Schools Establish Boards of V isitors

The schools of Liberal Arts (SLA) and Science and Technology (SST) recently established boards of visitors (BOV). They join the School of Business, which established its BOV in 2012. At GGC, boards of visitors are philanthropic advisory boards. They support their school by providing financial resources, advocacy and subject matter expertise. BOV members advise their school’s dean, help generate annual and/or major gifts, and share their expertise with students and faculty.

“As we develop our majors, the expertise and community involvement of our BOV members will help us understand the needs of regional organizations and businesses,” said Dr. Teresa Winterhalter, SLA dean. “They will also create connections among resources and agencies throughout our area that will support our efforts to grow.”

“Our BOV members have experience in a broad range of the sciences, which makes their counsel very meaningful to SST and our plans for the future,” said Dr. Chavonda Mills, SST dean.

SLA’s BOV members include:

Claire Dees, executive director of Spectrum Autism Support Group, Inc., brings a background in education and nonprofit management.

Alex Raul Rivera is chief of staff of the bilingual brokerage firm, Rudhil Companies, and a member of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. Jeff Smith, SLA BOV chair, is chief investigator for Gwinnett County’s Solicitor General’s Office and a part-time adjunct criminal justice and criminology instructor at GGC.

Margaret Washburn, P.C., is a founding partner of Washburn Law Offices, chief judge for the City of Sugar Hill and associate judge in the City of Duluth Municipal Court and Municipal Court of the City of Berkeley Lake.

Winterhalter and Chrissy Rosen, executive director of individual engagement, serve as ex-officio members.

SST’s BOV members include:

Jay Bassett is a retired community development connector from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Harrison Finney, SST BOV chair, is general manager at IndSpyre Solutions, Inc., a provider of specialty chemicals.

Sathya Nagesh is vice president of Software Engineering at Assurant, Inc., a global provider of risk management products and services and a member of GGC’s Corporate Affiliates Program since 2015. Ex-officio members are Mills and Darcie Johnson, director of Development.

School

Harrison Finney, Jay Bassett and Dr. Chavonda Mills present a check to Libby Humphries, ’23, environmental science, the presentation winner for the spring 2023 Science and Technology Annual Research Symposium (STaRS) event.

Autism endorsment program available to certified K-12 teachers

GGC has become one of nine University System of Georgia institutions offering an autism endorsement program approvedby the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC).

This program increases one’s knowledge about teaching students with autism spectrum disorders. It consists of three, 3-hour, online courses available in fall and spring semesters. Certified K-12 teachers who want to become eligible for the GaPSC’s autism endorsement may take the courses all at once or spread out over time.

Certified K-12 teachers interested in the program should contact the School of Education at 678.407.5019 or soesped@ggc.edu

In addition, GGC students who graduate with a Bachelor of Science in special education will earn both a special education teaching license in the general curriculum and the autism endorsement.

Grant supports elementary student math tutoring

The GGC Foundation received a $20,000 Georgia Foundation for Public Education Innovation Education Fund Prototype Grant for a one-year, pilot math tutoring project for elementary school students needing targeted support.

The School of Education collaborated with GGC’s Advancement team to write the proposal in response to a need in the local community.

The pilot project is being implemented for first- through fourth-grade students at Alford Elementar y School in Gwinnett County. The school was chosen based on a past collaboration and a data-driven need for math support, as evidenced by test scores and past student performance.

The project also provides professional development for tutors, including GGC students who want to build their tutoring skills. engage.ggc.edu