College of Education
Dr. Robbie Marsh, assistant professor of special education, authored “Mental Health in Schools: An Overview of Multitiered Systems of Support,” which won Must-Read Article of the Year from the Council for Learning Disabilities (CLD) and Intervention in School and Clinic. Dr. Marsh will present at the awardee’s symposium in October as a part of the annual CLD National Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Dr. Leah Panther, assistant professor of literacy education, Dr. Karyn Allee-Herndon, assistant professor, Dr. Katherine Perrotta, assistant professor of middle grades and secondary education, and Dr. Susan Cannon, assistant professor, published “Not a Definition, But a Story: Teacher Education During Educational Disruption” in The Teacher Educator. Dr. Panther and colleagues Dr. Dea Marx, Dr. Rhianna Thomas and Dr. Hilary McNeil published “A Multi-Mentor and Peer Mentorship Model for Retention and Resilience of Female Doctoral Students” in the journal Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning. Dr. Panther and Tucker High School Principal Dr. Eric Parker were awarded the Spencer Foundation Research Practice Partnerships Grant in the amount of $338,224.95 for their proposal, “Use Your Voice: Linguistic Justice to Literacy Practice in the State of Georgia.”
Dr. Katherine Perrotta, assistant professor of middle grades and secondary education, presented “Historical Empathy Strategies to Examine the Elizabeth Jennings v. Third Avenue Railway Company” with Julie Mauer, K-12 education director at the City University of New York Gotham Center, at the National Council for the Social Studies Summer Pop Up Professional development workshop. Dr. Perrotta also presented “Determined to Rise: Strategies to Promote Historical Empathy about the Women’s Suffrage Movement of the 19th and 20th Centuries” at the National Women’s History Museum’s Summer Educator Institute.
College of Health Professions
Dr. Jeannette Anderson, chair and clinical associate professor of physical therapy, was recognized by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness for exemplary annual assessment reports, receiving the Certificate of Achievement in Assessment. The office is providing this recognition for the fourth time, focusing on the 2019-20 assessment cycle. These reports were vetted by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness as well as by members of the University Assessment Council and were chosen based on the commendable clarity of their outcomes and methods, meaningful results and analysis of data, and notably reflective updates and future plans based on results. The reports will be posted on the OIE website under “Assessment,” “Assessment Calendar” in the section on “Annual Peer Review of Assessment Reports.”
Dr. Caroline M. Brackette, assistant dean for accreditation and assessment and associate professor, was interviewed as a contributing subject matter expert on athletes and mental health by The Washington Post, NBC News, National Public Radio’s All Things Considered broadcast and two Newsy video broadcasts, and featured in National Public Radio’s The Source of the Week newsletter. Dr. Brackette was also invited to lead a session on “Stress Management and Decision Making” at the Atlanta Falcons NFL Rookie Education Program.
Dr. Huey Chen, professor of public health, and Liliana Morosanu, instructor of public health, co-authored “Stress test: proactive evaluation” in the American Journal of Evaluation.
Dr. Gabrielle Darville-Sanders, assistant professor of public health, co-authored “Harnessing technology to prevent sexual assault on college campuses” in the Journal of American College Health.
Dr. David Sultan, associate professor of public health, co-authored “Development and implementation of a pharmacist-led, community engaged, health screening program in an underserved urban neighborhood” in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Care & Health Systems.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Dr. Wallace L. Daniel, Distinguished University Professor of History, presented a paper on “Fr. Gleb Yakunin, Henry Dakin, and the Defense of Religious Believers During the Cold War” at the workshop on “Reinventing Religion: The Rise of Religious Sensibility in the Late Soviet Union (1960s-80s),” hosted June 10-12 by Basel University in Switzerland.
Dr. David A. Davis, professor of English, gave a talk about Mercer’s Malcolm Lester Phi Beta Kappa Lectures on the Liberal Arts and Public Life for the Phi Beta Kappa triennial council in July.
Dr. Andy Digh, associate professor of computer science, served as a reader and grader June 11-18 for the AP Computer Science A Exam. A total of 342 teachers from universities and high schools were selected by the College Board to help grade 75,000 exams this year. Both the exam and grading were all done online.
Dr. Sarah E. Gardner, Distinguished University Professor of History, participated in the National Endowment for the Humanities three-week virtual Summer Institute on Visual Culture of the American Civil War and its Aftermath, hosted by the American Social History Project at City University of New York Graduate Center in July.
Dr. Jonathan C. Glance, Benjamin W. Griffith Jr. Professor and chair of the Department of English, presented a paper, titled “Double Indemnity Redoubled: Adapting Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler’s Adaptation,” at the annual conference of the Association of Adaptation Studies hosted June 8-11 by Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, and held virtually.
Dr. David Goode, associate professor of chemistry and director of biochemistry and molecular biology, was recognized by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness for exemplary annual assessment reports, receiving the Certificate of Achievement in Assessment. The office is providing this recognition for the fourth time, focusing on the 2019-20 assessment cycle. These reports were vetted by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness as well as by members of the University Assessment Council and were chosen based on the commendable clarity of their outcomes and methods, meaningful results and analysis of data, and notably reflective updates and future plans based on results. The reports will be posted on the OIE website under “Assessment,” “Assessment Calendar” in the section on “Annual Peer Review of Assessment Reports.”
Dr. Paul Lewis, professor of religion and director of ethics, leadership and service, published three opinion pieces at goodfaithmedia.org: “What It Looks Like When We Fight Like Christians” on June 24; “Why True Freedom Actually Constrains You” on July 7; and “Should Christians Claim Religious Exemptions from COVID-19 Vaccinations?” on Aug. 23.
Scot J. Mann, associate professor of communication and theatre, served as a master instructor for the teacher certification course with the Society of American Fight Directors’ National Stage Combat Workshop in August. The four-week course culminated years of certifications and study for eight new certified teachers. Mann also served as an official adjudicator for the Basic and Advanced Actor Combatant certification courses.
Dr. Chinekwu Obidoa, associate professor of global health and Africana studies, organized and directed a HIV Summer Institute for High School Students in Georgia, held July 5-9. She also organized the first African Film Series at Mercer, which took place during the spring semester. The purpose of the film series was to expose the Mercer community to facts and features of Africa and foster greater awareness and understanding of the continent in general. Also, her co-authored article, titled “Robbing Health: Characteristics of Previous Rape Experiences of African American Emerging Adults in an Urban area in Georgia,” was published in the Journal of Black Sexuality and Relationships.
Dr. Laura Simon, assistant professor of sociology, and Dr. Kathy Kloepper, vice provost of engaged learning and associate professor of chemistry, published “Promoting Student Learning and Engagement: Data-Supported Strategies from an Asynchronous Course for Nonmajors” in Advances in Online Chemistry Education. The book was published online by ACS Publications on Aug. 25 and will be available in print through Oxford University Press later this year. Laurel Genova, undergraduate researcher in the Tift College of Education, and Marcia Owens Kloepper, instructional media specialist at the University of New Mexico, were co-authors on this work.
Dr. Charlotte Thomas, professor and chair of philosophy, was the invited discussion leader for the Tikvah Fund online seminar on Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I A Woman” speech held Aug. 15. She also served as discussion leader for the Great Books Summer Workshop on Diversification for Great Books 101 May 27-Aug. 3, and she led the virtual study abroad program, Philosophy and Art in Greece, May 19-June 10.
Dr. Edward Weintraut, professor, authored “Regina Scheer’s Machandel: The Crossroads of Unforgetting, Remembrance, and Forgetting” in Monatshefte, Volume 113, Number 2 (Summer 2021), Pages 165-185.
Marian Zielinski, professor emerita of theatre, received the Best in Show Award for her piece, titled “Blue Lava,” at the Second Biennial Fiber Arts National Juried Exhibition at the Bower Art Center in Bedford, Virginia, this summer. Currently, her series of 15 art quilts, based upon Georgia’s Providence Canyon, is on exhibition at Macon’s Museum of Arts and Sciences through Nov. 12.
College of Nursing
Dr. Seongkum Heo, professor and Piedmont Healthcare Endowed Chair, co-authored the following publications: “Experiences of and Factors Associated with Dietary Sodium Adherence in Heart Failure From Patients’ and Their Caregivers’ Perspectives: A Qualitative Study” in Geriatric Nursing, 42(5), 1190-1197; “Symptom Status Questionnaire – Heart Failure – Brazilian version: Cross-cultural adaptation and content validation” in Heart & Lung, 50(4), 525-531; “Advance Directives and Factors Associated with the Completion in Patients with Heart Failure” in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), 1780. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18041780; “Varied Factors Associated with Different Types of Self-Care in Heart Failure in the Western Journal of Nursing Research, 43(4), 298-306., doi: 10.1177/0193945920950334, and “Self-care strategies and interventions needed in patients with heart failure: From patient perspectives-A qualitative study” in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 20, 540-546. She also became a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.
Dr. Justus Randolph, professor, co-authored “Right hemicolectomy with compete mesocolic excision is safe, leads to an increased lymph node yield and to increased survival: Results of a systematic review and meta-analysis” in Techniques in Coloproctology.
College of Pharmacy
Dr. Clinton Canal, assistant professor, received funding in the amount of $159,250 from Adelia Therapeutics/Cybin Inc. for “Evaluation of Medication Candidates at Serotonin 2 Receptors.” Dr. Canal was a co-author of “Evaluation of Lorcaserin as an Anticonvulsant in Juvenile Fmr1 Knockout Mice” in Epilepsy Research, 2021 May 27; DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2021.106677. He was appointed a committee member for the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics from June 25, 2021-July 1, 2023. Dr. Canal was also appointed a reviewer for the American Chemical Society journals, Omega (Aug. 17) and the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (July 23-July 27).
Dr. Martin D’Souza, professor, was a co-author of “Formulation and Characterization of Micro Capsules Encapsulating PC12 Cells as a Prospective Treatment Approach for Parkinson’s Disease” in AAPS PharmSciTech, 2021 May 7;22(4):149. DOI: 10.1208/s12249-021-02007-9.
Dr. Rene Hayslett, associate professor, was appointed a grant reviewer for the National Institutes of Health–Biobehavioral Mechanisms of Emotion, Stress and Health Study Section on June 23-June 25.
Dr. Leisa Marshall, clinical professor, authored “The Potential Role of Pharmacogenomics in Optimizing Drug Regimens for Older People with Major Depressive Disorder” in The Senior Care Pharmacist, 2021 Jun;36:276–83.
Dr. Nicole Metzger, clinical associate professor, received the 2021 Mentor Award from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Adult Medicine Practice and Research Network and was elected its secretary-treasurer for 2021-2022.
Dr. Kathryn Momary, associate professor, co-authored “Current and Future State of Clinical Pharmacist-led Precision Medicine Initiatives” in the Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, 2021 Jun 10;4(6):754–64.
Dr. Nader Moniri, professor, was appointed a grant reviewer for the U.K. Medical Research Council in Swindon for July-August.
Dr. Lydia Newsom, clinical professor, and Dr. Susan Miller, professor, co-authored “Use of Digital vs Printed Posters for Teaching and Learning in Pharmacy Education” in the American Journal of Pharmacy Education, 2021. Jun;85(6), Article 8307.
Dr. Jennifer Nguyen, assistant professor, co-authored “Naloxone Availability in Community Pharmacies in Georgia, 2019” in Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 2021 Aug 23;16(63):1–8.
Dr. Maria Thurston, clinical associate professor, was awarded 2020 Top 25 Reviewer by the American Journal of Pharmacy Education in June, granted fellowship status by the Georgia Society of Health-System Pharmacists in July and received an award for scholarship in Continuing Professional Development from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy in June.
Dr. Mohammad Nassir Uddin, assistant professor, and Dr. Martin D’Souza, professor, were co-authors of “Evaluation of Micro Particulate (S)-4,5-dihydroxy-2-3-pentanedione (DPD) as a Potential Vaccine Adjuvant” in The AAPS Journal, 2021 Jun 15;23 (4):84. DOI: 10.1208/s12248-021-00617-6.
Dr. Lorenzo Villa Zapata, clinical assistant professor, authored “Cost-effectiveness of once-daily vs twice-daily tacrolimus among Hispanic and Black Kidney Transplant Recipients” in the Journal of Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy, 2021 Jul;27(7):948–60.
College of Professional Advancement
Dr. Wesley Barker, associate professor of religious studies, published “Thresholds of Touch: Revisiting the Mat(t)er of the Body in the Work of Luce Irigaray” in Body and Religion, an interdisciplinary, internationally peer reviewed journal on the study of religion. Dr. Barker, who is currently serving as president of the Southeast Region of the American Academy of Religion, is also director of the Irigaray Circle’s 2022 Conference, to be held May 20-22, 2022, on Mercer’s Cecil B. Day Campus in Atlanta.
Dr. W. David Lane, professor of counseling, was named a finalist by the 2021 American Fiction Awards for his book My Dog Can’t Jump (2020). He was honored in two categories: Children’s Fiction and Children’s Picture Book: Hardcover Fiction. The American Fiction Awards is an American literary award that annually recognizes a set of books and people for outstanding literary achievement.
Dr. Jacqueline S. Stephen, assistant professor, director of the Office of Distance Learning, and instructional designer, was selected by a peer review panel for placement on the Fulbright Specialist Roster for a tenure of four years for her expertise in instructional and curriculum design. Dr. Stephen also presided over the 53rd annual conference of the Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) on June 14-16, as the organization’s first president to serve two terms and organize a virtual conference. She also participated in a panel discussion on re-imagining online learning beyond the pandemic. ASCUE is composed of attendees and members from national and international colleges and universities. Its mission is to provide a platform for resource-sharing, networking and collaboration to foster creativity and innovation in technology integration within higher education. Dr. Stephen will continue to serve as a board member for the 2022 conference in the advisory role of past-president. Dr. Stephen served as a conference presentation proposal reviewer for the Association for Educational Communications and Technology’s (AECT) 2021 international convention. She reviewed and provided feedback on proposals in the areas of organizational training and performance, research and theory, design and development showcase, and featured research. Additionally, she reviewed and provided feedback on proposals submitted through one of AECT’s international affiliates, the Korean Society for Educational Technology. Additionally, Dr. Stephen is also serving as a reviewer of manuscripts submitted to the American Journal of Distance Education.
Mercer Engineering Research Center
Katana Colledge, staff mechanical engineer, Josh Dihigo, staff software engineer, Pace Dillon, staff software engineer, Hunter Fleenor, staff mechanical engineer, Jordan Jessie, staff computer scientist, Res Sapp, staff software engineer, Mary Grace Schlueter, staff biomedical engineer, Brian Sledjeski, staff mechanical engineer, Marina Van Sickle, staff industrial engineer, Skyler Wadas, staff mechanical engineer, and Trent Williams, staff electrical engineer, received their bachelor’s degrees in 2021.
Emily Davis, staff mechanical engineer, Madison Judd, staff mechanical engineer, and Audrey Wood, mechanical engineer, each received their master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and David Delgado, senior reliability analyst, received his master’s degree in executive leadership.
Devon Raffield, staff mechanical engineer, and Brandon Anderson, mechanical engineer, working with the United States Air Force, completed a Digital Twin of the EC-130J flight controls to accurately replicate the physics of the fluid flow and structural response. The simulation predicted crack initiations that matched the historical crack data. Their recommended low-impact design change resulted in fatigue life estimates exceeding the design service life for the EC-130J wings themselves. Their efforts were selected for a poster presentation at the international Aircraft Structural Integrity Program Conference in San Antonio, Texas.
Tyler Rasmussen, staff cybersecurity engineer, received his Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification, a recognition of his commitment to developing and honing the skills of a cybersecurity professional.
Justin Smilski, senior software engineer, was recognized by the United States Air Force B-1 program team for providing outstanding support to the B-1B Lancer electronic warfare system.
School of Business
Jody Blanke, Ernest L. Baskin Jr. Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Law, presented “A Critical Analysis of Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act” at the annual conference of the Academy of Legal Studies in Business on Aug. 2. He also moderated a paper session on Contract Law and UCC Article 2.
Dr. Blake Bowler, assistant professor of accounting, was featured in WalletHub’s article about 0% APR credit cards.
John Wilson Gordon, lecturer of finance, was featured in WalletHub’s article about credit cards for young adults.
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, had their paper, “Trust and Perceptions of Autonomous Vehicles in Latin America,” coauthored with undergraduate student Luke Sadd, accepted for publication in Economics Bulletin. Dr. Saravia also published five op-eds in highly reputed newspapers in Latin America and gave 15 interviews for outlets such as CNN, Fox News, TVV, the Mercer Den, Newstalk 103.7, Compañera 106.3, WMAZ and Arirang News South Korea on topics such as inflation, the effects of the eviction moratorium, the Cuban embargo, the child tax credit, industry shortages and more.
Dr. Briana Stenard, assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship, had her paper, “Interdisciplinary Skills for STEAM Entrepreneurship Education,” published in the STEAM Entrepreneurship Education Special Issue of the Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy Journal on July 15. Dr. Stenard also presented her research, “Human Capital and Transitions out of Entrepreneurship by Scientists and Engineers,” at the 2021 Academy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Conference on June 15. Dr. Stenard presented her paper, “Academic Skill Variety Among Scientists and Engineers,” virtually at the 2021 Academy of Management annual conference on Aug. 3, where she also participated in two paper development workshops.
School of Engineering
Dr. Arash Afshar, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, co-authored an article, titled “Strain monitoring of wind turbines using a semi-autonomous drone,” in Wind Engineering.
Dr. Kleio Avrithi, assistant professor of civil engineering, presented “Investigating Construction Courses within the US Civil Engineering Curricula – A Resource for Designing the Course” at the 2021 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition held virtually on July 26-29. Engineering student Samuel Alan Fong collected data and co-authored the paper that was published in the conference proceedings.
Dr. Susan Codone, professor of technical communication and director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, and Dr. Jane West, associate professor in Tift College of Education, were accepted to present a paper, titled “How Can We Prepare Higher Education Faculty to Support Neurodivergent Students?,” at the Lilly Conference for College and University Teaching in November. Dr. Codone was also accepted to lead a concurrent session, titled “Raising Awareness about Direct and Indirect Instruction among Faculty,” at the SACSCOC Annual Meeting this December in Dallas.
Dr. Philip B. Gallagher, assistant professor of technical communication, served as first author on an article, titled “Phenomenology of Writing with Unfamiliar Tools in a Semi-public Environment: A Case Study,” co-written by Dr. David R. Russell and Philippe Meister at Iowa State University. The study investigated the phenomenon of people writing with unfamiliar digital tools in semi-public environments, like classrooms and within Learning Management Systems, through phenomenological experience recreation and the collection of biometric performance data (eye-tracking, keystroke logging, and cursor movement).
Dr. Richard O. Mines Jr., professor and chair of environmental and civil engineering, along with former environmental engineering graduate students Rebecca Etter and Emilie Vanness, presented “Impact of Bioreactor Geometry on KLa Coefficient” at the 2021 World Environmental and Water Resources Congress in June. The paper was also published in the conference proceedings.
School of Medicine
Dr. Jennifer L. Barkin, associate professor of community medicine and obstetrics and gynecology, served as an expert panelist for a Mothers and Others for Clean Air sponsored event which streamed live on Facebook in tribute to Clean Air Month. She was also invited to write a blog for ecoAmerica’s “Climate for Health” program and was highlighted in an alumni feature by her alma mater Carnegie Mellon University.
Dr. Keisha Callins, Joy McCann Endowed Professor, and the Bibb County Medical Society hosted its inaugural book club meeting via Zoom on Aug. 11, discussing the book Complications by Dr. Atul Gwande. The book club will reconvene on Jan. 9, 2022, to discuss Being Mortal by Dr. Gwande.
Dr. Raghavan Chinnadurai, assistant professor of oncology, authored “Ileal derived organoids from Crohn’s disease patients show unique transcriptomic and secretomic signatures” in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, published July 13. Dr. Chinnadurai also authored “Dichotomic Potency of IFNγ Licensed Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in Animal Models of Acute Radiation Syndrome and Graft Versus Host Disease” in Frontiers in Immunology, published July 26.
Dr. Harold Katner, chief of infectious diseases, and Marnie Hill, director of clinical diagnostic services and special projects, co-authored “Perceived sensitivity to medicines and the experience of side-effects: understanding intentional medication nonadherence among people living with HIV” in Psychology, Health & Medicine.
Dr. Edward C. Klatt, professor of pathology, along with Dr. Vinay Kumar, professor of pathology at the University of Chicago, authored the 5th edition of the Robbins and Cotran Review of Pathology, published in July, which is one of the Robbins and Cotran series of textbooks used worldwide in medical education Dr. Klatt published the 32nd edition of the online textbook Pathology of HIV/AIDS, also in July. Dr. Klatt moderated the following education sessions at the international meeting of the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) on Aug. 10-13 in Las Vegas, Nevada: “Necessity Driving Innovation: Building a Digital Front Door,” “Digital Driving Experience in Women’s Health,” “End-of-Life Care: Helping Patients Make Tough Decisions,” “Aging with Attitude,” and “Improve Patient Safety With Virtual Care and Communication.” HIMSS 2021 is one of the largest conferences worldwide, with more than 20,000 attendees from 90 countries. HIMSS informs health care policy decisions in multiple countries.
Dr. Richard Parrish, professor of pharmacology and medical education, edited and published a book, titled Perioperative Care, with Dr. John B. Kortbeek from the University of Calgary. Dr Parrish published a review, “Biosimilar Interchangeability and Emerging Treatment Strategies for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Commentary,” in Gastroenterology Insights. He also participated as a speaker in an international multi-disciplinary seminar, titled “Developing an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) Protocol: Best Practices Reduce Complications in Surgical Patients,” with ERAS Society founder and surgeon Dr. Olle Ljungqvist from Orebro University in Sweden; Dr. Ryan Craner of the Mayo Clinic; and Allyson Cochran of the Carolina Center for Surgical Outcomes Science at Atrium Health.
Dr. Bonzo Reddick, professor and chair of community medicine, participated in an eight-person roundtable with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden during her recent visit to Savannah. Dr. Reddick was also given the honor of being one of four speakers during her presentation at Beach High School in Savannah, along with Sen. Raphael Warnock and Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, and was given the opportunity to introduce Dr. Biden for her keynote address. The purpose of her visit was to increase vaccination rates in the region and address vaccine hesitancy in the community. Dr. Reddick is continuing to serve on the Mayor’s COVID-19 Medical Advisory Task Force, as well as the newly formed Medical Advisory Committee for the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System.
Dr. Kimberly Roth, assistant professor of community medicine, received a Provost’s Office Seed Grant from Mercer, titled “Exploring community needs and context for appropriate suicide prevention efforts in Liberty Co, GA.” The grant runs August 1, 2021-July 30, 2022. Dr. Roth also served as second author on “Systematic Review of Psychosocial Smoking Cessation Interventions for People with Serious Mental Illness” in the Journal of Dual Diagnosis. She also has two poster presentations at the upcoming annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in October: “Examining opioid-related morbidity and mortality in Georgia: A geospatial analysis” and “Relationship between US-residing Latinxs’ acculturative experiences and barriers to and use of mental/behavioral health services.”
Dr. Yudan Wei, professor of community medicine, presented a research project, titled “Urinary concentrations of 2,5-dichlorophenol and prevalent endocrine-related female cancers,” at the 33rd Annual Conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology in August. Georgia Wilson Pridgen, a junior medical student, also served as a co-presenter. Pridgen has been conducting research with Dr. Wei since summer 2020.
School of Music
Amy Schwartz Moretti, director of the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings, professor and Caroline Paul King Chair in Strings, is also a concert violinist and recently performed for: Chamber Music on Main presenting 19th-century masterpieces by Chausson, Beethoven and Dvořák with violist Melissa Reardon, cellist Edward Arron, and pianist Andrew Armstrong at the Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, South Carolina, May 10; Chamber Music International presenting works by Schubert, Brahms and Korngold with pianist Joyce Yang and cellist Bion Tsang at MoodyPerformance Hall, Dallas, Texas, May 15; Seattle Chamber Music Society Concert #1 presenting Shostakovich “Two pieces for String Octet, Op.11,” and Mendelssohn “String Octet in E-flat Major, Op.20,” with violinists Arnaud Sussmann, Tessa Lark, and Augustin Hadelich, violists James Ehnes and Jonathan Vinocour, and cellists Edward Arron and Ani Aznavoorian at Benaroya Hall, Seattle, Washington, July 17; Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival Founders Celebration presenting the Schubert Trout Quintet, Beethoven Violin Sonata #10 in G Major, Kreutzer Sonata and “Sonata Mulattica,” with violinist Margeaux Maloney, violist Luke Fleming, cellists Khari Joyner and Chris Rex, bassist Janet Clippard, pianists Julie Coucheron and William Ransom at four concerts in Highlands, North Carolina and Cashiers, North Carolina, July 18-19; Seattle Chamber Music Society Concert #2 presenting Beethoven String Trio in G Major, Op.9, No.1 with violist James Ehnes, and cellist Edward Aaron, and Respighi Piano Quintet in f minor with violinists Alessio Bax and Arnaud Sussmann, violist James Ehnes and cellist Edward Arron at Benaroya Hall, Seattle, Washington, July 20; and Manchester Music Festival 2021 Summer Festival “Russian Titans” concert presenting Rachmaninoff Trioélégiaque in g minor, Arensky Piano Trio No.1 in d minor, Op.32 and Taneyev Piano Trio in D Major, Op.22 with pianist Adam Neiman and cellist Nicholas Finch for two Mainstage concerts at Arkell Pavilion, Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, Vermont, Aug. 5. Moretti was also an online performing artist for The Live Music Project and a member of the Vivace Violin Faculty 2021 for the Vivace Music Foundation in Wilmington, North Carolina, online in August. Her performances continue to be broadcast on radio for Performance Today.
Dr. Nathan Myrick, assistant professor of church music, co-edited The Gift of Music: Essays on Church Music and Hymnology; A Festschrift in Honor of David W. Music, published by MorningStar Music Publishers in July. Dr. Myrick also virtually presented his findings of the “Music and Human Flourishing” research project at the Vital Worship Grants Conference at Calvin University on June 23. He virtually co-presented, along with Marcell Steuernagel of Southern Methodist Univeristy, “Hardcore Hymnody: A Lecture Recital” at the annual meeting of the Hymn Society in the U.S. and Canada. He also virtually presented “What if Music for Others?” as a panelist for the Popular Music Books in Progress series on July 13. He virtually co-presented the launch of a collection of essays co-edited at the Alleluia Conference at Baylor University on July 21 and also gave a lecture at the conference, titled “Music for Others: Relational Ethics in Christian Music.” Additionally, he virtually presented “Fully Alive: Music and Human Flourishing in Christian Communities” at the Bi-annual Christian Congregational Music Conference on July 25.
School of Theology
Dr. Nancy L. deClaissé-Walford, Carolyn Ward Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Languages, was awarded second place in the Scripture category by the 2021 Catholic Media Association’s awards for her Psalms Books 4-5 Commentary in Liturgical Press’s Wisdom Commentary series.
Dr. Angela N. Parker, assistant professor of New Testament and Greek, published If God Still Breathes, Why Can’t I? Black Lives Matter and Biblical Authority with Eerdmans Publishing. The official release date is Sept. 21, and the book is now available for purchase via Amazon and Eerdmans Publishing Co. Dr. Parker has also been selected to give the Belk Lecture at Wesleyan College on her new book. She also recently published “Sandra Bland at the Cross” in the Review & Expositor Journal.
Staff and Administration
Alan R. Baca, assistant vice president for environmental, health and safety, collaborated with the Florida Forestry Association, in conjunction with the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, to enhance and improve the logging industry in Florida using a laserbeam focus on timber harvesting methods, with the overall goal of maximizing environmental (i.e. water & soil quality) and wildlife (i.e. endangered species) sustainability practices. Within the program, titled “Florida Master Logger,” he presented three topics: “Hazardous Chemical Spill Prevention and Control,” “The specialized OSHA Logging Standard” and “Small Business Loss Control/Safety.”
Rick Cameron, senior assistant vice president for marketing communications and “the Voice of the Bears,” was presented the 2021-2022 Book of Golden Deeds Award by the Exchange Club of Macon. The Golden Deeds Award recognizes “volunteers who give endless hours of their time and talents toward making their communities better places to live.” The Book of Golden Deeds Award exemplifies The National Exchange Club’s beliefs.
