ISSUE 17
April
2015
GSConnect
T HE ACADEMIC AFFAIRS NEW SLETTER FOR GORD ON STATE COLLEGE
Remember to Have Fun
Dr. Jeff Knighton
I have shared on more than one occasion that my top three
values are Excellence, Respect, and Fun. However, it dawned on
me recently that I haven’t been focusing on the third value
enough lately. Fortunately, there have been several activities
over the last couple of weeks that have reminded me of the
importance of fun.
I was unable to attend, but I have certainly heard about the fun
of the Honor’s Program 4th Annual Trivia Contest.
Congratulations to the Scientia Warriors! I’ve heard about
Dr. Erica Johnson grabbing the Einstein Bust, and about Dr. Lynn
Rumfelt taking a victory
lap. I love it, and I’m
grateful to Dr. Janssen for
keeping this tradition
going.
Just last night I had the
opportunity to attend the
History Honor Society
induction ceremony. Five
outstanding students
were inducted into Phi
Alpha Theta. What I
enjoyed most—other than the pizza that we got to continue
eating while the ceremony was going on—was that while each
of our scholarly history and political science professors were
reading about a specific historical era, they were also willing to
poke fun at themselves and their discipline. Thanks team for a
very enjoyable evening and for being an inspiration to our
students.
A few weeks ago, I was invited to
drive up to our McDonough campus
for a “Visit with the Provost” evening.
Little did I know that my visit
coincided with National Peanut
Butter and Jelly Day. As soon as I
walked in the door, student assistant Mary Browning gave me a
pair of gloves and a knife and informed me that I would be
making sandwiches for students as they arrived. While I was
there making my sandwiches, I observed Dr. Ric Calhoun along
with Mary and Patrick Mapp, also a student assistant, greeting
every student by name as they entered the building. Ms. Ann
Howard was also there interacting with students in the hallways.
Dr. Brian Webb and Prof. Gary Norman brought their students
out of their classes to meet me. Even though it was not the
evening I was expecting, it was one of the most pleasant I’ve
had in a while. I’m really appreciative of great work that our
entire team is doing in McDonough.
As we get ready to go into our last week of classes for the
semester, I realize that there will be lots of grading to do, as well
as numerous students wanting to know if they can have extra
credit, telling you they have to make an A to keep Hope, and
providing you with excuses as to why they have not been in
class for weeks. I
hope during all these
frustrations you’re
still able to have fun,
or at least laugh a
little. If you need
suggestions on how,
I’ll be glad to
provide some.
Updates from the
Department of Biology
Dr. Amanda Duffus gave an invited seminar for the Aquatic
Animal Health Program at the College of Veterinary Medicine of
the University of Florida about the diversity and distribution of
amphibian ranaviruses on April 8th. During this time she also
visited Dr. Thomas Waltzek’s state of the art molecular
diagnostics lab to learn new phylogenetic methods.
Dr. Duffus and her students have had several poster
presentations accepted for presentation at the Third
International Symposium on Ranaviruses being held in May of
this year in Gainesville, FL.
Dr. Duffus students, Ashely Dean and Amanda Davis, presented
their work at the Georgia Academy of Sciences in February.
Ashley Dean also presented her work on Ranavirus
phylogenetics at the 4th Undergraduate Research Symposium
where she was awarded third place.
Dr. Linda Hyde and twelve EarthWindFire members visited
Cumberland Island and the Okefenokee Swamp at the end of
March. In conjunction with Gordon State College’s Community
Brunch and Family Fun Day Sunday (April 12), three EarthWindFire members assisted Dr. Hyde with The Science of Pollen and
other science activities for children and adults.
beta beta beta is a national biology honor society for undergraduates. Gordon State College houses the Tau Alpha Tau
chapter, which was established in 2012 by Dr. Durojaiye and
Cathy Lee. An induction ceremony for the induction of new and
promoted members is held in April each year. President Burns,
Interim Provost, Dr. Knighton , and AVPAA, Dr. Baskin
celebrated the Gordon’s 2015 new seven regular members, six
associate members and 4 honorary members, including
Dr. Adam Davis, James Williams, Joyce Klaus and Mr. Clement
Smetana, who were escorted by Dr. Hyde. Student VIP
members, Carey Lisk, Sara Croft, Marie Pesce, Chris
Chamantigue and Jennifer Campbell, led by advisor, Dr. Cathy
Lee organized the 2015 Induction Ceremony.
The fifth Healthy Lifestyles symposium had its greatest turnout
this semester with more than 130 students, faculty, staff, local
community members, and high school students in
attendance. The presentation was open to the public and
many students brought family members and friends to become
more informed about health. This event was a collaborative
effort between Mrs. Trisha Walker from the Biology Department,
Mrs. Sherry Farr from the Lamar County Health Department,
and Dr. David Ajay from the District 4 Health Department. The
purpose of the event was to increase awareness about
preconception health and its overall impact on the health of our
local communities. The audience was provided statistical
information for the nation, state, and local community on
disturbing health factors that were associated risk factors for
poor birth outcomes. It is our hope to continue to inform and
educate as many people as possible about the influence of
health decisions on our communities and best practices for
encouraging positive social change.
Three biology students, Rose Harrell, Maria Pesce, and Patrick
Hollowed, joined Dr. Theresa Stanley in Georgia Adopt-AStream Chemical Monitoring training. All three students were
successfully certified. Biology Education majors Rose and Maria
will also assist the Griffin Adopt-A-Stream coordinator with upcoming “Water Days” – field trips for Griffin/Spalding sixth grade
students. Professor Trisha Walker joined the festivities and was
also certified in chemical monitoring.
Updates from the Department of Business and
Public Service
On Friday, March 27th, Dr. Joseph Mayo presented the results of
his classroom-based research, Social Construction of Knowledge
in Teaching Educational Assessment, at the Teaching Matters
Conference held on our campus. Dr. Alan Burstein presented,
along with Drs. Davis and Anderson, Mr. Pearson, and
Ms. Schaffer, Apps and Technologies that Actually Work in the
Classroom.
Human Services student, Preston Allen, won 1st place at the 4th
annual Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 1 st, 2015
for his project, “The Effects of Craig Air Force Base on Selma,
Alabama”. This project was developed in cooperation with
Dr. Christy Flatt, Assistant Professor of Sociology. This is the
second consecutive year that a student for the Department of
Business and Public Service has won this award,
Ms. Emily Mumford won in 2014.
Tim Vick was one of five invited presenters at the national
Student Success Symposium held March 27-29 in Las Vegas,
Nevada. Vick presented two workshops: Designing and
Implementing an Effective First-Year Experience Course at the
4-Year Institution and Using Technology to Augment the FirstYear Experience Course.
Drs. Barry Kicklighter, Pam Terry, Brenda Johnson, Melinda
Hawley, James Awbrey, Christy Flatt and Ms. Anissa Howard
(ABD) traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina from April 8 – 11 to
attend the 2015 Southern Organization for Human Services
Conference. The theme of the conference was “Molding Minds
and Changing Attitudes.”
Dr. Prathibha Joshi attended the Faculty Development in
International Management seminar on Friday, March 20, 2015 in
Georgia Tech. School of Business, Atlanta, GA.
Weekend College students report excitement and enthusiasm.
More than 20 adult learners who comprise the first cohort in
Gordon State College’s innovative, flexible degree program for
working adults are nearing completion of the first set of halfsemester courses in business, human services, and
organizational communication taught by Drs. Brenda Johnson,
James Awbrey, Pam Terry, and Adria Goldman. Gordon State
will welcome two cohorts in August: the returning “Alpha
Cohort” and, following in their footsteps, the “Bravo Cohort” of
adult learners. Weekend College faculty ranks will grow,
including statistics and political science faculty Drs. Marwan
Zabdawi and Brian Webb, and Business and Public Service
faculty Drs. Barry Kicklighter, department chair, and Kalisha
Smith, psychology.
The Fall Cohort continues to draw applicants who are employed
in a wide variety of occupations, yet share the goal of seeking a
college degree in human services. Their excitement can be seen
in the communication of a single mother who was recently
accepted into the program and will begin classes this fall.
Passionate about serving others in the field of human services,
she is eager to begin her studies. “You can't possibly know how
excited I am about this,” she says.
News from Department of
History and Political Science
Dr. Erica Johnson accompanied Phi Alpha Theta members
Pamela Fuentes, Hannah Mixon, and Sophia Queen to the
Regional Phi Alpha Theta Conference at Reinhardt University
on Saturday, March 28. Johnson presided over an afternoon
panel of undergraduate history papers.
The History Club hosted a
book signing for Dr. Jeffery
Rogers on Wednesday, March
25 in the campus bookstore.
Rogers’ book, A Southern
Writer and the Civil War: The
Confederate Imagination of
William Gilmore Simms, sold
out during the one-hour book
signing event. Students, faculty,
and staff enjoyed cake with the
author after a brief
presentation.
On Monday, April 13, the GSC Department of History and
Political Science hosted a talk by Dr. Mary E. Stuckey titled
“FDR’s World…And Ours.” A Professor of Communication and
Director Graduate Studies in the
Department of
Communication at
Georgia State
University in Atlanta,
Dr. Stuckey is a
nationally recognized
authority in
presidential rhetoric
and communication
and is the author five
major books in the field, including The President as
Interpreter-in-Chief; Jimmy Carter, Human Rights and the
National Agenda; Defining Americans: The Presidency and
National Identity and The Good Neighbor: Franklin D.
Roosevelt and the Rhetoric of American Power .
On Saturday, April 11, Dr. Erica Johnson accompanied the
History Club on a fieldtrip to the National Civil War Naval
Museum at Port Columbus. Below is a picture of the students
on the Water Witch. The students, from left to right, are Wyatt
Glenn, Sabrina Thompson, Pamela Fuentes, Christi Smith,
Sophia Queen, and Jonathon McDaniel.
Humanities and Fine and Performing Arts
Dr. Karen Guffey organized a panel entitled "Study Abroad: The
Difference Between Here & There" & presented a paper entitled
"Three Differences: Motivation, Time, Location" at the
Southeastern Coastal Conference on Language & Literature
March 26-27 in Savannah. At the same conference, she
presented a paper called "Northern Ireland's Knot of Language,
Politics, & Religion: An American Perspective."
Mark and Laura King sojourned to a very chilly Indianapolis,
Indiana on March 26 to present papers at the College
English Association annual meeting. Mark presented, "Imagining
a Different Kind of Empire: Text, Subtext, Misogyny and the
Carnivalesque in George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman Series;"
Laura presented "The Critical Importance of Creative
Imagination: Using Playwriting to Teach Critical Thinking" .
Dr. Davis has been invited to edit the new American
Literature II textbook for the USG ecore class, English 2132.
Stephen Powers has 20 entries (Carol Burnett, Flannery
O'Connor, Eudora Welty, Norman Lear, Hunter s. Thompson,
and others) in the forthcoming "Make 'em Laugh! American
Humorists of the 20th and 21st Centuries," edited by Zeke Jarvis
and out at the end of April from Greenwood.
Dr. Masoud Nourizadeh
exhibited one of his
paintings at Lamar Arts in
Barnesville.
(image right)
Make ‘em Laugh! Webpage
Darren Broome presented his paper “Methods to Engage
Learning and Teaching, Using Technology,” at the Twelfth
Annual Southeast Coastal Conference on Languages and
Literatures. Savannah, Georgia. March 26-27, 2015.
Professor’s Encouragement Increases
Student Participation in Career Services
Ms. Andrea Kirby
Free Testing
for Students
The Gordon State College Career Services Center has had
an incredible semester! There have been several events
over the past couple of months that have given students
opportunities to gain more knowledge about career
exploration, become more marketable, and to build a
network of potential employers for future job
opportunities.
Along with the services offered through Career Services,
professors have worked closely with the Career Services
Center to encourage the utilization of our resources. The
professors instructing the Gordon First Year Experience
(GFYE) courses this semester all worked closely with
Career Services to encourage students to explore
potential career paths and build their resumes for future employment opportunities.
Dr. Schmude, one of the GFYE professors this semester, was recognized for his outstanding
encouragement of students utilizing the resources in the Career Services Center. Every student
in Dr. Schmude’s GFYE class completed the Career Action Plan and worked on building their
resumes. Dr. Schmude really took the initiative in encouraging his students to utilize the Career
Center resources.
On May 12, 2015 - GSC
Testing Center will have a FREE
FEE day for these exams for
any Gordon State College
student, waiving the $25 test
administration fee. An
appointment is necessary and
CLEP & DSST exam fees still
apply. Students may stop by
the Student Center 234 or call
678-359-5138 for more
information or to register.
This semester has been exceptional for Career Services to say the least. With such an increase in faculty and staff support, student
participation has greatly increased and the Career Services Center is growing rapidly. We look forward to seeing what the future
holds for Career Services as we continue to grow and expand our services.
Updates from the
McDonough Campus
We have a new space at our McDonough Center! Our offices
and Academic commons there are located in Room 712. We
also have Room 714 available to us to provide faculty office
space, student lounge area, storage, and a future space for
tutoring. Stop by and see our new space!
Provost Dr. Jeffery Knighton
was here to celebrate National
Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
with us at the Henry County
Campus Thursday, April 2nd.
Provost Knighton and Student
Assistant, Mary Browning
made peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches for more than 50
students, faculty, and staff.
Everyone had a great time
talking with Dr. Knighton while
enjoying a PB&J.
Student Assistant
Patrick Mapp
represented Gordon
State at a luncheon for
the Academy for
Advanced Studies on
Thursday, April 16.
State School
Superintendent
Richard Woods was in
attendance and
toured the new facility
at the Academy.
News from the School of Nursing
and Health Sciences
The Health Services & Informatics Administration (HSIA)
Program at Gordon State College recently celebrated the 26 th
annual Health Information Professionals week (March 22-28,
2015) with some exciting activities. According to AHIMA (2015)
“Health information management (HIM) is an allied health
profession responsible for ensuring the availability, accuracy,
and protection of the clinical information needed to provide
healthcare-related decisions. Health information
professionals work in
a variety of settings,
including hospitals,
clinics, physician
offices, and many
other organizations.
They play a key role
in the effective management of health data and
medical records needed to deliver quality healthcare to the
public. The work HIM professionals do to ensure the integrity
of health information is imperative to clinical and administrative
decision making. Access to reliable information helps everyone
make important decisions and leads to a healthy society”.
Gordon State College’s HSIA kicked off the week with a
“Highlander” flare! Some of the activities for HIP week included
volunteering at Bridgeway Hospice, guest speakers (HSIA
Graduates) visiting Greenway Health, dinner with the HSIA
Advisory Committee and assisting Habitat for Humanity with
building a house in Griffin and Forsyth Georgia. This was an
amazing opportunity for our students to work with the local
community and show everyone that the HSIA Program rocks!
Updates from Hightower Library
As we wind down to the end of the semester and prepare for
graduation, a lot is happening in the library. Here are a few updates and tidbits to remember as we get closer to the end of
the semester and start of the renovation.
1. All books are due by May 6.
2. Spring Final Exam Hours: Fri, May 1, 7:45a-5p; Sun, May 3,
2p-12a; Mon, May 4, 7:45a-12a; Tues, May 5, 7:45a-12a;
Wed, May 6, 7:45a-12a; Thurs, May 7, 7:45a-8p; and Fri,
May 8, 7:45-5p
3. If you have any items on reserve, please let Beverly Eskridge
know if they will remain on reserves or can be removed.
Space will be limited in the library’s new temporary location.
4. New databases and software has been purchased. More
information will be forthcoming for those not readily
accessible at this time.
A. 19th Century Newspapers – search historical newspapers
B. Artemis – search multiple literary databases
simultaneously
C. LibCal – setup consultation appointments with librarians
and reserve study rooms online
D. CREDO InfoLit Modules – teach library research skills
and conduct assessments online
5. In preparation for the renovation, the library will be located
in IC 112, 116, and 117. Services will be provided from IC
116. Any books needing to be checked out will be retrieved
by library staff as shelf browsing will not be possible during
the renovation. Library instruction will be available. Book
your classes early and remember we’ll need to meet in your
classroom. Laptops and study rooms will not be available
during the renovation. Other details regarding the move
and other related information will be provided upon
availability. Library hours for Summer semester will be
posted soon.
5. The library staff will be attending the GIL Users Group
Meeting on May 14, 2015, 9:30-4pm for professional
development. The library will be closed on this date.
Congratulations to the 2015 graduates! To our faculty
colleagues, we hope you will have a restful summer if we do not
see you. We look forward to working with you as we continue to
prepare for so many exciting new changes with the library.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Remaining Paid Jeans Days to
support Gordon Gives
5/21/2015
6/12/2015
6/25/2015