The University System of Georgia (USG) has awarded the Georgia State University Military Outreach Center with a 2017 Chancellor’s Service Excellence award.
Georgia State’s Office of International Initiatives and the Mentoring Initiative for New Americans (MINA) program at Georgia State’s Perimeter College also were recognized, receiving honorable mentions for delivering program efficiencies and effective student support services, respectively.
Mark Eister, director of military outreach for Georgia State University, and his staff received the bronze award for Service Excellence Team of the Year, in part, for increasing by 9 percent the number of first-year military students who return to college for a second year.
“I am extremely grateful to work with such an outstanding Military Outreach Center staff,” Eister said. “This award truly reflects the incredible job each and every one of them does each day in serving, supporting and assisting our great student veterans.”
Georgia State’s military outreach team serves more than 2,800 military-connected students, the largest group in the state’s university system. The center is recognized as a national model, with multiple independent organizations ranking it as a “Top School” for veterans and among the best in the nation for service, support, guidance and assistance given to veteran and current military students.
Military Outreach centers operate on every Georgia State campus to help students with class advising, counseling and internship and volunteer referrals. MOC’s also provide resources to assist veterans with food, housing, drug/alcohol abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Georgia State’s Office of International Initiatives is responsible for the strategic integration and coordination of the university’s global initiatives, partnerships, grants, program development and management, events and activities, and study abroad programs.
MINA, an international initiative program, pairs refugees and immigrants seeking admission to Perimeter College with student mentors already attending Perimeter.
The awards ceremony took place Dec. 5 at the new Georgia State University stadium. The USG acknowledged 21 programs and initiatives from among 300 nominations submitted from schools throughout the state for this year’s Chancellor’s awards. USG
Chancellor Steve Wrigley and Vice Chancellor John Fuchko offered words of inspiration, while Dr. Risa Palm, Georgia State’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs welcomed guests.
The Chancellor’s annual awards program started 10 years ago to recognize and reward employees for demonstrating consistently high levels of performance while accomplishing normal job responsibilities.
Photo Captions: Above: Vice Chancellor John Fuchko congratulates Mark Eister, director of military outreach for Georgia State, as he presents the Chancellor's Award. Below: Georgia State University’s University System of Georgia Chancellor Service Excellence Award recipients attend a Dec. 5 ceremony to honor their achievements. Pictured (front row, from left): Olumide Okeowo, Office of International Initiatives (OII); David Garcia, Military Outreach Center (MOC); Susan Soper, MOC; Dr. Peter Lyons, dean and vice provost for Georgia State's Perimeter College; Dr. Risa Palm, Georgia State senior vice president for academic affairs and provost; Mark Eister, director of military outreach; Natascha Nichols, MOC; Fran Mohr, director for Customer Experience and Change Management and awards program co-coordinator; (back row, from left) John Cockingham, MOC; Kike Ehigiator, OII; John Douglas, MOC; Nathan Gholston, MOC; Dr. Mary Helen O’Connor, OII.