Faculty Commons Recap: 2025 Faculty Research Symposium

Faculty Research Symposium

Faculty Commons extends a heartfelt thank-you to all faculty, judges, and attendees who made the 2025 Faculty Research Symposium a success! Held on November 6 in Merrill Hall, the event celebrated the theme “Researchers, Teachers, and Changemakers: Jax State Faculty at Work.”

More than 40 presentations showcased the depth of research, creativity, and teaching innovation happening across campus. The day also featured an inspiring keynote from Dr. Sarah Donley, Associate Professor of Sociology and recipient of the 2025 Faculty Scholar Lecturer Award, whose talk “We Can Transform Dying from a Medical Experience to a Human Experience” highlighted her groundbreaking work on death doulas and end-of-life care.

Congratulations to this year’s award winners!

Scholars Track

  • Short Presentation: ESG Peer Effects under Common Ownership; Xiaoqiong (Crystal) Wang, Associate Professor of Finance
  • Long Presentation: The Exponential Puzzle: Why Do Things Decay So Predictably?; Peter Bryant, Assistant Professor of Physics
  • Panel Presentation: Routes, Recognition, and Repertoires: Legibility and Lepcha Textiles; Sarah Faulkner, Art and Design
  • Poster Presentation: Effects of Blackcurrant Supplementation on Cognitive and Exercise Performance in Resistance-Trained Adults; Rafaela Rafajlovska, Instructor of Kinesiology

Teachers Track

  • Short Presentation: Experimenting with Experience: Connecting Majors and Careers in the General Education Classroom; Joseph McMullen, English
  • Panel Presentation: Retention, Engagement, and Readiness: A High-Impact, Experiential Learning Model; Laura Pitts, Seth Johnson, and Ben Gross
  • Poster Presentation: Building Blocks of AI Literacy: Teaching Ethics, Understanding, and Engagement to Undergraduates; Laura Pitts, Assistant Professor of Library Services

Changemakers Track

  • Short Presentation: From Location to Intelligence: Making Data-Driven Decisions; Dr. Benjamin B. Boozer Jr. and Courtney Craven
  • Long Presentation: Societal Impact in AACSB-Accredited Business Schools: Lessons for Higher Education; Cassie Ward, Instructor of Business
  • Panel Presentation: Why Is an Interdisciplinary Approach Needed for AI?, Monica Trifas, Benjamin Gross, Christopher Ogden, and Phillip Ogden
  • Poster Presentation: GeoAI Marketing Academy; Jianping Huang, Associate Professor of Marketing, and Mark Sciuchetti, Associate Professor of Geography and Senior Director of Honors and Special Programs