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GSW hosted its third annual Gold Force Gala on Saturday, Feb. 1, bringing together over 250 guests for an evening of celebration and philanthropy. The black-tie fundraiser honored GSW’s 2025 Outstanding Alumni Award winners and helped raise critical scholarship funds.
“This signature event serves as a testament to the unwavering support GSW alumni have for their alma mater,” said Angela Smith, alumni engagement specialist. “Celebrating our Outstanding Alumni Award winners is always an honor, as they exemplify the caliber of students we are producing today. I am incredibly humbled by the outpouring of support from those who made an event of this magnitude possible - GSW’s Alumni Association board of directors, Physical Plant, the Gala Planning Committee, GSW Marshals, community partners, custodial staff and the many volunteers who contributed time and talents.”
Read more about the Gala and award winners here.
GSW accounting students, in partnership with the Sumter County Extension Service, are offering free tax preparation services to the Americus community through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA). This initiative aims to improve family economic well-being and stability while providing GSW students with hands-on experience in tax preparation and financial literacy.
Developed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), VITA provides free tax assistance to low- to moderate-income individuals, generally those with a household income of $60,000 or less, who may need help preparing their federal and state tax returns.
“This project is central to the mission of the College of Business and Computing (COBAC),” said Carol Bishop, DBA, accounting professor and associate dean of undergraduate programs. “As a regional institution in an economically challenged area, COBAC focuses our societal impact efforts on reducing poverty in Southwest Georgia through financial literacy and economic development. Our accounting team began this service-learning project to assist community members with the complex task of tax preparation and financial planning.”
Read more about the VITA program on campus here.
Graduating business students received high accolades last fall semester for their top performance in the Business Strategy Game out of more than 6,000 teams from over 300 colleges and universities around the world.
The Business Strategy Game is an online exercise where students are divided into teams of three or four and assigned the task of running an athletic footwear company for a total of 12 simulated years. Teams compete head-to-head against companies managed by other class members and thousands of teams across the world.
“It is quite impressive that GSW students have developed a long history of performing exceptionally well in this simulation,” said Robert Bennett, Ph.D., professor of management. “Just about every week, we have at least one or two teams from GSW in the Top 100 rankings.” He noted that the Dragonfly team ran an impressive operation throughout the simulation. “I was most impressed with how much attention they placed on the little details that really put them in the upper echelons of teams worldwide. Dragonfly won accolades for their corporate citizenship and support of charities and the communities in which they operated,” Bennett added.
Read more about these student groups and their performance in the game here.
Dr. Sue and Willard Sisson Endowment Scholarship announcedThe Georgia Southwestern Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of the Dr. Sue and Willard Sisson Endowment Scholarship, an endowed fund made possible by Sue Sisson, Ed.D. This scholarship will provide critical support for students pursuing their Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science in psychology or sociology, or a Bachelor of Science in Education at Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW).
Sisson, an accomplished educator and lifelong advocate for learning, has deep ties to Georgia Southwestern. A native of Americus, Ga., and a GSW alumna, Sisson earned her Associate of Arts degree in 1946 before pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from the University of Georgia and advanced degrees, including a Doctorate of Educational Leadership from the University of Tennessee. Her career as a school social worker spanned nearly three decades, during which she demonstrated a steadfast commitment to the well-being of students.
Learn more about the Sissons and this new scholarship here.
GSW is proud to announce its acceptance into the GitHub Campus Program, a global initiative by GitHub Education that connects leading academic institutions with industry-standard tools and resources. This partnership highlights GSW’s Department of Computing’s commitment to innovation, academic rigor and preparing students for success in the evolving tech landscape.
As a GitHub Campus Program Partner School, GSW students and faculty now have access to GitHub Enterprise licenses, enabling seamless collaboration on coding projects, research, and software development. Students will also receive free access to the GitHub Student Developer Pack, a suite of premium tools from top tech companies like Microsoft Azure, GitHub Copilot, and more. These resources empower learners to build real-world projects, enhance their portfolios and gain a competitive edge in the tech industry.
“Joining the GitHub Campus Program is a natural extension of our mission to deliver top-tier computing education,” said Jonathan Hobbs, assistant professor of information technology. “Combined with our recent ABET accreditation for computer science, this partnership ensures our students learn on platforms used by professionals worldwide while meeting the highest academic standards.”
Learn more about the GitHub Campus Program here.
Canes Spotlights highlight Georgia Southwestern students who hold leadership roles, are involved in extracurricular activities and/or excel academically in their degree programs.
The February Canes Spotlights were junior pre-human resource management major Amir Middleton (left) and junior visual arts major Trinity Daniels McNear (right).
Amir has established himself as a student leader on campus. As part of the President Jimmy Carter Leadership Program, Storm Spotters, Zephyrs, and Marshals, he interacts with all members of the GSW community, from prospective and first-year students to donors and families. Amir credits GSW's tight-knit community with allowing him to step out of his comfort zone and take on these leadership roles.
"Being shy has been something I have struggled with my whole life," Amir said. "However, after joining the Canes Leading Canes program and becoming a Storm Spotter, the shy side of me has practically vanished. Having the opportunity to meet and talk to so many students and their supporters during Storm Days forced me to come out of my shell, which is something I will always be grateful for."
President of the Student Government Association is just one of the leadership positions that junior Trinity Daniels McNear has held at GSW. Her campus involvement also includes her sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho, residence life, Thunder Camp, and GSW Marshals.
According to Trinity, a visual arts major, this level of engagement did not come naturally to her when she began college. "I think that people would be surprised to know that I used to be extremely shy. I’m so grateful for all of the opportunities that I’ve been given here at GSW, as they have made it possible for me to get out of my shell."
Canes Spotlights are nominated by GSW faculty and staff.
Gomez named Peach Belt Conference Golfer of the WeekSenior Felipe Gomez was named the Peach Belt Conference Men's Golfer of the Week for the week of Feb. 18.
Making his GSW debut, Gomez won the Spring Kickoff Intercollegiate hosted by Lincoln Memorial University in St. Augustine, Fla., shooting rounds of 69-69-67 to finish 11-under 205. Gomez was three strokes clear of the field of 100 golfers. In the 19-team event that included six programs ranked in the top 25 by the National Collegiate Golf Rankings from Clippd, the native of Santander, Spain, closed out the final day by matching the low round of the tournament with a bogey-free 67 with five birdies. He led GSW to a fourth place finish by posting 14 birdies with only three bogeys over the three rounds.
omez's 54-hole score of 205 is tied for the lowest in the PBC this season and was two strokes shy of the GSW program record for low 54 set by current PGA Tour player Vincent Norrman in 2019.
Read more here.
Under the mentorship of Professor of History Susan Bragg, Ph.D., fourteen GSW students traveled to Georgia State College and University on Feb. 9 to participate in the 2025 Georgia Association of Historians (GAH) conference.
Participating in the dedicated undergraduate poster session, eleven students shared their work associated with the ongoing project, "Turning Girlhood Histories into Girlhood Futures: Stories of Southwest Georgia." This project has produced a 'pop-up museum exhibit' dedicated to documenting experiences of girlhood in our region. Student poster presentations that collectively made up the GSW girlhood exhibit demonstrated the diversity and vitality of historic experiences of girlhood. Political Science major Jordan White used census records and other documents to discuss enslaved girls’ lives in Sumter county. History major Morgan Dollar identified and assessed a 19th century transgender history involving a young person from Americus. Sociology major Melissa Lewicki’s poster used stories from the Americus Times Recorder to assess how dolls reflected 19th and early 20th c. gender values. Similarly, History major Cat Coules used newspaper accounts to analyze the complex sexual politics of ‘tomboy culture’ in Southwest Georgia. First Lady Rosalynn Carter’s girlhood experiences were at the heart of History major Ariahna Jones’ poster. History major Temple Williams used the story of Plains’ resident Josephine Thomas to discuss school integration in the 1960s. Political Science major Tamiya Graham conducted an oral history with civil rights activist Carolyn DeLoach, one of the “stolen girls” of the early 1960s. Recent Art BFA graduate Cloie Davis analyzed poetry produced by another stolen girl, Lulu Westbrook Griffin. Sociology major Amelia Howard documented girlhood activism at GSW in the early 21st c. through a profile of Caitlin Victory, a co-founder of the campus LGBTQ Alliance. The exhibit was wrapped by History major Luther Bludsworth who discussed the quinceañera, a ritual documenting the transition from girlhood to womanhood among Latinas.
These students made a big impression as the largest student group at the GAH and they earned very positive feedback for their work. In addition to poster presenters, GSW students Gabrielle Foster, Harrison Smith, and Aurora Salter joined in the conference, exploring the poster presentations, attending research panels, and participating in a luncheon provided by the GAH.
This event was a great opportunity to talk history with peers and faculty members from around the state. Funding from the History and Political Science Department at GSW was essential to the overall success of this student conference trip.
Spears named Peach Belt Conference Pitcher of the WeekSenior Graceanne Spears was named the Peach Belt Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week for the week of Feb. 24.
Spears, a native of Opp, Ala., threw the second no-hitter of her GSW career on Saturday in a five-inning shutout win over Miles College. She registered 12 strikeouts in the game, recording at least two strikeouts in every inning while striking out six of the final seven batters she faced.
Spears currently ranks second in the PBC in opponent batting average, fourth in strikeouts and is second in the league with only 16 hits allowed in 34 2/3 innings of work this spring.
Spears is the third pitcher during GSW's NCAA era to record multiple no-hitters in a career, joining Shannon Gibson (2018, 2020) and Jessica Martin (2009, 2010).
Read more here.
David Harrison of Fayetteville and Jasmine Sparks of Americus, earned the prestigious Hybrid Server Pro certification as part of the new IT Server Management course, a cutting-edge addition to the University’s Information Technology curriculum. Designed to prepare students for the ever-evolving demands of the tech industry, the course integrates foundational server management concepts with hands-on experience in administering hybrid environments, including Windows Server 2022 and Azure Cloud.
“This course is a testament to GSW’s commitment to staying ahead of industry trends and preparing our students for the workforce,” said Jonathan Hobbs, D. Sc., assistant professor of Information Technology and instructor for the course. “The hands-on experience and emphasis on hybrid environments give our students a competitive edge. Seeing David and Jasmine earn their Hybrid Server Pro certifications was incredibly rewarding and highlights the real-world impact of this course.”
Learn more about these students and their certification here.
Interim Provost and Dean of the College of Education Rachel Abbott, Ph.D.; Director of First-Year Experience and Student Success David Jenkins, Ed.D.,; Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences and QEP Director Paul Dahlgren, Ph.D.; Assistant Professor of English and QEP Assistant Director Jennifer Ryer, Ph.D.; and Assistant Director of First-Year Experience and Student Success Courtney Ellis presented at the 44th Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience in New Orleans, La. in February 2025. Their presentation, "Integrate to Align: GSW’s QEP and FYE," highlighted the collaborative efforts at GSW to increase student engagement and success, social belonging, and academic achievement using HAIL.
The National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition serves education professionals by supporting and advancing efforts to improve student learning and transition into and through higher education.
Also attending the conference were Dual Enrollment and Student Success Coordinator Tripp Larkey, University College and Student Success Coordinator Kina Davis, and Academic and Student Success CoordinatorMarlee McArthur.
On Jan. 30, Assistant Professor Michael Crosby, Ed.D., and Assistant Dean and Associate Professor Chris Pritchett, Ed.D., from the College of Education presented at the 2025 Georgia Science Teachers Association (GSTA) Conference in Columbus, Ga. The presentation, titled "STEAM Activities to Incorporate into Your Lessons!" was given to K-12 science teachers.
Professor of History Susan Bragg,Ph.D., recently presented new research exploring the politics of girlhood in late 19th century Georgia at two different events. Bragg first shared a project entitled, "The 'Electric Girls' Visit Americus: Late 19th c. 'Girl Power' on the Vaudeville Stage" with members of the Sumter Historic Trust on Jan. 28. This research explores popular fascination with girl performers who seemed to rally mysterious 'electrical' powers on stage, often provocatively challenging local elite men in their performances. While the story of these youthful celebrities demonstrates the influence of commercial vaudeville in Georgia, it also documents the ways that young girls sought new avenues of expression in this era of change.
Bragg also presented new research at the Georgia Association of Historians on February 9th at Georgia College and State University. In "Troubling Jim Crow: Contested Stories of Black Girlhood in Southwest Georgia," Bragg uses Sumter County as a case study of the challenges of defining freedom in the transitions from slavery to Jim Crow. While local reporting regularly documented the physical vulnerability of African American girls in this region, these accounts also treated black girls as ‘spectacles’ of violence and self-assertion. Bragg argues that the lives of black girls were the contested terrain of order and resistance in the New South.
Both of these projects were inspired by working with GSW students in the 2024-2025 project, "Turning Girlhood Histories into Girlhood Futures: Stories of Southwest Georgia." This work was also made possible through the generous support of the Department of History and Political Science at GSW.
Associate Professor of Computer Science Sai Mukkavilli, Ph.D., co-authored a textbook from the OpenStax publication company Rice University titled "Intro to Computer Science." The book is available for download on the Openstax website.
Downs named Assistant Director of AthleticsGSW Director of Athletics Mike Leeder has named Caitlin Downs as assistant director of athletics. A native of Americus, Downs joins the athletic department after serving as the wellness manager for Phoebe Putney Health System.
"We are very happy to welcome Caitlin to the Hurricane athletic family, and we feel she will be a valuable asset in helping drive our external operations to greater heights," Leeder said. "We have worked extensively with Caitlin in her prior role with Phoebe as we launched our Category 5 Comprehensive Wellness Program for the GSW student-athletes as well as high-school aged student-athletes from the surrounding counties. Caitlin was instrumental in the implementation, programming and resource procurement for the successful initiation of this transformational program."
Downs will be responsible for coordinating all of the GSW external functions including the Canes 360 booster club, corporate partnership program, the President's Classic Golf Tournament, the annual Hail Storm event, Category 5 Wellness Program and she will coordinate all of the GSW athletics community engagement opportunities.
Read more about Downs and her new position here.
Two staff members in the Division of Business and Finances have taken on new roles as of Feb. 1.
Christy Barry, who has served as Comptroller since 2021, has taken on an expanded role as Associate Vice President and Comptroller. She will now oversee the departments of Student Accounts, Purchasing, and Auxiliary Services, while maintaining oversight of Accounting Services.
Prior to her promotion to Comptroller, Barry was GSW’s Director of Student Accounts from 2014-2021, and she is in her 20th year of service in higher education in the state of Georgia. Barry is a 2020 graduate of the University System of Georgia’s Executive Leadership Institute (ELI), and just recently completed the inaugural cohort of the USG’s Chief Business Officer “Flywheel” training program. Notably, she was one of only ten participants selected from over 100 applicants system-wide.
Teresa Hudson (right), who has served as GSW’s Accounting Supervisor and General Ledger Accountant since 2018, has taken on the expanded role of Director of Accounting Services. In this role, she will now also oversee the Accounts Payable and Grants & Travel functions. Hudson has over 30 years of experience in accounting and auditing, including over 22 years with the state of Georgia.
As part of these moves, Materials Management will roll up to Physical Plant, and the Post Office will become part of Auxiliary Services. Previously, both areas reported directly to the Comptroller.
GSW Director of Athletics Mike Leeder announced today that Joe Barber has been named head men's soccer coach for the Hurricanes. Barber comes to Georgia Southwestern after serving as the associate head men's soccer coach at Gardner-Webb University for the past two seasons. Barber will begin his duties at GSW on March 3.
"We are really excited that Joe has accepted our offer to be the fourth men's soccer coach in Hurricane history. We identified him very early in the process as someone who could come in and elevate our program to the upper echelon of the Peach Belt Conference, and we can't wait to get him started," Leeder said.
During the 2024 season Gardner-Webb won its first-ever Big South Conference tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championships for the first time in school history. After upsetting Oregon State in the first round, the Bulldogs fell to the University of Denver in the second round and finished the season with a record of 13-4-3.
Read more about Barber and his new position here.
Sheni Reese joined the Office of the Student Accounts as the customer service and data entry specialist on Feb. 3. She graduated from GSW in Fall 2024 and was previously a student worker for GSW Public Safety.
Danielle Melvin joined the Office of Accounting Services as the grants & travel accountant on Feb. 15.
Sandra (Slaughter) Johnson passed away on Feb. 8. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southwestern in 1983, and she was a GSW staff member for 36 years before retiring in 2020 as the Assistant Director in the Office of Student Financial Aid.
Chelsee Wright, officer in the Office of Public Safety, left that role on Sep. 5, 2024.
Sammy Stone, officer in the Office of Public Safety, left that role on Sep. 5, 2024.
Mikela Barlow, Coordinator of the President Jimmy Carter Leadership Program, left that role on Feb. 7.
The College of Nursing and Health Sciences hosted another successful Souper Bowl fundraiser on Feb. 5. The event brought in over $1,700 with 150+ faculty, staff, students, and community members making an impact. The funds raised will help offset the cost for the next study away trip for nursing students. Congratulations to Lecturer Paige Long on her prize-winning cheeseburger soup!
Students in the BUSA 6150 human resources graduate course taught by Jim Aller, Ph.D., recently had the opportunity to learn from top HR executives representing diverse industries. These guest speakers shared best practices and real-world experiences, providing valuable insights into the evolving landscape of human resources.
Brandy Jordan, Vice President of Human Resources – International Division at Walmart, discussed best practices in global HR operations, emphasizing the complexities of managing international teams.
Clay Thornhill, Vice President of Human Resource Operations at Mercy Health Systems, focused on engagement, accountability, and talent development strategies in the healthcare sector.
Michelle Wolf, Chief HR Officer at the University of Arkansas, provided an inside look at implementing HR policies in a shared governance environment. Drawing from her legal expertise, she also outlined best practices in investigation management, particularly in relation to the EEOC and NLRB.
Rebecca Detro, HR Business Partner at John Deere Manufacturing, shared insights into HR operations, talent acquisition, and the role of collective bargaining within the manufacturing industry.
Students in NURS 4810 Evidence-Based Practice Nursing recently visited the David J. Sencer Museum at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga. The group was able to see exhibits of data that has been used to shape healthcare with evidence-based practices.
"I wanted to thank everyone who participated in the fourth annual Teddy Bear Toss last evening in the Storm Dome!! It was a fantastic event, and we far exceeded our goal of collecting 2,000 stuffed animals for the Phoebe Women’s and Children’s Health Services Division. These stuffed animals are dispersed across the Phoebe footprint in southwest Georgia. The final tally for the evening was 3,087!!
Thanks for helping make it a GREAT night to be a Hurricane!!!"
- Mike Leeder, Director of Athletics
"I would like to extend my deepest thank you to all of the patrons for their unwavering support of the 3rd Annual College of Nursing and Health Sciences Souper Bowl Fundraiser. Throughout these last three years, the CONHS has raised over $4,500 towards GSW Nursing Study Away programs. It is our intention to continue the Souper Bowl Fundraiser for many years to assist students in experiential learning Opportunities and engage in fellowship across colleges. Thank you all for continuing to be the best part of GSW."
- Natasha Snider, Planner; Rhonda Slocumb; and CONHS Faculty
Find more events on the GSW academic calendar, on CanesConnect, and on the Events Open to the Community webpage.
