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Georgia Southern University Digital Commons@Georgia Southern Armstrong Magazine Armstrong News & Featured Publications Armstrong Magazine Fall 2015 Marketing & Communications Department, Armstrong State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/armstrong- magazine Recommended Citation Marketing & Communications Department, Armstrong State University, "Armstrong Magazine" (2015). Armstrong Magazine. 2. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/armstrong-magazine/2 This magazine is brought to you for free and open access by the Armstrong News & Featured Publications at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Armstrong Magazine by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A MAGAZINE OF ARMSTRONG STATE UNIVERSITY FALL 2015 A RMSTRONG’S ANNIVERSARY ISSUE EDITOR Melanie Simón DESIGNER Joan Lehon ‘92 PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHER Katherine Arntzen COPY EDITOR Karen Cooper ’11 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brittany McClure ’15 Polly Powers Stramm what’s inside Armstrong magazine is produced by the university’s kudos Marketing & Communications 3 department, with support from the Armstrong State campus news University Foundation. 4 LET US HEAR FROM YOU! a year of anniversary We’d love your feedback celebrations on this issue, as well as what 6 you’d like to see in upcoming issues of Armstrong. phenomenal Please email faculty [email protected] 10 or call 912.344.2904. in the lab To change your mailing 12 address, call 912.344.2541 or email [email protected]. alumni profiles 14 facebook.com/armstrongstateuniversity president’s report 17 donors’ @Armstrong_U report 20 scholarship Armstrong State University recipient profiles 21 donor @Armstrong_U spotlights 26 ABOUT THE COVER Armstrong students class notes Jonathan Powell, Breonna Magee 28 and Taylor Alvarez (l-r) joined the university’s armstrong 80th anniversary celebration. flashback Cake by Back in the Day Bakery. Cover photography by 31 Katherine Arntzen. 2 | armstrong.edu kudos Robert T. Smith Joins Armstrong as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Robert T. Smith, a veteran academic administrator, recently joined Armstrong as provost and vice president for academic affairs. In his new position, Smith oversees all academic divisions, faculty, instruction and research affairs at the university. Before joining Armstrong, Smith served as the Felix Hamza-Lup José da Cruz dean of the School of Science and Mathematics at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. Also Armstrong Professors a mathematics professor since 1982, Smith has enjoyed teaching and research appointments at Selected as Fulbright Millersville University of Pennsylvania, Virginia Tech and and Governor’s the U.S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratory. Over the years, Teaching Fellows he has earned several honors and awards for teaching and has published a number of mathematics textbooks. Felix Hamza-Lup, associate professor of computer science and information technology, has been selected as a Fulbright Scholar by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Andrew J. Dies Hired Scholarship Board. He is teaching as Assistant Dean of and conducting research at Bangkok University, the oldest and largest Student Integrity private university in Thailand, during Andrew J. Dies is Armstrong’s new the fall 2015 semester. assistant dean of student integrity. Hamza-Lup is teaching a He is responsible for administering Web-based 3-D Visual and Haptic the student conduct system and User Interfaces course, employing serves on the university’s behavioral technology that interfaces with assessment team, working with the user through the sense of students in crisis. touch. Coursework covers a range Janet A. Buckenmeyer Previously, Dies was the of topics, including principles of Named as Dean of associate dean of students and the human visual system, visual College of Education director of student conduct and perception, tactile perception, static outreach at the University of North and dynamic 3-D worlds and basic Janet A. Buckenmeyer recently Carolina at Charlotte, administering animation. He is also collaborating joined Armstrong as the to more than 26,000 students. He with Bangkok University scholars new dean of the College of also chaired the pre-admission to research energy efficiency via Education. In this role, she safety review committee and served thermal modeling for residential and supervises overall operations as case manager for the campus commercial buildings and assisting for the college and provides behavioral intervention team. with the development of a graduate leadership and vision, while Computer Science curriculum. supporting faculty in teaching, In addition, International professional development, Relations and Comparative Politics service and scholarship. Professor José de Arimatéia da Prior to joining Armstrong, Cruz was selected as a Governor’s Buckenmeyer served as Teaching Fellow for 2015-2016. associate dean of the Spadoni The prestigious program is run by College of Education at Coastal the University of Georgia’s Institute Carolina University. She was also of Higher Education, which is program chair and associate committed to advancing higher professor for the Master of education policy, management Instructional Technology and leadership through research, Program at Purdue University– graduate education and outreach. Calumet, where she mentored and evaluated faculty, led accreditation efforts and was instrumental in creating hybrid and online learning courses. FALL 2015 | 3 news Armstrong Celebrates Second Annual Paint the Town Maroon Event Pirate pride took center stage at Johnson Square in historic downtown Savannah as Armstrong celebrated the second annual Paint the Town Maroon event on March 27. This community-wide campus pep rally honored the university’s connection to Savannah and its commitment to providing scholarship support for students in need. In addition to supporting student scholarships, the event also served as a celebration of Armstrong spirit, with the square’s fountains dyed maroon for the first time. In addition, Leopold’s—which is owned and operated by ’64 alum Stratton Leopold—served free Pirate’s Treasure ice cream as students and alumni played games of cornhole in Johnson Square. Mark your calendar for the 2016 Paint the Town event, which will be held on April 8. To learn more about how you can get involved, please contact Women’s Tennis Team Wins Ninth NCAA Armstrong’s Office of Advancement at 912.344.2541 Division II National Championship or visit paintthetownmaroon.com. The top-ranked and undefeated Armstrong State University women’s tennis team captured its ninth NCAA Division II National Championship with a 5-2 victory over No. 2 Barry University on May 16 at the Surprise Racquet & Tennis Complex in Surprise, Ariz. The Pirates extended their NCAA DII record for the most national championships, handing the Bucs (24-2) the loss in a rematch of the 2014 National Championship match won by Barry. Armstrong now has won three of the last four NCAA Division II national championships and six of the last eight. The men’s tennis team finished the season at No. 3 ITA Division II National Rankings. Online B.A. in French Now Available Through eMajor Program Armstrong began offering a fully online B.A. in French, as well as a French minor, in the fall of 2015. The new program is available through eMajor, a consortium of University System of Georgia schools that partner with one another to deliver high-quality, online bachelor’s degree programs. The French track emphasizes knowledge of modern foreign cultures and enables students to focus on one modern language, while achieving speaking facility in one or two others. When combined with business economics courses, the degree can open international opportunities in business, government, education, media, travel and social services. 4 | armstrong.edu campus Biology Department Secures National Science news Foundation Grant The National Science Foundation, a federal agency that supports research and education in science and engineering through grants and cooperative agreements, recently awarded $144,777 to Armstrong’s Biology department. The two-year grant, which began in June and runs through May 2017, will allow the Department of Biology to fund the operation of a Next- Generation Genetic Sequencer, which gives scientists the ability to analyze an organism’s genetic code. This technology is rapidly becoming a game- changer in the medical world, solving complex patient issues. The Biology department will also purchase 3-D technology, a flow tank and advanced computer software to enhance student understanding of evolution. University Hosts 2015 Engineering Design Challenge In April, Armstrong’s Engineering Studies program hosted the 2015 Engineering Design Challenge, which showcased the ingenuity and creativity of students from Johnson High School, Beach High School, Savannah High School, Savannah Early College, Savannah Christian Preparatory School, Richmond Hill High School, Savannah Arts Academy and Jenkins High School. Each team, comprised of four to six students, designed and built a battery-powered, multiterrain wheelchair with the assistance of a project mentor and Armstrong Engineering students. The final competition included a 40-meter race, a timed maneuver course, a demonstration of safety features and a design poster presentation with an evaluation by engineers