Seretha Williams, professor in Augusta State’s Department of English and Foreign Languages, says she always wanted to be a writer but never thought teaching would be in her future.

“Teaching was never in my plans; it was something that just happened,” says Williams. “My goal was to start a cultural center with a bookstore.”

Williams’ interest in writing led her to attend Northwestern University where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism. In 1992, she enrolled in the University of Georgia and earned both master’s and doctoral degrees in comparative literature. She also received a graduate certificate in women’s studies from UGA.

Her research on African and Diaspora literatures, women’s literature, and feminist theory has earned her much recognition including the receipt of a Fulbright-Hayes Group Project Abroad Fellowship. It also has helped her incorporate diversity into the curriculum. She says she enjoys exposing her students to the writings of authors from South America, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and other cultures that they may not know. Two years ago, she introduced her students to a novel by South African writer Zakes Mda. Later in that semester, Mda visited ASU, and her students were able to meet with him.

Williams joined ASU as an English professor in 1998, and in 2007, she became interim director for the Women’s Studies program. In this role, she advises students, coordinates the program’s curriculum, and helps with the planning of ASU’s annual Take Back the Night events.

She has published numerous articles and is active in several professional organizations including UGA’s Graduate and Professional Scholars and S.P.A.C.E., Richmond County’s parent support for the Georgia Association for Gifted Children. She enjoys reading and among her favorite books are Maud Martha and Invisible Man. Williams also enjoys creative writing as well as writing fiction and poetry. When she is not working, the mother of three enjoys cooking Italian and East African cuisines and watching basketball.

Name:  Seretha Williams
Position:  Associate Professor of English
Time at ASU:  12 years
Family:  Son, Jadon, 7; and Daughters, Damaris, 9, and Zanaiah, 7
Little Known Fact:  “I speak Swahili.”

Related posts:

1. ASU presents Women’s Studies Conference
2. ASU honors most outstanding faculty
3. Williams named Physical Plant Employee of the Quarter

Jaguar Alert is an opt-in emergency notification system whereby participants receive voice, email, or text messages containing official instructions. Faculty, staff, and students may choose to opt in at the Jaguar Alert icon on the university’s homepage.

Parking Decals
Faculty and staff must obtain a parking decal for their vehicles. The $10 decal is available at the office of Public Safety and may be paid for by check, cash, or payroll deduction. Remember to take along the vehicle’s tag number. For information, call parking services at ext. 2090 or email  parking_services@aug.edu\.

PDS Meeting
ASU’s Department of Teacher Education will conduct a workshop with 50 teachers from the local area on Friday, Sept. 3, from 8 a.m.–noon. The teachers are a part of the Professional Development School Network sponsored by the department.

Presentation to discuss human happiness
What is the secret to human happiness? What is the place of humans in the world? And how does this all relate to God? These questions are at the core of Baruch Spinoza’s work, Ethics. Aubrey Bryant will discuss these questions in her presentation Demystifying God, the Universe, and Humanity on Tuesday, Sept. 7, at 2:30 p.m. in 170 University Hall.  Admission is free.

ASU remembers 9/11
On Friday, Sept. 10, at 11 a.m., a ceremony will be held next to the flagpole in front of Payne Hall to commemorate the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on 9/11.  The flag will be lowered to half-staff by ROTC cadets, and TAPS will be played to honor the victims who died. For more information, call ASU’s Department of Military Science at 706-737-1644.

Stop Hunger Now
Alumni Relations and Student Activities are helping the Rotary Clubs in a Stop Hunger Now event to be held Sept. 11, 2010, at the Christenberry Field House! It will be an event for packing food to send to Haiti as well as donations for our local Golden Harvest Food Bank. Contact plightsey@aug.edu for more info.

Construction update

On Sept. 13, construction work will begin on the gravel lot along Arsenal Avenue near Allgood Hall.  The construction activity is to install an underground storm water detention system and pave the lot.  Also, a sidewalk will be added from the Chateau to the Public Safety Building along Arsenal Avenue.  Work will begin along the outskirts of the lot, and the lot will continue to be open for parking.  Rains Road (which runs from west to east from Arsenal Avenue, and between the gravel parking lot and the detention pond) will be closed beginning the week of Sept. 13 and will reopen the week of Sept. 27 so that the storm sewer line can be connected.  On Oct. 1, the gravel lot will be closed for the remainder of the semester. The new and improved paved lot will be reopened for use by Jan. 1.  Thank you for your patience during this time of construction.

Brown Bag Luncheons begin
The semester’s first Undergraduate Research and Scholarship luncheon will be held Friday, Sept. 17, at 1 p.m. in the JSAC. Attendees are invited to bring their lunches as they learn more about the research being done by ASU students. For more information, call the Department of Psychology at 706-667-4620.

Softball rematch
Faculty and staff will again take on the Lady Jaguars in a fall softball game. The rematch will be held Friday, Sept. 24, at 2 p.m. on the athletic field near the Christenberry Field House. For more information, call Kathleen Trigg at 706-729-2185.

Art exhibition
Alan MacTaggart will present A Retrospective in his solo exhibition Sept. 30-Oct. 28 in the Mary S. Byrd Art Gallery in Washington Hall. A reception on Thursday, Sept. 30, from 5-6:30 p.m., in the art gallery, will open the exhibition. For more information, call 706-667-4888.

Briefs
Campus Communicators
A new initiative was kicked off this summer to keep campus and public relations more informed and connected. This not only will result in faculty and staff receiving the recognition they deserve for presentations, publications, awards, and honors, it falls in line with the summer PAC’s strategy for more “connectedness.” If your department does not have a liaison listed, please call Tunisia Williams, 706-737-1877, with the name of the department representative.

The following individuals and departments are members of Campus Communications: Crystal Junod, art; Paula Dohoney, teacher education; Sekethia Ford, educational leadership; James Tanner, student services; Jody Wilson, admissions; Matthew Whittington, Reese Library; Rick Pukis, communications and professional writing; Karen Wish, kinesiology and health science; Trinanjan Datta, chemistry and physics; Wes Zamzow, development and alumni relations; Ettie Westjohn, business office; Charlotte Price, nursing; Crystal Vincent, Hull College of Business; Laura Nichols, political science; Brenda Brunk, biology; April Beckworth, psychology; Margie  Russ, music; Norma Combs,  military science; and Jane Millward, English & foreign languages.

Alumnus speaks with PBS
ASU alumnus Robert Crout was interviewed by the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) for the station’s upcoming special Lafayette: The Lost Hero, a one-hour documentary that chronicles the life and legend of Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette. Crout is known for his extensive research on the Marquis. He is co-editor of the Lafayette Papers Project at Cornell University.

Alumni receive grant
Two Augusta State alumni received the Georgia Power New Teacher Induction Grant. Crystal Gaines, teacher at Davidson Fine Arts School, and Rachel Zabala, teacher at Freedom Park Elementary School, each received $1000 to spend on classroom supplies.

Related posts:

1. New art studios to open
2. Fall Film Series kicks off
3. ASU construction update

David Fritz, Hull College, has been selected to take part in MCGHealth’s CSRA in Scrubs. This program, held twice a year at the Medical College of Georgia, offers invited guests an in-depth look at the hospital and the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities with the medical staff.

Pam Gray, nursing, will present Health Literacy and Medication Non-Adherence in Diabetic Patients at the Georgia Association of PeriAnesthesia Nurses State Convention on Sept. 18.

Developing your theoretical orientation in counseling and psychotherapy is the title of a new book co-authored by Duane Halbur, educational leadership, counseling, and special education. With activities and innovative strategy tools, this publication helps therapists-in-training to discover their own theoretical orientation.

In the news

William A. Bloodworth, Jr., ASU President- Augusta Chronicle, (2) about his State of the University address and being named national president of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.

William A. Bloodworth, Jr., ASU President, and Katherine Sweeny, admissions and registrar- Augusta Chronicle, about enrollment.

Samuel Sullivan, academic affairs, and Steven Page, teacher education- Augusta Chronicle, WAGT, WRDW, WAGT, about the $1.1 million NSF grant to support STEM students who commit to teaching in four rural Augusta counties.

Clint Bryant and Josh Gregory, athletics- Augusta Chronicle, WAGT, WRDW, WJBF, about the city-wide celebration for ASU’s Division 1 Golf Champions and the Birdie Club banquet in their honor.

Jennifer Goad, University Village- Augusta Chronicle, Move-In Day at University Village.

Josh Gregory, athletics – Kiwanis, Rotary, Exchange, Reynolds Plantation Mens Group

Ruth McClelland-Nugent, history, anthropology, and philosophy- Augusta Chronicle, about local women’s fight for the right to vote.

Simon Medcalfe, Hull College- Augusta Chronicle, economic forecast for Augusta and the state of Georgia.

William Willis, art- Metro Spirit, about his artwork.

Related posts:

1. ASU’s Men’s Golf Team invited to White House
2. Phi Kappa Phi Initiation and Reception
3. Howard receives prestigious award

Related posts:

1. Retirement and recognition ceremony honors faculty and staff
2. We Are…Achievers
3. Arsenal Speaker Series

The Honorable Judge J. Wade Padgett presents Teenage Years- Advance Studies to ASU students during Week of Welcome. In his presentation, the superior court judge discussed what every college student should know about the legal aspects of sex, drugs, and technology.

Rebecca Colflesh, JagCard Office, hands a new ASU alumna her degree and information about the Alumni Association during the summer Graduation Celebration held at the Maxwell Alumni House.

Dr. Bloodworth gives the State of the University address during the annual Fall Convocation which welcomes new and returning faculty and staff. The event also kicked off the A Day for Augusta State University annual fund drive.

Katherine Sweeney, admissions and registrar, and Stacy Tallent, president of the Health Center Credit Union, address the more than 200 faculty and staff during the kick-off of the A Day for Augusta State fundraising campaign. Sweeney and Tallent are serving a two-year term as A Day campus and community chairs, respectively.

The annual Fall Convocation which welcomes new and returning faculty and staff was held in the D. Douglas Barnard, Jr., Amphitheatre.

Katherine Sweeney, A Day campus chair, collects donations and passes out tickets for lunch to faculty and staff members as they give to A Day on the first day of the campus campaign.

Candice Widener, development and alumni relations, gives Kelly Thomas, Maxwell Theatre, his A Day t-shirt and tumbler. Faculty and staff members receive the items as a thank you for giving to A Day the first day.

ASU students give back during the Day of Service event hosted by the Office of Student Activities.

Dr. Bloodworth gives the welcome during the New Faculty Breakfast. More than 30 new faculty members joined the Augusta State family.

Samuel Sullivan, vice president for academic affairs, presents Karen Aubrey, communications and professional writing; Steven Page, teacher education; and Chad Stephens, chemistry and physics, with the $1.1 million grant check from the National Science Foundation as Dr. Bloodworth, president; Robert Parham, dean of the Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts and Sciences; and Gordon Eisenman, dean of the College of Education applaud them for their work.

Mike Hallman, physical plant, receives the Summer Staff Excellence Award from Patricia Harris, human resources.

Joyce Jones, vice president for student services; Michelle Neely, bookstore; and Kathleen Trigg, communications and professional writing, take a moment to talk and enjoy ice cream floats prior to the A Day total announcement.

ASU students view artwork by guest artist Sandra Trujillo. Trujillo's solo exhibition, Churros Locos, will be on display in the Mary S. Byrd Art Gallery in Washington Hall until Sept. 23.

Sandra Trujillo, guest artist, discusses her artwork during an artist talk. Trujillo's work is on display in the Mary S. Byrd Art Gallery located in Washington Hall.

Josh Gregory, athletics, receives the Coach of the Year award during the Birdie Club dinner which was held to recognize the men's golf team for winning the NCAA National Golf Championship.

Clint Bryant, athletics, congratulates Josh Gregory, men's golf team coach, and the golf team on their winning the NCAA National Golf Championship during the City Celebration at the Augusta Museum of History. The team was also given a proclamation from Augusta mayor, Deke Copenhaver.

Mayor Deke Copenhaver reads a proclamation that was awarded to ASU's men's golf team. The proclamation was part of a city-wide celebration which included a parade of golf carts from the municipal building to the Augusta Museum.

Cowboy Mike, history, anthropology, and philosophy, calls out the numbers at the annual Buffalo Bingo game sponsored by the Office of Student Activities. The bingo game was one of several events held during Week of Welcome.

After a meet and greet in their honor, the ASU Division I Golf Champions pose for a picture with head coach Josh Gregory, Karyn Nixon, executive assistant to Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver, and ASU President William A. Bloodworth, Jr.

Faculty and staff celebrate the culmination of the A Day campus campaign with the banner announcing the total. The campus campaign raised more than $160,000.

Jeff Heck, Reese Library, talks with international student Valerie, a native of Switzerland, at the International Student Reception.

Related posts:

1. A Day exceeds campus goal
2. State of the University Address Highlights Fall Convocation
3. Jaguars head to NCAA golf championship tournament

In his address to the membership at the convention, Bloodworth recommended that Phi Kappa Phi consider creating a route to membership outside the traditional chapter process for certain highly accomplished persons, seeking ways to bring more members outside academia to society conventions and broadening the society’s governance system to ensure that all members have a voice in the affairs of their honor society.

“It has been decades since a college or university president has led Phi Kappa Phi,” noted the society’s executive director, Perry A. Snyder.  “As Phi Kappa Phi’s president, Dr. Bloodworth brings to the post insights, perspectives, and contacts that will serve well this honor society,” Snyder stated.

Bloodworth was elected to Phi Kappa Phi membership by the East Carolina University chapter in 1986. He served on the national Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship Committee from 1991 to 1997 and was the keynote speaker at the society’s 2004 triennial convention. Bloodworth has been a member of Phi Kappa Phi’s board of directors since 2007, serving as president-elect.

Phi Kappa Phi has chapters on more than 300 college and university campuses. Since its founding in 1897, more than a million members have been initiated, with about 30,000 being inducted each year. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and top 7.5 percent of juniors. Faculty, professional staff, and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify.

Related posts:

1. Phi Kappa Phi Initiation and Reception
2. AAUP recognizes past president
3. Professor receives recognition for being a trailblazer

“This year’s campaign has been an exceptional one. Faculty and staff really ran with the We Are… theme. I know that our support of the A Day campaign will have a very positive impact as Stacy Tallent, A Day community chair, goes out to ask for the community’s support,” says Katherine Sweeney, campus A Day chair.

This year’s campus campaign also added 20 new members to the President’s Club which consists of donors who give annual gifts of $1,000 or more. Faculty, staff, and the Blanchard Fountain contributed $140,134.06, and retirees contributed $20,155 to the campus campaign.

The community campaign will kick off Thursday, Sept. 16, at the President’s Club Luncheon.

The overall goal for the A Day campaign is $545,000.

Related posts:

1. A Day for ASU
2. A Day exceeds goal
3. Taking care of our own

To Therese Rosier, assistant vice president for Physical Plant at ASU, growing green means finding additional ways for ASU to save dollars through energy conservation and energy management. Within this plan, the staff in Physical Plant, along with input from the campus Green Committee, identifies operational opportunities and proposes conservation methods. “Brainstorming is key to coming up with good ideas,” she says. “Everyone has ideas, and by discussing them—coming up with the pros and cons—new strategies are developed.”

However, not all proposals have merit, she says. For example, they tried composting as a way to improve the soil naturally while reducing food waste destined to a landfill. The subsequent odor was enough to halt the project though. “But we tried,” says Rosier.

Among their first initiatives was the campus recycling project, which still continues after being initiated in the late 1980s.  Then, prompted by the decline in state revenues in 2009, Rosier’s staff began to look at utilities costs as well as energy saving measures to reduce consumption. As a result, the energy conservation program was initiated, with a key component being the personal responsibility for energy conservation assigned to faculty and staff. A campus marketing campaign included placing small signs at every light switch, with a reminder to turn off the lights when leaving the room. Posters were displayed to remind users to turn off copiers and other office equipment at the end of the day. For those offices with window blinds, staff were encouraged to close blinds in summer to deflect heat while opening blinds in the winter to allow heat to enter. Building managers were asked to tour their buildings at the close of the day to ensure lights were turned off.

Temperatures in most offices were managed, with thermostats set at 75 degrees in the summer and 68 degrees in the winter.  Some older buildings required energy conservation while balancing temperature and humidity, such as Reese Library to prevent its books from mildewing and the Fine Arts Center in order to keep the pianos in tune.  “There are too many considerations to say we are doing anything  across the board, without considering all the consequences,” says Rosier. “That’s why brainstorming is so important and effective,” she says. “It helps to know the pitfalls before decisions are made, rather than afterwards.”

In the first year, the Physical Plant realized a $111,000 savings in energy costs. Spurred by its success, they came up with more ideas: consolidate extracurricular events and rentals into as few buildings as possible on the weekend; adjust temperatures in buildings where only the first floor computer labs are being used, and  turning off heat/air on the second and third floors; reduce lighting in building atriums where natural sunlight might be just as effective; turn off some exterior lights after midnight; reduce lighting in outlying parking areas that are not used for evening classes or during holidays—all measures that have little negative effects on  the campus community.  They also took advantage of an energy audit performed by the power company.

Among the most innovative strategies to reduce energy costs was a collaborative project developed with Dr. Todd Schultz in the Hull College of Business. The result was a program devised to take into account the cost of natural gas and cost of electricity, as reported on the Wall Street Stock Exchange. Having both electrical and gas boilers meant that the Physical Plant could use either, depending on the cost of fuel. When the cost of gas is low, the gas boiler is used.

“We can also take advantage of reduced utility rates,” says Dave Freeman, assistant director of Physical Plant. “Also, in a Georgia Power initiative, if all HVAC equipment is of a certain age, it qualifies for a discount power rate for the entire campus, so we are able to take advantage of this,” he says.

In some cases, replacing older equipment has a three-fold benefit. It not only qualifies for a lower utility rate, but being energy efficient means that the equipment uses less energy per month, resulting in less cost to operate; plus, the equipment was virtually purchased with stimulus incentive money. This winning combination was recently extended to Galloway Hall, where the older cooling and heating systems were replaced in the renovations that are currently underway.

Both Freeman and Rosier credit two staff members with making major improvements to their energy conservation plan: Craig Puley, controls technician, and Bill Sealey, electrician II. The enhanced energy conservation efforts realized a $513,000 savings in 2010. A two year total savings of $624,000 and an over 10 million kilowatt-hours energy reduction. The money saved is not kept by Physical Plant, but is returned to the General Fund to be redistributed as year-end funds to support all campus needs.
To continue reductions this year, they are installing occupancy sensors that automatically adjust temperatures, depending on the number of people occupying a facility. Sensors are being installed now in the Maxwell Theatre.

“Sensors have also been installed in Science Hall and at the Christenberry Field House,” he says. At Christenberry, they are installing a new chiller which is expected to lower energy consumption. They are using stimulus funds to upgrade arena lighting to fluorescents, which is now the industry standard. With this upgrade, the lights will be on a schedule through the building management system and will turn off when the building is not in use. Also, the marquee signage on Wrightsboro Road is being changed from incandescent to LED—a more efficient lighting system. An induction lighting system will be installed in the atrium of the Jaguar Student Activities Center by the end of the year.

When deciding whether to convert buildings over to more energy efficient lighting, Rosier says the payback has to be studied. For instance, when determining whether to install solar panels on Science Hall—an idea that had arisen from the Green Committee—it was determined that the payback for the investment would be 50 years and, therefore, not economically feasible.
A measure to reduce cost included the installation of water meters on lawn irrigation systems to avoid being charged the automatic sewerage costs.

“As more students returned for fall semester, more energy is required to serve them,” says Rosier, adding, “More cooling, more hand washing, more plumbing needs, more of everything, but we are still able to reduce our energy costs—and we continue to look for additional ways to save.” Despite the unusual high number of 100 degree days this year, the university was still able to reduce kilowatt hours.

“We engage in continuous improvement and best practices to reduce our energy consumption,” says Rosier. As the Physical Plant continues to investigate measures that Go Green and Grow Green, perhaps the single greatest benefit has been the increased visibility and awareness of energy conservation to the faculty, staff, and students at ASU. “Although we are primarily addressing energy conservation to reduce energy costs, the added value to our environment is tremendous. As people become more aware of energy consumption and cost saving measures undertaken by the university, they may be inclined to practice the same strategies at their homes.  ASU has reduced its total energy conservation footprint from 121,523 BTU/ft2-yr in 2009 to 107,006 BTU/ft2-yr in 2010. “Every little bit of energy conservation has a positive effect on the earth’s environment,” says Rosier,’ and if we all realize cost savings while becoming more environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible, then it’s all the better.”  That’s what Going Green, Growing Green is all about.

Related posts:

1. ASU receives Energy Conservation Grant
2. Augusta State celebrates Earth Day 2009
3. ASU construction update

In June, the Jaguars claimed the first national championship in ASU’s history when they defeated Oklahoma State in the championship match of the 112th NCAA Championships. This victory marks the first national title ever obtained in any of the 11 university-sponsored, varsity sports.

“We are very proud of our men’s golf team,” says Clint Bryant, ASU’s director of athletics. “They are a group of talented young men that have displayed the benefits of hard work both on and off the green.”

“Winning the national championships and now being honored by President Obama has validated the success of the coaches [that came] before me and the players before them,” says Josh Gregory, head coach of ASU’s men’s golf team. “I can promise you that there is no university or golf program that will appreciate a national championship as much as Augusta State.”

According to Joey Warren, athletic media relations director, more details about the ceremony are being developed and will be released in the coming weeks.

Related posts:

1. Men’s Golf Team wins Division I Championship
2. Jaguars head to NCAA golf championship tournament
3. Men’s Cross Country reinstated

The Augusta native joined the Augusta State family in 2000 and says that he enjoys working at the university. “I like the people. I also like working with the technology because it’s always changing and it allows me to learn new things,” he says.

He also is a two-time recipient of the Employee of the Quarter for Physical Plant. Employees of Physical Plant submit nominations for the honor, which are then reviewed by the supervisor of each division. Nominations are compiled, and the nominees are considered by all supervisors on the basis of their quality of work, job knowledge, attendance, dependability, cooperation, initiative, personality, fellowship, and attitude.

When not working on campus, Hallman serves as a minister at Pepper Hill Nursing Home and the Garden City Rescue Mission. He and his wife, Phyllis, also sing for the residents at the nursing home and mission.

Name: Mike Hallman
Position: HVAC III
Time at ASU: 10 years
Family: wife, Phyllis; sons, Michael, 36; James, 28; Michael, 21
Little known fact: Hallman graduated valedictorian from Bible College.

Related posts:

1. Staff Excellence Award
2. Pridgen receives Staff Execellence Award
3. Staff Excellence Award