Adcox wins award for summer program
Dr. Gary Adcox, director of campus success and strategic retention initiatives at the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Oconee Campus, has won the 2023 Dr. George Giacumakis Innovation Award for his leadership of an on-campus summer program for middle school students. The National Association of Branch Campus Administrators honored Adcox with the recognition.
The Nighthawks Student Opportunities for Accelerated Readiness (SOAR) program targets economically disadvantaged and English as a second language youth who are likely prospective first-generation college students. SOAR was designed to bridge the education gap and "summer educational slide" for rising sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students during a three-week camp-like summer program intended for students who would benefit from participating in a summer enrichment and engagement program.
"This past year, 62 middle school students from Athens-Clarke and Oglethorpe counties enrolled in the second year of the program," Adcox said. "We are proud to say that all grade levels saw significant improvements in their pre-and post-test scores."
Student participation in the program has grown each year since the program’s 2019 inception. Currently, there are 77 middle schoolers signed up to participate in this summer's Nighthawks SOAR program.
Nilsson lands STEM fellowship, grant
UNG student Helene Nilsson has been selected for the STEM NetX Fellowship and earned a grant from the fellowship to support her research with Dr. Amber Ignatius.
S2C alums give back as teaching assistants
Two previous attendees of Steps to College at UNG gave back this summer to the program that helped shape them by serving as a teaching assistants.
Nursing study abroad offers service in Peru
UNG took nine nursing students and four faculty members to Peru on a study abroad during spring break to offer screenings and women's health services to local communities.
Donors provide path for health care students
Scholarships funded by donors are changing the trajectory of University of North Georgia students' lives and preparing them to meet the state's healthcare needs.