The award, announched Nov. 29, is a promotion from Tech’s designation as a Silver level BFU in 2012.
“We’re very pleased to reach this new level of designation,” said Lance Lunsway, senior director of Parking and Transportation Services. “The Institute has worked hard to promote cycling as a healthy, clean, inexpensive transportation alternative, and through our infrastructure improvements and programs we’ve seen the numbers of community members biking to campus increase significantly.”
The Bicycle Friendly University program evaluates applicants’ efforts to promote bicycling in five primary areas: engineering, encouragement, education, enforcement, and evaluation/planning, known as the Five E's. Georgia Tech particularly excelled in campus infrastructure and its plans to increase programming, such as classes and incentives for cycling.
Georgia Tech encourages bicycling as an easy option for transportation because it’s inexpensive, promotes health and physical fitness, improves air quality, and reduces congestion on campus. Several recent infrastructure improvements have been implemented with cyclists in mind, including the transformation of 6th Street to include a protected, contraflow bike lane; new bicycle markings on Ferst Drive to promote visibility and to direct cyclists; and the Tech Parkway multiuse path conversion project in collaboration with the PATH Foundation. Fix-it stations and new bike racks are being installed on campus on an ongoing basis.
Tech is also home to a station in the city of Atlanta’s new Relay Bike Share network. Users can now access bikes at the intersection of 5th and Spring streets in Tech Square, with five more campus stations coming in the spring.
Going forward, Georgia Tech will have access to a variety of free tools as well as technical assistance from the League to become even more bicycle-friendly.
Georgia Tech joins a group of 51 new and renewing BFUs from 25 states. It is the only college or university in Georgia with the Gold designation.
“In its fifth year, we’ve seen the Bicycle Friendly University program’s momentum continue to grow and reach even more campuses across the country,” said Bill Nesper, programs director for the League of American Bicyclists. “We applaud this round of BFUs for raising the standard and being innovative in making bicycling a safe, convenient, and enjoyable option for students, staff, and visitors alike.”
Each BFU must reapply for designation every four years. Learn more about bicycle resources on campus at bike.gatech.edu and the BFU program at bikeleague.org/university.
]]>Parking and Transportation Services
]]>The 2015 National College Health Assessment estimates that 9.6 percent of college students experience suicidal ideation and 1.6 percent attempt suicide each year. More alarmingly, approximately 1,100 undergraduate students die by suicide each year. Given these numbers and the devastating impact of loss, colleges across the country have diligently and intentionally worked to prevent suicides on their campus — with success being measured by the ability to maintain the national average, or slightly below.
As a leading technological university known for its innovative solutions, it seems only fitting that Georgia Tech would be bold and aspirational in establishing an initiative that shifts the classic paradigm from "suicide reduction" to "suicide elimination."
Spearheaded by the Counseling Center and the Division of Student Life, the Tech Ends Suicide Together initiative is based on the international Zero Suicide campaign enacted in community healthcare systems around the world. At the heart of the initiative are two foundational beliefs: every member of the Georgia Tech community is a caregiver that has a role in suicide prevention, and even one life of our Georgia Tech family lost to suicide is too many. Tech Ends Suicide Together aims to bring the entire campus community — students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni — together through a commitment and call to action to work together to end suicide on our campus. As President Peterson remarked during the launch of the initiative at the 2016 Institute Address two weeks ago, “the more engaged and informed we are, the more effective we will be in creating a healthy and safe community for everyone.”
Get involved now by visiting the website endsuicide.gatech.edu to learn more about your role in suicide prevention at Georgia Tech. You can also join the national conversation this week by posting your commitment to end suicide at Tech using #jacketsendingsuicide.
]]>Tell us about your background. Are you originally from Atlanta?
I was born and raised in the Tampa, FL area and I spent the past 10 years in Tallahassee, FL. It’s my first time living in another state, but I’m excited to explore Atlanta and the rest of Georgia.
Where did you attend University?
I attended Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Criminology & Criminal Justice. I also received my Master’s degree in Social Work from FSU.
Can you tell us a little bit about your previous experience in this field?
My first experience in crime victim services was at the Tallahassee Police Department as an undergraduate criminology intern in its Victim Assistance Unit. I found that I really enjoyed working in this field and continued on to complete a graduate social work internship at the State Attorney’s Office Victim/Witness Assistance Unit while also working part-time as an On-Call Victim Advocate at Florida State University. For the past five years, I was the Associate Director of the Victim Advocate Program at FSU.
What influenced you to be a Victim Survivor Advocate?
I was always attracted to criminal justice but I also wanted a career where I could directly help individuals who have experienced challenging circumstances. After realizing that a career in law or psychology wasn’t for me, I discovered survivor advocacy as a perfect fusion of my interests. It’s fulfilling to know I can help people improve their lives after trauma. I can’t imagine doing any other career.
Do you have any specific goals for this position?
I would love to see the VOICE initiative enhanced and for survivor support to become a cultural norm at Georgia Tech. There have already been strong efforts from numerous students, President Peterson, Health Promotion, the Women’s Resource Center, and so many others across campus. With the creation of our two new full-time Victim Survivor Advocate positions, I hope Katy Berteau and I can create a comprehensive program in Health Promotion so that any student who has experienced sexual violence, sexual harassment, intimate partner violence, or stalking can receive whatever support and guidance they need to feel safe and begin to heal. I aim to see these services advertised widely and supported by every member of our community. I hope to see a culture shift so that all of us believe every survivor, honor their courage, and negate the shame they feel about the harm perpetrated on them.
What are some of your favorite hobbies?
I love to be outside and especially hiking and relaxing on the beach. I take my Boston Terrier with me when I can. Besides that, I love listening to music and going to concerts and music festivals. I like cooking and especially baking. Cheesecake is my specialty.
Do you have a particular artist/album you’ve been loving lately?
I love discovering new music and I’m very excited to take in the music scene here in Atlanta. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Metric, Vacationer, Phantogram, Sufjan Stevens, and James Vincent McMorrow.
What’s your absolute favorite place in Atlanta?
I have yet to explore all the wonderful places in this city, but so far, I really enjoy Little Five Points. There is a lot to do there and great food.
What do you think about Georgia Tech so far?
The Tech community is amazing. I have felt so welcomed and that I already belong here. I’m really impressed by students’ level of achievement and extracurricular involvement here. The staff is great and there are so many services available to help students. Campus is beautiful!
Any suggestions for students for finding a healthy lifestyle?
It’s all about balance. Academics are rigorous and there is a lot of pressure to succeed, but it’s important to find time to unwind and have fun. Even if that means scheduling time in your planner to work out at the CRC, watch Netflix, meet up with friends for dinner, or just sleep, it’s crucial. You’ll find it makes a big difference in your ability to focus when you sit down to study.
Welcome, Jennifer!
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]]>The Initiative also included the creation of a Center for Community Health and Wellbeing by linking three departments – Stamps Health Services, the Campus Recreation Center and Health Promotion.
Phase One - Planning
Divided into phases, the wellness initiative began as most projects do with the Planning Phase and as each of the three Center departments currently continue to initiate and conduct programs and services, each is also in a Planning Phase as part of the Center.
The Planning Phase will continue through the selection of an Executive Director. The Executive Director will be tasked with responsibilities for strategically planning and implementing campus-wide health and wellbeing programs.
Executive Director Search
The search firm of The Spelman & Johnson Group has been engaged to conduct a nation-wide search for a person to lead the Center and conduct the Implementation Phase.
Plans are to have the position filled and the Executive Director in place no later than Fall Semester, Of course, the start date will depend on the successful candidate’s availability.
Victim-Survivor Advocate Search
The Center also houses two Victim-Survivor Advocates. Both advocates – Jennifer Gagen and Katy Berteau – are already on staff. For more information about the Victim-Survivor Advocate program, read Meet Jennifer Gagen, Victim Survivor Advocate!
In support of the Tobacco-Free Campus Initiative, Health Promotion (HP) provided individual tobacco cessation consultations, along with Freedom from Smoking group sessions for students, faculty, and staff.
Earlier this year, HP sponsored Healthy Relationships Week, along with the GT Campaign for Everybody, a series of activities designed to increase awareness of body image and eating disorders. HP also joined the Women’s Resource Center in promoting Sexual Assault Awareness Month by hosting such events as Teal Ribbon Day, Take Back the Night, and the Hunting Ground film screening.
Health Promotion creatively utilizes social media communication and online resources to engage GT students. The #KnowYourScoreGT campaign was also launched earlier this year to promote the College Response Online Health Screening available on our website.
Additionally, the BOLD (Being Ourselves and Loving Diversity) Blog was launched to encourage open discussion of body image issues. In the coming months,
For up-to-date Health Promotion information, visit the website http://healthpromotion.gatech.edu
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]]>To further that mission, Stamps Health Services is in the process of reaccreditation by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). SHS does on-going self-evaluation, peer review and education to continuously improve its care and services and will undergo a thorough, on-site survey by AAAHC surveyors.
The process requires that every aspect of student health care, from facilities to records management, be reviewed every three years. Stamps is constantly monitoring all processes to insure that students receive the very best health care.
]]>The video details the Board of Regents immunization requirements and the process students use to provide the Institute with their immunization records.
]]>I was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where most of my family still resides. My immediate family moved to Fernandina Beach, FL when I was 9, and my parents still live there! It’s a beautiful place to vacation and visit.
Where did you attend University?
I attained my bachelor’s in Psychology at the University of Florida, and then went on to get my master’s degree from San Francisco State University in sexuality studies. I absolutely loved my time at both institutions!
Can you tell us a little bit about your previous experience in this field?
My previous experience includes volunteering at a crisis center while I was in my senior year at UF, which consisted of answering the crisis/suicide hotline at the center. After I obtained my master’s degree, I started volunteering at a rape crisis center in Jacksonville, FL as a sexual assault victim advocate while I was looking for a job in my field. Shortly after I started volunteering, I got a job at a local domestic violence shelter as a shelter/victim advocate, and I worked both of those positions until I came to Georgia Tech!
What influenced you to be a Victim Survivor Advocate?
I would have to say my influence would be just a general caring about these issues and the people it affects. From a young age, I noticed injustices surrounding gender and social norms about violence that bothered me, and as I moved along in my academic career and the interests I surrounded myself with, I began to see them more as a serious issue. The sole fact that these issues (sexual assault and intimate partner violence) happen on such a grand scale, coupled with the fact that it hardly even gets addressed in a real way, made me passionate about the cause. My time in San Francisco really solidified the nature of these issues, and the way they affect people in every aspect of their lives. I just want to do something about it.
Do you have any specific goals for this position?
Too many to list! My basic goal is to help as many people as I can, whatever that looks like. If someone was dealing with these issues earlier in life, I want to help them come to terms and heal. If this is something on-going (intimate-partner violence) or something that happened very recently (sexual assault), I want to help them with resources and anything they would need to get them the justice they deserve, as well as starting the healing process. Basically, whatever the victim-survivor needs, I want to help them get it- that’s my main goal in this position.
What are some of your favorite hobbies?
Food! Oh and yoga. I like to be outdoors, go to concerts/festivals, anything with music and good company!
Do you have a particular artist/album you’ve been loving lately?
Kendrick Lamar is my favorite rapper, and his most recent album is definitely still on the forefront of my playlist.
What’s your absolute favorite place in Atlanta?
Anywhere with amazing food. I’m a total foodie, so I’m still exploring all the great restaurants the city has!
What do you think about Georgia Tech so far?
I love Georgia Tech so far! I’ve only been here a week and a half, but I get a great sense of community among staff, which is so important in addressing these issues we’re facing.
Any suggestions for students for finding a healthy lifestyle?
Balance, balance, balance! Trust me, I've learned this working in my field, that you cannot be a great advocate for someone if you personally are not in a good mindset/emotional place. The same goes for being a student- you can't put your best work forward if you can't even give yourself a break once in a while. Going through graduate school and experiencing panic attacks over workload and pressure, you just need to take a step back! Because all that did for me was make it harder to do good work.
Welcome, Katy, you are truly a great addition to Georgia Tech and the Center for Community Health and Wellbeing!
]]>Karla Hafford, OD, earned her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from Northern Illinois University in 1999. She spent ten years within the pharmaceutical industry, at the contract laboratory PPD, performing testing and interpretation of data on medications against FDA guidelines.
In May 2014, she graduated from the University of Missouri in St. Louis, College of Optometry, and received the Award of Excellence in Contact Lens Patient Care from the American Optometric Foundation Supported by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care.
In July 2015, she moved from Albuquerque, NM, to Georgia, joining the Georgia Tech DePoe Eye Center.
Professionally, she enjoys seeing a variety of patients but her area of interest is in fitting contact lenses.
Personally, her free time is spent doing stained glass, running, traveling, watching the Green Bay Packers, trying new restaurants, and meeting new people.
Be one of those new people Dr. Hafford meets by taking a minute and welcoming her to campus!
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Fall G.I.T. FIT Schedules Now Available
Registration for drop-in and instructional classes is now available on mycrc.gatech.edu.
Fall Adventure Trips
The fall ORGT adventure trip schedule is now available on crc.gatech.edu! Registration for each trip begins 30 days prior to the start date of the trip.
CRC Annual Ski Trip
December 13, 2015 – December 19, 2015
The 2015 ski trip will head back to familiar territory, Steamboat Springs Colorado! It is a few hours drive from Denver, which makes the transportation to the resort very convenient. Our condo is in the heart of the activities in the resort, with a lot of nice amenities. The mountain is plenty big and convenient for all abilities. Like all previous ski trips, ours is open to anyone! So, please feel free to invite family and/or friends to join us in December. For more information, please visit our website.
Stamps Health Services will be offer free flu shots for all Georgia Tech students who have paid their health fee. Flu shots will also be available to students whpo have not paid their health fee, faculty, and staff for $25.
Influenza or “the flu” is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. It is a serious threat to public health and can cause mild to severe illness, and, at times, can lead to death.
Vaccines for the 2015-16 influenza season are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of influenza in children, adolescents, and adults, including the elderly. Though there are several vaccines approved by the FDA in both nasal spray and injectable forms, Stamps Health Services only administers the injectable flu vaccine. This vaccine being administered at Stamps this season is a quadrivalent vaccine, meaning it includes four strains.
Those who received vaccines last year are encouraged to be vaccinated again. The body’s level of immunity from a vaccine received last season is expected to have declined, and immunity levels against the four strains that research indicates are likely to circulate this season.
Flu clinics will take place on Sept. 29, Oct. 6, Oct. 20, Nov. 10, and Nov. 17. Students, faculty, and staff may attend any clinic to receive their vaccine, or they can call 404-894-1420 or visit the Stamps website to make an appointment. Students can also ask to receive a flu shot during any regular appointment at Stamps Health Services.
Payment is accepted via credit card or BuzzCard, and all students and employees should plan to present their BuzzCard when checking in to receive their shot.
More information about the 2015-16 Influenza Vaccine can be found at www.c.gatech.edu/cdc-flu-2015.
]]>Important Points:
When you come into Stamps, you’ll get personal attention, fast service and great deals on over-the-counter medications. Come by or call Stamps at 404.894.1430 to see if we accept your insurance plan, and let us start giving you the personalized care and service you deserve so you are healthy and successful at Georgia Tech.
Indeed, for two decades, the Aquatic Center has been a signature feature within the Campus Recreation Center as well as a focal point for campus tours. And now, because of the vision of one alumnus, it will bear the name of a beloved Tech swimming coach.
The facility, which will soon be known as the McAuley Aquatic Center, was named to honor James Herbert “Herb” McAuley, a 1947 electrical engineering graduate and former swimming champion who devoted four decades to coaching swimmers at Tech — both competitive swimmers and undergraduates taking the compulsory and infamous “drown-proofing” class.
Richard L. Bergmark, a 1975 industrial management graduate, is the man who made it possible. One portion is an outright gift to fund two new high-tech scoreboards for the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, which Georgia Tech will be hosting in the spring of 2016. The second part consists of a multi-year pledge creating an endowment in support of facility maintenance, improvements, and swimming programs. And the final component is an irrevocable estate provision that will one day ensure that the endowment is fully funded.
“This is a fantastic way to give recognition to Coach McAuley,” Bergmark said. “He was a great coach, a mentor, a generous person, and a Tech alumnus himself. He developed so many swimmers, many of whom I had the great fortune of meeting, competing with, and developing wonderful associations with while at Tech.”
McAuley did something else that Bergmark has never forgotten, by helping him secure an out-of-state scholarship. “It was his focus on the ‘student’ part of ‘student-athlete’ that I will forever be grateful for, because that is what enabled me to graduate from Tech,” he said.
After graduating, Bergmark achieved success in the petroleum industry. He currently serves as the chief financial officer of Core Laboratories, after having risen through the ranks at Western Atlas International, a leading provider of oilfield services and reservoir information technologies. He has served on the advisory board of the Scheller College of Business and on the board of the Georgia Tech Foundation.
Bergmark’s philanthropic investment guarantees that the McAuley Aquatic Center will remain vital to the Tech campus community, intercollegiate athletics, and the metro Atlanta area. As Bergmark put it, “One of the goals of the gift is to ensure that Georgia Tech will continue to attract the finest events to our world-class venue — this includes not just competitive events but aquatic activities and events for all students as well.”
He hopes, too, that his philanthropy will inspire others, particularly when it comes to Georgia Tech swimming. “What the program needs to complement our coaching talent and quality aquatic facilities are additional endowed scholarships,” he said.
]]>This event is a part of the G.Y.P. (Get Yourself Protected) campaign being implemented by Health Promotion. The goal of G.Y.P. is to empower Georgia Tech students to make healthy decisions regarding protection if they choose to be sexually active. HIV testing is available to eligible students at Stamps Health Services at a low cost on an ongoing basis.
Many sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV, can be asymptomatic (which means a person could have a STI and not know it). One in five (21%) of those people living with HIV in the United States are unaware of their infection(CDC, 2008). The only way to be sure someone don’t have HIV is to be tested.
Health Promotion is proud to partner with AIDS Healthcare Foundation to provide this service to the Georgia Tech community.
]]>The Chancellor’s Service Excellence Awards recognize USG employees for high levels of performance, highlight service projects and process improvements, and honor a commitment to customer service excellence. The 2015 awards, which recognize work from July 2014 through June 2015, were presented on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Georgia Perimeter College’s Clarkston campus.
Adam Smith and the Compliance and Controls System Improvements Team earned the Bronze Chancellor’s Service Excellence Effectiveness and Efficiency Improvement Initiative Team Award. Smith, an IT support professional, was nominated for his work with the Legal Affairs and Risk Management team in building new Web tools and resources for the Compliance Partners Group, a new group of around 40 mid-level compliance partners on campus.
“Adam will stay up all night figuring out the backend of a process in order for the front end to appear clear, crisp, and beautiful when it is sent out to Georgia Tech users,” said Mia Reini, director of Enterprise Risk Management who nominated Smith for the award. “Adam has the true entrepreneurial spirit that we value at Georgia Tech.”
For Smith, the award confirms the importance of the work he and his team do every day.
“This award is very much a validation of the effort that I’ve put into our projects but also that of my colleagues,” he said. “Furthermore, I find this award to be a recognition of the importance of compliance and controls systems to the Institute and the University System. I am very grateful and honored by this recognition and look forward to making further contributions to taking our systems to the next level.”
Kim Harrington, interim chief human resources officer, was honored with the Gold Service Excellence Leadership Award.
Harrington, who began her career at Tech in 2001 and previously served as director of the Student Center, was nominated for her leadership in both departments. She took up the interim role with Human Resources at the end of 2014.
“From creating a space for communal sharing of best practices and experiences, to soliciting expertise on problems of the day, Kim has transformed the relationships Human Resources has with its colleagues and, by proxy, employees of the Institute,” said Myra Oviatt, communications manager for Human Resources and a contributor to Harrington’s nomination. “In six short months, she completely transformed the nature of information flow to and from Human Resources.”
Harrington was in shock to learn she had won. She did not know she’d been nominated, and initially thought the award notification was in reference to another group she had nominated for an award.
“I really want to credit the Institute and Paul Strouts for giving me the opportunity,” she said. “I’m overwhelmed, honored, proud, and just fortunate enough to be in situations where I’m surrounded by dedicated, knowledgeable, competent, hardworking people. The award does nothing but energize me and motivate me to keep doing my best at Georgia Tech.”
The VOICE initiative earned the Silver Outstanding Process Improvement: Increase Service to Students Award. VOICE is a collaborative initiative of the Women’s Resource Center, Greek Affairs, and Health Promotion focused on sexual violence prevention and education.
The group has worked over the past year to broaden its reach to students, faculty, and staff by presenting at local conferences, initiating a peer education program for students, and developing an on-call victim advocate program to support students who have experienced sexual violence.
“This means the world to us and the work we have been doing on campus,” said Colleen Riggle, director of the Women’s Resource Center and part of VOICE. “It highlights the great initiatives that VOICE has been working on for many years, and the great work of Lee Helmken and Melanie DeMaeyer in providing prevention programs and advocacy.”
The winning group was made up of Riggle, Helmken, DeMaeyer, and Vladimir Oge.
]]>The Council received 61 nominations for the six open positions. It anticipates having new members announced in early December. Staff are invited to cast their votes when elections open at www.staffcouncil.gatech.edu.
Meanwhile, the Staff Council held its second town hall on Tuesday, Oct. 13, providing updates on its work since the spring. The most-discussed topic at the forum was changes in health care premiums that the University System of Georgia (USG) will implement in 2017.
Again this year, health care premiums increased as part the USG’s move toward a defined contribution model for health care, system-wide. This model was approved in 2013 and is expected to be fully implemented for the 2017 plan year.
Under this model, each plan will have an employer contribution of the same amount. Employees will be able to select a plan based on their needs, while getting the same subsidy for coverage. Currently, the USG provides varying levels of subsidy for each plan.
The Council’s standing committees also provided updates. The Employee Engagement group is reviewing staff recognition programs, and other groups are looking at campus options for child care, summer camps, and parking.
Departments or other campus groups who would like to learn more about the Staff Council’s work online or have a representative attend an upcoming meeting or event.
]]>Kristen Bailey
Institute Communications
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