University System News:
www.time.com
How Georgia Became the Hollywood of the South: TIME Goes Behind the Scenes
http://time.com/longform/hollywood-in-georgia/
By Eliana Dockterman
…While Hollywood remains the heart of the film industry, Georgia has staked a claim as its Southern campus. In 2016, more major feature films were made in Georgia than in California, according to data from the Los Angeles film office. Movies filmed in the area have dominated the box office in 2018, thanks to Marvel Studios’ recent migration to the Peach State: parts of Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War and Ant-Man and the Wasp were all shot in Atlanta. Georgia has been working to attract Hollywood since 2008, when then governor Sonny Perdue signed a generous tax incentive for film productions. Thomas says officials lobbied for the measure after the state lost the production of Ray, the biopic about Georgia native Ray Charles that won Jamie Foxx an Oscar, to Louisiana. Georgia now offers a 20% incentive on productions of $500,000 or more, plus an additional 10% if the film adds a peach logo to its credits. The incentives are similar to those in states like New York and Louisiana, but in Georgia, unlike those states, the law has no end date.
www.bizjournals.com
Andrew Young receives Ivan Allen Jr. Prize from Georgia Tech
By Maria Saporta – Contributing Writer, Atlanta Business Chronicle
Over the years, former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young has received dozens of awards. But receiving the 2018 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage from Georgia Tech holds special meaning for Young – the only Atlanta mayor to receive the prize since it was established in 2011. “That is a real honor for me,” Young said. “The thing I admired most about him was his Plan of Improvement. Everything we have done in this city was already implied in Mayor Allen’s Plan of Improvement, including MARTA.” Allen served as Atlanta’s mayor during the 1960s when the city was navigating its way from segregation to integration. During that decade, Young was working alongside Martin Luther King Jr. as part of the civil rights movement. Thanks in part to Allen’s enlightened leadership of the city, Atlanta was able to work through the racial strife that afflicted cities and towns throughout the South.
www.bizjournals.com
Multi-faceted effort strengthens diversity not only at business schools but campus-wide
By Maryam Alavi
The need to develop diverse teams — inclusive of various races, ethnicities, genders, religions, sexual orientations, socio-economic circumstances, cultures, and perspectives — remains a driving force in business as well as academia. At Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, we actively recruit, develop, and engage a broad and diverse community of students, faculty, and staff. We believe diversity enhances individual learning and improves organizational performance, and we are deeply committed to increasing the representation of historically underrepresented minorities in business education. However, the question remains: how can we continue to grow this diverse environment in today’s business schools? I believe this important work begins with establishing a comprehensive vision and dedicated mission to build and foster an inclusive community. The vision and mission must be bolstered by intentional tactics and measurable outcomes, so that leaders and teams feel empowered and accountable for progress.
www.wabe.org
Thyssenkrupp Will Open New North American HQ At SunTrust Park
https://www.wabe.org/thyssenkrupp-will-open-new-north-american-hq-at-suntrust-park/
EMMA HURT
Thyssenkrupp Elevator Americas, a German elevator and escalator company announced Thursday it will build a new North American headquarters at SunTrust Park in Cobb County. The company laid out a big vision for the development next to the Braves stadium, northwest of Atlanta. It’ll feature three buildings for about 1,000 employees. One of the structures? The highest elevator test tower in the United States and the tallest building in Cobb County, at 420 feet… Thyssenkrupp already knows metro Atlanta well. It will consolidate about 250 people at its Alpharetta and Kennesaw locations to the new headquarters, move some departments from other American locations and hire new people to get to 1,000 employees. It also already has a longstanding partnership with Georgia Tech and has plans to build the first American elevator with two cabins sharing one elevator shaft at Technology Square.
www.savannahnow.com
Editorial: Dual Enrollment program opens doors for high school students
Imagine being able to take college classes and get college credit, free of charge, while in high school. Thanks to the University System of Georgia’s ongoing support of the state’s Dual Enrollment program, public institutions like Savannah Technical College, Savannah State University and Georgia Southern University offer the opportunity for high school students to attend college classes, get credit and “jump start” their post-secondary education. The program helps high school students transition to college life and makes it easier for the state’s “best and brightest” to transition to a public university or technical college in Georgia after they graduate from high school. The forward-thinking Dual Enrollment program allows high school students between 9th and 12th grade who meet certain standardized test criteria to take college courses that will transfer to any University System of Georgia or Technical College System of Georgia institution. Dual Enrollment students can pursue a degree, diploma or technical certificate program, or they can just take a few classes to get a head-start on college. They also enjoy access to campus resources, ranging from libraries to computer labs. …Ultimately, the Dual Enrollment program is a win for students, families and higher education in Georgia, offering a remarkable return on investment. Kudos to the University System of Georgia for investing in our high school students and making the Dual Enrollment program financially accessible for all academically qualified students.
www.mdjonline.com
Billboard names KSU program Top 15 Music Business School
Staff reports
Billboard, one of the world’s most influential entertainment media companies, recently included Kennesaw State University in its list of the top 15 music business schools in the country. The list highlights the university’s Joel A. Katz Music and Entertainment Business Program for its inclusiveness and its relationship with Atlanta-area entertainment brands such as Live Nation, Coca-Cola Studios, and the Zac Brown Band. Part of the Michael J. Coles College of Business, MEBUS is a 24-credit certificate program offering three capstone courses in music & entertainment business as well as marketing, management, production, communication and entrepreneurship courses that prepare students for successful careers in the entertainment industry.
www.albanyherald.com
ABAC professor, poet teaches abroad
Jeff Newberry, students find inspiration in trip abroad
By Rachel Lord
ABAC English professor and Poet in Residence Jeff Newberry recently returned from a monthlong trip to Ireland. Newberry taught for a European Council study-abroad program in Ireland. He returned to Tifton in July. Newberry said that this study-abroad trip and others like it help offer ABAC faculty and students the chance to broaden their horizons. “This trip offered both me and ABAC students the opportunity to experience a new culture, a new country and new sights,” Newberry said. “That kind of perspective perfectly underscores ABAC’s learning goals.”
www.mdjonline.com
KSU’s Professional Education to host Open House Aug. 2
Staff reports
The College of Continuing and Professional Education at Kennesaw State University is hosting an Open House Thursday, Aug. 2 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at KSU Center. Prospective students can learn about the professional development certificate programs offered at the college. Courses range from healthcare, management and technology to hospitality, finance, human resources and more. Event attendees will receive an exclusive discount for any personal class, certificate program registration, textbooks, KSU apparel and gifts.
www.accesswdun.com
Enhanced public safety app activated at University of North Georgia
http://accesswdun.com/article/2018/7/696697/working-enhanced-public-safety-app-at-ung
By AccessWDUN Staff
With the activation of a new public safety app, LiveSafe, University of North Georgia students, faculty, staff, or visitors can now ask a friend or even the campus police to watch them walk to their cars or buildings. “You can also have direct interaction with a 911 operator with this app,” said Greg Williams, assistant director of emergency preparedness in public safety at UNG. The SafeWalk button on the LiveSafe app is just one of many options offered. Williams said the wealth of choices on LiveSafe is one reason UNG changed to a different app. A second reason was several University System of Georgia schools employ the same app, which adds another benefit.
www.albanyherald.com
Overflow student on-campus housing at ASU causing problems
Dorm room occupancy numbers have recently been increased
By Terry Lewis
Albany State University recently sent out an email to students outlining some changes in their housing arrangements. It appears the university is running out of on-campus living space. ASU interim Media Relations Director Danyelle Gary said Friday, “All of our dorms are full, including the two on the West Campus.” Late last week, The Herald received an email from students expressing their frustration over the changes, which include doubling the occupancy in single-person rooms, and upping the two-person room occupancy to three students. This is known as “overflow housing.”
www.ajc.com
Lax oversight allowed high-paid Tech officials to misuse tax money
By Johnny Edwards Ty Tagami, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For years, high-ranking Georgia Tech officials earning six-figure salaries used their positions to line their pockets, internal investigations have found. With little or no accountability, three misused taxpayer funds and exploited relationships with vendors. There were parties in a football suite, courtesy of a bookstore vendor. Golf outings during work hours. Routine meals and after-hours drinking billed to taxpayers. A fourth official went on jaunts to China to shill products for a vendor whose board of directors he sat on, and he charged the school for his travel expenses. He also steered a Tech contract to the company and pressured employees to use its services. Those are findings from a Tech internal audit and a review by The University System of Georgia, both prompted by complaints from employees.
www.chronicle.com
Georgia Tech’s Finance Chief Is Out After Campus Gave ‘Boat Load of Money’ to Company That Paid Him
https://www.chronicle.com/article/Georgia-Tech-s-Finance-Chief/244073
By Lindsay Ellis
The message came in on a University System of Georgia ethics hotline in late May: “Georgia Tech has spent a boat load of money with this company and hasn’t see [sic] any benefit so far,” the tipster said. “The company uses the Georgia Tech name on their website and especially their conferences, like we love their product and use it a lot. We don’t.” The private business was RIB Software SE, a German construction-technology company. And a top Georgia Institute of Technology administrator held a paid position on its board. A report released on Thursday detailed the relationship of Steven G. Swant, executive vice president for administration and finance, with RIB and said the association had violated conflict-of-interest policy. Swant earned at least 12,000 euros, or almost $14,000, annually from the company after he joined its board in 2015, according to the report, which listed $1.32 million in payments from Georgia Tech to RIB between 2014 and 2017.
www.wsbtv.com
Internal watchdog warned of questionable spending at Georgia Tech…
The watchdog’s warnings were ignored until a Channel 2…
www.ajc.com
Tech president tightening ethics controls after money scandals
By Ty Tagami Johnny Edwards, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Tech President George P. “Bud” Peterson has agreed to tighten his oversight over employee compliance with ethics policies after a series of scandals caught the attention of his bosses. The University System of Georgia, as it happens, will have an ethics awareness week in mid-November, noted Chancellor Steve W. Wrigley in an email to Peterson last week. “I expect a strong and visible presence and participation from you and your senior leadership team,” Wrigley wrote. The email said Peterson had agreed to more substantial changes aimed at tightening controls to avoid more violations of the type that have resulted in the departures of several senior staffers. Three top administrators recently resigned amid recent internal investigations and another was fired.
www.onlineathens.com
UGA construction projects making progress
http://www.onlineathens.com/news/20180728/uga-construction-projects-making-progress
By Josh Mixon / Correspondent
Three major construction projects at the University of Georgia’s main campus are in the works or soon to start with one project scheduled to finish up just in time for fall classes. UGA’s on-campus residence hall Russell Hall, the Terry College of Business’ third and final phase of its new Business Learning Community, and a new STEM building remain in the works. Construction on the STEM building will begin in December 2018, while Russell Hall’s complete renovation will wrap up prior to UGA’s on-campus move-in day. The construction at Russell Hall includes increased flexibility in student spaces, including modular room furnishings and increased privacy in the freshman-designated residence hall’s bathrooms.
www.albanyherald.com
Blueberry farmers suffer another blow
February warmth, March freeze damages crop
By Clint Thompson
University of Georgia/CAES
TIFTON — An early spring freeze cost Georgia’s blueberry farmers as much as 60 percent of their crop this season, according to Renee Allen, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agent for commercial blueberry production. Growers suffered a loss in 2017, too, but were optimistic after plants received the proper number of chill hours for production during this year’s colder winter. Unfortunately, in late February, temperatures soared, which caused the plants to bloom early and succumb to freezing temperatures in the first two weeks of March. “When the temperatures started to go up in February, we got concerned because the plants started breaking dormancy … very consistently and all coming out at once, both the highbush and rabbiteye varieties,” Allen said. “It was earlier than we would have liked, because at that point, we’re not out of the woods in regard to the number of potential freezes that can occur.” Allen’s fears were justified. According to the UGA Weather Network (www.georgiaweather.net), temperatures rose to 85 degrees Fahrenheit on Feb. 21 in Bacon County, a top blueberry-producing county. Then temperatures dropped as low as 29 degrees on March 15. There was sporadic loss across the blueberry farms in the southeastern part of the state, she said. Losses were determined by the temperature lows, the cold air and where it settled.
www.onlineathens.com
Dancing, inflatable tube man helps to keep birds off of UGA’s research blueberries
By Sharon Dowdy
Farmers have used scarecrows to keep birds away from field crops for more than 3,000 years. He’s not a farmer, but University of Georgia blueberry scientist Scott NeSmith still has to keep birds away from his blueberry crop so he can research and breed new varieties for Georgia growers. His latest trick — using a “dancing man,” or a dancing, inflatable tube man, to scare the birds — may lead passersby to believe the UGA Griffin campus is selling cars. “We cover smaller plots of plants with netting to keep the birds out, but you can’t do that in larger areas,” said Ellis Moncrief, NeSmith’s research coordinator. He cares for the UGA blueberry plants on a daily basis. NeSmith must have berries for his research. He evaluates their size, taste and durability, among other traits, to determine which plants he will include as parent plants in his breeding program.
Higher Education News:
www.ajc.com
Students looking for an admissions edge
By Eric Stirgus – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When is it too early to prepare for college or medical school? For some parents and students, the answer is never. One Boston-area company, MedSchoolCoach, is helping students as young as high school learn what they need to do to prep for medical school. A few Atlanta-area students are paying for the company’s services. Prices range for $300 for one session to the $8,000 “platinum” plan that include guidance with writing applications and essays, course selection, advice on volunteering and extracurricular activities, such as shadowing a doctor over the summer. “If you want your child to be a concert pianist or a baseball player, when do you start?,” asked Craig Goldstein, the company’s chief operating officer. “You start early.” “The competition is so strong and so fierce … Everybody is an elite high school student. What is it that is going to separate you?” he asked. More people are thinking like this. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported two years ago that more metro Atlanta middle school students are preparing earlier for college. One Gwinnett County instructor’s syllabus included lessons on how to help your child stand out to an admissions officer, what type of academic rigor is best and how to avoid putting too much pressure on the student.
www.fastcompany.com
Public universities are a great economic equalizer in the U.S.
Many of the lowest-income graduates of the University of California system go on to earn more than their parents–a welcome deviation from most economic trends.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90207925/public-universities-are-a-great-economic-equalizer-in-the-u-s
BY EILLIE ANZILOTTI
For young people right now, there is little cause for optimism. Millennials are pelted with reminders that they’re about half as likely to own a home than young adults were in 1975, that they earn a relative 20% less than boomers did at this stage of life, and that having kids is extremely impractical for all but the uber-wealthy (unless they want to add to the piles of debt, often due to student loans, they’re already trying to crawl out from under). With wages stagnating across many professions, and cost of living continuing to skyrocket, it can feel like there’s no way for a young person leaving college now to get any sort of foothold in society, particularly if they come from a low-income background to begin with. But new data from the University of California system shows that a quality public education might still serve as one of the country’s most important equalizers.
www.forbes.com
Thousands Of Promising Students Aren’t Getting Bachelor’s Degrees. How Can Four-Year Schools Help?
Nancy Lee Sánchez, Contributor
In the American higher education system, community colleges are often viewed as gateways to higher education for first-generation, low-income, and other non-traditional students. Unfortunately, the gateways we’ve envisioned aren’t leading to four-year pathways in reality, keeping some of our most talented students from reaching their full potential. New research from the American Talent Initiative (ATI) shows that more than 50,000 high-achieving, low- and moderate-income community college students don’t transfer to four-year institutions — every year. Furthermore, about 15,000 of these students have GPAs of 3.7 or higher, which means they would be competitive candidates no matter where they applied. What’s holding them back? According to ATI, a lack of information and support keeps these students from applying to the four-year schools where they’d thrive. There’s no question that these students have the will and drive to make the leap to four-year schools. In fact, over 80% of community college students would like to pursue a four-year degree or higher. Yet the sad truth is that only 33% transfer to a four-year college within six years, and less than half of those (14%) complete and attain a bachelor’s degree. Faced with these statistics, one of the first questions we need to ask is: What can four-year schools do to keep their gates open to the thousands of promising students who need help bridging the gap?