Dr. Dennis Parmley’s close encounter with a shark didn’t happen at a crowded beach or the ocean—but in a kaolin mine in Wilkinson County. He was never in danger. It’d been dead 35 million years. But the shark—or rather some fossils of its teeth—recently earned Parmley the rare honor of having a prehistoric and previously unknown species named after him. The news has been celebrated on science websites, TV news and even in Newsweek—giving Parmley and Georgia College the kind of acclaim...
Name: Juawn Jackson '16 Age: 27 Major at GC: Political Science, certification in Leadership Why did you choose Georgia College? I was looking for a college that was not too far from home (Macon) that had a great political science program. To my amazement, I found that plus more! I am grateful for my time spent at Georgia College. Did you have a favorite professor or class? Oh, wow! My academic journey at Georgia College was greatly impacted by Dr. Janet Clark (public speaking), Dr...
Some students come to college with a strict plan. They know exactly what they want to major in and what organizations and activities they want to get involved with. Others have so many things they’re interested in that they have to spend time narrowing down their options. They’re open-minded and willing to take advantage of opportunities that come their way. That’s Emma Parry. “I came to Georgia College with lots of questions about how I want to spend my life, and I didn't necessarily...
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Brantley Nicholson’s 2020 summer study abroad students explored Chile virtually this year. Although they didn’t visit the country in person, participants immersed themselves in a thorough study of the Chilean culture and garnered significant insight from the experience. The impact of the program was so strong that two students of this year’s online Chile study abroad program have already decided to register for the 2021 Chile study abroad offering. ...
It was along the banks of the mighty Volga River—a waterway that flows through much of Russia to the Caspian Sea—where Dr. Andrei Barkovskii learned to swim as a toddler. His father, “with an attentive eye,” simply dropped his son off the boat to see if he would tread water. Since then, Barkovskii and water have been in a love affair that has followed him from his childhood, growing up in the southwestern city of Saratov, Russia, to the red-clay shores of Lake Sinclair and science...
The old adage, bigger is always better, isn't true for incoming first-year student Erin Hilburn. The self-published author knew what she was looking for when she applied for colleges. "Georgia College won my heart with its endearing personality and intimate setting. I was excited to live and learn in a tightly-knit community with small, intellectual classes instead of cavernous lecture halls and a sweet, compact campus instead of a sprawling mass of impassive buildings." Georgia College's...
Dr. Stephanie Opperman is working on a cookbook that envelops her love of history and its connection with food—while easing the pangs of isolation during COVID-19. Called “Comfort Food,” the book is filled with 140 foods and beverages from Opperman’s family and friends. Recipes come from the halls of campus and streets of Milledgeville, as well as multiple states and one international site. The only criteria given was submitters had to have cooked the food before and liked it. “I...
As students were staying home and juggling last-minute coursework online last spring, senior music education major William Refuss of Fayetteville, Georgia, went a little further. He signed up to help test others for COVID-19. Refuss joined Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE), a nonprofit providing free coronavirus testing in the greater Atlanta area. Donned in full PPE—personal protection equipment—he helped test thousands of people in Alpharetta—which has the highest volume...
To see her now leading campus tours and serving as a leadership facilitator, you’d never guess rising junior Maya Whipple had a shy bone in her body. With her bubbly personality and creative nature, she thrives working with others. “Coming to college, I really wanted to explore a different side of myself. I wanted to become more outgoing, adventurous and open to trying new things,” said Whipple. “So I just decided to get involved with a lot of things that could help me grow.” She...
