Hip-hop, video games, research investments and a reunion at Georgia colleges

It is an increase of more than $21 million since the previous year, with GSU President M. Brian Blake saying the numbers show the school’s “commitment to advancing knowledge and producing real-world impact by investing in our research community.”

A significant portion of research funding for GSU and other universities comes from federal government grants. That’s certainly true for Georgia Tech, which ranks No. 3 in the country for federally financed R&D expenditures. Emory University sits at No. 26 with the University of Georgia at No. 78, according to the data.

But even schools with comparatively smaller research enterprises can do big things with federal grant money. Kennesaw State University last month announced it is working on a “state-of-the-art research network” that will allow researchers to transfer large pieces of data without interfering with the regular campus network. The project was made possible by a $635,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.

Hip-hop in academia

Credit: Bob Andres

Credit: Bob Andres

Students at Morris Brown College got a visit from an Atlanta rapper last week. But instead of performing, underground rap legend Pastor Troy played the role of professor, serving as a guest lecturer in “Exploration of Hip-Hop Lyrics,” a new class that’s only in its second semester at the historically Black college. Professor Toneyce Randolph says the course is meant to help students “understand what they’re listening to” as “music is more than a beat and catchy rhymes.”

Game on

Just down the road, another HBCU is hosting its third annual “hackathon” where students will develop their own video games.

In collaboration with Microsoft, Boeing, Zynga and other companies, HBCU Game Jam kicks off March 28 at Spelman College. The friendly competition introduces students to the game development process, featuring workshops and a career fair for an industry where, according to a survey, Black people hold just 5% of the jobs. Last year’s Game Jam was attended by more than 120 students from six HBCUs. Roughly 50% of them had never made a video game before.

Mental health at HBCUs

New research indicates attending HBCUs can have positive mental health outcomes for Black students. The University of Michigan study published earlier this month found that Black students at HBCUs and predominantly Black institutions experienced better mental health outcomes than their peers at predominantly white institutions. HBCU students reported higher rates of flourishing mentally, and 83% reported a sense of belonging on campus, compared to 73% nationally.

Under construction

As Georgia Tech adjusts to its growing enrollment numbers, the university has begun construction on the first traditional residence hall it has built on campus in nearly 50 years.

Curran Street Residence Hall broke ground on March 5 and is scheduled for completion in 2026. At an estimated construction cost of $117 million, the finished building will feature 862 beds across eight residential floors, with an automated market, fitness center, e-gaming and study rooms.

Kennesaw State is experiencing growing enrollment, too. To keep up, it broke ground last week on a nearly 97,000-square-foot residence hall that will make room for roughly 460 students. Scheduled for completion in fall 2026, the Summit II residence hall is being built on the south end of the Kennesaw campus at the cost of $50 million.

New research building in Augusta

Another highly anticipated building cleared a key hurdle when Gov. Brian Kemp signed the amended state budget on March 6. The spending package includes $99.8 million for a new research building at Augusta University, which once completed will centralize the school’s research operations.

Credit: WRDW

Credit: WRDW

The 150,000-square-foot building could help the university bolster its research operation, recruit more talent and bring in more federal funding. According to the school, every dollar it receives from the National Institutes of Health translates to $2.60 in economic activity.

Augusta University has also raised nearly $30 million from donors for the endeavor. The full project is expected to cost $146.2 million.

More in medicine

UGA is growing closer to launching its own medical school. The University of Georgia School of Medicine has been granted candidate status for accreditation, an important step as it indicates the school is on its way toward meeting accreditation standards. According to UGA, the next major milestone will come in May when it will begin construction on a 93,600-square-foot medical education and research building.

Back in Atlanta, Emory expanded its radiology certification program as it tries to meet a growing demand for professionals in radiologic imaging. The school launched its radiologic technology program in 1962, but will now also offer it at Emory Decatur Hospital. Emory says the hands-on clinical training could help fill the roughly 500 radiologic imaging job openings in metro Atlanta.

All grown up

Credit: Madison Winston

Credit: Madison Winston

When Dr. Bob Hirsch first met now-21-year-old Hudson Higgins, the Georgia Tech student was, quite literally, just a baby.

Hirsch, a retired physician, delivered many babies during his time as an obstetrician at Johns Creek Hospital. But he had never studied with any of them before. That changed when he walked into a Southern history class at Georgia Tech as part of a program which provides a waiver for in-state tuition for Georgians 62 and older taking classes at the state’s public universities. After joining a few undergrads for a group assignment, Hirsch asked each of them where they were from.

“Hudson said Johns Creek. And, I said, ‘Well, who delivered you?,’” Hirsch recalled, according to reporting by the Technique student newspaper.

Unsure, Higgins asked his mother, who “freaked out” upon confirming that Hirsch had been her obstetrician for years.

“I think I told every single person I ran into that day I was in the same class as the doctor who delivered me,” Higgins said. “It’s a wild connection to have. I guess not many people can say that they know the doctor that delivered them on a first-name basis.”

If you have any higher education tips or thoughts, email reporter Jason Armesto at jason.armesto@ajc.com.