UWG Foundation Launches Go West for a Day

This year, the University of West Georgia Foundation returns to a longstanding tradition with the launch of Go West For A Day.

The fundraising effort is designed to help students achieve their dream of a college education, as the largest percentage of the money donated will be used to support student scholarships. It also highlights the many ways in which the university benefits the local community and the region. The push has been successful over the years, with continued strong support and a renewed focus on reaching out to younger alumni.

“The success of our community becomes more entwined with UWG with each passing year,” said Leonard Woolsey, this year’s Go West For A Day chair. “With the dramatic increase in students over the past decade, the result is more and more UWG students and graduates entering the local workforce. We are a direct reflection of the quality of students attending and graduating from UWG.”

New energy has been infused into this community fundraising event by choosing Go West For A Day as the updated moniker. The name allows UWG to merge its celebrated history with the new trails being blazed by students, alumni, faculty and staff. Throughout the fall, several events will be held to unite the university and the local area while also raising money for student scholarships.

“Simply put, an investment in UWG is an investment in our community and our future,” Woolsey said.

Events are still being added to the schedule, so be sure to visit www.westga.edu/gowestforaday often for the most current details. If you would like to be a campaign volunteer, or for more information, contact UWG’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations at 678-839-6582.

Learning Season: The Passport to Puerto Rico and Possibilities

Imagine getting to travel to Puerto Rico to learn more about networking, resume-building, and personal branding. It’s the perfect example of business mixed with pleasure.

That’s what two UWG students got to do recently. Two officers of the UWG chapter of National

Society of Collegiate Scholars, Abla Sogbo and Alexandra Taylor, recently traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the NSCS National Convention: “Your Passport to Possibilities.”

“Puerto Rico is beautiful, clean, with a lot of fountains. There’s water everywhere!...They have a great night life,” said Sgobo.

Taylor reflected Sgobo, commenting that she would love to go back to see more.

“I loved Puerto Rico for what I saw of it. I didn't get to see as much as I would have liked to, but it was still very beautiful. The food is delicious, too” said Taylor. Taylor also spoke about their chance to salsa dance with residents, which she loved. “Salsa dancing is so much fun. It is so amazing to watch them salsa dance. It seems like it comes so naturally. It's so graceful the way that they salsa dance.”

While most would be excited about the trip because of its location, it seems that these two may have appreciated what the convention had to offer more than the location.

“I value that trip very much. It didn’t have to be in Puerto Rico and I would have still enjoyed it. The information I got, the tools I gained and the networking I did were great. I would not have been able to get those tools on my own,” said Taylor, the UWG chapter’s vice president.

The convention was held June 16 -19; however, since Sogbo, the chapter’s president, and Taylor were officers, they arrived an extra day earlier for a special session specific to officers. The convention aimed to help all members better prepare themselves for their post-graduation life, while also helping officers better lead their local chapter. As part of the convention, there was a leadership summit for the officers to learn from each other. Also, attendees were able to pick from a variety of workshops on career preparation. Such workshops included resume writing, networking sessions, personal pitching, and more.

“The name of it was ‘Passport to Possibilities.’ This was a way to get things in order so that whatever it is that you want to do in life, you will be able to do it and you will have the tools to get there,” said Taylor.

“It was definitely an appropriate theme. I didn’t expect to meet the CEO of NSCS. I didn’t even expect to join this organization,” said Sogbo, explaining that her father had encouraged her to join NSCS. “I would have never thought I’d join this, become a leader, and go to Puerto Rico. Without this organization, I would not have had these opportunities.”

It’s clear that NSCS and the convention definitely served as a passport to possibility for Sogbo and Taylor. In addition to learning a lot for their personal professional careers, the two learned what to bring back to UWG in order to enhance NSCS’s presence on campus.

“Our chapter is not well-known on campus. We want to collaborate more and hold more campus-wide events,” Sogbo explained.

Taylor also wants NSCS to have a bigger impact on campus. That’s why she’s excited about the Gold Star award they received at the convention. The award is based upon the events a chapter does.

“It feels great to win the Gold Star award. Platinum Star awards are only awarded to five schools and they give scholarships to NSCS students at those campuses. We are very proud to have the award, and we plan to earn it again and soon apply for the Platinum Star award.”

To do so, they’re planning an Honors Ball in collaboration with other honor organizations and an event to motivate high school and middle school students to come to college and achieve collegiate excellence. The two officers also hope to place more emphasis on membership participation and fundraising.

In the meantime, they’ll be enjoying the memories of Puerto Rico as they work to elevate both themselves and the chapter.

Onabule Selected for Sylvia Shortt Scholarship

Adebayo Onabule has recently been selected as the first recipient of the Sylvia Shortt Scholarship.

Onabule is grateful for this scholarship as he pursues his third UWG degree, a specialist degree in counseling.

“As the first international student to receive this scholarship, I feel very honored. I’m a college student, so the extra money is great. It’s good to have it,” Onabule said.

The $500 scholarship is for any full-time international student with financial need and scholastic achievement.

Having earned a total of three degrees already through his own financial means made the Nigerian student the perfect candidate for the scholarship.

Onabule also speaks highly of Shortt, commenting that she has earned the privilege to have a scholarship in her name due to her work with UWG’s international students.

For those students interested in the Sylvia Shortt scholarship that is awarded annually, please contact 678-839-4780.

Recent Grad Thankful to Find Classroom Job

Ashley Hall is one of the fortunate ones of the Class of 2011. She is starting her first teaching job this year with the Douglas County School System after getting her degree in May.

“Most of my friends are still looking for a job,” Hall said Wednesday during a break in the new teacher orientation session. “Only three have found positions.”

Hall is beginning her teaching career as a pre-school special education teacher for 3- and 4-year-olds at Mirror Lake Elementary School. Her position is funded by LEAP (Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership), a federal and state partnership to assist students who have substantial financial needs.

Hall is a Douglas County native, but her family moved to Villa Rica when she was in the third grade. She graduated from Villa Rica High School in 2004. She received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from University of West Georgia.

She said she began her job search while still in school, but intensified it this summer.

“I looked a lot,” she said. “I applied for any and every job in Carroll, Paulding and Douglas counties.

Read more:Times-Georgian - New teacher feels blessed to find classroom job

Student Aid in the Midst of the Budget Debate

The raucous and confusing debate in Washington, D.C., over the debt ceiling is creating financial aid uncertainties.

Lawmakers have yet to decide how the Pell Grant program for middle- and lower-income college students will be reduced, if at all.

The potential of less aid for college students, mainly graduate and professional students, is raising concerns among Purdue University administrators as well as higher education leaders across the country.

"Purdue would only pull back on upcoming year Pell Grants if Congress mandated that 2011-12 was impacted. At this point, I don't think it is at all clear on what is happening," said Joyce Hall, executive director of financial aid. "Normally, changes to federal student aid funding impact the future academic year, not the upcoming, but that it is when changes are made in the regular annual appropriations process."

On Wednesday, more details emerged of how the $35 billion dollar Pell Grant program could be altered in the deficit reduction plan.

Read more: jconline.com--Student aid caught in budget cross hairs

Atlanta's Monique Show Canceled

Written by Rodney Ho

“The Mo’Nique Show” had been axed. I had sent an email out to various BET publicists to ask what was up. No word back.

At about 1:30 p.m., I called Rodney Perry, who was Mo’Nique’s sidekick on the show. He said he was running into a meeting and didn’t answer my question. While I was at lunch over at the mall court, at 1:40 p.m. EST, he texted me: “I was told indefinite hiatus.”

That’s a euphemism for canceled.

Later, I received an email from a spokesperson at BET which included a slightly milder euphemism: "The Mo'Nique Show will be on production hiatus beginning in the fall." ... Mo'Nique Hicks and The Mo'Nique Show are important to the BET Networks family and we look forward to continuing our relationship our with her."]

Mediatakeout, which broke the story, said there were conflicts between BET management and Mo’Nique. Was it creative and/or financial? The story does not say. It also doesn’t say if BET will seek another talk-show host or just drop the concept.

Read More...

The show was taped at Atlanta's Turner Studies, bringing money into the city. Furthermore, it provided jobs to those who have a passion for television production. This is the second major talk show to be leave the airways this year. It definitely posses the question, Who's Next?

New teacher feels blessed to find classroom job

by Winston Jones/Douglas County Sentinel

Ashley Hall is one of the fortunate ones of the Class of 2011. She is starting her first teaching job this year with the Douglas County School System after getting her degree in May.

“Most of my friends are still looking for a job,” Hall said Wednesday during a break in the new teacher orientation session. “Only three have found positions.”

Hall is beginning her teaching career as a pre-school special education teacher for 3- and 4-year-olds at Mirror Lake Elementary School. Her position is funded by LEAP (Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership), a federal and state partnership to assist students who have substantial financial needs.

Hall is a Douglas County native, but her family moved to Villa Rica when she was in the third grade. She graduated from Villa Rica High School in 2004. She received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from University of West Georgia.

She said she began her job search while still in school, but intensified it this summer.

“I looked a lot,” she said. “I applied for any and every job in Carroll, Paulding and Douglas counties.

Read more: Times-Georgian - New teacher feels blessed to find classroom job

Partner Workouts with UWG

Part 2 in the Health and Fitness series by Terica and Sydney. This video displays several workouts for people who want to get into shape, but don't have much time.

If you need to burn a few calories, grab a friend, it is time for a great workout!

Economic plan hopes to create jobs

by Catalina Trivino/For the Times-Georgian

Carroll County’s occupational, industrial, and economic statistics could take a turn for the better. Several community resources have unified their efforts to create more jobs in the upcoming months. In order to achieve this, Carroll Tomorrow has formed another five-year business strategy for the Advantage Carroll campaign, planned to carry through 2015.

The Carroll Tomorrow team revisited its first economic plan — initially introduced in 2006 — in March 2010. The team developed a strategy — called Advantage Carroll — through the end of the year to battle current and forthcoming economic changes. Between January and May 2011, the team began to gather funding and information from businesses to assist their future needs.

Advantage Carroll hopes to reach its goals in relation to economic development, education and workforce development, and government relations and leadership, while being mindful of business retention, expansion and recruitment, and quality of life improvements.

“The goal for funding was considerable, especially given the state of the economy in the last three years,” said Daniel Jackson, president and CEO of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce and Carroll Tomorrow. By mid-year, the team surpassed its initial funding goal of implementing $3.3 million into the strategy (planned to be used over a five-year period).

Read more:Times-Georgian - Economic plan hopes to create jobs

Need Help School Shopping

Every autumn, the list gets longer:

“Did he need college-ruled notebook paper last year?”

“I don’t remember buying her five binders.”

“A T-I-80-WHAT?”

The school supply list, it seems, grows more than your children do each year. And while your son might clamor for the Transformers pencil box, you’re determined to keep this shopping trip for necessities under control (for the most part, anyway).

That’s why, armed with the Inman Middle School 6th grade supply list, I drove to six different metro Atlanta retailers, determined to identify the cheapest places to buy supplies and the strategies most effective for back-to-school shopping. Here’s what I discovered:

Strategy: Don’t be persuaded by the door-buster prices on, say, notebook paper, which should be relatively cheap anywhere you go. Instead, one strategy is to identify the items on your list that could cost the most, and then choose a retailer based on the price of that item. For example, one-inch binders ranged from 60 cents at Walmart to $4.59 at Publix, and if your kid needs 3 to 8 of these, they could destroy your budget at the grocer.

A second strategy is to identify the items most difficult to find — in my case a non-spiral, quad-rule composition notebook was only available at three of the six stores. Then visit the store that carries the rarer items first, because you’ll have to make that trip regardless.

Timing: Office Depot’s circular included rulers, ballpoint pens and college rule paper for 25 cents, but the rulers and pens were gone by the time I got there. Go shopping ASAP for a chance to snag these prices, and hit up retailers in the morning when goods will be freshly stocked and organized.

Selection: Walmart was very organized, had an incredible supply, and was obviously prepared for the back-to-school rush. Plus, the display seemed more compact and easier to navigate than those at the large office supply stores I visited. But Target, OfficeMax and Office Depot were the only stores that had everything on my list.

Also, for you green families, recycled notebook paper wasn’t hard to spot at both Kroger and Office Depot.

Assistance: I consider myself a capable shopper, but I was a bit overwhelmed at how many choices some stores offer. At OfficeMax, I had to ask for help looking for the cheap binders, which weren’t with the other school supplies. And don’t be reticent about asking for the cheapest item. The first quad-rule composition book I found at Office Depot was $7.29, a whopping $4.80 more than the less-expensive version a salesperson located for me.

Bulk: Buying in bulk could be cheaper — but don’t assume so. The packs of 72 pencils for $5.99 Office Depot offered still cost more per pencil than the 10- or 12-packs at Walmart or Kroger. So bring a calculator if you want to maximize your savings. Also, combo packs (like 14 Dixon pencils, more erasers than you can imagine plus a pencil sharpener at Publix for $2.99) might net you some change, depending on your needs.

Ifs and buts: I cannot promise any prices mentioned will be valid by the time you get to the store, as sales can change daily. Individual stores vary and your list can differ drastically, depending on how old your kids are.

And sometimes — just sometimes – you’ll probably treat your kids to a higher-priced item. Because your daughter, OMG, will, like, die if she doesn’t walk into class with that $5 “Glee” binder.

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Project Runway and Atlanta, GA Meet Again

If you are one of the millions who love Project Runway, then you will be thrilled to hear that the ninth season gets a taste of Atlanta.

Atlanta gets a representative on “Project Runway”: Rafael Cox, 27. Past notable contestants include season three finalist Mychael Knight and the always entertaining Anthony Williams from season seven.

There’s a twist this year. The show starts with 20 people but gets quickly cut to a more typical 16 after each person makes a presentation before the judges, including Tim Gunn, Nina Garcia, Michael Kors and Heidi Klum.

During Cox’s intro during the 20, we don’t hear any comments from the judges but they seem impressed. “Nina and I are clearly talking sex with our eyes,” he said as an aside on the show.

Without spoiling too much, it’s fair to say Cox makes it through and is part of the cast of 16. How does he do during the first challenge? Well, let’s just say Kors references the Flintstones during his critique of Cox’s first outfit. You’ll know Thursday whether that’s a good thing – or not.

Cox, in an interview, said he grew up in Decatur, graduated from Southwest DeKalb High School and was a 2006 graduate of American Intercontinental University with a fashion design/marketing degree. He’s been able to get dresses into local boutiques including La Bella Vie, Rose Couture and House of Adrene.

His point of view? “I pretty much love angular artistic and really structural pieces. I love making shapes. I love having angular, really detailed looking stuff on a model’s body. And I cater to all sizes.”

The most memorable contestants on the show after screening the first episode include one of the oldest designers ever on the show at age 57. And there’s a 29-year-old woman from Trinidad and Tobago who shows up with only four months of sewing experience.

Read More

Pitzulo Talks about "Bachelors and Bunnies"

Listen to UWG's Carrie Pitzulo discuss her book on WABE-FM Atlanta's Between The Lines.

http://www.pba.org/programming/programs/btl/

Racing For A World Title

A Bremen girl who started racing at age 12 is revving up for world domination of the All-American Soap Box Derby and the National Derby Rallies for the next two weeks in Akron, Ohio.

Ambree Garren, 17-year-old racing prodigy, intends to drive her pint-sized car “Georgia Girl” to a world title, the Holy Grail of soap box racing. Ambree advanced to the finals by capturing the northwest Georgia championship and accumulating points in derby rallies throughout the United States. In the Marietta regional last month, she drove to her third division win after amassing a record 616 rally points and leading the nation with 29 wins in Florida, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The multi-sport phenom will face stiff international competition Saturday in the familiar All-American Soap Box Derby (AASBD) at Akron’s Derby Downs. Next Saturday, July 30, she will be gunning for the checkered flag in the National Derby Rallies (NDR), which spun off the original Soap Box Derby. The race week activities, including the championship races on Saturday, will be broadcast live over the USTREAM Video Channel link aasbd.org.

Ambree likes to race “mainly for fun, but if I win the All-American, I can get money for scholarships, and my activities can be used on my resume. Soap box racing has been in my family for four generations.”

The family tradition started in the 1930s, according to her father, Al Garren, who restores classic cars with his father, William. Al once finished 9th in the Soap Box Derby world finals. William and his father, Albert, raced on the local level in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Ambree’s sister, Leah, 20, finished 3rd in the 2008 All-American world competition.

“I guess I’m the only one from around here now that races Soap Box Derby. I’ve had a lot of success so far,” said Ambree. “It’s kind of unique.”

Read more: Times-Georgian - Bremen girl seeks world title in soap box derby

5,000 expected in Carrollton for state swim meet

by Corey Cusick/Times-Georgian

Beth Upchurch and her family have attended the Georgia Recreation and Park Association State Swim Meet each of the first two years it was held in Carrollton, and she made certain to keep this weekend clear on her calendar for a third consecutive visit.

“Well, we look forward to it every year. It’s just been a real fun experience. We actually have family that used to live in Carrollton, so we’d always come and see them. But even though now we don’t have any family here, it’s still a lot of fun because we’re so familiar with it now,” said Upchurch, whose daughter, Katie Grace, 9, swims for the Athens Dolphins.

The Upchurch clan is just one of several swim families who will spend the weekend in Carrollton for the two-day meet, which begins this morning at Lakeshore Natatorium. With 1,200 swimmers on hand, an estimated 5,000 people are expected to be in the community over the next few days, flooding local hotels and restaurants.

Last year the meet had an economic impact of $1.13 million, according to Jonathan Dorsey, executive director of the Carrollton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau — and he expects it to be in that ballpark again this year.

Read more:Times-Georgian - 5 000 expected in Carrollton for state swim meet

Colleges Use SAT for Different Purposes

Many of the same colleges that have ended SAT requirements, noting that wealthy students tend to do well on the exam and that many black and Latino students succeed in college while not doing well on it, may trust the SAT in other ways. These colleges buy the names of high-scoring students from the College Board (and from the ACT) and use those names to recruit prospective students, Bloomberg reported. Leon Botstein, president of Bard College (which neither requires the SAT nor buys names), criticized the practice. "They take a stance that looks principled but is strategic,” Botstein told Bloomberg. "They say 'I’m going to show myself to be open,' but in reality they’re completely buying into the definition of a good student that is guided by the test."

From Inside Higher Ed: Quick Takes July 19, 2011

Atlanta's 10 Most Powerful People

Atlanta is considered to be the unofficial capital of the southeastern United States. Atlanta is also a city with considerable influence on politics, religion, and entertainment. So, to be one of the most powerful people in Atlanta means that you're also one of the most powerful people in the world, but what is power? For the purposes of this ranking, we looked at political influence, social status, and last, but certainly not least, wealth. After all, it was Tony Montana in "Scarface" who said, "In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then, when you get the money, you get the power." With that said, here is a listing of Atlanta's 10 most powerful people.

10. Kasim Reed - Mayor of Atlanta

Unlike in some U.S. cities, in Atlanta the mayor actually does have considerable power and political influence. As a former two-term member as a state representative and former vice chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, Mayor Reed has made quite a few powerful and influential friends during his ride to the city's most prestigious office.

9. Monica Pearson - News anchor WSB-TV

For over 35 years, Monica Pearson has been the anchor for one of Atlanta's largest networks. Pearson has received various awards for her reporting and was not only first African-American woman to be named an anchor in Atlanta, but is also the longest running anchor in Atlanta history. Pearson's involvement with various business leaders, political groups, and religious leaders in Atlanta make her well-deserving of the title of one of Atlanta's most powerful.

8. Andrew Young - Former Atlanta mayor, congressman, and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations

Andrew Young has led a movie-script life. He was an involved activist and confidant of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He is a former U.S. congressman and was appointed as ambassador to the U.N. by President Jimmy Carter and also held the office of mayor in Atlanta. Young was a driving force behind getting the 1996 Olympic Games to come to Atlanta and is credited with spearheading Atlanta's corporate appeal to business around the world.

7. Clark Howard - Consumer advocate

When millions of people around the world watch television, listen to radio, or search the Internet to hear what you say is or isn't a good deal, you've got true power. Clark Howard is one of the most widely used names not only in Atlanta, but also around the country. When you're the world's king of saving money and the world's in an economic spiral, you're going to wield a mighty sword in the world of influence.

6. Elton John - Entertainer and philanthropist

While his main home is abroad, Elton John's primary U.S. residence is just minutes from downtown Atlanta. In a career that has spanned over four decades, Elton John has won almost every major music award thinkable. He is one of the most successful activists and philanthropists in the world and is a frequent name mentioned when listing the world's most rich and powerful entertainers.

5. Nathan Deal - Governor and former U.S. congressman

Being the governor of the state of Georgia immediately qualifies you for the list of Atlanta's most powerful people. Nathan Deal's congressional ties and association with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich give Georgia's top official a firm position on the list of Atlanta's most powerful.

See who tops the list by checking out the rest of the article at Yahoo! News: Atlanta's 10 Most Powerful People

Only 5,181 out of expected 15,000 students apply for new loan

Georgia officials thought as many as 15,000 college students would apply for a new low-interest loan. Instead, 5,181 students did, and officials said Monday that they may reopen the application cycle.

Lawmakers funded the Student Access Loan Program when they overhauled the HOPE scholarship, lowering the award amount for recipients. The new loans won't cover all college costs but could fill financial holes for families who have exhausted other options.

The state gave $20 million to the Georgia Student Finance Commission for the loan program. The commission, which also oversees HOPE, estimated the average award would be $3,500 and about 5,700 students would receive money. If estimates hold true, the commission will have about $1.8 million left after processing all applications. Should that happen, the commission will accept another round of applications.

"We don't want to have any money left," said Tracy Ireland, director of the commission's post-secondary student and school services. "We think more families need help."

Read more: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution-- Fewer students than expected apply for new Ga. college loan

Last Space Shuttle Returns Home

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Atlantis and four astronauts returned from the International Space Station in triumph Thursday, bringing an end to NASA's 30-year shuttle journey with one last, rousing touchdown that drew cheers and tears.

A record crowd of 2,000 gathered near the landing strip, thousands more packed the space center and countless others watched history unfold from afar as NASA's longest-running spaceflight program came to a close.

"After serving the world for over 30 years, the space shuttle's earned its place in history. And it's come to a final stop," radioed commander Christopher Ferguson.

"Job well done, America," replied Mission Control.

The twilight landing, just before dawn, came 30 years and three months after the very first shuttle flight in 1981. It will be another three to five years at best before Americans are launched again from U.S. soil, with private companies gearing up to seize the Earth-to-orbit-and-back baton from NASA.

The long-term future for American space exploration is just as hazy, a huge concern for many at NASA and all those losing their jobs because of the shuttle's end. Asteroids and Mars are the destinations of choice, yet NASA has yet to settle on a rocket design to get astronauts there.

Thursday, though, belonged to Atlantis and its crew: Ferguson, co-pilot Douglas Hurley, Rex Walheim and Sandra Magnus, who completed a successful space station resupply mission.

Atlantis' main landing gears touched down at 5:57 a.m., with "wheels stop" less than a minute later.

"The space shuttle has changed the way we view the world and it's changed the way we view our universe," said Ferguson. "There's a lot of emotion today, but one thing's indisputable. America's not going to stop exploring.

"Thank you Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Endeavour and our ship Atlantis. Thank you for protecting us and bringing this program to such a fitting end."

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A New Way to Teach Science

A new framework for improving American science education calls for paring the curriculum to focus on core ideas and teaching students more about how to approach and solve problems rather than just memorizing factual nuggets.
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“That is the failing of U.S. education today, that kids are expected to learn a lot of things but not expected to be able to use them,” said Helen Quinn, a retired physicist from the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, Calif., who led an 18-member committee that spent more than a year devising the framework.

READ MORE http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/science/20curriculum.html?emc=eta1

Sethna Concludes Term as Chair of Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education

University of West Georgia President Beheruz N. Sethna recently concluded his term as chair of the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education. For the coming year, he will still serve on the executive committee as the immediate past chair.

“All of us in higher education in the Atlanta region are grateful for Beheruz Sethna’s active and committed leadership as ARCHE’s chair during the past two years,” said Michael A. Gerber, ARCHE president.

The council's board of trustees has elected Georgia State University President Mark P. Becker to assume Sethna's former position.

Becker takes the helm of the organization as it embarks on a new initiative: Bringing together the Atlanta region’s colleges and universities to collaborate on sustainability projects on the campuses and in communities. Among the ARCHE members are worldwide leaders in green campus practices, integrating sustainability into the curriculum, and conducting research that can improve the environment and quality of life for people across the planet.

"This is an important time to serve as chair of ARCHE,” Becker said. “I look forward to working with colleagues to see that ARCHE'S evolution continues to track the needs and opportunities for higher education in metro Atlanta."

Spelman College President Beverly Daniel Tatum will serve as the board’s vice chair, and Kennesaw State University President Daniel S. Papp will serve as treasurer. University of West Georgia President Beheruz N. Sethna, ARCHE’s chair for the past two years, remains on the executive committee as immediate past chair. Continuing as members-at-large of the executive committee are Elizabeth Kiss, president of Agnes Scott College, and William D. Underwood, president of Mercer University. Paula S. Wallace, president of the Savannah College of Art and Design, joins the executive committee as newly elected member-at-large.

"We look forward to Mark Becker’s tenure in that position as we implement new initiatives around sustainability and continue ARCHE’s work to raise awareness of the critical role that colleges and universities play in our state’s future,” said Michael A. Gerber, ARCHE president.

Ed L. Schrader, president of Brenau University, will continue to chair ARCHE’s government relations committee. John E. Maupin Jr., president of Morehouse School of Medicine, and Thomas J. Hynes Jr., president of Clayton State University, serve as members of that committee.

2011-12 ARCHE Leadership

Executive Committee

Chair Mark P. Becker

Vice Chair Beverly Daniel Tatum

Treasurer Daniel S. Papp

Past Chair Beheruz N. Sethna

Member-at-Large Elizabeth Kiss

Member-at-Large William D. Underwood

Member-at-Large Paula S. Wallace

Government Relations Committee

Chair Ed L. Schrader

Member John E. Maupin Jr.

Member Thomas J. Hynes Jr.

The Atlanta region is a national leader in higher education with more than 250,000 college and university students enrolled annually and more than $1 billion in research spending each year. ARCHE brings together the region’s public and private colleges and universities to help them share strengths through cooperative programs and to build awareness of the scope, impact and value of higher ed in the region. Information about ARCHE, its board and its members is available at www.atlantahighered.org.