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Dr. Andrea Noktes

Ande Noktes

Part-time Faculty

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, entrepreneurship as economic empowerment

Robert North

Part-time Instructor

Education
Ed.D. in Adult and Career Education, Valdosta State University
MBA, University of Phoenix
BGS, Concentration in Business, Valdosta State University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My philosophy of education is grounded in the principle of lifelong learning. Over my 26 years of experience as an instructor and academic advisor in higher education, I have become increasingly convinced that sustained, continuous learning is essential in today’s workforce. Working adults now change careers more frequently and remain professionally active longer than in previous generations. As a result, the attainment of a college degree should not viewed as the culmination of one’s education, but rather as the foundation for an ongoing commitment to professional growth, intellectual curiosity, and engagement with emerging research and developments within one’s field.

I believe the concept of lifelong learning should be intentionally embedded within the curriculum of higher education. Students should be encouraged not only to master disciplinary content, but also to develop the habits, skills, and motivation necessary to adapt to evolving professional and societal demands throughout their lives.

Having taught in both traditional and nontraditional higher education environments, I recognize the distinct instructional approaches required to support learners in each setting. The increasing prevalence of accelerated and short-term course formats further underscores the need for flexible, learner-centered andragogy. To deepen my understanding of adult learners and effective curriculum design in these contexts, I pursued a Doctorate of Education in Adult and Career Education. This academic preparation, combined with my ongoing professional development, reflects my continued commitment to lifelong learning and to created educational experiences that are responsive, relevant, and transformative for adult learners.

Katherine Novak-Lenoir

Women’s Basketball Head Coach

Dr. Kathryn Ostrander

Assistant Professor of Health Science

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.

Dr. Alan Ours

Alan Ours

Vice President for Technology
Chief Information Officer

Dr. Alyssa Outhwaite

Assistant Professor of Biology

Education
Ph.D. in Marine Biology, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
M.S. in Biology, University of Dayton
B.S. in Ecology, Augusta University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
Teaching Interests: Ecology, Marine Biology/Ecology, Principles of Biology, Conservation & Restoration

Research Interests: Oyster reef natural history and restoration, stable isotope ecology in estuarine food webs, living shorelines and coastal resilience of indigenous communities.

Research Publications: Outhwaite A, Lebreton B, Palmer T, Beseres Pollack J (2024). Habitat provision differs across subtidal reefs varying in location within the estuarine landscape. Estuaries and Coasts.

Charles Pankey

Charles Pankey

Admissions Counselor/Recruiter – Regional

Dr. Nicole Pankiewicz

Associate Professor of Political Science

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; and 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.

https://theconversation.com/this-course-uses-science-fiction-to-understand-politics-201074

Dr. Ernest Pascoe

Ernest Pascoe

Associate Professor of Chemistry

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.

Denise Payne

Denise Payne

Payroll & Human Resources System Specialist

Irene Perazzo

Part-time Instructor

Education
Ph.D. in Education, FUNIBER Universidad Ibero-americana, in progress (2015)
Master International Teacher in Spanish – Salamanca University, Spain (July 2015)
Master in Science, Emporia State University (1999-2002)
Bachelor of PE (1999), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Major: PE (1978-1982)

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
English and Spanish fluent speaking, writing, reading, and listening. Bilingual, curriculum designer, Spanish facilitator, translator, virtual training

Tracie Person

Part-time Faculty

Nicole Piercey

Radiologic Science Clinical Instructional Asst.

Education
B.S. in Radiologic Sciences, Georgia Southern University

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
I love seeing students develop a love and understanding for a field that has a large variety of growth opportunities.

Erin Pinkney

Custodian

Aurora Pope

Aurora Pope

Associate Professor of Visual Arts

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_.

Dr. Brian Pope

James Pope

Professor of Psychology

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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Ashley Prosser

Lecturer of Mathematics

Education
M.S. in Mathematics, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Statistics, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Teaching and Research Interests / Recent Publications or Scholarly Output
My teaching interests focus on helping students build a strong foundation in mathematics while encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving. I enjoy creating an engaging classroom environment where students can connect abstract concepts to practical applications. My research interests include mathematics education and algebra. I have studied the impact of Common Core standards on state testing and conducted a project on the zeros of polynomials.

Christian Pscholka

Biological Sciences Lab Coordinator

912-279-5923

Corey Purvis

Accountant

Jane Rainer

Part-time Faculty

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