University Awards of Excellence

Sevki Cesmeci, Ph.D.

Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing

Student Success Award

“Dr. Cesmeci has shown great dedication to student success . . . in his first three years and under one of the most challenging times, during the pandemic.”

– Mohammad Hassan and Prakashbhai Bhoi

Jasmine Brown

First- & Second-Year Experience

Student Success Award

“Jasmine Brown is an excellent candidate for the Student Success Award. The way her work impacts student success is from her meetings and interactions with her Peer Leaders. Peer Leaders are one of the first faces a new student becomes familiar with when starting their first semester at Georgia Southern University. Under her coaching, the Peer Leaders flourished. In every meeting Jasmine comes up with brilliant and direct ways to teach what are often subtle but very important skills. Personally, I think the ways she has taught communication was by far the most valuable. Through us, Jasmine effectively helps guide every new student and provides resources for them to succeed. The training in effective communication, how to run a classroom, the benefits of certain games/activities, trickle into each recitation session and make a huge impact on the development of our freshman. Previously, Jasmine was an academic advisor who was loved by her students and many of my friends wish they still had her as their advisor. Jasmine Brown will continue to excel in developing her students and I anticipate that the First and Second Year Experience will shine a little brighter each year she is able to share her expertise in Student Success.”

– Joseph Vitiello

The Teaching award acknowledges those that improve student learning and prepare students to compete in the global marketplace.

Tanesha Osborne, Ph.D.

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Science and Mathematics

Teaching Award

“Dr. Osborne has an exemplary teacher who is now using her knowledge and skillsets to foster other exemplary teachers at Georgia Southern University.”

– Karelle Aiken

The Academic Excellence award recognizes those individuals who provide or promote educational opportunities or resources that stimulate students’ academic progression and graduation.

Karin Fisher, Ph.D.

Elementary & Special Education, College of Education

Academic Excellence Award

“Dr. Fisher challenges her students but also provides support both in and out of the classroom. In the classroom, she promotes critical thinking by asking open-ended questions and encouraging discourse.”

– Heidi Eisenreich

The staff award for Research recognizes one staff member for outstanding support in the conduct of research or who have advanced processes, methods and systems through research.

The faculty award for Research recognizes a faculty member for excellence in research and/ or creative scholarly activity.

Kania Greer, Ed.D.

Center for STEM Education

Research Award

“Kania has achieved excellence in supporting my research through collaboration. With her significant involvement, we recruited an interdisciplinary research team, submitted, and were awarded grants, and conducted two mixed methods research projects related to my research agenda. We published our research in two peer-reviewed journals, two peer-reviewed book chapters, and a technical report. We presented our research together at three international and national conferences. Additionally, we were invited to present our research twice internationally. Kania continually develops and broadens her expertise in supporting the conduct of research by keeping up to date on the current research trends and sharing them with faculty. She regularly attends research webinars and shares what she learns with her collaborators. She has written a book chapter with another faculty member on how making small changes to teaching practice can have big impacts on students. Most recently, she worked with the faculty to secure a $298,000 NSF Major Research Instrumentation grant where reviewers spotlighted her work as a key component in their decision to fund the grant. I am also aware of work research she conducted with Biology faculty and students in their efforts to identify flea borne pathogens in feral cats. She worked with local veterinarians to collect samples and it has since been published in a peer-reviewed journal. She is always willing to share her research expertise with faculty. Kania’s research support excels in relation to her coordinator responsibilities in the Center for STEM Education. She is available to provide advice and is responsive to my research questions. When we collaborate, she always completes her research tasks first and then offers to support others with theirs.”

– Karin Fisher

Bettye Apenteng, Ph.D.

Department of Health Policy and Community Health, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health

Research Award

“Dr. Bettye Apenteng works to optimize health systems and improve health care access and health outcomes for rural and underserved populations. Her scholarship and meaningful community engagement advances the mission of JPHCOPH and the University and has had direct impacts on state and federal policies related to rural healthcare.”

– Kelly Sullivan

The Discovery & Innovation award recognizes those individuals that promote creative scholarly activities, technologies and/ or environments that encourage innovative and problem-solving research collaboratives.

Rafael Quirino, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Science and Mathematics

Discovery & Innovation Award

“Dr. Rafael Quirino is committed to research and student success by continually carving out opportunities for collaborations both nationally and internationally.  His research group is constantly focused on researching new materials for a more sustainable world, and better skill and process development for less waste generation and production maximization. . . and aim to bridge the gap between industry and academia.”

– Shainaz Landge

Melvin Lamboy Ruiz, Ph.D.

School of Accountancy, Parker College of Business

Inclusive Excellence Award

“Melvin has contributed to DEI in a number of ways. . ., [including] not only writes the Diversity Section Newsletter for the American Accounting Association but is the Chair of the AAA Committee on DEI Resources.”

– Andrea Scheetz

Catherine Garcia

Office of Advising

Inclusive Excellence Award

“Cate is currently in her second year of chairing the Advising DEI committee. Additionally she serves as a leader on the Jewish EWG and on the CBSS Diversity committee. She works across the institution to make sure that Georgia Southern is a more accepting and inclusive place. She is actively engaging in conversations to help educate herself and others. During her time as DEI Chair, Cate helped the advising team develop advising competencies focused specifically on DEI to add to the national advising competencies set up through our professional advising organization NACADA. Additionally, Cate actively recommends DEI related content, areas of study, and opportunities for growth. She seeks opportunities to teach others (including her lecture on her family’s holocaust experience). She consistently plays an active part in developing training, table talks, and more for the advising community. She is a strong advocate for equity within the Georgia Southern Community and a great example of living up to this institutional pillar.”

– Jennifer Syno

The Community Engagement award was designed to give recognition to those who display outstanding community engagement in support of the University.

Hal Wilson, Ph.D.

Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology, Waters College of Health Professions

Community Engagement Award

“Dr. Wilson has consistently and creatively leveraged his position at Georgia Southern to engage our local, university, regional, and national communities, to create new partnerships with tangible benefits to both students and community partners, and to do so above and beyond what his job requires.”

– Jeffrey Ward

Allison Rainey

Head Administrative Assistant, Department of Military Science

Community Engagement Award

“As the Department of Military Science’s head administrative assistant, Mrs. Rainey is responsible for the entire department’s social media platform and all major events that the ROTC department does with the local community. There are countless examples (Freedom 5K, Feed the Boro Initiative, and ROTC Blood Drive to name a few) of the amazing events that Mrs. Rainey has directly supported to aid the local Statesboro community. As the Statesboro community continues to expand, Mrs. Rainey is actively looking for new ways to engage with the local community to sponsor events and ensure that the University (specifically our ROTC program) has remained tied in with all major events/efforts in the local area. I can think of no one more deserving of this award and I offer my highest endorsement for the amazing work accomplished by Mrs. Rainey.”

– Sean Hollars

The Collaboration Award recognizes and promotes those who are dedicated to service to their departments, students, faculty, other departments on campus, and/ or the surrounding community through communication, innovation, integrity and inclusion.

Tamerah Hunt, Ph.D

Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology, Waters College of Health Professions

Collaboration Award

“Dr. Hunt has dedicated a substantial amount of her time and energy to assisting and improving the lives of those around her.”

– John Dobson

Amy Rowell

Career and Professional Development

Collaboration Award

“Amy’s energy and ideas are among the freshest on our team. Not only is she our most reliable and knowledgeable staff member, but she is also one of our most willing to find new ways to connect with our various stakeholders. The structure of our department for Amy’s Career & Internship Advisor (CIA) position is such that she serves the students and faculty in a specific college or colleges. Amy is currently the CIA for the College of Education and the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. I’m certain that if you asked anyone in either of those colleges what Amy is best known for, it would be her willingness to collaborate.”

– Caitlyn Cofer

Beth Myers, Ph.D.

School of Human Ecology, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Leadership Award

“I am impressed with Dr. Myers’ leadership, vision, compassion, and accomplishments. She fully demonstrates the six values of Georgia Southern University. She is the kind of leader who will help GSU continue to be an excellent university.”

– Carol Herringer

Always supportive, genuinely honest and empathetic! Is a natural leader, her door is always open for all staff, faculty & more importantly GS students. She handles a lot but handles it all with such grace and kindness and love.

– Sharon Wilson

Gemma Skuraton, DrPH

Director, Student Wellness and Health Promotion

Leadership Award

“In the world of limited resources, Dr. Skuraton has brought innovation to her office and reached thousands of students in her work as Director of Student Wellness and Health Promotion. She is a triple Eagle and she is passionate about stepping beyond her administrative and managerial roles to provide the institution with best-practice initiatives, to name a few the Period Equity Movement, Peer Body Project, Binge Thinking, Health at Every Size, and much more. Dr. Skuraton is dedicated to ensuring a culture of wellness permeates into the backbone of Georgia Southern and allows students, faculty and staff to think about their entire wellness journey. The work done by Dr. Skuraton as a leader has addressed the barriers that students face and assists in eliminating barriers outside the classroom that have an upstream impact on in-class learning. It is my belief that she has excelled in leadership, has a proven commitment to diversity, and is committed to the students at Georgia Southern University through her work establishing a public health program that reduces barriers for a diverse population of students.”

– Jackie Mesenbrink