College of
Arts & Sciences
Newsletter
FALL 2013 EDITION
College of
Arts & Sciences
The College of Arts
and Sciences is at the
center of academic life at
the University of South
Alabama. The College
offers outstanding degree
programs in the arts,
humanities, social sciences
and natural sciences
at the undergraduate
and graduate level,
and provides general
education instruction
for all undergraduate
students at the University.
Dean
Dr. Andrzej Wierzbicki
Associate Dean
Dr. S. L. Varghese
Dr. Victoria L. Rivizzigno
Assistant Dean
Dr. Robert L. Coleman
Assistant to the Dean
Dr. Donald DeVore
Newsletter Faculty
Assistance
Ms. Nadia Bush
Dr. Robert L. Coleman
Dr. Romulus Godang
Contributors
Stacie Bevens
Jimena Bellido
Courtney Holifield
J. Benjamin McKay
K. Daniel Moran
Kathryn Segers
Martha Silva
Kaitlin Wylie
2
College of
Arts & Sciences
Dean’s Letter
Dr. Andrzej Wierzbicki
Dean College of Arts and Sciences
Greetings from the College of Arts & Sciences at USA! This is
a very special issue of our newsletter because students from the
College’s Department of Communication have now taken the lead
in putting this newsletter together. Under the guidance of Ms.
Nadia Bush, Instructor in the department, the students present to
you articles and news about faculty, current students and alumni.
The lead article features Dr. Nader Entessar, Chair of the
Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice. Entessar is
an expert on Middle East politics who regularly appears on news broadcasts, providing expert national
and international commentary, particularly on Iran, Syria, Egypt and other countries in the region.
A second article features USA student Jeffrey Mizell. He went to Tsukuba, Japan, in the summer of
2013, to work on a particle physics project with his Japanese mentor, Dr. Takanori Hara. USA Associate
Professor of Physics, Dr. Romulus Godang, arranged for Mizell’s research abroad trip to Japan, and
Godang provided crucial training for Mizell in high energy physics.
The alumni article focuses on Dr. Pavan Kapedia (BA ‘08; M.D. ‘11), a Philosophy major who is
now completing his medical residency at the University of Kentucky. Kapadia completed the Honors
Program along with his degree in Philosophy and went on to complete Medical School at USA.
Kapadia says majoring in Philosophy was “the best academic decision [he’s] ever made.”
Dr. David Forbes is Chair of the Department of Chemistry and he received the 2013 Olivia Rambo
McGlothren Outstanding Scholar Award from USA’s National Alumni Association. As many of
you know, Forbes also recently delivered the College’s Annual Dean’s Lecture, where he examined
asymmetry in medicinal chemistry. In addition to his success in publishing his research, Forbes has
mentored over 50 students in undergraduate research since 1998, when he arrived on the USA campus.
Ms. Nadia Bush recently received the College of Arts & Sciences’ Excellence in Advising Award, and
she is featured in an article in this newsletter for receiving the 2013 Beth and Don Davis Excellence in
Advising Award from USA’s National Alumni Association. Advising is one of the most important jobs
that faculty members perform. The relationships students establish with their respective advisors are
often vital to their progress toward degree completion.
Throughout the newsletter, there are updates on faculty, staff, alumni and students. For example,
under the guidance of Rebecca Britton, Associate Professor of Drama, the work of 10 students in the
Department of Drama had costumes showcased in an art gallery downtown in a show titled, “The Art
of Theater Costume: Teaching the Craft.”
This newsletter’s purpose is to inform you about the outstanding accomplishments of our faculty,
students, alumni and supporters. I am happy to share their accomplishments with you, and I welcome
your feedback on this issue and on the College of Arts & Sciences as a whole.
Public Relations Students: Committed to Learning
The University of South Alabama chapter of the
Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSASA) was approached in the fall of 2013 to collaborate
with the College of Arts and Sciences to produce
this newsletter. The collaboration presents PRSSA
members with the opportunity to write and design
for a professional campus publication.
“It’s great to be able to contribute to the university
while expanding my resume,” Kaitlin Wylie,
PRSSA-SA treasurer, said. “Employers want to see
we have knowledge and experience in the field and
this newsletter definitely helps!”
The declared purpose of PRSSA is to provide
opportunities for professional development and
social interaction in the communication field for
South Alabama students. Members are actively
involved in philanthropic University of South Alabama
endeavors such as a
Supply Drive for St.
Mary’s Home and
Operation Christmas
Child.
“We are thrilled to raise awareness about
the organizations in our community and
internationally,” Daniel Moran, president of PRSSASA, said.
The National PRSSA is the foremost organization
for students interested in public relations and
communication. In addition, the organization
was approved for chapters in the Public Relations
Council of America (PRCA) and Southern Public
Relations Federation (SPRF) in the summer of 2013.
Dr. Entessar: Middle East Analyst in Demand
When one thinks about an expert on the Middle East and foreign
policy one might not necessarily think the expert is also a connoisseur
of American pop culture. However, Dr. Nader Entessar, department
chair and professor of political science at the University of South
Alabama, is truly unique in his balanced knowledge of international
relations, foreign policy and cultures of the Middle East and United
States.
“The number of Iran experts in American universities has dwindled
significantly in the past 30 years,” Entessar says. “As a result, most
Americans who write about contemporary Iran are non-experts
who work for ‘think-tanks’ or magazine/newspapers with a political
agenda to push.”
Entessar was born and raised in Iran but has lived in the United
States since 1966. He often participates in discussions broadcast on
international TV and radio programs, especially those on the British
Corporation (BBC), Voice of America (VOA) and programs based in
the Middle East. Recently, he participated in programmed dialogues
discussing Iran’s 2013 presidential election, Turkey’s foreign policy
and the continuing political turmoil in Syria and Egypt.
Regarding the recent conflict with Syria, he believes things will
more or less stay the same in the immediate future, “The Syrian
conflict will continue to go on with devastating impact on the
ordinary citizens of that country,” he said. “Much of the Syrian
opposition is composed of extremists who are being funded by Saudi
Arabia, Qatar and other pro-Western Arab dictatorships for reasons
that are too complicated to explain here.”
Entessar believes cultural understanding necessitates that experts
must study a particular country for years to ensure they have real
knowledge of that country. Experts are then in the position not just
simply to parlay information but to provide decision makers with
the wisest and best understanding of cultures because the experts are
true scholars of particular countries. As Entessar asks, rhetorically,
“Can you imagine somebody writing about the United States without
knowing anything about U.S. culture, society or politics? Somebody
who doesn’t read English or use American sources?” Entessar said.
Because he is familiar with both American politics and the Middle
East, Entessar can “provide a nuanced analysis of the issues discussed
and avoid presenting complex topics in black and white.”
While there currently are many university experts on several Arab
The Art of Theatre Costume
Teaching the Craft
countries in the U.S.,
Entessar says that
they tend to become
outnumbered by
the agenda-driven
individuals outside the
academic community
that today dominate the
public discourse.
His experiences and
knowledge has given
him a unique balance
of being an expert in
the field of Middle
East politics, but also
American politics. He loves teaching American foreign policy because
it is a “dynamic subject and deals with issues that affect everyday life
in the rest of the world, positively or negatively.”
Entessar hopes students studying political science at South
Alabama always remember to step out of their comfort zone and
constantly question their way of thinking. He loves to experiment
with innovative and different teaching methods and use new
technologies in his lectures. He also likes to introduce primary sources
into the classroom when discussing issues of American foreign policy.
When talking about “the seminal role of the National Security
Council Memorandum 68 in shaping the contours of American
foreign policy during the Cold War,” Entessar says he refers “students
to the actual document so that they can have a better grasp of why the
U.S. Cold War policies developed the way they did.”
When he is not busy teaching, Entessar enjoys keeping up with
American pop culture and reading and following many things in this
area. He relaxes watching classic cowboy and gangster films, Woody
Allen comedies, and reruns of old detective shows like Columbo, The
Untouchables, Dragnet and Matlock.
“This may seem cliché,” Entessar says, “but we do live in a
truly globalized world today. I hope that students will get a better
appreciation of how events beyond their immediate lives can and do
impact what happens to them.”
Mobile Arts Council Skinny Gallery, September 2013
Theatre Costume Display Downtown
The Mobile Arts Council showcased the creations of 10 students and their professor’s costume
creations. “The Art of Theatre Costume: Teaching the Craft,” was exhibited at MAC’s main gallery
Teaching the Craft
Mobile Arts Council
Gallery,
September
2013
space, Skinny
the “Skinny
Gallery”
in September
during Artwalk held the second Friday of every month.
Associate Professor Rebecca Britton and her students, Gabrielle Brou, Brittney Harrell, Christina
McCarty, Aaron Meadows, Kaley Morgan, Hope Nelson, John Ross Thomas, Adrian Vaughn,
Kristina Walter and Zac West, from the University of South Alabama’s Department of Dramatic
Arts, all have costumes featured. The garments are from USA’s theatre production of “Cyrano de
Bergerac.”
According to Britten, the costumes were displayed downtown, from September 3rd though
the 27th, “with a reception at LODA Artwalk on Sept[ember] 13.” The costumes were then in the
presents the creations of ten students in the University of South Alabama's
Lobby
of Laidlaw
Arts Center
from September
Department of Dramatic Arts,
as well
as thatPerforming
of their professor,
Rebecca
Britton. 27th through October 5th.
“It is definitely something worth seeing,” Daniel Moran, public relations major, said. “Anyone
Reception, Friday, September
13, in
During
atwould
318 Dauphin
interested
the artsArt-Walk
and fashion
love this.” Street
The Art of Theatre Costume
presents the creations of ten students in the University of South Alabama's
Student
Participants:
Department of Dramatic Arts, as well as that of their
professor,
Rebecca Britton.
Gabrielle Brou
Christina McCarty
Kaley Morgan
John Ross Thomas
Reception, Friday, September 13, During Art-Walk at 318 Dauphin Street
Brittney Harrell
Aaron Meadows
Hope Nelson
Adrian Vaughn
Gabrielle Brou
Christina McCarty
Student Participants:
Kaley Morgan
John Ross Thomas
Kristina Walter
Kristina Walter
Zac West
College of
Arts & Sciences
3
Student Corner:
Jeffrey Mizell: Research Abroad
Left: Jeffrey Mizell spent the 2013 summer at the KEKB
accelerator in KEK, Tsukuba, Japan as part of the Bell II
experiment collaboration.
Right: Dr. Romulus Godang, Associate Professor of
Physics prepared Mizell on how to properly conduct high
energy physics research.
USA student Jeffrey Mizell is
a double-major in Physics and
Electrical Engineering, and through
the guidance of Dr. Romulus
Godang, Associate Professor of
Physics, Mizell spent much of this
past summer in Japan, working with
his mentor, Dr. Takanori Hara, on a
Physics project at Belle II experiment.
Mizell was elected to join three
students from Southeastern
Louisiana University in conducting
research at the other location in
Japan as part of a National Science
Foundation-funded research led
by Professor of Physics Sanichiro
Yoshida. The Belle II experiment
is located at the KEKB accelerator
in KEK, Tsukuba, Japan. The
Belle II collaboration consists of
approximately 500 physicists from 95
institutions in 22 countries in all over
the world. The University of South
Alabama is one of the institutions
that joined Belle II experiment.
Before traveling overseas, Mizell
was intensively trained by Godang
to understand how to conduct high
energy physics research. Mizell was
provided the necessary concepts
on elementary particle physics,
research knowledge on computer
programming as well as a computer
account at KEK database system.
Godang and Hara are working
closely with Mizell on the Belle II
physics project. They are working on
an important project for searching a
new physics process on the B meson
decays.
Mizell says the best thing about
his research abroad experience was
“meeting [his] mentors and his
4
College of
Arts & Sciences
fellow colleagues” whom he found to
be “always willing to go out of their
way to explain something to [him] or
to show [him] around.” As a result
of his research experience in Japan,
Mizell decided to attend graduate
school and pursue a Ph.D. in high
energy physics or a related topic.
When not working with his
mentor and research team members,
Mizell enjoyed traveling to Tokyo
and surrounding areas, and he
particularly liked going to Electric
Town, a robotics electronics store.
He also very much enjoyed the
food in Japan, but even more he
loved the physics research, which
enabled him access to the Belle
detector, which is now being refit for
the Belle II experiment. According
to Mizell, “Tsukuba is truly a science
city; it is home to many international
collaborations, [and] has one of the
largest universities in Japan.”
Intellectually, Mizell says he
particularly enjoys the challenges
that physics presents to him and
his fellow students. The discipline
of physics is, in Mizell’s words, “an
ever changing and ever expanding
field” that daily teaches one that
understanding is always partial as
there is always “more than we know,
or expect,” to what we examine in
physics.
In addition to the challenges of
doing research in Japan, Mizell knew
he would be challenged speaking
Japanese, and, moreover, he could
not read the Japanese script. He
was pleased to discover, however,
most of the Japanese he encountered
speak English, so anxieties he arrived
with about dealing with a language
barrier were soon dissipated. While
being able to communicate with the
people he met and worked with in
Japan was not typically a problem,
transportation was.
According to Mizell, “The hardest
part turned out to be the public
transportation, the routes were in
all Kanji, which I cannot read, and I
had never ridden any form of public
transportation before. The area was
all new to me, and traveling around
the city finally became comfortable
after about 5 weeks of using it.”
Because traffic was a significant
problem, the members of the
research team typically worked from
10 a.m., to 7 p.m. rather than from 8
a.m., to 5 p.m. As Mizell notes, “The
Japanese people had a lot stronger
work ethic than most of the people I
meet daily in the USA.”
Mizell highly recommends a
research abroad experience for
Arts & Sciences majors. Indeed, he
appreciates his opportunity in Japan
“to learn so much more about the
high energy physics”; plus, he says
“learning different ways to view
things and how other cultures tackle
difficult problems is a great thing.”
He recommends that his fellow
students learn as much as they can
about the language of the country to
which they will travel for research
or study abroad. He also offers one
other recommendation: “bring your
own pillow.”
Student
News
Kristi Williams,
a senior public
relations and
French major,
spent the summer
of 2013 studying
in France. She was
one of 21 students
nationwide
to receive the
inaugural
Benjamin
Franklin grant,
administered
through the
French Embassy
in Washington,
D.C. Williams
completed an
eight-week
program focused
on learning French
language, history
and culture at
the University of
Burgundy Center
for International
Studies of French
in Dijon.
Tiquera
Whatley, a junior
communication
major, was
appointed
president of
Women of
Excellence. The
purpose of this
program is to
ensure, encourage
and motivate
African-American
women at USA
to establish and
use leadership
skills. Whatley
is a member of
Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority, Inc. and
named as one of
the Who’s Who
Among Students
in American
Universities and
Colleges.
Alumni
News
Brittany Llull
(BA ‘13) graduated
with a degree
in Social Work,
and has started
graduate school
in Social Work at
the University of
Michigan.
Mike Odair (BA
‘04) is an executive
producer
at Gurney
Productions and
works on shows
such as A&E’s
Duck Dynasty.
Monica
Whatley (BA
‘11) graduated
with a degree
in Mathematics
and Statistics. In
summer 2013,
she completed
an internship in
Washington D.C.
with the Migration
Policy Institute
and has accepted
a job with the
Association of
American Medical
Colleges to work
as a data analyst.
Alumni Spotlight:
Dr. Pavan Kapadia
Pavan Kapadia, M.D. (BA ‘08; M.D. ‘11) is in the second year of his
three-year medical residency in Internal Medicine at the University of
Kentucky. He completed the USA Honors program and graduated with
a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and then Medical School at USA.
Daily Life
“The University of Kentucky
Medical Center is a major tertiary
care center with a very large
catchment area, so there really is no
typical day for me,” Dr. Kapadia
said. He rotates to different services
every month, and each area
functions slightly differently, so
typical days on each service vary.
Kapadia usually works from 7 a.m.
to 6 p.m., approximately six days a
week. Most days consist of arriving
to work and “pre-rounding” on
patients followed by patient cases for
morning conference, several hours of
rounding and formulating the day’s
plans on each patient.
Philosophy at USA
Kapadia says he “developed an
interest in philosophy in high school,
so when it came time to choose an
undergraduate major it wasn’t a
hard decision to choose philosophy,
especially given the variety of
courses offered at USA.” He adds,
“In fact, it was the best academic
decision I’ve ever made.” His favorite
major courses were philosophies of
India, world religions and Chinese
philosophy, two of which were
taught by Dr. Eric Loomis. Kapadia
described Loomis as his favorite
philosophy professor due to his
effective teaching style. Kapadia
expressed an interest in world
religions and particularly Eastern
religions and culture while studying
philosophy.
Master’s Thesis
Kapadia’s honor’s thesis was a
culmination of research with Dr.
Mary Townsley in the Department
of Physiology in USA’s College
of Medicine which focused on
the TRPV4 channel located in
the pulmonary micro vascular
endothelium and its relationship to
certain components present during
acute respiratory distress syndrome
(ARDS), particularly heat and nitric
oxide.
Medical School Challenges
“Before I entered medical school,
someone once told me that medical
school is like standing in front of
a fire hydrant and trying to take
as much water down as possible.
It was at least that, if not more,”
Kapadia said when describing the
challenges he faced while in school.
Medical school required him to
absorb so much information within
a relatively short period of time. This
was particularly difficult because the
information was not applied until
his third or fourth year of school.
He says, “It was the equivalent of
a mental marathon and was quite
trying at times.”
Advice for Undergraduates
Kapadia advises undergraduate
students to maintain a strong balance
in order to be successful. “Obviously,
academic success involves a certain
time commitment on it its own,
but I’ve found that I excel when
I am very active with multiple
projects and endeavors that include
academics as well as extracurricular
activities, hobbies and personal
time,” Kapadia said. He also stresses
that not understanding content
leaves no way to digest and retain
information presented.
Life in Lexington
Lexington is approximately the
size of Mobile in population but
with a different feel to it. The large
number of undergraduate students
as well as young professionals
plays a role in the population.
Kapadia claims, “Lexington is very
family friendly and Kentucky in
general thrives on its equine racing
heritage. There is a good music
scene with Bourbon distilleries and
wineries galore.” While he resides
in Lexington, his family lives in
Birmingham, where his brother is
finishing up his last year of medical
school at University of Alabama at
Birmingham.
Into the Near Future
Kapadia is currently interested in
completing a cardiology fellowship
after finishing his residency. In
five years’ time, he sees himself
nearing the end of that fellowship
and looking forward to the next
step in his career. This may involve
continuing on to a fellowship
in interventional cardiology or
starting his first job after completing
training. He has not decided whether
he will join the private sector
or stay involved with academic
medicine. He does, however, see
himself eventually settling down
in a moderately large city, such as
Charlotte, Dallas, Washington D.C.
or Portland.
Undergraduate Years
He recalls his fondest memories
at USA being those of the life-long
friends he has made. “I don’t think I
can pin point one or several moments
that are more fond than others, but
my best memories are with the time
spent with people in the Honors
Program, AED, Southerners, CISO
and SGA,” Kapadia said. He is still
in touch with many of the friends he
made as an undergraduate student,
including Samit Patrawala, Rama
Kastury, Vishal Patel, Prino Jacob,
Brannon Vines, Sobia Ozair, Adnan
Khalique, Noosha Hussain and
Shruti Agarwal.
College of
Arts & Sciences
5
Dr. Forbes Wins National Alumni
Outstanding Scholar Award
Dr. David Forbes recently gave the Dean’s Lecture for the College of Arts and Sciences.
Whether it’s researching synthetic organic chemistry, working in
administration or motivating students to be active researchers, Dr.
David Forbes outrivals most.
As a professor of chemistry and chair of the department at the
University of South Alabama, he maintains a thriving undergraduate
research program while serving as a mentor, researcher,
administrator and being actively involved in chemistry.
Forbes enjoys the unexpected daily challenges that make his
position unique. “Managing time as an independent researcher and
addressing administrative responsibilities can often become difficult
to balance,” Forbes said, “but I’m always up for a challenge.”
This challenge led Forbes to receive the University’s 2013 Olivia
Rambo McGlothren Outstanding Scholar Award. The award,
sponsored by the USA National Alumni Association, honors a fulltime faculty member of at least five years for her or his excellence and
high achievements in an academic discipline.
Between 1998 and 2012 he has published, presented and
collaborated on one textbook with a second edition in the publication
process, 40 manuscripts and over 140 presentations. His primary
research interest is in the area of synthetic organic chemistry and
focuses on developing new methods and the application of new
synthetic methodologies.
Additionally, Forbes serves on the Executive Committee of the
Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation Beckman Scholars Program,
which recognizes outstanding undergraduate research programs in
chemistry and biological sciences. He has taught organic chemistry
I and II, general chemistry I, freshman honors experience, senior
honors chemistry and special topics covering medicinal chemistry.
Forbes graduated with a bachelor’s of science in chemistry in 1989
from the University of Florida and obtained a Ph.D. in chemistry
from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1996. He
participated in post-doctoral research at Trinity University in 1997
and at the University of Arizona in 1998.
Since the beginning of his career as an assistant professor at the
University of South Alabama in 1998, Forbes has mentored over 50
students in the undergraduate research program, which focuses on
the development and application of new synthetic methodologies.
Forbes believes that watching a student transition into independent
Faculty
News
6
scientists and take ownership
of their own projects is the most
rewarding aspect of mentorship.
“Having the opportunity to get
students involved and pursue the
ideas of both my colleagues and
myself in a way to see their efforts
published and supported by external support is what I love about
research,” he said.
Forbes’ students gain much more than knowledge in his class; they
gain intellectual fuel for motivation through an engaged learning
environment and encouragement to be successful and explore their
goals beyond their academic experience. He also loves the truly
enriched environment created by encouraging students to gain
individualized hands-on experience in his class.
“I enjoy seeing everyone that is involved with research get credit
for their hard work and by doing so, be amazingly competitive with
their next career move.”
With such dedication to a professional and productive relationship
with his students, Forbes has helped develop numerous students into
scholars in their respective fields. For example, Derrick Lewis, a past
mentee in 1999, was the first researcher under Forbes’ supervision to
obtain data on the decarboxylative process. Lewis’ demonstration of
the proof of principle was a breakthrough for the department and has
received federal funds for over a decade.
In 2009, Joseph Kundukulam, under Forbes’ direction, received
the Portz Award given by the National Collegiate Honors Council
for his research on polymer-supported suflenylations. According to
Kundukulum, “One thing that stood out about Dr. Forbes was his
willingness to go the extra mile for all his students, whether it was
extra office hours, entertaining lectures that made difficult concepts
easier to understand or as a student advocate putting the best
interests of the student foremost.”
As chair, Forbes shares the goal of boosting student involvement
in research and therefore obtaining more research space for the entire
department. His hope is to encourage local high-school teachers and
their students to express an interest in the chemical sciences at the
university during the summer months.
Dr. Nicole Amare, Associate Professor in the
Department of English, with co-author A. Manning,
published a book, A Unified Theory of Information Design:
Visuals, Text & Ethics, by Baywood Press.
Dr. Phil Carr, Professor in the Department of Sociology,
Anthropology, and Social Work, has been named Museum
Director for the Archaeology Museum.
Dr. David Gartman, Professor in the Department of
Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, had his book,
Culture, Class, and Critical Theory: Between Bourdieu and the
Frankfurt School, published by Routledge in October 2012.
Ms. Carolyn Haines, Assistant Professor in the
Department of English, has had two more novels
published: 2012 novel, Bonefire of the Vanities, published
College of
Arts & Sciences
by St. Martin’s Minotaur and the 2013 book, The Darkling,
published by Pegasus Books.
Dr. Doug Haywick, Dr. Zoya Khan, Dr. Becky
McLaughlin, Dr. Corina Schulze, Dr. Rebecca Williams
and Dr. Bob Coleman comprised the College of Arts &
Sciences’ Heart Walk team that recently raised over $500
for the American Heart Association.
Mr. Tracy Heavner, Professor in the Department of
Music, has a new book, Saxophone Secrets: 60 Performance
Strategies for the Advanced Saxophonist, published by
Scarecrow Press.
Dr. Michaela Marin, Associate Professor of Foreign
Languages and Literatures, had an article, “Conecpt
anatomique ou metaphore? Le roman ‘respiratoire’ de
Bush Wins National Alumni
Advising Award
Ms. Nadia Bush recently received the College of Arts & Sciences’ Excellence in Advising Award.
If there is one thing Ms. Nadia Bush brings with her to advising,
it’s compassion. Since joining South Alabama in 2006 as an instructor
in the department of communication, her number one priority has
focused on the student and their needs.
“Every student who walks through the door, whether it is my
classroom or office, is diverse,” she said. “We all have different
experiences, and these shape who we are and who we will become.
I take this into consideration and try to provide students an array of
viewpoints to make their own educated decision for their future.”
She attributes this understanding to her military brat upbringing.
Her father was in the U.S. Air Force, and she grew up in Japan until
she was a teenager. Her friends were, and still are, from all around the
world and accepting of everyone they met. It was a point her parents
stressed when she began teaching full time.
“I remember my parents telling me to always listen to students,
accept them for who they are and never tell them what to do. Now
when I meet with a student or student group, I listen to what they are
saying, or not saying,” Bush said. “Most of the time, once students
begin verbalizing their thoughts, they begin to feel better and a path
with different options emerges.”
Bush’s commitment to advising hasn’t gone unnoticed. Indeed,
she received the University’s 2013 Beth and Don Davis Excellence in
Advising Award in August and was also recognized at the Annual
Employee Recognition Luncheon. Sponsored by the USA National
Alumni Association, the award recognizes a faculty or staff member
for her or his outstanding advising contributions. Candidates are
recommended for the honor by student organizations or a full-time
faculty member.
An adviser to the Public Relations Student Society of America
South Alabama Chapter (PRSSA-SA), and co-adviser for the American
Advertising Federation student chapter, Bush advises these student
groups along with another 25 or more students a semester between
the main campus and the USA Baldwin County Campus.
Known for her enthusiasm, warmth and commitment to her
advisees, Bush displays genuine concern for the well-being of
students, according to Jake Turberville, an alumnus who has been
mentored by her. “It would be no exaggeration to say [Bush] has been
the single largest influence on all my academic activities,” Turberville
Zola,” published in an edited collection this fall: Re-Reading Zola and
Worldwide Naturalism: Miscellanies in Honour of Anna Gural-Migdal
(edited by Carolyn Snipes-Hoyt, Marie-Sophie Armstrong and
Riikka Rossi and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing).
Dr. Patricia Mark, Associate Professor in the Department of
Communication, spent Spring 2013 semester on Sabbatical in
France working at two advertising agencies, XL Agence and Textuel
LaMine, within the TBWA network.
Dr. Mark Moberg, Professor of Sociology, Anthropology, and
Social Work, has also authored a book by Routledge: Engaging
Anthropological Theory: A Social and Political History.
Dr. Steve Picou, Professor of Sociology, Anthropology and Social
Work and director of the USA Coastal Resource and Resiliency
Center, has been appointed to serve as an advisor to the National
said. “She
has a way
of making
students feel
they are the
most important even though there may be 30 other students to advise.
I can guarantee all of the students feel relieved and comfortable they
can make it to graduation.”
Senior Public Relations major and current president of the
PRSSA-SA Chapter, Daniel Moran, explained how Bush’s approach
to advising has helped members of the student group focus on
becoming professionals: “Throughout the last year, [Bush] has helped
our group dissolve fears and clear-up our questions and concerns
entering the public relations industry,” Moran said. “She has a way of
knowing where a student’s potential lies and has pushed each of us to
achieve our potential individually and as a group.”
Bush graduated from USA, earning a bachelor’s degree in public
relations and master’s degree in public and corporate communication.
She currently is a doctoral candidate at The University of Southern
Mississippi. At USA, she has taught basic communication,
advertising, public relations and visual communication courses, and
serves as the liaison for the communication curriculum at the USA
Baldwin County Campus.
The highlight of her teaching career has been in the last nine
months. Bush was also honored as one of 50 Outstanding Faculty
Members at the USA’s 50th Anniversary Celebration and the Public
Relations Association of Mississippi 2013 Educator of the Year Award.
Additionally, she received the Southern Public Relations Federation
2013 Educator of the Year Award. This award recognizes an educator
who has taught public relations or a closely-related discipline and
who has demonstrated a commitment to advance the profession of
public relations.
Receiving these awards energizes her to continue on the
path of being an excellent educator and advisor. In a letter of
recommendation from a student for an award, the student
commented, “Miss Bush is a prime example of a teacher that touches
your heart, a teacher that is impossible to forget, and a teacher that
you feel you will forever be grateful for.”
Academy of Sciences’ new Gulf of Mexico program.
Dr. Justin St. Clair, Associate Professor in the Department of
English, has written Sound and Aural Media in Postmodern Literature:
Novel Listening, published by Routledge.
Dr. Sue Walker, Stokes Distinguished Professor of Creative
Writing in the Department of English, published, The Ecological
Poetics of James Dickey. Her book has received the Adele Mellen Prize
for its distinguished contribution to scholarship.
Ms. Jesmyn Ward, Assistant Professor in the Department
of English, had a memoir titled, Men We Reaped, published in
September 2013.
Dr. Rebecca Williams, Associate Professor in the Department of
History, has a new book, Muhammad and the Supernatural: Medieval
Arab Views, published by Routledge.
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