Middle Georgia CEO
Fort Valley State University Renews Academic Partnership with Robins Air Force Base
The Office of Strategic Academic Partnerships and Student Engagement within Academic Affairs began spring semester 2024 with a renewed partnership with the Department of the Air Force, represented by Robins Air Force Base (RAFB). This educational partnership and agreement extend the previous historic agreement made in 2020, designed to advance students’ knowledge in computer science, cybersecurity, engineering, mathematics, and other STEM programs at FVSU. This partnership will continue to include guest lectures and demonstrations, professional development workshops, campus visits, and other opportunities for both students and faculty. Through this partnership and outreach activities, students will gain valuable job skills that will contribute to their successful employment beyond graduation.
Forsyth County News
UNG wins second place in NSA codebreaker challenge
Erica Jones
FCN regional staff
The University of North Georgia (UNG) recently took second place in the 2023 National Security Agency (NSA) Codebreaker Challenge, which officially wrapped up this month.
Monroe Local
Yarman part of UNG Ethics Bowl team that earns nationals spot
Sharon Swanepoel
The University of North Georgia’s (UNG) Ethics Bowl team earned a spot in its national competition thanks to a second-place finish in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl in November. This marks UNG’s second nationals appearance in a row. The Association for Practical and Professional Ethics Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl national event is set for Feb. 24-25 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Livability
Spotlight Shines on Columbus Film Industry
City has its eye on becoming Georgia’s third film hub.
By Wesley Broome
Film production in Columbus, GA, is on the rise. Recently, the city has made appearances in films including “Survive the Night” with Bruce Willis and “Still” (the first film to go through the Georgia Film Academy program at Columbus State University). With a studio providing full production services and a university program helping train a local workforce, the Columbus film industry has become a unique asset in Georgia.
The Red & Black
UGA Mobile App updated to help students navigate campus easier
Briar Bundy
Navigating campus can be a hassle between locating classes, figuring out the bus schedule and remembering where to be and when. However, the University of Georgia has caught wind of this issue and taken action to simplify schedule-related struggles. The UGA Mobile App, used by most students to check parking decks, dining halls and other campus resources, has recently been updated. With this new update, students are able to access their class schedules directly from their phones under the “MyUGA” module. This feature includes precise class times and locations, and students can view their full class schedules on either a daily or weekly display. The app also connects students’ schedules to the UGA bus portion of the app to aid students in determining which buses and stops are most convenient for getting to and from their classes.
Rome News-Tribune
Assistant professor shares experiences to teach food safety
By Cal Powell UGA/CAES
She didn’t realize it at the time, but Carla Schwan’s passion for food microbiology began in a hospital bed in rural Brazil. …After completing both her master’s and doctoral degrees in food science at Kansas State University, Schwan was hired as an assistant professor and UGA Extension food safety specialist in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences in 2022. The granddaughter of farmers, Schwan’s introduction to food education began in childhood, traveling across soybean-rich southern Brazil in the summer with her father, also an extension professor in agronomy. “That helped give me a foundation with the examples I saw around me and that was a big influence,” she said. As director of the National Center for Home Food Preservation, a repository for research-based information housed within FACS, Schwan handles inquiries from both the media and the public on all issues related to food safety.
USA Life Sciences
Aaron T. Scott, DHA(c), CNMT, NMAA, FSNMMI-TS is being recognized by The Inner Circle as a Distinguished Professional for his work in healthcare. A dedicated healthcare professional with a wealth of experience and expertise. His primary objective is to elevate health center operational performance through the delivery of training and technical assistance, ultimately enhancing the delivery of care and administrative management in various healthcare settings. As Vice President of Clinical Operations, Aaron holds a pivotal role at the Advanced Molecular Imaging & Therapy in Glen Burnie, MD. He’s responsible for the proactive management of clinical trial processes, providing strategic oversight and leadership to ensure quality, timeline adherence, resource allocation, and budget achievement. Aaron ensures that clinical operations knowledge is effectively integrated into various clinical development activities. He represents all facets of Clinical Operations and plays a vital role in internal communication and collaboration. Aaron’s educational journey includes a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in Molecular Biophysics from Clark Atlanta University (1994-1999), a Certificate Program for Nuclear Medicine Technology from the Medical College of Georgia (2003-2004),
MDPI
By Pankaj Ahluwalia, Kalyani Ballur, Tiffanie Leeman, Ashutosh Vashisht, Harmanpreet Singh, Nivin Omar, Ashis K. Mondal, Kumar Vaibhav, Babak Baban, Ravindra Kolhe (Augusta University)
Simple Summary
Cancer affects millions of individuals every year, with colorectal cancer being among the most common. There is an increased need to identify new biomarkers that can not only diagnose patients early, but also stratify them so the best treatment can be initiated for each patient. Every human has a unique genetic makeup that causes them to respond differently to cancer. In recent years, new technologies have provided unprecedented access to tumor samples from patients. Through these analyses, we can not only diagnose and classify patients based on their comparative risk, but also monitor their response to emerging therapies. Continued progress using these methods will transform how we approach treatment modalities for cancer patients.
Valdosta Daily Times
Peanut farm show preps farmers for peanut season, honors hard work of previous year
By Davis Cobb
Farmers and peanut growers from all across Georgia flocked to Tifton on Jan. 18 for the 2024 Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference. The 47th run of the event provided attendees with the opportunity to see the latest advancements and services from businesses and organizations across the industry in preparation for the upcoming peanut season. From equipment manufacturers and technological services to agricultural research organizations, nearly 100 exhibitors packed into the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center, eager to meet with farmers from across the state. …Following this, national legislators and representatives of peanut organizations provided updates on production and consumption of the crop and status of agriculture-supporting bills while patrons of the event enjoyed a luncheon.
yahoo!news
Michael P. Moore, University of Colorado Denver and James T. Stroud, Georgia Institute of Technology
Climate change is threatening the survival of plants and animals around the globe as temperatures rise and habitats change. Some species have been able to meet the challenge with rapid evolutionary adaptation and other changes in behavior or physiology. Dark-colored dragonflies are getting paler in order to reduce the amount of heat they absorb from the sun. Mustard plants are flowering earlier to take advantage of earlier snowmelt. Lizards are becoming more cold-tolerant to handle the extreme variability of our new climate. However, scientific studies show that climate change is occurring much faster than species are changing.
EOS Science News
Crafting Clean Water in the Navajo Nation
A collaboration between researchers and a Navajo Nation potter has yielded an effective and culturally appropriate water treatment device.
by Jane Palmer
A cross-cultural team recently developed a new water filtration system for members of the Navajo Nation, one that they hope will make clean water easier to access. Currently, large sections of the nation lack access to potable water, making communities more vulnerable to diseases such as COVID-19 and gastrointestinal and skin infections. But any potential solutions to this lack of access must be developed in collaboration with local communities, said Navid Saleh, an environmental engineering professor at the University of Texas at Austin and colead of new research published in Environmental Science and Technology. …On Navajo land, water contamination has come from many sources. Cold War-era uranium mining has poisoned wells, large uncontrolled landfills have contaminated groundwater supplies, and pesticides from agricultural projects have leached into irrigation reserves. Dangerous levels of pollutants have forced many residents to truck in their water, have it delivered, or collect it from a distant, cleaner source. These methods of adaptation “mean that water is stored for a long period of time, which can lead to microbial contamination,” said study colead Lewis Stetson Rowles III, an environmental engineer at Georgia Southern University.
YouTube
How to keep your new year’s resolutions
Dr. Tracy Casanova is a psychologist at Augusta University. She has advice on how to keep working toward our goals.
WGAU Radio
UNG accounting students provide free tax prep
By Clark Leonard, UNG
Students pursuing bachelor’s and master’s accounting degrees in the University of North Georgia’s Mike Cottrell College of Business (MCCB) will build their tax preparation skills and aid the surrounding communities as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program sponsored by the IRS this semester. The program normally serves over 100 taxpayers each filing season.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Bulldogs’ mascot Uga X, aka ‘Que,’ dies
By Chip Towers
Georgia has lost another Uga. “Que,” who had reigned as Uga X in the line of Georgia football mascots, died peacefully Tuesday morning at his home in Savannah, the University of Georgia announced. He was 10 years old. Que, a pure white English bulldog like all the other Georgia mascots, was “collared” as Uga X before the Bulldogs’ game against Georgia Southern on Nov. 21, 2015. Retiring after the 2022 season because of declining health, he became one of the more decorated mascots in UGA history in terms of the football team’s on-field accomplishments. Under Uga X’s watch, the Bulldogs won two national championships and two SEC championships. His overall record of 91-18 is the best in the history of the school mascots. …Que will be interred in the southwest corner of Sanford Stadium where all mascots in the Uga line are buried.
See also:
WRBL
by: Chuck Williams
The history of professional baseball in Columbus is a rich one. Pro teams have called Columbus home since the 1880s. WRBL talked to a man who has researched that history from the first inning to the present day. And his perspective is valuable as the Atlanta Braves prepare to bring their Double-A team to Columbus for the 2025 season. We all have a tendency to look at things in the here — and now. Sometimes to bring something happening today into focus it helps to look back. When it comes to pro baseball in Columbus, Hart Mizell has done that. Mizell pitched for Columbus State University a decade ago.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia health officials assessing rabies risk after bats infest UGA dorm
By Vanessa McCray
The University of Georgia said workers have sealed off holes in the exterior of a residence hall infested by bats, and officials are urging students to fill out a public health survey to assess the need for rabies vaccinations. A UGA spokesman said in an email Monday to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that “all work has been completed on Oglethorpe House,” a nine-floor, 500-bed dormitory that’s been besieged by bats over the past week.
Higher Education News:
Higher Ed Dive
Penn’s legacy admissions under investigation by Education Department
The agency is determining whether legacy preferences constitute racial discrimination — a probe similar to one opened at Harvard.
By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf
Dive Brief:
The U.S. Department of Education is investigating whether the University of Pennsylvania’s legacy admissions policies constitute racial discrimination under federal law. Last month, a complaint was filed against the university’s admissions practices that give preference to alumni relatives, according to the Penn’s student press, The Daily Pennsylvanian, which first reported the investigation. An Education Department spokesperson confirmed Monday the university was under investigation but declined further comment. Penn spokesperson Megan Gallagher said in an email Monday that the university is “aware of the complaint and will fully cooperate with the investigation.”
Inside Higher Ed
Cal State System Strike Begins, Ends in One Day
The university, the country’s largest four-year public institution by enrollment, didn’t concede to the union’s demand for a 12 percent raise this academic year.
By Ryan Quinn
Another massive higher education strike began Monday, with workers across the 23-campus California State University system walking off the job in pursuit of better pay, more mental health counselors for students, semester-long paid parental leave and other concessions. By the end of the day, the union called for the strike’s end. In a news release around 10 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, the union announced a tentative agreement with CSU that wouldn’t meet the union’s salary demand, but would provide 10 weeks of paid parental leave, up from six, along with other wins. The union said members would vote on the deal “in the coming weeks.”
Inside Higher Ed
Canada to Cut the Number of Student Visas It Issues
By Susan H. Greenberg
Canada will sharply reduce the number of international student visas it issues for the next two years, the CBC reported. Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Monday that the government will approve about 360,000 undergraduate permits for 2024—a 35 percent decline from 2023. The move is intended both to limit the role of “bad actors” who abuse the system and to help ease Canada’s housing crisis.
Cybersecurity Dive
Microsoft to overhaul internal security practices after Midnight Blizzard attack
After Microsoft disclosed a state-sponsored actor stole data from senior executives, experts are raising questions about its security capabilities and practices.
David Jones, Reporter
Dive Brief:
Microsoft plans to make significant changes to its internal security practices after disclosing a hack by the state-sponsored threat group Midnight Blizzard, which stole emails and other data from senior-level Microsoft executives and other employees, the company said Friday in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The hackers compromised a legacy non-production test tenant account to gain access to the company, Microsoft said. The threat actor used the account’s permissions to reach a “very small percentage” of emails and attachments of senior executives and employees in the cybersecurity, legal and other departments. The actor, formerly known as Nobelium, was behind the 2020 Sunburst attacks against SolarWinds and other companies. U.S. authorities raised alarms about Midnight Blizzard in December after the actor was found exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities in JetBrains TeamCity servers across the globe.