Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Sciences receives nuclear medicine equipment donation
Students studying nuclear medicine in the Waters College of Health Professions at Georgia Southern University will have access to a state-of-the-art piece of equipment after a donation from Biodex Medical Systems.
The Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Sciences received a dose calibrator from Biodex Medical Systems in August. Valued at $8,000, the equipment is used in all nuclear medicine departments in health care.
“Every dosage of a nuclear medicine radiopharmaceutical must be measured using this piece of equipment prior to administering the radiopharmaceutical to a patient,” said Rochelle Lee, Ed.D., nuclear medicine program director who helped secure the donation thanks to a longstanding relationship with Biodex Medical Systems.
“Having this state-of-the-art equipment in the nuclear medicine lab gives the students on campus a real-world experience and prepares them for the clinical environment prior to being introduced to the clinical environment,” she continued. “Research supports the fact that students are better prepared when they have an opportunity to simulate a procedure or have hands-on experience prior to performing tasks in a live setting.”
Georgia Southern online RN-to-BSN program ranked nationally for fastest, most affordable online RN-to-BSN programs
Georgia Southern University’s online RN to BSN program has been ranked No. 5 for Fastest Online RN-to-BSN Programs and No. 24 for Most Affordable Online RN-to-BSN Programs in the nation for 2020 by RNtoMSN.org.
“The flexibility built into the program of study allows students to complete the program at a pace that is comfortable for them,” Program Director Sheri Carey, DNP, said. ”The program can be completed in two semesters, which is one of the fastest in the nation. Most students choose to complete the program in three to four semesters.”
RNtoMSN.org analyzed more than 500 universities with online RN-to-BSN programs and based their ranking factors on a university’s academic reputation, student completions, average debt and earnings, and program costs.
The program consists of eight online courses that provide nurses with more advanced training to better care for patients.
“As a program within the University System of Georgia, tuition is significantly less than the tuition at a proprietary or for-profit school,” Carey said. “The program chooses books that can be used for more than one course, and some books are available through electronic course reserve in the library, which helps with the affordability of the program. The only fee students pay is for liability insurance, which they purchase through the university at a discounted rate.”
For RNtoMSN’s full lists of the fastest and most affordable RN-to-BSN programs, visit www.rntomsn.org/fastest-online-rn-to-bsn-programs/ and www.rntomsn.org/cheapest-online-rn-to-bsn-programs/
For more information on the RN-to-BSN program, visit chp.georgiasouthern.edu/nursing/programs/online-rn-to-bsn/.
Georgia Southern staff member named Best Author/Writer by Savannah Magazine
Melanie Simón, a communications manager on the Georgia Southern University Armstrong Campus, was recently named Best Writer/Author in Savannah by Savannah Magazine in its annual Best Of Savannah awards. Simón has written and published two books, La Americana: A Memoir and Leopold’s Ice Cream: A Century of Tasty Memories.
“I had no idea that I was even in the running or that I had won until a friend texted me, ‘Congrats on your Best of Savannah win!’” Simón said. “It’s a reader-voted award, which is what makes it so special.”
Simón has worked on the Armstrong Campus since May 2015. She began her career in publishing in New York City, and later returned to Savannah where she has served as a publicist and freelance writer since 2003. Currently, she is partnering with producer Stratton Leopold on the book-to-film development of La Americana, and will serve as a co-producer of the film.
Simón said she’s honored to have won the award.
“I was floored,” she said. “Savannah is loaded with creative talent, and to have so much support from my hometown is incredible.”
Georgia Southern staff member named Best Author/Writer by Savannah Magazine
Melanie Simón, a communications manager on the Georgia Southern University Armstrong Campus, was recently named Best Writer/Author in Savannah by Savannah Magazine in its annual Best Of Savannah awards. Simón has written and published two books, La Americana: A Memoir and Leopold’s Ice Cream: A Century of Tasty Memories.
“I had no idea that I was even in the running or that I had won until a friend texted me, ‘Congrats on your Best of Savannah win!’” Simón said. “It’s a reader-voted award, which is what makes it so special.”
Simón has worked on the Armstrong Campus since May 2015. She began her career in publishing in New York City, and later returned to Savannah where she has served as a publicist and freelance writer since 2003. Currently, she is partnering with producer Stratton Leopold on the book-to-film development of La Americana, and will serve as a co-producer of the film.
Simón said she’s honored to have won the award.
“I was floored,” she said. “Savannah is loaded with creative talent, and to have so much support from my hometown is incredible.”
Health Sciences and Kinesiology faculty member publishes research
Gregg Rich, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Georgia Southern University Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology, recently had research published in the Journal of Athlete Development and Experience.
Rich conducted research titled “Student-Athletes at an Historically Black University (HBU): Examining the Relationships Between Student-Engagement on Campus and Career Situation Awareness,” with colleagues from Clayton State University and Clarkson University.
Their work examined the relationship between student-athletes’ engagement experiences on campus and their outlook on potential career interests at an HBU with NCAA Division I affiliation in the Southeastern United States.
“Findings of the study determined minority student-athletes of both sexes benefit by attending an HBU as it pertains to social enrichment and career perspective,” said Rich. “However, white student-athletes do not have the same academic involvement on campus as their minority counterparts. Interestingly, the more that Black female student-athletes utilize collective academic settings, such as the library, and engage in socially enriching environments, the less likely they are to perceive themselves to be athletes versus students.”
The Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology is housed in the Waters College of Health Professions.
Georgia Southern professor receives AIST Foundation Steel Curriculum Development Grant
The Association for Iron & Steel Technology (AIST) and the AIST Foundation announced that Georgia Southern University engineering professor Jingjing Qing, Ph.D., is the winner of the 2020-21 Steel Curriculum Development Grant. Qing will receive $25,000 over three years.
“This fund helps to upgrade the teaching laboratory facility at Georgia Southern University, which will greatly enhance the students’ learning experience of ferrous metal processing and metallurgy,” Qing said. “Activities funded with the AIST Steel Curriculum Development Grant, such as touring steel plants, attending technical conferences and performing industry-guided term projects, will increase the exposure of the steel and iron industry to the students, help more students to identify their interests and expand their horizons to consider careers in the steel and iron industry.”
AIST is a nonprofit technical association of 17,500 members from 70 countries with the mission to advance the technical development, production, processing and application of iron and steel. The organization is recognized as a global leader in networking, education and sustainability programs for advancing iron and steel technology.
Georgia Southern professor publishes crime novel
In July, creative writing professor Tony Morris, Ph.D., released his debut novel, Deep River Blues, a regional crime thriller set in the Appalachian Mountain region of Eastern Tennessee.
“With the perception of a poet and the knack of a novelist, Tony Morris joins the ranks of some of the finest crime fiction writers,” wrote acclaimed mystery writer Craig Johnson. “In turn, part James Lee Burke, Tennessee Williams and William Faulkner, Deep River Blues will pull you under and have you gasping for breath.”
Morris is also the associate editor of Southern Poetry Review and director of the Ossabaw Island Writers’ Retreat. He has published four books of poetry, and has earned the Louisiana Literature Poetry Prize and the Tennessee Writers Alliance Poetry Award. In addition, Morris has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize three times.
Sustainability Programs now accepting proposals for fall 2020
Georgia Southern University’s Sustainability Programs is requesting proposals to improve sustainability across the Statesboro campus. Sustainability fee projects range from $1,000 to $100,000.
Proposals may address any aspect of sustainability in the areas of water, energy, waste, biodiversity, food, transportation, sustainability promotion, social justice and wellness, among others. Requests may range from increasing biodiversity to improving energy efficiency, implementing renewable energy solutions, encouraging sustainability behaviors, improving waste reduction, or increasing campus sustainability awareness.
Sustainability fee projects may be proposed and conducted by any student, faculty or staff member on the Statesboro campus.
This year, a grant writing workshop will be offered virtually on Aug. 21 at 2 p.m. and Sept. 3 at 5 p.m. to answer any questions. For more information, visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu/sustainability.
Submissions are due by 5 p.m. on Sept. 14 and should be sent to cfs@georgiasouthern.edu. All applicants will be notified of the status of their proposals by Oct. 14, and all grant funds are to be spent by June 2021.
Health Sciences and Kinesiology faculty member named to Engaged Scholar Program
Charles “Hal” Wilson, Ph.D., associate professor of kinesiology in the Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology, has been named to the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education’s (NAKHE) Engaged Scholar Program.
Over the next 12-month period, Wilson will have the opportunity to collaborate with senior scholar, Doug Hochstetler, Ph.D., associate dean of the College of Health and Behavioral Studies at James Madison University, with the intent of completing a scholarly product.
NAKHE, an inclusive community of kinesiology professionals, extends its mentoring efforts into the area of scholarship by supporting mentoring and networking opportunities for tenured associate professors. The Engaged Scholar Program encourages faculty to continue their professional development efforts by providing financial support and a mentor.
This is the second time in five years a Georgia Southern faculty member has been named to the program.
Parker College of Business appoints new Associate Dean of Students and External Affairs
The Parker College of Business has appointed Britton McKay, Ph.D., professor of accounting, as the new associate dean of Students and External Affairs, effective July 1.
In her new position, McKay will focus on recruiting, introducing prospective students to the college’s academic offerings, overseeing the college’s academic advising center, overseeing undergraduate scholarships by serving as the committee chair and reviewing scholarship applicants for general scholarships, and coordinating accreditation efforts for AACSB and SACS.
Additionally, she will maintain each business discipline’s proposed rotation of classes and review offerings each semester to ensure that classes are being offered on a variety of days and times. She will serve on the Parker College of Business Undergraduate Committee to provide input and guidance on the impact that proposed course and program changes may have on undergraduate students.