USG e-clips for August 2, 2023

University System News:

Savannah Morning News

How to build a robust labor pipeline? Hyundai partners with K-12 schools, colleges and state

K-12 districts, four-year universities, technical colleges and Quick Start prepare to supply Hyundai and suppliers with talent.

Nancy Guan

Hyundai’s 8,100-employee automobile assembly plant and EV battery factory opens soon, and the Savannah region’s training centers and school systems are creating workforce pipelines for the South Korean automaker and its suppliers. …Jenkins High School, for example, offers an engineering program geared towards producing graduates who want to pursue a degree or certificate in the field by offering dual college credit and real world experience. “We have a strong partnership with the technical colleges and dual enrollment offerings at Armstrong and Georgia Southern University,” said Lewis. “It just depends on the interest of the student and what they want to do.” …The automaker is in discussions with Savannah State, Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern about adding an EV component to their curriculum. …Georgia Southern University currently offers six different types of undergraduate engineering degrees and six graduate-level engineering degrees. This fall, the Statesboro-based school will add two engineering doctorates, a Ph.D. in applied computing degree and a Ph.D. in engineering with concentrations in civil, electrical, advanced manufacturing and mechanical engineering.

See also:

WGAC

Oak Hall Housing at Augusta University Remains Closed Following Flood Damage

WGAU Radio

UNG Rec and Wellness Center gets facelift

With the University of Georgia making ready for the August 21 start of fall semester, there is new equipment for the Recreation and Wellness Center on UNG’s campus in Dahlonega. The facility that opened in 2008 is getting what its director calls “state of the art” fitness machines.

From Denise Ray, UNG…

The University of North Georgia’s Dahlonega Campus Recreation Center has undergone strategic changes to enhance the experience of members. “Campus Recreation and Wellness plays a vital role in well-being, and wellness is a huge, critical part of what we do,” Derek Leonard, executive director of Campus Recreation and Wellness and student facilities, said. “We felt the investment in the upgrade was vital to our students and members. We are a very big source of community and having state-of-the-art equipment and state-of-the-art facilities plays a role in that.” The facility opened in October 2008, and this is its first upgrade. Leonard said changes include new equipment, new branding and fresh paint.

WGAU Radio

UGA aerial dance program takes flight

By Katie Cowart, UGA Today

Aerial dance, a mesmerizing fusion of dance and acrobatics, has found its place at the University of Georgia with the development of an aerial dance program. Elizabeth Stich, a performer and instructor, joined the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences as an assistant professor of dance in 2022 to spearhead this new initiative. “We are fortunate to have Elizabeth Stich’s expertise on our faculty,” said Jean Martin-Williams, associate dean of Franklin College. “She not only expands our aerial dance offerings, but also brings a fresh perspective to dance composition from non-western European angles, which she plans to incorporate into her teaching. We eagerly anticipate her further contributions at UGA.” Aerial dance showcases performers gracefully defying gravity while suspended from the ceiling by silks, hoops, or a trapeze. It offers an enchanting visual spectacle that combines acrobatic maneuvers, graceful movements, and the use of aerial apparatuses.

OR Today

Fewer Meals May Prevent Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity

by OR Today Magazine

When intermittent fasting became all the rage among Hollywood celebrities, skeptics balked at the idea of skipping meals. But new research from the University of Georgia suggests the celebs might not have been that far off. The review found that a specific type of restricted eating may reduce the chances of developing Type 2 diabetes and improve your overall health. Known as time-restricted eating, this type of fasting means having regular but fewer meals, cutting out late-night snacks and not eating for 12 to 14 hours (often overnight). After a comprehensive review of published, peer-reviewed studies, the researchers found a connection between number of meals and obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

Farm Progress

Technology offers pathway for efficiency, sustainability for peanuts

Marshall Lamb discusses the peanut industry’s sustainability effort, aflatoxin, promising research and improved technology.

Ron Smith

Persistently increasing production costs, mandates to improve peanut quality, and demands to incorporate sustainability measures throughout the production and manufacturing process pose challenges to the peanut industry. Marshall Lamb, research leader and location coordinator at the USDA-ARS National Peanut Research Laboratory in Dawson, Ga., says those are critical issues confronting USDA, University, and industry scientists. … Lamb says aflatoxin is a significant peanut quality issue for the National Peanut Lab and others. “Our scientists at the lab are working with researchers from the University of Georgia, the University of Florida, Fort Valley State University, Auburn University, and Mississippi State University. “By collaborating with several universities on projects related to aflatoxin, we hope to leverage their expertise, and they can leverage some of our expertise to solve this problem much quicker.”

Moultrie News

Sister, sister: Six sister turtles born on IOP nest

By Anna Sharpe

Roughly one in 1,000 sea turtles reach maturity. In one nesting season, a turtle can lay between two to eight nests, with roughly 100 eggs in a clutch. For one turtle to reach sexual maturity and successfully nest is a feat of nature, but to have six turtles born from the same parents, likely in the same season, is something beyond. The six sister turtles come from a turtle that regularly nests on the Isle of Palms. The loggerhead, known as CC002992, has over 30 nests recorded by the Island Turtle Team. Six of her daughters were documented nesting in Dewees Island, Pawley’s Island and Capers Island in South Carolina and as far as Ocean Isle in North Carolina. The discovery comes from the NRU Sea Turtle Genetics Project, a research lab at the University of Georgia that uses genetic tagging to study the breeding and nesting habits of loggerhead sea turtles. Led by Associate Research Scientist Brian Shamblin, the project keeps track of the genetic makeup of the nesting turtles using microsatellites, or a repetitive track of DNA.

Growing Produce

Mulling Weed Management — What It Might Look Like 5 Years From Now

By Thomas Skernivitz

American Vegetable Grower asked several U.S. weed specialists to cite the most promising weed management solutions on the horizon for conventional growers. Here’s what they had to say. …Stanley Culpepper, Extension Weed Scientist, University of Georgia: “When considering economics and effectiveness, registering new herbicidal tools that are safe and effective for the vegetable grower is the greatest opportunity to support conventional farmers in the area of weed control. As we build the toolbox, it is critically important for our vegetable farmers to implement a sound, systems approach in managing weeds, which is arguably a relatively new approach; in the past we were lucky to have one or two effective options in many crops.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Great Southeast Pollinator Census takes place Aug. 18-19, and you can help

By Ligaya Figueras

We’re all busy as bees these days, but if you can carve out just 15 minutes on Aug. 18 or 19, you can be a citizen scientist and help entomology researchers in the region. It’s time for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census. The event, now in its fifth year, is open to anyone in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. All you have to do is go outside, find a plant in bloom, count the insects that land on it during a quarter of an hour, then upload your data to the census website, gsepc.org. The project is spearheaded by Becky Griffin, who applies her master’s degree in plant protection and pest management as a community and school garden coordinator and pollinator health associate for the University of Georgia Extension.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Where you live matters for maternity care in Georgia

Georgia’s rate of death from pregnancy has long ranked among the nation’s worst.

By Ariel Hart

More than one in three Georgia counties where thousands of Georgia mothers give birth each year is a “maternal care desert,” according to a report released Tuesday by the March of Dimes. Partly as a result, the report found, 17% of those who gave birth received no or inadequate prenatal care. The finding on Georgia’s lack of resources for pregnant women, especially those in rural and lower-income communities, is the sober backdrop to the recent announcement that Georgia’s rate of maternal mortality remains among the worst in the nation, and surged during the early pandemic. The state’s Maternal Mortality Report found that almost all maternal deaths in Georgia were preventable. …“I think that it’s time to move forward and find ways to ensure that all across Georgia as well as in the U.S. we have access to maternity care,” said Dr. Jose Cordero, a professor of public health at the University of Georgia and former board member of the March of Dimes.

Effingham Herald

Guidance for parents and businesses during National Breastfeeding Month

In observance of National Breastfeeding Month in August and Black Breastfeeding Week Aug. 25-31, Healthy Savannah and other local advocates are working to underscore the need for better corporate and community support of Black breastfeeding mothers, especially those in the workplace. Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia, as administrators of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Racial & Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant; along with the Chatham County Health Department, Georgia Southern University Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, and Glow Lactation are offering several events throughout the month. All are free and open to the public:

Athens Banner-Herald

Losing the kudzu: UGA seeks to change landscape at The Loop

Laurel Clark University of Georgia

Native plants installed by the State Botanical Garden of Georgia at the University of Georgia near the GA-10 Loop in Athens are changing the area from being covered in kudzu back to a more natural state. The project, funded by Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful, was planted in November 2021. Volunteers from the State Botanical Garden, Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful, the Georgia Department of Transportation and students from the UGA College of Environment and Design all pitched in to plant the area along the entrance ramp next to the GA-10 Loop at Milledge Avenue. Zach Wood, the grasslands coordinator at the State Botanical Garden, said all the plants chosen for the project are native to Georgia. He said they selected hardy species of plants they felt pretty confident would survive.

Athens Banner-Herald

UGA is spending nearly $70M to upgrade Sanford Stadium. Here’s what fans will see this season

Caitlyn Stroh-Page

More concession options, bigger bathrooms and a sensory room are among the upgrades debuting at Sanford Stadium this season. As part of a two-phase, $68.5 million project, UGA will unveil the first phase upgrades at the home opener against UT Martin on Sept. 2. Another noteworthy change is that the bridge that runs along Sanford Drive, between the stadium and the Tate Center Plaza, will be a ticketed area. The second phase is scheduled to be complete for the 2024 season.

Dalton Daily Citizen

Dick Yarbrough: No winners in media coverage of UGA football program

By Dick Yarbrough

There are no winners here. I am talking about an article that appeared recently in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution concerning allegations of misconduct by members of the University of Georgia football team. UGA’s general counsel, Michael Raeber, sent the AJC a nine-page letter demanding a retraction, claiming a number of errors and fabrications and that the lead reporter, Alan Judd, took quotes out of context. …The bottom line is the news media have sustained a black eye for not accurately reporting on a football program that badly needed the scrutiny before it tarnished the reputation of an excellent academic institution. Alas, there are no winners here.

Albany Herald

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College to present Hall & Oates Tribute concert

From staff reports

Private Eyes, a Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates, will be performing at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College on Sept. 12. The concert, which will be held at ABAC’s Howard Auditorium, is part of the ABAC Tribute Series, which presents original artists and tribute bands representing some of the greatest performers of rock and roll, soul, and rhythm and blues.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Opinion: Conservatives want schools to preserve, promote ‘mythical past’

Get Schooled with Maureen Downey

Hugh D. Hudson is a Regents’ Professor of History Emeritus and former executive secretary of the Georgia Conference of the American Association of University Professors. In a guest column, Hudson says the battle to control schools and what is taught has high stakes for Georgia. There is a divide, he writes, on whether the role of school is to “provoke curiosity about the outside world” or safeguard a “mythical past” and preserve “the family and racial hierarchy of authority.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia Tech emeritus professor: Florida twists history to sanitize slavery

Get Schooled with Maureen Downey

Gregory Nobles is Professor Emeritus at Georgia Tech and author of “The Education of Betsey Stockton: An Odyssey of Slavery and Freedom.” In this guest column, Nobles questions Florida’s inclusion of Betsey Stockton, an enslaved woman who became a self-taught teacher, as an example of Black people who benefited from slavery. New standards for Florida middle schools maintain that slavery taught people useful skills.

Higher Education News:

Cybersecurity Dive

White House looks to close massive cyber skills gap

The Biden administration is moving to address a yearslong shortage of qualified IT security and technology industry workers.

David Jones, Reporter

The White House unveiled Monday a comprehensive plan to address a yearslong shortage of qualified workers in the IT security industry. The National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy calls for government officials to work with the private sector and other key stakeholders to open foundational cyber skills to all Americans. Officials also plan to expand the number of training programs available for professional training and help develop a more diverse workforce, which has been vastly underrepresented by women and people of color.

Inside Higher Ed

College Access Groups Fear Impact of Outsourcing Guidance

Requirements were aimed mostly at for-profit companies colleges hire to run their online programs. Nonprofits that help students attend and complete college feel caught in the crossfire.

By Katherine Knott

Nonprofit groups focused on college access and success worry that Education Department guidance expanding the definition of outside companies that are subject to the agency’s oversight could hinder their efforts to support students. Under guidance released earlier this year, the organizations would be considered third-party servicers, which would subject them to the department’s oversight and regular audits. Historically, third-party servicers were directly involved with administering financial aid programs. The department expanded that definition to include companies involved with student recruiting and retention and providing educational content and instruction as part of an effort to increase oversight of online program managers. That new definition would include any organization that works with a college and provides personalized financial aid counseling, advising and services to help a student stay enrolled, the organizations say.

Higher Ed Dive

California’s top court sides with USC in student misconduct case

At private colleges in the state, students accused of violence aren’t guaranteed a right to cross-examine their accusers during live hearings, the judge ruled.

Natalie Schwartz, Editor

Dive Brief:

Private California colleges do not have to give students accused of sexual misconduct or intimate partner violence the opportunity to cross-examine their accusers during live hearings, the California Supreme Court ruled on Monday. Colleges must provide accused students meaningful opportunities to respond to allegations before they are disciplined, Associate Justice Joshua Groban wrote in the opinion. However, they also need to balance those obligations with ensuring that the process doesn’t retraumatize accusers or dissuade victims from reporting sexual misconduct or intimate partner violence, he wrote. In his opinion, Groban also pointed to the Biden administration’s recent regulatory proposals around Title IX, the sweeping law banning sex discrimination in federally funded schools. He wrote that the proposed changes may be “trending towards providing private universities with more flexibility in determining whether to conduct a live hearing.”

Higher Ed Dive

$10K for a leave of absence? Middlebury offers deal to free up dorm space

The Vermont college is expecting a higher number of returning students than usual, in part due to pandemic-related delays in education.

Laura Spitalniak, Associate Editor

Dive Brief:

Seeking to free up dorm space, Middlebury College, in Vermont, is offering juniors and seniors who plan to live on-campus $10,000 in exchange for taking the fall and winter terms off. The private liberal arts college is expecting a larger than average number of returning students caused by pandemic-related absences from campus. An estimated 220 students will graduate in February 2024, more than double the usual 100, college officials said in a letter to students Monday. Roughly 30 students will be able to claim the offer on a first-come, first-served basis. Their stipends will be paid out between late December and mid–January, and they will be given preferential status for the housing draw for spring 2024, according to the college.

GHC Inform

GHC EMAIL DIGEST (FACULTY & STAFF)

USG e-clips for August 2, 2023