Last month, Georgia Southern hosted the latest edition of the GS4 Student Scholar Research Symposium, which showcased posters and presentations from undergraduate and graduate students across 10 colleges. 

The symposium, the University’s largest research-focused event, is held each Spring.

Anish Goyal, a freshman pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, presented research on the role of convolutional neural networks, or CNNs, in enhancing ground-penetrating radar, or GPR—a widely used, non-destructive method for locating deformities in concrete and testing for strength. GPR’s reliability is critical for public safety. Goyal said CNNs have the potential to improve the accuracy and efficiency of interpreting GPR data.

He hopes to become a leader in quantum science and engineering, and called his work “an important first step” in that direction.

In addition to presenting his own research, Goyal saw the symposium as a milestone in his academic journey.

“This opportunity to showcase my research to a community of like-minded individuals who share a passion for innovation and problem-solving was invaluable,” he said. “Having my work recognized at such a prestigious event not only validated the effort I’ve put into this project but also fueled my enthusiasm to continue exploring and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in computational research.”

He also appreciated the chance to grow professionally.

“It’s not just about presenting my own work; it’s about exchanging ideas and receiving feedback that can help me refine and improve my research,” said Goyal. “These experiences also strengthen my professional network, which will be crucial as I pursue graduate studies and beyond.”

Sam Bennett, a senior earning a Bachelor of Science in psychology, presented research focused on the relationship between problematic substance use and academic performance.

Bennett, who aspires to become a school counselor, said the research gave her valuable insight into that career path.

“To be an effective counselor and educator, I need a deep understanding of both in-school and out-of-school factors that affect student success,” she said. 

Although she didn’t initially feel drawn to research, Bennett said experiences like the GS4 Symposium have changed her perspective.

“Initially, research was not something I was very enthusiastic about,” she said. “However, as I became more involved, things changed. I now appreciate the power of research to answer important questions and inform action.”

Bennett’s growing passion for research aligned well with remarks from keynote speaker Paul Hunton, president of North Carolina Public Radio. With more than two decades of experience in media, including working with researchers and scientists, Hunton emphasized the importance of involving the human element, no matter the topic.

“Research is far more than lab data or journal citations,” he said. “It’s about curiosity, storytelling and community building, even in media and filmmaking. I want students to see that no matter their discipline—engineering, art, social sciences, or anything in between—their work can have a broad impact if they learn to communicate it effectively and tie it back to the human experience.”

Shainaz Landge, Ph.D., associate professor of organic chemistry in the College of Science and Mathematics, spearheaded the event and praised the variety of disciplines represented.

“It really is wonderful to see students from so many different disciplines sharing information and perspectives, and redefining the traditional notion of research,” said Landge. “Every year, the symposium gets bigger and better, and I hope the students will carry this experience with them and use what they’ve learned in their future endeavors.”

On April 9, the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health celebrated by highlighting the work of some of its student scholars in its first annual Creative Scholars Showcase. 

The showcase aligned with the national theme “Protecting, Connecting, and Thriving,” and explored a myriad of topics with local and global implications, including access to mental health services in rural areas, domestic violence prevention, and methods to combat food insecurity in foreign countries.

In his opening remarks, the college’s Dean Stuart Tedders, Ph.D, spoke of Georgia Southern’s “quest” to raise its research profile and the importance of combining research and practical experience.

“The thing that excites me the most about this creative scholars’ showcase is the coupling of research and practice,” he said. “Both are very important, but when you combine the two, the knowledge gained in research can be used to make a difference in the real world.”

Emmanuel Azu, is pursuing a doctorate in public health with a focus on biostatistics and is among the students working to make that difference. He presented his research on the efficacy of school feeding programs in Nigeria, an experience that has been an invaluable stepping stone in his professional and academic career.

“My current research has really helped me improve my writing and presentation skills,” he explained. 

Azu added that opportunities to communicate with the public have served as essential points of connection in his career, something befitting of this year’s theme.

“My ultimate professional goal is to optimize health data management in underserved communities, he said. “To do that, you have to be able to relate to the community, and platforms like these  give me the confidence to talk about my research in public and even connect with people of different backgrounds.”

The intersection of communication and public health is also particularly poignant for

Tobi Oloyede, a second-year DrPH student focusing on community health. She presented a poster highlighting her practice experience with .

Oloyede’s project originated from a communications and advocacy class. She worked with staff at Child Advocacy Services in Statesboro to create fact sheets that would be used as a part of a larger communications plan by the organization to prevent child abuse.

Oloyede emphasized the value of working and learning in the community. 

“This experience taught me about the power of combining data and design,” she said. “Before, I just thought it was a matter of using Canva to create something that looked good. It turned out to require a lot more precision. Our design and language were inspired by the data and specific objectives we had to reach the community.”

Plenary speaker Stacy Smallwood, Ph.D, also reiterated the benefits of a multidisciplinary approach to public health. He currently serves as the executive director of the Wake Forest School of Divinity’s Faith COMPASS Center.

Smallwood spoke about the Center’s efforts to end the stigma around HIV/AIDS in the South, and the vital role faith communities can play in empowering those who may be dealing with illness and social marginalization.

The importance of communication and connection in addressing public health challenges and improving outcomes is something that Research Associate Dean , recognizes, and it is in part why she spearheaded the effort to make the Creative Scholars Showcase happen.

“Our faculty mentor students in practice, engagement, and research initiatives,” she said. “The Showcase provides a platform to share the results and foster collaborations within the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health and the Georgia Southern community. Through this initiative, we believe students learn the value of dissemination and their role in enhancing the college’s research profile.”

Utilizing its newly launched Virtual Collaboration Center, ����Vlog will host a No Builds Tournament featuring Fortnite on Friday, March 29. The event, sponsored by Bulloch Solutions, is the first event of its kind on Georgia Southern’s Statesboro Campus. Students can use the state-of-the-art computers in the Eagle’s Edge Arena and compete with one another for a chance to win part of a $430 prize pool, including in-game currency and Tech Corner gift cards.

Billed as a zero-build, solo elimination race, the competition is open to only Georgia Southern students. But, members of the community and other interested parties are welcome to stop by and watch the festivities as viewing for the event is free and open to the public. You can also catch the event online, streaming on the official Twitch channel of the VCC at https://www.twitch.tv/gasouthern_vcc.

“Opportunities like this are a great way to connect to current and future students at ����Vlog. Through our partnership with Bulloch Solutions, we hope to expand our interaction with the community and foster a greater conversation about gaming and esports with students throughout the southeast,” said Michael Murphy, director of Campus Services.

����Vlog works diligently to offer students new and exciting uses of technology that can help them be successful in both their academic and experiential learning opportunities while on campus. The Virtual Collaboration Center is a unique facility, offering the latest and greatest in gaming, but also giving our campus community the ability to reconnect in a post-pandemic world. For more information, please visit the Virtual Collaboration Center’s website at .

This event is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by Epic Games, Inc.

Grand Opening celebration on Nov. 30

The new downtown Statesboro location of the Institute for Health Logistics & Analytics (IHLA) at Georgia Southern (GS) University will host the public to celebrate its grand opening on Nov. 30, 12 – 2 p.m. Remarks will take place at 12:30 p.m.

The innovative space integrates historic elements with state-of-the-art technology and contemporary hybrid work stations. “We designed the space to support our mission,” said IHLA Director Jessica Schwind, Ph.D. “Logistics isn’t just a part of our name, it was at the forefront of our thought process when creating this hybrid work environment.” 

The lobby is spacious with plenty of comfortable furniture and wellness-minded, brain-break activities. 

“At IHLA, we work really hard, but we prioritize finding joy in what we do, and that includes our office environment. We wanted to create a space that people want to be in,” added Schwind.

Founded in January 2022, IHLA has already brought in a significant amount of funding to support its mission. 

More importantly, the institute’s projects have made a direct impact on the health of people across the state of Georgia. Over 1,200 schools received supplies and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to reduce the spread of COVID-19 through a contract with the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH). Currently, IHLA provides COVID-19 mitigation supplies and HEPA units to confinement facilities in Georgia. 

IHLA also provides infectious and zoonotic disease training for small businesses across the Southeast. Grant funding supports this training at no cost to the businesses. In the spring, IHLA will begin to provide disaster preparedness training to students across GS campuses. The well-rounded team at IHLA includes a learning experience designer to assure that all of its custom-designed training programs are interactive and engaging.

In addition to service-related projects, IHLA is thrilled to launch a Faculty Fellows Program to support research related to One Health. The One Health approach understands that you can’t improve the health of humans without also taking into account the health of animals, plants and the environment, because all are interdependent. 

The team at IHLA is small but growing. Follow them on Facebook (@HealthLogisticsAnalytics) to learn about new exciting projects as they continue on their journey to make a difference improving health in communities, across the Southeast and around the globe. Website: https://research.georgiasouthern.edu/health-logistics/

For more information and to RSVP for the grand opening, please email ihla@georgiasouthern.edu.

����Vlog will celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. with events including a keynote speaker, an educational trip to Atlanta and participation in both the Savannah and Statesboro MLK parades. 

“Recognizing that we all have a role to play in the realization of Dr. King’s dream, this year’s celebration theme is ‘do small things in a great way,’” said Dominique A. Quarles, Ph.D., associate vice president for Inclusive Excellence and chief diversity officer. “Throughout the celebration, we will be speaking to the impact of using one’s sphere of influence to transform their community.”

Atlanta Metropolitan State College President , will return to Georgia Southern as the special guest speaker for the University’s 2023 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Day on Jan. 13.

Lewis, who formerly served as vice president for student affairs at Georgia Southern and Armstrong State University, will speak to students, faculty and staff on the University’s Armstrong Campus in Savannah and Statesboro Campus. A breakfast will take place at 8:30 a.m. in the Nessmith-Lane Conference Center ballroom in Statesboro followed by a lunch at 12:30 p.m. in the Armstrong Center Ballroom in Savannah. 

“I am excited to come back to a place that has been so meaningful to me personally and professionally,” said Lewis. “Furthermore, I am more than honored to have a part in celebrating one of our greatest Americans, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”

Lewis has nearly 30 years of experience in higher education and his career has centered around the development of educational partnerships, student advocacy and the development and implementation of programs that promote professional development.

He moved to Georgia in 2002 to lead student diversity programming efforts at Georgia Southern and went on to serve as the institution’s dean of students. Lewis has served in leadership and cabinet-level positions since 2012. In May of 2019, Lewis was tapped to serve as interim president and, in November of 2019, was officially named the fourth president of Atlanta Metropolitan State College. His early higher education experience included admissions and multicultural affairs roles at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania.

Lewis has received several awards, and most recently was recognized as a 2021 Pillar of the Profession by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). He is also a recipient of the Paragon Award for New Presidents by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. 

He has recently collaborated on a book chapter in the “Handbook of Research on Black Males.” 

Lewis is active in the Metro Atlanta community as a member of the board of directors of the ATL Airport Chamber, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Directors for the Metropolitan Regional Educational Service Agency. He also serves as a subcommittee member of the Aerotropolis Atlanta Alliance, Inc., and a Metro Atlanta Industry Partnerships Partner. 

In addition to the events with Lewis, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement will host Eagles in Action: MLK’s Legacy Weekend by providing a day trip to Atlanta on Jan. 14. While in Atlanta, participants will learn, engage and explore the connections between service and social justice through visits to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. 

On Jan. 16, the Georgia Southern community will participate in both the Savannah MLK parade at 10 a.m., hosted by the MLK Observance Day Association, and the Statesboro MLK parade at 2 p.m., hosted by the Bulloch County NAACP Branch. 

are available to students, faculty and staff for the MLK Celebration breakfast and lunch speaker presentations. Additionally, a limited number of parade participants are allowed to walk in each location. Please contact the Office of Inclusive Excellence at oie@georgiasouthern.edu for more information or accommodation requests.

Public ribbon-cutting event on Thursday, Nov. 18, 12-2 p.m.

Drums, guitars, history, business and education have come together in a spectacular new interactive museum and exhibit in downtown Savannah that will pique the interest of any music lover.

museum is a new destination where ����Vlog helps tell the story of a family-owned company that is still regarded as one of the music industry’s most influential and innovative instrument manufacturers. The permanent display of music memorabilia, highlighting more than 135 years of Gretsch instruments, is featured in District Live’s new lobby and performance space on the banks of the Savannah River. The museum is the latest addition to the Plant Riverside District.

A public ribbon-cutting event to open the exhibit is planned for Thursday, Nov. 18, from noon until 2 p.m., as part of the grand opening of Plant Riverside District – Savannah’s Entertainment District. The celebration will include speakers, the Southern Pride Marching Band, live performances by ensembles from the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music at ����Vlog, and an appearance by Freedom, the University’s live bald eagle mascot. The event will start with the Georgia Southern marching band marching down the riverwalk to the MLK park at Plant Riverside. Remarks will begin at 12:30 p.m., with the cutting of the ribbon set to happen at 12:55 p.m.

“This is a great example of Georgia Southern’s regional public impact mission and aligns with the community goal of Savannah being recognized as a sought-after destination location for music and entertainment,” said Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero. “This partnership is just one example of the opportunities afforded to us through having the Gretsch name associated with Georgia Southern.”

The Gretsch family has long been involved in music education programs and lending their name and their history to Georgia Southern. The new museum was an appropriate way to honor the company’s legacy.

“We are so honored to be a part of the amazing exhibit within our community to showcase the powerful influence and legacy of music. Fred and I represent the fourth generation of the Gretsch family in the musical instrument business and look forward to the future generations of family leadership,” said Dinah Gretsch, executive vice president and chief financial officer of the Gretsch Company. “We are sure this legacy will coincide and align with the present and future vision of ����Vlog.”

The University established the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music in early 2021 after the family pledged a generous monetary gift plus their Gretsch Collection of historic drums, guitars and company archives to Georgia Southern. While the school of music will now bear the Gretsch name, the company’s influence will be felt across the University’s three campuses and in several academic departments, the museums and the library. Georgia Southern will be able to catalog and display Gretsch’s storied instruments that tell a compelling story of musical history from American jazz to English-born rock, to popular modern worship bands in Australia.

Downtown Savannah is now helping tell that Gretsch story. The Gretsch museum includes Gretsch instruments and storyboards with QR code links to detailed narratives. 

“We hope this new museum will preserve the long history and legacy of the Gretsch family and the Gretsch brand,” Dinah Gretsch said. “It is wonderful to share our history with the city of Savannah, the loyal Gretsch fans and all the tourists that will visit the museum.”

The museum’s artifacts were curated and installed by Aaron Phillips, Georgia Southern’s project curator for the Fred and Dinah Gretsch Artifacts Collection. Through his research to prepare the museum, he is confident that the Gretsch Museum will provide a unique musical experience. 

“My goal was to create a space that is expressive, inspirational and true to the roots of the Gretsch family and community,” said Phillips. “I am in awe of how this turned out!”

Georgia Southern Provost Carl Reiber, Ph.D., said the new museum is another benefit to having the Gretsch name associated with the University. 

“We have a long-term plan to tell the compelling story of music history in creative ways and also train students within a wide variety of academic programs to engage with a historic collection as it pertains to their field of study,” said Reiber. “The Gretsch name is known all over the world, and the Gretsches have been huge advocates for universal music education for decades. This museum is among the great opportunities that come with having the Gretsch name attached with our school of music.”

Grammy-award winning singer/songwriter/storyteller and multi-instrumentalist Steve Wariner will perform live in concert on Friday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Auditorium at Savannah’s Armstrong Campus of ����Vlog. 

Any music teacher who purchases a ticket can bring their music students with them to the concert at no charge, thanks to support provided by Fred and Dinah Gretsch, whose names are now on Georgia Southern’s Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music. Music teachers who wish to bring their students should contact music@georgiasouthern.edu by Friday, Oct. 15.

Wariner is known for his guitar playing, but his latest album showcases him steel, lap steel, drums and even upright bass. He is known to play Gretsch instruments.

While Wariner may be best known for songs “Longneck Bottle,” with Garth Brooks and “Nothing but the Taillights” with Clint Black, he has more than 20 albums and five decades of music in his career. He has earned 14 No. 1 hits, more than 30 Top 10 singles, three RIAA-certified Gold albums, the Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award, four Grammy Awards, four Country Music Association (CMA) Awards, three Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards, two TNN/Music City News Awards, a Christian Country Music Association Award, a CMA Triple Play Award, and 15 BMI Million-Air Awards. Most recently, Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB) bestowed on Wariner the 2018 CRB Artist Career Achievement Award. 

In October 2019, he was inducted into the prestigious Musicians Hall of Fame, adding to his honors that also include induction into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, the National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame, the Music City Walk of Fame, and is one of only five guitar players in the world to be given the “Certified Guitar Player” Award by Chet Atkins.

General admission tickets are $30 and can be purchased by visiting GeorgiaSouthern.edu/ArmstrongTickets.

The concert is presented by Georgia Southern’s College of Arts and Humanities and the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music.

The ����Vlog Model Arab League (MAL), made up of 11 students and two faculty advisors, won two awards at the team’s inaugural appearance at the National University Model Arab League (NUMAL) conference in March. Head delegate Emily Zanieski took home the Distinguished Delegation Award for her work in the Summit of Arab Heads of State, and Claudia Hopper and Adam Sikes earned an Outstanding Delegation Award for their work in the Economic Affairs Committee.

Since 2015, Georgia Southern has participated in the MAL, which is a simulation where students from various majors act as representatives from the Arab state the team is representing. At regional and national conferences, students work and compete with other schools to come up with diplomatic solutions to crises the Arab League faces on issues such as climate change and the refugee crisis.

Zanieski, who is a junior history and Arabic double major with a minor in international studies, credits MAL with helping her understand how to implement policy and how governments can affect people.

“As a person who wants to work in public policy and international development after graduate school, Model Arab League helps me learn to craft policy and work with other people who have different ideas than my own,” Zanieski said. “When we represent a country at a conference, we have to put in mind the best interests of the citizens of that country, and that helps shape our own perceptions on effective policy.”

Faculty advisors Jacek Lubecki, Ph.D., and Youssef Salhi supported the Georgia Southern team at NUMAL. Salhi said students learn skills from MAL that can be used across numerous majors and careers.

“Through participation in Model Arab League, students learn about the politics and history of the Arab world, and the arts of diplomacy and public speech,” Salhi said. “Model Arab League helps prepare students to be knowledgeable, well-trained and effective citizens as well as civic and public affairs leaders.”

Zaniecki noted that one of her favorite things about going to the MAL conferences is that students don’t have to be Arabic majors or speak Arabic to participate. MAL provides an opportunity to meet a diverse group of students from all over the world.

“While winning awards is always fun, the best part of conference is the friends you make with not only your team but with other students across the country,” she said. “I have friends now from Georgia to Wyoming.”

The Georgia Southern MAL team will compete in fall 2022 in the Appalachia Regional MAL conference. For more information about MAL, email Salhi at ysalhi@georgiasouthern.edu or Lubecki at jlubecki@georgiasouthern.edu.

����Vlog professor of biology and immunology expert, Traci Ness, Ph.D., will host a presentation and virtual Q&A session titled, “COVID Vaccines Unmasked: Questions and Answers from an Immunologist,” on the coronavirus vaccines. The virtual event is part of the College of Science and Mathematics “Science on Tap” series and is free and open to the public. 

Ness will address three of the largest concerns with the vaccines: the speed the vaccines were developed, their effectiveness and safety, and the steps they went through for approval.

“Every student at Georgia Southern, including all of our dual enrolled high school students, is eligible for vaccination,” Ness said. “There has been so much misinformation about the coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccines shared in social media. It is important that our students and the community make informed decisions based on reliable sources.”

Ness’ expertise in immunology stems from her time spent doing a research thesis on immunology of marine mammals while an undergraduate. She also focused her doctoral research on how viruses related to smallpox change the immune response to avoid getting killed by hosts. She also completed a postdoctoral research position in the Department of Pathology at the University of Michigan where she studied immune responses in animal models of disease. She currently teaches courses in immunology, virology and infectious diseases.

Ness said learning about how vaccines work is the only way people can make informed decisions about their well-being.

“The purpose of this talk is to build vaccine confidence and dispel some of the misinformation and refer students and other audience members to credible resources in which to make educated decisions about vaccination,” Ness said. “The only way to stop the pandemic and begin to return to normal, albeit a different normal, is to control the spread of the coronavirus. The only hope of a more lasting effect is to limit the number of individuals that can be infected by the virus and that can only be accomplished by vaccination.”

The virtual talk will be held on Zoom on April 22 at 6 p.m. To participate, visit .

The Masquers on the ����Vlog Armstrong Campus will stream a production of “The Laramie Project” from April 8 through 11. 

The play addresses the tragic 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay man and student who was abducted, brutally beaten and left tied to a fence to die in the countryside of Laramie, Wyoming. 

“This play was difficult to handle in some scenes,” said theater major Logan Western, who has eight roles in the show. “When a character spouts some homophobic nonsense, my guts kind of twist in anger. I cringe at what they say, especially knowing that these are the real words of real people. In order to handle these feelings, I would think about how far we’ve come since the incidents of the play.”

The play was written by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project after they conducted more than 200 interviews with those who were either connected to the case or citizens of the town where the assault took place. 

“It is horrifying to know that hate crimes like the one committed against Matthew Shepard in 1998 still occur,” Pamela Sears, professor and director, said. “I hope viewers take comfort in hearing the genuine reflection and changes some of Laramie’s citizens made in the crime’s aftermath.”

Western plays a variety of characters in the show, including two Catholic priests, the person who finds the body and the murderer. He said preparing for eight different roles was challenging but rewarding.

“In preparation for all of these, I found it really important to differentiate all of them, because the audience may see my face and mix up my characters,” Western said. “In order to do that, I created a different voice for each one with a certain adjective in mind. For the character of Jedidiah, I used my normal voice and my adjective was ‘questioning’ as he changes his views on homosexuality throughout the play. I wanted the audience to be able to see my face but hear which character I was.”

The production was recorded live and will be available to stream due to COVID-19 protocols. 

“Our student cast and production team has been incredibly dedicated to this project. I’m truly grateful to be able to work with them,” Sears said. “Though we all look forward to resuming live productions next fall, this process has been creatively fulfilling and educational.”

“The Laramie Project” will be available to stream starting April 8 for free at .