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GSW's business programs within the College of Business and Computing (COBAC) has maintained its accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International.
“Over the last 15 years, the College of Business and Computing has strived to develop innovative ways to engage our students, support our faculty, and continuously improve the educational experience we provide,” said Dean of the College of Business and Computing Gaynor Cheokas, DBA. “We are dedicated to delivering high-quality business and computing education that meets the needs of our students, community partners, and future business trends. This was a team effort, and I am so proud of everyone’s hard work and support in helping achieve this distinction.”
Read more about this accreditation here.
A group of students from Georgia Southwestern State University’s (GSW) President Jimmy Carter Leadership Program (PJCLP) recently contributed over 400 volunteer hours at Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, Fla. This nonprofit resort provides cost-free, memory-making vacations for critically ill children and their families, allowing GSW students to make a meaningful impact through compassionate service and support.
During their five-day stay from Oct. 19-23, students assisted with an array of immersive and joyful experiences. From horse rides, ice cream for breakfast, themed parties, dino putt-putt, arcade gaming and spa trips to serving meals and handling essential behind-the-scenes tasks, the students brought smiles and laughter to the children and their families. They sang, danced, and connected with the children, learning their stories and sharing each moment's joy.
“This trip was an unforgettable experience that perfectly highlighted the power of small acts of kindness and their immense impact,” said Mikela Barlow, program coordinator. “Every detail is designed to bring comfort and joy to children and families facing unimaginable challenges. It was inspiring to witness our students rise to the occasion with such compassion and energy. Watching them interact with the children and families was one of the most touching aspects.”
Learn more about the trip and students' experiences here.
GSW's Associate of Science in Nursing program recently earned initial accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN). This accreditation extends through Spring 2029.
This ACEN accreditation indicates to the general public and to the educational community that GSW’s nursing program has clear and appropriate educational objectives and is working to achieve these objectives.
“GSW has a strong tradition of excellence in educating nurses to assume professional roles in a variety of healthcare settings,” said Interim Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences Teresa Teasley, D.N.P. “This initial accreditation was a team effort, and I am so proud of everyone’s hard work and support in helping us achieve this great accomplishment.”
The ASN program, which was revived in 2022 after a 22-year hiatus, is a two-year program designed for students wishing to enter the medical field as registered nurses.
Read more about this accreditation here.
Homecoming & Family Weekend 2024 was held Oct. 21-26. The week began with the annual Homecoming Parade and presentation of the Homecoming Court, flag football championships, and the Blue and Gold Picnic. The Homecoming Concert featuring Aux Cord Wars was a hit in the Storm Dome on Thursday, while families and alumni were welcomed to town beginning on Friday. The week concluded with a busy Saturday, which included the Canes Family Brunch, Canes Bingo, the Tailgate, and women's soccer match. Boone Prince and Drea Singleton were crowned Mr. & Miss GSW during halftime.
Find photos here from the week and here from the nursing reunion.
This year's issue of the Aeolian magazine was published recently. Theyear's cover story, "Serving with Purpose," features Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey ('87) and the other GSW alumni who are leading the way in the GBI.
Read the digital version of the Aeolian here.
11th annual Empty Bowls raises over $3,000Faculty and students in the Department of Visual Arts once again joined forces with Harvest of Hope Food Pantry and local restaurants for the 11th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser on Nov. 2. This is an annual community-driven effort to combat hunger in Sumter County.
This year, over 200 hand-crafted ceramic bowls were available with a minimum donation of $25 each. With a bowl purchase, attendees received a voucher for a complimentary soup or ice cream, redeemable at participating local restaurants: Pat’s Place, Little Brothers Bistro and Cafe, Scoops, and Sweet Georgia Bakery.
Sponsored by GSW’s Department of Visual Arts, ceramics program, and Artists United—the department’s student-run organization—the Empty Bowls initiative channels the creativity of the arts into meaningful impact for hunger relief. Proceeds collected from this event benefited Harvest of Hope Food Pantry with a portion supporting GSW visual art students. Several GSW students also volunteered their time to sort sweet potatoes and prepare juice bottles for distribution at the food pantry.
The event raised $3,230 and remaining bowls will be available at the annual Visual Arts fall open house on Dec. 3.
Read more about this event here.
The 2024 intramural flag football season concluded with their championship games. Kappa Delta took home the title as the women's champions, while Sigma Chi claimed victory as the men's champions. This year, over 140 students (eight men's teams and four women's teams) took part in the flag football League. Additionally, more than 200 students were in attendance for the women’s and men’s championship games held during Homecoming Week.
Remaining intramural sports this Fall 2024 season include 4v4 coed indoor soccer, with games on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6pm and 7pm in the IM Gym, as well as a wiffleball tournament on Nov. 19. Upcoming intramural sports for Spring 2025 will include men's and women's basketball, doubles pickleball, coed volleyball, and an ultimate frisbee tournament.
Thanks to generous donations to the GSW Foundation from Charles Eames and Perry Brothers Oil Co., all currently enrolled GSW students are eligible to win a $100 Gas N' Go gift card each month. The September winners were (pictured L to R, top row) Hayley McCready, Shakira Harvey, Dajanai Downs, (bottom row) Callie Miller, and Janena Merion.
Students can enter the drawing through the link in the Breeze email each month. Winners will be contacted via email by a representative from the GSW Foundation.
Canes Spotlights highlight Georgia Southwestern students who hold leadership roles, are involved in extracurricular activities and/or excel academically in their degree programs.
The October Canes Spotlights were senior political science major Frederick Wright (left) and senior integrated studies major Alex Espitia (right).
Frederick Wright has built quite the resume during his time at GSW. He has held leadership roles across campus, from serving as a Storm Spotter and Thunder Camp Counselor to leading student organizations like the Student Engagement Team and the Black Student Union.
"I chose to attend GSW because of its strong sense of community and the opportunities it offers for personal and academic growth," Frederick said. "The smaller campus size allows for more personalized interactions with professors and peers, which has helped me feel more connected. GSW also offers a range of leadership opportunities, such as my involvement in the Student Engagement Team (SET), that have allowed me to develop as a student leader and make an impact on campus."
Alex will be graduating this December. He has certainly kept busy during his time at GSW, having served two terms as SGA President, a founding member of Alpha Psi Lambda, a member of the President Jimmy Carter Leadership Program, and a Storm Spotter. This past summer, he accepted a full-time position on campus on top of finishing his last few classes.
"I am a first-generation student, and I decided to pursue a college degree to change that for my family," Alex said. "Everyone [at GSW] is welcoming and wants to help each other in any way. I am able to be a successful college student because of the people who have mentored me, worked with me, and care about my success.”
Canes Spotlights are nominated by GSW faculty and staff.
Member of the GSW Association of Nursing Students (GSWANS) board attended the 72nd Annual GANS conference at Kennesaw State University the weekend of Oct. 12. Students attended sessions and brought home two awards:
GSWANS won the South District Chapter of the Year Award
Abigail Richey received the Emily McNelly Member of the Year Award.
GSW women's soccer players have earned several awards from the Peach Belt Conference in recent weeks.
Sophomore Alana Beddow was named Goalkeeper of the Week on Oct. 14 and 21. She is the first GSW soccer player to win multiple weekly awards in a career, having first been named Goalkeeper of the Week in Sept. 2023.
Freshman Cassidy Brunner was named the Player of the Week on Oct. 21. She is the first GSW women's soccer recipient of the PBC Player of the Week award.
GSW students attend Women & Girls in Georgia conference at UGAFour GSW students participated in the biennial Women & Girls in Georgia (WAGG) conference at the University of Georgia on Oct. 18. This event was the culmination of a year-long project exploring girlhood in Southwest Georgia, with funding provided by UGA’s WAGG consortium. GSW’s WAGG conference team consisted of Associate Professor of History Susan Bragg, Ph.D., Amelia Howard, Cloie Davis, Melissa Lewicki, and Savanna Madsen. Assistant Professor of Sociology Debaleena Ghosh, Ph.D., provided critical support for this event.
GSW’s WAGG project began the 2023 proposal "Turning Girlhood Histories Into Girlhood Futures" by Bragg, Ghosh, Professor Lauren DiPaula, Ph.D., and then-Assistant Professor Ashley Jones, Ph.D. In this proposal, they envisioned specialized campus conversations about girlhood in Southwest Georgia. After some early "warm-up" discussions in Fall 2024, the WAGG team brought focused attention to girlhood in Spring 2024, culminating in a leadership retreat on campus.
Bragg and the GSW students who traveled to UGA presented both their processes of uncovering complex stories of girlhood and ongoing plans for their research. Savanna Madsen discussed the opportunities and challenges of developing oral histories featuring girlhood civil rights activism in Ghosh’s Spring 2024 Race & Minority Relations course. Bragg shared an overview of the "Girlhood Museum" projected created in WGSS 4500: The Politics of Girlhood, including individual displays by Amelia Howard, Cloie Davis, Melissa Lewicki, and Jordan White. This "pop up museum exhibit" continues to expand, particularly with an eye towards future publishing opportunities.
In addition to showing off their work, student participants also participated in ongoing conversations about experiences of girls and women through discussion of other WAGG projects from across the state. This conference was incredibly diverse and GSW students represented both our region’s history and our campus academic output with pride.
Berggren publications celebrate Carter's 100th birthdayOn Oct. 1, 2024, President Jimmy Carter turned 100 years old. To commemorate the presidential milestone, professor of political science Jason Berggren, Ph.D., had a timeline of Carter’s life published in the Americus Times-Recorder. The timeline was entitled, “A Journey of 100 Years: A Timeline of the Life and Political Career of President Jimmy Carter, 1924-2024.” Berggren’s piece appeared in the Oct. 2 print edition.
In August 2024, Berggren was interviewed by Jason Lee Guthrie, Ph.D., of Clayton State University for his podcast, “Recollecting Carter: Exploring the Life and Legacy of America’s 39th President.” It was published online on Sept. 23. In his interview, entitled “Carter’s First Political Appointment,” Berggren discussed Carter’s first politics after he returned home from the U.S. Navy in 1953 and in the context of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision and school segregation.
The podcast was given the following description: “Before he was President, Governor, or even a State Senator, Jimmy Carter's first political office was on the Sumter County School Board in rural, south Georgia filling a seat vacated when his father passed away in 1953. On this episode of Recollecting Carter, I talk with Dr. Jason Berggren about how understanding Carter's earliest political appointment helps us to better appreciate just how much he evolved over the course of his career.” The interview is about 20 minutes long and can be found here.
Assistant Professor of Sociology Debaleena Ghosh, Ph.D., presented her paper entitled, "'Strangers' of the Academy: Cultural Capital Influencing the Career Mobility and Integration of Immigrant Faculty in U.S. Higher Education," at the annual meeting of the Mid-South Sociological Association held in October. The paper abstract is available below.
Drawing on 66 in-depth interviews with immigrant (i.e., foreign-born) faculty members, administrators, and administrative personnel and an estimated 42 hours of ethnography at a large public university in the rural Midwest, this study documents how immigrant faculty members in U.S. academia experience cultural barriers to career mobility and integration among their U.S.-born colleagues and students—rarely explored in past scholarship. This study applies an intersectional lens grounded in the theories on tokenism and Pierre Bourdieu’s idea of cultural capital to show how cultural assets or skills, such as accent or proficiency in American English, food or drinking habits, religion, clothing styles, popular sports, humor, and bodily gestures produce cultural tokens— “outsiders-within” or "strangers"—in U.S. academia. However, in addition to the organizational and departmental culture of diversity, the dominant ideologies—and statuses—associated with gender, race, and ethnicity determine the extent to which immigrant faculty members experience tokenism (i.e., heightened boundaries and scrutiny) at work. Additionally, this study shows how some groups who approximate the hegemonic ethnic markers still find themselves being held up against dominant cultural standards.
Dean of the College of Business and Computing Gaynor Cheokas, D.B.A., recently presented at the Americas Accreditation Conference, or AACSB, in Denver, Colo. Her session, "A Guide to Faculty Classifications," provided an in-depth exploration of faculty classifications, featuring real-world examples to address institutional needs. The discussion emphasized establishing meaningful qualifications for faculty who prioritize teaching over research.
Associate Professor of Computer Science Sai Mukkavilli, Ph.D., presented a paper virtually titled "Integrating Real-World Server and Full-Stack Development Skills into Computer Science Curricula Using the Jetstream Cloud Platform" at the WAIE 2024 Tokyo, Japan. The proceedings of this conference will be published in the IEEE Xplore and SCOPUS Indexing.
This is a work done in collaboration with Southern Oregon University student and current Software Engineern Miranda (Mimi) Pieper. Pieper is a computer science student at SOU. She joined the MATCH program with a strong technical skillset but hadn’t yet been able to use a lot of her skills in a practical setting. MATCH connected her with a mentor, Mukkavilli. Read more about the MATCH program here.
On Oct. 11, Professor of political science, Jason Berggren, Ph.D., served as the moderator for the general election candidate debate for Georgia U.S. 2nd Congressional District. The debate was between two candidates: Congressman Sanford Bishop, the Democratic Party’s nominee, and Dr. Wayne Johnson, the Republican Party’s nominee.
The debate was held in Columbus at the WTVM studio. It was broadcast live on WTVM and WALB and then later re-aired that weekend. The debate was the only one held this general election cycle inside the district. The debate appears online in three parts at WTVM, the local ABC News affiliate’s website, wtvm.com. It lasted for about one hour.
Berggren participates in Plains ceremonyWhen Jimmy Carter resigned from the U.S. Navy in Oct. 1953, he and his family moved back to Plains and moved into a public housing unit. Jimmy, Rosalynn, and their three sons lived at Unit 9A for a year. On Oct. 5, 2024, the Housing Authority of Americus rededicated the unit as a place of historical significance.
Professor of political science, Jason Berggren, Ph.D., participated in the planning of the event. Berggren’s plaque design was selected for the commemorative occasion and he read the inscription during the October 5 rededication ceremony. Berggren also designed a commemorative brochure for the occasion entitled, “A President in Plains Public Housing: The Carter Family Home at Unit 9A, 1953-1954.”
On Sept. 25, Brotherhood co-advisors Oneil Lewis and Wade Jackson joined former co-advisors Chris Avery and Ric Ware for a virtual presentation as part of the Pan African Network Research & Scholarship Scholar Series. This presentation, titled "Lead Black Man: How Communal Space Influence Black Male Leadership" was originally showcased in March 2024 at the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) conference in Chicago. The presenters aimed to give other universities and programs insight into what GSW's Brotherhood is doing to support the students within the program.
Wu and Early present at the Georgia Council of Teachers of MathematicsProfessor Chu Chu Wu, Ph.D., and Lecturer of Math Education Kathryn Early traveled to Rock Eagle, Ga., to present effective mathematics teaching practices to mathematics teachers, coaches, and administrators.
Wu’s presentation, "The Educational Power of Tangram Puzzles," explored tangrams with an interactive session. The participants learned about the benefits of using tangram puzzles to teach geometry, fractions, spatial reasoning, and arts.
Early’s presentation, "Supporting Students with Dyscalculia," provided a broad overview of Developmental Dyscalculia, emphasizing working memory. Many actionable research-based instructional strategies that schools and teachers can use to support these students were discussed with the participants.
On Oct. 17, Assistant Professor of Accounting Sondra Smith, D.B.A., CPA, was the guest speaker for the Sumter County Family Connection. She was asked to speak about the importance of all civic and nonprofit organizations in Americus to work collaboratively with one another to strengthen our community. Being in various organizations, she focused on how we all share a strong sense of community, a focus on local issues, and a desire to maintain the town's character.
The Department of Human Resources has launched an Employee of the Month program with the purpose of encouraging recognition of GSW faculty and staff who have significantly benefited the University and made contributions beyond the usual expectations or their employment.
Nominations can be made online each month here.
The October 2024 Employees of the Month were:
Hobbs marries HendersonAssistant Professor of Information Technology Jonathan Hobbs, D.Sc., married Hailey (Henderson) Hobbs on Saturday, Oct. 5 in The Dolomites of Italy.
Hobbs earned his bachelor's degree in information technology from GSW and began his career on campus. He is also currently serving as a board member for the GSW Alumni Association.
Henderson was GSW's Web Content Strategist in the Department of University Relations from September 2020 to April 2024. She is now the marketing and sales coordinator at TCI Powder Coatings in Americus.
Over 100 area students visited campus on Oct. 4 for GSW’s Science Day. Students from Southland Academy, Crisp County High School, and Terrell Academy explored a variety of science disciplines through hands-on experiments. This annual event is designed to engage high school students in the sciences and teach them about the opportunities these disciplines offer for their futures.
"We had another amazing science day at GSW, involving more than 100 high school students, incorporating science demonstrations from various fields, and highlighting the STEM programs at our university," said organizer and professor of chemistry Nedialka Iordanova, Ph.D. "I am proud and thankful of all involved in the event GSW faculty and students who work tirelessly every day to maintain quality and rigor in our STEM programs.”
GSW faculty and students led the demonstrations, which included petting snakes and iguanas, igniting gas-filled bubbles in their hands, exploring the sound waves of music, and liquid nitrogen explosions. Participating disciplines included chemistry, biology, computer science, physics, mathematics, exercise science, and music.
Find more photos from the day here and a recap video here.
The Department of English and Modern Languages hosted a Creative Writing Panel on Wednesday, Nov. 6 in the English Building. This panel discussion and Q&A session focused on creative writing and featured GSW English alumni Robert Hughey, Michaela Reed, and Sara Sellers. The panel addressed the importance of storytelling, experiences with publishing, and advice for those who might be interested in earning an MFA in Creative Writing.
Professor of Management Mark Grimes, D.B.A., recently visited the 11th grade Financial Literacy class of Ashley (Stith) Sims (GSW BBA 2002; MSA 2004) at Crisp Academy to talk with them about life as a college professor - what it takes to get there and what it is like in that job - and resumes, interviews, and the difference between high school and college.
Students attend English degree career panelThe Department of English and Modern Languages hosted an event, “What can you do with an English degree? A Career Panel,” on Wednesday, Oct. 2.
The panel featured five professionals with BA degrees in English: Keshondra Shipp, News Producer; Mary Catharine Blank, Criminal Defense Attorney; Karradyne Carter, Admissions Specialist; Donn Cooper, Consultant; and Camille Bielby, Regional Planner.
The panelists spoke about what they do for work, how the skills they developed as English majors helped them reach professional goals, and how they marketed themselves as English majors to break into particular career opportunities. It was a wonderful and inspiring evening.
The College of Business and Computing held a productive Advisory Council meeting, led by Chair Mark Blalock. It was a great opportunity to share updates, hear from students about their GSW experiences, and discuss strategic priorities. COBAC works closely with its Advisory Council to ensure our students receive a quality education and prepare them to take tomorrow by storm.
On Oct. 11, eight students from GSW visited the University of Georgia's Griffin campus for a tour of the research facilities. Assistant Professor of Mycotoxicology & Postharvest Pathology Jake Fountain, Ph.D., a GSW alumnus, showed students state-of-the-art molecular biology labs, green houses, and a post-harvest processing plant. In addition, students toured the Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit, where the USDA stores over 100,000 seed and plant samples. On this trip, students learned about various graduate degree programs offered at UGA, research on mycotoxin contamination in agricultural crops and turfgrass, and management of postharvest fungal diseases. The trip also informed students of a wide variety of research opportunities and graduate programs available in southwest Georgia. For those who would like to pursue post-graduate programs, this provides new research interests and enhances their understanding of excellent nearby resources for potential graduate pursuits.
Students in attendance included Maribel Brizendine, Alexandria Daniel, Sayler Ann Tupper, Darren Taylor, Victoria Kimbrough, Alayzhia Newsome, Jkhia Ross, and Darius Thomas. The trip was organized and attended by two biology faculty members, Assistant Professor of Biology Surya Amarachintha, Ph.D., and Professor Anh-Hue Tu, Ph.D., with funding from the Global Engagement and High Impact Practices Grant (GEHIP).
The GSW Concert Choir and Southwestern Civic Chorus performed for the Jimmy Carter 100th Birthday Celebration on Oct. 1 at the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park in Plains, Ga. The choirs were directed by professor of music Julie Megginson, DMA, and accompanied by senior lecturer of music Alwen Yeung. The combined choirs represented students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members coming together to honor President Carter. The choirs sang the Navy Hymn and "America, the Beautiful."
GSW's Accounting Club hosted their annual Meet the Firms career fair on Oct. 16 in Canes Central. This year’s event drew record participation from both employers and students. Students from freshman to MBA level met with representatives from each firm to network and apply for summer leadership programs, internships, and full-time jobs. Many of these businesses are active on campus throughout the year and serve as guest speakers and sponsors of various events.
This year’s participating firms included Carr Riggs Ingram, CKH Group, Draffin Tucker, Edgewater Group, F&W Forestry, FDIC, Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts, Hutchins Clenney Rumsey Huckaby, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Mauldin & Jenkins, McNair McLemore Middlebrooks & Co., Nichols Cauley, Perry Brothers Oil, Robert Baker & Associates, Social Security Administration, and William Bailey State Farm.
GSW accounting faculty would like to extend special thanks and recognition to the alumni who returned to campus as representatives for their current employers. "There is nothing more rewarding than seeing our students graduate, succeed in their careers, and then return to GSW to give back to our current students. It really brings everything full circle," said lecturer of accounting Danielle Taylor.
Student and employer feedback for this event was overwhelmingly positive, and organizers are already looking forward to next year!
GSW alumni are pictured from left to right in the outdoor photo: Wendy Vogel, Perry Brothers Oil; Richard Hunnewell, Social Security Administration; Jenny Crew, Mauldin & Jenkins; Miranda Brown, William Bailey State Farm; Lydia Brown, Hutchins Clenney Rumsey Huckaby; Adrian Daniel, F&W Forestry; Britani Thomas, Carr Riggs Ingram; Lexi Drennon, Carr Riggs Ingram; Cam Tompkins, Robert Baker & Associates; Carly Hall, Draffin Tucker; Ansley Duffey, Draffin Tucker; Carol Howell, Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts; and Kaleb Albritton, Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts.
On Oct. 15, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jill Drake, Ed.D., spoke to members of GSW’s African American Male Initiative (AAMI). Her presentation was centered on the definition of leadership and becoming a leader. Drake emphasized that when leaders allow department members to have autonomy while working in their areas of expertise, it leads to an atmosphere of mutual respect, which fosters meeting departmental goals.
On Oct. 19, some members of GSW’s AAMI took a trip to Albany State University to attend their Homecoming celebration and football game along with students from all over the nation. While there, AAMI members had the opportunity to meet and take photographs with Congressman Sanford Bishop, Jr., who represents Georgia’s Second Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.
"Thank you to all that came out and supported Empty Bowls and Harvest of Hope this year. We raised $3230 so far. Remaining bowls will be available at the annual fall open house on Dec. 3rd in the Department of Visual Art. Also thank you to all the student volunteers that made bowls, helped with set up and sorted sweet potatoes and prepared juice bottles for food distribution. Volunteers: Alexis Glass, Noah Miller, Kayla Crisp, Anna Jones, Tyrrell Mitchell, Eden Morris, Jayda Hughes, Kaleb Hudson, EJ Braswell, Cloie Davis, and Abbie Jackson."
- Keaton Wynn
"Hope everyone found a few minutes for rest after an incredible Homecoming Week and Family Weekend. My thanks to those who helped – I know I’m leaving A LOT of important, great people out here. What a wonderful celebration for Georgia Southwestern. WOW! Looking forward to planning for next year and making it even bigger and better!"
Find more events on the GSW academic calendar, on CanesConnect, and on the Events Open to the Community webpage.
