SPSU launches green building knowledge center
The Southern Polytechnic Applied Research Center (SPARC) has a new addition that is indicative of the growing integration of sustainability in the university’s operations and curriculum – the International Knowledge and Research Center for Green Building (IKRC).

In recognition of the launching of this new SPSU center, Gov. Nathan Deal proclaimed June 8 as Green Building Awareness Day.

Working in partnership with the Georgia Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, the staff of IKRC envisions providing creative, practical and sustainable solutions for green buildings worldwide. Their goal is to become the virtual and physical destination for educators and professionals of green-building sustainability through research, teaching, curriculum development and community outreach.

In the future, IKRC will house a products and technology showcase so that students of green building can see, touch and experience the latest in sustainable products, systems and technology.

The center’s mission is to empower students, faculty members and professionals to transform the way materials, products, buildings and communities are designed, manufactured, constructed and operated. Staff members will do this by researching, educating, training, demonstrating, displaying and disseminating creative, practical and sustainable solutions to green-building issues and problems.

SPSU will officially launch IKRC during a Patron’s Party this evening at the new Perkins & Will Building in downtown Atlanta, which is on track to earn LEED Platinum Certification. This event is being held in tandem with a reception at the nearby High Museum of Art for participants in the Polytechnic Summit.

Students, faculty and staff members interested in learning more about IKRC are encouraged to visit ikrc.spsu.edu or send e-mail inquiries to ikrc@spsu.edu. There are several programs already underway exploring potential research topics and data as well as offering potential internships.

SPSU awarded first Fulbright FLTA grant
SPSU and Georgia Highlands College (GHC) have received a Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) grant from the Fulbright program and the Institute for International Education. While SPSU has hosted Fulbright scholars before, this is the first time either institution has received an FLTA grant.

As a result of the collaborative effort between SPSU and GHC, Ignacio Lau of Argentina will be hosted by the SPSU Department of Social and International Studies (SIS) for the 2011-2012 academic year.

Lau is a faculty member at the National University of Tucuman in Northern Argentina. The grant will enable him to work jointly with Dr. Bernice Nuhfer-Halten, professor of SIS, and Amanda Nichols, an adjunct professor at GHC, to enhance the teaching of Spanish by serving as a native language teacher, resource person, guest speaker and cultural ambassador. He will also take classes at both institutions.

SPSU and GHC received the Fulbright FLTA grant through the efforts of Raj Sashti, director of International Program Development at SPSU, and Bronson Long, assistant professor of History and director of Global Initiatives and Study Abroad at GHC.

In recent years, SPSU has emerged as an area leader of Fulbright grant awards. Since 2009, two faculty members – Dr. Tom Rotnem, professor of Political Science, and Dr. Omar Zia, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology – have received Fulbright grants to travel abroad. For the 2010-2011 academic year, SPSU hosted Dr. Eszter Simon, a Fulbright Scholar in Residence from Hungary. The school has also hosted Fulbright scholars from Norway, Serbia and Colombia.

SPSU faculty members are encouraged to invite Lau to be a guest lecturer in their classes during his stay. Please contact Sashti at rsashti@spsu.edu or ext. 3266 for more details.

Faculty/staff activities
• Dr. Han Reichgelt, dean of the School of Computing and Software Engineering, delivered a presentation on “Electronic Health Records: Advantages, Pitfalls and Meaningful Use” during a Regional Education Workshop sponsored by the Medical Association of Georgia on May 14.

• Dr. Keith Hopper, professor of instructional design in the Department of English, Telecommunications & Media Arts, recently co-wrote an article, “You May Be an Instructional Designer” which appeared in the May issue of Intercom: the Magazine of the Society for Technical Communication. The article, which Dr. Hopper and Honors student Wei Sun wrote, based on Sun’s Honors research, covers the ins and outs of what it means to be an instructional designer and the similarities this field shares with technical communication.

• Arthur Vaughn, controller, will be a featured speaker at an Emerging Leaders Workshop during the Association of Government Accountants’ 60th Annual Professional Development Conference July 10-13 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. His presentation is on “Networking for Professionals: Keys to Standing Out by Building a Successful Network.”

SPSU alum co-owns winning Indy 500 team
Steve Newey, who earned an associate of science degree at SPSU in 1984, is on the fast track as co-owner of the Bryan Herta Autosport team that won the Indianapolis 500 on Sun., May 26, with Dan Wheldon at the wheel.

Newey’s racing career has spanned more than 20 years and includes design and race engineering positions in Formula One as well as team manager/technical director roles in IndyCar, American Le Mans and Grand-Am competition.

Among his career highlights are the 1992 Champ Car World Series title as the race engineer for Bobby Rahal; the 2006 Grand-Am Daytona Prototype Driver’s Championship with Krohn Racing’s Jorg Bergmeister; and victory in the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 2007 as race engineer for Andretti Green Racing and drivers Bryan Herta, Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan. He was also instrumental in assembling the Patrick Racing Firestone test team and served as team manager for drivers Scott Pruett and Adrian Fernandez.

Stingers Restaurant open this summer
This year, for the first time, students and staff and faculty members have access to the dining hall during the summer session. Stingers Restaurant at the X are serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Grab & Go options – sandwiches, wraps, salads, fruit cups and other snacks – are also available at Stingers. Grab & Go offers a variety of beverages too, including a new coffee station. These carry-out items can only be purchased from Stingers.

Stingers Restaurant welcomes walk-ins and accepts cash, credit cards or meal plan cards. Special meal plans are available for the summer semester. Payroll-deduction forms are available through the Auxiliary Services Office. Value Pack plans are only for meals eaten at Stingers; they cannot be used to purchase carry-out items.

Hurry and sign up today for deals on tasty summer meals.

Hours of operation
Monday-Friday: breakfast; 7:30-9:30 a.m.; lunch: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; dinner: 4:30-6:30 p.m.; Grab & Go is offered all day

Saturday-Sunday: brunch 11 a.m.-1 p.m., dinner 5-6:30 p.m.; Grab & Go is offered all day

Have news to share?
If your department has an upcoming event or other news to share with the campus community, please send an e-mail with all the pertinent information to Diane Payne (dpayne@spsu.edu). To be considered for use in a specific issue of the SPSU Hornet’s Nest, a news item must be submitted no less than four weeks before the date of the issue.

Volume 4, Issue 21
June 8, 2011