Georgia Highlands College graduate Faruq Lawal has been awarded a $1,000 Law Enforcement Education Program (LEEP) Dream Scholarship. He is among 22 top students who will receive the award to encourage their pursuit of law enforcement/public safety careers by the professional public safety officers of LEEP.

Lawal earned a 3.4 GPA at Georgia Highlands College, where he just completed a Criminal Justice degree. He plans to use his LEEP Dream Scholarship to pursue a degree in Public Policy and Management at Kennesaw State University, where he also received a Pell Grant. He is looking for work as a security guard and his career goal is to become an Immigration Lawyer. “My experiences working with children in the community have proven to me the need for solid and compassionate community policing,” wrote Lawal in his scholarship application. “I want to make a change in the world. This scholarship will help me accomplish that dream through my career in law enforcement.”

Lawal has worked as a certified nursing assistant at Amicus Homecare since 2013, earning Best Employee of the Month three times. He is a Foundation Camp Counselor, Fellowship Christian Athletes leader, Habitat for Humanity volunteer, and a Tour Guide for Grove Park Elementary. He won the Spirit Award as Brother 2 Brother Vice President at Georgia Highlands. In high school, he was Football Team Captain, a Spanish Club member, Track Leader and on the basketball team. In college, he was Debate Group Leader, a football team mascot, and earned a Who’s Who in American Junior Colleges Award.

“Faruq is the Vice President of our most active organization on campus, Brother 2 Brother, which is dedicated to the success of minority men on the college level,” wrote Jonathan Hershey, Georgia Highlands College Dean of Humanities. “He is also dedicated to helping others in the community. He has worked as a counselor at our summer camp for at-risk boys, Foundation Camp. More recently, he has organized an effort to create mentors for middle and high school students in the area. Faruq Lawal is a student that goes the distance in every area of his life as a student, on and off campus. He takes his learning seriously but he also touches many others in his efforts as a campus leader and community servant.”

Other scholarship winners include: Steven Carlton of Alabama; Lena Illig of Alaska; Kyle Hartsuck of Arizona; Erin Daly of Connecticut; Delaney Henderson of Florida; Austin Leggett of Illinois; Samantha Newby of Indiana; Revel Lewis IV and Erik Vokoun of Kentucky; Mason Averill, Blake Erickson, Ryan Ferguson, Jacob King, Jenna Klokkert, Austin Lynema and Victoria Gunst of Michigan; Alexis Hower of Nebraska; Philip Grella of New York; Evan Guin of Tennessee; Rankin DeRonde of Texas; and Michaela MacDonald of Wisconsin. In its 12th year, LEEP has awarded some $162,000 in Dream scholarships to students showing a demonstrated interest in public service/law enforcement careers. The non-profit public safety group’s scholarship program is made possible by a growing list of national supporters.

Visit www.leepusa.com for more information about LEEP programs.

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Law Enforcement Education Program Press Release          

For a limited time, the public and students at GHC can view exclusive art at the GHC Cartersville Library from the Booth Western Art Museum of Cartersville.

Attendees will get to see art and photography by Liz Gentry and Pat Stephenson.

Gentry explained that she has six photographs and one oil painting on display.

“The painting is called ‘Spring Break’ and it fits in with a school’s idea of spring break,” she said.  “It is of the Washington Monument and Reflection pool surrounded by Magnolias and Cherry Blossoms. My photos are ones inspired by flowers and critters. If you look at most of my photos, you will locate a little insect critter hiding or in plain view.”

Gentry stated that Stephenson is an “accomplished painter as well as a great photographer.”

“Some of her photographs will be composites of several photos taken from her other photos and arranged to create a work of Fine Art,” she said. “Her paintings reveal her love of family and of poetry.”

These works will remain on display until the end of September.

“We try to host a new exhibit each semester at our GHC Libraries, and we especially try to find local or regional artists to spotlight,” said Elijah Scott, GHC Dean of Libraries, College Testing, and Curriculum Innovation.

Scott explained that the Booth Western Art Museum is a Smithsonian-affiliated, 120,000 square foot facility located in downtown Cartersville, which is the second largest art museum in the state of Georgia.

The museum was formed in 2010 and now has over 180 members.

Additionally, there will be a reception for the public Thursday (Sept. 8) from 4:00-6:30pm at the GHC Cartersville Library. The photography is currently on display and can viewed for free during library hours. For more information on library hours, please visit: http://getlibraryhelp.highlands.edu/home

PICTURE: A GHC student visits a Booth Western Art Museum exhibit on the Rome campus last semester.

AS SEEN IN THE DAILY NEWS TRIBUNE: http://daily-tribune.com/newsx/item/6188-bartow-bio-dean-s-position-at-ghc-brought-ford-closer-to-home

Greg Ford finally got the chance to work closer to home last year.

Ford has lived in Cartersville for the past nine years and had been commuting daily to Atlanta, where he worked at Morehouse School of Medicine and was a faculty member at Morehouse College.

But in June of last year, he accepted the position of dean of natural sciences and physical education and associate professor at Georgia Highlands College’s Cartersville campus.

“My wife is a surgical technologist at the Cartersville Medical Center so we made Cartersville our home,” he said. “I have always had a desire to connect with the community where I live, and Georgia Highlands College was that opportunity. Since I’ve been at the college, I’ve had the privilege of working with great parents, students, teachers and administrators in Cartersville City Schools and Bartow County Schools systems.”

DTN: How long have you been at Georgia Highlands, and what other positions have you held there?

GF: I’ve been with Georgia Highlands College for a year and two months. I originally applied as an adjunct professor, but the class did not meet that semester. Soon after, this position became available.

DTN: What did you do before you came to Georgia Highlands, and what were your responsibilities?

GF: Prior to GHC, I was a faculty member in the biology department at Morehouse College. My teaching responsibilities included general biology, comparative anatomy and neurobiology. At the same time, I ran a research lab that focuses on understanding brain injury on the molecular level. I collaborated with my postdoctoral laboratory at Morehouse School of Medicine, which was run by my older brother, Dr. Byron Ford. We worked together on a project to test a new treatment for stroke, Neuregulin-1 (NRG). Our lab discovered that NRG could prevent brain damage following stroke, even when given up to 13 hours after the stroke. We then began to test this compound on other models of acute brain injury and discovered a host of other potential uses. As a result, we have formed a biotech company, Brain-Gen LLC, with the hope of translating our research findings into commercial use, and we have produced nine U.S. patents and three worldwide patents to date. We are currently developing a partnership with a biotech company to take NRG into clinical trials for stroke. NRG is currently in FDA-approved clinical trials for heart failure and was shown to improve cardiac function in patients. It is exciting to watch this program grow, and it will be amazing to see our work actually help a human patient of stroke and other disorders.

DTN: What do you see as the most pressing issues facing GHC, and what do you think can be done about them?

GF: The most pressing issue at GHC is managing our growth. We are a multi-site institution with five physical instructional sites in Floyd County/Rome, Cartersville, Dallas, Douglasville and Marietta as well as our online instructional site. We have to ensure that we have the infrastructure, facilities, faculty and staff to serve our students so that we don’t sacrifice quality for seats. As a leadership team for the college under the direction of our president, Dr. Don Green, we are keeping our fingers on the pulse of the college. We regularly meet to access growth by the numbers and work with our staff and campus deans to adjust course offerings to address this new demand. But beyond that, we talk to students, parents, community stakeholders and our team members to make certain we are making decisions that will ultimately improve student success and completion. We also want to ensure we are preparing students to transfer into four-year programs or to enter the workforce.

DTN: What do you think is/are the best thing(s) about the college?

GF: The best thing about GHC is the people. From the president to the administration, faculty, staff and students, we are truly a family. We are here for a common goal — to prepare students to live as productive members of a global society. I feel like I never truly have a bad day here. Even the challenging days are good days.

DTN: What kinds of changes would you like to see occur at the Cartersville campus in the next five years?

GF: What I would like to see is an expansion of our four-year degree offerings. GHC is a limited-access four-year college which primarily offers associate degrees. We currently offer bachelor degrees in programs including nursing, dental hygiene and business administration. I would like to see more opportunities for students in this region to complete their four-year degree here at GHC.

DTN: What trends or major changes do you see occurring in post-secondary education today, and what do you think about them?

GF: The biggest trend I see is that the term “traditional college student” is going away. With programs like Move On When Ready and adult learning programs, students are coming from all walks of life at different starting points to complete their degrees. Colleges are having to answer this call by offering more specialized courses, consider work experience for credit, look at policies dealing with minors on campus and offering more classes on nights and weekends for working people.

DTN: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

GF: I have a huge family. My maternal grandparents had 24 children, and my paternal grandparents had 14 children. Therefore, I have 36 aunts and uncles and over 100 first cousins. We are scattered all over the world so anywhere I go, there’s probably a relative there.

DTN: If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why would you want it?

GF: I’m a big X-Men fan, and I always thought Wolverine was the coolest so I want the power to regenerate, and I need that adamantium (metal bone coating).

DTN: How would you describe yourself in three words?

GF: Energetic, approachable and GREGarious.

DTN: What would the title of your autobiography be and why?

GF: It would be called “The Knee Baby: Look, I’m Down Here!” This kind of sums me up. The knee baby is a Southern term that means when there are four or more children, the one before the baby is the knee baby. You usually would see them with their arms wrapped around their mom’s knees while she holds the baby. You are not old enough for anything and too old to act like a baby. You get all the hand-me-down clothes while the baby gets new stuff. I think it made me have to speak up louder for myself and taught me to appreciate what I have. It taught me to be a follower to the older brothers and a leader to the younger brother. I think this position prepared me for leadership, and also, I have never seen a book about the knee baby when the middle child has their own syndrome.

DTN: What is the best advice you have ever received?

GF: “Take time to celebrate the wins.”

DTN: Do you have a bucket list, and if so, what is the one thing you most look forward to accomplishing?

GF: I want to do a Ted Talk, and I want to do a special interview with Oprah Winfrey.

GEORGIA HIGHLANDS COLLEGE SKIING/SNOWBOARDING COURSE

This experience is primarily designed to provide academic credit in Physical Education.

ALSO AVAILABLE FOR NON-CREDIT STUDENTS, FACULTY,

STAFF AND FRIENDS ON A CONTINUING EDUCATION BASIS

 January 2 – 6 2017

LEARNING ADVENTURE

                        INCLUDES:         5 Sessions of Skiing/Snowboarding (1 Night, 4 Days)

Unlimited Instruction with FRENCH-SWISS SKI COLLEGE

at Appalachian Ski Mtn.

Equipment:  Skis, Boots, Poles OR Snowboard/Boots

Slope Tickets

Lodging for 4 Nights, Super 8, Boone, N.C.

Text

MULTI-MOUNTAIN

                        INCLUDES:         5 Sessions of Skiing

1 Night/2 Days Appalachian Ski Mtn.,

2 Days Sugar Mountain

Instruction with FRENCH-SWISS SKI COLLEGE

at Appalachian Ski Mtn.

Equipment:  Skis, Boots, Poles OR Snowboard/Boots

Slope Tickets

Lodging  for 4 Nights, Super 8, Boone, N.C.

*COST PER PERSON:  SKIERS           SNOWBOARDERS            OWN EQUIPMENT

            4 Per Room                  $359                            $398                            $334

3 Per Room                  $384                            $423                            $359

2 Per Room                  $434                            $473                            $409

Single                        $584                            $623                            $559

Own Housing             $284                            $323                            $259

            *Payment In Full due by registration date.  ($135 of the fee is non-refundable).

Registration:     Deadline:  Tuesday,  Dec 5, 2016

*Continuing Education  students must pay cash or money order*

A student may enroll in this program for academic credit by registering with admissions for PHED 1420, Beginning Skiing/Snowboarding or PHED 1421, Intermediate Skiing/Snowboarding.  Credit is offered for Spring Semester 2017.

TRIP SIGN UP:    PE Office, Floyd Campus, Georgia Highlands College or

                          Student Life Office, Cartersville Campus or through Student Life at other campuses.          

CONTACT:     Georgia Highlands College

                      Dr. Ken Weatherman– Dept. of PHED– 706-295-6353 or 770-546-0585

                      email:  kweather@highlands.edu

AS SEEN IN THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS: http://daily-tribune.com/newsx/item/6155-pokemon-go-craze-hits-ghc-campus-in-cartersville

Seems like everyone is getting in on the Pokemon Go craze.

Students at Georgia Highlands College’s Cartersville campus are joining the fun this week by participating in the Pokemon Go Extravaganza.

Fifty Easter eggs have been hidden all over campus — 45 are normal plastic eggs with chocolate candies inside, and five are decorated like Pokeballs that can be traded for a prize.

“I actually got the idea from my alma mater, Berry College,” said Student Life Coordinator Clifton Puckett, who also oversees the student center. “I saw on Facebook they were doing a Pokemon Go event, so I reached out to their student activities staff, who directed me to Tonya Conway. She came up with the event and rules there and explained to me how they did it. They went all out there, but I took the main elements and catered it toward our campus.”

Puckett said the college is doing the Pokemon event, which started Monday and ends Friday or “until all the eggs are found,” in conjunction with a GHC scavenger hunt.

“The goal of the Pokemon and scavenger hunt is to get the students exploring the campus and engaging with their faculty staff,” he said. “Both events involve students asking faculty and staff members for help in completing the tasks.”

The regular eggs are “pretty out in the open,” Puckett said, but the Pokeballs involve a little more searching and may require help from faculty members, librarians or even the campus dean.

“Over the weekend, two of my student workers, Madison Harris and Nick Bennett, placed candy in Easter eggs and hid them all over campus,” he said. “Madison also decorated five of the eggs as Pokeballs and hid them a little more cleverly. They’ve been placed in major areas like the library student services hub, cafe and bookstore, but some require the student to interact with the faculty or staff member there in order to get the Pokeball.”

Students who find the Pokeballs can bring them to the student life office to receive a GHC prize.

“We considered doing Pokemon prizes, but we decided to keep the prizes GHC-related in order to build some school spirit and better engagement,” Puckett said. “The prizes range from a GHC T-shirt to a GHC flash drive.”

So far, the Pokemon hunt is going well, Puckett said.

“We just started today [Monday], and I’ve noticed some of the regular eggs are gone, but all five Pokeballs are still out there [as of late Monday afternoon],” he said. “Students seemed very excited when we told them we were doing this, and they seem to like the twist we put on it.”

He also said he thinks the college is having a lot of participation.

“We had over two dozen students turn in completed scavenger-hunt sheets, so I think we’ll get a lot for the Pokemon Go event,” he said. “Students seem to love an activity that requires them to explore the campus.”

Georgia Highlands College recently honored its faculty and staff from each of its campuses for the 2015-2016 academic year at its annual in-service meeting.

The 2016 awards and recipients were:

Outstanding Administrator Award — Virginia Siler

This award is designed for administrators who consistently project a positive image and who serve the college above and beyond the call of duty. This award recognizes an administrator who actively contributes to the success of the college and his or her staff. Virginia Siler is the Vice President for Human Resources.

Vivian Benton Award — Jonathan Twilley

This award is designed for staff members who consistently project a positive image and who serve the college above and beyond the call of duty. This award recognizes a staff member who actively contributes to the success of the college. Jonathan Twilley is the Building Maintenance Supervisor.

Community Involvement Award — Travice Obas (Faculty), Terri Cavender (Staff)

This award is designed to recognize individuals who significantly impact our community. This award recognizes a staff member who demonstrates a passion for making a difference by sharing their spirit, positive attitude and time with others. Travice Obas is an Associate Professor of Communications. Terri Cavendar is the Human Resources Manager.

Employee of the Year – Sharryse Henderson

This award is designed to recognize individuals who consistently support the mission and goals of the institution by routinely demonstrating our shared values and supports an environment of excellence. Sharryse Henderson is an Associate Professor.

Department of the Year — Advancement Division

This award is designed to recognize the department which consistently supports the mission and goals of the institution by routinely demonstrating our shared values and supports and supports an environment of excellence. The Advancement Division includes Public Relations and Marketing, Alumni Relations, GHC Print Shop, Digital Media Services, and the GHC Foundation, Inc.

PICTURE: GHC Associate Professor of Education Sherry Green

Georgia Highlands College students now have the opportunity to transfer into an online completion program provided by the University of Georgia’s College of Education.

According to UGA’s Amber Atkinson, the program coordinator, the online Bachelor of Science in Special Education from UGA is “the only online B.S.Ed. in the Southeast.”

It is a unique opportunity for those who seek a degree and certification to teach Special Education General Curriculum for preschool through 12th grade students with mild disabilities, she explained. The program is designed for transfer students with associate degrees as well as career-changers looking to enter the high-need field of special education.

“GHC already has an online associate degree option with a transfer pathway in education, particularly middle grades education. The online components of that program are excellent preparation for the work in the online B.S. Ed. from UGA,” GHC Dean of eLearning Diane Langston said. “In addition, students attending face-to-face can opt to take some online courses at GHC as part of their transfer pathways in education to prepare for this online completion program.  The following education course are required: EDUC 2110, 2120, and 2130, all part of the education pathway.”

GHC Associate Professor of Education Sherry Green said she is glad there is renewed interest in offering more for students who wish to pursue a focus in special education.

“For many years, special education has been a critical shortage field in education,” she said. “While the state legislature has more recently provided stipends for educators who teach in STEM areas, special education has not benefited from such support. Special education has lagged behind STEM areas. In Georgia, colleges and universities that boasted of special education degree programs in the 80s and 90s began to transition their programs to the federally mandated and state advocated inclusion model and many programs were phased out and replaced with different models.”

Green went on, “GHC’s collaboration with UGA will expand 4-year program options for our students and ultimately increase the pool of special educators available to teach our special population of K-12 students in the state of Georgia.”

In order to be accepted into the program, students must complete their associate degree with GHC, have a 3.0 GPA or higher and have a passing score on the GACE. The fully online program at UGA prepares students to apply for initial T-4 certification to teach General Curriculum Special Education in Georgia.

“We are grateful for the confidence that the University of Georgia has shown in GHC’s two-year education programs and elated that they chose us for collaboration on this initiative,” said Green, who retired as a Special Education Administrator with the Cherokee County School System before joining GHC. “I believe this partnership is a testament to the quality of our education programs, and the willingness of our faculty and administration to eliminate barriers our students experience and provide possibilities so that they can succeed in achieving their dreams.”

For more information about starting your journey toward this degree, please visit http://highlands.edu

To learn more about this program, please visit http://coe.uga.edu/csse

Georgia Highlands College has announced students named to the 2016 summer President’s List and Dean’s List. To achieve President’s List status, students must earn a 4.0 grade point average and attain a minimum of nine semester hours of credit.  To make Dean’s List students must complete a minimum of nine semester hours and achieve at least a 3.5 average.

The following students were named to the President’s List for summer semester (by county):

BARTOW   

Sondra Chasteen, Cartersville

Joy Garrison, Kingston

Katrin Gomisch, Cartersville

Andrea Hague, Cartersville

April Hall, Cartersville

Bethany Harmon, Cartersville

Emilee Hoerl, Cartersville

Kimberly Holland, Cartersville

Zachary Middleton, Cartersville

David Moseley, Cartersville

Biury Reyes, Cartersville

Troy Weaver, White

CARROLL  

Marie Elie, Villa Rica

Alania Henderson, Bowdon

Cindy Morris, Carrollton

Jill Murphy, Waco

CHATHAM  

Christina Kuhaneck, Savannah

CHATTOOGA  

Brandy Smith, Summerville

CHEROKEE

Amber Belanger, Acworth

Shannon Biddy, Woodstock

Tyler Blackwell, Woodstock

Cheryse Carter, Canton

Karla Castilla, Woodstock

Carol Kendrick, Canton

Bentley Knox, Canton

Kala Mann, Canton

Shawn Mohr, Acworth

Zashia Simpson, Canton

Megan Vaughan, Ball Ground

COBB  

Sarah Beno, Marietta

Debra Brown, Powder Springs

Thomas Galvin, Marietta

Olivia Lauzon, Kennesaw

Teresa Mack, Marietta

Kendall Maltby, Kennesaw

Joao Pestana Aguiar, Kennesaw

Kimberly Ramey, Powder Springs

Kaitlin Slicker, Acworth

Tyesha Turner, Kennesaw

Alexis Watkins, Acworth

COWETA  

Denise Landon, Newnan

DADE

Amy Massey, Trenton

DOUGLAS  

Matthew Alford, Douglasville

Joshua Dickerson, Douglasville

Christopher Eidson, Douglasville

Celisa Johns, Temple

Connor Knotts, Douglasville

Lacey Turner, Douglasville

FLOYD  

Riley Benter, Rome

Emilee Brussee, Rome

Annaliese Clevenger, Rome

Kinslee Clevenger, Rome

Abel Cruz, Rome

Rebekah Davis, Rome

Emily George, Rome

Amber Hubbard, Rome

Rebecca Lansdell, Armuchee

Andrew Mathis, Rome

Chanda Wood, Lindale

FULTON  

Jacob Barron, Dallas

Christina Hampton, Atlanta

Nicole Stewart, Alpharetta

GORDON  

Britney Perry, Calhoun

Sara Pruitt, Rydal

GWINNETT  

Kellie Brooks, Lawerenceville

HARALSON  

Elizabeth Ceballos, Temple

MADISON

Emily Poston, Commerce

PAULDING 

Caitlyn Anderson, Hiram

Cady Atcheson, Hiram

Christopher Balkema, Acworth

Andrea Baskin, Temple

Madison Brooks, Dallas

Rebecca Clark, Hiram

Brian Copeland, Hiram

Shyla Crenshaw, Dallas

Jeanne Day, Hiram

Cason Galeazzo, Dallas

Stacey Holcomb, Rockmart

Andrea Kuykendoll, Dallas

Emilie Mccarthy, Dallas

Jessica Schwartz, Rockmart

Logan Seville, Dallas

Caitlin deVarennes, Dallas

PICKENS  

Joshua Smith, Jasper

POLK  

Maria Burch, Rockmart

April Couch, Cedartown

Jennifer Farrior, Aragon

Lauren Lackey, Cedartown

Savannah Moats, Cedartown

Nayali Porter, Cedartown

RICHMOND  

Nishala Rankins, Augusta

WALKER  

Abby Core, Lookout Mountain

The following students were named to the Dean’s List (by county):

CHEROKEE  

Jaecy Nicholson, Centre, AL

BARTOW  

Kensy Adcock, Cartersville

Scott Durbrow, Cartersville

Beth Henderson, Rydal

John Hood, Cartersville

Cortney Kiser, Cartersville

Markethia Leonard, Cartersville

Jessica Lummus, Cartersville

Carmen Peeler, Adairsville

Ashley Pottinger, Kingston

Christopher Rhodes, Cartersville

Amanda Romano, Kingston

Samantha Seckinger, Cartersville

Wilson Tetuh, Cartersville

Christian Thomas, Cartersville

Jacelyn Wells, Cartersville

CARROLL  

Bradley Gregory, Villa Rica

Donna Marsh, Carrollton

CHATTOOGA 

Janet Johnson, Lyerly

Brett Teems, Summerville

Carolina Wright, Menlo

CHEROKEE  

Lauren Anderson, Canton

Kaitlyn Bourassa, Canton

Jordan Harris, Woodstock

Jonathan Hartness, Woodstock

Joseph Myers, Woodstock

Parker Shortell, Canton

Brandi Whitmer, Canton

Nathaly Zelaya, Canton

COBB

Phillip Adler, Kennesaw

Mary Borders, Marietta

James Fleming, Kennesaw

Shana Henry, Kennesaw

Amanda Howard, Marietta

Alyssa Mcveigh, Acworth

Tochukwu Nwokike, Mableton

Stephanie Perrone, Marietta

Danielle Shiver, Marietta

Erin Tinnell, Acworth

Brady Wells, Marietta

DEKALB  

Dana Bergman, Atlanta

William Gibbons, Lithonia

Mira Khiyayeva, Atlanta

FLOYD  

Anna Black, Rome

Brittany Carroll, Rome

Jennifer Googe, Cave Spring

Emily Hall, Aragon

Brandi Jones, Rome

FULTON  

Danielle Catalano, Atlanta

Daniella Jordan, Atlanta

GORDON  

Tiffany Chastain, Fairmount

Devon Clayton, Calhoun

Regina Mcleod, Calhoun

Brian Rapp, Calhoun

Melissa Wyatt, Fairmount

PAULDING  

Magee Adjaho, Acworth

Ansleigh Cash, Douglasville

Madison Rhodes, Acworth

Grace Roper, Dallas

Carleigh Vann, Dallas

POLK 

Mandy Gable, Rockmart

Guadalupe Zarate, Cedartown

Twenty-one new full-time faculty from varying educational experiences and backgrounds joined Georgia Highlands College this semester.

“GHC has such a wonderful, diverse faculty, who are focused on our students and their goals, and we are very excited to add even more talented educators to our dynamic teaching force,” GHC President Don Green said. “Our faculty works hard to make education relevant and accessible to all our students. We are excited to continue growing our faculty with that aim.”

New full-time faculty include:

Tracy Kight earned her mathematics education master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University. She joins GHC as an instructor of mathematics.

William Avery is a graduate of Jacksonville State University, where he earned his master’s degree in English. He is an alumnus of the college and now joins GHC as an instructor of English.

Banhi Nandi joins GHC as an instructor of biology. She received her master’s degree in zoology from Kalyani University in India.

GHC alumna Kristin Baumann is working to complete her master’s degree in public health management at Augusta University. She is an instructor of dental hygiene.

Jason Christian holds a master’s in biology from the University of Central Arkansas. He is an instructor of biology.

Mackleen Desravines is an instructor of English. Mackleen holds two master’s degrees: a master’s in business administration from Argosy University and a master’s in professional writing from Kennesaw State University.

Randy Green is an assistant professor of political science and criminal justice. He holds a Master Degree in Public Administration from Jacksonville State University.

David Hensley holds a PhD in history from Pennsylvania State University. He is an assistant professor of history.

Carol Hoban earned her Doctorate of Philosophy in Biology from Georgia State University with a focus on Cellular Molecular Biology and Physiology. She is an assistant professor of biology.

Jonathan Howard joins GHC as an instructor of physical education. He received his Master of Science in Applied Exercise and Health Science from Kennesaw State University.

Jeremiah Kastine has his Master of Science in Mathematics from Georgia State University. He joins GHC as an instructor of mathematics.

Sheila Kaylor is an assistant professor of nursing education. She earned her Doctor of Education from Lindenwood University.

Erin Kingston joins GHC as an instructor of chemistry. She holds a Master of Science from Northeastern University.

Juliet Kozee is an instructor of English. She received her master’s in English from Northwestern State University.

Mohan Naidu received his master’s in computer science from SouthWest Texas State University. He joins GHC as an instructor of computer science.

Kimberly Subacz holds a Master of Science in Wildlife Science from Auburn University. She is an instructor of biology.

Willie Todd has his PhD in English from Georgia State University. He also holds two master’s degrees in education: one in secondary English education from Albany State University and one in student affairs from Regent University. He is an assistant professor of English.

Giselle Tucker is an assistant professor of political science who is working toward her PhD in political science at Georgia State University. She currently holds a Master of Public Policy Administration from Jacksonville State University.

Shea Walker is a licensed registered nurse. Her license is granted by the Georgia Board of Nursing and the Pennsylvania Board of Nursing.  She also holds a Master of Science in Nursing Education from Pennsylvania State University. She is an instructor of nursing education.

Jayme Wheeler is an instructor of mathematics. She earned her master’s in teaching secondary mathematics from Kennesaw State University.

Misty Wright is a registered nurse in Georgia and holds a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of West Georgia. She has worked as a staff nurse in several locations, including WellStar Towne Lake Urgent Care in Woodstock. She joins GHC as an instructor of nursing education.

Georgia Highlands College is kicking off the new academic year with four days of fun activities to welcome students back to campus next week.

During the Week of Welcome, students at the Cartersville campus can enjoy a different event each day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the main academic building near the library stairs.

“We do a Week of Welcome — or WOW, as we abbreviate — as a way to immediately engage the students into the college,” Student Center Director/Student Life Coordinator Clifton Puckett said. “When students are engaged with the culture of their college, they’re more likely to not only stay in that institution but are more successful as well.”

The schedule for the week is: Monday, 60-second caricature artist Adam Pate; Tuesday, grassy potter; Wednesday, Button Blast; and Thursday, Team M&M face painters and balloon artists.

“Student response has always been great,” Puckett said. “The Button Blast is always very popular, and I think this year the 60-second caricature artist will be as well.”

During the Button Blast, students can have a custom 2.5-inch badge button made.

“We have pre-made images printed out that the student chooses, and then we cut out the image and press it into the button,” Puckett said. “They’re usually sports teams, GHC logos and pop-culture themes. Last year, Doctor Who and Harry Potter were very popular, as were emojis. This year, we’re adding more emojis and Pokemon, as well as more pop culture.”

For the grassy potter event, the college will provide small planting pots, potting soil and seeds from various plants for the students, Puckett said.

“They pot the soil and plants there, then take them home,” he said. “In a few weeks, if they bring them back to us and the plant has grown, we give a GHC giveaway like a shirt, lanyard, sunglasses or thumb drive.”

Team M&M is a “duo that comes in every year and does face painting and temporary tattoos for the students, as well balloon animals,” Puckett said.

WOW participation “has been very high” for the past two years, according to Puckett.

“Last year, we averaged about 100 each day, and this year, with our projected enrollment growth, I imagine we’ll see the same, if not more,” he said. “It also depends on the event. Last year, we had 142 students participate in the Button Blast and 100 participate in a company that came in and made custom street signs.”

Puckett said WOW is held the first week of fall and spring semesters each year, but he doesn’t know when the tradition started.

“I’m not 100 percent sure on the exact number [of years], but this is my sixth year at GHC, and we’ve done it every year that I’ve been here,” he said.

For spring semester, he said he’s already scheduled a tie-dye event and Button Blast.

Please visit your Student Life Office on your specific campus for more information on the Week of Welcome events near you.

AS SEEN IN THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS: http://daily-tribune.com/newsx/item/6038-ghc-greets-students-with-week-of-welcome-events