Coastal Directory

Ms. Atwood has served as a full-time faculty member researching, developing, and teaching courses in Criminal Justice since 2014.

Prior to joining the faculty at the College of Coastal Georgia, Ms. Atwood completed a distinguished 30-year career retiring as an Assistant Director (AD) with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC).As a career member of the Senior Executive Service, Ms. Atwood provided executive leadership and oversight for both training and administrative functions at the FLETC, including all training and training support functions across the FLETC’s four domestic locations in Glynco, GA; Charleston, SC; Artesia, NM; and Cheltenham, MD; training delivered at the International Law Enforcement Academies (ILEAs) around the world; and state, local, tribal, and territorial training delivered across the United States. Ms. Atwood led training across the spectrum of law enforcement training areas including: Behavioral Science, Counter-Terrorism, Leadership, Legal, Firearms, Drivers, Maritime, Investigative Operations, Enforcement Techniques, Physical Techniques, Financial Fraud, and Instructional Development. She also led efforts to ensure coordination with federal, state, and local law enforcement entities to develop and deliver programs to effectively prepare law enforcement officers and agents in areas such as Active Shooter and Cyber training programs across the United States.

While serving as the FLETC’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Ms. Atwood provided executive leadership and oversight for multiple complex areas including: human resources (including employee and labor relations), facilities management (including design and construction), procurement, property management, and the Critical Incident Stress Management program.

Ms. Atwood’s law enforcement and teaching experience span 31 years and include serving as a Special Agent in the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Agriculture; and Senior Special Agent, Office of the Inspector General, U.S. General Services Administration.She conducted investigations resulting in the successful prosecution of criminal and civil matters across the eight southeastern states and the District of Columbia, including program fraud, bribery of government officials, food stamp trafficking and serious allegations of employee misconduct.

Ms. Atwood graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Police Administration from Eastern Kentucky University’s College of Law Enforcement, and earned her Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University’s College of Public and Urban Affairs. Additionally, she is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, VA and the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, NC.

Dr. Averett earned her Ph.D. on Mathematics from the University of Iowa. Her interests include Representation Theory, Mathematics Education, Mentorship, and Student Development.

Barnes earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Georgia Southwestern State University, her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Georgia Southern University, and her Associate of Science in Nursing from the College of Coastal Georgia. She is a Certified Nurse Educator. Prior to joining the Coastal Georgia faculty, Mrs. Barnes worked for three years in CCU.

Dr. James “Jim” E. Benton is currently an Associate Professor of Accounting at the College of Coastal Georgia. His academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Finance and Masters of Art in Economics from Old Dominion University, a Juris Doctor, Masters of Taxation and Masters of Science in Personal Financial Planning from Georgia State University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Northern Illinois University. His professional credentials include active Bar member in the state of Georgia, CPA/PFS, and CFP. Jim has worked in various law and accounting practices as well as operating his own financial planning/tax planning practices. He has taught various personal financial planning courses at a number of certified financial planning programs including Georgia State University, Western Carolina University, Duke University, Old Dominion University, and Shippensburg University. He is also the founder of The Financial Literacy Academy, LLC, a corporate training company specializing in financial literacy training and is a 28-year US Army combat veteran who retired from the US Army/Army Reserves as a LTC in the Judge Advocate General Corp.

Jamie received her M.S. in Applied Mathematics from Western Carolina University.

Carla Bluhm received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and minor in History at University of Massachusetts Amherst. She then went on to earn a Masters degree at Teachers College Columbia University and was then encouraged to stay for her Masters of Education, and Masters of Philosophy in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University. After taking a year off to teach at the University of Rhode Island, she returned to NYC to work with her mentor, Professor John Broughton, on theoretical, cultural, and historical psychology and completed her Ph.D. from Columbia University. While working on her Ph.D., she served as a teaching assistant at Columbia for Dr. Herb Terrace of the famed Nim Chimpsky study. She also worked for New Hope Guild, based in Brooklyn, as a psychotherapist for over two years with a geriatric population in a skilled nursing facility.

Dr. Bluhm was awarded Professor of the Year from the College of Coastal Georgia, and thrives in a teaching environment both online and face to face. She has taught for USG eCore for numerous years and values high level and committed teaching in an environment that supports critical and divergent thinking skill development. She teaches classes across the lifespan as well as clinical classes and a course she is developing related to psychology and the natural world. During the Spring semester of 2019, she walked over a 250-mile Camino across Portugal into Santiago, Spain to increase her knowledge and thoughts about the psychology of long walks and the natural world. You can check out her adventure here.

Dr. Bluhm is married and has one daughter who shines bright at Oberlin College.

Dr. Cagle joined the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences at the College of Coastal Georgia in Fall 2023 as Assistant Professor of Political Science. He specializes in American Political Psychology and Survey Methodology. Dr. Cagle holds a Bachelor’s degree in political science and law from the University of Tennessee, as well as an M.A. in political science from the University of Alabama. He completed his PhD at the University of Alabama in May, 2023 under the supervision of Dr. Nick Davis.

Before joining the College, Drew worked in association management for the Midwest Political Science Association from 2020-2023. Dr. Cagle’s scholarly work has been featured in Social Sciences Quarterly and at several major conferences. He is also a frequent contributor to The Brunswick News as well as an Associate Scholar of the Reg Murphy Center for Economic Policy Studies and the Coordinator of the Social Sciences Speaker Series.

Joshua Clark (MS in Biology) is an alumnus of the College of Coastal Georgia, graduating in 2004 with an Associates of Science. It was during this time that Mr. Clark collaborated with Georgia College of Milledgeville, Georgia to unearth Pleistocene-aged (20,000 years BCE) fossils at a site – later named Clark Quarry – within Brunswick, Georgia. This site contained the remains of giant bison, mammoths, and giant tortoises, among other ancient fauna. After graduating, he transferred to Georgia College in Milledgeville to continue his work in paleontology, where he obtained a Master’s degree in biology. His work focused mainly on the Pleistocene herpetofaunta (reptiles and amphibians) discovered at Clark Quarry, and an understanding of the Pleistocene climate of Coastal Georgia during the last Ice Age. Today, Mr. Clark has returned to his alma mater, the College of Coastal Georgia, where he currently teaches introductory courses within both biology and geology.

Robert C. Clark is an Associate Professor of English at the College of Coastal Georgia. He earned a BA in English from Wheaton College (IL), MA degrees from Furman University (Secondary English Education) and the University of Georgia (English/Literary Theory), and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Georgia. Clark has published a book, American Literary Minimalism (U of Alabama P, 2014), and his articles have appeared in The Hemingway Review, American Literary Realism, JML: The Journal of Modern Literature, The South Atlantic Review, Amerikastudien / American Studies and Studies in the American Short Story. Additionally, he has a chapter on Raymond Carver’s “A Small, Good Thing” and “Cathedral” in The Handbook of the American Short Story (De Gruyter, 2022) and an article on Octavia E. Butler’s “Bloodchild” forthcoming in Science Fiction Studies. His current project is an exploration of the role of short narratives in memes, videogames, Transpacific anime, and other forms of visual media.

Education:
Ph.D., Community Psychology, University of Missouri-Kansas City
M.A., Community Psychology and Social Change, The Pennsylvania State University-Harrisburg
B.S., Psychology, Michigan State University

About: Dr. Culley’s program of research is focused on individual, community, organizational, and institutional responses to environmental hazards. She specializes in citizen participation in environmental decision-making, environmental justice, and the links between individual transformation and larger community and social change processes. In particular, she investigates psychosocial responses to environmental disputes, how citizen participation processes are shaped by power dynamics, and how community psychologists can inform change efforts aimed at the human-caused environmental crises related to global climate change. Dr. Culley has also written extensively about the history and content of the scholarly literature of community psychology, and in particular, its attention to diversity. Her research is informed by theories of social power and empowerment, ecology, feminism, and action research. These related theoretical domains provide the conceptual context for her program of research, philosophy of teaching, and work in the community.

Courses regularly taught:
Introduction to General Psychology
Psychology of Adjustment
Community Psychology
Psychology of Women
Environmental Psychology
Ethics & Professional Issues in Psychology
Program Development & Grant-Writing

James Deemy is a hydrologist and environmental scientist. He has a broad background in biology, ecology, and geology. His research interests focus on assessing the hydrologic connectivity between isolated, ephemeral wetlands and watersheds. He has specifically assessed the water quality and quantity of agricultural storm-based flows that connect wetlands to nearby waters in southwest Georgia. James also has active research in water resources education.

Dr. Wanda DeLeo is a Professor of Accounting in the School of Business and Public Management. Dr. DeLeo came to the college in 2015 after retiring from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) where she was most recently the Deputy Director of the Division of Conservatorship where she lead all activities associated with the Agency’s conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Before taking that role in 2013, Dr. DeLeo held multiple positions at FHFA, including Deputy Director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives, Deputy Director of the Division of Examination Programs and Support, Acting Deputy Director of the Division of Housing Mission and Goals and Chief Accountant. Before becoming Chief Accountant at FHFA in 2008, she was Examination Manager for Accounting and later Chief Accountant for the former Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), one of FHFA’s predecessor agencies.

Prior to joining OFHEO in 2002, Dr. DeLeo enjoyed a 20-year academic career teaching and conducting research in financial accounting at Winthrop University, Christian Brothers University, University of Houston – Downtown, Georgia State University and Kennesaw State University.

Dr. DeLeo holds a Doctorate in accounting from Georgia State University, a Master’s degree in accounting from the University of Central Florida, and a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from University of Georgia. She is also a licensed CPA in the state of Georgia, and a member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Dr. DeLeo has over 50 articles and presentations. She has presentations at regional and national conferences including the American Accounting Association, the American Academy of Accounting and Finance, and the Mortgage Bankers Association Journal, in which she has published include Management Accounting, Journal of Accounting and Finance and the Journal of Education for Business. She has also received a number of outstanding achievement and teaching awards including FHFA’s Director’s Award for her role in defining and managing relationships with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac throughout the Conservatorship, Winthrop University’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Charter Advisor for Beta Alpha Psi, and Winthrop University’s Beta Gamma Sigma Excellence in Teaching Award.

Dr. Edwards earned her Ph.D. and her B.S. from Florida A&M University.

Dr. Johnny L. Evans, Jr. was named the seventh President of the College of Coastal Georgia on January 14, 2025. Prior to that, he served as the College’s Interim President.

Dr. Evans assumed the role of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the College of Coastal Georgia on January 1, 2019.

Known for his dedication to fostering strong academic programs that deliver transformative educational experiences, Dr. Evans prioritizes student success, drawing from his own formative years as a student at Georgia College. He attributes much of his academic success to the deep care and mentoring provided by his faculty mentors.

Dr. Evans is a distinguished scholar. He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Georgia College and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Florida. His academic journey includes postdoctoral research roles at Oak Ridge National Labs and Savannah River Labs.

Dr. Evans spent the first 13 years of his academic career at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, where he was a Professor of Chemistry and Physics and the Chemistry Program Coordinator. Before joining Coastal Georgia, Dr. Evans held leadership positions as the Dean of Math and Science and subsequently as the Dean of Arts and Sciences at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College from 2013 to 2019.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Dr. Evans finds joy in the outdoors and expresses his creativity as an avid artist and metal sculptor. His artwork, crafted from steel, brass, and copper, reflects his passion for capturing the beauty of nature through sculpture.

Heather Farley is Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, Public Policy & Management in the School of Business and Public Management at the College of Coastal Georgia. Dr. Farley has been teaching at the College for more than 10 years in the areas of policy, public management, and sustainability. She also serves as the Director of the College’s Honors program. In addition to her teaching role, Dr. Farley has served as the Sustainability Coordinator at the Sea Island Company, has held roles in advising and admissions at The College of Coastal Georgia, and was the Sustainability Coordinator at Northern Arizona University.

Dr. Farley earned her Ph.D. in Political Science (Environmental Policy), her M.A. in Public Policy, and a graduate certificate in Public Management from Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ). During her graduate studies, she also served as the full time Sustainability Coordinator for the University and helped develop the institution’s 2020 carbon neutrality strategic plan and goal. She also has a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from the College of Charleston (Charleston, SC); it was this course of study that sparked her passion for sustainability, the environment, and policy. In 2020, Dr. Farley published a second edition of her co-authored book titled Sustainability: If it’s Everything is it Nothing? She has presented her research and work at both national and regional conferences including: Western Political Science Association, American Society for Public Administration, Southern Political Science Association, Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences, and the Dimensions of Political Ecology conference.

In addition to her professional positions, Dr. Farley is active in her community through organizations such as the Green Scene of Coastal Georgia and other community organizations.

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Dr. Gardner grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania. He has a Bachelor’s degree and a Masters degree in Aerospace Engineering from Penn State University, and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Kent State University. He enjoys reading science fiction and urban fantasy books, going to the movies, and solving diagramless and crostic puzzles. Gardner teaches mostly principles of chemistry for science majors, as well as physical chemistry. His research interests in science focus on applying computational chemistry to topics in climate science. He is currently developing two specific projects. The first one is how ions in the seawater affect the hydration of carbon dioxide. This is connected to the large issue of ocean acidification. The second project is how carbon dioxide in the atmosphere might affect the hydrogen-bonding in complexes of atmospherically-important acids. This is connected to the larger issue of acid rain. The College has a program called “Gaussian 16,” which is research-level software that is capable of carrying out ab initio and semi-empirical calculations on a wide variety of systems.

Bill Garlen is a seasoned management and leadership professional with diverse credentials that combine tactical leadership, corporate executive management, marketing, communications and human resources expertise. Garlen spent years as a business entrepreneur and has a background of achieving success in television, media, music, consulting, corporate, and proprietary business environments. His teaching background includes over 20 years experience in diverse adult education. Additionally, he spent several years in corporate training consulting where he designed, developed and taught courses online and in the classroom. Corporate courses developed include topics in business, management, leadership, marketing, mechanical engineering, real estate, appraisal, adult continuing education, occupational skills, safety and a wide range of computerized applications.

Garlen worked his way from the entry level up to executive management in large corporations, trained as a military officer, owned successful businesses and led a number of volunteer organizations. He served on the Boards of Directors of publicly traded companies. As a board member he served as a lead director, and as chairman of both the audit and compensation committees. He still serves on community boards with Rayonier and the Federal Correctional Institute in Jesup. His knowledge in balancing state, federal and institutional requirements with the practical needs of academic, business and industrial organizations provides him with a unique insight into business, management, and leadership with a unique ability to communicate real world knowledge to his students.

Garlen is a member of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education, International Leadership Association, Learning and Development Center of Excellence and Education Technology and eLearning Professionals. At the College of Coastal Georgia he assists in administering and overseeing programs in the School of Business and Public Affairs, supports the development and coordination of the various curriculums in the School, coordinates the use of part-time faculty (recruitment, text selection, and orientation) and assists in assessment activities of the various programs within the school. In addition Garlen serves on the College of Coastal Georgia Curriculum Committee, the Web Oversight Committee, and on numerous faculty and staff search committees.

Dr. Geiken received her Doctorate of Education, Curriculum and Instruction from Argosy University. She received her Master of Early Childhood from Armstrong Atlantic, and her Bachelor of Arts, Elementary Education and Special Education from Calvin College. In 2016, Dr. Geiken was awarded the Lillie Moncus Special Education Administrator of the Year. Her professional affiliations include Phi Delta Kappa, Council of Exceptional Children, and the Georgia Educators Association. Before joining the Coastal Georgia faculty, Dr. Geiken worked for the Glynn County School System as Director of Special Education for six years. Prior to that, she was the Special Education Coordinator and Special Education Teacher for the Glynn County School System.

Grantham earned her Doctorate of Nursing Practice in education and leadership from American Sentinel College of Nursing at Post University. She earned both her Masters of Science in Nursing (Adult Nurse Practitioner), and her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Armstrong Atlantic State University (now part of Georgia Southern University). Prior to that, she earned her Associate of Science in Nursing from Coastal Georgia Community College (now the College of Coastal Georgia). Her professional affiliations include Sigma Theta Tau, the American Nurses Association, and the Georgia Nurses Association.

Dr. Jennifer Hatchel earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology from Miami University, Oxford, OH. Prior to that, she received her Masters in Biology from Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN, and her Bachelor’s in Biology at the University of Tennessee-Martin, where she graduated magna cum laude. Dr. Hatchel has taught Principles of Biology I and II with labs, Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II with labs, Foundations of Microbiology with lab, Pathophysiology, Immunology, Microbial Diversity, and Topics in Biological Sciences (Infectious Diseases, Environmental Microbiology). Her research interests include the antimicrobial properties of Manuka honey. She has supervised independent research with undergraduate students investigating the effects of Manuka honey on Salmonella enteritidis, and recently, a student started investigating the effects of Manuka honey combined with lemon and ethanol against Streptococcus pyogenes. Dr. Hatchel hopes to continue these experiments in the future. She is also interested in looking at microbial populations in local rivers and seeing how that affects water quality. One student was working on preliminary experiments at Crooked River State Park, but they were only able to collect a few sets of data. Dr. Hatchel hopes to continue this work in the future as well.

Dr. Holbrook coordinates the Biological Sciences degree program and teaches a variety of courses in biology (e.g., Principles of Biology, Ecology, Conservation Biology, Animal Behavior, Invertebrate Natural History). He is committed to providing high-impact experiential learning opportunities to students via undergraduate research, service-learning, and internships, drawing from his expertise in ecology and evolutionary biology, and collaborating with regional partners in conservation. He currently serves on the University System of Georgia Faculty Council and the Cannon’s Point Preserve Education Task Force, and he previously chaired Coastal Georgia’s Faculty Senate, among many other service activities. Dr. Holbrook received a B.S. in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and a Ph.D. in Biology from Arizona State University.

James earned her Associate of Arts degree from the University of Phoenix.

Dr. Knight’s expertise lies in the boundary of chemistry and biology. Her graduate research involved RNA biochemistry, specifically riboswitches. In graduate school, she discovered a passion for education and finding innovative/interactive ways to educate students and the community. She grew up in a rural Georgia community, and spent all of her formative and adult years in the Georgia education system, completing her BS. in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry from the University of West Georgia, then completing her Ph.D. in Biomolecular Chemistry from Emory University. Her interdisciplinary academic training allows her to directly demonstrate to students how various branches of science come together to affect the world around (and within) us.

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LeCounte is currently working to earn her Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. She received her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Central Missouri, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Georgia College and State University. She is a Certified Medical Surgical Registered Nurse, a Progressive Care Certified Nurse, and a Certified Nurse Educator. Ms. LeCounte has several years of experience working on the intermediate and critical care units at Memorial University Medical Center. She began her career on a medical-surgical floor with a population spanning from pediatrics to geriatrics. She has additional experience caring for step-down, emergency, and postpartum patients.

Littlejohn earned her Associate of Arts degree at South Georgia State College. Her certifications include Georgia Healthcare Financial Management Association – Certified Patient Account Representative.

Dr. Lucas received her Doctor of Philosophy, Teacher Education/Mathematics Education from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Prior to that, she received her Master of Arts in Teaching, Mathematics Education from East Carolina University, and her Bachelor of Science in Food Science from Delaware Valley University. Dr. Lucas is the recipient of a Level 5 Summative Teacher Performance Evaluation commendation from Knox County Schools, and is a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi at the University of Tennessee. Her professional affiliations include the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education, and Kappa Mu Epsilon Mathematics Honor Society. Before joining the Coastal Georgia faculty in 2018, Dr. Lucas was an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at Catawba College in North Carolina. Prior to teaching at the college level, her experiences included teaching middle grades and secondary mathematics, as well as coaching secondary mathematics teachers. Now, at Coastal Georgia, Dr. Lucas is supporting teacher candidates as a course instructor and practicum supervisor, and serving the Teacher Preparation program as the assessment coordinator. She enjoys researching, writing, and presenting on topics related to communication to develop conceptual understandings of math and effective usage of educational technologies to differentiate instruction.

Dr. Lugo earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics from Purdue University. His interests include Data Science, Operator algebras, C* -Algebras, topological groups, and Mathematics Education.

Dr. Masano earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Mercer University in Macon. She earned her Post Master’s Certification in Health Informatics, her Master of Science in Nursing, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is a Certified Nurse Midwife and a Certified Nurse Educator. Dr. Masano has 24 years of experience as an RN, working primarily in obstetrics with additional experience in community health. She has been teaching for 15 years.

Dr. Mathews is the Director of the Reg Murphy Center for Economics and Policy Studies, and a professor of Economics. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from Georgia State University, his Masters in Economics from DePaul University, and his BA in Economics from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. He has been with the College since 1993. Dr. Mathews has authored more than 30 published articles and essays. His work has appeared in both professional economics journals and general audience venues. He has also recently written four reports on the economy of the South Georgia Coast for the Reg Murphy Center. His current academic research is in the history of economic ideas. Dr. Mathews’ first love is teaching. He regularly teaches International Economics, Macroeconomics, and the Economics of Work and Pay. In 1997, he was chosen Professor of the Year at the College of Coastal Georgia.

Robin McLachlan is a broadly-trained geologist interested in how the shapes of coastal environments are intimately linked to human development, and vice versa. Specifically, she studies sediment transport from source to sink, mountains to deep sea, focusing on the interaction between sediment and hydrodynamics in the fluvial-marine transition zone. She applies the same scientific rigor and inquiry to her role as an educator and communicator. Her teaching strategies constructively align scientific content and communication skills to best achieve student learning goals and career success.

Education:
PhD., Auburn University
MA, University of West Florida
BS, Florida State University

Areas of Interest:
US History since 1865
Latin American History
Public History/Archival Studies
Cold War History

About: Dr. Hector Montford teaches US and Latin American history courses at the College of Coastal Georgia. His research interests include US and Latin American diplomacy in the twentieth Century, US foreign policy and American culture during the Cold War, and Public History. For his dissertation, “The Best of Friends and Neighbors: The USIA and American Public Diplomacy Strategy in Cuba, 1953-1962,” Dr. Montford examined the US government’s public diplomacy program in the years before, during, and just after the Cuban Revolution. As a Public Historian, Dr. Montford has worked, interned, and volunteered in a number of museums and archives. While with these organizations, his job duties included archival administration and public outreach, collections management, exhibit design, and archival processing.

Dr. Morris received her Doctor of Education, Curriculum and Instruction, from Columbus State University. Prior to that, she received her Masters of Education, Reading, Language and Literacy Education with an English for the Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) concentration from Georgia State University, and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Asbury University. Dr. Morris has had numerous leadership roles and has earned awards for both highest gains in student achievement and Teacher of the Year in her K-12 career. Her professional affiliations include the International Literacy Association (ILA), Professors of Literacy and Teacher Education (PLTE), the Georgia Association of Literacy Advocates (GALA), and Phi Delta Kappa. Dr. Morris has been with the Department of Education and Teacher Preparation since 2017, teaching literacy courses and supervising aspiring K-8 teacher candidates. Her reading and writing interests include effective content area literacy instruction and developmentally appropriate practices for K-8 learners. She has almost a decade of classroom experience as a Georgia educator with diverse populations of learners. Her current certifications include K-8 Reading Specialist, Middle Grades English Language Arts, Social Studies and English for Speakers of other languages.

Dr. Morris is a Georgia native and a graduate of the Ph.D. program at Auburn University. His areas of specialty are Early America and Native American culture. His research focuses on Native American women and Scots-Irish fur traders in the colonial backcountry. He is the author of three books, one on the Southeastern Indian fur trade, another on Scots-Irish fur traders, and the third on George Galphin and the transformation of the Georgia-South Carolina backcountry. He is currently working on a manuscript about a Cherokee Rebellion during the American Revolution. He is a long time member of the Georgia Association of Historians and South Carolina Historical Association.

Mosher earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus. Prior to that, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from San Diego State University, and her Associate of Science in Nursing from Clayton State College. Her clinical expertise centers around surgical ICU and trauma.

Matthew Mosley is an Assistant Professor in the Hospitality & Tourism Management program. He holds a PhD in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue University, a Master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University, and a Bachelor’s from South Dakota State University. Dr. Mosley has worked in the hospitality industry in both restaurants and hotels for over 20 years prior to entering academia. Dr. Mosley’s current research track examines both music and film induced tourism. Dr. Mosley currently teaches classes such as Eco-Tourism, Event Management, Hotel Management, Strategic Management, and Hospitality Finance Management.

Dr. William S. Mounts, Jr. is the Dean of the School of Business and Public Management at Coastal Georgia, as well as a professor of Economics. Dr. Mounts came to the College in 2011 after 33 years at Mercer University in Macon, GA. He received the Ph.D., M.A., and BBA degrees in economics from the University of Georgia. Dr. Mounts has over 50 academic articles, books, and presentations. His presentations have been at national and international conferences, including the Southern Economics Association, the Western Economics Conference, and the central bank of Switzerland. Journals in which he has published include the “Economics of Governance,” “Journal of Macroeconomics,” “Southern Economic Review,” “Public Choice,” “Journal of Sports Economics,” “Journal of Money, Banking and Credit,” and the “Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics.” Dr. Mounts also has an active consulting practice specializing in economic valuation and interest rate forecasting. On several occasions, he has received the Distinguished Faculty Award for excellence in the classroom and for his research.

Dr. Holly Nance earned her PhD in Biological Sciences from Clemson University, focusing on population genetics and the application of these data for conservation management. Since teaching at Coastal for the past five years, she continue to mentor undergraduate students applying molecular tools to study epigenetics, eDNA, and seafood mislabeling. She encourages her research students to develop their own questions and projects related to conservation genetics. More recently, Nance mentored students in a bioinformatics course as part of the SEA PHAGES (Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science) Program. In this course, students annotate the genome of a novel bacteriophage discovered by Coastal students, determining the position and function of purported genes. Nance also teaches Cell and Molecular Biology, Genetics and introductory biology courses. Her goal is to help students learn practical skills they can apply in any molecular biology lab, and gain experience with genomic and proteomic software and databases.

Ms. Noble earned her M.A. in Mathematics Education from the University of Central Arkansas.

Ande Noktes serves as the executive director of the Lucas Center for Entrepreneurship, where she focuses on fostering positive social change through thoughtful and inclusive leadership. Driven by a genuine belief in the power of human potential, Ande is dedicated to creating opportunities that help communities and organizations build on their strengths. With an emphasis on collaboration and support, she works to inspire growth and resilience while staying grounded in the values of service and community engagement.

Dr. Ernest Pascoe teaches Organic Chemistry I and II. In addition, he teaches Survey of Chemistry, Principles of Chemistry, and Global Issues, depending on the semester. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of the West Indies in 1994 with a double major in chemistry and biochemistry. Dr. Pascoe’s Ph.D. was obtained at Clark Atlanta University in 2003. The focus of his work was the study of the properties of high temperature polyimides and their decomposition process. Dr. Pascoe’s experience centered around synthesizing organic molecules and using organic monomers to synthesize polyimides. From the standpoint of the classroom, Dr. Pascoe has an interest in studying factors, such as specific prerequisite knowledge, that influence the performance of students in Organic Chemistry. He is also keen on exploring and utilizing different support tools to help in the delivery of chemistry content.

Dr. Pope received his Ph.D. in Biopsychology from the University of Georgia. Prior to that, he received his Masters in General-Experimental Psychology from the College of William and Mary, and his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from DePauw University. Dr. Pope has been teaching at the college level since 1999. His graduate training is in Biopsychology, and his active research areas are musical cognition, measurement of personality traits, and measurement of socio-political attitudes. At the College of Coastal Georgia, he teaches Introduction to Psychology, Research Methods, Adjustment, Drugs & Behavior, and Personality. He plans to add Motivation and Cross-Cultural to the list next year. He is an active member of the Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA) and has presented collaborative research with students at the SEPA convention every year since 2005. He enjoys few things in life more than teaching Psychology and working with students on research projects.

Education: PhD in Developmental Psychology, University of Houston

Course Information

PSYC 1101 – Introduction to General Psychology
PSYC 3000 – Research Methods & Stats
PSYC 3200 – Foundations of Brain and Behavior
PSYC 3320 – Industrial/Organizational Psychology
PSYC 4220 – Cognitive Psychology

Research Interests

Dr. Aurora Ramos Nuñez investigates cognitive processes such as language and bilingualism, memory, and cognitive control, defined as the ability to perform the task at hand while ignoring preponderant distractors, as well as the brain regions related to those processes.

Peer-Reviewed Articles

1. Keehn, B., Brenner, L. A., Ramos, A. I., Lincoln, A. J., Marshall, S. P., & Müller, R. A. (2009) Eye movement patterns during an embedded figures test in children with ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 383-387.
2. Archila-Suerte, P., Zevin, J., Ramos, A. I., & Hernandez, A. E. (2013). The neural basis of non-native speech perception in bilingual children. Neuroimage, 67, 51-63.
3. Vaughn, K. A., Greene, M. R., Ramos-Nunez, A. I., & Hernandez, A. E. (2015). The importance of neuroscience in understanding bilingual cognitive control: A commentary on “Bilingual advantages in executive functioning either do not exist or are restricted to very specific and undetermined circumstances” by Paap et al. . Cortex.
4. Vaughn, K. A., Ramos-Nuñez, A., Greene, M. Munson, B., Lee, M., Grigorenko, E., Hernandez, A. (2016). Individual differences in the bilingual brain: The role of language background and DRD2 genotype in verbal and non-verbal cognitive control. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 40, 112-127.
5. Felton, A., Vazquez, D., Ramos-Nuñez, A. I., Greene, M. R., McDowell, A., Hernandez, A., & Chiarello, C. (2017). Bilingualism influences structural indices of interhemispheric organization. Journal of Neurolinguistics. 42, 1-11.
6. Yue, Q., Martin, R., Fischer-Baum, S., Ramos-Nuñez, A. I., Ye, F., Deem, M. W., (2017) Brain modularity mediates the relation of cognitive performance to task complexity. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 29(9), 1532-1546.
7. Ramos-Nuñez, A. I., Yue, Q., Martin, R., Fischer-Baum, S., Ye, F., & Deem, M. W. (2017). Static and dynamic measures of human brain connectivity predict complementary aspects of human cognitive performance. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 11, 420-433.
8. Fischer-Baum, S., Kook, J. H., Lee, Y., Ramos Nuñez, A. I., & Vannucci, M. (2018). Sight or sound? Individual differences in the neural and cognitive mechanisms of single word reading. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 1-7.

T. David Reese is an Associate Professor of Finance & Economics in the School of Business & Public Management at the College of Coastal Georgia.

“Dr. T.” David Reese also serves as a consultant to governmental agencies and for-profit and non-profit organizations on matters related to Economic Development, Community Development and Business Development. Dr. Reese’s past consulting clients include: the U.S. Department of the Treasury; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”); and the City of Montgomery (AL). Over the past 20 years, Dr. Reese has held management positions with a range of public, private and community financial institutions. Prior to his career in academia, he spent more than 10 years on Wall Street, working as an Investment Analyst with Metropolitan Life and as a Vice President of Citicorp Investment Bank. During 1980’s, while working on Wall Street, Dr. Reese acquired the nickname “Dr. T.” During this period, Dr. T. worked with a number of major corporations, investor groups and entrepreneurs to structure and finance leveraged buyouts. He has been active in community economic development throughout his career. He worked with two municipally-sponsored non-profits in New York City which served small businesses owned by women and people of color. Dr. Reese also served as the youngest board member of 100 Black Men of New York, a group of business and community leaders dedicated to the political and economic empowerment of African-Americans. Dr. T is a former Director of the Local Enterprise Assistance Fund (LEAF), a multi-million dollar community development venture capital fund that finances small businesses and creates jobs for low-income persons. LEAF, headquartered in Boston, finances transactions throughout the country.

Dr. Reese earned his undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College and his master’s degree and doctorate at Southern New Hampshire University. Dr. Reese engages in research in three areas: Small Business Finance, African-American Entrepreneurship, and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). Ultimately, a desire to identify and understand those factors that impact access to capital for various marginalized communities motivates all of Dr. Reese’s research interests.

Richard (Robby) Roberson is an associate professor teaching classes for the Hospitality Management program. He holds a PhD in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue University. Additionally, he did post-doctoral work at the University of Florida, and is academically qualified in both Marketing and Management. He serves as the program director for the Culinary Arts program at the College of Coastal Georgia. His research interest is film-induced tourism. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Roberson worked extensively in the hospitality industry. He has worked as a chef for many restaurants, resorts in Georgia, Arizona, Wyoming, and Montana, in both grand Teton and Glacier National Parks. He has also owned his own business.

Dr. Robertson is a botanist who conducts research in plant ecology, with primary interests in phenology and plant distribution responses to climate change. She teaches both lower- and upper-division courses in biology with a focus on the botanical courses. She also mentors Coastal Ecology students, serves as the curator of the College of Coastal Georgia’s herbarium and greenhouse, and is an advising scientist for TIDES (Texas Integrated Diving & Ecological Studies) Laboratory, which is a multi-institutional undergraduate research program that focuses on student-driven marine research projects on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System in the Caribbean. Dr. Robertson received her B.S. in biology from Angelo State University, her M.S. in biology/plant ecology from Sul Ross State University, and her Ph.D. in biology/plant physiology from Texas Tech University.

Tedi received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia in 2013. After graduating, she accepted a position at WTOC-TV, the Southeast News Leader, in Savannah. During her six years at the station, Tedi worked as a digital producer, producing digital broadcasts and anchoring her own digital broadcast shows. In 2020, she made the move to Saint Simons Island and joined the College as the Digital Media Specialist. In her spare time, Tedi enjoys river and saltwater fishing, going to football games, traveling to Keith Urban shows, and spending time with her family, friends, and cats.

Dr. Sandberg earned her Doctor of Education – Nurse Educator from the University of West Georgia, her Master of Science in Nursing from Western Governors University, her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix, and her Associate of Science in Nursing from Burlington County College in Pemberton, New Jersey. Her professional affiliations include AACN, NLN, and Sigma Theta Tau International.

Education
Ph.D., Sociology. University of Virginia, 2015.
M.A., Sociology. University of Virginia, 2009.
B.S., cum laude, Sociology and Criminal Justice. Old Dominion University, 2007.

Recent Scholarship
Scarborough, Roscoe C. 2017. “Risk a Lot to Save a Lot: How Firefighters Decide Whose Life
Matters.” Sociological Forum 32(S1):1073-92.

Scarborough, Roscoe C. 2017. “Making It in a Cover Music Scene: Negotiating Artistic
Identities in a ‘Kmart Level Market.’ ” Sociological Inquiry 87(1):153-78.

See Full CV

Course Information
SOCI 1101 – Introduction to Sociology
SOCI 1160 – Introduction to Social Problems

Faculty Bio
Dr. Scarborough’s research and teaching focuses on culture and inequality. He has published on a broad range of topics, including how people consume “bad TV,” the status system of musicians, and belonging and inequality in the fire service. As an associate scholar of the Reg Murphy Center, he is a regular contributor to the From the Murphy Center column in The Brunswick News.

Mr. Stephen Shehan-Nichols is the Academic Services Coordinator for the School of Business and Public Management, and is responsible for coordinating the administrative, academic, and support functions of the school. He joined Coastal Georgia in the fall of 2018 and served as the Freshmen Academic Advisor for the School of Business and Public Management prior to being named Academic Services Coordinator.

Mr. Shehan-Nichols is a seasoned academic professional experienced in serving diverse student populations in various settings in higher education. With over a decade of experience, he has worked in various professional roles in admissions, academic advising, financial aid advising, and career services advising at both Chamberlain University and National University.

He has a passion for mentoring students and supporting academic success. He is an intrinsically motivated individual, who strives to attain personal and team goals with enthusiasm and integrity. He believes that in order for academic services to be effective they must be both purposeful and holistic. He is known to be a student advocate and helps students achieve their education goals, teaching them about the nature of higher education, and provoking them toward greater levels of self-awareness and responsibility.

Mr. Shehan-Nichols received both his M.Ed in Adult Education and B.S. in Organizational Management from Tusculum College. He obtained his certification as a Certified Life Coach in 2020.

Prior to a career in higher education, Mr. Shehan-Nichols worked in varying managerial roles in business in the telemarketing, banking, and shipping industries. He worked his way from entry level manager to executive management and served as an Executive Director of Customer Service and Training in the shipping and packaging industry. His unique and comprehensive experience in training, mentoring, team building, leadership, customer service, and relationship management has given him a dynamic and unique ability to connect and develop strong connections with students.

Mr. Shehan-Nichols serves on various committees at the College of Coastal Georgia, including the Honors Program Advisory Council, Presidential Commission on Diversity and Inclusion, and staff search committees. He also serves as co-advisor for the Health Informatics Association.

Dr. Sneed earned her Doctor of Philosophy, Curriculum, and Instruction from the University of Virginia. She earned her Master of Science, Science Curriculum and Instruction & Space Science from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. She obtained her Bachelor of Science, Physical Sciences (Minor in Mathematics), Secondary Teaching Certification from Colorado State University. Dr. Sneed is a member of the Golden Key International Honors Society and is a National Science Foundation Teaching Scholar. Her professional affiliations include the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), and the Association for Middle Level Educators (AMLE). Prior to joining the Coastal Georgia faculty, Dr. Sneed served as the Academic Coordinator of the University of Virginia Curry School of Education’s K-12 Gifted Enrichment Programs. She has and continues to partner with school systems and organizations nationally and internationally around initiatives related to curriculum design, classroom assessment, and differentiated instruction in STEM fields. Prior to her experience in teacher education and professional development, Dr. Sneed taught middle and high school science and math in Colorado. Currently, she teaches courses in middle/secondary instructional design, assessment, and differentiated instruction, and mentors teacher candidates in field experiences.

Dr. Nelbert St. Clair is an Assistant Professor of Cyber Defense and Director of the Coastal Cyber Center. He earned his Doctor of Science (Dsc) in Information Systems and Communication from Robert Morris University (Moon Township, PA), M.A. in Information Technology Management from Webster University (St. Louis, MO) and a Bachelor of General Studies from the University of Nevada, Reno (Reno, NV). He earned all his civilian education while severing (now retired) in the Army National Guard for 23 years. He currently maintains 15 active cyber/IT certifications.

Dr. St. Clair started at the College in Fall of 2019, with the task of building a Cyber Defense program from the ground up. As the Director of the Coastal Cyber Center, a non-profit center aimed to provide IT services to non-profit and small businesses, he reaches out to the local community with the help of the Cyber Defense students. He believes in giving back to the community.

Dr. St. Clair inspires students to begin a career in the field of Information Technology. He brings to the Cyber education world, 23 years of experience in leadership, security, and military knowledge (National Guard including two deployments), 14 years in the private sector and 8 years working for the federal government. Dr. St. Clair’s main focus is cybersecurity education, but he enjoys recruiting new students and partnering with local businesses, to provide cyber education and services to the community, with the help of his students.

Quinton (Jerry) Staples II is the inaugural Director of Diversity Initiatives for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the College of Coastal Georgia. Quinton has an extensive career in diversity education and multicultural programs, having earned his Masters of Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Student Administration, and his Bachelors of Arts in Strategic Communication from Elon University. He has gone on to lead CAS Assessments for Diversity and Inclusion, create curriculum for faculty and staff, and develop cultural relevant programs and hundreds of workshops on inclusive excellence.

Dr. Stasek teaches a variety of courses including Zoology, Vertebrate Natural History, Ecology Field Studies, and Parasitology. He mentors Coastal Ecology students and conducts research in the fields of zoology, natural history, fisheries, and biodiversity. He has collaborated with the University of Georgia Marine Extension Office, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, and the Jekyll Island Authority. Dr. Stasek received his B.S. in Biology from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, OH and M.S. and Ph.D. from Miami University in Oxford, OH.

Dr. Stephens is the Program Director for the Workforce Management and Leadership program. He has over 19 years of administrative and teaching experience in the higher education and K-12 environments. He has developed and taught courses at Georgia Southern University within the doctoral education program, and has taught business courses with Liberty University, Indiana Wesleyan University, Baker College, and Darton College. While at Altamaha Technical College, (now Coastal Pines Technical College), he was the department head of the Marketing and Management programs. He has formed and facilitated over 15 business courses for online delivery methods.

Educationally, he possesses a Master’s degree in Business Administration, a Master’s degree in Education, coupled with a Doctorate in Education Administration. He is a graduate of the Georgia Tech Economic Development Institute, has a certificate in Online Learning Administration, Online Learning and Teaching Management, and is a Certified Customer Service Trainer and Advancement Officer.

He brings in practical business work experience in wholesale, retail and in banking. He is a previous owner of a small business that employed 27 employees with four locations. He is a member of various professional organizations including the North American Council for Online Learning, the Georgia Association of Career and Technical Education, the Academy of Legal Studies in Business, and the American Association of Community Colleges. He is a former president of the Georgia Southern University Alumni Association. In his hometown of Jesup, GA, he is past president of the Jesup Rotary Club and the Jaycees, and served on the Board of Directors for the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce.

Kimberly Takagi is a marine environmental scientist and educator. She is particularly interested in coastal ecosystem dynamics and the role of marine invertebrates (crabs, snails, oysters, mussels, etc.) in carbon and nutrient biogeochemical cycling. In her courses, she strives to facilitate learning by immersing students in field and laboratory research approaches. She strives to develop students’ abilities to critically think about environmental processes through student-collected data and course-based research projects.

Hello everyone! My name is Dr. Dantera Tangpisuthipongsa. I usually go by Professor Dan or Dr. Dan. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology from Emory University, and later a Doctorate of Medicine from Medical College of Georgia. After a year of internship, I found myself enjoying teaching and training future healthcare professionals to be my new calling. I spent my free time catching up on my sleep, tending to my garden, and binging on streaming services.

I mainly teach Anatomy and Physiology I & II along with their lab component, and Pathophysiology, which I highly recommend to any student who wants to get a head start in nursing or medical school. My academic interest focuses on biomedical sciences and learning activities that provide a strong foundation for students who are interested in pursuing a healthcare career.

Larry D. Thompson serves as Counsel to the Atlanta law firm of Finch McCranie, LLP. Mr. Thompson retired in December 2014 as Executive Vice President, Government Affairs, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for PepsiCo, Inc. Mr. Thompson assumed this position with PepsiCo in July 2012, with responsibility for the company’s worldwide legal function, as well as its government affairs and public policy organizations. He also oversaw the company’s global compliance function and served as President of the PepsiCo Foundation.

Mr. Thompson previously served as PepsiCo’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary from 2004 to 2011. He served as a Senior Fellow with The Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and his government career includes serving in the U.S. Department of Justice as the former U.S. Deputy Attorney General under George W. Bush (2001-2003). In 2002, Attorney General John Ashcroft named Mr. Thompson to lead the National Security Coordination Council. Also, in 2002, President Bush named Mr. Thompson to head the Corporate Fraud Task Force. Mr. Thompson led the establishment of the Department of Justice’s Attorney Outreach Program which resulted in the recruitment of attorneys from a wide range of ethnic, economic, geographic, and racial backgrounds.

Previously, Mr. Thompson was a partner in the Atlanta, Georgia law firm of King & Spalding. From 1982-1986, Mr. Thompson served as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. In that role, he directed the Southern Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and served on the Attorney General’s Economic Crime Council. In July 1995, Mr. Thompson was appointed Independent Counsel for the Department of Housing and Urban Development Investigation by the Special Panel of U.S. Circuit Court Judges appointed by the U.S. Supreme Court. In April 2000, Mr. Thompson was selected by Congress to chair the Judicial Review Commission on Foreign Asset Control. Mr. Thompson joined the Atlanta, Georgia law firm of Finch McCranie, LLP as Counsel in July 2015.

Committee of the Graham Holdings Company (formerly The Washington Post Company), and currently serves on the Board of Franklin Templeton Mutual Series Funds and the George W. Bush Foundation Board. He is an elected Fellow of the American Board of Governance Counsel, and the American Board of Criminal Lawyers and has served as a Trustee on the Chautauqua Institute Board since 2014. Mr. Thompson was elected to the Council of the American Law Institute and serves on the Georgia Historical Society Board of Curators. Mr. Thompson is an elected member of the American College of Governance Counsel. He is the recipient of the Edmund Jennings Randolph Award for outstanding contributions to the accomplishment of the Department of Justice’s mission, Outstanding Litigator Award by the Federal Bar Association, and the A.T. Walden Award for outstanding accomplishments to the legal profession by the Gate City Bar Association, Atlanta, Georgia. In 2017, Mr. Thompson was honored with the first-ever William T. Coleman, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award by the African-American Managing Partners Network. Mr. Thompson was elected as a Trustee to the University of Georgia Foundation in June 2016. Mr. Thompson has served on the University of Georgia School of Law’s faculty as the holder of the John A. Sibley Chair of Corporate and Business Law. In 2016, Mr. Thompson was named Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ethics Research Center (ERC), the research arm of the Ethics & Compliance Initiative (ECI). In 2014, Ethisphere magazine recognized Mr. Thompson by noting that as “the outgoing General Counsel of one of the world’s most well-recognized corporations [Thompson] has set the bar high for GC’s everywhere. [His] background in both public and private sectors earned him the trust and respect of his peers worldwide as he demonstrated how ethics and integrity are essential components of business success.”

In 2017, Mr. Thompson was appointed by the U.S. Department of Justice as the Independent Corporate Compliance Monitor and Auditor for Volkswagen AG.

Larry holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Culver-Stockton College, a Master’s degree from Michigan State University and a Law degree from the University of Michigan, an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Pace University in New York, and an Honorary Doctorate from St. Louis University. Larry’s first book, Quiet Counsel, was released in November 2024.

Dr. Trussell received her Ph.D. in Economics from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. Prior to that, she received her MPA from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at GSU, and her Bachelor’s in Discrete Mathematics from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Trussell’s teaching philosophy comes from her mentor’s admonition to multiply her passion. She is passionate about improving lives through economic development and providing students an incentive to learn by teaching them the details of economics and showing them the relevance of those details to their every day lives. She has spent time in Liberia, Africa, studying the impacts of child soldiering experiences on education and employment, the relationship of peace and trust, and local economic development in Liberia.

Dr. Vargas earned his Ph.D. Applied Mathematics from Wichita State University. He has an M.S. in Mathematics and a B.S. in Physics. His interests are computational fluid dynamics, mathematical modeling, partial differential equations, numerical analysis, and anything related to scientific computing.

Antonio received his Bachelor of Arts in Spanish with a minor in French from Emory University in Atlanta, GA. He began his career at the College in 2021 as a Financial Aid Customer Service Clerk.

Dr. Warner is Assistant Professor and Department Chair of Hospitality & Tourism Management. She is internationally known as an expert in liability and crisis preparedness issues that affect hospitality, tourism, meetings, and events.

Dr. Warner earned her B.S., Business Administration from Georgetown University and her M.A., Tourism Administration, from The George Washington University. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor from Georgia State University and her Ph.D. in Hospitality Administration from Oklahoma State University. She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Convention & Event Tourism. She is actively involved with the Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys, Meeting Professionals International, and the Events Industry Council.

During her career, Dr. Warner has been a professor, an attorney, a meeting and event planner, a catering manager, a convention and visitor’s bureau sales manager, and an association executive. She is one of only two people in the world who has a Ph.D. in Hospitality, is a practicing attorney, and is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP).

Dr. Lydia Watkins is the Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, as well as a Professor of Nursing. She has worked as a registered nurse since 1997, first in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the Children’s Hospital of Alabama, and then as a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurse Practitioner at Sparrow Health System in Lansing, MI. She was an adjunct instructor with the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine prior to joining the faculty at College of Coastal Georgia. Since joining the College, Dr. Watkins has served in other roles such as the BSN Program Coordinator, Interim Program Director of Radiologic Sciences, and Chair of Nursing and Health Sciences, prior to becoming the dean.

Dr. Watkins holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from The University of Alabama at Birmingham (research focus: Pediatric palliative care and hospice), a Master of Science in Nursing from The University of Alabama at Birmingham (research focus: Music therapy to reduce pain in pediatric oncology patients), a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and an Associate of Science in Nursing from Samford University. She is also a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) through the National League for Nursing.

Her research areas of interest, including regional and national presentations/publications, centers around student success, best practices in teaching, and service-learning. She is active with the Georgia Center for Nursing Excellence (board member), Academic Advisory Committee on Nursing (treasurer), Golden Isles College and Career Academy (foundation board member), and Georgia Association of Deans and Directors.

Ph.D., American History, Florida State University, 2010.
M.A., History, Florida State University, 2005.
B.A., History, Florida International University, 2000.

Scott Williamson is Professor of Practice, Marketing and Communications at the College of Coastal Georgia.

Williamson retired from Coca-Cola North America in 2017 as Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications, and brings a wealth of “real world” experience to the classroom. During his 25-year career, he directed communications initiatives for the Company’s brands, sports and entertainment properties, and multimillion dollar investments and acquisitions.

Originally from Brunswick, Ga., Scott is a graduate of Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies, and of the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications, where he earned a Master of Mass Communications degree.

Dr. Yeager earned his Ph.D. in Mathematics from Oklahoma State University. Prior to that, he received both his M.S. in Applied Mathematics and his M.S. in Pure Mathematics from the University of Missouri. His interests include random polynomials, orthogonal polynomials, asymptotic analysis, potential theory, number theory, and mathematics education. Visit Dr. Yeager’s personal website here: https://bit.ly/2OvNcEY

Dr. Zhao has a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Missouri Rolla. His interests include SaddlePoint Approximation, equivalence test, actuarial science, machine learning, and mathematics education.