Alby and Speelman named Omicron Delta Kappa Award recipients

Dr. Cynthia J. Alby and Dr. Liz Speelman have been named the 2025 faculty award recipients by the Georgia College & State University Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa. Alby, who is professor of teacher education, is the recipient of the Flisch-Harris Award for Leadership in the Cause of a Liberal Education. Speelman, who is senior lecturer in health and human performance and director of the Outdoor Center, is the recipient of the Paul Jahr Award for Civic Leadership and Commitment to Democratic Values.

Alby and Speelman will receive their awards at the Circle's annual Induction Convocation and Lecture Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. 

The Flisch-Harris Award recognizes leadership in the cause of a liberal education. The award is named jointly for Julia Anna Flisch and Dr. Robin O. Harris. Flisch (1861-1941) served on the faculty of Georgia College (then Georgia Normal & Industrial College) from 1891 to 1905 and was a distinguished journalist and advocate for public education, known for her admonition to “Give the girls a chance!” at equitable learning. Robin O. Harris ‘91, ‘93 is associate professor emerita and was inducted into Circle membership in 2003. She taught history and sociology at Georgia College from 1994 until 2011 and served as director of experiential learning for five years. She is Flisch’s biographer and an authority on Progressive Era education reform in the U.S. South.

The Paul Jahr Award honors excellence in civic leadership and commitment to democratic values. The award is named for Dr. Paul K. Jahr, who served 25 years at Georgia College, retiring in 2013 as associate vice president for student affairs. With Georgia College’s designation as Georgia’s public liberal arts university in 1996, Jahr led the institution’s transformation into a residential liberal arts college. His efforts were instrumental in the Georgia College Circle receiving its charter from Omicron Delta Kappa in 2001.

The Circle inaugurated both awards in 2021, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of its charter.

CYNTHIA J. ALBY 

Dr. Cynthia J. Alby is professor of teacher education in the John H. Lounsbury College of Education at Georgia College. Alby is lead developer for the Governor’s Teaching Fellows Program and holds a dual appointment in the Louise McBee Institute for Higher Education at the University of Georgia. A specialist in language education, she is the author of Learning that Matters: A Field Guide to Course Design for Transformative Education, among numerous other publications. She speaks widely on transformative course design, student well-being, authentic assessment, and transparency in teaching and learning. Among her many awards, Alby earned the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges national Charles Dunn Award for excellence in teaching, as well as four university-wide recognitions for teaching, research, and service. Alby holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and classical languages from Xavier University, a master’s degree in classical archaeology from the University of Cincinnati, and a Ph.D. in language education from the University of Georgia. 

LIZ SPEELMAN 

Dr. Elizabeth A. Speelman is senior lecturer in outdoor education in the School of Health & Human Performance and is director of the Outdoor Center at Georgia College. A specialist in applied cognition and development, she is the author of Aerial Adventure Environments: The Theory and Practice of Challenge Course, Zip Line, and Canopy Tour Industry, among dozens of other peer-reviewed articles and presentations. Since joining the faculty at Georgia College in 2009, Speelman has received numerous awards for her teaching and her leadership, including most recently the College of Health Sciences Excellence in University Service Award and Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching. She received the Association of Experiential Education’s national Servant Leader Award in 2016. Speelman earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from the University of Guelph, a Master of Education degree from Georgia College, and a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Georgia. 

Omicron Delta Kappa was founded in 1914 at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. Its founders stated that leadership of exceptional quality and versatility in university life should be recognized; that representatives of all phases of college life should cooperate in worthwhile endeavors; and that outstanding students and faculty members should meet on a basis of common interest, understanding and helpfulness. The Georgia College Circle was chartered in 2001.

For more information on the Georgia College Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa, visit www.gcsu.edu/odk.