Georgia Southern University

Caroline Steed has been selected as this year's recipient of the Annie F. Oliver Award for Volunteer of the Year. This award, given annually by the Savannah Speech and Hearing Center, recognizes individuals who have demonstrated excellence in and a strong commitment to volunteering for the betterment of the Savannah Speech and Hearing Center community. Steed, from Savannah, graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences from Armstrong State University. Upon graduation, Steed returned to Georgia Southern University to obtain a post-baccalaureate certificate in communication sciences and disorders on the University's Armstrong Campus. "I was extremely honored to receive this award," stated Steed. "Volunteering for this organization has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity and I feel very fortunate to be given the opportunity to be able to work with the diverse populations that Savannah Speech and Hearing Center serves." Steed has been volunteering with the Savannah Speech and Hearing Center since January 2018 and has clocked more than 188 hours of volunteer experience working in a variety of areas including hearing screenings at local schools, the Stroke Group, Sound Start and fundraising events. "I have had the chance to learn from some of the most skilled, caring and compassionate people I have ever had the pleasure of coming into contact with. Volunteering and giving back to the community I was born and raised in gives you an incomparable sense of worth," said Steed. Steed was honored at a Volunteer Reception held in February. After graduation in May, Steed plans to continue her education and obtain a master's degree in communication sciences and pursue a career in speech-language pathology.

Eleven students from Georgia Southern University assisted the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) on March 2 in establishing a new oyster reef restoration site on Hutchinson Island at the Ashepoo River. Led by Daniel Gleason, Ph.D., director of the Institute for Coastal Plain Science at the University, and John Carroll, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, the student group teamed up with University biology graduate Michael Hodges ('01), a biologist with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). "Establishing this relationship with Michael Hodges and South Carolina DNR provides several outstanding opportunities for our students," said Gleason. "Not only does it allow them to make a difference by participating in an important restoration activity, but it also puts them in direct contact with individuals who can provide them with access to internships as well as long-term career opportunities in natural resource management." With the help of SCDNR staff, the students transferred 350 bags, approximately 10,500 pounds, of recycled oyster shells from land to the shoreline to help form new oyster reefs. The purpose of the program, known as the South Carolina Oyster Restoration and Enhancement Program (SCORE), is to plant recycled oyster shells along the shoreline to form new, self-sustaining oyster reefs. Over time, larval oysters attach to the shells and grow and multiply until they form a vibrant ecosystem. SCORE is a community-based habitat restoration program relying solely on volunteer groups to assist in establishing oyster reef sites. It is an important endeavor because oysters play a significant ecologic and economic role in the southeastern United States. "Oysters improve water quality, control erosion and provide habitat for other commercially-important shellfish and fish species," said Hodges. "Unfortunately, oyster populations are declining, so restoration activities such as SCORE are needed to maintain the quality of the habitat." The oyster reef restoration site established was the first by students from Georgia Southern, but there are already plans to return next year to check on the reef's progress and to extend the current reef by adding even more bags of recycled shells.