LIBBY MORRIS With a new academic year underway, it is always interesting to look back at the achievements of the previous year. That’s exactly what we do with the annual IHE Report. The 2016 edition, which primarily covers events and activities from 2015-16, captures the many successes enjoyed by IHE students, faculty and alumni over the past year. We are proud to share news of their awards and honors, new jobs and promotions, and wide-ranging professional accomplishments. This edition also spotlights cutting-edge research by IHE faculty member Manuel Gonzáles Canché, who makes the case for how spatial econometrics and network analysis can strengthen higher education research. As he explains in the article beginning on page 12, testing for potential bias based on spatial dependence is an important component that can lead to better policy and practice decisions. Three IHE programs also are featured in this edition: our long-standing collaborations with higher education institutions and associations in Croatia, our Executive Ed.D. program, and the Georgia College Advising Corps. We have signed a new agreement with the University of Rijeka, brought on a new Ed.D. associate director and welcomed the 4th cohort to this Atlanta-based program, and added a new partner school (Cedar Shoals High School in Athens) to the GCAC program. In reading through the 2016 IHE Report, I was struck by an overarching theme of how students, faculty and alumni collaborate to advance research and to serve state and national policy and program discussions. Comments from recent graduates Denisa Gandara and Jarrett Warshaw (page 4), current student Jason Lee (page 27), and alumnus Tom Bowen (page 31) speak to the unique learning environment offered by the Institute and how that special relationship continues long after students have graduated. By the way, if this edition of the IHE Report looks a bit different, it’s a reflection of the work of editor Sharron Hannon and graphic designer Rick Fiala. Sharron joined the IHE staff in August 2015 after doing public relations work for other University of Georgia units for 25 years. Rick, a former UGA colleague of hers, also worked for Emory University for many years. We were pleased to have them lend their skills to our annual report. And they were ably guided by Susan Sheffield, who has been the lead creator on the IHE Report for many years. Thankfully, Susan returned to IHE part-time following her retirement in March 2016. As anyone familiar with IHE knows, Susan is indispensable! Type of News/Audience: 2016 IHE Report
