College News
College of Behavior and Social Sciences
PROFESSOR’S BOOK EXAMINES POLITICAL OVERSIGHT OF U.S. ATTORNEYS
A new book co-authored by Professor Brett Curry, Ph.D., takes an in-depth look at the work of United States Attorneys (USAs). Although they are the chief federal prosecutors in their judicial districts, the book, U.S. Attorneys, Political Control, and Career Ambition, questions how much control national political leaders exert over the prosecutorial decisions of U.S. Attorneys. Curry, a professor of political science, co-wrote the book with Banks Miller, a professor at the University of Texas at Dallas. For the findings in their book, they studied a unique dataset of federal criminal prosecutions between 1986 and 2015 that captured decisions by USAs in filing cases as well as the sentences that resulted. By examining five legal issue areas — immigration, narcotics, terrorism, weapons and white-collar crime — Curry and his co-author found that USAs are subject to considerable executive influence in their decision making, supporting findings about the increase of presidential power over the last three decades.
College of Education
CENTER ADVANCES STEM IN INDIA
College of Education’s (COE) Kania Greer, Ed.D., and Lisa Stueve, Ed.D., traveled to India to continue work that began in 2016 as a partnership with the STEM Academy of USA. The two colleagues in Georgia Southern’s Institute for Interdisciplinary STEM Education (i2STEMe), worked with students as young as preschoolers at the Edistaa School in Mumbai. “We worked closely in helping teachers utilize best practices in allowing kids to discover and learn basic STEM concepts,” Greer said. Greer and Stueve also traveled to Kolkata in East India to work with teachers and students in fourth through 10th grades to create hands-on, place-based activities for students. For the next phase of the partnership, curriculum is being developed by COE and other Georgia Southern faculty to be used by teachers in India. They are also creating professional development opportunities to model what interdisciplinary STEM lessons look like.
Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health
NEW ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH
The Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health created a new Center for Public Health Practice and Research and is pleased to announce that Joseph Telfair, Dr.P.H., has been appointed associate dean for practice and research. As the Karl E. Peace Distinguished Chair of Public Health, Telfair brings more than 32 years of international experience as a clinician, community advocate, academic, researcher and academic administrator. He is widely known for his focus on practice-based, evidence-driven public health in the areas of social work, social epidemiology, cultural and linguistic competency, public health genetics, elimination of health inequities, disparities and systemic poverty, community-based and rural public health practice, program evaluation, and policy issues concerning women, adolescents and persons in underserved areas. The Center will serve both the external mission and work of the college, as well as design efforts to increase the research and productivity of faculty and students—maximizing the research potential of the college.
Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing
CIVIL ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION GETS NEW DEPARTMENT CHAIR
David Scott, Ph.D., will
be the new chair of the Department of Civil Engineering and Construction,
effective July 1, 2019. The Georgia Tech alumnus has served on the Georgia Tech faculty for the past 18 years. He also has three years of
experience as a research civil engineer with the U.S. Army Engineer
Research and Development Center. The professor’s recent research is focused on
the structural performance of roadside safety
systems.
Waters College of Health Professions
STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN FORT STEWART TACTICAL ATHLETE PROGRAM
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences students had the opportunity to participate in interactive soldier demonstrations at Fort Stewart to better understand the unique physical challenges facing soldiers and how to help better prepare them for combat. The event allowed students to gain a better understanding of the physical regimen of the soldiers at the U.S. Army installation near Hinesville, Georgia. This understanding is the key to success for the department’s Soldier Athlete Human Performance Optimization (SAHPO) program, a collaborative effort between Georgia Southern and the 3rd Infantry Division. The program allows students to work with soldiers on injury prevention in an effort to improve medical readiness. Participation in this event was possible thanks to a larger partnership that Georgia Southern has maintained with Fort Stewart for several years.
College of Arts and Humanities
STUDENTS SHINE IN ONSTAGE PRODUCTIONS
The student-run theatre group, the Armstrong Campus Masquers, entertained audiences with its spring production of “The Great American Trailer Park Musical.” The satirical piece focuses on all the happenings at Florida’s most exclusive trailer park, Armadillo Acres.
The Masquers is the oldest active production company in
Savannah, and each year it produces a season of plays to enlighten and
entertain the Armstrong Campus and the Savannah community. Last fall, the
student troupe revived the tradition of student directors for their black box
shows. Senior Olivia Quillman directed “God of Carnage” as the first student
director at the Armstrong Campus in three years. In February, senior Elijah Sanford, directed the second show,
“Bright Ideas.”
Parker College of Business
PARKER BUSINESS SCHOLARS AND NAMING
On March 8, the University and the Parker College of Business celebrated the naming of the College, recognizing Greg Parker, founder and CEO of The Parker Companies, and the growth of business programs at Georgia Southern. Through Parker’s generous donation, the Parker Business Scholars program was born. The program will provide personalized professional development and educational enrichment opportunities to a select group of rising seniors each year in the Parker College. The inaugural class of Parker Business Scholars includes Mohammad Z. Abdallah, Mattie W. Cantrall, William T. Collins, Kendall L. Herron, Alyssa Jennings, Ashley Kubel, Maygen Martinez, Mackenzie L. Miller, Kahleel A. Morman, Ana G. Ortiz-Contreras, Jesus S. Suarez Rivas and David M. Vaughn. “The impact of Mr. Parker’s generous donation will not only give us an opportunity, but it will allow us to enhance research studies, student feedback and network capabilities,” said Abdallah, a logistics/intermodal transportation major.
College of Science and Mathematics
MEDICAL PROFESSIONS ADVISING AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAM EXPANDS TO ARMSTRONG CAMPUS
The successful Medical Professions Advising (MPA) program that was started on the Statesboro Campus has been extended to the Armstrong Campus. Students interested in pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, pre-pharmacy, pre-optometry, pre-physician’s assistant and pre-veterinary science pathways can enroll in the MPA program as incoming freshmen. Nearly 100 percent of the students who complete the MPA program at Georgia Southern obtain interviews and matriculate into professional schools. Programmatically, students regularly meet with their academic advisor and a second advisor dedicated to MPA. Students also have numerous opportunities to meet with admissions representatives, professional students and practitioners. After completing the program, students are fully prepared and aptly qualified for competitive application and admission to professional programs. Expansion of MPA to the Armstrong Campus further increases Georgia Southern’s presence as a leader in professional school preparedness. The College of Science and Mathematics has also increased the number of memoranda of understanding with professional schools, so that some Georgia Southern students have a clearer and simpler pathway to their future medical career.