Coastal Directory

Ms. Atwood has served as a full-time faculty member researching, developing, and teaching courses in Criminal Justice since 2014.

Prior to joining the faculty at the College of Coastal Georgia, Ms. Atwood completed a distinguished 30-year career retiring as an Assistant Director (AD) with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC).As a career member of the Senior Executive Service, Ms. Atwood provided executive leadership and oversight for both training and administrative functions at the FLETC, including all training and training support functions across the FLETC’s four domestic locations in Glynco, GA; Charleston, SC; Artesia, NM; and Cheltenham, MD; training delivered at the International Law Enforcement Academies (ILEAs) around the world; and state, local, tribal, and territorial training delivered across the United States. Ms. Atwood led training across the spectrum of law enforcement training areas including: Behavioral Science, Counter-Terrorism, Leadership, Legal, Firearms, Drivers, Maritime, Investigative Operations, Enforcement Techniques, Physical Techniques, Financial Fraud, and Instructional Development. She also led efforts to ensure coordination with federal, state, and local law enforcement entities to develop and deliver programs to effectively prepare law enforcement officers and agents in areas such as Active Shooter and Cyber training programs across the United States.

While serving as the FLETC’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Ms. Atwood provided executive leadership and oversight for multiple complex areas including: human resources (including employee and labor relations), facilities management (including design and construction), procurement, property management, and the Critical Incident Stress Management program.

Ms. Atwood’s law enforcement and teaching experience span 31 years and include serving as a Special Agent in the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Agriculture; and Senior Special Agent, Office of the Inspector General, U.S. General Services Administration.She conducted investigations resulting in the successful prosecution of criminal and civil matters across the eight southeastern states and the District of Columbia, including program fraud, bribery of government officials, food stamp trafficking and serious allegations of employee misconduct.

Ms. Atwood graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Police Administration from Eastern Kentucky University’s College of Law Enforcement, and earned her Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University’s College of Public and Urban Affairs. Additionally, she is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, VA and the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, NC.

Education

LL.M. (General Studies-Constitutional, Criminal, and International Law), Georgia State University School of Law (Summa Cum Laude)
J.D. Law, John Marshall School of Law (Cum Laude)
M.A. International Relations (focusing on Low Intensity Conflict and Terrorism), Webster University
B.S. Criminal Justice, Georgia State University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My teaching portfolio encompasses a full range of undergraduate courses in criminal justice and public administration, delivered through diverse modalities including in-person, hybrid, and distance learning formats. Courses taught include Introduction to Criminal Law, Constitutional Law for Criminal Justice, Courts and Criminal Procedure, and specialized topics such as Organized Crime, and Ethics in Criminal Justice. These offerings reflect a commitment to bridging theoretical foundations with practical applications drawn from extensive experience in law enforcement, legal practice, and public service. My research interests center on Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, International Law, and Criminal Procedure, with particular emphasis on the intersection of legal doctrine, enforcement policy, and governance. Scholarly activities include presentations and publications addressing judicial interpretation, free speech, civil discourse, and counterterrorism policy. Selected works and/or presentations include Judicial Interpretation as Viewed Through District of Columbia v. Heller, The Erosion of Free Speech in Western Europe, Canada, and the United States, and From Law Enforcement to Armed Conflict: The Legal Transformation of U.S. Counter-narcotics Policy. These contributions underscore an ongoing commitment to advancing discourse on constitutional governance, ethics, and the evolving challenges of law enforcement in a global context.

Education
Ph.D. in Mathematics, University of Iowa
M.S. in Mathematics, University of Iowa
B.S. in Mathematics, Ohio State University

Teaching and Research Interests/Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My teaching and research interests include abstract algebra, representation theory, and STEM education.

Education
M.F.A. in Film and Television Production, Savannah College of Art and Design
M.A. in Communication, University of South Florida
B.A. in Communication Arts, Georgia Southern University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Bagwell is an award winning nonfiction filmmaker and author, and teaches courses in communication and filmmaking. He is currently producing and directing a public television special about the Jekyll Island Club.

Dr. Barnes earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Georgia Southwestern State University, her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Georgia Southern University, and her Associate of Science in Nursing from the College of Coastal Georgia. She is a Certified Nurse Educator. Prior to joining the Coastal Georgia faculty, Dr. Barnes worked for three years in CCU.

Education
Ph.D. in Finance and International Business, Old Dominion University
M.A. in Economics, Old Dominion University
J.D. in Law, Georgia State University College of Law
MTx in Federal Taxation, Georgia State University
M.S. in Personal Financial Planning, Georgia State University
B.S. in Accounting and Finance, Northern Illinois University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Research: Federal Taxation, Portfolio Analysis, Investments, and Personal Finance
Teaching: Accounting, Federal Taxation, Investments, Personal Finance, and Financial Statement Analysis

Jamie received her M.S. in Applied Mathematics from Western Carolina University.

Education
M.A. in Education Administration, Springfield College, Springfield, MA
B.S. in Education, Springfield College, Springfield, MA

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Business Leadership and Management; with particular emphasis on business planning, goal setting, team building, inspired leadership, business ethics, communication and collaboration.

Carla Bluhm received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and minor in History at University of Massachusetts Amherst. She then went on to earn a Masters degree at Teachers College Columbia University and was then encouraged to stay for her Masters of Education, and Masters of Philosophy in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University. After taking a year off to teach at the University of Rhode Island, she returned to NYC to work with her mentor, Professor John Broughton, on theoretical, cultural, and historical psychology and completed her Ph.D. from Columbia University. While working on her Ph.D., she served as a teaching assistant at Columbia for Dr. Herb Terrace of the famed Nim Chimpsky study. She also worked for New Hope Guild, based in Brooklyn, as a psychotherapist for over two years with a geriatric population in a skilled nursing facility.

Dr. Bluhm was awarded Professor of the Year from the College of Coastal Georgia, and thrives in a teaching environment both online and face to face. She has taught for USG eCore for numerous years and values high level and committed teaching in an environment that supports critical and divergent thinking skill development. She teaches classes across the lifespan as well as clinical classes and a course she is developing related to psychology and the natural world. During the Spring semester of 2019, she walked over a 250-mile Camino across Portugal into Santiago, Spain to increase her knowledge and thoughts about the psychology of long walks and the natural world. You can check out her adventure here.

Dr. Bluhm is married and has one daughter who shines bright at Oberlin College.

Education
DPT, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Shenandoah University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My teaching interests center on preparing undergraduate students with the hands-on, applied skills necessary for success in healthcare and health-related professions. I primarily teach Anatomy & Physiology at the lower-division level and upper-division courses within the Health Sciences program, including Functional Anatomy and Exercise Testing & Prescription. My teaching emphasizes active, experiential, and clinically applied learning through laboratory-based skill development and service-learning partnerships that allow students to design and implement health promotion programming for the college and surrounding community. My scholarly interests focus on student-led research and applied scholarship, with an emphasis on mentoring students through the development, completion, and presentation of poster projects on self-selected topics. This work highlights undergraduate research, critical thinking, and professional development while reinforcing evidence-based practice in health and exercise science.

Education
Ph.D. in Psychology, City University of New York
M.A. in Psychology, Queens College
B.A. in Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My research interests are focused on the application of behavior analytic principles in a variety of areas related to the improvement of the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A major area of interest is the development of procedures that can be used to teach socially-relevant skills to individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.

Education
Ph.D. Political Science, University of Alabama (Summer 2023)
Major Field: American Politics; Minor Field: Public Policy, International Relations
Dissertation: “Democratic Expectations: Norm-Breaking, Democratic Hypocrisy, and Accountability in an Age of Identity Politics”
Committee: Nicholas Davis (chair), Joseph Smith, Richard Fording, Cynthia Peacock, Regina Wagner
M.A., University of Alabama (with distinction) (Spring 2021)
B.S., Political Science, University of Tennessee at Martin (December 2017), Magna Cum Laude
Minor in Legal Studies

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
I am an Assistant Professor of Political Science whose teaching and research focus on American politics, democratic norms, public opinion, and the role of media in shaping political behavior. My teaching emphasizes critical thinking, research design, and the practical application of political science to contemporary democratic challenges, with courses including American Government, Media and Politics, and political methodology. My research examines how citizens respond to norm-breaking, elite misinformation, and accountability in polarized political environments, often using experimental and quantitative methods.

Recent works include:

Cagle, D., and N. T. Davis. 2024. “ Civility norm violations and political accountability.” Social Science Quarterly 105: 832–842. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.13383

Cagle, D. (2025). conflicting norms the case of gerrymandering. Questions in Politics, 11.

Education
M.S. Zoology, University of Maryland
B.S. Biology, Oberlin College
M.L.T., College of Coastal Georgia

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Neurocytoarchitectonics, neuronal morphology and developmental neuroanatomy across metamorphic transition, using the dragonfly optic lobe visual system as an ontogenetic-phylogenetic model.

Joshua Clark (MS in Biology) is an alumnus of the College of Coastal Georgia, graduating in 2004 with an Associates of Science. It was during this time that Mr. Clark collaborated with Georgia College of Milledgeville, Georgia to unearth Pleistocene-aged (20,000 years BCE) fossils at a site – later named Clark Quarry – within Brunswick, Georgia. This site contained the remains of giant bison, mammoths, and giant tortoises, among other ancient fauna. After graduating, he transferred to Georgia College in Milledgeville to continue his work in paleontology, where he obtained a Master’s degree in biology. His work focused mainly on the Pleistocene herpetofaunta (reptiles and amphibians) discovered at Clark Quarry, and an understanding of the Pleistocene climate of Coastal Georgia during the last Ice Age. Today, Mr. Clark has returned to his alma mater, the College of Coastal Georgia, where he currently teaches introductory courses within both biology and geology.

Education
Ph.D. in English, University of Georgia
M.A. in English, University of Georgia
M.A. in Secondary English Education, Furman University
B.A. in English, Wheaton College (IL)

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Clark’s research interests include American literature, science fiction, the short story, anime and animation, memetics, and interactive media.

Selected Publications:

Book:

American Literary Minimalism. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press, 2014.

Articles and Book Chapter:

“Silence, Implication, and Style in Octavia E. Butler’s ‘Bloodchild’.” Science Fiction Studies 52, no. 2 (2025). 211-229.

“Raymond Carver: ‘A Small, Good Thing’ and ‘Cathedral’.” In The Handbook of the American Short Story. Ed. Erik Redling and Oliver Scheiding. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2022. 493-511.

“Lydia Davis’s Psychological Minimalism.” Studies in the American Short Story 1, no. 1 (2020): 38-52.

“A Reverence for Untrendy Human Troubles: David Foster Wallace’s ‘Good People,’ Ernest Hemingway’s ‘Hills Like White Elephants,’ and American Minimalist Narration.” Amerikastudien/American Studies 62, no. 3 (2017).

“Keeping the Reader in the House: American Minimalism, Literary Impressionism, and Raymond Carver’s ‘Cathedral’.” Journal of Modern Literature 36, no. 1 (2012): 104-118.

“Toreo, Ritual, and Nationalism: The Cultural Context of María Cristina Mena’s ‘The Emotions of María Concepción’.” South Atlantic Review 75, no. 4 (2010): 73-90.

“At the Corner of Bourbon and Toulouse Street: The Historical Context of Alice Dunbar-Nelson’s ‘M’sieu Fortier’s Violin’.” American Literary Realism 41, no. 2 (2009): 163-79.

“Papa y El Tirador: Biographical Parallels in Hemingway’s ‘I Guess Everything Reminds You of Something’.” The Hemingway Review 27, no. 1 (2007): 89-106.

Education
Ed.D. in Leadership, Valdosta State University
M.A. in English, Valdosta State University
B.A. in English, Valdosta State University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Stephanie B. Conner is a tenured associate professor of English with a focus on composition and Interdisciplinary Studies at the College of Coastal Georgia with over 25 years of experience. She has presented at nearly 40 conferences including the Conference on College Composition and Communication and published her work in journals such as Response to Writing. Her research is grounded in pedagogical best practices in college writing instruction as well as professional development in teaching and learning. Her most recent work includes a collaborative, dual-institution IRB-approved study with three other composition professors exploring faculty emotional responses to plagiarism and AI in writing courses and is due for publication at Composition Forum in spring 2026. Other research areas include incorporating Writing Center coaches into peer review activities and using weak examples as instructional material to bolster students’ critical thinking about citation and AI use. Dr. Conner has also worked collaboratively to develop a discipline-specific first-year writing course for students interested in the nursing program and has presented on this work at conferences such as Arizona State’s Writing in the Health Professions. She has served as a faculty senator and as chair of the Advising, Faculty Development, and Active Learning committees.

Education
Ph.D. in Psychology, University of Missouri-Kansas City
Master of Community Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg
B.S. in Psychology, Michigan State University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Culley teaches a number of courses in psychology, including Introduction to General Psychology, Psychology of Adjustment, Community Psychology, Environmental Psychology, Psychology of Women, Ethics & Professional Issues in Psychology, and Program Development & Grant-Writing. Dr. Culley’s program of research is focused on individual, community, organizational, and institutional responses to environmental hazards. She specializes in citizen participation in environmental decision-making and the links between individual transformation and larger community and social change processes. In particular, she investigates psychosocial responses to environmental disputes, how citizen participation processes are shaped by power dynamics, and how community psychologists can inform change efforts aimed at the human-caused environmental crises related to global climate change. She has also written about the history and content of the scholarly literature of community psychology. Dr. Culley has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, regularly presents her work in scholarly venues, and has supervised numerous students’ undergraduate research and service learning projects in partnership with community partners. She has also mentored several students in the honors program.

James Deemy is a hydrologist and environmental scientist. He has a broad background in biology, ecology, and geology. His research interests focus on assessing the hydrologic connectivity between isolated, ephemeral wetlands and watersheds. He has specifically assessed the water quality and quantity of agricultural storm-based flows that connect wetlands to nearby waters in southwest Georgia. James also has active research in water resources education.

Education
Ph.D. in Accounting, Georgia State University
Dissertation Title: An Analysis of Financial Information as it Relates to Failed Commercial Banks – A Multivariate Approach
M.S. Accounting, University of Central Florida
B.A. Accounting, University of Georgia

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
All aspects of financial accounting and the importance of accounting internships to student success.

Education
Ph.D., Communication Studies (Rhetorical Studies), University of Georgia
M.A., Communication Studies (Rhetoric and Civic Engagement), Colorado State University
B.A., English and Women’s Studies, University of Georgia

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Rhetorical theory and criticism, memory studies, new materialist thought

Dr. Edwards earned her Ph.D. and her B.S. from Florida A&M University.

Dr. Johnny L. Evans, Jr. was named the seventh President of the College of Coastal Georgia on January 14, 2025. Prior to that, he served as the College’s Interim President.

Dr. Evans assumed the role of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the College of Coastal Georgia on January 1, 2019.

Known for his dedication to fostering strong academic programs that deliver transformative educational experiences, Dr. Evans prioritizes student success, drawing from his own formative years as a student at Georgia College. He attributes much of his academic success to the deep care and mentoring provided by his faculty mentors.

Dr. Evans is a distinguished scholar. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Georgia College and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Florida. His academic journey includes postdoctoral research roles at Oak Ridge National Labs and Savannah River Labs.

Dr. Evans spent the first 13 years of his academic career at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, where he was a Professor of Chemistry and Physics and the Chemistry Program Coordinator. Before joining Coastal Georgia, Dr. Evans held leadership positions as the Dean of Math and Science and subsequently as the Dean of Arts and Sciences at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College from 2013 to 2019.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Dr. Evans finds joy in the outdoors and expresses his creativity as an avid artist and metal sculptor. His artwork, crafted from steel, brass, and copper, reflects his passion for capturing the beauty of nature through sculpture.

Education
Ph.D. in Political Science with Distinction, Northern Arizona University
M.A. in Political Science with Distinction, Concentration: Public Policy, Environmental Policy, Northern Arizona University
Graduate Certificate in Public Management, Northern Arizona University
B.S. in Biology, College of Charleston

Teaching and Research Interests/Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Fields of Study: Public Policy (Primary), International Relations (Secondary), Environmental Policy/Politics (Cognate)
Dissertation: “Interpreting Sustainability: An Analysis of Sustainable Development Narratives Among Developed Nations”
Chair, Department of Criminal Justice, Public Policy, and Management
Tenured Associate Professor of Public Management
Former Director of the Honors Program at the College of Coastal Georgia
Former Sustainability Coordinator/Director at Northern Arizona University and the Sea Island Company
Associate of the Reg Murphy Center for Economic and Policy Studies
Certified in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)

I teach courses in public administration, public and for-profit management, public and environmental policy, sustainability, environmental political theory. My research spans environment and sustainability topics but often relates to the topic of the integration of sustainability in policy.

Recent Publications include:

Trussell, M.R., & Farley, H. (2023). Economic impact of CarePortal donations in Glynn County, Georgia.
Journal of Public Child Welfare, 18(5), 1074-1083.

Farley, Heather M. and Zachary A. Smith (2020). Sustainability: If it’s Everything is it Nothing?
Routledge. 2nd edition. In Progress.

Rudd, M.A., Moore, A.F.P., Rochberg, D. et al. (2018). “Climate research priorities for policy-makers, practitioners, and scientists in Georgia, USA.” Environmental Management 62: 190.

Dr. Gardner grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania. He has a Bachelor’s degree and a Masters degree in Aerospace Engineering from Penn State University, and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Kent State University. He enjoys reading science fiction and urban fantasy books, going to the movies, and solving diagramless and crostic puzzles. Gardner teaches mostly principles of chemistry for science majors, as well as physical chemistry. His research interests in science focus on applying computational chemistry to topics in climate science. He is currently developing two specific projects. The first one is how ions in the seawater affect the hydration of carbon dioxide. This is connected to the large issue of ocean acidification. The second project is how carbon dioxide in the atmosphere might affect the hydrogen-bonding in complexes of atmospherically-important acids. This is connected to the larger issue of acid rain. The College has a program called “Gaussian 16,” which is research-level software that is capable of carrying out ab initio and semi-empirical calculations on a wide variety of systems.

Bill Garlen is a seasoned management and leadership professional with diverse credentials that combine tactical leadership, corporate executive management, marketing, communications and human resources expertise. Garlen spent years as a business entrepreneur and has a background of achieving success in television, media, music, consulting, corporate, and proprietary business environments. His teaching background includes over 20 years experience in diverse adult education. Additionally, he spent several years in corporate training consulting where he designed, developed and taught courses online and in the classroom. Corporate courses developed include topics in business, management, leadership, marketing, mechanical engineering, real estate, appraisal, adult continuing education, occupational skills, safety and a wide range of computerized applications.

Garlen worked his way from the entry level up to executive management in large corporations, trained as a military officer, owned successful businesses and led a number of volunteer organizations. He served on the Boards of Directors of publicly traded companies. As a board member he served as a lead director, and as chairman of both the audit and compensation committees. He still serves on community boards with Rayonier and the Federal Correctional Institute in Jesup. His knowledge in balancing state, federal and institutional requirements with the practical needs of academic, business and industrial organizations provides him with a unique insight into business, management, and leadership with a unique ability to communicate real world knowledge to his students.

Garlen is a member of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education, International Leadership Association, Learning and Development Center of Excellence and Education Technology and eLearning Professionals. At the College of Coastal Georgia he assists in administering and overseeing programs in the School of Business and Public Affairs, supports the development and coordination of the various curriculums in the School, coordinates the use of part-time faculty (recruitment, text selection, and orientation) and assists in assessment activities of the various programs within the school. In addition Garlen serves on the College of Coastal Georgia Curriculum Committee, the Web Oversight Committee, and on numerous faculty and staff search committees.

Education
M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology
B.S. in Human Services

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Tashania Garner is an adjunct professor with interests in higher education studies focusing on teaching and research that examines institutional structures, professional development, and workforce dynamics within postsecondary settings. Her scholarly interests include the psychological impact of microaggressions experienced in the workplace, particularly as these experiences relate to well-being, job satisfaction, and retention among higher education professionals. Garner is also interested in issues related to career progression and advancement, including pathways to leadership, organizational climate, and policies that influence equity and professional growth within colleges and universities.

Education
Doctorate of Education in Curriculum and Instruction (2004), Argosy University, Sarasota, FL (May 2004)
Masters of Early Childhood (1997), Armstrong Atlantic University, Savannah, GA (May 1997)
Bachelors of Arts Elementary Education and Special Education (1979), Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI (May 1979)

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Geiken is a highly motivated academic instructor with decades of background experience in Special Education. She clearly articulates and implements her knowledge and expertise in the field of Education. Dr. Geiken continually strives to provide opportunities for teacher candidates to be engaged in their learning and to have real-life experiences based on the content being taught in the classroom. Dr. Geiken is a respectful and professional educator who collaborates with colleagues and supports the College’s mission, strategic goals and policies.

Education
DNP in Nursing Educational Leadership, Post University
MSN in Nursing, Adult Nurse Practitioner, Georgia Southern University, formerly Armstrong Atlantic State University
BSN in Nursing, Georgia Southern University, formerly Armstrong Atlantic State University
ASN in Nursing, College of Coastal Georgia, formerly Coastal Georgia Community College
LPN in Nursing, College of Coastal Georgia, formerly Brunswick College

Teaching and Research Interests/Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Nursing Leadership & Management
Ethics of Nursing Practice
Fundamentals of Nursing Care
Putting it All Together, combining nursing concepts for success.
Computer-based testing versus paper-based testing in an ASN program.

Education
Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with Composition and Rhetoric Specialization, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
M.A. in English, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia
B.A. in English, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Jennifer P. Gray is a professor of English and the creator and director of the Writing Center at the College of Coastal Georgia. She has taught writing courses for more than 20 years. Jennifer has authored or co-authored over 30 articles focused on either composition pedagogy or writing center practices, and she has presented at over 75 conferences. Her most advanced active research project is a collaboration between four compositionists across two institutions and focuses on college faculty experiences with plagiarism and AI within writing-intensive courses. Her other active research projects focus on procrastination in writing classes and the use and revision of weak mentor texts to help students effectively learn about citation and AI use. Jennifer is the Vice-Chair of the College’s Institutional Review Board, and she was a former Executive Committee member for the respected Conference on College Composition and Communication. She is also a Teacher Consultant (TC) for the National Writing Project.

Education
Master of Nursing in Education, Capella University
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Georgia Southern University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Experience in intensive care, long-term care, mental health, addiction, home health, and hospice care.

Recent publication includes, “How is visual learning transforming the way we teach in Health Education?” with Wooclap.

Education
Ph.D. in Modern American History, University of Mississippi
M.A. in Modern European History, University of Alabama
B.A. in History, Clemson University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Teaching Interests: American History, World History

Publications:

Central Prison: North Carolina’s State Penitentiary. Baton Rouge: LSU Press, 2021. (Winner of the 2021 Ragan Old North State Award for Nonfiction, awarded by the North Carolina Literary and Historical Society.)

The North Carolina State Prison (with William G. Hinkle). Columbia, South Carolina: Arcadia Books, 2016.
James Larkin Pearson: A Biography of North Carolina’s Longest-Serving Poet Laureate. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2015.

The Life and Lies of Paul Crouch: Communist, Opportunist, Cold War Snitch. Gainesville: The University Press of Florida, 2014. (Finalist for the 2014 Ragan Old North State Award for Nonfiction.)
The History of the North Carolina Communist Party. Columbia: The University of South Carolina Press, 2009.

Education
Ph.D. in Microbiology, Miami University
M.S. in Biological Sciences, Austin Peay State University
B.S. in Biological Sciences, University of Tennessee at Martin

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My teaching interests include general biology, foundations of microbiology, advanced microbiology, microbial diversity, infectious diseases, and environmental microbiology. My research interests are in the areas of antimicrobial susceptibility and environmental bacteriology. My most recent publication is a lab manual titled Techniques and Applications for the Microbiology Lab published by Kendall Hunt (2024).

Education
M.S. in Microbiology and Cell Science with emphasis in Biochemistry, University of Florida
B.S. in Pre-Professional Biology, College of Coastal Georgia

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Principles of Biology, Foundations of Microbiology, the Human Microbiome, Biochemistry, and Application of Biochemical Principles in relation to the human microbiome.

Education
Ph.D. in Biology, Arizona State University
B.S. in Biology, University of North Carolina at Asheville

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Holbrook leads the Department of Natural Sciences, teaches courses in biology (e.g., Principles of Biology, Conservation Biology, Animal Behavior, Invertebrate Natural History), and conducts research in ecology, evolution, and conservation with students and collaborators.

Selected Publications:

Forrest, T.G., J.A. Hamel, and C.T. Holbrook. 2025. Calling songs and duets of two new species in the Amblycorypha rotundifolia complex (Tettigoniidae, Phaneropterinae). Journal of Orthoptera Research 34(2):233-248. https://doi.org/10.3897/jor.34.145640

Holbrook, C.T., C. Atkinson, J. Fountain, S. Knox, and J. Mackinnon. 2024. Ecological and educational impacts of a living shoreline on St. Simons Island, Georgia, USA. Georgia Journal of Science 82(2). https://digitalcommons.gaacademy.org/gjs/vol82/iss2/3/

Holbrook, C.T., P.M. Barden, and J.H. Fewell. 2011. Division of labor increases with colony size in the harvester ant Pogonomyrmex californicus. Behavioral Ecology 22(5):90-96. https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arr075

Petranka, J.W., E.M. Harp, C.T. Holbrook, and J.A. Hamel. 2007. Long-term persistence of amphibian populations in a restored wetland complex. Biological Conservation 138:271-380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2007.05.002

Education
Ph.D. in Biomolecular Chemistry, Emory University
B.S. in Chemistry/Biochemistry, University of West Georgia

Teaching and Research Interests/Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Knight’s academic background bridges chemistry and biology, with graduate research focused on RNA biochemistry and riboswitches. During graduate school, she discovered a passion for education and innovative, interactive approaches to teaching. A lifelong Georgian, she grew up in a rural community and has spent her entire academic and professional career in the state’s education system. Her interdisciplinary training helps students see how different branches of science connect to shape the world around (and within) us. As Assistant Vice President for Academic Student Engagement, Dr. Knight works to promote student success and engagement across all disciplines, supporting faculty, staff, and students in creating meaningful learning experiences.

Education
Ph.D. in English, Stony Brook University
M.A. in English, University of Michigan
B.A. in English/Anthropology, Queens College, City University of New York

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My teaching interests include First-Year Composition and American Literature. As an instructor in the American Studies program, I teach courses in Principles and Methods in American Studies and Studies in Popular Culture. I have benn the primary mentor for students completing their capstone projects in American Studies since fall 2023.

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Dr. LeCounte is currently working to earn her Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. She received her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Central Missouri, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Georgia College and State University. She is a Certified Medical Surgical Registered Nurse, a Progressive Care Certified Nurse, and a Certified Nurse Educator. Ms. LeCounte has several years of experience working on the intermediate and critical care units at Memorial University Medical Center. She began her career on a medical-surgical floor with a population spanning from pediatrics to geriatrics. She has additional experience caring for step-down, emergency, and postpartum patients.

Education
MSN in Nursing Education, United States University
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, LaGrange College
Bachelor of Art in Psychological Sciences, LaGrange College

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
I am a nursing education faculty member with a strong focus on pediatric nursing and the preparation of future nurses to provide safe, compassionate, and family-centered care across a variety of settings. My teaching interests include pediatric health assessment, growth and development, school health, pediatric mental health, and clinical decision-making in children and adolescents. I am particularly passionate about experiential and community-based learning, integrating simulation, school nurse partnerships, and clinical rotations to support student competence and confidence. My scholarly interests include nursing education pedagogy, student clinical outcomes, pediatric health promotion, and community–academic partnerships, with ongoing scholarly activities related to curriculum development, program evaluation, and dissemination of best practices through presentations, collaborative projects, and professional engagement in nursing education organizations.

Littlejohn earned her Associate of Arts degree at South Georgia State College. Her certifications include Georgia Healthcare Financial Management Association – Certified Patient Account Representative.

Education
Ph.D. in Teacher Education, Mathematics Education, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
M.A.T. Master of Arts in Teaching, Mathematics Education, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
B.S. in Food Science, Delaware Valley University, Doylestown, PA

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Teaching strategies for developing conceptual understanding of foundational mathematics. Pedagogically appropriate uses of educational technologies. Presentation of “Video discussions: Supporting community, learning, and teacher voice” at the Georgia Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (GACTE) in November 2025.

Dr. Mannahan earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from University of Georgia, her master of science in applied psychology from Augusta University, and her Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Arkansas. Her area of expertise is social psychology and her research primarily focuses on retribution and revenge. Dr. Mannahan especially enjoys mentoring students in the research process. Her students present their collaborative research projects at a regional professional conference each year. They also present their work at the Endeavor Conference, the undergraduate research conference held on our campus each spring.

Courses regularly taught:

Introduction to Psychology
Abnormal Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Social Psychology
Experimental Psychology
Psychology and the Law

Education
DNP in Nursing, Georgia Baptist College of Nursing of Mercer University
Post-Master’s Certificate in Health Informatics, University of Illinois at Chicago
MSN in Maternal-Newborn Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago
BSN in Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My academic and professional focus centers on advancing community-based healthcare and maternal-newborn nursing through innovative, evidence-based practices. I am dedicated to improving health outcomes for mothers and infants by bridging the gap between clinical settings and community resources, ensuring equitable access to quality care. Furthermore, I am deeply committed to active engagement in teaching, employing student-centered pedagogical strategies that foster critical thinking and practical skill acquisition. By integrating my research into the classroom, I aim to inspire the next generation of nurses to become compassionate, skilled practitioners and advocates for public health.

Education
Ph.D. in Economics, Georgia State University
M.A. in Economics, DePaul University
B.A. in Economics, University of Illinois

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My primary teaching and research interests are the history of the capitalism vs. socialism debate, American business history and U.S. macroeconomic history. Most of my published research, however, are reports I’ve written as Director of the Reg Murphy Center at the College of Coastal Georgia, as well as “From the Murphy Center” newspaper columns in The Brunswick News.

Education
Ph.D. Rhetoric & Composition, Ball State University
M.A. Training & Development, Roosevelt University
M.A. Women’s & Gender Studies, Roosevelt University
M.A. English & American Literature, Indiana State University
B.A. English, Indiana State University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Connect Glynn Educator Externship Academy Graduate. Glynn County School System. Brunswick, GA. 2025-2026.

Governor’s Teaching Fellow. University System of Georgia. 2023-2024.

Scholar of the Year. College of Coastal Georgia. 2022.

COMPASS Fellow. College of Coastal Georgia. 2022.

Summer Research Fellowship. Developed article for The Routledge Handbook of Descriptive Rhetorical Studies and World Languages. College of Coastal Georgia. 2021.

Summer Research Fellowship. Developed article with Dr. J. Gray for The Peer Review Journal. College of Coastal Georgia. 2020.

Hanson Rhetoric & Composition Award. Ball State University. 2016.

Education
Ph.D. in Oceanography, Concentration in Marine Geology and Geophysics, University of Washington
M.S. in Oceanography, Concentration in Marine Geology and Geophysics, University of Washington
B.S. in Geology, College of Charleston

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Robin McLachlan is a broadly-trained geologist interested in how the shapes of coastal environments are intimately linked to human development, and vice versa. Specifically, she studies sediment transport from source to sink, mountains to deep sea, focusing on the interaction between sediment and hydrodynamics in the fluvial-marine transition zone. She applies the same scientific rigor and inquiry to her role as an educator and communicator. Her teaching strategies constructively align scientific content with high-impact practices – notably undergraduate research and service-learning – to best achieve student learning goals and career success.

Recent fellowships include the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership (2023) and Governor’s Teaching Fellows (2025).

Recent publications include “Actionable Science for Small Island Communities: Wind Velocity and Sea‐Level Rise Enhance Tidal Flooding on Little Cumberland Island, Georgia”, published in AGU Community Science (Bertram et al., 2025).

Education
Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Appalachian State University
M.S. in Instructional Systems, Florida State University
B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication, Samford University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. McNeal has worked in instructional technology since 1999 and taught college students since 2007. She teaches courses in student success, social media, food studies, and interdisciplinary research methods. Her research centers on online course design, online learner engagement, qualitative methods, and food studies.

Selected Presentations and Publications:

McNeal, L. (2025). LMS Integrations and Third-Party Tools: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Presented at Distance Learning Administration Conference.

Brooks, K. B. & McNeal, L. (2025). Hunting rather than Fishing: Using Direct Messaging to Engage Online Learners. Presented at Meaningful Living and Learning in the Digital World.

McNeal, L., Gray, J. P. & Conner, S. (2024). Students in the intersection: Interconnectivity and the impact on RSI in online spaces. Presented at SoTL Commons Conference.

McNeal, L., Payne, G. & Cieszeski, J. (2023). You’ve got this: Lessons Learned from Adopting and OER for First Year Students. Presented at All Things Open.

Gray, J. P. & McNeal, L. (2025). Supporting students and faculty in the online classroom: Slow down and simplify at the end. Faculty Focus.

McNeal, L. (2023). Time to tidy up: Start the new year by decluttering your physical and digital spaces. Faculty Focus.

McNeal, L. & Gray, J. P. (2020). Beyond tickets and comma splices: Using writing center coaching techniques to support online learners. Georgia Educational Researcher. (18)1.

McNeal, L. & Gray, J. P. (2019). A new spin on quality: Broadening online course reviews through coaching and slow thinking. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, (22)4.

Education
Ph.D. in History (2016), Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
Major Field, U.S. History Since 1865
Minor Fields in Latin American History and U.S. War and Society
Dissertation: “The Best of Friends and Neighbors: U.S. Public Diplomacy in Cuba, 1953-1961”
Certificate in Archival Studies (2011), Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
M.A. in History (2006), University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida
Emphasis in Public History
B.S. in History and Political Science (1998), Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Areas of academic interest include U.S. History Since 1865, U.S. Cold War History, U.S. Diplomatic History, Latin American History, and Public History.

Recent Scholarly Projects and Exhibits:

Coastal African American Historic Preservation Commission Exhibit, 2024
•“More than a Classroom: Segregated Education in Brunswick”

Newcastle Street Revitalization Project, 2023
•Through a fellowship awarded by the College of Coastal Georgia, conducted a series of oral history interviews of local government officials and business owners important to the revitalization of Newcastle Street in Downtown Brunswick. Using these oral histories, along with archival research, developed a digital story map of the history of the topic, highlighting significant projects and initiatives associated with the history of the downtown revitalization.

Coastal Georgia Funeral Programs Digitization Project, 2022
•Working with students, digitized almost two dozen funeral programs of local African Americans and placed their programs online for public viewing. The funeral programs project will be useful for future genealogical research.

Marshes of Glynn Libraries Oral History Project, 2022
•With assistance from students, conducted an oral history project with former staff of the Marshes of Glynn Library to document the organization’s history.

Forward Brunswick “Liberty Brunswick” Project, 2021
•Served as a member of the organization’s “Story Team” to develop historical narratives related to the Brunswick Shipyard in operation during WWII for Forward Brunswick’s effort to plant 99 trees in honor of the ships constructed in the yard during the war. Narratives will be featured with newly planted trees on selected sites around the city.

Gullah – Geechee Archives (Working Title), 2021
•Serve as Co-Chair of a nascent committee tasked with developing a strategy to establish a repository for African American historical materials related to the Brunswick, Georgia, region.

Glynn Environmental Coalition Oral History, 2021
•Conducted oral history interviews of member of the Glynn Environmental Coalition to document organizational history of the group.

Risley High School Digitization Project, 2021
•With the aid of students, digitized photographic collection and historical materials related to the segregated Risley High School in Brunswick, Georgia, to help preserve the history of the school.
•Uploaded digital scans of photographs and materials to an online database to allow public access to the collection.

College of Coastal Georgia Student Veterans Oral History Project, 2020
•Served as the coordinator for a series of interviews between students and College of Coastal Georgia student-veterans, monitoring the interviews and assisting students as they conducted their oral histories.

Brunswick African American Cultural Center Oral History Project, 2020
•With assistance from students, conducted oral history project on the Brunswick, Georgia, African American Community, focusing on events and experiences from the 1950s to the 1970s. Topics include the local Civil Rights Movement, segregation and desegregation of local educational and recreational facilities, and documenting the historically Black neighborhoods of the city.

RECENT PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS

Society of Georgia Archivists:, 2024
•Virtual Video Presentation: “The Benefits and Challenges of Using Undergraduate Interns in Local Archives”

Georgia Association of Historians, 2024
•Paper Presentation: “The Newcastle Street Revitalization Oral History Project”

Digital Library of Georgia Workshop, 2023:
•Virtual Presentation: “The Value of Preserving the Past for Students and the Community”

Conference on the Americas Council Annual Conference, 2023
•Paper Presentation: “Stressing Progress: The US Information Agency’s Effort to Explain Segregation and the Civil Rights Movement in the US to the Cuban Public in the 1950s”

Society of Georgia Archivists Annual Conference, 2022
•Paper Presentation: Preserving Local History with the Help of Undergraduate Research

Coastal Scholars Showcase, 2022
•Paper Presentation: “The Value of Local History to Students and the Community”

Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations Annual Conference, 2020 (Meeting canceled due to COVID-19)
•Paper Presentation: “The Meat in the Political Sandwich: Promoting Science, Technology, and Culture in the USIA’s Public Diplomacy Message in Cuba, 1953-1960.”

Recent Community Presentations:

Coastal Georgia Historical Society Brunswick Lecture Series, 2025
•Paper Presentation “Brunswick’s New Deal”

Friends of Jekyll Island Presentation, 2025
•Paper Presentation: “Jekyll Island’s Entertainment Venues in the Early State Period”

Marshes Edge Presentation Community Presentation, 2024
•Paper Presentation: “Prelude to Crisis: US Aerial Reconnaissance Over Cuba Prior to the Cuban Missile Crisis”

Coastal Georgia Historical Society Brunswick Lecture Series, 2024
•Paper Presentation: “By God I’m Going to Brazil: The 1927 Paul Redfern Flight”

Jekyll Island MOSAIC Museum Guest Lecture, 2024
•Paper Presentation: “Jekyll Island’s Entertainment Venues in the Early State Period”

Coastal Georgia Historical Society Brunswick Lecture Series, 2023
•Multimedia Presentation: “The Risley School: Creating Community in a Segregated City”

Mosher earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus. Prior to that, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from San Diego State University, and her Associate of Science in Nursing from Clayton State College. Her clinical expertise centers around surgical ICU and trauma.

Education
Ph.D. in Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University
MAcc Masters of Accounting, Georgia Southern University
M.S. in Hotel and Restaurant Management, Eastern Michigan University
B.S. in Hotel and Foodservice Management, South Dakota State University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Teaching interests include the strategic and operational dimensions of hospitality, with emphasis on event management, eco-tourism, accounting, foodservice operations, and technology integration. Research interests focus on the economic and cultural impacts of popular culture tourism, particularly how media, music, and film shape destination development and influence visitor behavior.

Education
M.S.N., Master’s degree in Nursing, Augusta University
B.S.F.C.S., Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Chloe Mulkey is a nursing instructor at the College of Coastal Georgia. She aspires to gain to her Doctorate Degree, and has a passion for teaching in the hospital setting as well as in the classroom and laboratory. She is incorporating dynamic experiences within the classroom such as creating case studies and hands-on content to facilitate critical thinking. She is interested in attending conferences that will allow her to delve deeper as an instructor and learn more ways to engage students with various learning styles in the nursing content.

Education
Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, Clemson University
M.S. in Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
B.S. in Biology, University of Texas at Austin

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Nance is interested in genetics and genomics, and engaging students in course-based undergraduate research experiences.

Education
M.A. in Mathematics, University of Central Arkansas
B.S. in Mathematics, University of Central Arkansas

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
I am a Senior Lecturer passionate about mathematics education, with a particular focus on algebra and its effective teaching strategies. My research examines how learning mindsets and metacognitive approaches influence student engagement and achievement in learning. I enjoy exploring innovative teaching tools and digital platforms to create interactive and engaging learning experiences. Accessibility is central to my work. I strive to design inclusive learning environments that support diverse learners, including those with disabilities. My recent scholarly activities include studies on growth mindset interventions in mathematics, the impact of adaptive technologies on student performance, and strategies for fostering equity in STEM education.

Education
Doctorate in Law and Public Policy, Northeastern University
Masters of Business Administration, Emory University
Masters in Philosophy, Assumption University
Bachelors in Liberal Arts, Colorado State University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Research in women entrepreneurs’ access to capital, barriers to entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial mindset and behaviors, and entrepreneurship as economic empowerment.

Education
DAT in Athletic Training, A.T. Still University
MPH in Public Health, Bryan University
MSEd in Kinesiology, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
BS in Kinesiology, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My teaching and research interests focus on the integration of exercise science, health promotion, and behavioral strategies to improve overall wellness and performance. I am particularly interested in exploring the physiological and psychological determinants of physical activity and how evidence-based interventions can foster sustainable health behavior change. Additionally, I support students in applying biomechanics and strength and conditioning principles through internships and in-the-field training to optimize human movement and enhance athletic performance.

Education
Ph.D. in Government, University of Virginia
M.A. in Government, University of Virginia
M.A. in Mass Communications, University of Minnesota
M.L.I.S., St. Catherine University
B.A. in Comparative Literature, University of Minnesota

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Pankiewicz’s interests include American politics and government; U.S. space program and private space programs; citizenship and rights; political psychology; public opinion and political behavior; political communication; media and politics; media literacy; information literacy; civic engagement.

“Politics and Science Fiction: How Fantasy Becomes Reality.” Virtual course for the Osher Lifetime Learning Institute at the University of California – Irvine. December 11, 2024.

“Grading for Equity: Implementing Better Grading Practices.” Panel presentation with Dr. Aurora Ramos Nunez and Dr. Ernest Pascoe at the annual meeting of the Georgia Organization for Student Success, St. Simons Island, Georgia, February 9, 2024.

“This Course Uses Science Fiction to Understand Politics.” Published as part of the “Uncommon Courses” series in The Conversation, March 2023.

Education
Ph.D. in Chemistry, Clark Atlanta University (CAU)
Bachelor of Science, Double Major, Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of the West Indies (UWI)

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Teaching Interests: Organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, general chemistry, and organic laboratory skills (analytic techniques in chemistry, separation techniques in chemistry, and chemical syntheses).

Research Interests: Studying the usefulness of High-Impact Educational practices (HIPs) in education, examining some of the fundamental concepts that are important in learning organic chemistry, and mentoring student undergraduate research.

Education
Ph.D. English, University of Georgia
M.A. English, University of Tennessee
B.A. English, University of Southern Maine

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My research explores how speculative narratives and digital writing environments produce new models of authorship, embodiment, and collaboration at the intersection of literature, rhetoric, and technology. Grounded in posthumanism and new materialism, my work investigates how multimodal composition, adaptation, and machine intelligence foreground hybrid forms of agency that reshape how authorship, responsibility, and mediation are understood in speculative and digital contexts By placing speculative fiction in conversation with digital rhetorics, I argue that these texts and platforms function as sites where cultural understandings of creativity, responsibility, and mediation are actively renegotiated.

SCHOLARLY OUTPUT

PUBLICATIONS

Co-editor with Dr. Richard Utz, special issue of Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching, Introduction, “Teaching the Middle Ages and Renaissance to STEM Students,” Expected Spring 2026.

Co-author with Dr. Franziska Tsufim, “More is Less?: Using Generative AI for Idea Generation and Diversification in Early Writing Processes,” Teaching and Generative AI: Pedagogical Possibilities and Productive Tensions, Utah State University Press, 2024.

“Beaufort, Lady Margaret,” Palgrave Encyclopedia of Women’s Writing in the Global Middle Ages, expected 2023-2024 (digital), 2025 (print).
“Part I: The Middle Ages,” Editor and Author, British Literature: Middle Ages to the Eighteenth Century and Neoclassicism, University of North Georgia Press (delayed due to Covid).

“A Necessary Evil: The Inverted Hagiography of William Shakespeare’s Richard III,” Renaissance Papers, 2015.

Book Reviews & Public Facing Articles:

Review of Women and Magic in Medieval Romance, Jane Bonsall, 2025. Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching (forthcoming 2026).

Review of Popular Memory and Gender in Medieval England, Bronach C. Kane, 2021. Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching (2025).

Review of International Medievalisms, ed. Mary Boyle, 2023. Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching (2025).

Review of Ethics in the Arthurian Legend, Melissa Ridley Elmes and Evelyn Meyer, Boydell and Brewer, 2023. Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Teaching (2024).

Founding faculty member and content creator, “The Role of Inclusivity in Digital Storytelling,” in conjunction with Richard Utz (Georgia Institute of Technology), John Lyon (Georgia Institute of Technology), and Julie Ann Crommett (CEO and Founder, Collective Moxie. Fall 2023.

“Integrating AI into College Writing and Communication Classes,” published in TechStyle, Georgia institute of Technology’s public form for multimodal and digital pedagogy, May 2023.

CONFERENCE & PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS
2
“‘The Monster Stands at the Threshold … of Becoming’: Death, Beginning-Ends, and Hybrid Entanglements in Terry Pratchett’s Reaper Man” in Monsters, Monstrosities, & the Monstrous, 2026 Pop Culture Association National Conference. April 8-11, 2026.

Invited panel speaker and co-chair, “Cyborg Pedagogy: How AI LLMs Re-Define Our Relationship with Information and Digital Literacies,” in “New Ways of Creating Knowledge in the Technologically Integrated Classroom” panel. 2026 Intersectional Studies Remote Conference at South Carolina State, March 27, 2026.

“Outside-and-inbetween: Interrogating Early Career Professional Development and Success,” in “Career Counterstories: Pivots, Fallbacks, and Early Academic Identities (and Why CCCC Needs an Early-Career Special Interest Group)” panel. Conference on College Composition and Communication, Cleveland, OH, March 4-7, Cleveland, OH.

Panel Organizer, “Career Counterstories: Pivots, Fallbacks, and Early Academic Identities (and Why CCCC Needs an Early-Career Special Interest Group).” Conference on College Composition and Communication, Cleveland, OH, March 4-7, Cleveland, OH.

“Cyborg Pedagogy: How AI LLMs Re-Define Our Relationship with Information and Digital Literacies,” in “New Ways of Creating Knowledge in the Technologically Integrated Classroom” panel. South Atlantic Modern Language Association, Atlanta, GA, Nov. 6-8, 2025.

Panel Co-Chair, “New Ways of Creating Knowledge in the Technologically Integrated Classroom.” South Atlantic Modern Language Association, Atlanta, GA, Nov. 6-8, 2025.

Chair, “Medieval Literature and Knowledge.” South Atlantic Modern Language Association, Atlanta, GA, Nov. 6-8, 2025.

Chair, “Epic Continuities: From Homeric Voyage to Middle-Earth.” South Atlantic Modern Language Association, Atlanta, GA, Nov. 6-8, 2025.

“Memorial Horror and Haunted Texts: Rhetorical Ghosts and the (Re)creation of Harley Quinn’s Poison Ivy and The Bride from Creature Commandos” in the “ Ghost in the Machine: Naming, Rhetoric, and Storytelling Across Media Afterlives.” Literature/Film Association, Savannah, GA, Sept. 25-27, 2025.

“Immersive Fantasy Game Narrative and the Collaborative Construction of Ethos in College Composition,” in the “Coarticulating Pedagogies: Multiauthorship and Multimodality in the STEM Composition Classroom” Roundtable. Conference on College Composition and Communication Annual Convention, Baltimore, MD, April 9-12, 2025.

“Student ‘Belonging’ Across Disciplines: First Year Writing and STEM Students,” in the “Interrogating a “Sense of Belonging” in the First-Year Writing Classroom” Roundtable. South Atlantic Modern Language Association, Jacksonville, FL, Nov. 15-17, 2024.

“Academic Integrity and the Ethics of Communal Play: Research Perspectives on Tackling Administrative Dilemmas in AI Use Policies,” Co-Presented with Dr. Franziska Tsufim, Machine Writing and the Work of Rhetoric and Composition, Conference on College Composition and Communication, Oct. 23, 2024.

“Ignored Pasts and Neglected Futures: Memory, Time, and Environmental Change in The Awntyrs off Arthure at the Terne Wathelyn.” Southeastern Medieval Association, Augusta, GA, Oct. 10-12, 2024 (accepted, conference canceled due to Hurricane Helene).

“The Lone Medievalist and Popular Medievalism in the College Writing Classroom.” Georgia Medieval Group, Augusta, GA, Oct. 12, 2024 (accepted, conference canceled due to Hurricane Helene).
Invited Speaker, “Tolkien and Asia,” part of the “Tolkien in Asia” symposium hosted by the Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Modern Languages, November 3, 2023.

“A New Era for Peer Review?: Using Chat GPT as Drafting Support in University Writing Classes.” Co-presented with Dr. Franziska Tsufim. Teach With AI Conference, University of Central Florida, Sept. 24-25, 2023.

“Old, Old School Revival: Teaching Multimodal College Composition With High Fantasy, Neomedieval Role Playing Games.” Comics and Popular Arts Conference at DragonCon, Atlanta, GA. Aug. 31-Sept. 4, 2023 (accepted, panel canceled).

“Communicating Interdisciplinary Research to Diverse Audiences.” Invited talk for UGA’s Center for Integrative Conservation Research and its Integrative Conservation PhD program, Sep. 30, 2021.
“Anglo-Saxons and other Medieval Misuses: Revising Medieval Introductory Material in an Open Access Anthology.” Open Education Conference, Virtual Event, Nov. 9 – 12, 2020.

“Graphic Romance: Teaching Medieval Romance Through Graphic Novels and Comics.” Southeastern Medieval Association, Greensboro, NC. Nov. 14 – 16, 2019.

“Common Places for the Uncommonly Placed: Medieval English Queens and their Books of Hours.” New Chaucer Society 2018 Congress, Toronto, Ont. July 10 – 15, 2018.

“This Life, The Afterlife, and the Lake in Between: The Awntyrs off Arthure at Terne Wathlyne.” Southeastern Medieval Association, Charleston, SC. Nov. 16 – 28, 2017.

“Generative Violence, Violently Unregenerative: Captive Spaces as Inverted Bedchambers in Henry VI, Part Three.” Bedchamber Scenes/Scènes de lit, University of Georgia/ Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier III, Athens, GA. Apr. 12 -13, 2017.

“ ‘A Great Voice out of Heaven’: Christina Rossetti’s The Face of the Deep as Public Sermon.” British Women Writers Conference, University of Georgia, Athens, GA. June 2 – 5, 2016.

Panel Co-Chair, “Women’s Words: Female Instruction in the Medieval British Isles.” International Congress on Medieval Studies Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI. May 16 – 20, 2016.
“Dynastic Translation and Communion: Lady Margaret Beaufort, The Imitation of Christ, and the Establishment of the Tudor Dynasty.” International Congress on Medieval Studies Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI. May 16 – 20, 2016.

“Beyond (and Behind) Invasions: The Nostalgic Apocalypse of the Sermo Lupi ad Anglos and Beowulf.” Southeastern Medieval Association, Little Rock, AR. Oct. 22 – 24, 2015.

“A Parody of the Sacred: The Inverted Hagiography of William Shakespeare’s Richard III.” Southeastern Renaissance Association. Chapel Hill, NC. Oct. 2 – 3, 2015.

“From Angel to Anchorite in the House: The Religious Mystery of Ada Clare’s Ascetic Domestic Piety in Bleak House.” Victorian Institute. Charlotte, NC. Oct. 24 – 25, 2014.

“The (Weak) Ties That Bind: Female Agency in Malory’s ‘Deth of Arthur.’” Southeast Medieval Association. Boone, NC. October 3 – 5, 2013.

PUBLIC HUMANITIES, DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT & PEDAGOGY
President and Founder, Media Res: Research & Narrative Strategies for Fantastical & Speculative Film, Television & Video Games – Integrating academic expertise into popular fantasy and speculative entertainment. Founded September 2025.

Invited participant, University System of Georgia Teaching and Learning Conference, Athens, GA. April 16-17, 2026.

Invited Speaker, ““The Once and Future ‘Once and Future’: Death, Beginning-Ends, and Adaptation in Lev Grossman’s The Bright Sword.” Coastal Scholars, College of Coastal Georgia (open to the public). Feb 5, 2026.

Invited Speaker, “Cyborg Pedagogy: How AI LLMs Re-Define Our Relationship with Information and Digital Literacies,” 2026 Intersectional Studies Remote Conference at South Carolina State, March 27, 2026.

Invited Speaker, “Disciplinary Integration and the New Humanities.” Open to
public. College of Coastal Georgia, spring 2026 (dated TBD).

Invited Participant, State of the Entertainment Industry in Georgia, Trilith Studios, Oct. 23, 2025.

Invited Speaker, “The Monster Stands at the Threshold: Mutation, Hybridity, and Posthuman Fear.” Open
to Public, College of Coastal Georgia, Oct. 27, 2025.

Invited Speaker, “Cyborg Ethics: AI and the Human-Machine Relationship.” Open to the public. Gould
Memorial Library, College of Coastal Georgia, Oct. 17, 2025.

Invited Speaker, “In memoriam: Memory and Murder in Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club.” Public lecture, past of Coastal Georgia Reads, Glynn County Libraries, March 2025. (canceled).

Invited Speaker, “Rhetorical Ghosts and the Changeless Future in the Arthurian Legend’s Awntyrs off
Arthure at the Terne Wathelyn.” Open to the public. College of Coastal Georgia, Feb, 6, 2025.

Invited Speaker and Co-presenter, “AI and Faculty Workload: Using AI for Faculty Evaluations.” Open to
the public. College of Coastal Georgia, Feb, 6, 2025.

Invited Participant, State of the Entertainment Industry in Georgia, Trilith Studios, Oct. 17, 2024

Co-chair and Organizer, “Science Fiction and the Future of Space: National Astronomy Day 2024.”
Tellus Science Museum, Cartersville, GA, May 15, 2024.

Co-organizer, Georgia Medieval Group Spring Meeting. Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking, Georgia Institute of Technology, April 20, 2024.

Co-Chair and Co-organizer, “The Challenges and Ethics of Space Exploration Symposium. Georgia Institute of Technology, in conjunction with the School of Literature, Media, and Communications and the School of Modern Languages, April 4, 2024.

Co-Chair and Co-organizer, “Postcolonialism and Media: An Interdisciplinary Symposium.” Georgia Institute of Technology, in conjunction with the School of Literature, Media, and Communications and the School of Modern Languages, March 8, 2024.

Co-organizer, “Integrating Art, Literature, Science, and Public Policy.” Invited speaker Dr. Jay Clayton, hosted by Georgia Institute of Technology’s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, in conjunction with the School of Literature, Media, and Communications, School of Modern Languages, and School of Public Policy, February 5, 2024.

Co-Chair and Co-Organizer, “Teaching the Middle Ages and Renaissance to STEM Students,” hosted by Georgia Institute of Technology and Studies for Medieval and Renaissance Teaching, Digital Symposium, December 4, 2023.

Co-Chair and Co-Organizer, “Multilingual Composition Pedagogy Symposium,” hosted by Georgia Institute of Technology and its Writing and Communications Program, September 15.

Co-organizer, JA Crommett faculty, staff, and student seminar, “Inclusivity and Digital Storytelling,” hosted by Georgia Institute of Technology, Fall 2023

Co-Organizer, “Out and About,” an event featuring conversations about the experience of LGBTQ+ students, staff, faculty, and alumni/ae in Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at the Georgia Institute of Technology. April 19, 2023.

Co-Organizer, “Inclusive Storytelling and Technology,” an all-day event with sessions for students and faculty featuring guest speaker Julie Ann Crommett, who has worked in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) space for over thirteen years across media and tech, including at Google, NBCUniversal, and Disney. April 3, 2023.

Co-Organizer, “Humanizing STEMM for the 21st Century,” an event exploring how Georgia Institute of Technology might develop future integrations with HASS (humanities, arts, and social science) similar to those suggested by the National Academies featuring guest speaker, Dr. Lisa Margonelli.

GRANT AWARDS

In Process: Open AI Researcher Access Program
Author and $5,000 grant recipient, “Seeing Ourselves: The Role of Inclusivity in Storytelling and Story Creation at Georgia Tech.” Awarded by the Digital Integrative Liberal Arts Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Summer 2024.

Co-author and $3,000 grant recipient, “The Challenges and Ethics of Space Exploration Symposium,” hosted by the Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Literature, Media, and Communications, Spring 2023.

Co-author and $5,000 grant recipient, “Life Beyond Earth: Bridging Science Fiction and the Ethics of Astrobiology with Interdisciplinary Digital Resources.” Awarded by Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, Georgia Institute of Technology, May 2023.

Education
M.F.A. Studio Art, East Tennessee State University
A.B. Anthropology, University of Georgia

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Aurora Pope teaches both studio and lecture classes. The studio classes are 2-D Design, 3-D Design, Drawing 1 & 2, and Advanced Drawing. She also teaches Art Appreciation, Art History Surveys 1 & 2, and Topics in American Art. In the studio, Aurora often incorporates elements from her natural surroundings into her work, either as materials or representations. In the last few years, she has been reacting to prints left on paper from mushroom spores, building upon them with graphite, charcoal, and soft pastel. These have been recently included in juried competitions with Upstream Gallery and Ten Moir Gallery. Aurora also makes artist’s books that include ecoprinted and handmade paper and other organic materials. In 2023, she installed a solo exhibition of these drawings and books at Glynn Visual Arts. The show was entitled _Elementals_.

Education
Ph.D. (Biopsychology), University of Georgia
M.A. (General-Experimental Psychology), College of William and Mary
B.A. (Psychology), DePauw University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My scholarship is primarily focused on teaching students to do psychological research by having them develop measures of psychological attitudes and/or present visual or audio-visual stimuli and recording participant responses. Research projects are developed in the Research Methods course in the spring semester and further refined in a Supervised Research course the following fall. Students learn to develop measurement scales, perform statistical analyses, and prepare a summary of the research for presentation at a professional meeting (typically the Southeastern Psychological Association).

The following research collaborations with students were presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association meeting in Atlanta in 2025 –

Pope, J.B., & Cordell, E. (2025, April). Musical correlates of ASMR response. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association
Convention, Atlanta, GA.

Pope, J.B., Fromhagen, C., DeJesus, P., Bray, I., & Royal, G. (2025, April). Attitude toward generative AI use in higher education settings. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Convention, Atlanta, GA.

Pope, J.B., & Wegman, B. (2025, April). Measurement of giving and receiving phone snubs. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Convention, Atlanta, GA.

Pope, J.B., & Stoerrle, A. (2025, April). Measurement of work-home attentional shifting. Poster presented at the Southeastern Psychological Association Convention, Atlanta, GA.

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Education
Ph.D. in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Houston
M.A. in Developmental Psychology, University of Houston
B.A. in Psychology, San Diego State University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Ramos Nunez is an associate professor of psychology at the College of Coastal Georgia. She advises psychology major students and teaches Introduction to General Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Foundations of Brain and Behavior, Research Methods in Psychology, Brain Health in Psychology, and Learning and Behavior. Her research background includes the use of neuroimaging techniques to examine cognitive processes related to language such as speech perception, production, bilingualism, and cognitive control.

Currently, Dr. Ramos Nunez conducts survey research to examine factors related to second language acquisition and collaborates with undergraduate students in their various projects examining behavioral outcomes associated with academic performance, physical activity, and social media use, among others. She is also the Student Success Coordinator, working towards designing and executing initiatives to help with student retention.

T. David Reese is a Professor of Finance & Economics in the School of Business & Public Management at the College of Coastal Georgia.

“Dr. T.” David Reese also serves as a consultant to governmental agencies and for-profit and non-profit organizations on matters related to Economic Development, Community Development and Business Development. Dr. Reese’s past consulting clients include: the U.S. Department of the Treasury; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”); and the City of Montgomery (AL). Over the past 20 years, Dr. Reese has held management positions with a range of public, private and community financial institutions. Prior to his career in academia, he spent more than 10 years on Wall Street, working as an Investment Analyst with Metropolitan Life and as a Vice President of Citicorp Investment Bank. During 1980’s, while working on Wall Street, Dr. Reese acquired the nickname “Dr. T.” During this period, Dr. T. worked with a number of major corporations, investor groups and entrepreneurs to structure and finance leveraged buyouts. He has been active in community economic development throughout his career. He worked with two municipally-sponsored non-profits in New York City which served small businesses owned by women and people of color. Dr. Reese also served as the youngest board member of 100 Black Men of New York, a group of business and community leaders dedicated to the political and economic empowerment of African-Americans. Dr. T is a former Director of the Local Enterprise Assistance Fund (LEAF), a multi-million dollar community development venture capital fund that finances small businesses and creates jobs for low-income persons. LEAF, headquartered in Boston, finances transactions throughout the country.

Dr. Reese earned his undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College and his master’s degree and doctorate at Southern New Hampshire University. Dr. Reese engages in research in three areas: Small Business Finance, African-American Entrepreneurship, and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). Ultimately, a desire to identify and understand those factors that impact access to capital for various marginalized communities motivates all of Dr. Reese’s research interests.

Education
Post-Doctorate in Marketing & Management, University of Florida
Doctor of Philosophy in Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University
Master of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Valdosta State University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Teaching Interests: Culinary Arts, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Marketing and Management

Research Interests: Film induced tourism, sustainable tourism

Dr. Robertson is a botanist who conducts research in plant ecology, with primary interests in phenology and plant distribution responses to climate change. She teaches both lower- and upper-division courses in biology with a focus on the botanical courses. She also mentors Coastal Ecology students, serves as the curator of the College of Coastal Georgia’s herbarium and greenhouse, and is an advising scientist for TIDES (Texas Integrated Diving & Ecological Studies) Laboratory, which is a multi-institutional undergraduate research program that focuses on student-driven marine research projects on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System in the Caribbean. Dr. Robertson received her B.S. in biology from Angelo State University, her M.S. in biology/plant ecology from Sul Ross State University, and her Ph.D. in biology/plant physiology from Texas Tech University.

Education
M.H.R. in Human Resource Development, Clemson University
M.S. in Sport Management, University of West Georgia
M.S. in Kinesiology, Georgia Southern University
B.A. in General Studies, Southern New Hampshire University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Teaching and Research Interests: Leadership and organizational effectiveness in sport and educational settings, with particular emphasis on Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) Theory and its influence on trust, communication, and performance outcomes; human resource development and talent management; intercollegiate athletics administration and governance; student-athlete development and holistic well-being; coaching leadership and performance development; organizational culture, ethics, and compliance in sport; and the integration of health, wellness, and human performance to enhance individual and organizational outcomes.

Tedi received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia in 2013. After graduating, she accepted a position at WTOC-TV, the Southeast News Leader, in Savannah. During her six years at the station, Tedi worked as a digital producer, producing digital broadcasts and anchoring her own digital broadcast shows. In 2020, she made the move to Saint Simons Island and joined the College as the Digital Media Specialist. In her spare time, Tedi enjoys river and saltwater fishing, going to football games, traveling to Keith Urban shows, and spending time with her family, friends, and cats.

Dr. Sandberg earned her Doctor of Education – Nurse Educator from the University of West Georgia, her Master of Science in Nursing from Western Governors University, her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix, and her Associate of Science in Nursing from Burlington County College in Pemberton, New Jersey. Her professional affiliations include AACN, NLN, and Sigma Theta Tau International.

Education
Ph.D. in Sociology, University of Virginia
M.A. in Sociology, University of Virginia
B.S. in Criminal Justice and Sociology, Old Dominion University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Scarborough’s teaching and research interests include culture, social stratification, the self, media, deviance, theory, and public sociology. He has published in both peer-reviewed journals and popular press publications. As part of Coastal’s Reg Murphy Center for Economic and Policy Studies, he often prepares columns that appear in The Brunswick News.

Education
M.F.A. in Creative Writing, Northern Arizona University
B.A. in English, Georgia College and State University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My teaching interests include creative writing, literature, and writing composition. I write primarily fiction and nonfiction exploring relationships, connection, and the human condition. Most recently, an essay has been accepted for spring 2026 publication in Foglifter Press, and a story I published in Glassworks Magazine was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in December 2025. I remain involved in the literary community by participating in writing workshops, attending conferences, and reading on the flash fiction team for Split Lip Magazine.

Mr. Stephen Shehan-Nichols is the Academic Services Coordinator for the School of Business and Public Management, and is responsible for coordinating the administrative, academic, and support functions of the school. He joined Coastal Georgia in the fall of 2018 and served as the Freshmen Academic Advisor for the School of Business and Public Management prior to being named Academic Services Coordinator.

Mr. Shehan-Nichols is a seasoned academic professional experienced in serving diverse student populations in various settings in higher education. With over a decade of experience, he has worked in various professional roles in admissions, academic advising, financial aid advising, and career services advising at both Chamberlain University and National University.

He has a passion for mentoring students and supporting academic success. He is an intrinsically motivated individual, who strives to attain personal and team goals with enthusiasm and integrity. He believes that in order for academic services to be effective they must be both purposeful and holistic. He is known to be a student advocate and helps students achieve their education goals, teaching them about the nature of higher education, and provoking them toward greater levels of self-awareness and responsibility.

Mr. Shehan-Nichols received both his M.Ed in Adult Education and B.S. in Organizational Management from Tusculum College. He obtained his certification as a Certified Life Coach in 2020.

Prior to a career in higher education, Mr. Shehan-Nichols worked in varying managerial roles in business in the telemarketing, banking, and shipping industries. He worked his way from entry level manager to executive management and served as an Executive Director of Customer Service and Training in the shipping and packaging industry. His unique and comprehensive experience in training, mentoring, team building, leadership, customer service, and relationship management has given him a dynamic and unique ability to connect and develop strong connections with students.

Mr. Shehan-Nichols serves on various committees at the College of Coastal Georgia, including the Honors Program Advisory Council, Presidential Commission on Diversity and Inclusion, and staff search committees. He also serves as co-advisor for the Health Informatics Association.

Dr. Sneed earned her Doctor of Philosophy, Curriculum, and Instruction from the University of Virginia. She earned her Master of Science, Science Curriculum and Instruction & Space Science from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. She obtained her Bachelor of Science, Physical Sciences (Minor in Mathematics), Secondary Teaching Certification from Colorado State University. Dr. Sneed is a member of the Golden Key International Honors Society and is a National Science Foundation Teaching Scholar. Her professional affiliations include the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and the Association for Middle Level Educators (AMLE). Prior to joining the Coastal Georgia faculty, Dr. Sneed served as the Academic Coordinator of the University of Virginia Curry School of Education’s K-12 Gifted Enrichment Programs. She has and continues to partner with school systems and organizations nationally and internationally around initiatives related to curriculum design, classroom assessment, and differentiated instruction in STEM fields. Prior to her experience in teacher education and professional development, Dr. Sneed taught middle and high school science and math in Colorado. Currently, she teaches courses in middle/secondary instructional design, assessment, and differentiated instruction, and mentors teacher candidates in field experiences.

Education
Doctor of Science in Information Systems & Communications (D.Sc.)

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. St. Clair’s teaching interests focus on cybersecurity, digital literacy, and information technology, with an emphasis on practical applications and workforce readiness. He is passionate about integrating hands-on learning experiences, such as competitions and real-world projects, to prepare students for careers in the evolving tech landscape. His research interests include cybersecurity education, diversity and inclusion in technology fields, and strategies for enhancing digital resilience in underserved communities. Recent scholarly activities including serving as a workshop speaker at the 2nd Annual Digital Literacy Block Party (Charlotte, NC, Sept. 2025), and contributing to student success in the National Cyber League Spring 2025 competition, where all six CCGA teams ranked in the top 10% nationally. Additionally, Dr. St. Clair has supported research on representation of Black cybersecurity professionals, aligning with his long-standing commitment to equity in tech.

Education
Ph.D. in Zoology (2009), Miami University (Oxford, OH)
M.S. in Zoology (2006), Miami University (Oxford, OH)
B.S. in Biology (2002), Baldwin-Wallace College (Berea, OH)

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Natural History of Vertebrate and Invertebrate Animals, Predator-prey interactions, and Biodiversity

Kennedy, T.*, Outhwaite, A., Rigdon, J.*, and Stasek, D. The biodiversity of the invertebrate community within an intertidal pond on Jekyll Island. Poster presentation at the Coastal Science Symposium at the College of Coastal Georgia, December 5, 2025. This research will be submitted for publication Spring 2026. *denotes undergraduate coauthor

Education
Enrolled MS Psychology, University of West Alabama
MBA Marketing, Columbia Southern University
Ed.D. Ed Administration, Georgia Southern University
MS Management, Northern Arizona University
M.Ed. Ed Leadership, Georgia Southern University
BBA Management, Georgia Southern College

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Marketing, Management, Consumer/Organization Behavior

Education
Ph.D. Marine and Environmental Science, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
M.Sc. Chemistry, Biology, and Marine Science, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan
M.A. Teaching, University of Piedmont, Demorest, GA
B.Sc. Integrative Biology, Chapman University, Orange, CA

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My teaching is focused on High Impact Practices that allow students to become the drivers of their own learning. I use experiential learning, service-learning, and writing intensive approaches to allow my students to not just learn, but “do” science and think scientifically. My research interests are centered around marine ecology, marine coastal biogeochemistry, and aquatic ecology. I have recently presented work on the use of Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) in the instruction and training of Scientific Divers.

Education
M.D. in Medicine, Augusta University-Medical College of Georgia
B.S. in Neuroscience, Emory University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Teaching Interests: Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Pathophysiology, and Immunology; mentoring students pursuing careers in healthcare: medicine, veterinary, pharmacy, dental, PA, optometry, etc.

Research Interests: Developing and evaluating innovative instructional approaches to improve student success in A&P courses.

Larry D. Thompson serves as Counsel to the Atlanta law firm of Finch McCranie, LLP. Mr. Thompson retired in December 2014 as Executive Vice President, Government Affairs, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for PepsiCo, Inc. Mr. Thompson assumed this position with PepsiCo in July 2012, with responsibility for the company’s worldwide legal function, as well as its government affairs and public policy organizations. He also oversaw the company’s global compliance function and served as President of the PepsiCo Foundation.

Mr. Thompson previously served as PepsiCo’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary from 2004 to 2011. He served as a Senior Fellow with The Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and his government career includes serving in the U.S. Department of Justice as the former U.S. Deputy Attorney General under George W. Bush (2001-2003). In 2002, Attorney General John Ashcroft named Mr. Thompson to lead the National Security Coordination Council. Also, in 2002, President Bush named Mr. Thompson to head the Corporate Fraud Task Force. Mr. Thompson led the establishment of the Department of Justice’s Attorney Outreach Program which resulted in the recruitment of attorneys from a wide range of ethnic, economic, geographic, and racial backgrounds.

Previously, Mr. Thompson was a partner in the Atlanta, Georgia law firm of King & Spalding. From 1982-1986, Mr. Thompson served as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. In that role, he directed the Southern Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and served on the Attorney General’s Economic Crime Council. In July 1995, Mr. Thompson was appointed Independent Counsel for the Department of Housing and Urban Development Investigation by the Special Panel of U.S. Circuit Court Judges appointed by the U.S. Supreme Court. In April 2000, Mr. Thompson was selected by Congress to chair the Judicial Review Commission on Foreign Asset Control. Mr. Thompson joined the Atlanta, Georgia law firm of Finch McCranie, LLP as Counsel in July 2015.

Committee of the Graham Holdings Company (formerly The Washington Post Company), and currently serves on the Board of Franklin Templeton Mutual Series Funds and the George W. Bush Foundation Board. He is an elected Fellow of the American Board of Governance Counsel, and the American Board of Criminal Lawyers and has served as a Trustee on the Chautauqua Institute Board since 2014. Mr. Thompson was elected to the Council of the American Law Institute and serves on the Georgia Historical Society Board of Curators. Mr. Thompson is an elected member of the American College of Governance Counsel. He is the recipient of the Edmund Jennings Randolph Award for outstanding contributions to the accomplishment of the Department of Justice’s mission, Outstanding Litigator Award by the Federal Bar Association, and the A.T. Walden Award for outstanding accomplishments to the legal profession by the Gate City Bar Association, Atlanta, Georgia. In 2017, Mr. Thompson was honored with the first-ever William T. Coleman, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award by the African-American Managing Partners Network. Mr. Thompson was elected as a Trustee to the University of Georgia Foundation in June 2016. Mr. Thompson has served on the University of Georgia School of Law’s faculty as the holder of the John A. Sibley Chair of Corporate and Business Law. In 2016, Mr. Thompson was named Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ethics Research Center (ERC), the research arm of the Ethics & Compliance Initiative (ECI). In 2014, Ethisphere magazine recognized Mr. Thompson by noting that as “the outgoing General Counsel of one of the world’s most well-recognized corporations [Thompson] has set the bar high for GC’s everywhere. [His] background in both public and private sectors earned him the trust and respect of his peers worldwide as he demonstrated how ethics and integrity are essential components of business success.”

In 2017, Mr. Thompson was appointed by the U.S. Department of Justice as the Independent Corporate Compliance Monitor and Auditor for Volkswagen AG.

Larry holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Culver-Stockton College, a Master’s degree from Michigan State University and a Law degree from the University of Michigan, an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Pace University in New York, and an Honorary Doctorate from St. Louis University. Larry’s first book, Quiet Counsel, was released in November 2024.

Education
Master of Arts in Teaching, Salisbury University
Master of Science in Chemistry, University of Cincinnati
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Jefferson University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My goal as an educator is to help my students become well-informed, conscientious decision-makers. By providing students with a strong foundation in science, I assist them in gaining a better understanding of the impact they have on the world around them. I enjoy watching as students become engaged in the learning process, master a new concept, or express excitement over an experiment or result. Drawing on my extensive laboratory experience, I offer students a first-hand perspective on how science and chemistry affect our daily lives. I set high expectations, but maintain a positive and respectful learning environment in which students feel comfortable expressing opinions, exploring new ideas, and embracing challenging concepts. My teaching philosophy is grounded in the conviction that structure, early engagement, and transparent expectations are foundational to student success. In the lab setting—where safety, procedural precision, and scientific reasoning are paramount—students thrive when they encounter predictable routines, timely feedback, and relevant practice that reduces cognitive load and builds confidence. I cultivate an active learning environment where students are encouraged to ask questions, test their ideas, and reflect on errors as part of the scientific process.

Education
Ph.D. in Economics, Georgia State University
Master of Public Administration, Georgia State University
B.S. in Discrete Mathematics, Georgia Institute of Technology
Master’s Certificate in Data Analytics, Georgia College and State University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Trussell studies the economic impacts of childhood trauma and ways to mitigate those impacts. As an associate of the Reg Murphy Center for Economic and Policy Studies, she produces scholarly op-eds for The Brunswick News on an assortment of topics of interest to readers.

Most recent peer-reviewed publication:

Trussell, M.R. & Farley, H. (2003). Economic impact of CarePortal donations in Glynn County, Georgia. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 18(5), 1074-1083. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2023.2299490

Education
Ph.D. in Water Management and Hydrological Science, Texas A&M University
M.S.L. in Studies Law, University of Pittsburgh
M.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Purdue University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Tu’s early research focused on stormwater management and computer simulations of surface water processes on the landscape. In recent years, his research and teaching interests switched to spatial science, including GIS (Geographic Information System), satellite remote sensing, and drone remote sensing. He loves science education and is a big fan of Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Publications between 2021-2026:

Ssewanyana, A.*, Tu, M.-c. (2026). Performance of Spectral Indices and Machine Learning Algorithms in Seasonal Classification of Urban Impervious Surfaces from Sentinel-2 Imagery: A Case Study of Taipei. Remote Sensing in Earth Systems Sciences. 9(1): 16. doi: 10.1007/s41976-025-00266-9

Chen, W.-j.*, Tu, M.-c. (2025). Automated Process for Analyzing 2D CAD Floor Plan Drawings and Generating FloorspaceJS-Compatible Space Objects for Building Energy Simulations. Building and Environment. 26: 105575. doi: 10.1016/j.rineng.2025.105575

He, L., Geng, X.-w., Huo, H.-y.*, Lian, Y., Xi, Q., Feng, W., Tu, M.-c., Leng, P. (2025). Simulation of Urban Thermal Environment Based on Urban Weather Generator: Narrative Review. Urban Science. 9: 275. doi: doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9070275

Liu, C.-c., Tu, M.-c.*, Lin, J.-y., Huo, H., Chen, W.-j. (2025). Environmental Influence on NbS (Nature-Based Solution) Mitigation of Diurnal Surface Urban Heat Islands (SUHI). Remote Sensing. 17: 1802. doi: 10.3390/rs17101802

Huo, H.*, Wang, Z., Zhou, L., Liu, Z., Tu, M.-c. (2025). Wind Field Simulation and Its Impacts on Athletes’ Performance, Based on the Computational Fluid Dynamics Method: A Case Study of the National Sliding Centre of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Applied Sciences. 15: 3685. doi: 10.3390/app15073685

Tu, M.-c.*, Chen, W.-j. (2023). “Field Measurement of Dynamic Interaction Between Urban Surface and Microclimate in Humid Subtropical Climate with Multiple Sensors.” Sensors. 23(24): 9835. doi: 10.3390/s23249835

Tu, M.-c.*, Huang, Y.-c. (2023). “Impacts of Land Reclamation on Coastal Water in a Semi-Enclosed Bay.” Remote Sensing. 15(2): 510. doi: 10.3390/rs15020510

Wang, C.-p.*, Shih, B.-j., Tu, M.-c. (2021). Study on the improvement of disaster resistance against tsunamis at Taiwan’s Keelung Port. Natural Hazards. 110: 1507-1526. doi: 10.1007/s11069-021-05000-4

Nichols, W.*, Welker, A., Traver, R., Tu, M.-c. (2021). Modeling seasonal performance of operational urban rain garden using HYDRUS-1D. J. Sustainable Water Built Environ. 7(3): 04021005. doi: 10.1061/JSWBAY.0000941

Education
Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, Wichita State University
M.S. in Mathematics, Wichita State University
B.S. in Physics, Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Computational fluid dynamics, mathematical modeling, partial differential equations, numerical analysis, and scientific computing. Notable project: Neural Bypass through a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) that integrated an Electroencephalograph (EEG) with a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) unit. In this project the user was able to move their arms without engaging the motor cortex and bypassing brain-spine communications.

Education
Ph.D. in Political Science, University of Notre Dame (May 2009)
M.A. in Political Science, Ohio State University (December 1997)
B.A. in Political Science and History, Cum Laude, Mercer University (June 1991)

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Vasquez’s teaching interests within the social sciences are focused largely on political science, especially regarding international relations as well as American politics and government. His research interests revolve primarily around national and international security policy, military manpower policy, the politics of military veterans, and the intersection of sports and politics.

Antonio received his Bachelor of Arts in Spanish with a minor in French from Emory University in Atlanta, GA. He began his career at the College in 2021 as a Financial Aid Customer Service Clerk.

Education
Ph.D. in Hospitality Administration, Oklahoma State University
J.D. in Law, Georgia State University
M.A. in Tourism Administration, The George Washington University
B.S. in Business Administration, Georgetown University

Teaching and Research Interests/Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My research interests are in the areas of legal issues and safety and security as they relate to the hospitality and tourism industries, and in particular as they relate to conventions, meetings, and events.

Recent publications:

Book chapters:

Warner, T. (2024). Legal issues in meetings and events, In Fenich, G. & Malek, K. (Eds.) Meetings, expositions, events, and conventions: An introduction to the industry (6th ed.). [Revision] Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Hilliard, T.W. (2019). Contracts and risk management. In National Association of Catering Executives Certified Professional Catering Executive (CPCE) reference guide, version 2. [Revision] Columbia, MD: National Association of Catering Executives.

Hilliard, T.W. (2019). Legal issues in meetings and events. In Fenich, G. (Ed.) Meetings, expositions, events, and conventions: An introduction to the industry (5th ed.). [Revision] Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Articles:

Hilliard, T. (2019, February 3). An essential contract checklist for meeting planners. MeetingsToday. bit.ly/3MoX1lx

Podcasts:

Warner, T. (2020, July 7). The pandemic legal environment for the events industry. The Business of Meetings.

Rozenberg, E., Walling, S., & Warner, T. (2020, April 7). Independent business owners: You are not alone. Event Business Formula.

Recent Invited Presentations:

Blood, J. & Warner, T. (2025, October). Did you see that coming? Legal issues for meetings. Presented at IMEX America, Las Vegas, NV.

Warner, T. (2025, July). Ask the association attorney: Everything you want to know about event contracts and more. Presented at Florida Society of Association Executives, West Palm Beach, FL.

Warner, T. (2025, June). The law, liability, and current issues. Presented at Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress, St. Louis, MO.

Warner, T. (2025, June). RFPs and contracts in the meetings industry. [Moderator]. Presented at Meeting Professionals International North Florida Chapter, Jacksonville, FL.

Warner, T. (2025, May). Addressing those uh-oh situations in your contracts. Presented at Society of Government Meeting Professionals National Education Conference, St. Louis, MO.

Warner, T. (2025, March). Contract negotiation strategies for 2025. Presented at SmartMeetings magazine Knowledge Exchange, webinar [online].

Blood, J. & Warner, T. (2024, October). Contracts: Seeing through the crystal ball. Presented at IMEX America, Las Vegas, NV.

Warner, T. (2024, June). All things force majeure—What you need to know. Presented at Society of Government Meeting Professionals, webinar [online].

Warner, T. (2024, March). Uh-oh scenarios. Presented at Meeting Professionals International Wisconsin Chapter, Madison, WI.

Warner, T. (2024, January). What goes up—Inflation, meetings, and contracts. Presented at Southwest Showcase, Austin, TX.

Warner, T. (2023, December). All things force majeure—What you need to know. Presented at International Association of Exhibitions and Events Expo! Expo! Dallas, TX.

Blood, J. & Warner, T. (2023, October). Contracts: Designing for shared success. Presented at IMEX America, Las Vegas, NV.

Warner, T. (2023, July). Contracts: New, novel, and nagging issues. Presented at Professional Convention Management Association Southeast Chapter, Orlando, FL.

Warner, T. (2023, June). What goes up—Contracts and inflation. Presented at Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress, Riviera Maya, Mexico.

Warner, T. (2023, May). Contracts: Retooling for today’s market. Presented at Meeting Professionals International Georgia Chapter, Atlanta, GA.

Warner, T. (2023, January). Understanding difficult contracts—Parts I & II. Presented at Religious Conference Managers Association Annual Conference, Chattanooga, TN.

Warner, T. (2022, October). Contract negotiations for these unruly times. Presented at IMEX America, Las Vegas, NV.

Bettlach, J., Johnson, A., Rowbotham, B., Warner, T. (2022, October). Contract experiences that make you go…hmmmm?! Presented at IMEX America, Las Vegas, NV.

Warner, T. (2022, June). What’s law got to do with it? Presented at Georgia Society of Association Executives, Jekyll Island, GA.

Warner, T. (2022, June). The care and feeding of introverts at your meeting. Presented at Georgia Society of Association Executives, Jekyll Island, GA.

Hardigree, C. & Warner, T. (2022, March). Contracts post-pandemic: Lessons learned. Presented at Meetings Industry Council of Colorado, Denver, CO.

Hardigree, C. & Warner, T. (2021, September). Something old, something new, something legal. Presented at Rocky Mountain Chapter Meeting Professionals International, Denver, CO.

Bagnall, K. & Warner, T. (2021, June). The future of meetings contracts & liability…and the future is now. Presented at Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress, Las Vegas, NV.

Pelletier, S. and Warner, T. (2021, June). Your inner phoenix: Reinventing yourself through adversity, acceptance, & adventure. Presented at Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress, Las Vegas, NV.

Allgauer, M., Murakami, G., & Warner, T. (2021, June). Contracts & negotiations in the new normal—a discussion from all perspectives. Presented at Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress, Las Vegas, NV.

Education
BA in Political Studies, Gordon College, Wenham, MA
MMC in Mass Communications/Public Relations, University of Georgia

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
As a Professor of Practice in Marketing and Communications, I enjoy applying “real world” experience from my 25 years in the private sector to my classes. My interests include consumer product marketing, sports marketing, and popular culture.

Education
Ph.D. in Pure Mathematics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
M.S. in Applied Mathematics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
M.A. in Pure Mathematics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
B.S. in Mathematics, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO
A.S. in Mathematics, Los Angeles City College, Los Angeles, CA

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Dr. Yeager’s teaching philosophy centers on building strong relationships with students, fostering confidence with course material, thoughtfully integrating technology, and creating an active, supportive learning environment. Through mentoring from experienced colleagues and participation in teaching conferences and seminars, Dr. Yeager believes that every course – and every group of students – requires a tailored approach. He prioritizes getting to know students early through office-hour visits and by sharing personal and mathematical stories that promote resilience and a growth mindset. He also integrates technology through tools such as Smart Boards, computer algebra systems, and visualization software to deepen conceptual understanding. Dr. Yeager continues to explore new ways to enhance learning through emerging technologies. Beyond the classroom, his commitment to outreach and mentoring – particularly for underserved students – has shaped his approach to teaching, reinforcing his belief that meaningful support, inclusive practices, and intentional engagement are essential to student success.

Dr. Yeager’s research interests are Random Polynomials,

Orthogonal Polynomials, Asymptotic Analysis, Analytic and Algebraic Number Theory, Probability Theory, Potential Theory, Graph Theory, Harmonic Analysis, Complex Analysis, and Mathematics Education.

Publications:

1. with C. Corely and A. Ledoan, “The complex level crossings of random orthogonal polynomials.” accepted and to appear in Functiones et Approximatio Commentarii Mathematici.

2. with M. Landi, K. Johnson, G. Moseley, “Zeros of complex random polynomials spanned by Bergman polynomials,” Involve: A Journal of Mathematics (2021), Vol. 14, no. 2, 271–281.

3. “The variance of the number of zeros for complex random orthogonal polynomials spanned by OPUC,” Computational Methods and Function Theory (2020), Volume 20, no.~2, 255–277.

4. “Real zeros of random sums with i.i.d.~coefficients,” Colloquium Mathematicum (2020), Volume 161, 173–188.

5. with M.~Yattselev, “Zeros of real random polynomials spanned by OPUC,” Indiana University Mathematics Journal (2019), Volume 68, no.~3, 835–856.

6. “Zeros of random orthogonal polynomials with complex Gaussian coefficients,” Rocky Mountain Journal of Mathematics (2018) 48 no~.7, 2385–2403.

7. with I.~Pritsker, “Zeros of polynomials with random coefficients,” Journal of Approximation Theory (2015), Volume 189, 88–100.

8. with M. Rivera, M. Tomova, and C.Wyels,“The radio number of $C_n\square C_n$,” Ars Combinatorics (2015), Volume CXX, 7–21.

9. with R. Baker, W. Banks, and Z. Guo, “Piatetski-Shapiro primes from almost primes,” Monatshefte f\”{u}r Mathematik (2014), Volume 174, no.~3, 357–370.

10. with A. G\”ulo\u glu and W. Banks,“Carmichael meets Chebotarev,” Canadian Mathematical Bulletin (2013), Volume 56, no.~4, 695–708.

11. with W. Banks, “Carmichael numbers composed of primes from a Beatty sequence,” Colloquium Mathematicum (2011), Volume 125, no.~1, 129–137.

12. with T. Gassert, “Characterization of the vertex-reinforced random walk and trapping subgraphs,” The Pentagon (2008), Volume 68, no.~1, 21–28.

Education
Ph.D. in Mathematics with Statistics emphasis, University of Missouri Rolla
M.A. in Applied Mathematics, University of Missouri Rolla
B.A. in Economics, Chongqing University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My teaching centers on statistics, probability, and computing/data science, with an emphasis on using computation and simulation to connect theory to real applications. My research interests include saddlepoint approximation and statistical inference, particularly equivalence testing in exponential families, with related interests in actuarial science, machine learning, and mathematics education.

Recent scholarly output: Renren Zhao and Paige Robert, “Optimal Equivalence Testing in Exponential Families,” Statistical Papers.