Alumni Awards Recipients

Honorees Recognized for Service and Achievement

The Georgia Southern University Alumni Association honored outstanding alumni for their achievements and service at this year’s 2020-2021 Alumni Awards Gala. Held at the Botanic Garden, the 2020 top graduating senior was also recognized during the spring dinner and ceremony. In addition, the presentations included the 2021 Excellence in Business Awards for outstanding alumni-owned businesses.

“Georgia Southern has always believed in giving students hands-on, practical learning,” said Trip Addison, vice president for University Advancement and president of the Georgia Southern University Foundation. “We’ve built a reputation for producing graduates who are ready to hit the ground running and ready to be leaders. The honorees are just a small sample of the entrepreneurial spirit and can-do attitude of Georgia Southern graduates, and we’re thrilled to recognize these outstanding alumni-owned businesses.”

2020 ALUMNI AWARDS

GEORGIA STATE REP. JON BURNS (’75)
TALON AWARD

The Talon award is bestowed upon a Georgia Southern graduate who best represents excellence in their career field, service to their alma mater and service to the community. House Majority Leader Jon Burns is the recipient of this award. Burns has created an incomparable legacy at Georgia Southern University, and has been a major force for change in Georgia. The native of Effingham County learned the value of hard work, faith and patience on his family farm — and has continued that family tradition with his sons, who run an agribusiness and farm with him today.

He graduated from Georgia Southern in 1975 with a political science degree. He later earned a Juris Doctor degree from John Marshall Law School and served in the Georgia Army National Guard. Even before he was elected to the state legislature in 2004, he demonstrated a commitment to his community. He served with the Effingham Chamber of Commerce, the Effingham County Young Farmers Organization, the Georgia Agribusiness Council and the Georgia Southern Alumni Association Board of Directors. He took this track record of service to the state Capitol, where he has left his most lasting legacy.

As an alumnus, as a representative and as House Majority Leader, Burns has been an unflinching supporter of Georgia Southern. He was instrumental in securing funding for the Eminent Scholars program, the Health Center, the Military Science Building, the Interdisciplinary Academic Building building, the Biological Sciences Building, the renovation of the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health building and countless other projects that exceed $100 million. Most recently, he advocated for the new Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center at Georgia Southern.

Burns and his wife, Dayle, a retired educator, have two sons, two daughters-in-law, and five grandchildren. The couple and their sons are all Georgia Southern alumni.

(THE LATE) WILLIAM “BILL” ROGERS CARY (’80)
MARVIN PITTMAN AWARD

The late William “Bill” Rogers Cary is the recipient of the Marvin Pittman award, named for a transformational Georgia Southern president who served in the 1930s and 40s. Pittman understood the power of education to create productive citizens, and the Pittman Award is presented to Georgia Southern alumni who best exemplify the core values of the University, which include a “commitment to lifelong learning, wellness and social responsibility.”

Cary graduated in 1980 with a bachelor’s in electrical engineering, and was a proud member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. He served as an airman in the Air Force Civil Engineering Squadron and then began a long career as an electrical engineer, retiring from NEC America of Herndon, Virginia.

Cary was an outspoken activist on campus. He organized sit-ins, walkouts, protests and delivered fiery speeches, published underground newspapers and organized student work stoppages to change the racial culture at the University. His efforts led to greater inclusion of minorities in student affairs and student activities, allowed the first Black Greek organizations to form on campus and to be admitted to the National Pan-Hellenic Council and led to the development of a search committee to find and recruit minority faculty and staff.

In 2015, he returned to Georgia Southern to again advocate for minorities as a founding member of The First 500, an African American alumni group dedicated to helping minority students at the University. On Sept. 25, 2019, Cary passed away at the age 77. He is survived by his wife, Meshelle, and daughters McKenzie and Mari’Bess, who accepted this award.

(THE LATE) CRAIG HARNEY (’82)
GEORGE & LUCY ARMSTRONG AWARD

The George and Lucy Armstrong Award is named in honor of Lucy Camp Armstrong, who donated the Armstrong House to Savannah’s new college, named after her late husband, in 1935. The award is presented to the Armstrong alumnus/alumna who best exemplifies the core values of Georgia Southern University. These values include integrity, civility, kindness and collaboration.

The Armstrong Award recipient is the late Craig Harney. A native of Savannah, he graduated from Armstrong in 1982. He began his career in the news industry 40 years ago, working part time for WTOC-TV while he was an undergraduate student. During his long career, Harney worked his way up to creative director for the station. He was known for his ability to tell stories from a unique angle, and most notably told the story of Savannah civil rights leader W.W. Law in the documentary “In His Own Words,” for which Harney received the Scripps Howard National Journalism Award.

In addition to his career connection to Savannah, Harney was also connected to the community. He worked extensively with Junior Achievement and The United Way of the Coastal Empire, where he chaired the annual campaign marketing committee for several years. In 2008, the “Man of Steel” annual campaign received an Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

In 2019, he received the Spirit of Philanthropy Award from the United Way and was inducted into the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame as a 2019 Laureate. On November 30, 2019, Harney passed away at the age of 65. He is survived by his wife, Suzanne, and daughters Maggie and Annie. Accepting the award on behalf of the Harvey family is Karl and Mendy Grotheer.

RACHEL RHODES-DYAR (’76) AND KEN DYAR (’76)
THE SWEETHEART AWARD

Georgia Southern has a long history of creating partnerships, not only within the community, but also among students and alumni. In many cases, these partnerships last a lifetime. The Sweetheart Award was created to honor alumni couples who have made that commitment to each other and continued their commitment to their alma mater.

The recipients of the Sweetheart Award are Ken Dyar and Rachel Rhodes-Dyar. Ken and Rachel are 1976 graduates of Georgia Southern — Ken with a bachelor’s degree in political science and Rachel with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. They met on the steps of the band building during the 1973 fall quarter. They say it wasn’t love at first sight, but it didn’t take long. They married in November 1976. Ken took a job with Georgia Power Company the same year and spent most of his career at Southern Nuclear, where he retired after almost 37 years of service. Rachel used her journalism degree at three different newspapers, moved into corporate public relations, and then served as executive director of the Toombs/Montgomery/Wheeler Counties United Way.

Ken and Rachel are true blue supporters of Georgia Southern. They’ve been Eagles football season ticket holders for more than 25 years, and are highly active in alumni and academic leadership. Ken is a former advisory council chair of the College of Arts and Humanities and remains active on the board today. Rachel is a current alumni association board member and chair of the Augusta alumni network. In 2006, the couple created the Laura Dyar Journalism Scholarship, named for Ken’s great-grandmother. Their legacy to the University is a collection of letters from famed author Margaret Mitchell to Laura Dyar, parts of which will be featured in an upcoming Georgia Southern Museum exhibit.

ANDREA LANIER PAPAGEORGE (’80)
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

With so many incredibly successful alumni, the Professional Achievement Award is perhaps the most competitive of all of the Alumni Awards. To rise to the top of the list requires extensive influence and an established history of impact and achievement.

Andrea Lanier Papageorge is the latest recipient of the Professional Achievement Award. Originally from Savannah, Papageorge is a 1980 alumna of Georgia Southern, where she earned a degree in political science. She went on to earn her law degree from the University of Georgia and later earned an MBA from Brenau University.

She began her career in 1987 as a staff attorney for Athens-Clarke County Georgia, where her responsibilities included most areas of local government, including building inspections. In 1994, she joined the Georgia Department of Community Affairs as manager of Construction Codes and Industrialized Buildings and in 2000 served in the government relations department at the International Code Council. In 2005, Papageorge began her 15-plus year career at Southern Company Gas, starting as a specialist in codes and standards, and working her way up to manager of Building and Gas Codes and Standards, where she currently serves.

Papageorge is active in professional organizations — too many to list entirely. She has been a featured speaker at several conferences and training meetings, and she has served on multiple national technical committees including the National Fuel Gas Code, the International Code Council, International Fuel Gas Code and the Canadian Standards Association. She has also served in leadership roles in many organizations and has won several professional awards for her work.

ROGER H. SMITH (’90)
ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD

The Alumni Service Award was created to honor alumni who have made the greatest contribution to the University, whether through philanthropy, volunteerism or both. Roger H. Smith, the recipient of the Alumni Service Award, was born and raised in Savannah. He is a 1990 alumnus of Armstrong State College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with minors in French and education.

For eight years, Smith served as a teacher at Savannah Christian Preparatory School, teaching American literature and French language and culture. In 1999, he was named museum educator at the Massie Heritage Center, and in 2001, he served as the director of education at the Georgia Historical Society. In 2006, he joined the staff of Senior Citizens, Inc. as director of The Learning Center — a lifelong learning program for adults ages 55 and up.

He is also active in the community — and with his alma mater. He was named a notable Armstrong alumnus in 2013, and served on the Armstrong Alumni Association board of directors from 2014-2018. Smith is also a past president of the consolidated Georgia Southern University Alumni Association board of directors. He volunteers at the historic Davenport House, where he has also served on the museum committee and as its chair. He has served on the Historic Savannah Foundation board of directors, the Friends of Massie Committee, and presently serves on the Savannah Council on World Affairs board of directors, where he was also a past president.

REV. JAMES “MAJOR” WOODALL (’16)
COMMUNITY HERO AWARD

The Community Hero Award was created to pay tribute to alumni who have gone above and beyond to improve their community at the local, regional, national or even international level. The Reverend James “Major” Woodall is the recipient of the Community Hero Award.

Woodall is a native of Riverdale, Georgia, and a 2016 alumnus of Georgia Southern, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a minor in religious studies. He’s a member of the 40 Under 40 Class of 2020 and is an eight-year veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve. He has served on the State Committee of the Democratic Party of Georgia and as state vice president of the Georgia Clients Council. He was a deputy campaign manager for Francys Johnson, and legislative aide to State Rep. Miriam Paris. A Gold-Life member of the NAACP, he has served as its state president of the Georgia Youth and College Division, vice president of its Bulloch County Branch and state chairman of the Young Adults Committee. He was a 2018 inaugural graduate of its Next Gen Program, and currently serves as the president of the Georgia NAACP — the youngest state president in the organization’s history.

Woodall is also a minister, currently enrolled at the Interdenominational Theological Center pursuing a Master of Divinity through the Morehouse School of Religion. He is an associate minister at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia.

MARGARET KILPATRICK (’19)
OUTSTANDING SENIOR AWARD

The Outstanding Senior Award has been a longstanding tradition at Georgia Southern. This award is selected based entirely on numbers. It is given to the graduating senior who has earned the highest GPA while completing all academic hours at the University.

Not surprisingly, the person who achieved this standing is extraordinary. Margaret Kilpatrick was an Honor’s Scholar and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in Spanish. She was president of the National Mechanical Engineering Honors Society, Pi Tau Sigma, for the 2018-2019 academic year, worked as the student writing fellow for the engineering department from 2017-2019, and worked for two-and-a-half years in the Automotive and Aerospace Combustion Laboratories from fall 2017 to fall 2019, completing undergraduate research in jet turbine engine vibrations and emissions with standard and alternative fuels.

After graduation, she completed an internship with NASA at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, working with the Structural Dynamics and Integration Branch on new vibration mitigation techniques for in-space applications. Kilpatrick worked with Lockheed Martin last summer before beginning her graduate studies at Georgia Tech in Aerospace Engineering. She plans to work in the aerospace industry with jet/rocket engines to continue to push the bounds of human understanding and capabilities for in-space exploration.

2021 EXCELLENCE IN BUSINESS AWARDS

MARGOT MORRIS DAWKINS
ATLANTA ADVERTISING NOVELTY

ATLANTA ADVERTISING NOVELTY COMPANY is a marketing and advertising firm owned by alumna Margot Morris Dawkins, a 1976 graduate of the business program. A fixture of the Atlanta area since 1918, the company is the oldest promotional products distributor in continuous business in the Southeast. They have won several Pyramid Awards, the highest in their field, and have been longtime supporters of Georgia Southern, supporting alumni, the foundation, College of Business events, and have provided office space to University staffers in the area. Dawkins says the company is proud to be part of the Georgia Southern Network.

ALEKS DAVIS AND LORI DAVIS
B2S LIFE SCIENCES IN BARGERSVILLE, INDIANA

B2S LIFE SCIENCES is a biotechnology company that supports pharmaceutical drug development. Founded by alumnus Aleks Davis, who graduated with chemistry, science and mathematics degrees in 2000, and alumna Lori Davis, who graduated in 2001 with an early childhood education degree, B2S uses protein chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology to create services and products that help develop safer drugs more efficiently. The company currently employs 45 scientists and staffers in three different states — 65% of whom are women, which is incredibly rare for a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company. B2S connects with several charitable organizations and educational institutions, and has sponsored 10 internships. In 2019, they were named the Small Business Administration exporter of the year.

MIKE CUMMINGS AND BILL HOYT
SIR SHOP IN DUBLIN, GEORGIA

DUBLIN SIR SHOP is a men’s clothing retailer owned by Mike Cummings, a 1974 graduate of the Parker College of Business, and Bill Hoyt, a 1973 and 1975 graduate of the Parker College of Business. Their stake in the Sir Shop started when they were students at Georgia Southern, working at the Sir Shop in Statesboro. When they graduated, they partnered and opened the Dublin location in April of 1975. Now a staple of Dublin commerce for 46 years, the Sir Shop has received the Dublin Chamber of Commerce Award, the Master Retailer Award by Tuxedo Central 2015-2019, the Retailer of the Year Award by Bowdon Manufacturing, and was named the Georgia Menswear Retailer of the Year.

MARSHALL SMITH AND ALEXANDER SMITH
PRIDE POOLS IN CLAXTON, GEORGIA

PRIDE POOLS, SPAS AND LEISURE is an award-winning, family-owned and operated business making backyard dreams come true. Founded in 1975 in Claxton, Georgia, the business is currently co-owned by Alexander Smith, who graduated from Georgia Southern in 1990 with a bachelor’s in recreation and tourism management degree, his brother Marshall Smith, and sister Sherrie Buckman. Pride Pools is highly active in the regional community. Alexander serves on the board of the Statesboro Boys and Girls Club, and Pride Pools sponsors the Haunted Forest event — their biggest fundraiser. The company has contributed to Evans County Hospital, Claxton Fire Department, WSAV-TV Holiday Hope, Savannah ALEE Shriners and more — and is a member of Chambers of Commerce throughout the Coastal Empire, Buy Local Savannah, Statesboro and Savannah Rotary and more. Pride Pools also supports Georgia Southern by purchasing Skybox Season tickets for Eagles basketball, baseball and football every year, and in 2014, they installed the therapy pools in the football operations center.

CHRISTOPHER JANN
MEDICUS IN CUMMING, GEORGIA

MEDICUS I.T. is a computer and network security firm, founded and owned by Christopher Jann, who graduated from Georgia Southern in 2001 with a BBA in information systems. The company provides managed services and cybersecurity specifically for health care and has offices in five states. Medicus I.T. is founded on core values that Jann said he learned at Georgia Southern — the first being Erk Russell’s maxim, “Do Right.” Medicus is active in their communities, supporting several charities. The company is also a supporter of the University, working closely with the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing for recruiting, internship programs and career fair events. In 16 years of business, Medicus has won numerous awards including Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation, the Inc. 5000 Growth Recipient award, and the Datto Backup Innovator of the Year.

ROBIN RICH
AUTOMATION SYSTEMS IN STATESBORO, GEORGIA

AUTOMATION SYSTEMS & CONTROLS, INC. (ASCI) is a multi-national control systems integrator and industrial equipment fabricator. Founded in 1998 by Robin Rich, a Double Eagle alumnus with degrees in business and engineering, the company employs a dedicated staff of 45 engineers, programmers, electricians, millwrights and fabricators. Rich says the company is the best at what it does, and received the 2013 Owens Corning Value Engineering Award — one of only 14 awarded nationwide. Rich and ASCI support Georgia Southern through scholarships to the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing, giving to the Erk Russell Fund, and currently employ five Eagle engineers, one marketing major and one education major. Rich also received the 2015 alumnus of the year award from the College of Engineering.