Faculty/Staff Awards

Awardees for Research Excellence

  • Wenjie Li, Ph.D. — Lifetime Research Achievement for H-index, citations and Google Scholar publications
  • Shainaz Landge, Ph.D. — Lifetime Research Achievement for H-index
  • Clifford Padgett, Ph.D. — Lifetime Research Achievement for H-index
  • Ji Wu, Ph.D. — Lifetime Research Achievement for citations
  • Eric Gato, Ph.D. — Lifetime Research Achievement for Google Scholar publications
  • Checo Colon-Gaud, Ph.D. — Lifetime Research Achievement for total grants awarded
  • Sara Gremillion, Ph.D. — Lifetime Research Achievement for total grant funding awarded
  • Chidozie “Williams” Chukwu, Ph.D. — Lifetime Research Achievement for H-index, citations and Google Scholar publications
  • Dimitry Apanaskevich, Ph.D. — Lifetime Research Achievement for citations and Google Scholar publications
  • Christine Hladik, Ph.D. — Lifetime Research Achievement for total grants awarded

Awardees for Teaching Excellence

  • Christine Whitlock, Ph.D. — Lifetime Teaching Excellence and Innovation for teaching-focused external grants (5–9), teaching-focused publications (5–9) and teaching badges and certifications (15 or more)
  • Tricia Brown, Ph.D. — Lifetime Teaching Excellence and Innovation for teaching-focused external grants (5–9)
  • Michele McGibony, Ph.D. — Lifetime Teaching Excellence and Innovation for teaching-focused external grants (10–19), teaching-focused publications (5–9) and teaching badges and certifications (15 or more)
  • Shainaz Landge, Ph.D. — Lifetime Teaching Excellence and Innovation for teaching-focused external grants (10–19), teaching-focused publications (10–29) and teaching badges and certifications (15 or more)
  • Donna Mullenax — Lifetime Teaching Excellence and Innovation for teaching-focused external grants (20 or more)
  • Kathy Sherman-Morris, Ph.D. — Lifetime Teaching Excellence and Innovation for teaching-focused publications (5–9)
  • Scott Mateer, Ph.D. — Lifetime Teaching Excellence and Innovation for teaching-focused publications (5–9)
  • Clifford Padgett, Ph.D. — Lifetime Teaching Excellence and Innovation for teaching-focused publications (10–29)
  • Sue Ellen Dechenne-Peters, Ph.D. — Lifetime Teaching Excellence and Innovation for teaching-focused publications (10–29)
  • Heidi Eisenreich, Ph.D. — Lifetime Teaching Excellence and Innovation for teaching-focused publications (30)
  • Tuyin An, Ph.D. — Lifetime Teaching Excellence and Innovation for teaching-focused publications (40)
  • Eric Johnson, Ph.D. — Lifetime Teaching Excellence and Innovation for teaching badges and certifications (5–9)
  • Beulah Narendrapurapu, Ph.D. — Lifetime Teaching Excellence and Innovation for teaching badges and certifications (5–9)
  • Carl Reiber, Ph.D. — Lifetime Teaching Excellence and Innovation for teaching badges and certifications (5–9)
  • Lea Padgett, Ph.D. — Lifetime Teaching Excellence and Innovation for teaching badges and certifications (15 or more)

Staff Award Recipients

  • Ayesha Samuel — Rising Star Award
  • Dillon Marcy — Outstanding Service Award
  • Sandra Ferguson — Teamwork Champion Award
  • Ashley Kings — Distinguished Leadership Award
  • Morgan Dunn — Trailblazer Award

Graduate Research Recognitions

First Peer-Reviewed Publication as a Georgia Southern Graduate Student in 2025

  • Zachary Czoer — Environmental Science, Ph.D.
  • Carisa MacPherson — Environmental Science, Ph.D.
  • Hossain Mahmud Sammi — Environmental Science, Ph.D.
  • Shamim Ara Supty — Environmental Science, Ph.D.
  • Oluwatosin Jegede — Environmental Science, Ph.D.
  • Gillian Johnson — Biology, M.S.
  • Renee Nowicki — Biology, M.S.
  • Catherine Nguyen — Applied Physical Science, M.S.
  • Euan Andrew — Biology, M.S.

Recipients of External Grants and Awards in 2025

  • Samin Yasar, Biology, M.S. — Georgia Sea Grant Research Traineeship, $25,000
  • Oluwatunmise Akanmu, SEES — Continental Scientific Drilling Facility Visiting Graduate Student Grant, University of Minnesota and National Science Foundation, $1,000
  • Carisa MacPherson, Environmental Science, Ph.D. — Foreverglades Research Enhancement Grant and Fellowship, Everglades Foundation and Patrick P. Lee Foundation, $30,000
  • James Westphalen, Environmental Science, Ph.D. — Limnology and Oceanography Research Exchange, Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, $10,000
  • Oluwatosin Jegede, Environmental Science, Ph.D. — Air & Waste Management Association Undergraduate and Graduate Student Scholarship, $1,000
  • Lindsey Grimes, Biology, M.S. — Marie Mellinger Field Botany Research Fund
  • Gillian Johnson, Biology, M.S. — University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Dean’s Fellowship, $128,000 over four years plus a tuition waiver
  • Esosa Omoregie, Biology, M.S. — American Society for Cell Biology Travel Grant, $500
  • Euan Andrew, Biology, M.S. — Association of Amphibian and Reptile Veterinarians Conservation Grant, $1,341
  • Elissa Columbo, Biology, M.S. — Gopher Tortoise Council, $3,000