GeneralSpace (Georgia Gwinnett College)

Ruiz Mandujano, Nathaly

Georgia Gwinnett College

I Am an Immigrant, But I Am an American, Too - 3rd Place Winner

Rawls, Richard

GGC School of Liberal Arts Faculty Focus: Creative Scholarship 
Associate Professor Amy Lynn Hess’s Book Showcases Creative Pedagogy 
     In 2020 Associate Professor of English Amy 
Lynn Hess published Write Outside: Outdoor 
Activities and Writing Prompts for English Com-
position.  She could have scarcely anticipated 
the timely nature of the book as she began 
working on it prior to Covid-19.  Its encour-
agement to students to get outside and ex-
plore nature proved the perfect antidote for 
those feeling cooped up from quarantine. 
     Hess also discovered that the tactile dimensions of 
teaching and learning how to write proved to be an 
inspiration for many.  She described the pedagogical 
approach as partly contemplative and partly 
“authentic inquiry through kinesthetic activity and 
tactile interaction.” 
     The book requires students to document their out-
door activities.  Take a walk in the woods?  Good!  
Now document it through writing.  Go on a picnic?  
Time to start writing.  Even a walk around campus 
turns into an opportunity to identify flora and fauna.   
     Hess asks students not just to narrate their experi-
ence with nature but also to weigh aesthetic princi-
ples against ecological impacts.  She also encouraged 
people to touch and smell and experience nature.  
“It’s literally and metaphorically about getting one’s 
hands dirty,” she explained.  She has mapped the 
book’s assignments to English 1102 course outcomes 
in the syllabus.   
     Hess sounds creative because she 
has an artistic streak involving peda-
gogy, ecology, art, and drumming.  Her 
interest in percussion ranges from 
drum kits to shamanic forms.  She con-
nects interests in unique ways.  Where 
others might just discern a beat, Hess 
hears a new writing assignment for stu-
dents in an exercise called “creating 
rhythm.”  Visualization also comes easi-
ly for Hess, who made the paintings below. 
     “Amy is a maker,” observed Dan Vollaro, a 
colleague in English.  “She is extremely crea-
tive and talented in a variety of areas, and she 
is able to build a bridge between different 
kinds of creativity and writing.” 
     Hess’s book and her pedagogy made contri-
butions in unexpected ways.  “I’m always 
learning new things from her,” said Vollaro.  
Students have also praised her approach to 
writing.  The thank you notes from students 
surprised Hess.  “They commented that being 
outdoors had such a positive impact on their 
mental health,” she remarked. Given the suc-
cess of her book, it is little wonder that she is 
working on a second edition. 
By Richard Rawls 
News Released September 2021                        ahess@ggc.edu                          SLA Contact Info: liberalarts@ ggc.edu 
Hess in nature and in publicity photo Ardea Herodias (le ) and Windy Harvest (right) 


Faculty Focus: Creative Scholarship

Yang, Ashlynn

George, Divya

Campbell, Nicky Bowen

Le, Tuong Vi

Underrepresentation of Minority Groups in U.S. Clinical Trials

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an executive order that allows many individuals to obtain social security numbers, work permits, licenses, etc. The podcast looks to address many viewpoints on DACA such as economical, ethical/social, technical, and political. Sometimes we forgot how easy it is for someone who grew up in the United States to get health insurance or even obtain a job. Some things are just taken for granted, whereas, students with DACA status have to take on countless loans and are often faced with many financial burdens. In this podcast, we let our experiences paint the picture and tell a story that describes the identity we have created for ourselves

Nieves Adame, Shaily

Mamani, Faizal

Mantilla, Maria

Ramshah, Mona Eliza


A Decade of DACA Podcast
Shaily Nieves Adam
Faizal Mamani
Maria Mantilla
Mona Eliza Ramshah 

https://media.ggc.edu/media/t/1_dz7b2gma
BIOL 4700 Interdisciplinary Applications of Biology - Timpte - Fall 2021
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an executive order that allows many individuals to obtain social security numbers, work permits, licenses, etc. The podcast looks to address many viewpoints on DACA such as economical, ethical/social, technical, and political. Sometimes we forgot how easy it is for someone who grew up in the United States to get health insurance or even obtain a job. Some things are just taken for granted, whereas, students with DACA status have to take on countless loans and are often faced with many financial burdens. In this podcast, we let our experiences paint the picture and tell a story that describes the identity we have created for ourselves.



English

A Decade of DACA Podcast

January/February 2021 issue of Student Engagement and Success Student Newsletter, a newsletter published by SES at Georgia Gwinnett Colleg

Rosemond, Marie-Michelle

Student Engagement and Success Student Newsletter, January/February 2021

March 2021 issue of Student Engagement and Success Student Newsletter, a newsletter published by SES at Georgia Gwinnett Colleg

Student Engagement and Success Student Newsletter, March 2021

Winterhalter, Teresa

GGC School of Liberal Arts: Dean’s Greetings 
 Dear Colleagues, Students, 
and Alums:  
     I am excited to welcome you 
to campus for the start of 
the Fall 2021 semester. No 
doubt, the hardships we faced 
last year affected all of us, and I 
recognize that 2021-22 is going to be an equally chal-
lenging year. The past months have been hard on our 
entire community as we have battled the corona-
virus, lived through political strife, and faced systemic 
racism. Yet despite these difficulties, I enter this new 
semester with abiding confidence in the future of 
SLA. With our shared and inviolable belief in the pow-
er of higher education to transform lives, I know that 
the commitment all the good people of SLA hold 
dear—the commitment to doing work that truly mat-
ters—will sustain us and bring the promise of a liber-
al arts education into even fuller blossom at GGC.   
     Indeed, SLA is poised to make this an outstanding 
year. With 20 of our professors having received pro-
motions; a remarkable catalog of faculty publications, 
performances, and exhibitions; numerous student 
success initiatives; one new academic major and sev-
eral new certificate programs; a new digital humani-
ties lab and improved lab spaces for CMAP, HDAS, 
and Psychology; and a fortified committee structure 
to meet more of our academic needs, our Fall 2021 
starting point is a strong one. There are even bigger 
developments on the horizon. (We’ll ask for the drum 
roll when the future is made manifest… until then, 
just know that our planning is in full swing).  
     All these achievements and initiatives, are targeted 
to provide our students with resources that support 
their academic journeys and personal well-being.  
Even in my first year here as your dean, I have seen 
how everyone involved with making SLA tick is com-
mitted to the belief that our students are the heart 
of our institution.  All of us strive continuously 
to provide an environment that nourishes aca-
demic achievement, creativity, flexibility, and 
compassion.  
     Because of GGC’s uncommon commitment to 
this sort of education, I am happy to be among 
you for yet another year of challenges and op-
portunities. In the true spirit of the liberal arts, I 
am proud to have been entrusted with the re-
sponsibility of leading a school that honors the 
understanding that each of us matters as an in-
dividual. I am equally proud to say that we in 
SLA take seriously the need to understand who 
we are, where we come from, and why we are 
here, as well as to cherish our connectedness to 
one another. 
     With that spirit as our guide, I know that no 
matter what circumstances are thrown our way, 
we have a bright and promising year before us. 
Welcome back and go do great things for your-
selves and others! 
 
     Teresa 
August 2021                                                                                                                             SLA Contact Info: liberalarts@ggc.edu 


Dean's Greetings

GGC School of Liberal Arts Focus: Take a Bow! 
Faculty and Staff Receive Promotions and Awards in 2021 
2021 Fall Recognition Ceremony: 
     On Thursday, September 23, 2021, 
Georgia Gwinnett College gathered to 
recognize campus-wide staff and facul-
ty achievement.  Two members of the 
SLA received awards for excellence: 
GGC Staff Award: Lisa Shaffer, Faculty 
Coordinator.  
Outstanding Student Engagement Faculty Award: 
Ellen Rafshoon, History.  
     The ceremony next turned to promotions. SLA fac-
ulty promoted to Professor included: 
Rachel Bowser, English. 
Bruce Carroll, Criminal Justice/Criminology. 
Myung Choi, Spanish. 
Gregory Gullette, Anthropology. 
Allen Keith Kelly, English. 
Niaz Khan, English/Communications. 
Jeanne McCarthy, English. 
Luis Mora, Spanish. 
Nathan Orgill, History. 
Stacy Rusnak, Film.  
These faculty were promoted to Associate Professor: 
Kate Balsley, Film. 
Georgeta Connor, Geography. 
Rachel Fischer, Music. 
Ebony Gibson, English. 
Paul Grant, Political Science. 
David Kirschner, Sociology. 
Kristene McClure, English. 
Catherine Moore, Art. 
Marie Ratchford, Criminal Justice/Criminology. 
Maryann White, Criminal Justice/Criminology. 
The First GGC Professor 
Named Emeritus: 
     Alan Marks, Psychology.  (A 
future issue of SLA News will be 
devoted to Dr. Marks). 
ROAR Awards: 
     In Spring 2021, Student Life 
gave to faculty a series of awards for excel-
lence in oversight and collaboration with reg-
istered student organizations. Three SLA facul-
ty were recognized in two categories: 
RSO Advisor of the Year: 
Richard Rawls, History. 
Outstanding SISC Campus Partner Awards:  
Tirza Leader, Psychology. 
Ebony Gibson, English. 
Top Claw Awards:  According to criteria, 
“Top Claw recipients go above and beyond, 
and embody the spirit of a true GGC Grizzly. 
They give all they have with a positive attitude 
while showcasing the college's four core val-
ues: integrity, excellence, accountability and 
respect.”  The following SLA members re-
ceived the awards for Fall 2020, but they were 
only announced as recipients in early 2021: 
Eugene Berger, History. 
Marni Brown, Sociology. 
Ebony Gibson, English. 
Marc Gilley, Music. 
     On September 23, GGC Provost Dr. George 
Low said,  "We participate in a ceremonial tra-
dition designed to recognize and celebrate 
academic achievement and to acknowledge 
the contributions of those demonstrating ex-
cellence.”  The SLA has cause to celebrate! 
SLA News # 5 Released September 2021                                                               SLA Contact Info: liberalarts@ ggc.edu 


Focus: Take a Bow!

GGC School of Liberal Arts Faculty Focus: Scholarship 
Death by Technology: The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions 
GGC Psychology Professor encourages People to think about how They use Tech 
Editor’s Note:  we asked John “Ray” Cook to ex-
plain both the thinking that went into his book 
and the process of composing it.   
 
Why did you write the book? 
Arthur Clarke once said that, “any technol-
ogy that is sufficiently advanced is indistin-
guishable from magic.” Like, magic, many 
people seem to be impressed with tech-
nology for the very reason that they do not 
understand it.  Despite this lack of under-
standing, there seems to be an overwhelm-
ing reliance upon technology and a belief that it will 
solve all the world’s problems.  This belief has be-
come so entrenched that it is accepted without ques-
tion at a level that is similar to religious devotion.  
This unthinking acceptance is dangerous and mis-
placed.  Many of the very problems that plague hu-
manity such as climate change, cyber theft, and the 
efficient murder of vast numbers in warfare are a di-
rect result of technology that has 
had unforeseen consequences.  
What do you hope people will take 
away from the book? 
That there is also a downside to tech-
nological advance.  It may manifest 
in the form of disjointed social rela-
tionships all the way to nuclear de-
struction. It is true that technology 
has brought many miraculous things 
to humanity. Technology has also be 
the means of our destruction unless 
we take a more critical look at tech-
nology rather than 
the current zeitgeist that suggests all good 
things come from technological develop-
ment. 
How long did the book take to write?  
Three years, but things kept changing!  
What were some of the issues?  
The ever-changing landscape of the sub-
ject was one problem.  Another was the 
sheer amount of information. It was diffi-
cult to decide what to keep and what to 
leave out.  The original manuscript was 
almost 500 pages cut down to about 200 
pages of text. 
Were there any surprising synchronicities 
between classroom teaching and research?
Because of the technological overlay on all 
aspects of education, there was a constant 
feedback loop from the classroom to the 
effects described in the book.  Some topics, 
such as the discussion of artificial intelligence, 
evolved out of a lecture in class. 
Did the book thus come together 
with greater ease than expected? 
The publication process, despite 
COVID, went rather smoothly.  The 
publisher, McFarland, was an excel-
lent company to work with, and 
they made the process relatively 
painless. 
 
John R. Cook, Death by Technolo-
gy. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 
2021. 
 
By Richard Rawls 
News Released September 2021                        jcook2@ggc.edu                          SLA Contact Info: liberalarts@ ggc.edu 
John R. Cook 
