MSIT is ranked nationally once again
Last month, the Hornet’s Nest reported that The Best Schools, a resource for college-bound students and their parents, had ranked SPSU’s online Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) degree program No. 13 on its list of “The 20 best master of IT degree programs” in the country. Now, U.S. News & World Report has issued a similar list with the SPSU MSIT in the No. 11 spot.

U.S. News’ rankings are based on student engagement (how well a program gives students the opportunity to interact with faculty and other students, and how well a program creates experiences that are rewarding enough for students to stay enrolled and complete their degree); faculty credentials and training; student services; and admissions selectivity. The Best Schools ranking is based on the quality of the program, the types of courses offered, the faculty and reputation, including the school’s reputation for effectively providing online degree programs.

“Interestingly, only four programs appear in the top 20 in both rankings and only one – the Master of Professional Studies in Information Sciences offered at Penn State’s World Campus – is ranked higher than our MSIT in both,” said Dr. Han Reichgelt, dean of the School of Computing and Software Engineering. “Institutions often look at these rankings with some skepticism. Nevertheless, being included in two national rankings is recognition of the hard work that our information technology faculty has put into this program, and they deserve our congratulations.”

Design Building II honored with BIA award, featured in architectural magazine
The Brick Industry Association (BIA) recently named Design Building II (I-2) a Gold Award winner in the 2012 Brick in Architecture Awards. And as a result, Design II was featured in the December 2012 issue of ARCHITECT, the magazine of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). The magazine, with circulation to more than 60,000 AIA members, also featured a full-page image of this unique building with its innovative use of brick in a wave pattern.

The architectural firm responsible for its design, Cooper Carry, accepted the Gold Award and has donated $2,500 to the SPSU Foundation for the Bill Barnes Memorial Fund, created in honor of the former dean of the School of Architecture and Construction Management, who was heavily involved in the planning and design of the building and who passed away in September 2012.

Glen Clapper, architectural services manager for the Brick Industry Association, visited SPSU on Jan. 24 as Cooper Carry executives presented the check for the memorial fund to SPSU President Lisa A. Rossbacher.

This marks the seventh design award merited by the LEED Silver certified building. Previous awards include:

• Honor Award, American Institute of Architecture (AIA) South Atlantic Region Brick Awards, 2012

• National Certificate of Recognition, American Institute of Steel Construction IDEAS Awards, 2012

• Merit Design Award, AIA Georgia, 2011

• President’s Award, Brick Industry Southeast Region, 2011

• Gold Award, Brick in Architecture Awards, 2011, and

• Craftsmanship Award of Excellence, Masonry Association of Georgia, 2010.

CM team looks to repeat victory in national MCAA competition
Still savoring the exhilaration of a first-place finish last spring, SPSU’s student chapter of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) is poised for victory again at the 2013 MCAA Student Chapter Competition in March.

A total of 25 student chapters submitted project bid proposals this past fall, and the four finalists include the SPSU team led by faculty advisor Maureen Weidner, a lecturer in the Construction Management department. The finalists were selected by judges from MCAA’s Career Development Committee earlier this month. The other finalists were Northeastern University in Boston, the University of Washington in Seattle and the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

This year, the competition’s project involved a 50,000-square-foot building near Cape Canaveral, Fla., that houses the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Space Exploration Center. Participating student chapters were required to recommend design elements that meet or exceed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) platinum criteria. The project also required that their bids include a post-construction service component.

The final round of judging will take place during MCAA 2013 on March 19 in San Antonio, Texas.

Tornado preparedness exercise planned for Feb. 6
In an effort to improve the state’s preparedness for this year’s severe weather season, Gov. Nathan Deal has declared Feb. 4-8 Severe Weather Awareness Week in Georgia. Specifically, Wed., Feb. 6, has been identified as a day in which tornado drills are to be conducted statewide. SPSU will be actively participating in this initiative to increase the campus community’s safety and awareness.

In preparation of the campus-wide tornado drill the SPSU Police Department has made the following preparations:

• Working in coordination with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security the SPSU Police completed a campus-wide site survey to identify all preferred places of refuge available for use in the event of an on-campus tornado. As of mid-January, signage identifying these places of refuge was installed throughout campus.

• The department also provided a 30-minute Tornado Preparedness Training Class open to the entire campus community on three different dates and times. The last of the classes will be held tomorrow, Wed., Jan. 31, at 2 p.m. in Q-202. During each training session, attendees were informed of all designated tornado-refuge locations on campus. They also received information on the appropriate take-cover strategies for campus facilities lacking ideal tornado refuges.

At 10 a.m. on Feb. 6, the campus will be notified that a tornado drill is in progress. Hornet Alert, the Cobb County emergency sirens, SPSU’s emergency public-address system and the SPSU website will all be used to get the word out. SPSU Police personnel, SPSU building coordinators and the Marietta Fire Department will direct all building occupants, pedestrians and others to the closest place of refuge.

The SPSU Police department anticipates sending an all-clear signal to the campus by 10:10-10:15 a.m., concluding the exercise.

Members of an Incident Management Group put together by the Police department will conduct a tabletop exercise following the drill, and invited emergency experts will assess how well the campus emergency plan worked and where improvements are needed.

For more information, contact the SPSU Police at ext. 5555.

Procurement welcomes Linda Powell
Linda Powell has joined the Procurement Office as a buyer, where she is responsible for purchasing supplies and equipment for the Facilities department, helping to keep the campus functioning efficiently.

However, she is not new to SPSU, having spent 10 years as an inventory specialist in facilities, where she was responsible for receiving, inventory and surplus.

Powell now reports to Denise Sanderson, manager of procurement, and can be reached at ext. 3014.

Annual vendor showcase planned for Feb. 7
The Office of Procurement in conjunction with Material Management would like to once again invite SPSU faculty and staff members to attend a Vendor Wonderland Showcase on Thurs., Feb. 7, to meet with various vendors and get answers to purchasing questions.

Sixteen vendors will participate in the event between 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom.

Don’t miss this chance to “Walk through a Vendor Wonderland.”

SPSU Hornets baseball kicks off Feb. 1
The SPSU Hornets are set to kick off their 2013 Season on Fri., Feb. 1, at 1 p.m., hosting the Asbury University Eagles from Wilmore, Ky., in a non-conference doubleheader. They will repeat the doubleheader on Sat., Feb. 2, starting at 12 p.m.

The Hornets return from a winning season last year with an overall record of 36-25, including their sixth consecutive appearance at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) regionals, their sixth consecutive appearance. The Hornets scored 32 points in the NAIA preseason coach’s poll, ranking them 33rd nationally. Chris Dykes is back in the outfield again this year as the returning player with the highest batting average (.333) last season. Kevin Bibler returns to the mound after pitching in 22 games last season with a team-leading ERA of 3.08.

SPSU’s Hornets are led by first-year head coach Marty Lovrich, who spent the last 20 years with the Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) Warhawks. During his tenure at AUM, the Warhawks lad a winning record every year, as well as five conference wins, 18 NAIA regional appearances and three trips to the NAIA World Series.

Soccer player named to NSCAA All-America, All-Region teams
SPSU men’s soccer player Emeka Maduka recently received postseason awards from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Maduka was named to the 2012 NSCAA /Continental Tier National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-America Third Team after being an All-South Region Second Team selection.

A 6-foot-1,180-pound senior forward from Lagos, Nigeria, Maduka was also chosen to the All-America Third Team by the NAIA in December. He was the 2012 Southern States Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year and earned First Team All-SSAC honors for the fourth straight season. Maduka led SPSU in goals (18), points (40), shots (93), shots on goal (47) and game-winning goals (seven) this season.

The Hornets, ranked No. 8 nationally in the NAIA postseason coaches’ poll, finished 15-6-1 overall in 2012, advancing to the Elite Eight of the NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship for the second consecutive year.

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 6, Issue 4
Jan. 30, 2013