Georgia State University

Georgia State University student Riuki Gakio has been awarded an Emmy for his environmental documentary titled "Our Plastic World," which focused on the destructive impact of plastic pollution on the environment. Gakio, of Atlanta, is a Film and Media major at Georgia State University. "Our Plastic World" won the 2020 Southeast Emmy in the category of Best Documentary - Health/Science - Program Feature/Segment. The documentary had previously received two silver and three bronze awards in the 41st annual International Telly Awards. Gakio, who wrote and produced the documentary, worked alongside executive producer, professor and managing director of GSUTV Bob Judson, co-writers Anh Tu Dao and Bill Chapman, associate producers Christopher Kurian and Kofi Stiles, editor Ben Whisenhunt, narrator Brenda Bush and Georgia Public Broadcasting to complete the film. As Georgia State's media station, GSUTV provides students with training for creating broadcast content and airs special programs throughout Georgia and to a national network of PBS stations via cable, satellite, and digital platforms.

Georgia State University student Christopher Porzenheim presented a paper on the topic of "Emerson and Resistance" at an American Library Association (ALA) conference recently. Porzenheim, of Clarkston, is a student in the Department of Philosophy in the College of Arts & Sciences. The panel was sponsored by the Ralph Waldo Emerson Society, where Porzenheim's paper argued that Emerson was a virtue ethicist. The College of Arts & Sciences provides a skills-based liberal arts and sciences education for Atlanta's diverse, next-generation workforce.

Georgia State University student Maximiliana Rifkin has been invited to present at the annual Positive Psychology conference in New York City in Spring 2021. Rifkin, of Fairport, NY, is a student in the Department of Philosophy in the College of Arts & Sciences. Rifkin plans to give a talk on how to use our emotions more effectively as guides in action. The College of Arts & Sciences provides a skills-based liberal arts and sciences education for Atlanta's diverse, next-generation workforce.

Georgia State University student Gus Turyn has had several papers accepted for presentation at academic conferences. Turyn, of New York, NY, is a student in the Department of Philosophy in the College of Arts & Sciences. One of Turyn's papers titled "Masks, Finks, and Gender Internalism" has been accepted for the 2021 Central meeting of the American Philosophical Association, as well as the 2020 University of Texas Austin Graduate Ethics and Normativity Talks (AGENT) conference. Another paper, "The Need for Epistemic First-Person Authority," was accepted for presentation at the 2021 Pacific meeting of the American Philosophical Association and a 2020 Manchester Centre for Political Theory (MANCEPT) workshop on the topic of "What is gender and what do we want it to be?" The College of Arts & Sciences provides a skills-based liberal arts and sciences education for Atlanta's diverse, next-generation workforce.

Georgia State University doctoral student Laura Cortes has been awarded the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Blueprint Diversity Specialized Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Advancement in Neuroscience (D-SPAN) Award and the F99/K00 award for her work. Cortes, of Chicago, is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Neuroscience in the College of Arts and Sciences. Cortes' research, funded by the NIH, consisted of examining how sex hormones and epigenetic mechanisms contribute to the development of sex differences in the brain by manipulating epigenetic processes in mice. Her goal is to understand the basis of sex differences in disease and identify mechanisms that will protect against brain disorders. The D-SPAN and F99/K00 award also grant Cortes opportunities to further develop her research career. The D-SPAN award aids graduates in their transition to neuroscience research postdoctoral positions and supports the completion of a doctoral dissertation. The F99/K00 award will allow Cortes to receive support for up to 2 years in the F99 fellowship phase and for up to 4 years in the K00 career development phase. The College of Arts & Sciences provides a skills-based liberal arts and sciences education for Atlanta's diverse, next-generation workforce.

Georgia State University student Sangha Park spent last past summer participating in Ohio University's virtual Research Experience for Undergraduates program. Park, of Winder, GA, is a psychology major in the College of Arts & Sciences. During the research program, Park participated in child psychopathy classes, a substance-use journal club, and developing a research project. Park's research project was "Seeking to Identify Factors Explaining Why Adult ADHD Increases Risk of Intimate Partner Violence." Park's poster was scheduled to be presented at the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies' ADHD Special Interest Group in November.

Psychology undergraduate student Sean Morse spent last summer participating in Ohio University's Research Experience for Undergraduates program with seven other students. Morse took part in seminars for professional development, research methods and statistics, and evidence-based treatments for youth with social, emotional, and behavioral problems. The program involved an individual research project examining social skills outcomes in a trial of a school-based intervention for adolescents with ADHD.

Two students in the Georgia State University Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2020 received top scores on the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE), 800 out of 800. In addition, the entire class received a rare 100 percent first-time pass rate on the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE).

Clay Voytek, a senior majoring in journalism and media entrepreneurship, was thanked and included in the acknowledgements of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson's latest book, "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents." Rogers worked as a fact-checker on the book, which was published on Aug. 4. The book, which examines America's lingering, artificial class system, was named an Oprah's Book Club Pick and "an instant American classic" by The New York Times. Wilkerson is also the author of The New York Times bestseller "The Warmth of Other Suns," which focused on a period of American history between the early and mid-1900s, known as The Great Migration, when millions of African Americans moved north and west from the rural South.

Rogers, a senior majoring in political science, was thanked and included in the acknowledgements of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson's latest book, "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents." Rogers worked as a fact-checker on the book, which was published on Aug. 4. The book, which examines America's lingering, artificial class system, was named an Oprah's Book Club Pick and "an instant American classic" by The New York Times. Wilkerson is also the author of The New York Times bestseller "The Warmth of Other Suns," which focused on a period of American history between the early and mid-1900s, known as The Great Migration, when millions of African Americans moved north and west from the rural South.

India Jackson, a doctroral student studying physics at Georgia State University, was appointed as a member of the U.S. delegation to the 7th International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) International Conference on Women in Physics. The international conference has been rescheduled for July 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In memory of Dr. Virgil Jacobs, former anatomist in the physical therapy program, this award is given to the student who best exemplifies the qualities of intelligence, compassion, fairness, honesty, and sincerity in addition to outstanding scholarly anatomical competence.

The Professional Merit Award is presented to the student or students who has/have most actively participated in professional activities within the community and who demonstrates high standards of professionalism.

Students with The 1913 Society at Georgia State University were recognized for excellence during the 2018-19 academic year. Among the most prestigious student organizations at Georgia State, ambassadors with The 1913 Society, named for the year the university was founded, serve as hosts for high-profile events and ceremonies. Members maintain excellent grades and carry themselves with poise and professionalism at all times.

In memory of Dr. Virgil Jacobs, former anatomist in the physical therapy program, this award is given to the student who best exemplifies the qualities of intelligence, compassion, fairness, honesty, and sincerity in addition to outstanding scholarly anatomical competence.

The Professional Merit Award is presented to the student or students who has/have most actively participated in professional activities within the community and who demonstrates high standards of professionalism.

Forty-two members of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2021 at Georgia State University received their white coats at the annual White Coat Ceremony and Service of Remembrance on September 6. Receiving the white coats marks the students' transition to clinical education and professional status as developing healthcare providers.

The Georgia State University Esports Varsity Smite team defeated teams from Kennesaw State University, the Savannah College of Art and Design, and the University of Georgia to win state championships in Smite and Paladins at the 2018 Georgia Esports League (GEL) Championships in May.

This award is presented to the student or students who has/have most actively participated in professional activities within the community and who demonstrates high standards of professionalism.

In memory of Dr. Virgil Jacobs, former anatomist in the physical therapy program, this award is given to the student who best exemplifies the qualities of intelligence, compassion, fairness, honesty, and sincerity in addition to outstanding scholarly anatomical competence.

The Honors College Ambassadors corps is composed of a diverse and dedicated group of outstanding Honors College students who desire to hone their leadership skills, while also contributing to the Honors College legacy. These student leaders serve as representatives of the Honors College at a variety of internal and external events.

The Honors College Ambassadors corps is composed of a diverse and dedicated group of outstanding Honors College students who desire to hone their leadership skills, while also contributing to the Honors College legacy. These student leaders serve as representatives of the Honors College at a variety of internal and external events.

School of Public Health Ph.D. student, Rebecca Wells, successfully defended her dissertation.

Georgia State University Law Review is a legal journal published four times per year by second- and third-year Georgia State Law students who have demonstrated outstanding writing and academic skills.

This achievement is awarded to doctoral students who have successfully defended their dissertation.

Forty-four members of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2020 at Georgia State University received their white coats at the annual White Coat Ceremony and Service of Remembrance on October 26. Receiving the white coats marks the students' transition to clinical education and professional status as developing healthcare providers.

Qudsia Shafiq (J.D. '18) participated in testimony before the Securities and Exchange Commission's Investor Advisory Committee, advocating on behalf of the Georgia State University College of Law's Investor Advocacy Clinic and its clients.

On Nov. 17, ninety-one Georgia State University College of Law alumni were sworn in for the Superior Court of Georgia, the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Georgia by Judge Shawn Ellen LaGrua (J.D. '87) of the Superior Court of Fulton County and Presiding Judge Christopher J. McFadden of the Court of Appeals of Georgia.

Andy Navratil and McKinley Anderson received the State Bar of Georgia's Law School Excellence in Access to Justice Award. The award recognizes a student (or students) who has (or have) excelled in participation in support of a civil pro bono or legal aid program, or developed or has/have been instrumental in the development of a civil pro bono program satisfying previously unmet civil legal needs or extended services to underserved segments of the population.

The Honors College Ambassadors corps is composed of a diverse and dedicated group of outstanding Honors College students who desire to hone their leadership skills, while also contributing to the Honors College legacy. These student leaders serve as representatives of the Honors College at a variety of internal and external events.