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
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
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
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. 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.