{"id":6863,"date":"2018-12-06T07:43:53","date_gmt":"2018-12-06T12:43:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/?p=6863"},"modified":"2018-12-07T10:24:18","modified_gmt":"2018-12-07T15:24:18","slug":"averitt-award-winners-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/2018\/12\/06\/averitt-award-winners-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Averitt Award Winners 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gustavo Silveira<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Merging <\/em>Tech <\/em>and Music<\/em><\/h3>\n

\"\"Gustavo Silveira (\u201818) is a renaissance man when it comes to music technology. He\u2019s the winner of the 2018 Averitt Award for Excellence in Instruction. He is part musician, composer, teacher, musical director, instrumentalist, multimedia artist, engineer and instrument maker, all wrapped into one.<\/p>\n

Silveira got involved with music at an early age while growing up in Brazil.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy father is a musician, so I started playing guitar really early,\u201d said Silveira. \u201cI think that I started because I liked being involved with him and his bands. I was playing in bands with him, but then I decided I liked playing all the instruments myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Playing all the instruments himself led to work on several projects as a composer, musical director and instrumentalist with groups such as Grupo Tholl, a Brazilian Cirque du Soleil type of musical show.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was not planning to study music formally. But then I started getting so involved with making music that I thought I should take it a step further by earning my bachelor\u2019s in music composition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Silveira got interested in music technology in college, and started making electronic music.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got to know some tools that you can use to create your own sounds. It opened a lot of doors for my creativity,\u201d said Silveira.<\/p>\n

Born in Pelotas, Brazil, Silveira received his bachelor\u2019s degree in music composition from the Universidade Federal de Pelotas. Then, he was referred to Georgia Southern as a potential graduate assistant.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was introduced to Gustavo while he was performing with his group \u2018Bit Comma,\u2019 and I was impressed by the quality of the music,\u201d said John Thompson, Ph.D., Silveira\u2019s faculty advisor and head of the music technology area at Georgia Southern.<\/p>\n

This introduction led to an assistantship for Silveira teaching studio techniques and musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) sequencing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI decided that Gustavo would be an ideal fit for the program due to his extraordinary creativity and his growing technical expertise,\u201d said Thompson.<\/p>\n

The assistantship also led to a growing mutual respect between the two.<\/p>\n

\u201cJohn is an amazing teacher. He is an amazing adviser, amazing human being,\u201d said Silveira.<\/p>\n

This year, Silveira created a MIDI controller called the XT Synth. Normally, MIDI controllers are keyboard-style instruments. The XT Synth has functionality that can only be achieved through guitar-style playing.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have all these tiny expressions that you can do with a guitar, like vibrato, string\u00a0bending, sliding, that type of thing. You can\u2019t do that on a keyboard. With this, you can make electronic music without having to learn to play the keyboard. So that\u2019s the approach I took with the XT Synth,\u201d explained Silveira.<\/p>\n

Silveira has designed many kits and online tutorials that enable students to create their own electronic instruments. His designs use an inexpensive microcontroller and his own custom-designed printed circuit boards, packaged in a low-cost, easily assembled kit.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has a desire to democratize musical tools and technology skills into the hands of students who otherwise would not be able to afford the necessary hardware,\u201d added Thompson.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I create the controller,\u201d said Silveira. \u201cI release all the files so they can just buy the parts in their local store. An instrument that might cost a thousand dollars in Brazil, you could make for a hundred dollars on your own.\u201d<\/p>\n

The topics researched in his instrument building were the same topics Silveira taught in his music technology courses at Georgia Southern.<\/p>\n

Thompson thinks that Silveira\u2019s students felt that he brought the subject to life.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudents were excited by the prospect that, with such an expert at hand who excels as a teacher, outstanding works of music technology were within their reach,\u201d said Thompson.<\/p>\n

Silveira was a finalist in the prestigious Guthman Musical Instrument Competition at Georgia Tech with the XT Synth. The instrument was also detailed in a paper submitted to the NIME (New Interfaces for Musical Expression) conference.<\/p>\n

Silveira has given numerous performances with the instrument including at the Root Signals Festival of Electronic Music. Each performance has showcased the possibilities with his instrument\u2019s combination of music and technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cGustavo has an extensive knowledge and a keen intuition about design,\u201d said Thompson. \u201cThe entire music technology program gained from what he learned and the projects he did here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Silveira can be found on the web at musiconerd.com, which translates to \u201cNerd Musician.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s not just a musical nerd though. He\u2019s truly a music technology renaissance man.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Liz Walker<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Jose Sanchez-Ruiz<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Exploring Science, Seeking Adventure<\/em><\/h3>\n

\"\"2018 Averitt Award for Research Excellence winner, Jos\u00e9 Sanchez-Ruiz, is an explorer. His biology research on aquatic-terrestrial interactions has landed him assignments all over the world. Places like his birthplace of Puerto Rico, Iceland, Chile \u2014 even his current home in Statesboro, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Changing Fields from Art to Biology<\/h4>\n

After spending four years, and nearing completion of an art degree at the University of Puerto Rico, R\u00edo Piedras, Sanchez-Ruiz decided to try something new. He took two science courses that led to research opportunities. He found he had an affinity for science and research, so he started his degree all over again. He graduated in 2016 with a degree in biology. His life has been a worldwide scientific expedition ever since.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was kind of amazing that I could go and explore places that I would never imagine existed,\u201d said Sanchez-Ruiz. \u201cI thought, so they pay me to be an explorer? To do all of this stuff? To explain the natural world? I don\u2019t know. It kind of fit with my personality, and I immediately switched my major to biology.\u201d<\/p>\n

He worked in the stream ecology lab at the University of Puerto Rico. The lab had connections that later developed into a friendship with Checo Col\u00f3n-Gaud, Ph.D., associate professor and the biology graduate program director at Georgia Southern. Col\u00f3n-Gaud later steered Sanchez-Ruiz to an assistantship that has allowed him to continue his work on a master\u2019s degree at Georgia Southern.<\/p>\n

Being a Late Bloomer Leads to Early Publishing Success<\/h4>\n

Due to his late change in major and frequent research, Sanchez-Ruiz is a bit older than his University colleagues. But he is early when it comes to having his work published in peer-reviewed journals. So far, he has been an author or co-author of six papers, and has widely presented his research.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it is his dedication that allows him to disseminate his work so proficiently,\u201d said Col\u00f3n-Gaud. \u201cJos\u00e9 has been able to keep motivated and committed to the work. He knows that this is the key to accessing opportunities for continued studies (he plans to pursue a Ph.D.) once he completes his M.S. at Georgia Southern.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sanchez-Ruiz will graduate this fall or in the spring depending on how his research progresses. He wants to get enough work done to complete more research papers. But the slight delay is fine with Sanchez-Ruiz, as he views research as an important part of his education.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me it\u2019s really important as an ecologist and biologist to understand different biomes. The work I do in Georgia is really geographically different than the work I did in Puerto Rico. And the work I did in Chile and the work I did in Iceland. So overall I think it helps me as a biologist to understand global ecosystems and the ecosystem processes. It broadens my mind in respect to biology.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because he\u2019s older, Sanchez-Ruiz considers himself a non-traditional student, and it shows in his outlook on higher education.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost people going to college don\u2019t know anything about what they want to seek in life. The reason I think I\u2019ve done well is because I took the time to figure out what I wanted. And research is not like a job to me. It\u2019s more like my life, you know? I get invested in all these experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Life of Adventure<\/h4>\n

For people who love science and love adventure, Sanchez-Ruiz recommends a biology career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been to Colombia, Costa Rica multiple times, Chile, Iceland and several places in the U.S. So for me, that is one of the greatest incentives for a career in biology. I would recommend that anybody who has a similar mindset to go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Georgia Southern biology department will be sorry to see this student leave. He\u2019s a prolific researcher and writer with drive, enthusiasm and commitment to growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very proud of Jos\u00e9,\u201d says Col\u00f3n-Gaud. \u201cI know he\u2019s worked hard to get to where he\u2019s at, and I\u2019m confident that he will continue to succeed. More importantly, Jos\u00e9 has been able to establish a foundation for future work that will contribute to the field of ecology and the conservation of natural ecosystems. He\u2019s been a solid student, a great team player and an outstanding citizen of our program. I\u2019m going to be sad to see him leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

So far, he\u2019s certainly been enjoying a very adventurous life. It appears his delayed change in major was the right choice. The Averitt Award is Georgia Southern\u2019s highest honor for graduate student research.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Liz Walker<\/em><\/p>\n

Research Highlights<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

Sanchez-Ruiz has presented his research at the international meeting of the Society for Freshwater Science and presented at the international conference for Tropical Aquatic Ecosystems in the Anthropocene (AQUATROP) in July. <\/span><\/p>\n

Throughout his time in the graduate program, Sanchez-Ruiz has successfully secured funding for his research and to travel to conferences through the Georgia Southern Graduate Student Organization and the Department of Biology. <\/span><\/p>\n

Sanchez-Ruiz has also developed proposals for external funding sources such as Sigma Xi, the National Science Foundation, and has been awarded a graduate mentoring fellowship from the Society for Freshwater Science\u2019s Instars Program, to broaden participation of underrepresented minorities in aquatic science. <\/span><\/p>\n

During the winter of 2017-18, Sanchez-Ruiz was awarded the NSF International Research Experiences for Students to participate in the development of a long-term research site at the Omora Ethnobotanical Park at Navarino Island, Chile. Sanchez-Ruiz was one of only four graduate students nationally selected to participate in this prestigious opportunity and he has quickly turned this into a potential long-term collaboration with researchers at the site, as well as from other universities in Chile and the United States.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gustavo Silveira (\u201818) is a renaissance man when it comes to music technology. He\u2019s the winner of the 2018 Averitt Award for Excellence in Instruction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":6867,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[58],"class_list":["post-6863","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-fall-2018"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6863","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6863"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6863\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}