College of Education
Dr. Karyn A. Allee-Herndon, assistant professor of elementary education, co-presented “Supporting developing readers who have experienced compounded trauma” at the Spotlight Learning Series: Early Literacy and the Whole Child Virtual Conference and “Creating equity-minded social justice educators: Lessons from elementary teacher candidates’ integrated thematic units in a writing methods course” at the 2021 National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention, held virtually. Among her co-presenters was Dr. Wynnetta Scott-Simmons, professor of graduate teaching education, along with colleagues from SUNY Cortland and the University of Maine.
Dr. Katherine Perrotta, assistant professor of middle grades and secondary education, published an article with Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction graduates Dr. Jami Friedrich and Dr. Jennifer Curl, and doctoral student Amberly Evans, titled “Business as Usual: Reflections on Life as Mothers and Educators during a Pandemic” (pp. 93-100) in the Organization of Educational Historians publication Snapshots of History: Portraits of the 21st Century Pandemic – 2021 Special Edition of the American Educational History Journal.
College of Health Professions
Dr. Daniel Dale, clinical assistant professor of physical therapy, co-presented “Drafting Your Case Development: Simulation in Health Professions” at the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH), held Jan. 15-19 in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Dale was also recognized as a recipient of the Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator credential at IMSH.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Dr. James Eric (Jay) Black, Schumann Endowed Professor and chair of journalism and media studies, was interviewed for the podcast “Imaginary Worlds” for an episode, titled “Politics of the Funnies Part 1.”
Dr. Jamie Cockfield, professor emeritus of history, won two awards for his biography of Walter F. George, from the Georgia State Archives and from the Vienna Historical Preservation Society. His biography – the only one in English – of Russia’s greatest World War I general, Aleksei Brusilov, was nominated as “Book of the Year” for the Southern Conference of Slavic Studies.
Dr. Andy Digh, associate professor of computer science, co-authored an article on “Effective Pedagogical Practices in the Computer Science Classroom” published in the January 2022 issue of the Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges. A panel presentation on the paper was given at the 35th Annual Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges Southeastern Conference in Greenville, South Carolina, on Jan. 28. The panel of four presenters, with more than 80 years of teaching instruction among them, shared with attendees a variety of actual tools, toys and visuals that have helped students understand concepts in the introductory programming sequence.
Dr. David Gushee, Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics, authored Introducing Christian Ethics: Core Convictions for Christians Today, set to be released by Front Edge Publishing on Feb. 28.
Dr. John Marson Dunaway, professor emeritus of French and interdisciplinary studies, was invited to preach at Glad River Church on Jan. 9. The topic, “Foundations: Looking Back 200 Years,” took the occasion of the upcoming 2023 Macon bicentennial as an opportunity to reflect on re-founding the city based on biblical teachings of personal social responsibility.
Dr. Chinekwu Obidoa, associate professor of global health and Africana studies, and Dr. Makhin Thitsa, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, co-authored an article, titled “Sexual Behavior Patterns of Black Young Adults in Georgia: Results from a Latent Class Analysis,” in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. Dr. Obidoa also organized the Mercer Students Mark HIV@40 program held Nov. 10-Dec. 1.
College of Nursing
Dr. Tara Bertulfo, clinical associate professor, Dr. Seongkum Heo, professor, Dr. Justus Randolph, professor, and Dr. Patricia Troyan, associate professor, served as co-authors on the article “An Instrument Addressing Attitudes and Beliefs toward Human Papillomavirus Vaccination” published online ahead of press in Public Health Nursing.
Dr. Sonique Sailsman, assistant professor, will present “Incorporating the FLIP Model in an Undergraduate Nursing Research Course” at the Georgia Association for Nursing Education Conference to be held Feb. 17-29 on Jekyll Island.
Dr. Linda A. Streit, dean and professor, was selected for the Sigma Theta Tau International Grant Selection/Review Committee for the 2022-2023 awards.
College of Pharmacy
Dr. Clinton Canal, assistant professor, co-authored “The Need to Improve Reporting of the Pharmacological Action of New Molecules” in ACS Chem Neurosci.
Dr. Pamela Moye-Dickerson, clinical associate professor, was elected as chair-elect of the Pharmacy Practice section of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.
College of Professional Advancement
Dr. Jared Champion, assistant professor of writing and interdisciplinary studies, co-authored an anthology of essays, titled Taking a Stand: Contemporary US Stand-Up Comedians as Public Intellectuals, with Dr. Peter Kunze of Tulane University. The book was released Dec. 15 by the University of Mississippi Press.
Dr. Rui Gong, assistant professor of mathematics, co-presented “Urban and Rural Disparities in Smoking and Lung Cancer Screening Accessibility in South Carolina” via Zoom for Prisma Health Research Showcase in November. Dr. Gong had a proposal, titled “Develop Performance Styles of Diverse Students in Course Materials of STEM Education to make Excellence Inclusive,” accepted for the NC PKAL Regional Network on Feb. 4. The presentation was co-authored by Dr. Colleen Stapleton, professor and chair of the Department of Mathematics, Science and Informatics.
Dr. Zhiling Long, assistant professor of computer science, co-authored “A novel attention model for salient structure detection in seismic volumes” in Applied Computing and Intelligence, Volume 1, Issue 1: 31-45.
Dr. Richard H. Martin, professor of criminal justice and homeland security, reviewed the following articles for the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: “The complexity of decreased work ability: Individuals’ perceptions of factors that affect returning to work after sickness absence” on Dec. 3; “Association between active transportation and public transport with an objectively measured meeting of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and daily steps guidelines in adults by sex from eight Latin American countries” on Oct. 13; “Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Employers and H&S Services in Relation to the COVID-19 System in Polish Manufacturing Companies” in September; and “Trauma Exposure and Mental Health of Central American Immigrant Youth” on May 5. Dr. Martin also reviewed the following for the Journal of Education and Training Studies: “Learning support provisions for postsecondary students with disabilities in Kuwait” in June; “A Review of Curriculum Change and Innovation for Higher Education” on Jan. 10; “The Effect of the School Affiliated Religion on Teenagers Identity in a Mission School in Botswana” on Oct. 6; and “Middle School Physics Experiment Teaching Within ‘Internet Plus’: From the Status Quo to Implications” on Nov. 8.
Dr. Jacqueline S. Stephen, assistant professor, director of the Office of Distance Learning, and instructional designer, published “Impact of Perception on Readiness for Online Teaching” in Research Questions in Language Education and Applied Linguistics, a Springer Texts in Education reference guide for undergraduate and postgraduate student researchers on finding relevant and original topics for future research. Dr. Stephen’s contribution to the volume is centered around technology and technology-enhanced instruction, with an emphasis on readiness and preparedness for teaching online.
School of Business
Dr. Antonio Saravia, associate professor of economics and director of the Center for the Study of Economics and Liberty, and Dr. Andrés Marroquín, associate professor of economics, co-authored “Perceptions of Immigrants in Latin America” in Migration Letters. Dr. Saravia also published 10 op-eds in highly reputed newspapers in Latin America and gave interviews to various media outlets, including CNN and Fox News. He was also keynote speaker at a conference organized by the Bolivian Chamber of Commerce and at a conference organized by the think tank New Democracy.
School of Law
Sarah Gerwig-Moore, professor of law, published the article “A Working Mother’s 32-Step Guide to Preparing for Appellate Oral Argument” in the ABA Journal in November. She was slo quoted in New York Times article “In the Arbery killing trial, video evidence once again played a crucial role” on Nov. 24.
David Hricik, professor of law and associate dean for faculty research and development, published the textbook Georgia Law of Torts (2021-22 Ed). In November, he presented, “Ethics Potpourri,” for both the Washington State Intellectual Property Law Association and University of Texas School of Law Advanced Patent Law Seminar. Hricik also was a panelist for “Inequitable Conduct Lives!” in November for an American Intellectual Property Law Association webcast.
Brian Kammer, director of Mercer Habeas Project, argued a case before the Georgia Supreme Court on Jan. 19 that had been briefed by the Mercer Habeas Project students, on behalf of their incarcerated client, Donnel Rawls, Rawls v. State, Case No. S22A0134. The Mercer Habeas Project clinic currently has five third-year law students who collaborate in the representation of incarcerated Georgia prisoners in habeas corpus and other post-conviction proceedings.
Ishaq Kundawala, professor of law and Southeastern Bankruptcy Law Institute and W. Homer Drake Jr. Endowed Chair in Bankruptcy Law, presented “Ethical Hypotheticals: A Bankruptcy Lawyer’s Journey Through Several Common Scenarios” at the 23rd annual Bankruptcy Law Seminar in Macon presented by the Middle District of Georgia Bankruptcy Law Institute.
Stephen Johnson, professor of law, was reappointed to a three-year term as a member of the board of directors for the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction. He currently serves as vice president.
Latisha Nixon-Jones, assistant professor of law, presented “(Not)Just Visiting: Navigating Early Careers in Legal Writing,” a Legal Writing Institute one-day workshop. She was also on an expert panel for Lending Tree, titled “Expert Insights to Help You Make Smarter Financial Decisions.”
Suzianne D. Painter-Thorne, professor of law, and Pam Wilkins, associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor of law, partnered with the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia to enhance civics education by planning and hosting a series of educational events for Girl Scout participants at the Law School, including programs for Law Day and Constitution Day.
Karen J. Sneddon, interim dean and professor of law, and David Hricik, professor of law and associate dean for faculty research and development, co-authored “Don’t Leave It to the Zombies to Act: Knowing When to Use Passive Voice” in 27 No. 3 Georgia Bar Journal 64 (Dec. 2021). Sneddon also presented “A Home of Their Own: An Adaptable Instructional Strategy to Incorporate Race, Gender, Class, and Status into the Property Classroom” on Jan. 7 at the virtual 2022 Property Section of the Association of American Law Schools Annual Conference.
Pam Wilkins, associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor of law, published “Rewritten Feminist Judgment for Philips Neighborhood Housing Trust v. Brown” in Feminist Judgments: Rewritten Property Opinions, published by Cambridge University Press. Wilkins also published the book review “Understanding Misogyny: Review of Down Girl (Kate Manne)” in 18 Legal Communication and Rhetoric 189 (2021).
School of Medicine
Dr. Jennifer L. Barkin, associate professor of community medicine and obstetrics and gynecology, and Carolann Curry, associate professor, co-authored “That is one important wrapper: Mental health considerations related to climate change in the perinatal period” in Perspectives in Psychiatric Care. Dr. Barkin also presented her research on climate change and mental health to the New Hampshire Healthcare Workers for Climate Action, in collaboration with the New Hampshire Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, New Hampshire Psychiatric Society, New Hampshire Psychological Association and New Hampshire Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.
Dr. Edward C. Klatt, professor of pathology, co-authored Robbins & Cotran Atlas of Pathology, recently released in Italian and in Spanish editions, and the Robbins & Cotran Pathology Flash Cards, recently released in a Russian edition.
Dr. Anne Montgomery, assistant professor, biostatistician and assistant director of the Ph.D. in rural health sciences, co-authored, along with Dr. Benjamin Christie, Dr. Dennis Ashley and resident Dr. Mallory Bowden, two articles that were recently published online: “Surgical Stabilization of Rib Fractures Improves Outcomes in the Geriatric Patient Population” and “Crotalidae Polyvalent Immune Fab and Cost-Effective Management of Hospital Admissions for Snakebites.”
Dr. Andrea Meyer Stinson, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and pediatrics, was invited to participate in the strategic planning process for One Safe Place Macon, a new Family Justice Center in Middle Georgia. Family Justice Centers are multi-agency, multi-disciplinary co-located service centers that provide services to victims of inter-personal violence including, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder or dependent adult abuse and human trafficking. For those in need, the center will offer a haven of co-located resources such as legal aid, mental health support and law enforcement protection. As the co-lead of Resilient Middle Georgia, Dr. Meyer Stinson represented 15 major community partners who are helping to move the center forward. She will serve as co-chair for the Engagement, Outreach and Education Committee until the center opens in early 2023.
Dr. Richard Parrish, professor of pharmacology and medical education, edited and published a book titled, Medication Use in Children: A Systems Approach in Ambulatory Care (Multi-disciplinary Publishing Institute) with noted pediatric clinical pharmacologist Dr. Johannes van den Anker from Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. In addition, Dr. Parrish’s group, Enhanced Recovery Comparative Pharmacotherapy Collaborative, was invited to present at the fourth annual meeting of ERAS-USA on “Characterizing pharmacotherapeutic prophylaxis within an ERAS® program: a retrospective cohort feasibility study,” and a full manuscript was published in Annals of Medicine and Surgery (London). He is senior author on the paper, “Pediatric Perioperative Clinical Pharmacy Practice: Clinical Considerations and Management: An Opinion of the Pediatrics and Perioperative Care Practice and Research Networks of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy: A Primer for Pediatric Perioperative Clinical Pharmacists,” accepted for publication in the Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
School of Music
Dr. Nathan Myrick, assistant professor of church music, partnered with Evey Wilson Wetherbee, assistant professor of practice and journalist in residence in the Center for Collaborative Journalism, to create a series of five short YouTube videos to share the findings of the Music and Human Flourishing in Christian Communities research project, supported by a Vital Worship Grant from the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship with funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc.
Staff and Administration
Rebekah Anaya, associate director of study abroad, received a certificate of completion for participating in the 2021 NASFA Academy for International Education. The intensive yearlong training program provides extensive networking opportunities to expand and deepen one’s understanding of international education and prospects for future leadership. She also served as a national review panelist for the Critical Language Scholarship in December, and she was interviewed for the story “COVID-19 Can’t Stop Mercer University Study Abroad” by Via Traveler Relationship Management.
Emily Dunn, study abroad coordinator, served as a national review panelist for both the Gilman Scholarship and the Critical Language Scholarship.
