Nobel Prize Winner to Speak at Georgia Southern University

Dr. William Phillips, a Nobel Prize winner and physics professor from the University of Maryland, will visit Georgia Southern University to present this year’s Norman Fries Distinguished Lectureship Series on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010 at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center (PAC). Phillips’ lecture entitled “Time and Einstein in the 21st Century,” is free and open to the public.

Phillips’ presentation explores the way Einstein changed the public’s thoughts about the subject of nature, and later how the scientist’s own thoughts influenced the technological wonder and future development of atomic clocks. Phillips will discuss the specifics of how atoms enable clocks to maintain their accuracy, test some of Einstein’s strangest predictions and relate ongoing improvements in the field that are necessary for industry, commerce and science.

In addition to Phillips’ association with the University of Maryland, he also leads the Laser Cooling and Trapping Group within the Atomic Physics Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The group is part of the Joint Quantum Institute, a cooperative research organization of NIST and the University of Maryland. The group has developed many of the techniques for cooling, trapping and manipulating atoms that are in general use in the cold-atomic-gas community.

Phillips is a fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a fellow and honorary member of the Optical Society of America. Additionally, he is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. In 1997, Phillips shared the Nobel Prize in physics for his development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light.

The Norman Fries Distinguished Lectureship Series began in 2001. It is funded by an endowment in honor of the late Norman Fries, who was the founder of Claxton Poultry. In his more than 50 years in business, Fries built the company from a one-man operation into one of the nation’s largest poultry production plants.

Last updated: 2/2/2018

Georgia Southern University’s Economic Impact Tops $795 Million

Georgia Southern University had a total economic impact of $795.3 million on nine counties in southeast Georgia during the 2009-2010 fiscal year.

The University’s Economic Impact Report shows Georgia Southern University brought an increased amount of revenue and jobs to the region, growing its economic impact by more than 13.5 percent over the previous year.

“We are proud that even during these very difficult economic times, Georgia Southern University can have such a positive financial impact on our community,” said Brooks Keel, president of Georgia Southern University. “This is the fourth year in a row that the University has contributed more than $700 million to the local economy totaling nearly $3 billion in just four years. The growth of the University has led to continued growth in the region and it translates into a positive bottom line for businesses throughout the region.”

The report, compiled by the University’s Bureau of Business Research and Economic Development, analyzes Georgia Southern’s economic impact on Statesboro and Bulloch County, as well as Chatham, Effingham, Bryan, Candler, Emanuel, Evans, Jenkins and Screven counties. The report shows the largest increase during the last year was in student spending. The University’s enrollment increased to more than 19-thousand students and those students spent an estimated $301.8 million in fiscal year 2009-2010, which was a seven percent increase over last year.

Student spending accounted 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.

The number of jobs impacted by the University also increased. According to the Georgia Department of Labor, Georgia Southern University is the largest employer in Statesboro and Bulloch County and among the top five employers in the state’s coastal region. But the employment impact reached beyond University employees. It includes those who have a job at other businesses because of the University’s economic activities and student and employee spending. The report says the University’s total impact on employment was 9, 206 jobs during the fiscal year.

Researchers point out that the study is a conservative estimate of the University’s overall economic impact because it does not take into account money spent by people traveling to the area for athletic events, student orientation, or conferences held at the University. It also does not factor in the growing number of research dollars flowing through the University.

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 to Host ServSafe Training and Certification

Georgia Southern University’s Division of Continuing Education and Public Service will be hosting ServSafe Training and Certification training for restaurants from Sept. 13-17, 2010 from 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. at Christopher’s Fine Dining located at 441 South Main Street, Statesboro, Ga.

Georgia law requires at least one food service manager on staff at a restaurant to have successfully completed a food safety training program and passed an American National Standards Institute- Conference for Food Protection (ANSI-CFP) exam. For all new food establishments, there is a 90-day grace period to comply with the mandatory manager certification. During this 90-day period, the manager or person in charge must demonstrate food safety knowledge.

Georgia Southern University ServSafe Training and Certification Program Information

When:
Sept. 13-17, 2010, 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Where:
Christopher’s Fine Dining
441 South Main Street
Statesboro, Ga. 30458

Instructor:
Chef Michael Price

Fee:
$120 per person (discounts available for groups with two or more attendees)

For more information, contact Jennifer Morriss at 912-478-0538 or via e-mail at: JenniferMorriss@georgiasouthern.edu. Participants may register online at: http://ceps.georgiasouthern.edu/conted/servsafe.html.

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 Archaeology Students Uncover Priceless Civil War Artifacts

Georgia Southern University archaeology students have uncovered numerous priceless and unique Civil War artifacts at the site of a Confederate prison camp in Millen, Ga.

“This is truly a stunning find with historical implications that will be studied for decades,” said Georgia Southern University Archaeology Professor Sue Moore, Ph.D. “While we knew we were searching in the immediate vicinity of the site of the Civil War’s largest prison camp, we were amazed by some of the artifacts that were uncovered and at their condition. These pieces tell the story like nothing else can of what life was like for the thousands of prisoners and soldiers who lived here at the close of the war.”

The artifacts”including a makeshift smoking pipe, bullets turned into gaming pieces, a tourniquet buckle, jewelry, eating utensils, and coins”were found at Magnolia Springs State Park in Millen, Ga. The area was the site of Camp Lawton, which at the close of the Civil War was believed to be the largest prison camp in the world. The state park was established in the 1930’s, after the exact boundaries of the prison camp were no longer known. The widely accepted view by many archaeologists was that there were no significant or personal Civil War artifacts to be found at the site.

Georgia Southern University archaeology graduate students began conducting research there in the fall of 2009 at the request of Georgia Department of Natural Resources Director Chris Clark. Clark, an alumnus of Georgia Southern University, hoped the team could pinpoint the location of the stockade walls that originally surrounded the prison. If the team was successful, Clark eventually planned to reconstruct the walls to bring additional tourists to the park. However, no one believed the land still contained much else in the way of Civil War artifacts.

“Many Civil War sites have been stripped by a century and a half of farming and development,” said Georgia Southern University graduate student Kevin Chapman, who is heading the project and discovered the first artifacts. “Now we have unearthed numerous items that haven’t been touched in 150 years. We never believed that we would find anything of this magnitude.”

Camp Lawton was constructed in 1864 by the Confederate Army to replace Georgia’s notorious Andersonville prison. Camp Lawton housed more than ten-thousand Union prisoners, and hundreds of Confederate soldiers. But, the camp was only occupied for six weeks before evacuations began in the middle of the night on November 26, 1864 as the Union army approached during Sherman’s March to the Sea. Chapman believes that hasty exit may be the reason so many artifacts remained on the site.

“What we’ve found were treasures of the prisoners who were kept here,” Chapman explained. “They would have hidden these things from the Confederate guards. When they were roused in the middle of the night to begin the move out, there may not have been time to retrieve them. Also, records tell us anywhere from 750 to 1,200 men died at Camp Lawton over the course of six weeks. Some of these items may be things the soldiers hid away and were never found between their death and the time of the evacuation.”

Under an agreement with the federal government, the portion of the land in Magnolia Springs State Park where the artifacts were found was recently transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This area is now enclosed by a fence and is under 24 hour video surveillance and manned security to prevent looting of the site. Anyone caught looting in the area is subject to prosecution, with penalties that could include prison time and hefty fines. Georgia Southern University students will continue their scientific research and excavations in an effort to study the area as thoroughly as possible.

“This is sacred ground,” said Moore. “Hundreds of men died here and what they, and the other prisoners, left behind belong to the public and future generations. When these artifacts are excavated and preserved in the correct, scientific way they give us a detailed picture of the people who lived and died at Camp Lawton. We are dedicated to preserving these pieces so everyone can have an up close look at these secrets that have been buried for more than a century.”

The artifacts will be on exhibit at the Georgia Southern University Museum beginning October 10, 2010. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the custodian of the artifacts, which belong to the American people. For more information about Georgia Southern’s discovery at Camp Lawton, please visitwww.georgiasouthern.edu/camplawton.

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 Salutes Outstanding Faculty

Georgia Southern University recently recognized its 2010-11 Awards for Excellence honorees with the presentation of a unique medallion. Established in 1985, Georgia Southern’s Awards for Excellence program was created for two purposes: to recognize and reward faculty for exceptional achievements and to provide opportunities for faculty development. The awards are distributed in three categories: research/creative scholarly activity, service and instruction.

The Award for Excellence in Service is designed to recognize and reward faculty who use their academic discipline to provide non-compensated assistance to the region, as well as to the academic community. Faculty members Dr. Nirmal K. Das, associate professor of civil engineering technology and Dr. Jerri Kropp, associate professor of child and family development received this honor.

The Award for Excellence in Research/Creative Scholarly Activity recognizes faculty who excel in their research efforts in addition to fulfilling regular full time teaching responsibilities. Dr. Samuel Todd, associate professor of sports management, as well as associate professor of biology Dr. Christopher Cutler were presented with this award.

The Award for Excellence in Instruction is not an award for the best professor or the most popular professor, but an effort to honor contributions to the teaching/learning process at the institutional level. Recipients have demonstrated excellence in the classroom and beyond. This year’s honorees are Dr. Christine Ludowise, associate professor of political science and acting associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and Dr. Michael Reksulak, associate professor of economics.

Each of the recipients was nominated by their colleagues or students and is selected through a peer review process by the following standing committees of the Faculty Senate: the Faculty Research Committee, the Faculty Development Committee, and the Faculty Service Committee. Since 1985, more than 150 faculty members have been recognized through this program of excellence.

Last updated: 2/2/2018

Georgia Southern to Greet Thousands of Students with Unique Moving-In Experience

Georgia Southern University President Brooks Keel and his wife, First Lady Dr. Tammie Schalue, as well as Provost Jean Bartels will welcome students and their families checking in that morning at the University’s Recreation Activity Center (RAC). “Students are checked in via computer and receive room keys, the map to their dorm and other informational paperwork while their parents attend the Parents’ Fair, located in the gym at the RAC,” said Vickie Hawkins, Director of University Housing.

Students have been given pre-arranged check-in times according to their birth date, in order to facilitate a speedy registration. “It’s an organized circus that day,” said Hawkins, “but we have a centralized process at the RAC to make it welcoming, yet very efficient. It really shows the small feel of Georgia Southern,” she said.

After leaving the RAC, volunteers unpack students’ cars at the residence halls, put boxes on carts and then push them to awaiting elevators operated by special attendants who ensure that the carts are transported to the correct floor. “We have volunteers who do nothing but push elevator buttons all day, and it only takes about 10 minutes to get a student moved in to their room,” said Hawkins. Students and their families then walk upstairs to meet their carts of belongings delivered by elevator.

In fact, Hawkins said one popular move-in site is Eagle Village, where professors in past years have helped future students settle, and also where First-year Interest Groups (FIGs) primarily reside. FIGs represent small clusters of students sharing a major or interdisciplinary interest living together in University housing, which allows them to develop relationships with their new classmates. “We have math professors unloading boxes and getting to know their students in the Eagle Village FIGs before the first day of classes, and the students think it is really great,” said Hawkins.

While traffic assistants and University police are dealing with the slow crawl of traffic patterns that day, executive board members of the Residence Hall Association — along with other volunteers — will combat the soaring summer temperatures by distributing more than 10,000 bottles of water and frozen popsicles as they travel by golf carts through campus.

According to Hawkins, Operation Move-In receives high praise from both students and families, with several undergraduates commenting that the staff made them feel comfortable with the smooth move from home to college. “Last year, a parent from Atlanta told one of our volunteers that the assistance of faculty and staff on opening day confirmed for her that her daughter had made the right decision to attend Georgia Southern,” she said.

Last updated: 2/2/2018

Georgia Southern University Students Elect Alton Standifer

Georgia Southern University students have selected Alton Standifer, a senior from Monticello, Ga. majoring in Middle Grades Education to serve as president of the Georgia Southern Student Government Association (SGA) for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Standifer, who previously served as vice president of Auxiliary Affairs for the SGA, was elected during a recent campus-wide election.

“Alton is not only an outstanding student, he is also an outstanding leader,” said Georj Lewis, Ph.D., dean of students at Georgia Southern University. “This coming year will present a variety of challenges including an expected student enrollment of more than 20,000 students. I am confident Alton will be an outstanding representative for the student body and for Georgia Southern University.”

During his time at Georgia Southern, Standifer has held a variety of leadership roles including serving as a coordinator for the University’s Leadership 101 workshop series, a Southern Ambassador, the University’s premier group of student tour guides; SOAR, the University’s new student orientation, advisement and registration program; and the SGA.

“Two of my primary goals for the upcoming year are to continue to strengthen the SGA’s ties with the local community and to conduct leadership training for high school student councils and student governments in Georgia,” said Standifer. “As president, my main role is to represent the values, ideals and desires of the entire Georgia Southern University student body. I am looking forward to the upcoming year and am excited to lead our students, the foundation for the Eagle Nation.”

Georgia Southern University’s SGA serves as the governing body for the University’s more than 200 student organizations. In addition to serving as a liaison between the University administration and the student body, the SGA is the elected voice for the student body of Georgia Southern University.

Standifer, who after earning his bachelor’s degree, plans to attend graduate school and pursue a degree in higher education and student affairs or law. For more information on the SGA at Georgia Southern University, visit:http://studentorg.georgiasouthern.edu/sga

Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University, offers 114 degree programs serving more than 19,000 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s 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.www.georgiasouthern.edu.

Last updated: 2/2/2018

Georgia Southern Launches Online Bachelor of General Studies Degree Program

The dream of a degree from Georgia Southern University will soon be within reach for many adults who thought it was too late to return to college because of career or family obligations. Beginning in January the University will offer a Bachelor of General Studies major offered completely online.

“The online Bachelor of General Studies degree has been designed specifically for people who have always wanted to earn their college degree, but life got in the way,” said Georgia Southern University President Brooks Keel. “We wanted to provide students including working adults, members of the military and stay-at-home parents with access to a respected university without having to travel to campus.”

Keel notes that the degree is not only perfect for working adults, but also is a great option for members of the military and students at two-year colleges and technical schools that want to earn a four-year degree. “The program is already attracting interest from students that have always wanted to earn a bachelor’s degree, but are either deployed or working and cannot travel to campus.”

In addition to being taught fully online, one of the most popular features of the degree is the ability to choose three separate areas of study. The program provides students with the opportunity to customize their program by choosing three concentration areas from a list that includes business, justice studies, and sociology and writing.

“Being able to customize your degree to your personal or professional interests is definitely an added benefit of attending Georgia Southern,” said Mike Smith, dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences at Georgia Southern University. “This new program is ideal for those that want to earn a degree on their schedule and take the next step in their career.”

“As we began designing this program, we realized that there are a lot of people that are working and either have a two-year college degree or no degree at all. Their main problem is that they cannot stop working to pursue their degree and they want to attend a well-known and respected university. This new online degree program was designed to provide students with opportunity, choice and flexibility,” says Smith.

The deadline to apply for the new online bachelor of general studies degree is Dec. 1, 2010. “We are expecting quite a bit of interest and encourage students to apply as early as possible to ensure that they are admitted on time,” said Smith.

Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University, offers 114 degree programs serving more than 19,000 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s 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. Visitwww.georgiasouthern.edu.

CLASSES BEGIN: January 2011

APPLICATION DEADLINE: December 1, 2010

ADMISSIONS INFORMATION:

Georgia Southern University

Office of Admissions
912-478-5391
http://admissions.georgiasouthern.edu

CUSTOMIZE YOUR DEGREE:

The online Bachelor of General Studies is a flexible program that allows you to structure your degree to meet your individual interests and professional goals by building a degree program which includes three Areas of Study.

Areas of Study

• Business
• Justice Studies
• Sociology
• Writing
• Individual Emphasis

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS:

General Studies students must meet the following requirements to graduate from the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences:

126 semester hours of credit with a minimum total institutional GPA of 2.0 and a 2.0 cumulative GPA in each Area of Study. At least 26 semester hours of credit in the Areas of Study must be taken at Georgia Southern University. At least 30 semester hours of the degree requirements must be earned through Georgia Southern University.

TUITION & FEES: $354 per credit hour

For more information on fees and financial aid, please contact the Office of Admissions at: 912-478-5391.

Last updated: 2/2/2018