THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
UPDATES FROM THE DEAN
Atlast,itisalmostSpringBreak!IsuspectmanyofyouarecountingdownthehoursjustaseagerlyasI am.Whilethistimeofyearisnotoriouslydemanding,aswefinalizeannualevaluationsandpivottoward theheavyliftingofyear-endplanning,Ihopeyouusethecomingweektotrulyrecharge Spring Commencementwillbeherebeforeweknowit,andwewanttoheadintothehomestretchwithfull batteries
InvestinginDiscovery:NewResearchInstrumentation
Iamthrilledtosharesomegreatnewsregardingourinfrastructure.Wewererecentlynotifiedbythe OfficeofResearchandEconomicDevelopmentthatCOSMhasbeenawardedsignificantfundingfor severalkeypiecesofresearchinstrumentation.
Lucent360™AdvancedPhotoreactor($30,813)
RigakuMiniflex6GandNEXCGII($169,413)
NavigationUnitandportableLiveScopepackage($10,500)
Bio-RadQX700EDropletDigitalPCRSystem($64,999)
FlowCam8400($149,956)
Ionchromatographysystem($49,628)
Theseinvestmentsrepresentourcommitmenttokeepingourfacilitiesatthecuttingedgeofscientific inquiry.Inthisround,thefollowinginstrumentswereawarded:
ExpandingOurHorizons:PartnershipsinBelize
Ourglobalfootprintcontinuestogrow Wehavebeenworkingcloselywithnewcollaboratorsatthe UniversityofBelize(UB)toestablishapipelineforUBstudentsintoourPhD programs,alongsidedeeper facultyresearchcollaborations
Themomentumhereistangible:ifallgoesasplanned,weexpecttoreceiveourfirstbatchofPhD applicantsfromBelizeinthecomingdays.Furthermore,ourpartnershaveinvitedaCOSMfaculty membertoserveasthekeynotespeakerattheirannualSTEMresearchconferencethisMay.Thisvisitwill serveasalandmarkmomentforourcollege,coincidingwiththeformalsigningofaMemorandumof Understanding(MOU)toofficiallybridgeGeorgiaSouthernandUB.
LookingAhead:ThesepartnershipsnotonlyenrichourresearchculturebutensurethatCOSMremainsa destinationfortop-tierinternationaltalent.
Thankyouforyourcontinueddedicationtoourstudentsandyourrespectivefields Enjoyawell-
UPCOMING EVENTS
COSMandtheFacultyCenterarehostingaspeakeronAIthisMarch
Title:PracticalStrategiesforMeetingtheAIMomentinTeachingandLearning
ByLyndsayB.Munro,PhD(TeachingProfessor,Biochemistry,MolecularBiology&Biotechnology
FacultyLiaisonforAcademicStandards,OfficeoftheProvost,UniversityofNevada,Reno)
Background:"Artificialintelligenceisnolongeronthehorizon.It’shere,influencinghowstudentslearn, howfacultyteach,andhowinstitutionsoperate.Ratherthanapproachingthisshiftwitheither uncheckedenthusiasmorhesitation,thispresentationapproachesitasamomentwecanmeetwith curiosity,intentionality,andafocusonwhatmattersmostinteachingandlearning. We’lllookatpracticalexamplesacrossthreeareas:
SupportingstudentsthroughAItutors,studytools,andresourcesthatcancomplement(not replace)soundlearningpractices
Engagingstudentsinandbeyondtheclassroomthroughcreativeassessmentsandactivitiesin waysthatincorporateAIwhileencouragingcriticalthinkingandactivelearning
SupportingfacultyworkbyusingAIintentionallytopreparematerials,assignments,and assessmentsefficiently,withoutlosingsightofqualityandacademicrigor.
RatherthanfocusingonAIforitsownsake,thissessionemphasizesintentional,ethical,andstrategic useofthesetools.Facultywillleavewithpracticalideastheycanadapttotheirowncourses,aswellas frameworksforthinkingcriticallyabouttheroleofAIintheirclassroom."
Registerforthisin-persononlyeventontheStatesboroor Armstrongcampus.
StatesboroCampus
Registerhere:PracticalStrategiesforMeetingtheAIMomentin TeachingandLearning
Date:Monday,March9
Time:12-1PM
Location:BiologicalSciences,Room2250
ArmstrongCampus
Registerhere:PracticalStrategiesforMeetingtheAIMomentin TeachingandLearning
Date:Tuesday,March10
Time:12-1PM
Location:ScienceCenter,Room1503B
GENERAL ELECTIONS
DearColleagues-
Ihopeeveryoneisdoingwell.Thenominationandacceptanceprocessiscomplete.Wearenowready tocommencewiththeofficialelection.Somecandidatesoptedtoincludeastatementwiththeir candidacy.Beforecastingyourballot,pleasetakeamomenttoreadtheirstatementsinthedocument attachedtothisemail.
Youmaycompletetheballotbyclickinghere: https://forms.gle/KzFYnSkKA9tTySTY9
AllballotsmustbesubmittedbyMonday,March23at11:59pm.Resultswillbeannouncedonorabout Monday,March30
Thankyoueveryoneforyourattentiontothismatter
Enjoytherestofyourweek!
BestRegards, IonutIacob,SenateElectionCommittee(SEC-AppointedMember,COSM) MaximDurach,SenateElectionCommittee(Member,COSMRepresentative)
SUBMIT BY MARCH 23
SCU NEWS
GeorgiaSouthernUniversityGSUNamedOfficial"SouthernHub"forU.S.Census BureauDataPartnership
TheStatisticalConsultingUnit(SCU)isproudtoannouncetheformallaunchofthe2026-2027Federal StatisticalDataTrainingSeries.UnderanewlyfinalizedMemorandumofAgreementwiththeU.S. CensusBureau,GeorgiaSouthernUniversityhasbeendesignatedasalead"SouthernHub"withina nationalconsortiumofresearchinstitutions.
ThisstrategicpartnershipprovidesGSUfacultyandstudentswithdirectaccesstofederalmicrodata, APIintegrationtools,andworkforcedevelopmentpathways."Thisseriesisacornerstoneofour transitiontowardaUniversity-wideresearchcenter,"saysDr.DivineWanduku,SCUDirector.
TheserieskicksoffthisSpringwithtechnicalbriefingsforleadershiponMarch26th,followedbypublic workshopsinAprilandMay
CalltoAction:SeeattachedStrategicRoadmap&Director’sLetter.
ContactforFacultyInquiries: Dr.DivineWanduku(Director,SCU) dwanduku@georgiasouthern.edu
LearnmoreabouttheStatisticalConsultingUnit.
COSM IN ACTION
TheenergyontheStatesborocampuswaselectricthispastSaturday,February28,asGeorgiaSouthern proudlyhostedtheSoutheastGeorgiaRegionalScienceOlympiad!Itwasanincredibledayof discovery,engineeringandhigh-stakesproblem-solving.
Here’saquicklookatthedaybythenumbers: 20TeamsbroughttheirA-game
10RegionalHighSchoolswererepresented Countlesshoursoftesting,buildingandcheering!
FiveteamswereinvitedtoparticipateattheGeorgiaScienceOlympiadTournamentinApril. Fromcodebustingtochemistrylabstohovercrafts,thesestudentsprovedthatthefutureofSTEMisin verycapablehands.
AHugeThankYou!Thiseventwouldn’tbepossiblewithoutouramazingvolunteers.Thankyoutonearly 60volunteersforgivingupyourSaturdaytojudgeevents,coordinatelogisticsandsupportthenext generationofscientists.Youarethebackboneofourcommunity!
Dr.TylerCyronak,SchoolofEarth,EnvironmentandSustainabilityprofessorandstudentsrecently attendedtheOceanSciencesMeetinginGlasgow,Scotlandlastweek. Theconferencebroughttogetherresearchersandscholarsfromaroundtheworldtosharecuttingedgeoceanandclimatescience WeareproudofDr Cyronakandourstudentsforrepresentingour institutiononaninternationalstage,engagingwithleadingexperts,andcontributingtoimportant conversationsaboutthefutureofouroceans
COUR SURF APPLICATIONS OPEN
TheCOSMCollegeofUndergraduateResearch(COUR)invitesapplicationsforthe2026Summer UndergraduateResearchFellowship(SURF).Thisfellowshipisdesignedtoenhanceexperiential learningforstudentsbysupportingundergraduateresearchduringtheFullSummerTerm.$4000 awardswillbemadetothebestapplicationsandinclude:
$3000stipendfortheundergraduatestudent,withtheexpectationthatthestudentconducts researchwithaCOSMfacultymentorfor25hours/weekfor10weeksduringtheFullSummerTerm
$500summerstipendforthefacultymentor
$500insuppliesorresearchtravel(fundsmaynotbeusedforconferencetravel)
Weeklyprofessionaldevelopmentmeetings
Toqualify,studentsmustbeaCOSMmajorandmentoredbyaCOSMfacultymember.Formore informationandtoviewapplicationinstructions,visithttps://www.georgiasouthern.edu/cosm/cour/ andlookunderGrantsoremailDr.HeatherJoestingathjoesting@georgiasouthern.edu.
ApplicationsaredueMarch13,2026
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