UGA receives $700,000 National Science Foundation grant to create new Professional Science Master’s program in biomanufacturing; first of its kind at UGA

The University of Georgia has been awarded federal stimulus funding to launch an innovative new program that will help meet the workforce needs of Georgia’s growing biotechnology industry.
The three-year, $700,000 grant from the National Science Foundation will create a new Professional Science Master’s program in biomanufacturing and bioprocessing that capitalizes on UGA’s academic strengths, facilities and industry ties. Only 21 of 210 universities were selected to receive the highly competitive award.

“The focus of a PSM is different from the traditional undergraduate, master’s or doctoral degree,” said Timothy Davies, co-director of the program at UGA and a research scientist in biochemistry and molecular biology.“It allows individuals to pursue advanced scientific training in a particular sector of industry while developing a strong foundation in business practices. It equips students with the skills that industry requires.”

“This new PSM program is an exciting first at UGA, providing a more direct connection between graduate training and workforce development, in an area of intense need in this country,” said David Lee, vice president for research. “This is a prime example of a new trend in workforce-directed academic/industrial/government partnerships.”

The degree program is awaiting final approval from the University Council Executive Committee and the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. It will seek official recognition as a PSM program from the Council of Graduate Schools.

Approximately 200 PSM programs across the U.S. now respond to the national need for a stronger scientific workforce to enhance the nation’s competitiveness, said Davies.

The eight to 10 students in the new program will focus their studies in one of three areas of biomanufacturing—biofuel/biochemical, industrial/environmental or pharmaceutical—in either a large company or small firm setting.

Participating faculty represent UGA’s Terry College of Business, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Pharmacy, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Bioenergy Systems Research Initiative and Faculty of Engineering. The interdisciplinary nature of PSM faculty “demonstrates the central importance of biomanufacturing to all aspects of biotechnology,” said Davies.

The biomanufacturing training facilities at UGA are unique in the Southeast and state-of-the-art for industry, said Davies.

“Typically, the Bioexpression and Fermentation Facility and its equipment are available only to researchers and industry clients,” he said. “Students trained at UGA’s PSM program could potentially go straight to work at DuPont Danisco’s new biofuel facility in Tennessee or at a veterinary pharmaceutical company like Merial.”

The university’s strong industry links will enhance students’ experiences through seminars and guest lectures, lab-based case studies and internship opportunities. Committed industry partners include Merial; industrial enzyme producer Novozymes; biopharmaceutical firm Inhibitex, Inc.; and technology providers DCI-Biolaffite, Innovative Controls and Smartflow Technologies.

The GeorgiaDepartment of Economic Development’s Centers for Innovation and Georgia Bio, the state’s leading biotechnology trade organization, also have signed on to provide industry contacts and expertise. The Georgia BioBusiness Center, UGA’s own technology incubator, will foster links between students and regional start-up companies.

The NSF funds will be used to support recruitment and fellowships for students in the new master’s program. Additional support for the program is being provided by UGA’s Office of the Vice President for Research, Graduate School, department of biochemistry and molecular biology and Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute, which will serve as the degree program’s administrative home.

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Georgia Southern University to Offer Online Master of Science in Computer Science

The University System of Georgia's Board of Regents approved a new online Master of Science in Computer Science degree in Georgia Southern University's Collge of Information Technology. Classes in the new program are set to begin in the fall of 2010.

"The online Master of Science in Computer Science degree program is another example of how Georgia Southern’s College of Information Technology is leading the way in preparing professionals for a future in a field that touches every aspect of our lives," said Georgia Southern University President Brooks Keel. "As the only College of Information Technology in Georgia we are dedicated to educating professionals who will have a large impact on the businesses and industries already in Georgia, and whose presence here will attract new ones as well."

The program is the latest addition to Georgia Southern’s growing list of 100 percent online programs that are opening up educational opportunities for professionals and other non-traditional students. The University’s online programs are particularly attractive for individuals who need more flexibility in order to complete a degree and may not be able to travel to the University’s main campus.

"A student’s distance from Georgia Southern, or the obligations of a demanding career, used to stand in the way of many professionals pursuing degrees," said Gary Means, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Georgia Southern University. "Our new online Master of Science in Computer Science degree program will allow students to do their coursework and interact with professors and classmates when it is convenient for them and without interfering with their day-to-day responsibilities."

The online Master of Science in Computer Science degree is the first graduate degree to be offered by Georgia Southern’s College of Information Technology, which was founded at Georgia Southern University in 2003. Since that time, the College has quickly positioned itself as a leader in information technology higher education. The College was the first four-year institution in the world to teach virtualization on VMware and its undergraduate game design program was recently ranked one of the top in the U.S. and Canada by The Princeton Review.

"This new masters degree program is an important step for the College of Information Technology and our students," said Interim Dean Ronald Shiffler. "There is a definite need and we are seeing an increasing demand for information technology professionals. This new online program has been specifically designed to provide an advanced level of education and expertise in a high-demand field."

The degree program places an emphasis on data mining and data warehousing and will prepare students for positions including data warehouse managers and architects, business intelligence engineers, database application developers and principle data analysts.

"There are many IT professionals actively involved in using databases and database queries. This masters degree program carries their knowledge one step further, allowing them to understand how to query information from sources that are not as strictly organized as databases," said Jim Harris, who leads the department of computer sciences in the College of Information Technology.

The online Master of Science in Computer Science is a 30-hour degree program that can be completed by taking two courses a semester for five semesters. The courses in data mining and data warehousing will be taught by faculty who are internationally recognized in their fields.

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Georgia Tech Creates New Online Master’s Degree in Information Security

(BUSINESS WIRE)--The College of Computing today announced the creation of a new Master of Science in Information Security available online in a distance learning format, a flexible degree option for working information security professionals who want more than industry certification. Georgia Tech is the only university of its class certified by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education that offers the degree in an online format.

“Because of the growing sophistication of threats we face in cyber space, organizations that both build new security solutions and those that must utilize such solutions to protect their information technology assets will need qualified IS professionals with advanced knowledge of the field to address new security challenges,” said Mustaque Ahamad, Professor in the College of Computing’s School of Computer Science and Director of the Georgia Tech Information Security Center. “An organization’s reputation rests on its ability to safeguard its information and remain compliant with regulatory requirements. This requires a much broader, deeper understanding of the field than a certificate can supply.”

Georgia Tech is an established leader in the field of information security research and education, unique in its offering of a technical or policy specialization in the degree program. Close ties to the College of Management and the School of Public Policy in the College of Liberal Arts keep the policy track relevant while the technical portion of the degree is taught by faculty from a nationally ranked top ten computing program. Approximately 30 candidates per year are expected to be admitted to the distance program. Georgia Tech currently has over 25 faculty actively engaged in information security research.

“The rigor, breadth and depth of Georgia Tech’s MS in information security degree program comprehensively prepares students for the high level of accountability that information security leaders have in today’s environment”, said Christopher Rouland, CEO of Endgame and former CTO of IBM Internet Security Systems. Mr. Rouland, a recognized leader in the information security field, received the MS in information security degree from Georgia Tech in 2008.

The new online degree program offers the same course rigor and academic discipline that is found in the traditional on-campus curriculum. Each student is required to complete seven core courses and three additional courses in a self-selected technical or policy specialization. Core areas of study include Information Security, Applied Cryptography, Network Security, Secure Computer Systems, and Strategies and Policies. The technical specialization examines the dimensions of providing security for information processing systems, including secure operating systems and applications, network security, cryptography, and security protocols. The policy concentration focuses on the many non-technical possibilities of information processing and security, including domestic and international policy processes, organizational routines and innovation, risk perception, industry-government relations, and the constitutional framework for governmental actions. An applied research project must also be completed.

More information about the degree program can be found at http://www.cc.gatech.edu/infosec.

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Robinson to launch Executive Master’s in Finance

Beginning in January 2010, Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business will offer an Executive Master of Science in Finance with a specialization in corporate finance. It will be the first such program offered in Atlanta.

Designed for rising as well as mid-career finance professionals who seek to expand or update their functional knowledge, Robinson’s Executive MS-Finance is a one-year, three-semester program. Class size will be limited and students will proceed as a cohort-a structure that fosters peer learning and collaboration.

“We developed the Executive Master of Science in Finance in response to market demand for an accelerated degree program in finance,” said Jane. F. Mutchler, Robinson associate dean for academic planning and programs.

“A traditional master’s program takes, at minimum, two years to complete,” said Mutchler. “In today’s uncertain and changing economic environment, many professionals want to shorten the time it takes to complete their studies in order to apply their knowledge and acumen more rapidly.”

The rigorous, 30-hour curriculum was created and will be taught by the faculty of Robinson College’s Department of Finance. Renowned for their broad experience in research, executive education and practice, they also teach in the college’s top-10-ranked MBA program for working professionals.

Robinson’s Executive MS-Finance will be offered at Georgia State’s Executive Education Center in Buckhead and will meet every Monday evening, every other Wednesday evening and three Saturday mornings per semester. Applicants should possess four or more years of full-time work experience during which they have demonstrated potential for managerial advancement. They must also hold a four-year undergraduate degree. For additional information, please visit http://robinson.gsu.edu/finance/execms.htm.

The largest business school in the South and part of a major research institution, the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University is located in Atlanta, an epicenter of business and a gateway to the world. With programs on four continents and students from 150 countries, the college is both worldwide and world class. Its part-time MBA program is ranked number seven in the nation and has been in the top 10 for 14 consecutive years. The college has 200 faculty, 7,400 students and 65,000 alumni.

Noted for an emphasis on educating leaders, the Robinson College of Business and Georgia State University have produced more of Georgia's top executives with graduate degrees than any other school in the nation.

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VSU Offers Master's Degree in Communication Arts

During fall semester 2009, a cohort of students will become the first to work toward a Master of Communication Arts at Valdosta State University.

The new option will place VSU among the ranks of the University of Georgia and Georgia State University as only the third in the University System of Georgia to offer such a degree. It was established to address the needs of those in communication-related fields through offering graduate level education. Georgia Department of Labor studies have shown an anticipated opening of 360-450 jobs per year in communication-related categories just for VSU's 41-county service area.

To qualify for admission, students must hold a bachelor's degree in communication or a related field with a GPA of 3.0 or higher and a score of 1000 or higher on the Graduate Record Examination. All will take 12 core hours before choosing a specialty track of media or speech communication. The program will be grounded in research and theory in order to prepare students for doctoral studies, teaching or professional careers in a variety of related areas.

"I am pleased the university will be able to offer a program to meet the critical need for communication-related careers," said Dr. Carl Cates, professor and department head for communication arts. "I look forward to recruiting our inaugural group of students."

Call VSU's Department of Communication Arts at (229) 333-5820 for more information about the new graduate degree program.

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Burns-Ardolino Appointed Director of Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Program

Dr. Wendy A. Burns-Ardolino has been appointed the second director of Clayton State University’s first graduate program, the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS).

Burns-Ardolino took over direction of the MALS on July 1, 2008 from Dr. Thomas Barnett, who remains department head of Communicative Arts and Integrative Studies but, “has passed the torch of the MALS program on to me,” according to Burns-Ardolino.

The new MALS director is a person of many accomplishments and skills. In addition to directing MALS, she is also an assistant professor of Integrative Studies at Clayton State, an expert on popular culture, and the author of a provocative new book, “Jiggle: (Re)Shaping American Women,” released by Lexington Books (www.lexingtonbooks.com) in December 2007. In “Jiggle,” Burns-Ardolino begins in the 1930s with a discussion of traditional foundation garments, and proceeds to analyze contemporary shapewear in terms of shaping women physically, culturally and socially. Burns-Ardolino will be appearing in Atlanta and Montreal later this fall in conjunction with her book.

The MALS program is, in its own way, as thought-provoking as “Jiggle,” in that it is designed to provide a solid overview in the liberal arts while also providing education in areas of specialization within the broader background of the liberal arts.

“We’re doing two things simultaneously,” says Burns-Ardolino. “First, showing what liberal arts can do and then tending to the students’ needs in areas of specialization they would choose.

“It’s both an interdisciplinary program and a program that provides 18 hours of concentration… that’s what makes it so valuable.”

Burns-Ardolino also points out that MALS has a liberal arts focus for people who want to pick and choose their coursework on topics they are interested in. However, she adds, most MALS students want to take the 18 hours in a specific area of interest.

The two main areas on interest within the MALS are currently History and English, and there are plans to further diversify the program, “as we go forward.” Burns-Ardolino lists Psychology, Sociology and Communications as three logical areas of interest for the MALS to expand in to.

“Doing something interdisciplinary like cultural studies or global studies, that could also potentially happen,” she adds. “We’re sitting exactly where we want to be in terms of the breadth of scope for the program. Our next step is to look at the student demographics.”

On the subject of where MALS is getting its students, Burns-Ardolino notes that the clearest audience is comprised of teachers in Clayton, Henry, Fayette and Fulton counties who need to continue their education and their professional development.

“Choosing a masters program like ours is really in keeping with their goals as educators,” she points out. “It will allow them to keep up their professional credentials and continue their education at the same time. Those are the folks that I see us reaching out to.”

Indeed, some of MALS most notable success stories to date have been secondary school teachers from the Southern Crescent. Anna Cox, who will become the University’s first masters graduate this fall, is a teacher at Clayton County’s Jonesboro High School, while Barbara James, winner of the first Clayton State Retirees Association scholarship, is a teacher at Fayette County’s Rising Starr Middle School.

“We’re building a graduate faculty that are the best teachers, the best researchers, and the best scholars,” says Burns-Ardolino with evident pride. “The students who come here to take our graduate programs will benefit from the faculty and their expertise. It’s a real honor for our faculty and a reason to come here.”

Two additional benefits to potential Clayton State graduate students include the University’s smaller size and the support for the graduate programs at the upper levels of the University’s administration, notably from the new dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, Dr. Nasser Momayezi. According to Burns-Ardolino, one of his major priorities is to diversify and grow the graduate programs.

“Because we are smaller than some universities, we have an intimacy that enables learning and that fosters one-on-one interaction,” she adds. “Larger institutions cannot offer that level of intimate research and study. That sets us apart.”

For more information on the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies at Clayton State, go to the MALS website at http://a-s.clayton.edu/mals/.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.