Business Innovation Group announces Patrick Woock as new Director of Business Incubation
Georgia Southern University’s Business Innovation Group (BIG) has hired Patrick Woock, Ph.D., to lead its efforts in supporting south Georgia entrepreneurs as the unit’s new director of business incubation.
In this newly created position, Woock will be responsible for continuing to grow the footprint that Georgia Southern has already established in the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. He will work in the southeast region through BIG’s Innovation Incubators (I2) and around the state through the Georgia Enterprise Network for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (GENIE) program.
“As someone who has worked in industry and in academia, Patrick is the perfect person to help take our incubator to the next level,” said Dominique Halaby, DPA, associate provost for Innovation at Georgia Southern University.
Woock comes to Georgia Southern with more than 20 years of experience in leading entrepreneurs. He previously served as the director of the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) SCORE Business Mentors program in Duluth, Minnesota, and the director of the McNair Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise at the University of St. Thomas in Texas. Additionally, he brings extensive international expertise with 14 years of Asian business development experience.
“I’m excited to join the BIG team, and I am looking forward to implementing an impactful vision that will bring sustainable opportunities for south Georgia’s entrepreneurs,” Woock said.
In the role, Woock will also oversee the operations of the FabLab, the Business Accelerator Program and the Virtual Incubator Program.
As a unit, BIG works to build an ecosystem throughout the state of Georgia to help entrepreneurs create, incubate and accelerate their for-profit business enterprises. In October 2022, the efforts of BIG and its resource partners culminated in Georgia Southern University being selected as one of 51 nationwide grant recipients of the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Build to Scale program, wherein the University received $600,000 in grant funding along with $600,000 in local match funds. This was followed by the awarding of a $794,472 EDA grant to scale up the GENIE program, which will connect businesses in 27 underserved locations throughout Georgia with the technical assistance they need to be successful.
With incubators already established in Statesboro and Metter, and a third soon to open in Hinesville, BIG is committed to developing and deploying new technological platforms, innovative programs, quality services and educational events to help meet the needs of area businesses, entrepreneurs and innovators seeking to expand business operations or launch new business enterprises, products and services.
About Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 institution founded in 1906, offers approximately 140 different degree programs serving nearly 26,000 students through 10 colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville, and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia with expert faculty, the University is focused on public impact research and engaging in learning opportunities through the knowledge and know-how that prepare our students to take ownership of their lives, careers, and communities. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.
Last updated: 3/9/2023
Youth mental health issues on the rise: National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Research Center awards seed grants for faculty research in support of local youth advocacy and resiliency
Youth across the U.S. are increasingly at risk for mental health issues, and Georgia Southern University is directly responding to the needs of local youth.
The University’s National Youth Advocacy and Resilience (NYAR) Research Center, which promotes scholarly and collaborative research with community partners to assist young people in overcoming conditions that may threaten their safety, health, emotional needs or intellectual development, recently awarded three seed grants to faculty for research that support youth advocacy and resiliency.
“The three NYAR Research Center innovative seed grants address community impact around trauma-informed mental health care, family engagement and rural community-based interventions and counseling, and all grants support the 2023 educational legislative initiatives, specifically in the area of school safety,” said Juliann Sergi McBrayer, Ed.D., Georgia Southern College of Education (COE) associate professor of educational leadership and NYAR Research Center co-director. “Given the increased demand for high-quality mental health services, we feel these research projects are vital to the well-being of our community.”
The center is co-directed by Chad Posick, professor of criminal justice in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences.
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2022 study revealed that:
— More than 1 in 3 high school students experienced poor mental health during the pandemic;
— Nearly half of students felt persistently sad or hopeless;
— A quarter of teens struggled with hunger;
— Two-thirds said they had difficulty with schoolwork;
— More than half of students experienced emotional abuse in their home.
Research funded by the seed grants aims to buffer impact on local youth while supporting current and relevant educational legislative initiatives.
COE professors Regina Rahimi, Ed.D., and Delores Liston, Ph.D., along with Waters College of Health Professions faculty April Garrity, Ph.D., and Tamerah Hunt, Ph.D., were awarded $8,300 for a joint research project, “Establishing a Trauma-Informed and Mental Health Research Collaborative.”
“I am thrilled to be part of a collaborative team that was awarded an NYAR Research seed grant,” said Rahimi. “This grant will allow four colleagues from various colleges on campus to build a community collaborative around trauma-informed practice. We hope this grant will kickstart this community project, which will have long-lasting implications and outcomes.”
COE faculty Anne Valauri, Ph.D., and Jarvais Jackson, Ph.D., were awarded $9,502.02 for their research, “The State of Home: Understanding Georgia Teachers’ Conceptions and Practices of Family Engagement.”
“Securing this grant to gauge family engagement practices in classrooms around the state of Georgia will inform our instruction for future and current teachers; thus creating more engaged families,” said Jackson.
In addition, COE’s Pamela Wells, Ph.D., and Kristen Dickens, Ph.D., earned $6,167 for their collaborative work, “Steps to a Stronger Statesboro: Community-Based Interventions to Fortify a Rural Community.”
All research will include collaboration with undergraduate or graduate students, who will collect and analyze data in preparation for publication and dissemination regionally and nationally.
The NYAR Center is based on a dynamic complex systems view of five interacting areas, known as the 5H Model, that impact the academic, social and emotional well-being of youth that include: “head” for intellectual achievement and school leadership; “heart” for social and emotional skills; “hands” for safety and protection; “health” for physical and mental health; and “home” for family and community support.
The model guides the center’s decision-making in order to foster the intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being of youth by providing educators, social workers, law enforcement, community leaders and other community constituents impacting youth with professional development, research support, and resource assistance across the 5H areas.
Last updated: 3/9/2023
It’s a good day to plant a tree: Georgia Southern celebrates Arbor Day
Georgia Southern University’s campuses are a little greener after students, faculty and staff came together to celebrate Georgia’s Arbor Day by planting longleaf pine and dogwood trees on the Armstrong and Statesboro campuses, respectively.
Organized by Sustain Southern in the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement, The Division of Facilities Services and student organization EcoAdvocates, the groups planted three longleaf pine trees near the Student Union on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah and in Statesboro, 10 dogwood trees were planted along Southern Drive leading to Sweetheart Circle.
Shay Little, Ph.D., vice president for Student Affairs, said the Arbor Day celebrations are just one way that students can become more connected to sustainability on campus and the inclusive learning environment that the Division of Student Affairs aims to create.
“I am proud to say that the mission of the division of Student Affairs is to cultivate an inclusive environment that fosters the holistic development of students through transformational engagement and intentional learning,” Little said.
Arbor Day is celebrated and is marked by the planting of trees and emphasizes caring for them as a way to sustainably protect the planet’s natural resources. Each year, Georgia Southern students, faculty and staff gather at each campus and reflect on the importance of Arbor Day.
“We have been designated a tree-friendly campus, and we’re recognized nationally because of this commitment and the work that we are doing here today,” said President Kyle Marrero during the Statesboro ceremony.
The efforts by the University’s Landscape Services team and efforts such as Arbor Day provide an inviting environment on campus that will be enjoyed for many years, Marrero added.
“Today is a part of the work that we do with Sustain Southern, and I am thankful for all of the groups and the plan that we’ve developed to make sure that we are good stewards of our environment now and in the future,” Marrero said.
Vice President for Business and Finance Ron Stalnaker also lauded the efforts of the Landscape Services team.
“I want to give a tremendous thank you to our grounds team for all the work that they’ve done to prepare us for this Arbor Day event, but not just for this event, but everything they do every single day to beautify all of our campuses,” said Stalnaker.
At the Armstrong Campus in Savannah, Ken Gassiot, Ph.D., associate vice president of Student Affairs, shared a quote by anthropologist Margaret Mead about the importance of making a change in the world.
“‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has,’” Gassiot quoted.
He then encouraged the students present to get involved inside and outside the classroom because it could make all the difference.
“Whether you feel like your population of two and your ideas of three can make a difference in the world, it truly can,” he said. “When we choose to live in a sustainable world by planting trees and living in a more recyclable, sustainable way, it helps the things in our life and people become better.”
The newly planted trees add to the combined more than 250 species varieties that can be found on the campuses in Savannah and Statesboro. The most commonly found tree species in Statesboro is oak, while in Savannah, conifers, junipers and dogwood trees are most commonly found on the Armstrong Campus.
In addition to a wide variety of species on Georgia Southern’s campuses, one can also find rare species and trees that have been on the campus grounds since before Georgia Southern existed.
On the Armstrong and Statesboro Campuses, the oldest trees are oak trees which can be found on Sweetheart Circle and the lawn in front of Burnett Hall in Savannah. The Division of Facilities Services had to remove an oak tree on Sweetheart Circle in recent years and estimated it to be nearly 400 years old.
The Armstrong Campus is home to one of the rarest tree species in the world: The Vietnamese Cypress. Only discovered as a species in Vietnam in 1999, it is considered critically endangered with less than 1,000 living in the wild. The Armstrong Arboretum is participating in an ex-situ conservation effort to preserve the species. The tree can be found in the conifer garden.
The Mexican Oak is another less common tree species found on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah. Already sparsely found outside of Mexico, deforestation and agricultural efforts have depleted many of the species in its native country. Since its planting on campus in 2012, the tree has grown to be nearly 30 feet tall, which is considered exceptional since it’s growing outside its natural habitat. There are only a few reports of this type of tree living along the Atlantic Coast.
The Statesboro Campus is home to the Herty Pines Nature Preserve, a wooded area just off Sweetheart Circle where a thicket of longleaf pine trees can be found. The preserve is named for Charles Herty, a researcher and pioneer in the turpentine industry who developed a sustainable method of turpentine collection in the early 1900s. The preserve is the original location of where Herty began his research developing this method, which extended the life of trees used in the turpentine industry.
Planting trees in February allows them to better establish before the hot Georgia temperatures set in during the summer. This is why Georgia recognizes Arbor Day on the third Friday of every February instead of on the National Arbor Day celebration in April. Due to inclement weather, the Statesboro Campus moved its celebration to March.
Last updated: 3/9/2023
Georgia Southern Business Innovation Group client awarded runner-up prize at Savannah pitch competition
A Georgia Southern University Business Innovation Group (BIG) client and Statesboro-based business won $2,500 and claimed the runner-up spot at the 2023 GRIT Conference Startup Stage Pitch Competition held in January.
Whiskey Grail, a business co-owned by Georgia Southern alumnus and entrepreneur Jim Walker and Statesboro entrepreneur Adam Tsang, offers handmade, American white oak drinking vessels with a charred interior designed to mimic the barrels where bourbon whiskey ages. Each grail is hand-crafted by expert artisans in BIG’s Fabrication Lab (FabLab) in downtown Statesboro.
Walker and Tsang, who started the business in November 2020, represented one of six start-up ventures selected from a group of 31 applicants to deliver their pitch to the competition’s five judges at the Creative Coast’s annual innovation conference. The panel included venture capitalists and angel investors Bill Glenn, Julianne Roseman, Steve Perricone, Jim Goodlet and Bill Nussey.
“It’s incredibly validating to the work that both of us have put in over the past two years,” said Tsang on the team’s accomplishment.
Those sentiments were echoed by Catherine Blake, business advisor at BIG and the team’s coach in the BIGx Accelerator Program, which works to mentor and prepare clients to successfully seek investor funding for their business.
“The performance of team Whiskey Grail is an example of BIG’s dedication to client excellence and the energy and entrepreneurial spirit of these amazing founders,” said Blake.
Along with various in-kind services, Whiskey Grail plans to use the cash prize to use for investing in production processes and capturing a larger market share in their industry.
Last updated: 2/27/2023
RiteCare Center asks Georgia Southern community to lend their voice to help others find theirs
Georgia Southern University’s RiteCare Center for Communications Disorders is asking students, faculty and staff to lend their voice in an effort to help those who struggle with speech to improve their communication.
The RiteCare Center’s third annual Voice Drive is happening now through May. Individuals are encouraged to collect voice recordings to submit to a human voicebank. Individuals with voice or speech loss from conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), apraxia, aphasia and Huntington’s disease, among others, can later access the recordings to help create a voice for themselves.
“A voice is unique to an individual, and the loss of a voice may result in a loss of one’s identity,” said Tory Candea, clinical coordinator at the RiteCare Center. “The use of Augmentative Alternative Communication (ACC) can assist those who have lost their voices, yet the standard voices programmed on ACC devices may sound mechanical, robotic and unnatural.”
Approximately 3,500 sentences are needed to create a complete digital voice. This takes an average of five to seven hours, and recordings are broken up into 10-15 minute sessions over the course of several weeks.
“The more individuals who donate their voices, the more options a person who has lost their voice is able to choose from, allowing them the opportunity to find a voice that better matches their personality and identity,” noted Candea. “By hosting this voice drive we hope to help these individuals retrieve control over their voice and improve their overall ability to communicate.”
Last year the RiteCare Center collected 9,696 sentences and hopes to collect 15,000 sentences this year.
Recordings can be submitted from your own home via your own schedule. You will need a computer and a microphone headset. The deadline to submit recordings is May 2.
For additional information or to register, please contact Tory Candea at tcandea@georgiasouthern.edu.
Last updated: 2/22/2023
Georgia Southern University hosts 34th annual National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference March 5-8
Georgia Southern University’s College of Education (COE) will host the 34th annual National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference (NYAR) at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Savannah March 5-8.
The conference brings together more than 1,200 professionals in education, social work, law enforcement, counseling and other child and family advocacy entities from around the country for quality, relevant training to better serve youth.
“This year’s NYAR conference is sure to be inspiring, rejuvenating and full of practical strategies to support youth and the adults who serve them,” said Alisa Leckie, Ph.D., Georgia Southern associate professor of English Learner Education and NYAR co-chair. “With nearly 100 sessions across the five strands — home, health, heart, head and hand — educators, counselors, social workers, school safety officers and law enforcement will be able to learn from and connect with colleagues from across the country.”
NYAR continues to provide quality training for all professionals interested in the well-being of youth, including but not limited to: teachers at all levels, principals and assistant principals, school counselors and psychologists, health and human service counselors and personnel, criminal justice professionals, business and community leaders, volunteer service providers, marriage and family therapists, and social workers.
Attendees will hear from three keynote speakers and benefit from their choice of more than 120 training sessions during the event. The conference aims to help professionals create safe, healthy, caring and intellectually empowering educational environments for children and adolescents.
The keynote speakers at the 2023 NYAR Conference include Joe Johnson, Ph.D., Joelle Hood, Ed.D., and Sam Stecher.
Johnson is a former standout college athlete who understands the importance of education and developing individuals and organizations in as many ways as possible. As a licensed school counselor, he has worked in a variety of K-12 school settings. In addition, he has done extensive work with undergraduate and graduate populations, corporate organizations and entrepreneurs. Serving as an educator, mentor, trainer, peak performance coach and entrepreneur leader across the country, Johnson continues to transform the lives of individuals and organizations by shifting mindsets, which translates into purposeful thinking, acting and living.
As a former Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year, Hood brings passion, energy and expertise to empower others to thrive. As co-founder and chief empowerment officer at Thriving YOUniversity, she uses her knowledge and expertise in organizational change and leadership, along with her experience as a mindfulness instructor and life coach, to provide researched-based keynotes, coaching and experiential learning workshops to individuals and organizations throughout the nation. Her areas of passion and expertise include: social, emotional and academic learning, leadership, applied educational neuroscience, mindfulness, the science of belonging and human connection, mindset, restorative practices, employee engagement, trust and team-building, trauma-responsive practices, and resilience.
Stecher is an educator, author and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience. He has provided instruction, training and leadership at every level, from elementary schools to university institutions. Through his platform, MissionMonday.com, and opportunities to speak at conferences, schools and businesses, Stecher has connected with thousands of people from Hawaii to Georgia.
For more information on the 2023 NYAR Conference, visit https://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/ce/conferences/nyar/ or contact Akilah King at 912-478-5555 or nyar@georgiasouthern.edu.
Last updated: 3/1/2023
Call Me MISTER: Georgia Southern junior Jordan Moreno is passionate about teaching, changing the education paradigm
Program applications being accepted through May 1 for the 2023-24 academic year; informational session on March 2.
Jordan Moreno, a junior in the College of Education (COE) at Georgia Southern University, recalls not having a Black teacher until the 7th grade. Since then, he’s dreamed about being a part of a paradigm shift in education while pursuing his passion for teaching and mentoring elementary students.
“I’ve always wanted to change the game in education,” Moreno said. “As far as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a teacher. It’s really the only career for me. It ticks all the boxes and I’m able to impact my future students so they can impact the world.”
As a member of the inaugural 2022-2023 cohort of Georgia Southern’s Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) program, Moreno is doing just that.
In partnership with Clemson University, the Call Me MISTER program aims to increase the number of Georgia teachers from diverse backgrounds and experiences; recruit, retain and nurture participants; and build educator talent in high-need areas.
“It’s such an amazing program,” said Moreno. “We need more people in the classrooms who are passionate about teaching, passionate about getting our students engaged and in love with school again. That’s really the program model. We are servant-leaders and role models in elementary and middle schools.”
According to the Pew Research Center, U.S. public school teachers are considerably less diverse than the student populations they teach. Only 7% of U.S. public school teachers are Black, and of those, 2% are Black males.
Moreno, who will be the first in his family to graduate from college, thought that it would be impossible to have a Black male professor in college.
At Georgia Southern, he was excited to meet Calvin Walton, Ph.D., lecturer in Georgia Southern’s Department of Curriculum, Foundations and Reading and Call Me MISTER program director. Walton is passionate about the organization’s directives.
“It is my distinct honor to serve as the inaugural director of our Call Me MISTER program,” Walton said. “My passion to build a strong Call Me MISTER program emerges from a desire to improve school outcomes and experiences for students from traditionally marginalized backgrounds. Our mission is to increase the pool of Black male teachers and teachers from broader and more diverse backgrounds to work in some of the region’s lowest performing elementary and middle schools. I have high expectations that Georgia Southern University’s Call Me MISTER program will produce talented and passionate teachers who embody social justice education and transformational change for marginalized students.”
Walton encouraged Moreno to join the new cohort, emphasizing the networking, leadership, camaraderie and achievement opportunities under the guidance and support of adult advocates.
There are biweekly meetings with other MISTERS and a summer institute at Clemson where current and alumni MISTERS from around the country come together.
“We’re able to collaborate, remember why we want to be teachers,” he said. “It’s a really beautiful program.”
Additionally, the MISTER program offers tuition and book assistance and coordinates efforts on behalf of the students for mentoring and teaching placements.
Currently, Moreno works with fourth and fifth graders at Largo-Tibet Elementary School in Savannah once a week. He guides his own lessons with playful learning as they explore future careers.
“I have such a good time with it,” he said. “I’m being supported and I get to support my future students, so I’m having a ball.
“And I’ve gotten rave reviews from the school counselor and the school social worker. They can tell that I love it.”
The College of Education is accepting applications for the Call Me MISTER program for the 2023-2024 academic year through May 1. There will be an information session via Zoom at 6 p.m. on March 2.
For more information on how to join the Zoom info session or apply to the program, visit https://coe.georgiasouthern.edu/call-me-mister/ or contact Calvin Walton at calvinwalton@georgiasouthern.edu.
Last updated: 2/22/2023
New York bestselling authors coming to Georgia Southern
A pair of New York Times bestselling authors will appear at Georgia Southern to read passages from their new books. The Georgia Southern Department of English will be hosting both events.
Stacy Willingham will visit the Armstrong Campus in Savannah on Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. Her novel A Flicker in the Darkness and All the Dangerous Things landed Willingham on the bestseller list. A Q&A will follow the event. This session is open to the public.
Before she began writing fiction, Willingham earned a duo of degrees from Georgia higher education institutions, the University of Georgia and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
More information on this event can be found here.
Pulitzer Prize-winning and New York Times bestselling author Andrew Sean Greer will read a passage from his new novel, Less is Lost, on Georgia Southern University’s Statesboro Campus on Feb. 20 at 5:30 p.m. A Q&A will follow. The event is hosted by the department of English and is open to the public.
“His reading and discussion will offer us unique insights into the process of a working writer who managed to court critical and popular success,” said Beth Howells, Ph.D., chair of the department of literature. “We are pleased to offer this opportunity to all of the writers and readers in our classrooms, department and community.”
Greer is a fiction author famous for his works including The Confessions of Max Tivoli and Less, which earned the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2018. He has also written for Esquire and The New Yorker.
The Undergraduate English Program offers the undergraduate degrees of a major and minor in English. The program’s faculty is dedicated to excellence in teaching and the development of a fertile learning environment exemplified by a free exchange of ideas, high academic expectations and individual responsibility for academic achievement.
Additional details is available here.
Last updated: 2/17/2023
