NASA Seeks Undergrads to Defy Gravity for Science and Engineering

/PRNewswire/ -- NASA is offering undergraduate students an opportunity to test an experiment in weightless science as part of the agency's Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program. Proposals are due by Oct. 27.

The program, managed by the Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston, provides aspiring explorers a chance to propose, design and fabricate a reduced gravity experiment. Selected teams will get to test and evaluate their experiment aboard a microgravity aircraft. The specially modified jet aircraft flies approximately 30 roller-coaster-like climbs and dips to produce periods of micro and hyper-gravity, ranging from weightlessness to three times the force of Earth's gravity.

"This project gives students a head start in preparing for future ventures by allowing them to do hands-on research and engineering in a truly reduced gravity laboratory," Program Manager Douglas Goforth said.

Interested teams also should submit a letter of intent by Sept. 22. This step is optional, but serves as an introductory notice that a team plans to submit a proposal for the competition. All applicants must be U.S. citizens. Full-time students must be at least 18 years old.

NASA will announce the selected participants on Dec. 8. The actual flights will take place in summer 2011. Selected teams may invite a full-time, accredited journalist to fly with them and document the experiment and gravity-defying experience.

With this program, NASA continues its tradition of investing in the nation's education programs with the goal of strengthening the future workforce.

To learn more about NASA's education programs, visit:  http://www.nasa.gov/education

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter:  @GAFrontPage

Regents Approve Revised Core Curriculum for University System

The University System of Georgia’s (USG) governing body, the Board of Regents, took a step yesterday to revise the core undergraduate curriculum. The regents approved a revised core curriculum, the basic courses all students must take in order to earn a degree, in order to help students complete their majors in a timely way, strengthen the focus on liberal arts, preserve the ability of students to transfer courses across institutions, and boost the assessment of student learning. The new core will go into effect in the fall of 2011.

“This is a major step for the University System,” said Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer Susan Herbst. “We have engaged hundreds of our faculty from across the system in a comprehensive process over the past year to create a flexible and rigorous general education curriculum.”

The revised core builds upon one of the University System’s strengths as revealed in a review of higher education systems nationwide –– the relative ease with which students in the System’s 35 degree-granting colleges and universities can transfer between USG institutions.

“The ability of a student to transfer easily between institutions positions that student to graduate more quickly,” Herbst said in a presentation of the new core curriculum to the regents. “Transfer lies at the heart of core curriculum issues for large systems, but we must also protect the unique missions all colleges and universities. The core curriculum committee, presidents, administrators and faculty have done an excellent job of reconciling these competing goals to the benefit of all students.” She said that the committee used this “unrivaled transferability” as the foundation upon which the new core curriculum was built.

A ten-member Core Curriculum Evaluation Committee, chaired by Professor George Rainbolt of Georgia State University, oversaw the revision process and conducted the review of higher education systems’ core curriculums.

The revised core curriculum supports the Board’s Strategic Plan Goal One, which calls for a renewal of excellence in undergraduate education to meet students’ 21st century educational needs. This marks the first major revision of the core curriculum since 1998.

The new core curriculum is designed to:

give all students a broad liberal arts education;
mandate more assessment of student learning than ever before in the USG’s history;
enable students to finish their majors/degrees in a more timely fashion;
protect the already-strong within-USG transfer between institutions; and
give USG institutions the flexibility to create unique core curricula that give students a powerful, shared, intellectual experience and alls students to choose an institution that fits their needs and interests.
The revised core curriculum includes the addition of new learning outcomes, which allows educators and the public to assess how effective teaching really is in a college or university.

Rainbolt said that the USG core curriculum is vital to the entire state of Georgia. “The core represents the primary body of knowledge all undergraduate students must master in order to graduate,” he said. In addition, Rainbolt said that with the new core curriculum, every student who graduates from a USG institution will have demonstrated critical thinking abilities, as well as a solid understanding of their nation’s role in the world.

The core curriculum demands that students understand the general nature of the sciences, the social sciences, the humanities and the fine arts. “This broad, rigorous education will enable them to become strong leaders of their communities, businesses, and professions in the future,” said Herbst.


-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.artsacrossgeorgia.com
Arts Across Georgia

More than 6,300 new undergraduates to be enrolled at UGA this fall

The University of Georgia expects to enroll more than 6,300 new undergraduate students this fall, including just over 4,700 new freshmen and 1,600 new transfer students.Approximately 680 of the new students began their studies during the summer and almost 5,700 will begin classes this August.

This is a growth of about 75 new students over last fall.Another 1,000 new undergraduates (200 of them freshmen) are expected to enroll in January for the spring term, bringing the overall total to more than 7,300—an increase of about 300 over the new undergraduates enrolled during the 2008-09 academic year.

Although final statistics will not be available until mid-October, the admissions office has compiled data based on the students who enrolled over the summer or who attended or registered for orientation for fall semester as of the end of July.

The entering freshmen are expected to have a strong grade point average of 3.83 (the mid 50 percentile range is 3.68-4.0) compared to 3.80 last year. The SAT average has risen from 1253 to 1263 (mid 50 percentile of 1160-1360) for the Critical Reading and Math combined, while scores on the new Writing section rose from 609 to 613. For those students who took the ACT, the mean score this year was 28, with a mid 50 percentile range of 26-30.

The 520 students expected to enroll in UGA’s nationally recognized Honors Program have a GPA of 4.09 (with a mid 50 percentile range of 3.96-4.14) and SAT average of 1463 (mid 50 percentile range of 1430-1490 on the Critical Reading and Math components). The ACT average is 32 (mid 50 percent range of 31-33).

Twenty-two percent of the entering freshmen self-identified as other than Caucasian. The number of African-American freshmen is expected to be 362 (7.6 percent). A total of 144 Hispanic students (3 percent of the class) are expected to enroll.

The class is diverse in other factors: 190 of the incoming freshmen represent 58 different countries and almost 7 percent come from homes where English is not the native language. The students come from more than 400 Georgia high schools in 136 counties. Just under 13 percent of the new class is from out of state, although more than 48 percent have social security numbers initially issued in other states, indicating continued in-migration to Georgia from other parts of the country.

“An interesting statistic this year is that 6 percent of the new freshmen are the first generation in their families to attend college,” said Nancy McDuff, associate vice president of admissions and enrollment management.

The number of applications received for this year’s freshman class—more than 17,900—is the highest recorded at UGA for a new class, following several years of record applications. Since 2003, applications for UGA’s freshman class have increased by more than 50 percent.

The rigor of students’ high school curriculum continues to be a key factor in admissions decisions, with some 95 percent enrolled in College Board Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes while in high school.

Five percent of the incoming freshmen (243) were first or second in their graduating class and 54 percent were in the top 10 percent of their class. More than 1,400 (31 percent) of the students completed high school with a 4.0 GPA. Several students had perfect scores on the SAT or ACT, and 102 had perfect scores on at least one of the components of the SAT. Nearly 10 percent of the students started college while still in high school.

While many of the incoming students have not yet decided on a major, the most popular intended majors (listed alphabetically) are art, biology, business, chemistry, international affairs, pharmacy, political science and psychology, following a similar pattern to previous years.

Although legacy is not a factor in admissions decisions, some 30 percent of the students have parents or siblings who attended UGA.

The new incoming transfer students have an earned college GPA of 3.4 on work completed prior to enrolling.They are almost evenly divided between males and females and 19 percent are non-Caucasian.About 92 percent are Georgia residents.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.artsacrossgeorgia.com
Arts Across Georgia

UWG to Host Summer Research Program

The University of West Georgia and the Department of Mathematics will host an exciting National Science Foundation program this summer. Students participating in “Research Experience for Undergraduates” are chosen from a national pool of math majors and will live on the UWG campus for eight weeks.

Dr. Bruce Landman, chair of the math department, and Dr. Abdollah Khodkar, associate professor of mathematics, will offer students first-hand experience in conducting research in the mathematical areas of number and graph theory and combinatorics. The NSF sponsored program, which is in its third year, pays for residential living and meals on campus, a stipend and living and traveling expenses.

This year’s participants attend Georgia Tech, UWG, California State University at Northridge, Florida State University, the University of Maryland – Baltimore County, McDaniel College, the University of Michigan and the University of Nebraska.

The research program will focus on individual and team research work under a faculty mentor. The syllabi will feature lectures by visiting speakers, weekly seminars where students give oral presentations on their work and writing a mathematics research paper. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in a prestigious mathematics conference. It is an inspiring program for students who love math, said Landman.

“Our 2007 and 2008 REU programs appear to have been successful,” said Landman. “At least four student-authored articles have been accepted in research journals, two presentations have been made at a national conference, numerous academic awards have been received and most of the students have decided to pursue doctorate degrees.”

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page

Army Scholarship Finances Graduate Medical, Dental & Veterinary Education

(BUSINESS WIRE)--In the coming months, many undergraduate students who have applied for medical and dental school will receive letters notifying them that they have been accepted for the fall semester. For some, the excitement of the news will be tinged with anxiety as they wonder how they will finance their education.

The United States Army Medical Department (AMEDD) through its F. Edward Hebert Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) is one option for students seeking a way to pay for their graduate medical, dental, veterinary or nursing degree. HPSP provides students with the full cost of tuition; school related fees and books; as well as a stipend of more than $1,900 per month during the school year. In addition, HPSP recipients are eligible for a one-time $20,000 (less tax) sign-on bonus.

For Sara Michael, a second year medical student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the scholarship enables her to stay focused on her education, “I’d say I’m less anxious about the future because my financial situation is more stable. That’s a huge perk.”

According to a 2007 study by the American Association of Medical Schools, the average student loan debt is more than $150,000 after graduation and is a barrier for many students. The report estimated that physicians who are on a standard 10-year loan repayment plan would see half of their after-tax earnings go to their loan payment.

“In a time of economic uncertainty and difficulty obtaining loans, the prospect of mounting debt is daunting,” said Colonel Rafael Montagno, commander U.S. Army Medical Recruiting Brigade. “Army Health Care provides students with a first rate education, advanced training and experience – and many students will be surprised to learn that they can specialize in forty-seven practices ranging from anesthesiology to vascular surgery, and have access to research opportunities that can take them around the world.”

The scholarship is available in 2, 3 and 4-year increments and provides benefits during school and after graduation for those planning a career in health care or who are currently enrolled in a graduate medical or dental program. In addition to a full tuition scholarship to the medical or dental school of choice, the program pays for required books, non-expendable equipment, other academic fees and a monthly stipend that is adjusted annually for cost-of-living increases. Upon graduation and entry onto active duty, AMEDD Officers receive increases in salary and new opportunities for a broad range of residencies, fellowships and special pay incentives. Acceptance of the Critical Skills Accessions Bonus includes a four-year active duty and four-year Reserve service obligation, which can be fulfilled concurrent with service obligations related to HPSP upon completion of residency programs and becoming licensed to practice.

For more information about HPSP and the Critical Skills Accession Bonus, please visit www.goarmy.com/amedd/hpsp.jsp or phone 800-USA-ARMY (800-872-2769).

Graduates of the HPSP program receive all the benefits of active duty Officers including:

* Paid continuing education courses, seminars and conferences
* No-cost or low-cost medical and dental care for you and your family
* A comfortable home on-post or a generous housing allowance if you live off-post
* Opportunities to travel throughout the world
* Attractive retirement benefits with 20 years of qualifying service
* A flexible, portable retirement savings and investment plan similar to a 401k
* 30 days of vacation earned each year
* Rank and privileges of an Army Officer
* Low-cost life insurance

ABOUT THE ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT (AMEDD)

From nurses and entomologists to veterinarians, dietitians and physicians, Army Health Care offers more than 90 professional health care career paths – more than any other military service.

Army Health Care annually employs more than 73,500 active-duty professionals and 72,000 Reserve Soldiers who interact with more than 200,000 patients in an average day. The Army’s Health Care system is an $8 billion per year venture, employing 145,000 people and managing the care of three million beneficiaries. The active Army Medical Team is augmented by a Reserve Component, comprised of health care professionals in Reserve units throughout the United States and abroad.

One of the largest health care networks in the world, AMEDD operates more than 600 world-renowned hospitals, clinics and facilities around the globe. AMEDD encompasses six corps: Dental, Medical, Medical Service, Medical Specialist, Nurse and Veterinary.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page