College of Education
Dr. Karyn Allee, assistant professor of elementary education, with co-author Daniel Castner, Indiana University Bloomington, published a paper titled “Can implementing a developmental approach to teacher preparation help diversify the teaching force? Presenting an illustrative continuum of four unique teacher candidates” in Journal of Education. She also co-presented a poster titled “University students’ insights about developmental appropriateness and threats to preschool and elementary education” with Taylor Mule, a Ph.D. candidate in educational psychology at the University of Memphis, at the 2024 American Association for the Child’s Right to Play Conference in Greenville, South Carolina. Dr. Allee was also named associate editor for the Journal of Education, the oldest educational publication in the country.
Dr. Jaclyn K. Murray, assistant professor of science education, and Dr. Alexandra T. St. Louis, a postdoctoral research fellow, presented a study titled, “Centering Meta-Representation in Primary Science Teacher Education: The Role of Meta-Representational and Visual Competence in Science Teaching and Learning” at the Southeastern Association of Science Teacher Educators on Oct. 5. Dr. Murray also worked with other physics instructors and teacher educators organized by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to review physics assessment items for future Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators exams.
Dr. Leah Panther, associate professor of literacy education, with co-author Hannah Edber published an article titled “Listening Towards Justice and the Sound of Healing” in the Journal of Curriculum Theorizing.
Dr. Katherine Perrotta, assistant professor of middle grades and secondary education, published an article titled “The 50th Anniversary of Nixon’s Resignation and Pardon: A Historical Inquiry” in Social Education, the journal of the National Council for the Social Studies.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Dr. Tiffany M. B. Anderson, assistant professor of Africana studies and English, authored an article titled “Piecing Me Together: Community Healing in the Face of Racial Weathering” that will be published in the ALAN Review, a top journal for young adult literature.
Dr. Ben Greulich, assistant professor of biology, was featured in an on-air interview on Ticker News to discuss his research in better understanding the regulation of ectodomain shedding and TGF-beta signaling in cancer to develop novel therapeutic targets.
Dr. Paul Lewis, professor and chair of religion, published an op-ed piece titled “What Can Augustine Teach Anxious Christians About the 2024 Election” with Good Faith Media on Oct. 3.
Dr. Matt Marone, professor of physics, was the only American instructor on site at the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg conducting an experiment with students from all over the EU related to the ancient Chinese process called “wet copper mining” in which they mined copper from water containing dissolved copper salts. They also visited historic copper and gold mines as well as the Salzburg museum’s world-renowned coin collection, which dates back to the 14th century; explored gold mining in the Alps near Kolm Saigurn; and stayed at Schutzhaus Neubau, which sits at an elevation of more than 7,000 feet. Dr. Marone also held a talk titled “Native American Star Stories” for students at the College of the Muscogee Nation on June 17.
Dr. Clara Mengolini, associate professor of Spanish, authored an article titled “La representación grotesca de la nación española en los Caprichos de Goya” in Tabula Rasa.
Dr. Phoebe Moon, assistant professor of political science, published an article titled “Military intervention in civil wars: Individual-level explanation of leaders’ decisions” in International Interactions.
Dr. Chinekwu Obidoa, associate professor of global health and Africana studies, and global health studies students Reema Chande, Ann Potts and Naahemaa Osei-Tutu co-presented a project titled “Tackling HIV through teen pregnancy prevention: Results from an innovative intervention among African American teens” at the HIV Prevention Conference of the International AIDS Society in Lima, Peru, on Oct. 6-10. At the same conference, Dr. Obidoa and juniors Stephane Cadet and Ellen Jones co-presented a poster titled “Geographical Analysis of Gang Violence and HIV Epidemic in Haiti: A Case Study of the Impact of Violence on HIV Treatment Patterns in the North District.”
Dr. Tyler B. Parker, assistant professor of political science, published an article titled “Strategic Shifts in the Gulf: GCC Defence Diversification amidst US Decline” with co-author Dr. Ali Bakir in The International Spectator.
Nick Ryan, lecturer and technical director in the department of communication studies and theatre arts, was appointed vice chair of design, technology and management for the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for Region 4.
Dr. Margaret Symington, professor of mathematics, was one of eight speakers at the 2024 Yamabe Symposium, a biannual conference at the University of Minnesota. The symposium, in honor of Professor Hidehiko Yamabe (1924-1960), aims to support collaboration and synergy among participating mathematicians.
Dr. Adrian Vasquez, assistant professor of biology, delivered two talks on the topics of biocontrol of mosquitoes and the safe use of chemical control of mosquitoes at the Puerto Rican Vector Control Unit Annual Conference in October. Several representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also attended. The conference addressed a current serious outbreak of dengue fever in the Americas and reemerging tick borne diseases that are also of concern in the U.S. Dr. Vasquez is currently performing research into tick and mosquito borne diseases in Georgia.
Dr. Bryan J. Whitfield, professor of religion and Howard Giddens Chair in University Ministries, published the introduction and notes on Hebrews and an excursus titled “Going Deeper: Rest as a Reward (Hebrews 4)” in The Westminster Study Bible. This volume is the first study Bible based on the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition.
Dr. Johnathan Yerby, associate professor of cybersecurity, with undergraduate students Reilly Holbel and Warner Smith, co-authored and presented a research paper titled “Utilizing Virtualized Honeypots for Threat Hunting, Malware Analysis, and Reporting” at the 64th International Association for Computer Information Systems Conference. The paper was published in Issues in Information Systems. The work highlights Mercer University students’ ability to detect and mitigate real-world cyberattacks in near real-time, showcasing the practical application of virtualized honeypots in cybersecurity research and education.
College of Nursing
Dr. Justus Randolph, professor, published an article titled “Sutureless FOCUS harmonic scalpel versus clamp-and-tie techniques for thyroidectomy: A meta-analysis of 43 randomized controlled trials” in the International Journal of Surgery. He also published an article titled “Anatomical variants of the jejunal veins and their technical implications in pancreaticoduodenectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis” in Digestive Surgery.
Dr. Sonique Sailsman, assistant professor, co-authored an article titled “Utilizing Health Literacy to Empower Latino Adolescents” in Public Health Nursing.
Dr. Linda A. Streit, professor, was elected to the position of chair-elect for the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Organizational Leadership Network Steering Committee. Her appointment begins January 2025. Dr. Streit was honored during the Oct. 18 nursing alumni day event for her significant and longstanding contributions to the college. In recognition of her service, she was bestowed official membership as an honorary member of the College of Nursing Alumni Association Board of Directors.
College of Pharmacy
Dr. Tyler Boyd, clinical assistant professor, and Dr. Philip Mensah, clinical assistant professor, co-authored an article titled “Side Effects of Anti-Lipid Medications” in Side Effects of Drugs Annual.
Dr. Mahavir Bhupal Chougule, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences, delivered an invited speaker research presentation titled “Hydrophobic drug-loaded lipidic and hydrophilic siRNA-loaded biopharma-engineered polymeric nanoparticles conjugated with targeting peptide for treating lung cancer” at the International Conference, “The future of pharmaceutical drug development: trends, challenges and opportunities,” on Sept. 13-14. Dr. Chougule also delivered an invited research presentation titled “Pharmaceutical Sciences Opportunities for Higher Education and the Interdisciplinary Nanotech-based Strategy for siRNA Delivery Pharma Products” at the Dr. Shivajirao Kadam College of Pharmacy, Kasabe Digraj, Sangli, in Maharashtra, India on June 28.
Dr. Martin D’Souza, professor, was awarded $18,970 from Inventiprise Inc. for “Dissolvable Microneedle Array Patch for Measles and Rubella Vaccination.”
Dr. T. Vivian Liao, clinical associate professor, presented “The Role of Your Pharmacist in Medication Management” at the BrainTalk Live webinar series hosted by Emory University Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center on Oct. 8.
Dr. Leisa Marshall, clinical professor, authored an article titled “A Review of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Treatment” in the U.S Pharmacist.
Dr. Nicole Metzger, clinical professor, was elected the chair-elect of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Adult Medicine Practice and Research Network for the 2024-2025 term. Dr. Metzger also received the 2024 American College of Clinical Pharmacy Adult Medicine Practice and Research Network Clinical Practice Award.
Dr. Susan W. Miller, clinical professor, presented “Managing Medications as Patient Advocacy in Reducing the Risk of Falls” at the Injury Prevention Research Center at Emory University on Oct. 11.
Dr. Lydia Newsom, clinical associate professor, and Dr. Leisa Marshall, clinical professor, co-authored an article titled “Impact of a Geriatric Elective on Pharmacy Student Knowledge, Attitudes and Empathy regarding Older Adults” in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education.
College of Professional Advancement
Dr. Stefanie Sevcik, assistant professor of writing and interdisciplinary studies, facilitated a discussion for the Council on Undergraduate Research’s Undergraduate Research Programs Division titled “Policies and Attitudes Towards the Use of AI in Undergraduate Research Proposals Across the Disciplines” on Oct. 16.
Dr. Jacqueline S. Stephen, assistant professor, director of the Office of Distance Learning and instructional designer, recently completed a seven-month mentorship role as part of the Association for Talent Development Atlanta chapter’s mentorship program. The program concluded with a mentor-mentee presentation on Oct. 22 in Atlanta. Throughout the program, Dr. Stephen collaborated closely with her mentee, gaining deeper insights into diverse perspectives and addressing challenges in instructional design across various contexts, including corporate training and higher education faculty development. These exchanges enriched both participants’ understanding and fostered professional growth. The mentorship program also provided valuable opportunities to engage with members of the talent development community through virtual and in-person events across the Atlanta metro area.
School of Business
Dr. Szabolcs Blazsek, professor of economics and chair of the department of economics, business analytics and supply chain management, with students Dejun Kong and Samantha Shadoff, published a paper titled “Observable or latent Markov chains for score-driven regime-switching volatility?” in Applied Economics. Additionally, Dr. Blazsek and student Morgan Hall conducted an online presentation “New score-driven scale and shape interactions: An application to international stock indices” for the 2024 Vietnam Symposium in Banking and Finance in Hanoi, Vietnam.
John Wilson Gordon, lecturer of finance, was featured in a CreditDonkey article about how much it costs to form an LLC.
Dr. Marko Horn, associate professor of management and entrepreneurship, and Dr. Bill Carty, assistant professor of strategic management, presented their case study about merit-based compensation titled “Money for Nothing” at the North American Case Research Association Annual Conference in October. The international conference features multiple business fields that use case study methodology in teaching, and the association oversees the Case Research Journal.
Dr. Carol Springer Sargent, associate professor of accounting, was awarded the 2024 Computer Educator of the Year at the 64th International Association of Computer Information Systems Conference in Atlantic Beach, Florida, on Oct. 4, where she delivered her invited comments about AI in education. Dr. Sargent co-authored a paper titled “Users’ concerns and the Internet of Things (IoT) risk beliefs” in the Journal of Global Information Management.
School of Engineering
Dr. Bremen Vance and Dr. Philip B. Gallagher, both assistant professors of technical communication, are presenting research titled “Going Platinum on Techne Forge: The AI-generated B-side of Seminal 4C’s Rhetoric” at the International 2025 Conference on College Composition and Communication in Baltimore. Their work synthesizes the use of generative AI to remix and analyze seminal concepts of technical and professional communication culture within the conference organization to reveal publication avenues on the faculty members’ AI-focused online journal, TechneForge.com.
School of Law
Margie Alsbrook, assistant professor of law, was elected to the board of directors of Scribes, the American Society of Legal Writers.
Sharon Bradley, associate law librarian for administration and public service, had her paper “Rule 1.1 Duty of Competency and Internet Research: Benefits and Risks Associated with Relevant Technology,” cited by the American Bar Association in Formal Opinion 512 (July 29, 2024). The paper was initially written for a Georgia Bar Association Continuing Legal Education presentation on Nov. 11, 2019.
Karen Sneddon, dean and professor, served as a panelist for “Navigating the Intersectionalities of Identities as Dean” during the 13th Annual Promoting Diversity in Law School Leadership event held in Villanova, Pennsylvania, Sept. 21. At the same event, she also served as moderator for “Exploring the Decanal Interface with Different Constituencies and Stakeholders.”
School of Medicine
Dr. Yahya A. Acar, director of medical simulation, was a co-principal investigator on a study titled “Examination of Speech Analysis to Predict Suicidal Behavior in Depression,” which was presented at the 32nd European Congress of Psychiatry in Hungary. The study, co-authored with S. Yunden; M. Ak; M. Sert; S. Gica; and O. Cinar, focuses on the early detection of major depression and suicide risk, with a particular emphasis on developing an AI-based automated patient tracking system. The abstract was published in European Psychiatry.
Dr. David Cory Adamson, professor of surgery, has been selected as 2025 Castle Connolly Top Doctor Award for the Atlanta region and has been elected as treasurer of the Southern Neurosurgical Society, the third largest neurological organization in the country. Dr. Adamson also had his article titled “High-grade astrocytoma with piloid features in the conus medullaris: a rare presentation of a new World Health Organization diagnosis” accepted for publication in the Journal of Neurosurgery.
Dr. Jennifer Barkin, professor of community medicine and OBGYN, was invited to moderate a panel titled “Innovations in Women’s Health” at the Better Health for All Summit, which was an invitation-only, two-day event sponsored by SALA Series and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. SALA brings together thought leaders across industry, academia, clinical practice, sports and entertainment, government and the nonprofit sectors to further discourse on critical topics. Dr. Barkin also received a designation of “Climate Champion” from Mothers and Others for Clean Air for her work related to a grant project funded by Drawdown Georgia.
Be-Atrice Cunningham, director of pathways, programs and events, presented a poster titled “Expanding Access to Medical School for Pre-Collegiate Rural Youth” at the 2024 Association of STEMM Pathway and Bridge Programs Annual Conference on Oct. 2. Co-authored by Jakyn Tyson and LeeAnna Deal, University of Georgia, the presentation provided an overview of a collaborative program with Georgia 4-H called Setting Your Sights on Medical School. This bi-annual event is designed to increase awareness of the physician shortage in rural, medically underserved Georgia and to inspire high school youth from rural Georgia to set their sights on health care careers.
Dr. Tony Gryffin, associate professor of community medicine on the Macon campus, published a book chapter titled “Using Fishbone Diagrams and Health Behavior Theory for Worker Health and Safety Communication and Motivation” in the book Mine Safety and Health Handbook: Approaches From the Field.
Dr. David Hollar, associate professor of community medicine, had a research poster for a study titled “State Geospatial Patterns of HLA Genetics, Health and Climate Associations” accepted for a GeoHealth and Climate section presentation at the December 2024 American Geophysical Union Conference in Washington, D.C. Dr. Hollar also served Oct. 13-20 with a team of 15 volunteer lay chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team serving alongside the Samaritan’s Purse disaster relief deployment for Hurricane Helene in Boone, North Carolina — one of five Samaritan’s Purse hurricane response locations in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The chaplains ministered and provided emotional support to affected homeowners in several counties along the North Carolina-Tennessee border. There were more than 600 volunteers from across the country each day at the site, including two church groups from Cumming and Hiawassee, despite cool temperatures and even light snow flurries one morning.
Dr. Gabriela C. Jacob, assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral science, presented “Highly Sensitive Children” as a continuing education unit for The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Dr. Edward C. Klatt, professor in the department of biomedical sciences on the Savannah campus, presented a session titled “Application of Yes-No Angoff Standard Setting for Examinations” at the International Association of Medical Science Educators 2024 virtual forum on Oct. 25.
Dr. Anthony J. Kondracki, assistant professor of community medicine on the Savannah campus, gave an oral presentation titled “Bridging Gaps in Georgia’s Rural Maternal Health: Innovative strategies and collaborative solutions” at the Georgia Rural Health Association 2024 Annual Conference on Sept. 11 on Jekyll Island.
Dr. Angabin Matin, associate professor in the department of biomedical sciences, with colleagues Yun Zhang, Alexandria Carrasquillo Simko, Uzondu Okoro, Deja Jamese Sibert, Jin Hyung Moon and Bin Liu, co-authored an article titled “Commitment Complex Splicing Factors in Cancers of the Gastrointestinal Tract — An In Silico Study” in Bioinformatics and Biology Insights. Three M.D. students from the Summer Scholars program 2022 — Alexandria Carrasquillo Simko, Deja Jamese Sibert and Jin Hyung Moon — also participated in the study.
Dr. Kimberly McElveen, associate dean for faculty affairs and interim chair of the department of pathology and clinical sciences on the Columbus campus, presented “Providers and Support Staff: Enhancing Patient Care Through Strength and Adaptability” at the Georgia Health Care Association/Georgia Center for Assisted Living on Oct. 16; “Developing Leadership Skills to Drive Change” to 35 hospital leaders at the Phoebe Putney Hospital on Sept. 19; and “Developing Resilience Among Physicians” to the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians board on Aug. 10. Dr. McElveen also published an article titled “Optimal Self-Care for Surgeons: Sleep, Diet and Exercise” in American Surgeon.
Dr. Chefetz Menaker, associate professor of pharmacology in the department of biomedical sciences, presented her research about novel targeted therapies in ovarian cancer as a seminar presentation at Integrated Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center and as a poster presentation at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham retreat.
Dr. Manish Mishra, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, with colleagues Mudgal Deeksha, Yadav Nisha, Srivastava Gaurav Kumar and Mishra Vivek, published an article titled “Click Reaction Inspired Enzyme Inhibitors in Diabetes Care: An Update in the Field of Chronic Metabolic Disorder” in Current Pharmaceutical Design.
Dr. Maurice M. Solis, professor of surgery on the Columbus campus, and student Phil Moon co-authored a paper titled “Can ChatGPT Write My Vascular Surgery Case Report?” that Moon presented at the Georgia Vascular Society meeting. At the same meeting, medical student Juan Antonio Ayerdi presented a paper that he co-authored with Dr. Juan Ayerdi and Dr. James McGrory titled “Lumbar Interbody Fusion in the Presence of a Horseshoe Kidney.”
School of Music
Dr. Jack Mitchener, professor of organ, University organist and director of the Townsend-McAfee Institute of Church Music, served as an adjudicator for the National Young Artists Competition in Organ Playing held at the national convention of the American Guild of Organists in San Francisco, June 27-July 3. The event is one of the most prestigious competitions for young organists in the world. Dr. Mitchener also was invited to perform a recital for the annual conclave of the American Bach Society held Sept. 26-29, and he performed two concerts with the Atlanta Master Chorale, Oct. 11 and 12.
Amy Schwartz Moretti, director of the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings, professor, and Caroline Paul King Chair in Strings, traveled to Montreal to perform for the Montreal Chamber Music Festival. Moretti also appeared in the Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival Concerts alongside some of the world’s greatest musicians, and she performed for ChamberFest West in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and in the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival in Bridgehampton, New York. Moretti was invited to be guest concertmaster in the closing concert of the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago, where she performed Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, “Symphony of a Thousand,” for music director Carlos Kalmar’s final performance of his 25-year tenure. She also traveled to Banff, Canada, to perform with the Ehnes Quartet in concerts for the prestigious Banff International String Quartet Festival. The quartet were featured soloists with the BISQ orchestra in Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro. In September, Moretti performed with the Vega Quartet, leading Tchaikovsky’s “Souvenir de Florence” for the Emory Chamber Music Society’s noontime concert series at Schwartz Hall in Atlanta. After performing and presenting the opening Fabian Concert in Fickling Hall on Sept. 17 alongside faculty and students of the Center and guest artists, she traveled to Seattle to do a mini residence for the Seattle Chamber Music Society, where she gave two recitals with pianist Andrew Armstrong, a master class to the SCMS academy high school young artists, and played for patients in the intensive care unit of the University of Washington hospital. She also appeared as soloist in the Brahms Violin Concerto with the Meridian Symphony Orchestra in Mississippi, with Peter Rubardt conducting. In October, Moretti joined again with the Ehnes Quartet to perform in Greensboro for the Oconee Performing Arts Society’s Unplugged series, followed by a concert in Fickling Hall on campus for the Fabian Concert Series.
Dr. Nathan Myrick, assistant professor, with Andrew Mall of Northeastern University, completed the four-year Furnace Fest research project in Birmingham, Alabama, Oct. 3-5. They supervised eight undergraduate research assistants, including Mercer students Hannah Dixon and Nat Johnson, who were studying how the Furnace Fest community engages music as a means of mental health self-care. Funded by grants from both Mercer and Northeastern, they conducted 52 in-depth interviews with festival attendees and administered a mental health needs assessment of the community. The next phase of the project is to take the data generated by the study and connect mental health organizations to the musical communities that need their help.
Staff and Administration
Julie Cannon, associate director of the Center for Career and Professional Development, was selected as a program presenter for the National Career Development Association’s 2024 Global Conference in San Diego. This year’s theme was “The Interconnection of Career Development and Mental Health: Strategies and Techniques to Promote Well-Being and Success.” Cannon, with Amy Clemente, internships and campus partnerships manager of career services at Augusta University, co-presented “United for Student Wellness: Career and Mental Health Collaboration in Higher Education.”
