School of Business and Public Management to Honor Reg Murphy

Brunswick, GA – What’s in a research center name change? According to the dean and faculty of the College’s School of Business and Public Management: much, especially when the name change is to honor a well-known private citizen who is a friend, advocate, volunteer and financial supporter of a public institution. On Thursday evening, October 8, the Coastal Georgia Center for Economic Analysis and Student Research will officially become The Reg Murphy Center for Economic and Policy Studies.

Students, faculty and staff, Foundation trustees, friends of the College and the Murphy family, and members of the community are invited to gather at 6 p.m. in the Stembler Theatre of the Campus Center for the presentation by College President Greg Aloia; Dr. Skip Mounts, Dean of the School of Business and Public Management; Dr. Don Mathews, Professor of Economics and Director of the Center; Buff Levy, President and Editor of The Brunswick News and a College Foundation trustee; Dr. Bee Carlton, Director of Athletics; and Pete Correll, businessman, philanthropist and the 2015 recipient of the College Foundation’s Alaimo Award for Public Service.

“Reg Murphy is the inaugural holder of the College’s endowed chair of the Brown Family Executive-in-Residence. His commitment to this College and to the Golden Isles mirrors the vision of the School of Business and Public Management as we seek the successful economic development of our community and region through education. His dedication and our commitment are laying the building blocks for a dynamic future for our citizens,” Dean Mounts said in making the announcement.

According to Mounts, the Center was established in 2011 to provide a focal point for the local and regional economic research Dr. Mathews had been conducting, both individually and in collaboration with students. “It was part of the process of establishing the School as a resource for the larger community during the College’s transition to a baccalaureate institution. Dr. Mathews’ work continues and more students have begun contributing papers to address areas of interest to the region, such as health needs assessments for counties of southeastern Georgia,” he explained.

As the College’s first executive-in-residence, a position Murphy has held since fall 2012, he engages students in conversations about work and life experiences, career interests and strategies, networking, and courses and extracurricular activities that can help prepare for various careers. Murphy himself has described the position as “sharer-in-chief.”

Murphy’s contributions to the College have been substantial. During 2009, he headed a campus-community Athletic Futures Committee that created the vision and strategy for athletics at the College, which had just become a baccalaureate institution. He is a two-time College of Coastal Georgia Foundation Volunteer of the Year award winner (2011, 2014), the moderator of the Coastal Conversations series on campus, and continues his work and advocacy for the College’s athletic department as a founding member of the Friends of the Mariners. The College’s Murphy-Kuchar Putting Green was named in honor of Murphy and golfer Matt Kuchar, another benefactor of the College campus sports program.

He is a Gainesville, GA, native whose business and public affairs career is extensive. He is vice chairman of the National Geographic Society and served as president and CEO of the Society from 1995-98.  Prior to that, he served as publisher and CEO of the Baltimore Sun, editor of the Atlanta Constitution, and editor and publisher of the San Francisco Examiner. He is on the board of directors of The Omnicom Group, MSD&T Funds, and SIRSI, as well as a trustee of Mercer University and former trustee of Brenau.

An avid golfer, he joined the executive committee of the U.S. Golf Association in 1989, served as chairman of the Championship Committee in 1993, and as USGA president in 1994. He co-chaired the World Amateur Golf Federation in 1994 and captained the U.S. team for the 1998 World Amateur Championship in Santiago, Chile. Murphy was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in February 2015.

“Reg Murphy is many things: gentleman, successful businessman, public affairs executive, non-profit manager, and friend to education. He is also committed to his fellow citizens and their economic freedom and personal liberty. His life history is woven into all of these areas where he has led and excelled,” commented Dr. Mathews. “Not only will renaming the Center honor him, but the name will provide an aspirational namesake for the work of the Center’s scholars and their students. Striving to live up to the standards Reg set for himself and those around him will keep us focused on excellence. The Reg Murphy Center for Economic and Policy Studies will be recognized for its true potential as we encourage and support scholarship, community partnerships, and serve as a repository for faculty and student research.”

A reception will follow the presentation.

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College of Coastal Georgia is an undergraduate college in the University System of Georgia. Located on Georgia’s coast, the College campus is in Brunswick with additional outreach through the Camden Center in Kingsland. The vision of the College is to be a college of choice for students within Georgia and beyond, providing an outstanding education for tomorrow’s leaders and citizens through service learning, global awareness and engaged entrepreneurship. With a strong emphasis on student retention, progression and timely graduation, the College offers baccalaureate degrees in American Studies, Biological Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Health Informatics, Interdisciplinary Studies, Mathematics, Nursing (BSN), Psychology and Public Affairs as well as career associate degrees in Culinary Arts, Clinical Lab Technology, Nursing (ASN) and Radiologic Science. A veterans-friendly campus, the College is a designated Yellow Ribbon School. Approximately 3,000 students are served by more than 200 staff members and a teaching faculty of whom 52% hold doctoral degrees. CCGA is an active participant in the Complete College Georgia initiative designed to support community partnerships and develop the critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills necessary to address the challenges of 21st century economic development and community wellbeing. For more information, visit the College website: https://www.ccga.edu

For Immediate Release 

September 28, 2015

Contact: John Cornell

(912) 279 5703