The Office of Continuing Education at Southern Polytechnic State University has hired Bob Maholchic as Project Manager for Yamacraw. Maholchic will be instrumental in developing a Yamacraw-related certificate program in Embedded Systems this summer.

    The Yamacraw project, launched in 1999 by Governor Barnes, is a strategic initiative to make the state of Georgia the global leader in designing high-bandwidth communications systems and components. It is expected to dramatically increase the number of high-tech companies and employees in Georgia within the next five years.

    "I'm excited to be here at Southern Polytechnic, and to be part of the Yamacraw project. It's a wonderful opportunity to educate students and individuals from the business world. I hope that Yamacraw can make Georgia another Silicon Valley," said Maholchic.

    Maholchic has already worked with SPSU faculty and staff and industry representatives to develop a series of courses that will form the certificate program. The first class, "Introduction to Embedded Systems," will be taught this summer, followed by others in software-development training. After the initial set of courses have been developed, SPSU will be collaborating with other state universities for subsequent certificate course offerings in the fall. In addition to Continuing Education certificate programs, work will continue on both undergraduate and graduate Yamacraw degree programs.

    Maholchic comes to Southern Polytechnic after spending a year in the private sector with a consulting and management company and 20 years in the U.S. Navy.