Campus Notables

Ms. Kristin Casaletto, fine arts, has been awarded one of 20 fellowships by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in Amherst, Va. The center is a working retreat for visual artists, writers, and composers.

Mr. Tim Dobbs, physical plant, recently gave a presentation on beekeeping and honeybees to his grandson’s kindergarten class at North Augusta Elementary School.

Dr. Martin David Jones and Dr. Clara Park, fine arts, performed a duo-piano concert as part of the University of Georgia’s 1900 + series, which features 20th century two-piano music. Also, Dr. Jones recently performed the Mendelssohn piano concerto Capriccio Brilliant as a soloist with the Ludwig Symphony Orchestra in Atlanta.

Dr. Ruth Yachan Evans, clinical and professional studies, has earned a PhD in curriculum and instruction from North Carolina State University. Dr. Evans also presented her research, Academic and Social Gains for Students with Emotional-Behavioral Disorders Using Reciprocal Peer Tutoring, in April at the Council for Exceptional Children’s International Conference in Baltimore, Md.

Susan Mucha, languages, literature, and communications, has had her first novel, Deadly Deception, published by Harbor House Books. The book, a fast-paced thriller about a murder of mistaken identity at The Augusta National, is available on Amazon.com and at bookstores nationwide.

The Phoenix Magazine, advised by Dr. Deborah van Tuyll, languages, literature, and communications, recently won first place in the Society for Professional Journalists District 3 Mark of Excellence Awards for the Best Student Magazine Published More than Once a Year. Former staff photographer, Bryan Rykken, also won second place in the photo illustration category. The magazine will compete against other outstanding national magazines at the SPJ Mark of Excellence competition later this year in Las Vegas.

Mr. Joseph D. Greene, business administration, recently published the book, From Cotton Fields to Board Rooms. In the book, Mr. Greene discusses his life on a farm in rural Emanuel County and how he rose from his first job in door-to-door insurance sales to become a member of its senior management team. His life’s journey would take him to college classrooms, corporate board rooms, and civic leadership, which often placed him in the category of “firsts.” He was among the first African Americans to graduate from a predominately white college and later join its faculty, the first African American elected to public office in McDuffie County, the first to sit on the boards of at least a dozen organizations, the first to lead the state’s Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and among the firsts in his family to survive cancer. Mr. Greene conducts financial planning workshops, publishes articles on finance and economics, and presents motivational seminars. He is the author of Money Matters and is the president of Greene Financial Group. He serves as the president-elect of the Rotary Club of Augusta and is currently a director of the Georgia Council on Economic Education. He sits on the boards of First Bank of Georgia, Healthcare Georgia Foundation, St. Joseph Hospital, the CSRA Community Foundation, and the National Science Center Discovery. Before joining Augusta State, Mr. Greene served as executive vice president and chief marketing officer for the Pilgrim Life Insurance Company. He received a bachelor’s degree from Augusta State University and a master’s degree from the University of Georgia. Copies of Mr. Greene’s book can be found in ASU’s and other local bookstores.

Wendy Turner, history, was elected to a three-year term as treasurer of the Georgia Association of Historians. At their annual meeting, she also presented The Competence of Physicians Treating Incompetent Patients in Medieval England.

News Briefs:

Tune in Sunday, May 1, to hear Dr. Rob Foster, associate professor of music, talk about the ASU jazz program and his new CD, How’s That. The program will air on Radio One stations, at 6 a.m. on WAKB 96.9; 7 a.m. on WFXA 103.1 (Foxie 103); and at 5 p.m. on WTHB 100.9 Next month's program will feature Dr. Charlotte Price, chair of the Department of Nursing, who will talk about the LPN to RN and associate of science in nursing programs at ASU.

Ms. Jennifer Onofrio, fine arts, has been named a Governor’s Teaching Fellow for the 2005-06 academic year. Established in 1995 by Governor Zell Miller, the Governor's Teaching Fellows (GTF) Program is designed for faculty members who teach at accredited public or private colleges or universities in the state of Georgia and addresses a statewide need to improve undergraduate instruction. Ms. Onofrio will take part in the 2005-06 Academic Year Symposia, which is designed to help participants implement projects that will enhance the quality of undergraduate education on their campuses. Fellows are selected on the basis of their teaching experience, on their ability to have an impact on their own campuses, and on a strong commitment by their home institution for release time and other forms of support for the duration of their participation in the program.

Ms. Brenda Reese, physical plant, has been named Employee of the Quarter for the first quarter. Ms. Reese has worked at ASU for more than 20 years. She was recognized for her outstanding work during the March Peach Belt Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament. Ms. Reese worked 100 hours during the tournament. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, cooking, and going to church.

Forest Hills Golf Course, owned by the university and managed by the Augusta Golf Association, underwent a recent change in management. Robbie Watson, ’89, has accepted a position as manager of the new Bartram Trail Golf Course, opening in Columbia County. Watson, a former player for the men’s golf team, began work at the golf course in 1991 and was named general manager in 2004. Scott Allen has been named as interim general manager of the golf course. The historic course on which golfing legend Bobby Jones began his Grand Slam of Golf in 1930 is available for play at reduced rates to faculty, staff, and students with valid ASU ID.

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