College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter - Georgia College & State ...

College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter

Table of Contents
From the Dean’s Office...
From the Dean’s Office.............................................................................................................................................3
Department of Art.....................................................................................................................................................4
Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences...........................................................................................5
Department of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy..................................................................................................6
Department of English and Rhetoric.........................................................................................................................7
Department of Government and Sociology...............................................................................................................8
Department of History, Geography and Philosphy...................................................................................................9
Interdisciplinary Studies.........................................................................................................................................10
Department of Mass Communication......................................................................................................................11
Department of Mathematics....................................................................................................................................12
Department of Modern Languages and Culture......................................................................................................13
Department of Music...............................................................................................................................................14
Department of Psychological Science.....................................................................................................................15
Department of Theatre............................................................................................................................................16
Museums.................................................................................................................................................................17
Programs of Distinction..........................................................................................................................................18
Give a gift...............................................................................................................................................................20
Photography courtesy of:
Tim Vacula
Gregg Kaufman
Stephanie Reagan
Melanie Beal
Bobbi Otis
Lauren Davidson
Matthew Heath
Indiren Pillay
Emily Gomez
Bob Chandler
Carlos Herrera
Larbi Oukada
Elaine Whitaker
Lana McDowell
The dean’s office suite is near the front door of the Arts and Science building, but if you
aren’t looking for it, you can miss it. Of course we do important work in the dean’s office—we
manage budgets, hiring, planning and policies—but much of our work should
stay behind the scenes.
The showcase work of the college is in the hands of our talented faculty. Faculty
dreams, hopes, and hard work continually transform the college. Working with students in
classrooms and research labs, in rehearsal halls and studios, in the college museums and
galleries, and in the initiatives we call programs of distinction, faculty have made the college
into a wonderfully exciting world. It is an ideal educational experience for our students.
This newsletter is a great example. What better way to create a college newsletter than
to recruit Georgia College journalists-in-training and showcase their ability? I proposed
the idea to Mass Communication department chair, Dr. Mary Jean Land. Dr. Land took the
project to one of her faculty, who implemented it in the junior-level Public Relations Writing
class
Writing is an important part of the Mass Communication major. Students learn how to
write for a specific audience and context. Writing for broadcast differs from writing for
publication. The students would write the articles with alumni in mind, and begin to answer
the question, “What would alumni like to know about the College of Arts and Sciences
as it is today?”
The Public Relations Writing class had exactly the number of students needed to cover
the college majors, museums and programs of distinction. I met with the class to answer
questions. The students would interview a contact person, research the topic, write an
article as an assignment, and earn credit for a course grade. And then get a byline in the
newsletter.
Writing was phase one. In phase two, mass communication student and Colonnade
(campus student newspaper) editor, Bobbi Otis designed and prepared the newsletter.
My thanks for the production of this newsletter go to the department of Mass Communication,
the faculty and staff across the college who helped our students with the project.
Special thanks go to the fifteen Public Relations students who wrote the articles, and especially
to Bobbi Otis, who volunteered to create the design and layout.
2 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 2012 2012 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 3

Department of Art
By: Chelsea Hinkel, Public Relations student
The Georgia College Department
of Art offers students the opportunity
to graduate with a B.A. in
Art while maintaining the strength
of small class sizes indicative of a liberal
arts university. With approximately 160 majors
accompanied by 12 full-time and several
part-time faculty, the department is able to offer
a wide variety of creative opportunities.
Three primary concentrations—studio art,
art history and museum studies—have allowed
students to develop elite artistic skills
and knowledge to practice in their careers.
In the studio area, Georgia College offers
disciplines in the areas of fiber arts, digital art
and technology, painting, photography, ceramics
and printmaking for unique creative outlets.
The art history area includes areas of study
such as arts of Africa, Asia and India, public art
and media culture, northern renaissance, modern
art, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism,
the global history of body art and art criticism,
all supported by courses in writing about art.
The museum studies program prepares
students for a career
in gallery and
museum administration,
planning,
curating, exhibition
design and fundraising
in the arts.
Being one of the
few programs of
its kind in the region,
museum studies
is one of the
most distinctive
art concentrations.
Offering experiential
learning,
museum studies
concentration majors
make great use
of our Blackbridge
Hall Galleries, the
student-run ArtFix
Gallery and the Museum
of Fine Arts.
The Department
of Art continues to
provide the structure
and guidance
of a liberal arts education
to students by
remaining highly involved
in the community
and providing
students with
fully equipped fine
arts studios, galleries
and lecture spaces.
In order to further improve the opportunity
for student success, the Department of Art
is currently preparing for the renovation and
revitalization of Ennis Hall as its new home.
In collaboration with the university and an
architectural firm, the department created a
Board of Regents-approved design concept
including detailed floor and facilities plans.
If state funding is approved, renovations
to Ennis Hall could begin as early as 2013.
Mayfair, Blackbridge and Macintosh halls
were originally built to function as boarding
homes in the early 1990s for guests of the Old
Governor’s Mansion directly across the street.
The availability of new, specifically designed
spaces will provide students with the type of
stream-lined advances they need to develop
the skills necessary for a career in the arts.
Highly anticipated spaces in particular include
a professionally adapted dark room
to replace the current facility which occupies
a room in one of the historical houses,
and state-of-the-art lecture spaces available
for all art majors as well as the many students
serviced in the Georgia College core.
“The move to Ennis Hall as well as other
Department of Art activities, programs, capstones
and mission have been fully supported
by the Georgia College administration,”
said Bill Fisher, associate professor
and department chair. “The move is illustrative
of our Liberal Arts Pillars of Distinction
and Strategic Initiatives, representing
the many and varied benefits to the holistic
and ongoing development of the individual
as they move into life beyond the B.A. ”
To further strengthen the liberal arts students
at Georgia College, the department remains
highly active with the local, campus and greater
communities. The department participates
in frequent faculty and student exhibitions in
downtown Milledgeville venues, students sell
wares and offer demos at Deep Roots Festival
and Georgia College parent day each year,
students and faculty present at national conferences,
and students also display large scale
public murals throughout the community.
The arts faculty maintains a major presence
in the university core, and routinely
runs studio workshops and other “beyond
the classroom” experiences for
students and faculty from all areas of study.
“Whether the class is ceramics, fibers,
painting, printmaking, drawing, photography,
digital media or art history the faculty
in the art department ask students to
have an open mind about what they see
and study,” said Ainsley Eubanks, senior
administrative art department assistant.
“For some students this can be life changing.
Some students come back years after
graduation and tell the department
about how a certain class, class discussion
or project had widened their view of
art and the way they look at world events.”
The art department has also partnered
up with YES, Glimps, Early College programs,
area elementary, middle and home
school students, inmates of the Baldwin
County correctional facilities, clients of
Creative Expression and Red Road Alliance
in various workshops and exhibitions.
These collaborations not only bring artistic
expression by and to students but also to the community
to strengthen the integrative relationship
of Georgia College with its surroundings.
“We are part of this larger family, too, that
is Georgia College and also the community
around us,” Tina Yarborough, professor of art
said. “By participating in these circles of engagement
our students develop the most important
facets of a liberal arts education. Our
students stand out in today’s society and are
capable of being really strong in production.”
The Department of Biological and
Environmental Science is presenting
students with new and
different opportunities in the way
of research. The distinguished faculty engages
in a vast array of research across the
biological and environmental science field.
“Whether as a freshman or senior, the experience
of getting to work closely, as an undergraduate,
with a faculty researcher, can ultimately
result in a presentation at the university
research symposium, or even at a regional or
national conference,” said Dr. Indiren Pillay,
associate professor and Department Chair
of Biological and Environmental Sciences.
“First and second year majors are encouraged
to explore research opportunities with
faculty by participating in The David J.
Cotter Undergraduate Research Program.”
Many of the newer faculty members are
adding to the innovative research in the department
and are extremely interested in
student involvement with the research in
order to further the students’ education
for their future careers. One of these faculty
members is Amanda Chase, an assistant
professor of microbiology. Her training
is in viral immunology, and her current
research focuses on the Dengue virus and
how it inhibits the host’s immune response.
In addition to her work on Dengue virus,
Dr. Chase is also interested in research with
bacterial viruses known as bacteriophages.
“The students in my lab are collecting
water samples from local water sources
and quantifying the amount of coliphages,
a type of bacteriophage, in their samples,”
Chase said. “The students will identify their
phages and may even discover a new bacteriophage
that hasn’t been characterized yet.”
The goal of student involvement in
Chase’s research is to better prepare students
for careers in health-related disciplines.
Another assistant professor in the Biology
and Environmental Science Department,
Dr. Samuel Mutiti, is also currently
working on bacteriophage research.
Together Chase and Mutiti have designed
two courses around the isolation, identification
and characterization of phages that are
present in soil and water-dwelling bacteria.
This undertaking was funded by Georgia
College and is another way of exposing undergraduate
biological and environmental science
students through a Science, Technology, Engineering
and Mathematics (STEM) Initiative.
These hands-on research opportunities in
discovery science are enriching experiences
for biology and environmental science majors.
The research experiences are giving
students a chance to participate in
real world situations that they will benefit
from in their prospective careers.
“In the spring of 2012, the department is
offering a hands-on, research-based course
in molecular biotechniques. These courses
are research-intensive, where students
will have the opportunity to be trained in
their research techniques,” Chase said.
As seen by these courses, the Biological
and Environmental Science Department has a
wide range of research opportunities both inside
and outside of the classroom. Also, with
the large and diverse faculty in the department,
there are many different options for research.
Some examples of these include molecular
microbial ecology, herpetology, ornithology,
yeast biology, algal species interactions,
Neogene mammalian paleoecology
and diversity and plant-insect interactions.
The Biological and Environmental Science
Department is providing an endless
amount of unique opportunities in research
for students majoring in the department. Each
faculty member is bringing forth their individual
knowledge for students to earn the
best and most fulfilling education possible.
By: Katherine Darsie, Public Relations student
Department of Biological and
Environmental Sciences
4 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 2012 2012 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 5

Department of Chemisty,
Physics and Astronomy
By: Kelsey Lee, Public Relations student
The Department of Physics,
Chemistry, and Astronomy
at Georgia College is
making several advancements
thanks to its outstanding faculty.
Department Chair Dr. Kenneth McGill
is thrilled by his engaging faculty and
staff who create an environment of higher
learning for both faculty and students.
“We are truly blessed to have a faculty
that absolutely enjoys what they
do,” Dr. McGill said. “In Chemistry and
Physics the majority of scientists graduating
with PhDs go into industry because
the financial rewards are so much
higher. Those of us that enter academia
generally do it because we enjoy the
freedom of being life-long learners. We
learn and make discoveries right alongside
our students. I am very thankful
to work with a great group of faculty
that feels this way; it makes me look
forward to coming to work every day.”
Dr. Agnes Kim, assistant professor
in the Department of Chemistry,
Physics and Astronomy, has been
at Georgia College since 2008 and
has greatly contributed to the university.
Dr. Kim was asked by astronomers
in Belgium to analyze data from
space and made an important discovery.
“I analyzed data from a pulsating white
dwarf found in the field of view of the
NASA planet finding space telescope Kepler
and found that it was hotter than what
we thought,” Kim said. “The discovery of
a pulsating white dwarf of that kind in the
Kepler field of view was a big surprise,
as it is a rare kind of star to begin with.”
The discovery made by Kim
not only helps the department,
but the university as well.
“This is research that has been published
in a top professional journal and
that has drawn attention from abroad.
It puts Georgia College and the Department
of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy
on the map as an institution
where exciting science is going on.”
Dr. Catrena Lisse, associate professor
of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy,
is another faculty member improving
the department. Dr. Lisse has been at
Georgia College for 10 years and is also
the Chemistry Club advisor. This year,
the Chemistry Club received its fourth
Outstanding Chapter National Award
“The Chemistry Club has been around
for over 15 years,” Dr. Lisse said. “When
I became the adviser back in 2002, the
Chemistry Club only had 2 members and
was not very active. We currently have
47 members and stay busy year round.”
The Chemistry Club focuses on community
service, such as volunteering as
science fair judges at local schools, coordinating
National Chemistry Week
and Earth Day, visiting the Georgia War
Veterans Home, and
several other activities,
which create a
fun and educational
environment for students.
This helps
students develop
professional and
personal skills that
will serve the club
members throughout
their future careers.
“I am very proud
of the club for this
achievement,” Dr.
Lisse said. “Winning
national awards has
become part of our
legacy. The students
are proud of their
accomplishments
and are passionate
about keeping
the tradition going
from one graduating
class to another.”
The faculty in
the Department of
Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy not
only contributes to the department with
their knowledge, but financially as well.
Dr. Douglas Pohl, professor of Chemistry,
Physics, and Astronomy, donated a
24-inch research class telescope to the
observatory located in Herty Hall. The
telescope will allow students to have a
detailed view of planets, comets, and
stars. Although Pohl is officially retired,
he continues to share his knowledge
with students at Georgia College
by teaching part-time and is also chair
of the local American Chemical Society.
“We are very much looking forward to
the new telescope coming to the new observatory,”
Dr. McGill said. “Dr Pohl’s
gracious donation will inspire many
young scientists for many years to come.”
In 18th century London, coffeehouses became known as
Penny Universities—for the price of a penny, one could
gain access not only to the coffee served at the house,
but the conversations that percolated within. Newsboys
called “runners” announced all the latest news for discussion
in the coffeehouses, and men from all social levels, including
many students from the local universities, spent long hours
conversing about trade, society, and the latest hot topics. Coffee
houses were the intellectual and informational hubs of the city.
In Milledgeville, this longstanding partnership of coffee, community
and intellect still exists. At Blackbird Coffee, people from
the community mingle with students and professors from the university—studying,
chatting, attending events and having meetings.
The Georgia College Department of English and Rhetoric has
developed a particularly strong relationship with the shop. Countless
connections exist between the department and Blackbird, including
the fact that an owner, Jimmy Holder, teaches composition
at Georgia College. Members of the English and Rhetoric Department
populate the shop daily.
Junior Rhetoric major David Hamby can be found in the coffee
shop almost any day of the week.
“One morning I was really stressed out about a speech I had to
deliver that afternoon,” Hamby said. “I sat down in Blackbird and
after forty minutes I had finished what turned out to be my best
speech ever. The atmosphere just tends to stimulate creativity.”
Dr. Bruce Gentry, Professor of English and editor of the Flannery
O’Connor Review, visits Blackbird at least once a day to get
coffee and mingle with students and/or people in the community.
He thinks the close relationship between the shop and the English
and rhetoric department is a natural one. It is not uncommon to find
him, or any other professor in the department, holding meetings
with students in the shop.
“Meeting a student at Blackbird softens the professional barrier,”
Dr. Gentry said. “It’s relaxed and friendly—a good way to say ‘I’m
not playing professor with a capital P’.”
Similarly, many teachers, professors, and faculty members in the
English and rhetoric Department hold meetings with colleagues at
Blackbird.
Department Chair Elaine Whitaker saw Blackbird for the first time
at her 2006 job interview, as it is customary for students to interview
departmental candidates there.
“Coffee at Blackbird lets me connect with the community as well
as with colleagues and students,” Dr. Whitaker said, “It’s a public
space that encourages a meaningful exchange of ideas.”
On a special night of each month, Blackbird hosts an event specific
to the celebration of literature, creative writing, and rhetoric.
The event is called the Red Earth Readings and features public readings
of poems, essays, and short stories. Many have been published
in The Peacock’s Feet, a yearly journal published by Georgia College
that showcases the literary and artistic talents of people from Georgia
College and beyond. Senior English major Peggy Des Jardines is
this year’s editor of The Peacock’s Feet and heads up the Red Earth
Readings. She said Blackbird was the obvious choice of venue for the
readings.
“It’s such a comfy place,” Des Jardines said, “And since so many
English and rhetoric people hang out here anyway, it didn’t make
sense to have it anywhere else.”
Des Jardines, who was recently honored as the 2nd winner of the
Margaret Harvin Wilson Writing Award for her poem “Moratorium”,
confesses to producing some of her best work at the small black tables
lined up against the walls of the coffee shop.
The connection between coffee, literature, writing and rhetoric is
undeniably a tight one. Flannery O’Connor herself began each morning
with a cup of black coffee her mother brewed the night before.
Blackbird provides an office-away-from-office and a forum for shared
ideas, while the Department of English and Rhetoric brings a passionate
community of writers and public speakers that enhances the
mentally and creatively stimulating atmosphere of the coffee shop.
Anyone who has applied for a job at Blackbird Coffee is fully aware
of this coffee/creativity connection—the last requirement on Blackbird’s
job application is to write a poem.
Department of English and
Rhetoric
By: Ala Bishop, Public Relations student
6 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 2012 2012 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 7

Department of Government
and Sociology
By: Bobbi Otis, Public Relations student
The Department of Government
and Sociology offers
Bachelor of Arts major and
minor degree programs in
criminal justice, political science and sociology.
A minor is also offered in anthropology.
The department also offers graduate degree
programs: Master of Public Administration
and Master of Science in Criminal Justice.
Twenty-four full-time faculty members
in six separate disciplines promote
a student-centered learning environment
for the approximate 600 enrolled students.
Faculty members in the department are active
scholars in their fields and many have been
recognized with teaching and service awards.
Learning inside the classroom as well as
outside is an important aspect of a Georgia
College education and the Department of Government
and Sociology showcases that across
all of its major and minor degree programs.
Criminal Justice
In some criminal justice classes visiting jails
and prisons are important ways for students
to apply knowledge learned in their courses.
“Very often I take my students to jail or
prison, because it is one thing to sit and talk
about these entities, and then to actually go
look them in the eye,” Associate Professor
of Criminal Justice Dr. Sara Doude said.
Introductory courses also offer the
chance for students to interact with law
enforcement in the local community.
“Outside of the classroom, with the introduction
courses they have an application
project that they choose so they can do different
things,” Assistant Professor Lana Mc-
Dowell said. “For one, they can take part in a
police ride along and answer questions based
on what the police officer say in relation to
the foundation of knowledge in the book.”
Political Science
Model United Nations is offered within the department
and is lead by Dr. Steve Elliot-Gower.
“The Department of Government & Sociology
sponsors a Model United Nations team
and offers a one-credit hour MUN course,” Dr.
Elliot-Gower said. “The team has participated
in National Model United Nations competition
in Washington, D.C. for the last two years.”
The political science major promotes civic
engagement; one example is Professor Gregg
Kaufman’s GC1Ycritical thinking core course.
Kaufman teaches his students about public
politics among other things. Public politics
is aimed at getting ordinary citizens
engaged in deliberating and weighing the
positives and negative of
public problems. Students
in this core course act as
facilitators, observers and
note takers at forums for
the community. The topic
for one of these events
was on the national debt.
Another course
Kaufman teaches is called
public achievement. In
that class college students
work with 100 local
fourth and fifth grade elementary
school students
to teach them how to become
engaged citizens.
“Over the course of two
semesters college students in pairs coach ––
and that’s their name, they actually coach, they
are not mentors, they are not tutors, they are not
teachers, they’re coaches –– a small group of
fifth graders or fourth graders in what it means
to be active in democracy,” Kaufman said.
Dr. Brandy Kennedy graduated with a Masters
in Public Affairs from the Department of
Government and Sociology in 2002 and thinks
there is more out of the classroom learning
happening now than when she attended.
“I think there is a lot more initiative
now for the service learning aspect for outside
the classroom activities,” Dr. Kennedy
said. “Of course technology has
come a long way in a short amount of
time so that makes things a lot different.”
Sociology
The sociology program has redesigned
their capstone to make the experience
more interactive for the students.
“A lot of what we’ve done in the last
few years is really redesigning our capstone
experience for our sociology majors,”
Dr. Stephanie McClure said.
“So, students can choose from four options
of the three-hour component of the capstone,
either an internship, a study abroad
experience, an independent research project
or what we are calling the capstone course.
Students select one of those four options
that best fits with what their specific goals
and post-college aspirations are, and then
we work with them independently as faculty
in sort of one-on-one relationships.”
Dr. Sandra Godwin is an associate
professor of sociology. One of her
classes collaborates with Associate Professor
of art Valerie Aranda and the community
patrons of Lucerito, a grocery store.
“One of our goals is to have our students
evaluate stereotypes and to then envision
and to design images that undermine
those stereotypes,” Godwin said. “In particular
we look at Karl Marx and his influence
on the Mexican Muralist Movement.
It’s a rich blending of art and sociology.”
Junior Sociology major Sara
Mruz took the art and social change
course offered by Dr. Godwin.
“In the second half of the class we went
to a Spanish store on (U.S. Highway) 441
and painted a mural,” Mruz said. “It incorporated
learning about the effects murals
can have on their community, while opening
our eyes to another discipline at GC.”
Anthropology
Dr. Jeff Blick teaches students in the Department
of Government and Sociology
who have decided to minor in anthropology.
“Inside the classroom it is a typical lecture
situation, I try to make it as interesting as
possible. I use different stories and different
anecdotes from stuff I’ve done in the past,”
Dr. Blick said. “In the past I’ve had people
do all sorts of things (outside the classroom)
I’ve had people go out and interview experts
on the environment, local experts, whether it
was somebody at the Atlanta Zoo or county
waste management or landfill, county or
city water, water and sewage treatment.”
He also incorporates research into his
courses by collecting raw data and having
his students perform statistical analyses.
Georgia College’s History,
Geography & Philosophy
Department within
the College of Arts & Sciences
is proud to highlight the activities
of The Center for Georgia Studies
The Center for Georgia Studies offers opportunities
for students at Georgia College
and the entire community to study and explore
all aspects of Georgia’s history. The
Center exists as a vehicle to provide the
“whole story” about the state of Georgia —
its heritage, culture, people, environment,
music, food, art, economics and history.
The Center sponsors activities such as:
conferences, publications, classes, speakers
and research and is open to students,
visiting scholars and the public.
“The Center offers the Georgia College
and local community an opportunity
to hear talks by experts in many
disciplines and special events,” said Professor
of American History and Graduate
Coordinator Dr. Craig S. Pascoe.
The department is excited about the upcoming
events including a new lecture
series, beginning fall 2012. In conjunction
with the History Department at The
University of Georgia, Georgia College
will host three scheduled lectures
next fall. Lecture topics will include: the
coming of the Civil War, the Civil War
and Slavery and are open to the public.
As the Antebellum capital of Georgia,
Milledgeville offers a rich architectural
legacy and history. The city’s resources allow
the stories of the past to come alive,
be discussed and be studied today. Activities
sponsored by The Center For Georgia
Studies take advantage of Milledgeville’s
unique historical legacy by allowing students
to experience history as if they
were in the past experiencing it first-hand.
A group of students in Assistant Professor
of History Dr. Rachel Sheldon’s class are
fortunate to get to have their Georgia secession
debate in the renovated Capitol Building
at Georgia Military College, an exact
replica of the original one which was burnt
down. The students get
to experience exactly
how the debates were
in the actual room.
“We are taking advantage
of Milledgeville’s
past — the artifacts,
Governor’s Mansion
and other historical
aspects, ” said interim
Chair and Associate
Professor of History
Dr. Stephen Auerbach.
Dr. Bob Wilson, Professor
of History and
University Historian,
has had alumnae
from the 1930s
and 1940s come back
and take his classes.
“Their insight is a
valuable contribution,”
Wilson said.
“These are women
who went to school
and lived here during
the times that we discuss
in class. They are
active participants and
know about the college
and the town from
back then.” These
women add a personal
touch and their knowledge to the classroom.
In conjunction with The Center for Georgia
Studies, the History Department also
offers a concentration in Public History.
The Public History concentration trains
undergraduate and graduate students to
present historical knowledge to a general
public audience. Public History students
use the historical buildings of Milledgeville
as teaching tools as they learn about historical
preservation and museum presentations.
Georgia College alumnus Matthew Davis
is Curator of the Old Governor’s Mansion.
“The Public History program at Georgia
College is an outstanding program that provides
students with an engaged faculty and
a multitude of opportunities for practical
learning and internships that prepared me
for my career,” Davis said. “As the Antebellum
capital of Georgia, Milledgeville is an
outstanding location for a variety of experiences
in all mediums of Public History.”
The students and faculty in the History,
Geography & Philosophy Department encourage
everyone to reconnect with the
department and learn more about the exciting
things happening at the Humber-
White House; come listen to a lecture
emphasizing local history and culture or
tag along as Dr. Wilson takes his students
through a tour of historic Milledgeville.
By: Victoria Garofalo, Public Relations student
Department of History,
Georaphy and Philospohy
8 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 2012 2012 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 9

Interdisciplinary Studies
By: Melanie Beal, Public Relations student
Over the past few months the
Liberal Studies Program has
been working hard to reinvent
itself in order to provide an interdisciplinary
education reaching its fullest
potential.
Dr. Sunita Manian, coordinator of interdisciplinary
studies, and other faculty members
from across the university came together in
order to improve the Liberal Studies program.
The program has expanded from being
one that provided only the self-designed
major to one that allows students to choose
among five multidisciplinary tracks that include
predetermined focuses in addition to
the self-designed major. These tracks include
culture, religion and society; European
studies; gender and sexuality; race, ethnicity
and gender; and third-world studies. These
tracks were selected based on the patterns
and trends previous student were selecting for
their self-designed major, and the most common
themes were combined creating the five
preset tracks now offered to receive a B.A. in
Liberal Studies.
There have been a few changes to the selfdesigned
major, in that students are now only
required to select two disciplines. The minimum
GPA has been raised to ensure that the
student is capable of completing the selected
course of study, as the Self-Designed major
is more difficult and more time consuming
than the five preset tracks. Additionally, students
are required to have two program advisors,
from each of the disciplines included in
the program of study, who will guide them in
making the right choices regarding the course
required to complete their chosen program.
“Students have to develop their idea in the
early stages of the program so that the skills
they need to acquire by their senior year are
purposely developed through class choices
that provide the students with those skills,”
Dr. Manian said.
The new preset tracks have already attracted
many students interested in finding
out what opportunities are available to them
through this program. Among these students
is sophomore Peter Otim who switched his
major from special education to the thirdworld
studies major in the Liberal Studies
Program.
“I really enjoy the third-world studies major
because of the flexibility and independence I
have to choose what class I want to take and
when I want to take it,” Otim said. “I’ve always
found it really cool to learn about other
cultures and nations and Liberal Studies gives
me that chance. I also really like all the professors
in the Liberal studies major.”
These preset tracks not only focus the different
disciplines giving the student a more
direct guideline, but these tracks ensure the
teachers for the courses required are open to
working with the Liberal Studies Program.
“The best thing that has happened for the
department this year is the fact that we have
all these new students who like these changes,”
Dr. Manian said. “Many students are interested
in these new tracks, and they seem to
be really excited about what they can do in
those tracks.”
These changes to the program will help the
student to see how the disciplines merge together,
and supply the student with the knowledge
and skill set needed to complete the senior
project before graduation. These paths
help maintain a purposeful confluence of the
disciplines the student wishes to pursue, and
avoid random selections that do not complement
each other.
“The Liberal Studies program is a more deliberate
process than many people are aware
of because students must think about how
the disciplines come together as opposed to
blindly selecting concentrations that are not
compatible with each other,” Dr. Manian said.
In the past, many people have had a misconception
of the purpose of the Liberal Studies
Program. Many people have been under
the impression that this major is an option for
students to turn to when they are incapable
of being accepted into another program. This
misconception is a key factor for changing
the major requirements for the program.
These changes will not only correct the
commonly held misconception of the Liberal
Studies Program, but also create more awareness
to the program in order to get more students
involved in the program early, as interdisciplinary
and multidisciplinary academic
engagement is an important part of the mission
of a Liberal Arts university.
Providing hands-on education
continues to be a focus of the
Mass Communication Department
of Georgia College. Professors
place great emphasis on this in their
individual syllabi and in the curriculum as a
whole. The most recent addition to this focus
was the construction of a media lab in the Arts
& Sciences building. Room 1-64 has been
transformed into a multimedia landscape for
students to explore their own potential.
Dr. Mary Jean Land, chair of the Department
of Mass Communication, is thrilled that
students have an innovative space to access
the latest print, audio, video and web resources.
“The converged design of the lab allows
students to seek creative solutions to complex
communication scenarios utilizing the latest
technology,” Dr. Land said.
Included in the lab are 20 seats with 20
Mac Pro computers, a teacher’s station, a
Mac mini and a SMART Board. Each computer
also includes the entire Adobe Creative
Suite. Possibly the most unique attribute of
the lab is the layout. While most computer
labs are not conducive to teaching practices,
this room was specifically designed to accommodate
the student-teacher experience.
The teacher’s station is located in the center
of the room surrounded by the students and
their workspaces. The purpose of the room is
to teach students the theories and foundations
of communication while allowing them to apply
what they learn instantly.
Dr. Kristin English, assistant professor of
Mass Communication, taught Public Relations
Administration in the lab and utilized
the resources to teach her Theory and Research
classes how to use a statistical analysis
software called SPSS. She has found the
layout of the room to be extremely efficient
and looks forward to integrating lab work into
future classes.
“I think it will definitely lend a great resource
to all Mass Communication students,”
Dr. English said. “This field is about utilizing
the tools that we have.”
Classes such as seminar, video and research
were held in the space during the fall 2011
semester. In spring 2012, the classes scheduled
will be the ones that utilize the software
provided. The lab is an on-going project, in
addition to the video lab on the third floor, of
Arts & Sciences, this lab is meant to enhance
the learning experience by providing access
to programs that students will find useful for
internships and jobs.
“To be competitive, our students need to
work with industry standard software,” Dean
of the College of Arts & Sciences Ken Procter
said. “Mass Communication is a big program
with lots of students, so having a dedicated
media lab makes sense.”
The lab also provided the opportunity to
create a server specifically for the Mass Communication
program. Dr. Stephen Price, assistant
professor of Mass Communication, created
a log-in for all of the students so that they
can access their work on other computers on
campus. This also means that Dr. Price can
assist students working on the server through
his office computer.
“The benefit for them is that they don’t
have to coordinate an appointment or wait
until I get a chance to go to the labs from my
office to get help,” Dr. Price said. “It allows
me to see their screens with any error messages
and guide them through the steps they
need to do to troubleshoot when they run into
problems.”
The federal government recently gave
monies to colleges and universities around
the country to assist with the impact of budget
cuts. These stimulus funds were only available
for two years. “(Former) President Leland
set aside some of the funds for ‘move the
needle’ projects—that is projects that would
make a significant positive impact on Georgia
College,” Dean Procter said. The media lab
project was one of many projects proposed
by the colleges on campus. Due to the cost, it
probably wouldn’t have been possible without
the help of the “move the needle” funds.
“I feel that this new facility has made the
students more enthusiastic about learning. It
shows that the department and college takes
the program seriously by providing a top of
the line room tailored for us,” senior mass
communication student Bailey Tuck said.
“The investment in the new lab is ultimately
an investment in us.”
By: Stephanie Reagan, Public Relations student
Communication
Department of Mass
10 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 2012 2012 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 11

Department of Mathematics
By: Helen Gaillet, Public Relations student
The Department of Mathematics
is pleased to announce
that the new math course offerings
for core curriculum
areas A and D were offered for the first
time in the Fall 2011 semester.
The new options include Quantitative
Skills and Reasoning and College Algebra
for core area A, and Introduction to Mathematical
Thought, which will satisfy core
area D and be taught by the mathematics
chair, Dr. Robert Blumenthal in the spring.
Math 1111 College Algebra will be
taught by assistant professors Marcela
Chiorescu and Rodica Cazacu and will be
taught using the Emporium Model. This
model consists of interactive computer
software and allows students to spend
more time on concepts they don’t understand
instead of concepts they have already
mastered. This will include videos,
animations and teaching exercises to help
students learn the chapters in their textbooks.
“The Emporium Model is so successful
because students spend more time doing
math problems rather than simply listening
to someone talk about doing them.”
Chiorescu said. “Students will also receive
immediate and personalized assistance
when they encounter problems doing
math.”
“The lab features approximately 100
Dell computers, which use web-based
state-of-the-art mathematics software,”
Dr. Blumenthal said.
The emporium is set up in an open
area with computer stations and hanging
computer display screens for group demonstrations.
Rooms are also available for
studying, tutoring, or personal instruction.
“The lab is a unique, interactive learning
environment,” said Joe Windish, lead
technical specialist for Georgia College
Instructional Support. “Our computers are
part of a secure robust system, so 100 students
can do 100 math problems fast.”
Quantitative Skills and Reasoning will
be taught by associate professor Dr. Ryan
Brown. It will be taught in lecture format
and will be offered as an alternative in the
core area A for the first time this spring
2012.
Introduction to Mathematical Thought
will be offered to students pursuing nonmath
and non-science degrees and to those
who do not need Probability and Statistics
(MATH 2600) for their chosen major. This
class will be taught by Blumenthal himself
in the spring.
“The purpose of this course is to explore
several major modern mathematical
developments and to help students understand
and appreciate the unique approach
to knowledge which characterizes mathematics,”
Dr. Blumenthal said.
This class will cover four chapters of
the text and will focus on perfect numbers,
group theory, and infinity.
“The topics covered in this course aim
to convey to students that mathematics
deals with large and universal questions,
that it does so in a unique and compelling
way, and that mathematics has much
to contribute to other areas of thought including
philosophy, linguistics, and aesthetics,”
Dr. Blumenthal said.
The Department of
Modern Languages
and Culture at Georgia
College agrees
with the wisdom of Italian philosopher
Umberto Eco, “The beauty
of the Universe consists not only
of unity in variety, but also of variety
in unity.”
The department as a whole
yearns to expose students to the
beauty of the outside world which
is thick with languages to be
learned and cultures to be experienced
while pursuing excellence
in education.
After a recent transition period,
the new department chair Dr. Larbi
Oukada joined the team, and a new
vision was born.
While staying consistent with the
Georgia College mission statement,
new goals and benchmarks were set
for the department faculty and the
students as a whole. The purpose for
these changes was to create a sense
of intentionality for the department,
the curriculum and to target areas of
improvement which will lead to the
ultimate success and excellence of
the students.
“Our job is to encourage the value
of learning languages and about
other cultures of the world while increasing
the visibility and presence
of our department on campus,” Dr.
Oukada said. “Our focus is global
international education as we want
to internationalize the mindset for
our students.”
Among many of the faculty who
are implementing these changes into
their classroom, Dr. Peggy Schaller,
Assistant Professor of French, has
come up with an interactive and
creative way to teach her students
exciting things beyond the textbook
itself by utilizing a role-playing
game to encourage students to “react
to the past” and relive historical
events.
As the first professor in the
U.S. to teach the game in a second
language, Dr. Schaller was
intrigued by “the possibility of
having students move beyond
the simplest understanding of
the major events and those responsible
for shaping them”
“During the classroom debates,
the comfort level and
subsequent conversation in
French increased with almost
every class,” Dr.
Schaller said. “The frustration
and hesitancies of the
initial sessions were slowly
replaced with grounded
debate fueled by a desire
to gain votes and impose
political dominance.”
Aside from personal interaction
within the classroom,
Assistant Professor
of Spanish Dr. Aurora Castillo
is keeping the “modern”
in the department
name and has received
university recognition as
the recipient of the 2011 Award for
Innovative Excellence in Teaching,
Learning and Technology.
For the past two years, Dr. Castillo
has implemented modern technology
and specific computer programs
such as Second Life into her intermediate
level Spanish courses in
order to showcase the Spanish language
and cultures to her students
first hand.
“Second life allows enhancing
the language learning classroom experience
through real task based activities
that are developed in a 3-D
environment that presents the culture
and language in a vivid and real
form,” Dr. Castillo said. “Students
are able to feel and live the culture
and language when exposed to an
informal conversation with Spanish
native speakers around the world.”
It is through virtual communications
and interactions with these
real native speakers that the natives
act as the tutors helping the students
practice and become confident in
their speaking abilities.
Department of Modern
Languages and Cultures
By: Brina Potvin, Public Relations student
12 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 2012 2012 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 13

Department of Music
By: Brooks McAlister, Public Relations student
The Georgia College Department
of Music offers a wide range
of opportunities for students
to master the principles, skills
and techniques necessary to be successful in
the performing arts. The program provides
a competitive advantage to students as they
seek entry into the larger cultural community,
and the program provides an outlet for the
students’ creative and interpretive energies in
their pursuits of a more meaningful appreciation
of our society and of the human spirit.
The Georgia College Department of Music
has had a wonderfully successful year. The
department just went through its ten year accreditation
process by the National Association
of Schools of Music and is near achieving
it. Achieving accreditation is an honor
because it is a way to establish a certain level
of quality in education. The department has
not gotten the official papers stating that they
have achieved accreditation, however, they
have received extremely positive feedback
and anticipate optimistic results.
Georgia College strives to provide a high
standard of education and opportunities for
its students. The music department is no different.
“The Georgia College Department of
Music is dedicated to developing and maintaining
an excellent learning and production
environment for those who are committed to
the performing arts. We seek to offer curricula
which will provide both a competitive advantage
for our students as they seek entry into
the larger cultural community; and an outlet
for their creative and interpretive energies in
their pursuit of a more meaningful appreciation
of our society and the human spirit,” as
quoted from the Georgia College website.
The Georgia College music department is
comprised of 100 graduate and undergraduate
students, taught by 11 full time faculty, and
17 part time faculty.
As the music department becomes increasingly
popular, the opportunity for growth and
expansion becomes necessary. The McCombs
building is being slated and planned as the
music department instrumental annex. It will
be an additional
facility for band
and strings programs
to accommodate
the
growing number
of students
in the programs.
“The Music
Department
has grown immensely
in just
the last year and
a half that I’ve
been here,” Josh
Ramos, sophomore
vocal performance
major
said. “As a vocalist
it always
helps to have the
best resources to
learn and grow.”
Steinway
and Sons has
recently recognized
Georgia
College as an
“All- Steinway
School.” This
is a prestigious
recognition that
deems schools
as quality music
institutions
based on the number of Steinway pianos they
possess. Georgia College has the privilege of
owning 19 Steinway pianos. “Steinway’s are
my favorite brand of piano,” sophomore music
therapy major, Gabby Banzon said. “Last
year, I only got to play a Steinway if I somehow
managed to grab a time slot in the only
practice room that had one, but now all the
practice rooms have a Steinway which is really
great.” It represents a level of quality only
achieved with the finest instruments. Georgia
College represents the fifth school in the state
of Georgia to be designated as an “all Steinway
school.”
“The Music Department has a proud tradition
of not only being accredited by the National
Association of Schools of Music since
1955, but has recently been recognized in October
2011 as an ‘All-Steinway School.’
With this tradition of excellence, the Music
Department continues to provide an exemplary
music education for all of our students
while supporting the greater community with
a variety of concerts for all tastes,” department
chair, Dr. Victor Vallo said.
The Department of Psychological
Science continues to be one of
the most highly decorated departments
within the university from
winning its Department Program Excellence
Award from Georgia College in 1999-2000 to
the 2010-11 school years.
Psychological Science Department
Chair Dr. Lee Gillis is proud of the department
and the achievements of its faculty, staff
and students.
The faculty members and staff of psychological
science have a current emphasis and a
long history of excellence in teaching, service
to students and the university. This department
has also been recognized for excellence
through four Distinguished Professor Awards,
six Excellence in Teaching Awards, eight Excellence
in Research and Publication Awards,
and two Presidential Staff Awards.
“The department has a variety of undergraduate
research labs which is perhaps one
reason a higher percentage of undergraduates
are being accepted into graduate programs,”
Gillis said.
Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Noland
White, working with faculty and staff
in the department submitted the nomination
letter for the 2010-11 Department Program
Excellence Award. There were certain qualifications
to be submitted for the award. The
department had to give an extensive description
for each category such as individual and
collective faculty efforts to improve teaching
and student learning, methods of assessment
of student learning that go beyond student
evaluations, programs for advising mentoring
students, certain success of the students, and
faculty/staff accomplishments among others.
“The application required a lot of work.
It was a pleasure working with Dr. Kristina
Dandy and Ms. Myrna Olsson-Owen to gather
the necessary materials and complete the application,”
White said. “It was a great honor
for our department to receive the award and
in my opinion, a testament to the wonderful
group of faculty, staff and students we have.”
Dr. Kristina Dandy is an Assistant Professor
of Psychological Science and Ms. Myrna
Olsson-Owen is the Administrative Assistant
of the department.
The Department of Psychological Science
offers courses that challenge students to question
assumptions and provides experiences
to prepare undergraduates for life, work, and
graduate study. The department is continuing
to establish a persistent and perpetual process
of shared governance and collaboration that
promotes excellence in all areas of student
learning, faculty/staff development, and leads
towards success for its students.. The faculty
are providing and assessing student learning
and achievement that goes beyond students’
grades and completion of courses.
A testament to the department’s success are
the increasing number of students accepted to
masters and doctoral programs in psychology.
Faculty and students at the Fall 2011 Induction Ceremony for PSI CHI: Psychology Honor Society.
Department of Psychological
Science
By: Jasmine Thomas, Public Relations student
14 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 2012 2012 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 15

Department of Theatre
By: Vanessa Whited, Public Relations student
Each year the Georgia College
Department of Theatre continues
to participate in a multitude
of engaging projects and performances.
“The Theatre Department continuously develops
program quality which contributes to
our success in garnering awards and international
recognition for productions and comminity
outreach,” said Dr. Karen Berman,
Theatre Chair and Artistic Director of Theatre
Programs.
In April 2010 Georgia College’s renovation
of the Campus Theatre building downtown
earned the university its third statewide
preservation award. The Georgia Trust for
Historic Preservation recognized Georgia
College with the Excellence in Rehabilitation
award. Now, the Campus Blackbox Theatre
preserves Milledgeville history and supports
the community – all while housing the Department
of Theatre.
Reaching beyond statewide awards, theater
major Matt Riley was awarded The Barbizon
Award for Theatrical Design Excellence in
Costumes at the Region IV Kennedy Center
American College Theatre for his designs in
Georgia College’s production of “Sueño.”
Just a sophomore at the time, Riley competed
against 50 other student designers throughout
the southeast and came out on top with his
“Fantasy Reborn” costume design collection.
The theatre department won its first National
Endowment for the Arts grant for a residency
by Rennie Harris Puremovement. The
Philadelphia dance troupe presented a free
lecture and demonstration on campus that
was open to the public – just one of the many
ways the theatre department reaches out to
the community and encourages involvement.
The Department of Theatre’s recognition
exceeds national borders. Theatre major Joseph
Dumford became a finalist in the 58th
annual Cannes Lions Film Festival in Cannes,
France. Dumford’s short film, “Magdalena
Viajando,” placed fourth in the MOFILM
Cannes Lions 2011: Make an Ad Competition
and was created as a part of Dr. Amy Pinney’s
Acting for Film Maymester course.
“I’m thrilled the talent and skill of Georgia
College theatre students has been recognized
internationally,” Dr. Pinney said.
Each year the Department of Theatre has
“Romeo and Juliet”
a different theme
that is reflected
in each production.
The 2010-11
theme “Southern
Season: Welcome
Home” included
the production of
“Milledgeville
Memoirs,” a
play written by
Creative Writing
Professor
David Muschell.
The production
converted oral
histories to tell
the stories of local
personalities
and their experiences falling in love, coming
back from war and fighting for civil rights.
In March, the cast traveled to New York and
performed the play off-Broadway, a unique
way to take Milledgeville’s history beyond
Georgia.
The 2011-12 theme “To Your Health!” has
been a successful tribute to the Georgia College
theme of health and wellness.
The Pillars Prize-winning play “Life is
Mostly Straws,” made its world premiere at
Georgia College in September 2011. Richard
Manley, the award-winning playwright, was
in-residence to see the Department of Theatre
take his work to the stage for its first full production
ever. The show was a success and set
the bar high for the next production: William
Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”
Dr. Berman adapted the original “Hamlet”
script into an interactive wedding performed
in-the-round by both students and faculty
members in the Campus Blackbox Theatre.
Tickets to the performance were in high demand
and every show in the two-week run
sold out.
“We hope to continue to give our students
challenges in real-life performance,” Dr. Berman
said.
Theater productions will continue throughout
the spring semester, including mainstage
performances, senior capstones, fundraisers,
guest artists and additional performances.
In addition to its student and campus-wide
participation, the theatre department prides
itself in its community outreach. “Our department
is dedicated to community engagement
and giving back,” Dr. Berman said. In April
2011 the nationally acclaimed dance troupe
Liz Lerman Dance Exchange came to Georgia
College and worked with theater, dance
and other students in engaging the community
in an interactive art experience. The professional
dancers worked with participants
and choreographed a dance that embraced
disabled individuals and celebrated multiabled
bodies.
The dance exchange is just one of the many
community outreach projects the Department
of Theatre is involved in. “We have taught a
STEM science and math class to at-risk teens
utilizing theatre as a tool, toured children’s
shows to hospitals and community centers
and are working now in Macon with teens
on subjects of teen pregnancy and substance
abuse prevention,” Dr. Berman said.
The Department of Theatre extends its
talent far beyond state and national borders
– during the Summer 2010 semester eight
students were given the opportunity to study
abroad in the Czech Republic. According to
Dr. Berman, while in the Czech Republic,
students performed in an international theater
festival in which they were the only non-professional
company. This study abroad experience
will be offered again in Summer 2012.
Georgia College’s Department of Theatre
will continue to develop and span its artistry
across the board. “In the future, we hope to
continue to do our theatre work as a mission
to make the world a better place,” Dr. Berman
said.
With Georgia College’s Museum
of Natural History and
Museum of Fine Arts, visitors
are able to see what life
is like beyond Milledgeville and embrace the
arts and sciences. Georgia College provides
hands-on experiences for its students and
the surrounding community to gain a deeper
knowledge about the world around them.
The Georgia College Natural History Museum
and Planetarium offers a place for students
and faculty to research and explore the
sciences of the world. Opened in 2004, The
Natural History Museum has become home
for ancient artifacts and fossils found by
Georgia College’s own students and faculty.
This museum is recognized by The National
Park Service for its specimens and research
capabilities.
Dr. Bill Wall, professor of the Department
of Biological & Environmental Sciences, has
led fossil digs since 1983 with his students in
the Badlands of South Dakota. His hard work
is now responsible for many of the fossils
seen in the Natural History Museum.
“We have quite a diversity of artifacts,
however, the strengths of our museum are
vertebrate fossils and mammals,” Dr.Wall
said. “There are two kinds of collections we
have: one for educational purposes and one
for research.”
Since the Natural History Museum’s grand
opening, more than 18,000 spectators have
experienced ancient life through visually appealing
exhibits. Fossils from Georgia can be
found in the museum. Bison and mammoth
bones were discovered in Brunswick and
marine life fossils were found in Wilkinson
County by professors in the Department of
Biology & Environmental Science.
“Students and professors have benefited
from the Natural History Museum and have
had a number of publications because of
the collections available to be researched,”
Dr.Wall said. This research has lead to over
20 co-authored publications and recognition
from prestigious national organizations.
Students have been given internships
from the papers written on
research based on the collections that
can be found here.
“Upcoming exhibits will be focused
on the geology of Georgia and
the research being done in the Biological
and Environmental Sciences departments
at Georgia College,” said
Ashley Quinn, natural history collections
manager.
The Georgia College Planetarium
was constructed as a part of the Natural
History Museum in 2008.
“Our goal with the planetarium is
to use astronomy as an outreach to
the community and get them excited about
science, “ said Dr. Ken McGill, department
chair of Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy.
Students, faculty and the community are
welcome to observe stars and view educational
shows on state-of-the-art digital projection.
The 20-foot diameter dome provides
guides, labels and motion of the astronomical
sky.
“By visiting the planetarium, you can get
a real feel of the magnitude of the universe,”
Dr. McGill said.
The museum also provides education
and learning for those in elementary school
through graduate school.
“I think that our museum is a great resource
for the middle Georgia area, it gets
children of all ages excited about paleontology
and ancient life,” Quinn said.
The Museum of Fine Arts honorably displays
the works of Georgia College student
artists, alumni, donors, and past faculty
alongside names such as Grant Wood, Salvador
Dalî, Honoré Daumier and Käthe Kollwitz.
Georgia College’s Department of Art
has preserved European and North American
collections in the museum, ranging from the
early 1800’s to present day.
“The space, as a scholastic resource, has
provided for various events and functions
bridging disciplines, schools, student groups
and community organizations, and has celebrated
the work of students, staff, faculty,
administrators, alumni and the greater public.
In this way, the Museum of Fine Arts represents
the broad function, scholarly focus, and
liberal arts mission of our department as a
whole,” William Fisher, associate professor
and department chair of Art, said. “A major
donation by friend and benefactor Dr. James
Mimbs has created the platform of the Museum
of Fine Arts Asian art and artifacts collection,
an important gift for education,” said
Fisher.
The community is invited to join in the
learning and observation that is provided in
the museum. A few featured museum artists
and guest speakers have included Sue Coe,
Dan McCleary, Georgia’s First Lady Sandra
Deal, Dean of Arts & Sciences Ken Procter
and Turkish artists Sidika Sevim and Cemallettin
Sevim.
“The Museum of Fine Arts exists for the
betterment of our communities, to educate,
to inspire and to provide meaningful and
deeply personal as well as public experiences
through aesthetic experience. Our goals are
to incorporate our mission statement and vision
for the museum’s place among our communities.”
Fisher said. “The museum will
continue to function as a laboratory for our
Museum Studies, Art History and Studio Art
concentration majors, and remains free and
open to the public and for all organizations
on campus.”
The fruits of arts and sciences surround
Georgia College’s campus by spreading
knowledge to students, faculty and the community.
The Museum of Natural History and
Museum of Fine Arts gives evidence to the
notable education that is attainable in the College
of Arts and Sciences at Georgia College.
By: Ashley Metivier, Public Relations student
Museums
16 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 2012 2012 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 17

Programs of Distinction
By: Rebecca Farish, Public Relations student
Georgia College has three Programs
of Distinction in the College
of Arts & Sciences, each
brings different opportunities
and challenges to the students that help them
grow into their career fields.
Flannery O’Connor Studies
Georgia College has had numerous alumna
walk through its halls, and one female graduate
is increasing the prestige of education in
the College of Arts & Sciences, Mary Flannery
O’Connor. One of the six Programs of
Distinction at Georgia College, Flannery
O’Connor Studies is not a degree program,
but rather an educational experience available
to whoever craves the knowledge. O’Connor
received her secondary education at Peabody
Laboratory School and then earned a bachelor’s
degree at what is now Georgia College.
Professor of English and Editor of the
“Flannery O’Connor Review” Dr. Bruce Gentry
is the main contact for O’Connor Studies.
Georgia College occasionally hosts a conference
filled with different scholarly sessions
discussing O’Connor’s works. Dr. Gentry
teaches a class on O’Connor each spring, assembles
an essay contest for graduate students
and talks to tour groups when they come to
visit O’Connor’s hometown. The most prestigious
production of O’Connor Studies is
the “Flannery O’Connor Review.” This peerreviewed
scholarly journal is the world’s longest-running
journal dedicated to a woman
writer. Writers from all over the United States
send their articles to Dr. Gentry, and he along
with his staff of faculty and students put together
the finished publication.
“I’m working for Flannery and I’m going
to keep working for Flannery, and that is very
pleasurable and it is beneficial to the school,”
Dr. Gentry said.
With the help of the staff of Special Collections
in the Georgia College Library, Gentry
recently supervised the publication of “The
Cartoons of Flannery O’Connor at Georgia
College” which reprints O’Connor’s high
school and college artwork.
In 2007, Dr. Gentry and a fellow professor,
John Cox, received a grant from the National
Endowment for the Humanities for $150,000.
With this grant, Dr. Gentry and Cox selected
24 college teachers to come to Georgia College,
stay in the dorms, and learn everything
there is to know about Flannery O’Connor.
The participants’ days were filled with lectures,
films, and field trips, including a visit
to O’Connor’s family farm, Andalusia, which
is located a few miles away from the university.
The NEH Institute participants also had
the opportunity to spend a week examining
O’Connor’s papers in the Georgia College Library.
Milledgeville will always hold a special
meaning in studies of the life of Flannery
O’Connor, and O’Connor inspires the residents
of her hometown and students at her
alma mater daily with her creative legacy.
Creative Writing
Flannery O’Connor’s literary influence
helps fortify the writing of the students at Georgia College.
The Creative Writing Program follows in her footsteps and
provides opportunities for their educational growth.
“What makes creative writing at Georgia College a program
of national distinction starts with our outstanding faculty
and students,” said Director of the MFA and B.A. programs
in creative writing Dr. Martin Lammon.
Each spring a journal is published by the undergraduate
students called “The Peacock’s Feet” that is filled with
students writing that showcases their talents. Some of these
students are given an opportunity to read their pieces in the
community among other students at The Red Earth Reading
Series. Another community learning experience that the
undergraduate students can apply to take part in is the Early
College Mentors program. Undergraduates mentor seventh
graders that are enrolled in Georgia College’s Early College
School. With the assistance of the MFA students and the
school’s faculty, the seventh graders publish their own literary
journal called “The Peacock’s Feather.”
After completion of their undergraduate studies, some students
begin applying to different graduate programs, hoping
to find one that matches their talent. This year the MFA
Program at Georgia College has attracted students from 12
different states and also the United Kingdom and “has become
more and more recognized by students and teachers
of Creative Writing coast to coast,” Dr. Lammon said. The
three-year curriculum includes all genres: poetry, creative
nonfiction and memoir, fiction and scriptwriting. All the information
needed for a prospective student is located at mfa.
gcsu.edu.
Assistantships are offered to most graduate students, both
Georgia and non-Georgia Residents. In exchange for their
education and graduate degree, the students work their way
through graduate school. First year students spend their time
working in the Writing Center, with the national journals
“Arts & Letters” and “The Flannery O’Connor Review,”
with the Early College writers-in-the-schools project and
other sponsored programs. Second year students continue
to assist with the journals and other projects but most begin
teaching their second and third years in the program.
“Arts & Letters” receives literary submissions from across
the country which are read and evaluated by MFA students
and faculty. Each year four prize-winning authors, one in
each genre, are brought to the Georgia College campus for
the “Arts & Letters” Festival weekend and each is awarded
publication and a $1000 prize. To learn more about this outstanding
journal visit this website al.gcsu.edu.
This past December the first ePub journal was introduced
to Georgia College, “Arts & Letters” PRIME. It is available
to download on ipads and iphones, but can also be accessible
through other digital and web-based means. The main technology
enhancements include audio files, digital links and
video files. PRIME has become a fall and spring journal and
the print “Arts & Letters” has expanded to just one issue that
is published in the spring.
“I am most excited about what people are going to come
up with, there is a lot of room to be creative with the audio
and video sides of it. If you open it up more beyond print,
people will be more creative,” said “Arts & Letters” Managing
Editor Jad Adkins.
Both undergraduate and graduate students of our Creative
Writing Program are very accomplished. Some have
won national AWP Intro Awards, others have pursued doctoral
work and many of our undergraduates, such as Hali
Sofala, have attended graduate programs in creative writing
following graduation. Sofala earned a full ride to the MFA
Program at the University of Wisconsin and is now working
on her doctorate degree at the University of Nebraska. The
Creative Writing Department has been the first chapter in
many undergraduates’ careers and the final stepping-stone
for graduate students, but it will always be a Program of National
Distinction at Georgia College.
Science to Serve
Science to Serve is another Program of Distinction that
makes science alive and vibrant to the community. This program
links the community to faculty,students and science
resources at Georgia College and beyond.
“Science to Serve is a mechanism for supporting activities
that engage people of all ages and backgrounds in science
and related disciplines,” said Dr. Rosalie Richards, director
of the Science Education Center.
As part of the Science to Serve framework, Georgia College
departments and programs collaborate to provide or
support courses, camps, competitions, community events,
special projects, and more. For example,
Georgia College hosts the Regional Science
& Engineering Fair each year, which
falls on the first Friday and Saturday of
February. Elementary, middle and high
school students from Baldwin, Bibb, Hancock,
Jasper, Jones, Putnam, Monroe,
Washington, Wilkinson, and Twiggs counties
participate in this educational experience.
This Program of Distinction hosts a
number of other programs for grades 3-8
students. At Science Camp, students study
biology, chemistry, physics, space and
the environment at Lake Laurel Biological
Field Station. Two summer research
fellowship programs, Project SEED and
the Young Scientists Academy, offer an
8-week research-intensive in science exclusively
for grades 9-12 students. Likewise,
the PRELIMS Academy is a twoweek
opportunity where high school
students who want to pursue a career in
teaching are exposed to the joys of teaching
math and science.
But, the flagship of Science to Serve is the Natural History
Museum and Planetarium, both located in Herty Hall. These
facilities attract over 5,000 visitors each year as well as students
engaged in courses or teachers engaged in workshops.
Not only does Science to Serve reach out to the community
but it offers resources and support to Georgia College
students and faculty. The STEM Initiative at Georgia
College strives to put students first in order ensure the best
educa¬tion in science, technology, engineering and math
(STEM). For example, the STEM Mini-Grants Program provides
funding for innovative teaching projects with a goal
of increasing and retaining the number of students pursuing
STEM disciplines or for aspiring teachers to receive certification
in any of these fields.
To showcase the diverse and extended reach of the program
of distinction, Science to Serve annually publishes a
newsletter, The Nucleus. The newsletter has a readership
of over 3,000 across the state including alumni, school and
state administrators, colleges, universities, and science education
facilities. Submissions to The Nucleus can be made at
science@gcsu.edu.
Learn more about the many projects and events within this
Program of Distinction by visiting the website www.gcsu.
edu/sciencetoserve. Science to Serve takes the joy of science
and innovation and transforms it into exciting and teachable
experiences for all.
18 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 2012 2012 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 19

Give a Gift
In the College of Arts and Sciences, we focus on the classroom,
on best practices in teaching, on maintaining up-to-date
facilities and providing the highest quality programming. We
encourage our students to work closely with faculty mentors
to pursue individual learning goals through special projects
in research, writing, creative production and performance.
We cultivate a culture of learning and service beyond the
classroom. The whole community benefits from the visiting
researchers, scholars, performers, artists and the special programming
we bring to campus.
Click here:
College of Arts and Sciences
Campus Box 48
Milledgeville, GA 31061-0490
dean.cas@gcsu.edu
(478) 445-4441
www.gcsu.edu/artsandsciences
20 College of Arts and Sciences Newsletter 2012