College of Education
Dr. Karyn Allee, associate professor of elementary education, delivered a TEDxMercer talk on April 9 titled “Why the Most Powerful Learning Looks Like Play,” highlighting the connections between joyful learning and student success. At the 2025 American Educational Research Association annual meeting, Dr. Allee presented “Perceptions of Educational Priorities in Preschool and Elementary School: Implications for Play and Practice,” with co-author Taylor Mule, University of Memphis, and she co-presented “Digital Reading Programs in Georgia: An Elementary Curriculum and Standards Analysis,” with first author Dr. BryAndra Bell, a recent College of Education Ph.D. graduate, and professors of education Dr. Vicki Luther and Dr. Lucy Bush. On April 30, Dr. Allee was featured in TCPalm in Colleen Wixon’s article “Free VPK Prepares for School, But Not for All Treasure Coast Families,” and contributed to The Macon Newsroom in “How Does One Exam Impact the Future of Students?” exploring the implications of Georgia Milestones testing. On May 5, Dr. Allee was a guest on Porch Play Chats, hosted by Deb Lawrence, discussing “The Power of Playful Pedagogy: Addressing Equity Through Play.” Dr. Allee published a June 1 post on her Joyful Learning Collaborative website, “Not just for preschool: States advancing play-based learning in K-3 education.” The website, which Dr. Allee curates as the community-facing arm of the Collaboratory for Critical and Transformative Elementary Education, serves as a collaborative platform for advocacy and public scholarship. Featuring contributions from colleagues and emerging scholars, including Tift alumnae Dr. Amanda Price, Dr. Mei Tran and Dr. Stephanie Moore, as well as Dr. Annemarie Kaczmarczyk, assistant professor of elementary education, the blog highlights how the work is both community-driven and a space for mentoring the next generation of scholars.
Dr. Rob Helfenbein, professor of curriculum studies, presented the keynote address for the Teacher Education Mentoring Program annual welcome and workshops event at Penn State University, Abington College and Philadelphia Public Schools on Aug. 5.
Dr. Jeffrey Keese, assistant professor of teacher leadership, along with students from Mercer’s Teacher Leadership Specialist Program, presented their plans for improving Georgia public education to members of the House Committee on Education, including Chair Chris Erwin and Vice Chair Carmen Rice. Presented topics included student food insecurity, teacher retention, provisional certification and other important issues affecting the state’s public schools and the students and families they serve.
Dr. Jaclyn K. Murray, assistant professor of science education, and postdoctoral research fellow Dr. Alex T. St. Louis presented “Prospective Elementary Teachers Design Models to Explain Phenomena” at the American Society for Engineering Education conference in Montreal in June.
Dr. Leah Panther, associate professor of literacy education, and a research team that included Kim Eccles, director of the Swilley Graduate and Professional Library, and doctoral student Caitlin Hochuli published “Participatory community archiving to preserve and sustain North Georgia Appalachia’s language, literacy practices, and histories” in Georgia Library Quarterly and “Librarians as full participants in participatory action research” in Endnotes, a publication of the American Library Association. Dr. Panther, with local teacher Lisa York, also published “Developing our pedagogies for multilingual youth with multilingual youth” in English Journal.
Dr. Jim Vander Putten, associate professor of higher education, co-presented a research study with Dr. Amanda L. Nolen of Georgia Tech, titled “Faculty Perceptions of Academic Freedom Protections and Influences on Departure” at the European Association for Institutional Research annual conference at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
College of Health Professions
Dr. Tricia Callaghan Mullins, clinical associate professor and medical director of the physician assistant program, was honored as Physician of the Year at the Georgia Association of Physician Assistants annual meeting in June. The award recognizes a physician who has provided “exemplary service to physician assistants in Georgia as a mentor, preceptor or teacher.” Dr. Mullins is a pediatrician practicing at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and has been teaching students in the Mercer physician assistant program since 2008.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Dr. James Eric (Jay) Black, Schumann Endowed Professor of Journalism and Media Studies and chair of the journalism and media studies department, co-authored the article “Five-year plan offers U.S. new cooperation path” in China Daily.
Dr. Wallace L. Daniel, Distinguished University Professor of History, published “The Awakening of Soviet Youth: The Quest for Authenticity in the 1960s and 1970s” in Freedom of Conscience in (Post) Soviet Space: Legacies of Michael Bourdeaux and the Keston Archive.
Dr. David A. Davis, professor of English, gave the talk “Food, Nostalgia, and Lost Cause Memoirs” at the Southern Studies Forum at the University of Santiago de Compostela.
Dr. Gordon Johnston, professor of English, had his collection of stories, Seven Islands of the Ocmulgee, featured on Georgia Public Broadcasting’s podcast “Narrative Edge” in July.
Dr. Marc Jolley, senior lecturer of philosophy and director of Mercer University Press, attended the 84th Thoreau Society Annual Gathering — “Thoreau’s Revolutions” — in Concord, Massachusetts, where he was elected to serve on the Thoreau Society Board for a three-year term and presented the paper “Walden as a Declaration of Independence.”
Dr. Paul Lewis, professor and chair of religion, has published two op-ed pieces with Good Faith Media: “Amid Turmoil, What Can We Do? What Should We Do?” and “Hope is Out of Line. Or is It?”
Dr. James Davis May, associate professor of English and director of creative writing, published poems in Diode, Rattle, Southern Indiana Review and The Sun. His poem “Standing Before the Relic at the Basilica of the Holy Blood in Bruges” was featured on Verse Daily on July 7, and his poem “The Patron Saint of Sliding Glass Doors,” which was originally published in America, won first place in the Catholic Media Association’s Best Original Poetry category for 2025.
Dr. Maggie Meadows, associate professor of chemistry, with former undergraduate research students Alexa E. Richardson and Oneeka Kohli, published the article “Calorimetric Analysis of the Interaction of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals with Cyclodextrins” in the Journal of Solutions Chemistry in June. The research provides information on endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as BPA and parabens that supports future work on removing these from the water supply.
Dr. Chinekwu Obidoa, associate professor of global health studies and Africana studies, authored a review of two books: 1st Edition Routledge Handbook of Contemporary African Migration by Daniel Makina and Dominic Pasura; and Africa’s Urban Youth: Challenging Marginalization, Claiming Citizenship by Amy S. Patterson, Megan Hershey and Tracy Kuperus. Both reviews were published in the Journal of Global South Studies, Vol. 42, No. 1, Spring 2025.
Dr. Tyler B. Parker, assistant professor of political science, published the article “Bridging the Gulf: Big answers through small Middle Eastern states” in the Small States & Territories journal, a chapter titled “Capabilities and Confidence: Gulf Arab Autonomy amid America’s Altered Authority” in the edited volume Order and Region Making in the Middle East, and the article “The United States and the Middle East, Post-Cold War Era” in the International Relations section of Oxford Bibliographies. In June, Dr. Parker delivered the presentation “A Theoretical Framework for Understanding Different European and Gulf Mediation Practices” at a workshop organized by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy in Geneva, Switzerland.
Dr. Jacqueline Pinkowitz, assistant professor of media studies, presented “Pregnancy as Body Horror in Contemporary Media” at the Console-ing Passions Media Conference held in Atlanta on June 27-29.
Chelsea Rathburn, associate professor of English and creative writing, published “Love Poem with Bottled Steak Sauce” in the spring 2025 issue of the Southern Review. In June, she presented “When the Grotesque Is Your Own Kin,” during a panel on the New Southern Gothic in creative nonfiction at the NonfictioNow conference at the University of Notre Dame.
Dr. Vasile Stănescu, associate professor of communication studies, has been named a research scholar at the Climate Social Science Network at Brown University and awarded a $17,000 research grant from the network to study greenwashing by animal agriculture in Canada. He’ll work with Mercer undergraduate students during the academic year to complete the project. Dr. Stănescu also gave a keynote at the international conference Compassionate Futures: Dismantling the Dynamics of Power and Violence in Human-Animal Relationships that was held June 17-19 in Barcelona, Spain.
Dr. Bryan J. Whitfield, Howard Giddens Professor of New Testament and professor of religion, presented the paper “Before the Heresy Trials: The Early History of the Study of Theology at Mercer” at the national meeting of the National Association of Baptist Professors of Religion on May 20 at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
Dr. Amy Wiles, associate professor of biology, published “A Saccharomyces cerevisiae knockout screen for genes critical for growth under sulfur- and nitrogen-limited conditions reveals intracellular sorting via vesicular transport systems” in the peer-reviewed journal G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics in July. The work was co-authored with 10 Mercer undergraduates.
Johna A. Wright, assistant director of fellowships and scholarships, was selected to serve on the United States International Council on Disabilities Youth Advisory Committee. In this role, she will work to expand awareness and implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, while also shaping global advocacy campaigns for the council.
Dr. Carolyn Yackel, professor of mathematics, was interviewed by David Riemann for the Museum of Mathematics in New York for the online series “Meet a Mathematician.” Additionally, she gave an invited lecture for the online Illustrating Mathematics seminar titled “Marrying Mathematics with Illustrative Techniques.” She also attended the Bridges Mathematics and Art Conference in Eindhoven, Netherlands, where she organized Family Day, the outreach afternoon for the conference. At that conference, she had a collection of seven shibori-dyed pieces accepted for and modeled in the juried fashion show. Additionally, Dr. Yackel was a funded participant at the Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics workshop Illustrating Mathematics: Reunion/Expansion held Aug. 11-15 in Providence, Rhode Island, where 13 of her temari balls were exhibited in a juried art exhibit.
Dr. Martin Q. Zhao, associate professor of computer science, attended the Computing Conference 2025 in London on June 19-20, where he presented the paper “Skeletal Growth Modeling for the Cayo Santiago Rhesus Macaques with Stepwise Regression Supported in CSViewer for Analysts,” which he co-authored with Dr. Rui Gong, assistant professor of mathematics in the College of Professional Advancement, and Dr. Qian Wang of Texas A&M College of Dentistry. At the conference, Dr. Zhao also took part in an interview with Adam Fields to publicize the collaborative National Science Foundation research project (2019-2025) that intends to build a knowledge model of the Cayo Santiago rhesus colony and its derived skeletal collections. Additionally, Dr. Zhao, with assistance from former student Riley Law, created the website CSViewerForAnalysts.org for the project.
College of Nursing
Dr. Andra Opalinski, associate professor, was certified as a Pediatric Mental Health Specialist in July 2025.
Dr. Justus Randolph, professor, co-authored the article “Photometric calibration of the Unistellar telescopes to the Johnson-Cousins System” published in the Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems, and he co-authored the article “The eccentricity distribution of warm sub-Saturns in TESS” published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Dr. Randolph’s article “Montessori education’s impact on academic and nonacademic outcomes: A systematic review,” which was published in Campbell Systematic Reviews, was recognized as among the top 10 most-cited and ranked within the top 10% of most-viewed papers published by the journal in 2023.
Dr. Humberto Reinoso, associate professor and nurse practitioner coordinator, was selected to serve as an on-site evaluator with the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, a nationally recognized accrediting agency for nursing programs.
College of Pharmacy
Dr. Jill Augustine, associate professor and director of assessment; Dr. Tyler Boyd, clinical assistant professor; and Dr. Philip Mensah, clinical assistant professor, presented “Rising Above the Skyline: Describing a Pilot Program for Residency and Fellowship Preparation” at the 2025 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy annual meeting on July 21 in Chicago. Dr. Augustine; Dr. Boyd; Dr. Mensah; Dr. Tonya Pearson, clinical assistant professor; and Dr. Kenric Ware, clinical associate professor, presented “Faculty Pathways to Success: Enhancing Orientation, Balance, and Promotion Through Cross-Generational Academic Insights” at the 2025 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy annual meeting on July 20 in Chicago.
Dr. Ajay K. Banga, professor and chair of pharmaceutical sciences, co-authored “Sustained delivery of 4-phenylbutyric acid via chitosan nanoparticles in foam for decontamination and treatment of lewisite-mediated skin injury” published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics; “Topical Foam for Simultaneous Treatment and Decontamination of Chemical Warfare Agents on Dermal Exposure” published in AAPS PharmSciTech; and “Development of a hydrophilic transdermal patch for combined delivery of sumatriptan and metoclopramide in migraine therapy” published in Drug Delivery and Translational Research.
Dr. Clinton Canal, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences, and Dr. Nader Moniri, associate dean for research and professor of pharmaceutical sciences, received the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award ($50,000) from the Georgia Research Alliance, for the grant proposal “Discovery and development of a selective acetylcholine muscarinic M2 receptor antagonist for bradycardia and bradyarrhythmia.”
Dr. Mahavir Chougule, associate professor, co-authored “Formulation and In-Vitro Testing of Nebulized Extended-Release Antiviral Camostat Mesylate Loaded Nanosuspension Product for the Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection” published in AAPS PharmSciTech.
Dr. Martin D’Souza, professor and director of Ph.D. programs, co-authored “Microfluidics-Assisted Formulation of Polymeric Oxytocin Nanoparticles for Targeted Brain Delivery” published in Pharmaceutics; and “Microneedle Delivery of Heterologous Microparticulate COVID-19 Vaccine Induces Cross-Strain Specific Antibody Levels in Mice” and “Evaluating the Immunogenicity of an Intranasal Microparticle Combination Vaccine for COVID-19 and Influenza” published in Vaccines.
Dr. Lori Dupree, clinical associate professor, presented “Building Your Alternative Grading Blueprint: A Hands-On Guide to Grading Transformation” at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy on July 20 in Chicago.
Dr. Raquibul Hasan, associate professor, co-authored “Resveratrol attenuates hepatic oxidative stress and preserves gut mucosal integrity in high-fat diet-fed rats by modulating antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways” published in Scientific Reports; “A review of food hydrocolloids on cardiovascular health: Alginate, astragalus polysaccharides, carrageenan, fucoidan, lunasin, and psyllium” published in International Journal of Biological Macromolecules; and “Nanomolar therapeutic concentrations of statins rapidly induce cerebral artery vasoconstriction by stimulating L-type calcium channels” published in Biochemical Pharmacology. Dr. Hasan also served as advisor for graduate student Sreelakshmi Menon, who won the 2025 AAPS Best Abstract Award at the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists annual meeting on May 27.
Dr. T. Vivian Liao, clinical associate professor and interim chair of pharmacy practice; Dr. Kenric Ware, clinical associate professor; and graduate student Thompson Le, received the Best Education and Training Practice Research Network Poster Award for “Understanding Gender-Affirming Care in Pharmacy Education: Student Reflections and Curriculum Insights” at the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Virtual Poster symposium on May 21.
Dr. Katelynn Mayberry, clinical assistant professor; Dr. Tonya Pearson, clinical assistant professor; and Dr. Kenric Ware, clinical associate professor, led 19 student pharmacists on a two-week interprofessional education immersion experience to provide mobile health services for migrant farm workers and their families through day and night clinics in South Georgia. The Mercer faculty and students collaborated with universities across Georgia.
Dr. Nicole Metzger, clinical professor, with class of 2025 student Kayla Phillips and alumna Dr. Marion Javellana, co-authored “Direct oral anticoagulants in acute kidney injury: analysis of 7-day readmission and 30-day readmission rates” at the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Virtual Poster Symposium on May 21.
Dr. Susan W. Miller, professor, presented “Framing Aging Through Art: Using Humanities to Combat Ageism in Health Professions Education” at the Southern Gerontological Society Conference in Birmingham, Alabama, on April 5. Dr. Miller also presented “Using a Humanities Based Visual Arts Activity to Promote a Nursing Career Focused on Older Adults” at the American Society on Aging meeting in Orlando, Florida, on April 22. She also presented “The Eyes Have It! Strategies for Managing Dry Eye Disease and Allergic Conjunctivitis” at the Georgia Pharmacy Association meeting on Amelia Island, Florida, on June 12. Additionally, Dr. Miller received the Faculty Member of the Year Award from the Georgia Pharmacy Association on June 14.
Dr. Tonya Pearson, clinical assistant professor, received the 25-Year Practitioner Award from the Georgia Society of Health-System Pharmacists Pharmacy Association on July 11. She also co-authored “Improving Rural Healthcare in Mobile Clinics: Real-Time, Live Data Entry into the Electronic Medical Record Using a Satellite Internet Connection” published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Dr. Mohammad Uddin, associate professor, co-authored “Nasal versus sublingual routes for emergency drug administration” published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences; and “Soil stoichiometry patterns and their driving mechanisms: exploring nutrient dynamics in eucalyptus plantations in Malakand Division” published in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment.
College of Professional Advancement
Dr. Vikraman Baskaran, associate professor of informatics, presented “A Comprehensive Three-Stage Evaluation Framework for AI-Enhanced EHR Training Systems: A Case Study in Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Documentation” at the Fourth International Conference on Innovations in Computing Research held Aug. 25-27 in London, and “Architectural Analysis of RFID Integration in Medical Device Logistics: A Healthcare Information Systems Study” at the International Conference on Human Interaction and Emerging Technologies: Artificial Intelligence & Future Applications held June 10-12 at the University of East London. Both publications were the culmination of two students’ Master of Science in health informatics capstone projects. Dr. Baskaran also presented the guest lecture “Engineering without borders: Global skills for a global future” to the department of medical electronics at the Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences Engineering in India.
Dr. Arla G. Bernstein, program coordinator and associate professor of strategic communication in the department of liberal studies, had her proposal “Multiculturalism in Global Healthcare: A Symposium” accepted for presentation at the American Association of Colleges and Universities 2025 Conference on Global Learning that will be held Nov. 12-14.
Dr. Caroline Brackette, professor of counseling, co-presented on the assessment of mental skills and intervention planning in college women’s basketball at the 2025 American Psychological Association convention in Denver.
Dr. Lily F. Farnia, assistant professor and coordinator of the human resources administration and talent development program, participated in the 2025 Association for Talent Development Atlanta Chapter Annual Conference and Expo. The conference brought together professionals and thought leaders in learning, development and organizational performance to explore the latest trends and best practices in talent development.
Dr. S M Shafiul Hasan, assistant professor of computer science in the informatics and mathematics department, published “Exploring neurovascular coupling in stroke patients: insights on linear and nonlinear dynamics using transfer entropy” in the Journal of Neural Engineering, May 8. The study uses transfer entropy to analyze brain signals and cerebral blood-flow signals in ischemic stroke, showing neuronal activity typically drives blood-flow dynamics and revealing linear-plus-nonlinear interactions with links to clinical outcomes.
Dr. Hollis Phelps, associate professor of interdisciplinary studies, earned a post-graduate certificate in Psychedelics: Mind, Medicine, and Culture from the University of Exeter in England. He also published the book Theology of Debt with Cascade Press.
Dr. Stefanie Sevcik, assistant professor of writing and interdisciplinary studies, attended the Governor’s Teaching Fellow May 2025 Symposium “Artificial Intelligence in the Holistic Classroom” at the University of Georgia. Dr. Sevcik was one of 16 faculty members from institutions of higher education across the state selected as a Governor’s Teaching Fellow.
Dr. Jacqueline S. Stephen, assistant professor and director of instructional and learning design, published the article “Instructional Strategies and Assessment Methods in Online Learning: Student Preferences, Perceived Effectiveness, and Usage Patterns in Graduate and Undergraduate Courses” in the June issue of TechTrends. The study examines how students engage with various instructional strategies and assessment methods in online courses, highlighting their preferences and perceived effectiveness. The findings offer valuable insights for designing inclusive, learner-centered online learning experiences.
School of Business
Dr. Szabolcs Blazsek, professor of economics, had the paper “Sample selection bias for Jackson Pollock auctions: A case study” accepted for publication in Applied Finance Letters. The paper was co-authored with Dr. Astrid Ayala, associate professor of management science and analytics, and B.B.A. program alumnus Miguel Angel Ruiz Sanchez.
Dr. Blake Bowler, assistant professor of accounting, was featured in a WalletHub article about the best budget apps.
Dr. Micah Frankel, professor of accounting, received the Distinguished Research Award at the Institute for Global Business Research summer conference for his presentation “Navigating the Marriage Tax Penalty: Insights From High- and Low‑Income Taxpayers.”
John Wilson Gordon, lecturer of finance and operations director, was featured in a WalletHub article about credit card insurance and a Guardian Insurance article about homeowner’s insurance.
Dr. James L. Hunt, professor of law and business, co-authored the guest commentary “Kansas Voters Deserve More Than Two-Party Rule” with Russell Fox, published July 3 in the Kansas City Star. Dr. Hunt also submitted a review of Stuart Banner’s The Most Powerful Court in the World: A History of the Supreme Court of the United States for the Journal of American History.
Dr. Myriam Quispe-Agnoli, associate professor of economics and business analytics, with Dr. Eric Kushins, associate professor of management at Berry College, co-authored the article “Cultural reproduction or cultural repertoire: women leaders, legitimacy and performance in family and nonfamily firms,” published in the journal SN Business & Economics. The article examines the impact of women’s roles on business performance, comparing family and non-family firms and concludes that women leaders of family firms reap higher levels of firm performance compared to their non-family firm counterparts.
Dr. Carol Springer Sargent, associate professor of accounting, served as advisor to students Colin Ralph and Jacob Woods, who won first place and were named national champions at the 2025 Institute of Management Accountants Student Case Competition at the 2025 Accounting and Finance Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. In their case, “NBA Player Acquisition: Cost-Benefit Analysis and Visualizations,” they recommend how to improve the Atlanta Hawks’ team roster using analytics and management accounting skills.
Dr. Vijaya Subrahmanyam, professor of finance and instructor of the FinTech Foundations course, and Glen Sarvady, managing principal at 154 Advisors and co-instructor of the course, accompanied a group of students to the FinTech South Conference in Atlanta, held Aug. 19-20. The conference is one of the largest gatherings of financial technology leaders, innovators and investors. Students participated in keynote sessions, panel discussions and interactive exhibits, gaining exposure to cutting-edge developments in digital payments, embedded finance, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence applications.
Dr. Rui Sun, assistant professor of economics, with Dr. Chihwa Kao, professor of economics at the University of Connecticut, and Dr. Long Liu, associate professor of economics at Florida Atlantic University, co-authored the article “A bias-corrected fixed effects estimator for the dynamic panel data model with exogenous variables” published in Economics Letters. The paper introduces a simple bias-corrected estimator for dynamic panel data models that avoids the iterative procedures required by traditional approaches. Monte Carlo simulations and an empirical application demonstrate that the proposed estimator delivers accuracy comparable to existing methods while substantially improving computational efficiency, offering practical benefits for research using large panel datasets.
School of Engineering
Dr. Hunmin Kim, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, presented his paper “Rust-Based Ground Station Software for High Altitude Ballooning” at the Academic High Altitude Conference, held June 23-27 in Huntsville, Alabama. Dr. Kim co-authored the paper with Dr. Anthony Choi, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and students Ayush Sahoo, Kalp Patel and Samhita Saragadam. Dr. Kim also presented the same paper at the 2025 Scientific Ballooning Technologies conference on May 16 in Minneapolis. Dr. Kim, with Minjun Sung and Naira Hovakimyan, co-authored the article “Addressing Behavior Model Inaccuracies for Safe Motion Control in Uncertain Dynamic Environments” that was published in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters in May.
Under the guidance of Dr. Dorina Mihut, mechanical engineering professor; Dr. Arash Afshar, mechanical engineering associate professor; Dr. Stephen Hill, associate dean and mechanical engineering associate professor; and Dr. Lianjun Wu, mechanical engineering associate professor, students Alex Patrick, Zachary Rehg, Ronald White III, Jin Choi, Caleb Luo-Gardner and Michael Norenberg presented the poster “Comparison of Mechanical and Tribological Properties in Pristine vs. Environmentally Degraded Additively Manufactured and Molded Polymers” at the 79th Annual Meeting and Exhibition, Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, held in Atlanta on May 18-22.
Dr. Chandan K. Roy, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, with students Joshua Henderson, Zachary Kubus and Alexandra Dunn, published the journal article “Building an ASTM D5470 Standard Apparatus and Testing Performance of Different Thermal Interface Materials” in the International Journal of Thermal Engineering.
School of Law
Jessica Herndon, assistant director of career services, served as co-presenter with Danielle Taylor, chief data strategist for the National Association for Law Placement, of “Closing the Career Gap: How Career Services Can Champion First-Gen Law and Professional Students” at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators conference on student success in higher education, held in June in Denver.
Anne G. Johnson, adjunct professor, with Diane Kraft of University of Denver, Dean Matthew Carluzzo of Villanova Law School, Professor Liz Stillman of Suffolk Law School and Professor Tia Gibbs of Georgia State School of Law, presented at the 12th annual Association of Academic Support Educators (AASE) conference at Suffolk Law School in Boston. Their presentation, “AASE By the Numbers — Live Results of the 2025 AASE Institutional and Individual Survey,” reviewed the data gathered by the AASE assessment committee regarding programming, status and salaries for academic success programs nationwide. Johnson will again serve as chair of the AASE assessment committee for the 2025-26 academic year.
Najiva Timothee, administrative support associate, is founder and executive director of the Girls Dig Deeper Initiative, which received a proclamation from Macon-Bibb Mayor Lester Miller and County Manager Dr. Keith Moffett recognizing July 15-23 as Girls Dig Deeper Initiative Summer Learning Week in Macon-Bibb County. Girls Dig Deeper is a girls group mentoring and youth development program serving middle and high school girls ages 13-17 in Middle Georgia.
School of Medicine
Dr. Caroline Anglim, assistant professor in the bioethics and medical humanities department, with College of Nursing’s Dr. Jennifer L. Bartlett, associate professor; Dr. Macy M. Mosher, clinical assistant professor; and Dr. Justus Randolph, professor in the College of Nursing; and rising senior medical student Alaina G.D. Joiner, co-authored the article “Interprofessional ethics education through a simulation focused on collective moral distress” published in the Journal of Interprofessional Care. Dr. Anglim was also recently invited to serve on a Data Safety and Monitoring Board for the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
Dr. Ilana Chefetz, associate professor of pharmacology, presented “Premature Ovarian Insufficiency” and “How to win the ovarian cancer stem cell battle: Destroying the roots” at Atrium Navicent Health OB-GYN Department, as part of the Women’s Health Research Lecture Series at Emory University, OB-GYN Department.
Dr. Ahmed Eltokhi, assistant professor in the department of biomedical sciences, contributed to the FamilySCN2A Foundation Summer Conference by delivering a talk during the Data Blitz session in a roundtable discussion and presenting a research poster. He was also chosen to participate in the highly competitive Interstellar Initiative Mentoring Workshop that will be held in New York on Sept. 17-19.
Dr. Abraham M. Enyeji, assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine, co-authored the article “Relation between non-dietary cardiovascular health and costs associated with stroke in the U.S.” published in the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition.
Dr. Tony Gryffin, associate professor of community medicine, conducted the workshop “The Rural Health Greenbook Project for Health Motivation,” addressing health disparities among older adults in rural areas. He also co-presented with Dr. Manish Mishra, associate professor of biomedical sciences, the poster “Healthy Lifestyle Among Older Adults in Rural Georgia: Implications and Applications of a Theory-Driven Approach,” which focused on nutrition, at the Florida Public Health Association Annual Educational Conference in Orlando in July. The workshop, Greenbook Project and poster included research and contributions from 2024 Summer Scholars program participants Tahiya Anwar and Davis Kidd and rural health Ph.D. students Kendra Jenkins and Nicole Wanty. Dr. Gryffin also had accepted for publication in the American Journal of Health Education the article “Community Mindfulness, Health Education, and Public Health,” which presents applications of mindfulness at the community level for addressing conflict resolution, opposing views and bias.
Dr. David Hollar, associate professor; Dr. Yudan Wei, professor; and rising fourth-year medical student Raina Modi had a poster abstract accepted for the Annual Joint Meeting of the International Society of Exposure Science and the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology, held Aug. 18-20 in Atlanta. Dr. Hollar presented the poster. In addition, Dr. Hollar and rising fourth-year Savannah medical student Lauren Ashlyn Fletcher co-authored the paper “Genomic and physiological characteristics for survival in melanoma: a genetic epidemiology study,” published in the peer-reviewed journal Gene.
Dr. Francis M. Kirera, associate professor of anatomy, co-authored the paper “Eighteen Million Years of Diverse Enamel Proteomes from the East African Rift” published in Nature. The study expands ancient proteomic analysis in fossil tooth enamel from 3.5 million to 18 million years, using rhinocerotid and proboscidean specimens to reveal new insights into the biology and evolutionary relationships of extinct species. Dr. Kirera also led paleontological excavations at the 3.5-million-year-old Kiria Site in Kenya’s Aberdare Range, where his team recovered diverse fossils now curated at the National Museums of Kenya. The Kiria Site is among the highest-elevation Pliocene localities in East Africa, with fossils uniquely preserved in rare volcanic lava flows. In addition, Dr. Kirera co-presented the virtual paper “Hominin Presence, Activity, and Evolution in the Central Highlands of Kenya” at the Society for Africanist Archaeology conference in Faro, Portugal.
Dr. Edward C. Klatt, professor in the department of biomedical sciences, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Pathology Informatics at the 2025 Pathology Informatics Summit, in Ypsilanti, Michigan, May 19-22. The award, the organization’s highest honor, is given in gratitude and recognition for a lifetime of professional contributions to the field of pathology informatics. At the same meeting, Dr. Klatt presented the scientific educational session “Audio Informatics: The Science Behind Speaking, Listening, and Perception” and served as the poster judge for the 29th year. Dr. Klatt also provided funding for 10 trainees in informatics to receive travel awards to attend the meeting. Additionally, Dr. Klatt served as a reviewer of presentations on the topic of health equity for presentation at the Health Information and Management Systems Society 2026 Global Health Conference & Exhibition. The organization informs health care policy decisions in multiple countries. Dr. Klatt also served as a reviewer in August for educational content submissions in assessment, technology, instruction, cognition and learning for the American Educational Research Association 2026 annual meeting.
Dr. Jong-Hyuk Lee, assistant professor of genetics, published the paper “Cockayne syndrome mice reflect human kidney disease and are defective in de novo NAD biosynthesis” in Cell Death & Differentiation. He also presented the research at the Technology Networks-Teach Me in 10: Future of Molecular Diagnostics conference, the Share and Care Cockayne Syndrome Network conference, the Biological Research Information Center Hanbitsa webinar, and the fifth edition of Global Experts meeting on Frontiers in Neurosciences. He also presented the talk “Epigenetic Chromatin Modification in Aging and Premature Aging Diseases” at the Labroots 2025 Precision Medicine: Genomics, Genetics & Molecular Diagnostics virtual event.
Dr. Peter Papadakos, professor of internal medicine, with Dr. Roy H. Constantine, edited the second edition of his book Distracted Doctoring: Returning to Patient Care in the Digital Age. The book, an imprint of Springer publishing, is widely utilized in educating health professionals about providing patient-centered care in this era of computerized medicine.
Dr. David Parish, professor, co-authored the article “Predicting survival in atrial fibrillation: results from SAGE-AF” published in the Journal of Geriatric Cardiology.
Dr. Eric K. Shaw, professor of community medicine, served as the lead grant writer and will consult on three grants: a $15,000 College and Career Readiness grant from the New Jersey Office of Faith-Based Initiatives (July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026); a $40,000 Health and Wellness grant from the Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and Development (July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026); and a $29,750 Youth Workforce Investment In-School and Out-of-School Program grant from the Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and Development (July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026).
Dr. Abdelmoneim Younis, professor of OB-GYN, was inducted as a faculty member into Alpha Omega Alpha in April, and he received a research affiliate faculty appointment at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine department of obstetrics and gynecology in July. Dr. Younis had three research abstracts accepted for presentation at the 2025 Annual Scientific Congress & Expo of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, being held in San Antonio in October. Two of the abstracts’ first authors are former students, Dr. Christina Cortes, an OB-GYN resident at the University of Texas-Houston, and Dr. Georgia Pridgen, a Mercer School of Medicine OB-GYN resident. Two additional co-authors are current Mercer School of Medicine OB-GYN residents, Dr. Kristina Hawkins and Dr. Alexander Marion. The abstracts are “Trends In Azoospermia and Severe Oligozoospermia: A Seven-Year Analysis at a Reproductive Centre Serving a Rural Population,” “Association Between Neighborhood Deprivation and Total Motile Sperm Count in Men During Infertility Evaluation Over the Past 10 Years” and “Association Between Life Expectancy and Total Sperm Count in Men Undergoing Infertility Treatment.”
School of Music
Dr. Jack Mitchener, director of Townsend-McAfee institute of church music, chair of keyboard studies and professor of organ and harpsichord, was featured in an artist spotlight and video in The Diapason. Dr. Mitchener also spent three weeks in June performing in Europe as the organist for the annual tour of the Atlanta-based Georgia Boy Choir, with concerts in Germany, the Czech Republic and in Vienna, Austria. In July, Dr. Mitchener oversaw the installation of a new organ — the Opus 7 by French-Canadian organ builder François Desautels — in Fickling Hall. The instrument will be showcased in an inaugural recital by Mitchener on Nov. 9.
Amy Schwartz Moretti, Caroline Paul King Chair of Strings and artistic director of the McDuffie Center for Strings, performed for two weeks with the Seattle Chamber Music Society. She took part in the premiere of John Novacek’s commissioned work Music for 8 and recorded the Franck Piano Quintet alongside artists James Ehnes, Che-Yen Chen, Edward Arron and Inon Barnaton. In June, her ensemble, the Ehnes Quartet, gave a performance at London’s Wigmore Hall. Moretti also performed and taught at festivals across the country, including the Portland Chamber Music Festival in Maine, Vivace! Festival in North Carolina, Derby City Chamber Music Festival in Kentucky, the New Canaan Chamber Music in Connecticut, and the Chamber Soloists of Detroit.
Dr. Nathan Myrick, assistant professor of church music and director of undergraduate studies, presented “Sounding Transcendent, Sounding Liminal” as part of the “Prying Open the Black Box of Contemporary Worship Music” panel at the bi-annual Congress of Societias Liturgica at the Catholic University of Paris on July 29. Dr. Myrick also presented “Waging Peace Through Music in Morocco” at the annual meeting of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada held July 15 at Wayne State University in Detroit.
Dr. Christopher Schmitz, professor of music theory and composition, was featured in the short documentary “Chaos Becomes Order,” that has been accepted as an official selection film for the 2025 Raleigh Film & Art Festival. The film is about Dr. Schmitz’ “Violin Concerto and Symphony,” which the London Symphony Orchestra recorded.
Staff and Administration
Dr. Stefanie Swanger, director of the Center for Career and Professional Development, completed a successful term as the 2024-25 Georgia Association of Colleges and Employers (GACE) state president. Under her leadership, the organization brought back its signature Statewide Career Fair, implemented a new annual program highlighting innovation and entrepreneurship in Georgia, and navigated complicated policy changes to ensure the longevity and financial security of the organization. Additionally, Dr. Swanger continued her advocacy for Georgia Independent College Association (GICA) representation in GACE and has helped to launch the GICA Career Center Affinity Group.
