VSU's CBER Announces Economic Analysis Project

The Center for Business and Economic Research at Valdosta State University launched the Georgia Regional Economic Analysis Project on January 1, 2009.

The Web-based program, available at www.pnreap.org/georgia , is a great source of data at the county, metropolitan statistical area and state levels. Within seconds, users can view annual data, spanning 38 years, on population, income, employment, total industry earnings and average earnings per job for all 159 Georgia counties.

Unlike other resources, the GA-REAP provides more than just statistics - it gives users actual analysis of data. Interactive tools allow for in-depth research and analysis and reports can be generated to clearly explain trends and implications for a local area in terms easily understood by non-experts.

"The CBER is proud to offer this service to folks in Georgia wishing to conduct their own research using publicly available data," said Dr. Cliff Lipscomb, CBER director and assistant professor of economics at VSU. "What makes the GA-REAP different is that actual analysis of the data accompanies the tables - you have to see it for yourself to believe the insight into Georgia counties that can be gained after a few clicks."

VSU's CBER provides the GA-REAP in collaboration with the Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Analysis Project. The most recent data is provided for 2006; however additional information will be added as updates are received from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

CBER will begin offering an annual conference and training session, the first of which will be scheduled this spring. Economic development personnel, city and regional planners and other users will receive an overview of the CBER's services, faculty research related to economic development and GA-REAP training on use of the powerful data tool.

A service arm of VSU's Harley Langdale College of Business Administration, the CBER supports regional economic development and promotes activities that strengthen the competitive positions of regional business within VSU's 41-county service area. Call Lipscomb at (229) 245-3774 or e-mail him at calipscomb@valdosta.edu for more information.

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Mediacom to Bring C-Span's 'Campaign 2008' Bus to Valdosta

Prior to heading north to Washington, DC for President-Elect Obama’s Inauguration, the C-SPAN Campaign 2008 bus will be visiting Valdosta on Thursday, December 11th.

After making a stop at Valdosta Technical College, it will spend time at Valdosta State University from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.

The 45-foot mobile production studio has been on the campaign trail to promote and enhance C-SPAN’s comprehensive political coverage, traveling to major political events such as debates, national and state conventions as well as candidate speeches. During its travels the Bus also conducts civic educational programs for teachers and students. Since its January 2007 launch, the bus has been to 47 states and has been visited by over 116,000 people including 800 elected officials, 9,000 teachers, 60,000 students, and 5 presidential candidates.

“With historically high levels of interest in this year’s presidential election, we have had an exciting year on the road with the Campaign 2008 Bus,” said Scott Peterson, C-SPAN representative.

“Even though the election is over, the story has just begun. We hope to engage the Valdosta community to continue to follow the new Presidential administration and Congress through the resources of the non-profit C-SPAN networks," said Sally Bloom, senior manager for Government and Community Affairs for Mediacom”

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Valdosta State To Host National News Broadcast

President Patrick J. Schloss announced that Valdosta State University will host the Oct. 3 national broadcast of ABC’s “World News Tonight.” Schloss emphasized that it is fitting that VSU will host an event that stimulates dialogue and understanding. Further, the event will highlight an outstanding academic center and progressive community.

ABC News and USA Today have teamed up to showcase “50 States in 50 Days” as part of their national political coverage from every state in the nation during the 50 days leading up to the presidential election. ABC News’ anchors and correspondents will join USA Today reporters and photographers and examine specific issues facing voters in their respective state.

ABC’s “World News Tonight,” with anchor Charles Gibson, is set to broadcast live from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Friday in front of West Hall. The community is encouraged to attend the national broadcast and to arrive by 5:30 p.m.

“The value of this opportunity is reflected in our teaching service mission,” Schloss said. “The benefits will be felt by our faculty, students and community. It is wonderful to again see Valdosta highlighted in the national media.”

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Valdosta State Holds Constitutional Debate September 19

The political science and history departments at Valdosta State University will host a constitutional debate at 3:30 p.m. in West Hall room 150.

In celebration of Constitution Day, student panels will debate constitutional issues, including the death penalty for juveniles and gun control.

The free event is open to all members of VSU and local communities.

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Ike Forces Postponement of Valdosta State Football Game

Due to the uncertain weather conditions surrounding Hurricane Ike, the Valdosta State football game against Southern Arkansas, which was scheduled to be played Saturday evening at 8:00 p.m. in Magnolia, Ark., has been postponed.

No make-up date for the event has been scheduled as of yet, although the two institutions are exploring possible dates for later in the season.

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Chapman Selected as Georgia AFROTC Cadet of the Year

The Georgia Air Force Association recently selected Valdosta State University Air Force ROTC cadet Ryan Chapman as the Cadet of the Year for 2008.

Chapman, who was also chosen as VSU's Outstanding AS300 Cadet for the 2007-08 academic year, was nominated by the active duty cadre members at VSU's Detachment 172 based on his GPA, cadet ranking and his accomplishments during the year in AFROTC, VSU and community involvement.

Ranked number one in his AFROTC graduating class, Chapman is a senior studying physics and holds a 3.10 GPA. He has claimed many scholarships and awards, including the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association Scholarship, Cadet of the Semester several times, the Rising Eagle Award and Honor Flight Ribbons at field training, and Most Inspirational POC cadet, a peer-determined award given only to juniors and seniors.

He is also very involved with the university, volunteering for free tutoring, helping freshmen during move-in day and serving as a visitation day tour guide. A leader in community service, he has organized blood drives and participated in valuable causes like Valentines for Vets, neighborhood cleanups, the food bank, the Humane Society and Christmas in the Desert, a local initiative that collected money and necessities for soldiers serving overseas during the holidays.

In addition to his academic prowess and commitment to serving others, Chapman is also a respected and recognized leader in the ROTC program, and will serve over the detachment as the cadet wing commander this fall. Lt. Col. Alan Elledge, detachment commander, describes Chapman in his official nomination as the "epitome of a leader; strong convictions, high moral character" as well as a poster child for the Air Force and a true role model who is always willing to go the extra mile.

“We chose Cadet Chapman because he has an outstanding record of success both in the academic classroom and in our officer training program," Lt. Col. Elledge said. "His intellectual strength is complemented by his servant leader’s heart as demonstrated through several local community service projects and the contributions he has made through multiple VSU campus programs.”

Chapman will receive a plaque to commemorate his honor, which will improve his chances of qualifying for special Air Force programs. This is positive for the hard-working student, who plans to pursue admission into the Air Force Institute of Technology to earn a masters degree. He will also soon be featured as a Visionary on the VSU Web site.

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VSU Nursing Receives $24,000 Grant

Valdosta State University's College of Nursing was recently named the recipient of a $24,000 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration.

The grant will be used to aid graduate students enrolled in advanced practice nursing coursework. Recipients of this funding will specialize in advanced nursing of adults, advanced maternal/child nursing, and psychiatric/mental health nursing.

The amount is approximately double what was previously received, due to an increase in the number of students enrolled as well as the addition of the adult health practitioner master's program, which was reinstated in early 2008. Programs like this are designed to meet health care workforce needs of rural South Georgia, and VSU nursing graduates fill a void as nursing educators, clinical leaders and health care administrators in various programs, institutions and agencies across rural and underserved South Georgia and North Florida.

“Our ability to meet the challenges of increasing the nursing workforce in the state of Georgia is contingent on this type of funding,” said Dr. Anita Hufft, dean of the College of Nursing. “This funding directly supports nurses pursuing advanced nursing degrees which will allow them to provide leadership in acute settings; to provide direct primary care services to underserved populations in south Georgia, and to assist as clinical faculty for our undergraduate programs.”

The mission of the faculty of the VSU College of Nursing is to improve the healthcare of the region through the preparation of a professional nursing workforce characterized by enthusiasm, skill, knowledge and honor. The College of Nursing is located in S. Walter Martin Hall at 1300 North Patterson Street in Valdosta, Georgia. For more information, call (229) 333-5959 or visit www.valdosta.edu/nursing .

Valdosta is TitleTown USA

GFP Note: Kudos to Valdosta and to Valdosta State!

Ballots were cast, votes are in and ESPN announced to the nation that Valdosta is TitleTown USA during the July 28 "SportsCenter" broadcast.

Local officials received word on Saturday that ESPN reporter Wendi Nix and production crew would return to Winnersville to film a segment for the broadcast. Jessie Tuggle, VSU alumnus and former linebacker with the Atlanta Falcons, accepted the TitleTown USA trophy on behalf of the entire community. Lt. Governor Casey Cagle was on site to congratulate the city and a crowd of many fans, all dressed in the colors supporting their favorite schools, cheered as ESPN presented the honor.

The award comes after the July 16 "SportsCenter" broadcast, which featured Winnersville as a finalist and showcased thousands of local sports fans displaying the unity and spirit that won the title. Local legend Randall Godfrey made his case for why Valdosta could stand proudly as a finalist beside major cities like Chicago, Detroit and San Francisco, as well as why the southern powerhouse deserved the title. After the nation witnessed Valdosta's attributes and spirit, votes were cast, setting Valdosta above the rest.

Valdosta State Receives Major Gift from South Georgia Medical Center

South Georgia Medical Center announced July 19 a $1 million investment to address its largest category of staff vacancies -- nursing. The pledge, designated to the Valdosta State University Health Sciences and Business Administration facility, will be used to facilitate the development of an expanded program of nursing and allied health sciences in Valdosta.

Approximately four years ago, SGMC CEO James McGahee and VSU President Ronald Zaccari began meeting to discuss partnership opportunities to advance educational programs at Valdosta State for a variety of health occupations. Working with the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, a proposal to build a Health Sciences and Business Administration facility at VSU’s Rea and Lillian Steele North Campus evolved.

According to McGahee, SGMC is very concerned about the nursing shortage that is facing the healthcare industry. He said, “Like so many hospitals around our state and nation, South Georgia Medical Center struggles with a nursing shortage. On any given day, we have between 75 and 100 nursing vacancies throughout our organization. When you couple this shortage with an aging population and increasing hospital utilization, you quickly realize that we are outpacing our resources. SGMC is stepping up to the plate to proactively invest in the establishment of a world-class, health sciences training program at VSU.”

While SGMC helped fund VSU’s Second Degree program and offers nursing scholarships and other incentives for students in health-related fields, McGahee feels more had to be done. “Our goal is to expand opportunities and graduate record numbers of students. Since SGMC will provide clinical training for these students, we hope they will become familiar with our people, practices and procedures and want to work here when they graduate,” McGahee said.

According to Dr. Zaccari, the construction of the Health Sciences and Business Administration facility establishes a partnership with South Georgia Medical Center and the region’s medical community that represents a tremendous economic impact on South Georgia. Additionally, it provides the needed facilities to increase educational opportunities within various health-related and business areas of study. The north campus project will include an additional $30 million in residence halls, dining facilities, and related infrastructure that will bring the total cost to approximately $75 million.

“The new Health Sciences and Business Administration facility, planned strategically on the university’s north campus and directly across from South Georgia Medical Center’s own visionary and emerging facilities, will provide many opportunities for collaboration and new educational and clinical experiences,” Zaccari said. “Our vision is to attract outstanding scholars, teachers and researchers to Valdosta State University, and in turn open new partnerships with physicians, hospital administrators and multiple use facilities. It is an important and crucial time in our region’s history to chart a new course of action - an intense action plan that serves as a catalyst for combining scarce and valuable resources and accomplishing projects never before imagined.”

The VSU Health Sciences and Business Administration facility is quickly moving up the University System of Georgia’s capital projects list and construction should begin within the next three years. The approximately $46 million facility will represent one of the most significant advances in VSU’s history, and directly responds to the state of Georgia’s critical need for more healthcare professionals.

SportsCenter TitleTown USA Visits Valdosta July 9

Join the Blazers at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium on Wednesday, July 9, when ESPN’s flagship show, SportsCenter, visits Valdosta as the city is featured as a part of ESPN’s search for TitleTown, USA. Valdosta is one of 20 finalists for the label of TitleTown and the ESPN cameras will tape on July 9 for a July 16 broadcast.

Everyone in the Valdosta community is invited to tailgate around Bazemore-Hyder Stadium and Drexel Park starting at 3:30 p.m. July 9. Community members are encouraged to participate in the tailgate and to be inside the stadium by 5 p.m. for a pep rally.

Valdosta State will use the American Legion parking lot across Williams Street from Bazemore-Hyder Stadium as its tailgate headquarters while in the stadium, Section E will be reserved for Valdosta State fans. Valdosta State asks all fans to please wear RED for the broadcast.

Section C of the stadium will feature seating for Lowndes fans, while Section D will be for Valdosta High fans. Seating in VSU’s section is on a first-come, first-served basis. Once seating in the Valdosta State section is full, the rest of the stadium’s seating is available on a first-come, first serve base as well. Parking will be available at the Valdosta Board of Education lot along Ann Street as well as in front of the University Center.

The ESPN cameras and lights will start at 5 p.m. with ESPN NFL reporter Wendy Nix reporting on Valdosta and its nomination to TitleTown, USA. NFL linebacker Randall Godfrey, a Lowndes High School alum and former University of Georgia football player who is currently a free agent, will be interviewed by Nix while VSU’s 2007 National Championship trophy and Lowndes’ 2007 State Championship trophy will be displayed on the SportsCenter anchor desk.

In case of rain, the Valdosta State P.E. Complex will be used as the rain-site. Valdosta will be featured on the 6 p.m. broadcast of SportsCenter Wednesday, July 16. As a lead-up to the Valdosta broadcast, ESPN Classic will air the Valdosta State vs. Pittsburg State 2004 National Championship game from 2-4 p.m. and the 2007 Valdosta State vs. Northwest Missouri State National Championship contest from 4-6 p.m.