Category: Alumni

VSU AFROTC Detachment 172 Gets Visit from Moody AFB

/ Stephanie Hughes

This article was written by Charles S Moye, C/1LT, AFROTC (Fall 2021 Public Affairs Officer)

Detachment 172 hosted an HH-60W helicopter and crew from Moody AFB. The goal of this visit was to expose Air Force ROTC cadets to the career of an HH-60W pilot.

Above: Cadets look on as Moody AFB personnel speak. Photo taken by Ethan Lowe.

Major Moore, Valdosta State University alumnus and pilot, shared his experiences and provided advice to cadets. Joining Major Moore were six additional military officers consisting of an A-10 Pilot, C-130 Pilot, C-130 Combat Systems Officer, two Intelligence Officers, a Maintenance Officer, and two HH-60 Special Mission Aviators who also provided advice and answered questions regarding their respective career fields.

Underclassmen were given the opportunity to gain more insight into various career options and Upperclassmen were given the opportunity to gain insight into the life of a commissioned officer. This visit to Detachment 172 is another great example of the partnership among Moody Air Force Base, Detachment 172, and Valdosta State University. Photos from the event can be viewed here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/valdostastate/albums/72157720052137604/with/51616173129/ (all photographs taken by Ethan Lowe).

Check out Detachment 172 on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/det_172/ and read more about VState’s AFROTC program by clicking here.

PAGET Professor and Students Have Paper Accepted by Peer-Reviewed Journal

/ Stephanie Hughes

PAGET’s Professor of Geography Dr. Jia Lu and her students, Anthony Oliveira and Marcus Ben Singletary, recently co-authored a paper titled “Pharmacy Disparities in Rural Georgia” that was just accepted by the peer-reviewed Journal of Rural and Community Development. (To find out more about the Journal of Rural and Community Development, click here: https://journals.brandonu.ca/jrcd/about).

The study analyzed geographical patterns of spatial equity of pharmacy using GIS technology. Results suggest that many pharmacy deserts exist in Georgia, and large urban areas have more access to pharmacies than rural areas and small cities. Rural areas could experience the adverse effects of pharmacy deserts more than non-rural areas. There is a clear, positive relationship between rural counties and a lower number of pharmacies. Relationships between pharmacy locations and various racial and demographic variables were also explored. Policy suggestions were proposed to increase access in pharmacy deserts.

Want to know more about the authors? Their biographies can be found below.

Dr. Jia Lu holds a Ph.D. in City & Regional Planning from Ohio State University with minors in Geography, GIS, Quantitative Analysis & Urban Economics.  She teaches courses in Regional Planning and Environmental Management, Urban Community Planning, World Regional Geography, Introduction to Land Forms, and GIS Applications in Planning and her research interests include population and employment analyses, urban modeling, spatial analyses, GIS applications in planning and transportation, geography of China, city planning and urban development, and environmental analyses.

Anthony Oliveira received a B.S. in Psychology in May 2021 from Valdosta State University and intends to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology.  He works as a Registered Behavior Technician for The Conner Group for Pediatric Therapies, conducting ABA therapy for children diagnosed with autism.  His interests include learning languages (having familiarity with nine), reading books, learning about psychological principles, spending time with his family and girlfriend, teaching his dog new tricks, and studying Christology and the historicity of religion.

Ben Singletary received a B.S. in Environmental Geosciences from Valdosta State University in August 2021.  He is currently working at the Southern Georgia Regional Commission as a GIS analyst where he carries out mapping and data services for Valdosta, Lowndes, and surrounding communities.  His hobbies include rock collecting, mainly variants of quartz such as amethyst, and astrophotography.

The College of Science and Mathematics congratulates Dr. Lu, Mr. Oliveira, and Mr. Singletary on their accomplishments!

Chemistry Students Participate in the NSF’s I-Corps™ Program

/ Stephanie Hughes

Above: Khyati Patel, Teighlor Livingston and Taylor Macera are in the lab preparing some materials for experimental work.

Four current and recent VSU students are involved in an experiential learning and research project through the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps™ program.  The NSF describes their program as follows:

“The National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) program uses experiential education to help researchers gain valuable insight into entrepreneurship, starting a business or industry requirements and challenges. I-Corps enables the transformation of invention to impact. The curriculum integrates scientific inquiry and industrial discovery in an inclusive, data-driven culture driven by rigor, relevance, and evidence. Through I-Corps training, researchers can reduce the time to translate a promising idea from the laboratory to the marketplace.  NSF is developing and nurturing a national innovation network to guide scientific research toward the development of solutions to benefit society.”

(Read more about the NSF’s I-Corps™ program here: https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/i-corps/)

Two of the students have co-authored a paper that is submitted to a peer reviewed international journal.  It describes the new compound that was tested by the National Cancer Institute.  While the NCI tested it against nine types of cancer, the student group is focusing on lung cancer, which has an 80% mortality rate.

Former VSU student, Teighlor Livingston, says, “The NSF’s I-CORPS program allows students to move out of the lab and into the industry. I enjoy the program because it provides the opportunity to discover and face potential challenges in innovation development, while advancing interpersonal skills.”

Photo above: Teighlor Livingston and Taylor Macera are making their weekly presentation to the National Science Foundation related to their efforts to commercialize a cancer drug developed at VSU.