Georgia State University News & Events

University Relations Tip Sheet - October 28, 2008

Finance industry jobs may shift toward smaller firms
As the financial service industry experiences more mergers and consolidations, jobs for new graduates may be most plentiful in smaller, more face-to-face institutions, says one Georgia State University financial expert. Over the last several years, “finance became entirely transactional and less personal, and that’s not what it used to be,” says Conrad Ciccotello, director of Georgia State’s Graduate Personal Financial Planning program. Consolidations and mergers “are going to leave behind a lot of market segments,” he said. “There’s going to be a tremendous amount of opportunity out there in smaller companies.” To speak with Ciccotello, contact Michael Davis at 404-413-1361 or mdavis6@gsu.edu.

Grant award helps after-school program expand
Georgia State University’s After-School All-Stars Program has been awarded a $2
million grant from the Georgia Department of Human Resources’ Division of Children and Family Services to expand its programming for middle school children in metro Atlanta. Starting in January, the after-school program will be added in Turner and Long middle schools, bringing the total number of middle schools served to 10. Also, 600 more students will be able to participate in the program’s five camps this summer. The After-School All-Stars Program inspires at-risk youth to do better in school and to participate in its positive community programs, which focus on academics, cultural enrichment, organized sports, recreation and special-interest clubs. “We make after school fun and exciting,” said Georgia State Kinesiology Regents Professor Walt Thompson, who is executive director of the After-School All-Stars Program. “Kids are learning and they don’t even know they’re learning.” For more information, contact Liz Babiarz at 404-413-1356 or lbabiarz@gsu.edu.

Preparing principals who can hit the ground running
Across the nation, as more schools fail to meet testing targets set by No Child Left Behind, critics say principals may need more training on how to be instructional leaders, capable of analyzing test scores to see where students are and aren’t learning. Georgia State University’s Principals Center, in collaboration with the Georgia Association of Secondary Schools Principals, is meeting that need with a new coaching and mentoring program for first-time principals of high schools in Georgia. “First-year principals need to be able to hit the ground running,” said Ronda Tighe, executive director of the Principals Center. “Let’s help them, rather than leaving people out there to figure it out on their own.” Through the program, first-year high school principals from across Georgia will have a trained coach assigned to work with them individually. They’ll also be able to attend workshops throughout the year and participate in a blog for first-year principals, as part of an online learning community. For more information, contact Liz Babiarz at 404-413-1356 or lbabiarz@gsu.edu.

Georgia State art installation uses reclaimed water
Kristina Solomoukha, a visiting artist with Georgia State’s Welch School of Art and Design, has created a temporary fountain in Atlanta’s Cleopas Park that uses water reclaimed from Georgia State’s cooling systems. The temporary art installation is part of the school’s efforts to make the Castleberry Hill park a cultural destination for Atlanta residents. “The water in the project is provided by the Georgia State University condensation recovery project,” said Cathy Byrd, director of the Welch School’s gallery. “They are working in collaboration with us on this. It’s a community project.” For more information on how the Welch School is using eco-friendly design to reach out to the Atlanta community, contact Lisa Spires at 404-413-1353 or lspires@gsu.edu.

Happenings at Georgia State University

Panel to discuss election, economic crisis
A panel of Georgia State experts will discuss the “Economic Crisis and the 2008 Elections” from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 29) in the Speakers Auditorium of the Student Center, 44 Courtland St. Panelists will include associate professor of communication Michael Bruner; assistant professor of philosophy Andrew I. Cohen; associate professor of economics James Marton; and assistant professor of political science Sean Richey. For more information, call 404-413-5114 or visit www.cas.gsu.edu.

Corporate IP Institute scheduled
Intellectual property experts from the business, legal and product development communities will gather at Georgia State this week for two days of lectures, panel discussions and networking on the latest in IP. The Georgia State University Corporate Intellectual Property Institute, sponsored by the Georgia State College of Law and J. Mack Robinson College of Business, will be held Oct. 28 and 29 at the Student Center, 44 Courtland St., Atlanta. For more information, visit http://www.gsuip.org/corporate/.

Isdell to be presented with Ethics Advocate Award
The J. Mack Robinson College of Business’ Center for Ethics and Corporate Responsibility will present its sixth annual Ethics Advocate Award to Coca-Cola Co. board Chairman Neville Isdell. The reception will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 6 in the Cecil B. Day Chapel of the Carter Center. For more information or to make reservations by Oct. 29 visit http://robinson.gsu.edu/ethics/award/index.html.

Georgia State seeks nominations for community activism award
Georgia State’s Office of Student Life and Leadership/Intercultural Relations is seeking nominations for the Hosea Williams Award for Community Activism. The award honors an individual and organization that demonstrate purposeful risk taking for betterment of a community, strong leadership skills and courage. It will be presented as part of the 5th annual Martin Luther King Jr., Commemorative Week Celebration in January. The deadline for nominations is Nov. 14. Nomination applications are available through the Office of Student Life and Leadership in suite 330 of the Georgia State Student Center, and at online www2.gsu.edu/interculturalrelations. For more information, contact Liz Babiarz at lbabiarz@gsu.edu or 404-413-1356.

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