Story by GCSU senior Cale Strickland Dr. Evren Kutlay is the spring 2024 Martha Daniel Newell Visiting Scholar. Thanks to an endowment by Georgia College & State University alumna Martha Daniel Newell, experts in the arts, humanities and social and physical sciences have been visiting campus for over a decade. Kutlay is the embodiment of scholarship and the interdisciplinary nature of Georgia College’s liberal arts mission. Born and raised in Turkey, she developed a love for the piano...
Growing up, studio fine art senior Mattie Thompson of Savannah was never one to color inside the lines. Instead, she spent most of her life not believing in her art ability until her sophomore year of high school. She took a class in painting in order to graduate and fell in love with it. Thompson’s creation “Milly Squared” was on display at the Leland Gallery in November as part of Georgia College & State University’s Art Department exhibit, “Ephemera.” The exhibit celebrated senior...
For people to respect law enforcement, the criminal justice system must be fair and reasonable—creating policies that make citizens of all classes and races feel safe. These are the words and hope of Montavious Taylor Sr., a Marine veteran, who earned his master’s in criminal justice at Georgia College & State University in December. He wants to be part of the change that makes justice equitable for all people. “I grew up witnessing the good and bad of the criminal justice system,”...
Vivian Cassaniti applied herself 110% at Georgia College & State University. She’ll graduate in December with a degree in both political science and philosophy. In addition, she’s graduating with a concentration in pre-law, several accolades and priceless experiences. “My two majors complemented each other nicely,” Cassaniti said. “Now, I plan to apply to several colleges for my master’s degree while also applying to law school.” Cassaniti is a recent recipient of the Pajari Best...
There was a dark moment in Monica Lichtenwalner’s college years when things seemed bleak. In fall of her sophomore year, 2021, she got COVID-19 the first week of class and felt “very sick” for two weeks. A month and a half later, she still didn’t feel fully recovered and dropped half her classes, because she was falling behind. She knew this would delay her senior capstone project and cause her to graduate later than she planned. It was disheartening at the time. But Lichtenwalner...
Scientist Annsli Hilton, ’22, has been fascinated by the ocean and its wildlife for as long as she can remember. Her earliest memory of exploring ocean wildlife is a project she made in kindergarten on great white sharks. In her current role as a research associate with the University of Miami’s Cooperative Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, she’s contracted with The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Southeast Science Center. Hilton was a...
Some professors at Georgia College & State University go national with their research. A few get global attention. Others? They reach for the stars. Like Georgia College’s astrophysicist Dr. Arash Bodaghee. He first suggested what eventually became—after improvements from his science team—one of the winning proposals for using NASA’s next-generation space telescope. That’s quite a mouthful. Let’s put it more simply: His idea emerged among the top contenders. On how to use the next...
Since 2014, the United Nations has set aside the 5th of December to educate people about the importance of healthy soil. In time for this year’s international World Soil Day celebration, students in Dr. Bruce Snyder’s soil ecology class finished their final project for the semester—children’s books about dirt and critters of this unseen underworld that help nourish the Earth’s soil, water, forests and air. For the UN, it’s a day to focus attention on the ground beneath our feet, while...
To say something ‘has legs’ means it has longevity and staying power. That surely fits millipedes then, because they’ve been around forever. Thought to be earth’s first creature to leave water and breathe on land—the creeping, burrowing arthropods are essential for healthy soil and forests. Then there are those legs. Lots of them. Their legs help millipedes forage and feed, making them the ultimate composters—nature’s No. 1 soldier in waste management. They’re responsible for breaking...
Afew years ago, if you’d told Army veteran and former microbiologist Arron Holland that he would be studying music education at Georgia College & State University, he probably would have laughed. After 14 years in the military and an injury in Iraq—coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic—Arron was pushed out of the only field he’d known. And changed the trajectory of his life. “Coming to campus was like I was colorblind and seeing through corrective lenses for the first time,” Arron...
