SPSU ranks #1 again
Every year the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) releases a report on the national “Profiles of Engineering and Engineering Technology Colleges.” In the newest report, SPSU again ranked #1 in the nation for the number of African-American students earning bachelor's degrees in engineering technology. The University is also #1 nationally in the number of master’s degrees awarded to African-American men and women in that field. The report also showed that SPSU is the second largest engineering technology program in the nation and has the third largest enrollment in ET graduate programs.

Staff Council update
The SPSU Staff Council has announced its newly elected officers and members.  For ’08-’09, Pierrette Maillet, coordinator of Annual Giving in the Advancement Office, will be serving as Chair, along with Kathy Roddy, budget manager in the Extended University, as Vice Chair, and Bennie Houck, degree program assistant in the Registrar’s Office, as Secretary.  Newly elected representatives for the ’08-’10 term are:  Chris Corriere, desktop support technician, IPED Group 5 (Technical/Paraprofessional); Crystal McClure, human resources assistant, IPED Group 6 (Clerical); Kenneth Shelton, locksmith, IPED Group 7 (Skilled Craft); Sarah Milton, mail clerk, IPED Group 8 (Service/Maintenance); Sofia Vargas, custodian, IPED Group 8; and Tara Williams, custodian, IPED Group 8.   The Council also welcomes Steve Hogan, supervisor, IPED Group 4, who was appointed at the July 17 meeting to serve a one year term. In addition, there are two Staff Council advisors, Steve Hamrick and Mary Phillips. Log on to www.spsu.edu/staffcouncil to see a full list of current representatives.

Saying goodbye
SPSU’s associate vice president for Academic Affairs, David Caudill, is retiring effective July 31. David began his career at SPSU in 1984, in the Industrial Engineering Technology department. He went on to become the department chair of IET and later the dean of the School of Engineering Technology and Management. Caudill plans to retire to Alabama, but will remain on campus part time in the position.

On the other side of campus, Barbara Meeks, parking operations manager, retired earlier this month after 17 years of service. In recognition of her service a small reception was held in her honor and she was presented with a gold watch.We wish both David and Barbara all the best for the future.

Construction Management journal publication
Dr. Pavan Meadati, assistant professor in the Construction Management department, has published a paper "Integrating Construction Process Documentation into Building Information Modeling" featured in the July 2008 issue of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. The research described in this paper extends the use of building information modeling (BIM) throughout the construction phase of the project life cycle. The objectives of this project were to create a 3D as-built model, a 4D as-built model, and attach the construction process information to the model for the owner to use after construction.The paper was co-authored with Dr. Meadati's Ph.D. adviser Dr. James Goedert from University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
To view the full article visit http://www.accehq.org/documents/
BIMAppinCMED22108ACCEPgmDir_000.pdf

SPSU recognized for 20 years with ACBSP
Last month, SPSU was recognized for its 20 year involvement with the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). ACBSP is the national accrediting body of SPSU's Business Administration program and 400 other educational institutions' business programs. Dr. Ronny Richardson, chair of the Business Administration department, attended ACBSP’s annual conference in June and was presented a certificate honoring SPSU as a founding member of the organization.

All in the family
The daughter of Juan Carlos Guzman, associate professor and graduate coordinator for the Computer Science department, was recently featured in the Forsyth County newspaper. Maria Isabel Guzman, 18, received the 2008 Hispanic Heritage Youth Award. A recent Pinecrest Academy graduate, she received the engineering and mathematics award and a $3,000 scholarship for describing why her heritage makes her successful. "I wouldn't be the person that I am if it wasn't for my parents. They've really taught me a lot," she explained. For the full story, visit http://newmedia.forsythnews.com/news/archive/120/.

ISP / Internet hosting meeting
Ron Skopitz, SPSU's director of IT Operations, was invited in April to particpate with executives from several of Atlanta’s top businesses for a discussion about ISP / Internet Hosting. The seven businesses represented at the meeting included: AutoTrader.com, Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta, Merge Healthcare, Saia, Southern Company, SPSU and 22squared. Throughout the meeting, panelists discussed how to provide the best service for their customers. Skopitz added that “the easiest way to avoid service problems is through mutual respect and two way communication.” To read the full article, featured in TechLINKS The Guide to Technology in Georgia, please follow the link: http://www.techlinks.net/TechLINKSExchange/
TLXWeblog/tabid/235/EntryID/223/Default.aspx

Open road journal
Former SPSU dean of the School of Technology, Bill Rezak, recently published a log of his motorcycle journey in the Gainesville Times. Bill’s adventure on his 2001 Harley Road King Classic through North Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Las Vegas and beyond can be found at http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/archive/6843/ and http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/article/7022/.

Volume 1, Issue 12
July 23, 2008