The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia lawmakers reach compromise on mental health bill, set for floor debate
By Maya T. Prabhu
Georgia state lawmakers in each chamber reached an agreement on legislation that aims to require insurance companies cover mental health care the same way physical care is covered. It will be debated on the Senate floor today. House Bill 1013, sponsored by House Speaker David Ralston, would enforce a federal law that requires “parity” in health coverage. A version passed by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee earlier this week softened language that would have required parity by letting insurance companies determine what was medically necessary. Lawmakers and advocates say the version set for floor debate on Wednesday beefs up that requirement.
Reporter Newspaper
Lights! Action! Camera! Georgia Film Academy aims to shift state beyond ‘Hollywood of South’ label
by Dyana Bagby
Georgia’s booming film and television industry brought in a whopping $4 billion to its economy last year. But state officials want more than to rake in record amounts of money. They want the Peach State to be a national star of the lucrative entertainment industry. “The unprecedented growth of the film and television industry is due to the unprecedented growth of our workforce,” says Georgia Film Academy Executive Director Jeffrey Stepakoff. “We are making sure we have a permanent, sustainable workforce.” When the academy opened in 2016, there were fewer than 100 students enrolled in colleges in Gwinnett and Clayton counties and Columbus. Today, there are roughly 11,000 people enrolled in 29 state colleges and universities. The academy’s flagship campus is at Trilith Studios in Fayetteville, where students gain hands-on training. A new graduate program focuses on content creation, such as script and screen writing. The idea is to build a complete entertainment industry “ecosystem” in the state, Stepakoff says. Sonja Chappell, 22, enrolled in the academy in 2020 while attending the University of West Georgia. She’s now a production assistant on a Marvel film and works on set designs, costumes, and even fetching lunch for staff.
Atlanta Business Chronicle
Georgia Tech’s long-awaited biosciences campus could open next year
By Erin Schilling – Technology Reporter
Georgia Tech’s long-planned biosciences and health innovation district in West Midtown is ready to start construction. The Trammell Crow Co. aims to use the project to lure life sciences companies to Atlanta. It deals with a challenge facing the budding industry: a lack of local lab space. Trammell Crow recently closed ground leases and plans to begin construction on the first phase. The project is also undergoing a rebrand, from Technology Enterprise Park to the catchier Science Square, a nod to the success of Technology Square. That innovation district in the heart of Midtown has become a major economic driver for the city, attracting big-name tech companies and bringing thousands of jobs. The first two buildings, a $227 million investment, are the first steps to a campus which could grow to 2.2 million square feet, twice as large as Tech Square. It adds to Georgia Tech’s existing Technology Enterprise Park building, which also includes research space and labs.
WGAU Radio
UGA president confirms pay hikes for faculty, staff
Up to $5,000 for full-timers
By Tim Bryant
University of Georgia president Jere Morehead confirms pay raises for University faculty and staff: funding approved by Georgia lawmakers in this year’s state budget means $5 thousand salary hikes for full-time staffers and instructors at UGA.
From UGA president Jere Morehead…
We are pleased to inform you that the University of Georgia is included in the State of Georgia’s recently approved FY 2022 amended budget, which provides a $5,000 pay increase for faculty and staff in FY 2022. We are deeply grateful to the Governor and the General Assembly for recognizing our faculty and staff’s talent, hard work, and dedication.
Times-Georgian
UWG Black Tie Gala raises $153,000 to benefit students
Special To The Times-Georgian
Surrounded by symbolic reminders of live oaks, more than 300 members of the University of West Georgia community celebrated the institution’s live impact at the 2022 Presidential Black Tie Gala over the weekend, raising a record of more than $153,000 to support student outcomes. The sold-out event, which also had record attendance, was the first presidential gala hosted since Dr. Brendan B. Kelly began his tenure as UWG president in 2020.
Prestigious Scholarships
When Chick-fil-A committed to giving $100,000 to fund minority recruiting efforts at Augusta University, the campus community knew it would make an impact. That impact has been immediate. The College of Education has awarded the first two scholarships in the new UPLIFT Scholars Program. Jason Brown and Deriutae Butler have been awarded scholarships as they pursue their careers in elementary education. …Brown is a senior and Butler is a junior. Both have been through a lot to get this far in their academic careers. …Brown and Butler agree that scholarships like this could lead to more minority educators down the road.
Grice Connect
HS Rising Scholars Public Health Institute this Summer at GS JPHCOPH
GS JPHCOPH Rising Scholars Public Health Summer Institute for high school juniors and seniors will be held June 22–24 on the Statesboro Campus. In the wake of the pandemic there has been an explosion of interest in public health as a field of study in universities around the country. Applications for master’s programs in public health programs jumped by 20% in 2020 alone. But ask most people to define public health and they can’t. “A lot of folks have no clue what public health is,” said Nandi A. Marshall, DrPH, associate professor in Georgia Southern University’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health (JPHCOPH) and associate dean for Academic Affairs. “We’re in the middle of a pandemic, so of course, you hear about public health all the time. But even still with COVID, some folks still have no idea what a career in public health really is. But they’re interested.” In response, JPHCOPH will host the inaugural Rising Scholars Public Health Summer Institute for high school juniors and seniors June 22–24 on the Statesboro Campus. The program will expose students to the breadth and depth of the public health discipline.
Athens CEO
UGA Graduate Programs Earn top 10 U.S. News Rankings
Several graduate programs at the University of Georgia have earned top 10 rankings in the 2023 edition of the U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools. The Best Graduate Schools rankings, which were published March 29, evaluate schools and programs across the country in a variety of graduate disciplines. “The University of Georgia is committed to preparing its graduate students for a wide range of competitive fields,” said Ron Walcott, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate School. “Our highly ranked graduate programs reflect the quality and commitment of our faculty, as well as the success of our students after graduation.” The School of Public and International Affairs moved up six spots, from ninth to third overall, and had several graduate specialties among the nation’s top five. SPIA’s programs ranked third in both public finance and budgeting and public management and leadership, and fourth in local government management.
Marietta Daily Journal
‘Mass Migration & The All-American Meal’ topic of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College lecture
Carlton Fletcher, The Albany Herald, Ga
Russell Pryor will speak on “Fried Chicken, Spaghetti, and Tacos: Mass Migration and the All-American Meal” in the final lecture of a three-part series at 6 p.m. on April 7 in Ernest Edwards Hall at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Pryor’s lecture addresses a special mural exhibition titled “Coming to America — The Immigrant Experience Featuring the Lost Mural of Ellis Island,” which opened to the public in Edwards Hall on Jan. 18. Pryor is an assistant professor in ABAC’s School of Arts and Sciences. Pryor teaches courses on U.S., world, and food history at ABAC. His lecture will ask listeners to think about the role successive waves of immigrant women played in creating what we see as an “all-American meal.” The dishes we think of as “American” all have a history.
KHN
Delays for Autism Diagnosis and Treatment Grew Even Longer During the Pandemic
By Andy Miller and Jenny Gold
Wylie James Prescott, 3, had to wait more than a year after his autism diagnosis to begin behavioral therapy, even though research shows early treatment of autism can be crucial for children’s long-term development. His mother, Brandie Kurtz, said his therapy wasn’t approved through Georgia’s Medicaid program until recently, despite her continued requests. “I know insurance, so it’s even more frustrating,” said Kurtz, who works in a doctor’s office near her home in rural Wrens, Georgia. Those frustrations are all too familiar to parents who have a child with autism, a complex lifelong disorder. And the pandemic has exacerbated the already difficult process of getting services. …Getting insurance to pay for autism treatment can be another frustrating process for families. Therapy denials can be triggered by clerical errors or missed paperwork. Insurer approvals can be especially difficult for older children, who can be less likely to get treatment services than younger ones, said Dr. Donna Londino, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Augusta University in Georgia.
WRDW
New dementia study underway at Augusta University
By Sloane O’Cone
One professor’s assistant at Augusta University is making it her mission to improve the lives of people living with dementia. Dementia is known as the longest goodbye. According to Georgia’s Department of Public Health, over 130,000 Georgians are estimated to have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. They expect that number to go up about 46 percent in the next decade. Now, $25,000 is on the way to help patients live a more normal life. “What this study is aiming to do, is improve the quality of life among these individuals,” said Dr. Deborah Jehu, assistant professor at AU. The study focuses on 42 mild to moderate dementia patients at Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home over six months. Half get usual care, and the others get their normal care and are starting simple exercise programs. Dr. Lufei Young, associate professor, College of Nursing AU said: “It reduces the stress, reduces the load so they can be capable.”
Morning AgClips
Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit
At UGA protecting seeds for future
The seeds of knowledge are planted every day at the University of Georgia. But the UGA Griffin campus sows seeds to store, aiding plant preservation and research at a global scale UGA-Griffin is home to the Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit (PGRCU), part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s larger National Plant Germplasm System, spanning 19 sites across the U.S., plus three affiliated collections not held by the USDA.
Connect Savannah
Why pollen season arrives earlier each year
Q&A with GSU. biology professor Alan Harvey (WITH VIDEO)
As a seasonal allergy sufferer, Alan Harvey, Ph.D., biology professor in Georgia Southern University’s College of Science and Mathematics, was curious what types of pollen were causing his sniffles and sneezes. As a scholar and educator, Harvey did what any curious mind would do — he began exploring the types of pollen in the region while trying to narrow down the culprit of his symptoms. What he didn’t expect to find was an interesting narrative that led to a collaborative art-science project and soon a full exhibit on pollen at the Georgia Southern Museum. Read on to learn more about Harvey’s research on pollen, upcoming exhibit, “Pollen Nation,” and why pollen season begins earlier each year.
WGAU Radio
UGA research aims to protect solar facilities from cyber attacks
“A growing concern is that hackers may exploit the converters that connect solar farms with the power grid”
By Mike Wooten, UGA Today
New research from the University of Georgia suggests a novel approach to safeguarding one possible target of a cyberattack – the nation’s solar farms. In a study published in IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, a team in UGA’s College of Engineering introduced a sensor system that monitors a key electrical component of solar farms for signs of cyber-intrusion in real time.
The Augusta Chronicle
Help Jefferson Hospital determine community’s health needs through survey
Parish Howard
Jefferson Hospital is looking for area residents to fill out a survey that will help identify and prioritize its community’s health care needs and thereby map the hospital’s strategic plan for the next three years. Every three years the hospital conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment that aims to identify both the community’s needs as well as barriers to healthcare, vulnerable populations, local assets and resources, then lay those beside what the community itself says it prefers. During the last survey, the four primary needs were access to care, mental and behavioral health/substance abuse, adolescent health and lifestyle/obesity. …Guy said that they are hoping to collect at least 150 surveys by June and as last week were at 48. Once collected, Jefferson Hospital’s partner Georgia Southern University’s Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health will compile and analyze the data collected.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated March 29)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED CASES: 1,926,192
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 31,002 | This figure does not include additional cases that the DPH reports as suspected COVID-19-related deaths. County is determined by the patient’s residence, when known, not by where they were treated.
Higher Education News:
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
How Biden’s Proposed Budget Tackles Higher Education
Rebecca Kelliher
On Monday, President Biden proposed a $5.8 trillion budget for fiscal year 2023 that included more higher education spending, such as a boost in the maximum Pell Grant. Yet Congress, which holds the government’s purse strings, will make the final call as the midterm elections loom. “Federal budgets are an expression of values,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel A. Cardona in response to Biden’s budget request. “This proposal reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s deep belief in the importance of education and the success and wellbeing of our nation’s students.” With the rising costs of college and steep inflation, many advocates have long pushed to double the Pell Grant maximum to support low- and moderate-income students. Biden’s budget would raise that maximum by $2,175 over the 2021-2022 award year to $8,670 for the 2023-2024 award year. The administration stressed that this would be one step toward doubling Pell by 2029.
Inside Higher Ed
Ukrainian, Russian Students Face Financial Woes in U.S.
Russia’s war against Ukraine has created financial uncertainty for students from both countries. Colleges are scrambling to help, while donors are more sympathetic to the Ukrainians.
By Josh Moody
Viktoriia Yevtushenko, a freshman at Pace University, is caught between two worlds. Back home in Ukraine, her country is under siege from hostile Russian forces, which prompted her family to flee, losing their home and business in the process. But in the U.S., life continues as normal on Pace’s New York City campus, thousands of miles from the war. “It’s like living in two different realities. There’s a war and people are dying. But at the same time here, everything is fine,” Yevtushenko said. “Everybody is smiling, and everything is OK.” While the war may seem distant, its challenges have reached Yevtushenko in the U.S. When her family lost their home and business, her financial situation changed almost overnight. “My family had money to pay for this semester, including my housing and meal plan,” Yevtushenko said. “Right now, I’m OK. I know that I can be here through May. But after May, I don’t know.”
Inside Higher Ed
Bomb Threats Close 2 Community Colleges
By Sara Weissman
Two community colleges received bomb threats Tuesday, causing one of the institutions to cancel classes and close its campuses. Northern Virginia Community College, where First Lady Jill Biden teaches, closed all its campuses at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday after receiving the threat. Remote classes continued, but all in-person classes were canceled, according to a tweet from the college. Lorain County Community College in Ohio also received a morning bomb threat, the third one in less than two weeks, Fox8 reported. Campuses were evacuated, and local police are investigating the matter. The college received two threats via an online chat forum on Thursday and Friday last week, but no explosives were found.
Inside Higher Ed
Year of Reflection Prompts Course Reversal
After a year of contentious discussions and debates, University of Richmond leaders decided to remove the names of controversial figures from six campus buildings.
By David Steele
When the University of Richmond announced this week that it would remove the names of slaveholders, eugenicists and other known racists and supporters of white supremacy from six campus buildings, some Black current and former students were caught off guard. One alumnus called it “a nice surprise.” A student leader on campus said, “It was a shock, to be quite honest.” Their reactions reflected the low expectations many in and around the private university in Virginia had about the efforts and potential results of a commission formed a year ago to examine how and for whom campus buildings should be named. Just a year ago, university leaders had declined to rename two buildings named for the Reverend Robert Ryland and Douglas Southall-Freeman, despite repeated calls by some students and faculty to do so. The commission was created as a response to the controversy over that decision, and the body had promised to “[undertake] a thorough review of naming issues, seeking to engage every member of the University community in the process.