SPSU has nation’s first accredited undergrad CGDD program, 21st accredited SWE program
SPSU has the first accredited undergraduate computer game design and development (CGDD) program in the nation. The Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET (www.abet.org) granted initial accreditation to the program this fall.

The ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission simultaneously granted initial accreditation to the School of Computing and Software Engineering’s (CSE) undergraduate program in software engineering (SWE).

“This is tremendous news and confirms what I expect many of us knew already, namely that we have high quality undergraduate programs and that we have good processes in place to ensure that they maintain their quality,” said Dr. Han Reichgelt, CSE dean.

He noted that the Bachelor of Science in CGDD launched in the fall of 2009 remains the only such program in Georgia, accredited or non-accredited. SPSU’s Bachelor of Science in SWE is one of only 21 accredited undergraduate programs in the country.

ABET renews accreditation of two CSE programs
This fall, the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET (www.abet.org) renewed accreditation for the School of Computing and Software Engineering’s (CSE) undergraduate programs in computer science and information technology.

“The fact that we received accreditation for four of our undergraduate programs speaks volumes to the commitment of CSE faculty and staff to maintaining the quality of all our programs,” said CSE Dean Reichgelt, referring to the fact that the school’s programs in computer game design and development and software engineering received initial accreditation at the same time. “Our faculty and staff deserve both our congratulations for this achievement and our thanks for the hard work they put in.”

“Preparing for accreditation is a huge amount of work on top of one’s other duties, but it’s critical,” agreed Dr. Zvi Szafran, vice president for Academic Affairs. “Great job!”

Inaugural President Rossbacher Endowed Scholarship awarded
Elizabeth Stephenson, a Zell Miller HOPE scholar from Wrightsville, Ga., has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the President Rossbacher Endowed Scholarship.

Stephenson graduated as a dual-enrollment student from the Georgia Academy of Aviation Mathematics Engineering & Science (GAMES) program at Middle Georgia College (MGC) in Cochran, Ga. At age 18, she had earned both a high school diploma from Trinity Christian School in Dublin, Ga., and an associate’s degree in mathematics from MGC and she enrolled at Brenau University in Gainesville, Ga.

However, this fall, she transferred to SPSU. During orientation, the university’s U-Teach program captured her interest. Stephenson is now in Step 1 of the program, on her way to earning a degree in mathematics (education) in two years. She has already taken on the task of establishing a student organization for the SPSU teacher education program.

The President Rossbacher Endowed Scholarship is a newly endowed scholarship designed to benefit women who are majoring in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (the STEM fields) and have a record of high academic success. Dr. Lisa A. Rossbacher made the initial gift to launch the scholarship, and contributions by faculty and staff members fully funded the endowment around the time of Dr. Rossbacher’s 10th anniversary as president.

A geologist by profession, Dr. Rossbacher is very committed to encouraging more women students to attend and graduate from SPSU and providing them with financial assistance at the same time.

Stephenson will receive just over $700 per semester for the 2012-13 academic year to cover student fees no longer covered under the HOPE scholar program.

Dr. Zvi Szafran serving USG in advisory role
SPSU Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Zvi Szafran is the new chair of the University System of Georgia (USG) Regents Advisory Committee on Academic Affairs (RACAA).

As a result, Dr. Szafran will be more involved in various Board of Regents initiatives related to academic affairs in the coming year.

In addition to RACAA, he is also serving on the USG Shared Services Committee and will help examine services currently shared across the system, like those provided by ADP. The committee is also looking at possibilities for new shared services and trying to solve issues such as how to determine eligibility for part-time faculty who teach at more than one university.

In July, Dr. Szafran was asked to chair a review committee that reviewed Complete College Georgia reports. Each university in Georgia was required to submit a 10-page report outlining specific plans to increase both the number of graduates and the graduation rates at their institution. “It was pretty interesting to read (and critique) plans from other universities,” said Dr. Szafran.

Chief Justice Carol Hunstein to speak at SPSU
Carol Hunstein, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, will speak to students at SPSU on Oct. 11. Her presentation at 6 p.m. in the Student Center Theater about the intersection of technology, business and the law is open to all SPSU students, alumni, staff and faculty and is sponsored by the Business Administration department.

Chief Justice Hunstein was appointed to the state Supreme Court by Gov. Zell Miller in 1992 and is the second woman in history to serve as a permanent member of the court. She has since been re-elected by voters three times and took office as chief justice on July 1, 2009.

By age 23, this polio survivor was a divorced, single mother who had lost her left leg to cancer. However, she was the first in her family to attend college, and upon receiving degrees from Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and Miami-Dade Junior College in Miami, Chief Justice Hunstein earned a Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Fla., in 1976, was admitted to the Georgia Bar Association and went into private practice. She won election to the Superior Court of DeKalb County in 1984, becoming its first female member.

She was also the first woman to serve as president of the Council of Superior Court Judges. Chief Justice Hunstein received the Commitment to Equality Award from the State Bar of Georgia Committee on Women and Minorities in the Profession. In 1999, the American Bar Association conferred on her the Margaret Brent Award, its highest honor for women lawyers. Late last month, she was honored as “Georgia Woman of the Year” by the Georgia Commission on Women, the Georgia Women’s Institute and the Georgia Woman of the Year Committee, Inc.

Lt. Belanger nominated for Public Safety Award
SPSU officials have nominated SPSU Police Lt. Jennifer Belanger for the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s Public Safety Employee of the Year Award.

As part of its annual Public Safety Appreciation Week, the Cobb Chamber will announce the winner of the Public Safety Employee of the Year Award during its First Monday Breakfast on Oct. 1, at 7:30 a.m. at the Cobb Galleria Centre.

Lt. Belanger has been with SPSU for one year and has 11 years of service in public safety. She makes efforts to recruit qualified applicants to the SPSU Police Department, has recently led the department in self-initiated illegal drug cases and – outside her regular responsibilities – assists the command staff in improving SPSU’s emergency dispatch practices.

“During the majority of this nomination period, Lt. Belanger has been the most productive patrol officer in the department,” said SPSU Chief of Police John Bauer. “She has led the way in successful DUI enforcement, detecting illegal drug cases and in her total number of arrests, as compared to any other officer in the SPSU Police Department.”

Residents, government officials, public safety agencies and business and community leaders were given the opportunity to nominate public safety personnel for the awards. This year the Cobb Chamber received 19 nominations.

New professional advisor for School of Arts and Sciences
Martina McWilliams has joined the SPSU staff as the new professional advisor in the School of Arts and Sciences.

In this role, McWilliams advises general studies students and undeclared majors by encouraging them to understand their interests and explore majors that reflect their career aspirations. She also provides advising support to Arts and Sciences faculty and staff members.

McWilliams comes to SPSU from Kennesaw State University, where she was an academic advisor in the Coles College of Business. She has a bachelor’s degree in human and family development and a master’s degree in social work, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

McWilliams can be reached at ext. 3727 or mmcwilli@spsu.edu.

Design II building receives fourth industry award
The School of Architecture and Construction Management’s Design II (I-2) building attracted significant state and national attention in 2011 for the innovative use of brick in its design. Now it has received national recognition for the role that exposed structural steel played in its construction.

Uzun & Case Engineers, LLC, the structural design firm that worked on the SPSU building recently received a National Certificate of Recognition in the American Institute of Steel Construction’s Innovative Design in Engineering and Architecture with Structural Steel awards program.

Last year, the work done by the architectural firm of Cooper Carry on I-2 earned a Gold Brick award from the national Brick Industry Association and the Brick President’s Award and a Design Merit Award from the Georgia chapter of the American Institute of Architecture.

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 36
Sept. 26, 2012