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June 16, 2008
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NGCSU road paves the way for university expansion
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Joshua Preston "Once we know where future buildings will be located on the Radar Ridge property, we'll extend the road based on the requirements of those designs for the property," Julio Canseco, NGCSU director of project management, said. "Any future construction – whether it's dorms or other similar facilities – will require convenient access for construction and delivery trucks. So, this road is step one to gaining clear and safe access to Radar Ridge." Canseco said that plans for new building projects on Radar Ridge could be approved in as little as two years, but nothing concrete has been decided. A consulting firm has been selected to provide a master plan update to help determine growth strategies for the central campus and the adjacent Radar Ridge property. Located south of the NGCSU Athletic Field Complex near Morrison Moore Parkway, the road project will be about one-half mile long and is expected to be completed by December. GeoImage Engineering Planning of Dahlonega is starting the design phase for the road, and land clearing at the site will start later this month. Gainesville-based Merritt Contracting Inc. will grade the steep landscape and transform an existing dirt road into a two-lane paved road, complete with sidewalks on both sides, streets lights and underground utilities for gas, water and sewage. The project cost is anticipated to be $1.7 million. "Landscaping will take place after the road is constructed to stabilize the slope of the grading and avoid runoff from rain eroding the new grade as well as for aesthetic reasons," Canseco said. Access to the Radar Ridge property will not be available for the rest of the year during construction. Student groups, most notably the Corps of Cadets, have used the property over the past few years for campus activities, such as field training exercises.
Research center secures first major grant
By
Joshua Preston Starting this fall semester, projects across multiple disciplines will be funded to help bolster the university's fledgling undergraduate research activities. Each of the first research projects, as well as initiatives that fall under the category of creative activities, are anticipated to receive from $500 to $3,000. "As we become a regional institution, undergraduate research will be a major component of our educational environment," Dr. Mark Spraker, director of the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities, said. "These funds will be used to support faculty, staff and student research in all academic areas during the 2008-2009 academic year." Spraker has worked over the last 10 months to build the center, known as CURCA, into a clearinghouse for research opportunities on- and off-campus. Acting also as a resource for grant information, CURCA has connected faculty members with the Office of Sponsored Programs and led them to new grant funding. "We're trying to place as many opportunities as possible in front of students and faculty members," Spraker said. Research Experiences for Undergraduates, or REU, which is supported by the National Science Foundation, is one program that CURCA has emphasized since its inception. At least three NGCSU undergraduates majoring in the sciences are conducting research through REU this summer at other institutions including Emory University and Duke University. On campus, Spraker has worked with academic departments to identify what existing resources might be used for new research opportunities. Two of those include the Stinson Undergraduate Research Fund for biology, created from scholarship money, and the Pigg-Yaeger Research Fund for physics, supported through the NGCSU Foundation. "NGCSU is not, nor is ever likely to be, a research institution, but undergraduate research provides a different and complimentary educational experience and allows for faculty-student interactions outside the typical classroom setting," Spraker said. CURCA is seeking to secure another $25,000, this time from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Grant Consortium, to support the university's work in astronomy, X-ray physics and other science fields. Spraker knows that in order to foster the intellectual creativity in all areas of the institution, CURCA will need to take a broad approach in its support activities. The center, which now falls under the School of Science and Health Professions, will be reorganized to be a universitywide resource in the coming years.
NGCSU Chinese courses expand with $240K grant NGCSU is one of eight U.S. colleges and universities to receive a federal grant from the Reserve Officer Training Corps Language and Culture Project, designed to promote education programs for languages that are not commonly taught within higher education. NGCSU will receive $240,000 of the $3.07 million awarded as part of this year's grants, and will use the funds to build its Chinese language studies program, which started in 2006.
NGCSU School of Arts & Letters faculty members submitted the grant proposal for enhancing the school's Chinese language studies. Dr. Chris Jespersen, dean of the School of Arts & Letters, believes that the university will benefit greatly from the grant by allowing increased access to language training to military and non-military students. "The awarding of this grant by the federal government represents an acknowledgment of the success North Georgia has had in building its program to its current state. With this timely assistance, the university will be able to expand its program and offer an exciting career-building opportunity for even more students," Jespersen said. The NGCSU Department of Modern Languages adopted Chinese as part of its language programs with a few courses before developing a full-fledged academic minor in Chinese. As part of the program, NGCSU has implemented a study abroad component in partnership with Tsinghua University in Beijing. Dr. Brian Mann, modern languages department head, said that a new intensity within the language program will help students to truly experience Chinese and that they "will not be able to step away." "The goal of all this is to prepare the students to function linguistically and culturally at the intermediate level in a relatively short time, with the hope that they will want to continue their studies at a higher level and perhaps participate in our program at Tsinghua University in Beijing," Mann said. The language grant will initially support a six-week intensive Chinese learning program that will start June 23 and immerse 16 university students in the language and culture. Students in the six-week program will participate in activities – including watching films and playing games specific to Chinese culture – and visit Chinese-speaking communities where they can practice what they have learned. Faculty and advisors proficient in Chinese will guide students through the duration of the course to ensure students receive the full benefits of the immersion experience.
University's local economic impact
reaches
The most recent economic impact report from the Selig Center for Economic Growth in the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business indicates that the University System of Georgia had an $11 billion economic impact in Georgia and is responsible for 2.6 percent of all jobs in the state. North Georgia College & State University's impact on the regional economy was $145.7 million and 1,443 jobs. The figures reported in this study include the impact of NGCSU construction projects underway during Fiscal Year 2007, as well as local spending by university employees and students. The counties included in the study of NGCSU's economic impact included Lumpkin, Hall, Dawson, White, Forsyth, and Union. "These economic impacts demonstrate that continued emphasis on higher education as an enduring pillar of the regional economy translates into jobs, higher incomes, and greater production of goods and services for local households and businesses," the report's authors concluded. The Intellectual Capital Partnership Program has commissioned an annual report on the economic impact of the University System of Georgia every year since 2000. Each year the report demonstrates the increasing impact of the USG on Georgia's overall economy. Dr. Jeffrey Humphreys, director of the Selig Center, wrote that the figures provided in the report are actually lower than the total economic impact of USG institutions on their communities. The economic impact of an educated community, the revenues produced through events sponsored by the campus, and the spending of USG retirees and visitors to the campus are difficult to calculate and are not included in the report. "We've always placed a high value on our relationship with the community," Frank "Mac" McConnell, vice president for Business and Finance at NGCSU, said. "This report is just one of the ways we take stock of ourselves as a good neighbor. Especially during an economic downturn like the one we are experiencing now, it's gratifying to know that we continue to have such a positive impact on the region." In north Georgia, the combined economic impact of NGCSU and Gainesville State College was $298 million with an employment impact of 3,000 jobs.
'Dahlonega's Gold' debuts July 26 at Gold Museum
The University Press of North Georgia will release "Dahlonega's Gold" by alumna Anne Dismukes Amerson during Authors' Signing Day in Dahlonega from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 26 at the Gold Museum on the town square. The historical novel is the second publication of the University Press, which debuted its first book, "Billy Roper Visual Storyteller," featuring Roper's collection of Appalachian folk art in 2007. Amerson captures the history of Dahlonega in the 1800s through the trials and tribulations of a young bride, Keziah Hamilton Cochran, who travels to North Georgia with her husband Fate in search of their fortune. The journey brings heartache, separation and finally personal fulfillment to the young woman during the years of America's first major Gold Rush, the Trail of Tears and the Civil War. "What I have tried to do in 'Dahlonega's Gold' is to show the human experience behind the facts – how people's lives were impacted by the circumstances of the times and to give readers hints about how their lives might have been affected had they been born in that particular time and place," Amerson said. Amerson, a native of Dahlonega, has been collecting oral history and researching Lumpkin County history for almost 20 years. She is the author of four volumes of "I Remember Dahlonega" and "Dahlonega's Historic Public Square." She has earned several awards for historic preservation, including the Governor's Award in the Humanities in 2003. She and her husband Amos Amerson both graduated from North Georgia College in 1956. Her father, Dr. Camillus J. Dismukes, taught foreign languages and music appreciation at the college from 1933 to 1963. Dr. B.J. Robinson, director of the University Press, feels that the subject matter of the historical fiction piece was well-suited for fulfilling the mission of the press. "Anne Amerson's novel is the ideal second book for the press to publish because our students strongly supported it; also, it addresses one of the press's main goals – regional engagement – by modeling the difference that individuals can make to their community, particularly in terms of raising its self-awareness and connecting its past with its present and future," Robinson said. North Georgia students have been actively involved throughout the project. Students enrolled in the new "Introduction to Publishing" course taught by Robinson last summer read and critiqued the original manuscript submitted by Amerson and recommended it for publication. English major James Wolfe designed the page layout and Lyndsy Holmes, an art marketing major, photographed the cover. Students in the publishing class this fall will assist with the book's marketing and distribution. Robinson and Karen Roop, NG '07, are the editors of the novel. The book was funded by the NGCSU President's Innovation Fund with additional support from the Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs. For more information, visit www.upnorthgeorgia.org or contact Robinson at 706-864-2964.
Campus in Action
Dr. Stefanie Palma became the new head of the Department of Physical Therapy effective this month. Palma, who came to North Georgia in 2004, has 30 years of experience in physical therapy. |
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Kate Maine has been named the new
director of University Relations. Maine was the public relations
director at Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville before coming to
NGCSU. She has also held public relations and marketing positions at
Morton Vardeman & Carlson, the Hall County government, and Kangaroo Inc.
She started her communications career at the University of Georgia's
College of Veterinary Medicine. Maine earned a Bachelor of Arts in
Journalism from UGA and holds a professional accreditation with the
Public Relations Society of America.