Elevating Excellence: May 2025

The Eagle Eye with Dr. Weindorf

As we close out another academic year, I want to take a moment to reflect. There’s no denying that this year has been one of tremendous change and uncertainty. Despite the challenges that can sometimes arise during such times, you all have shown a fantastic ability to adapt and keep moving forward. Your unflappable positivity and determination have kept our research enterprise advancing with tangible dividends.

The field-weighted citation impact of our scholarly output has shown a steady upward trajectory, and our international engagement has reached record levels as of this month.

In more good news, we were recently notified that Georgia Southern received a new award contract from the National Science Foundation. Despite the pause in some federal agency contracts, we are hopeful that these new developments represent progress in restoring a more normal cadence to the federal funding landscape.

I am also happy to report that faculty in the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health recently received sizeable grants from the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust to enhance treatment programs and community recovery organizations statewide, as well as improve services at Georgia Southern's Center for Addiction Recovery.

In addition, the Institute of Water and Health is continuing its important work in conservation by partnering with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Environmental Protection Division on a study aimed at maintaining the health of blackwater streams across southern Georgia.

More than just data or talking points, these are accomplishments that speak to our resilience as individuals and as a collective. Even when the winds of change are swirling around us, we remain steadfast in our commitment to innovation, discovery, and integrity, on behalf of our students and the communities we serve.

I wish you all a safe, happy, and healthy summer!

“Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.” — Marcus Aurelius

Applications for 2025-26 Research Faculty Fellow Now Open

The Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED) invites applications for the 2025-2026 Faculty Fellow for Research Development. This part-time, 12-month faculty leadership opportunity is designed to support the professional development of an Associate or full professor and enhance internal research support mechanisms at Georgia Southern University.

The selected Fellow will report directly to Dr. Brent Feske, Associate Vice President for Research, and will work closely with the Research Leadership Team and campus stakeholders to advance research capacity, faculty support, and institutional competitiveness for external funding.

Applicants should submit:

A letter of interest detailing relevant experience and goals for the Fellowship
A current curriculum vitae (CV)
A brief letter of nomination or endorsement from the applicant’s Dean.

Please send application materials to bfeske@georgiasouthern.edu for full consideration.

Review of Applications will begin on June 6th, 2025. Click the button below for more details.

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The Eagle Research Team helps you demystify A.I.

As you can see, A.I. can do a lot. With a few clicks, a few of our team members can become superhuman!

Disclaimer: A.I. cannot give you the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but it can help you find private, state, and federal funding opportunities more easily and quickly through a tool called "Deep Research".

Once more, you don't need spidey-senses or X-ray vision, all you need is an updated CV and you're on your way!

The Office of Research & Economic Development has created a step-by-step guide to help you become a super researcher...Click the button below for all the details and use your powers wisely!

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Public Health students present varied research in Creative Scholars Showcase

On April 9, the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health celebrated Public Health Week by highlighting the work of some of its student scholars in its first annual Creative Scholars Showcase.

The showcase aligned with the national theme “Protecting, Connecting, and Thriving,” and explored a myriad of topics with local and global implications, including access to mental health services in rural areas, domestic violence prevention, and methods to combat food insecurity in foreign countries.

Georgia Southern hosts GS4 Student Scholar Research Symposium

Last month, Georgia Southern hosted the latest edition of the GS4 Student Scholar Research Symposium, which showcased posters and presentations from undergraduates and graduates across 10 colleges.

The symposium, the University’s largest research-focused event, is held each Spring.

Research Topics ranged from innovations in ground penetrating radar technology to investigating the effect of substance use on academic performance.

The Eagle Eye with Dr. Weindorf

Get in touch! Contact the editor of Elevating Excellence by emailing Mary Dillard