Fisk chosen GSW's 2008 Featured Scholar

From Staff Reports

AMERICUS — Scholarship is fundamental to the academic integrity of any higher education institution. The very word is defined as knowledge acquired by study or the academic attainments of a scholar. In terms of definition, this describes Gary D. Fisk, Ph.D., to perfection.

Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) President Kendall A. Blanchard, Ph.D., announced Tuesday that Fisk, GSW associate professor of psychology, is the inaugural recipient of the university's Featured Scholar Award. The public is invited to join the GSW community at a reception honoring Fisk at 3 p.m. Dec. 4 in the Rotunda of the Wheatley Administration Building.

“All too often, members of the larger public have the misperception that university faculty who teach 12 or 15 credit hours a semester only work 12 or 15 hours a week," said Blanchard. "The reality is that those 12 or 15 hours are only the tip of the ice berg. College teaching is a demanding profession, and the classroom experience must be supported by hours and hours of preparation, staying abreast of one’s discipline and engaging in scholarly activities that are important to a teacher's credibility in the classroom as well as to the advancement of knowledge and the broader professional community to which university faculty belong. This award is a reminder of that fact as well as a tribute to Georgia Southwestern's many fine scholars."

Blanchard initiated the award earlier this fall to recognize, once a year, a GSW faculty member who has made significant contributions to his or her discipline in the form of artistic accomplishment, basic research, writing, publishing, editing, presenting and grant awards. The award recipient is chosen by a committee of faculty members representing each school selected by the Faculty Senate, and it carries a stipend of $500.

"It's a great honor to be selected for something like this," said Fisk. "One thing about research is that there are not a lot of rewards. It's nice to be recognized by colleagues for the work that we do."

Fisk's research efforts have been extensive and well documented. His expertise lies in the areas of anthropology and psychology and more specifically in behavioral neuroscience. Fisk is responsible for 18 peer reviewed publications, 21 abstracts and presentations; he has earned three distinguished professor awards and received two faculty development grants.

Most recently, Fisk's article, "Using animation in forensic pathology and science education," was the feature story in the October edition of the American Society for Clinical Pathology's monthly magazine "Lab Medicine.”

Medical animation is becoming increasingly popular in the courtroom as a method illustrating medical and scientific crime scene evidence to juries. According to Fisk's article, “The members of the jury do not need to become experts in order to visualize and appreciate the details of the case being considered.”

Fisk began instructing at GSW in 2000. Prior to GSW, he served as an assistant professor of psychology at Gordon College from 1997-2000.

During his career, Fisk has mentored over 20 of his finest students. Each year, he has them present research at the Georgia Undergraduate Research in Psychology (GURP) Conference at Kennesaw State University. Fisk believes it is imperative for his students to see their research in action.

"It's a good experience for our best psychology majors," said Fisk. "I think it's important because when you read about research in textbooks, it seems pretty dry and academic. But, when you get with other people and they're talking about [research], it's more exciting."

Fisk earned his doctorate in behavioral neuroscience in 1995, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) where he received fellowship support from the National Institutes of Health. From 1995-1997, he participated in postdoctoral research at UAB, as well. There, Fisk did some interesting research on how to determine if stroke victims should drive after brain injury.

Having spent his formative years in Wisconsin, Fisk earned a bachelor of arts in psychology and anthropology at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Another of his claims to fame, Fisk is a stockholder in one of Wisconsin's most popular organizations, the Green Bay Packers.

Fisk's wife, Ellen Cotter, Ph.D., is a GSW professor of psychology as well, having served as a member of the faculty since 1999. Fisk, Cotter and their daughter Laura reside in Americus.

Text Only