Clayton State Student Playwright's Work to be Featured at Fourth Annual New Play Read-A-Thon

Clayton State Theatre Director Phillip DePoy knows a good play when he reads one. So does the Process Theatre Company, which will be including Clayton State University Theatre major Kalani Fraser's one-act play, "Hydrangeas" in its Fourth Annual New Play Read-A-Thon.

The Read-A-Thon will be held on Sunday, Nov. 15 at Onstage Atlanta, 2597 N. Decatur Rd., Atlanta, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

While DePoy is understandably pleased at this honor for one of his students, he's not exactly surprised. Fraser, a resident of Fayetteville and a graduate of Fayette County High School, wrote "Hydrangeas" in DePoy's playwriting course.

"Kalani is one of our top three theatre majors, a great writer, and is currently working as our theatre company manager - a position of great responsibility -- and one of my favorite people," says DePoy. "This is a fantastic accomplishment for a young playwright and I'm very proud of her."

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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MAG Executive Receives AMA Achievement Award

David A. Cook, the executive director of the Medical Association of Georgia, received the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Medical Executive Meritorious Achievement Award during AMA’s Interim Meeting in Houston today. The award is given to a county, state or national medical specialty society executive who has provided exemplary and exceptional service that benefits and supports physicians in caring for their patients.

“Considering the deep and talented pool of candidates, this is a proud day for the Medical Association of Georgia,” says MAG President Gary C. Richter, M.D. “David Cook absolutely deserves this honor for what he’s done for patients and physicians in the state.”

Dr. Richter says Cook was instrumental in passing a comprehensive tort reform law in Georgia in 2005, which has resulted in a better practice environment for physicians in the state. Dr. Richter also says that Cook led the way in reforming the Certificate of Need (CON) system in Georgia to expand the definition of single specialty to general surgery in 2008, lowering physician costs and enhancing patient access to quality health care. Dr. Richter explains that MAG has employed an integrated legal advocacy program to effect change in the managed care arena under Cook’s leadership. And he says that Cook oversees a MAG program that has produced the equivalent of more than $30 million in third-party payer savings for physicians in Georgia in 2009.

“His work ethic and his dedication to the profession of medicine are unparalleled,” says MAG Immediate Past President M. Todd Williamson, M.D., who nominated Cook for the award. “The bottom line is that he has delivered exceptional value for physicians in Georgia.”

Joseph P. Bailey Jr., M.D., the chairman of MAG’s delegation to the AMA, believes that, “David Cook has an abiding interest in and dedication to medicine that is truly beyond what could ever be expected of a non-physician.”

Cook has been MAG’s executive director since 2001. With more than 6,000 members, MAG is the leading voice for physicians in Georgia. Go to www.mag.org for additional information.
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Clayton State Legal Studies Professor Wins Grand Award in Pearson-Prentice Hall Online Teaching Competition

Sheryne “Sherry” Richardson, assistant professor of Legal Studies in the Social Sciences Department of the College of Arts & Sciences at Clayton State University was recently recognized with a significant honor.

Richardson was named the Grand Award Winner of the Pearson-Prentice Hall Online Teaching Competition. The competition, hosted by the American Association of Paralegal Education, was held in Portland, Ore. The winning submission featured the instruction of agency law in a web-based environment. It included a two-part time-released discussion on posting, video introduction and conclusion, PowerPoint online streaming lectures, an instructional tutorial and animated characters of the professor and the parties to a case.

Richardson also notes that the services of the Clayton State Center for Instructional Development were instrumental in compiling the winning entry.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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Clayton State Names 27 Fayette County Residents to Summer 2009 Dean’s List

The following Fayette County residents were named to the summer 2009 dean’s list at Clayton State University. Students must enroll in a minimum of nine credit hours and maintain a grade point average of 3.6 or higher to be eligible for the dean’s list.

Fayetteville Wendi R Bozeman
Leslie M. Carson
Joy Marie DeLay
Amanda L. Donaldson
Courtney L. Gratzer
Maureen S. Keillor
Angela Marie Lopez
Kelli D. Massey
Mary Lehang Nguyen-Quan
Kelly Vanessa Perdomo
Bonnie Ruth Sigman
Joan Wendaur
Jonesboro Cornelia Daniella Bouyea
Rhonda Elizabeth Brenner
Peachtree City Edward Andrew Case
Elizabeth J. Desch
Zachary Thomas-Albert Dicke
Tad Oliver Ericson
David D. Farr
Tim D. Fuller
Robert Lester Graham
Stanley Hinson
Chelsea Alice Martenson
Anne Louise Staigle
Stephanie Michelle Steele
Tyrone Jaymz Ryms
Patricia Delia Williams
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Georgia Division of Aging Services Recognized for Organizational Excellence

The Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Aging Services (DAS) is only one step away from winning Georgia’s highest award for organizational performance excellence.

DAS will receive the Georgia Oglethorpe Progress Award on October 29 during the 2009 Georgia Oglethorpe Annual Conference and Awards Banquet at the Marriott Atlanta Century Center in Atlanta.

“It is an honor to receive this award,” said DHS Commissioner B.J. Walker. “To achieve this level of recognition demonstrates Georgia’s commitment to enhance how it delivers services to older adults.”

The Progress Award is the second phase of a three-phase award process that culminates with the Georgia Oglethorpe Award. To receive Georgia’s highest organizational honor, DAS must continue to show continued performance success.

“The DAS team appreciates this award as validation that we are on the right track and recognize the value of continuing this systematic approach for managing our business and improving service to our customers,” said DAS Director Maria Greene.

Georgia Oglethorpe is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Georgia Department of Labor. Its mission is to lead organizations to improve by providing education, assessment, feedback, and recognition based on the Georgia Oglethorpe Criteria for Performance Excellence. These criteria are based on standards used to award the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
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Hail Mary Sports Pub Makes the Top 25

The Hail Mary Sports Pub in Grayson was recently named as one of the top 25 finalists for the Nations top new restaurant franchises. The contest, co-sponsored by The Franchise Edge and Sysco Foods is a national contest in which new independent restaurants compete to have their concept franchised for free.

The Hail Mary Sports Pub, located in downtown Grayson, entered the contest in August and was notified August 19th as being named in the top 25 out of 240 national restaurants. Upon entry, each restaurant conducted a phone interview with Franchise Edge management in order to determine the top 25 finalists. The contest winner will be announced on October 1, 2009.

Upon hearing the news, the Partners of the Hail Mary we’re overwhelmed, states Hail Mary GM, Blake Hawkins. “We entered at the encouragement of Sysco Foods Atlanta, and entered thinking that we did not stand a chance of competing nationally. The partners and I recall saying that if we made the top 25 we would consider that a great privilege and honor”. We were completely thrilled when we received the top 25 notification”, he continued.

Established in 2007, The Hail Mary Pub is a dream come true for a group of local Grayson friends & family who enjoy getting together to watch our favorite sports teams and enjoy great food and drink. By creating a special neighborhood place to call home —we are living our dream. After traveling the world over and visiting many great pubs along the way, we brought the best from these journeys to you to create The Hail Mary… Grayson’s Finest Sports Pub. Our name comes from the famous football “Hail Mary” play. Although originally coined by Notre Dame, the most famous play was the Dallas Cowboys’ Roger Staubach to Drew Pearson throw in 1975. It was a last second, long shot, against all odds play. This is our Hail Mary. We guarantee a friendly atmosphere, affordable spirits, great beer & liquor selections, tasty and unique food and great special events all while providing excellent customer service and televised sports in a friendly neighborhood environment.
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Governor Gives Extraordinary Service Award to Health Agencies

Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that employees of Georgia’s health and human services agencies have been awarded the “Governor’s Award for Extraordinary Service to Georgians” in recognition of their outstanding work during the reorganization of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Community Health.

“This is only the second time we have given out this recognition and I hope it stands as a real testament to those who worked hard for the benefit of Georgia’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Governor Perdue. “Thanks to the work of over 200 state employees the reorganization of Georgia’s health and human service agencies has been completed successfully less than five months after it began with no disruption in services to constituents.”

The employees not only completed the transition without a break in customer service, they also helped move thousands of staff members physically and administratively to new agencies and new functions and maintained support for partner vendors without disruption, all while continuing to do their regular jobs.

“If you compare this to the corporate world, what we have accomplished is a simultaneous divestiture, merger, startup, and reorganization involving a company with 20,000 employees – in less than five months. That is unheard of,” said Jim Lientz, Chief Operating Officer for the State of Georgia.

The health and human services reorganization was initiated by Governor Sonny Perdue and approved by the Georgia General Assembly in its 2009 session as a way to bring greater focus to the state’s behavioral health services and to better align the state’s programs promoting public health.

The reorganization created a new agency called the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities with 8,600 employees from the former Department of Human Resources (DHR). At the same time, DHR’s Division of Public Health and Office of Regulatory Services, representing a total of 1,240 employees, were divested and transferred to the Department of Community Health. The remaining functions of DHR, including Family and Children Services, Aging, and Child Support Services, were reorganized to form the new Department of Human Services.
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Clayton State MBA Program Recognized by Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Business Journal

One of the signs of an academic program coming of age is public recognition.

Clayton State University’s AACSB-accredited School of Business if justifiably proud of its MBA program, which graduated its first cohort of more than 30 students this past May, and which continues to grow, both in numbers and locations.

And, it turns out that public recognition for the MBA program is growing at well. The current issues of both the Atlanta Business Chronicle and the Atlanta Business Journal both rank the Clayton State MBA program among the best in metro Atlanta.

“We are elated that the ABC and Atlanta Business Journal have ranked us among the best MBA programs in Atlanta,” says School of Business Assistant Dean – External Relations Dr. Michael Tidwell. “These rankings suggest that the business community is starting to recognize the value of the Clayton State University MBA.
In a short period of time we’ve been able to build a program of excellence that educates Atlanta’s current and future business leaders.”

It is indeed a short period. The Clayton State MBA program started in the fall of 2007. By the time the fall 2009 semester starts, the program will have more than 100 students (who are still being admitted for fall 2009) in cohorts based on the main campus in Morrow and at the Clayton State – Fayette instructional site in Peachtree City. In addition, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia recently gave its approval to Clayton State’s proposal to establish a cohort of the MBA program at the Rockdale Career Academy, 1064 Culpepper Dr., Conyers, Ga., starting in January 2010.

The Atlanta Business Chronicle ranked the Clayton State MBA 10th in metro Atlanta among AACSB-accredited programs, while the Atlanta Business Journal ranked the Clayton State MBA fifth in Atlanta.

For more information on the Clayton State MBA, contract program director Dr. Michael Deis at michaeldeis@clayton.edu or by calling Andrea Johnson at (678) 466-4500.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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Emory Doctors Recognized in Atlanta Magazine’s “Top Doctors”

According to a survey of Atlanta doctors published by Atlanta magazine in its July 2009 “Top Doctors” issue, almost half (72) of all 165 doctors selected for recognition are Emory Healthcare doctors and Emory School of Medicine faculty.

The list is prepared by a national firm that surveys doctors to identify leading doctors in key areas of the country. To learn about Emory Healthcare doctors named visit http://www.emoryhealthcare.org/topdoctors.

“We are pleased to learn of the recognition of Emory doctors recently highlighted in the Atlanta magazine top doctors issue,” says Fred Sanfilippo, MD, PhD, Emory University executive vice president for health affairs, CEO of Emory's Woodruff Health Sciences Center and chairman of Emory Healthcare. “This recognition helps underscore the type of accolade Emory faculty physicians receive every day, including awards from professional medical groups and important grants from the National Institutes of Health and other sources. Doctors practicing at Emory not only provide excellent patient care but they also are the source of pioneering discoveries that advance our understanding of disease prevention and treatment.”

New York-based health care research firm Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. survey and research process involves tens of thousands of top doctors across America and the medical leadership of leading hospitals. Atlanta’s top doctors are selected after peer nomination, extensive research and careful review and screening by Castle Connolly’s doctor-directed research team. Atlanta magazine uses the research by Castle Connolly to provide detailed information about education, training and special expertise of Atlanta doctors. It is important to note that doctors do not and cannot pay to be selected and profiled as Castle Connolly Top Doctors.

“The Atlanta magazine listing provides yet another opportunity for the public to learn of the outstanding doctors that practice at Emory Healthcare,” says John T. Fox, president and CEO of Emory Healthcare. “The fact that these doctors were selected by their peers in Atlanta to receive this recognition says a lot about the level of expertise in our health system. There is no doubt that these doctors and others at Emory excel at providing the highest level of health care to our patients every day.”

In addition to Atlanta magazine’s listing showing that Emory doctors were 44 percent of the top Atlanta doctors, Castle Connolly will issue “America's Top Doctors,” a national guide that profiles more than 5,000 top specialists throughout the United States, including these Emory’s doctors. The doctors in this guide represent the top 1 percent in the nation, according to Castle Connolly.
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AVP Grad Receives 2 National and 1 State Scholarship

Ogechi Oparah, a seven year participant in the Association of Village PRIDE's Youth Leader program has been awarded two national scholarships.

The 2009 FCHS graduate is a 2009 Coca-Cola Scholar. She is one of 250 national scholars from an application pool of 75,000.The application pool was narrowed to 2,100 semi-finalist. Students at this stage had to submit an extensive application that narrowed it to the 250 finalist. Oparah spent four days in Atlanta with the other 250 finalist who came from all 50 states and all US territories. She was one of 26-scholars selected in Georgia and the only one from Fayette County. As a 2009 Coca-Cola Scholar Ogechi will receive $2,500 every year for four years from the Coca-Cola Foundation.

Oparah was also selected as a 2009 National Achievement Scholar by the National Merit Program. She will receive a $2,500 scholarship award. National Achievement Awards are given to minorities across the nation who achieved certain scores on the PSAT and the SAT exams. Ogechi was selected from an original pool of 1600 students who were semi-finalist. 1300 students became finalist and 700 students became award-winning National Achievement Scholars.

Oparah was one of 45 students in the state of Georgia to be selected through audition to All-State Chorus six years in a row, starting in 7th grade. Each year the Georgia Music Educator’s Association awards one male and one female scholarship as a six year All-State Student. Oparah was the female recipient of this year’s scholarship. She will receive a $500 award.

Other notable recognitions and honors for Oparah include being named the Margaret Anlicker Award winner for Fayette County High School for being selected as the best all around choral student of the year. She received the AP English student of the year award and the All-Round Social Studies student of the Year Award. Oparah graduated #3 in her graduating class of 323 students with a 4.0 average. Ogechi completed nine Advanced Placement courses at FCHS She received a College Prep with Distinction and Fine Arts Seal on her diploma. She was selected by her fellow seniors as the girl most likely to succeed. She was selected by the faculty as one of the top 20 students in the senior class based on character.

Oparah was the president of the National Honor Society, Vice President of the Beta Club and Dance Captain for the Select Chorus Variety Show. She was a member of Association of Village Pride, Inc. a youth service and leadership organization for seven years where she held several leadership positions. She also served as president for the NAACP Youth Council.

Oparah was accepted to nine universities which include, Dartmouth, Cornell, North Eastern, Howard, Princeton, Emory, Spelman, Oglethorpe, and Florida A & M. She received full or partial scholarships at all of the universities. She will attend Princeton in the fall, where she is interested in law and international studies and relations.

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Atlanta: Commissioner Dianne Harnell Cohen Named One of Business to Business Magazine 2009 Women of Excellence

Business to Business (B2B) magazine announced City of Atlanta Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Commissioner Dianne Harnell Cohen as one its 2009 Women of Excellence honorees.

“Business to Business is privileged to honor this high-caliber group of women who continue to raise the bar on excellence,” says Publisher Stephen Reynolds in the B2B announcement.

Joining the Commissioner Harnell Cohen, the honorees include Joanne Bauer (Kimberly Clark Healthcare), Susan Booth (Alliance Theatre), Ann-Marie Campbell (The Home Depot), Helene Gayle (Care International), Carol Hunstein (Georgia Supreme Court), Elizabeth Kiss (Agnes Scott College), Cynthia McCague (The Coca-Cola Company), Michele Molden (Piedmont Heart Institute), Melanie Platt (AGL Resources), Leslie Sibert (Georgia Power), and Loretta Walker (Turner Broadcasting System).

The 2009 Women of Excellence will be featured online and in print and will be honored during the awards luncheon celebration on July 23, 2009 at the Atlanta History Center. “The event will be a unique opportunity to
celebrate the success of the outstanding individuals, to honor their influential leadership and to appreciate their positive community impact,’ says Reynolds.

Commissioner Harnell Cohen is credited for providing funding for public arts programs, better management and successfully pushing for $105 million in bonds to buy land for new parks and to upgrade others. She is a devoted advocate of public service with a passion for green space and the Beltline, the environment, economic development, the arts and tourism. In March 2009, her department received accreditation without any stipulations from the National Recreation and Parks Association, setting a national precedence for large agencies.

“This is a well deserved recognition for Dianne for her first-rate management through the economic downturn and the challenging times for the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs,” says Mayor Shirley Franklin.

Towers Perrin, Baker Donelson, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., Aaron’s, and UPS have teamed with Business to Business to honor this year’s award winners.
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Clayton State Interim President Hynes Named to Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Who’s Who in Education

Clayton State University Interim President Dr. Thomas J. “Tim” Hynes, Jr., has been named as one of the leading figures in Atlanta education by the Atlanta Business Chronicle (ABC) in that publication’s May 22-28 “Education” special insert.

Hynes, who took over the president’s office at Clayton State on May 18, 2009, is one of a group of Atlanta’s top educational leaders noted in the ABC’s second annual Education “Who’s Who.”

Hynes was previously provost, vice president for academic affairs and professor of mass communications at the University of West Georgia (UWG), holding the administrative positions for all but two years since 1996. On two occasions since 1999, Hynes served as acting president of UWG when President Dr. Beheruz N. Sethna was called to the University System Office in Atlanta to serve as acting senior vice chancellor for academic affairs.

He previously served as interim dean of the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky., from 1990 to 1996. Before that, he was associate dean of the university from 1988 to 1990 and had been a member of the University of Louisville faculty since 1978. Prior to that, he taught at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, the University of Massachusetts (UM) in Amherst and the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill.

Hynes was a member of the Board of Regents Advisory Committee that developed the 1998 Regents’ Principles for the Preparation of Teachers. Still in use today, these principles guarantee the quality of all teachers prepared by the University System of Georgia.

Hynes holds an undergraduate degree in mathematics and a Ph.D. in communications studies from UM and a Master of Arts degree in speech from UNC. In 2005, he earned a certificate of participation in the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Institute for Educational Management, and in 2003, he participated in the American Institute for Managing Diversity’s Diversity Leadership Academy.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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Joe Doyle Selected as 2009 Henry Toll Fellow

Council of State Governments program recognizes leaders from across the nation

Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that Joseph B. Doyle, Director of the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs and Office of Customer Service, is one of 40 emerging state leaders from across the nation selected for the prestigious Toll Fellowship Program sponsored by The Council of State Governments.

The annual week-long seminar, which will be held in Lexington, Ky., Sept.12-17, is named in honor of Henry Toll, a Colorado senator who founded CSG in 1933. The seminar seeks to develop the next generation of leaders from all three branches of state governments from across the country. This year's dynamic program focuses on trends analysis, policy development, media and constituent relations, and leadership and institutional changes. The experience gives these leaders perspectives they would not ordinarily obtain during the course of their regular governmental service.

Doyle was nominated by Governor Perdue, with endorsements from Chief Financial Officer Tommy Hills and Chief Operating Officer Jim Lientz.

“Joe Doyle has worked hard to remake the culture of state government, working closely with agencies to ensure our citizens are treated just as businesses treat their best customers,” Governor Perdue said. “His efforts have led to agencies providing better customer service often at the same or less cost, and protected Georgia consumers from unlawful business practices. I was honored to nominate him for this deserved recognition.”

Doyle was selected from many outstanding applicants by a committee of state elected and appointed officials as one of the most promising leaders of state government. This year’s applicant pool included state leaders from all three branches and represented 40 states and two US territories. Past Toll Fellowship graduates include governors, US Senators and members of Congress, as well as leaders in state government.

Doyle has been tasked by Governor Perdue to lead two state agencies:

- The Office of Consumer Affairs protects consumers and businesses from unlawful or deceptive practices in the marketplace.

- The Office of Customer Service is a unique program which engages all Agencies and state employees in improving service to citizens. This is done by Speeding up Service Delivery (Faster); being Helpful and Courteous (Friendlier) and Simplifying Access to state services (Easier).

Doyle is the 10th Georgian selected for the program since it began in the mid-1980s, and the first Georgia selected since 2005.

The Council of State Governments is the premier multibranch organization forecasting policy trends for the community of states, commonwealths and territories on a national and regional basis. CSG alerts state elected and appointed officials to emerging social, economic, and political trends; offers innovative state policy responses to rapidly changing conditions; and advocates multistate problem-solving to maximize resources and competitiveness. CSG promotes excellence in decision-making and leadership skills and champions state sovereignty.

For more information about the Henry Toll Fellowship Program, visit www.csg.org/leadership/tollfellows/default.aspx or contact Krista Rinehart at (859)244-8249.
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Fayette County Resident Receives High Girl Scout Volunteer Honor

Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, Inc. recently awarded Laura Bosma of Peachtree City with the Honor Pin at the council's annual adult volunteer awards presentation.

The Honor Pin is reserved for a distinctive group of volunteers who have made a significant impact on the Girl Scout movement and who have provided outstanding service to two or more counties within the council’s jurisdiction. The service provided goes above and beyond the expectations of the position(s) held and contributes to the council's goals and objectives.

Laura has held many positions within her service unit such as leader, recruiter and day camp committee member. Laura also enjoys conducting program aide trainings and actively makes an effort to include girls as an integral part of the training by allowing them to have hands-on experiences.

“As a leader, Laura demonstrates high levels of organization. Her girls have an excellent foundation of understanding what it truly means to make the world a better place,” says Amy Vassey, fellow Girl Scout volunteer.

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Governor Announces Agricultural Awareness Week Observance Award Winner

Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that East Jackson Elementary School in Commerce is the winner of the fifth annual Agricultural Awareness Week Observance Award.

“Georgia farmers continue to make our state one of the most vital and diversified farm economies in the nation,” said Governor Perdue. “Agriculture Awareness Week gives our students the opportunity to learn how this evolving industry impacts the citizens of our state.”

During National Agriculture Week of March 15 to March 21, fifth grade classes all across the state were encouraged to participate in events and classes to help students learn about agriculture, Georgia’s oldest and largest industry. By using agriculture as a teaching tool for science, math, language arts and social studies, the students learned the origin of food and fiber, the economic and environmental contributions of agriculture and the impact of agriculture on society.

The East Jackson Elementary class was judged as best in the state for using innovative teaching techniques including the “Adopt a Chick Program.” The students adopted 60-day-old chicks, met weekly with high school students and other volunteers to learn about poultry and how to care for their chicks, collected data to complete a record book, and participated in a Poultry Show during Ag Awareness Week.

The East Jackson students, led by teachers Renee Kiley and Kimberly Ashe, learned about Georgia agriculture through several creative avenues. Aside from learning about poultry, the students learned important aspects in soil and water conservation of the land. Students also learned how to grow food and products for our society through a lesson in planting, care and harvesting. It was the unique nature of the program that distinguished East Jackson from the many other worthy finalists.

The other finalists were:

Bacon County Elementary, Alma
Buchanan Elementary School, Buchanan
Carrollton City Middle School, Carrollton
Early County Elementary, Blakely
Free Home Elementary School, Canton
Lamar County Elementary, Barnesville
Lyerly Elementary, Lyerly
Piedmont Academy, Monticello
Washington-Wilkes Elementary, Washington

The Agricultural Awareness Week Observance Award was initiated by Governor Perdue’s Agriculture Advisory Committee to promote awareness of the benefits of the agriculture industry.
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Clayton State’s Fuqua Receives “Best Paper” Award from BCAA

Dr. Ronald Fuqua, Clayton State University assistant professor of Health Care Management, recently received the “Best Paper Award” at the Business and Health Administration Association (BCAA) International conference for his paper, “Aging, Health Services and Long Term Care Track.”

“The paper is the qualitative part of my dissertation,” Fuqua explains. “I had analyzed data on the reduction of physical restraints in a nursing home as the result of the Nursing Home Reform Act known as OBRA 87. This paper presents the qualitative research I conducted through in-depth interviews with the nursing home's management team.
“My dissertation was an extended effort over almost four years. The adaptation of this paper was about a month's worth of effort.”

Fuqua admits that there were some challenges which included extensive research.

“The greatest challenge was updating the literature since much of the original work was funded on some older work,” he says. “I conducted in-depth interviews using a prepared interview schedule. Probing was determined by the answers provided. The analysis required transcribing the recorded interviews and a process of categorizing and identifying when saturation had occurred. Once the same answers began appearing, the need to collect more information was satisfied.”

Despite a few challenges the experience was very rewarding.

“I feel great about what was learned in the research but I must admit that little recognition was a nice feeling!” he says.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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Local Teen's Vision Brings Inspirational Film and Star to Fayette

Darius Goes West, an award-winning documentary, tells the story of Darius Weems, a young man from Athens, Georgia who had a dream of being featured on MTV’s hit show, “Pimp My Ride”.

Raising awareness for the disease that has taken over his physical abilities, Duchene’s Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), Darius dreamt of creating a more loving, compassionate world by making younger generations aware of the debilitating disease that has affected one in every 3,500 births; thus, he and eleven of his closest friends set out on a three-and-a-half week, 7,000-mile journey from the hometown that Darius had never left across the country to MTV’s Los Angeles studios. In addition to dreams of raising awareness, he dreams that the lives of others will be improved upon discovery of a cure for the number one genetic killer of children worldwide.
While the subject matter seems a bit sad on first glance, the story has all the humor you would expect from a road trip film. In addition to laugh out loud moments at nearly every stop on the trek, Darius possesses a unique power to turn a typically tragic situation into one of absolute joy.
When Erin Breedlove, an eighteen-year-old senior at Whitewater High School, saw the film for the first time, she was able to instantly relate to the struggles that Darius and crew faced throughout the journey and continue to face today. As a student with mobility impairment, she could identify with obstacles that the film attempts to break down such as Americans with Disabilities Act compliancy as it applies to public facilities. Erin enlisted the aid of her British Literature teacher, Mr. Sean Bennett, to envision the project and help bring it to reality.
Bennett states, "I just knew from the look in Erin's eyes when she spoke to me about the project that it was something that just had to become a reality". Erin's tenacity and drive have helped make the screening of Darius Goes West a moment of celebration and an opportunity for enlightenment and community outreach.

As a result of her inspiration, on May 8, 2009, Darius and the crew will be making a stop in Fayetteville to address the senior class of Whitewater High School and later that evening, they will be among community members answering your questions and telling their stories in their own words following a screening of the movie that will take place beginning at 7:00 p.m. in the Whitewater High School / Sara Harp Minter Complex.

Featuring group discounts, educator discounts, live music and entertainment, along with many concessions, all groups are welcome to attend. Handicap parking is available in addition to accessible seating.

Come join Erin and her team for a night of food, fun, and awareness to take part in the fight the fiercely raging battle against this deadly disease! Tickets are available for $5 per person in the front office of Whitewater High School or at your child’s school. Please contact the Darius Goes West Screening Team via e-mail at DariusWildcat@gmail.com for donation information and general inquiries.
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Booth Paper Accepted for Presentation at Distance Learning Administrator’s Conference

A paper written by Clayton State University Associate Professor of Information Technology Larry Booth, his wife, Vickie Booth, and Fred Hartfield has been accepted for presentation at the Distance Learning Administrator’s Conference to be held in June at St. Simon’s, Ga. The paper won a best paper award, which will be presented during the opening dinner on Sunday, June 21. In addition to being published in the Distance Learning Administration Annual, award winning papers are invited for publication in the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration.

The paper, “Continuous Course Improvement, Enhancements, and Modifications: Control and Tracking,” develops an innovative process that employs roles and business rules to define a change management system for continuous improvement, enhancement, and modification of an online curriculum. All three authors are part of the University System of Georgia’s (USG) WebBSIT program. The WebBSIT, a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology degree, is a fully online degree offered through a consortium of five USG institutions. At Clayton State University, the WebBSIT is offered by the Department of Information Technology in the College of Information and Mathematical Sciences.

In addition to his teaching position at Clayton State, Larry Booth (LarryBooth@clayton.edu) serves on the WebBSIT operating board. Vickie Booth (Vickie@GAWebBSIT.org) is the executive director of the Georgia WebBSIT, with her office at Southern Polytechnic State University. Hartfield (fhartfield@spsu.edu) is an associate professor in Information Technology at Southern Polytechnic and also serves on the WebBSIT operating board.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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Metro Senior Takes Double Prizes in State Ag Day Contests

A Lassiter High School senior in Cobb County was a double winner in the annual Ag Day art and essay competition sponsored by the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Agriculture in the Classroom Council.

Allie Knouse* placed first in the 9-12 art category for the third year and won second place in the essay contest. This year’s theme was “Georgia Grown – A Better Choice”. The first place winner in the 9-12 essay contest was Derrek Moore,* a Northview High School student in Fulton County.Miss Knouse and 18 others who were selected in the top five places in the art and essay categories attended proclamation signing ceremonies in the Capitol with Governor Sonny Perdue, Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin and Deputy Commissioner Terry Coleman. Commissioner Irvin presented the awards in a ceremony in the Agriculture Building.

The second place winner in the 9-12 art competition was Kimberly Bicknese, a Coffee County High School student. Jesse Abbott,* a Habersham Central High School student of Demorest, placed third in the art contest.

Other metro area students who placed in the art or essay competition were:
Art K-3, first place, Mahogany Radford,* a student at C. L. Gideons Elementary School in Fulton County;
Art 4-8, third place, Emily Schuler, a student at J.C. Booth Middle School in Fayette County; Essay 4-8, second place, William “Robby” Ryan,* a student at Fayette Middle School in Fayetteville; and
honorable mentions in Art 4-8 to Troy Morrow,* Shiloh Middle School, Snellville;
Essay 4-8 to Jenny Edwards,* Lula Elementary School in Hall County;
Essay 9-12 to Megan Zanone,* Twin Spring Academy in Banks County.
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Public Broadcasting Atlanta Receives Award from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Station recognized for being an educational leader

Public Broadcasting Atlanta (PBA) received a My Source Community Impact Award for Education from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) for its efforts with the Atlanta Public School’s (APS) Homework Hotline last weekend in Washington, DC.

The My Source Community Impact Awards for Education were created by CPB to give recognition to public broadcasting stations for their commitment to providing educational services to learners of all ages and races from preschoolers to adults.

“It is indeed an honor to be recognized by CPB as an educational leader in public broadcasting,” said Milton Clipper, PBA President and CEO. “Accepting this award on behalf of Public Broadcasting Atlanta and the Atlanta Public Schools reinforces our commitment in providing educational services to the Atlanta community.”

Clipper was presented the award by CPB Senior Vice President of Education and Children’s Content, Dr. Susan Zelman, at the Council of Chief State School Officers/Public Broadcasting Executive Summit.

“Education is a core value of public service media, on air, online and in the community,” said Pat Harrison, CPB President and CEO. “CPB congratulates PBA for this important commitment to community and our country through education.”

About Homework Hotline:
The Homework Hotline is a joint effort between APS and PBA. APS students call the Homework Hotline and ask questions about homework problems. Homework Hotline teachers give one-on-one assistance and easy-to-understand explanations. These teachers have access to current textbooks and school curricula when helping students understand and solve homework problems. Homework Hotline is a free service available Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., except during holiday and semester breaks. The hotline telephone number is 678.553.3029. Covered subjects include: math, science, social studies, language arts, reading and Spanish.

About CPB:
CPB, a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,100 locally-owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related online services.

For more information on the My Source Community Impact Awards for Education, please visit www.cpb.org
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