#WE ARE
PAMPLIN WE’RE BACK! DID YOU MISS US?
SPRING 2022 • VOL. 4, NO. 1
A Minute with The Dean W
elcome back to #WeArePamplin.
We took a hiatus in the fall as we were without a media specialist. However, we now have a fabulous media specialist in the Dean’s Office in the form of Morgan Hayes who is a graduate of Pamplin College’s Graphic Art program. We have also been considering publishing once a year with this as the first trial of this new idea. Please be sure to tell us what you think. I imagine you will like the magazine overall as we packed it with more photos than ever. We have also added interactive pieces that bring in more of the voices of our Pamplin faculty and students. The cover photo shows one of our first events that brought us back together after we have been apart due to the pandemic. We held a “spring fling” in the JSAC field where we ate Kona ices and popcorn and we tie-died t-shirts and played games. It was a fantastically fun event attended by faculty, students, and even family members. We hope to hold it again next year! In this issue, you will find a range of great articles including articles that show the dedication of retired faculty who keep giving such as one about the Whitings’ new scholarships and one about the MPA
-Kim Davies,
Dean of Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
program and Gwen Wood’s contribution to this 25 year old program. Another piece demonstrates how important media in the 21st century is to all of our disciplines and how Pamplin is working to provide students and faculty with innovative experiences in this field. We also highlight new faculty member Dr. Marcel Ramalho and our alum Judith Ortiz Cofer who holds a special place in the Department of English and World Languages – literally on the wall where there is an art piece by Keyvia Mack, a Davidson Fine Arts Student, who was inspired by Ortiz Cofer’s essay “The Story of My Body.” In addition to a smattering of photos including our facilities, there is an article about the Guardhouse Museum, which is a new addition for Pamplin. We are pleased that the museum is under our direction and we are happy to report that we hired Stacey Thompson as the new Museum Director. You will want to read about this museum space and our plans for the future! Starting on page 21, you can see a list of faculty awards and I want to note that this is never complete. We could publish a much larger magazine if we included all the great work our faculty accomplish, but we do try to acknowledge some of the more notable awards. Importantly, our faculty and staff are more than the great work they do, they have hobbies and interests, and you can see some of those following the award section including Pamplin Pets! The magazine ends with some words of advice and ways you can give. Please know that we consider this magazine a celebration of Pamplin and we would love to include articles about our alumni, so reach out to us and share what you are doing - we would love to hear from you!
-Kim Davies, Dean of Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
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#WeArePamplin DEAN’S OFFICE Dr. Kim Davies, Dean Dr. Christine Crookall, Associate Dean Dr. Wes Kisting, Associate Dean Dr. Kimberly Gray, Director of College Assessment and Strategic Initiatives Khadejah Bates, Office Specialist Rodney Ferguson, Business Operation Specialist Morgan Hayes, Communication Specialist 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 CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Christine Crookall Dr. Kimberly Gray Dr. Kim Davies Dr. Wes Kisting Dr. Wes Meares Dr. Seretha Williams Stacey Thompson Morgan Hayes Valerie Emerick PHOTOGRAPHY Morgan Hayes Isabella Kisting Timothy Williams DCM DESIGN Morgan Hayes COVER Design: Pamplin’s Spring Fling 2022 Photography: DCM
with The Dean 02-03 Minute and Contributors
04-05
Facility Showcase
06-09
The Whitings Scholarships
10-12
Media in the 21st Century
13-14
Gwen Y. Wood Book Scholarship
15
The New Sound of Music
16-17
The Walls Tell a Story
18-20
The Guard House
21-25
Faculty Spotlights & Alumni Stories
26-27
2021 Throwback
28-31
Pamplin Personalities www.augusta.edu/pamplin | 3
Pamplin Places
Facility Showcase Where can you find Pamplin? We are everywhere!
Students working in the ceramics and sculpture lab
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Pamplin Places
Bones laid out on anthropology lab table
Anthroplogy Lab, RM 2018, students working
Anthroplogy Lab, RM 2018, students examing skulls www.augusta.edu/pamplin | 5
Pamplin Stories
Reflecting Back on the World: The Whitings Establish Two Scholarships
Janice and Raymond Whiting
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orn out of love for family, community, each other and the university where they’ve built their careers–Dr. Ray Whiting and Professor Janice Williams Whiting recently created two named endowments to support student scholarships at Augusta University. Through a combined planned gift of $200,000, the Whitings have established the A.L. Williams, Jr. Scholarship Endowment($100,000) and the Janice and Ray Whiting Scholarship Endowment($100,000).
“For us, this (Augusta University) has been a family,” explained Dr. Whiting. “We have always cared about the students we’ve taught,and we care about the mission of the university. This is a way that we can give back and we really try to focus on helping people.” Both came to Augusta University (then Augusta College) early in their academic careers, Professor Janice Whiting in 1981 and Dr. Ray Whiting in 1990. Even though there were opportunities to leave, both chose to stay and make Augusta University not only a place to work but also a home and extended family. Professor Whiting received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Georgia and
Janice working on her art piece her Master of Fine Arts degree from Indiana State University before joining the faculty in Augusta. All four of her children grew up attending art exhibitions, spending time in her studio, and playing on campus. Not only has Professor Whiting taught painting, drawing, color theory and world humanities, she has served as director of the Italian Studies Abroad Program and director of the art gallery in the Department of Fine Arts (now Art & Design), years before the Mary S. Byrd Gallery of Art was created. Professor Whiting (now emerita professor) had a long and fruitful career at the university, including receiving the Outstanding Faculty Member award for Teaching in 2003. But her roots in Augusta go far deeper. She was born and raised here, and the university was a cornerstone of what it meant to be from here. Her father, sister, and two of her children graduated from Augusta University. Dr. Whiting came to Augusta
after earning his Ph.D. at Syracuse University, thinking that his first job after graduation would be temporary and that he would eventually move on. But years turned into decades, and decades turned into a lifelong career. During his time at Augusta University and its legacy schools, Dr. Whiting served as a professor of political science, special assistant to the vice president, special assistant to the president, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs, associate vice president for Academic Affairs, associate vice president for Institutional Effectiveness and associate vice president for Curriculum and Instructional Innovation. Dr. Whiting raised three children –so when he and Professor Whiting eventually met, became friends, fell in love
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Pamplin Stories and ultimately married, they became a blended family of nine. A.L. Williams, Jr. was Professor Whiting’s father and a beloved member of the community. While this new scholarship endowment is certainly a tribute to A.L. Williams Jr., it is not the first naming to honor his achievements. The A.L. Williams Park at Broad and Eve streets in Augusta and the baseball diamond at the Academy of Richmond County are also named for him. Coach Williams began his career at the Academy of Richmond County in 1948, serving as a teacher, coach, athletic director, assistant principal and finally, principal, before retiring in 1983. Under his leadership, the baseball teams won seven consecutive state championships and three Southeastern championships. Coach Williams was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Georgia Dugout Club Hall of Fame in 2011. Not surprising, he was named an Augusta College Outstanding Alumnus, was awarded the Exchange Club of Augusta Golden Deeds award and was made a lifetime member of the Georgia High School Association. Perhaps more fulfilling than these honors, Coach Williams’ former students and players loved and respected him, according to Professor Whiting. She recounted many stories of former players who would drop everything if “Coach” needed help and said that many of them still have reunions to celebrate the good times on the ballfield under Coach Williams’ leadership and mentorship. In fact, when Coach Williams passed away at age 92, several donned their old baseball uniforms in his memory at the funeral. Since Coach Williams himself was the recipient of a baseball scholarship to Wake Forest after graduating from what was then Augusta Junior College, the Whitings have set criteria for the A.L. Williams, Jr. Scholarship Endowment to be awarded to a student athlete on the Augusta Jaguars baseball or softball team.
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The Academy of Richmond County
Student in painting class
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Washington Hall
“Scholarships meant something to him,” said Professor Whiting. “He came from a very poor family with a lot of children. School meant something.” Her father’s values and passion for education will live on through this endowment. On its surface, the Janice and Ray Whiting Scholarship Endowment was established to provide a scholarship to students enrolled in the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Augusta University, with a declared major in the Department of Art and Design.While anyone may be considered to receive the scholarship, the Whitings have stipulated that the first preference should go to a woman. As with many fields, the arts can be a difficult path for women, and the Whitings have seen this firsthand. “As a female artist, you were expected to go and teach school someplace and not to become a powerful, influential artist,” explained Dr. Whiting, before adding, “the world has been stacked against some people, and we’re very interested in making sure we address that.” On another level, Professor Whiting and Dr. Whiting wanted to move the university forward while celebrating their careers and Augusta University, as well as a love for aesthetic value, compassion, equality and opportunity. It is their collective hope that this scholarship will further those values. “Janice and I love knowledge, but not just for the sake of knowledge,” said Dr. Whiting. “We love it because you then use it and reflect it back into the world to try and make the world better, and these scholarships are a part of that.” Learn more about these funds and how to support them by contacting Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement. www.augusta.edu/pamplin | 9
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Media in the 21st Century
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cross the nation, traditional programs in communication, film-making, and other media-related areas have struggled to keep up with changes from technology and social media. However, The Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences has been working hard to become a destination of choice for creative, media-savvy, entrepreneurial students who want to explore the cutting edge of digital media and creative expression.
Expert Faculty
Dr. Sangsun Choi talking to class in the TVC Lab.
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Last fall, we hired Assistant Professor of Media Production Sangsun “Sam” Choi. While growing up in South Korea, Choi had a troubled home life. He found himself drawn to film as a therapeutic way to learn about love, friendship, and other important human themes. Aspiring to become a filmmaker and create similar experiences for others, Choi eventually earned his MFA in Film from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “I wanted to help my audiences know the meaning of life,” he explains, “and this attitude makes me interested in social justice issues and documentary.” Choi’s specialty is ethnographic films, which are documentary-style films that illuminate the personal lives and stories of his subjects. “For me, social justice means everybody is equally valuable and has equally powerful stories,” he says. “Much like when we try to unlock a door, what we need is not a hammer but a tiny key, so likewise, I always thought that documentary can play an important role to open people’s heart.” This perspective has led Choi around the world to make films about child labor, North Korean defectors, war
Pamplin Stories
refugees, people living with disabilities, and immigrants. Now Choi also helps students learn to identify the interesting stories in their own lives and to capture them vividly and ethically on film.
The Changing Media Landscape
At one time, these skills seemed relevant mainly for communication or film-making, but that is quickly changing. A large and rapidly growing number of people are coming to believe that visual storytelling is essential to connect with others through the social media that now pervades our lives. These trends have given rise to the Creator Economy—the vast web of influencers, audiences, marketers, and businesses who interact on platforms like Instagram, Patreon, TikTok, and YouTube—which is producing lucrative new careers for “creators” who make engaging content. With over 50 million independent creators, the Creator Economy is valued at over $100 billion and projected to grow into the trillions. Over two million creators now earn a six figure income. Tens of millions more enjoy content creation as a way to connect with global audiences, advocate for issues they care about, earn supplemental income, or make friends. With massive audiences and earnings up for grabs, virtually every business and organization also has a compelling interest in employing these “creator” skills, which is causing many professional roles to evolve. “Terms like ‘digital storytelling’ and requirements such as ‘an established body of digital storytelling work’ already show up frequently in the ads for communication-related jobs,” says Dr. Wesley Kisting, Associate Dean of Pamplin. “These skills are also important to leaders and executives, whose skillfulness with social media can powerfully affect the fortunes of the organizations they helm.” Over the next decade, Kisting expects these skills will become increasingly valuable across the liberal arts.
“Digital storytelling will become central to how we share knowledge and ideas in all disciplines,” he says. “English, history, philosophy, sociology—all of these disciplines will likely need to reinvent how they communicate their value through media because youth aspirations are changing as well. One third of children between the ages of 8 and 12 say they aspire to become creators on platforms like YouTube. The humanities and social sciences have a lot to offer toward that end, but they’ll really need to show it.”
Innovative Degree Pathways
Pamplin is poised to serve these emerging needs and interests in two important ways. For students who aspire to careers in communications, we offer an updated BA Communication degree that avoids narrow concentrations in favor of a broader, more versatile skill set that includes media production. Along the way, students can complete clusters of course work to earn embedded certificates in media production and public relations to signal these strengths more clearly to employers. For students interested in the wider gamut of independent and professional roles emerging out of the Creator Economy, Pamplin will also launch a new BFA in Digital and Visual Storytelling in Fall 2022. Three years in the making, this program is designed from the ground up to serve artist-entrepreneurs who wish to learn and experiment with visual media across multiple disciplines: art, anthropology, communication, creative writing, film-making, performance studies, and more. According to Kisting, “With these two degrees, AU is sending a clear message that we are on the cutting edge of technology, media, and communication—and we have a big umbrella under which everybody can fit if they have an interest in cultivating themselves in this area.… I think [students] are going to feel like this is a real home for creative people.”
State-of-the-Art Equipment
With generous support from the Provost’s Office, Pamplin recently invested over $350K to equip its Television/Cinema (TVC)
Lab with state-of-the-art film and media production equipment. We also collaborated with the AU Center for Instructional Innovation to hire an on-site TVC Lab Supervisor, Tim Williams, who has had a tremendously positive impact on the lab. Today, when students enter the TVC Lab, they are greeted at the front reception area by a student assistant and a large monitor that explains the lab’s services and showcases student work. Everything looks and feels like a professional production hub— with a green room, multiple video editing stations, an audio/podcast recording booth, a television studio equipped for professional-caliber live broadcasts, and a full complement of high-end cameras, lenses, microphones, and accessories that students can check out of the lab to work on projects.
“It’s terrific to have all of this brand new equipment,” says Scott Thorp, Chair of Art and Design. “It’s what employers are using right now in the industry, so our students have a competitive edge when they apply for jobs.” Students also enjoy extensive mentoring from Williams or the lab’s multiple student assistants, who are trained to provide support in using everything the lab has to offer. “Besides the structural and oper-
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Pamplin Stories
ational changes,” Williams says, “I’m pleased to say that we’ve developed the culture of the TVC Lab. Students tell me they feel a strong sense of community within the lab, giving them the opportunity to collaborate with other creatives.”
High-Impact Partnerships
Much of Pamplin’s success at attracting and engaging students in these media-intensive opportunities owes to the partnerships we have formed with other units, including AU’s Division of Communication and Marketing (DCM). Art Berger, DCM’s Director of Multimedia Production, has been working with Pamplin to expand the number of internships and apprenticeships available to our students. These experiences provide valuable mentoring and also allow students to build a portfolio of sample work that helps them land jobs when they graduate.
Guest Speaker talking to class in the TVC Lab.
“It’s been very rewarding to have the people here [at AU] work with me to try to develop some internships,” says Berger. “And students are working on some wonderful industry projects.”
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One of Berger’s goals is to bring more national exposure to Augusta University, and he is refreshingly passionate about involving students in this work to help them gain experience. “For instance, we’ve created a series for Georgia Public Broadcasting which features some of our wonderful Pamplin professors, our researchers, our students,” says Berger. “It’s great to have students as interns so they can learn how to do that, and then walk out and have a tremendous amount of experience that they can use to get hired in the industry.”
A Vibrant Creative Community
Expert faculty, innovative programs, state-of-the-art-equipment, and high-impact partnerships that support hands-on learning—together, these pieces are helping Pamplin become a creative hub for a new generation of communicators and creators who are keen to explore new opportunities emerging with the Creator Economy. Student enthusiasm for this programming is very high, prompting exciting new activities to coalesce
around the Pamplin TVC Lab. One example is the student-led Media Production Club (MPC), which meets weekly in the studio to discuss media production projects the club’s members would like to pursue. In the past semester alone, the MPC has produced multiple short films, documentaries, and live productions—enabling the students to work together as a creative team and solve the kinds of challenges they will face later as working professionals. “We want them to be in the position to learn from trial and error,” says Williams. “The greatest thing about being a student producer is that you can make mistakes at this point…. The mistakes are sometimes the best way to learn; it develops your students and gets them ready to go out into the real world—to realize their goals to be filmmakers, writers, broadcast journalists, whatever it is they might want to do.” To learn more, check out the Think on This podcast, season 3, episode 9, “Communicating through Multimedia in the 21st Century”:
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Gwen Y. Wood Memorial Book Scholarship T
Graduate Student Jenny Gilmore in front of Bell Tower
he Master of Public Adminitration program is one of Pamplin College’s two master’s degrees. It is ranked in the top 50% of public affairs programs in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Reports. This past year, the program celebrated its 25th anniversary and part of their celebration was an initiative to raise funding to support our students as they build their careers in public service. Some of the funds raised during the anniversary campaign went to the Gwen Y. Wood Memorial Book Scholarship, one of the program’s main sources of support for its students. The scholarship was created in honor of Dr. Gwen Y. Wood, the first director of Augusta University’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. As the program’s first director, Dr. Wood led the MPA through its first six years of existence. In her role, she led the development of the program’s curriculum, drafted initial admissions standards, and cultivated a community of faculty and students dedicated to public service. When she retired, the MPA program chose to honor her by creating this book scholarship. The scholarship currently provides support for an MPA student to help defray the costs of
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Pamplin Stories books. The MPA faculty select a winner based on financial need and academic performance. This year the Gwen Y. Wood Memorial Book Scholarship was awarded to Jenny Gilmore. Jenny is a stellar student in the program. She has excelled in her coursework, and she is the president of the MPA Student Association. Furthermore, Jenny is active in public service outside of the classroom. She is a digital content coordinator at Augusta University and an active volunteer in Augusta and the surrounding communities. She volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House where she helps the organization provide services to families that have appointments at Children’s Hospital of Georgia. Jenny uses skills we teach in our MPA program at Helping Hands of Aiken where she assists by working on grant applications and program evaluations. This work contributes to Helping Hands mission to help adolescents in Aiken County to have safe, transitional housing and to formally develop professional skills through onthe-job training. She also is on the Alumni Executive Board of
Jenny Gilmore modeling the 25th anniversary MPA shirt
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the University of South Carolina of Aiken. Dr. Wesley Meares, the director of the MPA program, stated, “Jenny’s hard work and dedication to high quality public service both inside and outside the classroom is obvious and she embodies what Dr. Wood and others had envisioned for our program. She is very deserving of this award.” Meares added that, “Having the opportunity to provide financial support to students is a great aspect of our program. Smaller programs do not always have the opportunity to provide additional financial support to students. Having the ability to provide this support helps to set us apart. With continued support, we hope to provide more opportunities to students.” If you are interested in donating to the MPA program’s mission of educating public service for the Augusta community, you can do so at https://www.augusta.edu/giving/pamplin.php .
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The New Sound of Music
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Dr. Marcel Ramalho professional headshot
r. Marcel Ramalho is from Brazil, and is currently Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Voice in the Department of Music. Before coming to AU Dr. Ramalho taught voice at Earlham College (Richmond, Indiana) and was the choral director of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Muncie (Indiana) for a couple of years. His hope for his future at AU is to help lead a successful expansion of the music department. Dr. Ramalho knew he wanted to be a classical musician when he attended a dress rehearsal of Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem that contained a full orchestra and soloists. He described the experience as magical. “There and then I decided I didn’t want to waste 8 hours of my day doing anything else other than music!” He said happily. A phrase that best describes Dr. Ramalho as a person is “Grand and noble is to live simply” (Grande e nobre é sempre viver simplesmente - Fernando Pessoa). We are so happy to have Dr. Marcel Ramalho on our team.
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The Walls tell a Story T
he city of Augusta is famous for its golf, but many are unaware of its rich literary history. Augusta College alumna Judith Ortiz Cofer is one such literary notable. Judith Ortiz Cofer was born in 1952 in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico; her family moved to Paterson, New Jersey, in 1956. From New Jersey, the Ortiz family moved to Augusta in 1967. Ortiz Cofer graduated from Butler High School. She met John Cofer and the two married in 1971 while they were students at Augusta College. She was a sociology major until Dr. Charles Willig, founder of the Sandhills Writers Conference and co-founder of Sand Hills Literary Magazine, encouraged her to major in English. Two of her poems, “The Lovers” and “Today,” were published in Sand Hills in 1974, the year she graduated from AC. She earned a Master’s degree from Florida Atlantic University and worked as a freelance journalist and as an instructor at multiple institutions. In 1992, Ortiz Cofer accepted a tenure-track position at the University of Georgia where she earned the rank of Professor of English and Creative Writing. In 2006, Professor Ortiz Cofer was named Regents’ Professor, an honor reserved for distinguished faculty. 16 | #WeArePamplin · SPRING 2022
Prof. Ortiz Cofer published poetry, fiction and narrative nonfiction, mixed genre works, and Children’s and Young Adult literature. Her novel The Line of the Sun (UGA Press, 1989) and poetry collection The Latin Deli (UGA Press, 1993) were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. She was the recipient of numerous awards for writing and for teaching. Prof. Ortiz Cofer was inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame in 2010, and she received the Georgia Governor’s Award in the Humanities in 2011. After an extended battle with cancer, she died in 2016. AU Emeritus Professor Dr. Walter Evans, a co-founder of Sand Hills Literary Magazine, and Associate Professor Anna Harris-Parker, the director of AU’s Writers Weekend, are two faculty who keep the memory of Judith Ortiz Cofer alive in Pamplin College. Dr. Evans, one of Ortiz Cofer’s professors and friends, recalls, “[Judy] was in my Spring 1973 Humanities 223 course, the last of the three-part sequence back then. In her last year, she had a course in the 20th Century British Novel with me; she adored Lawrence’s Women in Love.” Ms. Harris-Parker, a former advisor for Sand Hills, encourages her students, especially aspiring poets, with stories of Ortiz Cofer’s connections to the university and community of Augusta. In 2021, Dr. Seretha Williams, Chair and Professor of English, commissioned a painting of Prof. Judith Ortiz Cofer for the English and World Languages office suite. Keyvia Mack, the artist, is now a senior at John S. Davidson Fine Arts, but she was in her junior year when she began the painting. Ms. Mack,
The Artist Keyvia Mack who draws and paints, was inspired by Ortiz Cofer’s essay “The Story of My Body” included in The Latin Deli. Mack says the essay’s engagement with perception and positionality informed her approach.
“You can see where the left and right side engage until [Ortiz Cofer] is no longer proportional and the color palette shifts ...”
Pamplin Stories
“... At the top of the painting is a stack of puzzle pieces that would form the picture of Cofer seen below. The puzzle is left up to creativity to solve.” - Keyvia Mack
The painting hangs on the wall facing the corridor outside of the suite and serves as a visual reminder that faculty and students in the department value interdisciplinarity. English majors enrolled in this spring’s capstone course researched Ortiz Cofer for their final projects. They traveled to Athens, GA, in February to work in the Judith Ortiz Collection in University of Georgia’s Hargrett Library. Some of their research will be included on a library research guide created by Ms. Melissa Johnson, Associate Professor and Interim Associate Director of Reese Library, and in Scholarly Commons, the institutional repository. The students want future students to know about Judith Ortiz Cofer and to study her works.
Painting by Keyvia Mack hanging in the EWL office
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Igniting the Spark History comes alive at Augusta University
Entrance to Augusta Arsenal, Augusta, GA, 1900. Courtesy of Augusta and Environs Picture Post Cards in Color, Augusta-Richmond County Public Library System, as presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.
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ach morning the Summerville Campus at Augusta University comes alive. Students are running to class, faculty and staff are gearing up to welcome students, and community members are taking their morning exercise. It is commonplace to see Augustans strolling through the history walk that captures the story of the land that is home to the Summerville campus at Augusta University. Today Augusta University is the home of Georgia’s U.S. Army Cybersecurity Center. It’s important to see how this land has been the scene of so many historic moments over the past 200 years. The Guard House Museum will be the collector of those moments, those stories and those lives, lived so long ago, but representative of how far we have come. The Guard House Museum will be a welcome center for those who want to learn more about the history of the U.S. Arsenal, and the U.S. Army service members, veterans, and ROTC who are so integral to the history of education at the university, since it opened on this site in 1956. The History Walk that starts at the Guard House Museum and guides visitors through historic moments, as it leads one through the campus proper, is a wonderful way to spend a spring afternoon.
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Pamplin Stories The history of the Augusta University campus provides us with a window into how one site has been affected by warfare, national politics and economic depression throughout the last two hundred years. For students, this provides an unprecedented opportunity to learn how individuals lived their lives during these historic eras. The Guard House Museum and History Walk provides museum studies students with an opportunity to create exhibitions, engage the community, and learn how to apply professional standards taught in the classroom. For the Augusta community, the Guard House Museum is a neighborhood enclave for history lovers looking to learn more about the United States Arsenal. In 1827 the U.S. Army Arsenal was moved to the site now known as Augusta University’s Summerville campus. The land had been part of Bellevue plantation’s farmed tracts and was owned by Senator Freeman Walker who sold the property to the U.S. government in 1826. The U.S. arsenal became an important site of arms and ammunition production throughout each war involving the United States from 1827, up until 1955 when the Arsenal closed. In 1957, Augusta Junior College acquired most of the land, and opened its new campus, utilizing many of the historic buildings left vacant by the arsenal. Today Augusta University is still the educational home of those who have valiantly served our country. U.S. armed forces veterans, ROTC and the Cyber Institute all work closely with the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence at Fort Gordon. The Guard House Museum will focus on uncovering the stories of how individuals of all walks of life made their mark on history. The Guard House structure was built during
reconstruction in 1866, and provided an office for the security guards stationed at the entrance of the U.S. Army arsenal, located at the corner of Walton Way and Katherine Street. It is only fitting that the Guard House Museum interprets the history and archaeological record of the arsenal once located at the site between 1827 and 1955. The museum serves as a welcome center and entry point to the Augusta University History Walk, which provides a tour that touches upon the ways in which the Sand Hills and Summerville communities were involved in supporting the arsenal, as well as the U.S. military at Augusta University. In 2023, the Guard House Museum will celebrate its twentieth anniversary. In honor of this anniversary, Pamplin College will welcome the general public to the updated museum with an exhibition opening that will celebrate the work completed by Dr. Karla Leeper, Executive Vice President of Operations; Dr. Lee Ann Caldwell, Professor Emerita and University Historian in Residence, and Nancy Glaser Executive Director of the Augusta Museum of History. They worked together tirelessly to update the museum’s permanent exhibition before transferring oversight of the museum to Pamplin College in the spring of 2021. When asked to reflect on the future of the museum, Dr. Lee Ann Caldwell stated, “The Summerville campus has a long and rich history. A significant part of that was its time as a United States Arsenal from 1827 to 1955, serving in times of peace and through several wars, including its years as a Confederate arsenal from 1861-1865. Although the Guard House itself was not built until 1866, the restored building is a unique opportunity to present the arsenal’s story, as well as to provide space for other rotating exhibits. It is exciting that the museum also offers a practical learning experience for students in the museum studies program. Now under the guidance of Pamplin College, its future as a teaching and learning experience is bright.” Looking forward, the museum will
feature an exhibition curated by our new Guard House Museum Director Stacey Thompson who is also a faculty member in the Department of History, Anthropology and Philosophy. Students in the Museum Studies Certificate program will be designing and installing these exhibitions, which will be on view in the temporary exhibition gallery at the museum. An online exhibition will accompany each temporary exhibition, building upon the digital history representation offered by the museum. Public History students will assist with the production of programs, digital exhibitions and tours. The interactive experience the museum provides for students working towards their certificate in museum studies, will prove invaluable as students enter the workforce after graduation. The museum profession is expected to grow 19% over the course of the next decade and provides education, entertainment and cultural heritage preservation for the benefit of the general public. Getting involved in classroom projects, internships and events at a museum on-campus will ensure that students are well versed in American Alliance of Museum standards, and can apply these standards when they enter the museum profession. Museums contribute 50 billion dollars to the American economy each year and will offer important career opportunities for students interested in preserving history, art, science, natural history and archival materials. The Guard House Museum offers visitors an inside view into everyday life at the US Arsenal. Archaeological material found in excavations on campus are displayed at the museum. Items such as a 19th century marmalade jar, pipe and toothbrush are on display. These attest to the lives of those that served www.augusta.edu/pamplin | 19
Pamplin Stories
The Guard House Museum in 2022 our country and lived on the property. The story of families, such as the Gault family living here for over 20 years, will help us understand life during the 18th and early 19th centuries. Curators from the History, Anthropology and Philosophy department will provide expert interpretation in exhibitions focusing upon those historic times. Community members will be invited to visit the museum during events and special exhibit openings. The opportunity to join a museum friends group will provide members opportunities which may include morning coffee social hours, monthly book club meetings, and special speaker presentations. The museum will strive to bring history to life for students, visitors from the community as well as tourists from outside the region. The opening temporary exhibition will celebrate the ways in which university students, student veterans, ROTC members and US Cyber security initiatives have provided for the national freedom, safety and security that we each enjoy. We look forward
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to celebrating the museum’s twentieth century birthday during the 2022-2023 school year. Thanks to Mr. Clayton Pierce Boardman Jr. and Mrs. Ann Boardman, who were integral in saving the Guard House from destruction prior to the start of the museum. The building is dedicated to their son-in-law, Maxcy Paul Brown Jr., who worked at the college for many years. Others have followed Mr. and Mrs. Boardman’s example, by allocating support to the museum through participation in the bench memorial program, as well as restricted gifts to the university’s foundation. You too can support the Guard House Museum and History Walk at Augusta University. Contact museum director, Stacey Thompson to see how you can make a difference E-mail Stacey at stathompson@augusta.edu, or call 706-667-4461. During World War II, the Augusta Arsenal in Augusta, GA employed over 1000 people, many of them female workers who performed a variety of critical war-supporting jobs. In this photo, a woman is working on the wooden stock for an M1 Garand rifle, circa 1944. Courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration, Atlanta, Georgia. https://www.archives.gov/atlanta/exhibits/item41-rg.html
Pamplin Success
Pamplin Awards
Pamplin Faculty Awards
Pamplin Faculty Award for Excellence in Collegiality Raoul Pacheco, Art and Design 2021 Dr. Jun Zhao, English and World Languages 2022 William A. Bloodworth, Jr. Award for Excellence in PartTime Teaching Susan O’Keefe, English and World Languages 2021 Paula Owens, Social Sciences 2022
We would like to take this moment to recognize another year of outstanding accomplishments by our faculty. We have many reasons to be proud. We’re delighted to recognize the worthy recipients of these awards and recognitions.
Pamplin Faculty Award for Excellence in Research Dr. Debra van Tuyll, Communication 2021 Dr. Michael Bishku, History, Anthropology, and Philosophy 2022 Pamplin Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching Jennifer Onofrio, Art and Design 2021 Dr. Christina Heckman, English and World Languages 2022 Excellence in Teaching by a Pamplin Lecturer Award Dr. Will Bryant, Communication 2022 Pamplin Outstanding Faculty Award Dr. Debra van Tuyll, Communication 2021 Dr. Michael Bishku, History, Anthropology, and Philosophy 2022 Richard S. Wallace Distinguished Service Award Dr. Pamela Hayward, Communication 2021 Dr. Jun Zhao Louis K. Bell Research Award Dr. E. Nicole Meyer, English and World Languages 2021
Paula Owens
Outstanding Faculty for the Graduate School Dr. William Hatcher, Social Sciences 2021
Dr. Michael Bishku More information on these awards and the recipients can be found at https://www.augusta.edu/pamplin/pamplin-faculty-awards.php
Dr. Will Bryant
Dr. Christina Heckman
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Pamplin Success
Augusta University RSCA Awards Dr. Dustin Avent-Holt, Social Sciences 2022 “What is Productivity?: Defining & Redifining in Economic Discourse” Dr. Mary-Kate Lizotte, Social Sciences 2022 “Gender and American Democracy: Differences in Support for Democratic Values & Principles” Sangsun Choi, Communication 2022 “International Documentary Production Proposal: North Korean Defectors in South Korea” Dr. Trent Kays, English and World Languages 2021 “The Internet Fact” Dr. E, Nicole Meyer, English and World Languages 2021 “Questioning Family Fractures in Nathalie Sarraute’s Life Writing: Investigating the Archive” Marianna Williams, Art and Design 2021 “ECC Venice Art Biennial Installation”
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Pamplin Success
Center for Social Science Research Fellows Dr. Rhucha Samudra, Social Sciences 2021-2022 Dr. Eunhye Kim, Social Sciences 2021 Dr. Eunhye Kim, CSSR Summer Fellowship in Immigration Studies 2021 Dr. Ashley Hopkins, Communication 2022 Dr. Melissa DeVelvis, History, Anthropology, and Philosophy 2022-2023 Dr. Carrie Reif-Stice, Communication 2022-2023 Dr. Lance Hunter, Social Sciences 2022-2023 Dr. Mary-Kate Lizotte, Social Sciences 2022-2023
Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Awards Erin Roark, Social Sciences 2022 Professor Sangsun Choi, Communications 2022 Dr. Dustin Avent-Holt, Social Sciences 2021 Dr. Rhucha Samudra, Social Sciences 2021
Recognitions Retirees
Dr. Steven Weiss, History Anthropology and Philosophy 2022 Professor Janice Whiting, Art and Design 2022 Dr. Carolyn Cope, Communication 2021 Dr. LeeAnn Caldwell, History, Anthropology, and Philosophy 2022 Dr. Debra van Tuyll, Communication 2022 Dr. Hubert Van Tuyll, History, Anthropology, and Philosophy 2022
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Pamplin Success
Center for Instructional Innovation Awards
English and World Languages Program Teaching Excellence Award 2021-2022 Amber Routh, Communication Online Teaching Excellence Award 2021-2022
Augusta University Research Institute AURI Research Award
Dr. Mary-Kate Lizotte, Social Sciences 2021 Research, Scholarship & Creative Activity Award
Center for Instructional Innovation Boundless Teaching Awards Dr. Sandrine Catris, History, Anthropology, and Philosophy 2021 Dr. E. Nicole Meyer, English and World Languages 2021 Professor A.B. Osborne, Art and Design 2021
Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques Dr. E. Nicole Meyer, English and World Languages Dr. Meyer was honored as Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques (Knight in the Order of Academic Palms) from the Republic of France. 2021
Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Awards 2021 Dr. Melanie O’Meara, Art and Design Dr. Candis Bond, English and World Langages Dr. Christi Amonson, Music Dr. Angela Bratton, History, Anthropology, and Pilosophy Dr. Kim Davies, Dean
Center for Instructional Innovation Boundless Teaching Awards Professor Cynthia Epps, Art and Design 2022
Diversity and Inclusion DEI Research Grant Awardees 2021
Dr. Trent Kays, English and World Languages Dr. E. Nicole Meyer, English and World Languages
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Pamplin Alumni
Where Are They Now? Pamplin Alumni
Augusta University graduate Regina Bredja and her art studio, 4P Studios, will host an art auction for Ukraine relief.
Augusta University alumnus Jacob Boland teaches at the Jessye Norman School of the Arts.
Originally a business major at Augusta University, she switched to art and graduated from Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Science in 2012. Three years later, with a fellow classmate, Brejda opened 4P Studios and is still following her dreams.
Every now and then you can still find Boland at the Summerville Campus. In the fall, he was part of the Pamplin Future Fest. He will also turn to Dr. David Bulla, Dr. Melanie O’Meara and Dr. Debbie Van Tuyll for advice. All were difference makers to Boland during his time at Augusta University.
4P Studios routinely showcases exhibits for new and established artists. They also have a partnership with Augusta Regional Collaboration to manage their gallery space, which is large enough to showcase a wide variety of artists or an artist who has a very large collection.
Through the Department of Communication, he found an internship at the Jessye Norman School of the Arts, piquing his interest in teaching.
A new project for Brejda and 4P Studios is an art auction to raise money for Ukrainian people escaping the war with Russia.
The internship led to his current full-time job at the school as the photo and digital arts teacher. Despite not having experience teaching young people beyond 18-year-olds who just joined the Army, Boland has picked up the process quickly and finds the job gratifying. He said seeing the students’ progress from one year to another amazes him at times.
Dr. Kim Davies giving Dr. Will Bryant his Pamplin Faculty Award.
Dr. Will Bryant graduated from AU in 2006 with a B.A. in Communication and a minor in Philosophy. He is a Senior Lecturer in the department of Communication and met his wife, Aubrey, while they were both undergraduate students at AU. Some cool facts about Dr. Bryant includes: he hiked up Mt. Fuji in Japan; he lives on a “hobby farm” with goats, chickens, guineas, rabbits, and other friendly animals, and he is an avid collector of jazz vinyl records. When asked for a quote that he finds meaningful, Dr. Bryant shared this quote from the historical Buddha: “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts.”
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A look
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k back at
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Pamplin Alumni
Pamplin Personalities As hard as it is to imagine, our faculty and staff do have lives outside of work. We like to think that they are not defined soley by their jobs. Get to know some of our faculty and staff better as they give us a little preview into their everyday life.
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Pamplin Fun
A.B Osbourne and his dog Bronx Fun Facts: Bronx is a12yr old Pikense.
#PamplinPets
Dr. Kim Gray’s dogs Oakley (white) and Bennie (brown)
Fun Facts: Bennie is 12 years old and has taught Oakley everything she knows. They are best friends.
Dr. Christina Heckman’s dog Nick
Fun Facts: Nick loves to help with online meetings and classes!
Dr. Wes Kisting and his dog Saoirse
Fun Facts: - She is a 14-month-old, 140-pound Irish Wolfhound. -She is finishing training to be a therapy dog. -She likes to sit on your lap.
Professor Stacey Thompson’s cat Indianna Fun Facts: Named after the famous Indiana Jones.
Morgan Hayes’s cats Slim Shady (gray female) and Ghost (gray and white male) Fun Facts: Slim Shady and Ghost enjoy nature, and fish and bird videos.
Dr. Ruth McClelland-Nugent dogs, Nellie (brown and black female) and Dobby (dog with blue jacket male)
Fun Facts: Dobby is named after the house elf from Harry Potter. www.augusta.edu/pamplin | 29
Pamplin Fun
Personal Advice “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are”.
“Don’t be afraid to move to where the job is. You will always be able to find your community, no matter where you go.” -Carol Cross
-Rodney Ferguson “Experience is the best teacher. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. It will make you better in the long run.”
“Find a job you can enjoy, but remember that there is more to life than your job.”
- Morgan Hayes
-Dr. Avent-Holt
Poll We asked in an informal poll if the faculty preferred cameras on or off during synchronous distance learning classes. Cameras on won by a landslde.
Outside of Work
“On, definitely on.”-Dr. Avent-Holt “Head nods and confused looks are important feedback to make sure I make sense.”- A.B. Osbourne I collect fidgets -things to do with my hands while I’m in meetings waiting on computers to load. It really helps me pay attention.
I have three amazing boys: London, Britton and Oliver.
- A.B. Osbourne
-Stacey Thompson
Outside of work, I write. (Oh—I do that for work, too). At work, I write non-fiction, history. After work, I write fiction! (Or sew or crochet …) The photos are of a doll I made my granddaughter. -Dr. Wendy Turner
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“On!”- Stacey Thompson
Augusta Gives
Your gift to the Katherine Reese Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences supports the heart of the liberal arts mission of Augusta University. Your support helps foster critical thinking about complex questions of the human experience; cultivate skills in written, verbal and creative expressions; promote active citizenship and community engagement; and prepare graduates for diverse careers in quickly changing globalized environments. Your gift is a meaningful investment in these pursuits.
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. Still not sure where to contribute? Maybe donate to the College as a whole. And thank you!
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Hey Pamplin Alums, we would love to hear your stories and your accomplishments. Have an idea or contribution you want to make to the magazine? Share your stories at Pamplin@augusta.edu www.augusta.edu/Pamplin