Five SPSU students win Women in Electronics Scholarships
The Atlanta Chapter of Women in Electronics (WIE) awarded six scholarships in May to bright, promising females from Atlanta area colleges and universities, and the organization chose to award all but one of them to SPSU students.

WIE is a nonprofit regional organization that provides a professional network for women involved in all segments of the electronics industry. Membership includes business owners and women working in such areas as engineering, manufacturing, purchasing, sales, human resources and administration, just to name a few.

WIE scholarships are awarded based on financial need, academic achievement and participation in extracurricular activities. Invitations to apply were extended to universities and colleges throughout the metro Atlanta area. To date, the organization has donated over $200,000 in educational assistance for women, including scholarships. 

Congratulations to the SPSU recipients: Marian Alicea, civil engineering technology; Nicole Banks, industrial engineering technology; Kassandra Carman, industrial engineering technology; Yasmine Jonaidi, industrial engineering technology; and Sonia Vanegas, mechanical engineering.

CGDD student’s Skyrim modification YouTube hit
Patrick Weaver, a computer game design and development (CGDD) sophomore, recently created a modification to the popular video game “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,” and it’s getting a lot of attention on YouTube.

His modification, entitled “Pinkie Pie Skyrim-Smile,” was one of the most-viewed video games on YouTube in late April. It got more than a quarter of a million views within 11 days after Weaver posted it, and “Pinkie Pie” currently has had more than half a million views.

“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” is an open-world, role-playing action video game. It was released in November 2011 and is played on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

SPSU welcomes several new staff members
Kai Brockington joined the Advising, Testing, Tutoring and International Center (ATTIC) team last month as the new administrative assistant. Having come to SPSU from Aflac, Brockington is finishing up his undergraduate degree in business from SPSU. Brockington is the initial point of contact for the ATTIC, and he handles all administrative functions. He can be reached at kbrockin@spsu.edu or ext. 7361.

Trecee Burison joined the Student Life staff in May as an administrative assistant. She comes to SPSU from South Carolina. Burison does the accounting and payments for student organizations and assists students with the payment, travel and reimbursement processes. She can be reached at wburison@spsu.edu or ext. 4104.

Chelsea Feraco is a new SPSU admissions recruiter. The Alpharetta native graduated from SPSU in 2011 with a degree in apparel and textiles and is currently pursuing an MBA here. “I have the honor of helping prospective students make the right decision in coming to SPSU,” Feraco said. “I work with them during campus visits, high school visits and college fairs. I am very passionate about helping a student find what they love to do.” She can be reached at cferaco@spsu.edu or ext. 3527.

Dr. Rossbacher named to advisory committee
Cobb County School District Superintendent Michael Hinojosa recently named 37 business owners, community leaders and civic group representatives – including SPSU President Lisa A. Rossbacher – to a new Business & Community Advisory Committee.

The committee will assist with long-term planning efforts and strengthening relationships between Cobb County schools and the community. Dr. Hinojosa also wants the group’s input on the ongoing revision of the school district’s comprehensive strategic plan.

Other members of the committee include Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon, Cobb Chamber CEO David Connell and Lockheed Martin Vice President/General Manager Shan Cooper.

ABC salutes students for LEED-certification assistance
A few years ago, a group of SPSU construction management students helped Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for its Georgia headquarters in Sandy Springs. To this day, the organization highlights the efforts of these six students – most of whom have since graduated – by including their names on its Visionary Partners wall.

Supervised by Dr. John Mench, a senior lecturer in construction management, the students carefully assessed the ways in which the ABC building adhered to LEED standards in 2009. ABC was awarded LEED certification the following year.

At ABC headquarters, a plaque on the organization’s Visionary Partners wall notes the valuable contributions of SPSU graduate students Andria Allen ( 2009), Hao Luo (2011), Michael Sauer (2010) and Arthur Smith (2009), and undergraduate students Anthony Maddox (2010) and Paula Wagner.

“It is involvement in activities like these that build lasting relationships with the community around us,” said Dr. Khalid Siddiqi, chair of the Construction Management department.

SPSU receives IES Virtual Environment software
Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) has awarded SPSU free licenses for its Virtual Environment software for one year.

SPSU is one of 10 universities offering architecture and engineering programs selected to receive the Virtual Environment software, which provides hands-on training to strengthen students’ skills before they enter the workforce.

The IES software allows designers to test different design options, identify the best passive solutions, and compare low-carbon technologies in order to draw conclusions on energy use, carbon dioxide emissions, occupant comfort, light levels and airflow.

IES’ goal is to advance the sustainability of the world’s environment through the use of integrated performance modeling technology in low-energy, zero-carbon buildings and cities for future generations.

Your photo may win you a free iPad!
Don’t forget – the first 100 people to post a photo of themselves on the SPSU Alumni Facebook page (facebook/spsualumni) with the new SPSU tag on their vehicle will be entered into a drawing to win an iPad. So get your tag, and then get out your camera!

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 5, Issue 21
June 6, 2012