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Faculty Profiles

Read more about Georgia State's pioneering, innovative and impactful faculty who are a key part of the university's growth as a national model for student success, interdisciplinary research and scholarship, and innovation in teaching and learning.

Diversity and Inclusion, Faculty Profiles, Featured News, News and Announcements

Associate Professor Researches Racial and Ethnic Disparities, and How Children and Students Can Be Prepared to Thrive Against Adversities

Associate Professor Researches Racial and Ethnic Disparities, and How Children and Students Can Be Prepared to Thrive Against Adversities

Ciara Smalls Glover, an Associate Professor of Psychology at Georgia State, is examining factors that mitigate the adverse effects of discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities, including consequences for their emotional, academic and physical health.

“I was originally studying stress and coping, and from that I learned about the weight of a persistent stressor for communities of color—and that’s racial and ethnic discrimination.”

One of the factors that literature has found to be especially protective is racial and ethnic identity, Dr. Glover said. These are the beliefs and attitudes about an individual’s group membership. She said that these beliefs and attitudes evolve over time, with family playing a critical role.

Faculty Profiles, News and Announcements

Understanding Metabolic Syndrome Among the African Diaspora: Dr. Ike Okosun

Understanding Metabolic Syndrome Among the African Diaspora: Dr. Ike Okosun

Dr. Ike Okosun is an Associate Professor in the department of Population Health Sciences. His research focuses on the epidemiology of metabolic syndrome, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia in populations of African origin. Since 1997, Okosun said his primary interest has been to understand the epidemiology of metabolic syndrome in these populations.

“My interest for that is driven by the fact that hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and all forms of dyslipidemia are highly prevalent in this population compared to anywhere.”

Trying to explain why these syndromes were affecting certain populations different was a challenge, Okosun said. He found himself entering into the realm of epigenetics in order to help explain the epidemiology he’d been researching already.

Appointments and Faculty News, Faculty Profiles, News and Announcements

Careful Planning: Georgia State Associate Professor Breaks Down Classroom Walls, Encourages Community Involvement

Careful Planning: Georgia State Associate Professor Breaks Down Classroom Walls, Encourages Community Involvement

Dr. Joseph Hacker is a clinical associate professor at Georgia State in the Department of Public Management and Policy, as well as the undergraduate advisor for the department, and he is using his experience as a professional urban planner to enhance policy research and to bring real-world education to students in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.

His career in professional planning—including planning city development, transportation development, and things of that nature—began in Philadelphia. “I managed a large group in the greater Philadelphia region, I was in charge of transit—bicycle and pedestrian planning and coordinated human services.”

While having many avenues of research, Hacker said that his studies constantly inform his work. His project management experience through local neighborhood and civic organizations is a key part of his academic instruction at Georgia State.

Appointments and Faculty News, Faculty Profiles, News and Announcements

A Political Future: Georgia State Associate Professor Researches Women, Intersectionality of Race and Gender in American Politics

A Political Future: Georgia State Associate Professor Researches Women, Intersectionality of Race and Gender in American Politics

Dr. Sarah Gershon is an associate professor at Georgia State and researches gender and racial and ethnic minorities in America’s political atmosphere.

“I’m interested in the participation of different groups in American politics. I study groups that have been historically underrepresented—primarily women, racial and ethnic minorities.”

Her main areas of research are the way gender and race intersect in politics, and more specifically, how women navigate towards and lead political offices.

Appointments and Faculty News, Faculty Profiles, News and Announcements

Georgia State Professor’s Research on Leprosy and Breastfeeding Illuminates Structural and Cultural Issues

Georgia State Professor’s Research on Leprosy and Breastfeeding Illuminates Structural and Cultural Issues

Cassandra White first studied in Brazil during her Master’s in Anthropology program at the University of Florida. She knew then that she wanted to do work in Brazil, and went on to Tulane University for her Ph.D. But it was the time between her master’s and doctoral programs that she became interested in leprosy, or Hansen’s disease.

“I didn’t really know much about it, and I didn’t know that it was still a big problem there.” Dr. White said she went back to Brazil in 1995, and it set her pursuit and study of leprosy in stone.

While she was at Tulane University, Dr. White begin looking into Carville—the National Hansen’s Disease Center of the 20th century repurposed for modern leprosy treatment. “I spent some time at Carville and conducted oral histories of residents and staff who lived there during the time (before the 1960s) when people diagnosed with leprosy were isolated there. So, when I went to Brazil, I had some experience with the disease and understood it better.”

Appointments and Faculty News, Faculty Profiles, News and Announcements

Georgia State Professor Explores the Impact of Urban Universities

Georgia State Professor Explores the Impact of Urban Universities

Dr. Jean-Paul Addie has loved geography throughout his academic career, and he focused on the subject as a discipline. During his master’s and doctoral programs, Addie said his interest in geography propelled him through his education.

In his field, urban studies, cities are used to examine different aspects of metropolitan areas such as infrastructure and challenges cities may be facing.

But cities are not the only thing an urban studies researcher may be involved with—the same is true for Dr. Addie. He looks at urban universities—places of higher education rooted in metropolitan areas.

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