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Teacher mindfulness doesn't begin on the first day of classes in the late summer or early fall. It is an invaluable skill that can be practiced and perfected all throughout the year, especially when teachers are on summer break. Leigh McLean is an an associate research professor in the School of Education and Center for Research in Educational and Social Policy at the University of Delaware. In her program of research, she investigates how teachers’ emotions and emotion-related experiences including well-being impact their effectiveness. Her work particularly focuses on how teachers’ emotions impact their instructional practices, and the role that early-career teachers’ emotions play as they transition into the career. She holds expertise in quantitative, mixed-methods, and longitudinal study design and implementation, multileveled data analysis, and classroom observation. Below she gives a few tips on how teachers can begin preparing themselves – and by extension their future students – for all the ups and downs of the upcoming school year. Engage in restorative rest this summer. One of the ways to prepare for the upcoming school year is to get restorative rest. It's important to let your brain disengage for a short time, but it's also beneficial to set aside time, before the school year begins, to think about the past school year. What went well? What might you want to do differently?? What techniques are you hoping to improve in the coming school year? As we as a society still reel from the COVID-19 pandemic, meaningfully reflect on the past four years and ask yourself what you've see with your students. What might they need to succeed this upcoming year? How can you facilitate an environment where students are getting supports for the unique challenges that the pandemic created? Incorporate mindfulness into your daily habit. A mindfulness practice is a daily regime of awareness, contemplation, and processing of all the things going on both within and outside of you. Mindfulness is a key skill when it comes to the larger goal of emotional understanding and regulation, and it has been shown to be a particularly helpful practice for teachers. However, you cannot expect to dive into mindfulness on day one of a new school year, it take practice. A great place to start is to pay attention to your emotions and work on emotional awareness in the weeks leading up to the school year. Shift your thinking fromo "emotions are noise that get in the way" to "My emotions are important signals that I have to pay attention to." This type of shift can be difficult to do for the first time in the heat of teaching so summer is a great time to practice these techniques. As educators, teachers experience the full range of human emotions every day, and they are usually the only adults in the room. While this might at the outset seem intimidating, teachers have the unique opportunity to use their emotions intentionally as cues for their students to pick up on. Dr. Jon Cooper, Director of Behavioral Health for the Colonial School District in New Castle, Delaware noted: "We want teachers to be the emotional thermostat, not the thermometer," and "We want them to intentionally set the emotional tone of the classroom." During the summer, think about how to set classroom norms and expectations to be responsive to your emotions and those of your students in a way that will create a more mindful classroom all around. This could look like including a classroom norm stating that aAll emotions are ok, even the bad ones. It could also look like acknowledging in your classroom management approaches that there is a difference between emotions and behaviors; so while all emotions are ok, not all behaviors that come from those emotions are ok. Take yourself through a school day and anticipate the needs of your students. One major mindfulness practice is taking yourself through a typical school day and identifying parts where students are most likely to have difficulties. Do students have challenging moments during small groups? Is there a lot of math anxiety going on in your class? Try structuring your day, approach, even your expressions so that you set yourself and your students up for success during these moments that are more likely to be challenging. Utilize mindfulness websites and apps. There are websites and apps teachers can use to further incorporate mindfulness into their daily lives, including: The Center for Healthy Minds UCLA's Free Mindfulness App For more tips... McLean is available for interviews and can expound on the ways teachers can set themselves – and their students – up for success. Click on her profile to connect.
Covering the race for the White House? Georgia Southern's presidency expert can help
It has been far from a quiet summer on the American political scene. Each day seems to bring a different twist of turn for both parties seeking to claim power in the upcoming November elections. And if you're covering - Georgia Southern University political science professor Joshua Kennedy, Ph.D., is here to help with any question you may have, angle you're looking to explore or simply be a reliable, informed and objective source for your stories. Kennedy's principal area of study and teaching is in American politics, with a more particular focus on the presidency and the federal bureaucracy. His research has appeared in such outlets as American Politics Research, Research and Politics and Presidential Studies Quarterly, and he is a renowned expert for local, regional and national media when it comes to the American presidency. So if you have a story to file between now and November 05 - simply click on Joshua Kennedy's icon now to arrange an interview today.
Expert Insight: Training Innovative AI to Provide Expert Guidance on Prescription Medications
A new wave of medications meant to treat Type II diabetes is grabbing headlines around the world for their ability to help people lose a significant amount of weight. They are called GLP-1 receptor agonists. By mimicking a glucagon-like peptide (GLP) naturally released by the body during digestion, they not only lower blood sugar but also slow digestion and increase the sense of fullness after eating. The two big names in GLP-1 agonists are Ozempic and Wegovy, and both are a form of semaglutide. Another medication, tirzepatide, is sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound. It is also a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) agonist as well as GLP-1. Physicians have been prescribing semaglutide and tirzepatide with increasing frequency. However, both medications come with a host of side effects, including nausea and stomach pain, and are not suitable for every patient. Many clinics and physicians do not have immediate access to expert second opinions, as do the physicians at Emory Healthcare. Creating a Digital Twin That lack of an expert is one of the reasons Karl Kuhnert, professor in the practice of organization and management at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, is using artificial intelligence to capture the expertise of physicians like Caroline Collins MD through the Tacit Object Modeler™, or TOM. By using TOM, developed by Merlynn Intelligence Technologies, Kuhnert and Collins can create her “decision-making digital twin.” This allows Collins to reveal her expertise as a primary care physician with Emory Healthcare and an Assistant Professor at Emory School of Medicine, where she has been leading the field in integrating lifestyle medicine into clinical practices and education. Traditional AI, like ChatGPT, uses massive amount of data points to predict outcomes using what’s known as explicit knowledge. But it isn’t necessarily learning as it goes. According to Kuhnert, TOM has been designed to learn how an expert, like Collins, decides whether or not to prescribe a drug like semaglutide to a patient. Wisdom or tacit knowledge is intuitive and rooted in experience and context. It is hard to communicate, and usually resides only in the expert’s mind. TOM’s ability to “peek into the expert’s mind makes it a compelling technology for accessing wisdom.” “Objective or explicit knowledge is known and can be shared with others,” says Kuhnert. "For example, ChatGPT uses explicit knowledge in its answers. It’s not creating something new. It may be new to you as you read it, but somebody, somewhere, before you, has created it. It’s understood as coming from some source." Karl Kuhnert “Tacit knowledge is subjective wisdom. Experts offer this, and we use their tacit know-how, their implicit knowledge, to make their decisions. If it were objective, everyone could do it. This is why we hire experts: They see things and know things others don’t; they see around corners.” Mimicking the Mind of a Medical Expert Teaching TOM to see around the corners requires Collins to work with the AI over the course of a few days. “Essentially what I do is I sit down with, in this case, a physician, and ask them, ‘What are thinking about when you make this decision?'” says Kuhnert. “The layperson might think that there are hundreds of variables in making a medical decision like this. With the expert’s tacit knowledge and experience, it is usually between seven and twelve variables. They decide based on these critical variables,” he says. "These experts have so much experience, they can cut away a lot of the noise around a decision and get right to the point and ask, ‘What am I looking at?’" Karl Kuhnert As TOM learns, it presents Collins with more and different scenarios for prescribing semaglutide. As she makes decisions, it remembers the variables present during her decision-making process. “Obviously, some variables are going to be more important than other variables. Certain combinations are going to be challenging,” says Collins. “Sometimes there are going to be some variables where I think, yes, this patient needs a GLP-1. Then there may be some variables where I think, no, this person really doesn’t need that. And which ones are going to win out? That’s really where TOM is valuable. It can say, okay, when in these difficult circumstances where there are conflicting variables, which one will ultimately be most important in making that decision?” The Process: Trusting AI After working with TOM for several hours, Collins will have reacted to enough scenarios for TOM to learn to make her decision. The Twin will need to demonstrate that it can replicate her decision-making with acceptable accuracy—high 90s to 100 percent. Once there, Collins’ Twin is ready to use. “I think it’s important to have concordance between what I would say in a situation and then what my digital twin would say in a situation because that’s our ultimate goal is to have an AI algorithm that can duplicate what my recommendation would be given these circumstances for a patient,” Collins says. “So, someone, whether that be an insurance company, or a patient themselves or another provider, would be able to consult TOM, and in essence, me, and say, in this scenario, would you prescribe a GLP-1 or not given this specific patient’s situation?” The patient’s current health and family history are critical when deciding whether or not to prescribe semaglutide. For example, according to Novo Nordisk, the makers of Ozempic, the drug should not be prescribed to patients with a history of problems with the pancreas or kidneys or with a family history of thyroid cancer. Those are just the start of a list of reasons why a patient may or may not be a good candidate for the medication. Kuhnert says, “What we’re learning is that there are so many primary care physicians right now that if you come in with a BMI over 25 and are prediabetic, you’re going to get (a prescription). But there’s much more data around this to suggest that there are people who are health marginalized, and they can’t do this. They should not have this (medication). It’s got to be distributed to people who can tolerate it and are safe.” Accessing the Digital Twin on TOM Collins’s digital twin could be available via something as easy to access as an iPhone app. “Part of my job is to provide the latest information to primary care physicians. Now, I can do this in a way that is very powerful for primary care physicians to go on their phones and put it in. It’s pretty remarkable, according to Colllins.” It is also transparent and importantly sourced information. Any physician using a digital twin created with TOM will know exactly whose expertise they are accessing, so anyone asking for a second opinion from Colllins will know they are using an expert physician from Emory University. In addition to patient safety, there are a number of ways TOM can be useful to the healthcare industry when prescribing medications like semaglutide. This includes interfacing with insurance companies and the prior approval process, often lengthy and handled by non-physician staff. “Why is a non-expert at an insurance company determining whether a patient needs a medication or not? Would it be better to have an expert?” says Collins. “I’m an expert in internal medicine and lifestyle medicine. So, I help people not only lose weight, but also help people change their behaviors to optimize their health. My take on GLP-1 medications is not that everyone needs them, it’s that they need to be utilized in a meaningful way, so patients will get benefit, given risks and benefits for these medications.” The Power of a Second Opinion Getting second, and sometimes third, opinions is a common practice among physicians and patients both. When a patient presents symptoms to their primary care physician, that physician may have studied the possible disease in school but isn’t necessarily an expert. In a community like Emory Healthcare, the experts are readily available, like Collins. She often serves as a second opinion for her colleagues and others around the country. “What we’re providing folks is more of a second opinion. Because we want this actually to work alongside someone, you can look at this opinion that this expert gave, and now, based on sourced information, you can choose. This person may be one of the best in the country, if not the world, in making this decision. But we’re not replacing people here. We’re not dislocating people with this technology. We need people. We need today’s and tomorrow’s experts as well,” according to Kuhnert. But also, you now have the ability to take an Emory physician’s diagnosing capabilities to physicians in rural areas and make use of this information, this knowledge, this decision, and how they make this decision. We have people here that could really help these small hospitals across the country. Caroline Collin MD Rural Americans have significant health disparities when compared to those living in urban centers. They are more likely to die from heart disease, cancer, injury, chronic respiratory disease, and stroke. Rural areas are finding primary care physicians in short supply, and patients in rural areas are 64 percent less likely to have access to medical specialists for needed referrals. Smaller communities might not have immediate access to experts like a rheumatologist, for example. In addition, patients in more rural areas might not have the means of transportation to get to a specialist, nor have the financial means to pay for specialized visits for a diagnosis. Collins posits that internal medicine generalists might suspect a diagnosis but want to confirm before prescribing a course of treatment. “If I have a patient for whom I am trying to answer a specific question, ‘Does this patient have lupus?’, for instance. I’m not going to be able to diagnose this person with lupus. I can suspect it, but I’m going to ask a rheumatologist. Let’s say I’m in a community where unfortunately, we don’t have a rheumatologist. The patient can’t see a rheumatologist. That’s a real scenario that’s happening in the United States right now. But now I can ask the digital twin acting as a rheumatologist, given these variables, ‘Does this patient have lupus?’ And the digital twin could give me a second opinion.” Sometimes, those experts are incredibly busy and might not have the physical availability for a full consult. In this case, someone could use TOM to create the digital twin of that expert. This allows them to give advice and second opinions to a wider range of fellow physicians. As Kuhnert says, TOM is not designed or intended to be a substitute for a physician. It should only work alongside one. Collins agreed, saying, “This doesn’t take the place of a provider in actual clinical decision-making. That’s where I think someone could use it inappropriately and could get patients into trouble. You still have to have a person there with clinical decision-making capacity to take on additional variables that TOM can’t yet do. And so that’s why it’s a second opinion.” “We’re not there yet in AI says Collins. We have to be really careful about having AI make actual medical decisions for people without someone there to say, ‘Wait a minute, does this make sense?’” AI Implications in the Classroom and Beyond Because organizations use TOM to create digital twins of their experts, the public cannot use the twins to shop for willing doctors. “We don’t want gaming the system,” says Collins. “We don’t want doctor shopping. What we want is a person there who can utilize AI in a meaningful way – not in a dangerous way. I think we’ll eventually get there where we can have AI making clinical decisions. But I don’t think I’d feel comfortable with that yet.” The implications of using decision-making digital twins in healthcare reach far beyond a second opinion for prescription drugs. Kuhnert sees it as an integral part of the future of medical school classrooms at Emory. In the past, teaching case studies have come from books, journals, and papers. Now, they could come alive in the classroom with AI simulation programs like TOM. "I think this would be great for teaching residents. Imagine that we could create a simulation and put this in a classroom, have (the students) do the simulation, and then have the physician come in and talk about how she makes her decisions." Karl Kuhnert “And then these residents could take this decision, and now it’s theirs. They can keep it with them. It would be awesome to have a library of critical health decisions made in Emory hospitals,” Kuhnert says. Collins agreed. “We do a lot of case teaching in the medical school. I teach both residents and medical students at Emory School of Medicine. This would be a really great tool to say, okay, given these set of circumstances, what decision would you make for this patient? Then, you could see what the expert’s decision would have been. That could be a great way to see if you are actually in lockstep with the decision-making process that you’re supposed to be learning.” Kuhnert sees decision-making twins moving beyond the healthcare system and into other arenas like the courtroom, public safety, and financial industries and has been working with other experts to digitize their knowledge in those fields. "The way to think about this is: say there is a subjective decision that gets made that has significant ramifications for that company and maybe for the community. What would it mean if I could digitize experts and make it available to other people who need an expert or an expert’s decision-making?" Karl Kuhnert “You think about how many people aren’t available. Maybe you have a physician who’s not available. You have executives who are not available. Often expertise resides in the minds of just a few people in an organization,” says Kuhnert. “Pursuing the use of technologies like TOM takes the concept of the digital human expert from simple task automation to subjective human decision-making support and will expand the idea of a digital expert into something beyond our current capabilities,” Kuhnert says. “I wanted to show that we could digitize very subjective decisions in such areas as ethical and clinical decision-making. In the near future, we will all learn from the wisdom codified in decision-making digital twins. Why not learn from the best? There is a lot of good work to do.” Karl Kuhnert is a Professor in the Practice of Organization & Management and Associate Professor of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Senior Faculty Fellow of the Emory Ethics Center. If you're looking to connect with Karl to know more - simply click on his icon now to arrange a time to talk today.
Understanding the Significance of Juneteenth
Alan Singer, professor of education, is featured in a USA Today article about the historical significance and observation of Juneteenth. The article notes that Juneteenth marks the day the last African American slaves were notified that they had been freed from their masters, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Dr. Singer said that during this time, an estimated 250,000 people were kept enslaved in Texas despite the Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on Jan 1, 1863. While Juneteenth is becoming more widely known and understood, Dr. Singer explained that there was a time when Black History was not widely discussed within the educational system. “I didn’t learn it (until) I was an adult, really (in the) 1990s, when as a teacher, I started studying more, so I (could) incorporate it into my lessons,” he said. “I went to City College in the 1960s, and they had first introduced a course called ‘American Negro History’ and that was the first time I had learned about any of these things. I took the course because I became a political activist while at City College and I needed to know more about the African American civil rights struggles.” Alan Singer is a Professor of Teaching, Learning and Technology. He is available to speak with media - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
MEDIA RELEASE: CAA Awards the Dedication and Compassion of a School Zone Safety Ambassador
CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) is proud to recognize Sonia Preston, a teacher at Brookmill Boulevard Junior Public School in Scarborough, as an outstanding road safety ambassador and an integral part of the CAA School Safety Program (CAA SSP) – a program that teaches children life-long leadership skills on how to interact in a busy world with the confidence to be able to act in emergency situations. Preston is the winner of the CAA School Safety Patrol Supervisor of the Year and was nominated by Brookmill Boulevard Junior Public School Principal Helena Syptak. For 21 years, Preston has been part of the CAA School Safety Patrol program, acting as a Patrol Supervisor and trusted member of the community. Going above and beyond her duties, she consistently maintains a visible presence during peak traffic hours, providing guidance and support to Patrollers as they fulfil their duties by conducting regular training sessions to equip Patrollers with the skills to handle various traffic scenarios with poise and precision. “Ms. Preston's volunteerism, commitment, dependability, and leadership are the cornerstones of our Safety Patrol program's success,” says Syptak. “Her efforts above and beyond the expected Patrol Supervisor role have made a lasting impact on our school community, enriching the lives of countless students and inspiring them to become responsible leaders and compassionate citizens.” The CAA School Safety Patrol program was developed in 1929 to protect, educate, and empower elementary school children on safe road-crossing practices. With more than 90 years of proven experience in teaching road safety and children’s safety in school zones, the program gives Patrollers an acute awareness of road safety and gives them the tools to help them stay safe as they travel to and from school. Preston's commitment to promoting pedestrian safety goes beyond the school grounds. She has actively engaged with local authorities and community stakeholders, such as the School Advisory Council, to address traffic concerns in the surrounding area, advocating for improved infrastructure and implementing strategies to mitigate potential hazards. “Ms. Preston leads by example, demonstrating integrity, compassion, and resilience in everything she does,” says Syptak “Her ability to inspire and motivate others has a profound impact on patrollers, instilling in them a sense of purpose and pride in their roles. Under her guidance, patrollers not only fulfil their duties with excellence but also emerge as confident leaders and responsible citizens.” We thank Sonia Preston for being a local hero in her community and advocating for road safety in her everyday life. Since its start, the CAA School Safety Patrol program has helped keep students safe in school zones. Every year, approximately 800 schools in Ontario participate in the CAA SSP program, which CAA SCO delivers with local partners. For more information on the program, visit www.caaschoolsafetypatrol.com
The anniversary of the Watergate arrests marks a pivotal moment in American political history, symbolizing the enduring importance of accountability, transparency, and the role of the media in a democratic society. This event matters to the public because it highlights the critical function of investigative journalism and its impact on government oversight. The Watergate scandal fundamentally transformed American politics and media, providing numerous compelling story angles for journalists to explore: The role of investigative journalism in uncovering the Watergate scandal The impact of Watergate on American political culture and public trust in government Personal accounts from journalists, political figures, and historians who lived through the era The evolution of political scandals and their handling in the media since Watergate The influence of Watergate on contemporary issues of government transparency and accountability Educational initiatives and resources for teaching the significance of Watergate to new generations As we commemorate the anniversary of the Watergate arrests, journalists have an opportunity to delve into these multifaceted narratives, shedding light on the historical significance and lasting impact of this monumental event in American history. Connect with an Expert about the history of Watergate: Stephen Griffin W.R. Irby Chair and Rutledge C. Clement Jr. Professor in Constitutional Law · Tulane University Thomas Schwartz Distinguished Professor of History · Vanderbilt University Michael A. Genovese Professor of Political Science and International Relations · Loyola Marymount University Jim Riddlesperger Professor · Texas Christian University Walter Isaacson University Professor · Tulane University To search our full list of experts visit www.expertfile.com Photo credit: Library of Congress
Hot Topic: Regents Not Mandatory for Graduation
Professor of Education Alan Singer spoke to WNYW-TV Fox 5 about a move to make the Regents exams optional in New York. “I agree younger students are over-tested, but I don’t think they’re being over-tested in high school,” said Dr. Singer. “The exams shouldn’t be abandoned until after assessments are developed.” Alan Singer is a Professor of Teaching, Learning and Technology. He is available to speak with media - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.
The anniversary of D-Day marks a pivotal moment in World War II, commemorating the bravery and sacrifice of the Allied forces who stormed the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944. This event matters to the public as it honors the heroes who fought for freedom and underscores the enduring lessons of courage, strategy, and unity in the face of adversity. The significance of D-Day provides numerous compelling story angles for journalists to explore, appealing to a broad audience: Firsthand accounts and personal stories of veterans who participated in the D-Day invasion The strategic planning and execution of Operation Overlord, and its impact on the outcome of World War II The role of international cooperation and the contributions of different Allied nations in the Normandy landings The lasting legacy of D-Day on contemporary military tactics and international relations Commemorative events and ceremonies honoring the fallen and preserving the memory of D-Day Educational initiatives and resources for teaching younger generations about the importance of D-Day and World War II history As we commemorate the anniversary of D-Day, journalists have an opportunity to delve into these multifaceted narratives, shedding light on the historical significance and lasting impact of this monumental event. Connect with an Expert about D-Day and America's efforts in WWII: Colin Rafferty Associate Professor · University of Mary Washington Marc Gallicchio, PhD Professor and Mary M. Birle Chair in History | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences · Villanova University Robert Taylor, Ph.D. Dean | College of Psychology and Liberal Arts · Florida Tech Patrick Jung, Ph.D. Professor · Milwaukee School of Engineering Kara Dixon Vuic LCpl. Benjamin W. Schmidt Professor of War, Conflict, and Society in 20th-Century America · Texas Christian University To search our full list of experts visit www.expertfile.com Photo credit: Joris Berthelot
Approximately 4,200 degrees conferred during Georgia Southern’s 2024 Spring Commencement ceremonies
In May, approximately 4,200 graduates from Georgia Southern University’s Statesboro, Armstrong and Liberty campuses received associate, baccalaureate, masters, specialist and doctoral degrees in five Spring 2024 Commencement ceremonies. Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero welcomed the graduates and their guests to the ceremonies, held at the Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Statesboro on May 7, 8 and 9, and at the EnMarket Arena in Savannah on May 11. “Graduates, I don’t need to tell you about your unique college journey, which has been challenging,” said Marrero to the crowds. “I am very proud of how, together, we have persevered allowing us to have a successful semester and today, our commencement ceremony. This graduation is a momentous occasion for Georgia Southern University, as well as for all of you. Today, you are part of history at Georgia Southern.” Speakers included: Mackenzie Anderson (’07), global director of Corporate Communications at Nike Alton M. Standifer, Ph.D. (’12, ’14), vice provost for Inclusive Excellence and chief of staff to the provost at the University of Georgia (UGA) Kim Greene, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Georgia Power Chris Ahearn (’09), director of research and trade development for the World Trade Center Savannah Candicee Childs, M.D., (’19) an emerging beacon of inspiration in the fields of medicine and literature. At present, she is a resident physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, the largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, with a focus on child and adolescent psychiatry Anderson opened the graduation ceremonies in Statesboro, following a warm introduction from Marrero, who described her leadership role at Nike. “I’m sure you probably expected me to get up here and say something like, ‘Class of 2024, go out into the world and ‘Just Do It,’” Anderson mused. “But here’s the deal. I don’t have to tell you to just do it because you just did it. You did the impossible by making it through the pandemic. “Today you aren’t just graduating with a degree in whatever is written on your diploma. You’re also graduating with a degree in doing hard things. And today we celebrate you.” She continued, saying that earning a degree in “doing hard things” has no doubt been a challenge, but the graduates will soon find out that this is also their superpower. They produced their own playbook, as unique and rare as they are. How they use the playbook moving forward is up to them — to wit, be curious, be wrong while giving yourself permission to make mistakes, be humble and be persistent. “Launch into the world,” Anderson concluded. “And whether you land just across the street, across the country like me or somewhere around the world, remember where you came from. Today you are etching your name alongside a proud Eagle alumni network of more than 147,000 strong. “It is my honor to be the first to say, ‘Georgia Southern University graduating Class of 2024, welcome to the alumni family.'” Standifer shared his own story as a young man, undecided about going to college while he worked as a cashier. A regular customer, Mr. Paul, continuously asked Standifer about whether he’d attend college, until one day Standifer told him he was going to attend Georgia Southern University. With a wide grin, Mr. Paul congratulated him and handed him a $100 bill. Incredulous, Standifer asked why he’d given him such a large tip. Mr. Paul told him it wasn’t a tip. It was an investment, and he’d continue to mentor Standifer in the following years, and remain a profound influence in his life. “I want to encourage you all to think of the Mr. Paul’s in your life,” Standifer said. “Think of the people who have helped you get to today. And then when you leave here, make the conscious effort that you will be Mr. Paul for someone else.” In Savannah, Ahearn shared his journey of discovery in Georgia Southern’s classrooms where he explored Irish film, an introduction to the United Nations, abnormal psychology, Celtic identity and conflict, psychology and law, and gangs, drugs and criminal justice. “There’s a whole menu of choices for you and experiences for you to choose from to really help you discover who you are, where you fit, what drives you, what gets your creative juices flowing, and what options are out there when you graduate from these key interactions,” Ahearn said. Following, he pursued a master’s in international relations in Ireland that gave him a deeper perspective on how the world operates and how interconnected we all are. Ensuing professional roles in higher education, international networking and fundraising, culminated in his current role at World Trade Center, Savannah. From the stage, Ahearn stressed his key takeaways: network, stay in touch with your classmates, be authentic and perhaps, most importantly, travel. “Go outside your comfort zone,” he encouraged. “Try things you’d never try. Expand your horizons. This is your opportunity to learn about different cultures, to embrace the differences and similarities we share with our fellow global citizens and find common ground.” In closing: “Many of you may stay in the region to leave your impact as this community continues to expand,” Ahearn said. “There are plenty of great employment opportunities at your fingertips. Many of you will leave to follow your careers wherever they take you. But please know that you’re part of this institution’s history. You’ll always be an Eagle, and Georgia Southern will always welcome you home." Interested in learning more about Georgia Southern University? Contact Georgia Southern's Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.
National Teacher's Day is tomorrow! Covering? let us help!
Celebrating National Teacher's Day is not just about recognizing the individuals who dedicate their lives to education; it's a moment to reflect on the pivotal role teachers play in shaping society's future. From instilling knowledge and critical thinking skills to fostering creativity and empathy, educators mold the next generation. The significance of this day extends beyond the classroom, touching upon broader themes that resonate with the public: The evolving landscape of education in a digital age Challenges and innovations in teaching methods and curricula The impact of teachers on students' mental health and well-being Addressing inequalities in access to quality education The role of teachers in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion Supporting and empowering educators amidst changing societal needs As we commemorate National Teacher's Day, it's an opportune moment to delve into these critical issues and highlight the invaluable contributions of teachers in shaping a brighter future for all. Connect with an Expert about Education and Teaching in America: Kitty Kelly Epstein, Ph.D. Faculty Trustee + Doctoral Faculty - School of Leadership Studies · Fielding Graduate University Brendan Cantwell Associate Professor · Michigan State University Kristina R. Llewellyn Associate Professor, Department of Social Development Studies · Renison University College, University of Waterloo Amanda L. (Glaze) Townley Associate Professor · Georgia Southern University Marta Baltodano Professor Emeritus · Loyola Marymount University To search our full list of experts visit www.expertfile.com Photo Credit: Kenny Eliason