Tift College of Education
Karyn Allee, Ph.D., associate professor of elementary education, with Brittany Adams, Ph.D., of the University of Alabama, and Nance Wilson, Ph.D., of SUNY Cortland, co-authored the article “The Climb Model of Reading: A strategic framework for comprehension, metacognition, and classroom practice,” published in the Early Childhood Education Journal. Allee was also quoted in the Education Week article “Skimping on Recess Won’t Fix Test Scores, Experts Say,” published Sept. 21, addressing the historical shift in recess access since the accountability movement of the late 1990s and its implications for student learning.
Katherine Perrotta, Ph.D., associate professor of middle and secondary education, participated in the panel “Is Women’s History a Divisive Concept?” at the American Historical Association Regional Conference in Richmond, Virginia. Perrotta presented with Ceci Flinn of New American History; Catherine Allgor, liaison to the Advisory Council of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum; and Laurenett Lee of Richmond Hill Urban Monastery and Spiritual Center.
Jacqueline S. Stephen, Ed.D., assistant professor and director of instructional and learning design, co-authored “Inclusive by Design: Promoting Adult Learner Persistence in Online Higher Education” with Chantia Daniels and Charlotte Whitehead, both recent graduates of Mercer’s Human Resources and Talent Development program. Published as an Innovations in Practice article in the Adult Learning Journal, the work presents a practitioner-informed approach to promoting adult learner persistence in accelerated online courses. Drawing on the design and facilitation of two sequential eight-week undergraduate courses, the article describes integrated strategies such as consistent course structure, scaffolded learning, timely feedback, flexible assessments and opportunities for peer and professional engagement. Grounded in adult learning theory and inclusive instructional design, it offers practical guidance for instructors and instructional designers seeking to create supportive, learner-centered online environments that foster belonging, confidence and persistence.
Elaine H. Thurmond, Ed.D., assistant professor of clinical practice, launched Classrooms That Inspire Foundation Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting educators by providing first-year teachers in Title I schools with classroom enhancement grants and resources that help create engaging and inspiring learning environments for students. Through the foundation’s inaugural grant initiative, six Mercer students received classroom grants to support their work as educators in Atlanta Public Schools, Clayton County Public Schools, Cobb County School District and Gwinnett County Public Schools. The foundation reflects Thurmond’s continued commitment to supporting emerging educators as they transition from their university preparation into the classroom and begin making a meaningful impact on the students and communities they serve.
College of Health Professions
Robert Baeten, D.M.Sc., clinical associate professor, for the second consecutive year received the 2026 Presidential Citation Award from the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) for extraordinary contributions of time, energy and resources to the society in 2025. The society established the Presidential Citation Award in 1995 to honor members who have made outstanding contributions to the organization. Baeten was also awarded a fellowship with SCCM and granted the honorary title of Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Yu (Rachel) Guo, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology, and Yang Cao, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, published “Quiet Quitting in America: An Empirical Assessment of Three Explanations” in Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World. The article used nationally representative survey data to examine why some employees remain in their jobs while choosing not to go above and beyond. The study offers an important new perspective on changing attitudes toward work in post-pandemic America.
Stephen Lippi, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience, with two undergraduate students, published the article “Exploring the Effects of Swimming Exercise on Anxiety-like, Cognitive, and Noncognitive Behaviors Using the rTg4510 Tau Mouse Model” in the Journal of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.
Erin McClenathan, Ph.D., associate professor of art and design, co-convened the session “Re-viewing Dada and Surrealism Reviewed” at the International Society for the Study of Surrealism conference held Aug. 18-20 in Glasgow, Scotland. She also presented her research on the journal DYN (1942-44) and the poet-painter Alice Rahon in panel papers at the International Association of Word and Image Studies conference held Aug. 24-28 in Amsterdam and the Biennial International Conference of the European Network for Avant-Garde and Modernism Studies held Sept. 2-4 in Stockholm.
Rebecca McKee, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, published the article “Predator hunting modes induce varied selection pressures on prey personality” in the journal Behavioral Ecology.
Phoebe Moon, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science, presented her manuscripts “Microfoundations of Commercial Peace: Global Supply Chains as a Transformative Instrument of Public” and “Using Games and Simulations in Liberal Arts” at the American Political Science Association annual conference in Boston.
Katharine Northcutt, Ph.D., professor of biology, published the article “Organizational impacts of hypothyroidism on behavior” in Hormones and Behavior.
Tyler B. Parker, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science, was featured on the “Global Dispatches” podcast episode “Can Oman Help Find a Way Out of the Iran War?” on Aug. 26. He published a guest post titled “Iran, ‘The Gulf,’ and Deference and Defiance” in What’SUP, the Syracuse University Press Blog, on Sept. 11. Parker was interviewed for and quoted in The Washington Post article “Oman, a mediator with Iran, is baffled by Trump’s bombing threat” on Sept. 13. Additionally, he delivered the lecture “Strait Talk: Hormuz, Iran and U.S.-Gulf Arab Relations” for the Junior Faculty Research Series on Sept. 14. ABC16/WGXA covered the event, and Parker appeared in their news segment “Mercer Discusses U.S. Relations in the Middle East.”
Katherine Roseau, Ph.D., associate professor of French, is a visiting scholar at the Center for International Studies at Sciences Po in Paris during her 2026-2027 sabbatical. She is collaborating with Thomas Lacroix, Ph.D., on her project “Oral History of Helpers: Collective Memory, Identity, and Migration in Contemporary Paris.”
Tennille Shuster, professor of art and design, has numerous letterpress broadsides and artist’s books on display in “Pressing Matters: Book Art and Print with a Social Conscience” at the McCrary Gallery, Murphey Art Building at Wesleyan College through Oct. 2. In addition, her artist’s book Please Wear This Book, will be displayed as part of the exhibition “American Stories: Artists’ Books from the Collection of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives” in the National Museum of American History from Oct. 8 through 2028.
Charlotte Thomas, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, delivered the Fall Great Books Program Lecture “Why should anyone in 2025 read ‘The Odyssey,’ an epic poem written on the other side of the world 2,800 years ago, especially when there are so many other good things out there to read?” on Sept. 23. Thomas also interviewed Christine Dunn Henderson for the “Page Turners” podcast released July 30 and attended the Sue Rose Summer Institute for High School Teachers, sponsored by the Dallas Institute for Humanities and Culture held July 6-10 at Southern Methodist University. Thomas was also an invited discussion leader and participant in the inaugural Summer Faculty Institute at the Chang Chavkin Center for Liberal Education and Civic Life held June 14-19 at Bard College.
Carolyn Yackel, Ph.D., professor of mathematics, organized Family Day at the Bridges Galway Mathematics and Arts conference.
School of Medicine
Brian H. Childs, Ph.D., professor of bioethics and medical humanities, published a series of essays, “On the Formation of Professional Identity in Clinical Ethics Consultation: Future or Illusion?,” for a special issue of the journal HEC Forum. The issue was co-edited with Margie Hodges Shaw, J.D., Ph.D., from the University of Rochester School of Medicine.
Ragupathy Ethiraj, Ph.D., research associate in the department of biomedical sciences, has contributed DNA barcode sequence data for two whitefly species to the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s GenBank database. The sequence records provide molecular resources that can support species identification, taxonomy, biodiversity research and future comparative studies of whiteflies. The GenBank accessions are QB031817 for Sphericaleyrodes bambusae and QB017560 for Paraleyrodes bondari.
Edward C. Klatt, M.D., professor in the department of biomedical sciences, served as a manuscript reviewer for the Journal of Pathology Informatics in September. Klatt is also a faculty affiliate at the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine, University of Utah Health, and through the Eccles Health Sciences Library, he released the 37th edition of the Pathology of HIV/AIDS textbook.
Seong Won Lee, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of biomedical sciences, published the article “Identification of age-associated upstream regulators to promote neuronal resilience in HD patient-derived neurons” in Neuroscience Bulletin. The study, conducted by Mercer medical students, an undergraduate student and researchers, highlights the impact of Mercer student-engaged research in advancing our understanding of neuronal aging and Huntington’s disease. The article was published open access, with the article processing charge covered through Mercer University. The work was completed in collaboration with the laboratory of Young Mi Oh, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of biomedical sciences.
Chefetz Menaker, Ph.D., associate professor of pharmacology, served as a reviewer for the American Heart Association Fellowship Basic Science grants.
Yudan Wei, M.D., Ph.D., professor of community medicine, published the research article “Association between urinary paraben concentrations and skin cancer among U.S. adults” in the peer-reviewed journal Cancer Epidemiology. Medical students Sarah Holder, ’28, and Carson Chambers, ’27, have been working with Wei on this research project and are co-authors of the article.
Iuliia Zhuravlova, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of anatomy and embryology in the biomedical sciences department, was selected from a large pool of applicants and appointed an associate editor of Medical Science Educator — the successor of the journal JIAMSE — the peer-reviewed publication of the International Association of Medical Science Educators. The Journal offers all who teach in healthcare the most current information to succeed in their task by publishing scholarly activities, opinions and resources in medical science education. Published articles focus on teaching the sciences fundamental to modern medicine and health, and include basic science education, clinical teaching and the use of modern education technologies.
Townsend School of Music
Jack Mitchener, D.M.A., professor of organ, university organist and director of the Townsend-McAfee Institute of Sacred Music, was a featured performer in the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra’s 2026-27 season-opening concert Sept. 15 at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts in Decatur.
Katie Rios, associate professor of music history, received a Love of Learning Award from the honors society Phi Kappa Phi.
College of Nursing
Sonique Sailsman, Ph.D., assistant professor of nursing, published the article “Blind Spots: Recognizing and Removing Implicit Bias from Nursing Education” in the Journal of Professional Nursing.
College of Pharmacy
Martin D’Souza, Ph.D., professor and director of Ph.D. programs, and Mohammad N. Uddin, Ph.D., associate professor, co-authored “Formulation and Investigation of the In Vitro Immunostimulatory Potential of Microparticulate Guanine-α-D-Fructose in Vaccine Candidates” in Vaccines.
Nicole Metzger, Pharm.D., clinical professor, co-authored “Timing of Rasburicase in Tumor Lysis Syndrome” in NEJM Clinician.
College of Professional Advancement
Tara Overzat, Ph.D., visiting assistant professor, was an invited panelist at the Citizens’ Climate Lobby 2026 Conference session “Building Political Will, One Relationship at a Time” on July 27 in Washington, D.C. She also presented “Encouragement in Discouraging Times” and co-presented “Suicide Prevention Through Connection: Exploring Adler and the Crucial Cs” at the Georgia Society of Adlerian Psychology 2026 Conference held Aug. 21-23 in Griffin. Overzat was also invited to give the keynote address at the 2026 Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision Pinning Ceremony on Mercer University’s Atlanta campus on Sept. 16 and was inducted into the 2027 cohort of Leadership Perimeter and began the program Sept. 17.
McAfee School of Theology
Rev. David P. Gushee, Ph.D., Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics, published his 32nd book, “Job in Exile: A Guide for Spiritual Refugees,” which examines the biblical book of Job from a post-evangelical and ethical perspective. It was published by Orbis Books.
