Issuu

#WeArePamplin SPRING 2020 • VOL. 2, NO. 2

ARTS

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HUMANITIES

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SOCIAL SCIENCES

A More Relatable Monster Professor, students adapt “Grendel” for the stage

The Future is Interdisciplinary New degrees help students follow multiple passions

In This Issue:

Makers, Creators, and Innovators 6 Worth the Wait

Fine Arts Center unveils renovations and updates

8 Donor Highlight

Pamplin supporters named Philanthropists of the Year

9 MAISS set to graduate first cohort

10 The Future is Interdisciplinary

New degrees help students follow multiple passions

13 Tearing down the 4th wall Pamplin working to build a black box theatre

14 A More Relatable Monster Professor, students adapt “Grendel” for the stage

18 Making Unique Connections Communication professor takes different approach to teaching by creating a podcast

20 The Adventures of Baillie Conway and Legoman 22 Notes of Leonardo da Vinci AU Singers and AU Orchestra perform multimedia symphony

25 Celebrating Anthropology Day

Biological anthropologist comes to campus for annual event

26 Dean’s Farewell

www.augusta.edu/pamplin | 3

Jaguars United trophy stays in Pamplin College For a third year in a row, Pamplin College has claimed the coveted Jaguars United Trophy! We embraced our own theme of Game of Thrones for this year’s competition. Art student Edna Martinez Sanchez created our contest-winning banner. Dean Green even donned a blonde wig as the “Mother of Dragons” for the sidekick contest—the dragons being our disciplines of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. We look forward to the contest next year and the continued collegiality with our fellow schools and colleges here at Augusta University. Go Jags!

(Photos Contributed)

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A Minute with the Dean If you’ve been around here much in the last couple of years, you may have heard me describe Pamplin College as the one that encourages coloring outside the lines. Or as the college that wants more nonsense. Or as the college that welcomes wanderers, wonderers, and wizards. Pamplin, in short, is different. We love breaking boundaries (especially between disciplines). We train the different drummers that others may follow. We relish ambiguity. We don’t just advocate thinking outside the box; we deny the box exists. The theme of this issue of #WeArePamplin is “Makers/ Creators/Innovators,” as we focus on the people and the activities that make this college such a unique place. Where else but Pamplin would you find students using a 3D printer—to print a new 3D printer! Where else but Pamplin would you find faculty turning photos of Georgia from the 1930s into an innovative, interdisciplinary, multiplatform theatrical performance? And where else but Pamplin would the dean show up as the Mother of Dragons (complete with blonde wig) at a basketball game, while the pep band plays the theme song from Game of Thrones? We hope you enjoy this exploration of the quirky, colorful, imaginative, perplexing, creative place we love.

Dr. Elna Green addresses the audience at the Fine Arts Center ribbon cutting ceremony. (Photo by Gabi Moore)

#WeArePamplin CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Christine Crookall Dr. Kimberly Gray Dr. Elna Green Dr. Wes Kisting Gabi Moore, Pamplin College Communications Specialist Dr. Craig Albert, Director of the MAISS program, Department of Social Sciences Baillie Conway, Alum

Elna Green, PhD Dean of Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

PHOTOGRAPHY

DEAN’S OFFICE

Gabi Moore Gary Nipple, Student Intern Dr. Wes Kisting

Dr. Elna Green, Dean Dr. Wes Kisting, Associate Dean Dr. Christine Crookall, Associate Dean Dr. Kimberly Gray, Director of College Assessment and Strategic Initiatives

DESIGN Gabi Moore COVER Design: Gabi Moore Photography: Dylan Wilson, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication

PAMPLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS, HUMANITIES, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES 1120 15th St., AH-N210 Augusta, GA 30912 T: (706) 737-1738 E: pamplin@augusta.edu www.augusta.edu/pamplin www.augusta.edu/pamplin | 5

Worth the Wait Fine Arts Center unveils renovations and updates

n Monday, February 24, members from Augusta University and the Augusta community gathered for the ribbon cutting and inaugural performance held in the new Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Center. AU President Brooks Keel, along with senior members of the AU administration, were on hand to welcome our first audience into this beautiful Recital Hall. Before this year, music majors would perform their junior and senior recitals in the Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre or in an off-campus venue. The Maxwell is a beautiful place to perform, but it is often a challenge for our students to fill such a large space with their sound. The $3.8 million renovation of the Fine Arts Center provided us with, among other things, the new Recital Hall. This multi-purpose flexible space is the perfect size for a recital, holding up to 175 audience members, as well as an excellent space where our large ensembles can conduct their weekly rehearsals. Previously, our Wind Ensemble had to rehearse in a room that required them to wear ear protection in order to protect their hearing—not an ideal situation in which to train our future music educators, performers, and composers. We are grateful to President Keel and the administration for finding the funds to complete this much-needed renovation. Generous gifts which allowed this room to have state of the art technology and the beautiful Steinway Piano on which Dr. Martin David Jones played that afternoon, were made in memory of Eugenia Toole Glover, a founding member of the AU Department of Music, and Dr. William Toole, retired faculty member of the AU Department of Music. The afternoon included addresses from President Keel, Pamplin College Dean Elna Green, community member and university supporter Leslie Lambert, Chair of the Department of Music Dr. Angela Morgan, and Music and Cell & Molecular double major Anabelle O’Keefe. After the addresses, there were performances by faculty member, Dr. Martin David Jones, piano; and some student winners of the AU Concerto Competition Michenzie Reese, soprano, and Anenechi Akumadu, violin. It was a wonderful afternoon of music, followed by a reception in the lobby of this newly renovated building. Pamplin Student Ambassadors were on hand to give tours of the new building, showing off the new technology in our classrooms, the upgraded piano lab room, the new locker room, and practice rooms. The Recital Hall is beautiful, and as one can see from the floor to ceiling windows, the new landscaping and ramps outside the building have made the outside as beautiful as the inside. Thank you to all who have made this renovation possible. <<

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(Photos by Gabi Moore)

Yvette and Alvin Harris, long-time supporters of Pamplin College, were named “Philanthropists of the Year” by the CSRA chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. (Photo provided by Wes Zamzow)

Donor Highlight:

Pamplin supporters named Philanthropists of the Year Yvette and Alvin Harris have been long-term friends and supporters of Pamplin College. So we were delighted when they were selected as the Philanthropists of the Year by the local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Among the many gifts of time, talent, and

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resources they have shared with us over the years, you may be most familiar with their sponsorship of the Harris-Horizon Jazz Greats Concert Series. Curated by our own Wycliffe Gordon, the Jazz Greats series has brought to campus musical legends such as Houston Person and Jimmy Owens.

Frequent visitors to campus, attending lots of our events, Al and Yvette are also generous supporters of student scholarships. Congratulations to Yvette and Al for this wonderful recognition of their work in support of Pamplin College and our students! <<

MAISS set to graduate first cohort By Dr. Craig Albert Director of the MAISS program

he first cohort of Augusta University’s Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies (MAISS) program is set to graduate

this May. MAISS is an innovative program that focuses on three fields of security studies: intelligence studies, strategic cybersecurity, and traditional security studies such as terrorism and counter-terrorism studies. Students may also concentrate in homeland security, ethnic conflict, or causes and prevention of warfare. In addition to theoretical perspectives, the program examines the history and trajectory of the U.S.’ foreign policy and national security strategy. Students get valuable exposure to all policy documents that guide the U.S.’ grand strategy regarding war, conflict, and terrorism in cyberspace, enabling them to understand both the theory and practice of security studies, and preparing them to serve as analysts or advisors to policymakers. It also prepares them for future doctoral-level studies. MAISS’s first cohort consisted of eight students, but word of the program’s appeal spread quickly. The program has received more than 50 applications, currently has 24 students enrolled, (including the eight set to graduate) and is set to enroll an additional 15 to 20 by Fall. Several new courses have been added to the program, including the Psychology of Terrorism; Information Warfare; Future Wars; and Stability and Peacekeeping Operations. The program is also exploring a new concentration in understanding how social influence occurs through propaganda and social media, as well as a new course or concentration in medical intelligence. If all this wasn’t creative, unique, and innovative enough, the program allows students to complete most of the coursework online, with a few class sessions being face-toface each semester. Course work is completed through platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Skype, Desire2Learn, and WebEx. Advising

Dr. Greg Murry (left) and Dr. Craig Albert (right) with Kim Toler, the first MAISS graduate, after she presented her defense in December 2019. (Photo by Wes Kisting)

and individual meetings are also held via webconferencing to better serve the needs of our students, especially those who work full-time and those on active military duty who may be temporarily deployed.

The MAISS program is designed to be a highly individualized degree, focusing on meeting students literally where they are. If you’d like further information, contact MAISS Program Director Dr. Craig Albert. << www.augusta.edu/pamplin | 9

The Future is

Interdisciplinary New degrees help students follow multiple passions

or the past three years, the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences has continued to develop innovative programs that serve increasingly diverse student and employer needs. These include new certificates in Filmmaking, Theater Performance, Cyber Crime, and Nonprofit Leadership, a new undergraduate major in Animation, and a Master’s program in Intelligence and Security Studies. While all of these programs include some interdisciplinary elements, two programs really stand out for their flexible, diversified curricula: the BA in Integrated Studies and the BA in Health, Society, and Policy. Launched in Fall 2017, the BA in Integrated Studies enables students to pursue interdisciplinary studies that serve their interests better than a discipline-specific degree would. Students work with an advisor to design a cohesive curriculum for their “major concentration” (24 credit hours) and supplement it with a flexible “minor concentration” (18 credit hours). These choices are driven by the interests and career aspirations of each student, so the resulting experience is uniquely tailored to their personal and professional goals. According to the program’s director, Dr. Pam Hayward, “It’s been really rewarding working with the program. Each student is different that comes in and they come in for a really wide variety of reasons. Many come in knowing they want something that isn’t quite offered here or anywhere, but now we are able to help them craft it.” For example, a non-traditional student in the Integrated Studies program chose to combine Anthropology and Communication to look at community systems. “She’s planning to go into the ministry,” Hayward said, “so she’s really wanting to get the bigger Continues on page 12

Dr. Steven Weiss, an associate professor in the Department of History, Anthropology, and Philosophy, is an instructor for many interdisciplinary courses offered in Pamplin College. (Photo by Gabi Moore)

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picture of all of it.” A student in the Honors program chose Integrated Studies as a means to pursue her interest in Medical Illustration. “We don’t have a pre-medical illustration program here,” Hayward explained, “so she did all of the research about what would be required to get into the master’s program and then beautifully crafted her own version of that.” The resulting curriculum focuses a lot on Art, but also includes Biology and other sciences, as well as Psychology. It also includes a well-matched internship with the Division of Communications and Marketing, on their graphic design team. “She showed me the artwork she’s helping design for a billboard here in the area to promote AU,” Hayward said. “It was really good.” Other Integrated Studies majors have chosen to pursue interests in game design, graphic design and computer science, health communication, forensic accounting, pastoral care, creativity, and leadership. Regardless of their specific goals, all share a common desire to draw upon multiple fields to get a broader perspective and more diversified training than most discipline-specific programs can offer. Another benefit of the program’s flexibility is that it can help students complete a degree when logistical or structural features of other programs would require them to stop out or significantly delay their graduation. “For returning students especially,” Hayward says, “Integrated Studies definitely cuts time off the process, so a lot of them feel really hopeful. I’ve had students literally cry out of relief that there was a way this could happen.” In the relatively short time it has been offered, the program has already grown to over 35 majors and has produced 20 graduates. Given Augusta University’s reputation for quality health care programs, it makes sense that many interdisciplinary-minded students are interested in the health professions. That’s what led to the creation of the BA in Health, Society, and Policy or “HESP”. Launched last Fall, HESP examines health topics from the perspectives of multiple disciplines to prepare students for a wide range of health-related careers. The program already has six declared majors and inquiries from interested students are pouring in. As with Integrated Studies, the crux of HESP’s appeal is its ability to examine topics from angles that fill in gaps or blind spots that more traditional programs rarely address. “Right now in class we’re talking about the

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Dr. Elizabeth Culatta is the Health, Society, and Policy program director. (Photo by Gabi Moore)

coding that comes in for health insurance,” explains Dr. Elizabeth Culatta, the program’s director. “Companies code different visits and a policy changed so that blood transfusions over 90 minutes could be charged more. All of a sudden there was surge in 91-minute blood transfusions, as a result of that policy change. It wasn’t for medical, but financial reasons. These policies have real social consequences, and the people who get to contribute to that discussion have a background in healthcare. They’re not just doctors and nurses.” For Culatta, what makes HESP so innovative and important is its ability to address structural and social factors in healthcare that traditionally-trained careproviders may not have the time, opportunity, or flexibility of perspective to address. “If you’re in a pre-med track or medical school,” Culatta says, “you are being trained at a very detailed level to deal with the problems that walk through the door: What patient is in front of me, and how do I medically address their needs? What we do in HESP is think about structures and systems. What constraints does this person have that’s keeping them from following my doctor’s orders?” Doctors need to focus on the patient in front of them and a medical solution for their ailments, but HESP students are trained to consider social factors that also affect health outcomes. Culatta offers this example: “Let’s say a person is told they need to change their diet or their exercise. If they’re a CEO, a mid-level professional, or janitorial staff, what constraints are different in their lives?

Can they afford the change in diet? What if they live in a food desert and can’t get access to fresh vegetables? What about the effect of other family members?” Culatta’s belief in the value of the program is rooted in her own experiences as an undergraduate interdisciplinary major. “Mine was called Ethics and Social Institutions,” she says. “I took all these different classes across different fields so I always felt like the outsider. I felt like they’re using this language that I don’t know, these assumptions that I don’t share. So I learned to go in, try to understand what assumptions were at play, and then to challenge those assumptions. That’s the kind of critical thinking we want to build in students. HESP is preparing future doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals to question the assumptions in the room, and to ask questions to better understand where people are coming from, which can make changes to the system.” While it is still too early to predict all the types of students who may be drawn to major in HESP, the first cohort of majors includes students interested in health communications as well as those who plan to pursue a master’s degree in Public Health or Global Health. “Absolutely, HESP majors can also go directly into the workforce, but a lot of them want to go on to get advanced degrees in health that don’t involve medical or nursing school. They want to work for the CDC, for nonprofits,for county healthcare systems. Some want to do hospital administrative stuff. HESP is perfect for them.” <<

For the production Every Brilliant Thing, theatre professor Doug Joiner created a black box theatre on the Maxwell Theatre stage. (Photo by Zhenya Townley)

Tearing down the fourth wall Pamplin College working to build a black box theatre In a black box theatre, the separation between performers and audiences often disappears. The small, intimate space of a black box theatre provides a very different experience for viewers. The sets sometimes put audience members on stage with the actors; sometimes they are given lines to speak. At all times, they are up close and engaged in the action. Black boxes are particularly important on university campuses, where faculty and students want to push the boundaries of creative expression

in ways rarely seen onstage in commercial theaters. The Pamplin College dreams of bringing these kinds of experiences to our students by transforming the current Chateau building on the Summerville campus into a black box theatre. We are planning a multipurpose facility with versatile staging possibilities and flexible seating. The unique space will host up to 100 people and serve as the home for interactive plays as well as poetry slams, theater in the round, art exhibits, receptions, student projects, and other cultural events. The black box will serve as a laboratory for students and faculty to test new ideas, explore innovative techniques, and engage new audiences in the arts. Want to support our efforts? Donate to the Dean’s Discretionary Fund (#291100) and designate your gift as for the Black Box Theatre or the Chateau. << www.augusta.edu/pamplin | 13

A More Relatable Monster Professor, students adapt ‘Grendel’ for the stage

r. Melanie O’Meara was in high school the first time she read John Gardner’s 1971 novel Grendel. She was riveted by the story—a retelling of the events of the Old English poem Beowulf from the perspective of its most memorable monster. “Grendel becomes a monster because of the way people react to him,” O’Meara explains. “Originally, he walks up to people and he’s like ‘Hey, you guys all look interesting!’ and I think he wants to be friends. But he’s speaking in monster. They can understand his language but he looks scary to them, and they start throwing axes at him.” This re-envisioning of events from Grendel’s point of view resonated deeply with the young O’Meara. “I remember having a perspective shift after I read it,” she says. “It really got me thinking about things from the marginalized person’s point of view. It kind of stuck with me, so when I learned exactly what Performance Studies was when I was in college—that its roots were in oral interpretation and adapting literature for the stage—I was like: ‘One day I will adapt Grendel.’” Recalling it now, O’Meara isn’t certain she really intended to follow through on the idea, but it never quite left her mind until last summer, when it became a reality. With support from the CURS Summer Scholars program, O’Meara and a team of three students spent much of the summer working their way through Gardner’s novel to adapt it for the stage. Almost immediately, O’Meara wondered what they had gotten themselves into. Continues on page 16 Student Edgar Miles played the part of Grendel in Department of Art and Design’s Fall 2019 production of Grendel. (Photo by Dylan Wilson)

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“I remember having a perspective shift after I read it. It really got me thinking about things from the marginalized person’s point of view. It kind of stuck with me, so when I learned exactly what Performance Studies was when I was in college...I was like: ‘One day I will adapt Grendel.’” – Dr. Melanie O’Meara Department of Art and Design

“Grendel is so nihilistic and it can come off that way,” she says. “The only creature that accepts him is his mother and she smothers him. She doesn’t want him to leave the cave and their pile of bones. I think initially he tries to befriend the people but they’re terrified by him. There are numerous discussions of him committing suicide and things like that. That was a concern for me. It’s a little heavy for audiences to process and I wasn’t sure I wanted to go there. Also, it’s all from his point of view, so it’s just this one character if you’re going by the novel, which we tried to do.” To hold the audience’s attention, O’Meara felt obliged to counter some of the nihilism and solitary perspective with some smart decisions about staging. One of the most important was to split up the main character into multiple narrators—each reflecting different facets of his personality. “There were six Grendels,” O’Meara explains. “There was a main Grendel played by Edgar Miles, but in the novel, he talks about the shadows speaking to him so that’s what we called the other Grendels: the ‘shadows’. They were different parts of his personality. Two of them represented his nihilistic side, but we also had a baby Grendel.” O’Meara and the students also made costumes for the characters, projected animated films and images onto textured panels, had the performers playing in the shadows of these panels, and incorporated interesting elements into the movement of the performers’ bodies on stage. For example, to convey how foreign the people are to Grendel’s perspective—and reinforce the relatability of that perspective for the audience—O’Meara had the human characters move in peculiar, exaggerated ways. “They move with this weird, staccatoish motion,” O’Meara says, “so they were the monstrous-looking ones. The audience could still relate to them because they had crowns, but they moved strangely and spoke strangely.” When the show debuted in November, one aspect of the staging proved especially rewarding for O’Meara: a large pit of paper, from which the six shadow personalities of Grendel emerged during the show. “I had this idea for a paper pit and started collecting shredded paper way back in May,” O’Meara explains. “There were a lot of naysayers about this. Some said it would be a fire hazard; others said it just sounded

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In the production of Grendel, there were six Grendels – the main Grendel and five others representing different parts of Grendel’s personality. (Photos by Dylan Wilson)

so stupid. But after they saw it during the performance, they were all like, ‘Wow, that was super cool!’ One colleague even said to me, ‘Wow, that was a piece of art in itself’— and it’s true, it really turned out to be one of the best parts of the show. It felt good.” Another bright spot for O’Meara was the talented cast that she was able to assemble. “The students were very invested,” she says. “There were ten of them. Two of them were from ARC (Academy of Richmond County), so that was fun. I think they really enjoyed the experience. They came and were so eager and excited that I decided I wanted to find a place for them. One of them actually played Hrothgar.” Except for wishing she had cut down the script a little further and perhaps given greater emphasis to some of the work’s political themes, O’Meara is proud of how the show came out. She also believes that she and her students learned a lot from the experience. “For me, it’s always about collaboration with the students and what we can learn from each other and achieve together,” she says. “I

learned a lot about editing, and the students did too. So much of this literature, which we all loved—it’s hard to cut lines and get rid of things. I feel like I did that better than in The Little Prince. I made more executive decisions and cut more this time around. I think I got pretty good at tightening up the script.” Her students also gained valuable exposure to the field of Performance Studies, which, as O’Meara puts it, “examines what we can learn about literature by performing it that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to see on the page.” To model this process, O’Meara involved the students regularly in the creative decisions, from the initial adaptation on through to the live performance. “They were all part of the performance process,” she says.“So I would ask, ‘What do you all think about these cuts?’ or ‘Hey, I’m noticing this, that, and another thing. What are you noticing?’ As performers we have to share with each other, so I try to create that in the rehearsal process. I think it works. I do ask a lot of them, but they were all willing to give it—and they all stayed pretty happy, I think.” <<

Making Unique Connections Communication professor takes different approach to teaching by creating podcasts

r. Will Bryant, Lecturer in Communication, believes deeply in the importance of bringing different people together and helping them connect through personal but relatable experiences. That passion, combined with a little encouragement from his students, inspired him to create a new podcast series called “Think On This,” featuring people with unique experiences, skills, or interests. “I find people fascinating,” Bryant explains. “I want to learn as much as I can while I walk this earth and I think the best way to do that is to gather stories so that I can bring people together who wouldn’t normally come together in one space.” Bryant tries to select guests who have some experience or ability he has never had, and that many other people probably don’t have either. The first episode features Brian McGrath from Pamplin’s own Department of Art and Design. “He’s an amazing human being,” Bryant says. “He’s been in indie rock bands. He plays guitar and drums. He lead sings in his current band. He’s a former local business owner. He’s a curator and artist. He’s traveled all across the country making art and music.” Other first-season guests include the leaders of a women’s roller derby team, a semi-professional wrestler who travels the country putting on wrestling matches, a war veteran, the leader of a local animal rescue group, a teenage artist who discovered chalk murals as a means to cope with health issues, and an AU Nursing student who works as a doula: a professional trained to support the emotional well-being of a mother through pregnancy and the birthing process. Each guest’s story is captured as an unedited, one-hour interview—a format that smartly combines Bryant’s strong interpersonal skills with his natural curiosity about people.“I have one really good gift,” Bryant says. “I’m very good at talking to people, drawing out information, and making them feel comfortable. If people tune in, they’ll hear stories they probably wouldn’t hear otherwise, and have the chance to connect with perspectives they might never encounter.”

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Dr. Will Bryant conducts an interview for a podcast. (Photos by Kalpana Bulla)

“If, for a moment in time, my listeners have a shared insight into my guests’ experiences, they might realize ‘Hey, people are more alike than I thought.’ That brings us back to the human condition: to our shared humanity.” – Dr. Will Bryant Lecturer, Department of Communication

For Bryant, it’s a conscious decision not to edit the interviews. He believes the authenticity and unscripted rhythm of the conversations help to model interpersonal skills that his listeners may benefit from learning. “It’s an opportunity to teach about communication and the

Dr. Bryant interviews different guests in his podcast. Here he is recording an episode with guest Kathy Ellis.

human experience through an entirely different medium than the classroom,” he says. According to Bryant, capturing these stories in the guests’ own voices is also key to its appeal. In contrast with videos or images, he thinks audio podcasts facilitate a more interactive or imaginative encounter with other people’s perspectives. “It’s the voice that creates a picture in the mind of the audience member,” he explains. “You have to use your own creativity as a listener to fill in the blanks. You’re wondering what that person looks like as you’re listening to the podcast. For example, he’s the singer of an indie rock band, I wonder, does he have long hair? Don’t all those guys have long hair? That kind of thing.” Asked how he finds his guests, Bryant says the answer is simple: “I just ask people, ‘Who do you know with stories you and others would want to hear?’ Interesting people know interesting people, so I also ask each guest.” Generally, their answers have resulted in excellent leads for future guests. This is fitting, given that the original idea for the show also came to Bryant at the suggestion of others.

“I was in class one day,” Bryant recalls, “and a student told me, ‘Dr. Bryant, we really like talking with you. You should start a podcast.’ I started thinking about it and other students were like, ‘Yeah, yeah, you should do a podcast!’ So I said okay. I started thinking about what I might like to do and now here I am. This is fun for me. I’m going to keep doing it as long as I can, or at least until something more compelling comes my way.” Bryant is quick to mention that the podcast would never have been a reality without the invaluable support and expertise of his colleague, Dr. Luis Antunes, who, as Bryant says, “always makes us sound good.” While Bryant hopes the episodes are entertaining for listeners, he is clear that his priority is to facilitate connections with other people’s stories. “I’m trying to put people together,” he says. “If, for a moment in time, my listeners have a shared insight into my guests’ experiences, they might realize ‘Hey, people are more alike than I thought.’ That brings us back to the human condition: to our shared humanity.” Episodes of “Think On This” are available now on Spotify, iTunes, SoundCloud, and Archive. << www.augusta.edu/pamplin | 19

Chicago Harbor Lighthouse; Chicago, Illinois. (Photos by Baillie Conway)

The Many Adventures of

Baillie Conway and Legoman Alum creates art featuring iconic piece of pop culture

T Baillie Conway, BFA 2017

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he Adventures of Legoman is an ongoing photography series created by Baillie Conway which chronicles the travels of a small, plastic figure named Legoman. The project began back in 2014 after Baillie became aware of LEGO® photography, often referred to as “legography.” Upon learning more about this form of photography, Baillie created a custom minifigure which he felt best resembled himself and began to both photograph and edit the resulting images of Legoman using only an iPhone. After finding success with the initial test shots, Baillie felt that this project could have endless creative possibilities. He set out on a continuing mission to travel across the country and world photographing the tiny figure in as many unique and inspiring settings as possible. From Greece to Belize to Mexico to Canada, Legoman has traveled the world over the past six years. What began as a fun hobby has turned into an ever-evolving art project focusing on how art can coexist with technology and social media. Baillie’s first display of Legoman images was exhibited in 2017 during his senior exhibition at Mary S. Byrd Gallery of Art in Washington Hall at Augusta University. Since then, his images have found their way into private collections and displays across the CSRA, country and even England! To see more #AdventuresOfLegoman, follow @binkitup on Instagram and Twitter or visit www.legomanadventures.com and www.baillieconway.com. <<

The Acropolis of Athens; Athens, Greece

Wonders of Life Pavilion; Walt Disney World

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park; Skagway, Alaska

National Portrait Gallery; Washington, D.C.

Augusta University Summerville Campus; Augusta, Georgia www.augusta.edu/pamplin | 21

Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci AU Singers and AU Orchestra perform multimedia symphony

n February 27, the Augusta University Singers and Augusta University Orchestra teamed up with composer Dr. Jocelyn Hagen, and Scott Winters from Ion Concert Media to present the multimedia symphony The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci. This innovative, groundbreaking work combines a live choir and symphony orchestra with MUSЀIK, the world’s most advanced digital sync software. In 2019 we celebrated the 500th anniversary of da Vinci’s death. In honor of this date and da Vinci’s legacy, Hagen brought da Vinci’s notebooks to life through music and videos of his drawings and words. According to Hagen, “in this innovative work, the music serves as the foundation for the digital media” and not the other way around. We have all experienced how powerful a soundtrack can be when enhancing the experience of a film. When written well, music can heighten our emotional experience as we use our eyes and ears to consume a visual work. Hager collaborated with many other artists in order to combine the elements of music, film, animation, and then to effortlessly sync all of these elements together—or at least to give this impression. This concept of having video and music syncing at a live music performance is not a new one, but it is usually executed the other way around. As musicians recording soundtracks, we are often given something called a “click track” that we hear in our earpieces that is controlled by the conductor. The musicians are responsible for syncing up with images which have already been produced. Members of symphonies are accustomed to performing in the moment, glancing up at the conductor now and then in order to receive instructions on tempo, dynamics, articulation, and mood. The idea of performing with a metronome in one’s ear during a Continues on page 24

Dr. Julie Neish directs members of the Augusta University Orchestra and AU Singers ensembles during a rehearsal for The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci. (Photo by Gary Nipple)

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(Photos by Gary Nipple)

“A painting is a poem seen but not heard, a poem is a painting heard but not seen. Hence these two poems, or two paintings, have exchanged the senses by which they pierce the intellect.” – Leonardo da Vinci Codex Urbinas, folio 16 recto (Dr. Jocelyn Hagen’s inspiration to write the symphony)

performance tends to feel restrictive, unless you are in a recording studio producing soundtracks. Performing The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci live and in front of an audience felt anything but restrictive. Dr. Julie Neish, who conducted the work at AU, was able to be spontaneous, while the maestro at the computer keyboard, Scott Winters, was able to bend time and images around her baton. Finally, a comprehensive, multimedia production where the music is the driving force, and the images are literally reacting to the music. All of this would not be possible without this MUSЀIK technology, filmmaker Isaac Gale, and animator, Joseph Midthun. The end result was an exciting aural and visual journey through da Vinci’s masterpieces, sketches, and inventions. << 24 | #WeArePamplin · Spring 2020

Celebrating Anthropology Day Biological anthropologist comes to campus for annual event

nthropology Day continues to be a day for anthropologists to celebrate and share the discipline with others. The annual event originated six years ago when anthropology students were holding an event on campus. Other students would approach their table not knowing what anthropology is which bothered the anthropology students. Students saw a need to educate people on the importance and value of anthropology. As a result, Anthropology Day was born on campus. The American Anthropology Association (AAA), the international professional organization, followed up a few years later with their version of Anthropology Day by designating the third Thursday of February as the official Anthropology Day. Augusta University Anthropology Day immediately followed suit. This year, the Anthropology Student Union, led by Dr. Angela Bratton, held the special day on February 20, 2020, in the Reese Library. With our anthropology program currently in the process of expanding our biological (aka physical) anthropology course offerings, including a new course in the core and a new full-time instructor, we wanted to highlight the subfield this year. The invited speaker was Dr. Amanda Thompson, a biological anthropologist from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Thompson presented her research on biological and behavioral factors shaping health in early life. Her work focuses on the biological pathways linking childhood social, behavioral, and physical environments to the development of obesity and chronic disease across places like North Carolina, China, and Ecuador. Along with an enlightening, interdisciplinary presentation, Anthropology Day included anthropological games, information tables, and discussions with anthropology students. Anthropology is not a well-known subject by name although some concepts of the discipline are introduced to K-12 students as social studies. So the day is built to teach about Anthropology and familiarize people with it. A story that Dr.

Dr. Amanda Thompson, a biological anthropologist from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was the guest speaker at this year’s Anthropology Day. (Photo by Gabi Moore)

Bratton told when describing the importance of teaching anthropology to college students, was about her recent visit to a shoe store. At the store, an AU student waited on her and struck up a conversation. When Dr. Bratton mentioned she was a professor of anthropology, the salesperson asked her what that was and if she would explain it. A common occurrence for anthropologists, Dr. Bratton kindly obliged. Anthropology is not all “Indiana Jones,” that’s just a pop culture window into the discipline, but anthropology comprises four different areas of the discipline in studying humans: cultural, linguistic, physical/biological and archeology. The bigger picture of anthropology is that it is an important field to the world as anthropology teaches people to take time to listen to and know other people and

other cultures (past and present). Better understanding others in the hopes of lessening conflict is an important goal of an anthropology program. Anthropology provides numerous skills to students, but especially the ability to work in a diverse and globalizing society and to understand the relationship between culture and environment. As anthropologists do, we hope to share our knowledge of anthropology to others through various courses, programs, and study abroad. To expand the realm of opportunities for our students, give to the study abroad programs in anthropology. To learn more about anthropology and its importance to society, contact Dr. Angela Bratton at abratton@augusta.edu or go to the AAA website at www.americananthro.org. << www.augusta.edu/pamplin | 25

(Photo by Wes Kisting)

Dr. Green bids Pamplin farewell

s many of you have already heard, I will be retiring at the end of June and moving to Olympia, WA, to be closer to my adult children. My three years as dean of Pamplin College have been truly rewarding, and I leave here feeling very proud of the things we have accomplished together. Thanks to the hard work and collaboration of the associate deans, department chairs, staff, and faculty, I feel most gratified that we have: • hired more than a dozen outstanding new tenure-track faculty, distributed across every department in the college • established innovative new degree

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programs that are clearly filling student needs (MA in Intelligence & Security Studies; BA in Integrated Studies; BA in Health, Society, and Policy; BFA concentration in Animation; BA concentration in Public History), with some exciting new programs in the pipeline to start next year • significantly increased the amount of funding the college provides to support faculty research, scholarship, and creative activity • received numerous national and international recognitions of our faculty’s accomplishments, in the form of external grants, awards, and publications, and

• successfully raised funds to support student scholarships and other strategic needs I am very appreciative of the support and encouragement I’ve received from faculty, alumni, students, and community partners, and I know you will continue to support the college as Dr. Kim Davies (chair of the Department of Social Sciences) becomes Interim Dean on July 1. Pamplin will be in good hands, and its future looks brighter than ever. (So bright, well, you know how the song goes…) Elna Green, PhD Dean of Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Students in a Criminal Investigations class participate in a crime scene demonstration during the Fall 2019 semester. (Photo by Gabi Moore)

Support Pamplin College We hope you have been inspired by something you have read in #WeArePamplin. If you would like to support our students directly, there are more than 40 scholarship funds in Pamplin College to which you could contribute. If you would like to support our faculty, there is a “discretionary fund” set up for each department. If you would like to support one of our specific programs (Opera, Jazz, the Center for Georgia History, the Harry Jacobs Society, and others), they all have foundation accounts as well. You can go to the website to look up these various funds and make a gift: www.augusta.edu/giving/makeagift.php. Still not sure where to contribute? Maybe donate to the College as a whole: www.augusta.edu/giving/pamplin.php. And thank you!

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