(AUGUSTA, GA)-- Dr. Sardar Yousufzai, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Physics & Environmental Sciences will offer a free six-week chemistry course for middle and high students starting June 6th-July 18th 2013. The free six-week, one -hour course will cover the basic concept of Chemistry through instruction and demonstration. The objective is to prepare students with basic knowledge for science courses. The course will take place on the Paine College campus in Haygood Holsey Hall, Room 220. Students will meet Tuesday and Thursday from 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

“It is something I wanted to do in order to help youth prepare for chemistry in middle and high school,” Yousufzai said. “It is my hope that the youth learn science at an early stage to do better in future.”

Yousufzai’s educational background consists of a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (1967; Agra University India), a Master’s of Science in Microbiology (major) and Organic Chemistry (minor) in 1971 (Panthnagar University, India), a Masters of Philosophy in Biochemistry (1975; Aligarh University, India) and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry (1978; Aligar University, India).

His research experience includes serving as a Post-Doctoral Fellow (Department of Physiology and Department of Nutrition, University of Wisconsin, 1978-1982), a Research Assistant Scientist (Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, 1982-1990), and an Assistant Professor (Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Georgia, 1991-2000).

Space is limited. Dr. Yousufzai is now accepting students. To enroll your youth, please call (706) 860-8992 or email Syousufzai@paine.edu by Monday, June 3, 2013.

For more information on Paine College, please visit http://www.paine.edu, or contact Leah Suggs in the Office of Communications & Marketing at

(706) 821.8322, (803) 524.3195.

Photo caption: Dr. Yousufzai giving demonstration in Free Summer Chemistry Course 2012.

(Augusta, GA) – “Education is the passport to success,” said Jill Andrea Ballesteros.   Ms. Ballesteros, a senior psychology major with an emphasis in counseling, hails from the beautiful city of Los Angeles, California.

 Since her freshman year, Ms. Ballesteros was encouraged to find her passion.  She found that Paine College’s mission to develop students who provide “leadership and service” spoke to the way that she wanted to engage in her collegiate experience. 

She is actively involved in the Paine College Pre-Alumni Council, the National Pre-Alumni Council, Student Government Association (SGA), Sisters on a Mission (SOM), Adopt-A- Freshman, NAACP, Active Minds, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.  Ms. Ballesteros said, “Being a member of these great organizations gives me the opportunity to work with my peers, as well as make an effective change on campus as a student leader/mentor.” 

Ms. Ballesteros is fueled by her own passion and inspires others to aspire.  She serves as a mentor to young girls through the Kids with a Future program at St. Luke’s Methodist Church.

In the fall of 2013, she was inducted into the Kappa Rho Chapter of Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society and her peers honored her by electing her to be the voice of the Paine College student body as the 2013-2014 Student Government Association (SGA) President.

Upon graduating from Paine College, she plans to earn a Master’s degree in Counseling so that she can “be the change she wants to see in the world.” (Mahatma Gandhi).

 For more information on Paine College, please visit http://www.paine.edu, or contact Leah Suggs in the Office of Communications & Marketing at

(706) 821.8322, (803) 524.3195.

Photo caption: Jill Ballesteros, rising senior at Paine College.

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Dear Paine College Alumni and Friends,

Many students who are brilliant and want to have higher education have to depend on scholarships to make their dreams of higher education come true. In this letter, I appeal to you on behalf of many students who need scholarships in order to acquire a higher education.
It is a great honor to be a part of this wonderful cause for Paine College National Alumni Association. I have long believed that all students should have the opportunity to attend college. Having supported my nephews in their journeys through college, I know that it was an unspeakable rewarding experience to see them reach their goals during and after college. However, this is not the case for all students. There are many young adults with bright futures who are unable to attend college simply because they cannot afford the tuition.
That is why I am making a personal effort to support the Paine College National Alumni Association in raising money for the Paine College Scholarship Fund, by being a part of this spectacular event that will take place on Saturday, June 1, 2013, 7:00 p.m., at the Saint Phillips AME Church in Decatur, Georgia.
Please join me in my efforts to support higher education through your participation and sponsorship of this event. I look forward to greeting you during a reception before the Concert and seeing each and every one of you there! Even if you are unable to attend, please contribute to this event to fulfill many dreams to come true through education.

God Bless and see you there,
Dottie Peoples

For more information and to purchase tickets for the PCNAA GospelFEST featuring Dottie Peoples, please visit www.pcnaa.com or call 404.626.4790.

(Augusta, GA) – Paine College recently become the newest campus chapter of Active Minds, Inc., a network of students from across North America who care deeply about eliminating stigma surrounding mental health and who work tirelessly to spread awareness of this important issue on college campuses.

Active Minds is a National organization designed to empower students to change the perceptions about mental illness and behavioral health on college campuses.  It promotes an end to the stigma associated seeking help for emotional and behavioral health problems.

In addition to peer leadership and mental health advocacy, Active Minds encourages research and scholarship. The Emerging Scholars Fellowship program provides an opportunity for students to complete funded, independent mental health projects and to be connected with a network of young scholars and national experts in the field of behavioral health. The program is dedicated to supporting behavioral health research by college-aged scholars.

Active Minds at Paine College is organized under the umbrella of Project HARAMBEE: Promoting Help Seeking,  Emotional Wellness, Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention Initiative, funded by the HBCU- Center for Excellence at Morehouse School of Medicine. The advisor is Associate Professor Department of Social Sciences / Behavioral Science Research Institute, Dr. Adeleri Onisegun who is also the Project Director/Principal Investigator for Project Harambee.

For more information on Paine College, please visit http://www.paine.edu, or contact Leah Suggs in the Office of Communications & Marketing at

(706) 821.8322, (803) 524.3195.

Photo caption: Members of the Paine College Active Minds, Inc. organization.

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 (Augusta, GA) --The Paine College National Alumni Association will present Gospel diva Dottie Peoples in concert Saturday, June 1, 2013 at 7 p.m. in the performing arts auditorium of the Saint Phillips A.M.E. Church located at 240 Candler Road, SE, Decatur, Georgia.  General admission is $20.  VIP tickets are available at $100 and will allow entry for two people and an opportunity to meet Dottie in person in a private reception.  Proceeds will benefit Paine College located in Augusta, GA.  For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.pcnaa.com or call 404.626.4790.

About the Artist

Dottie Peoples’ name embodies the spirit of who she is; a “people” person who continually reaches out to others to uplift, encourage, and inspire. Her music is a call to action, not for one audience, but for everyone, and her style is all her own, though her powerhouse singing has given her the moniker “the gospel Patti LaBelle.”

She has also been honored with comparisons to Mahalia Jackson, Aretha Franklin, and Shirley Caesar in presence, legendary status, and vocal power.

One of ten children, Dottie grew up in Ohio, spending summers in Alabama with her grandmother, Big Mama, and her sister Juanita. Big Mama was a fixture in their old southern church, singing from the choir to her granddaughter Dottie in the front pew.

During the service on those steamy Alabama Sundays, Big Mama would lean over to tell Dottie, who leaned in with big eyes, wide as saucers, and listen to her grandmother promise that one day she would be a singer too. Dottie would respond, “I wanna be like Mahalia Jackson.”

Of course, the rest is history. Those many summers spent ‘livin’ at the church’ with Big Mama took root in Dottie’s heart and her love for singing and sharing the gospel through music turned into her passion and career for life.

While many gospel singers grew up singing with family members, Dottie is quick to point out that her family is no Winans act. Each of the siblings grew up to do different things, leaving Dottie with the mantle of family songstress.

She sang throughout high school and it was after a performance in Dayton, OH, that the World’s Greatest Storyteller, Dorothy Norwood, invited her to join her on the road. Given permission to leave by her mother, she traveled with Dorothy, who was currently enjoying a big hit with “Gotta Be Some Rain In Your Life.”

The tour was significant to Dottie not only because it was her first opportunity to sing in a big concert setting, but because Dorothy’s group was opening for none other than rock and roll giant The Rolling Stones and Pop icon, Stevie Wonder. This experience impacted Dottie tremendously and when she returned home, she continued to perform and work on her music.

Work was an important aspect of Dottie’s life as a young adult as she knew that her father, an employee for GM, needed help providing for her younger brothers and sisters, while her mother took charge of the domestic areas of their family life. Her original plan was to continue her music studies at college, however, she lacked the funding to go to school and did not win the scholarship she applied for.

Undaunted, she continued to sing and work, sure that God was blessing her every step of the way so that she could find ways to continue.

Dottie experimented with different careers including: working at a hospital, at GM with her father, at a law firm and briefly singing jazz in some of the nation’s top nightclubs. Realizing that Jazz was not God’s will for her, she relocated from Ohio to Atlanta, GA and once settled, Dottie joined Salem Baptist Church, home to renowned orator, Reverend Jasper Williams Jr.

Eventually she joined the music staff as a Director and worked in the tape ministry department of the church; in the late seventies Dottie was hired as General Manager of Church Door Records which was owned and operated by the church. She also acted as producer for the pastor, the Salem church choir, and for her first two solo efforts, Surely God is Able (1984) and Is It Worth It All (1987) for the church record label, Church Door Records.

During her stint at Church Door, in 1990, Dottie developed her own radio show, “The Dottie People’s Showcase,” which aired on Atlanta radio’s WAOK for six years. After fourteen years as GM for Church Door Records, Herb Lance, from Revelation Records (a record store), went to Alan Freeman, CEO of AIR (Atlanta International) Records, proclaiming she had too much talent to be managing a record label.

This move was the big break she needed to get her foot in the door as a professional performer and has led her to many successes. Her first cut with AIR, Live At Salem Baptist Church, earned her, her first Stellar nomination for Best Traditional Female Solo Performance and her 1994 release, On Time God reached #1 on gospel charts, sweeping the Stellars in four categories, the GMWA Awards in three and earned her a nomination for Soul Train’s Lady of Soul Award.

Earning nominations and awards in every category available to her, including Best Traditional Gospel Album (Dove Award, 2000) to Traditional Female Vocalist of the Year (Stellar Award, 2004) and other accolades, such as being inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and earning the prestigious James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award (GMWA) has not disrupted Dottie’s personal connection with people.

Her reputation for warmth and compassion precedes her, as she routinely embraces fans with the love and sincerity of a close friend.

Although 56 prestigious awards, nominations, and recognitions fill her resume in addition to countless television appearances, tours and special performances (The Power ’98 tour, singing the National Anthem at Atlanta Braves and Hawks games), Dottie’s mission and principle focus remain intact. Her ministry is people.

She is quick to give credit for her notoriety to the people who have helped her to rise to public acclaim (Bobby Jones, Alan Freeman, radio announcers, fans, her musicians, crew and staff), and speaks tirelessly of wanting to reach others with a timely message of deliverance, the saving grace of God, hope and mercy.

On The Collection: Songs Of Faith, Hope & Love (1998), she compiled her most requested inspirational ballads. The liner notes included testimonies from people deeply touched by her songs, among them this emotional letter: “I was on drugs for eleven years and had no hope in life at all. I tried to kill myself several times. I sold my body for drugs. I stole, cheated and did everything for my habit. I found my life falling apart and having nowhere to go. I had a 9mm pulled on me, but by the grace of God the bullet didn’t come out of the barrel. I heard your song on the radio, and I knew God stepped in “On Time.” This will always be my song of praise.”

Dottie Peoples is one of the most well-loved, respected, and honored vocalists in the industry today. She sings through the rafters, in any range, and fills a concert hall with vibrant energy and genuine class. Her 2005 release, Live in Memphis, He Said It, further proclaims her testimony and underscores the reason why she has risen to such legendary stature in such a short time.

And now Dottie Peoples, the 3 time Grammy nominee, Dove, Soul Train and multiple Stellar Award winner including the 2010 Traditional Female Vocalist of the Year is poised to bless the masses once again! Affectionately known as “The Songbird of The South”, Dottie has maintained an iconic presence in gospel music for over twenty years and now she brings us the first single I Got This from her latest effort, “I Got This – LIVE!” With known classics to include the ever popular “On Time God, Testify, and God Can, to name a few, Ms. Peoples now takes us on a journey delivering her signature traditional style with a contemporary flair and a message for all.

Paine College National Alumni Association Presents:

Gospel FEST

Featuring Dottie Peoples

Saturday, June 1, 2013  - 7pm

Saint Phillips A.M.E. Church

240 Candler Road SE – Decatur, Georgia

General Admission - $20

For more information, visit www.pcnaa.com – 404.626.4790

RADIO -For more information, interviews, servicing or on-air giveaways, please contact Eboni Funderburk of EFG Promotions via email: eboni.funderburk@gmail.com or phone: 615-538-8196.

PRESS – please contact : Chelsey Dickson, TKO Marketing, 615.385.1211, email: chelsey@tkomarketing.net

For more information on Paine College, please visit http://www.paine.edu, or contact Leah Suggs in the Office of Communications & Marketing at (706) 821.8322, (803) 524.3195.

Photo caption: Celebrated gospel artist, Dottie Peoples.

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Dear Paine College Alumni and Friends,

Many students who are brilliant and want to have higher education have to depend on scholarships to make their dreams of higher education come true. In this letter, I appeal to you on behalf of many students who need scholarships in order to acquire a higher education.
It is a great honor to be a part of this wonderful cause for Paine College National Alumni Association. I have long believed that all students should have the opportunity to attend college. Having supported my nephews in their journeys through college, I know that it was an unspeakable rewarding experience to see them reach their goals during and after college. However, this is not the case for all students. There are many young adults with bright futures who are unable to attend college simply because they cannot afford the tuition.
That is why I am making a personal effort to support the Paine College National Alumni Association in raising money for the Paine College Scholarship Fund, by being a part of this spectacular event that will take place on Saturday, June 1, 2013, 7:00 p.m., at the Saint Phillips AME Church in Decatur, Georgia.
Please join me in my efforts to support higher education through your participation and sponsorship of this event. I look forward to greeting you during a reception before the Concert and seeing each and every one of you there! Even if you are unable to attend, please contribute to this event to fulfill many dreams to come true through education.

God Bless and see you there,
Dottie Peoples

For more information and to purchase tickets for the PCNAA GospelFEST featuring Dottie Peoples, please visit www.pcnaa.com or call 404.626.4790.

Dear Paine College Alumni and Friends,

Many students who are brilliant and want to have higher education have to depend on scholarships to make their dreams of higher education come true. In this letter, I appeal to you on behalf of many students who need scholarships in order to acquire a higher education.
It is a great honor to be a part of this wonderful cause for Paine College National Alumni Association. I have long believed that all students should have the opportunity to attend college. Having supported my nephews in their journeys through college, I know that it was an unspeakable rewarding experience to see them reach their goals during and after college. However, this is not the case for all students. There are many young adults with bright futures who are unable to attend college simply because they cannot afford the tuition.
That is why I am making a personal effort to support the Paine College National Alumni Association in raising money for the Paine College Scholarship Fund, by being a part of this spectacular event that will take place on Saturday, June 1, 2013, 7:00 p.m., at the Saint Phillips AME Church in Decatur, Georgia.
Please join me in my efforts to support higher education through your participation and sponsorship of this event. I look forward to greeting you during a reception before the Concert and seeing each and every one of you there! Even if you are unable to attend, please contribute to this event to fulfill many dreams to come true through education.

God Bless and see you there,
Dottie Peoples

For more information and to purchase tickets for the PCNAA GospelFEST featuring Dottie Peoples, please visit www.pcnaa.com or call 404.626.4790.

(Augusta, GA) – Paine College is elated to announce presiding Bishop of the Fifth Episcopal District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Teresa E. Snorton as the keynote speaker at the 131st Baccalaureate Convocation.  The service will take place in the Gilbert-Lambuth Memorial Chapel on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at 3 p.m.   Bishop Snorton is the first female bishop elected to serve in the history of the CME Church.

Bishop Snorton became the 59th bishop elected in the CME Church on June 30, 2010 in Mobile, Alabama.  She was assigned as the presiding bishop of the new Eleventh Episcopal District, which includes eleven countries in Central, Southern and East Africa.  On March 15, 2011 (after the passing of Bishop W.E. Lockett), Bishop Snorton was assigned to the Fifth Episcopal District, which includes the states of Alabama and Florida.

Bishop Snorton served as the Executive Director of the national Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc. for twelve years prior to her election as bishop. Bishop Snorton is a certified ACPE Supervisor and a board certified chaplain. She is a former Executive Director of the Emory Center for Pastoral Services in Atlanta, Georgia.   She has taught at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, the Virginia Commonwealth University and the School of Theology at Virginia Union University.

Bishop Snorton is a fourth generation, life-long CME. Her great-grandfather, father and uncle were all CME pastors and her grandmother was an active missionary. Her two sisters are also CME ministers. As an ordained minister in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, she was a former pastor in Kentucky, and an associate minister in CME churches in Virginia and Georgia.
 

Bishop Snorton has a B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University, a Master of Divinity degree from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, a Master of Theology degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Patient Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
 

Bishop Snorton is the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Miles College and Chair of the CME Department of Lay Ministries.  She is a member of the Society for Pastoral Theology, the CME Chaplains Commission, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and the Pan-Methodist Commission.  She is chair of the Family Life Committee of the World Methodist Council. Prior to her election as Bishop, she was a member of the CME Commission on the Concerns of Women in Ministry for eight years.

 
She is the author of several articles, chapters and books reviews on topics related to pastoral care and ministry.  Recent works include a co-edited work with Dr. Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner, Women Out of Order: Risking Change and Creating Care in a Multi-Cultural World (Fortress Press, 2009) and a chapter in Courageous Conversations: The Teaching and Learning of Pastoral Supervision (University Press of America, 2010).

 
Bishop Snorton has two adult sons and two grandchildren.

For more information on Paine College, please visit http://www.paine.edu, or contact Leah Suggs in the Office of Communications & Marketing at

(706) 821.8322, (803) 524.3195.

Photo caption: Presiding Bishop, Fifth Episcopal District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Teresa Elaine Snorton. Bishop Snorton will give the keynote address at the 131st Baccalaureate Convocation at the Gilbert-Lambuth Memorial Chapel on the campus of Paine College on Saturday, May 11, 2013 at 3 p.m.

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(Augusta, GA) -The Paine College Honors Program is pleased to announce that Fatima Ojeda Rojas has been elected to the Board of Directors for the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC).  NCHC is the professional association for undergraduate collegiate honors programs.  It is a tremendous honor to have a member of the Paine College Honors Program serving in a leadership role for NCHC.

 
A native of Puebla, Mexico, Rojas calls Atlanta, Georgia her home. She is a sophomore Business Management Information Systems major who upon completion of her studies at Paine College plans to continue her studies in computer science at the University of California Berkley. She is interested in providing assistance to communities with little technological accessibility and knowledge in developing countries.

 
“As a Student Board Member, I will not only be able to add diversity and personality to this year’s committee, but also new ideas to persuade students to want to take part in these conferences,” stated Rojas, “Thank you for this great opportunity.”

 
During her tenure at Paine College, Rojas has shown outstanding leadership skills by serving as the vice president of Paine College’s Business Club, president of the French Club, as well as president of the International Student Association (ISA). She is a varsity member of the Paine College Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Team, Wesley Fellowship, and serves on the institution’s Disciplinary Committee. Rojas ultimately plans to start her own software company.

Information from Rojas’s candidacy on the NCHC website: http://nchchonors.org/nominations/2013-bod/board-of-directors-nominees-rojas-fatima/

For more information on Paine College, please visit http://www.paine.edu, or contact Leah Suggs in the Office of Communications & Marketing at (706)821.8322, (803) 524.3195.

Photo caption: Fatima Ojeda Rojas, sophomore Business Management Information Systems major at Paine College. Rojas has been elected to serve the Board of Directors for the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC). 

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(Augusta, GA) – Under the leadership of Dr. Emily Allen-Williams, Paine College Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, the College has been awarded funding as one of 20 Flagship Campuses in a new project entitled "A Network for Understanding the New Europe" (hereafter the New Europe project) as a part of the Getting to Know Europe funding initiative.

This project began in January 2013 with a competitive process to select institutions from Faculty Resource Network membership that were committed to becoming Flagship Campuses in the project.

These 20 Flagship Campuses have agreed to send faculty members as Institutional Ambassadors to the three faculty development seminars based on the faculty member’s area of expertise. These institutions also will provide faculty members with the infrastructure and support for organizing public events on their own campuses.
Williams, the Institutional Liaison Officer for Paine College, has selected the following faculty for participation in this project, which involves three seminars and public forums:

• Dr. Jeffrey R. Thomas (Assistant Professor of Religion) – “Understanding the New Europe:  Immigration” (June 10-14, 2013)
• Dr. Andre Key (Assistant Professor of History) – “Understanding the New Europe:  Politics” (January 13-17, 2014)
• Mr. Robert Jones (Assistant Professor of History/Political Economics) – “Understanding the New Europe:  Economics” (June 9-13, 2014)

At the culmination of the faculty involvement in the seminars, Williams will lead the faculty in working with the Paine College Community and the Greater Augusta/CSRA Region in a series of public forums. A series of six forums will be planned:  three in the Fall Semester 2014 and three in the Spring Semester 2015. Each of the forums will focus on the topics of the three seminars:  Understanding the New Europe:  Immigration, Politics, and Economics.

For more information on Paine College, please visit http://www.paine.edu, or contact Leah Suggs in the Office of Communications & Marketing at
(706) 821.8322, (803) 524.3195.

Photo caption: Paine College's selection as one of 20 flagship institutions to participate in the "Understanding the New Europe" funded by the European Union (logo above) and New York University/Faculty Resource Network.

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