SAVANNAH – Savannah State University (SSU) alumna Kylie Tierce is one of 41 recipients of a new teacher grant from Georgia Power. Nominations were submitted by Georgia public colleges and universities that have schools of education.
To be eligible for a grant, candidates must be in the top 25 percent of their class, be a first-year teacher employed by a public school in Georgia and demonstrate a high aptitude for teaching. Nominations are reviewed by a statewide selection committee.
The $1000 grants are courtesy of the non-profit Georgia Power Foundation, Inc. and provide the state's newest teachers with funds to purchase classroom supplies and start their classroom careers.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Friday, September 23, 2016
SSU participates in cyber security research
SAVANNAH – Savannah State University’s (SSU) Qian Chen, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science technology, and two students completed a summer research project aimed at protecting infrastructure. Chen was joined by Summer Sykes, a senior electronics engineering technology student from Atlanta, Ga., and Chelsea Calhoun, a senior in computer science technology from Jacksonville, Fla.
The SSU team worked at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to design and test a method for companies to know a cyber attack is affecting a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. Many of the nation’s large industries and manufacturers – oil companies, wastewater facilities, electrical grids, large communication networks – use SCADA systems to remotely operate multiple locations from a single place.
SCADA systems are prime targets for cyber attacks and, according to one study, have doubled over the past year; yet, more than 30% of organizations did not know their SCADA system had even been breached.
The research conducted by Chen, Sykes and Calhoun designed a technique with high detection accuracy. Their process monitors, tracks and compares the power consumption during normal activity and during an attack. The SCADA systems can now be programmed to sense the spike in power consumption, detect a threat and alert an organization.
Chen will present the findings at the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 50.
Established in 1890, Savannah State University is the oldest public historically black college or university in Georgia and the oldest institution of higher learning in the city of Savannah. The university’s 4,800 students select majors from 30 undergraduate and six graduate programs in three colleges — Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Business Administration and Sciences and Technology — and the School of Teacher Education.
-- SSU --
(L-R) Jeff Nichols, Ph.D., SSU student Summer Sykes, SSU student Chelsea Calhoun, Qian Chen, Ph.D., and PhD candidate Jarilyn Hernandez (West Virginia University) at ORNL.
The SSU team worked at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to design and test a method for companies to know a cyber attack is affecting a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. Many of the nation’s large industries and manufacturers – oil companies, wastewater facilities, electrical grids, large communication networks – use SCADA systems to remotely operate multiple locations from a single place.
SCADA systems are prime targets for cyber attacks and, according to one study, have doubled over the past year; yet, more than 30% of organizations did not know their SCADA system had even been breached.
The research conducted by Chen, Sykes and Calhoun designed a technique with high detection accuracy. Their process monitors, tracks and compares the power consumption during normal activity and during an attack. The SCADA systems can now be programmed to sense the spike in power consumption, detect a threat and alert an organization.
Chen will present the findings at the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 50.
Established in 1890, Savannah State University is the oldest public historically black college or university in Georgia and the oldest institution of higher learning in the city of Savannah. The university’s 4,800 students select majors from 30 undergraduate and six graduate programs in three colleges — Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Business Administration and Sciences and Technology — and the School of Teacher Education.
-- SSU --
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
SSU professor assists in sea turtle hatching
SAVANNAH – Savannah State University’s (SSU) Christopher Hintz, Ph.D., professor of marine sciences, led a team of volunteers with the Tybee Sea Turtle Project this summer.
The Tybee Sea Turtle Project is a volunteer organization permitted by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to monitor and assist nesting sea turtles on Tybee, a developed barrier island. Every day in the summer, volunteers walk the three-mile long beach looking for turtle crawls, evidence of a sea turtle nest.
At the end of the incubation period, the volunteers sit by the nests, particularly in highly impacted areas of Tybee Island, to ensure the hatching turtles are oriented properly and make it to the ocean. Hintz participates regularly in the project’s activities and outreach opportunities. The volunteers have assisted in the release of more than 40 hatchling sea turtles that had not emerged by day five and were at risk of perishing in the nest.
Nationwide, sea turtle nests are at a record high for the 2016 season, including record numbers in the states of Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. The hatching period runs from May 1 – October 31. The best way citizens can protect sea turtles is to reduce artificial lights (e.g., flashlights or cell phones) on the beach at night, and turn off any lights on beachfront properties as soon as it is dark.
Established in 1890, Savannah State University is the oldest public historically black college or university in Georgia and the oldest institution of higher learning in the city of Savannah. The university’s 4,800 students select majors from 30 undergraduate and six graduate programs in three colleges — Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Business Administration and Sciences and Technology — and the School of Teacher Education.
-- SSU --
The Tybee Sea Turtle Project is a volunteer organization permitted by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to monitor and assist nesting sea turtles on Tybee, a developed barrier island. Every day in the summer, volunteers walk the three-mile long beach looking for turtle crawls, evidence of a sea turtle nest.
At the end of the incubation period, the volunteers sit by the nests, particularly in highly impacted areas of Tybee Island, to ensure the hatching turtles are oriented properly and make it to the ocean. Hintz participates regularly in the project’s activities and outreach opportunities. The volunteers have assisted in the release of more than 40 hatchling sea turtles that had not emerged by day five and were at risk of perishing in the nest.
Nationwide, sea turtle nests are at a record high for the 2016 season, including record numbers in the states of Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. The hatching period runs from May 1 – October 31. The best way citizens can protect sea turtles is to reduce artificial lights (e.g., flashlights or cell phones) on the beach at night, and turn off any lights on beachfront properties as soon as it is dark.
Established in 1890, Savannah State University is the oldest public historically black college or university in Georgia and the oldest institution of higher learning in the city of Savannah. The university’s 4,800 students select majors from 30 undergraduate and six graduate programs in three colleges — Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Business Administration and Sciences and Technology — and the School of Teacher Education.
-- SSU --
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
SSU is a stop on Georgia Trust tour
Savannah State University (SSU) will be a stop on the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s Fall Ramble in October 2016. The Georgia Trust partners with local organizations across the state to arrange exclusive tours and special events in historic properties.
The Ramble will visit a number of sites during the three-day event, with SSU’s historic Hill Hall on the map for Sunday, October 9, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Historic Hill Hall is the oldest extant and most significant structure on the Savannah State University campus. Built in 1901 by students and faculty of the then Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youths, the main distinctive features of the three-story building are its large Palladian (or serliana) window, gambrel roof and Georgian revival portico. The building is named after Walter Barnard Hill, chancellor of the University of Georgia from 1899-1905.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, a three-phase renovation began in 1999. Unfortunately, in May of 2000, the structure was gutted after a welding torch caused a fire during demolition of a steel staircase. The third floor was nearly completely lost and the building sustained extensive water damage in the aftermath.
The award-winning rehabilitation was completed several years later by way of extensive research, tested preservation methods and the use of authentic materials. Hill Hall reopened for use in the fall of 2008 and has once again become the centerpiece of Savannah State’s campus, housing the university’s main administrative functions and enrollment services center. In 2009, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation honored the exemplary restoration with its Excellence in Rehabilitation Award.
Register for the Fall Ramble tour.
The Ramble will visit a number of sites during the three-day event, with SSU’s historic Hill Hall on the map for Sunday, October 9, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Historic Hill Hall is the oldest extant and most significant structure on the Savannah State University campus. Built in 1901 by students and faculty of the then Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youths, the main distinctive features of the three-story building are its large Palladian (or serliana) window, gambrel roof and Georgian revival portico. The building is named after Walter Barnard Hill, chancellor of the University of Georgia from 1899-1905.
Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, a three-phase renovation began in 1999. Unfortunately, in May of 2000, the structure was gutted after a welding torch caused a fire during demolition of a steel staircase. The third floor was nearly completely lost and the building sustained extensive water damage in the aftermath.
The award-winning rehabilitation was completed several years later by way of extensive research, tested preservation methods and the use of authentic materials. Hill Hall reopened for use in the fall of 2008 and has once again become the centerpiece of Savannah State’s campus, housing the university’s main administrative functions and enrollment services center. In 2009, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation honored the exemplary restoration with its Excellence in Rehabilitation Award.
Register for the Fall Ramble tour.
Friday, July 22, 2016
SSU alumna wins naval maneuver competition
Savannah State University (SSU) alumna Ensign Shunsey Brooks won the Distinguished Shiphandler Competition in May 2016 at Basic Division Officer Course (BDOC) in Norfolk, Va.
Approximately 20 ensigns participated and three U.S. Navy captains judged the event. During the competition the ensigns briefed the captains on their plans then demonstrated their ship handling skills on a simulated system. The goal was to safely dock the ship, an LSD 43, on the pier in Norfolk while dealing with unfavorable environmental variables such as heavy winds and current.
“This means I have represented NROTC and Savannah State University well,” Brooks said, “which is enough to make me feel really proud. And I was the first person to win this competition with my ship platform (LSD 43).”
Brooks, a biology major from Vidalia, Ga., graduated from SSU in December 2015 and is currently stationed on the USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) in Mayport, Fla. As the Assistant Communications Officer she works in radio communications and is in charge of information technicians. Her division is responsible for ensuring all communications aboard the ship are functioning.
Monday, June 20, 2016
Just Keep Swimming
Like many of his classmates, Freshman Thierry Sawadogo has a big trip planned this summer. But his is not a vacation. He will be swimming for Burkina Faso in the Olympics in Rio.
A native of Ouagadougou, Thierry admits competitive swimming is not a popular sport there. “Everything is about soccer,” he says. It’s one of the main reasons he decided to come to the United States to study – so he could keep swimming.
He was eight years old when he first got in the pool. At 6'8" and 21 years old, he’s the best in his country. “I grew up watching Michael Phelps. I just knew I had to swim like him.”
Thierry is studying computer science technology at Savannah State. He sees it as a way to work in a field he loves but also to bring innovation to his homeland. “Since my childhood, I loved everything about electronics. Later, I would like to open my own business in my country and help industry build software and applications.”
Thierry trains everyday, before and after classes. “I just stay focused on my main goal. And remember there are people who believe in me, who are counting on me.”
Thierry will be competing under the flag of his country – “I love the U.S. but Burkina Faso… that is my home.” – at the summer Olympics in the 50m freestyle. “I’m a bit scared. It’s a big event, the dream of every athlete.”
Even with the facilities and training he has in America, he knows that he is not a threat to someone like Ryan Lochte this year. “But I will take notes for future competitions. And I will be ready for Tokyo in 2020."
Friday, June 10, 2016
The Path To Success
This story originally appeared in the 2016 issue of Arising, the Research Journal of Savannah State University.
Story by Amy Pine. Photography by Hon Low.
When Aaron Johnson first arrived at Savannah State University in 2012, the Augusta, Ga., native was overwhelmed. While juggling his classes was easy in high school, Johnson struggled to manage his new schedule. One day during his sophomore year, a professor told him about Student Support Services, a program on campus designed to help students succeed academically. Today Johnson is excelling in his classes, tutors fellow Student Support Services participants in his spare time and will graduate in December with a bachelor of science degree in biology with a concentration in secondary education.
Student Support Services was started by the U.S. government in 1968 to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The program is part of TRiO, a group of federal outreach and student services programs designed to help students progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to college and beyond. Savannah State offers three TRiO programs on campus: Student Support Services, Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search.
Student Support Services has been operating at Savannah State University since 1992. Today, the U.S. Department of Education-funded program assists 175 students on campus, facilitating student success by providing services that promote academic excellence, degree program selection and completion, financial and economic literacy, cultural competence, and graduate and professional program application and enrollment. In 2015, Savannah State received more than $1.4 million to continue the program through 2020.
“Our goal is to provide students with the support they need to help them matriculate and graduate,” says Gary Guillory, Ed.D., director of Student Support Services on the Savannah State campus.
SSU’s Student Support Services office serves students who are from low-income backgrounds, first-generation college students or those with disabilities. All of the students must demonstrate the need for academic support.
Once in the program, students attend workshops on an array of topics such as time management, engage with faculty during critical thinking and discussion hours, receive academic advisement and tutoring, attend sessions on financial planning, and learn about graduate programs and the application process.
Student Support Services participants also have access to the Center for Success, a comfortable space in Whiting Hall where students can go to study, have access to resources and receive tutoring services. The space has served as a home away from home for Johnson, who has spent countless hours in the center attending workshops and studying.
“Student Support Services gave me somewhere outside of the library where I could do my work comfortably,” Johnson says. “It also gave me an environment of like-minded people. Everyone is doing homework or working on a project or assignment or doing something business-wise or just trying to do better.”
Johnson excelled in Student Support Services and today serves as one of the program’s three student success coaches, tutoring classmates and guiding them in other aspects of college life.
Guillory says that the peer-to-peer coaching is one of the many reasons why Student Support Services has continued to succeed on the Savannah State campus. Based on recent statistics, 90 percent of students who utilized Student Support Services during the 2014-15 academic year were in good academic standing at the end of the year, and 76 percent of students re-enrolled in the university for the Fall 2015 semester.
“We serve students who are coming out of foster care, many of our students are coming from disadvantaged circumstances [facing] housing insecurity and food insecurity, some have experienced horrific violence in their lives,” says Guillory, who is assisted by a staff that includes Assistant Director Tameka McDaniel, Coordinator of Tutorial and Computer Services Lottie Scott, and Programming Specialist Desiree Johnson. “The program is very successful, even though students are coming from those very difficult backgrounds to achieve their college goals.”
For Shermia Fluker, a junior political science major from Augusta, Ga., Student Support Services has helped guide her on the path to graduate school and a professional career. “I have taken advantage of the free workshops for example [on topics such as] financial aid assistance, critiquing your resume and learning how to pay back student loans,” says Fluker, who has used Student Support Services grant aid money to help pay for school.
Fluker and Johnson are two of many Student Support Services success stories. Program participants in recent years include Jordan Riles-Ogden, Miss Savannah State University 2010-11 who now works as a career development specialist at SSU, and Brittany Bush, an honor graduate who received the university’s prestigious President’s Second Mile Award in May 2015.
“Student Support Services helps students to realize their college success goals, and in doing so, we’re helping to change lives,” Guillory says. “We’re helping students build confidence in their future careers, in their personal and professional lives. We’re helping to produce productive citizens who will advance this democracy of ours.”
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
Ramona Fun Day at SSU
By Shayanna Bonner
What better way to celebrate the love of literacy than with the youth. Rose Metts, Ph.D., of the Department of English, Languages, and Cultures, along with students of Savannah State University (SSU) felt the same way when they decided to start a literacy program in spring 2012. The literacy program began at Haven Elementary School, but then moved to Thunderbolt Elementary School soon after.
Metts, along with Neesha Navare, Ph.D., Michele Rozga, Ph.D. and Janet Spencer, M.A. of the Department of English, Languages, and Cultures started the Thunderbolt Literacy Program. In preparation for the literacy program, the first-grade teachers of Thunderbolt Elementary were consulted in December 2015. From January to April 2016, Metts, Navare, Rozga and Spencer visited the first-grade classes weekly and read Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary.
Along with reading, they engaged the students in games that included upper-level vocabulary, created art based on the story, and distributed foods that were mentioned in the story. They made the book a reality for the students. Metts created a memento book for each student, and it included statements and photographs of the Savannah State professors. “The visits made every Wednesday the brightest day of the week,” said Navare.
Now, you can’t end the classroom activities without a little fun, right? Ramona Fun Day was just the way to end a great semester for the students. On April 29, 74 first-grade students and five teachers of Thunderbolt Elementary, one parent, 12 SSU student helpers, and four SSU professors gathered in the Willcox-Wiley gymnasium to celebrate Ramona Fun Day.
The event got its name from the book the professors had been reading to the students all semester long. Ramona Fun Day was designed to reinforce the first-grade students’ levels of reading engagement and understanding through interactive games and activities. The goal is to increase the degree to which first-graders comprehend and retain information from books, while encouraging them to continue mastering their reading skills and allowing them to engage with positive, enthusiastic Savannah State students in hopes of instilling a long-term goal of attending college.
SSU students played their part in making this event worthwhile for the younger students. Students were involved in vocabulary games, obstacle courses to build teamwork and trust and reflective writing exercises. All in all, the first-grade students were impressed with the fun activities. “Turn the bus around and play the games all over again,” said one student as they headed back to school. “This was a wonderful event and I hope that we can do it again,” said Spencer.
What better way to celebrate the love of literacy than with the youth. Rose Metts, Ph.D., of the Department of English, Languages, and Cultures, along with students of Savannah State University (SSU) felt the same way when they decided to start a literacy program in spring 2012. The literacy program began at Haven Elementary School, but then moved to Thunderbolt Elementary School soon after.
Metts, along with Neesha Navare, Ph.D., Michele Rozga, Ph.D. and Janet Spencer, M.A. of the Department of English, Languages, and Cultures started the Thunderbolt Literacy Program. In preparation for the literacy program, the first-grade teachers of Thunderbolt Elementary were consulted in December 2015. From January to April 2016, Metts, Navare, Rozga and Spencer visited the first-grade classes weekly and read Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary.
Along with reading, they engaged the students in games that included upper-level vocabulary, created art based on the story, and distributed foods that were mentioned in the story. They made the book a reality for the students. Metts created a memento book for each student, and it included statements and photographs of the Savannah State professors. “The visits made every Wednesday the brightest day of the week,” said Navare.
Now, you can’t end the classroom activities without a little fun, right? Ramona Fun Day was just the way to end a great semester for the students. On April 29, 74 first-grade students and five teachers of Thunderbolt Elementary, one parent, 12 SSU student helpers, and four SSU professors gathered in the Willcox-Wiley gymnasium to celebrate Ramona Fun Day.
The event got its name from the book the professors had been reading to the students all semester long. Ramona Fun Day was designed to reinforce the first-grade students’ levels of reading engagement and understanding through interactive games and activities. The goal is to increase the degree to which first-graders comprehend and retain information from books, while encouraging them to continue mastering their reading skills and allowing them to engage with positive, enthusiastic Savannah State students in hopes of instilling a long-term goal of attending college.
SSU students played their part in making this event worthwhile for the younger students. Students were involved in vocabulary games, obstacle courses to build teamwork and trust and reflective writing exercises. All in all, the first-grade students were impressed with the fun activities. “Turn the bus around and play the games all over again,” said one student as they headed back to school. “This was a wonderful event and I hope that we can do it again,” said Spencer.
Preparing for hurricane season
With Savannah State's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Program
By Preshus January
Savannah State University’s (SSU) Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) program is the only bachelor’s degree in homeland security and/or emergency management in the state of Georgia. It is the first in the United States at a historically black college or university.
The program prepares students with skills and information to coordinate the full range of resources to improve outcomes in disasters. It offers knowledge specific to different types and causes of disasters including comprehensive and hazard-specific practices that lead to effective prevention, protection, preparedness, response and recovery, and lessons from past disasters.
Assistant Professor and Special Project Coordinator Norbert Chandler is passionate about his students knowing the importance of professionalism and staying alert. “We don’t follow separate guidelines, we follow the same protocol as FEMA and we support it.” His 35 year tenure of law enforcement service, with 23 years dedicated to homeland security, has been influential for the program. “Safe, Secured, Unified, that’s the SSU we identify as.”
The HSEM program is built on current and developing research with an emphasis on lessening impacts of disasters on the most vulnerable citizens.
The program complies with the SSU Emergency Management guidelines and the FEMA guidelines, and it prepares students for public and private sector positions in this growing field.
“It’s a lot of pressure to be a part of this program, you have to be able to relate to people and have an openness about you. It’s the new, cutting-edge profession of law enforcement,” says Chandler.
June 1 is the beginning of hurricane season on the Atlantic Ocean. With SSU being located in the Low Country, and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the east, it is important to know what to do in the case of an emergency.
Savannah has been in a drought with hurricanes. The last hurricane to hit Savannah was Hurricane David in 1979, which can lead to complacency. Chandler suggests that people should be prepared all year round. “I keep a bag in my trunk that has flashlights and batteries, emergency numbers and copies of important documents in a zip-lock bag, and special pictures that I otherwise would lose.”
Evacuation guidelines are particularly important and the Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) website features a variety of guides to help prepare families and individuals for safety in the case of a hurricane. CEMA has master plans ready to put into action at a moment’s notice, including handling increased traffic on evacuation routes.
“We have evacuation gates on I-16 to keep people from getting access in Savannah, so you can leave but you can’t get in. The faster we can communicate to the community, the better for emergency management. Everything starts locally,” says Chandler.
___
The HSEM department annually sponsors a $500 scholarship to the intern of the year. HSEM also hopes to offer a fully online master’s program in the coming year.
___
Preparation is key to successfully evacuating you and your family.
Important Hurricane Preparedness Tips:
• Know in advance where you will go and how you will get there.
• Create a “Go-Bag”.
• Have a communication plan for your household.
• Place important documents in zip-lock bags for waterproof protection.
By Preshus January
Savannah State University’s (SSU) Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) program is the only bachelor’s degree in homeland security and/or emergency management in the state of Georgia. It is the first in the United States at a historically black college or university.
The program prepares students with skills and information to coordinate the full range of resources to improve outcomes in disasters. It offers knowledge specific to different types and causes of disasters including comprehensive and hazard-specific practices that lead to effective prevention, protection, preparedness, response and recovery, and lessons from past disasters.
Assistant Professor and Special Project Coordinator Norbert Chandler is passionate about his students knowing the importance of professionalism and staying alert. “We don’t follow separate guidelines, we follow the same protocol as FEMA and we support it.” His 35 year tenure of law enforcement service, with 23 years dedicated to homeland security, has been influential for the program. “Safe, Secured, Unified, that’s the SSU we identify as.”
The HSEM program is built on current and developing research with an emphasis on lessening impacts of disasters on the most vulnerable citizens.
The program complies with the SSU Emergency Management guidelines and the FEMA guidelines, and it prepares students for public and private sector positions in this growing field.
“It’s a lot of pressure to be a part of this program, you have to be able to relate to people and have an openness about you. It’s the new, cutting-edge profession of law enforcement,” says Chandler.
June 1 is the beginning of hurricane season on the Atlantic Ocean. With SSU being located in the Low Country, and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the east, it is important to know what to do in the case of an emergency.
Savannah has been in a drought with hurricanes. The last hurricane to hit Savannah was Hurricane David in 1979, which can lead to complacency. Chandler suggests that people should be prepared all year round. “I keep a bag in my trunk that has flashlights and batteries, emergency numbers and copies of important documents in a zip-lock bag, and special pictures that I otherwise would lose.”
Evacuation guidelines are particularly important and the Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) website features a variety of guides to help prepare families and individuals for safety in the case of a hurricane. CEMA has master plans ready to put into action at a moment’s notice, including handling increased traffic on evacuation routes.
“We have evacuation gates on I-16 to keep people from getting access in Savannah, so you can leave but you can’t get in. The faster we can communicate to the community, the better for emergency management. Everything starts locally,” says Chandler.
___
The HSEM department annually sponsors a $500 scholarship to the intern of the year. HSEM also hopes to offer a fully online master’s program in the coming year.
___
Preparation is key to successfully evacuating you and your family.
Important Hurricane Preparedness Tips:
• Know in advance where you will go and how you will get there.
• Create a “Go-Bag”.
• Have a communication plan for your household.
• Place important documents in zip-lock bags for waterproof protection.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
A Dolphin Tale
This article originally appeared in the 2015 edition of ARISING: The Research Journal of Savannah State University
When a dolphin washed ashore on Tybee Island in early February, it could have been another heart-wrenching tale of an animal meeting a tragic end. But thanks to Savannah State University’s Marine Mammal Program, the death of the bottlenose dolphin known as Phineas will become a teachable moment.
Led by Tara Cox, Ph.D., an associate professor of marine sciences, the Savannah State Marine Mammal Program had been tracking Phineas since 2009. The program is funded through several grants at the university, including the Title VII, National Science Foundation Enhancing Diversity in Geoscience Education (EDGE), Bridge to Research in Marine Sciences Research for Undergraduates (REU) and Students Engaged in Naval STEM Research (SENSR) programs, among others.
Eleven undergraduate and three graduate students from the various grant programs currently serve as interns in the Marine Mammal Program. The students assist faculty with tracking the local dolphin population in Savannah-area waterways, then map their results back in the SSU Dolphin Sciences Lab.
Student interns in SSU’s Marine Mammal Program spend time on the water and in the lab. (Clockwise from top) Cody Rigney, a junior marine sciences major, studies distribution of dolphins. Associate Professor of Marine Sciences Tara Cox, Ph.D., is director of the Marine Mammal Program. Rachael Randall, a graduate student in marine sciences, spends time in the lab analyzing dolphin blubber for stable isotope ratios. Cassandra Harris, a sophomore marine sciences major, is working to reassess human interaction rates of bottlenose dolphins.
The SSU Marine Mammal team had spotted Phineas at least 16 times over the past five years, tracking the adventurous mammal as he swam around Tybee Island and up and down the Bull River. Beachgoers found Phineas’ body on Tybee’s north beach and contacted local authorities. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources was called in and performed the necropsy with assistance from SSU students and staff. The DNR then shared the deceased dolphin’s picture to its local stranding network, of which Savannah State is a part.
“When they did the necropsy, the dorsal fin was in really good shape,” explains Cox. “We identify animals by unique patterns of nicks and notches on their dorsal fins. My lab manager Robin Perrtree immediately recognized that it was one of our animals.”
Cox hopes that the lab results from Phineas’ necropsy will shed some light on why the dolphin was so emaciated and sickly when he washed ashore. The samples taken during the necropsy are currently being tested for a variety of illnesses including brucellosis, a bacterial infection, and morbillivirus, an illness similar to the human form of measles.
While disease may have been the cause of Phineas’ death, other dolphins in the area face challenges brought on by humans. Through their research, Cox and her team have discovered that the Savannah area has the world’s worst begging problem.
“We see dolphins begging about two-thirds of our days on the water and about a quarter of our sightings,” explains Cox, who developed five metrics to compare dolphins in the Savannah area to those in other dolphin hotspots around the world.
Begging poses a danger to dolphins, which are at risk for injury when they swim so closely to boats. The human snacks that boaters often feed dolphins can also harm the popular mammals.
Cassandra Harris, a sophomore marine sciences major from Stone Mountain, Ga., is currently working in the Marine Mammal Program to reassess human interaction with the local bottlenose dolphin population, updating research that was conducted by Perrtree over the last several years. Harris, who has been intrigued by dolphins since she visited Sea World as a child, is chronicling the number of begging events per sighting and per day, as well as the number of human interactions per sighting and per day.
Harris’ research will help Cox and her team understand the extent of dolphin-human interaction in the area. “My ultimate goal is to affect policy with our science,” says Cox, explaining that members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) came to Savannah a few years ago to observe the waterways and conduct outreach. Cox and her team also regularly visit schools and talk to local fishermen in hopes of discouraging people from feeding dolphins.
“It looks like there has been a slow decline [in begging],” Cox says. “It’s hard to say why, but we’re getting news articles out, we’re doing outreach and there’s been some enforcement. That may be making a difference.”
Harris’ research will be presented at a conference this spring and will be an important step in addressing and understanding the issues facing the local population, something that will help protect dolphins like Phineas for years to come.
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