Engage Spring/Summer 2022

Valerie Romero Funes, ’26, psychology, takes a trip down the zip line at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center during a recent field trip by Georgia Gwinnett College’s Hispanic Achievers Committed to Excellence in Results (HACER) living-learning community. The field trip included zip line activities, nature walks, a museum visit and more, in addition to discussions about self-esteem, negative emotions and coping with challenges. HACER provides academic and cultural experiences to Hispanic/Latino students and students who want to learn about Hispanic culture. (See related story, page 18.)

IN THIS ISSUE IN

“There you feel like you’re But if you start taking of your the

–Ruby

GGC Forges Aheadwith INTENTION

Dr. Jann L. Joseph President

These are exciting times at GGC. The campus community bustles with new vigor and fresh perspectives. The spring semester brought celebrations and recognitions for our outstanding students and those who support their success.

In April, we welcomed friends and supporters from across the country to celebrate my investiture as the college’s third president. We had the pleasure of sharing the day with Dr. Sonny Perdue, who officiated the ceremony on his first day in his new role as chancellor of the University System of Georgia. I appreciate everyone’s support and look forward to expanding upon the work we have begun.

Our hopes and dreams for GGC’s future are bright. Over the past three years, we have intentionally focused on branding and building collaborative relationships to increase enrollment, retention and graduation.

We expanded – and will continue to grow – our curriculum to include programs and courses specifically designed to meet the needs of our community, including online degrees, professional certificates and nexus degrees.

Our Gateway Project, which includes important infrastructure updates for the campus as well as a much-needed Convocation Center, is set to begin construction in spring 2023. We are working to make the front doors to the campus more inviting and welcoming to current and prospective students.

Always with an eye on fiscal responsibility, we are significantly reducing debt by refinancing or paying off key buildings. Our investment in Georgia Gwinnett positions us to become a top-choice institution, well-known for its programs and highly successful alumni.

In my investiture remarks, I shared an African philosophy that captured the significance of that day and GGC’s promise for the future. The term is “ubuntu,” which in Zulu means “humanity” and is translated to “I am because you are.”

We are committed, renewed and relentlessly resolute on student success. We are strong and resilient, but we cannot do this alone. We need you all ... community members, friends, alumni, students, faculty and staff. I invite you to continue on this journey with us as we realize – and intently pursue – our future.

GGC is ... because we all are.

Go Grizzlies!

Dr. Jann L. Joseph

Notables

Student research posters earn honors at conference

Three Technology Ambassadors Program (TAP) student teams were finalists in the 2022 Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges Southeastern Conference poster session/student research competition. Shown are team presenters Ka’tiera Boone, ’23, information technology (IT); Carri Waller, ’22, IT, whose team won first place; Dr. Rahaf Barakat, assistant professor of IT and TAP co-instructor, and Anya Solodky, ’22, IT. Not shown is Dr. Cengiz Gunay, associate professor of IT and TAP co-instructor.

We Value Your Input

Send your ideas and comments about Engage to engage@ggc.edu or call 678.407.5549

Production Editor-in-chief: Sally Ramey Graphic design: Phil Smith Photography: Rod Reilly Writing: Sally Ramey, Jackie Todd, Collin Elder, Ken Scar Online team: Rycca Blanton, Information Technology Server Team

Other support: LaKeidra Veal Hill, Laurie Hudson, Hoang Huynh, Barbara Martell, Allana Walker

Collaborators

Jennifer Hendrickson, associate vice president for Advancement Sloan Jones, associate vice president for Communications Jackie Todd, director of Public Relations

Mailing List

To be added to or removed from the Engage mailing list, email engage@ggc.edu or call 678.407.5549.

1000 University Center Lane Lawrenceville, GA 30043 678.407.5000 • www.ggc.edu

Dr. Michelle Rosemond, vice president for Student Engagement and Success, was selected for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ (AASCU) 2022 Millennium Leadership Initiative.

Jamie Garcia Caycho, ’14, elementary education, was named Gwinnett County Public Schools’ district-wide 2022 Teacher of the Year. She is the first GGC alum to achieve this honor.

Dr. Sairam Tangirala, associate professor of physics, was invited to be a Governor’s Teaching Fellow for the 2022 summer symposium.

Jasmine Longmire, ’22, environmental science, was accepted to the Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia as a John Spencer Fellow. She plans to complete her master’s degree and pursue a doctorate in ecology.

See more Notables at www.ggc.edu/notables.

When she was only eight, Ruby Hernandez was diagnosed with a rare, incurable, autoimmune disease that causes excruciating flare-ups. Any mild accumulation of sweat triggers painful outbreaks, which are worsened by weight gain –sentencing her to a frustrating strug gle to stay healthy without provoking the disease.

“It was a soul-crushing cycle of becoming motivated to lose weight and exercising, then becoming bed-bound due to the crippling pains triggered by sweat, and finally giving up until the next time I restarted the cycle,” said Hernandez.

“I became depressed, unmotivated in school, and I resented my life.”

When she was 16, Hernandez underwent major skin graft surgery to reverse some of the disease’s damage, but only four months later, it came back worse than ever.

By age 17, daily asthma attacks and heart palpitations added to her overwhelming accumulation of afflictions, and she sank into a very dark place.

“At this point, I would spend the entire day in my room, pondering my own suicide. I felt zero control over my own body and life, and I just wanted it all to end.”

Relief came through education. Despite her health issues, Hernandez never stopped applying herself to her studies. Her sister, a Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) graduate, had nothing but positive things to say about the school, so Hernandez set her sights on enrolling there. As a first-generation college student, Hernandez knew how hard her parents had to work to make that happen.

“I am the daughter of a father who did not even have the privilege of finishing middle school, and a mother who first moved to this country at 19.”

The least she could do for her parents, she said, was work through her pain and get into GGC. She also saw an opportunity to gain some control over her life. She focused on becoming a wellrounded student, and she thrived.

Ruby Hernandez (center), celebrates with her parents, Hazel and Jose Hernandez, after receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in information technology at the 2022 spring commencement ceremony.

NANDEZ

RISES FROM DESPAIR TO TOP OF CLASS

Hernandez majored in information technology (IT) with a concentration in software development, a field she said allows her to live outside the limits of her illness.

She served as president of InTech, the IT student association. She and some classmates founded the Grizzly InternNET website, which allows GGC students and alumni to share internship and entry-level job experiences with the GGC community, and she successfully completed two internships.

Most importantly, she took back control of her health. Near the end of her first semester, she stumbled upon the article, “What is the likelihood that you exist?”

“Our chance of ever having been created is 1 in 102,685,000 – so basically zero,” she said. “That article made me realize that I had spent my life being angry at the

universe for making my life so hard instead of being grateful for even having one in the first place. I didn’t want to cry anymore. I didn’t want to feel sorry for myself anymore. I wanted my life to change once and for all – and I was going to keep fighting until it did.”

Hernandez found the Strong4Life clinic at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where a health regimen was specially designed for her that included exercising by swimming, which prevented the awful pain she experienced from sweating.

After steadily losing weight for five months, she was deemed ready for weight loss surgery. The surgery and relentlessly sticking to her health routine helped her lose 140 pounds in one year.

The journey has allowed her to shed more than physical weight. Today, thanks to discipline, determination

and her degree, Hernandez is healthy, positive and looking forward to the next chapter of her life.

She graduated this past May with a 4.0 GPA, and plans to move to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to pursue her dream of becoming an IT business analyst.

“Life can be unfair, and it will kick you around sometimes – but life is a privilege,” she said. “There will be times when you feel like you’re drowning in problems. But if you start taking control of your life in small steps, the rest will eventually follow. Cherish your life and make the most of it because once you’ve hit rock bottom, the only way to go is up. What do you have to lose?”

‘‘

I didn't want to cry anymore. I didn't want to feel sorry for myself anymore. I wanted my life to change once and for all - and I was going to keep fighting until I did. ‘‘

GGC, Gwinnett County Open Entrepreneur Center

Georgia Gwinnett College and Gwinnett County have teamed up to help local entrepreneurs maximize their prospects for success.

The Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center (GEC), located in downtown Lawrenceville, is an entrepreneur and small business support facility recently opened by Gwinnett County in close collaboration with Georgia Gwinnett College.

The recently opened center functions both as an education center and a business incubator, offering in-person and online services.

It supports small businesses by:

• Reducing the risk and mitigating the challenges they face during startup and growth,

• Proactively engaging with under-

served populations, and

• Creating jobs, spurring innovation and bolstering the local economy.

“The center’s mission is to improve the success and growth rates of local businesses by developing a community of learners who support each other in their entrepreneurial endeavors,” said Dr. Phillip Hartley, director of the center and associate professor of marketing at GGC.

Joshua Garcia, a sophomore at GGC studying business, has owned and operated his event rental company, Josh’s Inflatable Rentals and More, since he was a senior in

Dr. Phillip Hartley, associate professor of marketing at GGC and director of the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center, stands near the facility’s conference room.

high school. The business has been growing steadily ever since, he said, but he applied to the GEC program to hone business skills in which he wasn’t proficient.

“The center has helped me get more hands-on experience and work on skills that I was lacking, like budgeting and keeping up with some of the reports that I should have but which I never had before,” said Garcia. “We also get to work with a bunch of other small businesses that are trying to build up like we are. That’s valuable. Everybody’s business is different, but we’re all the same in ways.”

Garcia’s GEC classmate, Terry Wells, agreed. She is founder and CEO of Press 4Ward Group, a certified Small Business Association Women-Owned Small Business (SBA WOSB) marketing

agency based in Lawrenceville that specializes in digital marketing, web design and event photography.

“The Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center has provided me with an enormous amount of support and guidance as I work to grow my business from a one-person agency to a Gwinnett County employer,” said Wells. “A month has not gone by where there has not been a workshop that focused on something we need, such as marketing, finances, cost-saving resources, business planning and so much more.”

Hartley and Stephanie Sokenis, center manager and also a GGC employee, manage the center along with a representative from the county’s Office of Economic

that must be met to maintain membership.

Membership ends upon completion of the graduation plan, and the center invites a new applicant to become a member, replacing the

outgoing graduate.

Garcia said he would recommend the center to anyone starting a business in Gwinnett County.

“It’s a great opportunity to boost your skills and your business,” he said. “It’s been very helpful.”

Joshua Garcia of Josh’s Inflatable Rentals and More

Terry Wells of Press 4Ward Group

“The center has helped me get more handson experience and work on skills that I was

Investiture Celebrates GGC President Joseph

Dr. Sonny Perdue, chancellor of the University System of Georgia, and Dr. Jann L. Joseph, president of Georgia Gwinnett College, pause for a photo after Perdue placed the GGC presidential medallion on Joseph.

Dr. Jann L. Joseph was formally invested as Georgia Gwinnett College’s third president at a special ceremony this past April.

One of the oldest academic traditions, an investiture ceremony confers authority and symbols of high office. While investitures are typically held during, or at the end of, a president’s first year in office, Joseph’s investiture was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic for two years.

Among the honored guests was Dr. Sonny Perdue, whose first official act as University System of Georgia (USG) chancellor was to place GGC’s presidential medallion on Joseph. The medallion symbolizes the presidency and is part of the GGC president’s academic regalia, worn at commencement and other formal academic events.

Joseph expressed gratitude to her family, the GGC community, members of the USG Board of Regents and delegates from other USG schools and elected officials – all who came to celebrate the school and its newly installed president.

In his remarks, Perdue said GGC and higher education institutions play a critical role in our society by preparing students to improve their quality of life, become valuable members of the workforce and give back to their communities.

Joseph is focused on the path forward. As she closed her remarks, she outlined her vision for GGC’s future.

“By 2030, our graduates will be in leadership roles throughout this county,” she said. “The value of what we offer will be very apparent. We will sustain our access mission, and also be recognized for our incredible, value-added mission as our retention and graduation rates steadily increase.”

President Joseph’s sons, Kwasi, Kheran and Kendell Joseph, pay tribute to their mother during the investiture luncheon.

Nexus Degrees offer Entertainment Industry fasttrack

Five new, innovative degree programs will prepare GGC students for careers in Georgia’s expanding film and television entertainment industry.

GGC now offers five nexus degrees in professional editing in film and television, motion picture set lighting, production for film and television, production design, and professional sound design for film and television.

Nexus degrees, introduced by the University System of Georgia in 2018, develop familiarity with a particular career path.

Students pursuing the GGC nexus degrees will complete a 42-credit hour core curriculum and then take another 18 credit hours onsite at GGC and/or the Georgia Film Academy’s (GFA) Trilith and OFS studios, including an apprenticeship, if approved, for one of the GFA highly competitive internships.

The nexus degrees will enable GGC students to get immediate experience in Georgia’s entertainment industry, which is projected for a 47% increase in employment. The Peach State’s entertainment industry is the largest in the country, developing

more film and television projects than Hollywood, which it overtook in 2016. In 2021, Georgia marked $4 billion in entertainment production spending.

Continued growth in the industry brings an increased need for skilled professionals.

“We designed this curriculum to fall in line with industry standards,” said Dr. Teresa Winterhalter, dean of GGC’s School of Liberal Arts. “With the coursework and apprenticeship required by these programs, students will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience in projects through partnerships with professional productions.”

The new degrees are also consistent with the college’s mission to provide access to degrees that meet the economic development needs of the region.

See more information about GGC’s nexus degrees at www.ggc.edu/NexusDegrees.

Andrew Shook found his calling in the lush, green jungles of South America.

It was 2016, and he was a business major at Georgia Gwinnett College in search of a career that could put his international business concentration to use doing something meaningful.

That’s when he came across GGC’s Global Civic Engagement Program, an immersive study abroad program designed to enhance the educational experience of GGC students and broaden their world perspective by “critically examining the concept of service-learning as it relates to issues of social justice in a global context.”

Shook said it was one of the most fulfilling summers of his life.

“Our tasks were to assess the return on investment for projects that would restore and develop the area,” he said.

“We helped build houses, painted buildings and interviewed locals about their poverty issues.”

Shook hit it off with one of the local guides on the trip, Giorgio Piracci. The two kept in touch, and when Piracci relocated to Perú several years later, he invited Shook to see the new jungle in which he was working.

“I flew down the next week and we assessed the area,” said Shook. “We met again in Amsterdam and talked about plans for a company. After many trips to The Netherlands and Perú, we eventually applied for a business license in The Netherlands and opened a Dutch trading company importing agricultural goods to Europe from Perú.”

The result of their partnership is The Seven Elements, a company supporting shade-grown coffee plantations

Andrew Shook and Giorgio Piracci at the Indalo Lodge base camp in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, 2016.

to restore the tropical green belt and prevent progressive deforestation in the Oxapampa region of Perú. The business operates under the principals of permaculture, which integrates land, resources, people and the environment through mutually beneficial synergies –imitating the no-waste, closed-loop systems seen in nature.

The company sells coffee, cocoa and honey direct from farm to buyer and offers profit sharing to growers through a co-op.

“We discovered that by removing the intermediary of commodity exchange, we could allow more profits to the growers, who are the stewards of the rainforest,” said Shook. “Our values coincide with the permaculture guidelines: care of the earth, care of the people and fair share and redistribution of surplus.”

Coffee is the second-most traded good in the world after oil, said Shook.

“For us, coffee is a tool to achieve human security objectives such as redistribution of wealth, regeneration of biodiversity and mitigation of climate change.”

Bringing their story full circle, Shook and Piracci also offer service-learning programs to share their found knowledge with future generations.

Shook said GGC offered a host of learning opportunities that prepared him for South American fieldwork, from Spanish classes to courses in geography to complement his international business concentration.

He remains very active as a GGC alumnus, serving as a mentor with the Grizzly Mentor Collective, speaking at the Alumni Insight Program, and serving as a panel member at the Grizzlies Engaged, Active and Ready

(GEAR) Conference, which connects students with high-demand professionals in the business community.

“Our values coincide with the permaculture guidelines: care of the earth, care of the people and fair share and redistribution of surplus.”

Andrew Shook is shown with Srta. Tracy Velita Ruiz and the artisans of Chinchero Craft Market in Cusco, Perú, in 2022.

“We discovered that by removing the intermediary of commodity exchange, we could allow more profits to the growers, who are the stewards of the rainforest.”

Since its inception, nurturing engaged citizens has been a primary focus of GGC’s mission. Now that its graduates have spent several years building lives and careers, they are being recognized for their impacts on the Gwinnett community.

Gwinnett Young Professionals (GYP) recently named 16 GGC alumni and one faculty member as finalists for its 2022 35 Under 35 Awards. These 17 people were among 70 finalists, and five became winners.

While some GGC alumni received a 35 Under 35 Award in the last several years, we’ve never had so many finalists and winners,” said Holly Lisle, director of Alumni Engagement. “We are so very proud of them.”

Part of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, GYP champions young professionals. Its 35 Under 35 Awards highlight influential young professionals who are disruptors, innovators and changemakers in their fields.

The five winners from GGC are Dr. Vlad Bursuc, assistant professor of legal studies; Benjamin Coker, ’19, nursing; Ana Echeverry, ’18, business; Ashley Flagg, ’17, business, and Tyler Henry, ’12, special education.

“Receiving this award affirms that all of the good things we are doing for the community are being noticed,” said Henry, now a loan officer with Movement Mortgage and a former member of the GGC Alumni Board.

“My time as a student and staff member at GGC helped show me what true service to others really is and what a difference it makes.”

Anna Echeverry said receiving the award “lit up” her world.

“I’ve lived in Gwinnett County for almost 20 years,” said Echeverry, who works for Chemistry, a creative agency. “I love Gwinnett, and it’s been a humbling experience working with our community.”

“A lot of what we do in the health care space is altruistic, so it recharges the soul to know that people see the good work that we do,” said Coker.

A clinical supervisor on a cardiac floor at Northside Hospital, Coker is pursuing a master’s degree in public health at Emory University and is a graduate research assistant on a cancer study. He was recently named to the GGC Alumni Board.

“ Those honored by the 35 Under 35 program are the very embodiment of our mission and represent the transformative impact GGC will have on Gwinnett for decades to come. “

— Dr. Jann L. Joseph

Reflecting on her award, Flagg said she wanted to remind GGC students looking to make their own achievements to take advantage of the opportunities the college offers.

“Conjoining the knowledge we gained at GGC with the ability to give guidance, take advice and encourage one another has been a blessing in my life,” said Flagg. Also a member of the GGC Alumni Board, she is a senior accountant at Mayvin, which works with the U.S. departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security.

“Winning this award is humbling because of the excellent group of Gwinnett leaders who share it, especially those who are members of the GGC family,” said Bursuc. “It has also motivated me to continue to add to the growth and development of our wonderful and welcoming community in the future.”

Bursuc began teaching at GGC in 2016. An attorney, he saw teaching as a way to continue his personal journey in helping underrepresented peoples access amenities and benefits of U.S. residency. He is working

to expand an international business program for the School of Business (SBA).

“Thanks to a collaboration with the Halle Foundation, I’m leading an exploratory study abroad trip to Germany this fall,” Bursuc said. “Afterward, SBA’s Center for International Business and Exchange will expand curricular and co-curricular activities focused on German culture and business, enhancing educational opportunities for our students.”

“Our mission statement specifically references producing contributing citizens and future leaders, and graduates who are inspired to contribute to the local, state, national and international communities,” said Dr. Jann L. Joseph, president. “Those honored by the 35 Under 35 program are the very embodiment of our mission and represent the transformative impact GGC will have on Gwinnett for decades to come.”

Coker offered some advice to GGC students.

“Take full advantage of the opportunities that are given to you,” he said.

“GGC is more than a school – to be enveloped in a place where everybody wants you to win is rare. Enjoy it and learn as much as you can.”

Derrick Alvarez, ’20, political science

Ashley Forrester, ’20, biology

Andrew Green, ’19, business

Sasha Jones, ’20, human development and aging services

Megan Kamplain, ’21, business

Luis Montanez-Cerna, ’21, cinema and media arts production

Kyle Norton, ’15, history

Gathering for a photo before the 35 Under 35 Awards ceremony were (front row) Melissa Penate, ’15, Alumni Board member; John Cash, assistant director of Admissions; Meagan Dugan, student success advisor; Stephanie Baker, ’16, student success advisor; Jayla Wilson, ’18, human resources student employment specialist; Inaara Babwani, ’19, GGC Alumni board member; (back row) Kyle Norton, ’15, assistant athletic director of facilities; Brandon Winn, ’20; Tyler Henry, ’12; Benjamin Coker, ’19, Alumni Board member; Luis Montenez-Cerna, ’21; Harsha Vinoy, ’20; and Tom Willard, ’11, Alumni Board chair. Photo courtesy of the Gwinnett Chamber.

Kennedy Patterson, ’20, business

Lauren Summers, ’14, business

Harsha Vinoy, ’20, business

Jayla Wilson, ’18, business

Brandon Winn, ’20, business

GGC 35 Under 35 Award winners Ashley Flagg Benjamin Coker Tyler Henry Dr. Vlad Bursuc

Ana Echeverry

GGC alumni 35 Under 35 Award finalists

More than 400 donors to the 2022 Step Up for GGC fundraising campaign set new records for participation and donations, which surpassed $23,600.

The campaign is held during GGC Days, a celebration that builds awareness of the college’s impact on its students and community. Donors may give to the unrestricted GGC Fund, which provides funding for areas where it is needed most for student success, and/or the Student Emergency Fund.

“This was the most successful GGC Days campaign yet, with 13% more donors and 10% more dollars raised over 2021,” said Nate Jones, director of Alumni Giving and Alumni Relations.

“We are especially grateful to Greg and Tammy Shumate for their challenge match of $50,000. We have met and exceeded that match with gifts from alumni and parents totaling $76,253. This match also brought the total impact of GGC Days to more than $30,000.”

Donors contributing $60 or more qualified for a pair of custom-designed Step Up for GGC socks.

“This year, members of our board of trustees stepped up in big way! Kudos to Ron Garrard and the staff at Garrard Group for donating to the campaign,” said Jennifer Hendrickson, associate vice president for Advancement.

GGC Foundation Adds Two New Scholarships

The GGC Foundation recently added two new scholarships for GGC students.

White Family Top Honors Transfer Scholarship –

Established by Glenn White, the foundation’s charter chair, this endowed fund will provide scholarships to support students who transfer into the GGC Honors Program, either from within GGC or from another institution.

Students must have a cumulative college GPA of 3.5 and be enrolled full time. To maintain eligibility, students must be accepted into, and continue participation in, the GGC Honors Program and maintain a cumulative GGC GPA of 3.5. This scholarship may be renewed up to four years.

GGC Alumni Association Scholarship – Established by members of the Alumni Association, this endowed fund will support students enrolled in at least six credit hours, and who maintain a minimum GGC GPA of 2.5.

Preference will be given to students who are either the first in their families to pursue a college degree, or who are family to a GGC alum, with “family” defined as two or more people related by birth, adoption, marriage or domestic partnership. Once fully funded, the Alumni Association Scholarship may be renewed up to four years.

To support an existing scholarship fund or establish a new scholarship, please visit www.ggcfoundation.org/giving.

Ron Garrard, center, and Garrard Group staff members proudly display their GGC socks in support of student success.

College Wins Inaugural Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Award

GeorgiaGwinnett College (GGC) received the Georgia Association of Colleges and Employers (GACE) inaugural Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Award, which recognizes efforts of a university career services office or employer member.

GGC received the award for its program, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? A Conversation on Diversity in the Workplace. Over dinner, students, faculty and staff heard from government and private sector panelists who discussed their experiences and advice for navigating through diversity issues in the workplace.

“Attendees gained great insight into what to expect in the workplace and were able to network and gain a sense of community with each other and the various

employers at the event,” said Sherrie Goodman, acting director of Career Development and Advising and panel moderator.

Goodman said GGC will host another Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner event in early 2023.

An intentional focus on building a culture of inclusive excellence was among Dr. Jann L. Joseph’s priorities when she assumed the GGC presidency in 2019.

A series of initiatives, led by the Diversity and Equity Compliance office, were developed to bring the campus community together and create an open, inclusive, welcoming environment.

GGC has been recognized for eight consecutive years as the most ethnically diverse Southern

regional college by U.S. News & World Report magazine. Through annual surveys, professional development, education and programming focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, GGC strives to create and promote an environment that supports student, faculty and staff recruitment and retention. GGC aspires to be recognized in the Gwinnett community and beyond as a leader in diversity and inclusive excellence.

The Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Award represents GACE’s commitment to recognizing and celebrating the initiatives, policies and practices of colleges and employers that embrace diversity and inclusion.

ALPHA PHI ALPHA LAUNCHES GREEK LIFE AT GGC

This past spring, the first induction ceremony for the Phi Xi chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha (APA), Inc. fraternity officially introduced Greek life to GGC.

APA was the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men and was founded in 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. It is part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council known as the “Divine Nine.”

The GGC ceremony celebrated its inaugural APA members Tron-Wesley Williams, Jr., ’26, information technology (IT), Chris Taylor, ’22, special education, and Alex Quarshie, ’22, IT.

Attendees included members of other APA chapters, as well as representatives from the other eight historically Black Greek organizations, all wearing clothing symbolizing their respective organizations.

Highlighting the festivities was a step show. Stepping, which expresses organizational pride, is a synchronized dance-like performance blending popular culture with African folk traditions

APA’s programming includes leadership development, responding to timely issues affecting the African American community, voter engagement, mentoring, education, elder care and charitable initiatives.

GGC’s inaugural APA members Tron-Wesley Williams, Jr., Chris Taylor and Alex Quarshie are shown wearing black and standing behind GGC President Jann L. Joseph, seated at center.

GGC Foundation Celebrates Trustee Service

The Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) Foundation Board of Trustees recently celebrated departing leaders and welcomed new ones.

“It’s difficult to say farewell to individuals who have served the foundation board so faithfully, as the impact of their service can be seen across campus with our beautiful facilities and within the success of our students,” said Jennifer Hendrickson, president, GGC Foundation. “These leaders have built the framework through which new members can continue building upon their successes, and create their own special mark on GGC and the foundation.”

NEW TRUSTEES

Brandon Hartley – Director of external affairs, AT&T

Trent Lind – Chief executive officer, Piedmont Eastside Medical Center

Deon Tucker - Metro North regional director for the Atlanta area, Georgia Power

Tom Willard - Senior infrastructure project manager, Rollins, Inc; serves as an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees representing the Alumni Board, of which he is chair.

“These leaders have built the framework through which new members can continue building upon their successes, and create their own special mark on GGC and the foundation.”

– Jennifer Hendrickson

DEPARTING TRUSTEES

Tommy Hughes has served as a charter board member since 2006 and played a key role in helping to build GGC and the GGC Foundation. He has served in leadership roles for the majority of his 16 years on the board, including board chair 2013-2022 and twice as chair of the Committee on Trustees for a total of six years.

Sasha Ruiz has been with the board as

an ex-officio member since 2020, representing the Alumni Board during her term as its chair. She was instrumental in setting up the Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship fund and was its first donor.

Perry Taylor joined the board in 2020 as an ex-officio representing the School of Business Board of Visitors (BOV). He joined the BOV in 2017 and served as chair from 2020-2022. Under his leadership, the BOV has grown and developed new programs supporting the School of Business.

Richard Tucker is also a charter board member and has been integral in building GGC and the foundation over the last 16 years. He served for many years as the University System of Georgia Board of Regents’ representative for GGC and its district. His advocacy has been instrumental in helping make GGC what it is today.

Attending the GGC Foundation Board of Trustees’ June hybrid meeting in person were Wayne Mason; Jennifer Hendrickson, GGC Foundation president; Marsha Anderson Bomar; Sasha Ruiz; Norwood Davis; Dr. Carlton Buchanan, GGC Foundation Board of Trustees chair; Dr. Jann L. Joseph, GGC president; David Snell and Jose Perez, University System of Georgia regent.

GGC Introduces Hispanic Outreach Program

While Hispanic enrollment in some higher education institutions is trending downward or stagnating, Georgia Gwinnett College’s (GGC) Hispanic enrollment continues to increase. A special outreach program is designed to maintain that momentum.

Nancy Ciudad-Simmons, a senior student success advisor with Student Engagement and Success, leads a team supporting the Hispanic Achievers Committed to Excellence in Results (HACER) living-learning community, which provides academic and cultural experiences to Hispanic/Latino students and students who want to learn about Hispanic culture.

The program receives substantial funding from the GGC Foundation through a private grant.

One of those experiences includes an event focused on families of Hispanic students – HACER FUTURO.

“Family is the most important thing in Latinx culture. Going

Rene Keria participates in a micro-class demonstrating the GGC classroom experience. His nephew is a GGC student.

to college, like every other big decision, is one that the family makes together,” said Ciudad-Simmons.

HACER FUTURO invites Hispanic families to campus to experience student life entirely in Spanish. Faculty and staff members share information on academics, admissions, housing, financial aid and more. The event even offers parents a chance to be immersed in the student experience by attending micro-classes that provide snapshots of classroom experiences.

GGC recently met eligibility requirements as a Hispanic Serving Institution now that more than 25% of its student body is Hispanic.

Nancy Ciudad-Simmons addresses a group of Hispanic students’ families attending HACER FUTURO.

GGC ATHLETICS EARNS MORE TROPHIES

Three conference championships and two National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) titles were added to the Athletics trophy case during the 2021-22 season. The Grizzlies have earned 16 national championships and 24 conference titles in their first decade of existence.

MEN’S SOCCER:

Record: 9-6-1; National ranking: 22; Postseason finish: NAIA Opening Round Qualifier; Won five straight matches; Scored six goals in victories against Thomas University (Georgia) and Florida College

WOMEN’S SOCCER:

Record: 11-7-1; National ranking: Receiving votes; Postseason finish: NAIA Opening Round Qualifier; Captured inaugural Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) Championship tournament title with 3-0 victory against Bellevue University (Nebraska); 6-2 record in home matches at the Grizzly Soccer Complex; Defeated No. 12 Lindsey Wilson College (Kentucky) 2-0

MEN’S TENNIS:

Record: 21-0; National ranking: No. 1; Postseason finish: NAIA National Champions; Extended program’s winning streak to 168 consecutive matches; 32-0 record all-time in NAIA National Championship matches; Won the program’s eighth straight national championship

WOMEN’S TENNIS:

Record: 17-0; National ranking: No. 1; Postseason finish: NAIA National Champions; Program has won 69 straight matches since 2019 season; Won program’s sixth consecutive national championship and seventh in total; Head Coach Chase Hodges registered 600th career coaching victory

BASEBALL:

Record: 46-16; National ranking: No. 8; Postseason finish: Avista NAIA World Series Qualifier; Made program’s fifth trip to NAIA World Series with 13-1 victory against No. 7 Hope International University (California) to capture the NAIA tournament’s Lawrenceville Open ing Round; Head Coach Jeremy Sheetinger registered 100th GGC victory and 200th career win

SOFTBALL:

Record: 36-20; National ranking: No. 17; Postseason finish: NAIA Opening Round Qualifier; NAIA Opening Round host for the sixth consecutive postseason; Won inaugural CAC Championship tour nament title behind program’s first perfect game from pitcher Alexa Good, ’23, elementary education, in championship game

Internship Program to Add to Nonprofit Talent Pipeline

The new GGC Nonprofit Internship Program will offer juniors and seniors semester-long, paid internship opportunities in Gwinnett County and the greater Atlanta area. Eligible students will work up to 25 hours/week, earn up to $20/hour, and gain real-world experience for careers in the nonprofit sector.

“Internships are valuable, high-impact, learning opportunities for our students,” said Dr. Jann L. Joseph, president of GGC.

“Our students want to make a meaningful impact and this program will allow them to use the skills they learned in the

classroom to succeed in nonprofit organizations and give back to their communities.”

In collaboration with the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia, a multiple donor fund was created to support the pilot program. The fund includes a grant by the Community Foundation and additional donors totaling $210,000.

Now recovering from pandemic-related job losses, the nonprofit arena offers job opportunities in fundraising, IT, communications and marketing, human resources, legal, business, operations and other areas.

Northside Hospital Joins GGC Foundation’s Visionary Society

Northside Hospital Gwinnett/Duluth recently joined the Georgia Gwinnett College Foundation’s Visionary Society, which recognizes donors who have cumulatively contributed $1 million or more to the foundation.

“The GGC Foundation appreciates Northside’s investment and collaboration, specifically related to GGC’s School of Health Sciences, and for building on the foundation established with

Gwinnett Medical Center since 2013,” said Jennifer Hendrickson, president of the GGC Foundation.

Today, more than 130 GGC graduates are employed in the Northside Hospital health system.

In recognition of its tremendous support of GGC, Northside was recently presented with a one-of-a kind, art glass bowl, hand-blown in Lawrenceville.

Jennifer Hendrickson, president of the GGC Foundation, and Dr. Jann L. Joseph, president of GGC, present a hand-blown, art glass bowl to Debbie Mitcham, chief executive officer of Northside Gwinnett/Duluth, and Jay Dennard, chief operating officer of Northside Duluth.

As part of its Spring Stopover event with Gwinnett County, School of Business majors toured the county’s transit facilities.

Georgia Gwinnett recently introduced a double-occupancy option for its student residents.

A student learns how to blow large soap bubbles during a School of Education course in instructional methods for the elementary classroom.

Instructor Jim Grant shows a stud barrel during GGC’s first Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response training program.

ent how to maneuver a GGC President Jann L. Joseph, at right, discusses a student team’s research poster at the 2022 Science, Technology and Research Symposium.

Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) provides access to targeted baccalaureate- and associate-level degrees meeting the economic development needs of the growing and diverse population of Gwinnett County and the northeast metropolitan Atlanta region.

GGC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate and baccalaureate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404.679.4500 for questions about the accreditation of Georgia Gwinnett College. Visit www.ggc.edu

Office of Communications 1000 University Center Lane Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043