CLASS Connect | Spring 2014 by GaSouthern CLASS

Vol. 3 Issue 2 Spring 2014

awesome Awards Janie Wilson: Ruffin Cup honoree page 2 Derek Larson: Hudgens Prize finalist page 3 Adam Bossler: grant recipient page 4 Taylor Tyson: Harbuck scholar page 12

eventful semesters French Week page 5 Religious Studies Conference page 7 Statesboro: The Write Place page 12 CLASS Alumni Connection Series page 13 Ahead in CLASS page 15

Fulbrights Abound! Sobia Aftab: Visiting Scholar page 10 Larry Griffin: Research Chair page 11

From the desk of

CLASS Connect | Spring 2014 | 2

Dr. Curtis Ricker

or much of this past year, those in the “Eagle Nation” have been repeatedly invited to “Join the Journey,” a slogan referring, of course, to the impending move of Georgia Southern University’s athletic teams from the Southern to the Sunbelt Conference. Comparing a major change in a person’s or an organization’s life to a journey is common, with a long literary history that encompasses many of the world's great writings: The Odyssey, Pilgrim’s Progress, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Divine Comedy, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are just a few that come to mind. Indeed, the journey or quest motif is so basic in human experience that it is one of the universal archetypes, found in all cultures’ folklore and literature; consequently, its use both in literature and other cultural expressions resonates easily with us. My own journey with Georgia Southern began when I joined the faculty in 1984, coincidentally, the first year that the Eagles began participation at the Division 1-AA level. The journey’s been a great one for the institution, with one constant since that time seeming to be, somewhat paradoxically, change – change from 6,000 to 21,000 students, change from Georgia Southern College to Georgia Southern University, change from the College of Arts and Sciences to the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. And change has been a part of my personal journey – from faculty member to department chair to associate dean and now dean. (Please note that the alignment in timing of the conference change with my appointment as dean is, I’m sure, purely coincidental!) Like the University, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences continues its journey. We now have 11 academic departments, an institute, and four interdisciplinary centers. More than 250 in number, the faculty of the College remain committed through excellent teaching and research to helping each of our students on his or her own journey. With so many interesting things happening in CLASS, a few of which are highlighted in this publication, I invite you to “Join the Journey.”

CLASS Notes

In 2012-13, CLASS faculty published: 28 books, 157 journal articles/book chapters, and 306 conference papers

339 creative works,

Dr. Janie Wilson of the Department of Psychology was awarded the Ruffin Cup at the Fall 2013 CLASS faculty meeting. The Ruffin Cup recognizes the highest achievement in teaching, scholarship, and service in the College.

In 2012-13, CLASS awarded 1,053 diplomas (977 undergraduate and 76 graduate)

27.39%

of the total degrees awarded by the University that year.

Dr. Curtis E. Ricker, dean of CLASS Cover photo by Jeremy Wilburn, Georgia Southern University Your opinion matters, and we want your feedback! Connect with the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences at Georgia Southern University by calling 912.478.2527 or emailing class@georgiasouthern.edu. Tell us what you think of CLASS Connect and what you'd like to see in future editions.

departmental directory art.................................................... 3 communication arts......................... 4 criminal justice & criminology........ 4 foreign languages............................ 5 history. ............................................ 6 literature & philosophy....................7

music. ................................................7 political

Science.............................. 8

psychology..................................... 10

& anthropology. ...........11 & linguistics...................... 12

sociology writing

betty foy sanders department of art class.georgiasouthern.edu/ art

year. As a finalist, Larson was invited to show his work at the Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center for the Arts in Duluth. Larson says he first learned of the Hudgens Prize from a flier sent to the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art from the Hudgens Center. “I knew about similar prizes, particularly the Efroymson Fellowship in Indiana, which awards a large cash sum to working artists, and some of my friends won it in the past,” he says. “So, when I saw the Hudgens opportunity, I thought, ‘Why not? I’m a Georgia artist, and I’ve had a productive year,’ so, I entered some of my work from 2012.” The artworks in Nervous Systems are “a reflection on our immune systems as they relate to our increasingly altered environment and our state of nervous existence,” he says. “I submitted examples from four solo shows I had in 2012 in Nashville, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and New Orleans,” Larson says. “The works were mainly projected video and animations on shaped screens, but in each show there were additional elements. In Nashville, I included paintings; St. Louis included digital prints; and in New Orleans there were screen prints. So, in each show there was a two-dimensional element and the video.”

The initial pool of entries for the prize included more than 370 applicants, and a panel of judges comprising Atlanta gallery owners, artists, and others selected the four finalists. The final judges included Doryun Chong, the associate curator of the Museum of Modern Art in New York; Toby Kamps, the chief curator of the Menil Collection in Houston; and Heather Pesanti, the senior curator at AMOA/Arthouse in Austin, Texas. These judges visited the finalists. “During my visit with the judges, I received a lot of feedback and felt fortunate introducing them to my work,” Larson says. “It was a bit surreal having these three individuals in my studio, because they traveled all the way to Statesboro, which is not convenient. They flew to Savannah, visited me, and then drove to Atlanta to visit the other three finalists.” Nervous Systems was on display at the Hudgens Center until September 7, and Larson hosted an artist talk there on July 25. The winner was named at an award celebration held on August 10. “I didn’t win the prize, but being a finalist has been a great experience,” Larson says. “It helped introduce my work to Atlanta, and I’ve made some new friends.”

moths a solution to bee depopulation issues? is much concern over the dramatic rise in Honey assistant professor of Ceramics Jeff Schmuki and Bee Depopulation Syndrome or Colony Colhis colleague, Wendy DesChene, have devellapse Disorder, in which worker bees disapoped an innovative solution for reduced pear or die. Research led us to nighttime pollination from declining honeybee popinsects, or ‘second-shift pollinators,’ ulations: Have moths do it! for necessary food crop pollination. Schmuki and DesChene were invited to Moths are also a family of insects that Charlotte, N.C., last summer to promost people know very little about.” mote their project at the McColl Center for Visual Arts. The Moth Project, The Moth Project’s goal is to addeveloped under the duo’s PlantBot dress environmental stresses, food Genetics, utilizes a series of illumishortages, and wasteful practices by nated garden interventions designed linking ecological issues to creative to attract moths for pollination while operations and tactics. underscoring the decline of honeybee “We aspire to create conceptually rigpopulations. The nighttime gardens use orous poetic projects where passive off-grid solar energy to power portable Assistant Professor of Ceramics viewers become empowered particiJeff Schmuki tends a nighttime light installations that attract moths and garden in Charlotte, N.C. pants,” Schmuki says. “The Moth Project other nighttime insects for pollination. enables audiences to develop a greater underThe gardens DesChene and Schmuki tended over standing and appreciation for the art and science the summer comprised plants suitable to Charlotte’s cli- that can be found in sustainable practices, strengthening mate and known to benefit pollinating insects. Each eve- the bond between people and nature by inventing new ning, they illuminated the gardens, cataloged insects, and ways to connect nature with their everyday lives. Bringspoke to audiences about the demise of the honeybee. ing art and sustainable practices to people is something These public events combined art and sustainability with Wendy and I passionately advocate. The Moth Project entomological and horticultural research. aims to extend knowledge, demonstrate the fragile con“We chose to focus on moths because of their nection between the natural world and personal action, diversity – there are approximately 14,500 species in the and offer simple positive changes that can be enacted to U.S. – and usefulness as pollinators,” Schmuki says. “There increase sustainability.”

ALUMNI NEWS

3 | Spring 2014 | CLASS Connect

professor of New Media Derek Larson made it to the final round for the prestigious Hudgens Prize in 2013 with Nervous Systems, a collection of multimedia installations that explore the human body, health, immune systems, genetically modified foods, computer processing, and pharmaceuticals. Larson was among four finalists for the Hudgens Prize, which is the largest cash prize given to artists in the U.S. and is awarded to a Georgia artist each

department of communication arts

TV Studio Lobby 001

class.georgiasouthern.edu/ commarts

CLASS Connect | Spring 2014 | 4

Elev Equip 005

MDF 006

Thyssen Krupp AMEE 50 HL 004

TV Studio 003A

Ben's Office / Check-out/ Storage 007 The completed Sanford Hall will feature classrooms, writing labs, a media space, a film studio space, editing and audio booths, and a converged media lab. Friends and alumni may purchase etched-glass plaques or sponsor other items in honor of their time at Georgia Southern and/or in the dormitory.

Vestibule 003

DN DN

originally a male dormitory and later apartment-style dorms,

Sanford Hall will soon become the permanent home of the Department of Communication Arts, currently sprawled across six buildings on campus. The move will begin in Fall 2014.

West Stair 002 UP

Control since 1977, Room The building, which has not undergone renovationsCentral Room will feature a lecture classroom, two writing labs, a performance 1 Channel 99 classroom, four standard classrooms, a technology enhanced 008 003C assisted-learning classroom, a media space, a film studio space,

Elec. 009

editing and audio booths, and a converged media lab while maintaining the original wood structure, exposed brick in the stairwells, and other elements of the nostalgic location.

"We want to give nods to the past throughout the building while providing current and future students new and modern resources," says Department Chair Dr. Pamela Bourland-Davis. The Department is offering several opportunities for alumni and friends to pay homage to their time at the University and/ or in Sanford Hall. For more information, contact Sue Bunning, CLASS development officer, at 912.478.2435.

department of criminal justice & criminology

Bossler gets grant to study cyber criminals

ALUMNI NEWS dr. adam

class.georgiasouthern.edu/ justice

Though its facilities will be state-of-the-art, nods to Sanford's past, such as exposed brick walls and vintage lighting structures, will be evident throughout the building.

By Rebekah Faulk Georgia Southern University

bossler, interim chair and associate professor, has been awarded a grant of approximately $200,000 from the National Science Foundation, along with Dr. Sriram Chellappan from Missouri University of Science and Technology and Dr. Thomas Holt from Michigan State University.

“Collaborative Project: A Multi-Disciplinary Framework for Modeling Spatial, Temporal and Social Dynamics of Cyber Criminals” will utilize criminological theories to explain unique online fingerprints of criminal behavior using longitudinal survey and Internet usage data. In addition, the grant recipients will derive models of

spatial, temporal and social dynamics of cyber criminals using multi-fractal algorithmic techniques. Georgia Southern was awarded $56,759 for its contribution to this partnership. The grant runs through Aug. 31, 2015. “I am eager to begin work on the project,” Bossler says.

french week

department of foreign languages

crêpes

class.georgiasouthern.edu/ foreign-languages

1999, officers of the American Association of Teachers of French initiated National French Week and designated dates during November for the celebration. Professor of French Dr. Clara Krug volunteered to coordinate the first French Week at Georgia Southern, which was held in 2000, and has overseen the annual event ever since. “The first French Week included a visit by Mayor Bill Hatcher, who declared National French Week in Statesboro,” Krug says. “A photo of Professors Jean-Paul Carton and Dominique Carton serenading the mayor with French music appeared in The Herald. Tom Palfy, the director of food services at the time, agreed to offer a French menu in Landrum one day during that week, and I provided the recipes for the staff.” The celebration of French history, culture, language, and cuisine has grown each year and is recognized for its cross-campus collaboration. Since its beginning, French Week has featured a French film with English subtitles. At first, Krug explains, the film was featured as part of the Cinema Arts Series coordinated by Professors John Humma and Tomasz Warchol of the Department of Literature and Philosophy. Though that series ended a few years ago, Warchol has continued to coordinate the French Week film. University Dining Services has also been supportive of French Week since its inception, and the inclusion of French food at campus dining locations remains popular among students, faculty, and staff. In 2013, Director of Dining Services Greg Crawford implemented a different French menu at the University Dining Commons for lunch and dinner each day during French Week. To foster cross-campus participation each year, Krug emails the department chairs of CLASS and the director of the Center for International Studies asking about colleagues who would be interested in sharing their expertise. She then contacts the suggested faculty members and coordinates their involvement. So far, French Week has featured faculty members from CLASS and from the College of Health and Human Sciences, Zach S. Henderson Library, Center for International Studies, and the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health. Though she is retiring this Spring, Krug will coordinate French Week in 2014 before passing the torch to colleagues Helena Hernandez and Martha Hughes.

Among the highlights of French Week is the opportunity to sample French cuisine. In 2013, the Georgia Southern Dining Commons presented a different French menu each day of the celebration. Featured items included stuffed pork loin with burre fondue, roasted asparagus, rice pilaf, a salad niçoise, and crêpes.

Krug to bid Georgia Southern adieu after 36 years ALUMNI NEWS dr. clara krug, who is

retiring after Spring 2014, came to Georgia Southern College from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 1978.

“I enjoy teaching all French courses,” Krug

says. “However, perhaps I enjoy most teaching elementary French. Students begin with little – if any – knowledge of French, and at the end of the semester, they realize the progress that they have made.”

“I hope that students realize that it is not difficult to learn a different language,” she continues. “It can even be fun! And I hope that

they realize that they can use French in their work, their travel, and/or their leisure time.” After retirement, Krug plans to attend more performances of the Department of Music, Theatre & Performance program, and Performing Arts Center and to see more films. She also wants to travel and would like to volunteer in Bulloch County.

5 | Spring 2014 | CLASS Connect

Annual event is a LET THEM EAT cross-campus fête

5 questions with Dr. Craig Roell

what i like most about my job:

Teaching and interacting with the students entrusted to my care, even those who think history is boring and irrelevant. I always teach history in terms of what life lessons can be learned or applied from historical experiences. I cherish the friendships I have with my former students.

the person who most influenced my life/career: First my

parents, Henry and Ruth Roell, along with my “Grannie Ritchie” and “Aunt Louise,” all of whom raised me to appreciate and cultivate life-long values, faith in God, and a healthy work ethic. Clarence Felger, my piano teacher and mentor for 14 years, who instilled a love of piano and classical music. J.W. Rose, who taught me the craft of piano tuning. Dr. Lewis L. Gould, who directed my Ph.D. dissertation and was my mentor as a historian and a history professor. Dr. Sam Jones, a Christian minister and professional psychologist, who counseled me through an extremely difficult time and helped me to become the man I am. Melinda, my Queen and the love of my life, who influenced every aspect of my life. I would never be the man, the father, the author, or the teacher that I am without her. I dedicated my Matamoros book to her and our daughters.

if i wasn’t a professor, i would be a: Professional

piano tuner-technician, which I still love to do; but our culture has changed so much as to make this nearly impractical. Whatever else I’d be doing, it would be to help people. So, if not a professor, then a teacher at some other level, or a counselor, or even a minister.

if i could have dinner with five famous people from history, i would choose: I un-

questionably would choose Jesus of Nazareth and Johann Sebastian Bach. The Apostle Paul; Benjamin Franklin; and Theodore Roosevelt. But ask again tomorrow!

my biggest piece of advice for georgia southern students:

Try to balance having good fun with the serious responsibilities of school – the child and the adult must coexist throughout life. Don’t neglect friendships. Learn to appreciate family, especially the sacrifices parents make. Strive each day to see the good in life, cultivate a grateful heart, be gracious to others, and practice forgiveness. Seek help, guidance, or counseling when you need it. Pray often; pray for others more. Remember to see each day as a gift. Live by the Golden Rule. Trust God.

ALUMNI NEWS

DID YOU

KNOW? p ro file

CLASS Connect | Spring 2014 | 6

class.georgiasouthern.edu/ history

p ro f e s s o r

department of history

The number of students enrolled in the Public History Graduate Certificate program, unveiled in Fall 2013. The program prepares students for careers in historic media, national parks, historic preservation, and more.

Dr. Craig Roell

craig roell is recognized as an expert historian. Advertising and Culture, and Economic Rivals: He is adored by students: In a recent email, Dan- U.S.-Japan. ielle Olowoyo says, “I only took one class with you Roell published four more books and more than and I will never forget it … of all the professors 140 peer-reviewed articles. Because of his pubI had at Georgia Southern, I feel as though you lication and teaching record, he was tenured in knew me best.” Few would suspect, however, that 1995, promoted to associate professor in 1996, this widely published author began his professional and awarded a Georgia Southern University Award journey as a piano tuner-technician. for Excellence in Research and Creative Scholarly Roell was raised in Victoria, Texas, and his father, a Activity for 1996-1997. He received a University Award for Excellence in Contriprofessional photographer, took butions to Instruction for 2000several photos related to the 2001, and was promoted to full area’s history. professor in 2000. “I became a history nerd at an “I think teaching should be early age,” Roell says. called a ‘practice’ because one Roell took piano lessons for 12 must continually practice someyears and earned an Associate thing to be better at it. This is in Arts degree in music and piwhy experience and preparation ano from Victoria College. He mirror each other,” Roell says. earned a B.A. in history from the “I am always tweaking, revising, — Dr. Craig Roell University of Houston-Victoria and experimenting, keeping up 2013 Wells/Warren while working as a professional with scholarly trends, assignpiano tuner-technician for Rose Professor of the Year ing new books reflecting these Piano Company, and became a trends, adding new things that master piano tuner-technician. I think would interest my stu“I loved tuning, rebuilding, repairing, and refinish- dents, and altering or dropping things that didn’t ing pianos and thought this would be my life-long work well.” profession – until the advent of digital and elec- Roell says he thinks the most important traits of a tronic keyboards in the late 1970s,” Roell says. good teacher are cultivating a respect for the stuHe decided to study history at the graduate lev- dents and maintaining a humble spirit. el, earning an M.A. and a Ph.D. with a specialty in “I am blessed with a certain talent – a calling, as American cultural, economic, and marketing histo- the Puritans of old would say – for teaching. A ry at the University of Texas at Austin. calling that includes having the disposition, a sense “I wrote my Ph.D. dissertation on the history of of humor, an ability to put things into perspective the American piano culture, piano manufacturing, and have the insight to teach life lessons,” he says. and piano marketing in the United States,” he says. “This is essentially the difference between teaching knowledge and teaching wisdom.” While at UT Austin, Roell taught U.S. history survey courses and worked as a staff researcher for Roell received the Sons of the Republic of Texas the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library Presidio La Bahía Award in 1995 for his book Reand Museum. This resulted in his first book, Lyn- member Goliad! A History of La Bahía and Georgia don B. Johnson: A Bibliography. In 1986, he became Southern’s Award for Excellence in Contributions the Nelda C. and H. J. Lutcher Stark Foundation to Instruction for 2000-2001. In 2012, Roell reFellow in Texas Studies at the Texas State Histori- ceived the CLASS Ruffin Cup, which is awarded cal Association in Austin, where he worked on the each fall to a faculty member nominated by his/her awarding-winning The New Handbook of Texas and peers and “recognizes the highest achievement in teaching, scholarship, and service in the College.” coauthored William McKinley: A Bibliography. In 1988, Roell accepted a one-year appointment as In 2013, he was awarded the Wells/Warren Profesthe Samuel Davis Post-Doctoral Fellow and Vis- sor of the Year Award for Excellence in Teaching, iting Professor in Business History at Ohio State which is presented by the University, based on stuUniversity. This allowed him to be trained in and dent nominations, and endowed by former Gamteach courses in business history, to further his ma Beta Phi advisors J. Norman Wells and the late research, and led him to accept the newly creat- Rosalyn Wells. ed historian of American economic, business, and Roell continues to contribute to his field: He cultural history position at Georgia Southern in has written for several award-winning collec1989. For almost 25 years, Roell has taught under- tions including “Andrew Carnegie,” “John D. graduate- and graduate-level courses in American Economic History, American Consumer Culture, please see ROELL on page 14

“I am blessed with a certain talent ... to teach life lessons.”

on oct.

18 and 19, 2013, the Center for Religious Studies presented its second annual Undergraduate Religious Studies Conference. The theme for the two-day event was Religion and Sex, and it comprised 15 student presenters – two from outside Georgia Southern – and both a student and faculty panel. More than 100 students attended Friday evening’s sessions “Shades of the Bible Belt Rainbow” and “Sex Beyond the Boundaries: Text and Society,” which featured the student panel and presentations of topics as diverse as “Reform of the Sacred Prostitute: Exploring Effects of Colonial and Post-Colonial Reform,” “The Kama Sutra: Cultural Perspectives and Western Interpretation,” “Sexual Innuendo of Biblical Proportions: Reflecting on Leviticus 18:22,” and “Christianity and Homosexuality: The Bible and Same-Sex Marriage.” “It is marvelous to see such outstanding student response to the conference,” says Dr. Hemchand Gossai, director of the Center for Religious Studies. “From the presentations it was obvious that the students spent much time researching, analyzing, and writing, and we are all more knowledgeable because of their endeavors.” The second day of the conference ran from 8:30 a.m. until the evening and featured sessions titled “God Created Them Male and Female,” “Sex and the City of God,” “Inscribing the Body: Temple and

class.georgiasouthern.edu/ litphi

Object,” “A World of Sex,” and the faculty round-table. The Undergraduate Religious Studies Conference originated in 2012 with the theme Religion and Politics, deemed an appropriate topic as the nation was then engulfed in election campaigns. Plans for the 2014 conference are already under way, and the tentative theme is Religion and Culture. “It is important for students in all disciplines to get experience in researching and presenting papers,” Gossai says. “As we continue to move forward with the religious studies conferences, we will maintain our goal of selecting themes that are intriguing, inspiring, and culturally appropriate.”

minor sees major response Religious Studies is the fastest growing minor in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. From 2006 to 2013, the Religious Studies program has grown from 15 to 95 minors encompassing majors as wide-ranging as mechanical engineering, nursing, psychology, and English.

7 | Spring 2014 | CLASS Connect

Religion & Sex Undergrads examine

department of literature & philosophy

Learn more about the Center for Religious Studies and its minor: class.GeorgiaSouthern.edu/religious.

undergraduate arranges for aso dalton daniel,

a junior trombonist and music composition major, was commissioned by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to write two arrangements for its January 18 Pops concert featuring Chuck Leavelle, keyboardist with the Rolling Stones and the Allman Brother’s Band. At Leavelle’s request, Dalton arranged the Otis Redding songs “I Can’t Turn You Loose” and “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long.” The commission came by way of a recommendation from Maestro Adrian Gnam, conductor of the Georgia Southern Symphony, who had heard Dalton’s arrangement of the “1812 Overture” performed by the University’s Trombone Ensemble at the International Trombone Festival last summer. “One day after my trombone lesson with Dr. (Rick) Mason, I saw Maestro in the hallway, and he asked me to step inside his office,” Dalton says. “He asked me if I knew who Otis Redding

was and if I knew of his music, to which I responded with a solid yes. Then, he showed me this score to Otis Redding pop tunes he had written back in 2004. At this point I was thinking to myself, ‘Why is he showing me all this stuff?’ After showing me everything, he asked me if I would like to arrange two Otis Redding songs for the ASO and Chuck Leavelle. I immediately accepted the offer. I was beyond ecstatic. Maestro said he chose me for this job because he had heard my arrangement of the ‘1812 Overture’ and wanted to open a new door for me in the music world.” “The difference between arranging and composing is analogous to writing

a research paper and writing a novel,” Dalton says. “When you are composing, you are coming up with new musical ideas to create a piece. When arranging, you take an already existing piece, and put your own spin on it. My job was to take the two Otis Redding tunes – which had vocals, guitar, bass, drums, and a horn-line – and expand them into a piece for vocals and a small band,with orchestral accompaniment.” “Upon receiving the job of arranging these two tunes, I had a week to finish it,” Dalton says. “I found piano scores for the pieces, which is as basic as you can get. As I listened to the tune, I wrote down ideas of what I wanted to happen

in my ordepartment of chestra music arrangeclass.georgiasouthern.edu/ ment. I music finally gained an idea of what I was looking for, and I started writing.” “To be commissioned by the ASO, a professional orchestra, is a huge honor, especially since I am still an undergrad,” Dalton says. Dalton has written compositions for University ensembles, including the Southern Pride Marching Band, Jazz Band, Student Brass Quintets, Trombone Ensemble, and Horn Ensemble. He studies arranging under Dr. Bill Schmid and recently submitted a work to the Geo Valle Big Band, a professional jazz orchestra in Los Angeles. After graduation, Dalton plans to attend graduate school at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and then to pursue a career in film scoring.

ALUMNI NEWS

department

studen in edit

of political

CLASS Connect | Spring 2014 | 8

science

two faculty members in the Departm of Political Science have joined forces to velop a new book, Listening, Looking, Liv Qualitative Research, the Study of Politics, Understanding the World in Which We Live, this has been no ordinary undertaking. D Patrick Novotny and Darin Van Tassell, w have discussed the prospect of developin book since co-teaching the Department’s search methods course in 2010, involved undergraduate students at Georgia South University to help edit and review the te book. One student, 2013 alumnus Scott T lor, even wrote the forward. Though Listening, Looking, Living has b incorporated in some upper-level resea methods courses, the book is geared tow undergraduates and was written with sem ter-long introductory courses, such as Int duction to Political Science and Introduct to International Studies, in mind as a com mentary text for introducing research me ods early-on. “Qualitative research is such an import part of understanding politics,” Nov ny says, “yet the discipline has historic lacked a good introduction and overv of its qualitative tradition that is accessi to undergraduates.” “There is a whole range of works in po cal science that students weren’t connect with regarding the techniques of qualitat research,” Van Tassell continues. “We th this book introduces some of the hands techniques of qualitative research – and so of the classic studies and more contem rary works that use these techniques in litical science. We hope showing stude how many major studies in this discipline qualitative approaches will make doing t kind of research even more approacha and accessible.” In writing Listening, Looking, Living, Novo and Van Tassell wanted to emphasize the portance of relationships in political scien and qualitative research and the importan of assessing the context of the research.

ALUMNI NEWS 1960-79

Joan Alice Jordan ('68 and '71) worked in K-12 education for more than 30 years as a school psychologist and administrator and in Henry County Schools as special education director. She retired and taught part-time for Piedmont College in Demorest, Ga., and now works full-time as an associate professor of education with Piedmont College. She participates in community service work with Relay for

Life, the Special Olympics, GREA, and HCREA and enjoys spending time with her family and friends and traveling. Hala Moddelmog (’79) was elected president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, which represents more than 4,000 member companies that employ nearly 1 million workers.

1980-89

Robert Toole (’82) was named the warden of the Georgia State Prison.

Jim Claxton (’84) owns Claxton Printing Company in Atlanta. He and his team recently received awards, including Best of Show and Best Print Finishing, in the Print and Imaging Association of Georgia’s annual Print Excellence competition. Dave German (’85) was named the station manager of Coastal Television Broadcasting’s Fox affiliate KTBY in Anchorage, Alaska. Meg Heap (‘86) was named the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences’ Alumnus of the Year. Heap is the Chatham County district at-

ment deving: and but Drs. who ng a red 60 hern extTay-

been arch ward mestrotion mplieth-

tant votcally view ible

olititing tive hink s-on ome mpopoents use this able

otny imnce nce

“We both feel that politics is very much centered around human relationships,” Van Tassell says. “Politics is the stuff of human life, as Woodrow Wilson famously said; it is always a product of human interactions. We find it crucial for our students to learn how important it is to look at politics as a broad tapestry of human relationships: of perceptions, lifestyles, and connections.” “We hope that in a rapidly changing world, we can encourage our book’s readers to keep in mind the importance of taking the time to look at the world around them,” Novotny continues, “to listen more to what is happening in the world and to explore the complexities of politics as a profoundly complex and complicated human endeavor.” These themes were set before the 60 students in the two sections of the research methods course in 2011 and 2012 who helped to review and edit Listening, Looking, Living. "That process itself is noteworthy," Van Tassell says. "Students were broken into groups of four, and each group was assigned existing chapters of the manuscript. Not only were they trained in the rigors of editing, but each group was tasked with offering their own title to the book and to the chapters assigned, which were previously unnamed. Furthermore, each student wrote and researched their own version of an introduction or preface to the book – an assignment that proved to be incredibly satisfying to the students given the connection to a product they knew was in the publication process." Then-senior Scott Taylor, an international studies major, wrote the book’s forward, “A

“We hope showing students how many major studies ... use qualitative approaches will make doing this kind of research even more approachable and accessible.” Note from a Student to Students Reading this Book: Find the Good, Honest Stories Worth Telling.” Taylor, who now works as a research and policy analyst at the Colin L. Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, is also conducting graduate research at the City College of New York. In addition to all of the students' work, Novotny and Van Tassell spent hours scrutinizing each piece of the book before publication. “We outlined, talked about, and wrote this book together,” Novotny says, “but it was especially in editing and rewriting that our collaboration came together. We spent hours looking at each sentence, each paragraph, each footnote – often late into the evenings after long days of teaching our classes – sometimes both reading the same sentence over and over as we worked through our edits and revisions.”

class.georgiasouthern.edu/ polisci

“And we’re still thinking of ways to keep our collaboration going, both in the classroom and in our writing,” Van Tassell continues. “In Spring 2014, we will have two different section of our research methods courses that we have scheduled to be taught at the same time. We intend for both of the classes to have several joint-sessions together, where we can continue our work. I mean, how often do students get to ask authors of books they are reading questions about the research?” Novotny and Van Tassell have received feedback from colleagues who have incorporated Listening, Learning, Living in their classes. So far, all responses have been positive, and the authors say the second edition of the text is already under way. “They all seem to ‘get’ what we are after: To show how rich and rewarding qualitative research can be,” Novotny says. Novotny and Van Tassell say that collaborating on Listening, Learning, Living has increased their appreciation for Georgia Southern and the pride they have for the College and the work of their colleagues, and they hope that these feelings are contagious. “We certainly hope that students seeing their professors working together will inspire them to appreciate the work done by all of their professors and to know that their professors take the work that they do in the classroom here at Georgia Southern and share it with an even larger audience of faculty and students on other campuses in the U.S. and the world,” Van Tassell says. “Being associated with that kind of place adds to how we all feel about our University.”

'listening, learning, living' emphasizes student interaction Listening, Learning, Living begins with a scenario of student interactions that likely occurs at every university in the nation. Novotny and Van Tassell say that they started out this way on purpose, hoping that students would immediately recognize how important other students had been to addressing and identifying the issues in the book. “We wanted our readers to see up-front that these are things we not only teach about in our classes, but that our students and our work torney in Savannah. She spoke during the Elder Abuse Conference, presented by Georgia Southern and Senior Citizens Inc., in Savannah on October 11 and served as CLASS’ Fall 2013 commencement speaker. Judy Graham-Weaver (’86) is the community affairs manager for Delta Air Lines. Lawanda Allen (’87) was named the 2013 Bulloch County Teacher of the Year Jeffrey Hanson (’88) was named the new state court judge in Bibb County.

with them helps to shape in every way our thinking and writing on this subject,” Van Tassell says. The rest of the book is more focused on a general overview of each of three research approaches – interviewing, participant observation, and ethnography – followed by an overview of studies and books that incorporate the techniques.

1990-99 Dr. Lee Berger (’90) was featured on the cover of Science magazine for a second time and was named an Explorer by the National Geographic Society. Chris Riley (‘92) was named Georgia Southern’s Alumnus of the Year. Riley is the chief of staff for Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. Charlton Anthony Scott (‘94) has volunteered as a Guardian Ad Litem in Lexington County, S.C., for six years, serving as a court-appoint-

ALUMNI NEWS ed advocate for children whose families have open cases with the Department of Social Services for child abuse or neglect. He resides in West Columbia, S.C. Stephanie Todd Haley (‘95) began her career at CNN after graduation and is now the director of editorial coverage at HLN, CNN’s sister-network. She is responsible for editorial direction, content creation, event planning, and programming for HLN.

9 | Spring 2014 | CLASS Connect

nts aid professors ting new textbook

department of political science

department of psychology class.georgiasouthern.edu/ psychology

DID YOU

KNOW?

The number of graduates of the Department of Psychology's Doctorate of Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program. The Psy.D program originated from a need for licensed psychologists in the rural South. The program accepted its first cohort in 2007 and saw graduates in 2012 and 2013.

CLASS Connect | Spring 2014 | 10

Fulbright research aims to establish

cross-cultural resource in fall 2013, the Department of Psychol-

ogy welcomed Dr. Sobia Aftab, an assistant professor of clinical psychology at the Institute of Clinical Psychology at the University of Karachi in Pakistan, as its first visiting Fulbright Scholar. Aftab is a consultant clinical psychologist, certified hypnotherapist, and neuro-linguistic programming practitioner. Her research focuses on attributional style, hopelessness, depression and suicide in adolescents and young adults. “During my clinical practice with adolescents and young adults in Pakistan, I dealt with suicide attempts and saw an increase among suicide cases in different regions in Pakistan from 2011-2012,” Aftab says. “This gradually increasing number of cases was quite alarming because adolescents are the pillars on which the foundation of a nation is laid, and if these pillars become weak the nations cannot be cultured. I wanted to know: What is going on in their minds? What goes wrong with them? What factors lead some adolescents to complete their journey to adulthood and others to depart from their normal healthy journey? With these questions in mind, I designed the research project.” “There were 134 applicants from different disciplines who applied for the 2013-2014 Fulbright Program in Pakistan,” she says, “and only 34 were shortlisted for the interview. After my interview, I was told that if you were selected, you would be informed by mid-April 2013. On March 30, 2013, I received a letter from the Fulbright Office, and I was shaking while opening it. I can’t explain my feelings when I read the first few lines stating that I had been selected: That day was the happiest day of my life, though the letter still stated ‘this award is contingent upon approval by J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.’ But I became so hopeful. The documentation took almost five-and-a-half months, and I arrived in Statesboro on September 27, 2013.” Aftab is at Georgia Southern through the 2013-14 academic year, and while here, she is conducting research with Dr. Jeff Klibert to establish cross-cultural suicide screeners

ALUMNI NEWS Chris Benton (‘96) became the director of engineering for Fox Television Network. Linda M. Rhodes (‘97) has worked for Georgia Southern’s School of Technology, the Georgia Institute of Technology’s GTREP program, and the University of Georgia’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Southeast District Cooperative Extension since graduation. She currently resides in Statesboro and has four grandchildren.

and risk assessment plans to identify at-risk students in the U.S. and Pakistan. “I hadn’t met Jeff before coming to Georgia Southern,” Aftab says. “Fulbright requires applicants to make preliminary plans for their placements by securing a letter of invitation from the prospective host institution or to identify two or three institutions that have appropriate facilities for the proposed research and faculty specialized in their research interests. So, I researched psychology professors in the U.S. I contacted Jeff, and he agreed to the project.” In researching “Risk and Protective Factors to Suicidal Behavior in Young Adults: A Cross-Cultural Comparison and Development of Suicide Prevention Guidelines,” Klibert and Aftab are utilizing a series of questionnaires to assess potential risk and protective factors for suicidal behavior. Students in the U.S. are asked to complete the surveys, which the researchers will compare with identical questionnaires that Aftab collected in Pakistan before coming to Georgia. “The findings from our research will help us to better understand the similarities and dissimilarities regarding risk and protective factors to suicide across two cultures,” Aftab says. “Inevitably, these results will helpresearchers espouse culturally sensitive, appropriate theories related to suicide behaviors.”

“Suicide prevention is one of the priorities of World Health Organization,” she says. “In Pakistan, we employ the prevention guidelines developed in Western contexts. The guidelines identified by this study will engender a cultural context to prevent suicide that could be used by clinicians, mental health practitioners, and researchers in variety of settings including schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, organizations, and research institutes in both Pakistan and the US. We plan to develop future collaboration among the international scientific community and to expand it by inclusion of other countries, too." Photo by Jeremy Wilburn, Georgia Southern University

Zane Thomas (‘97) accepted the Sequoyah Award at the Oklahoma Press Association Annual Convention and Awards Banquet, on behalf of his staff. Thomas is the news editor of the Wagoner Tribune in Wagoner, Okla.

multichannel marketing company. Ginny Millar (‘99) was recently hired as a graphic designer for Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse’s corporate office in Atlanta.

Christopher Harvin (’97) was PR Week’s 40 Under 40 list.

Brandon Schmeichel MS (‘00) coauthored "What is Ego Depletion? Toward a Mechanistic Revision of the Resource Model of Self-Control," which was published in Perspectives of Psychological Science in 2012 and will be awarded by the Social Cognition Network in February 2014 at the meeting of the Society for

named

Pamela Thompson (’98) was named the director of the Athens Downtown Development Authority of Athens, Ga. Scott Mulkey (’98) is an advisor for Intelisent, a

2000-09

dr. larry j. griffin, professor of sociology, College Research Scholar, and director of the Center for American Studies and the Faculty Research and Writing Workshop, was at the Roosevelt Study Center in the Netherlands during Fall 2013 to conduct research on his project “American National Identity in Comparative Perspective" as the Fulbright Distinguished Research Chair. “American identity is what philosophers call ‘an essentially contested concept,’” Griffin says. “On the one hand, civic definitions of America assert that the United States is not premised on a common race, language, religion, or even homeland, and what makes Americans ‘Americans’ is rooted in a set of universally applicable political ideals and moral understandings. This sort of national identity is found in ‘identity-defining’ texts such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the writings and speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Franklin Roosevelt’s ‘Four Freedoms’ speech. This national identity sends the message that ‘Anyone can be an American, regardless of her or his race, ethnicity, religion, ancestral homeland or language.’” However, Griffin explains, “ ‘ethnic’ or ‘folk’ definitions of American identity generally assert the opposite, that America is in fact grounded in concrete ethno-cultural markers: a particular ethnicity or race, a particular language, and a particular religion. Adherents to this definition believe American identity to be clearly and properly stamped by cultural particularism rather than political universalism.” Griffin said that much of U.S. history and the history of the U.S. in world affairs is the consequence of the interplay between these two definitions and that the issue of collective identity is important because it defines “who we as a people are and who we permit to become ‘us.’ ” In the Netherlands, Griffin took advantage of comparative social survey data at the Roosevelt Study Center, including the European and World Values studies. These resources, which aim to determine an individual’s perPersonality and Social Psychology. Kristen Lawhorn Kyzer (’01) had artwork featured in a solo exhibition at the Kalmanson Gallery in Swainsboro, Ga. Tameika Porter (‘02) was named the director of operations for the West Broad Street YMCA in Savannah. Lucinda Lumley (’05) is the client services manager at Southeastern Printing, a commercial printing company in Stuart, Fla., where she oversees customer service, scheduling, and

ceptions of what characteristics are most important to being a true member of his or her nationality, helped him develop a “civic-ethnic national identity continuum,” on which to plot European nations and the U.S. “I’ve examined how representative samples of adults from dozens of nations understand and articulate the requirements of citizenship or national identity for their specific countries,” Griffin said in December. “What I found so far – and my analysis is still in its early stages – is that when asked what characteristics respondents believe are important for an individual to be ‘truly’ American or to acquire citizenship in our country, U.S. respondents tend to highly value ethno-cultural national traits, such as having American ancestry, being born in the U.S., living most of one’s life in the U.S., and professing Christianity.” Upon returning to Georgia Southern, Griffin will analyze his data to confirm – or perhaps deny – his research observations. After completing the analysis, he will write a series of papers geared toward professional audiences in American studies and sociology. “I doubt I would ever have found the time to so intensely delve into these thorny quesplanning. Before taking this position, Lumley worked for nine years at QuadGraphics. Donald Guillory (‘06) is working on his Ph.D. at Arizona State University, where he works as an instructor of history. Danny Crocco ('07) curated High Heat, an international exhibition of wood-fired ceramic art, at the Red Bird Studio and Gallery in Columbia, S.C. The exhibition was the state’s first to feature an international view of wood-fired ceramic art. Crocco has spent years traveling the world, firing and building wood-firing kilns for

class.georgiasouthern.edu/ socianth

tions without the support of number of institutions and individuals, including Georgia Southern, Dean Curtis Ricker, the Fulbright Commission, and my colleagues at the Roosevelt Study Center, who intellectually stimulated/engaged me and continually smoothed the sometimes messy wrinkles induced by my inability to speak or read Dutch (beyond a few phrases pertaining to food!). They made my life in the Netherlands infinitively more pleasurable. Center Director Kees van Minnen provided me space in the Center’s home, all the resources I needed to conduct my research, and then, to my surprise and delight, initiated what became a two-person seminar on the U.S. South. I would not be here were it not for Kees, and I’ll be forever in his debt,” Griffin says. The RSC, a research institute, conference center, and library on 20th Century American history, is named after Presidents Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt. The RSC has awarded its Fulbright Distinguished Research Chair fellowship twice each year to an American scholar since 2006. The Fulbright Distinguished Chairs are among the most prestigious appointments in the Fulbright Scholar Program, and grantees are considered eminent scholars.

ALUMNI NEWS ceramics. He most recently worked in Taiwan, Australia, Tasmania, and Mexico. James Bentley (’07) is an instructor at Georgia Perimeter College. He teaches photography, drawing, 2D design, and color theory. Brandon Barnes (’07) is the senior web and interactive developer at Nobel Mouse, a marketing company that represents brands such as Universal, Disney, Warner Brothers, Hallmark,

11 | Spring 2014 | CLASS Connect

Griffin researches American identity as Fulbright Chair

department of sociology & anthropology

department of writing & linguistics

CLASS Connect | Spring 2014 | 12

class.georgiasouthern.edu/ writling

Helping to birth

'Great Southern authors'

in november, the Department of Writing and Linguistics joined with Statesboro Magazine, Visit Statesboro, and the Averitt Center for the Arts to present the third annual Statesboro: The Write Place festival. Six accomplished writers with local ties were honored, and a packed house at the Averitt Center had an opportunity hear their words and – for the first time – a writer’s music, too. Headlining this year’s festival was Tony Arata, a CLASS alumnus and songwriter. His most famous song, “The Dance,” was sung by Garth Brooks on his 1989 debut album. In 1990, it was named both Song of the Year and Video of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. Arata has been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Other festival writers included Dr. Sarah Domet, Dr. Christina Olson, and Zachary Bush, all professors in the Department of Writing and Linguistics. Domet read from short stories about her travels in Maine, and Olson read from her poems Optimism, Blue Bloods, and At the Hurricane Name Retirement Center. Bush read from his poems, some of which deal with family, sickness, and land, particularly in rural south Georgia, where personal identity and family roots run deep. Jordan Fennell, a Georgia Southern alumnus, read one of his short stories, published in the Clapboard House journal. Each year, The Write Place sponsors a writ-

Statesboro: The Write Place readers for 2014 included (from left): Maya Van Wagenen, Sarah Domet, Tony Arata, Zachary Bush, Jordan Fennell, and Christina Olson.

ing competition for high school students, and last year’s winner, Maya Van Wagenen, was the sixth writer chosen to read for this year’s festival. For last year’s contest, 15-yearold Maya submitted a story about following antiquated tips from the 1950s self-help book, Betty Cornell’s Glamour Guide for Teens to achieve popularity. Not only did she win The Write Place contest, but her work resulted in a book deal with Penguin, and DreamWorks film studio recently optioned the rights for her novel. She was also named

one of Time magazine’s 16 Most Influential Teens of 2013. “Three years ago, we created this event, and we’ll continue to do it every fall,” said Jenny Foss, editor of Statesboro Magazine and member of The Write Place board. “Writing is part of our culture. Statesboro is a place where writers can hold workshops and readings, and Georgia Southern has the only stand-alone writing department among Georgia universities. This is the next birthplace of great Southern authors.”

Harbuck Scholarship awarded

the 2013 Brittany “Ally” Harbuck Scholarship for excellence in creative writing was awarded last fall to Taylor Tyson, a junior from Loganville, Ga. Georgia writer Janisse Ray judged the competition. Tyson’s winning submission included a short story, a flash-fiction story, and a poem. He is the fifth student to receive this endowed award. “Taylor Tyson’s work does magnificently what good literature is

supposed to do, which is land us someplace we’ve never been and turn us loose as changed people,” Ray said. Tyson read from his winning entries during the award ceremony, where members of the Harbuck family were on-hand. Student writers are invited to compete every year for the award, an endowment given by David and Debi Harbuck of Savannah in memory of their

ALUMNI NEWS Pepsi, Hasbro, and Beats by Dre. Angela Legg (’09) was appointed to the Early Career Psychologists Council for the Society for Teaching Psychology.

2010+

Mark Diamond (’10) returned to the area on June 23, 2013 to present a concert at Christ Episcopal Church in Savannah. Diamond has spent the past two years singing with the

daughter, Ally. The $750 scholarship goes to a sophomore, junior, or senior student who excels in creative writing and carries a 3.0 GPA in his or her writing courses. For more information on the Harbuck Scholarship, or to learn how to create a scholarship award, contact Susan Bunning in the CLASS Dean’s office at 912-478-2435 or sbunning@georgiasouthern.edu.

Houston Grand Opera Young Artist Program, has won several national competitions, and appeared with opera companies and orchestras nationwide. Rob Chandler (’10) was featured in CMYK Magazine. Chris Kelleher (‘10) joined the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association as its director of communications after leading the Georgia Republican Party’s Communications Department during the 2011-12 election season. He oversees all communication activities among the Associa-

tion and the Civil Justice PAC and its lobbying team at the Capitol. Daniel Sallerson (‘10) is a radio producer and studio host for the New Orleans Pelicans. James Kicklighter (’10) was featured in The Lemonade magazine. Jilian Pashke (’10) participated in the American Traditions Competition in Pooler, Ga., in January. In 2013, Pashke auditioned for several opera programs and works at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptists in Savannah as a soloist.

DID YOU

KNOW?

The number of languages students can study in CLASS. In addition to majors in Spanish, French, and German, the Department of Foreign Languages offers minors in Latin, Arabic, and Chinese and a master's degree in Spanish. For more information, visit class.GeorgiaSouthern.edu/fl.

j. judson “jut” wynne, who

earned a B.S. in communications and minor in anthropology from Georgia Southern in 1993, returns to the University on Tuesday, March 4, as the third CLASS Alumni Connection Series speaker. Wynne, who recently completed his Ph.D. in biological sciences at Northern Arizona University, is a conservation biologist, explorer, and professional speaker. He works as a research ecologist with the Colorado Plateau Biodiversity Center and an associate curator of the Colorado Plateau Museum of Arthropod Biodiversity. He has conducted cave studies in Belize, Chile, Easter Island, Hawaii, and throughout the American Southwest, and his research has been featured by NASA TV, the Discovery Channel, USA Today, and El Mercurio de Santiago. Wynne and his colleagues have identified three new genera and nearly 30 new species of cave-dwelling invertebrates in the Southwest, 10 new species of insects in the caves of Easter Island, a new species of algae in the Atacama Desert of Chile, and among the first cave-like structures on Mars. He even has a cave-dwelling beetle as his namesake: Eleodes (Caverneleodes) wynnei. While on campus, he will visit classes and speak about how his communications and anthropology degrees have helped him in conservation biology. "I’m honored that Georgia Southern found my work worthy of showcasing during their alumni lecture series,” Wynne says. “I’m really looking forward to this wonderful opportunity to interact with students and faculty at GSU.” When not conducting research, he is an athlete, yogi, and musician. He trains in trail running, mountain and road biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoe running, kayaking and surfing. He also competes in various summer and winter races, including the Imogene Pass Run and the Mount Taylor Winter Quadrathlon. Wynne's lecture, “The Mysteries of Easter Island Caves,” provides an overview of the natural history and ancient human settlement and discuss new species discoveries and archaeological findings from caves on the most remote inhabited island on earth. His lecture is at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, in the Williams Center Multipurpose Room and is free and open to the public. For more information on the lecture, visit class.GeorgiaSouthern.edu, and for more information on Wynne, visit jutwynne.com.

Danielle Blalock ('11) completed her second year of the masters program for history at the University of Arizona. She received a Tinker Grant, which helped fund her summer thesis research in Chile. Chris Minshew (‘11) was awarded a Pulitzer Prize as part of a team of Denver Post reporters covering the Aurora, Colo., shootings on July 20, 2013. Whitney Davis Lambright (‘11) worked in social services for nearly a year before accepting a teaching position with Virginia College. She

class.georgiasouthern.edu/ alumni

making

CONNECTIONS In September 2013, Emory Mulling ('69), chairman of the Mulling Corporation, which he founded 27 years ago, responded to a request in the College's monthly digital newsletter, CLASS Notes, to comment on the value of a liberal arts education. An edited version of Mulling's letter is provided below. [Mulling Corporation] has provided me with the vehicle to pursue my passion for assisting others and to make a living using my liberal arts degree. A human capital company that provides executive coaching, conflict resolution, career transition, and emotional intelligence consulting, Mulling Corporation develops leaders at all levels in corporate America by improving their interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills. Mulling Corporation was named the No. 1 Best Place to Work in Atlanta in the Small Business category by the Atlanta Business Chronicle last year. I attribute my liberal arts education as a contributing factor in leading my company to be named to the top 10 on this list for the past 10 years. In addition to many civic honors I have received and volunteer organizations I have led, I also serve on the Board of Governors of the Institute of Career Consultants International, which sets the ethical and professional certification standards for his industry worldwide. Because of the lack of effective workplace leaders in all industries, organizations are increasingly turning to companies such as Mulling Corporation to fast-track high potentials to improve their right-brain skills and modify their behavior to be more effective at motivating individuals to achieve the goals of their employers. I am confident that I would not have been able to achieve these professional accomplishments without a solid foundation through my liberal arts education. Never a technically oriented person, I and the consultants in my firm - coach very smart technical people how to progress in their careers by putting more emphasis on the people-side of their work. I have seen for almost three decades how individuals have improved their careers by having more empathy for the other person(s), knowing how to style-flex to meet the needs of different audiences, and being more aware of their right-brain skills. We live in a progressively more technical world that has greatly improved our lifestyles. But what drives the world are the professionals who also develop their interpersonal skill sets to lead their organizations to greatness - on the right side of their brains.

teaches English I and II, English literature, and communication and resides in Columbus, Ga. Lis Shoer (‘11) recently accepted a position designing for cosmetic company Sally Hansen. Since graduating, Shoer has designed for Victoria’s Secret and InStyle magazine. Adam Pace (’11) is a media photographer for Formula DRIFT in Atlanta and received First Place and Honorable Mention in a recent historic photo competition. Adam is working on experimental photographs using different mediums as filters. He also recently popped the

ALUMNI NEWS question to alumna Emily Cannady, and she said yes. The two will be married this spring. Merritt Giles (’11) is the assistant director at the Springfield Art Museum in Springfield, Mo. Joshua Warren Combs (‘12) worked as a summer associate for the Atlanta Department of Law during summer 2012 and had the opportunity to spend up to five weeks in two of the departments’ practice groups – watershed

13 | Spring 2014 | CLASS Connect

alumnus to talk on liberal arts in caving, conservation biology

college of the creative mind

CLASS Connect | Spring 2014 | 14

class.georgiasouthern.edu/ support

DID YOU

KNOW?

The number of academic scholarships offered by the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. Most scholarships are for undergraduate students, though some also exist for graduate students and for those wishing to travel or study abroad.

'Spike' Jones honored with endowment friends, former colleagues and family gathered in the Carol A. Carter Recital Hall on Nov. 2, 2013 to honor Warren F. “Spike” Jones, who served as dean of Georgia Southern’s College of Arts and Sciences (now CLASS) from 1973-1993. The gathering was initiated by former colleagues Ruth Ann and Richard Rogers, who gave a challenge gift to encourage Spike’s friends and colleagues to create an endowed scholarship in his honor. The event was a surprise for Jones, who was welcomed with his wife, Donna, by a round of heartfelt applause. “The years that you served were the best of times,” Ruth Ann, a member of the CLASS advisory board, told Jones and the audience of 75. “We’ve found a way to honor you that not only brought you back to campus for a visit but will also benefit Georgia Southern students. Richard and I have started the Warren F. 'Spike' Jones endowment, and all of your friends have helped to make it a scholarship that can be awarded to students beginning in the fall of 2014.” Following Ruth Ann, Dr. Curtis Ricker, dean of CLASS, introduced a distinguished group of speakers, who took the podium and alternated good-natured ribbing with testimony to the effectiveness of Jones’ work as dean. Dr. Nick Henry, president of Georgia Southern from 1987-1998 and

professor emeritus of political science, said, “Spike had ineffable good cheer, kindness, and class. He was the best dean ever at Georgia Southern, and crucial to me as president.” Dr. Harrison Carter, provost and vice president of academic affairs from 1982-1999 and former interim president, said, “Spike showed unfailing support for educating the citizens of south Georgia. He showed the humility of a great leader, and to this day he still carries an attitude of joy and optimism.” Dr. Carl Gooding, dean of the College of Business Administration 1986-2001, said: “Spike taught the rest of us how to be deans and how to make decisions that were best for the University, not just for our college.” Bob Haney, associate dean of the college of Arts and Sciences from 1982-1990, said, “Spike oversaw a college with 16 departments, and in eight years we added 1,000 students a year. Spike’s unparalleled contributions made us one of the great studies in transformation.” Following the program, guests enjoyed a reception in the Carter Hall lobby and congratulated Jones on the endowment. Anyone wishing to contribute to the scholarship may contact Sue Bunning, CLASS development officer, at 912-478-2435.

“(Spike) was the best dean ever at Georgia Southern ...” — Dr. Nick henry university president, 1987-1998 ROELL continued from page 6 Rockefeller,” and “Sears, Roebuck & Co. Catalogue” to the Encyclopedia of Leadership in 2004; “Musical Instrument Manufacturing” in The Encyclopedia of Chicago in 2004; and “Piano Playing,” in The Encyclopedia of Recreation and Leisure in America in 2004. He secured a contract with the Texas State Historical Association to publish Matamoros and the Texas Revolution in 2013. “I’ve chosen research topics by

following the advice of my Ph.D. mentor, Dr. Lewis L. Gould: 'Choose subjects that would be suitable for book-length projects and that would make for popular reading, and write them in such a way to attract a wide audience.' ” Roell says. When not teaching, researching, or writing, Roell enjoys playing the piano and improvises songs, including one for each of his family’s 10 house-cats. He and his wife, Melinda, also read classic mystery novels and watch

ALUMNI NEWS management, finance, infrastructure, litigation and employment, or aviation. In the fall, Joshua worked as an extern for the Attorney General of Georgia’s General Litigation group. Combs also worked as a summer associate at Troutman Sanders LLP in Atlanta during summer 2013, his last working-summer before graduating from Emory University and taking the Georgia bar exam. Troutman Sanders is an international law firm with 600 attorneys

movies and detective mysteries. “My students might be surprised that my royal name is King Silly,” Roell says, “given by my Queen (my wife) and our royal daughters when they were growing up in our alternate universe, The Kingdom of Funnenel. ” Between bouts of silliness, Roell continues his work. “Because of the Matamoros book,” he says, “I was asked to contribute a book chapter entitled ‘Matamoros Before the Texas Revolution’ to be published

in offices across the U.S. and China, and the summer associate program was ranked No. 2 overall in Vault’s 2013 annual Law Firm Summer Associate Program Rankings. Danielle Bramson ('12) works as a user interface designer and graphics coordinator for Innovative Architects. Justin Knight (‘12) began working immediately after graduation for the National Print Group as a project manager at the company’s lithography facility in Chattanooga, Tenn. In this position, he oversees one of the National Print

in 2014 as part of an ongoing series of volumes on the history of the Rio Grande Valley and Mexico-U.S. border relations published by the Texas Center for Border and Transnational Studies, University of Texas at Brownsville. I am also very honored to be one of six speakers invited to give a presentation for the April 2014 San Jacinto Symposium titled ‘The Tejano Side of the Texas Revolution,’ hosted in Houston by the San Jacinto Battlefield Conservancy.”

Group’s largest national accounts. Brittany Linares (’12) is the web content manager for Georgia Southern’s Rural Health Research Institute. Sarah Dixon (‘12) landed her “dream job” as the assistant editor at The Southern Cross newspaper in Savannah, Ga. Brock Vickers (‘12) received a fellowship at the Hedgerow Theatre.

Each semester, CLASS presents several concerts, performances, art exhibitions, lectures, and other special events. All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Schedules are subject to change. Please visit class.GeorgiaSouthern.edu for the most up-to-date event information.

February Snead: Means of Production. University Gallery, Center for Art & Theatre 912.GSU.ARTS

Through 02.21 GALLERIES

Hanging Correspondence: Sam Messer and Jonathan Safran Foer. Contemporary Gallery, Center for Art & Theatre 912.GSU.ARTS

02.03 great minds Mr.

& Mrs. Macbeth go to London: Sarah McCarroll, communication arts. Noon R.J.'s Seafood & Steaks | 912.478.8597

02.03 CONCERT On

the Verge Series: Emilio Peroni, piano. 7:30 p.m.

Carol A. Carter Recital Hall | 912.478.5396

02.04 RECEPTION These

Youngsters from Liverpool: The Beatles, Ed Sullivan, & Gretsch Guitars. Exhibition runs through Feb. 14. 4 p.m. | Georgia Southern Museum | 912.478.4478

Andrew Hudgins, poet. 7:30 p.m. | Allen E. Paulson College

02.06 READING

of Engineering & Information Technology, Room 1005 | 912.478.0739

02.12-13 AWARENESS The

Vagina

Monologues. 7 p.m. | Carol A. Carter Recital Hall | 912.478.0625

02.13 READING Marilyn

Nelson,

poet. 7:30 p.m. | Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering & Information Technology, Room 1004 | 912.478.5471

02.16 CONCERT Symphonic

Wind Ensemble. 3 p.m. | Performing Arts

Center | 912.478.5396

03.04 LECTURE CLASS Alumni Connection Series: Jut Wynne. 6:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m. | Carol A. Carter Recital Hall 912.478.5396

03.08 concert Arikka

Gregory & guest. 7:30 p.m. | Carol A. Carter Recital

04.23 Concert Channel Noise. 7:30 p.m. | Carol A. Carter Recital

Hall | 912.478.5396

03.11 CONCERT Steven

04.24-25 Theatre 10-minute

Williams Center | 912.478.8597

Elisha, Larisa Elisha, & Michael Braz. 7:30 p.m.

Play Festival. 7:30 p.m. | Black Box Theatre,

03.017-28 GALLERIES MFA

04.25-30 GALLERIES BFA

Carol A. Carter Recital Hall | 912.478.5396

Thesis

II. Contemporary & University galleries,

Center for Art & Theatre | 912.GSU.ARTS

03.27-28 conference Southeast

Coastal Conference on Languages & Learning. Nessmith-Lane Confer-

ence Center | 912.478.5281

03.27 CONCERT Brass

Studio.

7:30 p.m. | Carol A. Carter Recital Hall 912.478.5396

03.28 great minds 'Twighlight'

and Twitter: Michelle Groover, communication arts. Noon | R.J.'s Seafood &

Steaks | 912.478.8597

03.29 CONCERT Faculty Brass Quintet & Percussion. 3 p.m. | Performing Arts Center | 912.478.5396

03.31 CONCERT Symphonic

Wind Ensemble. 7:30 p.m. | Performing Arts

Center | 912.478.5396

APRIL 04.01 Concert Guest

artist Ian Altman, piano. 7:30 p.m. | Carol A.

Carter Recital Hall | 912.478.8597

04.02- 08 theatre Hamlet.

02.18 CONCERT Symphony Concerto Competition. 7:30 p.m. | Performing Arts

7:30 p.m., 2 p.m. Sunday matinée | Black Box Theatre, Center for Art & Theatre $5 students, $10 general admission 912.478.5379

02.23 CONCERT Jazz

04.04 great minds 'Elijah':

Center | 912.478.5396

Ensemble.

3 p.m. | Performing Arts Center 912.478.5396

02.24 CONCERT On

Shannon Jeffreys, music. Noon | R.J.'s Seafood &

Steaks | 912.478.8597

the Verge Series:

Alejandro Rutty. 7:30 p.m. | Carol A.

class.georgiasouthern.edu

04.04-20 GALLERIES Undergraduate

Juried Exhibition. Contemporary Gallery,

Center for Art & Theatre | 912.478.5379

Graphic Design. Contemporary & University gal-

leries, Center for Art & Theatre 912.GSU.ARTS

04.26 CONCERT Jazz

Band. 3 p.m. Carol A. Carter Recital Hall | 912.478.5396

04.26 CONCERT Opera

Breve V.

7:30 p.m. | Emma Kelly Theater, Averitt Center for the Arts | 912.478.5396

04.27 CONCERT Guest artist George Weremchuk, saxophone. 4:30 p.m.

Carol A. Carter Recital Hall | 912.478.5396

04.27 CONCERT Symphony

Pops.

6:30 p.m. | Garden of the Coastal Plain 912.478.5396

04.28 CONCERT Band. 7:30 p.m. Performing Arts Center | 912.478.5396 04.29 CONCERT Piano

Ensemble.

04.30 CONCERT Brass

Studio.

7:30 p.m. | Carol A. Carter Recital Hall 912.478.5396 7:30 p.m. | Carol A. Carter Recital Hall 912.478.5396

may 05.01 CONCERT Wind

Symphony.

7:30 p.m. | Performing Arts Center 912.478.5396

05.01 CONCERT Strings at Southern Chamber Music Festival: Faculty Concert. 7:30 p.m. | Carol A. Carter Recital Hall | 912.478.5396

05.02 CONCERT Southern

Chorale & University Chorus. 7:30 p.m. | Carol A.

Carter Recital Hall | 912.478.5396

Center for Art & Theatre | 912.GSU.ARTS

02.25 CONCERT Wind

04.04-20 GALLERIES Form

Carter Recital Hall | 912.478.5396

University Gallery, Center for Art & Theatre | 912.GSU.ARTS

Center for Art & Theatre | 912.478.5379

Symphony.

7:30 p.m. | Performing Arts Center 912.478.5396

02.26–03.05 THEATRE Fuddy

Meers.

7:30 p.m., 2 p.m. Sunday matinée | Black Box Theatre, Center for Art & Theatre $5 students, $10 general admission 912.478.5379

02.28 GALA Evening

of the Arts.

7 p.m. | Center for Art & Theatre | $25 912.478.8579

march

03.03-13 GALLERIES MFA

& Content: 2014 Foundations Exhibition.

04.05 FESTIVAL ArtsFest

2014.

11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Sweetheart Circle 912.GSU.ARTS

04.06 CONCERT Symphony and Southern Chorale. 7 p.m. | Statesboro First Baptist Church | 912.478.5396

04.09 CONCERT New

Music at South-

ern. 7:30 p.m. | Carol A. Carter Recital

Hall | 912.478.5396

Thesis I.

Contemporary & University galleries, Center for Art & Theatre | 912.GSU.ARTS

04.10 Concert Boys

& Girls Club.

5:30 p.m. | Carol A. Carter Recital Hall 912.478.5396

04.12 CONCERT Night

of Wild Sax.

05.03 theatre Directing

Scenes Showcase. 2 p.m. | Black Box Theatre,

05.03 CONCERT Opera

Scenes.

7:30 p.m. | Carol A. Carter Recital Hall 912.478.5396

05.04 CONCERT Symphonic

Wind Symphony. 3 p.m. | Performing Arts

Center | 912.478.5396

05.04 CONCERT Strings

at Southern Chamber Music Festival: Gala Concert. 3 p.m. | Carol A. Carter Recital Hall 912.478.5396

05.05-09 GALLERIES BFA

2D/3D.

Contemporary & University galleries, Center for Art & Theatre | 912.GSU.ARTS

15 | Spring 2014 | CLASS Connect

Through 02.21 GALLERIES Bob

ahead in class

CLASS Connect | Spring 2014 | 16

Non-profit organization US Postage PAID Statesboro, GA Permit 286

College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Georgia Southern University P.O. Box 8142 Statesboro, GA 30460-8142 CLASS Connect is a publication of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at Georgia Southern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent from the CLASS Dean’s Office. For more information, comments about CLASS Connect, or to request additional print or digital copies, call 912.478.2527; write to CLASS Connect, c/o CLASS Dean’s Office, Georgia Southern University, P.O. Box 8142, Statesboro, GA 30460; or email class@georgiasouthern.edu. You have received this publication because of your relationship to the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at Georgia Southern University. If you no longer wish to receive CLASS Connect, email class@georgiasouthern.edu.

facebook.com/ CLASS.GaSouthern

@GaSouthernCLASS

ALUMNI NEWS NEWS AALUMNI D (‘12) is exhibiting throughout lessandra

zuba

the nation. Recent exhibitions include Greg Moon Gallery in Taos, N.M.; Mod in Kansas City, Mo.; Todd Weiner Gallery in Kansas City; and online at MAYK. Amy Bryan ('13) was featured in Honors @ Georgia Southern magazine for her research “An Elemental Exploration of the Ceramic Arts.” The Honors Program also featured Bryan in a student-produced film. Bryan received a residency at Mudfire in Atlanta, where she will work as

CLASS @ Georgia Southern University

pinterest.com/ gsuclass

a studio and gallery assistant for a year while also creating artwork. Kimberly Whitney Perry ('13) spent the summer visiting Switzerland, Finland, and the U.K. She then spent a week in the Dominican Republic before moving to Washington, D.C. John Howard ('13) was featured in The Ames Tribune in Ames, Iowa, for his sculpture “Horse” that is on display in the city’s Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition. Michelle Cruz (’13) accepted a graphic design position with J.J. International, a wholesale corporation that sells products to businesses

instagram.com/ GaSouthernCLASS

flickr.com/photos/ GaSouthernCLASS

and retailers internationally. Alvie Coe has been selected as a 2014-15 APSA Minority Fellow. Mary Frances Cooper is an art director for Tribe Inc., an international communications agency based in Atlanta whose clients include Coca-Cola, UPS, Target, and Chick-fil-a. Collin Schwartz is a graphic designer for CBRE, a global leader in real estate services. Tom Wilson was named chief commercial officer of Jauntaroo.