The Division of Student Affairs (DSA) at 快猫app短视 has announced the most recent 2026 divisional award winners. DSA鈥檚 awards and recognition committee reviews and selects winners in five categories that best exemplify its mission, values and priorities.

This year, the following staff and program were awarded: 

Emerging Professional Award: Maria Elena Lealofi, Coordinator of Student Conduct

Rising Professional Award: Nadiyah Louder, Housing Graduate Assistant

Administrative Excellence Award: Sarah Filas, Administrative Assistant III, Counseling Center

Purpose in Practice Award: Julianna Leverette, Student Media Engagement Coordinator, Student Activities

Student Impact Award: Counseling Center

The Emerging and Rising Professional Awards highlight staff who are not only reliable, but invaluable to the division at their respective career levels, while providing the highest level of professionalism to the students they serve. Administrative Excellence is awarded to staff whose organization and passion uphold the DSA鈥檚 mission and values. The Purpose in Practice Award honors staff whose presence makes staff and students feel like they matter each day. Finally, the Student Impact Award is given to a program that generates real, meaningful changes in the daily lives of students through the DSA. 

快猫app短视, a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 with a Carnegie Community Engagement classification, offers approximately 149 different degree programs serving nearly 31,600 students through 11 colleges on four campuses in Savannah, Hinesville, Statesboro, Swainsboro and online instruction. Founded in 1906, Georgia Southern is a leader in higher education in southeast Georgia with expert faculty and a focus on public impact research and engaging learning opportunities through knowledge and know-how that prepare our students to soar beyond and take ownership of their lives, careers and communities. Visit .

The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) has selected a 快猫app短视 leader for national honors. Ken Gassiot, Ph.D., associate vice president for student development, is the recipient of the , recognizing his leadership and service within the student affairs profession. 

Gassiot was selected for this same award at the regional level in June 2025 by NASPA Region III at their conference in Savannah. NAPSA Region III is the largest region in NASPA and stretches from Texas to North Carolina.

Gassiot will be honored for his work, which demonstrates an outstanding commitment to student success, the development of impactful programs, the creation of campus environments that promote student learning and development, and active engagement in NASPA. He will be recognized at the 2026 NASPA Annual Conference in March in Kansas City, Missouri.

鈥淏eing selected for this national award by peers and other leaders around the country is truly humbling,鈥� said Gassiot. 鈥淪erving at Georgia Southern along with the service opportunities gained through NASPA have been, without a doubt, the most fulfilling time during my career in higher education. I hope this award brings added spotlight to the incredible work happening at Georgia Southern, where our heartbeat is to create an unparalleled student experience. I’m thankful to be in a position and on teams that help shape that.鈥�

The University has won several awards and national recognition from NASPA in recent years, and has earned a reputation for its use of analytics and assessment to improve all aspects of campus life for students. 

Gassiot said that legacy is built on a culture of student programming, engagement and support. 

鈥淔ull credit to the people and leadership across all of our campuses that embrace collaboration and are fully dialed in to meet the unique student and campus needs that change over time,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 that culture that maximizes student involvement, care and belonging.鈥�

Gassiot’s involvement in NASPA includes serving as the 2025鈥�27 chair of the NASPA AVP Steering Committee and co-chair of the 2026 NASPA AVP Symposium, in addition to extensive prior service across NASPA leadership, faculty roles and planning committees.

快猫app短视 will host a series of events in January to honor the life, legacy and enduring impact of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Scheduled events feature keynote addresses, performances, parades and community service opportunities across its campuses.

Each January, the University community reflects on King鈥檚 enduring legacy and the values that continue to shape future generations. The annual celebration, themed this year 鈥淩emember the Dream: Honoring Legacy. Celebrating Achievement,鈥� is hosted by the Division of Student Affairs and invites faculty, staff, students and the community to reflect on King鈥檚 vision for justice, service and unity while celebrating progress inspired by his leadership.

Today, Jan. 14, Karla Redding-Andrews, a 1985 Georgia Southern alumna and daughter of the late Otis Redding, will deliver the MLK keynote address at 6 p.m. in the Fine Arts Auditorium on the Armstrong Campus. Redding-Andrews will present additional keynote addresses Thursday, Jan. 15, at 10 a.m. in the Swainsboro Campus Auditorium and at 6 p.m. at the PAC on the Statesboro Campus.

Community celebrations will continue Monday, Jan. 19, with members of the University community participating in MLK parades in Savannah at 10 a.m., Statesboro at 11 a.m. and Swainsboro at 1 p.m.

Additional programming includes a performance of 鈥淓mpowered, Brilliant & Brave: Great Women of Black History,鈥� Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 10:30 a.m. at the University鈥檚 Performing Arts Center (PAC) in Statesboro. Earlier in the month, the PAC hosted performances of the 鈥淕eorge Washington Carver and Friends Show鈥� and 鈥淭he Life of Dr. King Show.鈥� 

The celebration concludes Friday, Jan. 23, with a day of service from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Georgia Southern students will participate in service projects at Willow Hill School in Portal and East Side Savannah United, reinforcing King鈥檚 commitment to service and community engagement.

All events are open to the public, and community members are encouraged to participate.

For more information about event times, locations and participation opportunities, visit .

鈥淭heir vote does matter,鈥� Scalera-Elliott said. 鈥淪ometimes students aren’t registered to vote because they don’t know where to register, whether they should go back home or whether they can register where they’re living now.鈥�

To help ease the anxiety around voter registration, the PSSI, Office of Leadership and Community Engagement and Division of Student Affairs are offering a mix of educational sessions and hands-on activities.

A panel discussion will take place on the Armstrong Campus on Tuesday, Sept. 17, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Ogeechee Theatre featuring faculty from PSSI. A mirrored event will take place later that same day on the Statesboro Campus in the Russell Union Theater from 6 to 7 p.m.

In addition to the panel, the event will provide voter registration assistance. Volunteers will be on hand to help students register to vote either in their home state or locally. They鈥檒l also share information about early voting options, including absentee ballots and on-campus early voting stations, making it easier for students to cast their vote no matter where they鈥檙e registered.

Students can also enjoy free pizza and popsicles.

The Chatham County Board of Registrars will both table at the Armstrong Campus event and host a National Voter Registration Day event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1249 Eisenhower Drive, Savannah, Georgia 31406. The goal of their event is to create voter educational hotspots throughout Chatham County to increase voter registration accessibility. More information on Chatham County voter registration can be found .

快猫app短视 has received even more national recognition from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).  Eagle Engage, the University’s portal for featured student events and involvement opportunities as well as student organizations and service opportunities, was chosen as a 2023-24 Excellence Award winner (Silver Level) in the Assessment, Persistence, Data Analytics category.  

The Division of Student Affairs has been leading efforts since 2021 to better engage and track student involvement at Georgia Southern and this award is reflective of a University-wide commitment to exactly that.

鈥淪tudent engagement in co-curricular activities such as events, involvement in registered student organizations, and other activities is correlated with student success,鈥� said Vice President for Student Affairs Shay Little, Ph.D. 鈥淪tudents who participate in those events and activities report a higher sense of belonging at Georgia Southern as well.鈥�

In 2022-2023, 76% of Georgia Southern students participated in co-curricular activities and events.

鈥淲hen students do participate, they are more successful academically,鈥� Little noted. 

, the University has received four awards from the NASPA Excellence Awards.

鈥淓agle Engage and the University鈥檚 efforts to proactively involve students in events, activities, service and other experiences speaks to how intentional Georgia Southern is and the passion we have about students getting involved,鈥� said Ken Gassiot, Ph.D, associate vice president for student development. 鈥淲e鈥檙e using assessment and data as tools to show the impact engaging in campus events and community service can have on the student experience.鈥�

Southern Leaders, a 快猫app短视 undergraduate leadership program, received national recognition as a recipient of the 2018 Association of Leadership Educators (ALE) Outstanding Program Award. The award recognizes outstanding leadership programs implemented by leadership educators that can have substantial impact on individuals, organizations, institutions and/or communities through data. Georj Lewis, Ed.D., vice president for Student Affairs, announced the award recognition to staff members at the division鈥檚 summer workshop. 鈥淲e are fortunate at Georgia Southern to have programs that truly advance our division鈥檚 mission to engage students in experiences that transform lives and support the realization of their potential,鈥� Lewis said. Southern Leaders, a program directed by the Office of Leadership and Community Engagement (OLCE) in the Division of Student Affairs, is a co-curricular leadership program that currently engages more than 300 undergraduate students in an interactive leadership experience throughout their college career. Students participate in three non-credit leadership courses and additional elements associated with high-quality leadership development programs. In recent program evaluations, students affirmed they are better leaders and have an increased knowledge of exemplary leadership practices because of the program. In addition to the program award, OLCE staff members John Banter and John Egan were recognized at the 2018 ALE national conference in Chicago as the conference鈥檚 Distinguished Educator Workshop for their presentation titled, 鈥淓scape Rooms: A Student-Centered Approach to Animating Leadership Learning.鈥� The workshop displayed their work utilizing escape games as an innovative leadership teaching strategy and provided a framework for other educators to further engage students in their courses. 快猫app短视, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research institution founded in 1906, offers 141 degree programs serving more than 27,000 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia, the University provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia Southern creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.