Our Student Musicians Continue to Amaze Me

On Thursday, Feb. 13, I watched an amazing concert by the Columbus State University Singers and Choral Union, conducted by visiting professor Frode Gundersen and accompanied by Janie Lee Bullock and Susan Hoskins. What a show! From Greek folk songs to Brahms, the performance filled Legacy Hall with incredible sound and reflected the great partnership between the Schwob School and the community, with a number of friends of CSU performing in the Choral Union.

Last night, 17 students in professor Sergiu Schwartz's Violin Studio mesmerized an audience with their Spotlight on Violin! Studio Gala. The students from eight countries and five U.S. states, both undergraduate and graduate, were absolutely superb, and again Susan Hoskins and a very talented graduate student, Alina Sarkisyan, accompanied these students. Professor Schwartz's graduates go on to attend great music graduate programs and perform professionally around the world. A great night for CSU.

Cougar Leadership Conference Holds Promise for Students

Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Gina Sheeks, our vice president for Student Affairs; Collins Brown, assistant director for Student Life and Development; and student leaders OluwaKemi OluwaDamilola Faderin, Mallery Spinks and Victoria Weaver, the Cougar Leadership Conference, with the theme of "Stir Up the Leader in You," is off and running.

Well over 100 CSU students participated in the inaugural event, comprised of a series of engaging workshops and an after-dinner keynote address by acclaimed speaker Justin Jones-Fosu.

This is a most important initiative at our university focused exclusively on developing student leadership talent. In March, participants will have the great pleasure of attending a speech by Dan Amos, chairman and CEO of Aflac. All told, this represents a terrific series of programs for our students.

Regent Kessel Stelling Tells Business Students, Faculty about Progress at Synovus

Our Turner College of Business hosted a terrific lecture this week by Kessel Stelling, chairman and CEO of Synovus, as well as a member of our state Board of Regents.

Regent Stelling gave a fantastic overview of the enormous progress made by Synovus over the past few years. He discussed the TARP repayment, the "ringing of the bell" at the New York Stock Exchange by the Synovus team and the culture that has been so unique and impressive at Synovus.

Former Synovus executive and CSU Foundation trustee Jimmy Yancey was in attendance, as was Gardiner Garrad, CSU Foundation trustee and former Synovus board member. The students and faculty heard great lessons from a great leader. Kudos to Dean Hadley and team.

Governor Offers Vivid Tribute to CSU's Command College

Gov. Nathan Deal has been front and center among state officials warning the public about winter storm threats this week. Yesterday, during a nationally televised news conference, an alumnus with a sharp eye noticed the governor, right, was wearing a bright red jacket bearing the official seal of the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College.

Columbus State has been home to the Command College since 1995, when the university formalized a partnership with the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police. Since then, more than 1,200 law enforcement managers from throughout Georgia and beyond have gone through extensive coursework here to obtain a master's degree specifically tailored to help them do their jobs better.

Command College Director Archie Rainey, a longtime CSU professor of criminal justice, presented the distinctive jacket to the governor in 2011, shortly after he took office. As you can see on the Command College's homepage, Dr. Rainey (standing just to the right of the governor in that photo) was among 15 state law enforcement leaders meeting with the governor at the Capitol that day.

We're proud of the level of professionalism among Georgia law enforcement that our Command College has been able to help foster over the years. The governor's red Command College jacket offers a vivid reminder of the work they do during times of crisis and beyond.

Faculty Artists Offer Gold Medal Performance

Sunday: I joined a packed audience at Legacy Hall to witness a spellbinding concert by professors Alexander Kobrin (piano), Sergiu Schwartz (violin) and Wendy Warner (cello). These three faculty, each holding an endowed distinguished chair in our Schwob School of Music, performed Schubert and Mendelssohn pieces that enthralled an incredibly enthusiastic audience for two hours.

These faculty attract from around the world best-of-class students who enhance our university population and add incredible diversity to our student body. Endowments create a much-needed competitive advantage for public universities, providing a competitive edge in recruiting outstanding faculty.

Of course, our Saunders Center for Music Studies, thanks to the generosity of the Schiffman family, is  an "All-Steinway" facility, and this too is so very important. In the midst of all the Olympic excitement in Sochi, it was incredibly gratifying to see a gold medal performance from our faculty in Uptown Columbus at the RiverCenter's Legacy Hall.

CSU Theatre Offers Powerful Drama in Stop Kiss

Congratulations are in order for these Columbus State University theatre students:

• Quanesha Wilson
• Brooke Pulaski
• Danny Blanda
• Matthew Scott
• Alden Burroughs
• Kayla Reid
• Rachel Wolovick

They all offer compelling performances in CSU Theatre's latest production, Stop Kiss. This powerful drama is directed by professor Becky Becker; professor Sam Renner handles scene and technical design; lighting is the work of professor Scott Parker; sound is by professor Krystal Kennel; and costumes are by professor Steven Graver.

All contributions were exceptional. As I looked at how students in various classes contributed to this production, it reinforced how very fortunate we are to have such a compelling and engaged theatre program at our university.