CHARTING THE COURSE SINCE 1961
STUDENT SOLUTION CENTER BRINGS NEW MODEL FOR HELPING STUDENTS
Andrews Hall has served as a center for student activity at the College of Coastal Georgia since the school’s beginning as Brunswick Junior College in 1961.
So when it came time to renovate the building, the administration at CCGA wanted to do more than just update the way it looked. They wanted to change the way students find solutions, said Jason Umfress, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management.
“Our inspiration came from a place you wouldn’t necessarily expect for higher education the Apple Store,” he said during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Student Solution Center at Andrews Hall.
“Now, if you’ve ever been to one, when you walk into an Apple store, you don’t wander around trying to figure out which line to stand in. You go straight up to the Genius Bar staffed with experts who can fix or troubleshoot or
explain just about anything that you need that day,” Umfress said. “We thought, ‘why shouldn’t the student experience at Coastal feel just like that?’”
He stood under a sign splashed across a new facade in Andrews Hall that said Student Solution Center and in front of a desk lit softly blue, a scene reminiscent of the Apple Stores on which the idea was based. There, students can talk to a team of specialists who can help with anything they need, from questions about where to find something on campus to how to access resources to help them be successful.
The idea is for the center to be “a one-stop Genius Bar for our students. A place where they walk in, see a friendly face, and actually feel less stressed instead of more stressed after they finish,” Umfress said. “It’s a radical concept, I know.”
The transformation of Andrews Hall also included the
Story and Photos by Terry Dickson of The Brunswick News
opening of the Terry Thomas Student Lounge, a redesigned space that marries the mid-century style of the building’s architecture with an aesthetic and modern comfort that is truly Coastal Georgia, said Johnny Evans, CCGA president.
It is the natural progression for a building that has always been a center for student life on campus, he said.
“The Student Center served for many years as a livelihood for faculty for activities functioning as both a dining hall and a primary meeting space,” Evans said.
Today, in addition to housing the student lounge and solutions center, it has become a hub that includes offices for financial aid, Veteran Affairs, registrar, bursar and IT, among others.
“And what a wonderful space it is,” Evans said. The lounge has quickly become a popular place to hang out, Umfress said.
He touted the work of Teakla Jackson, Student Solution Center manager, and her staff for already making a difference in students’ lives.
Umfress recounted walking through the building one day recently when he noticed a student, frazzled and overwhelmed by the complexities of college life, speaking to a solutions specialist. He stopped, looked at his phone for a minute and listened to the exchange between the student and the specialist. The specialist walked the student through everything. In the end, the student took a deep breath.
he said.
“That moment stopped me. Because that, right there, is why this place exists. Not for the furniture, not for the renovation, not for our Genius Bar inspired model. It exists for moments like that,” Umfress said.
Story originally published in The Brunswick News
“One of those deep breaths when someone has finally lifted a burden for you that you’ve been dragging around for a while,” Umfress said.
The student thanked the specialist and left with less stress,
ARCHIVIST’S LOG:
CHARTING THE COLLEGE’S HISTORY
“
Recent Photograph Donations to the College Archives”
By Mylynda Gill, Special Collections Librarian and College Archivist
Hello everyone! My name is Mylynda Gill, and I serve as the Special Collections Librarian and College Archivist for the Clara Wood Gould Memorial Library at the College of Coastal Georgia. For this month’s edition of “Archivist’s Log: Charting the College's History” I wanted to highlight some of the new photograph donations that have recently arrived at the college archives.
Over the past several months, the college archives has received a couple of different photograph collections. Thanks to the help of student workers, most of these photographs have already been digitized and backed up to multiple secure locations for safekeeping. One of these collections came from campus employees who rediscovered some photographs stored in various envelopes tucked away in a closet on the Brunswick
Once discovered, these photographs were brought to the college archives to be properly preserved. The other photograph collection that was recently donated came from the Student Government Association (SGA). They have been documenting various events over the years and wanted to make sure that the photographs would be safely stored and eventually made accessible to the entire College of Coastal Georgia community.
I am happy to share the majority of the photograph holdings within the college archives have been inventoried, and student workers have started digitizing the collection. It is my hope that the college archives will soon be able to start making portions of the photograph collection publicly accessible. However, with thousands of photographs within our current collection, it will take some time to digitize them all. Nevertheless, I am very excited about this development and being able to make the college archives more accessible to our community.
If you have photographs you would like to share with the college archives, please send an email to archives@ccga.edu
Until next time Mariners, Hail the Sail!
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE STUDENTS SHARE RESEARCH AT PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Students in the College of Coastal Georgia’s environmental science program presented their research at one of the world’s largest gatherings of earth and space scientists the 2025 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in December. Twenty-one students, alumni, and faculty presented their research alongside leading scientists, networked with professionals in their fields, and experienced the breadth of contemporary research in environmental science, geology, and related disciplines.
The annual meeting, held in New Orleans, attracts thousands of scientists, educators, and policymakers from around the globe to share cutting-edge discoveries, innovations, and provides a platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange. Coastal students presented their original research on topics including coastal resilience, geology, climate change, and marine life.
Dr. James Deemy, associate professor of environmental science, said attending AGU’s annual meeting is an amazing opportunity for students to engage with the scientific community.
“Our students are exemplary attendees of the meeting by
By Tiffany King
participating in a wide variety of workshops, sessions, and professional development opportunities,” Deemy said. “They took full advantage of this opportunity to establish themselves within the AGU community, while gaining exposure to the vast array of potential geoscience career pathways.”
Dr. Kimberly Takagi, assistant professor of environmental science, said she was excited to see students’ enthusiasm about the trip and their eagerness to learn outside of the classroom.
“While we told them it was their chance to see how what they’ve learned in the classroom is applied to careers and professions, we had no idea how much they would genuinely be excited to participate, network, represent the College, attend presentations, ask questions, and talk to graduate school programs,” Takagi said. “At the end of the day, we were incredibly proud of our students. They not only represented themselves well and professionally presented and explained the work that they’ve done, they also represented the College well and took advantage of all the opportunities that they could.”
Takagi hopes that their experience at AGU will stay with
them and positively influence the trajectory of their careers, no matter where they go.
Senior Morgan Phillips, of Grovetown, Georgia, presented “The Impact of Extreme Seasonal Temperatures on Suicide Rates.” Her experience demonstrated how much of an impact her work can have on others.
“Having professionals from across the globe take interest in and compliment my research was a surreal experience,” Phillips said. “It put into perspective just how much larger its impact is than I had ever realized.”
Senior Nina Herter, of Brunswick, presented “Comparing the Influence of Shoreline Dynamics on Sediment Characteristics across Developed and Undeveloped Barrier Islands in South Georgia and North Florida.” She was amazed by the scope of the research being presented.
“AGU was an amazing experience that showed me that there is so much that the science community has to offer,” Herter said. “Between every oral presentation I attended, person I met, exhibitor I spoke with, and poster I saw, I was in complete awe of how many people are doing incredible work.”
Attending the conference in New Orleans also gave students an opportunity to see places that they had learned about in class, making those connections stronger and more personal. Dr. Robin McLachlan, assistant professor of geology, shared that New Orleans is often discussed as a case study in courses, including its eroding shoreline and the impacts of human-built dams and levees.
“Since these conversations occur in a classroom hundreds of miles away from the delta, they tend to be science forward with a matter-of-fact tone. During our trip, these conversations were grounded in lived realities. While at the conference, we visited The Lower Ninth Ward Living Museum at the TEP Center,” McLachlan said. “Students had the rare opportunity to meet Dr. Leona Tate, who was one the first young girls to desegregate schools in the Deep South. She shared her stories of growing up in New Orleans and trying to rebuild the community post-Hurricane Katrina. Students learned how geology and the environment are closely tied to human wellbeing, cultural movements, and politics.”
After the museum visit, students and faculty visited the location of the levee breach, adding more weight to their
discussions of environmental engineering, McLachlan said.
For Coastal alum Maraya King, of Hoboken, Georgia, who is pursuing additional certifications, the trip to the museum and levees brought more of her research to life. King had three research projects at the conference, including one titled, “A Hybrid-Forward Selection Regression Model to Estimate the Atlantic Hurricane Risk for Eastern and Southern Coastal Counties of the United States Using Publicly Available Data.”
Read more about the trip and their research here.
Morgan Phillips presents her research poster “The Impact of Extreme Seasonal Temperatures on Suicide Rates” at the 2025 AGU Fall Meeting.
Coastal Georgia alum Maraya King stands ready to present her research project about hurricane risk.
We Are HIRING
Staff Positions:
Police Sergeant
Human Resources Manager
Faculty Positions:
Assistant Professor of Accounting
Assistant Professor of Biology
Chef Lecturer—Pastry
Part Time Faculty, Sports Management
Nursing Lecturer (BSN)
Assistant Professor of Teacher Education
Part Time Instructor of Data Science
Alumni,
We are excited to invite you to consider joining our team at your alma mater! As a valued member of our alumni community, you bring a unique perspective and deep understanding of the College’s values and culture. By returning to work here, you have the opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of the place that helped shape your future. Your experience and insights can inspire current students and help drive innovative initiatives. We believe that your passion for our Coastal Georgia, combined with your professional skills, will make a significant impact.
Come back and be a part of our journey towards excellence once again! FOR MORE JOB OPENINGS, GO TO
WOMEN’S TENNIS VS. LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY ALEXANDRIA, IN BRUNSWICK
MEN’S TENNIS VS. LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY ALEXANDRIA, IN BRUSNWICK
MARCH FIRST FRIDAY, STARTING AT 5 P.M., IN DOWNTOWN BRUNSWICK.
MARINER SOFTBALL VS FLORIDA MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY, BRUNSWICK AT 1 P.M. AND 3 P.M. ALSO ON SATURDAY AT 12 P.M.
SPRING BREAK. NO CLASSES. CAMPUS WILL BE OPEN.
PEACHES TO BEACHES ANNUAL YARD SALE, FROM 8 A.M. TO 6 P.M., AT MARY ROSS WATERFRONT PARK, IN BRUNSWICK
WOMEN’S GOLF AT OLDFIELD INTERCOLLEGIATE, IN OKATIE, S.C.
FORWARD BRUNSWICK FARMER’S MARKET, FROM 9 A.M. TO 1 P.M. AT MARY ROSS WATERFRONT PARK, LOCATED AT 10 F ST., DOWNTOWN BRUNSWICK.
MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON
INAUGURATION OF DR. JOHNNY L. EVANS JR. AS THE 7TH PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE OF COASTAL GEORGIA. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS TO FOLLOW.
Check out the College of Coastal Georgia Calendar for more events. STAY IN TOUCH
We’re always hiring. For employment opportunities, go to www.ccga.edu, scroll to the bottom, click on “Employment.”
We would love to stay in touch with you. Please tell us about yourself and what you’ve been up to after college. Update your contact information here.
Questions? Contact alumni@ccga.edu.
