精东 researchers can now compete for federal funding, including Department of War (DoW) funding that requires strict cybersecurity protections, after the University鈥檚 Talon Secure virtual environment earned Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Level 2 certification.

With Talon Secure certified, Georgia Southern faculty can pursue larger DoW grants, support current DoW-funded projects and join defense companies as research partners or subcontractors. 

Inside Talon Secure, researchers can store and work with government information that is unclassified but still must be safeguarded, such as technical data tied to defense programs. The certification confirms the system meets federal requirements for protecting that information.

鈥淧rotecting sensitive research isn鈥檛 a box we check, it鈥檚 a standard we hold ourselves to every day,鈥� said Georgia Southern Vice President for Research and Innovation David Weindorf, Ph.D. 鈥淭his certification opens the door for our faculty to compete for consequential defense research, and it tells our federal partners they can bring that work to Georgia Southern with confidence.鈥�

Talon Secure was reviewed by a Certified Third-Party Assessor Organization and earned a perfect score, with no deficiencies in any of the 14 security categories tested. Several Georgia Southern departments collaborated to prepare for the audit, including the Office of Research Integrity, Research Security and Export Controls (RSEC) and Information Technology Services.

Janny Crespo-Grow, Ph.D., director of RSEC, said the assessor described Georgia Southern鈥檚 performance as 鈥渢he standard for what we should see in our assessments.鈥� Crespo-Grow, part of the Office of Research Integrity, specifically credited Chief Information Security Officer Nic Carroll and his team, who 鈥渢ook point鈥� in preparation.

Carroll highlighted the cross-divisional collaboration behind the audit.

鈥淧reparing for the audit meant bringing together people from the Office of Research and Innovation, IT, information security and compliance to answer one honest question: ‘Does what we actually do every day match what our written procedures say we do?’鈥� he said.

He added assessors tested 110 security controls against 320 assessment objectives. 

“The assessment confirmed our protections are followed in practice, not just written down, and that is what gives our researchers an environment they can trust,” Carroll explained.

精东 recently received a $234,474 grant from the The award will expand the University’s naloxone initiative鈥� first launched in 2022, to promote harm reduction and opioid overdose awareness – as well as enhance substance use prevention and education programming.

The new funds will increase on-campus access to naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug. During the two-year project period, 2,000 doses of the drug and 5,000 fentanyl test strips will be distributed across the Statesboro and Armstrong campuses, while training an additional 1,000 faculty, staff and students in overdose recognition and response.

A joint effort between the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health’s (JPHCOPH) Center for Addiction Recovery (CAR), University Health Services, and the Office of Student Wellness and Health Promotion (SWHP), the expansion was inspired by recent data from state and federal agencies.

According to the , opioid overdose deaths had nearly tripled for young adults aged 18-24 from 2019 to 2022. Moreover, data from the showed that a bystander was present for more than half of the overdoses statewide and a majority chose not to intervene. 

Sarah Fischer is doing her part to change that narrative on Georgia Southern’s Campuses.  A recent graduate of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst with her Master’s in Community Health Education, she was hired by the SWHP as the Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Coordinator. 

Fischer has only been on campus a short time, developing trainings and promotional materials to further the initiative’s goals.

“Throughout my first month working at Georgia Southern, I鈥檝e already seen firsthand the significant impact this grant is having on our student body,” Fischer said. “Students are engaging in conversations about harm reduction, supporting their community by carrying naloxone, and expressing gratitude that Georgia Southern is providing this resource.”

Director of SWHP, Urkovia Andrews, DrPH, endorsed this perspective, adding that support from the University’s administration reflects Georgia Southern’s commitment to teaching life-long skills.

The team is led by Robert Bohler, Ph.D. Bohler is an assistant professor in the JPHCOPH and serves as the Executive Director for CAR. Sean Bear, DrPH, is taking the lead on the project for University Health Services. As their assistant director and public health administrator, he emphasized the high stakes attached to this work.

“Our mission is to prepare the Georgia Southern community to understand the realities of opioid use, recognize an emergency and feel empowered to step in and respond,” said Bear. “When people have the knowledge and tools to act, they can make a life-saving difference.”

Bohler shared a similar perspective. “This project is designed to prevent addiction and save lives,” he said.

Faculty in 精东鈥檚 College of Science and Mathematics (COSM) are leading the way in research to help Georgia鈥檚 coastal communities navigate growth for years to come.

COSM researchers have secured four Georgia Sea Grants for projects that address issues ranging from preserving local bee populations vital to coastal ecosystems to exploring/investigating the social and environmental impact of economic growth in coastal areas.

Research in Georgia’s “Bee City, USA”

Bees play a critical role in coastal ecosystems by pollinating native plants. Without them, the food web begins to collapse and species begin to disappear. 

Professor of Biology, Isaac Park, Ph.D., says bee populations on the islands off Georgia鈥檚 coast are facing increased threats from the growing human population. Land development clears out large areas of native plants and landscaping often involves planting new species that do not provide sufficient pollination benefits.

“Sea islands are particularly at risk, as many are highly developed and have species and ecosystems that are unique to them,” he explained.

Park selected Tybee Island, recently named a “Bee City” by the Xerces Society for local efforts to support bees, for an investigation into whether people can be part of the solution to declining bee populations. His project, “Protecting Barrier Island Pollinators from Effects of Development and Temperature Variability,” will involve recruiting Tybee residents to track when and where plants bloom across the island. The data can be combined with models of bee activity to give warnings when bees may be struggling to find plants for pollination.

Park says the project stems from research started by his master鈥檚 student Hannah Brown who assessed flower availability for native bees on undeveloped sea islands from Florida to Virginia.

鈥淭he next logical step seemed to be to assess the effects of development on food resources to bees,鈥� said Park.

Park is now working with master鈥檚 student Rileigh Leach to expand the work in hopes the data can build a picture that will help locals protect bees and the plants that feed them.

“We want to offer concrete recommendations for managing landscaped vegetation and supporting native bees on Tybee Island and all along the Georgia Coast,” Park said.

Turning Statesboro’s vulnerability into resilience 

The population of Statesboro has grown by about 24% since 2010, bringing many challenges and opportunities to the area. Assistant Professor of Geography Helen Rosko, Ph.D., is working with the University鈥檚 Institute for Vibrant and Engaged Communities to give local leaders the data they need to make decisions that address the hidden obstacles citizens face from that growth.

Rosko says she understands the challenges firsthand.

鈥淪hortly after my family moved into city limits, we experienced three significant flooding events in three months,鈥� said Rosko. 鈥淲e could see it was tied to nearby development. As a homeowner, a mother and a researcher, that made it feel urgent.鈥�

The project titled 鈥淚nland rural coastal resilience: Municipal planning for resilient communities and economies鈥� involves collaborating with city engineers to map the areas of highest risk. There will also be a deeply engaged community element of town halls, interviews, surveys and community tabling to hear what the biggest challenges are in our community. 

“Everybody’s lived experience is a little different,” Rosko said. Until I actually chat with people and learn from them, my ideas about vulnerability are just my own understanding.”

Rosko said that kind of dialogue opens up a better understanding that cannot be gained from data and maps alone.

“Two people may live in the same flood zone but because of family issues or something like limited transportation, one of those people may be more socially vulnerable,” Rosko explained. “That kind of input gives our community and its decision-makers a much more robust understanding of who is vulnerable when, where and why.”

Rosko hopes to keep building solutions as the region continues to grow.

“For the average Statesboro citizen, I hope we see real change that reduces vulnerability and builds community,” she said. 鈥淥nce we identify problem areas I hope we don’t just leave it there. We want to mobilize resources and change people’s lives.”

Investigating Georgia oyster industry’s positive impacts on the coast

As the commercial oyster farming industry expands in Georgia鈥檚 coastal waters, biology professors John Carroll, Ph.D. and Steve Vives, Ph.D. are leading research to determine if the farms provide benefits to the ecosystem. Existing research from the shores of other states indicates that oysters farmed on the coast can clean impurities from the water and provide habitat for native species. 

The industry has only existed in Georgia since 2019, so there is little information about how the unique tidal system of Georgia might affect how much benefit oyster farms provide.

鈥淭his creates a need for local data so managers can appropriately make culture lease decisions, growers can receive credit for the services they provide, and to reduce potential user conflicts between oyster growers and recreational anglers who share the same coastal waterways,鈥� said Carroll.

Carroll says low visibility and choppy seas off Georgia鈥檚 coast make monitoring species diversity more difficult. To overcome these obstacles, the team will combine traditional techniques like nets, with newer sound navigation and ranging (SONAR) technology. Carroll explained the mixed-methods approach is important for the researchers and the fish.

“Traditional monitoring for coastal species involves some kind of capture with a net, trap or trawl that’s placed in the water and later resampled,” he said. “That gives you great results but it’s cost and labor intensive and can result in some incidental mortality. Unfortunately, SONAR doesn’t yet have the capability to identify species directly, so we’ll still need the nets, but our processes will be much more efficient and safe.”

Vives believes the research can benefit everyone who works and plays along Georgia鈥檚 shoreline.

鈥淭his work will be beneficial for the coastal communities in Georgia, from resource managers to oyster growers and recreational fishermen,” he explained.  “We plan on developing webinars for the public to highlight our research findings.”  

The project is titled “Examining the role of shellfish aquaculture gear as fish habitat” and is assisted by partners from the University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia Marine Extension.

Feeding the future of Georgia鈥檚 oyster farms

As oysters are harvested from farms on the shore, new oysters must be grown to replace them.

Associate Professor of Biology Anthony Siccardi, Ph.D., is leading the project “Optimization of algal turf scrubbers in recirculating systems for the production of oyster (Crassostrea virginica) hatchery seed” to discover new ways to grow young oysters that produce larger crops and reduce costs for farmers.

Commercial farms grow young oysters in tanks and then transfer them to farms on the shore to reach full size. The tanks require a delicate balancing act of feeding the young oysters enough, so they grow quickly without feeding them so much that they produce too much waste that poisons their own water.

“What the oyster hatchery in Georgia currently does is put larval oysters into an unfiltered tank,” Siccardi said. 鈥淚t’s just larval oysters, and they have to be careful with the amount that they feed because they don’t want waste nutrients building up.”

Siccardi is collaborating with Director of the Institute for Water and Health, Asli Aslan, Ph.D., to explore how algal turf scrubbers (ATS) can be used to clean tank water and feed oysters at the same time. Built from plywood shaped into a slope and lined with a turf matrix, the system grows a diverse algal polyculture that absorbs the waste the young oysters produce. As the algae builds up, it can be harvested and a portion fed back to the oysters to reduce food costs.

To determine ATS’s viability, the team will test three oyster culture systems with algal turf scrubbers over several weeks at the University of Georgia’s Shellfish Research Laboratory on Skidaway Island. Three additional oyster culture systems will have no algal turf scrubbers and serve as a control group. The team will track whether the scrubbers improve water quality enough to let hatcheries feed larval oysters more without risking ammonia buildup. They also plan to test a reverse daylight cycle, using artificial lighting over the algal turf scrubber to help maintain dissolved oxygen levels overnight, when oxygen typically drops.

Siccardi hopes this research will positively impact oyster farming in coastal Georgia and the region’s economy as a whole.

“Oyster aquaculture in Georgia is rapidly growing, with the potential to provide numerous jobs and fresh seafood to the local area,” he said. “Our goal throughout this research has been to provide cost-effective, nature-based solutions to remediating water sources and feeding aquacultured organisms sustainably.”

When senior biology major John Petronis enters Jianzhou He, Ph.D.’s lab at 精东’s College of Science and Mathematics, he sets his bag down, puts on his headphones and gets to work analyzing water samples. 

“Most of what I research is focused on the communities we live in,” Petronis said. “So a lot of the samples I monitor come from Tybee Island and the Savannah River.”

Petronis uses a Shimadzu particle size analyzer to identify and analyze what He calls emerging contaminants, specifically microplastics.

“Globally, we produce hundreds of millions of metric tons of plastics every year, and only about 9% get recycled,” explained He. “Microplastics are less than five millimeters, but the impact they’re having on the world right now is immeasurable, and it’s growing by the day.”

As these materials break down, they enter local waterways, rivers, marshland and drinking water, said He. They can be toxic, harming marine wildlife, disrupting food chains and affecting the ecosystem they occupy, making them a major environmental concern.

“There are currently no regulations or standards that monitor the amount of microplastics in our environment,” He said. “So there’s no record of how they behave in a coastal area like ours.”

Studying these chemicals in a more diverse ecosystem helps Petronis and He develop a thorough assessment of the risks they pose and propose practical solutions to reduce their presence. They use advanced technology provided through the Shimadzu Partnership for Academics, Research, and Quality of Life (SPARQ) program to support their research. The SPARQ partnership gives students like Petronis a chance to work with the latest in industry-standard equipment.聽聽

“This research wouldn’t be possible without the tools from Shimadzu,” said He. “My students could not complete their work otherwise.” 

Equipment like the particle size analyzer helps them identify these chemicals on a granular level. They also want to see how environmental (UV) exposure changes them over time, so Petronis uses the sunlight simulator machine to produce results in minutes instead of the 3,000 hours it would otherwise take. But Petronis, a full-time student with a full-time job, doesn’t mind putting in the time. 

“I want to have a deeper understanding of how we exist in our world,” he explained. “The environmental science aspect鈥 mean, that’s the equivalent to cleaning your room. I look at the Earth and think, ‘I want to clean this place up. I want to take care of what’s been given to us,鈥� and this research opportunity has done just that.”

Georgia Southern Department of Biology Professor Sara Gremillion, Ph.D., has taken on a cross-institutional, five-year National Institute of Health grant-funded project that aims to create a curriculum and shared knowledge pool for an underutilized, yet widely available organism: Fungi. 

Gremillion, who is also the Interim Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Student Success in the College of Science and Mathematics, explained, 鈥淚’m a mycologist, a biologist who studies molds, mildews, mushrooms and things like that. I am really interested in fungi that cause plant disease. I’m also interested in fungi that have medically important characteristics like the ability to produce antibiotics.鈥�

The project, , led by Gremillion, is a culmination of mycological expertise from across the globe designed to increase biomedical knowledge through an accessible, collective database of fungal research. But the project isn鈥檛 just an encyclopedia of fungal research; it also centers around teaching strategies for educators who may not have intensive training in mycology.

Gremillion said, 鈥淭here aren’t many people who study fungi, despite their importance in ecosystems, health and industry. So, our goal is to approach the microbiologist who may be studying bacteria, or the ecologists who may be studying plants in a specific ecosystem and pull them into the project. We鈥檒l train them in a fungal-forward curriculum-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) to include in their courses.鈥�

By training fellow scientists to implement a mycology-based curriculum, student and career researchers can work toward contributing fungal genetic information to a free, online database that can easily be accessed and used to further conversations surrounding biomedical potential for a wide variety of fungi, collected from nature by students. 

As a longtime professor of biology on the Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern, Gremillion has long been a supporter of undergraduate research opportunities. For the principal investigator and adjoining investigators, the inclusion of non-graduate-level scholars also plays a major role in the project through the Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) curriculum. 

鈥淲hen you鈥檙e majoring in STEM, your undergraduate laboratory experience is where the intense learning happens. It’s the hands-on activities that help you solidify those concepts. They help you learn how science is actually done. And so, to me, when I take on a research student, it’s just one-on-one teaching. Teaching a CURE is the next best thing; a classroom of students gets that research-intensive experience,鈥� Gremillion stated.

Ultimately, the almost $1.6 million grant will allow educators and scholars to investigate fungi as an innovative resource for beneficial usage as well as potential health risks. Although fungi are widely overlooked despite their natural abundance, the Myco-Ed project will provide training and knowledge to better understand these widespread organisms. With a mycologically literate biomedical workforce, fungi can be studied and leveraged for a variety of uses in the prevention of disease and production of improved, fungal-derived medicines. 

For Gremillion and her collaborators, this project is the outcome of a long-held dedication to the far too understudied world of mycology, where fungi are no longer hiding beneath hidden surfaces or in the dark corners of a basement, but taking center stage in the world of biomedical discovery. 

鈥淔ungi are so cool,鈥� she said. 鈥淒on’t sleep on the fungi.鈥�

The U.S. National Tick Collection (USNTC) has been housed on 精东’s Statesboro Campus since 1990, on loan from the Smithsonian Institution. But it’s far more than a nondescript exhibit tucked away in the bottom of a building. It is a living, breathing resource and a primary research hub for scientists, students, physicians, veterinarians and public health professionals from around the world. 

Among its most valuable holdings are type specimens, which are used to identify and describe tick species. They serve as scientific vouchers against which researchers can compare their own samples, resolve questions about species identification and deepen the world鈥檚 understanding of ticks and the sometimes fatal diseases they may carry. Lorenza Beati, Ph.D., a Swiss physician, biologist and parasitologist who has served as the collection鈥檚 curator for more than 20 years, estimates the 120-year-old collection houses between one-third and one-half of the world鈥檚 tick type specimens.

鈥淎 lot of researchers come just to see these specimens because they have some taxonomic questions about their own samples,鈥� said Beati.

Researchers study the specimens鈥� morphology, or physical form and structures, to identify, describe and differentiate species. Beati also conducts molecular research, studying tick genes, population genetics and genomes to explore relationships among species and resolve questions about their classification and phylogeographical evolutive history. Together, these traditional and molecular approaches support the collection鈥檚 central work in taxonomy, which consists of identifying, naming and classifying ticks.

Yet the collection, which provides an incomparable foundation for research, is only as valuable as the experts who understand and interpret it.

At the heart of the lab are Beati, who joined the University in 2004, and Dmitry Apanaskevich, Ph.D., a primary global expert in tick systematics who arrived at Georgia Southern in 2006 following his studies in Russia. An annual ranking from Stanford University and Elsevier, which identifies the world’s most-cited researchers, has consistently recognized Apanaskevich among the world鈥檚 top 2% of scientists.

Hired as curators of the collection, Beati and Apanaskevich later joined the faculty. Within the last 10 years, they have secured $3 million in research grants, authored 119 research papers and created a teaching and research environment that educates and inspires students and professionals through personal attention, scientific expertise and unrivaled access to the collection.

鈥淲e collaborate with a lot of people around the world,鈥� said Beati. 鈥淎nd I would say every single small or large project can be very exciting in one way or another.鈥�

Researchers visit the collection in the Math/Physics Building for access not only to its specimens but also to the expertise of Beati and Apanaskevich. Some come for a few days; others stay for months. During each visit, the curators host, teach and share knowledge derived from specimens that cannot be found in any other modern collection. Beati recalled that some of the best collaborative work emerged at her dining room table, where she and global scientists discussed their research and findings over a home-cooked meal.

Although only a small portion of the world鈥檚 tick species transmit disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasites, their bites can cause serious and sometimes fatal illnesses in humans, domestic animals and wildlife. Because Beati and Apanaskevich know ticks so intimately through their taxonomic research, they also collaborate with scientists studying tick-borne diseases and their effects worldwide.

鈥淭he collection is a vital resource for scientists and public health officials, helping us understand and combat tick-borne diseases,鈥� Beati said.

Apanaskevich currently has a grant from the National Institutes of Health, the nation鈥檚 medical research agency, to study the taxonomy of Hyalomma ticks. Found primarily in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, the ticks transmit some of the world鈥檚 most dangerous diseases.

鈥淭hey are moving into Europe with climate change,鈥� said Beati. 鈥淪o those are very important tick species in terms of global health around the world, not just for the U.S. The mission of the collection is really international.

鈥淲e have samples from every single continent. It’s the largest collection in the world. So we have people constantly coming and working with us from everywhere. Our mission is not just to work on local or American kinds of issues; we have more of an international field with our research collaboration.鈥�

Beati is currently leading a project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that examines an increase in ticks and emerging tick-borne diseases affecting humans and cattle in Uganda. She and her team are also training local students and health personnel to strengthen preparedness for outbreaks caused by previously unknown disease-causing agents.

鈥淭he real interest is in understanding the system there,鈥� said Beati. 鈥淲e have to get interested in systems outside the country. We need to understand how they function. All this research around the world is helping us understand mechanisms of tick-borne diseases.鈥�

In the last decade, nearly 30 undergraduate and graduate students have participated in the collection鈥檚 global research. Some have coauthored papers with Beati and Apanaskevich, gaining extraordinary access to experiences that have helped them build successful careers in academia and the private sector.

鈥淚t’s an incredible opportunity,鈥� said Beati. 鈥淭ick-borne diseases are worrying people and so, I think there are going to be jobs around for quite some time.鈥�

Since 2018, Beati has also offered the annual Summer Tick Workshop at the James H. Oliver, Jr. Institute for Coastal Plain Science on the Statesboro Campus, which attracts international public health officials and other professionals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pharmaceutical companies and the U.S. Army. Entomologists from Fort Stewart attend to learn how to identify and differentiate ticks, mitigating risk for deployed military members.  

鈥淭his dedication to education ensures that the knowledge and expertise needed to understand and combat tick-borne diseases will continue to thrive,鈥� said Beati.

Salim Sazzed, Ph.D., a faculty member in 精东’s Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing, is conducting research that could help scientists better understand the relationship between changes in human cells and serious illness. 

As the sole principal investigator of a four-year, $568,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Sazzed is developing artificial intelligence鈥揵ased methods and software tools to identify and trace actin filaments more accurately in three-dimensional cellular images. These filaments help cells maintain their shape, move and divide. Their alteration is closely associated with cancer, neurological disorders and heart disease.

Currently, these images are produced using 鈥淐ryo-electron tomography (Cryo-ET)鈥�, an imaging technique that allows scientists to see the microscopic actin filaments within the cells. Cryo-ET can provide insight, but the images it produces can also be difficult to analyze, according to Sazzed.

“Through my previous work, I know that these images can be very noisy,” he said. “Manually tracing the filaments can sometimes take hundreds of hours, while existing automated approaches often lack sufficient accuracy.”

 Sazzed expects his AI models and software tools to provide a more accurate automated approach for analyzing these images and to be ready for public use by 2030. While the software won’t provide an immediate treatment or diagnostic test for disease, Sazzed is hopeful about its long-term impact.

“Having a more comprehensive knowledge of how cells function and how actin filaments change in the presence of disease could eventually support the development of new treatments,” Sazzed explained.

Another important aspect of the project is student involvement. Two Ph.D. students and six undergraduates will help develop the software, train the AI models and analyze results. They will also attend team meetings with Sazzed and other collaborators, experts in biology, biochemistry and actin research from the University of Oregon, Ohio State University and Reed College. 

“Working with students is one of the most rewarding parts of this project,” Sazzed said. “They will contribute directly to this  NIH-funded effort while developing as independent researchers.”

Sazzed also plans to host an annual workshop during the project period to promote computational modeling and artificial intelligence in biomedical research.

A new 精东 study suggests that long-standing differences in maternal and child health, specifically breastfeeding rates, may help explain why some communities were affected more severely by COVID-19 than others.

Led by faculty in the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, the study found that Georgia counties with lower breastfeeding initiation rates experienced higher COVID-19 cases and related mortalities across the overall county population.

Published in the scientific journal Breastfeeding Medicine, examined COVID-19 cases and death rates across all 159 counties in Georgia, from March 2020 through February 2022. 

鈥淥ur findings show a strong association at the community level,鈥� said lead author and Professor of Health Policy and Community Health Joanne Chopak-Foss, Ph.D. 鈥淚t raises important questions about how early-life health investments, like breastfeeding support, contribute to long-term resilience and health outcomes.鈥�

Counties were grouped by breastfeeding rates and compared after accounting for demographics and public health interventions. The research team, which included JPHCOPH master’s and doctoral students, analyzed more than 2 million reported COVID-19 cases. They found the biggest differences in rural communities, a gap the researchers also link to social factors such as income and healthcare infrastructure.

鈥淐OVID-19 exposed structural inequalities that existed long before the pandemic,鈥� said co-author and Professor of Epidemiology Jian Zhang, M.D. 鈥淥ur work suggests that breastfeeding support may be an underrecognized component of community preparedness, one that warrants further research and sustained public health investment.鈥�

Although the study does not prove that breastfeeding directly prevents COVID-19 infection, it adds to growing evidence that breastfeeding may provide health benefits that extend beyond infancy. 

鈥淏reastfeeding is one of the earliest and most sustainable investments communities can make in health,” said Nandi A. Marshall, DrPH, MPH, JPHCOPH associate dean and president of the American Public Health Association. 

鈥淭hese findings remind us that support for breastfeeding may generate benefits that may contribute to stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities over the long term.鈥�

Building on this research, the team looks to expand its work beyond Georgia to examine whether similar patterns exist nationwide and how these results can guide future public health planning.

“Looking at data across the country helps us see the bigger picture,” Chopak-Foss said. “We hope our findings will provide new insights and contribute to the national conversation.”

There鈥檚 a new resident on campus, housed in the University鈥檚 Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing (AEPCEC): a cutting-edge humanoid robot designed to serve as a cornerstone for advanced research and applied, hands-on classroom learning for students.

The humanoid robot expands the University’s robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives. Unlike traditional industrial robots, the platform is designed to interact in human environments, giving students and faculty opportunities to study human-robot interaction, machine learning and autonomous navigation. 

鈥淭his is more than just a piece of equipment; it is a catalyst for innovation at Georgia Southern,鈥� said Rami Haddad, Ph.D., former interim dean of AEPCEC and chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. 

Students across multiple disciplines, including computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and information technology, will collaborate on programming, maintaining and optimizing the platform. 

鈥淏y integrating this humanoid robot into our classrooms and research laboratories, we are giving students hands-on experience with the technologies that are transforming engineering, computing and industry across the world,鈥� said Haddad. 

Those capabilities position Georgia Southern graduates to help meet the growing demand for talent at the region鈥檚 logistics centers, automated ports and advanced manufacturing facilities. 

鈥淚nvestments in advanced technologies like this humanoid robot reinforce Georgia Southern鈥檚 commitment to preparing students for the future of work while strengthening the University’s impact on the region,鈥� said Avinandan Mukherjee, Ph.D., provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs.

鈥淧roviding students and faculty with access to state-of-the-art robotics and AI platforms, we are expanding opportunities for innovation that will help support the continued growth of advanced manufacturing, logistics and intelligent automation throughout Coastal Georgia and the broader region.鈥�

The humanoid robot will be housed in a specialized, multidisciplinary laboratory that will serve as a shared resource for undergraduate projects, master鈥檚 theses and faculty-led research. 

鈥淥ur new robot will enhance interdisciplinary research, strengthen experiential learning and equip our graduates with the knowledge and expertise needed to lead in the rapidly evolving fields of robotics, automation and artificial intelligence,鈥� said Abhijit Bhattacharyya, dean of AEPCEC.  

The campus community may also catch a glimpse of the robot going to class, working in the labs and walking around campus.

For more information about the AEPCEC and its robotics programs, visit .

How often do you notice Spanish in your community? A group of student researchers sought to discover the sociolinguistic uses of the Spanish language throughout two of 精东鈥檚 communities: Statesboro and Savannah. Through this research, students gained valuable undergraduate research skills while also raising awareness of the linguistic landscape of the communities the University serves. 

For Miguel Garc铆a, Ph.D., who taught the course, research isn鈥檛 just a means of concluding; it鈥檚 also an invaluable learning opportunity for students.

鈥淭hese experiences build confidence, develop transferable skills and prepare students for graduate study and professional careers. At the same time, student research showcases Georgia Southern鈥檚 commitment to innovation and experiential learning, strengthening its academic reputation,鈥� he said. 

According to 2023 Census data, , respectively. With thousands of potential Spanish-speaking residents, Garc铆a wanted to create an opportunity for his students to participate in research beyond the classroom.

鈥淲e grounded our study in five recent investigations that examined the presence of Spanish in the linguistic landscape of the United States,鈥� Garc铆a said. 鈥淪pecifically, we drew on studies conducted in Orlando, Los Angeles, Tuscaloosa, Philadelphia and Dallas. These studies provided a useful framework for analyzing how Spanish appears in public spaces while allowing us to explore how the linguistic landscape of two Georgia cities compares with those of other regions of the country.鈥�

The research focuses on accessible public texts found in community spaces, including public signage and online publications. Students then analyzed writing styles and linguistic patterns in these texts across Statesboro and Savannah.

One student researcher, Kaidence Phillips, said that the opportunity to participate in community-based research was not only a positive experience, but a transformative one as well.

Variations in formality and the commercial focus of Spanish-language content reflect the needs and diversity amongst the two cities as well as highlighting space for improvement when it comes to consistency and informed translation. 

鈥淭his research project taught me the importance of conducting research within our local spaces,鈥� Phillips explained. 鈥淪tudies like these open up new conversations that have the power to create change. By making people aware of language use in our communities, we can work together to create solutions to make media more consistent and better.鈥�

After gathering dozens of photos from each city, students then began looking at similarities and differences in how Spanish was utilized among businesses, community service organizations, informal spaces and digital media. 

Phillips represented the class鈥檚 research at CURIO Undergraduate Research and Intellectual Opportunities (CURIO) and GS4 symposiums highlighting student research projects. 

The findings revealed both similarities to previously reported , particularly with respect to the diversity of the Spanish language.

鈥淚n our project, students collected and analyzed original data from two Georgia cities, making the research personally meaningful and relevant. They were also able to connect what they learned about the Spanish language in the classroom to real-life contexts by observing how Spanish is actually used in public spaces. That connection between academic learning and everyday life made the experience particularly rewarding,鈥� Garc铆a explained.

Previously, Garc铆a published a book project centering around Spanish poetry, 鈥淰oces, poemas e historias,鈥� and believes student work is critical to furthering understanding of community, language and research both inside and outside of the classroom.

However, research opportunities soar beyond methodology and findings alone. For students, it鈥檚 a chance to contribute to a greater pool of knowledge while also getting involved off-campus. For Georgia Southern faculty, opening doors to new experiences is one of the many ways they encourage students to engage outside of the classroom.

鈥淢y favorite part was hearing how the project changed the way students think and observe the world around them. One student on the data analysis team told me that he had started applying some of the analytical techniques we used in the project to his current job,鈥� Garc铆a said. 鈥淜nowing that the project changed the way they perceive their everyday environment, including its language use, was incredibly gratifying.鈥�