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GSW hosted the inaugural Gold Force Gala on Saturday, Jan. 21 in the GSW Storm Dome with over 230 guests raising money for student scholarships as part of the ongoing Propel campaign.
The sold-out event began with a cocktail reception and silent auction followed by dinner and the Alumni Awards ceremony then live music by the Main Stream Band to close out the evening.
“In our first-ever Gold Force Gala, the University wanted the community of GSW Alumni and Friends to know how much their accomplishments and service mean to us,” said Stephen Snyder, executive director of the GSW Foundation and AVP of Advancement. “We also wanted to highlight the importance of giving back and how impactful scholarship dollars can be to our students. I believe we accomplished all of that. It was a wonderful, beautiful night, and I am so appreciative to everyone who was involved with the planning of the event. I am looking forward to next year!”
Read more about the Gala and the Outstanding Alumni Awardees here. The full album of photos is available on GSW's Facebook page and at gsw.edu/GoldForceGala.
Twenty-five students have been selected to one of Georgia Southwestern State University’s most prestigious and oldest organizations on campus, the GSW Marshals.
Founded in 1939, the GSW Marshals is an ambassador program designed to serve as university hosts for special events including commencement, convocations and donor receptions among others. Students must be recommended by GSW faculty or staff for their leadership ability, communication skills and enthusiasm for the University. They go through an extensive application and interview process before they are able to be trained in this position.
For the full list of Marshals, read more here.
GSW and Andrew College recently signed a Pathway Memorandum of Understanding that is designed to ensure a smooth transition from associate degree programs at Andrew to GSW’s Bachelor’s degree program in Long-Term Care Management (LTCM) program.
Through the Pathway Program agreement, all students interested in a career in Long-Term Care Management can continue online and/or in classroom settings. Andrew graduates who have completed the appropriate degree (Associate of Science in Nursing or Associate of Science in Respiratory Therapy) that is required in the LTCM curriculum can take advantage of this opportunity.
“We are excited to partner with Andrew College in educating the caregivers our aging and disabled communities desperately need,” said GSW President Neal Weaver, Ph.D. “We hope that in simplifying the transition from institution to institution, more students are encouraged to pursue long-term care as a career.”
Read more about the agreement here.
A quilt raffle raised $1,810 for the upcoming nursing study away program in March. The queen-sized quilt was handmade by Lecturers of Nursing Rhonda Slocumb and Natasha Snider, who also organized the raffle. Slocumb and Snider spent many hours handstitching the quilt after Snider had the idea for the fundraiser.
Over Spring Break 2023, eight nursing students will be working at a Fuller Center for Housing site in Mayfield, Ky., which was destroyed by a tornado in December 2021. The town is still in the process of being rebuilt. The students will also visit a mental health center and food bank to learn about mental health and poverty in the community and a quilt museum and Land Between the Lakes National Park for recreational activities.
The raffle winner was Josh Harrison.
On Thursday, February 9, the School of Nursing will be hosting a Souper Bowl fundraiser to provide further funding for the trip. From 11:00am to 1:30pm inside Carter I, bowls of chili, broccoli cheese, potato, burnswick stew, and more soups will be available for $10, including a drink and a handmade bowl cozy. Empty bowls with drinks will also be available for $6.
For details about the Souper Bowl event, email Rhonda Slocumb or Natasha Snider.
The Georgia Southwestern State University softball team is picked to finish third out of 10 teams in the Peach Belt Conference in 2023 according to the preseason coaches poll released by the league this afternoon. GSW infielders Katelyn Wood and Zoe Willis were named to the PBC preseason All-Conference team.
GSW will open its 2023 season next weekend, Feb. 3-4, at the Flagler Invitational in St. Augustine, Fla.
The preseason coaches poll is below along with the preseason All-Conference team. Each was selected by the league's head coaches who were not permitted to rank their own teams in the poll or vote for their own players for the All-Conference team.
Read more here.
At the most recent meeting of the Association of Global South Studies (AGSS), Brian Parkinson, Ph.D., was elected Vice-President/President-Elect of the association. He will serve as the Vice-President of the AGSS in 2023 and as President in 2024.
Parkinson is a professor in the Department of History and Political Science.
The AGSS, the professional organization formerly known as the Association of Third World Studies, originated because of the vision and life’s work of Harold Isaacs, long-time professor of Latin American history at GSW.
The GSW baseball team is picked to finish fourth out of 11 teams in the Peach Belt Conference in 2023 according to the preseason coaches poll released by the league this afternoon. GSW catcher Gregory Wozniak was named to the PBC preseason All-Conference team.
GSW will open its 2023 season next Friday, Feb. 3, at Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Each was selected by the league's head coaches who were not permitted to rank their own teams in the poll or vote for their own players for the All-Conference team.
Read more here.
GSW receives $13K grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to promote alcohol awarenessGSW is proud to announce the receipt of $12,595.60 to participate in the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) Georgia Young Adult Program (GYAP). The GOHS addresses young adult driver crashes, injuries and fatalities, and partners with colleges and universities throughout the state to implement this program.
With the grant funds, GSW iHelp Peer Educators plan to host workshops and events on alcohol awareness. The mission of iHelp Peer Educators is to encourage GSW students to make healthy, low-risk lifestyle choices by promoting low-risk drinking behaviors, and educating students, faculty, and staff about alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse. GSW also plans to communicate the dangers of alcohol abuse throughout the school year by email and on social media.
Read more about this GOHS grant here.
Assistant Director of Experiential Learning Judy Orton Grissett, Ph.D., is serving as the 2022-2023 Chair of the USG Regents Administrative Committee on Community Engagement and Service. For a full list of administrative committees, click here.
Georgia Southwestern hosted its 43rd annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation in the GSW Student Success Center Convocation Hall on Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 11 a.m. with GSW alumnus Brandon Blue serving as keynote speaker. This year’s theme for the convocation was “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community.’” The ceremony also included performances from the GSW Concert Choir and Southwest Civic Chorus, Sumter County High School Gospel Choir, and the GSW Gospel Choir and an original painting of MLK by junior GSW visual arts major Shila Tucker.
The MLK Convocation is sponsored by the African American Male Institute (AAMI), GSW’s Division of Business and Finance, GSW MLK Convocation Committee, GSW Gospel Choir, National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), Strong United Assertive Virtuous Educated Women (SUAVE), Division of Student Engagement and Success (SES), and Student Government Association (SGA).
A recording of the event is available on GSW's YouTube channel, and photos are available on GSW's Facebook page.
Every college graduate has a story to tell, a journey of facing obstacles through the course of their studies and pushing forward to make it across that stage on graduation day.
Considering the world has faced an unprecedented health crisis in the past two years with COVID-19, many recent graduates have dramatic stories to tell, whether the virus impacted their health, their schooling, their jobs, or all of the above.
And then there are some graduation stories that stand out; they leave a mark on us, lift us up, inspire us, and enlarge our faith in the human spirit—like the story of Sarah Mathis.
Sarah was born with biliary atresia—a rare, congenital liver disease that can only be cured by a liver transplant. With a combination of procedures and medications, doctors were able to control her condition for 18 years, until, as a senior in high school, Sarah underwent her first liver transplant in the fall of 2017. “I was strong and healthy at the time, but my medications weren’t as effective anymore,” says Sarah. “We knew at some point I would need a new liver…I was determined after my surgery to get back to school and finish my senior year.”
Read more about Sarah's journey to graduation here.
Curtis Raines, a sophomore from Thomaston, Ga., was name the GSW African American Male Institute (AAMI) Student of the Month for his dedication to his academics, AAMI and his positive spirit toward his goal of becoming a graduate of GSW.
Raines is an accounting major in the College of Business and Computing.
Langley, Williams named PBC Players of the WeekGSW junior forward Kayla Langley was named Peach Belt Conference women's basketball Player of the Week for the week of December 12, 2022.
Langley had a pair of double-doubles in two wins for the 15th-ranked Hurricanes, averaging 19 points and 13 rebounds per game. She opened with 17 points and 12 boards in a win over Albany State, then followed that with a game-high 21 points and 14 rebounds in a win at Augusta in the conference opener, handing the Jaguars only their second loss of the season. She shot 58% (15-26) from the floor, hit eight of 10 free throws and added two blocks, two steals and an assist.
Langley is currently ranked fourth in the PBC in rebounding, 10th in blocks and 13th in scoring.
Jolocia "Jojo" Williams was named PBC women's basketball Player of the Week for the week of January 30, 2023.
Williams led the conference-leading Hurricanes in back-to-back wins last week as they opened up a three-game lead in the standings. The senior guard from Natchitoches, La., scored 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting in a win over Columbus State, then scored 20 in a win over Young Harris. She hit 12 total three-pointers in the two games combined, making more than both opposing teams, finishing the week at 55% from long range (12-22) and 61% (19-31) from the field. She added 3.0 steals, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Her 30 against CSU is tied for the second-most in a single game in the PBC this season and her eight made threes is also the second-most in a single game.
Williams is currently sixth in the PBC in scoring, fourth in three-point percentage, second in three-pointers made per game and second in steals.
Elementary Education major Parker Matre was featured in the Winter 2023 issues of PAGE One Magazine, published by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators. Matre was featured as one of several students who are currently receiving PAGE Foundation Scholarships. Read her full profile here.
On Dec. 1, Associate Professor Susan Bragg, Ph.D. presented a lecture on African American artist William H. Johnson at the Albany Art Museum. Johnson’s "Fighters for Freedom" paintings of the 1940s demonstrates the impact of WWII on American civil rights struggle. Depicting a broad variety of African American freedom activists, including Nat Turner, Marcus Garvey, Mary McLeod Bethune, and others, Johnson also sought to emphasize black history as a “usable past” for challenging inequality during the war years. Paintings from this series were made available for the Albany Museum of Art for a special exhibit, “Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice,” on view from September 1-December 10, 2022. Bragg and Atlanta-area artist Eric Mack spoke at the concluding public events to recognize Johnson’s art and politics.
Associate Professor of English Michael Moir, Ph.D., presented a paper at the Modern Language Association's 2023 conference in San Francisco. The title of the paper was "Devils, Druids, and Dunsany: Irish Literature in the Fantasy Classroom."
Wynn guest lectures at UArts as visiting artistKeaton Wynn, Professor of Art in the Department of Visual Arts, was invited as a Visiting Artist and Guest Lecturer at UArts (University of the Arts) in Philadelphia, Penn. On November 17, Wynn offered a lecture titled,“Neo-Formalism and the Phenomenology of the Handmade”.
He was also invited to participate in a wood firing at the Chester Springs Studio wood kiln in Chester Spring, Penn. with faculty and students of UArts on Dec. 2-4.
GSW ceramics majors Lexi Glass and Noah Miller also made the trip and visited the Glass, Ceramics and Sculpture Studios at Virginia Commonwealth University and the National Gallery of Art in D.C. as well as other Smithsonian Museums.
Assistant Professor of Communication in the Department of Music, Communication, & Emerging Media Ashley P. Jones, Ph.D., recently reviewed the Noah Wardrip-Fruins book "How Pac-Man Eats." Her review was published on December 6 in the Journal of Play.
Women's head basketball coach Justin Payne was a guest on the first episode of the Integrity Sports Podcast with host Tim Estes. Payne joined James Frey, head women's basketball coach at South Georgia Technical College, to talk about the success of women's basketball in Americus.
Assistant Professor of Communication in the Department of Music, Communication, & Emerging Media Jonathan Carter, Ph.D., published "Adoxastic publics: Facebook and the loss of civic strangeness" in the Quarterly Journal of Speech, a top disciplinary journal, on Nov. 22. The research article explores the way that the structure of Facebook undermines democratic opinion-making.
Assistant Director of Experiential Learning Judy Orton Grissett, Ph.D., recently co-published an article with colleague Feng-Ru Sheu, Ph.D., of Kent State University titled "Creating Active and Meaningful Learning through a Renewable Assignment: A Case Study in a Human Growth Development Psychology Course" in the Journal of Interactive Technology and Pedagogy.
Orton Grissett also created the most recent MomentumU course on "Undergraduate Research." The course will be available to all faculty throughout the USG and is designed to provide faculty with background knowledge and tools to implement undergraduate research into their teaching practices. The course is currently undergoing beta testing and will be fully released in 2023.
Associate Professor Qian "Maggie" Wang, Ph.D., was recently featured on the credit and personal finance website WalletHub. Wang's expertise on car insurance companies was featured in an “Ask the Experts” column.
Read the full piece here.
Brown shares experiential learning study in new articleAssistant Professor Allen Brown, Ph.D., published an article in the Journal of Education for Business on January 6, 2023 titled "Experiential learning beyond the textbook in operations management."
This study explores the creation of an experiential learning exercise (ELE) to simulate a generic operations management scenario. Through the case study, students are provided the opportunity to gain tacit understanding of learning curves by doing tasks and observing tasks. The students’ tacit understanding is captured through learning rates.
The findings support students learn through repetition and by observing others.
In November 2022, Assistant Professor Sisi Chen, Ph.D., co-published Economic burden of childhood overweight and obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. To update existing literature and fill the gap in meta-analyses, this meta-analysis quantitatively evaluated the worldwide economic burden (in 2022 US $) of childhood overweight and obesity in comparison with healthy weight. The literature search in eight databases produced 7756 records. After literature screening, 48 articles met the eligibility criteria. The increased annual total medical costs were $237.55 per capita attributable to childhood overweight and obesity. Overweight and obesity caused a per capita increase of $56.52, $14.27, $46.38, and $1975.06 for costs in nonhospital healthcare, outpatient visits, medication, and hospitalization, respectively. Length of hospital stays increased by 0.28 days. Annual direct and indirect costs were projected to be $13.62 billion and $49.02 billion by 2050. Childhood obesity ascribed to much higher increased healthcare costs than overweight. During childhood, the direct medical expenditures were higher for males than for females, but, once reaching adulthood, the expenditures were higher for females. Overall, the lifetime costs attributable to childhood overweight and obesity were higher in males than in females, and childhood overweight and obesity resulted in much higher indirect costs than direct healthcare costs. Given the increased economic burden, additional efforts and resources should be allocated to support sustainable and scalable childhood obesity programs. Potential impact: This study provide additional evidence on the economic burden of childhood overweight and obesity, which emphasize the need to develop programs to reduce childhood obesity.
Women's basketball head coach Justin Payne was named NCAA Division II Coach of the Week by WHoopDirt.com, who noted "Payne’s #10 Hurricanes have now won 11 straight games and have moved to 8-0 at home on the season. They are also 6-0 in the Peach Belt Conference, and sit alone atop the conference standings in first place."
This is the third time he's received the honor.
Laughlin receives international music honorsInterim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Mark Laughlin, D.M.A., received three Outstanding Achievement awards from the Global Music Awards international music competition. He received two silver medals for Outstanding Achievement for classical performance for his albums, Poulenc: Improvisations and Nocturnes and The Music of Enrique Granados.
He also received a silver medal for Outstanding Achievement in the classical album category for Poulenc: Improvisations and Nocturnes.
The Global Music Awards, established in 2011, is an international music competition that celebrates independent musicians with hundreds of competitors from over 50 countries.
GSW's holiday video has been named the #1 holiday content marketing video by Higher Education Marketing. According to HEM, "With a simple concept and great execution, Georgia Southwestern’s video wishes its community a happy holiday season, all while introducing its diverse faculty and students."
Thank you to all our campus community members who participated in this video and helped us wish everyone a happy holiday season!
Iordanova facilitates UNIV 4000 grantsChemistry professor Nedialka Iordanova, Ph.D, and leader of several UNIV 4000 International Service Learning study abroad programs, solicited two additional grants totalling $4,500 for the the UNIV 4000 International Service Learning Fund, which she established with the GSW Foundation.
The donations are given by the Augusta Howard Warren Fund and is the Fund's sixth donation to the UNIV 4000 program. The grants are intended to support students participating in UNIV 4000's trip to Peru in Spring 2023.
In recent years, UNIV 4000 trips have also included trips to Nepal, Turkey, and Nicaragua.
Judy Orton Grissett left the Director of Experiential Learning position on December 15, 2022. She will be working in a part-time capacity in Spring 2023 as assistant director of the office. Orton Grissett served as a faculty member in the Department of Psychology and Sociology for eight years and was the Director of Experiential Learning for two years. She is a 2005 graduate of GSW, where she earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in sociology.
Satyaki Nan, Ph.D., joined the College of Business and Computing as Assistant Professor of Computer Science (tenure-track) on January 1, 2023. Nan received his Ph.D. and MS from Tennessee State University in 2022 and 2020, respectively. During both programs, he was published in various research publications such as IEEE Globecomm, Percom, PIMRC, etc. Nan previously worked as a visiting research scholar at the University of Cincinnati.
Tracy Taylor joined the GSW Foundation as Foundation Accountant on December 5, 2022.
Nicholas Ryan joined the College of Arts and Sciences as a part-time instructor on January 1, 2023.
Penny Brooks joined the College of Arts and Sciences as a part-time instructor on January 1, 2023.
Twassa Ross joined the College of Nursing and Health Sciences as an instructor on January 1, 2023.
Madison Skala-Young joined the College of Nursing and Health Sciences as an instructor on January 1, 2023.
Joshua Gilmon joined the Office of Information and Instructional Technology as part-time Information Technology Analyst/Programmer on January 3, 2023.
Danielle Crawford joined the Office of Recreation and Wellness as Coordinator of Fitness and Wellness on January 3, 2023. She was previously Manager of the GSW Bookstore, which is owned and operated by Follete.
Angela Jenkins joined the Office of the Registrar as the Student Records and Transfer Coordinator on January 9, 2023.
Sean Madden joined the Department of Athletics as Assistant Director for Athletics Communication on January 9, 2023.
Hannah Finley joined the Office of Information and Instructional Technology as a computer technician on January 17, 2023.
Geremy Vincent, Locksmith in Physical Plant, left that role on December 5, 2022.
Joseph Warther, part-time instructor in the College of Business and Computing, left that role on December 31, 2022.
Eric Shephard, assistant men's soccer coach in the Department of Athletics, left that role on December 30, 2022.
Cindy McNair, part-time instructor in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, left that role on December 31, 2022.
Joseph Barnes, part-time eMajor instructor, left that role on December 31, 2022.
Matthew Klein, Residential Life and Student Activities Coordinator in the Office of
Residence Life, left that role on January 4, 2023.
Brooke Tome, Coordinator of Student Activities in the X, left that role on January 27, 2023.
Bryce Bass, previously IT Analyst/Programmer, was named System Administrator in the Office of Information and Instructional Technology on November 28, 2022.
Kailash Ghimire was named Professor in the Department of Mathematics on December 31, 2022.
Chadwick Gugg was named Professor and Chair of the Department of Mathematics on January 1, 2023.
Hugh Lamon Moates, Ph.D., passed away on January 5, 2023. He was Professor Emeritus and taught in GSW's psychology department for 25 years.
Marjorie Cross Carden, who retired from the GSW Health Center, passed away on January 18, 2023.
"In our first-ever Gold Force Gala, the University wanted the community of GSW Alumni and Friends to know how much their accomplishments and service mean to us. We also wanted to highlight the importance of giving back and how impactful scholarship dollars can be to our students. I believe we accomplished all of that. It was a wonderful, beautiful night, and I am so appreciative to everyone who was involved with the planning of the event. Additionally, the folks at the Physical Plant made the arena look like a ballroom, and Bob Slenker’s work was incredible – both the videos and facilitating the live feed of the event. I can’t wait until next year!”
– Stephen Snyder, Executive Director of the GSW Foundation and AVP of Advancement
"I want to extend a special thank you to the three GSW students who participated in the scholarship video that was played at the Gold Force Gala – Edith Acevedo, freshman biology major; K.J. Daniels, junior chemistry major; and Bailey Christian (’22), nursing graduate. I would also like to share my appreciation for Bob Slenker who recorded and put the video together, as well as Kaliyah Jordan, GSW sophomore, and Jonathan Hobbs for shooting video at the Gala."
– Chelsea Collins, Director of Marketing and Communications
“It’s always special when we can gather together for an event such as this and celebrate our alumni that make a difference as role models and servant leaders. I loved seeing everyone dressed up and spending time in fellowship with one another. The entire event was magical and an evening that won’t soon be forgotten. I am so grateful for those that gave of their time, energy and talents to make it happen.
We often take for granted the efforts behind the scenes of an event of this size, but would be lost without our Alumni Association Board of Directors, all of those who served on our committee – so many amazing individuals, everyone in Physical Plant, the Aladdin Food Service team, and our custodial crew. To our marketing team and to Bob Slenker, thank you for your assistance with promotion, program and presentation – the polish added to each detail was the icing on top. While I can’t adequately express my appreciation for all those who assisted in bringing this to fruition, please know that your efforts did not go unnoticed and made all of the difference in the world.”
GSW community members perform in Community Christmas ConcertA Community Christmas Concert was presented on December 4, 2022 by the GSW Concert Choir, Southwest Civic Chorus, First United Methodist Church Choir, and members of the Albany Symphony at First United Methodist Church in Americus. Participating directors included: GSW Professor of Music and Chair of the Department of Music, Communication & Emerging Media Julie Megginson, D.M.A.; FUMC Music Director Sam Morris; and Albany Symphony Director Claire Hillard, D.M.A.
Participating performers included: Lecturers in the Department of Music, Communication & Emerging Media Alwen Yeung, piano, and Beau Palmer, tenor; President of Southwest Civic Chorus, Professor of Biology, and Chair of the Department of Biology Stephanie Harvey, Ph.D.; and Executive Assistant to the President Terry Thorpe.
Participating students included: Shamya Evans-Hicks, Makayla Murrell, Amanda Pawloski, Molly Andersson, Kerri Battle, Caden Bilski, Amanda Cooper, Zada Rivers, and Alex Brown. Other participants included former GSW students, staff, and faculty: Jisun Iafigliola, Laura Jones, Kalynn Van Landingham, Brenda Davis, Nancy Morris, Dr. Frank Lowrey.
Nine travelers recently ushered in the new year in Costa Rica, one of the trips offered to GSW Alumni & Friends by the GSW Office of Alumni Affairs. Allen and Desiree Grimsley, Hailey Henderson, Jonathon Hobbs, Nellie Iordanova, Brian Rutland, Rene and Angela Smith, and Irina Toteva left Americus on December 31, 2022 for a tour that included San Jose, the Guanacaste Coast, the Monteverde Cloud Forest, the Arenal volcano region, and many towns along the way. The group enjoyed highlights of the Central Valley, the sandy beaches, incredible sunsets, tropical flora & fauna, wildlife, and the Costa Rican food and culture. A couple took an exhilarating ride on the longest canopy zip lines in Costa Rica, while the others hiked the six hanging bridges above the canopy, including the longest engineered suspension bridge in the country. A guided riverboat trip down the Cano Negro river just south of Nicaragua, provided a close encounter with a troop of white-faced capuchin monkeys, one of several monkey species they saw in the wild. Some most enjoyable parts of the journey were the friendships formed and the laughter shared amongst the group.
Find more events on the GSW academic calendar, on CanesConnect, and on the Community Events webpage.
