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Kennesaw State University alumna Georgia McGaughey, a leading scientist in the pharmaceutical field, encouraged graduates of the College of Science and Mathematics in a commencement speech Tuesday and left the lasting gift of an endowed scholarship.

Topping off the return to her alma mater, McGaughey created an endowed scholarship to help future generations of Kennesaw State science students from underrepresented groups. The scholarship was established with a $50,000 endowment and will be based on merit and financial need.

“While writing my commencement speech, I realized how foundational Kennesaw State was to where I am now, and I thought it was time to give back,” she said. “I have a real affinity for helping diversify the sciences, so I hope the endowment can support someone with a real love for science — someone who might want to be philanthropic themselves someday.”

McGaughey enrolled at Kennesaw State while still in high school, earning dual credits toward both her high school and undergraduate diplomas. After graduating high school, she continued her studies at KSU and majored in chemistry. She credited several professors for further stoking her love of chemistry and for engaging her in undergraduate research.

“The professors I had were incredibly accessible and very supportive,” she said. “I loved that they were so generous in sharing their knowledge with their students, and I hope that I can repay some of that generosity.”

McGaughey is vice president of the data and computational sciences group at Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Boston, working to set strategy for the research arm of the company. During her 25-year career, she has also worked for leading pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Merck. She serves as a board member and treasurer for the Silent Spring Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to exploring the link between chemicals in the environment and women’s health, particularly breast cancer.

McGaughey earned a bachelor’s in chemistry from Kennesaw State and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Georgia. Away from working and volunteering, she is a pianist and an avid runner. She has two daughters, one of whom is a chemist and another who is a college student.

– Dave ShellesPhotos by Matt Yung

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 43,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.

Opponent: Georgia State Date: Thursday, Sept. 7 Site: Fifth Third Bank Stadium; Kennesaw, Ga. Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. TV: ESPN+ Live Stats: Click Here

KENNESAW, Ga. – The I-75 series ramps back up as the Owls will host Georgia State on senior night Thursday at 7 p.m. at Fifth-Third Bank Stadium.

Kennesaw State (1-2-2) is fresh off a 1-1 draw versus Florida, still maintaining an unbeaten record at home with a 1-0-1 record. Kennesaw State was able to hinder a Florida attack that scored eight goals versus Stetson the match prior. Next up, the Georgia State Panthers as they return to play the Owls for the third straight year.

Seven seniors and departing graduates will be recognized 20 minutes prior to kickoff: No. 2 Morgan Thomas, No. 3 Teresa Wowk, No. 15 Kendall Hoskins, Elizabeth Rodenroth, No. 24 Madelyn Baucom, No. 29 Agata Giani, No. 33 Tianna Rivera

Series History Thursday's bout will be the 13^th time these teams have faced off since 2005. The Owls maintain the handsome 6-3-3 all-time lead. The most recent matchup ended in a 2-2 gridlock in Kennesaw. KSU also owns the longest winning streak in the series taking three straight games from 2017-2019.

In-State Dominance Ever since the programs birth, Kennesaw State has been a force versus teams in the state of Georgia holding a 35-17-4 record. Among Georgia bound teams, KSU's five wins over GSU is good for second most in program history with nine wins versus Mercer at the top spot.

Scouting The Panthers The most recent result didn't go GSU's way with a narrow 1-0 loss to SEC opponent, Ole Miss. Currently at 3-1-2, they will look to win versus the Owls in two of the last three years. Be on the lookout for the attack as they have massively outperformed teams in shots earning a 98-36 edge and shots on goal tipping GSU's way 43-18. They also hold an eye popping scoring margin with +15 in just six games with their 12-0 win over SC State helping in that category.

Agata's Big-Time Play Senior Agata Giani scored the game tying goal versus Florida with fewer than 25 minutes left in the second half to help maintain KSU's unbeaten home record. She was able to clean up after a left to right cross into the box to get across the first goal the Gators have given up all season. It marked Giani's second career goal with the last one coming Oct. 23, 2021 versus Liberty in the regular season finale.

Seniority Experience has been an attribute that's favored KSU and look no further than defender Camryn Simmons and midfielder Teresa Wowk. Both seniors are leading the team in minutes played (non-goalkeeper) with both players coming off the field for only a combined 37 minutes all season. Both players along with graduate transfer Jade Barkett, recorded full-time games versus Florida. Barkett has played in all but 18 minutes through her four matches.

Handling Pressure Corner kicks so far have favored the opponents with a 38-6 advantage going to the competition, but the Owls have continued to stand tall. Of those 38 corners, the Owls have only surrendered one goal (Troy). They also held Florida and South Alabama to four combined goals with both teams having scored at least eight goals versus prior opponents this season. The combined record of those two this season is 9-0-2.

Blye's Record Goalkeeping After acquiring the starting gig five games into the season her freshman year, Allanah Blye recorded 93 saves for a 85.3 save % last season. After a little over one year, Blye is the current all-time leader in program history in save % (83.9) and saves per game (5.20). The ASUN All-Freshman team member earned her 100th save of her career versus Presbyterian and started the season with back-to-back clean sheets.

Anabel's Amazing Attack Orozco made an immediate impact when inserted into the game versus South Alabama with a stellar goal to even the score at that point. She left-footed it in from the right corner of the box off of the post off of the throw-in feed from Naomi Moleka. The last freshman to score for KSU was Brenna Young versus Stetson Oct. 23, 2022.

Bryan's Brilliance The sophomore has been a contributor on the attack ever since she stepped foot on campus. She tapped in the first score of the season versus Presbyterian, already tying her goal total all of last year. Of her two career goals, both have been game winners (Presbyterian, Jacksonville State in '22).

Next Match The Owls will take to the road to face Samford at 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

To keep up with the latest on the Kennesaw State women's soccer team, follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsSoccer or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.

KENNESAW, Ga. — Citing its enrollment growth, Kennesaw State University announced plans to build a new residence hall on its Kennesaw campus.

The University System of Georgia Board of Regents approved a $50 million construction project to build a dorm building that will fit 600 students, to be called the Summit II.

Additionally, KSU announced the regents had also given their approval to renovate the university’s baseball stadium for an additional $12.3 million.

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University officials said the new residence hall would be built next to the Summit student housing building which opened in Fall 2022.

Between the Kennesaw and Marietta campuses, KSU will grow its total residence capacity to more than 6,500 beds, according to the university.

“We know that students who live on campus and are engaged in campus life tend to achieve higher success in the classroom, and both of these projects align with that mission,” Kennesaw State President Kathy Schwaig said. “We are grateful to the Board of Regents for their support as we continue to find ways to enhance our campus to better serve our growing community.”

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Officials said the new dorm building will be a mixture of single and double-bedroom suites, mainly intended for freshman students. The Summit II will also have community areas and study spaces and is expected to open for use during the Fall 2026 semester.

Separately, KSU’s Stillwell Stadium, across from the current Summit dorms, will also be overhauled.

According to the university, the Owls stadium, in use for baseball since 1984, will have a new turf installed, new lighting improvements, and fencing for a safer playing environment thanks to a $12.3 million project fund.

Most of the money for the stadium will be funded through private donations, according to KSU.

The stadium will also receive new dugouts, new press and media areas, as well as more concessions spots and a 1,500-seat expansion.

KSU said the stadium renovations would coincide with the university’s Athletics program’s move to Conference USA in the 2024-2025 academic year.

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OTHER NEWS:

Two Kennesaw State University faculty members have received a Spencer Foundation grant for a research project to incorporate Asian American history in Georgia school curriculum.

Bagwell College of Education faculty Theresa Alviar-Martin, an associate professor of curriculum and instruction and Sohyun An, a full professor of social studies education, say the $50,000 grant is the outcome of a grassroots effort from Asian American students, parents and teachers in the metro Atlanta community. An said the effort to develop Georgia curriculum that includes the diverse and complex stories of Asian American history was bolstered by both an increase in violence against Asian Americans across the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic and the March 2021 spa shootings in Acworth and Atlanta that claimed the lives of eight people, six of whom were Asian immigrant women.

“The shootings were right in our backyard, so it really became a moment of reckoning for students, parents, teachers and others in the Asian American community in Georgia,” An said. “And we concluded that education is the key to stopping hate against the Asian American women, elders, and students. If our students grow up learning that Asian American history is part of American history, they don’t see Asian Americans as foreigners, or dangerous threat to the nation.’”

The research combines An’s background in Asian American studies and social studies education, Alviar-Martin’s expertise in decolonial and global citizenship education and the pair’s plans to co-author a book on similar topics. The book aims to center and uplift diverse and complex stories of Asian American students, parents, and educators and their grassroot organizing for K-12 Asian American studies and ethnic studies education in Georgia’s public schools.

“In education, when people teach about world history, it’s usually from a very Western lens. The stories are usually told from the colonizers’ point of view, so it’s often about conquest and wars,” said Alviar-Martin, who noted her own heritage from the Philippines, which was a colonial territory of Spain and later the U.S. “The curriculum doesn’t always critically consider how society is shaped by people who are affected by those conflicts historically and presently.”

Alviar-Martin and An say their primary research question is, “Who is advocating for K-12 Asian American studies in Georgia’s public schools, and what are their goals, successes, and challenges in advancing an accurate and inclusive history curriculum?”

Alviar-Martin said the recent rise in incidents of Asian hate were hurtful and disempowering for the Asian American community in Atlanta, but they have also been a catalyst for parents, students, teachers and scholars including faculty members at KSU to stand up to demand ethnic studies for all and educational justice.

“We want to connect the common themes in experience from people we have talked to within local Asian American communities to include in the larger collection of literature detailing the experience of Asian American families living in the U.S.,” Alviar-Martin said. “And we think it’s appropriate that this is happening in Atlanta, which is very much known as a cradle of civil rights.”

The Spencer Foundation has been funding research exclusively in the area of education since 1971.

– Thomas HartwellPhotos by Darnell Wilburn

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 43,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.

For the seventh year in a row, Kennesaw State University’s Executive Master of Business Administration has been rated as the best in Georgia and among the top in the world, according to the 2023 Global Executive MBA rankings released this week by CEO Magazine.

CEO Magazine ranked the Executive MBA in the Michael J. Coles College of Business third in the country and No. 12 in the world, placing it among the “Tier One” programs for the ninth year in a row.

The magazine classifies programs as Tier One or Tier Two based on factors including quality of faculty, faculty-to-student ratio, international diversity and exposure, class size, accreditation, professional development, work experience, gender parity and instruction methods.

“Anyone who has taken even the slightest look at our executive MBA program understands why it's consistently recognized as one of the best in the world,” said Robin Cheramie, dean of Coles College. “The faculty and staff have crafted a one-of-a-kind program that leverages a team-based approach, convenient scheduling, consistent mentorship, and a multidisciplinary curriculum to create leaders ready to take their organizations — and their careers — further than they ever thought possible.”

About 40 working professionals are enrolled annually in Coles College’s EMBA, which promotes collaboration, decision-making, resourcefulness, ingenuity and entrepreneurship. The program, with classes held approximately one weekend per month for 19 months, offers executive coaching and a customized curriculum for ambitious professionals, including executives, mid-level managers and entrepreneurs.

“Being ranked No. 1 in Georgia is a true testament to the value this program provides our students,” said Thomas Devaney, executive director of the EMBA program. “Our goal is to provide students with the tools they need to advance their careers. Maintaining our top ranking in Georgia is validation that we have created a unique program that is internationally recognized.”

The Executive MBA program is not the only KSU program featured in the CEO Magazine rankings. CEO Magazine ranked KSU’s MBA program a Tier One program and named the online MBA among the best in the world. The magazine also named the Coles College a premier Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) provider in its global listings based on accreditation, quality of faculty, geography and international standing.

Kennesaw State’s DBA program transitioned five years ago to a Ph.D. in Business Administration in which students can pursue concentrations in accounting, information systems, management or marketing.

This year, CEO Magazine included business schools across North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere, and ranked data from 121 schools offering 239 different programs in 24 countries — 76 online, 68 EMBA and 95 full-time and part-time MBA programs.

The Michael J. Coles College of Business is one of the largest business schools in Georgia, with more than 8,000 students and 160 faculty members. The Coles College offers bachelor’s degrees in 10 majors with 16 minors, seven graduate degree programs, dual-degree options and executive education programs.

– Patrick Harbin

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 43,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.