May 13, 2009
	It's Commencement Season in Atlanta Vicente Fox. Helene Gayle. Cicely Tyson. Glenn Close. Henry Louis Gates Jr. Cornel West. Judge Glenda Hatchett. Gen. David Petraeus. These headliner commencement speakers are not the only folks traveling to Atlanta this month for graduation ceremonies. The Atlanta region's 50+ colleges graduate almost 40,000 students each year with bachelor's or higher degrees. An ARCHE study puts the number of visits to Atlanta for commencement at almost 270,000. About 80,500 of them stay overnight. That adds up to a major economic impact as local hotels, restaurants and attractions welcome visiting family and friends in town to congratulate the grads. Chasing the Flu in Campus Labs Scientists on local campuses are ramping up their work to understand and combat new and existing strains of influenza. In April, Emory University's School of Medicine, in collaboration with the University of Georgia, was named one of six U.S. Centers for Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance by the National Institutes of Health, which funded the center with a 7-year, $32.8 million contract. A sampling of flu research on ARCHE-member campuses: > Emory's multi-pronged approach to the new A H1N1 influenza includes developing a test, a temporary therapy, and faster ways to produce vaccine for the disease. More > > At the University of Georgia's Animal Health Research Center biocontainment labs,  Ralph Tripp, a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, is testing anti-viral strategies against the new swine flu and learning more about its transmission and virulence. More > >  UGA is also collaborating with the Medical College of Georgia on a 5-year, $2.9 million grant to study a particular human enzyme's role in vaccine failure. More > > An Emory-Georgia Tech team has developed a new way to administer flu vaccine: skin patches with microneedles. Testing in mice has shown the device to be as effective as flu shots, and it could increase vaccination rates because it hurts less, is more convenient, and costs less. More > KSU Plays up to NCAA Division I  Starting fall 2009, all 16 of Kennesaw State University's varsity sports teams will compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as KSU completes its transition into this level of collegiate sports.  More > Creating a School Safe from Bullying To combat bullying at school, researchers in Georgia State University's Center for Research on School Safety stress that the key to a safe school climate is ensuring that every child has at least one adult to talk with when  problems arise. In interviews with teachers and students about bullying, researchers have found that while teachers often report they intervene with bullying, students often say educators are not doing enough. More >  SCAD Computes: State-of-the-Art Shoes New design software is helping SCAD-Atlanta students design footwear and accessories. SCAD is the first U.S. university to use the Romans Cad technology. SCAD's fashion program offers bachelor of fine arts, master of arts and master of fine arts degrees. More > BIO Opportunity for All As the BIO International Convention kicks off in Atlanta next week, a summit on diversity in the industry will examine issues ranging from the business case for diversity to health disparities to the future of technology in access and awareness. Speakers include Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, and Louis Sullivan, former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary. "Fulfilling the Promise: Diversity in Biotechnology" is free, but registration is required.  More > Please share this issue with your colleagues, who may subscribe via the link below. And let us know what you think. Photo credits: Emory University, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Kennesaw State University, University of Georgia, University of West Georgia.		GA children in poverty More than half of Georgia kids in homes where no one finished high school live in poverty. Next week, ARCHE releases a new report, "Higher Return: How investing in education pays off for Georgia." Watch your inbox for details.
	The Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education brings together the Atlanta region’s 19 public and private colleges and universities. ARCHE builds awareness of the size, scope, impact and value of higher education in the region and helps its members share strengths through cooperative programs.
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