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Welcome to Georgia Southern University / College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
Greetings!
The American Academy of Arts & Sciences' Commission on the Humanities & Social Sciences issued a report this month on the importance of a liberal arts education in developing an informed, career-oriented population.
The report cites faculty as the guardians of curriculum and looks to them as responsible for "assessing offerings in light of high liberal arts ideals." Though research-based courses are valuable, "colleges and universities curricula must also offer the broad-gauged, integrative courses on which liberal education can be grounded, and such foundations need to be offered by compelling teachers."
CLASS and its departments strive to offer our students just that: "broad-gauged, integrative courses" taught by "compelling teachers."
As often as is possible, students in CLASS are given the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning, whether on an archeological dig in south Georgia, an international competition in Austria, or a yearlong self-directed study-abroad experience in Switzerland. Faculty members are constantly honing their crafts, are seeking new opportunities for research, service, and publication, and are routinely profiled in the local media and sought as experts in their fields.
The College is aware that our world is interconnected and ever-changing, and we seek daily to better equip our students to be the leaders of tomorrow in whatever industry they pursue. We appreciate support from people like you - our friends and alumni - who recognize the value of a liberal arts education and help us instill those values in others.
How has your liberal arts degree helped you, and what are you up to since leaving Georgia Southern? Drop us a line at class@georgiasouthern.edu or fill out the online alumni survey, and in your response please also update us on your life events (honors, awards, promotions, and successes).
With warmest regards,
Curtis E. Ricker, interim dean
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Foreign Languages
Georgia Southern students and graduates increasingly find themselves engaging the world beyond Georgia in numerous ways. Technological advancements in every field have made the world feel smaller. Today, in whatever career one chooses, it is possible and often necessary to associate with people from many countries, languages, and cultures. The Department of Foreign Languages strives to facilitate the acquisition of the linguistic skills and cultural knowledge that can help individuals understand and navigate the globe successfully.
We are proud of our students, faculty, staff, and programs. During the 2012-2013 academic year, the Department sponsored in-house language-intensive study abroad programs to Bordeaux, France; Regensburg, Germany; Segovia, Spain; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; and Heredia, Costa Rica. Nearly 100 of our wonderful students attended these programs, enriching their lives while simultaneously serving as ambassadors for Georgia Southern. Additionally, we had students arrange with the Department for independent study abroad in places as diverse as Morocco, Peru, Switzerland, France, Spain, China, Japan, and Mexico.
In our efforts to create the best possible scenarios for student learning on campus, the Department has also made an effort to stay abreast of the best practices in foreign language education. In April, for example, 13 of our professors attended a four-day intensive workshop on how to become more efficient in helping students become proficient in language usage. Most of the other professors have attended this same workshop over the past two years, bringing us all up to date with the best practices.
Students appreciate our attention to real-world language usage. We have seen enrollments increase over the past year, and we have been able to respond to the students' desire for more language offerings by hiring permanent faculty in Arabic and Chinese. Thirty-five students sat for and passed the B.A. in Modern Languages exams Spring 2013 semester. Each of these students will have an advantage over monolingual students with similar credentials.
Our professors remain committed to research and have recently made greater inroads in involving students in their research projects, in internships, and in becoming more aware of opportunities in foreign languages. Many students have also seen the value of foreign language education itself as a career opportunity, particularly here in Georgia, where the demand for foreign languages teachers is high and continues to grow exponentially. During Spring 2013 semester, for example, nine students sat for and passed the M.A. in Spanish exams, the highest number we have ever had.
Of course, as time marches on, things must always change, and not all change is welcome. Our dear friend and colleague, Dr. Doralina Martinez-Conde, after 22 years at Georgia Southern, has decided to retire and return to her beloved Santo Domingo and to the family that awaits her there. We will miss her daily efforts but will be continuously reminded of contributions.
We look forward to another fantastic year. We have plans to add Japanese permanently in Fall 2014 and are strategizing on ways to add additional language offerings while at the same time strengthening our current programs. There has never been a better time to learn a foreign language, and there has never been a better place to learn than right here at Georgia Southern.
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At the Front of the CLASS
 My name is Gerrick Hicks, and I am a junior at Georgia Southern University, majoring in modern languages with a triple concentration in German, French, and Spanish. Currently I am participating in a yearlong study abroad at the Université de Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland, studying French.
I first became interested in studying foreign languages when I was an exchange student in Germany for a year with Rotary International during my sophomore year in high school. This was one of the best experiences that I have had in my life, and it has guided me to my current career track. Upon returning from Germany, I realized that I wanted to learn other languages in addition to German, so I decided to add French or Spanish. When I couldn't choose between the two, I decided to triple-major in all three. Being a triple-major has been quite a challenge, but it has also been very rewarding and fun.
I chose Georgia Southern after being impressed with a campus visit and an email correspondence with Dr. Kartchner. Through talking with him, the idea of a triple major played a big part in me choosing Georgia Southern. The faculty was willing to work with me, and that sealed the deal.
I am very glad that I ended up at Southern. My experiences have been 100 percent positive. I have found that all of the professors have been friendly and helpful. I appreciate the personal attention given to students here, something that I believe is lost at larger universities. I am especially grateful for the help of my advisor, Dr. Horst Kurz, for keeping me on track.
As part of my major, I have been abroad in Switzerland for the past nine months. This was set up through Georgia Southern's participation in the ISEP exchange program. It has been the most amazing experience of my college career. Getting used to an entirely new university system in a language other than English has been quite a challenge but very rewarding. Switzerland, with its four official languages, has given me the unique opportunity to speak multiple languages on a daily basis, something that is ideal for my studies. I have been able to travel to eight different countries and meet people from all around the world, something that has vastly increased my cross-cultural skills.
As an exchange student, I have quite a bit of flexibility in the classes I can take. This year, I have taken courses in business, law, and literature. Being able to experience so many different subjects has really helped me decide what I would like to do in the future. Originally, I had planned to be a teacher. However, I discovered that I find business and law very interesting, so I now plan to pursue a masters degree in human resources and industrial relations with an international focus. I hope to eventually work for a multinational company. All of this has been made possible through Georgia Southern, and I am very thankful for the University and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
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Department News
Sociology & Anthropology
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The Department and College purchased a Ford Expedition to transport students and equipment to and from research sites, alleviating the need for students to use their own vehicles for such travel.
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Studio Statesboro revisited the unveiling of the Camp Lawton archaeology site, which was also featured by Science 2.0, The Savannah Morning News, and WJBF.
A student team at the Georgetown suburb in Savannah saved several slavery artifacts at Miller Plantation from demolition.
Dr. Larry Griffin, professor of sociology and director of the Center for American Studies, has been appointed Fulbright Distinguished Research Chair by the Fulbright Scholar Program for Fall Semester 2013. He will serve at the Roosevelt Study Center in the Netherlands.
Professor Eric Silva's article was accepted for publication in Qualitative Sociology Review.
Professor Jared Wood and graduate student Ryan Sipe received a $12,000 contract to use LiDar technology to scan the Montezuma Castle National Monument in Arizona.
Professor Nathan Palmer was appointed to the American Sociological Associations' special task force on social media.
Communication Arts
Senior John Belt was profiled by Connect Statesboro.
Dr. Susan De Bonis was profiled by Connect Statesboro.
Professor Sean DeVine was presented the Averitt Center for the Arts' Critic's Choice Award for Scenic Design, and Professor Lisa Abbot was presented the Critic's Choice Award for Director for their work on The Wizard of Oz production.
Music
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The live streaming of the Georgia Southern Symphony's concert was recognized for broadcast excellence by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with a 2013 Emmy Award, receiving the honor for Best Live Audio during the Southeast Emmy Awards in Atlanta on June 8. The award-winning video streaming production was a collaborative partnership between the University's Center for Academic Technology Support and the Department. Art Berger, Jeremiah Womble, Maestro Adrian Gnam, Pianist David Murray, and student musicians were honored for their work. David Murray also published two articles in International Piano magazine: "Bach, to the Future" was published in the March/April issue, and "The English Debussy?" is featured on the cover of the July/August issue. The Trombone Ensemble was interviewed by the Statesboro Herald as it prepared for the 2013 International Trombone Festival at Columbus State University, where it performed June 26-29. Literature & Philosophy Gautam Kundu presented "'The Lounging Generation': The Leisure Class in Henry James's The American and The Portrait of a Lady" at the 22nd annual Conference of the American Literature Association in Boston on May 23-26.
Olivia Edenfield's essay "'Necessity and Wonder of Ritual' in the Fiction of Ernest Hemingway and Andre Dubus" was accepted for publication by Xavier Review. It will appear in volume 33 in a few weeks. Mary Villeponteaux signed a contract with Palgrave Macmillan to publish her book, The Queen's Mercy: Gender and Judgment in Elizabethan Literature and Culture.
Dr. Tim Whelan had two publications in June: "William Wilberforce and the Baptists, 1787-1823" in
Studies in Baptist History and Thought, vol. 44, and "Baptist Autographs at the John Rylands University Library, Manchester" in the Bulletin of the John Rylands University Library of Manchester.
History  |
Students in the Public History Graduate Certificate program will work with members of other departments at Georgia Southern to preserve Statesboro's historic Willow Hill School. |
The Department accepted its first cohort of 10 students for its new Public History Graduate Certificate program. This talented group will begin studies in the Fall and includes students who have earned graduate assistantships working with the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, Georgia Southern University Museum, and Jack N. and Addie D. Averitt House. Professor Eric Hall was profiled by Connect Statesboro.
Christina Abreu's article "Huber Matos and Cuba Independiente y Democratica (CID): Exile Leadership beyond Cuban Miami's Geopolitical Borders" will appear in the Autumn 2013 issue of the Journal of Historical Biography.
Michael Van Wagenen's most recent book, Remembering the Forgotten War: The Enduring Legacies of the U.S.-Mexican War, won second place in the book competition of the National Council on Public History and was featured on the Library Journal's best-seller list in June.
Art  |
The Bulloch County Historical Society unveiled its Eagle Nation on Parade eagle, "Bulloch County Family Tree." The sculpture depicts several historical events, figures, and landmarks in Bulloch County's history and will be installed at the Statesboro Regional Library.
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Student Kalee Woodard's artwork is on display at Uncommon Grounds in Hinesville, Ga.
Several graphic design students - including Sandra Hendow, Jessie Adams, Matt Veal, Jose Gil, Julia Tillery, Brandon Bearden, Aaron Ward, and Joseph Lanier - have obtained international summer internships. Graphic design student Paola Robelo produced the design and layout for the recent Honors @ Georgia Southern publication. Professor Derek Larson's work is being featured in the Santa Fe International New Media Festival at El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe. Larson is also a finalist for the Hudgen's Prize. Professor Elsie Hill has had two paintings accepted into the 2013 Majestic National Juried Exhibition at Majestic Galleries in Nelsonville, Ohio. Professor Marc Mitchell was profiled in Connect Statesboro. Writing & Linguistics Leigh Ann Williams, a visiting instructor, was named the University's 2013 Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate. Williams was nominated by students, along with six other members of the Department, who said that she was a "fantastic" instructor and that she makes students feel that she cares about them as individuals and as writers. Assistant Professor Emma Bolden's poem "The Damage" was featured by Poetry Daily. B O D Y published her poem "House Is an Embarrassment," and The Adirondack Review has accepted five of her poems for publication. Her poems "Somewhere She's Holding in Silence" and "The Other Woman" were singled out in NewPage's review of Court Green's latest issue.
The article "Where Is the State in Albania? The Unresolved Contradictions Confronting Civil Society in the 'Transition' from Communism to 'Free Markets'" has been published by Dr. Lori Amy, associate professor, in the June issue of Studies in Transition States and Societies. In May, Amy presented at the Equipment for Living: Kenneth Burke, Culture and Society Conference, University of Ghent, Belgium. Her talk, "Mobilizing Memories: Palimpsests of Citizen and Nation," analyzed the September - October 2012 Hunger Strikes staged by a group of ex-political prisoners in Albania through Burke's analysis of the order, the secret, and the kill and the ways in which these three motives circulate in the relation between rhetoric and dialectic. Amy will also be working with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Offices for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights to monitor the June 2013 parliamentary elections in Albania. This service will further her research into the country's transition from Communism to parliamentary rule.
Dr. Mary Marwitz, associate professor, had her creative nonfiction essay "Between Parent and Child" published in Freshly Hatched, an online publication.
Assistant Professor Jared Sexton learned that Midwestern Gothic accepted his short story "Need" for its next issue.
Associate Professor Laura Valeri's second collection of short stories, Safe in Your Head, has been published by Stephen F. Austin University Press. Her interview with author Lynne Barrett was accepted by the BookSlut and will be released in the next volume. Psychology |
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Alumni News
Pamela Thompson was named the director of the Athens Downtown Development Authority of Athens, Ga.
Robert Toole was named the warden of the Georgia State Prison.
Stephanie Todd Haley ('95) began her career at CNN after graduation and is now the director of editorial coverage at HLN, CNN's sister network. She is responsible for editorial direction, content creation, event planning, and programming for HLN.
Lis Shoer ('11) recently accepted a position designing for cosmetic company Sally Hansen. Since graduating, Shoer has designed for nationally recognized brands Victoria's Secret and InStyle magazine.
Danielle Bramson ('12) works as a user interface designer and graphics coordinator for Innovative Architects.
Amy Bryan ('13) was featured in Honors @ Georgia Southern magazine for her research "An Elemental Exploration of the Ceramic Arts." The Honors Program also featured Bryan in a student-produced film.
Kimberly Whitney Perry ('13) will spend the summer visiting Switzerland, Finland, and the U.K. She will then spend a week in the Dominican Republic before moving to Washington, D.C.
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Events
Writing & Linguistics July 14-21 The Department, with support from the University's Division for Continuing Education, will host the annual Council of Writing Program Administrators meeting. The event includes a workshop (a three-day immersion for new and renewing WPAs), an institute (one-day intensive experience), and the yearly conference.
The Coastal Georgia Center, Savannah; 912-478-0141 |
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Give to CLASS
The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences aspires to be nationally recognized for its superior and innovative educational experiences across the humanities, social sciences and arts. Our goal is to provide outstanding programs that are responsive to the needs of the region and to allow all members of the college -- faculty, staff and students -- to serve together to enhance quality of life. If you would like to support CLASS in meeting these goals, please visit our annual campaign website.
Find all the details about the Eagle Nation on Parade public art project. Contact Sue Bunning at sbunning @georgiasouthern.edu for more information. |
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College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences � Georgia Southern University
P.O. Box 8142 � Statesboro, Georgia 30460 � 912-478-2527 � http://class.georgiasouthern.edu
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