Macon Magazine

mine victims and other amputees with high-quality but low-cost prosthetics developed in our laboratories. "I see it in a program where chemists working with students have designed technology that protects gold miners in South America from mercury contamination," Underwood continued. "Better than any university, Mercer integrates the service mission of the university with its research mission to positively change the lives of its students and those who are being served." Underwood said Mercer's connection to both Macon and the world is substantial. "Prospective students who visit our campus can't help but feel the genuine warmth of this community, a place where people authentically care about one another," he said. "In turn, perhaps Mercer's most important contribution to Macon is attracting, developing, and retaining talented, creative, and diverse leaders for our community. As Mercer continues to grow as an institution, my hope is that this contribution will grow with us." • • • GEORGIA COLLEGE & STATE UNIVERSITY: President Cathy Cox "G eorgia provides a rich array of higher education options for students, and middle Georgia, especially, has something to fit every student's choice," explained Cathy Cox, president of Georgia College & State University. GCSU's strengths are many, she said. Though she's only just finished her first year at Georgia College, President Cox said she's learned a great deal about the institution. "I knew coming in that GCSU was one of the three selective-admissions universities in the University System of Georgia [University of Georgia and Georgia Tech being the other two], but I've learned how central that is to what we do and how we do it," she explained. "By being able to admit some of the very brightest students in the state, we also attract and retain strong faculty who challenge these top students to do amazing things in research, leadership, creative pursuits, service, and more." President Cox came to GCSU from Mercer University, where she was dean of the School of Law. Prior to that appointment, Cox previously served as Georgia's secretary of state, served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, and was the 21st president of Young Harris College. She holds an associate degree in agriculture from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a juris doctorate from Mercer University's Walter F. George School of Law. Georgia College has a very special "niche" in the higher education market, according to Cox. "For the past 25 years, GCSU has been the state's designated public liberal arts university," she said. "That's a very special designation that changed the mode of teaching, the curriculum, the experiential learning opportunities, and the entire campus experience to provide opportunities very much like a private liberal arts university at a public college price." GCSU also offers a unique pre-med mentoring program unlike any other in the state, Cox said. "It prepares them to be successful in medical school and in practice afterward. It's an intensive, application-admission program that meets essentially for a full year, although some students choose to stay longer. We have a 100 percent success rate in getting students admitted to medical school," she said. There's even more to brag about at GCSU. "Georgia College has the highest graduation rate of any public NCAA Division II university in the country," Cox said. "Not just in Georgia, but in the whole country! Our student-athletes are not just superb athletes, they are incredible students focused on careers, graduate schools, and truly changing the world." Georgia College has been focused on leadership since its earliest days as a women's college founded in 1899, Cox explained. "We've been co-ed for 55 years now, and still make leadership a central tenant of what we teach, and what we expect of our graduates. "Good leaders matter, and we aim to grow them at Georgia College," Cox continued. "As a new president, I've got plenty of hope for continued growth at GCSU. I hope we can elevate our stature and raise our profile even further as we go through a new strategic planning process in the coming year. In all that we do, we want to be innovative in our approach to the best of higher education." • • • CENTRAL GEORGIA TECHNICAL COLLEGE: President Ivan H. Allen P resident Allen has a long history of growing Middle Georgia's technical colleges. In 2005 he was selected to serve as president of Middle Georgia Technical College in Warner Robins; in PHOTO COURTESY OF GEORGIA COLLEGE 64 maconmagazine.com | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2022

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