College of Education
Dr. Karyn Allee, assistant professor of elementary education, published a paper titled “The power of play: Investigating student success in kindergarten classrooms” in Research on Preschool and Primary Education. She also co-presented a 2.5-hour session with Taylor Mule’, Ph.D. candidate in educational psychology at the University of Memphis, titled “The persistence of problematic play perceptions: How college students’ gendered beliefs about toys can inform teacher education” at the 2024 National Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference.
Dr. Lucy Bush, professor of teacher education, and Dr. Jeff Hall, professor of teacher education and associate dean of student affairs, fieldwork, diversity and inclusion, and their research partners at Georgia Tech and Clayton State University have been awarded a three-year, $749,749 grant through the National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. The grant project, titled the Research Experiences for Pre-Service Teachers program, will enable students from Mercer’s College of Education to participate in valuable hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics research experiences in Georgia Tech laboratories, enhancing their preparation for teaching careers in high-need and under-resourced school districts.
Dr. Leah Panther, associate professor of literacy education, co-published an article titled “Using critical participatory action research and learning teaching as an interpretive process to sustain a placeless place” in Teaching Social Studies in the Peach State with Dr. Kristie Smith, Kennesaw State University; Mary Mitchelson; and Mercer alumni Robert Bonner Jr. She also published the third column in the series titled “Linguistic Justice and the Law” in the Georgia Council for Teachers of English publication Scribbles ‘n Bits. Additionally, Dr. Panther presented the lecture “Swappin’ stories: Participatory archiving in Towns County, Georgia” for the Towns County Historical Society with Lindsey Walker, Texas Women’s University; Presley Dyer, Georgia Tech; and Mercer doctoral student Caitlin Hochuli. Her article on Montree Monroe drawn from an oral history with the centenarian was also published in The Towns County Herald.
Dr. Katherine Perrotta, assistant professor of middle grades and secondary education, and Tift curriculum and instruction doctoral candidate Katlynn Cross presented “The Persisting Shadows: The 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education and the Battle Over Critical Race Theory Laws” at the National Council for the Social Studies College and University Faculty Assembly conference in Boston. At the same conference, Dr. Perrotta; Dr. Leah Panther, associate professor of literacy education; and Sally Stanhope, DeKalb County Schools, presented “Casting Shadows and Shedding Light: Promoting Historical Empathy with Youth Participatory Action Research in Shermantown and Stone Mountain, Georgia.”
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Dr. David A. Davis, professor of English, served on a Fulbright National Screening Committee for English Teaching Assistants to Eastern Europe.
Dr. Andy Digh, professor of computer science, served as director and was the author of four problems for the Southeastern Computer Programming Contest held in conjunction with the 38th Annual Consortium for Computer Sciences in Colleges conference. The competition was held Nov. 1-2 on the campus of Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, with a total of 22 teams from 12 different schools participating.
Dr. Ben Greulich, assistant professor of biology, was featured in an article titled “Microbiologist: Meet the Expert: Ben Greulich” on HealthcareDegree.com.
Dr. Lori Johnson, professor of political science and director of Mercer’s law and public policy program, was named the 2024 recipient of the Georgia Political Science Association’s LaPlante Award for Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring of Students at its annual meeting on Nov. 7 on St. Simons Island. The Georgia Political Science Association is the state’s only network of approximately 1,500 political scientists in the state and regularly draws participation from outside the state and internationally. The award is named for James LaPlante, a longtime member and the current dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Valdosta State University.
Dr. Anastasia Kerr-German, assistant professor of biological psychology and neuroscience, published an article in August titled “Examining the relationship between functional connectivity and broader autistic traits in non-autistic children” in the Journal of Child Neuropsychology. Dr. Kerr-German also had a manuscript titled “The fNIRS Glossary Project: A Consensus-based Resource for Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Terminology” under review for the international project to streamline fNIRS analyses and methods via a glossary as a chosen expert in the field. The co-authored manuscript was submitted to Neurophotonics, the official journal of the Society for functional near-infrared spectroscopy.
Dr. James Davis May, assistant professor of English and director of creative writing, published two poems in the fall issue of The Sewanee Review.
Dr. Rebecca McKee, assistant professor of biology, published a manuscript titled “Ecological function maintained despite mesomammal declines” in the journal Scientific Reports.
Dr. Clara Mengolini, associate professor of Spanish, published an article titled “Sobre mascaradas y disfraces en ‘Los celosos’ de Silvina Ocampo” in Repertorio Americano.
Dr. Phoebe Moon, assistant professor of political science, served as a referee for the American Political Science Association’s Diversity Fellowship Program, representing the Committee on the Status of Asian Pacific Americans in the Profession.
Dr. Tyler B. Parker, assistant professor of political science, published an article titled “The Power of Partnerships: Explaining Oman’s Independent Foreign Policy” in The Middle East Journal. Dr. Parker also presented a research paper titled “Unrequited Reliability: Why the UAE Seeks Strategic Autonomy from the U.S.” at the Georgia Political Science Association 2024 Annual Conference.
Dr. Katherine Roseau, associate professor of French; Libertad Aranza, senior lecturer of Spanish; Dr. Alana Alvarez, associate professor of Spanish; and undergraduate student Cynthia Osorio-Magana presented the roundtable “Integrating Voices of Refugees and Immigrants: Oral History in the Language Classroom” at the Oral History Association conference in Cincinnati on Oct. 31.
Dr. Creighton Rosental, professor of philosophy, organized and led The Association for Core Texts and Courses Lectio at Assumption University in Worcester, Massachusetts, October 25-26. The Lectio focused on Augustine’s Confessions, and Dr. Rosenthal also presented on Book I.
Dr. John Stanga, assistant professor of biology, with co-authors Kayla Chambers, B.S. biology, 2024; Caleb Rhyne, B.S. chemical commerce, 2024; and Angel Nichols, B.S. neuroscience, 2023; and co-authors from Washington University in St. Louis, New Jersey City University, St. Joseph’s University and University of the Fraser Valley, published an article titled “Drosophila kikkawai ortholog of the D. melanogaster Muller D element ash1” in microPublication Biology.
Dr. Adrian Vasquez, assistant professor of biology, assistant student researcher Bryce Williams and contributing writer/editor Dr. Jeremy Rae, visiting lecturer of biology, recently conducted an important public service by placing informational signs about tick presence at several parks and trails around Macon. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided the signs free of charge, and permission was obtained from the park managers before placement. This service was prompted by Dr. Vasquez’s and Williams’ survey over the summer on the diversity and abundance of ticks in habitats around Bibb County. It is hoped these signs will raise awareness amongst the public and reduce the incidence of tick-borne diseases. Dr. Vasquez’s and Williams’ research is funded by the Southeastern Center of Excellence in Vector Borne Diseases and supported by the Georgia Department of Public Health.
Dr. Johnathan Yerby, associate professor of cybersecurity, and Jesse Sowell, computer system manager and instructor, served as coaches for the CyBears Cybersecurity Competition Team. Under their guidance, the CyBears achieved an impressive 98th place in the nationwide power rankings among more than 4,500 teams. Additionally, three team members — Jacob Regnier, Riley Hall and Matthew Coburn — earned top 500 individual competition scores, ranking among more than 10,000 competitors.
College of Nursing
Dr. Seongkum Heo, professor and Piedmont Healthcare Endowed Chair, co-published an article titled “Reliability and validity of the Self-Efficacy in Palliative Care Scale among nurses” in Palliative & Supportive Care. Dr. Heo also co-presented the poster “Distinct Demographic, Cognitive, and Psychosocial Factors Associated with Different Types of Self-Care in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes and in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes” with Dr. Tammy Barbé, dean and professor in the College of Nursing, at the American Heart Association Scientific Session Meeting 2024 in Chicago.
College of Pharmacy
Dr. Leisa L. Marshall, clinical professor, and Dr. Renee Hayslett, associate professor, co-authored an article titled “Implementation of self-care scenario simulations in a skills-based first-year doctor of pharmacy course for student application of the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process” in Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning.
College of Professional Advancement
Dr. Arla Bernstein, associate professor of liberal studies; Dr. Robert Helfenbein, associate director of research in the Tift College of Education; Dr. W. David Lane, professor of counseling; and Dr. Brittany Prioleau, assistant professor of counseling, co-authored an article titled “Narrative Communication of Teachers’ Support Needs for Violence-Based Trauma in the Schools” in the Journal of Trauma Studies in Education. Dr. Bernstein and Dr. Colleen Stapleton, professor and chair of the science department, facilitated a faculty development workshop on environmental humanities on Nov. 8 on the Atlanta campus. The workshop’s keynote speaker was Dr. Danielle Endres, director of environmental humanities at the University of Utah, and was attended by Dean of the College of Professional Advancement Dr. Priscilla Danheiser and nine other faculty from a variety of disciplines, including biology, chemistry, communication, environmental science, history, literature and religious studies.
Dr. Jacqueline S. Stephen, assistant professor, director of the Office of Distance Learning, and instructional designer, was invited by the Pellissippi Academic Center for Excellence at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tennessee, to facilitate a one-hour webinar during High-Impact Practices Week. Her session, titled “Empowering Students for Success: Leveraging High-Impact Practices in Online Learning,” was held on Nov. 7 and showcased her work in designing and implementing a high-impact, first-year seminar for undergraduate students. Dr. Stephen was also invited by the Society for Teaching Excellence and Progress in Azerbaijan to lead a one-hour webinar for K-12 and higher education educators on Nov. 13. This session, titled “Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools to Support Teaching and Learning,” explored how AI tools can assist educators in finding educational resources, developing lessons, creating assessments and enhancing productivity in research and daily tasks. More than 100 educators and administrators from K-12 and higher education institutions in Azerbaijan participated in the webinar.
School of Business
Jody Blanke, the Ernest L. Baskin Jr. Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Law, attended the 70th Annual Conference of the Southeastern Academy of Legal Studies in Business in Atlanta in November and moderated an academic paper session.
Dr. Rui Sun, assistant professor of economics, was featured in a WalletHub piece about the Best Credit Card Rates.
School of Law
Ishaq Kundawala, professor of law and Southeastern Bankruptcy Law Institute and W. Homer Drake Jr. Endowed Chair in Bankruptcy Law, received a Pro Bono Service Award from the Legal Services Corporation (a federally funded nonprofit supporting civil legal aid for low-income individuals) on Oct. 28. He was honored for creating Mercer Law’s Consumer Bankruptcy Externship Program — the only one of its kind in Georgia. This program is a partnership between Mercer Law, Georgia Legal Services Program and local supervising attorneys. It provides Mercer Law students with practical experience representing Middle Georgia residents in Chapter 7 bankruptcy cases on a pro bono basis.
School of Medicine
Dr. Hana M. Abualadas, assistant professor of pathology and clinical sciences education on the Columbus campus, presented a session titled “Achievement of Learning Outcomes in Non-Traditional (Online) Versus Traditional (Face-to-Face) Anatomy Teaching in Medical Schools: A Mixed Method Systematic Review” at the International Association of Medical Science Educators 2024 virtual forum on Oct. 24. Additionally, Dr. Abualadas’s article, titled “Replantation of Middle Fingertip Following Complete Tamai Zone 2 Amputation and Eschar Development: A Clinical Case Report” has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports by Elsevier.
Dr. Yahya A. Acar, director of medical simulation, co-authored a project titled “Revolutionizing Ultrasound-Guided CVC Training: A Mixed-Reality Simulator with Virtual Coaching” that received the Third Best Oral Abstract Award at the 10th Eurasian Emergency Medicine Congress. The work, in collaboration with Kursat Gumus, Samsun Lampotang, David Lizdas, Nikolaus Gravenstein and Yavuz Katirci, showcases the development of an innovative mixed-reality simulator designed to advance ultrasound-guided central venous catheter training with integrated virtual coaching. Dr. Acar also collaborated with colleagues Robert Sarlay and Charles Moore on a project titled “Needs Assessment for Simulation Training Programs at Mercer-Affiliated Hospitals in Columbus — Preliminary Results,” which earned the Medical Education Poster Award (Co-Winners) in Columbus. Andrew Callahan Jr., a summer research student from the Columbus campus, led the project, with contributions from students Madison Kelly and Charles Drew. This study highlights the critical need for simulation-based training programs to enhance medical education and practice at affiliated hospitals.
Dr. Caroline Anglim, associate professor of bioethics, and Dr. Jennifer Bartlett, professor in the College of Nursing, presented “Interprofessional Ethics Education: A Virtual Approach” at the Academy for Professionalism in Health Care’s annual conference on Nov. 22.
Dr. Jennifer Barkin, professor of community medicine and OBGYN, was featured as the principal investigator for South Georgia Healthy Start in a documentary for the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) Thought Leadership Series. South Georgia Healthy Start is one of 105 federally funded Healthy Start programs in the United States. The documentary, filmed by APHA TV, aired to an audience of approximately 12,000 at APHA’s annual conference in Minneapolis in October. Dr. Barkin was also invited by the Georgia Health Initiative to participate in a statewide think tank for maternal child health; participation includes a $50,000 grant awarded to Dr. Barkin/South Georgia Healthy Start. Dr. Barkin also published three articles: “Navigating recovery while postpartum: examining the relationship between maternal functioning and substance use disorders” in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology, “Threat Severity and Threat Susceptibility Are Significantly Correlated with Climate Distress in Australian Mothers” in Climate, and “The Effect of Tele-Continuous Care on Maternal Functioning and Neonatal Perception among Iranian Primiparous Mothers: A Randomized Field Trial Study” in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.
Dr. Donald Carter III, assistant professor of bioethics, led a focused table discussion titled, “Visual thinking strategies: How art is forming better physicians” at the recent annual meeting of the Association of American Medical Colleges in Atlanta.
Dr. Brian H. Childs, professor and chair of the bioethics and medical humanities department on the Savannah campus, and medical students Alexandra Perry, Jace Degarmo and Isait Alvarado made presentations to the ethics committee of Sharing Hope South Carolina the South Carolina Organ Procurement Organization (OPO). Perry and Degarmo presented their research findings on a survey of National OPOs and their policies for dealing with potential organ donors who are pregnant. Alvarado presented his research findings on rural attitudes toward organ donation and the implications for rural OPO outreach. The research was part of the student Summer Scholar program and supported by the Mason Center for Organ Donation and Transplantation Education, Research and Policy of which Dr. Childs is the director. Additionally, Dr. Childs has been invited to join the editorial board of the Journal of Medical Humanities.
Anna Dunson, assistant director of the medical library, assisted third- and fourth-year medical students Savanna Banks, Isaiah Ware and Deija Siebert with their research that won first place in the history of surgery poster competition at the annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons in San Francisco. The poster was titled “Tragedy and healing: The impact of two Black surgeons in the Jim Crow South.”
Dr. P. Anthony “Tony” Gryffin, associate professor of community medicine on the Macon campus, gave an oral presentation and round-table discussion titled “Post blood oxygen saturation in tai chi and walking compared to running: Implications for chronic conditions” at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo on Oct. 29 in Minneapolis.
Dr. Alice House, senior associate dean of students and admissions, received the Sandra Dunagan Deal Rural Service Fellow award at the recent Nathan Deal Scholars luncheon.
Edson Jean-Jacques, director of demographic research, and medical students Camron Sohn and John Roberts published a report titled “A causal model for predicting the impact of pharmacotherapy on colorectal outcomes” in the World Journal of Surgery in November.
Dr. Kimberly McElveen, associate dean for faculty affairs and interim chair of the department of pathology and clinical sciences, made two presentations at the American Association of Medical Colleges meeting. She gave a poster presentation titled “Was it worth the effort? Perspectives of clinical faculty on academic promotion,” and she led a focused table discussion titled “The AI advantage: finding the perfect candidates for your institution.”
Dr. Allen Tindol, professor; Sherrie Williams, director of the project management office; Paula Kamara, research associate; and students Kristy Jones and Chloe Boynton presented the keynote address for the School of Medicine and College of Pharmacy 2024 Annual Joint Research Conference. Their address highlighted the opioid epidemic in rural Georgia and described Mercer’s efforts, through federal grant funding, to provide solutions to select northern counties of Georgia. To address the ongoing opioid epidemic, Mercer has secured, to date, $1.6 million to bring resources to Georgia’s Appalachian region.
School of Music
Dr. Nathan Myrick, director of undergraduate studies and assistant professor of church music, had his study abroad program titled “A Common Refrain: Cultivating Peace Through Music Across Religions and Cultures in Morocco” chosen as a finalist for the Forum on Education Abroad’s Curriculum Award. The program explores the activity of music making as a model for inter-religious peacebuilding in Morocco. Other faculty who have helped lead the program are Rev. Dr. Rob Nash, professor and Arnall-Mann-Thomasson Professor of World Christianity in the School of Theology; Dr. Wesley Barker, associate professor and director of the general education program in the College of Professional Advancement; and Dr. Shehnaz Haqqani, assistant professor of religion in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The application was submitted by Emily Dunn, assistant director of global education, in collaboration with Dr. Brian Seilstead, director of international partnerships at Al-Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. The winner will be announced at the annual meeting of the Forum for Education Abroad on March 19-21, 2025, in Toronto.
Staff and Administration
Bryan Johnson, global education program coordinator, presented “Beyond Borders: Empowering Returned Education Abroad Students for International Success” at the NAFSA: Association of International Educators Region VII Conference in Jacksonville, Florida, on Nov. 12. Johnson presented in partnership with a colleague from Georgia Tech.
Tony Kemp, associate vice president of events and special programs, recently judged three one-act-play literary competitions across the state. Hundreds of high schoolers participated in the Georgia Independent School Association Region 2-AA-PG event at Augusta Preparatory Day School on Oct. 29, the Georgia Association of Private and Parochial Schools Region A competition on Oct. 31 at the Plaza Arts Center in Eatonton and the Georgia High School Association Region 6-A (Division 1) event at the Heard County Performing Arts Center on Nov. 7. During the 2024 Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society Convention in Garden Grove, California, on Oct. 25-27, Kemp was re-elected to a four-year term on the organization’s National Board of Directors, where he works with faculty, staff and student board members from institutions across the United States and the national office on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa to provide leadership for the oldest national honor society recognizing exceptional academic scholarship in the first year of college. Kemp continues to serve as the advisor for Mercer’s 92-year-old Phi Eta Sigma chapter.
