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GSW celebrated the public launch of the largest fundraising campaign in Hurricane history, Rising Together, Shaping Futures, on Thursday, Aug. 20, in the Storm Dome. During the celebration, GSW announced that the five-year campaign has already raised $12 million toward its original $12.5 million goal, prompting the University to increase the campaign goal to $15 million for completion by the Gold Force Gala in February 2028.
The campaign focuses on advancing GSW’s future in three key areas:
Read more about the campaign.
GSW generated $127.2 million in economic output across southwest Georgia in FY 2025, a 10.2% increase from the previous year, according to a new report from the University System of Georgia (USG).
The report also found that GSW supported 1,180 full- and part-time jobs across its seven-county regional economy, which includes Sumter, Schley, Lee, Macon, Crisp, Webster and Marion counties. Of those jobs, 358 were on campus and 822 were off campus in the private and public sectors.
GSW’s $127.2 million economic impact was generated by nearly $117.8 million in initial institutional and student spending. This included personnel services, University operating expenses and nearly $60 million in student spending throughout the region. GSW’s activity also generated $85.7 million in value added and $50.9 million in labor income.
GSW’s economic impact grew from $115.4 million in FY 2024 to $127.2 million in FY 2025, outpacing the USG systemwide growth rate of 8.9%. The increase comes as GSW has experienced record-breaking enrollment in recent years.
Read more about GSW's economic impact on the region.
GSW broke ground Thursday, Aug. 27, on a new natural sciences building that will expand and modernize science education on campus. During the ceremony, the University announced the facility will be named Jeanette C. Mix Hall in recognition of the lasting impact Jeanette C. Mix and the Charles L. Mix Memorial Fund have had on GSW and the Americus community. The $20.3 million project, which includes design, construction and equipment, is expected to be completed in fall 2027, with the first classes held in spring 2028.
At approximately 23,000 square feet, Jeanette C. Mix Hall will feature modern laboratories and instructional spaces designed to provide hands-on educational experiences for students in the sciences. The facility will be located adjacent to the Rosalynn Carter Health and Human Sciences Complex, further strengthening GSW's growing academic corridor for science and health-related programs.
Read more about the groundbreaking.
On June 8, the USG Board of Regents named Kerry J. Palmer, Ph.D., president of GSW, effective [July] 1, 2026.
Palmer, a seasoned leader with almost 30 years of experience across higher education, independent school leadership and K-12 education, currently serves as the senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost at Troy University in Alabama.
“I want to thank Dr. Michelle Johnston for her leadership and dedication to GSW’s students, faculty and staff, and we wish her the best,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “As we look to the future, Kerry Palmer is a results-driven leader who understands the role regional universities play in the community and the workforce. At Troy University, he focused on the fundamentals by aligning programs with workforce demands, securing critical funding and driving institutional growth. The board and I are confident his energy and strategic vision will serve GSW well.”
Read more about Palmer.
GSW and the National First Ladies Day Commission (NFLDC) have entered a formal partnership that positions GSW as the Commission’s official academic home and help advance the study, preservation and celebration of America’s First Ladies. The memorandum of understanding was signed on April 25, 2026, during the Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival in Marshfield, Missouri, establishing a collaborative relationship between the two organizations focused on education, research, historical preservation and public engagement.
The partnership holds special significance for GSW as the alma mater of Rosalynn Carter, one of the most influential First Ladies in American history. Carter was the first First Lady to publicly recognize National First Ladies Day, lending her support to the initiative when it was announced in 2022.
Through the agreement, GSW and the NFLDC will explore the development of one of the nation’s first academic programs dedicated to the study of America’s First Ladies. In addition, GSW will serve as the official archival home for the Commission, preserving documents, records and memorabilia associated with the organization and the national study of America’s First Ladies. The partnership also includes collaboration on events, fundraising initiatives and public programming designed to expand awareness of the historical and cultural impact of First Ladies.
Read more about the partnership.
Phoebe Putney Health System (PPHS) and GSW are expanding their longstanding partnership through a strategic collaboration designed to address critical healthcare workforce needs. Phoebe has pledged a transformational investment to significantly expand healthcare education and workforce development opportunities in southwest Georgia.
The expanded agreement creates new and enhanced healthcare pathways for students, strengthening the region’s pipeline of locally educated and trained healthcare professionals. The collaboration is designed to reduce reliance on external recruitment, increase access to healthcare education in southwest Georgia and create a more stable and sustainable healthcare workforce for the region.
Read more about the new Phoebe partnership.
Georgia Southwestern State University and Albany Technical College have renewed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) designed to create a seamless pathway for students seeking to continue their education from Albany Tech to GSW.
Students who complete an associate degree at Albany Tech may transfer into select bachelor’s degree programs at GSW, including accounting, information technology, early childhood education and nursing.
“There’s power in partnership. When institutions work together, rather than in isolation, we multiply our impact,” said GSW President Michelle Johnston, Ph.D. “This partnership allows us to meet students where they are and walk alongside them through their entire educational journey.”
Learn more about the Albany Tech agreement.
GSW's Bachelor of Science in Information Technology has been accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, a nonprofit, ISO 9001-certified quality assurance organization. Through the accreditation of academic programs, recognition of credentials and assessment of student learning, ABET supports excellence in education worldwide.
ABET accreditation assures that programs meet standards to produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields that are leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies and anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.
Read more about the ABET accreditation.
GSW students showcased their innovative business concept, FitFlow, on the statewide stage once again this August to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) in Atlanta.
The invitation follows a fourth-place finish earlier this year in the inaugural 2026 USG Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition held at Kennesaw State University’s Marietta Campus. Emely Jimenez of Americus, Ga., Macy Taylor of Thomasville, Ga. and Milced Velasquez of Vienna, Ga. were recognized as finalists in a competition among 25 teams and 51 students representing all 25 USG institutions.
FitFlow is an innovative cooling wheelchair seat cover designed to improve comfort for wheelchair users. The lightweight, rechargeable product uses continuous airflow to help reduce heat-related discomfort, a challenge Taylor observed through her younger sister’s personal experience using a wheelchair. Taylor, a marketing major anticipated to graduate in Dec. 2026, developed the FitFlow concept and partnered with Velasquez and Jimenez to take the idea to the statewide level.
Read more about the FitFlow presentation.
For the second year in a row, Surge won the Peach Belt Conference's Mascot of the Year title after several rounds of fan voting on Instagram and TikTok. As Mascot of the Year, Surge will keep the championship belt in Americus for the 2026-2027 academic year.
From the President: Thank you, Americus(This story originally appeared in the Canes Corner section of the Americus Times-Recorder newspaper on June 3, 2026.)
For the past two years, Americus has been home to me in a way that extends far beyond my role as president of Georgia Southwestern State University. Today, I am writing to share news that brings with it a great deal of emotion for me.
The University of Montevallo Board of Trustees appointed me to serve as their next president. After much prayer and reflection, I have accepted this opportunity with both excitement and a full heart to be closer to my parents and children. At the same time, leaving Georgia Southwestern is not easy because this place and these people have meant so much to me personally and professionally.
From the President: A New Chapter Together(This story originally appeared in the Canes Corner section of the Americus Times-Recorder newspaper on August 5, 2026.)
Starting July 1, I had the privilege of beginning my service as president of Georgia Southwestern State University. During these first few weeks, one thing has become abundantly clear: this is a university and a community defined by people who genuinely care.
I want to thank those who have welcomed my wife, Robyn, and me to Americus. Your kindness and hospitality have confirmed what we hoped when we first considered this opportunity – that Georgia Southwestern and Americus are truly special places.
Claudine Mae “Clae” Rodriguez spent the summer in Boston participating in the Harvard/MIT Early Access to Research Training (HEART) program, where she gained hands-on research experience and explored the physician-scientist career path. During the program, Rodriguez conducted neuroscience research in a laboratory at Boston Children’s Hospital. Her summer project focused on visual acuity in CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder (CDD), a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by dysfunction of the CDKL5 protein. Through her research, she investigated visual function in a mouse model of CDD and gained experience with techniques used to assess visual acuity. In addition to her laboratory research, Rodriguez participated in seminars, workshops, and mentoring sessions throughout the summer. She had opportunities to meet and learn from researchers, physicians, graduate students, and MD-PhD students across the Harvard medical community. These experiences provided insight into biomedical research and the different paths available to students interested in combining research and medicine.
At the end of the program, Rodriguez presented her project, “Visual Acuity Assessment in CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder,” at the program’s research symposium. The presentation gave her the opportunity to share her summer research with scientists from different fields and communicate the significance of the project to a broader scientific audience. Rodriguez returned to Georgia Southwestern with new research skills, greater exposure to biomedical research and a clearer understanding of the physician-scientist career path. The summer strengthened her interest in neuroscience and her goal of eventually pursuing an MD-PhD. “My summer at Harvard gave me the opportunity to experience what it is like to be fully immersed in research and surrounded by people who are passionate about science and medicine,” Rodriguez said. “I learned so much both inside and outside of the lab, and I’m excited to bring those experiences back with me to GSW.”
Georgia Southwestern recently announced the Academic Achievement List, Dean's List and President's List for Summer 2025. A total of 607 students qualified for the honors lists for the term.
Students must meet the following requirements to be eligible for an honors list:
This summer, 17 GSW student-athletes were named to 2025-2026 Peach Belt Conference All-Academic Teams.
To be eligible for the team, a student-athlete must achieve a 3.50 out of 4.0 cumulative grade point average, reach sophomore athletic and academic eligibility, and participate in at least half of team events.
Women's basketball
Learn more about the women's basketball All-Academic Team.
Women's tennis
Learn more about the women's tennis All-Academic Team.
Softball
Learn more about the softball All-Academic Team.
Golf
Learn more about the golf All-Academic Team.
Baseball
Learn more about the baseball All-Academic Team.
Senior pitcher Evan Koehler added two more accolades to an already historic season, earning All-America honors from both the American Baseball Coaches Association and the Division II Conference Commissioners Association.
Koehler was named a 2026 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division II Second Team All-American, earned 2026 NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Second Team All-America honors and was named to the D2 Baseball All-American Third Team.
The recognition caps one of the most decorated seasons by a pitcher in Georgia Southwestern's NCAA Division II era. Earlier this spring, Koehler was named the Peach Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year and the ABCA Southeast Region Pitcher of the Year after establishing himself as one of the nation's most dominant arms.
The senior from Orange City, Fla., becomes just the third Hurricane to earn All-America recognition during the program's NCAA era. Notably, all three of Georgia Southwestern's NCAA-era All-Americans have been honored since 2022, highlighting the continued rise of the Hurricanes on the national stage.
Learn more about Koehler's honors.
Learn more about PBC Honor Roll, PING All-America honors, PLATFORM Golf Team Academic Award, GCAA All-America Scholar, the Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete list, ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award, and PBC Player of the Week Award.
The College of Business and Computing recognizes the achievements of five students who passed their Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Excel certification exams during the Spring 2026 term. While enrolled in the course Microcomputer Applications in Business taught by Yangli Park, Ph.D., they earned the industry recognized certification through preparation and completion of a rigorous, performance-based assessment.
Students Braxton Crouch (Pre-Management), Tony Burnett (Pre-Management), Teyonnie Carter (Pre-Human Resources), Donovan Williams (Pre-Marketing), and Shanderica Carr (Pre-Accounting) earned certifications at the Microsoft Office Excel Associate level (Microsoft 365). Through this process, they demonstrated proficiency in spreadsheet design, formula development, data organization, and analytical reporting.
Each student met a demanding standard that reflects the expectations placed on Excel users in business operations. The results demonstrate an example of how a business course provides students with practical knowledge which supports their development of professional skills.
Pictured are students Tony Burnett and Shanderica Carr.
Recent graduate alumnus presents research papers at international conferenceSoraya Partow, M.S., presented two papers at the 2026 IEEE International Conference on AI and Data Analytics (ICAD) in Boston. The research was part of her thesis work completed under the guidance of Satyaki Nan, Ph.D. Her first paper, “From Belief to Behavior: Modeling and Tracking Moral Alignment in Autonomous Agents,” examines how autonomous AI agents can be modeled and monitored so their decisions and actions remain aligned with moral and ethical expectations. Her second paper, “VAST-Blockchain: Hybrid Ledger Anchoring for Verifiable Governance and Auditability of Aligned AI,” presents a blockchain-based framework for creating transparent and verifiable records that support governance, accountability, and auditability in aligned AI systems. Together, the papers contribute to the development of more trustworthy, accountable, and ethically aligned autonomous AI systems.
Partow graduated in Spring 2026 from GSW's Computer Science graduate program.
On June 6, members of the Beta Alpha Chapter of Alpha Psi Lambda National, Inc. attended the National House of Delegates, the fraternity’s national conference and highest legislative and voting body. The conference brings together members from across the country to conduct organizational business, recognize achievements, and elect national leadership.
During the conference, several members and alumni were recognized for their outstanding dedication and contributions to the organization.
These recognitions reflect the dedication and commitment demonstrated by the chapter throughout the academic year and highlight the impact of its members at both the local and national levels. In addition to receiving the Alumni Involvement Award, Alex Espitia, who serves as the chapter’s Faculty Advisor, was elected to the National Executive Board as Vice President of Alumni Affairs. Congratulations to all the award recipients and to Alex on his new leadership role within Alpha Psi Lambda National, Inc.
Associate Professor Qian "Maggie" Wang, Ph.D., was recently featured on the credit and personal finance website WalletHub. Wang's expertise on budget categories was featured in an "Ask the Experts" column.
Professor of English Genie Bryan, Ph.D., published an American literature textbook in July 2026 with Great River Learning. "The American Story" meets a growing need among current students for contextual information, definitions of difficult words and a reader-friendly format. Critical reading skills are encouraged by the text. The extensive annotations aid students with understanding historical and cultural context, encouraging classroom conversation and engagement with the text. Because "The American Story" is in a digital format, definitions and annotations feature as pop-ups as students read.
Associate Professor of English Jesse Russell, Ph.D. published his article "Unearthing Violence and Redemption in the Poetry of Geoffrey Hill" in Christianity and Literature's June 2026 issue.
Associate Professor of Sociology Debaleena Ghosh, Ph.D., published "The Race and Gender Ceiling in the American Elite Workplace" in Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews in May 2026.
This piece is a review essay of two books, "The Black Ceiling: How Race Still Matters in the Elite Workplace" and "The Making of Lawyers' Careers: Inequality and Opportunity in the American Legal Profession," that show how elite professions in America including law demonstrate the existence of the race and gender ceiling that Black and women professionals find hard to permeate. Both the books not only highlight the ongoing struggles of women and minorities in America's elite professions but also suggest ways to make the workplace more welcoming, accessible, objective, and opportunity-driven for all.
Associate Professor of Human Resources Management and Associate Dean of Graduate Program Jim Aller, Ph.D. recently presented at the School Climate Conference in Savannah, Ga., sharing insights on "Why Mattering Matters for Students and Professors."
Professor and Chair of English and Modern Languages, Michael A. Moir, Jr., Ph.D., presented a paper titled "Skarl’s Drum, Cosmic Indifferentism, and the Waning of the Ascendancy: Lord Dunsany’s The Gods of Pēgana and Decline of the Anglo-Irish Landlord" at the annual meeting of the Canadian Association for Irish Studies in Quebec City on June 18. Moir is also a Member-at-Large of the CAIS Executive Board.
Professor of Psychology Gary Fisk, Ph.D. gave a videoconference presentation on July 17 to the Research Group on Experimental Cognitive Science at the University of Tübingen (Germany). This research group aims to use improved statistics and research methods to gain insights into biological information processing in humans. Fisk's presentation included data collected with assistance from former students Kayla Crisp and Aliyah Wilson. Meeting with international experts such as Sascha Meyen, Ph.D. and Volker Franz, Ph.D. will help Fisk's scholarship efforts towards understanding human consciousness.
GSW won its fourth consecutive Peach Belt Conference Presidents' Academic Award, the league announced recently at its annual awards dinner. The Hurricanes have now claimed the award six times overall, the most of any institution since the conference established the academic honor in 2006. GSW's four straight Presidents' Academic Awards also mark the longest winning streak in conference history.
The award recognizes excellence in academics concerning all of an institution's student-athletes.
Read more about the Presidents' Academic Award.
Georgia Southwestern State University Athletics ranked seventh among NCAA Division II institutions for community service during the 2025-26 academic year, according to the NCAA Community Engagement Report presented by Helper Helper. The finish gives the Hurricanes three consecutive years inside the Division II top 10. GSW led the nation in 2023-24 before placing fourth in 2024-25.
GSW produced five top-eight finishes in the Division II sport-specific standings. Softball and women's tennis each ranked No. 1 nationally in their respective categories. Baseball and women's cross country finished fourth, with cross country competing in the report's combined women's track and cross country category, while women's soccer placed eighth.
Department records captured approximately 3,500 hours of community service during the school year, with additional volunteer hours completed but not reported. Baseball led GSW programs with 951 hours, while softball contributed 648 hours. Women's soccer student-athlete Cassidy Brunner was among the department's individual leaders with 124 volunteer hours.
GSW student-athletes served people throughout Americus and Southwest Georgia through a wide range of projects. Their work included reading to students at local schools, playing Bingo with residents at Magnolia Manor, assembling Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes and assisting with Special Olympics events during both the fall and spring semesters.
Read more about the rankings.
Danielle Taylor, lecturer of accounting in the College of Business and Computing, was recently awarded a prestigious AICPA Foundation Fellowship for Doctoral Accounting Students. The fellowship includes a $15,000 award, renewable annually for up to three years. The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) is the world’s largest member association representing the accounting profession. The AICPA Foundation seeks to support CPAs with recent accounting experience who want to serve as role models and mentors to young people in the academic environment.
Taylor is pursuing her PhD in accounting at Kennesaw State University, where her research focuses on improving the financial sustainability of rural hospitals.
Professor Brian R. Parkinson, Ph.D., was among 27 scholars invited to a two-day workshop on the Mixed Courts of Egypt, held at the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory in Frankfurt, Germany, on April 13–14, 2026. Max Planck researchers Michel Erpelding, Ph.D., and Aya Bejermi, Ph.D., convened the workshop, which examined the courts that operated in Egypt from 1876 to 1949. Staffed by both Egyptian and foreign judges and numbering as many as 70 at their peak, the Mixed Courts were among the earliest large-scale experiments in international justice and an early forum for questions of individual rights in international law. At the workshop, Parkinson presented "Imperial Politics on the Bench: Pierre Crabitès and the Anglicization of Egypt's Mixed Courts," examining the career of Pierre Crabitès, a New Orleans–born judge who served on the courts, as a window onto how imperial and especially British influence reshaped the institution. The paper draws on a book-length study of Crabitès now underway. The workshop drew speakers from a range of disciplines and countries, reflecting renewed interest in global legal history and in the legacies of international institutions. Organizers plan to publish the proceedings.
Alan Parks, D.B.A., passed away on July 30. He retired from GSW in 2007 after serving as vice president for business and finance, a position for which he was conferred emeritus status. After his retirement, Parks returned to GSW in a part-time role until he retired again in 2020.
Jonathan Hobbs, Ph.D., Jim Aller, Ph.D., and Drew Huey, Ph.D. represented COBAC at the Fort Benning Education Fair, connecting with prospective students and sharing opportunities in our undergraduate programs, MBA, and MSCS.
The Southwest Georgia Local Section of the American Chemical Society sponsored demonstrations for the STEAM camp event at Chattahoochee County Middle High School on May 28. Professor of Chemistry Nedialka Iordanova, Ph.D., and two non-GSW volunteers participated in making liquid nitrogen ice cream, breathing "dragon breath" cereal cooled with liquid nitrogen, and demonstrating a magnet levitation by a superconductor for more than 85 students and 16 teachers.
GSW ensemble-in-residence Duo Fuerza, consisting of pianists James D'Leon and Alwen Yeung, performed in several concerts this spring across the United States. They played at the Musical Arts Series in Port Clinton, Ohio, GVPC Live! in Henderson, Nev., and St. Paul's Concert Series in Yuma, Ariz. Three presenting organizations have already invited the duo back for future concerts. In March, the piano duo was also invited to the Frederick Collection of Historical Pianos in Ashburnham, Mass., to select a historic piano for their opening concert of the 2026-27 season this coming August.
Find more events on the GSW academic calendar, on myGSW, and on the Events Open to the Community webpage.
