as part of the Fulbright U.S. scholar program.
Fox28 Savannah
Georgia Southern to help oyster bed restoration through art installation
by Anna Hughes
The UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium partnered with Georgia Southern for a special exhibit entitled, “Submerged: an Underwater Exhibition of Bioceramic Artwork.” The exhibit aligns with World Ocean Day, and visitors got to see the sculptures in the aquarium tanks today for free. They range from realistic ocean species to abstract concepts. Assistant Professor of Art at Georgia Southern, Casey Schachner, worked on this project with biology professors and her art students.
WGAU Radio
By Agnes Hina, UNG
University of North Georgia biology professors Dr. Natalie Hyslop and Dr. Jennifer Mook’s decade-long research project is receiving assistance from Zoo Atlanta’s Mabel Dorn Reeder Conservation Endowment Fund. The pair have been evaluating translocating methods for Eastern box turtles threatened by commercial development and poaching in north Georgia and examining the health of this turtle population. “Jennifer and I started this project together 10 years ago and we involved students in every aspect,” Hyslop said. “Our thought was let’s find out some really important information about an incredibly long- lived, endangered vertebrate species that has really important ecosystem services.”
The Augusta Chronicle
Augusta University researchers find potential lung cancer treatment in CBD
Abraham Kenmore
Researchers at Augusta University are finding new potential treatments for lung cancer in an ancient drug called CBD, the increasingly popular cannabis compound. “It is a new, old drug,” said professor Babak Baban, one of the authors of a new paper on the subject and associate dean for research at the Dental College of Georgia. “It has been around … at least 6,000 years we know about.”
Autoblog
The 13th annual Georgia Clean Energy Roadshow educational series, hosted by PSC Vice Chairman Tim Echols and produced by Event Energy Partners together with Clean Cities Georgia, kicks off June 23rd with four tour-stops in Savannah, Augusta, Peachtree City, and Albany. The series opens at the Savannah Civic Center on June 23rd , followed by stops in Augusta at the Georgia Cyber Innovation Center on June 27th, the Rinnai Innovation Center in Peachtree City on June 28th and concluding at HBCU Albany State University, June 29th. Four half-day events designed for fleet operators, local government, industry, MPOs, and other community leaders will feature a showcase of the latest technology Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Electric and Propane vehicles paired with a lunch and learn seminar. This year the series will also highlight federal and utility funding programs for public (EV) charging and the workforce development opportunities emerging from Georgia’s booming EV ecosystem. …Albany State University will feature an additional segment on Smart Agriculture, highlighting the latest in alt-fuel farming technologies.
KPVI
Cool spring slows mosquito development across Southeast
By Elmer Gray UGA/CAES
Whether it was Punxsutawney Phil or the Old Farmer’s Almanac, somebody got it right because, after a relatively mild winter, it’s been a cool spring across the Southeast. Even as summer approaches, these cool temperatures have provided some relief both on the air-conditioning bill and the mosquito front. Mosquito eggs are deposited on the surface of standing water or in areas that will later become flooded. When the eggs complete development, the emerging larvae and the subsequent pupae require standing water for their development. Mosquito growth is basically controlled by food availability and temperature
Athens Banner-Herald
Athens-area makers of a barbecue sauce and energy drink reaping success after awards
Chris Starrs Contributor
A natural energy drink and a barbecue sauce – both of which call Oconee County home – were among the 12 products recognized in the annual University of Georgia’s UGA Flavor of Georgia competition held earlier this year. In the annual contest conducted by UGA’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Bishop-based HIBO, which makes a variety of zero-calorie energy drinks with a hibiscus base, won in the beverages category, and Statham-based Oconee Creations won in the barbecue sauces category for its small-batch Oconee White Gold sauce. Attendees of the Flavor of Georgia food product contest await the announcement of the 2023 contest winners. Flavor of Georgia has helped launch small, startup food companies while garnering recognition in new markets for established brands since 2007.
The Thomasville Times- Enterprise
Newly founded South Georgia Women’s Leadership Initiative Program launches
From Staff Reports
The South Georgia Women’s Leadership Initiative (SGWLI) launched on Friday, June 9, 2023 at Chehaw Park, embarking on a new era of women-driven leadership in South Georgia. SGWLI seeks to instill confidence and capability in women across South Georgia to grow and thrive professionally and personally, and in turn, create a more vibrant and flourishing region, and to support, empower and amplify the impact of women across South Georgia. The newly founded organization, sponsored by Georgia Power Company, held their inaugural kickoff luncheon in Albany at the Creekside Center at Chehaw Park, with over 90 women from across the region present. …The luncheon featured a dynamic panel of women from across South Georgia who spent time talking about their respective paths to leadership and the opportunities others have given them along the way. Panelists included Tift County Commissioner Melissa Hughes, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) President Tracy Brundage, Albany State University (ASU) President Marion Fedrick,
Athens CEO
Merritt Melancon
More than 100 marketing researchers from across the U.S. converged on the University of Georgia campus June 5-7 to share research into sustainable marketing practices, develop a better understanding of sustainable marketing and build a road map for research moving forward. “There are so many different definitions of sustainability,” said Will Thompson, chief strategy officer for Forbes Ignite and opening speaker on the first day of the conference. “But I also think that might be a little bit narrow.
Higher Education News:
Higher Ed Dive
Texas governor signs bill to move toward outcomes-based funding for community colleges
Natalie Schwartz, Editor
Dive Brief:
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Friday a new funding model for community colleges that will tie the majority of their state allocations to performance-based measures. Performance criteria include the number of “credentials of value” a community college awards. Texas’ higher education coordinating board will determine whether credentials are valuable by analyzing the costs and wages associated with each. Community colleges will also receive more funding based on the number of credentials in high-demand fields they award, the number of students who successfully transfer to four-year universities, and the number of high school students who complete sequences of dual-credit courses.
Inside Higher Ed
Helping Former Foster Students Succeed
A UCLA report says holistic services, financial aid, consistent staffing and social programming can help students who lack family support and guidance.
By Jessica Blake
…According to a recent report by the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools, holistic wraparound services that provide financial and emotional support, consistent and sufficient counseling, and social programming are key to helping students formerly in foster care succeed. …The UCLA report surveyed 23 staff members from 19 of the campus-based support programs in the California State University system. The first such program originated at Fullerton College in 1998 and expanded to 22 of the system’s 23 campuses. It is considered a national model among some people who work on foster care issues.
Inside Higher Ed
Fewer Students Complete Internships Than Before COVID-19
By Johanna Alonso
Internship participation declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research from the Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions. While 26.4 percent of undergraduates completed an internship in the 2019–20 academic year, only 22 percent did so in 2021–22, according to the College Internship Study, a longitudinal study that surveyed 554 students across three predominantly white institutions, three historically Black colleges and universities, and two Hispanic-serving institutions.
Higher Ed Dive
Colleges must take ‘student-centered approach’ to prison education, report says
Laura Spitalniak, Associate Editor
Dive Brief:
To maximize educational opportunities and career pathways for incarcerated individuals, colleges should partner with state leaders and correctional facilities to implement a student-centered approach to prison education, according to a joint report from The Educational Justice Institute at MIT and the New England Board of Higher Education. The report recommends college and state officials create transfer credit agreements to show which institutions guarantee they will accept prison credits post-release, as well as those earned before students were incarcerated. College leaders should also work with their state’s corrections commissioners to assess prison facilities and create a plan to most effectively use available space and resources for educational programming.
Cybersecurity Dive
Cloud services seen as key tool in shifting balance of cyber risk
The acting national cyber director says more oversight may be necessary, but a resilient cloud infrastructure is key to the national cybersecurity strategy.
David Jones, Reporter
The cloud is a key tool in shifting the burden of cyber risk away from small, under-resourced customers, Acting National Cyber Director Kemba Walden, said Wednesday during a fireside chat at the AWS Summit Washington, DC. As the Biden administration inches closer to unveiling the implementation plan for the national cybersecurity strategy, Walden discussed the role cloud services will play in the effort to improve U.S. cyber resilience.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Mellon Foundation to Award Over $5 Million to Expand Prison Education Programs
Arrman Kyaw
The Mellon Foundation will award over $5 million to seven institutions to expand higher education opportunities and resources for those in carceral environments. The organization seeks to support prison education programs that promote perspectives and leadership of those who have experienced the prison system and that help out overlooked populations and regions.
Higher Ed Dive
George Washington University pressing forward with armed police plan, despite pushback
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Senior Reporter
Dive Brief:
George Washington University police who would be armed with handguns under a new campus safety plan would need to complete a virtual reality training simulator and a 56-hour firearm course that includes information about nonlethal force and liability. Campus administrators last month released this new part of a safety proposal and are accepting public feedback on it until June 23. The university is also proposing changes to its policy around officers’ use of force. George Washington first announced in April it intended to arm some of its police force. Administrators look to be moving forward with the idea despite pushback from students and faculty who say it will not improve campus security.
Inside Higher Ed
Political and legal attacks have made DEI work challenging in many states. Some professionals are leaving, but those who stay say they’re fighting for students, faculty and the future of college equity.
By Liam Knox
It is a difficult time to be a DEI professional in higher education—especially in states where the field has come under intense scrutiny from lawmakers seeking to legislate it out of existence at public institutions. Or in states like Florida, Ohio and Texas, where they already have. Some diversity officers, including Cecil Howard, the former chief diversity officer at the University of South Florida, have left their red-state institutions and vowed not to pursue jobs in states with similar challenges. …But that’s not the whole story, according to many diversity officers who spoke both on and off the record. Some DEI practitioners, faculty invested in diversity and equity goals, and student-facing professionals in red states are fighting back against threats to their work, despite the resistance they face from board members, lawmakers and the voting public. …Nathaniel Dunlap, a member of the Georgia Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education Executive Board, said he’d seen “no exodus” of diversity officers from the Peach State despite legislative efforts to defund public DEI offices.
Inside Higher Ed
Students Trust Professors More Than Presidents or DEI Officers on Dealing With Racism
By Scott Jaschik
A survey of students by Edelman found that they trust professors more than their presidents or DEI officers “when it comes to responding to systemic racism and racial injustice in this country.” Sixty-three percent said they trusted professors, 52 percent trust their DEI officers and 50 percent trust the president. In addition, among the public, colleges and universities are trusted more than other groups “to do what is right when it comes to responding to systemic racism and racial injustice in this country.”
Cybersecurity Dive
Microsoft says Azure disrupted after a week of repeated service outages
The vendor is still investigating claims of DDoS attacks by a hacktivist group called Anonymous Sudan, after OneDrive, Outlook and other services were disrupted.
David Jones, Reporter
Microsoft was hit by a new disruption Friday after customers received error messages when trying to access Azure Portal. Customers may have also gotten error messages when trying to access the Microsoft Entra admin center and Microsoft Intune. The disruption was mitigated after a couple of hours. Microsoft, in a preliminary review, cited a spike in network traffic to the sites, which impacted the company’s ability to manage traffic. The company applied load balancing in addition to auto recovery to get the services back online.
Inside Higher Ed
Report Suggests Improvements for UNC System Governance
By Liam Knox
North Carolina governor Roy Cooper released the preliminary findings of a state commission to investigate the state’s public university governance on Monday, with recommendations for broadening political representation on the UNC system board of governors and on the boards of trustees of its 16 campuses. The report is from the Commission on the Governance of Public Universities, formed last November by Cooper, a Democrat, to study “instability and political interference” in governance at both the institutional and system level. The recommendations include splitting Board of Governors appointments between the majority and minority parties in the state Legislature, instead of allowing the entire Legislature to vote on each appointment, a process that would inevitably lead one party’s appointees to dominate.