Stories this week include: The Georgia Chamber will hold a regional meeting on the Summerville Campus, physics students get to shine at a national conference and Augusta University Online continues to make strides toward its launch.

New Georgia Economy Tour meeting to be hosted by Augusta University

The Georgia Chamber of Commerce will hold its regional meeting from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, May 26 at the Dr. Roscoe Williams Ballroom in the Jaguar Student Activities Center on the Summerville Campus.

“The goal of these events is to gather input and data from all regions of the state to prepare a planning strategy for the future. We are honored to host this event on our campus,” said Augusta University President Brooks A. Keel, PhD.

Physics students present research at national conference

Four physics majors were recently in Chicago to give talks at the annual American Physical Society meeting. Garrett Zills, Andrew Vincent, Andrew Zimmerman and Richard Baker were selected to be part of the conference — the largest in the nation that focuses on physics.

Baker won a Best Research Presentation Award during the event. He is the first in his family to go to a four-year college and become involved in the field of research. “When Richard was taking his first physics class with me during the fall 2019, he showed a great deal of interest in physics research,” said Dr. Theja De Silva, associate professor of physics.

“He came up with his own advanced original research problem and asked whether I could advise him on working on the project. His greatest strength is the passion for new ideas and research.”

Augusta University Online aims to become national model of excellence in online education

While the official launch of Augusta University Online is still at least a year away, the foundation and cornerstones are quickly being put in place. The primary goal will be to grow the number of online learners through a connected classroom that fosters active, experimental learning. This will make the balance between working and learning easier to manage and create access to excellence for Georgians and beyond.

“There’s a groundswell for online learning,” said Dr. Marc Austin, associate provost and dean for Augusta University Online. “Students of every background rightfully expect access to the university through some form of online experience, and the faculty are now a lot more familiar with the technologies that allow us to connect students who are not in the physical classroom. It’s a big change.”

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