Toys for Tots Campaign

Representatives from the United States Marines Corp visited the Augusta Tech campus on December 16 and received several boxes of toys as part of the annual “Toys For Tots” campaign. Augusta Technical College instructor Andrew Jefferson and the members of “Skills U.S.A.” were once again responsible for coordinating the holiday gift collections.

Pinning Ceremonies

Augusta Tech's Practical Nursing and Radiologic Technology students were honored during pinning ceremonies held on December 14. Speakers for these ceremonies included Harold Jones, Solicitor General for Augusta-Richmond County, and Cindy Brooks, Registered Nurse at the Medical College of Georgia Trauma Unit.

Students who participated in the Practical Nursing pinning ceremonies were:

The speaker for the Radiologic Technology pinning ceremony was Rich Sabol, Chief Radiographer, MCG Health, Inc. Students who participated in the Radiologic Technology pinning ceremony were:

Phi Theta Kappa Induction Ceremony

The Augusta Technical College Phi Theta Kappa induction ceremony, followed by a reception for the inductees, was held on November 29, 2005. Mr. John Arena, Augusta Technical College Department Head of Computer Information Systems and Computer Programming, spoke about the Honor's Study topic this year--Popular Culture, Shaping and Reflecting Who We Are.

The list of inductees follows:

Car, Truck and Bike Show

Augusta Technical College's eighth annual Car, Truck and Bike show, featuring a wide array of import vehicles, street rods, bikes and classic cars, was held Saturday, November 19. All proceeds from the show were donated to the United Way of the CSRA.

Philanthropy Award Presented

The Augusta Technical College Foundation recently nominated the Fort Gordon Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA Augusta) for the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ National Philanthropy Day Award titled, “Outstanding Volunteer Association.” This organization was later chosen as the winner, and AFCEA received its award on November 16 during a presentation by Augusta Tech’s Director of Institutional Advancement, Beverly Peltier. Significant philanthropic support is provided by AFCEA in the area of education and the organization's members are major supporters of Augusta Technical College.

For more information about the Augusta Technical College Foundation, go to the Foundation web site at:

http://www.augustatech.edu/Foundation

or e-mail Beverly Barshafsky Peltier, Director of Institutional Advancement, at bpeltier@augustatech.edu.

Career Fair Success Continues

Over thirty area employers assembled in the Student Services Building on Thursday, November 3, for an event that attracted a large group of visitors seeking information on employment opportunities. The responses from employers present were overwhelmingly positive. This event also featured Augusta Tech and Statewide "Student of the Year," Kimberly Wilson. She was the focal point of a video done by the College's Printing and Graphics Department regarding work ethics. This video will serve as a resource for faculty as they continue to emphasize work ethics in their classroom.

Respiratory Care Saluted

Three Augusta Technical College students took part in a Health Fair at the V.A. Medical Center's downtown Division during National Respiratory Care Week, October 23 through October 29. These three College representatives were Florence Elmore, Anna Gutto, and Keith Dunn.

TCFA Volunteer of the Year

Mr. Joseph J. Rogers, longtime member of the Augusta Technical College Board of Directors and veteran member of the College Foundation Board of Trustees, was chosen as the recipient for the "Technical College Foundation Association’s Volunteer of the Year." This prestigious award was presented during the 5th TCFA / TCDA Leadership Conference in Savannah. It is given annually to a volunteer from a college foundation for their work in the areas of resource development, friend-raising, and fund raising. Mr. Rogers is retired from Proctor and Gamble in Augusta and has served the technical education system in Georgia for over 30 years. He served as Chairman of the Augusta Tech Board of Directors for ten years and currently serves as a volunteer on the College's Foundation Board. He is also personally responsible for changing Proctor and Gamble's corporate policy on fund raising for two year colleges. Mr. Rogers also has the distinction of having the Building 100 Conference Room named after him.

For more information about the Augusta Technical College Foundation, go to the Foundation web site at:

http://www.augustatech.edu/Foundation

or e-mail Beverly Barshafsky Peltier, Director of Institutional Advancement, at bpeltier@augustatech.edu.

Tech Prep Champions

Augusta Technical College and Evans High School take great pride in the most recent selections of "Tech Prep" Champions. Sarah Shepherd, a Junior at EHS, was chosen as the student winner. She has several accolades to her credit, including the honor of being the National Gold Medal winner in the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), Inc. STAR events during this year's Early Childhood Education competition. The honoree is also President of FCCLA at Evans High. Jo Anne Robinson, Dean of Augusta Tech's "Information and Engineering Technology" division, was the adult winner.

The CSRA Tech Prep Consortium winners will be invited to attend a luncheon that will include a salute to these outstanding individuals. The luncheon will be held on February 14 in Atlanta during the 10th Annual State Tech Prep Conference.

Trike-A-Thon Fund Raiser

Saint Jude’s Children’s Hospital will be the recipient of financial contributions from Augusta Tech’s Pre-K and Preschool children following their annual “Trike-A-Thon" held Friday, November 4. Many different types of tricycles and other pedal-type motion machines were ridden during this exciting event. A group of supportive spectators cheered on the youngsters as they sped around their parking lot track. Donations were collected from parents and other interested parties and sent to St. Jude’s.

Orville Lake Online Instructor of the Year

Orville Lake, head of the Augusta Technical College Electrical Construction and Maintenance department received the Distance Learning Instructor Xel (Excellence in e-learning) award at the Summit 2005 Distance Learning Conference. Mr. Lake, who also teaches in Electrical Construction and Maintenance, has created 19 online courses using the Blackboard ™ course tool for that program. He has also helped to streamline the online Introduction to Microcomputers (SCT100) course for other programs. Mr. Lake is an active member of the Distance Learning Peer Review Council and has been instrumental in helping maintain the quality of Augusta Tech’s online courses.

Culinary Arts Program Wins Best Presentation

Augusta Technical College's Culinary Arts Program received the best presentation award at the 10th Annual Art of Chocolate on October 28, 2005. The Culinary Arts Program has participated in this fund raising event since 2001 and previously received awards for Best Chocolate Dessert (2001), Best Dessert (2002), Best Dessert presentation (2003) and Most Creative (2004). All proceeds from the Art of Chocolate event benefit Child Enrichment, The Shelter, CASA and Child Advocacy Center for Abused Children.