College News – Spring 2015
Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health
Alumnus Named CEO
Trevor Castaneda (‘07, ‘11) has become the first graduate of the Master of Healthcare (MHA) program to be named a Chief Executive Officer of a hospital. He was recently named CEO of Tennova Newport Medical Center in Newport, Tennessee. MHA Program Director Dr. James Stephens said, “The students and faculty of the MHA Program are very excited and proud that Trevor Castaneda is our first MHA graduate to be appointed Chief Executive Officer of a hospital. This is a major professional accomplishment for him and a positive image of our MHA Program.”
College of Engineering and Information Technology
Winning Motorsports Competition
At the regional competition in Auburn, Alabama, the Eagle MotorSports’ Baja SAE team placed first in maneuverability, second in endurance, and fifth place overall out of 100 teams. Baja SAE is an intercollegiate competition, sanctioned by the Society of Engineers. Each year the Georgia Southern team designs and builds its own Baja or off-road vehicle using a Briggs & Stratton lawn mower engine for power. Eagle MotorSports teams have done increasingly well in the past few years, and the faculty and staff of the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Information Technology are proud of their efforts.
College of Education
Young Artists Showcased at Education Event
The 2015 annual K-12 art exhibit at the College of Education attracted numerous K-12 students, families and teachers, as well as State Sen. Jack Hill of Reidsville, Georgia, who found time during the busy legislative session to travel to Statesboro to surprise them. A strong supporter of the arts in schools, Hill said, “I believe art and music have such a positive effect on students not just in developing talent, but in the rest of their lives.” Featured artists in the show were selected by a certified art teacher. Their art was framed and now hangs on the second floor of the COE classroom building where it will remain for a year.
College of Health and Human Sciences
Professor Recognized by SHAPE America
Professor of Physical Activity Bridget Melton, Ed.D., has been named Outstanding Mentor of the Year by the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) of America. She was selected because of her efforts to mentor students pursuing a degree in physical education, sport, kinesiology or exercise science. SHAPE America presents this award annually in recognition of one higher education faculty member nationwide who serves as a mentor to students pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees in the aforementioned areas of study.
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Winning Mock Mediation Club
A team from the Mock Mediation Club, sponsored by the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, was one of four undergraduate mediation teams to participate at the International Law School Mediation Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa, in March. Georgia Southern was the only undergraduate institution to break into the semifinals for both mediation and advocacy and ended the competition as the first-place advocacy team.
College of Science and Mathematics
Faculty and Student Honors
The University Science Teacher of the Year for the state of Georgia is Georgia Southern Biology Professor Laura Regassa, Ph.D. The Georgia Science Teachers Association award recognizes excellence in science teaching.
Two Georgia Southern teams participated in the 2015 Southeastern Section of the Mathematical Association of America Math Jeopardy! competition hosted by the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Both teams made it into the second preliminary round and Team B scored enough points to win the wild card, sending them to Final Jeopardy. Team B placed third out of 26 schools.
College of Business Administration
Fraud and Forensic Accounting Seminar
The School of Accountancy at Georgia Southern University is gearing up to host a one-week seminar in August for individuals wishing to explore Fraud Examination and Forensic Accounting. The event is open to educators and anyone interested in pursuing a Master of Accounting with a concentration in Forensic Accounting, and to accountants, attorneys and law enforcement professionals seeking continuing professional education (CPE) credit.