Georgia Highlands College (GHC) student Matthew Perry, of Paulding County, has won this year’s Leadership Award during the 49^th annual GHC Honors Night, which was presented via livestream on April 22.

“The Leadership Award is sort of the pinnacle of the awards night – it’s presented by the president, it’s saved for the last presentation and the winner of the award is voted on by the Student Affairs Committee,” Coordinator of Cocurricular and Transitions Programs for Student Life Clifton Puckett said. “We look for students who exemplify positive leadership skills both on campus and in the community, while also maintaining high grades.”

Perry, who resides in Dallas and attends classes both online and at the Cartersville site, has expressed leadership abilities while being active in registered student organizations Brother 2 Brother as well as the Student Government Association.

Students are nominated for the award by faculty and staff. Other nominees for the Leadership Award were Joria Brooks, Kimberly Lyons and Karen Rogers.

The Leadership Award is one of three major awards in addition to the Steve Burns Service Award and the GHC Spirit Award. Only these three awards are voted on by the Student Affairs Committee as nominated by faculty and staff.

In total, 45 students received awards ranging from outstanding accomplishments in computer science to athletics.

“A new award this year that I thought was a great addition was the Leadership in Undergraduate Research award, which awarded two students who have really led the research going on at Lake Allatoona,” Puckett said. “While we’re not designated a research school, I believe that anything we can give back to the community in the field of research is a boon to the school and the community.”

The event featured faculty and staff speaking about the efforts and abilities of students who received awards.

“All of our students at GHC are special, but those being honored tonight are truly outstanding in particular disciplines or fields and we are so proud that these students have been able to excel,” GHC President Don Green said.

You can watch a recording of the ceremony here and can view the digital flipbook here.

Georgia Highlands College (originally Floyd Junior College in 1970) had a single graduate at the end of its founding year. The first commencement ceremony was in 1971 with GHC’s first president, David McCorkle, and the dean, Wesley Walraven, presiding over the small event in the president’s office on the Floyd campus.

As a special return to the tradition of on-campus commencements, GHC will host the upcoming 2021 graduation ceremony outside at the Floyd campus on Thursday, May 13.

Three separate ceremonies will take place throughout the day. Ceremonies begin at 10AM and 6PM, with the nursing pinning/commencement ceremony beginning at 3PM.

The ceremonies will be held outdoors on the GHC Floyd Campus, located at 3175 Cedartown Highway in Rome. Due to limited seating, attendance will be limited to graduates and four guests per graduate.

GHC ID and/or guest passes are required to enter the venue area. For those who cannot attend in person, livestreams of the ceremonies will be available at highlands.edu and on GHC’s social media channels.

More information can be found on the commencement ceremony page regarding details, directions and campus guidelines.

Regent T. Dallas Smith will bring greetings from the Board of Regents and give the commencement address during the 6PM ceremony.

T. Dallas Smith is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at T. Dallas Smith & Company. He leads all new business development initiatives. His role includes overseeing all brokerage affairs related to the company and providing chief liaison services to key clients.

Dallas, a Georgia State University alumnus, is the Chair of the Real Estate Committee at his alma mater. He also serves on the boards of the Council for Quality Growth and Atlanta Commercial Board of REALTORS. He has been awarded numerous honors including Atlanta Most Admired CEO in 2017, Atlanta Commercial Board of REALTORS’ Realtor of the Year in 2018, and Empire Board of Realists Broker of the Year in 2018.

University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley has named Dr. Dana Nichols as interim president of Georgia Highlands College, effective July 7, 2021. Dr. Nichols is currently the college’s chief academic officer and provost.

She will succeed President Don Green, who has accepted a new position as president of Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Nichols has served in her current role since August 2018. Among other duties, she supervises the deans in each academic area including Health Sciences, STEM, Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, Business and Professional Studies and Libraries and Testing, as well directors for the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, Enrollment Management and Student Support Services.

“Dr. Nichols’ experience and knowledge of Georgia Highlands College make her an excellent choice as the college continues to focus on student success and degree attainment for the communities it serves,” USG Chancellor Steve Wrigley said. “She understands how important GHC’s mission is, and I’m grateful for her leadership.”

Nichols previously worked as vice president for academic affairs at Chattanooga State Community College. She began her academic career at Gainesville State College, serving first as a tutor in the Foreign Language and Writing Labs and then as associate professor of both English and Spanish.

A native of northeast Georgia, Nichols has also served as assistant vice president and dean of Academic Affairs at Lanier Technical College. She earned a doctorate in English from Georgia State University, dual bachelor’s degrees in English and Spanish from Mercer University and two associate degrees from Gainesville College.

“I am so honored to assume the role of interim president at GHC,” Nichols said. “With the support of a great team of faculty and staff, we will not only continue GHC’s tradition of providing the type of student-centered, quality and affordable education and training opportunities that we are known for, but we will also expand our innovative curriculum and outreach efforts together with our partners in industry and K12 education.”

In her role as provost, Nichols has been focused on retention and graduation efforts at GHC with a strong commitment to student success strategies, creating new degree programs and certificates that complement local workforce needs and pursuing strategic scheduling across GHC’s five locations in Rome, Cartersville, Dallas, Douglasville and Marietta

The Georgia Highlands College greenhouse at the Cartersville site has been used for classes, research, and even as a source of fresh produce for the Charger Food Pantry. Recently, GHC faculty, staff, and students from the student group Green Highlands came together to upgrade the area.

Work included cleaning and weeding the beds, repairing and expanding the fence surrounding the outdoor gardens and planting some of the seedlings that were previously planted indoors.

Additionally, this year, volunteers installed solar panels to the structure that can be used to supply power to ventilation fans.

Brandy Rogers, who serves as assistant professor of biology as well as faculty advisor for Green Highlands, said more improvements are planned for the greenhouse, such as implementing functional windows that can be opened to increase air flow.

“This greenhouse is one of many tools that we in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) have in our toolbox to provide hands-on, high-quality instruction to our students,” Biology Chair Jason Christian said. “We will continue to update and improve the structure and surrounding area as our needs for instruction change.”

Constructed in 2016, the greenhouse lends itself to numerous uses in addition to classroom and laboratory activities. For example, many people who have been involved take away skills to grow their own garden at home.

Green Highlands, which promotes a healthy lifestyle with an emphasis on well-being and environmental concerns, has played a role in helping with some of the day-to-day activities at the greenhouse and surrounding areas, like weeding and watering as well as harvesting vegetables to donate to the Charger Food Pantry or to distribute to students directly. The organization is also growing flowers such as zinnias, sunflowers and marigolds that attract pollinators, feed birds and enhance the aesthetic appeal of the garden.

Five Georgia Highlands College students representing three teams and three different business ideas scored enough overall points to win the first East-West Innovation Bowl against Sierra Nevada University on April 16.

Lance Philp, of Dallas, presented his plan for a communication application, which coordinated various suppliers and expedited a construction project; Erica Wittenbrook and Brea Wells, both of Acworth, presented  their idea, titled Allfull, which is a unique method of dispensing hard-to-reach products like peanut butter; and Tynasia Bunting, a guard on the GHC women’s Chargers basketball team from Newport News, Va., and Tommy Sullivan, of Rome, presented their idea for a revolutionary, fast-acting anti-cramping rub-on gel that incorporates THC to help relieve pain in athletes and other demographics.

Sierra Nevada University’s Mateo de las Heras won on an individual score for presenting the idea of an interchangeable athletic shoe sole.

Both Sierra Nevada University and GHC will be presented with a trophy.

The event, held virtually, followed the same format as the Charger Innovation Challenge. Similar to the popular television series “Shark Tank,” teams presented their ideas using an elevator pitch followed by questions from the judges.

Judging criteria for the event included the innovation and uniqueness of the presenters’ ideas as well as feasibility, market potential, revenue streams and other factors indicative of the potential success of an idea.

“We’re helping students to get involved in initiatives that replicate real-world conditions and I thought it would be great to have GHC students compete against students from another college in a different part of the country with a different demographic,” GHC’s Pat Manna said.

Manna is currently the Executive Advisor to Alan Nichols, who serves as Dean for Innovation and Curriculum for GHC’s School of Social Sciences and Education. He has also served as a curriculum advisor with GHC’s School of Business and Professional Studies.

Assistant Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management Lucinda Montgomery facilitated the livestream for the event and both she and Manna have spent many hours working with SNU to develop judging rubrics and behind the scenes initiatives to help bring the East-West Innovation Bowl to life.

Manna said the event was a success because it provided students platform to showcase their abilities to critically think and to show their innovative ideas.

Manna added that the intent of the East-West Innovation Bowl and the Charger Innovation Challenge is not to substitute for any classroom-based assignment, but to expose students of various backgrounds and majors to individuals working in the field of business and entrepreneurship.

“What we’re finding out is it’s not enough to graduate a student and hand them a diploma and say, ‘you’re on your own,’” Manna said. “Through these competitions we integrate real-world practitioners as judges, as mentors and as coaches with these teams to help them prepare and that begins a relationship that can lead to possible internships, interviews and employment. It’s a very experiential process.”

The Charger Innovation Challenge will be held Wednesday, April 21, from 12PM to 3PM. The event will be livestreamed on YouTube.

Inspired by the Charger Innovation Challenge (CIC), Georgia Highlands College (GHC) and Sierra Nevada University (SNU) will partner to present the virtual East-West Innovation Bowl (EWIB) on April 16.

The EWIB will follow the same format as the CIC. Similar to the popular television series “Shark Tank,” teams will present their ideas using an elevator pitch followed by questions from the judges.

Instead of asking students to create a business or marketing plan, one of the primary objectives will be for teams to identify a void in the marketplace or a need that could be filled by an innovative product or service.

The East-West Innovation Bowl Friday will be livestreamed on YouTube on April 16 from 3-5PM. The competition will be judged by faculty and SNU/GHC Mentors: https://youtu.be/w08BMpxLR2Y

Students will have 3-5 minutes to share information about their idea in a live pitch, then they will the respond to questions from judges for up to 5 minutes.

Judging Criteria includes: Innovation/Uniqueness, Feasibility, Market Potential, Customer segments, Value proposition, Products and services, Revenue streams, Channels, Key resources, Cost structure, Content and Presentation and a Business Model Canvas

GHC’s Pat Manna came up with the idea for CIC and EWIB based on the Bulldog Business Bowl he created while teaching at the Citadel, the military college of South Carolina. Both are non-academic exercises and innovative ideas can come from anyone of any background.

Manna is currently the Executive Advisor to Alan Nichols, who serves as Dean for Innovation and Curriculum for GHC’s School of Social Sciences and Education. Over the past year, he has also worked as a curriculum advisor with GHC’s School of Business and Professional Studies.

“Pat has been on a mission to bring experiential learning to students across the United States,” Assistant Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management Lucinda Montgomery said. “The East-West Innovation Bowl is a natural progression of finding ways for GHC students to connect to other higher education institutions.”

Both Montgomery and Manna have spent many hours working with SNU to develop judging rubrics and behind the scenes initiatives to bring this competition to GHC. Through Manna’s business contacts with other institutions, the East-West Innovation Bowl was created.

Montgomery said by exposing students to a wide variety of cultural backgrounds and businesses they learn and experience diversity, equity and inclusion from a business perspective.

“The overall goal is to make the East-West Innovation Bowl a staple for GHC students,” Montgomery said. “Although the CIC and the EWIB are a collaboration between the School of Business and Professional Studies and the School of Social Sciences and Education, the hope is that other schools will see the value-added proposition for students from any pathway.”

Georgia Highlands College’s (GHC) upcoming Spring Virtual Career Fair will feature more than 20 local employers with career options in healthcare, finance and more. The event is free and open to the public and available via Zoom on April 15, 2021.

While the event will be held virtually, Director of Student Support Services Angie Wheelus said the career fair will feature various rooms and remain similar to an in-person format.

“If the participant wants to have someone review their resume, or practice their interview skills, they can choose the ‘Resume Doctor’ or ‘Mock Interview’ room before meeting our visiting employers,” Wheelus said. “When ready, participants can meet with employers individually in breakout sessions and prepare for their interviews.”

When a participant joins the Spring Virtual Career Fair in Zoom, they will be welcomed by several members of GHC’s Student Support Services team to introduce the event. Participants are encouraged to turn on their camera and dress professionally, as participation in the career fair could lead to a job offer.

“Attending a virtual event like a Career Fair can be intimidating, but we want to encourage our students, alumni and the general public to come meet with these local employers who are interested in adding to their workforce,” Wheelus said.

The event will be held on Thursday, April 15, from 10AM to 2PM. It will be hosted via Zoom at https://highlands.zoom.us/j/94525290719. The passcode is: 587574

For more information, visit GHC’s Online Career Center at www.collegecentral.com/highlands or email Megan Conner at mconner@highlands.edu

Georgia Highlands College President Don Green has accepted a new position as president of Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

“President Green’s outstanding work has emphasized student success both in the classroom and in the workforce, helping GHC expand its degree programs and carry out its mission as an access point to higher education,” University System of Georgia (USG) Chancellor Steve Wrigley said. “Don has been an excellent leader who helped GHC positively impact the communities it serves and set an example that will benefit the college and students for years to come. I will miss him as a colleague and am grateful for his service to the system and Georgia.”

USG’s Board of Regents named Green as the fourth president of GHC in September 2014. Prior to his work at GHC, he served as the vice president for extended and international operations and dean of the College of Professional and Technological Studies at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. He was also academic dean for Davenport University, and he had his own firm advising corporations, governmental organizations, and educational institutions on training and education.

During his tenure at GHC, Green oversaw success coach initiatives and concentrated strategic planning in the areas of recruitment, retention, and increased marketing, which led to higher retention rates and significant enrollment growth. Green also expanded GHC’s degree offerings with multiple new associate and bachelor’s degrees created to meet the need for many local rapidly growing career fields.

Green’s leadership helped increase GHC’s economic impact to over $181 million. In addition to significant increases to the college’s foundation and student scholarship opportunities, he also oversaw the addition of a 52,000-square foot academic building focused on STEAM-based (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) areas of study.

With the announcement of Green’s departure, the Board will discuss next steps for the position of GHC president.

Georgia Highlands College’s (GHC) Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) chapter Alpha Psi Omicron has many reasons to be excited this semester.

Several members of the organization have been placed in competition for the All-USA Academic Team, Coca-Cola Academic Team and the New Century Pathway Scholarship Awards.

Those students are Dariela Delgado-Castro and Carl Hayes, who attend classes at the Marietta site; Brittany Skeen, who attends classes at the Paulding site; and Karen Rogers, who attends classes at the Rome location.

Because of their nomination selection for the All-USA Team, these students are also recognized as a member of the All-Georgia Academic Team and will receive an All-Georgia medallion and certificate to commemorate this honor.

This year the traditional All-Georgia Academic Team Awards Luncheon in Atlanta will not be held in person. Instead, the All-Georgia Academic Team was acknowledged during the awards program of the virtual PTK Spring Regional Conference on March 20 and will again be acknowledged at the GHC Awards Night ceremony via Zoom on April 22 at 6 PM.

The organization received numerous accolades during this month’s Spring Regional Conference, including Five Star Status and being elected the new Regional Vice-Presidential Chapter, putting the chapter charge of the Fall 2021 Regional Conference.

The chapter’s vice president of membership and Student Government Association representative Heather Choate, who lives in Cartersville and attends classes on the Cartersville site, said while COVID changed how the organization provided community outreach, it did not detract from PTK’s goals and output.

“We knew our research on financial literacy, the Goodwill donations and the community Halloween Movie drive-in were important projects to serve the community,” Choate said. “We stayed in constant contact weekly and maintained motivation through emails, text and zoom meetings.”

She said the support of PTK officers and the camaraderie shared by members has created a foundation for the organization. Choate said while she is humbled by the numerous chapter awards, it is also great for the chapter to be recognized for their efforts.

“The PTK community has inspired me to go beyond my academic excellence to character excellence,” Choate said. “Our team is pretty phenomenal, and the multiple awards reflect PTK’s Five Star Chapter Status.”

Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for two-year colleges.

PTK Spring Regional Conference Awards:

Distinguished Chapter Officer Team

Distinguished Honors in Action Issue Award Theme 1-The Heir of Our Ways, First Runner-Up

Distinguished Chapter Officer Honorable Mention for Carl Hayes

Janet M. Walker Spirit of Phi Theta Kappa Award for Carl Hayes

Georgia Hall of Honor, First Runner-Up for Juan Jimenez-Padilla

Sarah Anne Staples Award First Runner-Up for Dariela Delgado Castro

Distinguished Chapter Member, First Runner-up for Heather Choate

Horizon Advisor Award for advisors Betsy Fleming, Julie Kozee, Vincent Manatsa, Greg Smith and Karen Huggin

Five-Star Chapter Status; REACH Award

Regional Vice-Presidential Chapter and will be in charge of the Fall 2021 Regional Conference.

Georgia Highlands College’s student newspaper, the Six Mile Post (SMP), won three first-place awards from the Southern Regional Press Institute (SRPI) and a first-place award from the Georgia College Press Association (GCPA).

From the SRPI, the SMP brought home first-place awards for Best Website, Best Opinion or Editorial in the Editorial category and Best Podcast or Internet Streamed Show as well as Best Campus Community Service-Sports for the GCPA.

“This year’s staff has only met in person one time this year and has still managed to produce quality, award-winning work that rivals previous years,” SMP Faculty Advisor and Assistant Professor of Journalism and Communications Allison Hattaway said. “These students have covered history and covered it well – from COVID-19 to stink bugs to the 2020 election.”

Julia Belew, who served as SMP Editor-in-Chief from August 2020 to February 2021, said she felt lucky to be surrounded such talented writers at the SMP. For example, Belew cited the work of managing editor Lily Chesnut.

“Their pieces portrayed real journalism and I am so glad they got the recognition they deserved,” Belew said. “I am also proud of winning first place for Best Opinion or Editorial for our unsigned ‘Let’s get down with pronouns’ piece.”

The SRPI judges noted “bold, clear and unapologetic position on a widely discussed and misunderstood topic” for the newspaper’s editorial titled “Let’s get down with pronouns” and cited individual reporters’ data-driven, creative and eye-opening stories.

Current Editor-in-Chief Olivia Fortner, who is majoring in the Bachelor of Business Administration program, said she is very proud of all the staffers at SMP. Due to COVID, the routine of writers and contributors meeting in person to discuss current events and campus news has been put on hold.

The SMP has been working remotely and communicating through Zoom, which creates a daunting scenario for students who are taking on the challenge of covering campus news in addition to their responsibilities inside and outside of the classroom.

“Because of these changes, our staff is much smaller than it has been in recent years,” Fortner said. “However, I am not surprised that we received these awards because I have witnessed, firsthand, the hard work and dedication all the staff have put in to maintain excellence.”

Taking on multiple roles had staffers and GHC journalism students like Brandon Dyer receiving awards for both writing and photography. Dyer won a second-place award for photography, as well as a second-place award for Best Column.

“The column that I wrote with my Sports Editor at the time, Bradley Singh, is one of my favorite pieces I have published for the Six Mile Post,” Dyer said.

The Six Mile Post team won the following awards:

Southern Regional Press Institute Awards

Staff Awards

Best Website – 1^st Place

Best Opinion or Editorial – 1^st Place

Best Opinion or Editorial – 2^nd Place

Individual Awards

Best Podcast or Internet Streamed Show – 1^st Place – Austin Williams and Kimberly Lyons

Best News Story – 2^nd place – Lily Chestnut

Best Features Story – 2^nd place – Lily Chestnut

Best Features Story – 3^rd Place – Michelle Hardin

Best Opinion or Editorial – 3^rd Place – Alexis Johnson

Best Sports Story – 2^nd Place – Trevin Wade

Best News Photography – 2^nd Place – Jackson Morris and Olivia Fortner

Best News Photography – 3^rd Place – Jackson Morris

Best Features Photography – 3^rd Place – Olivia Fortner

Georgia College Press Association Awards

Staff Awards

Best Campus Community Service – Sports – 1^st place

Best Campus Community Service – News – 3^rd Place

Best Photo Essay – 3^rd Place

Best Website – 3^rd Place

General Photography Excellence – 3^rd Place

Layout and Design Excellence – 2^nd Place

Individual Awards

Best Photograph-Editorial/Feature – 3^rd Place – Olivia Fortner

Best Column – 2^nd Place – Mariah Redmond, Brandon Dyer, Bradley Singh

Best Photograph – Sports – 2^nd Place – Brandon Dyer

Best Photograph-News – 3^rd Place – Olivia Fortner

Best Sports Story – 2^nd Place – Austin Williams