Honors Day | Press Release

The 14th Annual Honors Conference (formerly Honors Day) is Fast Approaching

The fourteenth annual North Georgia College & State University's Honors Academic Conference (formerly "Honors Day") is on the afternoons of Tuesday, April 7th, and Wednesday, April 8th 2009.

For the fourteenth consecutive year, a diverse and accomplished group of students, faculty and guest speakers will converge on the campus of North Georgia College & State University for the Annual Honors Academic Conference. The conference occurs on Tuesday, April 7th, and Wednesday, April 8th 2009. It is scheduled for 3pm to 7pm each day. It covers the entire campus.

The Honors conference is a forum to showcase student excellence and achievement. Each department selects student papers or projects to present at their appropriate panel. The panels run from 3pm to 7pm each day. The panels will take place on campus, in Hoag auditorium, the Oakes Center, Dunlap Hall, the Health and Natural Sciences Building and the Library and Technology Center, among other locations. An updated schedule is available at the Honors Conference website: http://www.ngcsu.edu/Resource/honors.

In addition to individual student presentations, honor societies and other relevant academic or professional groups will stage related activities. Among others this year, Mountain Laurels, the university’s literary magazine, will present select readings from this year's edition, and the Criminal Justice Association will conduct a mock accident scene investigation (I told you to buckle up!).

In general, student presentations involve significant original research or thinking, often in the form of multimedia presentations (visuals, graphics, video, audio, computer presentations). Many Honors Conference presentations go on to win praise at other academic conferences around the country. Presenters also have the opportunity to publish their work in Honores, the NGCSU Journal of Undergraduate Research.

The conference concludes with the annual Keynote Speaker (formerly the Great Debate). This year’s speaker will be Lieutenant General Russel L. Honoré, United State Army (Retired). He will be speaking on “Building a Culture of Preparedness”.

Lieutenant General Honoré is a native of Lakeland, Louisiana. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry and awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Vocational Agriculture upon graduation from Southern University and A&M College in 1971. He holds a Master of Arts in Human Resources from Troy State University as well as an Honorary Doctorate in Public Administration from Southern University and A&M College, an Honorary Doctorate in Law from Stillman College, an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Virginia State University, and an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Stillman College.

In 2005, LTG Honoré commanded Joint Task Force-Katrina. In that capacity, he led the Department of Defense response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and directed the operations of over 22,000 Service members, 200 aircraft, and 20 ships. In accordance with the leadership and priorities established by LTG Honoré, Joint Task Force-Katrina collaborated with Federal, State and local authorities to coordinate and conduct all response, recovery, and mitigation operations.

LTG Honoré retired from the United States Army on February 29, 2008, following 37 years of active service. He now focuses exclusively on disaster preparedness, response, and recovery activities, with multi-sector integration of emergency management efforts forming the basis of his many anticipated initiatives. Ultimately, LTG Honoré aims to engender within America a strong, integrated, and sustainable Culture of Preparedness. Active and focused involvement in the health care, corporate, non-profit, academic, and government sectors will provide the foundation for accomplishing this mission.

Attendance is free and open to all. For more information, contact the conference’s organizer Dr. Carl Cavalli, at the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice (ccavalli@ngcsu.edu; 706-864-1872) or visit our web site (http://www.ngcsu.edu/Resource/honors).