HighlanderMagazine2015

Highlander The official magazine of Georgia Highlands College

Spring 2015

charging

forward

Introducing GHC’s fourth president, Donald J. Green

Table of Contents

...in this issue 3

Meet the President

7

Campus News

24

Faculty Spotlight

26

Staff Spotlight

28

Department Spotlight

30

Alumni Spotlight

32

Foundation & Alumni News

36

Charger News

40

Charger Spotlight

43

In Memoriam

The Highlander is published twice a year by the Office of Advancement at Georgia Highlands College 3175 Cedartown Highway Rome, Georgia 30161 706-295-6366 highlands.edu Editor and Designer Sheila Jones Photographers Jeff Brown Nick Godfrey David Mathis Writers and Contributors Cheree Dye Nick Godfrey Ginni Siler Sheila Jones

Keep up with Georgia Highlands on social media /GeorgiaHighlandsCollege /GHCAthletics /GHCAlumni

@GaHighlands @GHC_Athletics @ChargerInCharge

Editor’s Note: I hope you enjoy this renewed version of the Highlander – the official magazine of Georgia Highlands College. Due to transitions in staff and leadership the last issue was published electronically in Winter 2013. This issue will recap some of the news highlights of GHC from 2014.

Our goal is to revitalize the magazine and publish twice a year both electronically and in limited print as an effort to keep our valuable constituents informed and updated on developments at Georgia Highlands College; as well as highlighting interesting feature stories about our alumni, faculty, staff and students. We welcome your feedback on any of the articles featured in this publication and encourage suggestions for upcoming features. Send your questions or comments to Sheila Jones at shjones@highlands.edu or call 706-295-6366.

Georgia Highlands College is a multi-campus, state college member of the University System of Georgia. Founded in 1970 as Floyd Junior College, it now serves more than 5,300 students in Northwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama across its five campus locations in Rome, Cartersville, Marietta, Dallas, and Douglasville. Georgia Highlands currently offers over 30 associate degrees as well as a Bachelor of Science in nursing for registered nurses and a Bachelor of Science in dental hygiene.

2 | Spring 2015

Donald J. Green, Ph.D., President The Advancement Office encompasses development, public relations, marketing, digital media, graphic design and alumni relations.

Vice President of Advancement Executive Director of the GHC Foundation Mary Transue Assistant to the Vice President Mary Ann Steiner Director of Public Relations & Marketing Sheila Jones Director of Digital Media Services Jeff Brown Alumni Development Specialist Alison Lampkin Design and Print Services Ken Davis Content Coordinators Cheree Dye Nick Godfrey

LEGACY the Embracing

ocused on the F Future

President Don Green is leading the charge at Georgia Highlands College – home of the Chargers.

He began his morning with the rapid pace of a man on the move. Amid phone calls and an impromptu meeting, he maintained the composure and focus of a juggler mastering his craft. After finishing the pressing business, he walked briskly from the academic building to the student center of the Cartersville campus. As he opened the door to the towering hall of glass supported by gray stone, he greeted an employee by name. Walking straight to the neutral-toned, leather sofa, he sat down and loosened his tie.

Green was named GHC’s new president in June and took the helm in early September. He comes to the college from Ferris State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. At Ferris State, Green served as vice chancellor and vice president. His accomplishments include doubling the number of

campuses, maintaining an annual enrollment growth rate of eight percent per year and implementing successful outreach programs to the Latino community resulting in a four percent rise in enrollment among the population.

He also served as an academic dean for Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

In addition, he operated a training and education firm in which he advised corporations, governmental organizations and educational institutions. “Being entrusted with the opportunity to guide Georgia Highlands College through the next phase of its success is the greatest professional achievement I have had up to this point. I am thrilled to work with the amazing faculty and staff to see Georgia Highlands build upon its tradition of an excellent liberal arts college to partner with industry and business. We want to work alongside industry to do our part to strengthen the workforce of Northwest

Meet the President

CHARGING FORWARD

Embracing the Legacy

CHARGING FORWARD – President Green leads the Cabinet in a series of strategic planning sessions, as they plan the directon and future of Georgia Highlands College.

Georgia and see our students excel,” Green said as he sipped his coffee.

“As far as personal achievements, I have three great kids who see all the vast opportunities the world has to offer and are not afraid to pursue them.

I think that’s significant and I am so proud of all three of them.”

“Being married to Cathy for the past 25 years is something else for which I am so thankful,” he said, citing his strong friendship with his wife as one of the most important factors in their decades-long marriage.

Education has long been a priority for Green. He received his bachelor’s degree in public administration at Michigan State University, a master’s degree in labor and human resource management from Ohio State University and a doctorate in educational leadership at Western Michigan University.

He relaxed back onto the L-shaped sofa as he took another sip of coffee. When asked what actor would play him if a movie were made of his life, he immediately responds in jest, “Tom Cruise mixed with Rob Lowe and George Clooney.” Then, he leaned forward and exclaimed with a laughing voice that echoed from the exposed wooden ceiling beams, “Maybe Bill Murray would be more accurate, but he is really looking rough in this last movie, so I don’t know. For that matter, maybe we better scratch Tom Cruise, too. I am not sure about that guy either.”

The younger of two, Green spent his early years in a Michigan town so small it didn’t even have a red light. It was in that tiny community where he recalled his father passing him one of the most valuable nuggets of wisdom he’s ever received.

“One day I was riding with my dad in his pickup

4 | Spring 2015

truck and we passed someone who waved to me.

I nodded in return. My dad asked me if saw him wave. And I said, ‘Yeah, Dad, I nodded my head.’

He said to me, ‘No, when someone waves to you, you make sure they see you respond. You never leave any doubt in people’s minds that you care. You never leave the impression that you are too good to acknowledge someone else.’”

The 50-year-old Green said he never forgot that moment.

An interesting Labor Day weekend tradition for the family is the harvesting of their vineyard at Cathy’s family farm. Years ago Cathy’s father was lamenting the fact that the land was no longer farmed. After some research, Green found the Marechal Foch grape, which is named after a famous French marshal who played a vital role at the conclusion of the First World War. The family harvests the grapes they’ve spent the summer tending and in payment for their labor, they have their own juice and wine.

“It’s a great weekend. I pull the truck up alongside the vines and open all the doors and listen to the first college football games of the season while we are picking the grapes.

“When the kids were little, we would wash their feet in the sink and I’d carry them straight outside and let them smash the grapes. It was so much fun. It makes me happy that Cathy’s brother has agreed to continue growing the grapes since we will be here in Georgia.”

When asked about the future of GHC, Green exuded a palpable excitement. He believes passionate people with a shared vision can accomplish the task that lies ahead.

“In five years, I would like to see us offer 10 or more high quality bachelor’s degrees, which are market-driven and career-focused. In that time, I believe we will develop a reputation as the source for talented employees who have strong math, science, communication and thinking skills. I believe we will be known as a college that thrives in its cultural diversity and continually cultivates a global culture. Starting now, we are working to ensure we forge a record of high retention for all students, create vibrant campuses that provide excellent experiences and promote our students to reach out into the community.”

Q&A with GHC’s First Lady Cathy Green

Focused on the Future

Tell us about your family:

We have three great kids. Alec, our oldest Don and Cathy Green was in Melbourne, Australia, all of 2014 working, traveling and visiting with our Tell us about your occupation: family and friends that live there. Before I do a variety of things. I work at home and outside that, he was at Ferris State University. Our daughter the home. I worked at Grand Rapids Community Abby is a sophomore at Columbus State University.

She is debating on several careers in the health field. College for twenty years; I worked with our tech-prep grant and coordinated the high school She is a pitcher for CSU’s softball team and has articulation program. While at the college, Don and loved being in Georgia. She now thinks 60 degrees I worked together on several projects, partnering is cold. Our youngest is Aaron who is 16 and a junior at Calvin Christian High School in Grandville, with Ferris State University. The most unique, fun project we did together was our Teacher/Counselor Michigan. He is a lineman on the football team and Career Pathway Academy. Along with another plays golf in the spring and his career goals change woman, we researched all year for companies that almost daily. were unique and had high growth opportunities. We introduced high school and post-secondary counselor Aaron, Alec and Abby Green and teachers to careers and opportunities for their students in areas they may not think about.

Currently, I work as a case manager for our Intermediate School District at five high schools.

I work with at-risk students to assist them in graduating. I also contract with a university to write grants for high school and college partnerships. I have taught college classes in career development to high school students, college students and a unique pilot class that brings parents of elementary children in a high poverty school together.

Are there any charities that you feel passionately about?

Don and I are on the board of the World Literacy Foundation–North America. The foundation has been active in Melbourne, Australia, for many years. We have been recognized as a non-profit here in the U.S. for a year. I have been volunteering to work with the foundation by researching and writing grants and organizing the board meetings.

Q&A – continued on page 6

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Q&A – continued from page 5

Do you have a favorite family holiday memory?

The Christmas season is my favorite time of the year. I love the lights, festivities, church services, Christmas songs, baking and all the traditions that go along with it. Our family has gone to the same Christmas tree farm for years. Each year we go out and cut down a tree, usually the weekend after Thanksgiving. Don and I, our kids, sometimes a friend or two and our dogs all go. We spend time looking at all the trees, but always end up with a white pine.

It was a rite of passage for our children that once they were grown, they were given the saw to cut the tree down and they got to drive around the farm looking for the right tree.

Is there anything unique you would like to share about yourself?

COLLEGE

FOURTH PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA HIGHLANDS COLLEGE PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION

YSTEM O YS F IT

D R. DONALD J. GREEN DR. DONALD J. GREEN UNIVE RS

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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 10:00 A.M. at Georgia Highlands College in Rome, A.M. Georgia FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 10:00 at Georgia Highlands College in Rome, Georgia

CHARGING FORWARD CHARGING FORWARD Embracing the Legacy.

Focused on the Future.

| Spring 2015 6 | Spring62015

PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION

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INAUGURATION

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Embracing the Legacy. Focused on the Future.

CHARGING FORWARD

Save the Date

at Georgia Highlands College in Rome, Georgia

OURTH

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

IFNAUGURATION P G H

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CHARGING FORWARD

10:00 A.M.

DR. DONALD J. GREEN

FOURTH PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA HIGHLANDS COLLEGE

10:00 A.M.

DR. DONALD J. GREEN

FOURTH PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA HIGHLANDS COLLEGE

Save the Date Save the Date INAUGURATION

INAUGURATION

Save the Date

throws out the first pitch at a recent Charger Baseball game at Lakepoint in Emerson, GA.

UNIVE RS

First Pitch Prez – President Green

We are huge Jimmy Buffett fans and our kids are now parrot heads, too. I am looking forward to when he tours in Atlanta! Our pets always seem to be unique or maybe we just attract them. We have had two springer spaniels and two cocker spaniels. One day when Don came home the neighbor was pointing to the roof. Our springer spaniel was standing on the roof looking at Don. He didn’t like to be home alone so he broke through the screen to find us!

The two we have right now are both rescue dogs. Somehow they have separation anxiety too! We have also had a cat who thought he was one of the dogs, a lazy bunny and three sweet guinea pigs.

NEw Academic Deans Appointed DEAN OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, BUSINESS & EDUCATION

Mary Transue, the new vice president of advancement and Alan Nichols, Ph.D., executive director of the GHC has been with Foundation joined the HighGeorgia Highlands lands team in December 2014. since 2004, when he “I am excited about came to the this opportunity and am college as an looking forward to joining the instructor of team at GHC,” Transue said. philosophy. Prior to “Working with faculty and that time, he taught staff who are so obviously at Georgia committed to student success, Perimeter and demonstrate such a high level of cohesion, collaboration College and and collegiality is Georgia State University. Dean Nichols has also served as the irresistible and definitely a good fit for me. I can already coordinator of educational program tell there is strong leadership and a solid vision taking assessment at Georgia Highlands. shape for the College moving forward. I know we can Nichols earned his doctorate in accomplish great things together.” philosophy from the University of Most recently, Transue served University of North Missouri.

Georgia as the Associate Vice President of Executive Affairs and was with the UNG Gainesville Campus since 2007. She was the governmental relations liaison for the DEAN OF MATHEMATICS university, and lead the division’s additional work in areas of community engagement, both Continuing Education Tim Floyd, Ph.D., has divisions, economic development and the university’s grants a long history in the and contracts office. educational field.

Transue has an extensive background in corporate He was originally healthcare and non-profit leadership, and has been able hired at Georgia Highlands, then to leverage those acquired skills in higher education.

Floyd College, in Building and maintaining strong relationships and OF THE FOURTH PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA HIGHLANDS COLLEGE 1989 as an partnerships with communities and businesses are the keys instructor of to success for any organization, and is just one of mathematics. the aspects of her job she enjoys the most.

He has served Transue began her new position with a clear focus. in various capacities “Advancement, as the name implies, is all about at the college over the years, FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 10:00 A.M. advancing the college and the opportunities we develop including director of institutional at Georgia Highlands College in Rome, Georgia for the students and the region. Taking an active role in effectiveness and chair of the engaging with all our communities, businesses and industry, academic success division. He has civic organizations andCHARGING elected officials is very important.

FORWARD held positions at Georgia We need these Embracing strong relationships to enhance our support the Legacy.

Focused on the Future.also Northwestern Technical College, for scholarship opportunities as well as enhancing then Coosa Valley Technical College workforce development and economic development and Rockmart High School. Dean opportunities in support of our region. These are the YSTEM O YS F Floyd earned his doctor of IT connections that foster donor and community support, and education degree in higher position our students for success going forward, and these education administration from are the connections we will be working on to strengthen and the University of Alabama.

PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION increase.”

Save the Date INAUGURATION

RGIA EO G

UNIVE RS

DR. DONALD J. GREEN

highlands.edu | 7

Campus News

Transue chosen to lead advancement and foundation efforts

Campus News

411 Ticketing System recieves accolades The University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby named Georgia Highlands College a recipient of the Chancellor’s Service Excellence Student Improvement Initiative Team Award. The service excellence awards recognize employees or teams who perform well above their expected responsibilities.

GHC was commended for its 411 Ticketing Taking home the silver - (left to right) President Don System, an online customer resource management Green, Vice President of Student Affairs Todd Jones, USG Chancellor Hank Huckaby and tool used to expedite the process of responding to Cheif Technology OfficerRob Laltrello students’ enrollment questions. By clicking on icons located on various pages of the website, students can had staff responding to questions via our ticketing enter their information along with a question. This system even though the campus was closed.” creates a ticket, which is routed to the corresponding In October 2014, Huckaby presented the awards department based on the information given. Within at Kennesaw State University. During the ceremony, 24-business hours, an answer is sent to the student. the award rankings of gold, silver and bronze were Todd Jones, GHC vice president of student announced, with GHC taking silver. affairs, said, “Our challenge has always involved Huckaby said, “Service Excellence must be who being a multi-campus institution. We have campuses we are. It must be the core of everything we do. That that have limited staff to assist students and we were is why we are ‘United in Service and Quality’. I am looking for an online mechanism to be able to assist delighted to see that we are increasing the level of students no matter where they are. attention to improve our service excellence through “We had heard about other institutions that had each and every one of our winners. You have implemented a similar resource management tool impacted retention, graduation rates and revenue.” and how effective it was for them. However, we The 411 Ticketing System, which took six wanted to think outside the box and find a more months to develop, has resolved more than 46,000 affordable and efficient way to meet our needs. inquiries since it launched in November 2013. In Once we brought our Information Technology (IT) August 2014, 56 percent of all tickets were resolved department into the conversation, they were able in five minutes or less. to build an effective ticketing system at little to no “We are excited GHC is being recognized and cost.” it is another example of the team effort we have Six departments use the program, which also here,” Jones said. “It is thinking outside the box includes a knowledge base that can be searched and realizing that when an issue involves students for the appropriate answer to students’ questions. it is not necessarily one department’s job to find a Admissions, advising, registrar, financial aid, the solution. We all need to be able to look at the issue business office and e-learning all utilize the system; and see what we can do as an institution. This need however, half of all the tickets pertain to financial was resolved through the IT department’s effort and aid. the insight of multiple departments.”

“This has transformed our customer service and This is not the first time GHC has received enabled us to respond to students during those peak recognition for its customer service. The first year times,” Jones said. “Since this is web based we have the chancellor’s office presented awards for service, staff who have the ability to respond to students on GHC was lauded for streamlining a number of the weekends. During last winter’s snowstorms, it financial aid processes and converting to entirely was a critical time when financial aid refunds were electronic processing, which resulted in reduced wait about to be released and students were in a panic, we times and complaints.

8 | Spring 2015

Georgia Highlands College announced the Board of Regents approved a new bachelor of science degree in dental hygiene in May 2014.

Beginning summer 2015, students who have earned an associate’s degree from an accredited dental hygiene program and hold an unrestricted license to practice dental hygiene in the United States may be admitted to the GHC program. This bridge program will accept up to 40 students each year. It is available 100 percent online with the exception of an internship course that can be completed in the student’s local community.

“We are so very proud to announce this addition to our outstanding academic offerings at GHC,” stated Renva Watterson, vice president of academic affairs. “To be able to provide students the ability to continue on and earn their baccalaureate-level degree at an institution with our reputation for excellence is not only an asset for the students but also for the communities we serve.”

Janet Alexander, dean of health sciences, affirmed that an online bachelor of science in dental hygiene will offer an affordable, accessible and high quality pathway for dental hygienists to attain a bachelor’s degree.

Donna Miller, director of the GHC dental hygiene program added, “The GHC dental hygiene program has experienced great success since the program’s inception. Our graduates have excelled at their state and national examinations and have provided exemplary patient care in Northwest Georgia. Now we have the opportunity to assist all associate degree hygienists in achieving their educational advancement goal of obtaining a bachelor’s degree. This will allow them to make a difference in the dental hygiene profession by preparing them to take on additional positions of responsibility in a variety of healthcare, educational,

Campus News

Board of Regents approves new bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene

A Horse of a different color - Not a typical patient, GHC mascot, Bolt, gets a thorough dental cleaning at the Dental Hygiene Department located in Heritage Hall in downtown Rome.

research and community settings.”

There are currently fourteen associate degree– granting dental hygiene programs in the state of Georgia; only two University System of Georgia institutions, Georgia Regents University and Clayton State University, offer the associate’s degree to bachelor’s degree bridge program for dental hygienists.

This marks the second bachelor’s degree to be offered at GHC. In the fall of 2013, the college began offering the RN-BSN bridge program where registered nurses could earn their Bachelor of Science degree in nursing completely online. The BSN program has been widely successful and celebrated its first graduating class in December 2014.

More information about the new dental hygiene bachelor’s degree can be found at highlands.edu.

highlands.edu | 9

Campus News

GHTV propels education for two decades

Twenty years ago Georgia Highlands College, known as Floyd College at the time, embarked on a highly ambitious undertaking. On September 6, 1994, the creation of the college’s own cable network station FCTV, now known as GHTV, was a mark of forward thinking to make education convenient. Both the television station and the mission to make higher education accessible still remain active at the college today.

GHTV has transformed over the years, but at its inception the station made extended learning possible to students living in the greater Rome area via televised classes.

Carla Patterson, GHC associate professor of English, was involved at the station’s genesis. With a background in television production and news,

COFFEE BREAK – Host Susan Claxton interviews Dr. Leonard Reeves from Georgia Regents University.

Patterson worked as an academic program specialist and later the director of distance learning.

“Everything the TV station did, whether it was an academic course we were producing onto video or programming for the station, had an educational angle,” Patterson said. “One of my primary responsibilities was to work alongside faculty to help them augment their lectures to encompass a greater visual aspect. One benefit of the station was it had a transformative effect on the teachers’ traditional classroom by making them more visual.”

Another area where the station promoted innovative ideas was through online learning.

Patterson said, “Once courses were aired live and recorded, we made them available in later semesters

by VHS and DVD. The courses were augmented by websites developed by the faculty – and this was before we had D2L or WebCT.” Jon Hershey, dean of humanities, co-hosts “Community Watch” on GHTV. “The role of the station has changed over the years. Currently, we are doing a lot of community service,” Hershey said. “The show Greg Shropshire and I produce is eight years old now. Also, Professor Susan Claxton hosts ‘Coffee Break’ for the college’s portion of programming.

“The television station is helpful with other programming related to issues of importance in the community, plus we use it to get word out to the community about what is going on here at the college.”

When the station first began, the college controlled the programming 24-hours a day.

Currently, however, GHC shares time with other local educational entities, such as the Floyd County Library and the local boards of education. For Comcast subscribers in the greater Rome area, GHTV can be found on channel 4 and for AT&T U-verse viewers, it can be seen on channel 99.

Susan Claxton, GHC professor of humanities and sociology, produces two episodes of “Coffee Break” a month.

“I think GHTV is a wonderful way to reach our community.

It provides stellar programming

Campus News

that includes community activities, educational programming and other beneficial information,” Claxton said. “I have been doing my GHTV “Coffee Break” for about five years now and I still have people in the community and students in my classes who have watched ‘Coffee Break,’ ‘Community Watch’ and other programs and will tell me how much they enjoyed my shows and other programs on GHTV. Jeff Brown and Justin are great resources for helping me secure guests and find appropriate topics we think will benefit the community and students.”

Jeff Brown and his staff in digital services operate the station which broadcasts shows featuring a wide variety of topics from yoga to “Georgia Stories” to Economics 2105.

“I do think there is a lot of potential for this studio both in the college and in the community,” Hershey said. “In the next twenty years, I would like to see the TV station as a vital part of the college. It would be wonderful to offer courses or possibly degree programs that take advantage of the opportunities it provides.”

DIGITAL MEDIA STAFF Director of Digital Media Services Jeff Brown Production Assistant Jade Wells Digital Media Specialist Justin Sucre

Floyd Campus Student Center Renovated

Students are now enjoying a newly renovated Student Center on the Floyd Campus. The project consisted of updating and modernizing the existing Student Center and dining area.

GHC Campus Planner Eric Ricker explained that the renovations consisted of: removing dividing walls and structures, removing the ceilings, and generally opening the spaces up, providing new flooring, new paint and electrical support to more tables in the dining area for the students’ electrical devices.

This introduced, he added, a more casual seating area and a café-style space connecting the dining area, Solarium—a special events area—and a newly added conference room that was stationed under an existing roof to the west of the main dining area.

Brand new aluminum and glass storefront entries have also been installed at the food service area, the bookstore, the Student Life office, the game room, the Solarium and the new conference room.

Student Life Coordinator John Spranza was happy to see the updates completed, noting he project allows GHC to make better use of a space that is “the central point of campus where almost all students, faculty and staff will visit during their day.”

Todd Jones, vice president for student affairs, said that it’s GHC’s responsibility to update and improve its facilities in order to stay relevant and maintain value.

“The renovation provides students with a modernized facility without the expense of building a whole new facility.

This renovation benefits both the college and students long term,” he said.

highlands.edu | 11

Campus News

To the ones who go above and beyond A gift of praise, recognition, gratitude, appreciation and love is treasured forever…

Lorrin Lee

What makes a work day special for you?

The look on a student’s face when they truly get that one detail that had been alluding them, a whole class of students pass an incredibly difficult test that you’ve prepped with them for over several weeks, a project comes together and the outcome is more than what you expected, one of your employees performs Department of the Year 2014 – The P.E. and Athletic Department enthusiatically accepts their award. beyond your expectations and it results from you having helped them prepare to take on greater responsibility?

What if in addition to experiencing one of these situations, someone also took time to recognize you for the part you played. A simple word of praise costs nothing to give, warms the heart of the giver, and the recipient, as exemplified by these two excerpts from actual submissions: Caught in the Act of Great Teaching: “As I further my education to get a degree in Early Elementary Education, I can only pray that I will be a teacher who has the mentality he does and be one who will always look to Vivian Benton Award 2014 – Dean Leslie Johnson (left) presents the award to Joannie Yarbrough. help each student in my class succeed. I want to have the desire, as he does, for each student in my class to truly ‘get it’ when a new concept is being presented.”

Caught in the Act of Great Customer Service: “Once the situation came across her desk, she personally contacted and worked with the student to make sure that everyone understood what the problem was and how to take care of it. She went to the business office to get clarity on what needed to be done, and worked with the student to make sure that she knew where to go and what to do. Much of what she did was well outside the normal scope of her job duties. She could have easily Outstanding Administrator Award 2014 – Vice President Jeff Davis (left) presents the award to Director of passed the student on to another department.

Libraries Elijah Scott.

Instead, she took control of the process to make sure that the student was taken care of - keeping, instead of losing that student.”

The GHC Employee Recognition Program has been further updated and automated to make it easy and quick to recognize others so that all of us, and our students, can recognize others often. We’ve recently added

12 | Spring 2015

2014 Award Recipients Caught in the Act of Good Teaching

PRESIDENT’s AWARD 2014 – Interim President Renva Watterson presents the award to David Mathis at the 2014 graduation ceremony.

additional “Caught in the Act” categories, so the list now consists of:

• • • • • •

Caught in the Act of Innovation Caught in the Act of Exceptional Performance Caught in the Act of Great Customer Service Caught in the Act of Caring Caught in the Act of Great Teaching Caught in the Act of a Good Idea

These “Caught in the Act” awards can be given at any time for any type of excellence in performance or behavior.

In September 2014, GHC was able to submit 17 nominations to the Chancellor’s Excellence Awards. Many of these submissions were the result of recognition received through the Employee Recognition Program. In addition to the “Caught in the Act” awards, the program also has the following awards available for employees to be recognized at various times in the year: Award Name Walraven Award Faculty of the Year Employee of the Year Department of the Year Diversity Award President’s Award Mace Bearer Vivian Benton Award Community Service Awards Professional Achievement Outstanding Administrator GHC Service Awards The award detail and nomination criteria are available online at highlands.edu/site/recognition.

•Allen Dutch •Libby Gore •Alex MacMurdo •Tom Harnden •Leslie Johnson •Mark Knauss •Vincent Manatsa •Joseph McCauley •Travice Obas •Sarah Tesar

Caught in the Act of Caring •Scott Akemon •Sam Baltzer •Jesse Bishop •Juliana Breithaupt •Jeff Brown •Raymond Carnley •Terri Cavender •Megan Davidson •Elizabeth Dose •Allen Dutch •Allen Easton •Jed Gillespie •Charlotte Hall •Tom Harnden •Brandan Harrell •Sharryse Henderson •Jon Hershey •Terri Kirby •Mark Knauss •Cathy Ledbetter •Joan Ledbetter •Dalton Lemelle •David Mathis •JJ Merritt •Veronica Morin •Jamie Petty •Lorrie Rainey •Lyric Sprinkle •Angelyn Strucher •Jake Sullins •Susan Vines •Connie Watjen •Renva Watterson

Caught in the Act of Good Customer Service •Kristie Birdsong •Jeannie Blakely •Jacob Bryant •Leon Bull •Terri Cavender •Linda Corbin •Ken Davis •David Dellis •Beverly Fleming •Jillian Fleming •Tony Gambill •Jennifer Hicks •Mary Holland •Melissa Jones •Theresa Kellett •Joan Ledbetter •Terryl Manning •Andrea Mathis •Jason McFry •Jessie McFry •Tammy Nicholson •Darian Parks •Cynthia Parker •Lorrie Rainey •Joshua Rumphol •Billie Saenz •Mary Ann Sailors •Xinia Smith-Camacho •Lyric Sprinkle •Jonathon Twilley •Susan Vines •Hope Weaver •Christopher Wheelus

Outstanding Administrator Elijah Scott Vivian Benton Award Joannie Yarbrough Mace Bearer Catherine King President’s Award T. David Mathis Walraven Award Carolyn Hamrick Community Involvement Staff Sherri Beideck Community Involvement Faculty Scott Akemon Faculty of the Year - nominated by students Sharryse Henderson Employee of the Year Amy Wise Department of the Year GHC Athletics Diversity GHC Employee Award Sam Baltzer Jon Hershey

Macebarer and longtime faculty member Catherine King,Ph.D.

2014 Award highlands.edu Recipients | 13

Campus News

Six Mile Post takes competition by storm

Whether it’s being matched up against four-year colleges for the first time or competing on two fronts with online and print, the Georgia Highlands College’s student newspaper has shown other competing schools it’s a force to be reckoned with.

The Six Mile Post brought home 12 awards at the annual Georgia College Press Association (GCPA) award ceremony. And that was the paper’s first time competing with four-year colleges.

SMP Advisor and Professor of English Kristie Kemper said it shaped up to be a very nice transitional year, having gone from competing in the twoyear division to the four-year division.

“I think we did really, really well. The competition was very strong,” Kemper said. “[The SMP staff] worked really hard preparing each contest entry.”

Kemper added that this validates all of the SMP staff’s hard work and is important for the college community, because it shows that GHC has a media program and students in that program that GHC can be proud of.

The GCPA event, which is held in Athens, awarded the Six Mile Post for work published in 2014. As a whole, the paper won first place in General Photography, third place in Best Website and third place in Best Campus Community Service-Sports.

Many individual GHC students also took top honors.

14 | Spring 2015

Pedro Zavala was given first place in General Photograph-Sports. He is a former SMP editor-inchief and is currently working toward a respiratory technician degree at Georgia State University.

The managing editor of sports Karlee Helms and Zavala collectively took second place in Best Photo Essay. Helms, who is from Rockmart and attends the GHC Floyd campus, was additionally awarded third in Best Entertainment story and second in Best Sports story.

The Six Mile Post won first, second and third in the Best Editorial category, with Rome native Kiston Dowler, current editor-in-chief, taking first place; Cedartown native Derweatra Hammock, managing editor of design, taking second; and Zavala placing third.

Tatiana Smithson took second place in Best Photograph-News, and is currently working for student life on the Cartersville campus.

Brianna Drake, who lives in Silver Creek and currently attends the GHC Floyd campus, won third place in Best Photograph-News.

On top of winning several awards, the Six Mile Post saw two staff members elected to the official GCPA office.

GHC Douglasville campus student Holly Chaney, staff writer, was elected treasurer, and Helms took a spot on the GCPA board.

Antonio Garcia, a former SMP managing online editor, who currently attends Georgia State, was elected GCPA president.

SIX MILE - continued on page 15

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), Alpha Psi Omicron (APO) chapter, has achieved the highest honor a chapter can obtain – reaching 5-star chapter status.

Reaching 5-star status involves an active chapter participating in new member induction ceremonies, two regional conferences and one international conference, completion of a yearlong research and service project, a college-based project, as well as various service, leadership and fellowship activities and events throughout the year.

PTK brought recognition to GHC not only when the APO chapter was elected as the vice presidential chapter for the entire Georgia region of PTK, but also, APO hosted one of its regional conference here at Georgia Highlands College. At the spring 2014 regional conference held at South Georgia State College in Douglas, Georgia, the chapter was once again elected to the office of regional chapter relations. With this honor, the APO chapter won a scholarship to the PTK Honors Institute held at Washington University.

PTK’s individual members shine as well. APO members were routinely recognized as part of the AllGeorgia Academic Team each year and recent GHC graduate, Amelia Bagwell was honored as the Coca-

Cola Bronze Scholar. Members and recent graduates Justin Deal and Amelia Bagwell have additionally earned the highly coveted Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Award as well as completing the PTK Cohort 13 Leadership Development Study.

Additionally, PTK members were selected to the All-Georgia Academic Team and were honored at the annual awards luncheon recently. But not only were the members honored, GHC had more PTK members honored than all the other colleges in attendance.

Other awards included Distinguished Honors in Action Award, Distinguished Officer Award, the Sarah Anne Staples Award, and the Horizon Award recognizing lead advisor Karen Huggin, Ph. D. as one of the top two advisers in the region.

PTK members also saw success at the spring PTK Regional Conference Awards banquet held in Athens: 5-star Chapter Status, Distinguished Honors in Action Award for Theme 7-Health and Medicine as Frontiers, Chapter Relations Regional Officer, Distinguished Administrator to Vice President of Academic Affairs Renva Watterson, Student Honors Institute Scholarship to Justin Jones and an Advisor Honors Institute Scholarship to Karen Huggin.​

But the Six Mile Post didn’t stop there. The student paper went on to compete in the 64th annual Southern Regional Press Institute (SRPI) held at Savannah State University.

The Six Mile Post bested the competition in both online and print.

Additionally, the paper was also awarded first place in sports writing, which was given to Shelby Hogland, assistant sports editor, and two second place awards in editorial and column writing and photography, which was given to Zavala.

SMP Editor-in-Chief Kiston Dowler was glad that all of her staff’s hard work has been recognized.

“I’m very proud of the work that we’ve been able to do this year, especially with everything that we’ve had come up against us, like staff writers coming in and out and being spread out across as many campuses as we are,” she said. “I definitely think that it is a major achievement and major accomplishment…”

The Six Mile Post is named after the old railroad station and trading post that was once located near where the college was founded in

Floyd County. The Six Mile Post publishes seven print and online issues a year and is funded through student activity fees and ad revenue. It is produced by the students of GHC and has staff on all five of GHC’s campuses.

SIX MILE - continued from page 14

highlands.edu | 15

Campus News

Phi Theta Kappa achieves highest honor

Campus News

Dual enrollment draws top seniors Paulding County High School’s three top-ranked students decided to take full advantage of earning college credit while still in high school by enrolling in Georgia Highlands College this fall. The ACCEL program allows eligible juniors and seniors to receive high school and college credit simultaneously for courses completed successfully at a University System of Georgia institution.

Cherelle Payne, Shyla Crenshaw and Madison Hayes, listed in order of rank, all echoed similar praise for the program and for GHC. Payne said, “I think my favorite thing about being a senior is the joint enrollment classes that I am taking because it is something different and it’s pushing me to grow up and mature.

“My high school is a good school, but I enjoy the extra challenge of GHC. College is so much better; we are always learning. There is always something new and I thrive off that. I like joint enrollment because it’s allowing me to be the student that I know I am capable of being and making me work harder and realize just how far I can go.”

The Georgia Student Finance Commission and Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship pay tuition for ACCEL classes.

Crenshaw enrolled in English, Spanish, political science and college algebra at GHC for the fall semester.

“I wish I had gotten involved with the joint enrollment program last year simply because I am not a good test taker so the AP [advanced placement] exams were not optimal for me. Another reason is the classes are usually smaller than the ones at my school so I am not intimidated to ask questions. Also, you don’t have the high school dynamics, so you can

focus on your education.”

At GHC the joint enrollment program has skyrocketed. Since fall 2011, the number of students accepted into the program has more than doubled from 73 to 157.

Hayes, who hopes to attend Armstrong State University after high school graduation, said, “There is more responsibility. I take honors and AP classes at high school so I am used to taking a little bit harder classes, but this is teaching me to make time and take responsibility for my schoolwork and grades. This is preparing me so much for when I go to college and for later. I have to make sure I schedule things like online quizzes and homework at the right time, so this is giving me a reality check for time management.”

Payne accessed several factors when choosing the college to take ACCEL classes: quality of classes, convenient location and ability to transfer classes. GHC met all the criteria.

“I heard that the credits transfer to other schools in the university system and GHC is a really good school. It is such a great place to get started; save your money, get your credits and then move somewhere else and your full credits will follow you.

Joint enrollment is best because I know that the hard work I am doing now will still count when I go off to college.”

The PCHS trio plans to pursue careers in the medical field. Payne hopes to go to medical school, while Crenshaw wants to augment her healthcare career choice with Spanish. Hayes looks forward to working as a physical therapist.

More information about dual enrollment at Georgia Highlands visit highlands.edu.

The trip of a lifetime Seven GHC students and two faculty members traveled to Europe during the summer of 2014. The tour followed the route of World War II soldiers as part of a Western Civilization course. The highlight of the trip included a visit to Normandy Beach on the 70th anniversary of D-Day where they were joined by veterans of war and 51 heads of state.

16 | Spring 2015

Georgia Highlands College’s Dean of Health Sciences Janet Alexander has been selected to be a program evaluator by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Alexander recently completed her training and could be asked to make a program evaluation as early as fall of 2015.

As a program evaluator, Alexander will conduct onsite evaluations of nursing programs by serving on a team with other nurse educators and/or clinicians evaluating the quality and integrity of educational programs in nursing throughout the U.S. The process of utilizing program evaluators helps ensure the ACEN serves the public interest by assessing and recognizing nursing programs that engage in effective educational practices. The nursing programs at Georgia Highlands are accredited by the ACEN. Alexander said that she really enjoys visiting other schools. She said it gives her an opportunity to see how other programs implement their nursing education and yields the opportunity to discover new ideas that might be helpful to bring back with her to Georgia Highlands.

“I find this service activity to be interesting and enlightening,” she said.

Before she came to GHC, Alexander was an evaluator for another nursing accrediting agency called the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Vice President for Academic Affairs Renva Watterson nominated and recommended Alexander for the ACEN position.

“She will be able to offer a wealth of first-hand knowledge and expertise on curricula building, staff development, accreditation standards attainment, program development, student engagement and overall student success,” Watterson said. “She will be an approachable expert who will have encouragement and positive goals attainment as her foremost objectives.”

The ACEN supports the interests of nursing education, nursing practice, and the public by the functions of accreditation. Accreditation is a voluntary, self-regulatory process by which non-governmental associations recognize educational institutions or programs that have been found to meet or exceed standards and criteria for educational quality. ACEN accreditation supports and encourages continuing self-assessment and quality improvement by nursing programs.

Campus News

Dean Alexander named ACEN national program evaluator

Johnson named Cartersville campus dean In January 2015, Leslie Johnson, an associate professor of communication, was officially appointed

by President Green to the position of Campus Dean of the Cartersville campus, a position she unofficially held since January 2014, upon the passing of former campus dean Carolyn Hamrick.

highlands.edu | 17

Campus News

Information Technology team mentors RHS CyberPatriot team to first place in state competition Three Georgia Highlands College information technology staff members recently mentored a team of Rome High School students to a first place spot over 23 other teams at the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, a STEM-related national event.

Richard Davis, chief information security officer, Mike Peterson, information security specialist, and Joshua Rumphol, former web developer, met with Rome High School’s CyberPatriot team biweekly leading up to the competition.

“I am so excited and proud of the partnership between our Rome High School Air Force Junior ROTC CyberPatriot Program and Georgia Highlands College,” said Davis.

The students were trained on numerous security-related topics including hardening and securing Windows and Linux operating systems, Cisco routing, switching, network security and digital forensics.

In all, there were 2,175 teams registered to compete in CyberPatriot VII, including 23 teams from Georgia. The Rome High School team won first place in Georgia and narrowly missed being selected to compete in the national round.

CyberPatriot’s core program – the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition – challenges teams of two to six students across the United States, Canada and from DoDD schools abroad to find and resolve cyber security vulnerabilities in simulated environments. Led by Lieutenant Colonel Michael Washington, senior aerospace science instructor at Rome High, the team of students excelled in the CyberPatriot VII state round, demonstrating teamwork, critical thinking skills and technical knowledge key to a successful career in cyber security.

“I am incredibly proud of Cadets Kane Bearden, Kyle Banks, Lauren Gaston, Henry Rodriguez and Tristyn Jordan, who comprise Rome’s first-ever CyberPatriot Team,” Washington said. “We are grateful to Georgia Highlands for allowing [its staff] to serve as mentors for our team as they invest themselves in a new generation of Cyber Defenders.”

CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Education Program.

There are three main programs within CyberPatriot: the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, AFA CyberCamps and the Elementary School Cyber Education Initiative. CyberPatriot was conceived by the Air Force Association (AFA) to inspire high school students toward careers in cybersecurity or other science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines critical to our nation’s future.

Cyber Mentors – Richard Davis (right), chief information security officer, Mike Peterson (left), information security specialist, and Joshua Rumphol (not pictured), former web developer, met with Rome High School’s CyberPatriot team biweekly leading up to the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition.

18 | Spring 2015

Georgia Highlands College partnered with eCore, the University System of Georgia approved online class provider, to offer students greater online class availability beginning spring 2015.

Jessica Blakemore, eCore associate director of marketing for collaborative programs, said, “eCore, which began in 2000, allows students to take the first two years of their curriculum online and offers Georgia’s core courses in English, mathematics, science, history and the social sciences. Course credit earned in eCore is transferable to any USG institution. “eCore courses are available anytime and anyplace for students, are of the high-quality that is expected at institutions within the USG and are very cost-effective. In a time when many students are seeing rising tuition costs, eCore was proud to offer a tuition decrease of over 10 percent in fall 2014 — to $169 per credit hour.”

Fourteen of the 26 courses offered through eCore utilize open educational resources, or open texts, which are free digital textbooks. By fall 2015, 22 of 27 courses will use open textbooks and by fall 2016, all eCore classes will utilize the technology.

Another uncommon benefit of taking eCore classes is the personal outreach to at-risk students. eCore representatives personally call each student who fails to regularly sign-in to class. This feature, which has led to 6,700 phone calls in 2014, helped increase completion rates from 72 percent to 87 percent since 2007. Completion rates for GHC students enrolled in the eight-week sessions are currently at 100 percent. Considering the initiative

Complete College Georgia by Gov. Nathan Deal, which strives to increase post-secondary graduation rates, the increase of students completing classes is essential for Georgia to meet its educational goals.

Leslie Terrell-Payne, GHC eLearning senior academic advisor, acts as GHC’s liaison to eCore.

She said, “By partnering with eCore, we are expanding the options that GHC students have in completing their core classes, since eCore offers full and short session classes as well as numerous sections. Our GHC online courses fill up quickly each registration period—so now students can stay on track by taking an eCore class if ours are full.” eCore gives GHC students another option for class delivery. The college currently utilizes a wide variety of delivery methods including face-to-face, hybrid, DVD and online. “eCore is part of the University System of Georgia so all of these courses transfer to other USG institutions,” Payne said. “Also, by fall of 2015, all institutions in the USG will be eCore partners—we are just getting into the game a bit early. And finally, and to me one of the biggest advantages, GHC students can register pretty seamlessly for eCore classes—so no paperwork, getting transcripts, transient letters, etc. It’s a very simple process with lots of terrific support on both the eCore side and here at GHC.” To apply for admissions or for more information about online classes visit highlands.edu.

Georgia Energy Challenge Georgia Highlands College’s Floyd and Cartersville campuses were recognized as fulfilling the Georgia Energy Challenge by realizing at least a 15 percent reduction in energy use. Philip Kimsey, director of plant operations, shown left, and President Green display the official certificates.

highlands.edu | 19

Campus News

More online class options now available

Campus News

Georgia Highland’s Paulding site and Kennesaw State join to create new degree pathway Residents living in northwest Georgia have a new opportunity to pursue post-secondary learning. GHC and Kennesaw State University partnered to offer the 2+2 program, which enables students to complete two years and an associates degree with GHC followed by two years at KSU earning a bachelor’s degree in accounting, at GHC’s Paulding site.

Upon completion of their freshman and sophomore years, GHC students who are interested in obtaining a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting can apply to KSU. The 2+2 program is an extraordinary opportunity for students to take advantage of the affordability and accessibility of GHC and the potential to earn a four-year degree from KSU. Cathy Ledbetter, dean of GHC’s Paulding site, said, “This offers advantages for both GHC and

The GHC diversity committee in partnership with student organizations, Woman to Woman, La Mano, and Brother 2 Brother hosted a Multicultural Festival in October at the Marietta site. The event included cultural artwork, crafts, native dancing/ singing/music, a fashion show and a cultural fact board exhibit.

20 | Spring 2015

KSU, but the ones who benefit the most are the students. This allows students to complete two degrees on the same campus.

“Our Paulding site is centrally located to GHC’s service area and is about 30 minutes away from most of our other campuses.”

Anita VanBrackle works as the site director for KSU and an in-residence faculty member at the GHC Paulding site.

“After reviewing the programs of study most in demand at GHC and considering where the majority of those students lived, the Paulding site seemed like the best fit,” she said. “This partnership is valuable for everyone involved. Students get to attend smaller classes. Also, there are no parking fees or required meal plan purchases for the KSU students, which is a savings of about $500 – 800 per semester, compared to the requirements of KSU’s main campus.

“This also gives KSU a way to reduce the class sizes on the main campus creating a more relaxed pace and personal environment.”

This is the second 2+2 program GHC and KSU have developed at the Paulding site. In January 2011, the early childhood education program launched.

VanBrackle said, “I can think of no better match than when GHC and KSU join hands to offer programs for our students. I look forward to meeting the needs of many students who might otherwise be unable to obtain a four-year degree simply because of location of KSU or other four-year educational institutions in relation to where they live. We are here to continue to grow and become a community and family of learning.”

GHC’s Paulding site is located in the former Paulding County Courthouse in downtown Dallas, which was donated by the county to GHC. “To graduate from the program, students must complete an internship locally. What more beautiful way to repay the community for the use of this building than to have our students spend a semester working for the businesses of this area,” VanBrackle said.

For more information, please contact the Paulding site at 678-946-1100.

Brother 2 Brother wins national award for second time GHC’s chapter of Brother 2 Brother (B2B) won the Outstanding Chapter of the Year Award at their recent national conference of the Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB), which was held in Detroit, Michigan. There are 300 chapters of SAAB/B2B at colleges and schools around the country, and many of the chapters had groups attending the conference. B2B was represented at the conference by 23 B2B members from all five campus locations.

Outstanding Chapter of the Year is determined by the strength of the enrollment, retention and graduation rates of its members, as well as by the activities and dedication of the chapter during the year. This is the second time that GHC has won Chapter of the Year in the past three years.

“B2B makes me consistently proud. Our members are determined to succeed, and their hard work is paying off. This award proves to them that their efforts are being recognized not only at Highlands, but nationally,” said Dr. Jonathan Hershey, dean of GHC humanities division and director of the GHAME The Pride of GHC – (left to right) initiative and B2B. Caleb McCrary, Roderick Presswood, Demario Blackwell, Qwaunzee Jones and B2B is a part of the larger GHC initiative called GHAME Reginal May (Georgia Highlands African American and Minority Male Excellence) which itself is part of the University System of Georgia’s African American Male Initiative (AAMI). The mission of B2B and GHAME is to increase the enrollment, retention, progression and graduation rates of African American and Latino men at GHC.

Partnership with University of West Georgia gives students more options This summer the University of West Georgia (UWG), in partnership with Georgia Highlands College (GHC), implemented a new “West in 30” program. This program is designed for freshmen applicants who do not meet freshmen admission requirements at the UWG. This program provides students that do not meet the freshman admissions requirement at UWG to transfer their application materials directly to GHC and be considered for admissions. Students can begin their college career at GHC, which does not require SAT/ACT scores for general admission, and then earn a minimum of 30 transferable hours before being eligible to transfer to UWG. Students may also remain at GHC to earn their associate’s degrees before transferring to UWG. For those who choose to participate in the program, there are many benefits:

• No additional application process for GHC. • No additional application fee.

• Personalized advising to assist them with the

courses they need to transfer to UWG. • No additional application fees required to

transfer from GHC to UWG. West in 30 students will have a personal transfer advisor assigned to them from UWG and that advisor will visit the student’s on a regular basis to be sure they are on track to transfer.

“GHC is pleased to strengthen our relationship with UWG even further with this unique enrollment program. West in 30 provides a clear pathway back to UWG, saves them time and money, and allows GHC the ability to strengthen their academic credentials so that they transfer into their college of choice,” stated Vice President of Student Affairs Todd Jones.

highlands.edu | 21

Campus News

Military-Friendly designation received for third year Military Advanced Education (MAE) awarded Georgia Highlands College the designation of a Top School in its 2015 MAE Guide to Colleges & Universities, measuring best practices in military and veteran education. The college was also recognized by MAE in 2012 and 2014 editions.

The guide presents results of a questionnaire of the military-supportive policies enacted at more than 600 institutions including private, public, for-profit, not-for-profit, four-year and two-year colleges. From community colleges to state universities, online universities and nationally known centers of higher learning, MAE’s 2015 Guide to Colleges & Universities arms students with information about institutions that go out of their way to give back to current and former members of the military.

Now in its eighth year of publishing the guide, MAE was the first publication to launch a reference tool of this type. This year, institutions were evaluated on their military culture, financial aid, flexibility, on-campus support and online support services. Each school’s performance rating by category is represented by an easy-to-recognize dashboard. This will enable prospective students to quickly target schools that follow best practices in military education and then put these in context with other academic or career considerations.

“We believe the guide serves as an invaluable tool for both education services officers and transition officers when advising service members about their educational opportunities,” said Kelly Fodel, MAE’s editor. “We used strict criteria to individually evaluate the submissions of respondents, and we had a record number of schools participating this year.”

Amy Wise, GHC veterans affairs coordinator, said, “Our office serves as the point of contact for services available to student veterans enrolled at Georgia Highlands College, as well as their spouses and dependents.

The office works to assist with transition and retention in an accessible, supportive and welcoming environment. The mission of this office is to make financial, educational and community resources readily available through a wide range of support and advocacy. The office aspires to this mission through collaboration with faculty, staff, students and community partners to promote personal, professional and educational success.”

Hamrick Legacy Friends, family and colleagues gathered at the Cartersville campus for the naming of the Carolyn H. Hamrick Student Support Hub. Before her sudden passing in early 2014, Hamrick served as Campus Dean of the Cartersville campus and was a beloved student advocate, role model and mentor to many.

22 | Spring 2015

Thomas Harnden, Associate Professor of Biology, was selected as a Governor’s Teaching Fellow for the 2014 Summer Symposium Program. As one of 14 faculty members from institutions of higher education across the state, Harnden was selected after a highly competitive application and selection process.

The Governor’s Teaching Fellows Program was established in 1995 by Zell Miller, governor of Georgia (1991-1999) to provide Georgia’s higher education faculty with expanded opportunities for developing important teaching skills. Governor Miller envisioned that this program would address faculty members’ pressing need to use emerging tech-

nologies and instructional tools that are becoming increasingly important for learning in today’s society.

The Governor’s Teaching Fellows Program is an outreach program of the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia. To improve the quality of instruction in Georgia’s colleges and universities, the Governor’s Teaching Fellows Program assumes the complex challenge of moving college faculty members to the leading edge of instructional practice. This effort to enhance instruction in public and private higher education statewide is very much in keeping with the University of Georgia’s traditional mission as a land-grant institution committed to diversified outreach and public service.

Campus News

Harnden chosen as a Governor’s Teaching Fellow

National transfer scholarship awarded to GHC student For the second time, a GHC student received the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.

This scholarship is the largest private scholarship for two-year Vice President of Academic Affairs and community college transfer students in the country with Renva Watterson, Bagwell and Vice President 85 finalists selected from 3,705 applications representing 737 of Student Affairs Todd Jones community colleges from 48 states, two U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. Scholars were selected based on high academic ability and achievements, persistence, leadership and financial need.

Bagwell graduated from GHC in May 2014 with an honors diploma, an Associate of Arts degree in psychology and an Associate of Science degree in education. Additionally, while at GHC, Bagwell was the recipient of numerous other awards and scholarships including being named the National Collegiate Honors Council Student of the Year. She is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree at the University of West Georgia.

Summer Foundation Camp Nine years and going strong, GHC and 100 black men of Rome-Northwest Georgia hosts its annual summer Foundation Camp for boys ages 10-14. The two-week camp emphasizes academics, athletics, social skills and team building. The program is made possible from donations from local businesses and community members.

highlands.edu | 23

Faculty Spotlight

Pavluscenco honored by Cobb County Chamber of Commerce Students quietly filed into professor Tatyana Pavluscenco’s second-floor college algebra class on the Marietta campus of Georgia Highlands College.

As she logged into her computer and prepared to teach, a flurry of suggestions to postpone an impending quiz arose with building intensity, but quickly fell flat as she insisted the assessment would proceed as planned. As Pavluscenco, a 2014 Cobb County Teacher of the Year, encouraged her students and reviewed the relevant concepts, the tension, which was once thick in the room, began to abate.

Named one of 130 Teachers of the Year by the Cobb County Chamber’s GOSH — Give Our Schools a Hand— program, Pavluscenco is no stranger to joyous news.

In 2000, her family won the U.S. Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery, which allows up to 50,000 random winners from countries with low immigration rates to the U.S. to be given permanent resident cards.

Pavluscenco, her husband and her two small children quickly prepared to leave their homeland of Moldova,

(Right) Vice President of Academic Affairs Renva Watterson, Pavluscenco and Dean of Mathematics Tim Floyd

an Eastern European country and former member of the Soviet Union, and embrace the unknown in the U.S. “I learned about the immigration lottery through a phone call. At first, I didn’t believe it and thought it was some type of scam. After further investigation, my husband and I decided to apply, and six months later we got a call that our names had been randomly chosen. We couldn’t believe it. It was shocking, exciting and disorienting all at the same time.”

The family’s first home in the U.S. was in the City of Brotherly Love. In the midst of a long, cold Philadelphia winter, they began to adjust to their new life an ocean away from all they knew. Nine months later, the Pavluscencos relocated to Atlanta, where the former middle and high school math teacher would later become a college math professor.

Pavluscenco is in her 10th year at GHC and was nominated for this honor by Ken Reaves, GHC Marietta campus dean, and Laura Musselwhite, former GHC interim vice president of academic affairs.

“I consistently hear students speak glowingly of Tatyana, or Ms. P, as they call her. I also hear, ‘I love Ms P,’’’ Reaves said. “Math is probably one of the subjects we get the most complaints from students concerning instructors.

However, I have not received any complaints concerning Ms. Pavluscenco.”

“She is really concerned about students and how they understand math. They consistently visit her during office hours. Also, she is very versatile as she teaches college algebra, statistics and calculus.”

According to the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce, GOSH originated in 1988 to encourage area businesses, parents and civic groups to take an active role in enhancing the quality of education. The TEACHER – continued on page 25

24 | Spring 2015

So Angie Huffstetler works at Georgia Highlands College’s Douglasville and Paulding sites. She’s an instructor of physical education. Oh, and her co-worker is... Jennifer Lawrence.

Let’s back up. Angie is also in what you might call the “movie business.”

In 2013, Angie was an extra in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014) where she shared screen time with J-Law herself. Go ahead.

Watch the movie. Pause it at about 30 minutes and 46 seconds to see her and Jennifer Lawrence sharing the silver screen together.

“My husband knew what a huge fan of the books I was,” she said. “He was reading an online Atlanta news column that said a casting company (CL Casting) was looking for skinny, pale individuals to be extras in the Hunger Games trilogy.”

Angie submitted a few pictures and her basic height, weight, age information, and after only 45 minutes the casting agency booked her for three days of shooting in December 2013.

“The day after I was ‘hired’ as an extra I had to go to Screen Gems studio in Atlanta for a wardrobe fitting,” she said. “I didn’t actually know any details after that, until the day before filming. They were very secretive about everything to prevent leakage about the film.”

Come mid-December, Angie was instructed to go to Newnan, Georgia, where a set was built in an old factory.

“The night before a filming day, the extras would get an email telling us where to drive to and what time to be there. Filming days were about 14 to 16 TEACHER – continued from page 24

program honors teachers from Cobb County, Marietta City and post-secondary education systems yearly. On Oct. 28, various Cobb Chamber members honored the Teachers of the Year with a breakfast and pep rally.

“I am deeply honored and humbled by this recognition, which makes my work at GHC all the more worthwhile,” Pavluscenco said. “Not only does it make me feel appreciated but also serves as a good example to my children that, as immigrants, regardless of where they are from, the opportunities this country has to offer are countless.”

hours long. Once I arrived at the parking location for extras, a bus would then take us to the actual filming location.”

Angie said there were over 400 people cast as extras for the District 13 scenes. Each extra was ushered into wardrobe and then to hair and makeup.

After that, it was show time. The director and production assistants placed each person where they wanted him or her in the scene.

Angie found herself on set with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Elizabeth Banks, Willow Shields, Sam Clafin, Liam Hemsworth and even the main star herself Jennifer Lawrence.

Don’t be too jealous. Angie said a lot of it was luck.

“I was very lucky, as there were over 400 extras and very few of us actually got good screen time and were able to be recognized in the movie,” she said.

“A lot of the friends I made on set were never visible in the movie.”

But what luck!

Angie said she and her friends held their own special red carpet ceremony after the movie released in late November 2014, where some of her best friends from college actually flew into town to go see the movie with her.

“It was pretty darn amazing,” she said. “It was so neat to see how a movie is actually made. Just to film one scene could take over 10 hours due to having to shoot the scene from so many angles.”

So if you happen to bump into Angie at GHC and she’s not being hounded by the paparazzi, you might be able to convince her to introduce you to J-Law one day.

“I always joke now that Jennifer Lawrence is my ‘coworker,’” she says, “since we were in the same scene together, after all.”

highlands.edu | 25

Faculty Spotlight

The odds were ever in her favor

Staff Spotlight

Photos by Arpil Ingram

Ingram shoots bootlegger documentary Seth Ingram spent two and half years working nights, weekends and spare moments in between making his first feature Documentary film. The GHC information technology specialist released his first full-length feature production in August of 2014.

Ingram’s documentary “Blind Tiger: The Legend of Bell Tree Smith” explores the mysterious life of 1900s bootlegger William Anderson “Bell Tree” Smith, who was rumored to have an equal capacity for generosity and fierceness, philanthropy and murder.

“Bell Tree Smith imported bonded whiskey from the North during the Southern prohibition and sold it from a box that hung on a tree outside town. He was quite a character,” Ingram said. “He was rumored to have been a financial benefactor to Harbin Hospital and Berry College.”

He had a reputation of kindness toward his neighbors who were in crisis. After a devastating tornado passed through Bluffton, he opened his spacious home as a hospital to folks injured in the storm. Despite their moral opposition to his business practices, legend tells that Smith paid the salary of a local pastor and supplied food to those in need with meat from his farm.

While Smith did not hold back from neighbors in need, he also had difficulties reining in a quick temper.

“He was accused of murder seven times. We could only confirm he killed two people, but he was justified in killing those two. Bell Tree was never

26 | Spring 2015

Photo by Tracy Page

Philanthropy & Murder

convicted on the other murder charges.”

As Ingram spun the tale of Bell Tree Smith, another fascinating piece of history was found weaving its way through the story. To this day, Bell Tree Smith’s home of Bluffton is the largest settlement ever to exist in Cherokee County, Alabama, but now only traces of the boomtown can be found among a grove of tall pines.

“The town always fascinated me because my grandparents had a farm not too far from where the town existed,” Ingram said. “I would hear them tell stories about the town and it’s famous Signal Hotel.

Supposedly very lavish amenities were once there, but when I would drive past, there was nothing but a patch of woods. It always fascinated me that a town of that size could rise and subsequently disappear so quickly.”

Ingram always had an interest in film. After high school, he attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts for filmmaking, but with juggling the demands of a family and a career, filmmaking became less feasible.

“Brian Armstrong, a former GHC employee, and I were talking one day and decided to make a documentary about something local that we could make in our spare time,” he said. “Mike Burton, a retiree of GHC, also helped with the idea. Over breakfast one morning we all presented local history ideas that we thought we could pursue.”

Finding rustic locations for filming the

highlands.edu | 27

Staff Spotlight

reenactment portions of the documentary was Cast & Crew members affliated with GHC an important factor for Ingram. With help from a cast member, Harry Musselwhite, segments Current Employees Others with GHC ties of the film were shot at Berry College’s Seth Ingram Harry Musselwhite Possum Trot Church. Burton also offered husband of former interm Russell Cook the use of his 200-acre farm complete with a VPAA Laura Musselwhite Ken Davis primitive cabin.

Erin Abbot & Katie Kiser Jason McFry The film’s original soundtrack is one Daughters of Harriet Kiser Rob Laltrello of Ingram’s highlights that emerged from Brian Barr Emma Page the process. A collaboration of a myriad Rebecca Maddox Daughter of former of musicians and songwriters created the Dean Rob Page soundtrack under Ingram’s direction.

Retirees Miles & Cody Burton Russell Cook, GHC art professor, played Sons of Mike Burton Mike Burton guitar, mandolin, slide guitar or sang on nearly Harriet Kiser April Ingram two-thirds of the soundtrack.

Joan Christian Wife of Seth Ingram “Overall I am really proud of the music Cate Ingram and the movie as a whole,” Cook said. “It’s Former Employees Daughter of Seth Ingram unusual for a documentary to have an original Brian Armstrong Mike Davis soundtrack so prominently featured. It both Larry Stephens Son of Ken Davis does its job within the film and is a thing unto Clayton Jones Daylen Rediger itself. The music is really a continuation of Daughter of Devan Mize the music that would have been heard back Rediger in the time of Bell Tree Smith and Bluffton, but it’s not a period piece or a throwback. It’s real musicians, doing what they do, playing contemporary music rooted in a traditional form, and that’s something worth documenting as well. “ The film boasted a 111 cast and crew, with a quarter of them having connections to GHC. “Making an independent film of this scope is no easy task. The talent, support and encouragement of the GHC community were paramount in enabling us to produce this Blind Tiger: The Legend of Bell Tree Smith film. I would like to personally thank all my DVD can be colleagues at GHC that assisted us in producing purchased at the film and soundtrack.” belltreemovie.com Several GHC employees brought their family along to participate in the film. Ken Davis, GHC publications editor, appeared in the film along with his son.

“It was quite an experience. I enjoyed doing it with my son, Mike, who also played a patron of the bell tree. It was fun to think about the fact that more than a hundred years ago, people not too far from here went through that process to buy hooch.”

Currently, Ingram is working on completing his master’s degree in mass communications with a film and video emphasis at Georgia State University. He also is developing several TV show concepts and is working on a few feature screenplays, which he hopes to either sell or produce independently. Ingram was also named the Creative Director of the Rome International Film Festival for 2015.

Department Spotlight

3D printers, computers and books accessible to all Tucked away on the first floor of the historic Paulding County Courthouse, amid juried artwork and genealogy posters, the Georgia Highlands College library serves students and members of the public. The library boasts a 6,000-book collection, along with 17 computer stations allocated for students and three computers available for community users.

Elijah Scott, GHC director of libraries, said, “Many people have no idea our libraries are open to the public. We welcome the community to come to one of our campuses and take advantage of the many services we offer. Visitors can obtain a community user card and check out popular titles, use the 3D printer or access the Internet on one of our computers.”

The Paulding campus library serves about 100 students a day, which is a fifth of the campus’ student body.

Teacher Betty Budnek, of the Cobb-Paulding Adult Education Program, and her GED and ESL students spend their mornings attending class on the third floor of the old courthouse located on the square in Dallas.

Budnek said, “At lease once a quarter I assign a resource scavenger hunt when we are studying reference materials.

Rather than use the Internet, we use the physical resource books. Some of the students have never put their hands on an atlas or encyclopedia or an almanac. So from the assignment, they gain a little experience using these references and, hopefully, they could do it again if needed.”

GHC Librarian Susanna Smith issues on average 10 community-user cards

28 | Spring 2015

a month at Paulding.

“The ESL students check out a lot of our middle readers, which we have for our early education program and are a step up from picture books. As they are learning English, reading books for younger readers helps them improve.”

While many academic media centers are furnished in a modern style, the GHC library in Paulding remains consistent with the old courthouse’s late 19th century charm. Traditional winged back chairs and wooden furniture fill the library’s space.

“I think its great. We have the most interesting of all the college’s libraries because of this building,” Smith said. “The fact that we are able to be apart of repurposing this historic space is a wonderful thing.”

In an age when the name of a search engine has made its way into the dictionary as a verb, some may question the continuing relevance of libraries. Smith said she isn’t dampened in her passion or her belief that libraries are important.

“I read a great quote recently by Neil Gaiman that said, ‘Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.’”

Hours for the Paulding Site Library are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Members of the public only need a photo ID to obtain a community-user card.

Other Locations: Douglasville Site Library 5901 Stewart Parkway, Douglasville, GA 30135 678-872-4237 • Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Cartersville Campus Library 5441 Highway 20 NE, Cartersville, GA 30121 678-872-8400 • Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

KSU/Marietta Site Library 1100 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta, GA 30060 678-915-5010 • Monday-Thursday 7:45 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 7:45 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Floyd Campus Library 3175 Cedartown Highway, Rome, GA 30161 706-295-6318 • Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Hello, I’m Ben Masters.

Before 2011, I was like most of you, leading a normal life and able to do everything for myself. In 2011, I had sustained a C-7 level spinal injury in a car accident, and I had to relearn how to handle the simple daily tasks of living.”

This was how Georgia Highlands College student Ben Masters introduced himself at the annual 2014 Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce Confluence— a conference which saw hundreds of people attend to learn about how technology can create solutions to real-life problems.

When Ben was in his junior year of high school, he was 16 years old and had just started driving.

He lost conrol of his vehicle and flipped it several times, resulting in a spinal injury that left him as a quadriplegic.

GHC’s Director of Libraries Elijah Scott remembers that day very well. He was new to Rome and had just been appointed his position at the college.

“We were coming down the road and traffic was stopped and there was a car wreck, so we’re sitting there and sitting there and finally we get to go,” he said. “Well, the next morning I found out it was a high school kid.”

When the Floyd library was donated a 3D printer, Elijah said he was able to meet Ben the following year and was glad he did.

“He came to the library after we got the 3D printer, because he had been designing a device,” he said.

That device was a prototype for the final product Ben showed off to hundreds at the Confluence. It was designed to aid those with hand impairments insert and remove a flash drive or other similar plug-in into a computer.

Ben said the source of his inspiration was the five months in the hospital he spent having to relearn

daily activities, like brushing his teeth or getting dressed, all of which he had to be constantly helped with.

“When I was first hurt, I basically couldn’t do anything on my own,” he said. “I had to go through an occupational therapist and physical therapist. It’s just a pain to go from being a teenager wanting to be independent to losing all your independence.”

That pull to gain independence and help others like himself gain independence was the driving factor for Ben’s first design.

“I want the most independence I can have,” he said. “I don’t want to ask somebody to plug in something simple like [a thumb drive for me].”

So Ben started trying to think of different ways he could make something that would work to solve that problem. It wasn’t until he was reading an article about one of his favorite music producers Deadmau5 that it hit him.

“You know the iconic mouse head?” he said, “He designed it with 3D software on the computer.”

From there, Ben searched for free 3D software programs and found several free versions that were pretty high quality. His favorite was 123D Design, a program and company that would allow him to create a design and then upload it and pay for a 3D printed MASTERS – continued on page 31

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Department Spotlight

How Independence is made

Alumni Spotlight

From Cedartown to Hollywood On the far end of the Floyd campus library wall, a group of paintings hang created by fine artist and commercial illustrator Rae McCarson. On her way from Cedartown to Hollywood, McCarson’s path to success included a yearlong stop at Georgia Highlands College, known at the time as Floyd College.

The pieces on display in the library are a mere sample of McCarson’s prolific career. Some of her better-known projects include “Family Guy,” the Emmy award-winning short “O Sole Minnie” and “The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy.” She has shared a Daytime Emmy award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Animation for her work on the 1994 TV series “Where on Earth is Carmen Sandeigo?” She has also completed countless projects for Hollywood studio giants such as Disney, Universal, Nickelodeon and Warner Brothers. Many of these beautiful illustrations can seen at raemccarson.blogspot.com.

While McCarson has reached the pinnacle of which many commercial artists only dare to dream, she began as an ambitious young girl in rural Georgia. In 1980, McCarson was a high school senior at Cedartown High School taking collegelevel art classes at GHC with professor David Motts.

“I was very aggressive toward getting ahead,” McCarson said. “I was already excited to be out in the world when I was a junior in high school, so I made every strategic plan I could to get into college.

I was ready to hit the world running.”

From GHC, McCarson transferred to The Art Institute of Atlanta where she completed her associates degree in visual communications. The degree, combined with her experience of completing architectural renderings, led her to freelance work in Atlanta for eight years.

In the late 80s, she decided it was time for a change. Only one question remained: Where? Three cities stood out and almost seemed to call to her: New York, Toronto and Los Angeles. After a trip to Toronto, McCarson realized she was not cut out for cold weather and Los Angeles became the obvious choice. In 1990, she packed all her belongings in storage and headed west.

In a serendipitous turn of events, she landed a job laying out the background for the popular 90s cartoon “Batman: The Animated Series.” Within one week in the studio, she was promoted to designer

30 | Spring 2015

On EXHIBIT – McCarson’s art features this totem structure that was inspired from a dream. This and other pieces of her work will be on display at the Floyd Campus library through May 15th.

and her salary doubled.

“That was a fun job. To this day, I still get work based on that experience. I designed the city buildings and Poison Ivy’s and Cat Woman’s lair. One interesting thing about that job was that I was one of only two women and the only female designer,” McCarson said.

There was never a question of whether McCarson would pursue a life of art. She emerged from a family of artists where creative expression was innate.

MASTERS – continued from page 29

model.

“I started trying to make basic shapes and designs, and then I thought what can I make to help with everyday life?”

Then it hit him: his thumb drive problem.

Ben began to design a prototype that would give people with spinal cord injuries or hand impairments the leverage they would need to plug devices into a computer without having to squeeze it, which can be difficult for them.

And when Ben found out GHC had a 3D printer on campus that he could use, he put his designs on a thumb drive and started printing prototypes that he could try and tweak and recreate as he went on.

Today, he has a fully finished product that he says he uses almost every single day.

And coincidentally the final design looks kind of similar to the Deadmau5 logo, which Ben thinks is a nice acknowledgement to the symbol that sort of got him started using 3D printing as an outlet for his design work in the first place.

Ben said that he has been accepted to Southern Polytechnic State University where he wants to continue working with his 3D designs—the newest of which hopes to solve the universal problem of tangled headphones—and where he would like to continue on track to become a electrical or mechanical engineer.

He said he was glad to get his start at GHC and was happy with all of the help and with all of the tools that have been offered to him.

Elijah said Ben is not only a great student, but also a perfect example of the kind of students GHC has.

“It shows that our students are just as capable as students at any other school in the university system,” he said. “When you think about entrepreneurship and innovation you probably think of Georgia Tech or UGA or Georgia State, and that’s true, but we’re in that same ball field. Our students can be just as creative and just as innovative as students at those other schools.”

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Alumni Spotlight

“In the 60s and 70s, there was a very strong cul- “The biggest part of my success is to be able to tural aspect to Cedartown. I always created work for be in the moment and don’t think for one minute you the art festival at Big Spring and I won awards twice. can actually plan it.

They gave you a little sculpture if you won and that “Always stay open to education and never stop was a big thing for me, to be a great artist.” learning because even though you can’t plan, you McCarson was involved in several cutting edge can still prepare. art groups like the Mattress Factory in the 80s. Also, “And finally, always stay humble. If you think she was one of the first artists to rent studio space in you know everything, you never will.”

Murrays Mill, which was later transformed into the The pieces on display at GHC are products of art hot-spot, The Goat Farm. her experiences, as is most art. At For McCarson, the true beauty the time she created them, two of Focus is an of art lies in the process of its creher biggest influences were Robert ation.

Raushenberg and Louise Nevelson. intrinsic quality “One of the most healing things “The totem structure of the of art and when about art is when you look at a pieces came from a dream one night you slow down piece, you know the artist used an that I was in a show and I didn’t and focus, you act of incredible, intense focus to have much room but the ceilings create it. It is not just the image have to feel. Art were really tall so I stacked all you are seeing; it is the process it my artwork on top of each other,” evokes feeling. took to create it.

McCarson said. “When I woke up “Our world is so fast-paced and and processed the dream, I realactually slowing down is seen as ized I wanted to do this totem. It a weakness, but there is nothing more healing than represented a hierarchical system. At that top of the slowing down and seeing what you are capable of building is a small triangle, which represents the when you really concentrate. That is art. Focus is an IBM building and at the bottom is symbolic of all the intrinsic quality of art and when you slow down and trash they are leaving behind. Those totems are about focus, you have to feel. Art evokes feeling.” finding what is valuable in this world and making When defining keys to success, she outlined it apparent that we need to ask ourselves if we are simple, yet profound wisdom. focusing on the right things.”

Foundation & Alumni News

Foundation Gala honors Willis J. Potts Over $62,000 raised in support of GHC students

About 300 people gathered for a grand celebration of milestones, scholarship and altruism. The Georgia Highlands College Foundation hosted the second annual Highlands Gala on April 11, 2014 at the Coosa Country Club and raised over $62,000 in support of GHC students, including more than $20,000 to endow the Willis J. Potts, Jr. Endowed Scholarship.

Willis J. Potts, Jr. was the honoree of the evening and recipient of the Heritage Award.

The Georgia Highlands College Heritage Award honors those individuals who have left a legacy of leadership, patriotism, civic development and philanthropic deeds. Integrity, honor, determination and vision embody the characteristics of the Heritage Award.

To describe Willis Potts is a task almost as considerable as his stature and personality.

However, both pale in comparison to his dedication and devotion to community service and leadership.

Following a bachelor’s degree in industrial Renva Watterson and Willis J. Potts engineering with highest honors from Georgia Tech, Willis began his career as an engineer at the Union Camp Corporation’s Savannah pulp and paper mill in 1969, later serving as the corporation’s senior vice president until its merger with International Paper. From 1999 until his retirement, he served as vice president and general manager for Temple-Inland, Inc. Over the course of his career, he served as chairman of both the Paper Industry Management Association and the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry.

After a successful career and a longtime commitment to leadership, education and service, Willis was appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue in 2006 to represent the Eleventh Congressional District on the Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia. He served as chairman of the board from July 2010 to June 2011.

Left to Right: Dee Bishop, Robby Stewart, Luke Lester, Sarah Burkhalter, Melanie Collier, Willis Potts, Matt Sirmans, Mary Louise Lever and Greg Patton.

32 | Spring 2015

Foundation & Alumni News

Willis, along with the medical community in Rome and Floyd County, worked proactively with the Medical College of Georgia to make the clinical campus housed at Heritage Hall in downtown Rome a reality.

Always dedicated to serving others, Willis has long been actively engaged with a number of charitable and civic organizations, including the United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs and the March of Dimes. He is past chairman of both the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce and the Rome-Floyd County Development Authority.

Willis continues to serve his community through active involvement with the mentoring program “Community in Schools” and Mercy Senior Care. He currently sits on the board of directors for CatchMark Timber Trust in Atlanta, where he serves as chairman, and J&J Industries in Dalton.

He and his wife, Glenda, are parents of three adult children and grandparents to six grandchildren.

In addition to the Heritage Award, the evening was also a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the GHC nursing program. While established in 1971, nursing was originally part of the Division of Science and Mathematics. In 1974, the college established nursing as an independent program with Ms. Belen Nora as its director. Members of the nursing class of 1974 were present at the event.

The evening’s program placed a special emphasis on the college’s students. Student representatives from the GHC honors program, Phi Theta Kappa (national honor society), the Student Government Association, Brother 2 Brother and athletics were present. GHC students Amelia Bagwell from Cartersville and Julian Orjuela from Woodstock were recipients of Willis J. Potts, Jr. Heritage Honors Scholarship.

TOP TO BOTTOM – 1) Director of Nursing Rebecca Maddox presents Dr. Glenda Miller with a special pin in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the GHC nursing program.

2) Jan Coldwell and Floyd County Deputy Sheriff Tom Caldwell enjoy the event.

3) Former GHC Alumni Association President John Strain (second from left) with GHC honors program students.

4) GHC student Tatiana Smithson shares a laugh with prominent Summerville attorney Bobby Lee Cook.

highlands.edu | 33

Foundation & Alumni News

GHC Foundation Board of Trustees David Caswell, Chairman Century Bank Jeff Watkins, Vice Chairman White, Choate & Watkins, LLC Luke Lester, Treasurer Bond, James Bond Inc. Mary Transue Executive Director Dee Bishop Sarah H. Burkhalter Melanie C. Collier James Jarrett Mary Louise Lever Steve Moore Gregory F. Patton Randy Quick John Quinlivan Matt Sirmans Sue Spivey Robby Stewart A. Holley Strawn Tommy Strickland Mark Weaver GHC Alumni Association Board Members Dan Knowles Chairman Harold Boyd Retiree Representative Vera Brock Odete Estes Brandi Gurlow Tim Hensley Dr. Lynn Plunkett Hannah Smith Ann Stocks

34 | Spring 2015

Student scholarship process simplfied The GHC advancement office has teamed up with Stars at Cappex to provide a new scholarship application website for the College.

Applications for the following 2015 spring and summer scholarships will be the first scholarships to be processed through the new program.

All current GHC Students are registered in the program. When accessing the first time, type your GHC student email address in the ‘username’ space and then click the ‘retrieve my password’ button. A temporary password will be sent to your GHC student email. Once in the system you will be prompted to change your password.

There are a series of tabs to work through, beginning with the Personal Information Tab. [Note: For current students, this information is populated from student records and any changes or corrections must be done through the Registrar’s Office.] The last tab is the Recommended Scholarship tab which will list the scholarships recommended for you to apply for based on the information you provide on the preceding tabs. Click on the scholarship name to apply for it. Once the application is submitted, the status next to the scholarship will change to Applied.

Should you have any questions or need assistance please email scholarships@highlands.edu or call 706-802-5473

GIVE TODAY Fund an education.

Fund a dream.

Fund a future.

Give today to the Georgia Highlands College Foundation and your tax deducible gift, no matter the size, will change lives.

We have made it easy to give. Simply go to highlands.edu/givetoday, complete the form and start making a difference in the lives and futures of our Georgia Highlands students.

You may also mail your gift directly to: GHC Foundation Office 3175 Cedartown Highway Rome, GA 30161 Should you wish to speak to someone, please call Mary Transue at 706-802-5457.

alumni news update By completing and mailing the form below, you help GHC keep your records up to date and the Highlander Magazine coming to you. If you’d prefer to save a stamp, you’re welcome to simply complete the online form at highlands.edu/alumniupdates.

Current name____________________________________Maiden name _____________________ Mailing address ____________________________City_________State______Zip code _______ Graduation year or year(s) of attendance ______________Primary phone (

) _______________

E-mail address __________________________________________________________________ Job title ______________________________________Employer __________________________ Spouse’s name _______________________________Spouse’s maiden name _________________ Spouse’s grad. year (if GHC) ___________________Spouse’s job title ______________________ GHC retiree: Yes / No

Faculty/Staff years _______ to _______

News/updates (promotions/awards/weddings/arrivals/deaths): _____________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Signature____________________________________________Date________________________ By signing this form, you have authorized the college to make changes to your biographical data and I understand it may appear in both the print magazine and online.

Mail completed form to Alison Lampkin, GHC Office of Advancement, 3175 Cedartown Hwy, Rome, GA 30161 or send an email to alampkin@highlands.edu

HelloAlumni Baby!welcome new arrivals Chris Pelfrey and his wife Erin, welcome a son, James, Feb., 21, 2014 Sarah Colston Morton and Jeff Morton, welcomg a son, Tripp Morton, June 24, 2014.

Anna and Jimmy Holcomb, welcome a daughter, Zoey Grace Holcomb, Aug. 19, 2014.

Dustin Graham and his wife Wendy, welcome twin boys, Bradley and Rylen, Aug. 31, 2014

highlands.edu | 35

Foundation & Alumni News

"

TELL US, TELL ALL.

Charger News

Journey to the

(Right) Goldston hits the winning three-pointer against Southern Idaho.

(Left) Donovan Harris gives a fan his shoes after the last game.

Hutchinson, Kansas, became our Charger fans because of the class of our players.

36 | Spring 2015

Photo by Drew Nash / www.magicvalley.com

Kansas called them feisty.

Kansas called them scrappy. They even called them pesky.

Why? Not many in Kansas expected the #19 seeded Georgia Highlands College Chargers men’s basketball team to make it very far in the NJCAA Division 1 National Championship Tournament.

But a team which three years ago ended its season with absolutely no wins fought through this season with authority and conviction, secured first place in the region and then took that passionate, spirited momentum to Kansas to upset several teams on a quest for a national title.

The Chargers ended up blasting their way through the tournament bracket and earning a spot in the Final Four.

The GHC team went head-to-head against Kansas-local Butler Community College (#7 seeded) in its first step to the Final Four, winning a back and forth affair by two points, with a final score of 88-86.

Next, the Chargers earned a spot in the Elite Eight by taking down Southern Idaho College (#3 seeded) with an unbelievable late game timeout, where a play was drawn up to hit a game-winning three point shot with five seconds left on the clock. It worked. The final score was 67-66.

Third game into the tournament, the

Chargers found themselves not only fighting against Kansas’ hometown favorite Hutchinson Community College, but also against the over 7,000-person crowd they drew. Against the roar of “defense, defense,” as the Chargers pushed the ball down the court, the Chargers defeated Hutchinson with a final score of 64-59.

Surging into the Final Four, the Chargers looked to win their match against Northwest Florida State College (#2 seeded) for a spot in the finals. The team fell short by only two points in overtime with a final score of 105-103.

GHC President Don Green said that the Chargers epitomize what Georgia Highlands College is and what it offers.

“We are proud of our athletes and their success,” he said, “but the willingness to give all you can to compete and complete is embodied in all of our students. That is why we have one of the best retention rates in our sector of Georgia colleges. All of our students possess the same qualities our basketball team is showing.”

After the Chargers’ impressive display in Kansas, two GHC chargers made the 12-person list on the All-Tournament Team, which honors those players who are considered to have performed the best in the tournament. Those players were: Montreal Goldston and Ty Toney.

Gaffney named NJCAA District 13 Coach of the Year Congratulations to Coach Phil Gaffney for his NJCAA District 13 Men’s Basketball Division I Coach of the Year Award. President Green said, “Phil is a great coach.

He not only coaches it, he lives it…he’s always willing to communicate and collaborate.”

#GoChargers

highlands.edu | 37

Charger News

e Final Four

Charger News

Women’s Basketball 2014-2015 Season Recap

The GHC women’s basketball team, led by Head Coach Brandan Harrell (shown left) and Assistant Coach Demetrius Colsom, finished 16-16 overall and 12-6 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA). The team defeated Georgia Perimeter College in the 1st round of the GCAA tournament and lost to Darton State College in the semis. Aujana Dawkins (GCAA Player of the Week #4) was selected to the GCAA 1st Team All-Conference. Va’Queshia Hall (GCAA Player of the Week #10) was selected to the GCAA 3rd Team All-Conference.

Deana Blankinship was selected to the GCAA All-Tournament Team.

38 | Spring 2015 38 | Spring 2015

Georgia Highlands College Baseball is led by Head Coach Mike Marra, Associate Head Coach Gil Suarez, Assistant Coach Ray Baker and Special Assistant to the Head Coach Tim Havas. The team competes in Region XVII of the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1. The team is based out of the Cartersville Campus and plays all home games at LakePoint Sports Complex in Emerson, GA. For a full game schedule, team roster and season updates, visit ghcchargers.com. Watch for baseball season recap in next issue.

Softball

Georgia Highlands College Softball is led by Head Coach Melissa Wood, Associate Head Coach Victoria Sanders and Assistant Coach Cody Chupp. The team competes in Region XVII of the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1. The team is based out of the Cartersville Campus and plays all home games at Stars Field in Cartersville, GA. For a full game schedule, team roster and season updates, visit ghcchargers.com. Watch for baseball season recap in the next issue.

highlands.edu | 39 highlands.edu | 39

Charger News

Baseball

Charger Spotlight

Women’s Basketball Softball

Deana Blankinship #12 - Forward From Canton, GA When did you start playing basketball?

I started playing basketball when I was in the first grade. My mom is the one who encouraged me to try basketball, and I’m so glad that I did because I love it.

What is your favorite aspect of competing?

I love when a game gets close and everyone starts to get really excited and anxious. There’s so much energy and it’s amazing!

Do you have a favorite sports memory?

There isn’t one particular moment that stands out the most to me over my years of playing basketball. I mean, I’ve been a part of several championship games, what most would consider as a “most memorable moment.” I played with the same group of girls for almost 10 years in AAU and so I’ve made countless memories over the years with some of my best friends, and that’s what I think of when I think about my most memorable sports moment.

What is the most challenging thing about being a student athlete?

It would probably be the pressure that is constantly put on us to represent the school well. As athletes, we represent the school, and we are expected to continue to grow to become a better person, a better student and a better athlete, all at the same time.

Who or what is your inspiration?

My mother has been my inspiration from the beginning. She’s the one who encouraged me to play basketball, and she is the one who has taught me to be the athlete and person I am today. My mom coached me from my first year in first grade, all the way to my senior year of high school. Of course, there have been a few other coaches along the way, but I owe everything to my mom. She is the one who pushed me to work hard and to grow as an athlete over the years.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I hope to be on my way to becoming a physical therapist.

40 | Spring 2015

Sierra Cagle #4 - CatcheR From summerville, GA When did you start playing softball?

When I was eight years old. I wanted to play a sport.

What is your favorite aspect of competing?

Being on a team and being able to play better than the other team and winning.

Do you have a favorite sports memory?

Not specifically, I like just being on the field with my teammates.

What is the most challenging thing about being a student athlete?

Making time for homework and family.

Who or what is your inspiration?

My Papa Where do you see yourself in five years?

Having a great job, boyfriend, and my own place.

Brandon Gonzalez #5 - Catcher FROM Dallas, GA

Montrel Goldston #2 - Guard From Greensboro, NC

When did you start playing baseball?

I started playing baseball when I was three.

When did you start playing basketball?

I started playing basketball when I was three years old. I thought it was a fun game to play and that it was going to take me somewhere in life.

What is your favorite aspect of competing?

I just love the adrenaline when I take the field and everyone is watching us play out there. Baseball is just something that I have always loved doing aand that will never change no matter what.

Do you have a favorite sports memory?

My favorite sports memory was probably in high school, when we went to the final four my senior year. It was a great experience with a great group of guys, and I also was honored for making the AllState team that year too!

What is the most challenging thing about being a student athlete?

The most challenging part about being a student athlete is actually having to practice every day and on top of that trying to maintain good grades in the classroom.

Who or what is your inspiration?

I would say that my uncles are my inspiration, because growing up I would watch the play and you know I was just a little kid and they were so good and I pushed myself to be better than them one day.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Well hopefully in five years I have figured out what I’m going to do for a living and that I’m happy with what I’m doing, but I really want to coach one day.

What is your favorite aspect of competing?

My favorite aspect of competing is playing against the top teams and top players. I always like to have a great challenge and it makes me compete at a high level. I’m very competitive when it comes to the game of basketball.

Do you have a favorite sports memory?

My favorite sport memory is scoring 37 points in a game when I was 16 years old.

What is the most challenging thing about being a student athlete?

The most challenging thing about being a student athlete is probably keeping your grades up, because you have a lot of practices and games that can be tiring. Pretty much trying to stay focused is the hardest part.

Who or what is your inspiration?

My inspiration is when people tell me I can’t do something. I just keep that in the back of my mind and go out and prove them wrong; it’s just about working hard.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Playing basketball somewhere.

highlands.edu | 41

Charger Spotlight

Baseball Men’s Basketball

Baltzer writes Georgia Highlands Alma Mater My heart’s at the Highlands, the school I hold dear. Where good friends and mentors are always so near. One college united in perfect harmony, My Alma Mater, dear GHC. ––––––––––––––––Interview with Dr. Sam Baltzer–––––––––––––––– When did you write the song?

I wrote it during the fall of 2012, which was also my first semester as a

faculty member at GHC. Did you compose the music to accompany it?

No. I wrote the words, but the tune is from a song called “My Heart’s

in the Highlands” by the great Scot poet, Robert Burns. I made two

versions, one for piano and voice and another for voice and

instrumental ensemble, which is the one we’ve used at

commencement.

What was your inspiration when writing the alma mater?

When I realized that GHC didn’t have an alma mater, I immediately

thought of the Burns song and began toying with lyrics that might

work. With five campuses, GHC is spread out. It occurred to me that

an alma mater might help to provide a source of school pride

and unity.

How often do you write songs?

For the past 30 years, I have worked nearly constantly on musical

projects that involve arranging or composing. My home office

includes a music workstation with a keyboard connected to my

computer and software that allows me to play on the piano and

see the notes on the screen. I’m fortunate to be involved with several

musical groups that will play my pieces as soon as they are written so I

get immediate feedback and that helps me improve.

Have you written any other notable songs?

I’m really not much of a songwriter, but I’ve arranged or composed

over 200 pieces, mostly for concert band and for Celtic ensemble. I

also enjoy writing orchestral music and pieces for jazz ensemble. Most

of these pieces do not involve singers, so the GHC alma mater was a

special project.

2014 Faculty/Staff Retirees

(above/left to right) Heaton, Ruel, King and Mantooth (left) Daugherty

42 | Spring 2015

Daughtery, Donna

Grist, Simon

Heaton, Lavinia

King, Catherine

Kiser, Harriet H

Mantooth, Donna

Peters Jr, Ralph

Ruel,Pauline

Davis, Dana

Dean of Natural Sciences & 30 years Physical Education Professor of Instructional Almost 15 years Technology Associate Professor Almost 13 years of Mathematics Professor of Almost 25 years Physical Education Associate Professor 26.5 years of Mathematics Associate Professor 10 years of Psychology Professor of History 24 years and Sociology Professor of 21 years Nursing Education Public Relations & 10 years Information Specialist

2015 retirees will be listed in the next issue of the Highlander.

In Memoriam Carolyn Hatfield Hamrick, campus dean for the GHC Cartersville Campus died Jan. 25, 2014 at the age of 65, after a brief illness. Carolyn began her career as a part-time teacher of reading when the institution was still named Floyd College.

She also served as director for the Acworth and Marietta campuses.

Steel Magnolia

Written by Carolyn Hamrick’s friends at GHC

She parked farther away than the rest of us The early hour yielding spaces galore Her poise and gentle air of authority Made more distinct by the refinement she wore Our own Jackie O, steel magnolia Her strength cloaked in compassion and grace “Keep calm, carry on,” her enduring refrain Such a leader cannot be replaced She had no use for pomp and pretention She’d let others go first every time But if the last are first in heaven She’s at the front of the line “Let me see what I can do,” she promised When problems came rolling in No glitch or conundrum equal to The tour de force we called Carolyn The last time we spoke, did I thank her, Acknowledge the work she had done?

Did I recognize the illusion of tranquility Masking the pedantry she saved us from?

How indebted we are for her tireless toil Which too suddenly has come to an end We miss her keen insights and counsel The lighthearted chats with our friend At evening, swifts dart above the pathways Where Carolyn would be walking toward her car But as she departs, she remains in our hearts Georgia Highlands ever-present North Star

Dr. William “George” Pullen, a charter faculty member of Floyd Junior College started in 1970. He chaired the Division of Social Sciences from 1971 - 1993 and in 1994 became chair of the Division of Extended Learning. He retired in 1997 and was named Professor Emeritus of History. He died Jan. 31, 2014 at the age of 75 of a sudden stroke.

James “Larry” Agan, a staff member who retired March of 2000, died March 18, 2013 after injuries sustained during a tornado that day.

Ruth O’Neill Corlew, a charter faculty member of Floyd Junior College in the Physical Education division, she loved teaching tennis and golf and she was a wonderful athlete.

Ouida Banister, died Oct. 5, 2013, she was executive secretary to Dr. David McCorkle, Floyd Junior College’s first President, from September 1970 until she retired in 1987, a job she enjoyed immensely.

Sharon Casey Sims, died Mar. 38, 2015. The 31-year-old alumna was the daughter of retired faculty Judy R. Sims and the late David Jason Sims.

BARBARA McENTIRE, alumna and respected R.N at Redmond Regional died Jan. 26, 2015.

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