Georgia Southern University Faculty Expert Offers Green Giving Tips

It freely gives us clean water, oxygen, and a place to call home, but will you remember the Earth when it’s time to make out your holiday gift list? If Earth isn’t on your list this year, Georgia Southern University’s Center for Sustainability has several ideas for gifts your family — and the Earth — will love.

“As a nation, we have become much more environmentally conscious, and there are so many ways we can extend our ‘green’ routine into the realm of giving,” said Sustainability Director Lissa Leege. “It’s easy to reduce your impact on the Earth. You don’t have to overlook the recipient’s desires; just try to purchase from companies with strong environmental records, and consider a product’s whole life cycle — where did it originate and what will happen after the recipient is finished with it — before making a purchase.”

Below are Leege’s top 10 gift ideas:

1) Give experiences or services instead of “stuff” – concert tickets, a week of home-cooked meals, a gift certificate for a massage — anything that reduces waste and clutter.

2) Consider “green” technology: Give that special someone the new Sony Elm or Samsung Restore. Both are smart phones made from recycled materials.

3) Put together a canvas bag of personalized environmentally friendly items, such as a travel mug, a reusable water bottle and an organic cotton pillow case.

4) Go practical for your home. Replace your showerheads with inexpensive low flow models, incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents or LED’s, your old thermostat with a programmable, energy-saving version, or single-paned windows with double-paned versions — all will reduce waste and save on utility bills.

5) Give gifts that are built to last: for example, sturdy wooden toys rather than cheap plastic that will break on Christmas morning.

6) Consider purchasing organic or recycled cotton clothing to avoid the intensive pesticides required for conventional cotton production.

7) Try to buy locally made products as much as possible to avoid transportation costs and emissions.

8) Instead of giving flowers, plant a tree together.

9) Even fashion can be “green.” Solar powered watches offer style and sustainability. Many companies now offer earth-friendly lines of shoes, bags and other accessories.

10) Be charitable. Can’t find the perfect present for the person who has everything? Make a donation to his or her favorite non-profit organization.

Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University, offers 114 degree programs serving more than 19,000 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelors, masters and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. The University, one of Georgia’s largest, is a top choice of Georgia’s HOPE scholars and is recognized for its student-centered approach to education. Visit:www.georgiasouthern.edu.

Last updated: 2/2/2018

Georgia Southern University Announces Fall Commencement Speakers

Georgia Southern University announces speakers for its Fall 2010 commencement ceremonies scheduled for Dec. 10, 2010.

Patricia (Patty) A. Lavely, senior vice president and chief information officer for Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah, Ga., will serve as the speaker for the 9 a.m. ceremony.  Lavely oversees the day-to-day operations and strategy of the center’s information services (I.S.) team. Before joining Memorial in 2006, Lavely was chief information officer at Phoebe Putney Health System in Albany, Ga. Prior to that, she was with Promina Health System in Atlanta, where she first served as director of physician services and information systems and later vice president and chief information officer. She began her career as a payroll manager at Columbia/HCA MedFirst.

Lavely is a member of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, the American College of Healthcare Executives, and the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives. She is a fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives and is a certified professional in healthcare information management. She is also involved in local and statewide health information technology initiatives and has served on the Chatham County Safety Net Planning Council as chair of the council’s Information Technology Committee. At the state level, Lavely chairs the Department of Community Health’s Health Information Technology and Transparency Advisory Board, a role she has held since 2008. Additionally, in 2008, the Georgia CIO Leadership Association named Lavely CIO of the Year.

Lavely earned her bachelor’s degree in science at Shorter College in Rome, Ga., and her MBA at Florida State University.

Gary D. Nelson, Ph.D., president of Healthcare Georgia Foundation, will serve as the speaker for the 11 a.m. ceremony.  In his current role, Nelson is responsible for implementing board decisions and policies and for executive management of the Foundation’s program, financial and management operations. Working with the Foundation’s board of directors, Nelson oversees the design and management of the Foundation’s grantmaking program – dedicated to advancing the health of all Georgians and to expand access to affordable, quality healthcare for underserved individuals and communities.  Prior to joining the Foundation in March 2002, Nelson served as a program director at The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF) where he was responsible for managing the Health Improvement Initiative, Healthy Aging and the Foundation’s population health programs.

He previously was employed at the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 1986 to 1993, where he managed several nationally significant evaluation projects and served as an associate director for Evaluation, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. He has held academic appointments in public health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He began his public health career with the Utah State Department of Public Health.

He received his bachelor’s degree at Kansas State University, master’s degree at Central Michigan University and his Ph.D. at the University of Utah.

Guy D. Foulkes, M.D., will serve as the speaker for the 1 p.m. ceremony.  Foulkes received his bachelor of science degree in biology from Georgia Southern and his medical degree from Mercer University. After a surgical internship in Macon, Ga.,  Foulkes completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Following a fellowship in hand and microvascular surgery at UCLA in Los Angeles, Foulkes returned to Macon to join The Macon Orthopaedic and Hand Center. He specializes in the treatment of musculoskeletal and neurovascular problems of the hand, forearm and elbow.

Foulkes is past president of the Georgia Hand Society and served as president of the Bibb County Medical Society. He is also a member of the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Georgia Orthopaedic Society and the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States. He attained the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Medical Corps, U.S. Army Reserve, and served as a field surgeon during Operation Desert Shield. He has received numerous decorations, including the Meritorious Service Medal and Georgia Special Operations Ribbon.

Foulkes has published numerous articles and book chapters, including duties as editor, reviewer and illustrator in the field of orthopaedic and hand surgery. His work has been presented in Hong Kong, Denmark, Hawaii and elsewhere. He is a certified airline transport pilot and flight instructor. His wife, Lesley, is a registered nurse and they have four daughters.

Georgia Southern University Fall 2010 Commencement Schedule
Commencement will take place inside historic Hanner Fieldhouse. Due to the expected record number of graduates, Fall Commencement will once again be divided into three separate ceremonies: 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

9:00 a.m. Ceremony
Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies
College of Business Administration
College of Information Technology
College of Health and Human Sciences

11:00 a.m. Ceremony
Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies
College of Education
Jiann Ping Hsu College of Public Health
Interdisciplinary BS (International Trade)

1:00 p.m. Ceremony
Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies
Allen E. Paulson College of Science and Technology
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Interdisciplinary BA (Intl Studies)

For more information on Fall Commencement, visit:www.georgiasouthern.edu/commencement.

Last updated: 2/2/2018

Georgia Southern University President Kicks Off Holiday Season with Annual Holiday Tree Planting

Georgia Southern University President Brooks Keel, Ph.D. today continued the tradition of planting a holiday tree.  The tradition, dating back to 1978, was started by former President Dale Lick as a way to kick-off the holiday season.

Surrounded by faculty , staff and students, Keel completed the planting of the tree on Forest Drive near the University’s Health Center.  “The planting of the annual holiday kicks off a series of holiday events at Georgia Southern University and I am proud to continue this great tradition,” said Keel.  “This is one of the most beautiful university campuses in the country and I couldn’t think of a better tree than the Southern Live Oak.”

Keeping with recent tradition, the Southern Live Oak was selected from a Georgia nursery, this time near Augusta, Ga.

Georgia Southern University Landscape Architect Chuck Taylor said the tree and the location were chosen for specific reasons.  “The Southern Live Oak is an iconic tree of the South and its planting on Forest Drive will ultimately result in a beautiful addition to this part of campus.  In addition to being a great tree, it is the perfect addition and continuation of a bioswell project, a joint project between the University’s physical plant group and Georgia Southern biology and construction management students.”   The bioswell has been planted with native plant materials with the intent to filter rain and runoff water before it reaches main waterways and streams.

 About the Tree

Quercus virginiana, also known as the Southern Live Oak, is an evergreen or nearly evergreen oak tree native to the southeastern United States.  The tree can be a massive, wide-spreading, picturesque tree, or a mere shrub, depending on the site. Acorns provide for wildlife and decent growth and ease of transplanting have led to ornamental use. It is one of the best known species in the coastal region of the southeastern United States. In the past, it was widely used for structural pieces in the manufacture of wooden ships, and large groves were actually considered a strategic resource by the federal government.

Source: forestandrange.org/efloras.org

 Georgia Southern University Holiday Festivities Continue: 

Lighting of Sweetheart Circle Scheduled for Thursday at 4:00 p.m.

 Georgia Southern University will continue its kick off to the holiday season with The Lighting of Sweetheart Circle on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010 at 4:00 p.m.  Members of the community are invited to attend what is quickly becoming one of the community’s most popular holiday traditions.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy which will be donated to The Ronald McDonald House.

Last updated: 2/2/2018

Georgia Southern University to Host Fourth Annual Lighting of Sweetheart Circle

Georgia Southern University will continue a holiday tradition that was started in 2007 by officially lighting Sweetheart Circle on Thursday, Dec. 2.

Complete with a giant “switch” to activate the tens of thousands of lights strung along the Circle’s buildings and landscape, the holiday lighting of Sweetheart Circle is just one of the many holiday events hosted each year by the University. The campus and community gather for a countdown and the University’s President is given the honor of “flipping the switch.”  First-year President Brooks Keel, Ph.D. will officially light the circle on Thursday, Dec. 2 at 4 p.m. ET.  After the event, guests will enjoy traditional holiday treats.

“The tradition started with a simple idea, but has grown into one of the most anticipated traditions of the year,” said Christian Flathman, director of marketing and communications at Georgia Southern University. “When we first started the tradition, we wanted create something unique.  We knew that lighting a tree has already been done and we wanted to do something that no other university had done.  It has taken on a life of its own and is really spectacular when you see everything lit at once.”

The center of campus for more than 100 years, Sweetheart Circle is the perfect traditional backdrop for a display of holiday lights, evergreen wreaths and red bows. The buildings, trees and lampposts on the Circle are draped in lights and decorated in holiday finery and the colors of the season. The Georgia Southern winter wonderland extends to the “GSU” boxwoods, as they are dressed in sparkling white holiday lights.

Shining Light for a Good Cause

This year will mark the first year that guests will be encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys which will then be donated to The Ronald McDonald House.

Last updated: 2/2/2018

Georgia Southern University Names Ted Moore, Ph.D. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Georgia Southern University has named William (Ted) Moore, Ph.D., provost and vice president for academic affairs. Moore currently serves as vice president of finance and planning and chief financial officer (CFO) at the University of South Carolina (USC). He will join Georgia Southern on April 1, 2011.

“I am very pleased to welcome Ted Moore to Georgia Southern University,” said Brooks Keel, Ph.D., president of Georgia Southern University. “Dr. Moore brings a wealth of leadership and experience to Georgia Southern and we are excited that he will be joining us in this critical position.”

“I am honored and proud to be welcomed into the Georgia Southern family,” said Ted Moore, Ph.D. “I look forward to working with President Keel, our vice presidents and deans, and our wonderful faculty, staff, students and alumni. Universities produce the future, and my wife and I look forward to being part of the bright future that lies ahead for the Eagles.”

At USC, Moore is responsible for leading strategic planning for the University of South Carolina System. This has included oversight of Focus Carolina, a system-wide planning initiative. In his current role, he is responsible for Business Affairs; Facilities; Law Enforcement & Safety; the Budget Office; Bursar and Controller; Information Technology; and Community and Governmental Relations. In addition, he also holds the David and Esther Berlinberg Distinguished Professorship in the Darla Moore School of Business. During his distinguished 24-year career at USC, Moore has also served as interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, vice president for planning, vice provost for academic affairs, and associate provost for budget and operations.

Moore earned the Ph.D. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech) in 1982 and maintains an active research agenda in areas such as capital investment analysis, asset pricing and risk measurement, and financial market microstructure. From 2000 to 2005, he served as executive editor of the Journal of Financial Research. He has won many teaching, research, and outstanding professor awards at USC, including the University’s most prestigious teaching award as well as the University’s most prestigious award for outstanding research.

Moore served in the United States Army from 1968-77 and was awarded the Purple Heart while serving as an infantryman in Vietnam. He is married to Linda T. Moore, who has enjoyed a career as an attorney specializing in health care law.

Last updated: 2/2/2018

Early Holiday Sales Bring Pros and Cons for Retailers and Consumers

Consumers hardly had time to stash their Halloween costumes before holiday décor appeared in stores this year, and professors in Georgia Southern University’s College of Business Administration said holiday sales started even sooner.

Marketing professor Nick De Bonis, Ph.D., said retailers felt pressure to generate profits during the 2010 holiday shopping season to offset lagging revenue from the first half of the year, which led to earlier, more intense marketing pressure targeted at consumers.

“Christmas promotions began as early as September to provide shoppers an opportunity to spread their spending over a longer period,” said De Bonis, a former global marketing consultant. “The strategy was to make holiday spending seem less traumatic than doing all the buying in the four weeks from Black Friday to Christmas Eve.”

Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving — is considered the heaviest shopping day of the year causing retailers’ finances to move from the red to the black.

But Black Friday isn’t confined to just Friday this year, according to the College of Business Administration (COBA) educator, who cited early Black Friday sales by retailers like Best Buy, Lenovo, Macy’s and Sears. Other companies are pre-selling products at Black Friday prices to be picked up on the actual day. Additionally, there are at least six Black Friday deal websites on the Internet offering directions to the best deals and even “leaking” Black Friday promotions for some stores.

Of course, this aggressive approach does come with caveats on both sides. The low prices may seem great for consumers, but naysayers criticize retailers for once again placing focus on their profit margins instead of the “reason for the season.” De Bonis also warns consumers to pay close attention to spending and not get caught up in the excitement of early deals.

“The danger for aggressive marketers is reviving the criticism that the mercenary drive for profit has replaced the ‘Christmas in X-mas’ with the ‘Commercial in Christmas,’” De Bonis said. “For recession-fatigued consumers, the danger is the pull between the practical need to spend less and the seduction of the deal.”

But are profit margins for retailers solely to blame for the metamorphosis of Black Friday into its own season?

“There’s always an element of the chicken-egg discussion when it comes to holiday marketing and consumption,” stated De Bonis. “When the bills for holiday spending start coming in at the beginning of the year, businesses and their marketing campaigns are easy scapegoats, but the counter argument is that marketers couldn’t sell if the demand wasn’t there.”

The reality is that the seller-buyer dynamic is co-dependency.

Last updated: 2/2/2018

Georgia Southern University Sets New Record for Fall Enrollment

Georgia Southern University set a new record for fall semester enrollment with 19,691 students, a 3.2 percent increase from fall 2009. The latest record continues a multi-year trend of increased enrollment and interest in Georgia Southern, one of the state’s largest and most popular universities.

“We continue to experience record levels of interest in Georgia Southern University and the credit goes to our outstanding faculty and staff who go the extra mile to make our students feel like they are more than a number,” Brooks Keel, Ph.D., president of Georgia Southern University. “When prospective students first visit campus, the look on their face is absolutely priceless. Georgia Southern is a world-class university that offers endless opportunities in one of the most ideal and iconic college settings in the country.”

Georgia Southern’s student body includes students from 49 U.S. states and from 98 different countries from around the world. The University once again set a new record for graduate enrollment. Students pursuing a master’s, specialist or doctorate degree totaled 2,647. Georgia Southern’s first Ph.D. program in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, a new Master of Science in Computer Science degree program combined with popular online and campus-based programs in education and healthcare helped drive increases in graduate enrollment.

Enrollment Equals Economic Impact

Georgia Southern’s continued increase in enrollment has translated into a major economic impact for surrounding counties, particularly the nine counties closest to the University.

According to an economic impact report released by the University this past September, Georgia Southern University had a total economic impact of $795.3 million on nine counties in southeast Georgia during the 2009-2010 fiscal year, an increase of more than 13.5 percent over the previous year.  The report also estimated that Georgia Southern students spent an estimated $301.8 million in fiscal year 2009-2010 accounting for approximately 41.3 percent of the University’s direct economic impact on the region. The study showed students spent $65.5 million on off-campus housing, $36.6 million on food services and $49.9 million on entertainment.

“An increase in enrollment has direct impact on the overall economic impact of not only Statesboro and Bulloch County, but the surrounding area as well,” said Keel.

Georgia Southern continues to be recognized nationally for its accomplishments. The University was once again featured in U.S. News & World Report America\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’s Best Colleges and Universities and America’s Best Graduate Schools. It was also once again recognized as one of the Top 100 Best Values among Public Colleges and Universities byKiplinger\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’s Personal Finance. The College of Business Administration was recently named one of the Best 301 Business Schools in the country byPrinceton Review and its nursing and chemistry programs continue to achieve national notoriety.

Enrollment: By the Numbers

 

Last updated: 2/2/2018

Georgia Southern University to Host International Festival

The sights, sounds and aromas at Georgia Southern University’s International Festival will stimulate more than the five senses; they will incite a renewed appreciation for global customs and educate guests about the multitude of cultural programs available in the community.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 20 at Mill Creek Regional Park, the event will feature activities for all ages, including international cuisine and entertainment by dance troupes, singers and many others. While parents browse through bazaar-style booths with cultural items for sale, children can enjoy arts and crafts, such as sand art, Mexican paper flowers and jewelry making, in the “It’s a Small World” exhibit.

Middle and high school students from Bulloch, Emanuel and Screven counties will represent eight countries in the Global Village. As part of a competition, each will display facts and information about their nation, demonstrate native customs and share more of what they learned during their research. The University’s Global Ambassadors worked with the middle and high school students to develop creative and accurate presentations.

Event coordinator Angie Threatte said it’s the collaboration between Georgia Southern students and community members, as well as the event’s focus on education, which make it unique.
“Georgia Southern’s International Festival cannot be compared to others because of its rich educational focus,” said Threatte, who has coordinated the event since its inception. “Presenting students dive deeper into the nation’s history than they would in a typical book report or school paper. The overall experience provides exposure to distant cultures, not often represented in the local community; it opens their eyes to a vast world and makes them better global citizens.”

Initiated in 2005 by the Center for International Studies, the festival was designed to be an outlet through which Georgia Southern’s international student population — which represents 98 countries — could share their customs and educate community members about their cultures. Many of the presenters and performers are students in undergraduate programs at Georgia Southern. For more information, go to: www.georgiasouthern.edu/intfest.

Last updated: 2/2/2018