Doctoral students from four Atlanta universities worked together recently to learn how to develop new pharmaceutical products during a two-week interdisciplinary short course at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The course's final presentations were held June 11.Two dozen students from Georgia Tech, Mercer University, Georgia State University and Emory University heard lectures from Atlanta-based medical professionals, researchers, and pharmaceutical company leaders - and worked in teams to develop plans for how a drug company might convert a promising molecule into a real product. To demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of the drug development process, each team included pharmacists, bio-scientists, chemists and engineers."Each team was given information from the scientific literature on a drug in early stage development by a pharmaceutical company, and was asked to put together and justify a detailed plan for bringing that molecule forward into a drug product useful in...
MACON - NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, has recognized Mercer University's Julie Strecker with its Hugh M. Jenkins Award for Excellence in Community Programming. NAFSA is the largest professional organization in international education and the Jenkins Award, one of its highest honors, is given to only one person each year from among the group's large international membership. Strecker is coordinator of international students and scholar services at Mercer and received the award at the annual NAFSA international conference in Houston.
This past April Dr. David Gushee, in cooperation with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Resource Center, facilitated a national conference on “Sexuality and Covenant.” Before the conference Dr. Gushee wrote an article for the Associated Baptist Press discussing seven presuppositions for the conference and then reflected on how the conference handled them in another article for ABP the week after the conference.
MACON - Two Mercer University graduates have earned Fulbright Fellowships to serve in Moldova. College of Liberal Arts graduates Mary Elizabeth "Liz" Bibb, a political science and journalism double major, and Donald Eugene "Gene" Mitchell Jr., a political science major, earned the prestigious fellowships through their strong academic achievement and extra-curricular engagement. Both traveled to Moldova as part of Mercer On Mission in 2010.
MACON - Mercer University graduate Marielle Youmans, of Cairo, has been selected as a 2012 Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society Fellowship winner. Youmans, who graduated this month, was selected as one of only 60 winners nationwide and will receive $5,000 as part of her award.
Mercer University's Diane Baca, associate vice president for human resources, has been granted Honorary Life Membership in the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR). Honorary Life Membership is the highest honor for recognizing retired or soon-to-be retired CUPA-HR members who have demonstrated a lifetime commitment to the higher education human resources profession and long-term leadership in the association.
MACON - On Saturday, retired surgeon and CEO Dr. Roy Vandiver will fulfill his dream of graduating from Mercer, 60 years after it began. Dr. Vandiver, 76, has been commuting back and forth from his home in Decatur this academic year in order to complete the final three courses for his degree. Dr. Vandiver will make the drive again to walk at commencement with the other members of the class of 2012 at 3:30 p.m. in the University Center's Hawkins Arena.
MACON - Diane H. Baca, associate vice president for human resources, will retire June 30 after 34 years at Mercer. She will be succeeded by Rhonda W. Lidstone, director of human resource services and affirmative action, who in turn will be succeeded by Candace E. Whaley assuming the new role of director of human resource services.
MACON - Five upcoming graduates from Mercer University have accepted the challenge of Teach For America, the highly selective program that places graduates from the country's best colleges in low-income schools. The group joins a growing list of Mercer alumni who have served in the program, which provides training, ongoing support, mentoring and grants to participants. All five will graduate on May 12 from the College of Liberal Arts. The students are: Sarah Brown, Josh Coleman, Christina Kivi, Katie Matthews and Kyle Shook.
MACON - Gov. Nathan Deal has named Mercer University writing instructor Judson C. Mitcham as Georgia Poet Laureate. Mitcham succeeds College of Liberal Arts graduate David Bottoms, who had held the post for 12 years. Mitcham lives in Macon and teaches in the University's creative writing program.
