Conversations with Mark Becker

Sally Wallace, dean of Georgia State’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies and an expert on the economics of public policy, talks about the funding and tax implications of the coronavirus crisis in a conversation with Georgia State President Mark Becker.

This week, Georgia State University President talks with a highly regarded researcher who is at the center of coronavirus testing in Georgia. Dr. Julia Hilliard, professor of biology and director of Georgia State’s Viral Immunology Center, is leading a team whose testing has had a major impact on the number of people being checked for COVID-19. She’ll talk about her team’s work in support of the state and its people as well as the challenges associated with performing quick, reliable and accurate tests.

Rajeev Dhawan, director of Georgia State’s Economic Forecasting Center, shares his perspectives on the obstacles facing an economic recovery in the wake of the coronavirus crisis and looks at a possible timetable for business and industry around the world in his conversation with Georgia State President Mark Becker.

Georgia State University President Mark Becker talks with Harry Heiman, a medical doctor and clinical associate professor in the university’s School of Public Health, about the issues and problems government officials are facing in addressing the coronavirus crisis. Heiman, one of the nation’s most widely quoted coronavirus experts, discusses the need to ensure that policies and programs protect all sectors of society equally.

Georgia State University President Mark Becker talks with internationally renowned infectious disease expert Gerardo Chowell about what we can learn from mathematical models he and others around the world are using to track the spread of the coronavirus. Chowell, an epidemiologist in Georgia State’s School of Public Health, has been widely quoted in news media across the country.

In episode 12 of "Conversations with Mark Becker," the Georgia State University president talks with Bill Moses, managing director of education programs at the Kresge Foundation, about the foundation's work in South Africa to overcome the legacy of apartheid and foster success in colleges and universities for students from all backgrounds.

In episode 11 of “Conversations with Mark Becker” the Georgia State University president talks with Kamau Bobb, senior director of the Constellations Center at Georgia Tech and global lead for diversity, strategy and research for Google, about his work to advance equity, fairness and justice in computing education and other technical fields. Bobb says education and knowledge in science, technology, engineering and math, the so-called STEM fields, are key to opening the doors of power to minority students.

The president of Georgia State University talks with Cole Clark, managing director of the Higher Education Group at the international consulting firm, Deloitte, about the obstacles, challenges and issues confronting change in management of higher education institutions. Clark, whose group focuses on making administrative operations at colleges and universities more effective and efficient, discusses trends in organizational changes and the potential of technology to improve administrative processes and services.

In this episode, President Becker talks with DuBois Bowman, dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan, about the value and impact of mentoring in opening opportunities for minorities and women in technical fields. Bowman shares examples of how mentoring shaped his future and how he has made it an important part of his professional career.

Guest host Tim Renick, Georgia State University’s senior vice president for student success, talks with the University of Wisconsin’s Maury Cotter, who is a nationally recognized expert on strategic planning for colleges and universities. Renick and Cotter discuss the keys to developing and implementing a successful strategic plan that can inspire a college or university community and get its members committed to working together to pursue a common vision. Cotter is the co-founder and past-president of the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation in Higher Education (www.ncci-cu.org ), an organization that fosters collaboration among academic institutions.