Giving thanks to Dr. Lee Gillis: 40 years of building a legacy at Georgia College

When H.L. “Lee” Gillis began his career at Georgia College & State University in September 1986, he had a one-year contract. Forty years later, the university is thanking him for far more than longevity.

Across four decades, Dr. Gillis’ work as a professor of psychology, a department leader, and an academic researcher has allowed him to impact generations of students and also to shine a spotlight on the distinctive liberal arts education at GCSU.

In 2005, Gillis became chair of what is now known as the Department of Psychological Science, a renaming of the department in 2009 which Gillis championed. He said a departmental decision to share undergraduate research at the annual meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association “has led to name recognition of the Department of Psychological Science. Evidence for this would be our department’s No.1 ranking for the past three years,” within all regional public schools in Georgia.

Gillis’ own research has often been front-and-center. For nine years, he led an undergraduate research lab in adventure therapy, sustained by grant funding from ENVIROS in Alberta, Canada. The partnership supported hands-on student research experiences and brought outside investment to campus through the end of 2023.

Gillis’ contributions to academic excellence at Georgia College have not been limited to his work in the classroom or lab. His steady financial support of the initiatives he holds dear has made it possible for students to seize more transformative learning experiences.

“Being able to direct money back to the department’s foundation account to support student and faculty travel to present their undergraduate research” is a high priority for Gillis. He says helping to cover “expenses incurred to support undergraduate research” is a strong motivating factor in his giving; and, his advice for alumni and students who want to make a lasting impact at GCSU is candid: “Designate the money for use in furthering the department’s mission and vision.”

Dr. J. Noland White, a professor in the Department of Psychological Science and a Georgia College alumnus, shared what Gillis has meant to him:

“I was finishing junior college without a clear plan when I read a Macon Telegraph article about Lee’s ropes course work, and that article is why I transferred to Georgia College. As an undergraduate, I took his classes and worked as his research assistant, and he helped me land an internship with Project Adventure that became a job before I returned for my master’s. After that, I worked at Central State Hospital for three years and then went to the University of Tennessee for my doctorate. We kept in touch while I was working on my PhD, and he’s the one who told me about the teaching position here that I started in 2001. Lee has been my teacher, my colleague, and my mentor, and most of all, he’s my friend. His mentoring and friendship are the major reasons I’ve stayed for 25 years.

Lee opened doors for me both as a student and as a professional, and I give back by trying to do the same for our students. Following his example, I also give every year to our department and to my research lab’s foundation account, and for the last few years I’ve supported the music program as well.”

Four decades after a one-year contract, Dr. Gillis is recognized for his dedication to Georgia College and for his unwavering devotion to providing an environment in which students can do more, learn more, and seize more opportunities to make a positive difference in the world.