At the 16th annual Regents’ Scholarship Gala hosted by the University System of Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp presented the Elridge McMillan Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Wayne Clough, President Emeritus of Georgia Tech and former Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, for his extraordinary leadership and service to public higher education. This award is the highest honor the USG Foundation bestows. Along with this notable recognition is a scholarship award for students from a USG institution.
Dr. Clough has selected South Georgia State College to receive a $30,000 scholarship in honor of Regent Emeritus Elridge McMillan, the namesake of the award. This award will be presented to full-time SGSC students who demonstrate financial need and are in good standing with the college during the 2020-21 academic year.
As a native of Douglas, Clough speaks fondly of his hometown and how it shaped his life. He served as the keynote speaker for the 2018 Commencement at SGSC and has returned to campus to speak to students and encourage them to give back to help others as they have been helped.
“Dr. Clough is a remarkable person who has done so much for higher education in Georgia. We are very fortunate to have such a beloved son who calls Douglas, Georgia, home,” shares SGSC President Dr. Ingrid Thompson-Sellers. “He always finds ways to give back and invest in a community where he has deep roots and humble beginnings. This is the gift of a college education that will continue to bear fruit for years to come.”
The Regents’ Scholarship Gala, hosted by the University System of Georgia (USG) Foundation, raised more than $908,000 from generous sponsors and a live auction to support and provide need-based scholarships for students at USG institutions across the state.
The Gala included special guests such as Gov. Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp as well as individuals representing USG’s 26 institutions, supporters, donors, alumni and sponsors. Also among the attendees were state elected officials, members of the Board of Regents and presidents from USG’s colleges and universities.
The need-based scholarships funded by this gala will be awarded for the 2020-21 academic year. Each institution’s president selects scholarship recipients at their respective campuses. Over the 16 years it has held this annual event, the USG Foundation has awarded more than $16.5 million to support the scholarship program, faculty recognition and key USG initiatives.
The Regents’ Scholarship Gala also honors faculty, alumni and an individual or couple who exemplify true leadership and support of higher education in Georgia.