Honors College > About the Honors College

About the Honors College

Welcome to the Honors College at Georgia Southern University! We are an inclusive community of scholars that fosters intellectual and professional development through undergraduate research and creative scholarship, experiential learning, global engagement, and personalized mentorship.

Honors College Staff

Dr. Steven Engel, Dean

Office: 1027 Eidson House, Statesboro and 101 Solms Hall, Armstrong

Email: sengel@georgiasouthern.edu

Dr. Steven Engel is a Professor of Political Science and has been at Georgia Southern since 1999. In 2005, he took the lead role as Director for the University Honors Program and became Dean when the program became the Honors College. He is on the editorial board of the journal, Honors in Practice, has authored several articles and book chapters on honors education and covering topics in political science, and in 2018 was named a Fellow of the National Collegiate Honors Council.

Dr. Francis Desiderio, Associate Dean

Office: 1024 Eidson House, Statesboro and 101 Solms Hall, Armstrong

Email: francisdesiderio@georgiasouthern.edu

Dr. Francis Desiderio has been at Georgia Southern since 2009. He earned his Ph.D. from the Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts at Emory University where his research interests were in American studies and urban studies. He has an M.A. from the Department of Popular Culture at Bowling Green State University, and his undergraduate degree is in English from the University of Detroit. He works with every aspect of the College with particular attention to honors curriculum, experiential learning, service-learning, and nationally competitive scholarships.

Theresa Duggar, Assistant Dean

Office: 1007 Eidson House, Statesboro, and 101 Solms Hall, Armstrong

Email: tduggar@georgiasouthern.edu

Theresa Duggar has worked at Georgia Southern since 2010. She is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership at Georgia Southern. She earned her M.Ed. in Higher Education at Georgia Southern and her BBA in Marketing from Georgia State. Theresa leads the student success team which focuses on Honors recruitment, advisement and student programming.

Sami Strickland, Student Engagement Coordinator

Office: 101 Solms Hall, Armstrong, and 1009 Eidson House, Statesboro

Email: sstrickland@georgiasouthern.edu

Sami Strickland joined the Honors College in 2021 and serves as the Student Engagement Coordinator. Sami earned her M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Georgia Southern University in the Spring of 2021. In 2018, she completed her B.A. in English from Georgia College & State University and graduated from the Honors Program. Sami assists students in completing the requirements to graduate from the Honors College and advises the Honors College Student Organizations on the Statesboro and Armstrong Campuses.

Jin Ah Park, Recruitment Coordinator

Office: 1003 Eidson House, Statesboro and 101 Solms Hall, Armstrong

Email: jinahpark@georgiasouthern.edu

Jin Ah Park completed her Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies from Georgia Southern University in the Fall of 2020 and is currently pursuing her Masters of Arts in Professional Communication and Leadership. She worked as a student assistant at the Office of Admissions upon graduation and continued her professional career at Georgia Southern University. Jin Ah coordinates the recruitment of prospective honors students including incoming freshmen, incoming transfer students, and students currently enrolled at the university. Additionally, she advises students in completing the requirements to graduate from the Honors College on the Statesboro Campus to ensure student success. During her free time, she enjoys going out to the barn to ride her horses, go fishing, and spending time with her friends, family, and her two dogs.

Tonya Zetterower, Executive Assistant

Office: 1020 Eidson House, Statesboro

Email: tzetterower@georgiasouthern.edu

Tonya Zetterower earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Georgia Southern and is currently pursuing a Masters in Higher Education. She worked as the Senior Administrative Assistant to the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and the Dean of Students in the Dean of Students Office for several years. Tonya joined the Honors College as the Executive Assistant in March 2023. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and trying new restaurants with her family and friends. She also enjoys reading and playing with her two dogs and two grand dogs.