Notables

GGC Receives Impressive Rankings

U.S. News & World Report magazine awarded impressive rankings to Georgia Gwinnett College for 2021. For the seventh straight year, GGC is ranked the most ethnically diverse Southern regional college. GGC ranked as the fourth most innovative school among regional colleges in the South. This ranking recognizes innovative approaches to curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities. GGC also earned recognition for its economic diversity, as a top performer on social mobility and its low student debt load at graduation.

Notables

THE GEORGIA GWINNETT COLLEGE MAGAZINE

We Value Your Input Send your ideas and comments about Engage to engage@ggc.edu or call 678.407.5549. Production Editor-in-chief: Sally Ramey Photography: Rod Reilly Graphic design: Todd Buxton Writing: Sally Ramey, Jackie Todd Online team: Rycca Blanton, Educational Technology Server Team Other support: Dan Cassavaugh, LaKeidra Veal Hill, Laurie Hudson, Hoang Huynh, Barbara Martell, Allana Walker

Leadership Jennifer Hendrickson, associate vice president for Advancement Sloan Jones, associate vice president for Communications Jackie Todd, director of Public Relations

Mailing List

To be added to or removed from the Engage mailing list email engage@ggc.edu or call 678.407.5549. Dr. Roslyn Brown, director of Career Services, served as the 2019-2020 president of the Georgia Association of Colleges and Employers.

Madison Preston, ’21, chemistry, received the American Chemical Society’s 2020 Undergraduate Student Award in Environmental Chemistry.

Dr. James D. Lowry Jr., associate professor of human geography, is a distinguished visiting professor of geosciences at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for the 2020-21 academic year.

Dr. Ajay Mallia, associate professor of chemistry, was named a Fellow of the American Chemical Society. Dr. Jann L. Joseph, president, recently received the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce’s 2020 Moxie Award.

GGC RESPONDS TO PANDEMIC

GGC manages pandemic responsibilities while continuing to shape its future.

Last spring, visitors to the Georgia Gwinnett College campus would have found it silent, with only campus police and a small crew on site. But while the buildings were vacant and sidewalks empty in the physical world, GGC bustled with activity in the virtual world. Thanks to the internet and associated technologies, spring semester classes proceeded despite the effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic. College leadership collaborated with the University System of Georgia and public health authorities on how to safely bring students back to campus for summer and fall semesters under the theme, “Grizzly Strong.”

GGC’s strategies included many workplace basics, such as:

• Designated one-way foot traffic patterns in buildings. • Signage and floor stickers to aid social distancing and one-way foot traffic in buildings. • Addition of dozens of sanitizing stations across campus. • Intensified cleaning.

However, college is a highly interactive environment, so GGC used tactics specific to student needs, like:

• Students take turns attending classes in person. • Staggered work schedules reduce the number of personnel in offices at once. • Clear plastic shields in dining areas, labs and other locations. • Use of large, non-classroom space for classes, allowing more students to attend while maintaining social distance.

Catherine Moore, assistant professor of art, teaches a class outdoors.

GGC recently unveiled the Grizzly Welcome Center in Building D.

Students wear masks and maintain social distance on campus.

Students revived the microfarm after their spring semester absence. Operating largely in the virtual world has not slowed the college’s forward momentum. It recently added new academic options for students (see related story, page 11), re-imagined its learning communities program and opened its Grizzly Welcome Center. The situation also created opportunities for creativity. For example, GGC genetics instructors created a new, multiweek lab module allowing students to participate in real-world research about SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

“This research teaches multiple techniques used in bioinformatics, a field combin ing biology and computer science,” said Dr. Elisabeth Javazon, associate professor of biology and biochemistry. With data from a special website, students analyze complete genomes of SARS-CoV-2 from patients around the world, and create their own questions and hypotheses related to virus transmission and evolution.

“Our students might discover new information about the virus,” said Javazon. “Professional researchers announcing mutant versions use the same tools available to our students.”

In the School of Business, students redesigned an annual conference for the online environment. Normally a one-day event, the GEAR (Grizzles Engaged Active Ready) Conference features guest speakers who bring invaluable, professional perspectives into the classroom.

“Moving GEAR online was a major undertaking,” said Brittanie Grable, ’20, a student in the course responsible for GEAR planning. “We learned, taught and provided tech support for a platform none of us had any proficiency using.” The online format spread events over a week and recorded the sessions for later viewing, enabling more students to participate. The result was a 50% increase in conference participation, not counting later views of recorded sessions.

“This is a success story for all of us, made more significant by the adversity and obstacles we overcame together,” said Benjamin Rodriguez, ’21, a member of the student planning committee. The college even included “drivethrough” activities, such as a pre-graduation celebration for nursing students and a campus preview day for prospective students. While not a replacement for campus tours, the drive-through preview day enabled future Grizzlies to see the core of GGC, which is not visible from the major streets that border the campus. GGC also presented its commencement ceremonies online. Each graduate’s name was announced while a slide displayed their name, photo, degree and honors information, and an optinal personal message. Graduates received commemorative boxes containing their diploma portfolio, mortar board and other items.

“ This is a success story for all of us, made more significant by the adversity and obstacles we overcame together.”

– Benjamin Rodriguez, ’21

In keeping with the spirit of perseverance that enabled GGC and its students, faculty and staff to succeed despite the pandemic, the year’s commencement theme was, “The Unstoppable Class of 2020.” As the pandemic extends into 2021, lessons learned will strengthen GGC’s strategies for ensuring that students continue to succeed.