Regassa completes residency program for teachers of microbiology
Georgia Southern University faculty member Laura Regassa was among 16 scientists from around the country to complete a yearlong residency program that is designed to improve student learning in the microbiological sciences.
An assistant professor in the Department of Biology, Regassa completed the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Scholars-in-Residence Program.
The program brings together outstanding faculty who are committed to investigating and documenting significant issues and challenges in the teaching of microbiology.
Regassa’s research interests include bacteriology and molecular biology. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin.
The Scholars-in-Residence Program began in July 2005 with a four-day institute on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at the ASM headquarters in Washington, D.C. It culminated in May 2006 with the ASM Conference for Undergraduate Educators in Orlando, Fla.
The program seeks to develop a cadre of leading teacher-scholars, enhance the professional development of microbiology faculty, and support a community of scholarly work.
Throughout the program, the participants developed their understanding of teaching and learning science in college classrooms. They assessed the effectiveness of various approaches, including writing to learn, service learning, highlighting relevancy through case studies, and inquiry based laboratories.
Last updated: 2/2/2018
Media executive outlines future of journalism in the digital age as annual Fries Lecturer
Advances in technology are changing how news is being gathered, transforming the traditional reporter into a ‘MoJo,” or mobile journalist.
According to Charles H. Morris, delivering Georgia Southern University’s sixth annual Norman Fries Distinguished Lecture, the advent of laptops, cell phones and digital cameras and recorders will require reporters to multitask and their office will be ‘wherever they are.”
To illustrate the concept, Michelle Boaen, a member of the Statesboro Herald staff, took the stage wearing a special backpack to demonstrate how easy it was to capture video and sound on the go. The pack also held a laptop, cell phone and personal digital assistant.
Technological changes are requiring media outlets to meet the demands of how customers get their news, said Morris, president and chief executive officer of Morris Multimedia. He added that the Internet is giving newspapers the opportunity to compete with radio and television in real time by allowing stories to be filed from a laptop and uploaded immediately onto a Web site in real time.
Despite the rise of the Internet, which Morris said was still in a ‘growth mode,” he told the large crowd of students and community members, that there was still a market for the traditional newspaper.
‘It’s still the most trusted source of information for the community,” Morris said.
During his talk, presented Wednesday, Sept. 27, in the University’s Performing Arts Center, Morris recounted growing up in the ‘family business.” His father owned the Augusta Chronicle, for which Morris worked as a paperboy. He said his experiences as a youth influenced his success – particularly learning about customer service. He also encouraged the mostly student audience to ‘never underestimate the importance of mentors.”
In addition, he stressed students should be prepared to adapt to the future. He said employers today ‘focus on people who are willing to learn news skills.”
Dr. Jim Bradford, dean of the College of Information Technology, which hosted this year’s Fries Distinguished Lecture, echoed those sentiments.
‘Lifelong learning is the catch-all phrase,” said Bradford. ‘It means being prepared to learn from the day you graduate until the day you retire.”
Morris, a graduate of the University of Georgia, worked for newspapers in Oklahoma City and St. Petersburg, Fla., after completing his degree. He later joined the Savannah Morning News as a reporter and was named its publisher in 1966. Four years later, he founded his own company, which has grown to become Morris Multimedia Inc., the parent company of Morris Newspaper Corporation and Morris Television Network One of the largest privately held companies in the United States, Morris Multimedia owns and operates 90 publications, including The Statesboro Herald and four other daily newspapers, as well as five network-affiliate television stations and other media-related ventures in nine states and the Caribbean.
The Fries Distinguished Lectureship Series is sponsored through an endowment honoring the late Norman Fries, founder of Claxton Poultry. Fries, who died in December 2001, was one of the state’s leading business leaders, serving as a past president and director of the Georgia Poultry Federation.
Last updated: 2/2/2018
Georgia Southern participates in grant-funded program to build North American cooperation
In an effort to build community among the three largest countries in North America, an international group of educators led by Georgia Southern University has developed a program to encourage cooperation in academic programs, increase student exchanges, and open more educational opportunities among colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded a grant of $1,071,000 over the next four years to implement the program. The funding will be shared by Georgia Southern, Bowling Green State University (Ohio), the Universidad Veracruzana (Xalapa, Mexico), the Universidad de Sonora (Sonora, Mexico), Wilfrid Laurier University (Ontario, Canada), and Mount Allison University (New Brunswick, Canada).
‘Despite the remarkable economic achievements over the past decade resulting from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), limited progress has been made in the cultural and political dimensions of community-building on the North American continent,” said Georgia Southern Political Science Professor Debra Sabia. ‘We developed this grant to educate a new generation of leaders who will recognize and understand the political, social, and cultural dynamics”and potential solutions”of the underlying problems in North American integration.”
“The activities supported by this grant exemplify our commitment to providing students with an education that bridges theory with practice and extends the learning environment beyond the classroom,” said Nancy Shumaker, director of the Center for International Studies at Georgia Southern. ‘Students will develop professional skills and intercultural competencies that will enable them to become leaders in the political, economic, and social spheres of our society.”
The grant funding will allow educators at all six institutions to develop a North American component to their existing humanities and social science curricula. The resulting programs will focus on encouraging students’ language proficiency and cross-cultural communication by supporting study abroad opportunities and the use of new technology.
‘Our plan will also create extracurricular activities, internships, research opportunities, and service-learning experiences for students so they can obtain career-related skills and intercultural competencies in different North American cultures and communities,” said Sabia.
Sabia has a long association with administrators at Universidad Veracruzana, one of Georgia Southern’s sister institutions, so it was relatively easy to bring that institution into the program. Those administrators helped her bring together additional institutions from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
‘We all agree that if further integration is to succeed between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, governments must acknowledge that NAFTA goes beyond economics and trade,” said Sabia. ‘All three countries must develop greater citizen cooperation, and we see this program as one way to move toward that goal.”
Last updated: 2/2/2018
Morris Multimedia CEO to Discuss How Technology Has Changed the News
Advances in technology have affected not only how people communicate, but how they keep aware of the world around them.
Charles H. Morris, president and chief executive officer of Morris Multimedia Inc., will discuss how the news industry has been affected by technology in the presentation ‘Journalism in the Digital Age,” as part of Georgia Southern University’s annual Norman Fries Distinguished Lectureship Series. This free, public talk is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 27, in the University’s Performing Arts Center, located on the Georgia Southern campus at the corner of Chandler Road and Plant Drive.
A graduate of the University of Georgia, Charles H. Morris worked for newspapers in Oklahoma City and St. Petersburg, Fla., after completing his degree. He later joined the Savannah Morning News as a reporter and was named its publisher in 1966. Four years later, he founded his own company, which has grown to become Morris Multimedia Inc., the parent company of Morris Newspaper Corporation and Morris Television Network One of the largest privately held companies in the United States, Morris Multimedia owns and operates 90 publications, including The Statesboro Herald and four other daily newspapers, as well as five network-affiliate television stations and other media-related ventures in nine states and the Caribbean.
The Fries Distinguished Lectureship Series is sponsored through an endowment honoring the late Norman Fries, founder of Claxton Poultry. Fries, who died in December 2001, was one of the state’s leading business leaders, serving as a past president and director of the Georgia Poultry Federation.
Last updated: 2/2/2018
Southern Georgia Symphony receives Southern Arts Federation grant
The Southern Georgia Symphony is the recipient of a Southern Fast Track Touring Grant from the Southern Arts Federation (SAF). The grant will assist in sponsorship of renowned cellist Colin Carr, who will be the guest artist for the Southern Georgia Symphony’s 2006-2007 Performance Season Premier concerts.
This SAF program helps fund touring artists who also participate in an educational activity as part of their appearance. Dr. Carr will be presenting a Master Class for cello students in the region.
The performances will be held in Statesboro on September 23 and in Savannah, on September 24, 2006. Season subscriptions for both cities are on sale now by contacting the Performing Arts Center Box Office in Statesboro, 912-486-7999, and in Savannah, the SCAD Box Office at 912-525-5050. More information can be obtained by visiting the Southern Georgia Symphony website-www.SouthernGeorgiaSymphony.org . The Southern Georgia Symphony is led by Musical Director Cheung Chau.
‘We are proud the Southern Georgia Symphony was selected by the Southern Arts Federation for this grant. It is an important affiliation, as both of our organizations are committed to the highest quality of music making, performance and dedication to the continued support of the arts in our communities and region,” said Allen Henderson, executive director of the Southern Georgia Symphony.
The Southern Arts Federation (SAF) was established in 1975. The SAF, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, offers Southern Fast Track Touring grants., Because it has a rolling deadline, this program is designed to offer Southern presenters more opportunities throughout the year to apply for performing artist fee support. Support is awarded to theatre, music, opera, musical theatre, literary and dance projects that contain both a public performance and an educational component.
The Southern Georgia Symphony is a partnership between Georgia Southern University and other organizations committed to bringing a high-quality symphonic series to the coastal region, including WTOC-TV, Clear Channel Radio Savannah, The River 98.7, East Georgia Regional Medical Center, Comcast, Bank South, Memorial Health, The Statesboro Herald, Connect Savannah, Connect Statesboro, Northland Cable, Sea Island Bank and Smack Dab Studios. The Southern Georgia Symphony is proud to serve the artistic needs of the broad and diverse community of Coastal Georgia. The Southern Georgia Symphony has expanded its reach, visibility and influence within the region so it may substantially contribute to the wealth of cultural life in the area, enhance the musical education of young audiences, contribute to economic growth and build strong ties with each community.
Last updated: 2/2/2018
Southern Georgia Symphony to present renowned guest artist
When the Southern Georgia Symphony takes the stage September 23 in Statesboro and September 24 in Savannah for its 2006-2007 performance season premieres, the audience will be in for a real treat. The Slavic Passions Concert will be a musical reunion for the symphony’s conductor, Maestro Cheung Chau, and its guest artist, Colin Carr. Carr was Chau’s cello instructor for three years at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, and his impact on the young up-and-coming performer and future maestro was very inspiring.
Chau said ‘Being taught by Colin Carr was one of the most important experiences in my life, and his tremendous influence provided me with a foundation from which I still draw today. He also elaborated on the fact that Carr’s teachings are still prevalent in his own work. ‘It is a great privilege that I will have the occasion to work with him professionally in our 2006-2007 premiere performances,” said Chau.
While playing with the Southern Georgia Symphony, Carr will perform Cello Concerto in B Minor by Antonin Dvorak. Carr’s appearance is supported by a grant from the Southern Arts Federation as part of its Touring Artists Program. This program helps fund touring artists who also participate in an educational activity as part of their appearance . Carr will be presenting a master class for cello students in the region from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, in the Foy Fine Arts Building’s Carol A. Carter Recital Hall on the Georgia Southern University campus in Statesboro. Admission is free. Call 912-681-5396 for more information.
Carr first played the cello at the age of five; three years later he went to the Yehudi Menuhin School, where he studied with Maurice Gendron and later William Pleeth. He was appointed a professor at the Royal Academy of Music in 1998, having been on the faculty of the New England Conservatory in Boston for 16 years; in 1998 St. John’s College, Oxford created the post of “Musician in Residence” for him and in September 2002 he became a professor at Stony Brook University in New York. As a concerto soloist, Colin Carr has played with major orchestras worldwide including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in the Netherlands, The Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, and the orchestras of Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, Philadelphia and Montreal, with Rattle, Gergiev, Dutoit, Elder, Skrowasczewski and Marriner. He has been a regular guest at the BBC Proms, has twice toured Australia and has recently played concertos in South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia and New Zealand.
Carr is the winner of many prestigious international awards, including First Prize in the Naumburg Competition, the Gregor Piatigorsky Memorial Award and Second Prize in the Rostropovich International Cello Competition. He is playing on the 1726 “Marquis de Corberon” Stradivarius, generously loaned to him by London’s Royal Academy of Music.
Season subscriptions for the Southern Georgia Symphony are still on sale and can be purchased by contacting the Performing Arts Center Box Office in Statesboro, 912-486-7999, and in Savannah, the SCAD Box Office at 912-525-5050. More information can be obtained by visiting the Southern Georgia Symphony website-www.SouthernGeorgiaSymphony.org.
The Southern Georgia Symphony is a partnership between Georgia Southern University and other organizations committed to bringing a high-quality symphonic series to the C oastal Georgia region, including WTOC-TV, Clear Channel Radio Savannah, The River 98.7, East Georgia Regional Medical Center, Comcast, Bank South, Memorial Health, The Statesboro Herald, Connect Savannah, Connect Statesboro, Northland Cable, Sea Island Bank and Smack Dab Studios. The Southern Georgia Symphony is proud to serve the artistic needs of the broad and diverse community of Coastal Georgia. The Southern Georgia Symphony has expanded its reach, visibility and influence within the region so it may substantially contribute to the wealth of cultural life in the area, enhance the musical education of young audiences, contribute to economic growth and build strong ties with each community.
Last updated: 2/2/2018
18th National Youth-A-Risk conference set for March 2007
Planning is underway for the 18th annual National Youth-A-Risk Conference, an event that brings 1,400 teachers, principals, parents, and community members together to develop successful programs for empowering youth.
The conference is set for Sunday to Wednesday, March 4-7, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Savannah, Ga. Keynote speakers include Adolph Brown III, associate professor of psychology at Hampton University and founder of the Clubwellness Group; urban sociologist Pedro Noguera, professor of education and director of the Metro Center for Research on Urban Schools and Globalization, New York University; and Christine Sleeter, a researcher in multicultural teacher education at California State University. Featured speakers include Kimberly Oliver, 2006 National Teacher of the Year.
Themes for the conference this year include
- Closing the achievement gaps and promoting learning for all students in a democratic society
- Fostering social and emotional skills of all children and youth and enhancing the social climate
- Preventing violence and ensuring safety, including cyber safety, for all children and youth
- Promoting the mental and physical health of all children and youth
- Developing and enhancing family and community support for all children and youth
This conference offers an opportunity for colleagues with a common interest to come together to share resources and ideas, and to work toward collaborative solutions. In addition to the keynote addresses, there will be more than 100 workshops and training sessions featuring successful programs from across the nation.
The National Youth-At-Risk Conference is sponsored by the College of Education and the Continuing Education Center at Georgia Southern University. Conference participants are eligible to receive continuing education credits from a variety of organizations.
Go to the conference Web site at http://ceps.georgiasouthern.edu/conted/yar2007.html to register and to learn more about the National Youth-At-Risk Conference, or call Georgia Southern’s Center for Continuing Education at 912-871-1755.
Last updated: 2/2/2018
Get shipwrecked at Southern
Ahoy matey! Homecoming at Georgia Southern may still be more than a month away, but deadlines to sign up for events are looming. This year’s theme is ‘Eagles of the Caribbean: Shipwrecked at Southern.”
Nomination deadlines for Homecoming King and Queen are 4 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 19. Fees are $75 per nomination. Applications for king can be found at http://students.georgiasouthern.edu/sac/hc2006/king.htm, and those for queen at http://students.georgiasouthern.edu/sac/hc2006/queen.htm.
Nominees will be announced the week of Sept. 25, with voting taking place Monday, Oct. 16, through Thursday, Oct. 19, via students’ WINGS account.
Following are other homecoming events and entry fees:
- Banner Contest – $10
- Sculpt it for the Hungry – Free
- Mud Volleyball – $25 (Proceeds will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)
- Doo-Dah Contest – $30
- Step Contest – $30
- Parade Float – $50
- Parade Krazy Car – $25
- Parade Clown/Character – Free
- Parade Banner/Walking – Free
Students may enter as groups in Doo-Dah or the Step Show. However, only the first 20 team will be accepted.
Registration forms for the above can be found at http://www.georgiasouthernhomecoming.com/. The deadline to register for these events is 4 p.m., Friday, Sept. 22. Entries received after that time and through Monday, Sept. 25, will incur a $25 late fee. No other entries will be accepted after that date and refunds will not be given on entry fees.
Groups participating in four or more events will receive a $25 discount, if registered on or before the Sept. 22 deadline. Payment, made by checks, Visa or Mastercard, will be received in the Office of Student Activities located in the Russell Union Room 1056.
For more information and a listing of prizes for the various events, visit http://www.georgiasouthernhomecoming.com. For a homecoming packet, contact the Office of Student Activities at 486-7270.
Last updated: 2/2/2018
