Year: 2021

Piedmont Grad Set to Start New Job in Actuarial Science, Wants to ‘Extend a Helping Hand’

geeth

Just weeks after graduating from Piedmont University, Geeth Mahagamage will start a new position in actuarial science that will allow him to be financially independent — a goal he set for himself years ago as a student in Sri Lanka. “I am really thankful to Piedmont for the opportunities it gave me,” he said. “Now…

Piedmont University Professor Wins National Award for Work In Fields of Creativity and Gifted Education

Piedmont University’s Dr. Sarah Sumners is the recipient of the National Association for Gifted Children Creativity Network’s E. Paul Torrance Award. “This is a great honor,” Sumners said. “I’m proud to represent all those doing outstanding work in the field of creativity.” The Washington, D.C.-based NAGC supports those who enhance the growth and development of…

When COVID Kept Family Away, Brett Loftis Brought Sports Home

Brett Loftis

Six words have made Brett Loftis ’22 a Piedmont University sensation: “Where else would you rather be?” For families who want to watch their student-athletes perform in person, the answer is nowhere else but on campus, but COVID changed the game in 2020. During the pandemic seasons, when Piedmont parents had to watch from a…

Piedmont Grad Named Gwinnett County’s Middle School Teacher of the Year

Piedmont University alumna Taniesha Hines-Pooser is Gwinnett County Public Schools’ 2022 Middle School Teacher of the Year. “It feels amazing,” said Hines-Pooser. “It is extremely exciting to represent my fellow music educators in this way.” Hines-Pooser teaches orchestra at Berkmar Middle School in Lilburn. Gwinnett County Public Schools is the largest school system in Georgia,…

For Piedmont Actuarial Science Student, Her Major Is ‘A Path to a Great Life’

As an actuarial science major, Jade Edwards is frequently asked this question: What is actuarial science? In response, Edwards explains that an actuary uses mathematics and statistics to assess risk in industries such as insurance and finance, but for her personally, the field is much more than this layman’s definition. “For me, actuarial science is…

Angel Breaks Records, Becomes First Piedmont Runner in National Competition

Val Angel

Val Angel ’22 has come a long way since she was a little girl wondering why her mother would work out. It left her mom “all sweaty and gross.” “I thought, ‘I would never do that,’” she said. “And here I am.’” Here is Piedmont, where she is a champion runner. The Duluth, Georgia, native…

Piedmont Professor Developing App to Prevent Speech-Language Disorders in Children

professor-harn

Piedmont University’s Dr. Monica Harn is one step closer to developing an app that will help parents support their children’s language and literacy development. Harn, professor and director of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, is the co-author of “A Self-Managed Internet Parent Training Program for Interactive Storybook Reading: Extension to a Public School…

She’s 63 and has just been diagnosed with a learning disability. That’s not stopping Piedmont student Carmen Schuerman.

For 63 years, Carmen Schuerman struggled with mathematics. She failed the second grade. She needed fingers and toes to work problems others could solve with paper and pencil. When the math became too advanced, she had to draw dots contained in circles to help her “see” the sums and quotients. At one of her first…

Students: Apply Now to Participate in 2022 Piedmont Symposium

Poster presentations at the 2020 Piedmont Symposium.

Applications are now being accepted for the fourth-annual Piedmont Symposium, the university’s annual celebration of student research and creative inquiry. “The symposium is a highly anticipated event at Piedmont University,” said Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Julia Schmitz, who directs the university’s Quality Enhancement Plan, which promotes high-impact practices. The Symposium was created as part…

Piedmont University to Celebrate Fall Commencement on Dec. 3

Piedmont graduation ceremony

Nearly 300 students will graduate from Piedmont University this fall. “To our graduates, congratulations on your tremendous success, and congratulations to your families, friends, and loved ones who supported you along the journey to your degree. We are so very proud to now call you Piedmont alumni,” said Piedmont President Dr. James F. Mellichamp. Here…