Hair and Fashion Show Produced by Augusta Tech Cosmetology Students

Augusta Tech Field Day 2006

2006 GOAL Winner

June 2006 Graduation

You are cordially invited to Augusta Technical College's June 2006 graduation ceremony which will be held on Thursday, June 15, 2006 at the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center, located at 601 7th Street, Augusta, Georgia. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.

The guest speaker for this occasion will be Michael F. Vollmer, Commissioner of Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education. Commissioner Vollmer is a native of Pennsylvania and a graduate of Greensboro (N.C.) College. He earned his J.D. degree from John Marshall Law School in 1976 and has been a member of the Georgia Bar Association since that time.

Commissioner Vollmer has been with DTAE since September 15, 2004 and we are honored that he will share this joyous occasion with Augusta Technical College and our June 2006 graduates.

Commissioner Michael F. Vollmer

Lowe's Scholarships Awarded

Ten Augusta Technical College students were the beneficiaries of $2,000 scholarships each sponsored by Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation. Five business students and five vocational/technical students received the funds which will cover tuition and fees under the Lowe's Scholars Program. In addition, students also have an opportunity to work for Lowe's. Students must have met the Lowe's Scholarship requirements and a have a completed FAFSA on file to be eligible to participate in the program. Over fifty students applied for the scholarships this year. This is the third year of support from Lowe's and we are especially pleased that they have selected to partner with Augusta Technical College once again.

Scholarship Recipients

Danny Waugh, Lowe's District Manager

2006 Lowe's Scholars

2006 Employees of the Year Nominees and Winners

Instructor of the Year:
Warren Miller- Learning Support Mathematics- Augusta

Office Employee of the Year:
Laura Fuller- Executive Secretary to the VPISS- Augusta

Building, Grounds, Maintenance Employee of the Year:
Mary Rabun- Custodian- Thomson/McDuffie

A. R. Johnson Graduation

Dual Enrolled High School students received special recognition from Augusta Technical College during A. R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering High School's graduation ceremony on June 1st at the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center. The Salutatorian, Crystan Dowds, was a dual enrolled Pharmacy Technology student.

Salutatorian Crystan Dowds with Dean Gwen Taylor and VPISS Dr. Melissa Frank-Alston

Dual Entrolled Student Ryan Noah with VPISS Dr. Melissa Frank-Alston

GED Graduation

The Graduation Ceremony to recognize those who have earned the General Education Diploma (GED) from the State of Georgia was held on Thursday, June 1, 2006 at 7:00 pm in the Gilbert-Lambuth Chapel at Paine College. Domonique Benn, Anchor on WRDW-Channel 12, was the guest speaker.

Howie Gunby, Director of Adult Literacy

Domonique Benn

Terry Elam offering congratulations

Monsanto Plant Tour

Dr. Scott DeClue's students in the Mechanical Engineering Technology program recently participated in a plant tour of the Monsanto manufacturing facility in Augusta. Accompanying the students was Dr. Melissa Frank-Alston, Vice President of Instructional and Student Services at Augusta Technical College.

George Lawson and Bob Ford of Monsanto presented a brief overview of the processes and the group toured the facility. Site visits are a great way to enhance the information from the textbooks. The students get to see industrial processes firsthand while observing actual plant conditions focusing on safety, environmental compliance, and process quality manufacturing.

Augusta Technical College Foundation Awards
Three Scholarships to Essay Contest Winners

Waynesboro, GA-The Augusta Technical College Foundation is pleased to announce that Ms. Shaneisha Brihm, Mr. Frederick Brown and Mr. Terrell Hankerson, all Burke County High School students, have each been awarded a $200 scholarship credit to Augusta Technical College. Once each student has enrolled at Augusta Technical College, the scholarships may then be used to cover the cost of tuition and fees or purchase books and supplies at the Augusta Tech bookstore.

The scholarships were funded through the Timothy F. and Carolyn S. Maund Essay Scholarship Contest. Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Maund reside in Augusta, Georgia. Mr. Maund is a member of the Augusta Technical College Foundation Board of Trustees. The students submitted winning essays on “How has technology changed the work environment?”

Ms. Brihm is currently a dual enrolled student at Augusta Technical College pursuing an education as a Microcomputer Specialist. Mr. Brown will enroll this fall and will be pursuing an education in the field of EMT/Paramedic.

Augusta Technical College has been serving the education needs of Burke, Columbia, Lincoln, McDuffie and Richmond counties since 1961.

Ms. Shaneisha Brihm, Ms. Ella Jones- VPO, Waynesboro/Burke County, Mr. Frederick Brown

Augusta Campus Open House Pictures

Waynesboro/Burke Campus Open House Pictures

Check Presentation

Carter Electric was the recipient of a $50,000 check from the Georgia Department of Labor to be used for personnel training. Carter Electric began its operation 79 years ago in South Carolina and Georgia. They later expanded throughout the South. This company is the area's oldest and most experienced industrial electrical contractor.

Those present for the check presentation are in the below photo. They are (from left to right) Nick Carter, President of Carter Electric, Joyce Blevins, Director of the East Central Georgia Workforce Investment office located in Thomson, Michael Thurmond, Georgia's Labor Department Commissioner, and Ray Center, Interim Vice President of Economic Development at Augusta Technical College.

Thomson Nursing Pinning Ceremony

The Pinning Ceremony for the Thomson/McDuffie Nursing (LPN) students will be held on Friday, June 16th at 1:00 pm in the Auditorium on the Thomson campus. The guest speaker will be Ms. Joanne Rau, LPN, who is a former graduate of Augusta Technical College- Thomson/McDuffie.

Guest Artist

Expressionist painter Grady Abrams presented a display of his artwork on the Augusta Campus on Wednesday, May 10th. Mr. Abrams has a studio at 814 Point Comfort Rd. in Evans where he creates abstract art reminiscent of early 20th-Century African-American paintings and watercolors based on his travels throughout the Southeast. Mr. Abrams extends an invitation to all to visit his studio/gallery. Thanks to all who attended this great showing!

Surgical Technology Ranks # 11 in Nation

The Surgical Technology program at Augusta Technical College was ranked # 11 for 2005 by the Association of Surgical Technicians (AST). AST ranks the top 20 schools based on PAE examination scores. Congratulations to Gene Burke and his hardworking students in Surgical Technology!

Faculty and Staff Recognitions

Beverly Barshafsky Peltier has successfully completed the requirements for Leadership Augusta 2006. Beverly is the only graduate in the 2006 class to have completed all three Leadership classes offered by the Augusta, Burke, and McDuffie Chambers of Commerce. In addition to receiving her plague at graduation, Beverly was also recognized with a 2006 Superlative Award for her demonstrated love for the community, a passion for its growth and development, as well as a willingness to take an instrumental role in its enrichment.

Class of Leadership Augusta 2006

Student Records Assistant, Rebecca Walker, recently received third place honors in a local poetry contest. Becky read her award winning poem on Monday evening, April 24th, at the new Columbia County Library. Augusta Tech Foundation Board member, Dr. Paul Fischer, was a guest community speaker at the event.

Congratulations, Graduates

Louis Audet, Math instructor on the Augusta Campus, has earned his Masters Degree from Brenau University.

Sonya Burns, Medical Assisting instructor on the Waynesboro/Burke Campus, has earned her Bachelors Degree in Public Administration from Brenau University.

Martha Daley-Weeks, Bookstore Manager on the Augusta Campus, has earned her Masters Degree in Business Administration and Leadership Management from Brenau University.

Tammy O'Brien, Distance Learning Coordinator on the Augusta Campus, has earned her Masters Degree in Education from Southern Wesleyan University.

Mary Richardson, Fort Gordon Admission Assistant, has earned her Bachelors Degree from Brenau University.

Augusta Student Wins First Place
in Manufacturing Appreciation Week Design Contest

David Peltier, a third grader from Augusta, GA, had lunch with over a thousand Georgia captains of industry last week.

Peltier, 9, won first place in the placemat category of the 2006 Manufacturing Appreciation Week (MAW) student design contest. He received a $500 scholarship check at the MAW awards luncheon held today at the Cobb Galleria. WXIA-TV’s Wes Sarginson was master of ceremonies.

Peltier, who attends Westminster Schools of Augusta, said the idea for his award-winning entry came from both of his parents – his mom, Beverly Peltier, works at Augusta Technical College, and his dad, Mark Peltier, is in manufacturing, working at Kimberly-Clark.

Thousands of students from around the state submitted design entries featuring Georgia manufacturers and their products. The three design categories were placemat, poster and t-shirt.

The awards luncheon was the culmination of MAW, celebrated this year April 17-21. Co-hosted by the Department of Technical and Adult Education and the Department of Economic Development, MAW celebrates the manufacturing component of Georgia’s economy. According to the governor’s proclamation declaring Manufacturing Appreciation Week, nearly 10,000 manufacturing facilities are located in Georgia, providing 447,777 jobs and generating more than $61 billion for the state’s economy.

This is the 12th year celebrating MAW in Georgia. This year’s sponsors include BellSouth; Georgia Power; Pattillo Construction; Habif, Arogeti & Wynne; the Georgia Department of Economic Development; and the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute.

Skills-USA State Champ

On April 21, 2006 the Skills-USA Georgia Postsecondary State Championship was held in Columbus, Georgia on the Columbus Technical College campus. Augusta Technical College was very fortunate to have Kamisha Winfield competing in the Nail Care competition and winning a Gold Medal at the state level. Kamisha also won a trip to Kansas City, where she and her Nail Care model Katherine Utley will have the chance to compete on a national level for the Gold Medal and National Championship in Nail Care. Placing first in a state contest is the only way to advance to the National contest. The National Skills-USA competition will be held in Kansas City June 19 – 24, 2006, and there will be competitors from all over the United States and the Virgin Islands going for the Gold. Kamisha Winfield said that with the help of her Nail Care model Katherine Utley and the support of Augusta Technical College that she would bring home National Gold.

L-R: Katherine Utley, Nail Care Model, Andrew Jefferson, Skills-USA Advisor, Kamisha Winfield, State Champ

MONSANTO PRESENTS GRANT CHECK

Monsanto Plant Manager Rodney Denton presents a $5,000 check to Augusta Tech President Terry Elam and VP of Economic Development Ray Center. Tracy Hendricks, Monsanto HR Manager, also appears in the photo. The check will be used to purchase equipment for the college’s Center for Advanced Technology. The Augusta Tech Foundation and CADTEC partner on a grant opportunity each year through Monsanto. Monsanto has been a long-term supporter of technical education.

Scholarship Awarded To Augusta Tech Student

A student from the Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology Department at Augusta Technical College has earned the B.T. Sorrells Memorial Scholarship from the Savannah River Section of the Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation Society (ISA).

Epifanio Ramos, Jr., of Evans, Georgia, is the recipient of a $1,000 scholarship. These funds will be made available to pay for tuition, fees, books, and other learning tools.

This scholarship has been awarded to a deserving and qualified Augusta Tech student since 1984. Sorrells was the founder and a professor in the ECET program at Augusta Technical College during the early 1970s. Awards are available each year to students from Augusta Tech, Aiken Tech, Denmark Tech, and Georgia Southern University.

A special recognition ceremony for Epifanio Ramos was held on Tuesday, April 18, at 6:00 p.m. at Mally’s on 7th Street in Augusta.

IAAP Visits Governor

Representatives from the Augusta Technical College's Fairways chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) visited the Georgia state capitol on March 28, 2006 to witness the signing of the proclamation declaring April 24-28, 2006 Administrative Professionals Week. While in the capitol building, Dr. Marilyn Willis, faculty advisor, Diane Mitchell-Porter, student advisor, and Doreen DeWitt, chapter president, had their photo taken with Governor Sonny Perdue.

Dr. Willis, Ms. DeWitt, Governor Perdue, Ms. Mitchell-Porter

Kimberly Wilson Addresses the Legislature

2005 State GOAL Winner Kimberly Wilson was invited to visit the State Capitol on February 22, 2006. During her visit, she met with Governor Sonny Perdue, who presented her with a Commendation from the State of Georgia. She then visited the Georgia General Assembly where Senate Resolution 738 was introduced in her honor. She was recognized on both the House and Senate floors and was afforded the opportunity to address the House of Representatives, where she received a standing ovation for her speech. She was accompanied to Atlanta by Augusta Tech President Terry D. Elam and GOAL Coordinator John Richardson.

Are You in Compliance With Certification Required for Land Disturbing Activities in 2006?

The Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission (GSWCC) has rolled out the education required for certification of “land disturbing activities” as mandated by the passage of HB285. By the end of 2006, it is expected that more than 20,000 individuals across the State of Georgia will have been trained and certified. Click here to learn more.

To find out how to register for the required training, visit the Center for Advanced Technology (CADTEC) web site.