Regents’ Excellence Awards Celebration to be held March 28

The 5th Annual Regents’ Awards for Excellence in Education will be held on March 28, 2009, at the Marriott Marquis Atlanta.

This black-tie event, the primary fund-raiser for the University System of Georgia Foundation, celebrates and recognizes the successes of Georgia’s students as well as outstanding University System faculty and alumni. Additionally, the event honors an individual for extraordinary service to higher education in Georgia through the presentation of the Elridge McMillan Lifetime Achievement Award. It is the one night of the year when representatives of the corporate, philanthropic and education com-munities come together to celebrate higher education in Georgia.

Twelve institutions will be honored this year through the awards presentations and also through the scheduled student per-formances and student ambassadors on hand that evening.

Proceeds from the event go to support USG institutions by: providing funding for the President’s Choice Scholarships to students representing every institution in the University System and the Regents’ Foundation Scholarships; promoting academic excellence through the recognition of outstanding faculty honored at this prestigious event; and building the Foundation corpus to ensure the sustainability of continued support of the University System and the institutions.

Two young USG scholars will speak at the event:

• Tanya Rafferty, a student at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College majoring in diversified agriculture, is the recipient of the Regents Foundation Scholarship. She plans to obtain a bachelor of applied science degree in order to achieve her goal of owning and operating an equine breeding and training program; and

• Nicole Williams, a student at Atlanta Metropolitan College majoring in biology, is the recipient of the President’s Choice Scholarship. She plans to attend a USG four-year institution to complete her bachelor’s degree, and then a master’s degree.

The program starts at 6 p.m. with a reception and a silent auction that will feature faculty and student works of art, along with numerous other items donated by companies and individuals. Dinner, followed by the awards program, begins at 7:30 p.m.