Angela Christie, a senior lecturer in the English Department and the associate director for lower division studies, has been selected as the faculty director of the Quality Enhancement Plan called College to Career.
Georgia State Prepares New QEP to Help Students Focus on Career Preparation
Georgia State will submit a new Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) called “College to Career: Career Readiness through Everyday Competencies” to the Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in January.
After nearly two years of university-wide discussion and planning by the topic selection and development committees, Georgia State chose a QEP that aims to help students identify career-readiness skills gained through their coursework and extracurricular activities and teach them how to articulate and demonstrate those skills to employers.
“This QEP grows out of our strategic plan and our mission as a public university to help college students make seamless transitions from their college experience into their careers,” said Michael Galchinsky, associate provost for institutional effectiveness.
College to Career, which will be run by the Office of Student Success, was selected from among 36 proposals because students often need help demonstrating they have learned the interpersonal skills employers want, because the Georgia workforce is expanding and changing, and parents and legislators demand to know the value of sending a student to college in terms of career outcomes, Galchinsky said.
Angela Christie, a senior lecturer in the English Department and the associate director for lower division studies, has been selected as the faculty director of the QEP. Christie led her department in developing college-to-career assignments, curricula and pedagogical practices in core courses and the English major.
While teaching English courses at Georgia State, Christie said she realized her students honed a host of career skills. Digital writing, communicating with mass audiences, activism communication, website building and podcasting are some of the skills she knew could be used in jobs beyond being a teacher of literature.
“As a teacher I found my students were very anxious about how they could use what they were learning in my classes outside the classroom,” she said. “I realized what was happening was that as English faculty we weren’t being intentional in showing students the skills they were using to learn the material in our classes could be applied to all sorts of different jobs in the workforce.”
As QEP faculty director, Christie will oversee the development, refinement and implementation of “College to Career” and work with units and personnel across the university.
“This QEP will connect all of the university’s services and units together so that there’s this sort of continual contact students will have with career initiatives and that’s very exciting,” Christie said.
Career preparation is already an important part of the student experience at Georgia State. This year, every incoming student was given assignments that were embedded in the Career Exploration projects during first-year experience courses. Georgia State students, faculty members and alumni are also provided Portfolium career e-portfolios that gives them the ability to share an interactive collection of projects, work samples, skills and achievements with employers.
“This topic has broad-based support and it grows out of things we’re already doing on campus,” Galchinsky said.
The QEP will be different from those at other universities because it also focuses on faculty training and discipline-specific curriculum adjustments, Christie said. The university is seeking six faculty Fellows who will help implement the QEP across the university.
“It’s important for all faculty to know the QEP is not interested in changing the way they teach or what they teach,” Christie said. “It isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. It isn’t everyone is going to do this one assignment in all of their classes. It’s interested in providing any support or training that they need to infuse career curriculum into their courses.”
Galchinsky emphasized the QEP is not a “one-time event” at the university. It will be a continual process that will span the next five years and involve the entire university community.
“I hope the QEP will help students become aware of the career skills they are building and that they are already learning in their classes,” he said. “We want them to be able to demonstrate to future employers that they have learned those skills.”
Nancy Kropf Named Dean Of Perimeter College
Nancy Kropf, dean of the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions for the past 3 ½ years, has been named dean of Perimeter College, beginning Feb. 1, 2019.
Kropf will succeed Peter Lyons, who is stepping down after a distinguished tenure as the first dean and vice provost for Perimeter College.
“With Dr. Lyons’ departure, President Mark Becker and I feel it’s important to continue to build on Perimeter College’s considerable momentum by appointing a new dean who has unique skills, experience and knowledge, and an understanding of the role, value and importance of a two-year college in a research-intensive university,” said Risa Palm, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “Instead of conducting a national search for new leadership, the president and I decided Dr. Kropf has the leadership qualities we need at Perimeter.” READ MORE…
Campus Service Collects Toys for Tots
Campus Services is hosting its annual Toys for Tots drive. Students, faculty and staff can donate new unwrapped toys between now and Dec. 17. To drop off toys, look for the Toys for Tots boxes across Georgia State’s campuses or at Campus Services, 200 University Bookstore Building on the Atlanta Campus. To schedule a pickup, call 404-413-9500 or click here.
Volunteer For The Emergency Response Team
The Office of Emergency Management needs volunteers to serve as building coordinators.
A building coordinator is a vital member of the Emergency Response Team and helps the university’s first responders in emergencies. For example:
•Fire alarm sounds? Building coordinators help ensure students and employees evacuate to a safe zone on campus.
•Severe weather warning? Building coordinators help employees and students move into designated safe shelter areas.
What are the expectations of a building coordinator?
•Be an active and prepared member of the university’s Emergency Response Team (ERT)
•Attend periodic building coordinator training sessions held on campuses
•Stay informed of conditions and situations via Emergency Response Team emails
The concept of the ERT program is to grow and develop an expanding culture of university-wide situational awareness and crisis preparedness through voluntary commitment and
individual training. The university has more than 800 departments and needs at least two people for each building per floor where units are located.
The Office of Emergency Management is responsible for recruiting, training, equipping and supervising the all-volunteer ERT program. If you are interested in becoming an emergency building coordinator, contact Keith Sumas at 404-413-0783 or ksumas1@gsu.edu.
Staff Council and the University Police Department have collected more than 100 winter coats to distribute to the community. The Staff Council also has collected nearly 300 pounds of food benefiting the Perimeter College and Atlanta Campus Panther Pantries.
Danielle Daniely has been named director of Research Safety Programs and High Containment Labs, where she is responsible for oversight of biological, chemical, radiological and environmental safety programs as well as the BSL3/BSL4 laboratory facilities. Prior to joining the university, Daniely was deputy chief of training and workforce development in the Division of Laboratory Systems at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She received her Ph.D. in genomic medicine/immunology from the Medical College of Georgia and is completing a master’s degree in public health.
Chris Brown and Jeannie Grussendorf of the Political Science Department have received a “Digital Learning Innovation Award” from the Online Learning Consortium for accelerating the adoption of digital courseware to improve student outcomes. Global Issues courses use adaptive learning courseware across sections that enroll around 2,500 students annually. Adaptive learning courseware personalizes content to enhance independent student study and improve student learning in large classes. The Robinson Country Intelligence Index research team also contributed to the project. Global Issues is one of five general education courses across the university integrating use of adaptive learning courseware supported by an Association of Public Land-Grant Universities grant.
The American Marketing Association has created the V Kumar Award for Service to Marketing Scholarship. The award will be given biennially at the AMA Winter Academic Conference to recognize academics in the field of marketing who are productive scholars and who have been instrumental in developing doctoral students in marketing.
The Georgia State International Honorary Reception celebrated the recipients of the 2018 International Education Awards during International Education Week. The following faculty and staff were honored:
Ritu Aneja, professor of cancer biology and Distinguished University Professor, was honored with the faculty award for global engagement research and scholarship.
Gabriel Kuperminc, professor of psychology and public health, was honored with the faculty award for global engagement in teaching, service and outreach.
Farrah Bernardino, managing director of the Center for International Business Education & Research, received the Staff Award for Global Engagement.
Carmen Eilertson, principal senior lecturer of biology and medical science co-director, received the Study Abroad Program Director of the Year.
Michael P. Eriksen, dean and Regents’ Professor in the School of Public Health, received the Sheth Distinguished Faculty Award for International Achievement.
The Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement (ARCHI) has received one of the 2018 Community Health Leadership Awards sponsored by U.S. News & World Report and the Aetna Foundation for its commitment to improving community wellness by addressing social determinants of health. Kathryn Lawler, ARCHI’s executive director, was recognized as part of the annual Healthcare of Tomorrow conference in Washington, D.C., in November.
Proda BioTech, a pharmaceutical research company founded by Zhi-Ren Liu, a biology professor in the College of Arts & Sciences, has received a two-year, $2 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to develop an effective therapy for pancreatic cancer.
Professor Candace Kemp of the Gerontology Institute has received a $3.37 million federal grant to research the best ways to help assisted-living residents with dementia be optimally engaged in life. In the project, “Meaningful Engagement and Quality of Life among Assisted Living Residents with Dementia,” researchers from Georgia State and Emory University will work with residents and their care partners in assisted-living communities and personal-care homes in and around Atlanta starting in January.
Susan-Sojourna Collier, a lecturer in the School of Film, Media & Theatre, will have her movie “Conflict of Interest” air on Aspire TV on Dec. 22.
Lauren Anhart, a lecturer in the School of Film, Media & Theatre, presented at “Documentaries, Disability, and the Deferral of Touch” Visible Evidence XXV in Bloomington, Ind.
Ethan Tussey, associate professor in the School of Film, Media & Theatre, has received the 2017/2018 College of the Arts Outstanding Junior Faculty Award in Research/Creative Activity.
Music Technology professor Robert Scott Thompson’s soundscapes are featured on Sequences Electronic Music, Edition No. 137.
Kevin Bales, a music instructor, released a new album called, “Beyond the Neighborhood: Celebrating the Music of Fred Rogers.”
Nickitas Demos, music director, was one of the featured composers for the “Sonorescence” performance with the Terminus Modern Dance Ballet Theatre at Whitespace. Instructor Brent Milam played the keyboard.
Stuart Gerber, professor of music, and Jan Berry Baker, associate professor of music, have received the Provost Visiting Scholar Grant.
Jan Berry Baker, associate professor of music, has received the 2017-18 College of the Arts Outstanding Teaching Award.
Darien Arikoski-Johnson, associate professor of ceramics, is one of four state finalists for the Hudgens Prize.
Cynthia Farnell, Welch Gallery director, presented a solo exhibition “Materia Medica” at Poem 88.
Joseph Peragine, professor and director of the Welch School of Art & Design, and associate professor Craig Drennen, participated in a group show, “Til the Lights Go Out,” at Hathaway Contemporary.
Jiha Moon, instructor of drawing and painting, presented a solo exhibition, “Where Serpents Change Their Skin,” at Alan Avery Art Contemporary.
Ellie Dent, instructor of foundations in the Welch School of Arts & Design, presented a solo exhibition, “Subject & Subjected,” at Day & Night Projects.
Joseph Peragine, director and professor of the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design, Jess Jones, assistant professor of textiles, and Pam Longobardi, Distinguished University Professor, took part in the Transformers group show at Agnes Scott College.
Craig Drennen, associate professor of art and design, has received the 2017-18 College of the Arts Outstanding Senior Faculty Award in Research/Creative Activity.
Andrew Butler, professor and associate dean for research in the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions, received the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professionals (ASAHP) Fellows Award at the annual meeting Oct. 11. The ASAHP Fellows program recognizes members who have contributed significantly to allied health as administrators, educators, clinicians or researchers.
Carolyn Podolski, clinical assistant professor of occupational therapy, received the Barbara E. Grant Award from the Georgia Occupational Therapy Association at the October state conference. The award is given to an occupational therapist in Georgia who demonstrates outstanding service and leadership in the profession. It is the highest award given by the association.
Ching-Ling Tsai, assistant professor of physical therapy, has been selected as a mentee for the Training in Grantsmanship in Rehabilitation Research workshop in January 2019, following a national competitive process.
Six members of the nursing faculty have received the 2017 Innovative Article of the Year Award from Sage Nursing Journals for their article, “Language Sensitivity, the RESPECT Model, and Continuing Education,” in The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing. The faculty recognized are Dawn Aycock, Traci Sims, Karis Casseus, Terri Florman, Paula Gordon and Dr. Regena Spratling.
Three Perimeter College nursing faculty have earned their doctor’s degrees. Charlette DeLoach earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from Walden University. Her research focused on “Interprofessional collaboration and diabetes outcomes in primary care settings.” Patrice Little earned her DNP from Mercer University. Her scholarly project was titled “Georgia APRN’s join forces to speak with one voice.” Tamara Stephens earned her Ph.D. from Walden University. Her research focused on “Nurse staffing and resident care outcomes in long-term care in Georgia nursing homes.”
Erin Mason, assistant professor of counseling and psychological services, presented research at the Georgia School Counselor Association’s annual conference Nov. 7-9, in Macon, Ga.
Tim Kellison, assistant professor of kinesiology and health, took a tour of facilities for the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2028.
Brenda Pitts, professor of sport business management, recently traveled to Medellin, Colombia, to present her research on sport management and marketing at the 2018 Expo Motricidad International Congress hosted by the Universidad de Antioquia.
Beth Cianfrone, associate professor of kinesiology and health, was honored at the Sport Marketing Association Conference for her service and dedication as one of the association’s members-at-large.
Robert Buschman, senior research associate in the Fiscal Research Center, presented “Tacking with the Windfall: TCJA Impacts on Georgia Revenues and Taxpayers” at the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management Annual Conference in Denver on Oct. 4 and the Federation of Tax Administrators Revenue Estimation & Tax Research Conference in San Diego on Oct. 9.
Jimmy Dills and Jane Branscomb, research associates in the Georgia Health Policy Center, presented “Policy Engagement for the Public’s Health” at the State of Public’s Health meeting in Athens, Ga., on Oct. 18.
Kristi Fuller, assistant project director in the Georgia Health Policy Center, presented “The Long-term Supports and Services System for Older Adults in Georgia: Current Issues and Trends” during the Older Adults, Advance Care Planning, and Ethical Choices meeting at Emory University on Sept. 7.
Lisa McGarrie and Rachel Campos, research associates in the Georgia Health Policy Center, and co-author Jenny Wilhoite presented “Triple Layer Chess: Mindset and Strategies for Sustaining and Growing School Mental Health Programs” at the annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health in Las Vegas on Oct. 11.
Michael Pesko, assistant professor of economics, presented “The Effect of E-cigarette Indoor Vaping Restrictions on Infant Mortality” at the Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association Health Economics Network Workshop in Bogota, Colombia on Oct. 4. He also presented on “Reimbursement rates for primary care services: Evidence of spillover effects to behavioral health” at the American Academy of Family Physicians State Legislative Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Oct. 26.
Marise Parent, professor and associate director of the Neuroscience Institute, has received a three-year, $1.2 million federal grant to study how brain areas involved in memory control eating behavior. The grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health will be used to explore how the hippocampus, a brain structure critical for memory and learning, inhibits eating behavior at a biochemical level. Parent is the principal investigator for the project. Georgia State collaborators include Dr. Daniel Cox, associate professor in the Neuroscience Institute, and Dr. Aaron Roseberry, associate professor in the Department of Biology, in addition to Ryan LaLumiere, associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Iowa.