Dr. Belle S. Wheelan, president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, will address graduates at Georgia Gwinnett College's summer commencement ceremony at 10 a.m., Aug. 4 at the Gwinnett Center, located at 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth. About 150 students will be awarded bachelor's degrees at the ceremony.
"GGC achieved its first SACSCOC accreditation in record time in 2009 and reaffirmed its accreditation in 2014, both important milestones for the college," said Dr. Stas Preczewski, president. "It is fitting that Dr. Wheelan will appear as a commencement speaker during our 10th anniversary year, and we are delighted to welcome her to campus."
Wheelan's is the first African American and/or woman to serve in her current role, as well as several of her previous positions. Her 40-year career began as a faculty member before moving onto roles including chief student services officer, campus provost, college president and Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Wheelan holds a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin in educational administration with a special concentration in community college leadership.
She has received numerous awards and recognitions including four honorary degrees: Washingtonian Magazine's 100 Most Powerful Women in Washington, D.C. in 2001; the AAUW Woman of Distinction Award for 2002; the John E. Roueche National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development's International Leadership Award in 2010; the 2011 AACC Leadership Award; and the Educational Testing Service Terry O'Banion Prize in Education from the League for Innovation in Community Colleges.
Georgia Gwinnett College opened its doors in August 2006 as the nation's first four-year public college founded in the 21st century, and the first four-year public college founded in Georgia in more than 100 years. The college is currently celebrating ten years since the Georgia Legislature established the new college in Gwinnett.
In 2014, GGC was ranked the #5 top Southern regional public college by U.S. News & World Report magazine. The magazine ranked GGC the most ethnically diverse Southern regional college, both public and private, for 2015, emphasizing the college's reflection of Gwinnett's diverse community. The magazine also recognized GGC as having the lowest in-state tuition and fees of its ranked Georgia public colleges.
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