Construction Management to hold 10th Annual Banquet
SPSU’s Construction Management Department will hold its annual Construction Industry Advisory Board Fundraiser at the Cobb Galleria on Sept. 29. This year’s event marks the 10th anniversary of SPSU’s reorganized Construction Industry Advisory Board (CIAB), which is made up of industry leaders, many of whom employ SPSU graduates.

The dinner-dance is in its 10th year and will raise money for scholarships and the advancement of Georgia’s largest accredited construction program. To date, the annual CIAB banquet has raised well over $350,000.

“As a beneficiary of the Industry Advisory Board Scholarship, I have been able to focus more on my curricular and extracurricular objectives than on financing my education,” said Trent Anderson, a senior in the Construction Management bachelor’s program.

The event also serves as a networking and recruiting opportunity for SPSU undergraduates and graduate students, general contractors, subcontractors and construction vendors who attend.

“The growth and stability of the advisory board is a true testament to the SPSU faculty members and industry representatives who over the years have been sincerely dedicated to the development of well-educated graduates,” said Don Davidson, vice chair of the SPSU Foundation Board of Trustees and a former CIAB chair. “These graduates will grow to be the leaders in our industry.”

The evening will include cocktails and a silent auction. For tickets, contact Event Committee Chairman Kenneth Barnett at 770-294-4375 or kennethbarnett@vanwinkle.com.

SPSU Alumni Association board adds four new members
Four SPSU alumni have joined the Alumni Association Board of Directors:

• Edrick J. Harris graduated in 1998 with a degree in Environmental Development and also holds a master’s degree from Georgia Tech. Harris serves as senior development manager with H.J. Russell & Company’s New Urban Development division.

• Tyler Isgett, who majored in Construction Management at SPSU, has been involved with his employer, New South Construction, as a recruiter at SPSU career fairs since graduating in 2009.

• Glynn Mitchell, a 1984 graduate of SPSU’s Electrical Engineering Technology program, works in the field of fluid dynamics with Logical Systems LLC. Mitchell will serve as secretary of the alumni board.

• Frank Ziller is a senior information technology manager at Ricoh Americas Corporation. He completed his Computer Science degree at SPSU in 2007.

Each of these four new members will serve on the board through 2014.

They join 14 continuing board members, including the newly elected 2011-2012 executive committee which, in addition to Mitchell, consists of:
• Aakash Shah ’06, president;
• Heather Giroux ’05, vice president; and
• C. Ray Pinkerton ’61, treasurer.

The alumni board recently completed its three-year strategic plan and will focus this year on enhancing the alumni experience through implementation of this plan. More information about the alumni board and its members can be found at www.spsu.edu/alumni.

SPSU participating in GAIN internship opportunity
Georgia employers offering co-op and internship opportunities can now reach students at SPSU and 11 other Georgia colleges and universities through GAIN, the Georgia Internship Network. GAIN is a resource managed by the University System of Georgia Committee for Cooperative Education and Career Services and gives students access to internships throughout the state.

Through GAIN, employers can advertise their internships for free at all 12 educational institutions with just one posting. Other member schools include: Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Albany State University, Augusta State University, Clayton State University, Columbus State University, Dalton State College, Georgia Southern University, Georgia College & State University, Kennesaw State University, Savannah State University and the University of West Georgia.

For more information about GAIN, contact Eileen O'Laughlin (eolaugh1@spsu.edu) or Phyllis Weatherly (pweather@spsu.edu) in the Career and Counseling Center at ext. 7391.

Need to find student help?
Do you need a student assistant or have an open work study position? The best way to reach students to fill these positions is through Career Link, the online job posting service managed by Career Services.

To set up an account, click “Register” and enter the name “Southern Polytechnic.” If you are already registered, but have forgotten your login information, contact careerservices@spsu.edu.

To advertise a position, go to “My Jobs” and then “Post a New Job.” Be sure to include a brief description of the job, the required skills, the hours, how to apply, and whether or not particular majors are preferred.

Calling all SPSU authors
All SPSU faculty and staff members and students who have published articles, books, papers, poetry, proceedings and other items are invited by the Office of the President and the Johnson Library to submit their works for display during the 13th Annual SPSU Authors’ Reception planned for Oct. 19 in the Library Rotunda.

Former members of the SPSU community are invited to submit current works. New members are invited to display works published prior to their arrival at SPSU. Works may be donated to the Johnson Library archives, submitted as “on loan” only, or sent electronically to be printed out.

Joyce Mills, library director (room C-106), will accept submissions through Oct. 5. For additional information, contact her at jmills0@spsu.edu or ext. 7306.

CLEP™ testing now available from SPSU
ConEd Center
The SPSU Continuing Education Center now offers College-Level Examination Program™ (CLEP™) testing. CLEP™ gives students an opportunity to receive college credit for what they already know through any of its 33 examinations.

Previously, students had to go to Georgia State University to be tested. Now, they can arrange to take these tests by contacting Melissa Akins in the SPSU Continuing Education Center at ext. 3982 or makins@spsu.edu. More information can be found on the Web at CLEP Testing and at the SPSU Continuing Education Center, 1395 South Marietta Parkway, Bldg. 200, Suite 234, Marietta, GA, 30067.

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 34
Sept. 7, 2011