Campus Notables
In the news
Across campus
The following faculty and staff appeared as a source for the media in print, television, or radio:
Spring Break Spring Break will be observed the week of April 7-11. Campus offices will be open. Classes will not be held during that week.
continued Wellness into the Study Abroad Curriculum at the 15th Annual Georgia Conference on College & University Teaching in Kennesaw. Several faculty members in learning support made presentations at USG’s 32nd Annual Learning Support Conference at St. Simons Island. Cynthia M. Craig presented Facilitating change: Identifying the psychological traps that impede decision-making; Magali A. M. Duignan presented A take-home exam? What do you mean?; Dave Huffstetler presented No red ink: Teaching expository techniques without having to grade essays; Samuel Richardson presented Math strategies for working with fractions and other rational expressions; and Betsy Veldboom presented Incorporating good math study skills within the mathematics classroom. Diana Snyder, biology, along with students, visited several schools in North Augusta this month. While there, they conducted experiments using metric measurements, explained the anatomy of frogs and humans, and reconstructed The Case of the Disappearing Cookies and Germs and Handwashing. Bruce Saul, biology, participated in the American Fisheries Society meeting in Wheeling, West Virginia Feb. 27–March 1.
Office of Public Relations Editor Kathy Schofe
Copy Editor John Jenkins
Writers Tunisia Williams Kristopher Wells
Contributing Writers Hannah Alattar, student intern
Designer Mary Jo Blue Luta
Carol Giardina, admissions, and Helen Hendee, development and alumni relations – WAGT, about the impact the basketball team going to the championship may have on recruitment and fundraising Gina Thurman, student services – WJBF, about being a Jaguar fan and the basketball team advancing to the Final Four Melissa Hudson, career center – WAGT, about the Elite Eight basketball game Dip Metress, athletics – WAGT, WJBF, WRDW, The Augusta Chronicle, and numerous other papers, about the Elite Eight Paul Harris, political science – The Boston Globe, about Joseph Z. Zolot, a Russian immigrant Kelly Thomas, Maxwell Theatre – The Metro Spirit, about the Westobou Festival Jim Garvey, communications and professional writing – The Augusta Chronicle, about the Larry E. and Brian E. Rykken Scholarship Endowment Fund’s first scholarship recipient Cathy Tugmon, biology - The Bell Ringer, about her role in Leadership ASU 2008. Mark Thompson, Hull College of Business – WACG, about the local economy, and The Augusta Chronicle, about gas prices Katherine Sweeney, admissions – The Augusta Chronicle, about joint-enrolled students and schools Julie Goley, Career Center – WACG, about the unemployment rate
Lauderdale Golf Tournament The ASU Alumni Association will hold its annual Alumni and Friends Lauderdale Golf Tournament on Friday, April 18, at the Forest Hills Golf Course. Tee times for the tournament: A.M. Golfers 7:30-8 a.m.: Check-in and continental breakfast 8:15 a.m.: Shotgun start P.M. Golfers Noon-12:45 p.m.: Check-in 1 p.m.: Shotgun Start All Golfers and Guests 6 p.m.: Awards ceremony and reception For more information, call 706-667-4710.
The Centro Educativo Savannah River Area An informational session about The Centro Educativo Savannah River Social Cost-Benefit Analysis will be held on Tuesday, April 15, at 7 p.m. in E157 Allgood Hall. For more information, call the Department of English and Foreign Languages at 706-737-1500. PKP Symposium As part of the Arsenal Speaker Series of the National Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, a panel will discuss The Perfect Professor: Defining the Consummate Academic on Wednesday, April 23, at noon in the JSAC Coffeehouse. Panelists will include Debbie van Tuyll, Pamplin College of Arts and Sciences; Judi Wilson, College of Education; and Brigitte Ziobrowski, Hull College of Business. Refreshments will be served. U.S. Congressional Forum Paul Broun and other members of the Science and Technology Committee will hold a Congressional Forum to discuss border security on Friday, April 4, from 1-2:30 p.m. in the Jaguar Student Activities Center Ballroom. The discussion will include a panel of government, industry, and academic experts. Part of the dialogue will focus on legislative efforts in the House of Representatives to improve U.S. border security. Specifically, the panel will discuss a bill that expands on current border patrol efforts by focusing on the development of technologies to improve our border patrol agents’ ability to detect and prevent drug traffickers and terrorists, as well as other people attempting to enter the U.S. illegally. The briefing is open to the public. Lady Jags Head Resigns Head women’s basketball coach Greg Wilson resigned on March 21 to accept a position with the Greater Augusta Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Wilson took the Lady Jags to a 20-10 record this season. In the interim, second year assistant coach Allison Nichols has been appointed coach while a search committee conducts a national search for the position.
FACULTY AND STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK BEGINS APRIL 28 ASU will recognize the hard work and dedication of its faculty and staff with a week of activities, Monday through Friday, April 28 to May 2, in its annual Faculty-Staff Appreciation Week. The week kicks off with a Let Us Serve You event where the president and vice presidents will be serving refreshments from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. outside in The Grove. On Tuesday is the trivia contest, being held in the JSAC Coffeehouse from 4:45-6 p.m. Form your own team or be matched up with others. This fun event questions knowledge on a wide variety of subjects. Prizes will be awarded. Sign up with Jason Gribek at jgribek@aug.edu or 706-667-4950. On Tuesday morning is a breakfast for the employees being recognized for service anniversaries of 5, 10, 15, etc., years of service. The breakfast is by invitation only. Wednesday is the open house where departments throughout campus prepare goodies to share. It’s an opportunity to see
faculty and staff whom you may not regularly get to visit. On Thursday, the annual Recognition Program at 11 a.m. in the Maxwell Theatre will recognize those who are observing service anniversaries (in five-year increments) and those who are retiring. It will be followed by a picnic lunch. Later, at 4:45-6 p.m., Bingo will be held in the JSAC Coffeehouse, and caller, Cowboy Mike Searles, will make sure players have a good time and win some prizes. You do not have to preregister for this event; just show up. Fun Friday culminates the week, and faculty/staff and some talented students will entertain the crowd with their amazing talents. Throughout the week, prizes will be awarded through drawings, and specials will be observed in the Food Court. For more information, call Lisa Webb at 706-737-1770.
ASU comes in second in national championship Augusta State’s men’s basketball team is the second best team in the nation. It’s official. Coming in second in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight is quite an achievement. Fans who made the 18-hour bus trip to Springfield or who flew up by plane and those who followed the tournament on the web or on television may be a little disappointed that the Jaguars didn’t win—but they are more than happy with the way they played. Heart. Class. They made us proud. In the quarterfinal round on Wednesday, March 26, ASU defeated Central Oklahoma University in double overtime, 106–104. In the semifinal round on Thursday, March 27, they defeated AnchorageAlaska, 56–50. And in the final game on Saturday, March 29, they played extremely well, losing to Winona State University 76–87. And in-between the games, the team practiced, met with Springfield residents at a meet and greet, gave interviews to a number of television stations and newspapers, visited a children’s hospital, participated in a youth clinic, and won the hearts of over 100 fourth graders in Springfield. Fourth graders in about 20 schools in the Springfield area were assigned Division II institutions to follow in regional playoffs. This allowed them to learn something of the geography, economics,
and social conditions of the regions they were assigned. Darton Elementary School was one of the schools that followed the Jaguars. All of the fourth graders showed up for the quarterfinals, many sporting signs and homemade Jaguar tee-shirts. They were as vocal as the ASU fans who made the trip to Springfield. Their enthusiasm was contagious. The following day, Kathy Schofe and Heather Hopkins, public relations office, and Leza Witherington, communications and professional writing, paid a visit to the school to take pennants, a team photo, and other Jaguar “goodies.” The children were still excited. One admitted to having started a fan club for one of the players. The team, cheerleaders, Al E. Cat, and president had made an impression on the students. As the school’s counselor reinforced the value and need for a college education, the message came through loud and clear. It takes more than talent to succeed; it takes an education. In athletics, it also takes heart. And that’s a message that also came through loud and clear to the thousands of fans that ASU and the team didn’t even know they had. Throughout the city, there was pride in its team. Restaurant marquees proudly advertised that they were showing the game. Alumni gathered together to watch it, and students, faculty, and staff gathered in the Jaguar Student Activities Center ballroom. All cheering for their team. All proud of their team for taking them to the Elite Eight. It would have been nice to win the championship—but it was awfully nice just to have made it to the Elite Eight–and to make it to the final round. We made history. That’s something to cheer about. That’s something we’ll always remember. Thanks, Jags.