Georgia Southern and Medical College of Georgia research conference spotlights impressive partnership, explores community health
Students from Georgia Southern University and the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) gathered Nov. 17 on the Armstrong Campus for the second annual Community Engaged Research Conference.
This event is a chance for student researchers from both institutions to showcase their individual work and the partnership between Georgia Southern and MCG, which has expanded since MCG established its Savannah campus in July 2024.
While students’ perspectives take center stage, the conference also emphasizes collaboration between academia and community. A group of clinicians from St. Joseph’s Candler, Curtis V. Cooper and Gastroenterology Consultants of Savannah joined MCG students to host a panel discussion titled “Uninsured and Underinsured Populations – Access to Specialty Care.”
Student-led oral and poster presentations were featured, along with an awards ceremony recognizing select students for outstanding work in both categories.
Oral presentations were divided into separate sessions titled “Bench to Bedside” and “Connecting Clinic and Community.”
Rachelan Boss, a senior majoring in health science and minoring in public health, and Taryn Black, a senior biochemistry major, won the award for best student oral presentation in the second session. Black and Boss weren’t the only Georgia Southern students to receive recognition. Md Didarul Alam, a master’s student in electrical and computer engineering, won the student’s choice award for the best poster under the mentorship of Mohammad Ahad, Ph.D.
The conference’s second year saw increased participation. The number of presentations was doubled, with Georgia Southern students leading 59 of the total 118.
The importance of this data point was not lost on Georgia Southern Faculty member and Conference Chair, Shainaz Landge, Ph.D.
“This event is a major springboard for research at our University,” Landge said. “Seeing more of our students participate shows our growth and underscores MCG’s value as both a collaborator and a leader in medical research. Collaboration drives progress, and we’re seeing that in real time. MCG is a world-class institution, and we’re privileged to have a campus in our region.”
Dr. Elizabeth Gray, dean of MCG’s Savannah campus, also sees benefits in the relationship between the two schools.
“This conference highlights not only the power of joint engagement but also the promise it holds for future collaborations between our institutions,” she explained. “Research can open the door to innovation and expand community involvement. With participation from across all four years of medical students, we were able to showcase research focused on the real needs of our community.”
Both Landge and Gray believe the partnership between Georgia Southern and MCG will continue to grow in scope and impact. They say the same is true of the Community Engaged Research Conference.