SPSU to graduate largest class in history May 12
SPSU will award an estimated 490 degrees to 384 undergraduate and 106 graduate students during the spring 2012 commencement ceremonies on Sat., May 12.

This is the largest graduating class in the university’s history, and it includes the first graduates of SPSU’s evening engineering programs in civil and electrical engineering and the first female SPSU student to be awarded a degree in civil engineering. This class of graduates represents 18 states and 34 countries.

Cobb Chamber of Commerce President and CEO David Connell will address the graduates at twin ceremonies scheduled for 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the gymnasium. University officials will confer degrees from the School of Arts and Sciences and School of Engineering Technology and Management during the morning program and degrees from the School of Architecture and Construction Management, School of Computing and Software Engineering, and School of Engineering in the afternoon.

Connell joined the Cobb Chamber – the seventh largest chamber in the southeastern United States – in November 2010. He is focused on strengthening the economy and quality of life for Cobb County’s 700,000-plus citizens and 45,000-plus businesses.

Previously Connell served as the regional executive for Georgia Power’s Metro West Region. He has been associated with the Southern Company and its subsidiaries for 40 years – in addition to Georgia Power, he has held senior positions at Alabama Power, Southern Company and Southern Company Services.

Connell has received numerous awards for his civic involvement, including the East Cobb Citizen of the Year (2004), the NAACP’s Presidential Award (2006 and 2008), the Secretary of State’s Outstanding Georgia Citizen (2006) and the U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award (2008). This year Connell was named one of Georgia Trend’s 100 Most Influential Georgians.

Born and raised in Nashville, Ga., Connell earned an engineering degree from Auburn University and advanced business degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi and Harvard University.

Outstanding faculty and staff members saluted
The SPSU community honored four particularly noteworthy faculty members and three exceptional staff members at the 2012 Faculty, Staff and Retiree Recognition Ceremony on April 23.

In addition to 79 Service Award recipients – who collectively have contributed 890 years of service, according to SPSU President Lisa A. Rossbacher – and eight retirees with another 132 years of service between them, the following people received accolades for the way they serve the institution and their professions:

Outstanding Staff Award recipients:
• Jolene Istas (budget and grants)
• Joe Momoh (facilities)
• Amanda Traylor (electrical and computer engineering technology)

Outstanding Faculty Award recipients:
• Dr. Marianne Holdzkom (social and international studies)
• Dr. Kisa Ranasinghe (biology, chemistry and physics)
• Dr. Deidra Hodges (electrical engineering)
• Dr. Laura Palmer (English, technical communication and media arts)

SPSU Women’s Leadership Institute wraps up inaugural series of programs

Since January, 34 SPSU women – administrators and faculty and staff members from all over campus – have met regularly to explore in depth the topic of leadership and how it applies to every aspect of their lives. The inaugural series of the Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI) concluded last week.

Over the months, WLI participants zeroed in on their personality strengths and leadership styles; learned the value of leveraging the different traits and styles of those around them; and examined the need for balance between one’s work and personal life. They also gained valuable insights from guest speakers on networking, negotiation skills and women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

“The WLI has a direct connection to our strategic goal of increasing the percentage of women students,” said SPSU President Lisa A. Rossbacher, who actively took part in each session. “As we have more women faculty and staff – and more women in leadership positions – we expand the range of role models and mentors for our students.”

The WLI Steering Committee was comprised of Dr. Rossbacher; Dr. Julie Newell, chair, Social and International Studies department; Dr. Becky Rutherfoord, associate vice president for institutional effectiveness, professor, Department of Information Technology; Kit Trensch, director of development, Office of Advancement; and Phyllis Weatherly, director, Career and Counseling Center, Division of Student and Enrollment Services.

Participants, chosen from a pool of applicants in fall 2011, were: Tara Adams (housing and residence life), Dr. Kami Anderson (English, technical communication and media arts), Prof. Kathryn Bedette (architecture), Dr. Renee Butler (systems engineering), Amanda Canup (information technology), Li Chen (library), Prof. Keely Clay (industrial engineering technology), Dr. LaJuana Cochrane (social and international studies), Stephanie Coleman (strategic marketing), Vanessa Cook (budget and grants), Jenny Cotton (residence life), Prof. Pam Frinzi (electrical and computer engineering technology), Angela Goodman (fiscal affairs), Cheryl Hammock (advancement), Dr. Mine Hashas-Degertekin (architecture), Kasey Helton (auxiliary services), Quint Hill(human resources), Dr. Marianne Holdzkom (social and international studies), Jolene Istas (budget and grants), Jennifer Louten (biology, chemistry and physics), Pierrette Maillet (alumni relations), Eileen O'Laughlin(career services), Takiela Owens (revenue and collections), Diane Payne (public relations), Dr. Colleen Phillips (industrial engineering technology), Christi Pichon(career and counseling center), Patricia Pierce (computer science and software engineering), Robin Wade (budgets and grants) and Dr. Pegah Zamani (architecture).

CAMRE receives state-of-the-art electron microscope
Dr. David Veazie, director of the SPSU Center for Advanced Engineering Materials and Education (CAMRE) and a professor of mechanical engineering technology (MET), recently received a state-of-the-art piece of equipment that will benefit a wide range of departments and programs.

Dr. Veazie purchased the ultra high-resolution thermal-field-emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) with a grant of more than $455,000 awarded last summer by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. The microscope, he said, will enable students and faculty to observe, characterize and analyze advanced engineering materials and will lead to significant transformative materials research, design and fabrication.

Dr. Veazie is setting up the microscope for use as a campus-wide tool for departments ranging from the sciences (i.e., chemistry, biology and physics) to engineering (i.e., mechanical, civil, construction and electrical engineering and mechanical and electrical engineering technology).

The SEM is the keystone piece of equipment for CAMRE, Dr. Veazie said, and will give SPSU a competitive edge in performing materials research and development for and with industry and government agencies.

Elementary school students play games with CSE
Fourth-grade students from Brumby Elementary School in East Cobb came to SPSU’s School of Computing and Software Engineering (CSE) in April to learn about video game design.

Their visit to campus included a tour of SPSU’s mechatronics engineering lab and gaming lab and other facilities used by the Computer Game Design and Development (CGDD) program. The boys also received a lesson in the basics of computer gaming with CGDD Coordinator Dr. Jon Preston. Of course, there was also time reserved for playing games on topics such as solar system exploration, thermal transfer and mathematics created by students in SPSU’s Education and Serious Game Design course.

The students’ teacher, Lazetta Hankerson, uses themes of gladiators, aviators, vipers and all-stars in the classroom to explore science and technology subjects. Last year, she invited SPSU instructors to teach a lesson at her school.

Marka Ormbsy and Robin Daniel of the SPSU Tech Matters program organized the visit as a continuation of Brumby Elementary’s involvement in SPSU’s Games-for-Learning project, designed to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning.

SGA elects new officers
The SPSU Student Government Association (SGA) has announced the election of new leadership for the coming year.

Kevin White, a senior in architecture, is the new president; Alex Harrington, a junior civil engineering major, is vice president; and Julie Blakely, a junior mechanical engineering major, is the secretary/treasurer.

The new officers were sworn in during the Student Awards Banquet on April 20.

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 17
May 2, 2012