arts and sciences newsletter fall 2013

NEWSLETTERCOLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

College of Arts and Sciences Co-hosts International Conference in Morocco

FALL 2013

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ARTS AND SCIENCES NEWSLETTER 2 GEORGIA COLLEGE

Learning Beyond Borders:Broadening minds,expanding perspectivesand educating students in the true liberal arts tradition.

Editorial Note: The common threadrunning through the articles in thisedition of the Newsletter is what ourfaculty and students are doing tobridge boundaries. “BORDERS” referto physical and disciplinary barriers aswell as bridging the gap betweentraditional modes of delivery and on-line delivery methods to enhancestudent access and learning.

ARTS AND SCIENCES NEWSLETTER FALL 2013

DEANKENNETH J. PROCTER

NEWSLETTER EDITOROLUFUNKE A. FONTENOT

Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

PHOTO CREDITSTIM VACULA

OLUFUNKE A. FONTENOTJERRY HERBEL

STEPHANIE MCCLURESAMUEL MUTITI

DR. ELAINE WHITAKERJANET STORRNICOLE MOYOSUNITA MANIAN

Dean’s Messagee theme of the newsletter, “Learning Beyond Borders,”could be a theme for the state of the college, and indeed forhigher education. How do we reach beyond current bordersto arrive at a glorious new country? How do we do thingsdifferently, and not just differently, but better? How do wecreate new and better ways of teaching and learning? Andafter exploring the new country, how do we strengthen theties, put down roots, and build the relationships thattransform us from tourists to permanent residents?

e College of Arts and Sciences is part of a transformationsweeping across higher education. Talented faculty areleading the way. Working with students in classrooms andresearch labs, in rehearsal halls and studios, in the collegemuseums and galleries and in the initiatives we call programsof distinction, faculty have made the college into awonderfully exciting world. With a goal of less insular andmore engaged ways of teaching and learning, faculty arelinking hands with other disciplines. Summer is primetimefor travel, internships and study abroad. Faculty are guidingour students to reach beyond the borders of their ownexperience, to grow into their own bright futures.

To all the faculty returning refreshed from summer, and toall the faculty and staff joining the college anew, thank youfor your leadership! Welcome home!

DEAN KENNETH PROCTER

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CONTENTS|4

A&S Co-Hosts International Conference

10Study Abroadin Africa

15Learning Beyondthe Classroom|

INSIDE

Excitement for StudentsStudy AbroadTeach for AmericaBREEF SeaCampRare Fossilized BirdPeruStudent Honors and AwardsMentorship ProgramMPA Core CurriculumPhilosophy and Liberal StudiesPhysics and AstronomyNew Faculty


By OLuFunke A. FOnTenOT

e University System of Georgia African Council and theMiddle east Council organized a faculty seminar to Morocco inthe summer of 2012. e seminar was co-directed by Dr. SunitaManian (Coordinator of the Philosophy and Liberal StudiesProgram) and Professor Olufunke A. Fontenot (Associate Dean,College of Arts and Sciences) with help from Dr. Larbi Oukada(Chair of the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures).e seminar included a day-long academic program at Hassan IIuniversity-Mohammadia-Casablanca. is began a discussion onopportunities for partnership/collaboration between their Facultyof Letters and Humanities of Arts and the GC College of Arts andSciences. In October 2012, a delegation from that university led bythe Dean Abdelmajid kaddouri visited Georgia College. We agreedon several areas of collaboration including faculty and studentexchanges, and began plans to organize an annual internationalconference to be hosted jointly by both institutions. eachinstitution would take turns hosting the conference. e firstconference themed "Land, Culture, and People: e Atlantic andMediterranean Spaces” was held in Marrakech from June 18-20,2013. e conference sought to explore, through a wide range ofinterdisciplinary approaches and perspectives the variousconnections and exchanges between europe, Africa and theAmericas that shaped the Atlantic and the Mediterranean spaces ascomplex cultural entities. Seven faculty members from the Collegeof Arts and Science presented at the conference- Rebecca Carte,Warner Belanger, Olufunke Fontenot, Mark Huddle, SunitaManian, Larbi Oukada and Jim Winchester.

Prior to the conference, Dean Procter, Associate DeanOlufunke Fontenot, and Dr. Larbi Oukada, Chair ModernLanguages and Cultures Department paid an official visit toHassan II to further discuss opportunities for collaboration. DeanProcter also shared a presentation on his art with Hassan IIstudents and faculty, which was well received.

e theme for next year’s conference is slavery, and the Collegeof Arts and Sciences will be the host. �

College of Arts and Sciences co-hosts

Dean Ken Procter, Dean Kaddouri, LarbiOukada, and faculty members from

Hassan II University on a visit to Rabat

Larbi playing cymbals and jamming with aGnawa musician in the streets of Morocco.

I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O N F E R E N C E I N

oroccoM


Multi-disciplinary Collaborations Yield

Excitement for StudentsBy DR. kARen BeRMAn

e College of Arts & Sciences (CoAS) atGeorgia College prides itself on providing the trueliberal arts experience for our students through multi-disciplinary collaborative events. Such events gathernumerous perspectives from experts in different fieldsin order to provide a more holistic education tocultivate knowledgeable citizens. Sophomore katieCain said that “I gained so many insights about theObama-Romney campaigns from events thatcombined eatre with political science.” katie wasspeaking of her role in the play “e Birds” adaptedby Dr. karen Berman and alumni Steve Holbertwhose election-year theme was featured in a talkcontextualizing the play by Drs. Jason Rich andBrandy kennedy from the Department ofGovernment and Sociology.

Highlights of such collaborations this past yearthat have benefitted our students include the speechby nBC television award-winning executive DeanMcFlicker who is the man behind popular shows suchas “e Voice,” “entertainment Tonight” and“America’s Got Talent.” Sponsored by the Dean’sOffice, Mass Communications, eatre, and theDepartment of english and Rhetoric. Mr. McFlickerrevealed “Secrets to Career Success” by discussingpersonal branding and how the current top executiveat nBC rose from a custodial intern to his currentposition.

e Creative Writing Program within theDepartment of english and Rhetoric and the eatreDepartment have shared numerous events to enliventhe campus. “e 24 Hour Plays” features M.F.A.playwrights creating 10-minute plays overnightdirected and acted by undergraduate eatre majors.In fact, one of the playwrights Angela Hall is only oneof many students whose short play has beenpublished. Angela’s satire “Wife Shop” was publishedin e Best American Short Plays 2011-12 by Applause,a leading publisher of theatre and cinema books.Creative Writing and eatre collaborated again onthe Arts & Letters Prize play Afterwards by winning

playwright James Armstrong. Armstrong said of hisplay about a failed candidate for u.S. Senate that “theplay is really about how all of us deal withdisappointment.”

e Departments of Art and eatre joined forceswith the Israeli embassy to present the Holocaustexhibit “Visas for Life” this summer to acknowledgediplomats all over the world who helped to save over200,000 Jews during WWII. is exhibit honored thememory of Jacob Goldstein, husband of GeorgiaCollege Board of Trustees member Maxine Goldstein,who won a bronze medal in WWII.

Art and eatre joined with the MusicDepartment, International education Center, andModern Languages and Cultures to present “LosValientes” in honor of national Hispanic HeritageMonth. e production celebrated 3 Latino heroesthrough music, movement, and theatre.

e Department of Modern Languages andCultures and Department of eatre and the DanceMinor presented “Soy Andina.” is documentary is“about Peruvian dance and identity, in which twowomen with Peruvian roots living in new York travelto Peru to ‘unearth the mysteries of the dances,’” saidDr. Rebecca Carte, assistant professor of Spanish. efilmmaker Mitch Teplitsky and dancer CynthiaPaniagua presented an exciting dance workshop andtalkback after the film.

e eatre Department and pediatric nursingstudents in Health Sciences under the mentorship ofDr. karen Berman and Dr. Sallie Coke partnered withearly College and Principal Dr. Runee Sallad to createsocial justice plays on issues impacting teens includingbullying, teen pregnancy, and substance abuse. eatrestudent Jon Dahlhauser marveled at the work bysaying, “Working together with nursing students andearly College was amazing. We all learned so muchfrom one another.” is is the type of reaction ourstudents have to the multi-layered experiencesprovided by CoAS interdisciplinary collaborations. �

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SuMMER 2013

GOvERNMENT AND SOCIOlOGy STuDENTS

Study Abroad|


Students in the Department of Government and Sociology have numerous opportunities to learnbeyond the classroom and study abroad is one of many options. Dr. Jerry Herbel, AssociateProfessor, Political Science and Public Administration and Dr. Hank Edmondson, Professor, PoliticalScience and Public Administration led students to Ireland, Spain and England.

Thirteen students accompanied the professors as they explored the administrative, political andcultural factors which are having a bearing on European governance and European society in general.They visited cultural and political centers of England, Ireland and Spain, to gain a greaterunderstanding of the dynamics of policy making and the future of Europe. The experience helpedstudents understand the impact of cultural transformation on the society in general, and on policydevelopment in particular. Students who participated in this program received academic credit inPOlS 4509, European Government and Culture: united Kingdom, Ireland and Spain.


In addition, Department of Government andSociology students participated in programssponsored by the European Council whichoperates under the guidance of the SystemCouncil for International Education of theuniversity System of Georgia.

Dr. Stephanie McClure, Associate Professor ofSociology traveled with students to Italy. Theprogram was based in Montepulciano, a hill townin the heart of Tuscan wine country, home to thefamous vino Nobile. Program participants had theopportunity to take course-based field trips toSiena, Rome, Pisa, Assisi, Florence, and thevatican, and for weekend travel to many additional

places, including Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast,venice, and the Cinque Terre.

Dr. McClure’s sociology courses (Introduction toSociology and Social Theory) offered students anopportunity to view several of the monuments ofItalian fascism and learned about the legacy ofAntonio Gramsci in post-WWII Italy. They alsotoured various locations in Perugia and visited thePodere Il Casale farm outside of Pienza, wherethey learned about the agriturismo industry, theart of cheese making (particularly the pecorinocheese for which the region of Pienza is justlyfamous), and got a lesson in bread making fromthe staff of Il Casale. �

SuMMER 2013

GOvERNMENT AND SOCIOlOGy STuDENTS

Study Abroad|


In June 2013, Drs. Samuel andChristine Mutiti(Department ofBiology and Environmental Sciences)organized and led a research studyabroad program to Zambia. Theprogram was a partnership amongthree universities-Georgia College (GC),Miami university (Mu) Ohio, and the university ofZambia (uNZA).

One of the main events was a five-day workshoporganized by the faculty and held at uNZA Schoolof Mines in lusaka, Zambia. It was attended bystudents, faculty, and staff from uNZA, as well asofficials from the Department of Water Affairs,Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA)and lusaka water and Sewerage Company. Dr. SamMutiti gave a talk on “old” and emerging watercontaminants at the workshop, and also helped trainstudents on water and air testing. The workshop wasalso an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students tolearn new techniques in environmentalhydrogeology, specifically, dye tracing. Studentsand faculty from the three universities alsocollaborated on research projects focusing onenvironmental impacts of mining and waterresources. They collected and analyzed soil andplant samples for lead contamination in Kabwe (oneof the most negatively impacted towns in the world).Students and staff from uNZA trained the GC teamon heavy metal (lead) testing using the new atomicabsorption spectroscopy equipment at theuniversity of Zambia. The group also visited watertreatment plants in lusaka (both small scale and

city-size operations), a copper mine inKitwe, the victoria Falls in livingstone,the active Great East African Rift (Kenya)and the Indian ocean (Mombasa),

among many other sites.

The highlight of the trip was learning how acommunity water project (not for profit) is supplyingclean water to an unplanned settlement (Kanyamashanty compound in lusaka). All tests carried out bythe group showed the water to meet drinking waterstandards. Even though this project only serviceshalf of the residents in this settlement, it wasrefreshing to see residents of a shanty compoundgetting clean water at an affordable price. This waterproject and distribution model should beimplemented in other settlements that do not haveclean water supply. It was great for Georgia Collegeto establish research projects with students andfaculty at a university in Zambia. The projectsinitiated during this trip are being continued by twoGC students and two uNZA graduate students. Thistrip has opened up new collaborations and researchopportunities for Georgia College students andfaculty.

Dr. S Mutiti and Dr. C Mutiti would like toacknowledge the Weir Grant, Faculty DevelopmentFunds, Dr. Alice Mweetwa and Professor ImasikuNyambe of uNZA, Dr. Jonathan levy of Miamiuniversity, Mr. Joe Meiman of the uS National Parks(Kentucky) and the department of Biological andEnvironmental Sciences (GC) for the funding andequipment that made this trip possible. �

|STUDYABROAD

by SAMuEl MuTITI


Lusaka – Zambia: Zoology day at Kalimba reptile farm with Dr. SamMutiti and Dr. Christine Mutiti, department of Biological andEnvironmental Sciences.

The group made a scheduledstop in the UK – Stonehenge

Boiling Pot – Victoria Falls Zambia

Water testing in Kanyama Shanty Compound with Dr. Sam Mutitiand students

GC Students and faculty. Nairobi – Kenya: Carnivore Restaurant


e n G L I S H G R A D u A T e S

Make Positive Impact AT HOMe AnD ABROAD by DR. eLAIne WHITAkeR

|Class of 2013 graduates Stephen Hundley, Lexikraft, and natalie Sharp are on their way into theclassroom with Teach for America. eir classmateHannah Malte has secured a position in South korea,where she will teach english.

Malte, who completed an eSL practicum at a localelementary school as her capstone experience, willteach for ePIk, the acronym for english Program inkorea. She has been mentored by Drs. CraigCallender and Megan Melançon. According toMelançon, Malte is a “wonderful, personable,intelligent, highly motivated young lady. eapplication process was long and arduous, but shepersevered and won through in the end. She will be a

positive representative for her university, hercommunity, her family and her country as she travelsand teaches in this area of the world.”

Hundley and kraft have just completed their terms aspresident and secretary of GC’s chapter of thenational leadership fraternity ODk. Sharp, who isgraduating a year ahead of her class, edited eCorinthian, GC’s student research journal. Alsostateside is Jessica Burgett, an Outdoor educationminor who began her position in camping with theGirl Scouts of America in June. All will immediatelyuse the B.A. in english to make a positive impact onour country and our world. �


For one week every July the children of San Salvador leave theirhomes and catch a ride to go to classes. However, instead of pullinginto the school yard, they enter the campus of the Gerace ResearchCenter for SeaCamp. e 2013 Sea Camp is a program directed bythe Bahamian Reef environmental education Foundation (BReeF),with support from the Gerace Research Center, e San SalvadorIsland Living Jewels Foundation and Georgia College. During theweek students learn about the endangered iguanas and seabirds thatlive in the cays, snorkel and marvel at the array of marine life in reefs,and pledge to protect the conch, crawfish (lobster) and grouper thatare part of the “living jewels of the land, sky and sea”.

e 2013 BReeF SeaCamp featured a unique inter-departmentalcollaboration involving Georgia College’s departments of eatre andBiological & environmental Sciences. Professors Beate Czogalla(eater) and Melanie DeVore (Biological & environmentalSciences) spearheaded the theatrical adaptation of the children’s book“Misadventures of Maria the Hutia”, written for the children of theBahamas by Ron Shaklee. Over the course of their week at camp thelocal students aged 8 through 14 were involved in intensive rehearsalswhere they learned songs from various world cultures to accompanytheir scenic portrayal of Bahamian animals, along with dances and arhythm section, featuring percussion instruments made from trashfound during a beach clean-up activity. A public performance of thismusical extravaganza was an opportunity to share the experience withthe residents of San Salvador.

For the past 14 years, Georgia College has offered study abroadclasses in San Salvador, with students taking courses in biology,environmental science, and geology. Along with formal classes,students have also completed engaged learning experiences includingcommunity service and publishable undergraduate research projects.e Island experience leaves a lasting impression on our students.One such student, Chris karafotias (2012), volunteered to be afacilitator for the 2013 SeaCamp, and gladly donated a week of hisvacation time and paid his way to participate with GC ProfessorsBeate Czogalla, Melanie DeVore, and Sandra Voegeli (co-instructorfrom Hasting Research Center, CA). �

BReeF: The Misadvнtures of Maria

Hutiaby MeLAnIe DeVORe and BeATe CzOGALLA

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Dr. Bob Chandler, biology professor at GeorgiaCollege, has worked for more than 30 years researchingmodern and fossil bird species.

Recently his expertise was used to help identify a newfossil found by a 10-year-old girl in Colorado.

“A group of park rangers from Florissant Fossil Bedsnational Monument near Colorado Springs broughtpieces of shale and rock to the class for a project. Oneyoung student, Gabby Linden, discovered a fossilizedbird,” said Chandler.

Florissant is known for its rich and diverse fossildeposits. e landscape there has revealed the ancientstory of redwood forests, volcanic eruptions and climatechange.

“I received a call from Herb Meyer with the nationalParks Service, who is a longtime colleague of mine. Hewanted me to help identify a new bird found,” he said.

Chandler was sent a photo of the fossil and noticedseveral identifying features.

"From the shape of the head and the feet with short toesI determined that it was a potoo from the same family

as whip-poor-wills and nighthawks,” said Chandler.“Since the fossil dated back about 34 to 35 millionyears, it is a very significant find.”

is fossil is the first potoo found in north Americanfrom the eocene time period.

“It’s rare to find a complete fossil and even rarer to findone with feather impressions like this,” said Chandler.“is finding now proves the birds in this family wereliving in north America during that time period.”

Chandler is planning to take a trip to Florissant this fallto further examine the fossil.

“We will take x-rays to find out what other skeletalelements might be buried and take measurements forpublication of the finding,” said Chandler. “

Dr. Chandler received his Bachelor of Science degreefrom Southern Illinois university. He received hismaster’s degree in zoology from San Diego Stateuniversity. He received his Ph. D. in systematics andecology from e university of kansas.

For more information on Florissant Fossil Bedsnational Monument, visit nps.gov/flfo. �

PROFeSSOR HeLPS IDenTIFY

rare fossilized bird|

is story first appeared on the GC website. Written by Brittiny Barber from GC Communications.


|Every year, the University System Africa Council organizes a Southeast Model Africanunion Conference(SeMAu), a simulation of the annual meeting of Head of States ofthe African union(Au). Georgia College students have participated in this regionalmodel since its inception 15 years ago. Dr. eustace Palmer(Department of english andRhetoric) served as coach and faculty advisor and was joined in 2002 by Dr. Charlesubah (Department of Government and Sociology) and Professor Olufunke Fontenot(Arts and Sciences’ Associate Dean). e Model Au invites participation from studentsacross campus.

Georgia College students had the opportunity to participate in the national Model forthe first time last year, and did so again this year. Like its regional counterpart (but ona much bigger and competitive scale), the national Model exposed our students tocompetition from universities across the country, role playing as ambassadorsrepresenting all 54 African countries and the African union. Student delegates areexpected to be in character of the country they represent. In preparing for thesimulation, students, under the guidance of faculty advisors begin intensive readingabout the history, culture, economy, and politics of the assigned country. Additionally,they learn rules of debate and diplomatic protocols. As part of this simulation, studentsvisit the embassy of the African country represented for briefing by that country'sambassador in the uS.

kate St Ives(MFA student), nicole Moyo (International Business), and Casey McCovey(Political Science) were delegates to the 2013 national Model in Washington, DC.Below, the three students talk about their experiences and the educational benefits ofthis type of experiential learning that is central to our mission.

LearningBeyond the Classroom

Students Participate in the national Model ofthe African union: ree Students Talk Abouteir experiences as Delegates to the TenthAnnual national Model African union inWashington, DC

Contributors: OLuFunke A. FOnTenOT, kATe ST. IVeS, nICOLe MOYO, and CASeY MCCOVeY.


From February 21 – 24, I participated in thenational Model African union at Howarduniversity in Washington D.C. Participating in thenational Model was a very rewarding experience.roughout the entire process I learned a great dealabout multiple issues and particularly about issuesin Cape Verde, the country that Georgia Collegerepresented at the Model. I was able to formthoughtful responses to those issues I was learningabout, and moreover, taking on a Cape Verdeanperspective.

e Model happens yearly and simulates the actualworkings of the African union. Students serve asdelegates on one of five committees-executiveCouncil, Peace and Security Committee, TechnicalCommittee on economic Matters, TechnicalCommittee of Social Matters, Committee onDemocracy, Governance and Human Rights. underthe umbrella of each committee certain topics arebrought up for discussion and debate and thenvoted upon. I served on the Peace and SecurityCommittee, and the topic I presented on was the

African Standby Force—a controversial one Ilearned! each student's job in preparation for theModel is to research the issues on the committee’sagenda, and to prepare a detailed resolution forpresentation and debate at the committeemeetings—never forgetting to approach the issuefrom the perspective of the country represented. Ifyou participate in the Model be prepared to honeyour debate skills. You will be called upon to thinkquickly and to have the information to substantiateyour views. However, participation in the Model istruly an exercise in diplomacy as well. ere is avery specific protocol for communication duringcommittee meetings, and following this protocolforces participants to truly listen to one another andfind ways to discuss conflicts in a constructive way.

e Model was rewarding for me because I learnednew things and made connections with interestingpeople from all over the united States and theworld. I had great conversations with manystudents, professors, and even politicians—meetingat the embassy with the real Cape VerdeanAmbassador to the united States was one of thehighlights of my experience.

Who can participate in the national Model Africanunion? At Georgia College, any student can,

LEARN ING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

GC delegates attending a reception at the Embassy of CapeVerde. (Left to right: Casey McCovey, Nicole Moyo, HerExcellency Maria de Fatima Lima de Veiga, Ambassador of CapeVerde to the United States., Kate Saint Ives, and Fontenot)

Ambassador Veiga hosts the GC delegates to dinner at her home.

Kate St. Ivesfirst year graduate student in the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Georgia College.


whether undergraduate or graduate. It is not restrictedto political science or history majors. I come from abackground in writing and literature, and I must saythat what I learned during participation in the Modelhas enriched my experiences in these areas, as well asdrawn me into new areas of interest. e onlyprerequisite for participation is a desire to learn and aninterest in the world and people, and once involved inthe Model you will most likely begin to see connectionsbetween diverse topics that were never visible to youbefore. �

As an international student from Zimbabwe, I havealways been passionate about issues affecting Africa.Participating in the Model African union made merealize how much I overestimated my knowledgeregarding African affairs. Coming from the southernpart of Africa, my knowledge of countries in WestAfrica was limited. e research process in preparationfor the simulation enabled me to broaden myknowledge regarding Cape Verde and the nearby WestAfrican countries. I was a delegate in the TechnicalCommittee on economic Matters. My participation inthis committee enabled me to use the knowledge I havegathered from my Business Management major courses.My resolution was centered on Sustainable energyDevelopment in Africa; a critical issue considering therapid growth in industries in African countries and theencroaching climate change. At the conference inWashington DC, I got the opportunity to consolidatemy resolution with other delegates to formulate aresolution which passed in the technical committeewith a unanimous vote. e simulation process enabledme to experience the frustrations and the joys associatedwith negotiating foreign affairs that are faced bydiplomats. I got the opportunity to practice my publicspeaking skills during the debate sessions. Myteamwork skills were also improved during thecaucusing sessions before the debates. We also got tointeract with many college students across the countryincluding some from Canada. e highlight of theconference was the chance to interact with the CapeVerdean Ambassador to the uSA. She is one of themost inspiring women I have encountered in my life.She gave us a detailed presentation about the history

Nicole Moyo

CaseyMcCoveyOf all the events that I have taken part in throughout my collegeyears, the Model African union competitions, nationals inparticular, have been the highlight. Truth be told, diplomacy andpolitics have never been a personal interest of mine. I love to argueand debate in nearly every other setting, but politics haven’t been apart of my life until this year. I was surprised then how much Ienjoyed these conferences. While away I came into contact withknowledge, cultures, and peoples that were foreign to me in everyway. I felt as though my world swelled like a balloon every day as Ilearned how to navigate some of the most crucial issues of ourtime. I had never considered the possibility that events in theAfrican continent could be relevant to my lifestyle, or could affectme in any way; clearly I was wrong. rough these twoconferences I have replaced apathy with passion and disinterestwith fascination. I have tried foods I might never have tasted;heard languages I didn’t know existed, and visited cities I mightotherwise have missed. ese conferences changed the way I lookat life and the way I look at myself. I know now that I am not justa citizen of the u.S., but I am a citizen of the world, and thus theAfrican people are my brothers and sisters. I now see that I cancontribute; I have the power to help make a change. I hope I willnever forget the opportunities and experiences I had, or theextraordinary people I met in these conferences. I now consider allof them distant family, and some of them personal friends.rough the course of this program I was honored to meet theambassadors of both Cape Verde and South Africa, as well as otheresteemed political leaders. e Cape Verdean ambassador spent themost significant time with my group and me, sharing with us theculture and the knowledge of her people. She graciously sharedwith us her time, her knowledge, and her heart. I am deeplythankful for the opportunity I had to meet her. Of all the things Ilearned through my Model Au experiences, the take-homemessage was this: diplomacy is not something that happens onCapitol Hill and in some abstract place I’ve never heard of.International progress isn’t confined to the influential and thewealthy. Change has to start small. Change starts with me-- with us. �

and current issues affecting Cape Verde. We got the opportunity totaste delicious Cape Verdean cuisine at her home. We also got thechance to be interviewed by a local television channel inWashington DC. e experience made me realize that it is never tooearly for one to start thinking of ways to make a difference in otherpeople’s lives. e youths are not just leaders of tomorrow, butleaders of today too. �


MATHEMATICS AND ADVENTURE IN

Peru

Ryan BrownGeorgia College Mathematics Department

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For many, mathematics meansnumbers, equations, and formulas, andis rarely associated with adventure—more urkel than Indiana Jones—butnine students recently discovered thatto understand the mathematics of theInca and other pre-Columbiancultures, it is insufficient to scribblemarks on a chalkboard or to look atpictures on a website. We have to go to

the artifacts and examine them for ourselves, but totravel to the sites to conduct our investigationsmeans that we embark on an adventure. So it waswith the 2013 study abroad program new WorldMathematics. Five sophomore students in theGC2Y 2000 course new World Mathematics andfour senior mathematics majors conductingcapstone research in mathematics sought newknowledge and excitement in Peru.

Peru is a beautiful country on the western coast ofSouth America with a rich cultural and intellectualhistory.

Prior to the arrival ofPizarro in the sixteenthcentury, the Inca hadestablished the largestempire in the new world. Itstretched from the PacificOcean well into the Andes,from ecuador to Chile, andits cities and villages werelinked by over 20,000 milesof the Inca road. oughthe Inca were the most well-developed pre-Columbian

culture in South America, several othersophisticated societies rose and fell in the periodspreceding the Inca. As the Inca expanded from theircapital of Cusco, they incorporated technologicaland cultural conceptions of earlier societies andoften improved upon them. One of the goals of thestudy abroad program was to understand howmathematical ideas evolved across cultural periodsuntil they reached their height with the Inca. Inparticular, we were interested in geometry, numbertheory, engineering, and astronomy. Our

investigations took us through many museums andsites in Lima, followed by treks in and aroundCusco, through Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valleyof the Incas, and finally to Machu Picchu, where wehoped to see the sunrise on the day of the wintersolstice.

We had arranged all of our travel well in advance ofour departure. Our flight from Atlanta to Lima waspleasant. Flying to Cusco was quick and easy, andsince Cusco is an easily walkable city, we were ableto do everything with very little trouble. By thistime, June 19, the excitement\ had built to atremendous level. We had seen amazing textiles andceramics, and the ruins at archeological sites wereastounding. Indeed, the mathematical acumen wassomething to behold. e real draw, however, waswinter solstice sunrise at Machu Picchu, one of themost breathtaking sites in the world. nothing canprepare a person for dawn at this incredible spot,and our collective anticipation was palpable. Allthat remained was to take a short train ride fromOllantaytambo to Aguas Calientes on the afternoonof the next day, June 20. We would grab somedinner and then off to bed for an early rise to get inthe queue for the bus to take us up the mountain tothe site on June 21.

early on the morning of June 20, we received wordthat there had been a landslide and that the tracksbetween Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes wereimpassable. Our train to Machu Picchu wascancelled. If everything went well, we were told,there may be a train the following afternoon. Wewould miss the sunrise, but we might still be able tovisit the site and see some interesting things anyway.e students were crestfallen. ere was still one lasthope that we could make it. ere are no roads toAguas Calientes, save the Inca road, but there is aroad to a hydroelectric plant on the opposite side ofMachu Picchu. From there it is a 7 km walk alongthe railroad tracks to Aguas Calientes. e studentswere determined to do anything to reach the site. Asany math major knows, the most importantattribute of a successful mathematician isperseverance, the quality of persisting despitehitting an obstacle, and the students knew how to


overcome the frustration and disillusionment thatcome from the failure to solve a problem. A shorttime later we had procured a van and driver whodrove us three hours on narrow roads up into theAndes. Fortunately, we had plenty of antinauseamedicine. We turned off of the main paved road andonto a rutted gravel and dirt road where we wouldspend the next two hours perilously close to theedge of a cliff. Rounding blind curves our driverwould honk his horn to alert potential motoriststraveling in the opposite direction. is precautionprovided little comfort. Finally we arrived at thehydroelectric station on the urubamba river, theriver that surrounds Machu Picchu on three sides.We arrived just in time to watch the sun set over themountain on the other side of the river. e rest ofour journey, the walk to Aguas Calientes along therailroad tracks through the jungle, would be atnight. A few hours later we arrived in AguasCalientes. We found some food and checked intoour hostel. exhausted and sore, we were happy to

rest before the sunrise the next morning. We did getto the site in plenty of time to find good spots towatch the sun come over the mountain on theopposite side of the valley. We spread across the siteto watch the sun hit various markers designed tocast special shadows this one morning of the year, amagnificent astronomical event. e rest of the daywas spent examining the site itself. e engineeringis marvelous.

Our adventures in the tropical highlands of Peruwere very different from the experiences of moststudents in a mathematics classroom, but the samequalities of mind and personality traits that makesuccessful mathematicians were on display in mystudents. Intellectual curiosity, nimbleness of mind,creative problem solving, and determination madethe new World Mathematics program successful.ese are exactly the characteristics we seek todevelop in our courses, and our studentsdemonstrated them in abundance. �


Several College of Arts and Sciences studentshave distinguished themselves through avariety of interesting and significantachievements. Among these are:

• Savannah Moore (double major in Math and Physics) wasawarded a Gilman Scholarship to study at the university ofHyderabad, India for Ay 2012-2013.

• Hilary Rogers, a recent graduate who earned a B.S. in Mathwith a Teaching Concentration as well as an MAT from theCollege of Education, is teaching at lithia Springs HighSchool in Douglas County.

• Sally Gilbreth completed Honors Options in MAED 3121(Teaching Secondary Math) and MATH 2600 (Probability andStatistics).

• Rachel Waldron co-authored, along with several of ourfaculty, a paper which was presented at the 40th AnnualMeeting of the Research Council on Mathematics held inTulsa, OK in February, 2013. Ms. Waldron was awarded aStudent Travel Grant from the Center for Engaged learningto support this effort.

• Eric Cardoso gave a presentation at the Fifth Biennial Merceruniversity undergraduate Research in MathematicsConference held at Mercer university in February, 2013.

• Andrew Pangia was accepted into the Summer 2013Research Experiences for undergraduates Program atGeorgia Tech, sponsored by the National ScienceFoundation.

• Rujeko Chinomona was accepted into Research Experiencesfor undergraduates 2013: Analysis and Differential Equationsto be held at the university of Wisconsin-Madison in Summer2013.

• Katy Hill was accepted into the Summer 2013 ResearchExperiences for undergraduates Program at the university ofTennessee (Chattanooga).

• Chelsea Davis, who graduated with a B.S. in Mathematics inFall 2012, is currently pursuing a Master’s degree inmathematics at Clemson university. During her time atGeorgia College, she participated in an NSF sponsoredResearch Experiences for undergraduates Program at theuniversity of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, and she was awardedthe Department of Mathematics Outstanding Senior MathMajor award.

• Georgia College Mock Trial Team: Regional Competition ofthe AMTA (American Mock Trial Association) Spirit Award

COllEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Student Honors andAwards|

Georgia College’s award-winningchapter of the AmericanChemical Society (ACS) washonored at the 245th ACSnational Meeting in newOrleans, LA wih theOutstanding Chapter Award forthe fifth consecutive year. eChapter also received thesociety’s Green Chapter Awardfor the fourth year in a row.


Mass CommunicationMentorship ProgramIt’s the third year of the Department of MassCommunication Mentor Program. is programprovides Mass Communication juniors anopportunity to connect with a MassCommunication alumni mentor. Over 45 studentshave participated in the program since it started.Mentors from all over the country have met withstudents to provide advice on everything fromresumes to career paths.

Mentors and mentees meet each January at aluncheon and then spend the year getting to knoweach other. Students receive one hour of practicumcredit for their participation in the program.

e idea for the Department of MassCommunication Mentor Program was suggested byone of our own alumni, Heather Daniel Huff, classof 2003, who has had much experience over theyears with interns and heard their expressed desiresto be better equipped for the “real world.” She feltthat this growing need could be solved by“matching” alumni with current seniors in order toguide them through their last semesters. AerialMerritt, a mentor from the class of 2005, said,“is mentorship is a gift not only to the students,but to us as mentors. We can give them thecautionary tales of interviews, internships, first jobsand everything in between. But what we can alsodo is give them confirmation that their degree fromGCSu will give them everything they need to besuccessful.” Jenni Bruckman, a mentor from theclass of 2005, said, “Who doesn’t want to send theirown karate kid out into the world? Seriously –where would the karate kid have been without Mr.Miyagi? nowhere. is is our chance to be the “Mr.Miyagi” to a Mass Communication “Danielson.” Itdoesn’t really get any cooler than that.” �

MPA Core Curriculum to be offered online in Fall 2013

e Department of Government and Sociologyrecently announced that effective in the Fall 2013academic term, the Master of PublicAdministration program will be offering its corecurriculum courses in an online format. MPAstudents may now complete their core classes fromthe comfort of their work or homes. electives willcontinue to be offered in a variety of methods,including classroom, online and hybrid. Accordingto Min kim, Ph.D., MPA Program Coordinator,“is is an exciting time for the program and for itsstudents. As a result of utilizing this deliverymethod, we will be able to reach out toprofessionals in various settings who want toadvance in their careers and make a difference.Our goal is to maintain our academic quality whileincreasing flexibility, access and choice.”

e following courses will be offered online:

PuAD 6538 Public Administration and the Public Sector

PuAD 6558 Public Personnel Management PuAD 6568 Administrative Law for

the Public Manager PuAD 6578 Public Finance and Budgeting PuAD 6601 Policy Making Implementation

and evaluation PuAD 6605 Quantitative Techniques PuAD 6615 Administrative ethics PuAD 6625 Intergovernmental Relations

e MPA program at Georgia College is accreditedby the network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs,and Administration (nASPAA), the globalstandard in public service education. nASPAA isthe premier national membership organization ofgraduate education programs in public policy,public affairs, public administration, and public &nonprofit management. �


The faculty and students in Philosophy and liberal Studieshave had a productively fun-filled summer. Jennifer Clark, aPhilosophy major, has been accepted into the Philosophy inan Inclusive Key Summer Institute at Pennsylvania Stateuniversity to prepare African American students for PhDprograms in Philosophy. This is a program that is usuallyreserved for rising seniors. The fact that Jennifer gotaccepted into the program as a rising Junior shows that thehigh esteem with which the Philosophy program at GC isviewed by other institutions. Two philosophy majors, Bruce“Brent” Tripp and (James) Mike Thompson accompaniedJim Winchester on a study abroad to Paris and took hiscourse “Philosophy in the City: Paris and the Philosophy ofCamus, Satre and de Beauvoir.” Philosophy alumnus TaylorAdkins has translated 2 books, The Dictionary of Non-Philosophy and Philosophy and Non-Philosophy byFrancois laruelle, published by the university of MinnesotaPress.

Sunita Manian spent the month of July teaching on theEuropean Council’s Study Abroad program in london. Fromteaching in a classroom situated behind Jeremy Bentham’sauto-icon to engaging in round table discussions withexperts affiliated with some of the most importantorganizations associated with the European union, the studyabroad program offered students opportunities notavailable on a traditional campus.

Students taking the very timely course titled GlobalEconomic Crisis and the Euro visited the EuropeanCommission. Students participated in a round tablediscussion with Mr. Jan Krauss, the Political Officer in theEC’s london team covering the European union InternalMarket, Economic & Monetary Affairs, and most of theportfolios concerned with financial affairs. On another fieldtrip they visited the Centre for European Reform where theymet with the Chief Economist, Philip Whyte. The veryrelaxed atmosphere which belied the extremely in-depthanalysis presented by Mr. Whyte of the Euro-zone crisisstimulated a vibrant question and answer session betweenthe twelve students and Mr. Whyte that lasted well over anhour. One student reflected the mood of many in the classwhen he wrote in his field trip journal that he had beenbragging to all his friends about the very importanteconomists with whom he got to engage in intellectualexchanges as a result of taking this course. �

Jim Winchester and students studying“Philosophy in the City

Students at the Hackney Museum’sexhibition on Immigration

Students in front of the Jeremy Benthamauto-icon at the University College London

Philosophy andLiberal Studies


Physics and Astronomy Students participate in the Southeast Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics.

e physics and astronomy program in theDepartment of Chemistry, Physics andAstronomy has experienced a large growth innumbers of majors and is actively involved ingetting undergraduates participate in research.e physics program faculty welcomed 9 newphysics scholars into their research groups.

Current physics scholars are presenting the resultsof their research at national meetings includingthe Southeast Conference for undergraduateWomen in Physics (see photo). For the summer of2013, the program has two students attending aResearch experience for undergraduates (Reu)program with other universities. �

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Sixteen new faculty members (11 tenure-track and 4 lecturers)will join the College of Arts and Sciences in Fall 2013:

Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences:Allison Vandevoort kasy karen

Department of Chemistry and Physics:Linda keen-Rocha Sharon Careccia

Department of English and Rhetoric:Miah Arnold-MankadClaudia Yaghoobi

Department of History:Stephanie OppermanLauren Acker

Department of Mass Communication:Ashley TorrenceJames Schiffman

Department of Mathematics:Jebessa MijenaSimplice Tchamna kouna

Department of Modern languages and CulturesMariana Stoyonova

Department of Music:Sergio Ruiz (Chair)

Department of Psychological Sciences:Ashley TaylorDana Wood

16 NEW FACULTY MEMBERSJOIN COAS IN FALL 2013


lauren Acker Miah Arnold-Mankad

Kasy Karen linda Keen-Rocha

Simplice Tchamna Kouna Jebessa Mijena

Sergio Ruiz Mariana Stoyonova

Ashley Taylor Ashley Torrence

Allison vandevoort Dana Wood

Claudia yaghoobi

arts and sciences newsletter fall 2013

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