There鈥檚 some news buzzing around 秋葵视频 – literally! The in collaboration with the Sustainable Aquaponics Research Center (SARC) has taken steps toward environmental sustainability by introducing bees to campus. 

Sarah Beth Waller, a biology junior at Georgia Southern, began beekeeping five years ago while living in suburban Atlanta. Since then, she has become a certified beekeeper through the University of Georgia, has received grants through to build additional beehives and has been featured in .

As part of their ongoing commitment to fostering a greener and more eco-friendly campus, Waller and the Armstrong EcoAdvocates Club have embarked on a new project that’s sure to sweeten the air and promote biodiversity. They’ve recently welcomed a hive of honeybees, and these industrious pollinators are now calling Georgia Southern home. 

The two conventional hives house about 10,00 bees and a queen, and are located by the SARC greenhouse on the north side of the Armstrong Campus.

Bees play a crucial role in pollination which help local flora thrive and ensure the production of many of the fruits and vegetables. By establishing a bee colony on campus, the club aims to contribute to the preservation of biodiversity and raise awareness about the importance of these essential pollinators. 

鈥淏ees are essential both to our ecosystems and our society, since they pollinate about 75% of all flowering plants, which includes much of our food,鈥� said Brigette Brinton, MS, SARC director and lecturer of biology at 秋葵视频. 鈥淭hey’re a great addition to our campus to support the thriving campus arboretum and gardens, serve as an educational resource for courses and to facilitate research on the threats to bee populations globally.鈥�

But their new place on campus isn鈥檛 just about expanding their place 鈥� it鈥檚 about saving their home. Last year, the yellow-legged hornet, a species of hornet that preys on honeybees was first detected in Savannah and the beekeeping community was put on high alert. 

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, this invasive insect has the potential to endanger both domestic and wild honey bee populations, as well as native pollinators. Additionally, it could disturb the pollination process of numerous crops and further harm already vulnerable populations of native bees, which have been significantly reduced due to various factors.

The EcoAdvocates Club has not only brought bees to campus, but has also committed to caring for and maintaining the hive. Members of the club have undergone training in beekeeping and have collaborated with local experts at the Savannah Bee Company to ensure the well-being of our new winged residents. 

This initiative aligns with the University’s broader sustainability goals and demonstrates the power of student-led initiatives in creating positive change. The bees on campus will serve as a living example of the positive impact individuals and groups can have on the environment when they come together with a shared vision.

秋葵视频 has been awarded a $1.6 million grant to help provide childcare subsidies for eligible student-parents over the next four years through the Child Care Access Means Parents In School (CCAMPIS) program. 

Written on behalf of the Office of Inclusive Excellence by Corine Ackerson-Jones, director of TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah, the CCAMPIS grant will serve no less than 30 student-parents per year on the Armstrong Campus and the Liberty Campus in Hinesville by providing a maximum amount of $150 per week for childcare services to be paid directly to the childcare provider.

The grant, a first of its kind at Georgia Southern, is fully funded by the Department of Education and will work with centers licensed and accredited through the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. To apply for CCAMPIS assistance student-parents must be eligible.

鈥淎ccording to recent data, the annual price of childcare can exceed the annual cost of in-state tuition at a public four-year university,鈥� said Ackerson-Jones. 鈥淲ithout financial assistance, it is next to impossible for economically challenged student-parents to attend school and pay for quality, affordable childcare.鈥� 

Amanda Brandmire, a student-parent studying natural resource and wildlife conservation on the Armstrong Campus, said balancing her role as a parent and a student can be challenging emotionally and financially, especially when it comes to childcare. 

鈥淭here have been several times where my husband and I had to get very creative with our funds to make it because of our childcare costs,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y husband and I may skip meals or go a week at a time without food because childcare is a necessity for us to work and go to school. In addition, I have to give up study time or time with my kids to go pickup a shift delivering for DoorDash just to get by. Right now we don’t have an income and we are a week behind on childcare expenses, but thankfully our daycare is working with us.鈥� 

A subsidy for childcare would change the trajectory of Brandmire鈥檚 education. 

鈥淔or me this would be an amazing opportunity,鈥� Brandmire said. 鈥淚 am so close to finishing my undergraduate degree and plan on applying to grad school in March. Being a first-generation college student, my education is extremely important and this would help me make graduation a reality.鈥�  

Brandmire feels this resource would appeal greatly to other student-parents in the greater Savannah area. 

鈥淭his is also a huge selling point for potential students and moms like me who want something better but can’t get over the childcare hurdle,鈥� Brandmire said. 鈥淚 appreciate Georgia Southern for taking the time to reach out and serve their non-traditional students.鈥�

Ackerson-Jones has worked on the Armstrong Campus for 17 years and assists low-income, first-generation students, and students with disabilities through the TRIO SSS program which is also funded 100% by the Department of Education. Through her role, she saw a need for student-parents like Brandmire and sought ways to make a difference in their educational journeys. 

鈥淚t has been evidenced in the data that the four-year graduation rate for Armstrong and Liberty campus PELL recipients falls below that of non-PELL recipients,鈥� Ackerson-Jones said. 鈥淚t has been my experience that a great number of these students are not graduating sooner due to financial hardship. They must work more hours, so oftentimes they cannot maintain a full course load. Taking less classes prolongs graduation. It was my goal to find some financial relief for these students because the threat of unaffordable childcare was a threat to them remaining in school.

鈥淭here has never been a child care facility on either of these campuses nor has there been any access to financial support for student-parents to help pay for child care,鈥� she continued. 鈥淭he time seemed right to try to rectify this.鈥� 

The objective of the program is that student-parents will persist from one academic year to the beginning of the next, or that they will earn a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern, Ackerson-Jones added. 

鈥淚 am excited about the addition of the CCAMPIS grant to the array of programs that serve underrepresented students, this one serving Pell-eligible students who are also parents, which complements our work in the Inclusive Excellence cluster,鈥� said Dominique A. Quarles, Ph.D., associate vice president for Inclusive Excellence and chief diversity officer at Georgia Southern. 

鈥淢rs. Jones went beyond what鈥檚 required of her to respond to a need she saw on campus, which resulted in securing $1.6 million in grant funds to serve students in a way that will have a real and immediate impact on their ability to enroll and complete their degree at Georgia Southern.鈥� 

The grant will be disbursed at $401,128.00 a year for four years for a total of $1,604,512.

More information on student eligibility and the application process will be available soon. To learn more, contact the Office of Inclusive Excellence by emailing oie@georgiasouthern.edu. 

Celebrate: Together, a festival that celebrates the 秋葵视频 community on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah, will return this year on Oct. 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Residential Plaza. The event is free and open to the public. 

鈥淐elebrate: Together is the continuation of a long-standing Armstrong Campus tradition originating in the 1990s,鈥� said festival committee chair Carson Myrick. 鈥淲e celebrate our student organizations, campus departments and the University by hosting this legendary event. Celebrate: Together draws students, faculty and staff from our Statesboro and Hinesville campuses to Savannah for a day of fun, food and activities. This event brings everyone together and evokes pride in the community.鈥�

The third annual event will feature departmental and student organizations, as well as fun extras. This year visitors can expect more than 100 booths and attractions that include a dunk tank, rock wall, archery tag, mechanical bull, booth decorating contest and live DJ, to bring together students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community at large. Free hot dogs and drinks will be available for all guests, and free t-shirts will be available for students, alumni and event volunteers (while supplies last).

鈥淭he thing I am most excited about when it comes to the Celebrate: Together event is the sense of unity and camaraderie that permeates the atmosphere,鈥� said Grace Ashley, a second-year sports management graduate student. 鈥淚t is a unique opportunity to witness the diversity of people, ideas, departments and experiences that our university holds.鈥�

Ashley鈥檚 favorite part of the festival is the dunk tank. 

鈥淣ot only is it just plain fun to have the opportunity to dunk President Marrero and other university officials, but it also breaks down barriers that can sometimes exist between University leadership and students,鈥� she added.

For more information, visit .

Georgia鈥檚 only public medical school has received funding approval to open a new four-year campus in Savannah, an expansion that will provide greater access to education and training for medical students and ease the state鈥檚 ongoing shortage of physicians.

The new campus of   (MCG) is expected to enroll its first students on the Armstrong Campus of 秋葵视频 by Fall 2024, pending approval by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the accrediting body for medical schools in the U.S. and Canada. The campus will be located in the existing Armstrong Center and the Health Professions Academic Building of Georgia Southern鈥檚 Waters College of Health Professions.

Located down the street from Savannah鈥檚 St. Joseph鈥檚 Hospital, it would be MCG鈥檚 third four-year campus in Georgia. The MCG educational experience is anchored at its main campus in Augusta, with another four-year campus located in Athens in partnership with the University of Georgia.

鈥淕eorgia ranks 40th in the nation for both the number of active physicians and the number of primary care doctors,鈥� Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns said. 鈥淕eorgians experience this reality every day.  Increasing opportunities within the University System of Georgia allows Augusta University鈥檚 Medical College of Georgia to educate and train more students and meets a clear need to make sure our communities receive better health care. Georgia needs more doctors, and I鈥檓 proud we are making this investment in our future.鈥�

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) on Tuesday approved $1.7 million for renovations at Georgia Southern鈥檚 Armstrong Campus to help make the new campus a reality. The money was included in the fiscal year 2024 state budget passed earlier this year by the Georgia General Assembly and signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on May 5.

鈥淲e鈥檙e grateful to Governor Kemp, Speaker Burns, Lt. Gov. Jones and the General Assembly for their support in helping MCG and the university system expand one of the best public medical colleges in the nation and help get more doctors into our local communities,鈥� USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said.

Four-year campuses provide the full spectrum of medical education, from basic sciences to clinical experiences.

鈥淭his campus expansion is a momentous milestone for Augusta University and the Medical College of Georgia, standing as a testament to the unwavering support we have received from Speaker Burns, state Rep. Butch Parrish, Governor Kemp, the entire General Assembly and Chancellor Perdue,鈥� said Augusta University President Brooks A. Keel, PhD. 鈥淭hrough this collaboration, we are forging a brighter future for health care in Georgia and fulfilling our shared commitment to producing more doctors for our state. I extend my deepest gratitude to all those who have championed this vision, including St. Joseph鈥檚/Candler Health System, whose exceptional partnership has provided invaluable clinical experiences for our students. Together, we are bolstering the state鈥檚 medical community and strengthening Southeast Georgia鈥檚 access to quality health care.鈥�

MCG鈥檚 statewide educational model also has students learning at two-year, clinically focused regional campuses in every corner of the state, including the Southeast Campus, established in 2011 and based at St. Joseph鈥檚/Candler in Savannah, and Southeast Georgia Health System in Brunswick. Other regional campuses include the Southwest Campus based in Albany and the Northwest Campus based in Rome.

鈥淭his partnership with Augusta University and the Medical College of Georgia is another example of how together, the governor, our legislators, the University System of Georgia and 秋葵视频 are collaborating to meet the growing needs of Southeast Georgia,鈥� added 秋葵视频 President Kyle Marrero. 鈥淭hese programs on our Savannah campus further Armstrong鈥檚 history of being a leader in training health care professionals and complement our efforts to expand nursing education and develop our future physician assistant program.鈥�

Through this partnership, Georgia Southern is providing approximately 23,000 square feet of instructional and lab space in its Armstrong Center and the Waters College of Health Professions鈥� Health Professions Academic Building. This includes 10,000 square feet of dedicated student group workspace and faculty and staff offices and 13,000 square feet of shared anatomy lab and large classroom space. The renovations include the creation of a new anatomy lab within the Health Professions Building, as well as minor renovations and new furniture, fixtures and equipment for the student group workspace and faculty and staff offices.

The new campus would allow MCG to accept 40 more students per year, increasing its class size, already one of the nation鈥檚 largest, to 304 students per class.

鈥淎s the state鈥檚 only public medical school, it is both our responsibility and commitment to produce more doctors for Georgia, and this growth in our class size is one way we can fulfill what I consider to be our most critical mission鈥� said MCG Dean David Hess, MD. 鈥淭his expansion would not be possible without the support of Governor Kemp, the Georgia Legislature, the University System of Georgia, Augusta University President Brooks Keel, and our colleagues at 秋葵视频. I am also thankful for the unwavering support of St. Joseph鈥檚/Candler Health System, including its CEO Paul Hinchey and chief medical officer Dr. Julia Mikell, a 1976 MCG graduate. Physicians and staff at St. Joseph鈥檚/Candler have been exceptional educational partners, serving as a home base for our Southeast Campus, and providing rich clinical experiences for our third- and fourth-year students, for well over a decade. I know that commitment will extend to students at this new four-year campus.鈥�

鈥淭his is a sentinel event not only for the future of health care in Georgia, but also for Savannah and the region,鈥� added Paul P. Hinchey, president and CEO of St. Joseph鈥檚/Candler. 鈥淲e have had a great relationship with MCG for more than a decade and our physicians have been instrumental as faculty in teaching third- and fourth-year students in Savannah. SJ/C has also served as a longstanding clinical site for nursing students from Georgia Southern and from the Armstrong campus. Creating a four-year medical school campus in Savannah will strengthen the medical community in Savannah and throughout Southeast Georgia. I want to thank Speaker Burns, Dr. Hess and the University System of Georgia for making this great vision a reality.鈥�

鈥淚 am excited to help build a campus that will continue MCG鈥檚 mission of educating the next generation of physicians,鈥� said Elizabeth Gray, MD, associate dean at MCG鈥檚 Southeast Campus, based in Savannah and Brunswick. 鈥淚 am confident that Georgia Southern will be an exceptional educational partner, and am excited to continue working with the leadership, physicians and staff at our longtime partners St. Joseph鈥檚/Candler to help increase the number of physicians in this area of the state and beyond.鈥�

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