Greport 2013 12 13

Hobbs named to new post | 3

International scholars visit GRU | 4

Christmas tree lighting | 4

GRU CARES about students | 5

New golf coach | 8

Volume 1 - No. 21 Wednesday, December 4, 2013

GReportOffice of Communications & MarketingAugusta, Georgia 30912

Giving campaign now underwayStAff REpoRtS

The Community Giving Cam-paign is now under way and Geor-gia Regents University and Health System employees can give back to our community and have a chance to win a parking spot!

There are two ways to give: health system employees can participate in the United Way campaign, and university employ-ees can participate in the State Charitable Contributions Program (SCCP) campaign.

All employees can learn more about the campaign by visiting giving.gru.edu/communitygiving-campaign.

United Way of the CSRA does not have an online giving option; however, employees can give on-line through the Georgia Regents Medical Center payroll deduction page. United Way pledge forms will either be delivered to your manager in-person or via inter-office mail.

United Way pledge forms can be turned in at two locations: Georgia Regents Medical Center Adminis-tration (BI-2070, Kathleen Grant) and Children’s Hospital of Georgia Administration (BT-1847, Octavia Williams).

To contribute to SCCP, state employees can visit: www.giveat-theoffice.org/_sccp. All SCCP

pledges and gifts will be com-pleted online.

Any employee who donates $50 or more to United Way or SCCP will receive entry into a drawing for access to a parking spot of the winner’s choosing for a six-month period. Additional donations of $50 increments increase your odds of winning (up to $500).

United Way also offers incentives to their donors such as a Caring Club Card that provides discounts at local stores.

Questions? Call Becca Bruni at 706-721-4002 or email [email protected] .

By DANIEllE HARRIS

Award-winning corporate informa-tion technology expert Becky Blalock will be the speaker for Georgia Regents University’s Fall Commence-ment ceremony. This event will be held Sunday, Dec. 15, at 3 p.m. in the university’s Christenberry Fieldhouse.

Blalock is Managing Partner at Ad-visory Capital, a strategic consulting firm that provides business manage-ment and leadership development expertise for various companies involved in the energy, information technology, and medical industries.

As former Senior Vice President and Chief Informa-tion Officer for Southern Com-pany, Blalock spent nearly a decade directing IT strategy and operations for the sixth-largest

utility company in the world. Under her leadership, Southern Company was recognized as one of the 100 Most Innovative Companies by CIO maga-

zine and one of the 100 Best Places to Work in IT by Computerworld magazine.

There are no tickets required for this event and doors will open at 1:30 p.m. You will need a parking pass to park at the fieldhouse, those participating will receive a parking pass with regalia. Faculty will receive the pass via email. Additional parking will be available at Wrightsboro Square, 3136 Wrights-boro Road, and shuttles will pick up attendees starting at 1 p.m.

Graduates are requested to be pres-ent at 2 p.m. and should use Entrance Four.

Blalock to be GRU’s Fall Commencement speaker

File phOtO

An ice cream social was held dur-ing a prior Community Giving Campaign.

Becky Blalock

File phOtO

GReport Georgia Regents UniversityWednesday, December 4, 20132

Direct news correspondence to:

Adrian Greer, [email protected]

AD-1102, 706-721-4410

The GReport is published biweekly by Aiken Communications, a private firm in no way connected with Georgia Regents University. Opinions expressed by the

writers herein are their own and are not considered an official expression by Georgia Regents University. The appearance of advertisements in this publication,

to include inserts, does not constitute an endorsement by Georgia Regents University of the products or services advertised.

News and photos are provided by Communications and Marketing

http://report.gru.edu/

Communications and MarketingGeorgia Regents University

Augusta, Georgia 30912

EMPLOYEE ADDRESS CHANGES & CORRECTIONS should be made to Human Resources through

department managers.

Direct advertising inquiries to:

Dee Taylor, Advertising DirectorAIKEN COMMUNICATIONSP.O. Box 456, Aiken, SC 29802

1-800-559-2311 ext. 2371 or 803-644-2371

[email protected]

To provide leadership and excellence in teaching, discovery, clinical care, and service as a student-centered

comprehensive research university and academic health center with a wide range

of programs from learning assistance through postdoctoral studies.

Georgia Regents UniversityDr. Ricardo Azziz, President

Tunisia Williams, Director of University Relations and Public Affairs

DEADLINESfor January 1 issue • Dec 19 at noonFor January 15 issue • Jan 7 at noon

BriefsNews, events, and more

Fall GraduationThe first GRU Fall Graduation will be

held Dec. 15 at 3 p.m. in the university’s Christenberry Fieldhouse. Award-winning corporate information technology expert Becky Blalock will be the speaker.

George Washington medical exhibit

The Greenblatt Library on the Health Sciences Campus is hosting the “Every Necessary Care and Attention: George Washington and Medicine” traveling exhibit from the National Library of Medicine. This exhibit explores the story of George Washington’s own health and examines the ways in which he sought to safeguard the health and wellness of those under his care. The exhibit is free and open to the public daily until Dec. 7. Visit gru.edu/library/greenblatt for library hours.

Vascular Biology Research Seminar

Magdalena Chrzanowska-Wodricka, Ph.D. of Medical College of Wisconsin will present a presention on Dec. 18 start-ing at 11:30 a.m. in the Carl T. Sanders Research and Education Building on the Health Sciences Campus. The topic will be “Small GTPase Rap1 integrates adhesion, chemical and mechanical signals to con-trol cardiovascular functions.” For more information, call 706-721-6338 or email [email protected].

Christmas tree lightingThe Summerville Neighborhood Associ-

ation invites you, your family, and friends to the annual Lighting of the Christmas Tree on Thursday, Dec. 5, 6 p.m. at the Maxwell Theatre on the Summerville Campus at Georgia Regents University. Santa will be on hand after the lighting to talk to children.

Silent AuctionAmbulatory Services will hold its sev-

enth annual Silent Auction with an assort-ment of gift baskets, holiday gifts, and much more on Dec. 6 starting at 10:30 a.m. and ending at 1:30 p.m. in Terrace Dining on the Health Science Campus. There will even be an iPad Raffle. All proceeds go to the American Heart Association Heart Walk. For more information or if you have an item you would like to donate, contact Steven Galles at [email protected].

DDM WorkshopAnnual International Workshop on Dis-

ease, Disability, and Medicine in Medieval Europe will be hosted by GRU on Dec. 6, 7 and 8 on the Summerville Campus. The theme this year is “Defining Health and Non-Health, Ability and Disability in the Premodern World.” See the full schedule of events and register at www.gru.edu/ce/spe-cialevents/medievalmedicine.php.

Holiday collectionLos Amigos Hispanos, a Holiday Collec-

tion, will end on Thursday, Dec. 5. Donations will help several needy Hispanic families in the area. Things like baby formula, Pampers, children’s books, new or used toys (in good condition), non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, household items, appliances, dishes, pots and pans, new or used clothes and shoes (in good condition), furniture, and gift cards will be accepted.

Donations can be dropped off at the De-partment of English and Foreign Languages Suite in Allgood Hall, second floor, east wing, or the break room across from the department suite. For more information, con-tact Dr. Jana Sandarg at [email protected] or 706-737-1500.

Get fit for the new yearBeginning Jan. 1, the new rate for a GRU

Wellness Center membership will be only $19 per month.

This payroll-deduction membership in-volves a one-year agreement. You may also choose to pay for the entire year for only $228. Also, if you sign up now, your access will be immediate with no payment until January. Call 706-721-6800 or stop by the front desk for more information.

Customized Training Human Resources Workforce Develop-

ment offers customized training to all departments within the enterprise based on specific needs submitted through service requests on various topics for:

• Customer Service• Management and Leadership• Team Building• Communication• Conflict ResolutionAs a means to determine specifics and

needs, the following elements will be ad-dressed:

• Clarification and discussion of presenting issues or challenges

• Expected performance outcomes and learning objectives for training

• Establishing methods to reinforce training• Identifying metrics to measure training

outcomes and track successTo schedule a meeting, contact Connie Sut-

ton, Interim Director of Workforce Develop-ment, at 706-721-7623 or Wanda O’Brien, Senior Training Specialist, at 706-721-4054.

Breast health screeningsA walk-in mammography clinic for em-

ployees, worth $100 toward health savings accounts, is held the first Friday of each month from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. in the Breast Health Center on the first floor of Georgia Regents Medical Center.

Join EIIThe GRU Educational Innovation Institute

meets at noon on the second Wednesday of each month in Pavilion III, room 3302, to discuss health professions education and educational research. The institute provides refreshments, and participants may bring their lunches. For more information, contact [email protected].

Support GroupsBlood cancer/BMT support

A blood cancer support group meets on the third Wednesday of every month from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Cancer Center Community Room. For more information, call 706-721-9134 or 706-721-1634 or visit grhealth.org.

Trauma supportA support group for those impacted by

trauma meets the third Wednesday of every month from noon-1 p.m. in the fourth-floor west conference room of Georgia Regents Medical Center. For more information, call 706-721-4633 or 706-721-3264 or visit grhealth.org.

Gyn cancer supportThe CSRA Gyn Cancer Support Group

meets the third Monday of each month from 6-7:30 p.m. at Augusta Oncology Associates, 3696 Wheeler Road. Call 706-721-5557 for more information.

Autism supportA support group for loved ones of children

with autism spectrum disorders meets the first Tuesday of every month from 6-7 p.m. in the Patient and Family Resource Library on the eighth floor of Georgia Regents Medi-cal Center. For more information, call 706-721-6838 or email [email protected].

See Briefs, page 7

Georgia Regents University GReport 3Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Hobbs named MCG’s first Senior Associate Dean for Primary Care and Faculty AffairsBy Toni BakeR

Dr. Joseph Hobbs, Chairman of the Department of Family Medi-cine and Senior Associate Dean for Primary Care and Communi-ty Affairs at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University, has been named to the new post of Senior Associate Dean for Primary Care and Fac-ulty Affairs.

The additional faculty affairs responsibilities for Hobbs will focus on oversight of the medical school’s promotion and tenure process as well as faculty diver-sity and inclusion.

Hobbs will serve as MCG’s representative to the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Faculty Affairs and serve as a member of the MCG Academic Affairs leadership team. He will retain his other leadership responsibilities.

“Dr. Hobbs is a senior states-man, a well-known and re-spected MCG alumnus, and an accomplished leader who knows this medical school and its fac-ulty,” said Dr. Paul M. Wallach, MCG Vice Dean for Academic Affairs. “He is an exceedingly logical choice to initiate our new Office of Faculty Affairs.”

Hobbs, who holds the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians Joseph W. Tollison, MD Distin-guished Chair, graduated from MCG in 1974 and completed residency at MCG and the Geor-gia Regents Health System. He has served as Chairman for 15 years and Senior Associate Dean for more than a decade.

He is a member of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Group on Minority and Multi-cultural Health, Secretary of the Association of Departments of Family Medicine Board of Direc-tors, and a member of the Pisaca-no Leadership Foundation Board of The Philanthropic Foundation of the American Board of Family Medicine, Inc. He is a member of MCG’s Executive Committee and the medical school’s Stra-tegic Plan Steering Committee

and was awarded MCG’s 2011 Distinguished Faculty Award for Institutional Service. He is a member of the Board of Trust-ees of Georgia Regents Medical Associates, the Consolidation Strategic Planning Committee, and the Medical Staff Executive Committee for Georgia Regents Health System.

Dr. Joseph Hobbs

Phase I of Employee Engagement Survey achieves 92 percent participation STaff RepoRTS

After three weeks of encourage-ment from coworkers and leader-ship, the Employee Engagement Survey has had record success with 92 percent of Georgia Re-gents Health System and selected Shared Services giving their per-spective and ideas about the health system.

“A big ‘thank you’ and debt of gratitude goes to Susan Norton, Connie Sutton, Donna Fields, oth-ers within the HR team and the army of Survey Champions and Administrative Ambassadors who applied more hours and muscle to this project than we’ll ever really know, in addition to David Brond and the entire Office of Commu-nications and Marketing team,” said Steven M. Scott, Chief Oper-ating Officer.

The survey, which launched on Oct. 30, provided employees with the opportunity to give feedback on the work environ-ment, management, leadership, and organizational effectiveness. The goal was to reach 90 percent participation. This was the first engagement survey in over 12 years. Departments that reached 100 percent participation by Nov. 11 would receive a pizza party.

Individuals who completed the survey were eligible for prizes through a random drawing handled by Press Ganey which in-cluded gift cards, logo items, Ter-race Dining vouchers, and movie passes.

“I cannot over emphasize how proud I am of this accomplish-ment and of the team who carried it through so well,” said Scott. “I would like to thank everyone for believing in the possibility of achieving beyond what many

have thought possible, and to have worked so collaboratively as a fo-cused team to do so.”

In early 2014, the engagement survey results will be reviewed with the management team in or-der to address employee concerns. Following the review, all manage-ment team members are encour-aged to use their survey results to help drive performance, improve engagement, and enhance the overall work environment for their staff.


Staff RepoRtS

‘Tis the season to be jolly as the an-nual Lighting of the Christmas Tree will be held Thursday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. at the Maxwell Theatre on the Sum-

merville Campus.The Summerville Neighborhood

Association invites faculty, staff, stu-dents and the community to share in the holiday cheer by caroling with the Georgia Regents University Choir at

6 p.m. Following the tree lighting cer-emony, Santa Claus will be dropping by for a photo opportunity with all the good boys and girls.

This free event is open to the public.

Come see Santa Claus at Christmas Tree Lighting

By adRian GReeR

The Disease, Disability, and Medicine in Early Medieval Europe workshop is normally held at universities such as Cam-bridge or Oxford, but it’s moving outside of Europe for the first time and is being held at Georgia Regents University, Dec. 5-8.

And while the topic may seem specialized and detailed, there may be a surprising amount of information that many in the community will find interesting.

“Some of the top minds from around the world in medieval disability studies will be in Au-gusta for this conference, but you don’t have to be an expert to attend,” said Dr. Wendy Turner,

GRU Professor and workshop coordinator. “In many ways, we are discussing the ideas and the terminology around disability, and many of the concerns in me-dieval Europe are concerns we still face today.”

Turner described a true story about a toddler in medieval Eu-rope who accidentally fell into a hog pen and had his hands eaten off. While the cause of the disability may be extreme by modern standards, the tod-dler eventually grew up to be a professional tailor using only his feet. Many individuals today overcome disabilities in similar ways.

“The issue has become that modern terminology does not

work for the past and only barely works for the present, mean-ing that the terminology is not working,” said Turner about the workshop topic. “And that extends to even how we define disabilities medically and so-cially. I think that anyone in the community who deals with impairment would find it very interesting.”

During the workshop, top scholars from around the world will discuss ways of advancing cutting-edge theories about dis-abilities as well as how we talk and think about disabilities.

“The keynote address on the second day will be presented by Dr. Edward Wheatley, Loyola University Chicago, who is a

renowned scholar on blindness. He will be looking at Aesop’s Fables and how they deal with disabilities,” Turner said. “Dr. Wheatley has a new theory about defining disability, and we will be taking a closer look at that.”

The workshop will also feature notable academics in the field including Dr. Christina Lee of the University of Nottingham, co-founder of the workshop, and Drs. Cordula Nolte and Bianca Frohne of the University of Bre-men.

The kick-off event will be held Thursday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. at the Augusta Marriott. Conference registration begins at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 6, at the Jaguar

Student Activities Center on the Summerville Campus, with sessions throughout the day on Dec. 6 and Dec. 7.

Breakfast and lunch will be served on both days, and dinner will be served on Friday. The registration fee is $165 or $120 for GRU employees and stu-dents. For the conference only, not including meals, registra-tion is $50. To view the complete conference schedule and to register online, visit gru.edu/ce/specialevents/medievalmedicine.php. For more information, call 706-721-3967.

International Scholars come to GRU for workshop


Georgia Regents University

Provost Perspective

By PRovost GRetchen cauGhman

The col-lege expe-rience is often char-acterized as one of the most ex-hilarating and enrich-ing times in life, and indeed, I think most of us would agree that is the case. But it also can be fraught with challenges, unforeseen obstacles, and in some cases, outright tragedy for students. And while a particular challenge or obstacle may be individualized, its impact goes far beyond that single student. A student’s distress affects our entire campus family – stu-dents, faculty, and staff. Likewise, it is everyone’s responsibility to CARE. -

Students in distress are a critical issue on most college campuses around the country. College stu-dents are highly susceptible to adjustment difficulties, especially those in the age range of 18 to 24 years who are on their own for the first time.

We like to say it takes a university to graduate a student, but more importantly, it takes a caring and supportive academic and student affairs community to help students through situations that impact their performance in the classroom and their well-being outside of it. GRU is committed to providing a cam-pus environment that is conducive for students to develop their full potential.

We realize that students in men-tal, physical, or psychological dis-

tress may have difficulty learning and/or functioning in their personal lives, and we offer support to these students. There may be times when the university is required to respond to students who are expe-riencing a medical crisis or whose mental, emotional, or psychological health status may directly threaten the safety and security of them-selves and/or others.

Under the integrated academic and student affairs model, our Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Mark Allen Poisel, has created a Campus Assessment, Response, and Evaluation (CARE) team to help educate, manage, and refer students who need assistance. The newly formed CARE team provides a mechanism for those who identify students in distress to communicate their concerns, and then, after appropriate assessment, follows up to initiate supportive or interventional actions that will pro-vide the student with the greatest chance of success and the univer-sity community the highest level of safety.

Throughout this past semester we have witnessed outstanding efforts from faculty and staff to as-sist students in need. And the most important lesson learned is that the entire GRU family must make every effort to tell someone when something doesn’t seem right.

To this end, we are launching a campaign of “See SOMEONE, Tell SOMEONE” in an effort to ensure that the CARE team is notified if there is concern about a student’s behavior or condition. The CARE team is made up of student affairs, student health, counseling, and public safety professionals who are working collaboratively to make certain that distressed students are afforded optimal support services in accordance with their need. In

order to manage the process, the CARE team meets on a weekly or as-needed basis so that students are connected with the appropriate resources to ensure timely, specific, and comprehensive assistance.

Remember, YOU are critical to the success of the See SOMEONE, Tell SOMEONE campaign. Always be alert and do the following:

• For a medical emergency, call 911 first, then dial 706-721-2911 to contact GRU’s 24-hour Public Safety Emergency line.

• For a public safety emergency, call the GRU Public Safety Emer-gency line at 706-721-2911.

• For non-emergency incidents, submit an anonymous report through our CARE (Campus Awareness, Response, and Evalu-ation) system by going to gru.edu/grucares and clicking the “CARE” report button. The CARE team will be immediately notified, and some-one will follow up to check in on the student.

Academic affairs and student affairs are multifaceted units, each with unique responsibilities and functions, but dedicated to performing in a coordinated, inte-grated fashion for optimal student success. Each member of these communities — faculty, staff, and students — has an integral role in the overall success of a single student life. The CARE network includes all members of the GRU community, and its success de-pends on each of us being aware enough and caring enough to act.

I hope each of you will com-mit to continuing our institution’s rich heritage of putting students first and demonstrate you CARE through “See SOMEONE, Tell SOMEONE.” You may never know how important that simple act is to the very life of a student.

Reaching out and showing GRU CARES

Calvin Harris


By Toni BakeR

Antibiotic resistance is an interna-tional reality whose solution includes better educating physicians about using bacteria-fighting tools, says an infectious disease physician.

“The big problem is the overuse of antibiotics in hospitals and communi-ties because not only can they lead to side effects like rashes and colon dam-age, one of those side effects is devel-opment of multidrug-resistant organ-isms,” said Dr. Josѐ A. Vazquez, Chief of the Section of Infectious Diseases at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University.

These “bad bugs” know no bounds, said Vazquez, who is part of a panel discussing problems and solutions at the International Union of Micro-biological Societies Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance being held in collaboration with the Cuban Soci-ety of Microbiology and Parasitology Nov. 14-16 in Havana.

In fact, despite its somewhat isolated status, Cuba is experiencing the same problem with antibiotic resistance as the United States and elsewhere, Vazquez said. Regardless of the coun-try or whether it’s a hospital or physi-

cian’s office, the problem begins with overprescribing and worsens with smart bacteria mutating to survive the drugs, the slightly stronger bacte-ria being transferred among us, and few new antibiotics in the pipeline to stop them.

“If I am taking an antibiotic for something I don’t need, it’s a risk fac-tor,” Vazquez said. The unnecessary exposure may prompt a bacterium to mutate – which can be as simple as altering a single protein – to escape elimination, and become resistant, at least to that drug.

But the math quickly works against patients. Many antibiotics are essen-tially families of drugs, so resistance to one may wipe out the effectiveness of several, he said. And it’s easy to spread the new bacterium through casual encounters, like hugging a relative or touching a doorknob. “You transmit it to your husband, your brother, your kids, and your kids go out and meet 10 other kids and so on,” he said.

That’s why infectious disease spe-cialists like Vazquez and professional organizations like the Infectious Dis-eases Society of America and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

are advocating a multi-front retalia-tion. In fact, the Infectious Diseases Society of America has been making noise for more than a decade, with its Bad Bugs, No Drugs campaign call-ing upon the federal government and others to take decisive action.

Emerging initiatives include anti-microbial stewardship programs that keep tabs on the antibiotics physi-cians prescribe and following up with education when inappropriate trends surface. “We keep track to make sure patients are on the right antibiotic for

the bug they have and use, when pos-sible, a narrow spectrum antibiotic instead of a broad-spectrum antibi-otic,” he said. Vazquez, who joined the MCG faculty this summer, is starting an antimicrobial stewardship program at Georgia Regents Health System.

In addition, to try and nip the prob-lem in the bud, medical schools and residency training sites also need to beef up their educational efforts on the topic of appropriate antibiotic se-lection, said Vazquez, who is working

on ways to do that at MCG and the GR Health System as well.

Vazquez notes that short-term side effects of antibiotics can include dif-fuse rashes, colitis, kidney failure, seizures, and even an increased risk of retinal detachment. Long-term antibi-otic use also frequently leads to fungal infections, like invasive candidiasis, or thrush, because it can also destroy protective bacteria in the body.

However, selectively used, these drugs are needed to cure serious bacterial and fungal infections like pneumonia, cellulitis, and potentially even MRSA, one of the super bugs that resulted from antibiotic abuse.

Vazquez is Chairman of the Fun-gal Resistance Protocol Team of the Community Programs for Clinical Research on AIDS/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Division of AIDS, and a member of the Food and Drug Administration Anti-infective Drugs Advisory Com-mittee and Mycosis Study Group. He is also a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America/MSG Committee developing International guidelines on diagnosing and manag-ing fungal infections.

Antibiotic resistance is an international issue that better education can address

Phil Jones PhotoDr. Josѐ A. Vazquez is working to address the problem of antibiotic resistance.


Look good … feel betterA workshop about appearance-

related side effects for women with cancer is held the second Wednesday of every month from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in the Cancer Center Community Room. Pre-registration is mandatory. RSVP by calling 706-721-0466 or visit grhealth.org.

Breast cancer supportA support group for women and

families affected by breast cancer

meets on the second Thursday of each month from 12:30-2 p.m. in the Can-cer Center Community Room. Call 706-721-4109 for more information or visit grhealth.org.

Moms’ connectionA support group for new moms

meets Tuesdays from 1-2 p.m. in the Terrace Dining Room in Georgia Regents Medical Center. For more information, call 706-721-9351 or visit grhealth.org.

Prostate cancer supportA support group for those with pros-

tate cancer meets the third Tuesday of each month from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Cancer Center Community Room. For more information, call 706-721-0550 or visit grhealth.org.

Talk cancerLet’s Talk Cancer support group

meets the second Tuesday of each month from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Cancer Center Community Room. For more information, call 706-721-0550 or visit

grhealth.org.

Volunteers NeededSchizophrenia study

Adults age 18-50 with a history of schizophrenia are needed for a psy-chiatry medication study consisting of five visits. Participants will be paid. Contact Courtney Caulder at 706-721-3048.

Psych study Adults age 18-70 with either a his-

tory of or no history of mental illness are needed for a psychiatry study. Par-ticipants will be interviewed and give blood/urine samples. Participants will be paid. Contact Courtney Caulder at 706-721-3048.

Diabetes study Women age 18-50 with Type II

diabetes are needed for a GRU study. Participants will be asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire. Call 706-721-0084.

Briefs...from page 2


Staff RepoRtS

Jack O’Keefe was named head men’s golf coach at Georgia Regents University on Monday, Dec. 2, during an 11 a.m. news conference at the J. Fleming Norvell Golf House.

GRU Augusta Director of Ath-letics Clint Bryant introduced O’Keefe to a throng of campus and community supporters at the Jaguar Golf facility. With his appointment, O’Keefe became the sixth full-time head coach in the program’s storied history.

GRU had been without a head coach since Sept. 24, when for-mer coach Kevin McPherson resigned after two-plus seasons to accept the same position at Coastal Carolina University in his hometown of Conway, S.C.

“Jack brings to the table exactly what we need at this time within our Men’s Golf program,” said Bryant. “His ability to lead, to teach, to mentor, and to set a positive example of expectations for our young men is just what the doctor ordered. We look for-ward to his tenure as our head coach and to our return as one of the elite intercollegiate golf pro-grams in the nation.”

The former associate head coach for men’s golf at the Uni-versity of Mississippi for the last three–and-a-half seasons, O’Keefe has played, coached, and worked at the highest levels in several facets of the game. As the Rebels’ assistant coach, O’Keefe helped guide Ole Miss to its fifth consecutive NCAA Regional ap-pearance in 2011 and a No. 46 national ranking.

In his first season, O’Keefe worked directly with All-Amer-ican, All-SEC, and All-Region performer Jonathan Randolph and helped lead the Rebels to a 10th-place showing at the NCAA East Regional in Blacksburg, Va. He assisted head coach Er-nest Ross in all aspects of the program, including recruiting, the scheduling of practices, and academic support along with specializing in course manage-ment, short game fundamentals, swing analysis, and player devel-opment.

O’Keefe, 44, came to Ole Miss after breaking into the collegiate

coaching ranks at the University of Central Arkansas. During his four-year tenure as an assistant at UCA, O’Keefe helped the Bears climb from No. 139 in the national rankings all the way to 63rd in the final Golfweek maga-zine poll in 2010. O’Keefe guided UCA to a runner-up finish in the Southland Conference Cham-pionship in 2010 and placed all five players on the All-Southland Conference team (the only school to have five players make all-conference). From 2006-09, O’Keefe helped lead the Bears to seven team victories (four in the 2009-10 season) and six indi-vidual victories.

“What an incredible opportu-nity this is to be the head coach at GRU Augusta,” O’Keefe said. “It is both honoring and hum-bling to be a part of such a tradi-tion-rich program. I have already begun securing our fall schedule for 2014 as well as planning one-on-one meetings with each play-er. I want to know them on and off the golf course. I am commit-ted to encouraging and getting the most out of every player. The support of Coach Bryant, the search committee, the university, and our community will allow us to compete against the best teams in the country. Now be-gins the countdown … 82 days until we tee it up at our first spring tournament.”

Prior to coaching at Central Arkansas, O’Keefe was the head

golf professional at Hot Springs (Ark.) Country Club. While at HSCC, O’Keefe directed over 200 tournaments and taught over 400 lessons. He also di-rected the junior golf camps each year with over 60 juniors partici-pating each summer.

Following a highly decorated collegiate career, O’Keefe joined the professional ranks in June 1993 and played all around the world for nearly 10 years. Among his proudest accomplishments as a professional include earning his PGA Tour card in 1997 (he finished 175th on the P A 2010 graduate of the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Sci-ence in Education, O’Keefe and his wife, Susan, are the parents of four children — Lucy (12), John-Freeman (10), Henry (7), and Hogan (5). GA Tour Official Money List) and competing in the 1996 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills (Mich.) Country Club (72-71-76-76), where he was paired in the third round with world No. 1 Tom Lehman.

O’Keefe enjoyed a terrific sea-son on the Nike Tour in 1996, ranking 15th on the money list with a pair of runner-up fin-ishes. He earned 1995 Player of the Year honors on the Hooters Tour after a pair of victories. He was named 1995 International Rookie of the Year in Ube, Japan, and was the 1994 Australasian Tour Rookie of the Year after a 19th-place finish on the Aus-tralasian Tour’s official money list. A three-time winner on the Hooters Tour, O’Keefe earned the Hooters Tour’s Golf Achieve-ment Award in 2001.

As a collegian at the University of Arkansas, O’Keefe was a four-time All-American, a two-time All-SEC selection, and an All-Southwest Conference performer from 1989-93. He registered three individual victories as his Razorback squads captured 10 team tournament titles over his last two seasons.

O’Keefe tabbed to lead Golf Program

SUbmitteD imaGe Jack O’Keefe has been named the new golf coach.

the Jack o’Keefe fileFull Name John freeman o’Keefe Jr.

Birthdate Sept. 28, 1969 (born in Waterbury, Conn.)

Hometown Little Rock, ark.

Education • University of arkansas, fayetteville, ark., 1989-93; • Bachelor of Science in education (Industrial & technology), University of arkansas, 2010

Professional Experience • associate Head Men’s Golf Coach, University of Mississippi,

aug. 2010 to Nov. 2013 • assistant Men’s Golf Coach, University of Central arkansas,

aug. 2006 to aug. 2010 • Head Golf professional, Hot Springs (ark.) Country Club, Jan.

2003 to aug. 2006 • professional Golfer, June 1993 to Dec. 2002

Professional Playing Experience • Hooters tour member, 1998-2002 • pGa tour member, 1997 (finished 175th on official money list) • Nike tour member, 1996 (finished 15th on official money list) • Competed in 1996 U.S. open at oakland Hills (Mich.) Country

Club (72-71-76-76) • pGa australasian tour member, 1994-98 • Hooters tour member, 1994-95

Professional Accomplishments • Hooters tour Golf achievement award winner, 2001 • Winner, Hooters tour, Bay St. Louis, Miss., 2000 • finished in 13th place, pGa tour’s Deposit Guarantee Classic,

1997 • finished in 16th place, pGa tour’s fedex Classic, 1997 • Runner-up, NIKe tour, Monterey, Mexico, 1996, and in

Huntsville, ala., 1996 • Hooters tour player of the Year (led Hooters tour official

money list), 1995 • Winner, Hooters tour, Douglas, Ga., 1995, and in Rantoul, Ill.,

1995 • australasian tour Rookie of the Year (finished 19th on

• australasian tour official money list), 1994


To learn more about the dangers of smoking and hear from community leaders, Georgia Regents University students attended the Great American Smokeout at the Jaguar Student Activities Center on the Summerville Campus.

During the event, District 5 Commissioner Bill Lockett, District 7 Commissioner Donnie Smith, and District 2 Commissioner and Mayor Pro Tem Corey Johnson were recognized as Public Health Heroes. GRU Athletic Director Clint Bryant was also honored for his work on the nonsmoking campaigns.

ADRiAn GReeR Photos



Provost Perspective

By PRovost GRetchen cauGhman

Navigat-ing the complex sea of under-graduate academic programs and course selections can be a daunting task for students. A strong advisement program, consisting of professional advi-sors and faculty working together to chart a course for student suc-cess, is essential to ensuring that their journey to graduation is as short and direct as possible. Aca-demic advisement is a key focus of GRU’s efforts to impact positively student retention, progression, and graduation. Prior to June 2013, our undergraduate academic advise-ment efforts consisted primarily of a decentralized model, in which some academic departments em-ployed a professional staff advisor but faculty advised the majority of students.

Today, GRU has a centralized Academic Advisement Center on the second floor of University Hall to support advisement of students in pre-professional undergradu-ate programs and for first- and second-year students of any major. This initiative involved the reor-ganization and centralization of eight professional staff advisors on the Summerville Campus into one location and plans to add six addi-tional advisors this fiscal year. The office is conveniently located near

Career Services, providing stu-dents with a better integration of career counseling with academic planning.

Aside from the Academic Ad-visement Center restructuring, faculty will continue to provide vital guiding influences in both early- and late-stage advising. Faculty members within a spe-cific discipline offer the greatest insight into their fields’ curricular plans, or ideal pathways, as well as valuable mentoring. As students declare a major, the faculty will continue to advise the final phase of the student’s successful ma-triculation.

In addition to reorganizing and bolstering the personnel efforts around student advising, we are strengthening the advisors’ toolkit through the implementation of several software systems designed to capture, analyze, and com-municate student performance information in ways not available previously. In October, Academic Advisement launched GradesFirst, an early alert and communications platform to track and engage stu-dents in the advisement process. This system interacts with the Banner student information sys-tem to provide advisors real-time knowledge of a student’s academic enrollment, coupled with a notes system to log advisor interactions with the students and track student performance.

Additional features, such as the early alert progress reporting and tutor tracking capabilities will allow advisors to see current en-rollment and performance trends of students. This, combined with recent updates to JagTrax (Degree Works), can help with degree au-dits to enhance students’ timely degree completion.

In the coming year, an additional software platform from the Educa-tion Advisory Board (EAB) will be introduced and provide yet

another link in the advisement process by offering predictive modeling analyses to include the following:

• A robust analytics platform based on 10 years of our university academic data, including grades.

• Nightly system updates to keep advisors abreast of critical changes.

• Predictive analytics on each student’s likely performance across majors and courses.

• Executive dashboards to identify and drill into the areas of greatest graduation risk within specific colleges and majors.

It is important to note that the efforts to build a new foundation of undergraduate advisement do not rest on staffing and software alone; rather, they must align with policies and practices that advocate student engagement and success. Such policies alignment includes the introduction of a five-term “W” withdrawal limit on courses, the “Four Years for You” campaign to encourage enrollment in 15 credit hours each fall and spring, and determining the path-ways and pitfalls that can impact student progress through the cur-riculum.

These initiatives reach far be-yond a centralized Academic Ad-visement Center and engage every core component of undergraduate education at GRU. Our goal is to integrate increased advisement staffing, technology tools, and the talents of our faculty and admin-istrators to revise the student suc-cess platform of GRU.

We want our students to be suc-cessful in navigating their aca-demic plans in the shortest time possible and with the highest level of success. Our newly designed Academic Advising Center is just one more commitment GRU is making to enhance student suc-cess.

Academic advisement: redefining a key element for student success Editor’s Note :This story ran in last edition but was accidently cut short. Here is the full column.


Design a T-shirt to help the Children’s Hospital of GeorgiaBy AdRiAn GReeR

Health Center Credit Union is asking the community to create a great design for a T-shirt, and it’s all to help a great cause, the Chil-dren’s Hospital of Georgia.

“We wanted to get everyone involved; we want to start a new tradition,” said Jennifer Leisey, HCCU Business Development Co-ordinator. “We want a great design and then to use that design to sell T-shirts, with all the proceeds go-ing to the children’s hospital.”

This is the first year the design contest has been open to the pub-lic. There is no age restriction, but special awards will be given in two

youth categories, ages 12 and un-der and 13 to 17 years.

The entry should represent the spirit of the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, according to Leisey. The winning entry will be selected by a jury of community experts.

“We wanted to leave the overall theme fairly open, and we want people to get as creative as pos-sible,” Leisey said. “The winning T-shirt design will be sold in HCCU branches throughout the area.”

The contest winner will receive $300, five T-shirts, and recognition on the HCCU website and printed media.

All entries are due to Leisey by 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, 2014.

Entries may be submitted in any media, but digital submissions are preferred, to [email protected]. Win-ners will be notified by phone no later than Feb. 17. All other artists submitting an entry will be noti-

fied by email or mail. For more details about

the contest and to submit your design, go to: hccu.coop/contest.html


Radiothon will broadcast live Dec. 5-7 from Children’s Hospital lobbyBy Denise PaRRish

Augusta radio stations 104.3 WBBQ and 96.3 KISS-FM will broadcast live from the lobby of the Children’s Hospital of Georgia on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Dec. 5-7, dur-ing the 13th annual Cares for Kids Radiothon. Dozens of miracle stories featuring patients, families, and staff will be shared during this fundraiser for the area’s only hospital dedicated exclusively to children.

Pledges can be made online at caresforkidsradiothon.com and dur-ing the Radiothon by calling locally 706-922-KIDS (5437) or toll-free 1-866-412-KIDS (5437). Donors can become “Miracle Makers” by pledg-ing just $15 a month.

The Radiothon is the largest single Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital of Georgia. A record $230,000 was raised in 2012.

WBBQ and KISS were named co-winners of CMN’s Radio Station of the Year award this year. The Clear Channel stations have raised more than $2.8 million over the past 12

years for CHOG through the Ra-diothon. In addition, Jodi Carson (Koontz) of the syndicated show “Murphy, Sam and Jodi In the Morn-ing,” was named CMN’s Radio Per-sonality of the Year. Although they’re based in Baton Rouge, La., the trio travels to Augusta each December to host the Radiothon.

The 154-bed not-for-profit Chil-dren’s Hospital of Georgia is the second-largest children’s hospital in the state, providing the highest level of pediatric critical care and neonatal intensive care, as well as a wide range of general and complex health care for children.

File PhotoThe Radiothon is just around the corner when it will be on the Health Science Campus on Dec. 5-7


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Campus SafetyEditor’s note: Please contact

GRU Police at 706-721-2911 with any information about the fol-lowing incidents or other crime- or safety-related issues.

Drug Violation After nightfall on Nov. 18,

GRU Police observed a gray Ca-dillac Deville being driven south on 15th Street without its head-lights turned on. GRU Police stopped the vehicle in the CVS parking lot located on 15th Street and Walton Way, which is adja-cent to Georgia Regents Health Systems Parking Lot 47. A check of the vehicle tag revealed sus-pended registration and no valid insurance. A check of the driver revealed he had an outstanding warrant out of Burke County, and he was taken into custody. One passenger gave a false name and was taken into custody, also. The driver gave consent for po-lice to search the vehicle, which resulted in the finding of two glass jars with residue that tested positive for methamphetamine. A second passenger stated to GRU Police that it was a “meth lab,” and the passenger was taken into custody. Richmond County Sherriff’s Office, Narcotics Divi-sion, was notified of a possible “mobile meth lab” and responded to assist with the investigation and crime scene processing. The driver was charged with driv-ing without headlights, driving an unregistered motor vehicle, no valid insurance, violation of the GA Controlled Substance Act, and felony manufacturing of methamphetamine. One pas-senger was changed with giving a false name, and both passen-gers were charged with felony manufacturing of methamphet-amine. All three were processed and booked into the Richmond County Jail.

Alcohol Violation On Nov. 16, GRU Police ob-

served a silver Honda Accord being driven in an erratic man-ner inside the University Vil-lage Apartment Complex. The

vehicle was stopped, and police discovered an open container of alcohol between the driver’s front seat and the center con-sole. The driver, under 21 years of age, was issued a citation for underage possession of alcohol. The vehicle was released to the driver’s father.

Drug Violation On Nov. 13, GRU Police

stopped a white 2004 Ford Pick-up Truck on 15th Street adjacent to GRU Parking Lot 2 for failure to maintain lane. GRU Police made contact with the driver and recognized the passenger as a subject who had been previ-ously arrested for possession of cocaine. The following items were found in the driver’s purse: a bag of needles, a glass pipe used for smoking meth and crack cocaine, a blue straw used for snorting power cocaine, two bag-gies containing meth residue, a small tube that contained a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine, a small wooden box containing white residue, a metal box containing a green leafy sub-stance believed to be marijuana, two spoons, one syringe contain-ing 15ml of liquid believed to be methamphetamine, and a pre-scription bottle containing three orange-in-color pills believed to be amphetamine. The prescrip-tion was not issued to the driver. When questioned about the items found, the driver admitted to having used marijuana, meth, cocaine, and crack. The driver was arrested for possession of controlled substances – meth-amphetamine and amphetamine and possession of drug-related objects (drug paraphernalia). The driver was processed and booked into the Richmond County Jail. The passenger had outstanding warrants with the Richmond County Sherriff’s Office and was arrested, processed, and booked into the Richmond County Jail.

GRU Police: 706-721-2911


Cross campus collaboration to aid student performer healthBy AdRiAn GReeR

The Georgia Regents University Department of Music is working with physician colleagues at the Center for Voice, Airway and Swal-lowing to ensure that its singers have healthy voices and are aware of voice-related health issues.

The Center for Voice, Airway and Swallowing is part of the Depart-ment of Otolaryngology at GRU and is home to the CSRA’s only fellowship-trained laryngologists. Drs. Greg Postma and Paul Wein-berger, Department of Otolaryngol-ogy faculty, have already had several meetings with students and faculty from the Music Department to dis-cuss voice health issues.

“These voice students are like pro-fessional athletes, in that they often put stress on certain parts of their bodies to perform and sometimes there are injuries,” Music Instructor Tonya Currier said. “This collabora-tion will allow our students to have access to state-of-the-art vocal care and answers to any questions about their voice or vocal injuries.”

During one meeting held with a group of vocal students and faculty, Postma spoke with them about

some of the injuries that can be sus-tained while singing and some basic tips to keep in mind.

“There are issues of misuse and is-sues of abuse,” Postma said. “Misuse is when you sing out of range, and abuse would be if you’re yelling, like at a football game.”

Postma continued by discussing some of the technical injuries that can occur, from nodules that can form on the vocal chords to bruis-ing of the vocal chords to more extreme injuries.

“It’s important to also have a baseline laryngeal examination,” Postma told the group. “That means that we get a video of your larynx (voice box) so we can compare to it in the future. There is nothing bet-ter than looking back at old videos.”

Postma then took the group to an exam room, and for a few mem-bers of the group, he inserted an endoscopic flexible tube into their nasal passages to get images of their larynges.

The procedures went well, and Postma said that the larynges examined were very healthy. The results would be put on file at the medical center in case there were ever any injuries to the singers,

when they could be used as a frame of reference to guide treatment.

“What they are offering our stu-dents is amazing,” Currier said after the meeting. “I’m very excited that we have this high level of care to of-fer our students.”

According to Weinberger, medi-cal voice centers, such as the one at GRU, are not commonplace. “Gen-erally only the larger cities in the U.S. have voice centers — places like LA, Boston, New York, Atlanta.”

Currier said that while the voice faculty work to avoid injuries, sometimes they still occur.

“We teach our students how to sing properly without hurting their vocal chords,” she said.

The collaboration will allow the Otolaryngology Department to collect unique research data by working directly with student sing-ers that have far different strains on their larynx than most typical voice patients, as they are just learning to use their instruments.

“It seems that everyone in both departments is very excited,” Curri-er said. “We can all reap the benefits from this collaboration.”


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MISSION, VISIONAND VALUES

MissionOur mission is to provide lead-ership and excellence in teach-ing, discovery, clinical care,and service as a student-cen-tered comprehensive researchuniversity and academic healthcenter with a wide range ofprograms from learning assis-tance through postdoctoralstudies.

VisionOur vision is to be a top-tieruniversity that is a destinationof choice for education, healthcare, discovery, creativity, andinnovation.

Our ValuesCollegiality – reflected in col-laboration, partnership, senseof community, and teamwork.Compassion – reflected incaring, empathy, and socialresponsibility.Excellence – reflected indistinction, effectiveness, effi-ciency, enthusiasm, passion,and quality.Inclusivity – reflected indiversity, equality, fairness,impartiality, and respect.Integrity – reflected inaccountability, ethical behavior,honesty, and reliability.Leadership – reflected incourage, honor, professional-ism, transparency, and vision.

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