COSMWEEKLY
THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
UPDATES FROM ASSOCIATE DEANS
UpdatesfromtheAssociateDeanofResearchandGraduateStudies
AsIcontinuetransitioningintotheroleofAssociateDeanforResearchandGraduateStudies,I willbeginsharingweeklyupdatesrelatedtomajorprojectsandopportunities:
1.FacultyResearchSurvey
Ifyouhavenotalreadydoneso,pleasetakeafewminutestocompletemyGoogleForm regardingyourindividualresearchprogramandexpectationsforsupportfromtheAssociate Dean’soffice:https://forms.gle/UDGbUZZXQktjiBzLA
2.HanoverGrantReviewSupport
IfyouarepreparingagrantproposalandwouldlikeexternalreviewsupportthroughHanover Research,pleasereachouttome Wehaveanestablishedqueueprocess,andIamhappyto discusstimelinesandfit
3.COSMCoreResearchLab(CCRL)Committee
IamformingaCCRLCommitteetohelpadvancethevisibility,utilization,andstrategicimpact ofourCoreResearchLab.WeareseekingfacultywhoareconsistentusersofCCRL instrumentationandinterestedinhelpingshapeitsfuturedirection.Ifyouwouldliketoserve, pleasecontactme.
4.NIHNIGMSBURTProposalDevelopment
SaraGremillion(InterimAssociateDeanforFacultyAffairsandStudentSuccess)andIare developingaproposalforsubmissiontotheNIHNIGMSBiomedicalUndergraduateResearch Training(BURT)Program.Thisinitiativesupportsundergraduatetrainingacrossabreadthof biomedicaldisciplines Ifyouareinterestedinservingasafacultymentororcontributingto proposaldevelopment,pleaseletmeknow
IlookforwardtocontinuingtoworkwitheachofyoutostrengthenCOSM’sresearchenterprise —Stephen
StephenGreiman,Ph.D. AssociateDeanofResearch&ExtAffairs,Professor ofBiology
Office:BiologicalSciences,Room3362(Statesboro)
Phone:(912)478-1251
Email:sgreiman@georgiasouthernedu
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
CelebratingBlackExcellenceinScience
InhonorofBlackHistoryMonth,we’rehighlightingafewgroundbreakingBlackscientistswhose discoveriesandleadershiphaveshapedtheworldweliveintoday.Theirinnovation,resilience,and brilliancecontinuetoinspirefuturegenerationsinSTEM.
GeorgeWashingtonCarver(1860s–1943)
Anagriculturalscientistandinventor,Carverrevolutionized farmingintheAmericanSouththroughcroprotationmethods andalternativecropslikepeanutsandsweetpotatoes.Hiswork improvedsoilhealthandhelpedstrugglingfarmersachieve economicstability.
Learnmore:
TuskegeeUniversityBiography
SmithsonianNationalMuseumofAfricanAmericanHistory& Culture
KatherineJohnson(1918–2020)
Abrilliantmathematicianwhosecalculationswerecriticaltothe successofearlyU.S.spacemissions,includingJohnGlenn’s orbitalflight.HerstorywasfeaturedinthefilmHiddenFigures.
Learnmore:
NASABiography
NationalWomen’sHistoryMuseum Biography.com
ContinuingtheLegacy
MarieMaynardDaly(1921–2003)
ThefirstAfricanAmericanwomantoearnaPhD inchemistry Her groundbreakingresearchestablishedthelinkbetweencholesterol andheartdisease,pavingthewayformoderncardiovascular medicine.
Learnmore:
AmericanChemicalSociety ScienceHistoryInstitute
ThesescientistsrepresentonlyafractionoftheextraordinaryBlackinnovatorswhohaveshaped science,medicine,engineering,andtechnology.AswecelebrateBlackHistoryMonth,wehonortheir achievementsandrecommittosupportingdiversity,equity,andopportunityinSTEMfields.
STATISTICAL CONSULTINGUNIT
Jetstream2: Your Cloud for Research
"Science as a Service"Jetstream2 provides on-demand computational resources, ensuring that researchers and educators have access to high-end computing regardless of their local hardware.
What it is: A user-friendly cloud environment funded by the NSF.
Key Features: Interactive virtual machines, GPU access, and pre-configured software images
Best For: Hosting web services, running persistent workloads, and generalpurpose research computing.
Vocareum: The Classroom in the Cloud
"Effortless Lab Management" Vocareum acts as the bridge between complex cloud architecture and the student experience, providing a seamless interface for learning.
What it is: A leading platform for cloud-based labs and automated grading.
Key Features: Integrated development environments (IDEs), real-time progress tracking, and cost-management controls.
Best For: Computer science courses, data science bootcamps, and largescale workshops
NRP Nautilus: The Kubernetes Powerhouse
Chidozie W. Chukwu, Ph.D. cchukwu@GeorgiaSouthern.edu
Divine Wanduku, Ph.D. dwanduku@GeorgiaSouthern.edu
Emil Iacob, Ph.D. ieiacob@GeorgiaSouthern.edu
Zheni Utic, Ph.D. zutic@GeorgiaSouthern.edu
"The Global Research Fabric "The National Research Platform (NRP)Nautilus cluster is a distributed environment designed for data-intensive tasks and containerized applications.
What it is: A high-performance Kubernetes cluster spanning across multiple institutions.
Key Features: Massive GPU power, rapid container deployment, and high-speed data transfer (Pacific Research Platform roots.)
Best For: Machine learning training, containerized research workflows, and heavy-duty data processing
SCU PROGRAM: INTERNAL CALL
TheStatisticalConsultingUnit(SCU)intheDepartmentofMathematicalScienceshasbeen awardedaNationalArtificialIntelligenceResearchResource(NAIRR)PilotResource Allocationgrant(awardNAIRR250474)consistingof300,000ServiceUnits(SU),equivalent of18,750computationalhours(ataburnrateof16SUperhourforanaverageconfigurationwith 8CPUcoresandGPUsupportusingNVIDIAA100),onJetstream2atIndianaUniversity.
Wearenowacceptinginternal“Minigrant”proposalstosub-allocatethesehours/SUto innovativeAIresearchprojectsthatalignwiththeNAIRRmissionofopen,trustworthy,and democraticAIdevelopment.Proposalsinvolvingcollaborativeresearchordatasciencepractice withstudents,includingclassroomprojectsordisseminatingtheresultsinclassroomwillreceive priority.Singleorcollaborativefacultyresearchprojectswillbeconsidered.
ThisinitiativeadvancesthemissionoftheStatisticalConsultingUnitthroughfourcoordinated operationalpillars:
Operation1:Embeddinghigh-performancecomputingandAIresourcesintoresearch,training,and workforcedevelopmentinitiatives.
Operation2:StrengtheninginterdisciplinaryresearchcapacitythroughGPU-enabledmodeling, simulation,andreproducibledatascienceworkflows.
Operation3:Expandingcampus-wideaccesstocomputationaltrainingforundergraduateand graduatestudentsacrossappliedmathematics,statistics,andallieddisciplines.
Operation4:Institutionalizingmoderndatasciencepracticeswithinthecurriculumtoensure sustainable,long-terminstructionalandworkforceimpactalignedwiththeCenter’sstrategic vision.
ImportantDates
ProposalsDue:ContinuouslyacceptingapplicationsnowuntilJune1,2026. NotificationofAward:1-3daysafterreceivingtheapplication. Onboarding/SystemAccess:1-2daysafterapplicationisapproved.
Formoredetailedinformationabouttheminigrantandapplicationprocess,pleaserefertotheinternal callPDF
PI:ChidozieW.Chukwu,Ph.D.
Co-PIs: DivineWanduku,Ph.D.
I EmilIacob,PhD
ZheniUtic,PhD
UPCOMING EVENTS
COSMListeningSessionswithDeanHuggins
February17:8:30AM 8:30,BiologicalSciences,Room1110
February19:3:00PM ScienceCenter,Room1505B
February23:3:00PM Zoom
February25:9:00AM Math/Physics,Room3001
February26:2:00PM ScienceCenter,Room1505B
February27:1:30PM Nursing/Chemistry,Room1207
COSMandtheFacultyCenterarehostingaspeakeronAIthisMarch
Title:PracticalStrategiesforMeetingtheAIMomentinTeachingandLearning
ByLyndsayB.Munro,PhD
(TeachingProfessor,Biochemistry,MolecularBiology&Biotechnology FacultyLiaisonforAcademicStandards,OfficeoftheProvost,UniversityofNevada,Reno)
Background:Artificialintelligenceisnolongeronthehorizon It’shere,influencinghowstudentslearn, howfacultyteach,andhowinstitutionsoperate.Ratherthanapproachingthisshiftwitheither uncheckedenthusiasmorhesitation,thispresentationapproachesitasamomentwecanmeetwith curiosity,intentionality,andafocusonwhatmattersmostinteachingandlearning.
Registerforthisin-persononlyeventontheStatesboroor Armstrongcampus.
StatesboroCampus
Registerhere:PracticalStrategiesforMeetingtheAIMomentin TeachingandLearning
Date:Monday,March9
Time:12-1PM
Location:BiologicalSciences,Room2250
ArmstrongCampus
Registerhere:PracticalStrategiesforMeetingtheAIMomentin TeachingandLearning
Date:Tuesday,March10
Time:12-1PM
Location:ScienceCenter,Room1503B
StructuralGeologistCandidateResearchTalk
TheSchoolofEarth,EnvironmentandSustainability(SEES)isconductingafacultysearchforastructural geologist.Thesecondinterviewwillbetomorrow(Tuesday),February24thwithDr.VincentNowaczewski. BelowistheZoomlinkforDr.Nowaczewski’sresearchtalkat4pmalongwithashortbiographicalsketch.
JimReichard,SearchChair
Dr.VincentNowaczewski
VirtualResearchTalk
Tuesday,February24th,2026
4:00–5:00pmEST: ResearchTalk(OpentoCOSMfacultyandstudents)
CalibratingamodelofboundarytectonismandlithosphericstressforLaurentiaduringthe Pennsylvanian
JoinZoomMeeting: https://georgiasouthernzoomus/j/83731308904?pwd=DQPN4wrx8C3NixxcNPZb8aatrhmdbs1&jst=2
Dr.VincentNowaczewskiearnedaBSinGeologyfromLakeSuperiorStateUniversity(2009),anMSin GeologyfromtheUniversityofKansas(2012)andaPh.D.inGeologyfromtheUniversityofCincinnati (2024).HeiscurrentlyanAssistantProfessorofInstructionatOhioUniversityinAthens,Ohio,wherehe teachesstructuralgeology,subsurfacemethodsandaregionalfieldgeologyclassalongwithanonline courseinNaturalDisasters.Withrespecttohisresearch,thetitleofhisPhDdissertationwas"Twotestsfor thetectonicsofthewesternmarginofLaurentiaduringthePennsylvanian,andhisMSThesistitlewas "BiomarkerandmicrofaunalinvestigationsoftheLateDevonianmassextinctionsintheWoodfordShale, Oklahoma.”Currently,Dr.Nowaczewskihaspublished2ofthe4chaptersfromhisdissertation.
COSM IN ACTION
Sometimestheclassroomlooksalotlikea24'Carolinaskiff!Dr.EdwardLo(SEES)andDr.SteveVives (Biology)alongwithLabCoordinator,ClaraRay(SEES)recentlytookundergraduatestudentsfromtheir StratigraphyandSedimentationcourseouttoClarksHillLakeforimmersive,hands-onlearning.While onthewater,studentscollectedsurfacesedimentsamplestoanalyzeandbetterunderstandthelake’s ecosystem Experienceslikethisreflectourcommitmenttotalentandworkforcedevelopment ensuringourgraduatesarepreparedtosoar!
IntheDepartmentofBiology,studentsareworkingwithDr.RobManstoperformaclassicneuroscience techniquecalledaNisslstain afoundationalprocedureusedtovisualizeneuronalcellbodies (somata)innervoustissue.
Byhighlightingthesestructures,studentscanstudythedistribution,density,andorganizationof neuronsacrossdifferentregionsofthebrain It’shands-on,high-impactlearningthatbringsthe microscopicworldintofocusandbuildsrealresearchskillsinthelab
Fromslidetoscience—thisishowfutureneuroscientistsaremade
COUR SURF APPLICATIONS OPEN
TheCOSMCollegeofUndergraduateResearch(COUR)invitesapplicationsforthe2026Summer UndergraduateResearchFellowship(SURF).Thisfellowshipisdesignedtoenhanceexperiential learningforstudentsbysupportingundergraduateresearchduringtheFullSummerTerm.$4000 awardswillbemadetothebestapplicationsandinclude:
$3000stipendfortheundergraduatestudent,withtheexpectationthatthestudentconducts researchwithaCOSMfacultymentorfor25hours/weekfor10weeksduringtheFullSummerTerm
$500summerstipendforthefacultymentor
$500insuppliesorresearchtravel(fundsmaynotbeusedforconferencetravel)
Weeklyprofessionaldevelopmentmeetings
Toqualify,studentsmustbeaCOSMmajorandmentoredbyaCOSMfacultymember.Formore informationandtoviewapplicationinstructions,visithttps://www.georgiasouthern.edu/cosm/cour/ andlookunderGrantsoremailDr.HeatherJoestingathjoesting@georgiasouthern.edu.
ApplicationsaredueMarch13,2026
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