InsiderAdvantage
Georgia Southern University Addresses Teacher Shortage with Innovative Initiatives
by Doy Cave
In the face of a teacher shortage in Georgia, Georgia Southern University’s College of Education is emerging as a catalyst for innovation. According to the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, 82 percent of schools in the state report a lack of educators, and 20 percent of teachers are considering leaving the profession within the next five years. Alisa Leckie, Ph.D., assistant dean for partnerships and outreach in Georgia Southern’s College of Education, says the need for fresh, practical solutions is urgent. “I regularly field requests for our teacher candidates from all different sizes of school systems, from our large Savannah-Chatham schools to small rural counties,” said Leckie. “School systems want to make sure that they are getting access to future teachers as soon as possible with the hope of encouraging them to teach there when they graduate.” To address this need, Leckie said Georgia Southern is pioneering initiatives that not only address the shortage but also ensure that its graduates are ready to excel in the classroom.
The Athletic
Georgia officials object to allegations football program turned blind eye to sexual assault reports
By Jeff Schultz
It has been a difficult offseason for the Georgia football program since winning its second consecutive national championship, beginning with a tragic car accident that took the lives of a player and athletic department employee. But recent reporting in an Atlanta newspaper that the school has taken sexual assault allegations lightly prompted coach Kirby Smart and school officials to hold a rare briefing with a group of media members Tuesday to defend themselves. “We take these allegations extremely serious — I take these allegations extremely serious,” Smart said. “We do not tolerate sexual misconduct in our organization. I’m a football coach, I’m responsible for this program, and it starts with me. I see this through the lens of, I have a wife and a daughter. When I think about these situations, I think about them. It’s personal to me. But I will not tolerate false accusations that this program or this university condone sexual misconduct. We have no tolerance for sexual assault or abuse. Never have and never will.”
See also:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Washington Post
New Gen Z graduates are fluent in AI and ready to join the workforce
Many of these up-and-comers have been leveraging generative AI to discover what it can do and are joining the workforce equipped with their new skills
By Danielle Abril
It’s not a hallucination. The youngest generation entering the workforce may be the most prepared to champion and use generative artificial intelligence at work. For months, many of these up-and-comers have been exploring the technology’s capabilities, sharpening their skills and learning how to best apply it to their tasks. And while some are cautious about AI’s potential harms, many are more fascinated with than worried about the technology. “I’m really excited about AI and what it can do,” said Naomi Davis, a May graduate of business administration from Georgia Institute of Technology, who uses AI to help her clearly express her ideas in writing. “I used it every week [of my last semester], or at least played around with it.”
The Newnan Times-Herald
Newnan’s Stephenson reaching for the stars
University of West Georgia physics major Mabel Stephenson has spent most of her life looking into the past. She often wondered about the idea of nothing becoming something within the chasm of the universe. Stephenson later began a life path researching this question. A passion for astronomy led the newly graduated physicist not only to start to understand the questions she longed to answer but to earn several opportunities in pursuit of answering them, including research grants, authored publications and a plethora of awards. …“I always had an interest in science and space, and after taking Dual Enrollment classes at UWG in high school, I met Associate Professor of Physics Dr. Nicholas Sterling and was awestruck once I learned that I could research astronomy as my career.” From there, Sterling aided Stephenson as she transitioned to her college career at UWG and continues to provide support as she progresses into her professional career as an astrophysicist. Stephenson became a published research author while pursuing her undergraduate degree.
Grice Connect
Triple Eagle Erin Lawson brings mental health, empathy, and humor to therapy practice
Triple Eagle Erin Lawson, a licensed clinical therapist, is bringing her passion of providing quality mental health to South Georgia. A born helper, she works with people of all ages to assist with everything from anxiety and depression to identity.
Jeneane Brown
Born in Statesboro and raised in Portal, Erin Lawson graduated from Portal Middle/High School in 2007 then began her undergraduate degree at Georgia Southern University. Once she earned her bachelor’s degree in 2011, she entered Georgia Southern’s Doctorate in Psychology, or PsyD program, which features classes for the first four years of study and concludes with a professional internship for the fifth year. Lawson earned her master’s degree in 2014, and completed the program in 2016, earning her doctorate. The seed for this life accomplishment was planted early on in Lawson’s life. When she was a teenager, Lawson met a mental health professional who inspired her, and this encounter sparked thoughts of psychology as a future career. …Lawson’s love for her close-knit family made the decision to attend Georgia Southern for all three degrees an easy one.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Opinion: How you spend time in college will impact your earning potential
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
In a guest column, attorney David F. Shutler writes about how college students can best position themselves to find gainful employment after college. … Compelled to solve the college debt puzzle by his experience as a parent of three college graduates who struggled with debt, Shutler spent many years researching the student debt debacle before writing his new book, “Graduate Debt Free: Escaping the Student Loan Matrix.”
Soon, a large cohort of freshly minted high school graduates will be getting ready to head for college. Amid plans for moving into dorm rooms and picking first semester classes, many are also wondering how they’ll pay back the debt they’re taking on. Here’s some powerful advice that people don’t usually consider. … Of course, you should choose a major in a field that you actually want to work in, but keep in mind that there is wide variation in the starting salaries from one major to another. …And while salary certainly isn’t everything, it does determine how easily and how quickly you’ll be able to pay back any loans you’ve taken to pay for college. (The University System of Georgia has a website that includes information about post-graduate earnings for its degree programs.)
Augusta CEO
Milledge Austin
As researchers and policymakers have worked to grasp and understand the extent to which people are limited in their access to health care depending on where they live, a research team led by Augusta University Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Neil J. MacKinnon, PhD, has authored a new study that looks at geographic health disparities in 11 high-income countries. The study, titled “Mapping Health Disparities in 11 High-Income Nations,” was published by JAMA Network Open, marking the third time MacKinnon has been published by the journal.
WGAU Radio
Area briefs: gang conference continues in Athens, Oconee Co SO looks to recruit deputies
By Tim Bryant
… With a little more than a month to go before the start of the University of Georgia’s fall semester classes, there is an afternoon meeting of UGA’s Staff Council: the virtual session is set to get underway at 2:30. The University of Georgia Law School unveils a scholarship that will be named in honor of the late Georgia House Speaker David Ralston. Ralston, who died earlier this year, graduated from the UGA School of Law in 1980 as a classmate of current University president Jere Morehead.
Athens Banner-Herald
Athens soap maker proceeds in competition to win $1 million, launches soaps on Amazon
Mary Renfroe Contributor
As Prime Day kicks of Tuesday and continues Wednesday, online Athens bargain hunters might spot the offerings of a locally-owned soap maker who is competing for a substantial prize. Sensitive skincare brand Gently Soap has been named a 2023 semifinalist for Black Ambition, an entrepreneurial competition created by celebrity music artist Pharrell Williams. Gently’s founder and University of Georgia master’s student Kristen Dunning will take part in a three-month business mentorship program and continue on her journey toward the $1 million grand prize along 249 other semifinalists.
13WMAZ
Three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses still feel the strain
Middle Georgia had an unemployment rate of 3.8% in May. One expert says low unemployment rates may seem like a good thing, but that’s not necessarily true.
Author: Solen Aref
Angela Stallard always knew where the future would take her. “I always wanted to have my own business, since I was a teenager,” she said. After traveling the country because of her dad and husband’s careers in the military, she finally put down roots in Macon and opened up Heart of Gypsy Boutique. She opened her doors in spring 2020, and soon had to adapt her business plans because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three years later, she’s still adapting. …”They’ve kind of lived in this online world and we haven’t quite adjusted to wanting the flexibility and wanting to work from home. And some jobs that works for, and some it doesn’t,” Associate Professor of Economics at Middle Georgia State University Dr. Greg George said. Dr. George said a “great resignation” happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, and those people have been slow to return to the same jobs since.
The Katy News
Columbus State University Press announces 2023 Jordan Prize winner
The Columbus State University Press has named novelist Ellen Birkett Morris as the winner of its 2023 Donald L. Jordan Prize for Literary Excellence. The award is made based on her most recent fiction manuscript, “Beware the Tall Grass,” which is scheduled for publication in March 2024. The Donald L. Jordan Prize for Literary Excellence seeks to uplift works that uphold human values, such as trust, generosity, love, gratitude or responsibility. … A charitable endowment donation in 2016 from real estate and development professional, author and artist Donald “D.L.” L. Jordan (pictured) helped established the Columbus State University Press, which was officially formed in 2021. At the same time, the CSU Press established the annual literary prize and named it in Jordan’s honor in recognition of his enduring support of Columbus State — as well as his support of aspiring authors pursuing the publication of their own works. Jordan died in May 2023.
Unilad
Man can’t believe his luck after finding small fortune buried underneath farm
Poppy Bilderbeck
A man has quite literally struck gold after digging in his field within his farm. The gold coins were discovered on a farm in Kentucky, US and are from 1840-1863 – thought to be part of the Great Kentucky Hoard. But how many coins did the man find and how much might they be worth? …Georgia Southern University conflict archaeologist, Ryan McNutt, saw news of the hoard arise online and believes the hoard may have been ‘buried in advance of Confederate John Hunt Morgan’s June to July 1863 raid’. He told Live Science he believes the hoard could’ve been buried as a way of ‘hiding goods and valuables’ from a Confederate raiding party as a result of the relationship which developed between Kentuckians and the federal government because of the Civil War.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Medical team that treats woman’s rare disease inspired her to be a nurse
By Nancy Badertscher – For the AJC
She now works at Children’s with doctor whom she says saved her life.
Averie Olson’s life has come full circle. The 23-year-old from Woodstock, who has the rare brain disorder moyamoya, works at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta with the doctor and nurse practitioner whom she believes saved and changed her life. Olson credits Joshua J. Chern, chief of neurosurgery at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, with seeing her through two brain surgeries and nurse practitioner Jennifer Wheelus with encouraging her to consider a career in nursing. …Olson began pursuing her career in nursing after graduating with straight A’s from Creekview High School. She went two years at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro and another two at Wheelus’ alma mater, Georgia Baptist College of Nursing on Mercer University’s Atlanta campus.
Clayton News-Daily
Woman becomes neurosurgeon after her mom was left paralyzed
By Talker News
This woman trained as a neurosurgeon after her mom was left quadriplegic after being shot at by a gang member. Dr. Betsy Grunch, 43, was inspired to train as a brain and spinal cord surgeon after a horrific incident left her mom, Betty Uriegas, 63, paralyzed from the neck down. In 1994, Betty Uriegas was 34 and working as a police officer. She was attending the scene of a reported “suspicious vehicle” on Atlanta Highway when her patrol car was shot at. Attempting to evade the bullets, Betty swerved suddenly, causing her to hit a tree with her car’s roll bar snapping her neck. …Daughter Betsy was just 14 at the time and vowed to study to become a surgeon to help people like her mom. …She became enamored with the healthcare professionals providing care to her mom and asked to shadow the surgeon over the summer. Betsy was hooked and even got a peak into the operating theatre. She eventually went to medical school at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia – before specializing in neurological surgery at Duke University in North Carolina, where she graduated in 2013.
yahoo!life
With the risks of deadly viruses and unexpected disease, it can be easy to forget about your dental health. But it’s important to prioritize. Studies show that there may be a connection between your dental health and cardiovascular disease, and even links to rheumatoid arthritis. “If you don’t treat your mouth well, there’s bacteria that can grow and cause disease, but also, those bacteria can cause issues in other parts of the body,” said Dr. Kim Capehart, chair of the Department of General Dentistry at Augusta University in Georgia. Additionally, ongoing tooth pain can impact your mental health, Capehart said. All of this means dental issues are something you want to avoid — and treat — when possible.
Chattanooga Times Free Press
Georgia’s longhaul COVID sufferers wait for return to health years after state’s shutdown
by Aaleah McConnell / Georgia Recorder
Robert Lyle, a 44-year-old Woodstock resident, is a member of the Georgia COVID long-haulers Facebook group, an online community of Georgians who share resources like which physicians are taking new patients nearby and what medications help bypass their virus symptoms the longest. Lyle is like many members of the group who have had to either significantly reduce their working hours, retire or face termination due to the long-term toll of the virus. …”Patients with severe COVID-19 were found to display a higher number of long COVID symptoms compared to mild and moderate patients,” wrote the authors of the study. “However, further analysis by the team revealed no direct association between long COVID symptoms and immune-inflammatory responses.” Elizabeth Rutkowski, an associate professor of neurology at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, said this condition can be very disabling, and the emotional stigma for some patients compounds with the severe side effects that long COVID has on the brain.
KevinMD
Ending the opioid crisis starts with physicians
Amy Baxter, MD (Amy Baxter is a clinical associate professor of emergency medicine at Augusta University,….)
A recently published opinion article by opioid advocates attempts to assuage physicians’ prescribing guilt, arguing “doctors prescribing to their patients did not create the U.S. opioid crisis.” As lawsuit after lawsuit concludes, Purdue Pharma, Johnson and Johnson, and blindered distributors and pharmacies share the blame for propping up pills for profit. Physicians may inflate home narcotic quantities for convenience, but with rare prosecutable exceptions, not monetary gain. But the creation of the crisis differs from perpetuation. Continuing to treat post-surgical recovery pain with opioids instead of options keeps the crisis alive.
Atlanta News First
Concerns over nationwide increase in harmful tick bites
By Savannah Louie
As national experts raise awareness over a rise in diseases spread by ticks, experts in Georgia maintain its business as usual in the region. Data from the CDC shows emergency hospital visits for tick bites are at their highest this year in July. The peak for hospital visits is typically in May. The CDC also reported a 25 percent jump in tickborne disease cases in the U.S. from 2011 to 2019. “This is a typical tick year,” said Nancy Hinkle, professor of veterinary entomology at the University of Georgia.
Gwinnett Daily Post
City serves as model for smart economic growth
By Margaret Blanchard UGA Today
It’s no secret that Gainesville is growing. With $318 million in private investment in downtown and the Midland area in just the last five years, the city is capitalizing on a unique strategic planning process developed by the University of Georgia Vinson Institute of Government. Most recently, the area received $4.4 million in funding from the governor’s office to support projects in “A Vision for the Athens Street and 129 South Corridors,” a community-driven plan focused on increasing greenspace and connectivity released last year by the UGA Institute of Government.
The National Desk
5G deadline threatens airline disruptions during peak summer travel
by Cory Smith
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is warning travelers that flight disruptions might occur with airplanes that haven’t been upgraded to deal with 5G wireless interference. Come July 1, which is this Saturday, aircraft without updated radar altimeters won’t be permitted to land in low-visibility weather. A radar altimeter gives pilots information on an aircraft’s height above the ground. The Federal Aviation Administration is concerned that 5G C-band signals can mess with these readings. “There’s a real risk of delays or cancellations,” Buttigieg told the Wall Street Journal. “This represents one of the biggest — probably the biggest — foreseeable problem affecting performance this summer.” Aviation industry expert Laurie Garrow, of Georgia Tech, said 5G isn’t a problem when pilots can clearly see the runway.
The Augusta Chronicle
Augusta University dean sued over noncompliant Airbnb property by homeowner’s association
Abraham Kenmore
An Augusta University dean is being sued by his homeowner’s association for renting his home out as an Airbnb and event venue despite multiple warnings it violated the HOA rules. The complaint was filed July 3 against Gursimran Singh Walia by the Barrington Owners Association Inc. Walia serves as the associate dean of the School of Computer and Cyber Security at AU. According to the complaint, Walia has been using a property he owns in Martinez as an Airbnb rental against the terms of the HOA agreement, which explicitly bans rentals except for the Masters tournament.
The Georgia Virtue
Georgia Southern University Alumni Association welcomes new board members
Six new members recently joined Georgia Southern University’s Alumni Association Board of Directors. “We are thrilled to welcome our newest members to the Georgia Southern Alumni Board,” said Ava Edwards, director of Georgia Southern’s Alumni Relations. “Their diverse backgrounds and experiences will undoubtedly contribute to the continued growth and success of our alumni network and University.” The new board members include: James Hammond (‘06) …Kim Hartsock (‘00) …Jessica Hood (‘07, ‘15) …Crandall Jones (‘81, ‘83) …Tonya Kincaid (‘’92) …Latoya Stackhouse, Ed.D. (‘02, ‘16, ‘22) … Founded in 1933, Georgia Southern’s Alumni Association’s Board of Directors is made up of alumni volunteers who are leaders in their communities and who have given tirelessly of their time in order to promote Georgia Southern.
Albany Herald
Fort Valley to host estate planning workshop
From staff reports
Fort Valley State University and the University of Georgia’s Cooperative Extension Programs will collaborate on a virtual ZOOM workshop focusing on estate planning. The workshop, “Who Gets the HOME House?’ is scheduled for Aug. 1, from noon-1:30 p.m. To participate in the workshop, participants are encouraged to pre-register online by July 24, at https//bit.ly/GAFITSReg. The Georgia Farmer’s Initiative for Training and Sustainability (GA-FITS) is presenting the event. It will be simulcast on Facebook Live at https://bit.ly/fvsuag-fblive.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
As Affirmative Action Ends, HBCUs Wait or Plan for the Fallout
Some leaders of historically Black colleges and universities expect the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action to bring a flood of applicants to their institutions. They’re not sure they’re ready.
By Sara Weissman
…While many HBCUs are eager to accept more students, some of the institutions’ presidents and advocates worry they don’t have the resources and infrastructure to absorb them. Other HBCU administrators doubt the decision will meaningfully affect their institutions, compared to predominantly white universities where admissions officials are wringing their hands as they try to determine how to diversify their student bodies without running afoul of the ruling.
Inside Higher Ed
Fighting for Scraps in Pennsylvania
Enrollment in the state has plummeted, but it has one of the highest ratios of institutions to students in the country. The result is fierce competition over a dwindling pool of applicants.
By Liam Knox
Pennsylvania has a numbers problem. With nearly 250 colleges and universities, including over 40 public institutions, Pennsylvania has the fourth most higher education institutions of any state, after California, Texas and New York. It is home to four public multicampus institutions—Pennsylvania State University, the University of Pittsburgh, Temple University and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE)—in addition to Lincoln University, an HBCU, and a sprawling, decentralized network of community colleges. That’s not even counting the 129 private colleges. But while there’s no shortage of suppliers, demand for higher education in the Keystone State is nowhere near what it used to be.
The Hill
Sallie Mae CEO: The student debt ruling is a wake-up call for systemic reform
By Jon Witter, Opinion Contributor
A lot has already been said about the Supreme Court’s decision on federal student loan forgiveness but what’s missing from the conversation is how we constructively address the larger issue — a broken federal higher education system in need of significant and lasting reform. First, the federal system does too much for too many and not enough for those who truly need support. Too many resources are being used to fund loans to students and families with little need for taxpayer assistance. This practice diverts money that could be used to make grants to students with demonstrated need, and for whom assistance will make a critical difference in their ability to afford higher education.
Higher Ed Dive
Inflation will continue to batter colleges through fiscal 2024, Moody’s predicts
Laura Spitalniak, Associate Editor
Dive Brief:
Colleges will continue to be hit by high inflation through at least fiscal year 2024, according to a new analysis from Moody’s Investors Service. Analysts predict that increasing costs of labor, food, utilities and construction will spur difficult decisions and force higher education leaders to reprioritize how they allocate resources. Employee compensation will be the most difficult expense to manage in the coming years, as collective bargaining efforts seek to close the gap between wages and an increasing cost of living, analysts said. Employees are turning to work stoppages to secure increases above inflation and advocate for better terms for part-time and nontenured faculty, as well as graduate student workers, the analysis said.
Higher Ed Dive
Natalie Schwartz, Editor
Dive Brief:
An appellate court reversed a ruling Monday that barred University of North Texas from charging out-of-state American students higher tuition than unauthorized immigrants living in Texas who qualify for in-state rates. The decision from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals marks a victory for both unauthorized immigrants in Texas and the state’s public universities that rely on the higher tuition paid by out-of-state students. A panel of appellate judges wrote that the lower court had misinterpreted federal law when it struck down the university’s tuition policy, which is based on a 2001 Texas statute giving some unauthorized Texans in-state rates.
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Inside Higher Ed
A Challenge to Close the Gender Gap in Economics
An experiment to encourage more women undergraduates to study economics produced mixed results but raised awareness of gender disparities in the field.
By Johanna Alonso
An experiment to encourage more women undergraduates to study economics produced mixed results but succeeded in bringing awareness to the gender disparities in the field, according to a new working paper published by the National Board of Economic Research. Dubbed the Undergraduate Women in Economics (or UWE, pronounced like the word “you”) challenge, the study asked 20 college economics departments to implement “light-touch” initiatives for one year aimed at recruiting and retaining female students. The goal of the UWE Challenge, according to the report, “was to uncover why women do not major in economics to the same degree as men and to assess what could be done about the disparity.” Even though more women than men are enrolled in higher education, male economics majors outnumber female economics majors 2.5 to one. The challenge was funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, providing $12,500 to each treatment institution—meaning an institution that implemented interventions.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Arrman Kyaw
Pima Community College (PCC) received $1.7 million in state funding for its STEM workforce development programs, AZ Central reported. Some of the money helped build the school’s Automotive Technology and Innovation Center to train future automotive technicians. This year’s state budget also allocated $2 million for school operations. Arizona is a center of emerging technologies, such as semiconductors, electric vehicles, and aerospace, said Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Salt Lake Community College Graduates More Than 20 Students from Utah Department of Corrections
Arrman Kyaw
More than 20 inmates from the Utah Department of Corrections recently graduated from Salt Lake Community College (SLCC). They were commended with SLCC’s first graduation ceremony ever for the department of corrections, Fox 13 reported. The students – 23 received a certificate of completion or associate’s degree – took classes through SLCC’s Prison Education Program – which was founded in 2017 and offers job placement after their sentences end.
Higher Ed Dive
WVU will review about half of its academic programs amid budget crunch. Some will be discontinued.
West Virginia University is staring down a roughly $45 million deficit and will trim its degree offerings as a result. Layoffs are almost assured.
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Senior Reporter
West Virginia University will evaluate nearly half of its academic programs as it looks to remedy a $45 million budget deficit, in a precursor to some of them being scaled back or discontinued altogether. The public flagship has already pursued austerity measures as it stares down the budget shortfall, announcing mergers of several of its colleges — most recently the College of Creative Arts and the Reed College of Media last month. But more cuts are assured, both to its degree offerings and to faculty. University officials said Monday they had identified 590 full-time faculty member positions they will review under the departments up for evaluation.
Inside Higher Ed
Northwestern Fires Head Football Coach After Hazing Investigation
By Jessica Blake
Northwestern University fired its head football coach, Pat Fitzgerald, on Monday following the release of allegations of sexualized hazing in the program. The decision came after the university released a summary of an independent investigation of allegations made anonymously by a student athlete in November 2022, and just two days after the university announced an initial suspension of Fitzgerald for two weeks without pay.