ATLANTA – Kennesaw
State University is the latest University System of Georgia institution to
offer a master’s degree in the fast-growing field of cybersecurity.
The
university system’s Board of Regents voted Tuesday to launch a 30-hour master
of science program with a major in cybersecurity at Kennesaw State.
Georgia is a
hotbed in the cybersecurity industry, ranking third in the nation with more
than 115 companies involved in information security generating more than $4.7
billion in annual revenue. Nationally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
forecasts a 31.6% increase for information security analysts, far exceeding the
average growth rate for all occupations of about 3.9%.
In
determining whether to start the master’s program, officials at Kennesaw State conducted
a survey of more than 250 industry executives, students and alumni. More than
96% of the students and alumni who responded supported the idea, while more
than 70% indicated an interest in enrolling if the program were offered.
Taking
notice of the growing interest in cybersecurity, several University System of
Georgia institutions have begun similar programs during the last several years.
Georgia Tech and Columbus State University now offer master’s degrees in
cybersecurity, Augusta University has a master’s program in information
security management and master’s degrees in information technology are available
at Georgia Southern University and Middle Georgia State University.
“Cybersecurity
is a large umbrella label for a lot of different specialized degrees,” said
Tristan Denley, the system’s executive vice chancellor of academic affairs. “I
expect we will see both undergraduate and graduate programs grow and flourish.”
Specifically,
students in the new program will learn how to prepare for, respond to and
recover from cybersecurity threats and incidents, manage cybersecurity risk,
lead companies’ cyber operations and learn how to apply the right tools and
strategies to solve real-world problems.
There also
will be a nine-hour foundation pathway for students entering the master’s
program who did not major in fields related to cybersecurity as undergraduates.
Since many
of the program’s enrollees likely will be non-traditional students holding down
jobs, it could take up to two and a half years to complete the degree.
Kennesaw
State will not need additional space or resources to run the program. Tuition will
be set at KSU’s current graduate rate.
The Nathan Deal Judicial Center in downtown Atlanta (Photo by Beau Evans)
ATLANTA – Criminal justice reform and judicial impartiality in Georgia were urged by prominent officials including U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at a dedication ceremony for the state’s new court building Tuesday.
Completed last year, the Nathan Deal Judicial Center building sits on six acres in downtown Atlanta, a stone’s throw from the Georgia Capitol.
It is among the most expensive state-funded facility in Georgia history, totaling roughly $130 million in construction costs.
The building now houses the Georgia Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals of Georgia, whose justices, judges and their staff took up residence in December. It is the only facility of its kind in Georgia dedicated exclusively for court purposes.
The old Georgia Archives building, dubbed the “white ice cube,” previously occupied the spot at Capitol Avenue and Memorial Drive before it was demolished in 2017.
Thomas, a Georgia native who grew up in Pin Point outside Savannah, called the new building “a magnificent architectural achievement” that reflects the rule-of-law principles on which the country was founded.
Speaking before Georgia’s top political leadership Tuesday, he urged judges in the state to swat away the tempting sway of political pressures and public opinion.
“Our decisions should not be driven by a desire to be revered or lionized for reaching certain outcomes,” Thomas said. “We are not mass-media icons. We are judges, nothing more, and nothing less.”
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas speaks at the dedication ceremony for the Nathan Deal Judicial Center. (Photo by Beau Evans)
Thomas also said the building is fitting testament to the criminal justice reforms enacted during the tenure of its namesake, former Gov. Nathan Deal.
Deal’s two terms in office saw passage of several initiatives aimed at deterring crime rather than punishing it, including creation of Georgia’s accountability courts.
His successor, current Gov. Brian Kemp, is facing criticism for proposed cuts in his fiscal year 2020 and 2021 budgets that would reduce funding for accountability courts and other aspects of the justice system like public defenders.
Kemp praised the former governor’s criminal justice initiatives at Tuesday’s dedication ceremony, saying his administration is “proud to build on [Deal’s legacy].”
“His work fundamentally changed the way we view nonviolent offenders, winning support from both sides of the aisle,” Kemp said.
Roundly lauded Tuesday, the costly project brought Deal criticism when initial funding for its design flew under the radar in 2014.
Government watchdogs pounced on the high price tag, poised to be the most expensive building ever undertaken by the state.
Court officials, meanwhile, stressed the courts’ old location directly across Mitchell Street from the Capitol was in dire need of an upgrade after decades of use.
On Tuesday, Deal thanked state lawmakers for signing off on funding the new facility, which officials say is projected to last for 100 years.
“This building is the prime example of our belief in the rule of law,” Deal said.
ATLANTA – Georgia
tax collections were up 4.5% last month compared to January of last year,
welcome news for state lawmakers trying to come to grips with budget cuts ordered
by Gov. Brian Kemp.
The state
Department of Revenue brought in nearly $2.36 billion in taxes in January, an
increase of $100.8 million over the same month in 2019.
However, the
news wasn’t as positive when it comes to year-to-date tax revenues. During the
first seven months of fiscal 2020, the state collected $14.21 billion, just
0.9% above the same period the year before.
That’s not
nearly enough to keep up with projected revenue growth. With tax revenues
sluggish during most of 2019, Kemp instructed state agencies last August to
reduce spending by 4% during the current fiscal year and 6% in fiscal 2021,
which begins July 1.
The
challenge of making those cuts while preserving vital state programs and
services prompted House Speaker David Ralston to call time out on the 2020
legislative session last week. Members of the House Appropriations Committee
are using the break to take a deeper dive into the governor’s spending proposals
for the various departments.
Individual
income taxes last month nearly mirrored the overall results, increasing by 4.3%
over January of last year. Net sales tax receipts were up by 4.6%, while
corporate income tax collections rose 28.2%, an increase in tax payments
exceeding a rise in refunds.
ATLANTA – Georgia notched big international trade numbers last year despite a dip in business with China amid tensions fueled by tariffs.
Aircraft and auto makers, medical-device manufacturers,
farmers and forestry industries in Georgia drove $41.2 billion in exports
worldwide, which the state Department of Economic Development declared to be a
record.
Exports to three of the state’s largest
trading partners – Canada, Mexico and China – fell by more than 10% compared to
2018. Trade dropped particularly with China, which took in 20% fewer exports at
$2.3 billion.
Germany and Singapore offset that decrease by boosting their imports of Georgia-made airplanes, gas turbines and automobiles. Combined, those two countries saw a roughly 23% increase in exports, according to an annual report the economic development agency released Monday.
The report follows Gov. Brian Kemp’s trip to Germany last month to bolster economic ties between the two countries.
The governor touted the new 2019 figures Monday as proof of the state’s economic strength amid signs of national uncertainty. Kemp has called for budget cuts to state agencies this fiscal year and next partly out of concerns over future economic slowdown.
“Our state’s top-notch logistics network
and services are customized across all industry sectors and regions, and
hard-working Georgians continue to create products in demand across the globe,”
Kemp said.
Exports of agricultural products like
poultry, cotton and peanuts stayed flat at around $4.2 billion, according to
the report.
Georgia also boosted imports from other
countries, though China still lagged by about 16% compared to 2018. The state
took in more than $100 billion in imports last year.
U.S. and Chinese officials struck the
first phase of a two-part trade deal last month aimed at easing tensions
brought by tariffs President Donald Trump imposed to curb trade-secret theft.
The Savannah Harbor Deepening project is well past the halfway mark. Photo by Georgia Ports Authority
ATLANTA – The
$4.8 trillion federal budget President Donald Trump submitted to Congress
Monday includes $93.6 million to keep the Savannah Harbor deepening project on
track for completion.
If Congress
appropriates the money, fiscal 2021 would become the fourth year in a row the $1
billion project receives its full complement of federal funding.
“President
Trump continues to make Georgia’s infrastructure projects a top priority,” said
U.S. Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga. “After 20 years of attempts to deepen the port
five feet to accommodate the larger Post Panamax ships, the Trump
administration has [the harbor deepening project] on track for completion.”
“Georgia’s
ports are the lifeblood of our local economies, supporting tens of thousands of
jobs across the state and ensuring that our hometown products have access to
global markets,” added Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga. “With the inclusion of [this]
critical funding … we are closer than ever to delivering this project and all
its benefits to Georgia and the entire nation.”
The state of
Georgia put in a major portion of the early funding of the harbor project, contributing
the state’s full share of $266 million by 2014, while federal funding of the
project lagged. The feds started putting up more money after the state’s congressional
delegation called on Trump in December 2017 to include the project in his
fiscal 2019 budget request.
“The project
is now well past the halfway mark thanks to continued support by the administration
and the Georgia congressional delegation to see this critical national
infrastructure project through to completion,” said Griff Lynch, executive
director of the Georgia Ports Authority. “Due to this collective effort,
dredging should be completed by the end of next year.”
