Georgia Southern University geography students collaborate with city of Sylvania, Screven County entities to enhance growth and development
Students in Georgia Southern University’s Department of Geology and Geography are getting hands-on experience with Public Participation Geographic Information Systems (PPGIS) through a research project where they are helping the city of Sylvania and Screven County entities plan for future development within the county and its municipalities.
Master’s students in the Applied Geography program Kelsie Floyd and Austin Abarr, and undergraduate geography major Rebecca Neely, have been working together on a community-engaged research project in collaboration with the city of Sylvania, the city’s Downtown Development Authority, Screven County Development Authority, and the Planning and Urban Studies (PLUS) program at the University of New Orleans (UNO).
The students are working under the guidance of Georgia Southern faculty Rob Yarbrough, Ph.D., interim chair of the Department of Geology and Geography, Munshi Rahman, Ph.D., assistant professor of geography, and Amy Potter, Ph.D., associate professor of geography, in addition to UNO faculty Michelle Thompson, Ph.D., and UNO urban studies doctoral student Jennie Garcia.
The students are providing PPGIS services to these community partners with municipal leaders, local business owners and the border communities of Sylvania and Screven County. They created an app-based field survey to capture images and evaluate property conditions for potential redevelopment of historic buildings, for example.
This project and PPGIS services are an invaluable component of Sylvania’s Downtown Strategic Plan and for achieving the city and county’s overall economic development objectives. The student team presented their research during a community meeting in April.
The collaboration has reciprocal benefits, as Georgia Southern students engage in experiential learning, work closely with community partners, and apply geographic concepts and techniques they learned in the classroom to real-world scenarios.
“The research on student success demonstrates that high impact practices like capstone experiences and internships provide unparalleled real-world exposure for our graduate and undergraduate students, while one of Georgia Southern’s designated research focus areas is community engagement,” said Yarbrough. “So, when Dr. Thompson reached out to us about a potential collaboration, I knew we couldn’t let this opportunity pass us by.”
Stacy Mathis, Sylvania City Manager, stated that “Mayor Preston Dees encouraged the students to share their findings beyond the report so the greater Sylvania community learns how we support businesses and are planning for immediate and long-term economic success.”
Providing pro bono PPGIS services for the Sylvania Downtown Strategic Plan was just the starting point.
“After launching the first ever Master of Science in Applied Geography Capstone, students modeled their work plan after our NOLA-based WhoData PPGIS methodology. The data developed will be used to expand the Main Street, evaluate Qualified Opportunity Zone investment, and shine more light on what Sylvania offers in a new way,” said Thompson.