Tim Zeigler elected chair of ASEE's Enginering Technology Division
Prof. Tim Zeigler, chair of SPSU’s Department of Civil Engineering Technology, has been elected to a two-year term as chair of the Engineering Technology Division of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE). He has been a member of ASEE since 1982 and has previously served in various offices of the Engineering Technology Division, including editor-in-chief of the Journal of Engineering Technology.

As chair, Prof. Zeigler will manage the division’s business meeting and member participation at the ASEE Annual Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration.

New director of Center for Nuclear Power Generation
Dr. Mamoud R. Ghavi has been named as the new director for SPSU’s Center for Nuclear Power Generation. Dr. Ghavi has founded and led several technology-based companies that support commercial and government-run nuclear programs.

He is the founder and CEO of PhaseNet, LLC, a business incubator for early-stage, advanced technology-based business that plan to offer realistic solutions for the healthcare and nuclear markets. PhaseNet has been in operation since 1998. Prior enterprises included founding two companies that developed products and delivered technical services and training for nuclear power plants and government agencies.

Dr. Ghavi has provided consulting and educational services in the fields of nuclear engineering, radiological engineering, health physics and information technology. He earned a master’s degree in nuclear-mechanical engineering, and a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering, both from the University of Arkansas.

Dr. Ghavi has written many technical papers on various nuclear topics such as “Problems Associated with Routine In-Plant Radioactive Effluent Monitoring Systems at U.S. Light-Water Reactors,” “Developmental Considerations for an Automated Environmental Monitoring Program; Lessons Learned” and “Design of a Comprehensive Environmental Radiation Monitoring Program for the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Facility.” He is a member of the American Nuclear Society and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Let's all shed some excess baggage on April 16
Every year at this time, we all dig through our files (or piles of miscellaneous documents) for information vital to the preparation of tax returns. Along the way, many of us unearth reams of what we don’t need and vow to rid ourselves of the old bills, receipts, useless records and other documentation that clogs drawers, shelves and desktops and threatens to bury us alive. Well, here’s your chance to streamline and get organized.

SPSU has partnered with CINTAS, the document management company, to stage a Shredder Day event for Sat., April 16. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a super-sized shredding truck will be set up in the parking lot of the Recreation and Wellness Center so that anyone and everyone can drop off all unwanted paper, CDs and DVDs for shredding. The truck is built to handle more than a ton of material.

You can either drop off what you bring and leave or stay to witness your items being destroyed. For more information about the event, call the Advancement office at ext. 7351 or email pr@spsu.edu.

First Rainey Scholarship awarded

Elizabeth Garner, a junior pursuing a bachelor of arts in English and professional communication, has been named as the first recipient of the Ken & Elaine Rainey Endowed Scholarship. She was chosen based on merit and an essay she submitted, and will be receiving $1,000 for her accomplishments.

The scholarship was created in honor of Dr. Kenneth Rainey, a professor in the Department of English, Technical Communication and Media Arts who passed away in 2006. The majority of the funds for the scholarship have been collected through the SPSU Annual Campaign, with 83 individuals donating since its inception, including faculty, staff members, alumni, professional associations and friends of the Raineys. As of December 2010, $31,000 had been raised for the scholarship.

The Ken & Elaine Rainey Endowed Scholarship will be awarded on an annual basis from this point forward.

Recent faculty publications
• Dr. A. Bowdoin Van Riper, a part-time instructor in the Social and International Studies Department (SIS), has just had a book he edited published by McFarland Press. “Learning from Mickey, Donald and Walt: Essays on Disney’s Edutainment Films” also contains two of Van Riper’s essays, along with essays by SIS colleagues Dr. Bernice Nuhfer-Halten and Dr. Marianne Holdzkom. Dr. Van Riper’s essays are titled “The Promise of Things to Come: Disneyland and the Wonders of Technology, 1954-58” and “A Nation on Wheels: Films about Cars and Driving, 1948-1970.” Dr. Nuhfer-Halten explored “Disney’s Idea of Latin America,” and Dr. Holdzkom wrote “A Past to Make Us Proud: U.S. History According to Disney.”

Annual Employee Picnic
The annual Employee Picnic will be held on Thurs., April 28, at 11:30 a.m. at the Sycamore Grove, featuring SPSU’s own Fridays at Five Band. The event is hosted by the Social and Community Building Committee and sponsored by Chartwell’s and the SPSU Foundation.

The Employee Picnic is an annual event provided free of charge to all SPSU faculty and staff. Typical picnic fare will be provided, with your choice of hot dogs, hamburgers or veggie burgers, along with baked beans, salads and chips. Make sure you come out to spend time with other employees, win some door prizes, and find out who that Secret Pal of yours has been!

For additional information, contact Alberta Cook at ext. 7247 or acook@spsu.edu.

SPSU honored for forming state's first AEE student chapter

The Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) recently honored SPSU for having established the first AEE student chapter in Georgia. Faculty advisor Dr. John Mench, chapter President John Cameli and several chapter members attended an AEE meeting in Atlanta last month to accept an award of appreciation from AEE National. The AEE is a professional organization that promotes the scientific and educational interests of those engaged in the energy industry and fosters action for sustainable development.

Honors alum joins board of global foundation
Jason Berman, who graduated from the Honors Program in 2010 with a degree in international studies, has been selected to join the board of directors of the Global Diversity and Inclusion Foundation, based in Los Angeles. He will serve a two-year term as co-chair of the foundation’s Marketing and Communications Committee.

The foundation’s stated purpose is to bring cultures, companies and individuals together to achieve unequaled success using truly global diverse strategies, thereby equipping businesses to operate at a national and global level.

Berman is a corporate communicator at the public relations/marketing/communications firm North-South Communications, Inc.

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) and we will consider it for a future issue of the SPSU Hornet’s Nest.

Volume 4, Issue 11
March 30, 2011