The inductees for the 2019-2020 academic year are:
Amy Yarbrough, Ed.D. Nursing Education
Amy has excelled as a doctoral student at the University of West Georgia Tanner Health
System School of Nursing and is committed to advancing the discipline of nursing education
through scholarship. She holds herself to extremely high academic standards and desires
to advance herself as a nursing education scholar through education, innovation, and
professional excellence. As a rising leader, she is cognizant of the skills, abilities,
and needs of those she works with and serves as a constant source of encouragement
to those in her cohort. She has a passion for nursing education research surrounding
students with learning disabilities. Through her research, Amy seeks to understand
how students with learning disabilities can best be served within a nursing education
program and within the profession of nursing. Her dissertation, exploring classroom
accommodations for students with learning disabilities, explores an area of research
highly needed within nursing education. Amy's dissertation results, along with her
planned post-doctoral research, will advance the scholarship of nursing education
and assist in the diversification of the nursing workforce. Amy was also a recipient
of the prestigious National NLN Nursing Foundation Scholarship award for her dissertation
research.
Bre'Ahn Heard, M.A. Sociology
Bre'Ahn is a fantastic graduate student who has made contributions to the sociology
department and graduate student community in a variety of ways. In her first year,
she served as co-chair of the graduate student development committee. As a Teaching
Assistant, Bre'Ahn has guest lectured in an undergraduate research methods class on
the topics of survey methods, SPSS software, and interpreting descriptive statistics.
The students in the class raved about her knowledge of the material, ability to make
it accessible, and genuine passion for helping them. As a scholar, Bre'Ahn has been
accepted to present preliminary findings from her Master's thesis, this April, at
the Southern Sociological Society Annual meeting. Her work explores the relationship
between race, gender, and early attitudes towards math/science as an explanatory variable
for the under-representation of Blacks and Latinos in STEM majors. Finally, Bre’Ahn
is now putting her sociological training to work by serving as a graduate research
assistant on an NSF funded grant under the direction of Dr. Christopher Jett in the
Math Department examining the persistence and achievement of African American men
in STEM.
Drew Schulz, M.A. History
Drew's Graduate Research Assistantship has been focusing on National Park Service history. Right now, he is helping us research and write an administrative history of the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area; he is writing two of the chapters for this history. And soon, he will begin helping us with an administrative history for the Ocmulgee National Monument, in Macon. For his thesis project, he is working with a collection of oral histories from Sapelo Island, completed by Dr. Ray Crook from 1970-1992. He is drawing upon those to develop an exhibition for Sapelo Island, working with the community there. He hopes to use those oral histories in his thesis essay, which will also focus on Sapelo Island. Right now, he is still developing the framework for that study, but I know he is interested in changing land use and heir lands on the island.
Jacalyn Butts, M.Ed. Professional Counseling
In addition to her excellent academic record, Jacalyn is the GA for Career Development in the Office of Career Services. She also serves as a College if Education Ambassador, a highly selective group of student leaders who display excellent leadership abilities, communication skills, and a strong GPA. Jacalyn has coordinated the Professional Development Series for Graduate Assistants in the M.Ed. in College Student Affairs, and has aligned the competences of the program to expectations in the field. Overall, she is an excellent student who continually seeks opportunities for service and professional growth.
Jean Lee, Ed.D. School Improvement
Jean Lee distinguished herself with her dissertation research that focuses on the intersection of race, education, and equality. Entitled, The Power of Words: An Analysis of Supreme Court Jurisprudence Related to Education, Race, and Equality, her work reveals the negative effects of de jure and de facto segregation in the United States from the 1950's forward. Dr. Dianne Hoff, Dean of the College of Education, noted that, "The completed work is a stunning achievement that makes a major contribution about the challenges minority children continue to face in education, despite Supreme Court rulings that should have protected them. It is a call to action if minority children are to receive the education they deserve." Dr. Lee is now disseminating her work to wider audiences, including a presentation at the upcoming National Civil Rights Conference.
Kassandra Arts, M.S. Biology
Kassandra is an outstanding graduate student in regards to research, academics, and
service. She has been a research assistant since Spring 2018 on an externally funded
project studying the cryptic small carnivore, the eastern spotted skunk. This has
been an extremely difficult project given the rarity of the species and countless
months needed to track them. For the first 6 months of her graduate career, she lived
at a remote site in southern Alabama conducting research. Since that time she has
continued to travel weekly to Alabama for her research project. She has shown exceptional
grit, determination, and independence during her thesis, overcoming many hurdles such
as tough field conditions, isolation, and technical issues. She also has excelled
in her classes earning a 4.0 and praise from her instructors. She has won a COSM travel
award and a best graduate student poster award from the Georgia Wildlife Society.
Kassandra has already written a research note that we are submitting for publication.
She has a can-do attitude and doesn't let physical or logistical obstacles stop her
from her goals. She has mentored a half dozen undergraduates, providing research opportunities
for them to work on her project. In addition, she has done outreach activities such
as presentations on skunks to K-5 students at Sandy Springs Elementary.
Katlyn Bradshaw, M.B.A. Business Administration
Katlyn Bradshaw is nominated for her outstanding academic performance and for her research, which she began as a junior at the University of West Georgia. She has been selected to present her research at the 2nd World CUR in May 2019 in Germany. Her contribution to this project as an MBA student includes developing a survey to measure student learning engagement with the Dumpster Audit, organized annually by UWG Facilities and the Sustainability Council.
Meghen Bassel, Ed.S. Media
Meghen is a model student who also displays innovation in her professional role as a School Media Specialist. Her inclusion of a therapy dog to help struggling readers has caught the attention of news outlets across the state and Nat Geo Wild. Students read to the trained "reading dog" without judgment, building their skill and confidence. She is an outstanding example of a committed graduate student who uses her education to make a big impact in the field.
Samantha Bowling, M.S.N. Nursing
Samantha Bowling displays professionalism in her performance as a future nurse educator by striving for excellence in her coursework and collegiality with faculty and fellow students. Multiple faculty presented her name as a candidate for this award. It is with pleasure and honor that Samantha is nominated for the Hall of Fame award from the MSN Program of Tanner Health System School of Nursing.
The following students are recipients of Certificates of Recognition for their achievements in Graduate Studies:
Clayton Drummond, M.A. Criminology
Christina Paige Goodwin, M.A. English
Colleen Kingston, M.A. Music
Taylor Underwood, M.Ed. Speech Language Pathology
Korbyn Boyd Thompson, M.Ed. Special Education
Terri Phoenix, M.Ed. Professional Counseling
Patricia Durrough, M.Ed. Media
Erin Neighbors, M.Ed. Media
Alexandria Vena, M.Ed. Early Childhood Education
Jennifer Prosba, M.A.T. History Education
Jennifer McManus, Ed.D.Higher Education Administration
Michael Rector, Ed.D. Professional Counseling & Supervision
Royanne McWaters-Baer, Ed.S. Media
Sarah Owen, Ed.S. Professional Counseling
Callie Williams, M.Ed. Early Childhood Education
LaDonia Patterson, Ed.D. Nursing Education
Lisa Pugsley, Ed.D. Nursing Education
Laura Phillips, Ed.D. Nursing Education
Janet Owens, MSN Nursing
Laura Edwards, MSN Nursing
Chelsea Kitchens, MSN Nursing
Emma Robbins, MSN Nursing
Maria Torres, MBA
Jesse Morris, MBA
Michelle Brock, MPAcc