college of arts and sciences newsletter - fall 2014

NEWSLETTERCOLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Memories at Memory Hill Documentary

FALL 2014

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ARTS AND SCIENCES NEWSLETTER 2 GEORGIA COLLEGE

ARTS AND SCIENCES NEWSLETTER FALL 2014

DEANKENNETH J. PROCTER

PHOTO CREDITSTIM VACULA

OLUFUNKE A. FONTENOTJERRY HERBEL

STEPHANIE MCCLURESAMUEL MUTITI

DR. ELAINE WHITAKERJANET STORRNICOLE MOYOSUNITA MANIAN

Dean’s Message

What you will see in this newsletter are a fewsnapshots of campus life, a few highlights, a cross-section of the college. e stories date from thispast spring-even long before-continue throughsummer and into the fall semester.

Whether it is classes, research, study abroad, campsfor kids, service to the community or futureplanning, there is always an exciting project orevent linked to the College of Arts and Sciences.With about three thousand students in our majorsand minors, guided by scores of faculty in thirteendepartments, the college overflows with intellectualand creative energy. e work of the college neverstops. ere is always something going on, plentyto engage the curious, active mind. Arts andSciences is a year-round adventure.

DEAN KENNETH PROCTER|

Memory Hill Cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places aspart of the historic district of Milledgeville.Because Milledgeville was the capital of Georgiafrom 1807 to 1868, this cemetery contains manydiverse people, both local and non-local.Legislators and statesmen from across the state ofGeorgia are buried here. In addition, othernotable people interred in the cemetery areFlannery O'Connor, Carl Vinson , Edwin F. Jemison(the young Confederate soldier pictured above,whose photograph is among the best-knownimages associated with the War Between theStates), Charles Holmes Herty and Bill Miner(known as the Grey Fox and one of the lastwestern outlaws). Also of historical significance arethe large number of slave graves and graves ofpatients who were once at Milledgeville's “LunaticAsylum,” at one time the largest such asylum inthe world. �

—friendsofcems.org/MemoryHill/default.asp



CONTENTS|4

Our Space Columncelebrating 10 years

10Joy of Math

at Georgia College

17Ukraine:

On the brink of war|

INSIDE

Chemistry and PhysicsGC360Future Math TeacherEnvironmental ScienceMemories at Memory Hill

History and Geography AfricanistsGovernment and SociologyPsychologyPalmer’s New BookDance News

Community Literacy Journal


Celebrating 10 Years of the

OUR SPACE Column|


Feb. 14, 2014, marked a special anniversary fortheatre faculty member Beate Czogalla. On Feb.14, 2004, her first article in the OUR SPACEcolumn appeared in the local newspaper TheUnion Recorder. Czogalla has been a member ofNASA’s Solar System Ambassador Program,

which is based at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) inPasadena, Calif., since December 2000. The Purpose of theprogram is to bring space exploration-related topics to thegeneral public.

Czogalla readily admits to having been a closet astronautsince childhood, and when the opportunity arose to joinNASA’s education outreach program she applied and wasaccepted. Since then she has conducted many public eventshighlighting NASA missions as well as those from other spaceprograms. The bi-weekly column in the Union Recorder wasan additional way to reach the Milledgeville community andsurrounding areas.

Over 260 space-related news articles later OUR SPACE is stillgoing strong, and the column was recently recognized inNASA’s Weekly Activity Report.

As a Solar System Ambassador, Czogalla participates infrequent online and teleconference training sessions with themovers and shakers of America’s space program. Thosetraining sessions frequently become the topics of discussion inOUR SPACE. Other articles cover current launches and eventsin space, planned missions, new technologies, personalprofiles and even site visits and event reports, such as theLCROSS/ LRO moon mission launch or JPL’s annual OpenHouse events.

Mission Control and the theatrical process are more closelyrelated than one might think: both require constant teamwork,creative problem-solving, collaborative development, multi-tasking and result-oriented processes. “The show must goon” is a crucial attitude in space as well as on the stage.

Milledgeville, Ga. and Georgia College have a regularpresence on NASA’s radar. The OUR SPACE column is just oneof the many ways Georgia College faculty put their homebase on the map. �


|S

even students and faculty member Dr.Ronald Fietkau, from the Department ofChemistry, Physics and Astronomyparticipated in a European Council StudyAbroad program in Berlin, Germany inthe summer 2013. Students were able to

take a course on the History of German Chemistsinstructed by Dr. Fietkau who also served as on siteco-director of the EC program. The value of thecourse is that students gain knowledge about thehistory of chemistry in which German chemists playeda large role, have increased appreciation andmotivation for the field of chemistry, and it serves as acapstone course. Plans are for majors to participateagain in the summer 2015. Dr. Hauke Busch willinstruct a course on the History of German Scientistswhich will appeal to chemistry as well as physicsmajors while Dr. Fietkau will serve as again as co-director of the program.

“Studying abroad is also an excellent way to combineone’s school requirements while also fulfilling a desireto travel and see the world. I was able to make it toSwitzerland, Italy and the Netherlands, as well as oneof Germany’s other big cities, Munich.” – Paige Eber,alumna of Berlin 2013, class of 2014, and currentlyattending pharmacy school at UGA

Junior Ashlyn Burch’s life has been quite anadventure. Growing up in Russia with her missionaryparents gave her a strong appreciation of culture andeducation.

The physics major now has the opportunity of alifetime to study alongside some of the leaders in thefield of high-energy particle physics at CERN, theEuropean Organization for Nuclear Research, inSwitzerland. She was accepted into a NationalScience Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences forUndergraduates (REU) program. REU programssupport active research by undergraduate students inany of the areas of research funded by the NSF. REUprojects involve students in ongoing researchprograms or in research projects specifically designedfor the program.

“CERN is the largest and one of the only grand-scale

research facilities for particle physics in the world,”said Burch. Ashlyn is proudly displaying the GeorgiaCollege towel in front of the ATLAS detector. ATLASis a particle physics experiment at the Large HadronCollider at CERN that is searching for new discoveriesin the head-on collisions of protons of extraordinarilyhigh energy. ATLAS will learn about the basic forcesthat have shaped our Universe since the beginning oftime and that will determine its fate. Among thepossible unknowns are extra dimensions of space,unification of fundamental forces, and evidence fordark matter candidates in the Universe. Following thediscovery of the Higgs boson, further data will allowin-depth investigation of the boson's properties andthereby of the origin of mass.

“Ashlyn was one of only 12 students nationwideaccepted into a summer Research Experience forUndergraduates program through Duke University,”said Dr. Ralph France, professor of physics. “Onlyfour of those 12 students will be traveling to CERNfor research. Entrance into any NSF funded physicsREU programs is very competitive, and she has beenaccepted into one of the very best and mostcompetitive.” �

Georgia College Chemistry and Physicsgoes international


GC360, the student-run televisionnewscast at Georgia College, won firstprize in the news and sports category inthe 2014 Association of HigherEducation Campus TelevisionAdministrators (AHECTA) studentproduction competition.

Reporter Emil Hellerud andVideographer Drew Allen won for a storythat aired in the spring of 2014 titled“Getting Tased.” They reported on howGeorgia College police officers tase eachother as part of their training.

Hellerud was an exchange student fromSweden last spring and currently has aninternship on the International Desk atCNN in Atlanta. Allen is a senior masscommunication major at GeorgiaCollege.

The above photo shows Allen (left) andHellerud (right) holding the AHECTAaward plaque. It was taken last Fridaywhen Hellerud was visiting campus on hisway to Atlanta and his internship. �G

C36

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Here is a link to the awards page:ahecta.org/student-production-awards/student-production-award-winners/2014-ahecta-student-production-awards/


|Future math teacher receives nationalscholarship

By BRITTINy JOHNSON


“I actually didn’t get admitted to GeorgiaCollege when I first applied and wasdeferred,” she said. “I knew this is where Iwanted go to college. Patience paid off,and I was finally admitted.”

Now with a strong foundation planted inMilledgeville, Baum is just as sure of herdecision to attend Georgia College, as sheis with her career path.

“I’ve always known I wanted to teach, andI’ve also always loved math,” said Baum.“In high school, I had a great teacher whoinspired me to pursue teaching math, so Ihope to one day encourage and inspiremy students in the same way.”

Along with pursuing her degree, she alsohas worked tutoring in the LearningCenter, at the Math Emporium and thissemester will serve as a supplementalinstructor for a probability and statisticscourse.

Baum’s hard work inside and outside theclassroom paid off in the form of a$10,000 scholarship. She received theNational Council of Teachers ofMathematics (NCTM) Secondary TeacherCourse Work Scholarship.

“The organization is for students andteachers already in the field,” she said. “Isaw the scholarship opportunity, decidedto apply and got very lucky to be chosen.”

The national scholarship is awarded to onestudent each year. As the recipient, Baumwill receive $5,000 this year and $5,000next year. The purpose is to providefinancial support to college studentspreparing for teaching secondary schoolmathematics. To apply for the scholarship,

a written proposal must be submitted thatincludes evidence of the applicant’s pastacademic achievement in college and theapplicant’s commitment to pursue ateaching career in secondary schoolmathematics.

“This is an incredible opportunity that shehas been given, so it speaks to her being astandout student exhibiting importantcharacteristics like leadership, organizationand preparation,” said Dr. BrandonSamples, assistant professor ofmathematics.. “She is a veryconscientious, forward-thinking studentwho I feel has a positive effect on herfellow classmates.”

Baum works as the supplemental instructorin Samples course this semester and isalready going the extra mile to prepare forworking with students in the course.

“In my courses, she has handled herresponsibilities with a level ofprofessionalism and pride, which youmight expect from such a significantachievement,” said Samples. “I feel whatsets her apart is that she is already thinkingabout the next few steps, while othersmight still be looking backward.”

Baum plans to pursue a Master of Arts inTeaching (MAT) after she completes herundergraduate degree.

“I fell in love with Georgia College andhope to get my MAT here as well,” saidBaum. “What’s best about GeorgiaCollege is that the professors know youpersonally. you don’t want to disappointthem, so you try hard to do your verybest.” �

Emily Baum works with a student at the Learning Center.

Junior Emily Baum’s journey to collegemay have started out a little rocky.


In spring 2014 Georgia College hosted for the firsttime a Math Kangaroo Competition, an internationalmathematics competition open to first through 12th-grade students all over the world. Dr. Rodica Cazacu,associate professor in the Department ofMathematics, opened a public center here at Georgia

College in January, recruited and trained 13 local firstthrough sixth-grade students before March 20 when thecompetition took place. There were about 17,000 studentscompeting this year in the United States only and the bestresults were recognized both at national and state level. Twoof the students who registered at the Georgia Collegecenter, Alan Weston and Idil Erturk, were recognized at thestate and national level, respectively. They participated inthe Georgia Recognition ceremony where they receivedprizes. The top-three scores from Georgia College Centerwere also recognized during Math Camp 2014.

Joy of

at Georgia College


Math Kangaroo offers a chance to our localyoung students to reach out and share their joyfor learning and mathematics, to make newfriends, and get new perspectives. The MathDepartment at Georgia College will continue towork with students in Milledgeville and Baldwincounty to prepare them for next year MathKangaroo competition and other events likethis.

The first through 12th-grade students canregister for the 2015 Math Kangaroocompetition at the Georgia College centerbetween Sept. 15 and Dec. 15 2014.

The Department of Mathematics at GeorgiaCollege hosted the first half-day Math Campwith the help of Georgia College ScienceEducation Center during June 2 to June 6,2014. Dr. Marcela Chiorescu and Dr. RodicaCazacu organized and coordinated the campwith the help of two math major students, LydiaOzier and Lindsay Yates. The 15 very excitedand enthusiastic second to fifth grade studentswho signed up for this camp in the beginningof their summer vacation were offered a newand exciting experience. The kids learned newand interesting facts about math and logic,solved puzzles and riddles, used manipulativesto solve problems or build interesting shapes,learned about Cryptography and themathematics of knots, and played cool mathgames on iPads and computer. They wentoutside to discover the mathematics in natureand had the chance to explore the 3D printer inthe Georgia College Library. The kids createdtheir own design for the Summer 2014 MathCamp T-shirt and most of all they had lots offun. For more about the Math Camp, visit thewebpage Dr. Chiorescu created atgcmathcamp2014.blogspot.com �

The winners of this year’s first Math Kangaroo competition at GeorgiaCollege: Idil Erturk (center), Alan Weston (left), and Diana Cazacu (right).Summer 2014 Math Camp

Georgia College Math Kangaroo team, March 20, 2014.


Jon WhitingJon spent his summer in Coldfoot, Alaska working as a USFish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Interpretation Intern for theArctic Interagency Visitor Center. Coldfoot is in the middle ofAlaska and only 275 miles from the Arctic Ocean. Whileworking in Alaska, Jon was certified in FWS shotgun safety,bear safety, and CPR/First Aid. And what is it like living inAlaska? “The vistas were beautiful! I’m glad I went throughthe adversity of being in a completely different occupationand setting.”

When asked about his experience he says “I initially did notwant to talk to the general public because of my reluctanceto talk with people in that sort of setting. But going throughthis whole summer teaching 30-minute programs on fireecology and doing orientations of “Leave No Trace”principles, I became 10 times more outgoing. Even thoughspeaking is something we do every day, I don’t think I evertaught people when I spoke before. It’s not only important formy career, it was important for the soul. I love to teach. Thisinternship acted like a facilitator to do a task I was initially tootimid to do. I love spreading awareness. There’s aneverlasting eternal joy and drive that I received from thatinternship. you know how you’ll have curtains over yourwindow and the sun is just rising over the horizon and isgoing through one little opening or crack? The seeminglysmall burst of sun through the curtain is how I feel right now,and it is expanding gradually every day.”

Megan CorleyMegan Corley stayed in Milledgeville to conduct scientificresearch that has global connections. Megan received asummer research grant through URACE to work with Dr. SamMutiti. Her research examines methods of reducing heavymetal exposure for people living in areas contaminated bymining activity. This study was a continuation of the researchshe conducted after receiving the Coverdell Chair PublicPolicy Student Research Scholarship.

Georgia College Environmental Science Majors

Achieve Summer SuccessIf you ask one of our environmental science majors to describe whatthey did this past summer, don’t be surprised if the answer includesan internship many hundreds of miles away from Milledgeville orleading research projects and gaining important career skills. Andafter you finish listening to these students, you will be impressed bywhat they are doing and learning outside of the classroom!

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Megan’s research field site is Kabwe, Zambia which is knownas one of the most contaminated cities in the world. Thissummer she grew different vegetables that are grown locallyin Kabwe, and she is investigating how these vegetablesrespond to being grown in lead contaminated soils. Megansays “I hope to be able to create best managementpractices that will help the people of Kabwe reduce theirexposure to these contaminates and minimize the severehealth concerns that accompany long-term heavy metalexposure.” This fall Megan will be presenting her research atthe Geologic Society of America’s International conferencein Vancouver.

Lindsay CroweLindsay spent her summer in Portland, Ore. where sheworked for multiple companies including WillamettePartnership, Wetlands Conservancy, Salmon Safe, and PacificRivers Council. Lindsay assisted with a variety of projectsconnected to wetland restoration, grant applications underthe Clean Water Act, and marketing. One of the majorprojects that Lindsay worked on was the Incentives TrifectaProgram which provides landowners with the benefits ofecologically sustaining management practices such asSalmon Safe ecolabels, ecosystem service credits andregulatory assurance through Safe Harbor Agreements.Lindsay also applied her GIS skills in the identification andassessment of native grassland and prairie sites.

According to Lindsay, “My internship exposed me to realworld projects and provided me with invaluable experienceincorporating environmental policy, grant-funded researchand field work. In the near future I hope to return toPortland, continue my work and dive deeper into my passionfor all things green!”

Garrett SmithGarrett Smith worked for Logic Environmental, a smallenvironmental consulting firm in Duluth, Ga. that specializesin Environmental Site Assessments. While he spent his firstfew weeks getting used to the office environment, it wasn’tlong before he was assisting his colleagues with theirresearch and by the end of the summer he was writing andsubmitting his own assessment reports.

Garret says “I learned a lot of specific skills like remotesensing techniques, AutoCad, government file review, wellsampling; however, the biggest take away for me wasgetting an idea of how the consulting industry works.”

And the list goes on! Many of our students took advantageof study abroad opportunities including trips to the Bahamasand New Zealand. Other students had internships andothers completed coursework. We are very proud of ourstudents and hope that we can continue to help themachieve academic and career success! �


|Over the summer mass communication studentsparticipated in a documentary filmmaking course.Students studied documentary filmmakers, viewedseveral documentaries and analyzed varioustechniques. As a final project, studentscollaborated and produced their own documentary.

Memories at Memory Hill documents the stories oflocal legends Dixie Haygood, Bill Miner andFlannery O'Connor as told by local historian Dr.Bob Wilson and Archivist Josh Kitchens. The filmwas produced by Lauren Bensman, TessaChronister, Laura Nolan, Eric Pratt and Dallasyeattes. �

To view the documentaryyoutube.com/watch?v=rMh85gGfCnc

Back row: Laura Nolan, Lauren Bensman, Dallas yeatts; front row: Eric Pratt, Tessa Chronister

Memories at Memory HillDocumentary


HARRISBURG MURAL


In early March of 2014, GC and Milledgeville playedhost to a dynamic and diverse group of scholars ofAfrica as the Southeastern Regional Seminar in AfricanStudies and South East Africanist Network held theircombined spring conference here. Ranging from aformer candidate for the presidency of Liberia,

Professor George Kieh, who served as a keynote speaker, toacademics from Cameroon, The Democratic Republic ofCongo, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria,Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe;and with presenters from Georgia College, The University ofFlorida, The University of Maryland, the University of NorthCarolina, Tuskegee University and McGill University, it was atruly cosmopolitan event. Thanks to the support of DeanProcter and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, GeorgiaCollege was able to host over thirty scholars and students asthey engaged in collegial discourse on topics such as thestate of the state in Africa, the importance of memory in themaking of African histories and the nature of current politicsin various African countries. Dr. Aran MacKinnon, Chair of theDepartment of History and Geography, and longtimecoordinator for the (SERSAS) was delighted to see that GC isso supportive of scholarly activities dedicated to such diverseglobal issues. As Dr. MacKinnon noted, “Knowing thatscholars of African Studies chose Georgia College as adestination for their academic conference is a greattestament to our support of intellectual diversity and it allowsus to build on our global connections.” The theme for theprogram was: “Memory and Imagination in the Making ofAfrican Identities” and papers included analyses of Indianidentity in South Africa, the role of gun-ownership andhunting in the formation of identities in Botswana andwomen and gender identities in the Senegalese parliament.This event was one of a series of conferences on Africanstudies that SERSAS collaborates on with the University ofFlorida and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.We hope to see these and other scholars and students ofAfrican studies on our campus again soon. �

C O M E T O G E O R G I A C O L L E G E|

Dr. Anta Sane of Senegaland Howard University withDr. Jack Parsons of theCollege of Charleston

Dr. Bill Ndi, Cameroon andTuskegee University; Dr. BenFishkin, Tuskegee Universityand Dr. Eustace Palmer, SierraLeone and Georgia College.

Adauku T. Ankumah ofNigeria; Shakara Lesane, EastCarolina University; Dr.Rebecca Carte, GeorgiaCollege; Dr. Ben Fishkin,Tuskegee University; Dr. BillNdi, Cameroon and TuskegeeUniversity; Dr. Eustace Palmer,Sierra Leone and GeorgiaCollege; Chinekwu Obidoa,Nigeria and Mercer University


Dr. Risch, author of The Ukrainian West: Cultureand the Fate of Empire in Soviet Lviv, traveledover Spring Break to Ukraine, where he observed

the rising tensions between the Ukrainians and theRussians and interviewed people about their reactionsand feelings to the recent events. Here is an excerpt hewrote for The Colonnade detailing his experience:

“I arrived in Kyiv on March 15, the beginning of SpringBreak. My great hopes to visit Crimea and interviewEuromaidan activists there were already over. While thecity’s main railroad station, just across the block from me,had trains running to Simferopol and Sevastopol everyday, the news featured horrifying stories of activists,Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests, and journalists beingkidnapped, arrested, and sometimes tortured byCrimean “self-defense” units (made up partly of pro-yanukovych police who’d fled Kyiv), Cossacks fromRussia, or even Russian special forces. I decided to stay inthe capital and interview people who had witnessedviolent clashes with police forces on January 19-22 andFebruary 18-20 that had left over 100 protestors deadand something like 300 activists missing (and presumeddead).

That week I interviewed about a dozen or more suchpeople. One interview took place at Hrushevsky Street,right at the barricades where violence first eruptedJanuary 19-20, the night I’d left Kyiv for Milledgeville,barricades featured on world newspapers for days andweeks. I managed to find many such people because afriend of mine worked at the Institute of UkrainianHistory, which was literally next door to the HrushevskyStreet barricades. These people told all kinds of storiesabout death and how they dealt with fear. For all ofthem, the fear of death disappeared as they went to helppeople with medical supplies or take part in the fighting.For all of them, the revolution has only begun. The newgovernment, in their opinion, is either ineffective or stillacts too much like the old one.

Russia’s occupation and annexation of Crimea produceda roller coaster ride of emotions. On the night ofCrimea’s referendum on March 16, friends speculated

that Russia was going to invade from the east and evenbomb some strategic sites in Kyiv (hitting the Maidan forpsychological measure). On March 18, some friends andI at a bar were convinced war had broken out whenanother friend called and said that Russian soldiers hadshot a Ukrainian soldier dead in Crimea. yet somehow,all-out war didn’t break out.

Instead, we started realizing what had happened toCrimea. On Friday, March 21, Vladimir Putin, Russia’spresident, signed documents officially bringing Crimeainto the Russian Federation. Heartbreaking videosappeared on youtube of Ukrainian military cadets inSevastopol who decided to sing the Ukrainian nationalanthem rather than the Russian one as their navalacademy officially changed hands. One of them cried ashe took down the Ukrainian flag. One of them talkedabout collecting money to buy a weapon worth 1,000dollars. They had fixed their attention on the KhersonRegion, outside Crimea, where Russian forces hadoccupied some strategic positions and seemed to begetting ready an invasion from the south.

I came home from Kyiv on Sunday, March 23. The worldmay have avoided war over my Spring Break, but I fearthat we are still on the brink of war.”

The entire article can be found in the March 28, 2014issue of The Colonnade. �

UkraineDr. Bill Risch of the Department of History and Geography reports on his research trip to Ukraine

on the Brink of War:


GOVERNMENT AND SOC IOLOGY

FACULTy NEWSEdmondson Named Carl Vinson Endowed ChairHank Edmondson, Ph.D., professor, has been appointed Carl VinsonEndowed Chair of Political Science and Public Administration. Edmondsonhas served Georgia College for 25 years and his teaching areas includeAmerican Government, Political Philosophy, Public Law, Comparative PublicAdministration and Leadership. His research activities and publicationscover politics, leadership and literature, education reform, and theEuropean Union. His publications include "The Moral of the Story:Literature and Public Ethics" (Lexington Books 2000), "Return to Good andEvil: Flannery O’Connor’s Response to Nihilism" (Lexington Books, 2002),"John Dewey and the Decline of American Education" (ISI Books, 2002)and is currently under contract with the University Press of Kentucky editinga text on politics and literature, due for publication in late 2015. In addition,he has published numerous articles and reviews in a variety of journals.Edmondson has written and co-edited a symposium entitled “Shakespeareand the Public Service,” scheduled for publication in "Public Integrity", theflagship journal of administrative ethics. He is currently at work on a volumeentitled "What Would Publius Do? Leadership Principles From TheFederalist Papers." He has directed interdisciplinary and political sciencestudy abroad programs for many years, taking students to twelve differentEuropean countries.

“The purpose of the Carl Vinson Endowed Chair of Political Science andPublic Administration is to enrich the education of Georgia Collegestudents, support the activity of the faculty of the Department ofGovernment and Sociology, deepen the academic life of the university, andpromote the life and legacy of Congressman Carl Vinson. This appointmentrecognizes the scholarly work of Professor Edmondson, as well as hiscommitment to teaching and inquiry” noted Costas Spirou, Ph.D., professorand chair of the department of government and sociology.

Vinson’s political career began in Milledgeville where he served as CountyProsecutor and Judge. He also served as a state legislator. Vinson's nationalcareer in the House of Representatives began in November 1914, just daysbefore his 31st birthday, a post he would hold until 1964-50 consecutiveyears. During his tenure in the House, Vinson served under nine presidents,from Wilson to Johnson. Vinson’s signature theme was militarypreparedness and national security. His leadership style was unassuming,yet effective. Vinson was not only an great leader, but also widely known asa man of integrity. He declined many of the privileges of his position, rarelytraveling, and living in relative simplicity, preferring to retreat to his BaldwinCounty farm whenever possible. Vinson was not born a farmer; rather, hebecame a farmer to better identify with the concerns of his constituents inGeorgia’s Tenth and later, Sixth, Districts.

For more information about Hank Edmondson, Ph.D., Carl Vinson EndowedChair of Political Science and Public Administration and CongressmanVinson please visit the Carl Vinson Endowed Chair Web Sitegcsu.edu/gov/vinsonchair.htm. �


Professors Fontenot andUbah, elected as officersof the University SystemAfrica Council

Funke Fontenot, interim dean of the John H.Lounsbury College of Education and Professor ofCriminal Justice was elected as the new chair ofthe University System Africa Council. CharlesUbah, PhD., professor of Criminal Justice waselected secretary after completing two terms astreasurer.

The University System Africa Council seeks tobuild an active participatory membership ofUniversity System of Georgia campus faculty andstaff with African interests and expertise,facilitating communication and providing a usefulforum where issues of common concern can beshared, discussed and resolved. Every year, theUniversity System Africa Council organizes asimulation of the annual meeting of Heads ofState of the African Union (AU). The simulation isknown as SEMAU or the Southeastern Model ofthe African Union. SEMAU 2014 will be held inMorrow, Georgia, and will be hosted by ClaytonState University from November 6 to 8. �

Stephanie McClure, Ph.D.Publishes BookStephanie McClure, Ph.D., associate professor of Sociology isco-editor of a new book titled "Getting Real About Race:Hoodies, Mascots, Model Minorities, and OtherConversations," released by Sage Publications in July 2014.The book is an edited collection of short essays which addressthe most common misconceptions about race held bystudents (and by many in the United States, in general). Dr.McClure collaborated on the project with Cherise A. Harris,Associate Professor of Sociology at Connecticut College. Theessays are organized in four distinct categories (Laying theFoundation; Debunking Individual Attitudes; Institutions,Policies and Legacies of Oppression; Race in EverydayInteractions) to illuminate issues regarding one of the mostcritical social challenges facing the United States.

The collection includes contributions from noted scholarsfrom across the country including Department of Governmentand Sociology faculty Veronica Womack, Ph.D., professor ofPolitical Science and Public Administration, Brad Koch Ph.D.,associate professor of Sociology, Sara Doude, Ph.D.,associate professor of Criminal Justice and recent sociologygraduates Hersheda Patel and James Bridgeforth.

To engage the reader, the editors of the volume structuredeach essay to conclude with suggested sources includingvideos, websites, books, and/or articles. Questions are alsoprovided in each essay allowing the reader to move fromknowledge to implications of race in everyday life. Finally,current topics students want to discuss are brought upthrough the text encouraging a conversation in an openclassroom environment. �


GOVERNMENT AND SOC IOLOGY

STUDENT NEWS

Political Science Major Has Article PublishedIsabel Bryan Barks, a political science major, hadher work published in the Pi Sigma AlphaUndergraduate Journal of Politics. Pi SigmaAlpha is the Political Science Honor Societyaffiliated with the American Political ScienceAssociation. Her analysis titled "The UnitedStates Role in the Construction of InternationalSmall Arms Control" was previously presented atthe 2013 Annual Conference of the GeorgiaPolitical Science Association.

In the article, Barks argues that the United Statescarefully constructed a pro-gun network andexisting domestic gun control policies competewith and ultimately dominate a transnational pro-control network that prevents the emergence ofan international norm regulating small arms.Barks has been invited to present the work at theupcoming Pi Sigma Alpha UndergraduateConference scheduled to take place inWashington, D.C.

Dr. Jason Rich, assistant professor of PoliticalScience served as Isabel's academic advisor andmentor. Rich is currently the chair of theDepartment of Government and SociologyUndergraduate Research Faculty Committee, aconcerted unit effort to advance studentresearch. According to Rich, "Over the years wehave had many faculty work closely withundergraduate students to present their researchat various conferences. Ultimately our goal is toencourage students to submit their papers forpublication consideration at academic journals.Isabel's work was exceptional, and I am pleasedto see her efforts recognized. As we look intonext year, we have a number of students workingclosely with department faculty mentors to sharetheir research findings at conferences." Dr.Costas Spirou, department chair added,"Congratulations to Ms. Barks for thisextraordinary distinction and to Dr. Rich for hisexceptional guidance. This is a great way toadvance engaged learning, develop key skillsand strengthen our students' preparation forgraduate work or for professional careers." �

Department Announces NewStudent OrganizationThe Department of Government and Sociology is pleasedto announce a new student organization, Government andSociology Student Association (GSSA). Founding officer,Katherine Crye, Secretary and Political Science major notesthat, “GSSA has been created as a link between studentsand faculty within the department. We hope to bettercommunicate opportunities for them to work closelytogether in areas like academic research, seekinginternships and studying abroad. Our ultimate goal is tostrengthen the department by better accommodatingstudents.” Fellow founding officer, Vice President andCriminal Justice major Shelby Hatcher, adds, “When GSSAreaches its full potential, it will be able to provideinformation about internships, research opportunities andconnect the students closer to the department faculty.”

GSSA’s first project is assisting with the organization of thedepartment’s annual awards luncheon. This will be the firsttime in the history of the department that students will bedirectly involved with all aspects of the planning andexecution of the event. The planning team will gaininvaluable experience during the entire process.

GSSA President, Brittan Edwards, Political Science major, is“honored to be a founding member of this unifyingorganization.” She looks forward to transforming herleadership knowledge into an authentic experience for thestudents of the department. Ms. Crye is excited to be partof an organization that encourages students to be active oncampus and take advantage of the available resources.Dayana Aparicio, Sociology major and GSSA’s Treasurerindicates that “I look forward to help take the Departmentof Government and Sociology in a new and excitingdirection. Students will become vested in bettering theirdepartment knowing that they will benefit as well.”

“This is an exceptional opportunity for our students, facultyand the department. It will allow for a way to integrate andsupport some of the existing student organizations (PiSigma Alpha-Political Science, Debunkers-Sociology,Criminal Justice Honor Society-Criminal Justice and Pre-LawSociety that are affiliated with our programs. We lookforward to working closely with the GSSA” said Dr. CostasSpirou, Department Chair. �

Kate Crye Shelby Hatcher Britt Edwards Dayana Aparico


Doug Bernstein AwardTeaching Neuroanatomy Using Student-Generated ComicBooks as Class Projects

Walter L. Isaac et al.Georgia College and State University email: [email protected];

The topic for the Advanced Behavioral Neurosciencecourse was Neural Systems. Students began by givingtraditional presentations with weekly lab sessionsexamining human brains. Mid-semester the classtransitioned into working on less traditional projects.Students worked to create neuroanatomy comic bookchapters delineating selected neural systems aimed atproducing an e-Book for a final course product. This wasintended to be more engaging and motivating for thestudents. Students downloaded Comic Life 2 softwareand collaborated designing the general outline for allchapters ensuring cohesiveness and commonality in thefinished book. Class time provided opportunities to sharecreative ideas and receive feedback. Students self-ratedtheir learning experiences on seven questions comparingtheir comic book experiences to their term paperexperiences in relation to amount of effort, enjoyment,perceived learning, anticipated retention of learning,inspiration/inventiveness, freedom generated, andconstraints. Two questions addressed likelihood of usingtheir new skills in the future and how challenging it was toincorporate APA format in their chapters. Comparingratings with dependent t-tests, the original sevenquestions all revealed that the comic books were ratedsignificantly higher on all questions except the amount ofconstraints where term papers were rated as posingsignificantly more constraints. There was a high likelihoodof future use indicated (mean=5.92 out of 7) andincorporating APA format was not too challenging(mean=3.77 out of 7). Overall, the experience for bothstudents and professor was very reinforcing, encouragingsimilar future endeavors. �


ustace Palmer, professor in the Department ofEnglish and Rhetoric, recently jointly edited thepublication "Emerging Perspectives on SylCheney-Coker." It consists of seven interviewsdone with Cheney-Coker by various experts and13 essays on Cheney-Coker's work, some on his

poetry and several on his epic novel "The Last Harmattan ofAlusine Dunbar." Palmer worked with Dr. Ernest Cole,associate professor of English and Towsley Research Scholarat Hope College in Michigan. Cole is one of Palmer's formerstudents at Fourah Bay College, the University of SierraLeone. Both worked together to write the introduction,compile the index and the exhaustive bibliography. Palmercontributed three chapters to the volume, while Colecontributed two.

Syl Cheney-Coker is Sierra Leone's leading contemporarywriter and one of the leading contemporary African writers.Cheney-Coker has won several awards for his work. His firstnovel won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize in the Africasection. He has also won the African Literature Association'sFonlon-Nicols award and was chosen to give this year'sDegraaf lecture at Hope College, Michigan .

"I embarked on this project because I felt it was time for theliterary world to have a comprehensive evaluation of the workof such an important African writer in one volume. Also, forthe last several years I have led a team consisting ofprofessors of English in American universities of SierraLeonean origin who have been showcasing Sierra Leoneanliterature," said Palmer. "Initially, I had the assistance of aresearch assistant, but when she left unexpectedly, Iapproached Dr. Cole to collaborate with me on this project.He readily agreed and was most assiduous and efficient in hisparticipation."

The publisher of the work, Africa World Press/the Red SeaPress, is the leading publisher in the United States of work onAfrica, particularly literary works.

"This volume is extremely important to me because it is onthe work of the leading writer from my country of origin, awriter, incidentally, whom I know very well and who went tohigh school with me," said Palmer. "It now means that I havepublished five critical volumes on African literature, one onthe English novel and four novels of my own." �

| PROFESSOR PUBLISHES NEW BOOK ON


GC Dance, in the Department of Theatre, is beginning it’s20th year on our campus! With over 200 students in thenon credit Community Dance program and over 50 danceminors in the credit dance minor program, GC Dance is

very busy. Plans for this coming year include the 3rd annual BountifulFall dance concert which is completely student led, the 18th annualNutcracker production in December, the GC Dance Spring Concertfor the dance minor students in May, and the Community DanceSpring Concert in late May. Internationally known guest artist LizLerman will have a residency on our campus in the spring, and GCwill host the Southeastern American College Dance Festival on ourcampus in March for the 2nd year in a row. We are so excited to haveover 500 dancers and faculty from all over the south east join us fora week of dance! We were just able to hire our 2nd full time facultymember: Natalie King and we welcome her to our dance family!Natalie is leading the two new satellite non credit dance programs inEatonton at The Plaza, and in Monticello at Thomas Persons Hall. ChiTau Epsilon Dance Honorary fraternity is very active on our campusand community presenting flash mobs on campus, dancing at areanursing homes and the Georgia War Veteran’s home twice a year,teaching at area public schools, and promoting dance at GCwherever they can! The GC Community Dance Program also won forthe 4th year in a row the Union Recorder awards for Best CommunityEvent: The Nutcracker, and Best Dance Studio! �

Dance News

Community Literacy JournalEdited throughStudent/FacultyCollaborationNew English and Rhetoric faculty memberJessica Shumake has brought her editorialresponsibilities for the Community LiteracyJournal (CLJ) to Georgia College and hasinvolved Honors Program student SaulHernandez in journal production.According to Shumake (PhD University ofArizona 2012), CLJ features research aboutcommunity literacy practices. CLJ appearsin print and can also be viewed online atcommunityliteracy.org. The aim of the mostrecent CLJ, to quote Shumake, “was tochallenge divides imposed on thecommunity and the academy and youthand adults.” Shumake is an inclusive thinkerand a facile techie who lives her values.

Saul Hernandez excels as a partner in thisenterprise. The recipient of a GeorgiaCollege Service Opportunity Grant, heworks up to ten hours a week in service toour community. We rejoice when he says heaspires to join the university teachingprofession because we know futurestudents will be in good hands. Hernandezcomes to Georgia College from ABAC and,like Shumake, has already made a positiveimpact on the department and college welove. �


UNIVERSITY PRINTING SERVICES | 10/2014

college of arts and sciences newsletter - fall 2014

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