Groundbreaking Set for New ABAC Lab Sciences Building

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1 VOLUME LI ISSUE 41 June 22, 2015 Groundbreaking Set for New ABAC Lab Sciences Building Upperclassmen enrolled in the bachelor s degree in biology can access their research projects 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the new laboratory sciences building which is about to rise from the ground on the north side of the ABAC campus. Dr. Johnny Evans, Dean of the School of Science and Mathematics, said a groundbreaking for the $8.5 million building will be held at 11:30 a.m. on June 25 at the construction site near Conger Hall. Biology majors will have access to the most current technology and techniques in these laboratories, Evans said. Upperclassmen will also have access any time of the day or night to complete research projects. Evans emphasized that the 20,966 square foot building will Children from four to 11 years old can choose from five different workshops in July that offer hands-on activities, games, and crafts through Camp Wiregrass at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village at ABAC. Camp Director Kelly Scott said that Camp Wiregrass provides a fun, interactive and educational environment in a unique setting. Each workshop session offers age appropriate activities and themes. To register for any session of Camp Wiregrass, interested persons can Scott at Lab Sciences groundbreaking will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 25 at the construction site near Conger Hall be utilized by students across all majors on campus. The building will have specialized labs for the science majors, however, all ABAC students will use the general biology, chemistry, and the anatomy and physiology labs while they complete their core requirements, Evans said. This is a facility that will engage all ABAC students in studying modern scientific techniques and topics. ABAC President David Bridges said the new building would not have been possible without the support of Governor Nathan Deal, members of the General Assembly and the Board of Regents. Projects of this nature don t just happen, Bridges said. We have received plenty of help from the Governor and legislators as well as Chancellor Hank Huckaby and his staff. We are very fortunate to be able to see this project come to fruition. Bridges also directed special thanks to ABAC Foundation Chair Lynn Lovett and the Foundation Trustees. Seven million dollars of this project will come from the state through general obligation bonds, Continued on page 3 Georgia Museum of Agriculture Offers July Workshops for Kids museumcamp@abac.edu or register online at museum/kids-camp. Registrations close two weeks prior to each workshop, and space is limited. Discounts are available for siblings, ABAC employees, and Friends of the Museum. The workshops are $30 per person except for the two-day Five different workshops are available for kids in July at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture. Call Camp Wiregrass director Kelly Scott for more information at (229) workshop, Sew a Friend, which is $55 per person. The price includes snacks and supplies with programming from 8:30-11:30 a.m. The Revolution is Coming on July 2 is geared for 8-10 year-olds in celebration of Independence Day. Campers will actually join Continued on page 2

2 Camps continued from page 1 the Museum s militia. One Room School on July 7 will allow campers ages 6-8 years old an opportunity to experience a typical day in a oneroom schoolhouse. Sew a Friend, a two-day workshop on July 9-10, allows campers to create a doll of their very own. Previous experience in sewing is not required. Use your wits to solve puzzles and decipher riddles as participants compete in a heart thumping scavenger hunt through the late 1800s and early 1900s with the Amazing Race Georgia Historic Style on July 14. This workshop is for children ages Games and Traditional Toys on July 16, for children of all ages, is a workshop which focuses on childhood play before TV and video games. Come play old favorites as well as learn a few new games from the 1800s. Campers will also create their own old-fashioned toys to take home. For more information on the upcoming summer workshops, interested persons can contact Scott at (229) , via at museumcamp@abac.edu, or visit the website museum/kids-camp. Local Artisans Can Qualify for New Exhibit at GMA Area artisans will have an opportunity to have their work showcased in a specially-curated exhibit which opens July 16 at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village at ABAC. The Best of Tiftarea Artisans is open to professional and hobby artisans ages 18 and up from Tift and surrounding counties. Basketry, photography, pottery, fiber art, woodwork, paintings and drawings, and handcrafted jewelry will all be considered for this exhibit, which is presented in tandem with the Museum partner group, Tiftarea Artisans. A panel of judges will evaluate up to four submitted digital images per artisan and determine which pieces will be selected to become a part of the new exhibit. Once the final exhibit is in place, the panel of judges will select the top three artisans who will receive recognition and cash prizes totaling $475 provided by Tiftarea Artisans during the exhibit s opening reception on July 16. Most of the works on display will be made available for purchase during this time. All eligible artisans are invited to apply by submitting up to four high-quality digital images of their work. There is a submission fee of $5 per image. Images for submission can be ed to entries@tiftareaartisans.org. The submission fee can be mailed to Tiftarea Artisans, Attention: Exhibit Entry, PO Box 7227, Tifton, GA Images of all submissions and the accompanying fees must be received by June 30. Artisans whose work has been accepted for participation in the exhibit will be notified by . Artwork selected for the exhibit must be delivered to the Gallery of the Museum by 4 p.m. on July 14. The opening reception for The Best of Tiftarea Artisans is set for 6 p.m. on July 16. Local food bites and local musicians will be on tap for the opening reception. The exhibit will remain on display at the GMA Gallery until Nov. 3. For more information, contact GMA Assistant Director and Curator Polly Huff at phuff@abac. edu. Remaining Orientation Dates: June 26 July 10 July 17 August 7 ABAC Baseball Player Named to All District Team Caleb Slaughter, the top hitter on the baseball team at ABAC this year, has been selected for the East Central All District Team. He was one of six players from Georgia to make the team, which covers all National Junior College Athletic Association colleges in Georgia and Tennessee. A freshman outfielder/first baseman from Cochran, Slaughter hit.349 for the Stallions this year. He led the team with 60 hits, scored 35 runs, and collected two doubles, two triples, and two home runs. He knocked in 25 runs and had 13 stolen bases. He had an on base percentage of.412. Caleb learned a lot about how to hit college pitching in his freshman season, ABAC Coach Brandon Reeder said. He has the tools to be a special player. An imposing figure at the plate with his 6-foot-4, 220-pound frame, Slaughter finished in the top 10 in the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association in batting average, hits, and home runs. He became more selective at the plate and attacked the ball more as the season went along, Reeder said. I look for him to hit in the middle of our lineup next season and be a league leader in RBIs. Caleb doesn t back down, and it seemed like he was always up to bat with the game on the line. That experience will be good for him in the future as we work toward winning a conference championship next season.

3 ABAC will be closed July 3 in recognition of the July 4 th holiday and reopen on July 6. Lab Sciences continued from page 1 and we certainly appreciate that, focusing on general biology, Bridges said. The remainder of microbiology, molecular biology, the project will be funded by the general chemistry, tissue culture, ABAC Foundation which shows organic chemistry, and anatomy/ yet again how crucial Foundation physiology. Preparation rooms support is to this institution. The will also support each lab. trustees really came through for us Several areas in the building are in a time when we needed them the specifically designed for study and most. discussion among students. ABAC Director of Capital Because of the nature of the Planning Melvin Merrill said building, it has a very extensive International City Builders from heating, air, ventilating, plumbing, Warner Robins was selected and electrical system, Merrill said. through a bid process to construct Evans believes the building is the building. The Georgia an indication of things to come at State Finance and Investment ABAC. Commission will manage the This building is the first step construction process. in preparing the School of Science It s a very compact building, and Mathematics to be a foundation Merrill, who recently retired from for the growth of ABAC, Evans ABAC but now works part time in said. This is a lab facility only, and the capital planning position, said. as ABAC grows, this will be phase It is designed to be very efficient. one of a science and mathematics It has an unbelievable amount of complex. usefulness per square foot. It will provide an attractive Merrill said the building facility for incoming students, and I will contain eight laboratories think it will be a deciding factor for students to choose ABAC. ABAC is the only college or university south of Macon in the University System of Georgia to experience enrollment growth in each of the last two fall semesters. The bachelor s degree in biology has been extremely popular since it became a part of the ABAC curriculum in the 2011 fall term. Evans said some classrooms in 63-year-old Gray Hall will be used for mathematics courses but the first floor labs will all be replaced by the modern labs in the new building. All the modern equipment for studying genetics, molecular biology and microbiology will be available for our students, Evans said. The tissue culture lab will be used to prepare plant samples for study. Merrill said construction of the facility should be completed by July, Alumni Association Hosts Ice Cream Social for Alumni at TRMC Join the ABAC Alumni Association on Thursday, July 9 for Stallions and Scoops, an Ice Cream Social for ABAC Alumni. ABAC would like to thank those in the healthcare industry for their dedicated service with an ice cream social for all ABAC Alumni at Tift Regional Medical Center (TRMC). Invite any ABAC Alumnus who works at TRMC to drop by Dining Room A between 2 and 4 p.m. on July 9 to get the scoop on what s happening at the College and give us the scoop on what s happening with them. Register for the Watermelon Crawl July 11 at ABAC The second annual Watermelon Crawl 5k and Fun Run will take place on July 11 on the campus of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Dr. Ray Smith, Department Head for Agriculture in the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said the event is a fundraiser to establish the Jerry Moore Memorial Scholarship at ABAC. The scholarship will be awarded each year to a student majoring in Diversified Agriculture. Moore was an ABAC alumnus who passed away in 2013 at the age of 46. The Watermelon Crawl is open to the community. To participate in the 5k, there is a registration fee of $23 that includes a t-shirt and a runner s bag. Registration is now open at weebly.com. Participants can also register the day of the race at a cost of $28. Registration begins at 7:15 a.m. on race day, and the 5k will start at 8 a.m. Those who aren t participating in the 5k can walk the 5k path or take part in the one-mile fun run, which begins at 9 a.m. Registration is required for anyone who would like to receive a t-shirt and a runner s bag as part of the race. Payment can be made via the website. Runners who prefer not to register for the race online can bring a form of payment to Smith at Room 133 of the Horticulture Building on the ABAC campus or mail their registration to Office of College Advancement, Attn: Josie Smith, ABAC 13, 2802 Moore Highway, Tifton, Ga., Tax deductible donations can be made to the scholarship fund for those persons not participating in the event. Checks should be made payable to the ABAC Foundation. For more information on the Watermelon Crawl, interested persons can visit www. thewatermeloncrawl.weebly.com, contact Dr. Ray Smith at rsmith@ abac.edu or his daughter, Josie Smith, at jsmith@abac.edu.

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5 ABAC Outfielder Named to National Gold Glove Team Nick Higginbotham from Lake Park has been selected to receive a Rawlings Gold Glove Award for his stellar play in center field for the Stallions of ABAC. The award is presented on the national level each year to one player from each position on the field in conjunction with the American Baseball Coaches Association. One of three outfielders in Division I of the National Junior College Athletic Association to receive the national award, Higginbotham collected 131 put outs, five assists and participated in two double plays during the 2015 season. The former Lowndes High School standout did not have an error on the year. It s a real honor, Higginbotham said. For me, it s really a blessing from the Lord because I didn t know it was coming. I just go out there every day and compete. Higginbotham was the captain of the Stallions defense, which led the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association in fielding percentage. ABAC committed the fewest errors in the league. ABAC Coach Brandon Reeder said Higginbotham s nickname was The No Fly Zone. It was apparent from the moment Nick took the field for the first time that he would have an immediate impact on our program offensively and defensively, Reeder said. He is our motor. He brings the energy every day, and he is an exciting player to watch. Batting in the lead off position for the Stallions, Higginbotham hit.260 with six doubles and one triple on the year. He had six stolen bases, scored 36 runs, knocked in 20 runs, and rapped out 50 hits. Higginbotham played in all 57 games and had an on base percentage of.385. I knew that he would be recognized for his defensive play but I had no idea it would be at the national level, Reeder said. To get to work with this kid every day is special. I ll walk out on the field, and he will be hitting the ball up to himself, putting a glove on, and chasing the ball down. He is a remarkable competitor and itches to get better every day. ABAC finished fourth in the league tournament this year after bolting out to a 12-2 start in conference play. Reeder is counting on Higginbotham to be a key to 2016 success as well. He is going to be a center piece for next year s team, Reeder said. There are only a handful of players in this league who can impact the game on offense, defense, and running the bases. Higgy is one of them. He s the kind of kid you root for, and he never disappoints you with his effort. Higginbotham said he is trying to stay in shape this summer by working on his hitting. Offense is a puzzle, Higginbotham said. You have to continually piece it together. Other members of the Gold Glove Team were Braxton Shetley, a pitcher for Guilford (N.C.) Tech; Trevor Denton, a catcher for Pitt (N.C.); Tanner Foerschler, a first baseman for Kansas City (Kans.); Cole Freeman, a second baseman for Delgado (La.); John Mastrangelo, a third baseman for Harford (Md.); Riley Delgado, a shortstop for Columbia (Tenn.) State; Johnny Balsamo, an outfielder for Dodge City (Kans.); and Chet Niehaus, an outfielder for Alabama Southern. Pre-register Players for ABAC Tennis Camp July Middle and high school tennis players who want to improve their games should pre-register for the summer tennis camp on July at ABAC. The camp runs from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. each day at a total cost of $199 per camper. The cost includes lunch each day and a t-shirt. Directed by ABAC Tennis Coach Dale White, the camp will focus on technical, tactical and mental components of tennis to help players in competitive play. All checks should be made payable to ABAC Foundation/Tennis Camp. To pre-register for this camp, call (229) or visit abac.edu/athletics/tennis-camp. Visit the Current News section on the ABAC website to view the 2015 Consumer Confidence Report. ABAC Hosts Application and Financial Aid Night on June 30 ABAC will host an admissions and financial aid information session on June 30 from 5-7 p.m. in the Ag Sciences building. Students seeking financial aid must have their Personal Identification Number (PIN) from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) web site and their 2014 tax returns for parents and students, if applicable, to receive assistance with the financial aid process. For more information, contact Brooke Jernigan at (229) or at bjernigan@abac.edu. 23 Janet Haughton 24 Sarah Junco 26 Sandra Giles 27 Debbie McComas 27 Brian Yost 29 Renata Elad July: 1 Todd Daunhauer 1 Chris Kinsey 1 Russ Larger 5 Wendy Harrison