An economics textbook in a cardboard box labelled as a donation for Goodwill changed one professor’s career path, while another, a first-generation college graduate, the love for chemistry is something he shares with his students.
Dr. Jason Delaney and Dr. Ajay Mallia were two of the honorees during the Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) 2025 Fall Recognition ceremony. The annual ceremony recognizes outstanding scholarship, leadership, service and creativity by members of the GGC community.
Delaney, who is a professor of economics and recipient of this year’s Outstanding Faculty Teaching award, addressed the audience.
“If you want to learn, you can come here,” he said. “We will give you the support that you need. My colleagues are similarly invested, and it’s just incredible to be in a place where everyone is so committed to helping people learn and change and grow into an aspiration they don’t even fully understand.”
Mallia, professor of chemistry, received the Outstanding Faculty Mentoring award. He joined GGC in 2016 and has made a name for himself by including students in his research projects and as a mentor to aspiring chemistry students.
“As a first-generation student myself, I clearly understand the impact of mentors,” he said. “I am who I am now because of the guidance of my mentors, and it is my time to give back to the community and help the next generation of professionals. My main goal is to inspire students to meet any challenge confidently.”
Each year, the GGC Annual Awards Committee solicits nominations from members of the GGC community, reviews the submissions, and compiles a list of recommended recipients. The final selections are made by the senior vice president for academic and student affairs/provost.
Faculty Awards
This year, six faculty and two staff members were honored:
- Outstanding Faculty Teaching: Dr. Jason J. Delaney
- Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Teaching: Dr. Damarrio C. Holloway
- Outstanding Faculty Mentoring: Dr. Ajay Mallia
- Outstanding Faculty Scholarship and Creative Activities: Dr. Seungjin Lee
- Outstanding Faculty Service: Dr. Rebecca A. Cooper
- Outstanding Faculty Student Engagement: Dr. Misael Romero-Reyes
Outstanding Staff Awards
- Suzann Burgess
- Candice A. Stephens
Faculty Promotions
During the ceremony, 23 faculty members were recognized for earning a promotion:
- Dr. Benjamin Akins, professor
- Dr. Philip Wesley Routon, professor
- Dr. Philip Vinson, associate professor
- Dr. Amanda Wilsker, professor
- Andres Cardona, assistant professor
- Joye Cauthen, associate professor
- Dr. Kristina Groce Brown, professor
- Dr. David Dorrell, professor
- Dr. Jason Embry, associate professor
- Dr. Adam Hutcheson, associate professor
- Dr. Todd Lindley, professor
- Dr. Jamye Curry Savage, professor
- Dr. Hyo-Joo Han, professor
- Dr. Elisabeth Javazon, professor
- Dr. Xiaoping Li, professor
- Dr. Ajay Mallia, professor
- Dr. Joshua Morris, professor
- Dr. Simon Mwongela, professor
- Dr. Elizabeth Sudduth, professor
- Dr. Binh Tran, professor
- Dr. Juliana Lancaster, professor emeritus
- Dr. Michael Gagnon, professor emeritus
- Dr. Anatoly Kurkovsky, professor emeritus
View and download 2025 Fall Recognition ceremony photos.
Photos by Daniel Melograna/Georgia Gwinnett College.