The Augusta Chronicle
No fooling: April 1 groundbreaking for Columbia County hospital marks important milestone
Joe Hotchkiss
Columbia County’s first hospital officially broke ground Monday, but its positive impact on the region and state is no April Fool’s joke, the new president of Wellstar MCG Health said. “As medical practitioners we understand that someone’s ability to access health care directly impacts their well-being, but there’s so much more to it,” said Ralph Turner, senior vice president and hospital president at Wellstar MCG Health. “It’s how we deliver care.” Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and former Gov. Sonny Perdue, chancellor of the University System Board of Regents, topped the list of local and state officials who turned the first ceremonial shovels of dirt at the end of Gateway Boulevard in Grovetown. Though the ceremony occurred Monday, site work and vertical construction on the hospital has been underway for months.
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Dalton Daily Citizen
Dalton State College to hold investiture celebration for President Fuchko
By Brady Hix
In September 2023, a new chapter for Dalton State College began with the appointment of John Fuchko III as the college’s sixth president after the retirement of Margaret Venable, who served the prior eight years in the position. On Friday, April 26, that new chapter is set to be fully signified with an investiture ceremony highlighting Fuchko. Investiture ceremonies, a longstanding tradition at colleges and universities, are typically held during a president’s first year. During the ceremony, the president addresses his or her vision and goals for the college before receiving the presidential medallion, which represents the official transfer of leadership. …Kicking off the festivities that Thursday, Dalton State will hold a celebration of the college’s history and legacy at 3 p.m. at the Burran Bell Tower and quadrangle on campus at 650 College Drive. Kate Maine, Dalton State’s vice president for marketing, communications and workforce development, said the event will “highlight various aspects of both the community and the college’s history.” …The presidential investiture ceremony is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. the following Friday inside the college’s Bandy Gymnasium at 661 George Rice Drive. Doors will open at 9:15 a.m. …Maine said traditionally investiture ceremonies feature dignitaries from the president’s past and those who are important to the college. “They will bring brief greetings or salutations and we will have several guests who will be doing that,” she said. Following the greetings, Maine said Harold Reynolds, the chairman of the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents, and Sonny Perdue, the system’s chancellor, will speak.
Athens CEO
UGA Again Named Among Top Military Friendly Institutions
Stan Jackson
The university has been in the top three for seven consecutive years, with three years at No. 1. Viqtory Media has once again named the University of Georgia among the top Military Friendly tier 1 research institutions in the nation, listing UGA at No. 2. UGA was recognized as the top-ranked Military Friendly school in 2023, 2021 and 2017, and has made the national top-three for seven consecutive years. Jon Segars, director of the Student Veterans Resource Center (SVRC), said that the quality of the students and the commitment from alumni and the university community are what makes UGA’s support of student veterans successful.
Columbus CEO
Columbus State Advances to 5th Most ‘Military-friendly School’ in U.S.
Staff Report From Georgia CEO
After breaking into the Top 10 last year, Columbus State University has moved up to No. 5 in the newest MilitaryFriendly.com rankings of small public military-friendly schools. As a result, it is the only ranked and only Gold-level school in that category in Georgia. This year’s ranking is the highest the university has reached in its decade-long run in MilitaryFriendly.com’s annual rankings. The university’s recently reimagined Military-Connected Student Services office coordinates educational assistance and advising programs for active-duty service members, retirees, veterans and their families. The office’s enrollment counselors and support staff serve more than 1,300 active-duty soldiers, military retirees, veterans, and their spouses and dependents—nearly 20% of Columbus State’s current student body. University and Army leaders agree that Columbus State’s Military-Connected Student Services office in the Schuster Student Success Center embodies CSU’s enduring commitment to current and former soldiers and their families.
The Georgia Virtue
Georgia Southern recognizes exemplary donors at 2024 Gratitude Gala
Georgia Southern University hosted its annual Gratitude Gala to recognize key donors for their longtime support of institutional initiatives. The event was held on March 29 at the JW Marriott Plant Riverside in Savannah where honorees were presented with awards. “The Gratitude Gala is a chance for us to celebrate you,” Trip Addison, vice president for University Advancement, said to the group. “The people in this room represent Georgia Southern’s most loyal alumni, friends, faculty, staff, corporations and foundations — those who have given $25,000 or more to the University, equipping our mission of helping students reach their academic and career goals.
Albany Herald
Darton Foundation announces continuing education units for educators
From staff reports
The Darton Health Professions Foundation, in collaboration with Albany State University, recently announced its next continuing education unit: Artificial Intelligence in the Educational and the Learning Landscape. In recent years, the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has not only changed the economic and social landscape but also has impacted the educational system. Some of the fastest growing roles are being driven by technology and digitalization, and students and educators must be prepared for these changes. This rapidly evolving technology is expected to be adopted and is transforming lives and drastically impacting teaching and learn styles. Whether we like it or not, AI is a tool that has and will forever change our lives.
Fior Reports
Translator helps students succeed at GCSU science fair
By Becca Roberts
Fifth grader Sosuke Nishimiya and international student and translator Rhino Oda teamed up to make the presentation possible. Qualifying for a regional science fair is a great honor, but a fifth-grader at Springdale Elementary School almost had to drop out – due to a language barrier! But a Georgia College & State University student came to the rescue. Sosuke Nishimiya was selected to present his work at the Georgia College Science and Engineering Fair on Friday. He is Japanese and his English is still coming along well. He told his teacher he wanted to resign because he was afraid the judges wouldn’t understand him and vice versa. After Catrena Lisse received the cancellation email from Sosuke’s teacher, she knew she had to take action.
WSAV
CAT kicks off new ride-share pilot program for Savannah’s east side
by: Alexis King
In April of 2023, US Senators Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock secured a $1.2 Million USDOT SMART grant to reduce barriers to mobility and transportation. Today, that vision has become a reality for residents of Savannah. Chatham Area Transit is taking its service to a new level with the launch their new “microtransit” pilot project called “CAT SMART” which stands for Strengthening Mobility And Revolutionizing Transportation, and that’s exactly what this will do for riders who struggle with mobility. It will operate in a similar fashion to ride-share services like Uber or Lyft. Passengers will now be able to use an app to arrange transportation from their location to their destination. The interface will use state-of-the-art technology developed at Georgia Southern University to allow people to request rides and track their driver right on their phone or laptop.
Savannah CEO
Road Dawgs Inspire Georgia Students to Consider College
Wes Mayer
The program’s goal is to inspire students to consider college and introduce them to the opportunities at UGA
This spring break, current students from across the University of Georgia came together to form the 2024 Road Dawgs crew, dedicating their time off to spread Georgia Bulldog spirit throughout the state. Each year, the Road Dawgs take a different route around Georgia, concentrating on schools with large populations of underrepresented or rural students. The goal of the program is to inspire students to consider college and introduce them to the multitude of opportunities they can find at UGA. This is the eighth year of Road Dawgs and, while it does shorten the crew members’ spring breaks, they all agreed that it was time well spent.
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education
New Faculty Positions for Four Black Scholars
…Stacy Smallwood has been named executive director of the Faith COMPASS Center in the School of Divinity at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is currently the founding director of the Office of Health Equity and Community Engagement in the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health at Georgia Southern University. He also serves as an associate professor of community health with an additional appointment in the women’s, gender, and sexuality studies program.
Savannah Morning News
Georgia Southern alumnus survives ‘biggest cut’ in ‘American Idol’ history
KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY NETWORK
Things are heating up in the “Hunger Games”-like “Idol Arena.” On Sunday’s episode of “American Idol,” Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie kicked off “Hollywood Week” by being tasked with cutting at least 80 singers from the contestant pool. One by one, the 143 remaining contestants gave their all on stage in a battle to the death. Though some crumbled under the pressure, others – including 15-year-old Triston Harper, mortician Kennedy Reid and college student Justice Murphy – thrived in the spotlight. Georgia native and Georgia Southern University alumnus Will Moseley was among the contestants who remained in the competition.
Peanut Grower
New Ag Research Facility Underway
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service have broken ground on a new state-of-the-art research facility housing the Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory and the Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit. Located on the UGA Tifton campus, the research facility will include a new, 31,000-square-foot building housing university and ARS employees working on climate-smart agricultural research. The new facility will advance research ranging from conserving water resources in the southern Coastal Plain to the management of insect pests and pollinators in agricultural landscapes, and the development of resilient and sustainable cropping and forage systems in the Southeastern United States.
Albany Herald
Fourth-graders go back in time at Georgia Museum of Agriculture
From staff reports
Berrien County Elementary’s fourth-grade students were taken on a trip back in time with the “Visit to the Past” workshop at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s Georgia Museum of Agriculture. This hands-on workshop included educational and fun-filled activities, some of which included operating the hand press at the printshop, grinding corn into meal and grits at the gristmill, washing clothes on a washboard, making a poultice at the doctor’s office, and experiencing a class in the one room schoolhouse.
Citrus Industry AgNet Media
University of Georgia Lab Offers HLB Testing
The University of Georgia’s (UGA) Plant Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory (MDL) on the Tifton campus is a U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified lab performing huanglongbing (HLB, also known as citrus greening) testing. It offers the advanced test to commercial growers, homeowners, nurseries, Extension and research personnel and the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Candidatus Liberibacter species associated with HLB are pathogens subject to Plant Protection and Quarantine regulatory and permit conditions. Therefore, the laboratory will perform testing in accordance with USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service standardized real-time PCR protocols and policies.
accessWDUN
UNG seeking community help amid upcoming periodical cicada emergence
By Austin Eller News Director
Millions of flying insects are expected to emerge from the ground for the first time in 13 years within the next few weeks around the Eastern United States. No, this is not the plot of a film — it’s just a part of periodical cicada Brood XIX’s life cycle. Brood XIX, also known as “The Great Southern Brood,” is the most widely distributed brood of 13-year periodical cicadas. They last emerged in 2011. The brood will emerge in a multitude of states, including in North Georgia. As such, the University of North Georgia is seeking the public’s help in securing research data as part of the upcoming emergence. Dr. Evan Lampert and Dr. Dobrusia Bialonska, biology professors at UNG, are studying the insects, which are expected to emerge in Georgia in mid- to late April.
Metro Atlanta CEO
2024 Farm Stress Summit Provides Mental Health Resources for Georgia Farm Communities
Jordan Powers
As Georgia’s No. 1 industry, agriculture pumps billions of dollars into the state’s economy each year. While headlines often highlight Georgia’s commodities — peanuts, blueberries, poultry and more — one aspect of agriculture is often not discussed, the farmers themselves. At the 2024 Farm Stress Summit, held at the Chattahoochee Technical College Jasper campus, a few critical points were woven throughout each of the day’s sessions: The people are the most important part of Georgia’s agricultural industry, and the state needs to come together to help farmers and promote agricultural education and awareness. “There’s not a more important topic on my mind than this, and today, there’s not a more important place for me to be,” said Mark McCann, assistant dean for University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, during his welcoming remarks. “The people are the most important part of Georgia agriculture — they are what makes it significant, important and unique.” Ending the “sting of stigma” Jennifer Dunn connects with thousands of farmers each year, both in her prior role as a UGA Extension rural health agent and her current appointment as deputy assistant commissioner with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD).
Creative Loafing
LISTENING POST: Pasquan as ground zero
The art compound in southwest Georgia inspires experimental music captured on ‘ZERO’
By Doug DeLoach
Once again, Pasaquan, the 7-acre art compound in southwest Georgia near Buena Vista, originally created by Eddie Owens Martin (aka St. EOM), has inspired an album of imaginative musical delights. Subtitled “An interdisciplinary project under the direction of Craig Dongoski, Stuart Gerber, Neill Prewitt and Travis Dodd, ZERO is a double-LP/CD release featuring separate but related public performances by two different groups of students from Georgia State University (GSU) and Columbus State University (CSU), the latter of which serves as the institutional caretaker of Pasaquan.
Albany Herald
College Art reception kicks off annual exhibit
From staff reports
The works of Albany State University Visual Arts students will be featured at the Albany Area Arts Council’s 18th annual College Art Exhibit, which will kick off with a reception Thursday at the Arts Council’s 215 N. Jackson Street Gallery. The reception, which is open to the public, will be held from 6-8 p.m.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Eclipse gives unique opportunity for Georgia Tech prof’s experiments
Morris B. Cohen can ‘MRI’ the ionosphere during the stellar event.
By Bo Emerson
The ionosphere, a boiling soup of charged particles, is a mysterious place. Balloons won’t float there, because there’s not enough air, but satellites can’t fly there either, because there’s too much air. “It’s a difficult region to sense,” said Georgia Tech professor Morris B. Cohen, who teaches electrical engineering and is associate director of the school’s Center for Space Technology and Research. Beginning at 60 kilometers above the ground, it is nonetheless a useful region to explore. Because of its ability to bounce radio waves, it was once part of a global positioning system, long before satellite GPS existed.
Gwinnett Daily Post
Georgia Gwinnett College Hosting Solar Eclipse Viewing on April 8
From Staff Reports
The solar eclipse that will occur on April 8 will be one of the most visible yet, and Georgia Gwinnett College is inviting the public to come to the Lawrenceville campus and view it. A solar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon and Earth align perfectly so that the moon completely blocks the sun’s light. According to NASA, the eclipse on April 8 is special because it will be the most visible yet, crossing many states with a slice of total darkness.
Ledger-Enquirer
When will the total solar eclipse be visible in GA? Your guide to timing, path & more
By Chelsea Madden
Shawn Cruzen has been working in astronomy for more than 30 years, but still gushes while talking about a cosmic convergence, such as the two solar eclipses that will occur in the next six months: Oct. 14, 2023, and April 8, 2024. “It’s an opportunity to get new people involved with the excitement and the emotion that comes from these special events,” Cruzen, the executive director of the Columbus State University Coca-Cola Space Science Center, told the Ledger-Enquirer. “Rare sky alignments, eclipses, aurora borealis, meteor showers, these are all great events to get the kids outside, to let them see something that’s tactile, that’s real, rather than on the screen.”
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Statesboro Herald
Kiwanis Rodeo 2024 – Extra night of entertainment adds fun, helps more charities
13th annual event set for Ag Arena April 25, 26, 27
Ashlee Hooks Corbin
The Kiwanis Club of Statesboro is holding its 13th Annual Statesboro Kiwanis Rodeo Thursday, April 25 through Saturday, April 27. The 2024 event will bring the comedy of rodeo clowns, the bucking broncs and bulls and the usual excitement as previous years, but with three nights to attend instead of two. For the fourth year in a row, the Rodeo will be held at the Bulloch County Agricultural Complex, off Langston Chapel Road. The annual event draws larger crowds each year and this year’s Rodeo Chairman Jonathen Bunch felt that adding a third night to the rodeo was important to the club and the community. …Funds raised at the Statesboro Kiwanis Rodeo and the Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair are dispersed back into the community in Bulloch and surrounding counties including Bryan, Tattnall, Jenkins, Screven, Evans and Candler Counties. Many well-known organizations in these counties benefit from the events such as 4H, FFA, law enforcement as well as Ogeechee Area Hospice which covers many of the same counties. Bulloch Parks & Rec, Georgia Southern University, Ogeechee Technical College and East Georgia State College all benefit in various ways from the fundraising efforts.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia, Seton Hall thrilled to still be playing in NIT Final Four
By Chip Towers
Keep it close. That, above all, will be the Georgia Bulldogs’ objective Tuesday night when they meet Seton Hall in the National Invitation Tournament semifinals at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis (9:30 p.m., ESPN). In their run to the NIT Final Four – and throughout the season – the Bulldogs have shown they’re a tough team to shake off when the score is tight. With its 79-77 win over Ohio State in the quarterfinals in Columbus, Georgia upped its record to 10-8 in games that were one-possession contests in the final five minutes and 8-5 in matchups that were separated by three or fewer points in the final 30 seconds of regulation.
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Athens Banner-Herald
Ever-changing lineup helps fuel Georgia basketball to NIT semifinals
Gwinnett Daily Post
Georgia Gwinnett College’s Ben Harris Named CAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week
From Staff Reports
Tossing eight strong innings against a nationally ranked opponent has led Georgia Gwinnett College junior Ben Harris to earn honors as the Continental Athletic Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week. Harris was sensational in the Grizzlies’ 7-1 home win against No. 22 Tennessee Wesleyan University last Monday.
BVM Sports
Terren Ward Named Georgia Women’s Basketball Player of the Year
The Atlanta Tip Off Club announced today that Georgia Southern senior Terren Ward has been named the Georgia Women’s College Player of the Year for a second consecutive season. Ward earned the honor last season and she is the only Eagle to earn the award from the organization. …She ranked 11th in all of NCAA Division I in scoring and her 9.1 rebounds per game led the Sun Belt Conference.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Judicial watchdog wants metro Atlanta judge off the bench
Douglas County Probate Judge Christina Peterson faces 30 ethics charges
By Rosie Manins
Douglas County’s probate judge should be removed from office in response to a host of ethics charges, a panel of the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission has said in a report. Christina Peterson, who became a probate judge in an uncontested November 2020 election, has been fighting the ethics charges since they were filed by the director of the state’s judicial watchdog in July 2021. At one point, Peterson faced 50 separate charges accusing her of violating the Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct, but 20 have been withdrawn or dismissed. Peterson, a University of Georgia School of Law graduate who practiced as an attorney for several years before taking the bench, was accused of inappropriate social media posts, unnecessarily jailing and fining a woman who sought to amend her marriage license and letting wedding participants into Douglas County’s courthouse after hours without permission. She was also abusive toward a fellow judge and other county officials, obstructed access to public records and had improper contact with a litigant, among other things, the judicial commission alleged. “(Peterson’s) actions demonstrate a troubling pattern of ineptitude and misconduct,” the panel wrote in a 54-page report Sunday. “She is not fit to serve.” The Georgia Supreme Court will decide whether Peterson remains on the bench.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
New Gen Ed Requirements for CSU Freshmen
By Sara Weissman
The California State University system Board of Trustees recently voted to apply new general education requirements for transfer students to first-time freshmen, as well, to create a simpler, unified general education pathway, EdSource reported. The new requirements reduce the number of general education credits required from 39 to 34. They do so by cutting out additional arts and humanities classes and “lifelong learning and self-development” classes, a controversial decision to some faculty members and students. The requirements include an additional lab class.
Inside Higher Ed
Kentucky DEI Programs Survive Legislative Threat
By Ryan Quinn
Kentucky lawmakers appear to have run out of time to pass GOP legislation that would have banned public colleges and universities from spending “any resources” on “diversity, equity and inclusion offices” or “initiatives.” The Lexington Herald-Leader called it “a stunning development in Kentucky’s Republican-controlled legislature,’ which had been expected to pass the controversial DEI ban. The paper reported that it was unclear why the bill didn’t pass on time, but that the General Assembly’s “leadership did mention that the votes within the Republican caucus weren’t there to pass the bill.”
Inside Higher Ed
Universities Oppose Federal Plan to Bolster Research Misconduct Oversight
The Office of Research Integrity is considering stronger regulations for institutional investigations of alleged research misconduct. Universities say it’s too prescriptive.
By Kathryn Palmer
The federal Office of Research Integrity (ORI) is proposing changes that would give the government more oversight of investigations of research misconduct at colleges and universities. But scores of university and research hospital leaders and the organizations representing them are opposed and say the proposed rules would be burdensome to institutions and could potentially deter people from reporting alleged research misconduct, among other perceived negative consequences.
Inside Higher Ed
Smith Protesters Vow to Occupy Building Until College Divests
Demonstrators met with the college president but the two parties could not come to an understanding, members of Students for Justice in Palestine said on social media.
By Johanna Alonso
In the latest face-off between students and administrators over the war in Gaza, students at Smith College have been occupying the main administrative building on campus for almost a week, demanding the institution divest from weapons manufacturers that supply military machinery to Israel. The protesters say they will not leave College Hall until the institution commits to divestment, according to statements on the social media pages of the college’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter, which is spearheading the demonstration. Approximately 50 students are participating in the protest, SJP members said on social media; photos show that students have brought pillows, air mattresses, large amounts of food and other items into building. A photo showed a Palestinian flag bearing the words “Smith divest now” flying above College Hall, where the American flag is typically displayed.
Inside Higher Ed
For Solar Eclipse, Colleges Give Physicists Football Star Treatment
Many stadiums will host public watch parties to instill awe, enhance science literacy, and foster community on and off campus. For the rare event, Inside Higher Ed offers a statistical poem.
By Susan D’Agostino
On April 8, a total solar eclipse will pass over the United States, prompting teams of physicists and astronomers to take the spotlight normally reserved for star quarterbacks in college stadiums around the country. Concession stands will serve Moon Pies, Sun Chips, Milky Ways, Mars Bars, Sunkist lemonade, Starry soda, and Eclipse and Orbit chewing gum. Sound systems will blare Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun,” and the Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black.” Students, faculty and staff will distribute protective eyewear, oversee public access to astronomical equipment and facilitate citizen science projects. Security—enhanced for the day—will direct traffic, monitor walk-through metal detectors and screen bags for weapons. …The mood on campuses around the country should be festive, if eerie. … Many colleges will serve as ground zero for public eclipse watch parties in their regions, with most eyes on physicists—and, briefly, the sky. Higher ed institutions have spent years planning for April 8, including by optimizing strategies for safety and access. The programming aspires to instill awe, enhance public science literacy and foster community both on and off campus.