Category: News

Piedmont MBA Grad Opens Salon to Fulfill Dream She Shared with Deceased Sister

Just as she always planned, Pamela Johnson-Upson is using her Master of Business Administration degree to manage the hair salon she dreamed of opening with her sister. What wasn’t in Johnson-Upson’s plan: losing her sister and instead opening the salon in her memory. “I think she would be very happy; I hope she is when…

Piedmont Athletic Training Grad Finds Work-Life Balance, Satisfaction in Her Job

When she decided to major in athletic training, Logan Ruck Johnson envisioned herself working on the sidelines, helping players recover from injuries and perform to their peak ability. Instead, her career led her to a factory, to a position that fits her life perfectly, and to work that carries deeper meaning than she could have…

Piedmont University Alumna Returning to Campus to Premier Exhibit Focused on College Mental Health Issues

Piedmont University alumna Karen Shayne will return to campus to premier UNTOLD: The Campus Diaries, a storytelling exhibit dedicated to raising awareness of mental health issues among college students. There could be no better location for the event, Shayne said, “because it all started at Piedmont.” A Demorest native who graduated from Habersham Central High…

Piedmont’s Career Services Department Shares Five Tips for Negotiating Higher Salaries

Career Services Director Lisa Mann has seen it happen time and again: Job seekers get to the negotiation table and, for a variety of reasons, fail to walk away with every last cent or benefit they could have received. A few years ago, she decided to do something about it. Mann earned her Smart Start…

Two-Time Piedmont Alumna Is One of 10 Finalists for Georgia Teacher of the Year

Chelsea Leming

Two-time Piedmont University alumna Chelsea Leming is a finalist for Georgia Teacher of the Year. Leming, a fifth-grade teacher at Indian Knoll Elementary School in Canton, is one of 10 educators vying for the statewide title. Earlier this school year, she was named Teacher of the Year for the Cherokee County School District. She earned…

Relationship with Professor Gives Lightsey Courage to Pursue Dream

On March 17, Vocal Performance major Kristy Lightsey will perform her senior recital in the Piedmont University Chapel. It will be the culmination of four years spent learning from and working with music professor Dr. Andrea Price. Lightsey was a junior in high school attending the Fine Arts College Experience (FACE) on Piedmont’s Demorest campus…

Piedmont University’s Annual Disaster Drill Set for March 23 at Demorest Campus

Piedmont University’s annual disaster drill, an elaborate, interdisciplinary training exercise that allows students to collaborate with local public safety agencies, will take place March 23. The scenario: Suspicious packages, possibly bombs, placed on the Demorest campus. “The disaster drill has grown tremendously in size, scope and realism over the past few years,” said Karen Greilich,…

Piedmont University to Premier Original Musical Work About Civil Rights Activist Lillian E. Smith

Piedmont University will premier an original musical work titled “How Am I to Be Heard?” about the life and pioneering work of civil rights activist Lillian E. Smith. Smith was a writer who penned the best-selling novel “Strange Fruit,” about an interracial relationship that takes place in Georgia in the 1920s. She was also active…

A Piedmont University Degree Is One of the State’s Best Returns on Investment, New Study Finds

Piedmont University provides graduates with one of the best returns on investment among all the state’s private, nonprofit educational institutions, according to a new study by Georgetown University. “Piedmont University prides itself on offering an exceptional educational experience designed to prepare students for success in their intended careers,” said Piedmont President James F. Mellichamp. “The…

Piedmont Business Alumna Now Regional VP of Global Financial Firm, Helps Clients’ ‘Dreams Come True’

As the regional vice president of a global investment firm, Maryrose Burns strives to build relationships with her clients, to know the people behind the portfolios, and to help them make their financial dreams come true. To accomplish her goal, she draws on her experiences at Piedmont University, where she thrived in small classes that…