Fall 2005 Dean's List

Wellness Fair

Sponsored by the Augusta Technical College Wellness Committee, a Wellness Fair was held Thursday, April 20, 2006 from 9:00 until 1:00 in the Student Services (1300) Building of the Augusta Campus. Area fitness clubs, hospitals, and health vendors have generously donated door prizes and coupons to be given away to attendees. All students, faculty and staff are welcome to this event.

Phi Theta Kappa Recognitions

Augusta Technical College student Reginald Swain received the Georgia Hall of Honor Award at the recent Phi Theta Kappa Regional Convention that was held in Macon on February 24th and 25th. Each of the 37 Phi Theta Kappa chapters in the state nominates one member to be considered for this award. Of these 37 nominees, 5 are then selected to be recipients of the award. Reginald was nominated in recognition of his service and contributions to the Augusta Technical College chapter. Congratulations Reginald!

In addition, The Augusta Technical College chapter of Phi Theta Kappa received an award for Three-Star Achievement in the Five-Star Program.

Reginald Swain, Georgia Hall of Honor Award Recipient

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.

From left to right: Terry Elam, Kimberly Wilson, and John Richardson

GOAL Finalists Selected

Four students have been selected as finalists in our local competition for the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL).

Chosen as finalists (in random order) are:

• Michael Pruitt, a Pharmacy Technology major, nominated by Robert Peek
• Amy Holbrook, a Medical Assisting major, nominated by Karon Walton
• Van Langham, a Management and Supervisory Development major, nominated by Daniel Lehman
• Faith Shinault, a Medical Assisting major, nominated by Lisa Nagle

The Internal Screening Committee selected the four finalists from a list of highly competitive students nominated by their instructors. To be considered for the college’s GOAL title, a student must be nominated by his or her instructor.

A Selection Committee from the Augusta Optimist Club will now interview and evaluate these four students in the coming week or so to select the college GOAL winner, and the one judged most outstanding will compete with representatives from Georgia's 38 other technical colleges and divisions for the 2006 State GOAL title, medallion, and grand prize car.

Please join us in congratulating these students as well as each student who participated. Each student is a winner because he/she was selected to compete from among our 3886 students currently enrolled.

Michael Pruitt / Robert Peek	Karon Walton/Amy Holbrook
Van Langham / Daniel Lehman	Faith Shinault / Lisa Nagle

Augusta Technical College Students Nominated for GOAL

Instructors have nominated sixteen students for the 2006 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) award. Chosen for recognition by their instructors are the following:

The Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education sponsors the GOAL program at the state-level. At the college-level, Augusta Technical College's GOAL program is sponsored by the Optimist Club of Augusta and coordinated by officials from Instructional and Student Services.

"The purpose of the GOAL program is to spotlight the importance of technical education in today's world of work and to recognize outstanding achievement by students in Georgia's technical colleges."

A Screening Committee of administrators will now review all the nominations and interview each of the students. After the nominees have been ranked, four finalists will be chosen to compete for the title of Augusta Technical College GOAL winner.

The four finalists will then be interviewed and evaluated by a selection committee of representatives from business and industry. The student judged most outstanding will be designated the college’s nominee for the title of state GOAL winner and will compete with representatives from the state's other technical colleges for the state award.

The winner of the state GOAL title, which is awarded for excellence in leadership and ability, will receive the GOAL medallion and the grand prize of a new automobile. The state winner’s college GOAL coordinator and the nominating instructor will receive a $250 check.

American Red Cross Blood Drive

Augusta Technical College's Practical Nursing program sponsored a blood drive benefiting the American Red Cross on January 25, 2006. This successful event yielded 25 donors who contributed 18 usable units of blood. The blood drive is a twice-yearly endeavor by the Practical Nursing program, with the next drive to be held in July.

MATHCounts Competition

On Friday, February 10, 2006, the Augusta Chapter of the National Society of Professional Engineers sponsored a MATHCounts Competition at Augusta Technical College. MATHCounts is open to all area middle school math teams and has been supported by the chapter for the last thirteen years.

The competition consists of three separate written tests (two individual and one team) with the top teams and individuals competing in the state competition in Atlanta followed by the national competition, which has been broadcast by ESPN for the last two years. This year, nine teams from Richmond, Columbia, and Jefferson counties participated.

The competition was held in the Jack B. Patrick Information Technology Center auditorium. The event closed with a brief awards ceremony. The winning team was from Evans Middle School. The winning individual was Matthew Breithaupt, a student at Evans Middle School. Congratulations, EMS!

Lightning Round Facilitator, Dr. Melissa Frank-Alston

School of Cardiac and Vascular Technology Pinning Ceremony for the Class of 2006

The Harry T. Harper Jr., M.D. School of Cardiac and Vascular Technology Pinning Ceremony for the Class of 2006 will be held on Friday, March 10, 2006 at 7:00 pm in the Levi W. Hill III Auditorium on the 1st floor of University Hospital. The 2006 Graduates are:

Practical Nursing Pinning Ceremony

The Pinning Ceremony of the Practical Nursing Students at Augusta Technical College Waynesboro/ Burke Campus will be held on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 at 2:00 pm in the Auditorium on the Waynesboro/ Burke Campus of Augusta Technical College. Mrs. Joyce Grimaud, R.N., will be the guest speaker.

Humanitarian Effort

Community spirit is evident as Augusta Tech students and faculty dedicate their time and talents for the construction of a "Habitat for Humanity" house. This dwelling is being completely refurbished by students from the Electrical Construction and Maintenance and Electrical Technology departments under the supervision of instructors Andrew Jefferson and Orville Lake. This group is providing the expertise and labor and Habitat for Humanity is providing the materials.

The house is located at 2031 Virginia Avenue near Peach Orchard Road behind the Sonic drive-in.

Former Electronics Graduate to Establish a New Scholarship Endowment through a Bequest

Mr. Thomas F. Brooks, a 1967 Electronics Technology graduate of Augusta Technical College and a resident of Reno, Nevada, recently established the Thomas F. Brooks Electronics Technology Endowment with a $1,000 check and a $25,000 bequest included in his estate plan. Mr. Brooks is the first graduate to ever establish a scholarship endowment at the college. When asked why he chose to do so, he replied, “I owe all my success in life to my experiences at Augusta Technical College.”

Here are a few of his reflections on Augusta Tech:

“Although it has been nearly 40 years since I graduated from Augusta Technical College, it seems like only yesterday. It is truly amazing to see the progress and the influence in the Augusta area that Augusta Tech has become from its humble experimental beginning. I can only thank the dedicated people and staff that gave me the knowledge in Electronics to have a successful career in the Medical Device Industry. I have had in my career the honor to have worked with a Nobel prizewinner and other brilliant scientists and doctors pioneering cutting edge medical devices. I have experienced the thrill and challenge to work with three revolutionary medical devices that have become the mainstay of several medical specialties. These include the CT or Computer Tomography, Kidney Lithotripter and the Orthopedic Shockwave Technology devices. The skills that originated at Augusta Tech carried me on assignments to many places in the U.S. and several foreign countries. I have also, as expected in life and business in general, experienced failures. However, one can not be discouraged by the hand that is dealt. The next hand could be four aces! Adapting the Shockwave Therapy device in cooperation with Dr. David McCarrol for the treatment of equines in Veterinary Medicine was one of my most rewarding experiences. Although I no longer reside in Georgia, by bequeathing the Technology Endowment is only a small token of appreciation to keep the dedicated professionals at Augusta Tech helping others to continue a superb program. If Augusta Tech has been as valuable an experience to you as it was for me, a remembrance bequest or donation on your behalf could help other students obtain their goals and ambitions in life. Regards, Tom Brooks"

Skills-USA Region 6 Competition

The Skills-USA Region 6 Competition was held at Augusta Technical College on February 3, 2006. For more information about Skills-USA, go to www.augustatech.edu/SkillsUSA.

2009 Georgia Post-Secondary SkillsUSA Competition

Augusta Technical College will host the 2009 Georgia Post-Secondary SkillsUSA Competition. The competition was last held at Augusta Tech in 2000.

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.

2006 Tech Prep Champions

Two of the CSRA's finest were honored at the annual Georgia Tech Prep State Conference in Atlanta on February 14, 2006. Georgia Tech Prep recognizes outstanding individuals in each of the 37 Tech Prep Consortia who exemplify the Georgia Tech Prep Vision – “Preparing Today’s Students for Tomorrow’s Opportunities.”

Sarah Shepherd, a junior at Evans High School, has been selected CSRA Tech Prep Consortium Student Champion for 2006. Sarah, a TCP/CP student with a concentration in Early Childhood Education at Evans High School, is active in numerous extra curricular activities. While serving as president of Family, Careers, and Community Leaders of America, Sarah finds time to participate in the National Technical Honor Society, National Honor Society, Student Council, Beta Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Discipleship. She also is a participant on the Varsity Softball Team as well as the JV soccer and basketball teams. Following a career path in Early Childhood Education, Sarah has become committed to her tech prep education and career goals. She exhibits leadership, cooperation, and a positive attitude in all aspects of student life while serving as a mentor to other tech prep students. In 2005, Sarah won first place in district and state Early Childhood FCCLA Occupational STAR Event competition and went on to claim a gold medal in national competition in San Diego. This year she will attend the Southern Early Childhood Association Conference in Tennessee as she further prepares for a career in Early Childhood Education.

Jo Anne Robinson has been selected CSRA Tech Prep Consortium Adult Champion for 2006. Jo Anne is the Dean of Information and Engineering Technology for Augusta Technical College. In addition she coordinates the high school dual enrollment initiatives and other education youth outreach programs for the college to include the Department of Juvenile Justice, 21st Century Learning Center and the Ft. Gordon Youth Challenge Academy. She was the Coordinator for the CSRA Tech Prep Consortium from 1998 – 2005 and the CSRA School-to-Work Partnership from 1998-2004.

Jo Anne is a charter member of the Augusta South Rotary Club and a graduate of Leadership Augusta class of 2001. Jo Anne holds two Bachelor of Science degrees from Auburn University and a Masters in Vocational Education from the University of Georgia. She is married and has one son, age 14, and two stepsons, ages 19 and 23. With her involvement in lifelong learning endeavors at both the youth and adult levels, Jo Anne continues to be a champion for Tech Prep.