Fall 2022

Our Changing Campuses

Georgia Southern Growth Brings New and Future Buildings, Renovations If you haven’t visited the Georgia Southern campuses in the past few years, chances are they’ll look different. With funding from the state of Georgia and several historic gifts from devoted supporters, the University has built impressive structures to support academics, athletics and outreach. Some of the…
From Refugee to Expert

Longest-serving Professor Olavi Arens Says Teaching Keeps Him Going If you have attended any of the Georgia Southern Commencement ceremonies in the past few years, you might have seen the distinguished white-haired gentleman carrying the mace at the head of the procession. The Mace Bearer is the honor bestowed on the longest-serving professor. But did you…
The Inspirational Journey

Alumnus Finds His Voice in Music and Ministry Adventurous. Risky. Exciting. That is how Travis Greene (’06) describes his early years as a singer in the gospel music industry. “Being able to do what I love for a living is a dream come true,” he said. “I’m still not used to it, and I’ll never take…
Heartbreak to Hope

Alumni form The Brett Boyer Foundation, Brett’s Barn to shed light on congenital heart defects There’s a place just outside of Nashville, Tennessee, where the sun shines a little brighter and its rays are a little warmer. There is a palpable sense of love and cheer in the air. An afternoon there can turn even…
From Hinesville to Sesame Street

Deborah Marie Rodríguez García embraces cultural identity, emerges as global leader As the senior manager of education for Sesame Workshop’s humanitarian programs, Deborah Marie Rodríguez Garcia (’10, ’12) reaches some of the planet’s most remote communities to provide education to refugee children while promoting the power of play-based learning to their caregivers. Sharing relatable stories and…
Edible Engineering

Georgia Southern Engineering Student Brings Unique Skills to Netflix Georgia Southern mechanical engineering student Hannah Walden has spent years building interesting — sometimes wacky — projects with her father, Chuck. Those unique skills served her well in an equally unique Netflix show that combines engineering and baking. Hannah began working on projects with her father…
Creating a Community

Students Organize Asian Pacific American Initiative at Armstrong Campus As a student on the pre-nursing track, Maria Hagy has found the Armstrong Campus to be an ideal fit. It’s near downtown, and close to her family and Hunter Army Airfield, the location of her Air National Guard unit. “I love that it’s a small campus…
Through Wide Open Doors

Ava Bullard, Namesake of Ava’s Law, Navigates New Experiences in Dual Enrollment at Georgia Southern When she was just a toddler, Georgia Southern University dual enrollment student Ava Bullard couldn’t stand to go through a doorway — any doorway. She would writhe and scream as if she were being tortured. Ava was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder…
A Musical Love Story

Music Faculty David Murray and Arikka Gregory Make a Beautiful Duet Sometimes on a hectic day you can find a musical interlude when you enter the Carol A. Carter Recital Hall on the Statesboro Campus. Sometimes you can even see a true love story play out right before your eyes. So it was on a late…
Efforts to Preserve A Threatened Tree Species

The Armstrong Campus features a wide variety of unusual plants, including several species native to Mexico. There are 109 native species of oaks in Mexico but many are threatened with extinction for a variety of reasons including climate change and increased human use. Philip Schretter, the superintendent of grounds operations for the Armstrong Campus, oversees…