FACULTY & STAFF AWARDS AND MILESTONES
Annual awards are given to faculty and staff of the Andrew Young School, including recognition for milestones in years of service.
DEAN'S EARLY CAREER AWARD
2025 Recipient
Fei Li
Assistant Professor
Urban Studies Institute
Dr. Li joined the Andrew Young School in 2018. Her research has a strong focus on policy analysis and stands out in the use of advanced quantitative methodologies and experimental approaches while centering on several pressing policy issues facing American cities such as socio-spatial segregation, affordable housing, the digital divide, transportation policies and health disparities, often with attention to marginalized communities.
Dr. Li has produced 14 peer-reviewed publications, including 12 journal articles (9 lead-authored) and two book chapters. The quality of her research is reflected in her successful acquisition of external research funding, which is well over $400,000, and the high rankings of the journals in which she has managed to publish, including Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, Journal of the American Planning Association, Transportation Research A: Policy and Practice, Urban Studies, Health and Place, and The International Journal of Urban Policy and Planning.
The breadth of Dr. Li’s teaching portfolio is impressive, and her teaching evaluations have in recent years been consistently excellent. Overall, Dr. Li’s expertise is vital to the agenda of the Urban Studies Institute and aligns clearly with the strategic directions of the Andrew Young School.

EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD
2025 Recipient
Robin Hartinger-Saunders
Associate Professor
School of Social Work
Dr. Hartinger-Saunders has led many of the School of Social Work’s instructional initiatives for over a decade. An early adopter of online instruction, she has significantly contributed to the SSW’s development of the BSW and MSW online programs. As the SSW prepares to launch the new online MSW Mental Health and Wellness concentration in fall 2026, she has lent her expertise on online instruction and trauma-informed practice to building the new curriculum, including developing one of its new core courses.
Through the years, Dr. Hartinger-Saunders has mentored faculty in effectively using online teaching strategies and integrating AI to enhance student learning. She has consistently demonstrated an outstanding commitment to teaching excellence and student success through innovative teaching methods; she integrates active learning strategies to connect theory to practice; and she uses design assessments that accommodate diverse learning styles. As director of the Title IV-E Child Welfare Education and Training Program, she has mentored and advised numerous students preparing for careers in public child welfare.
Overall, Dr. Hartinger-Saunders’s passion for teaching, dedication to student success and contributions to educational innovation embody the qualities of an exceptional educator.

2020
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Economics
Lorenzo Almada
2019
School of Social Work
Fred Books
2018
School of Public Management and Policy
Joseph Hacker
2017
Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Dean Dabney
2016
School of Social Work
Nicholas Forge
2015
Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Michael Shapiro
2014
Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Leah Daigle
2013
Department of Economics
Grace Eau
2013
School of Social Work
Jan Ligon
2012
Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Brenda Blackwell
2011
School of Public Management and Policy
Janelle Kerlin
2011
Department of Economics
Andrew Hanson
STAFF EXCELLENCE AWARD
2025 Recipient
Jack Mason
Associate Director of Graduate Admissions and Program Administration
Office of Academic Assistance
Mason has played an instrumental role in advancing the Andrew Young School mission by streamlining and enhancing graduate admissions, student support and program administration. His efforts in automating key admissions and enrollment processes have significantly increased efficiency and reduced administrative burdens. His commitment to innovation has influenced application growth, yielding a 16.54 percent increase in applications for Fall 2024 and a record high enrollment yield. He implemented a new enrollment email campaign that improved student engagement and retention, with AYSPS achieving an 87 percent enrollment response rate — a 5 percent gain in a year.
Mason’s influence extends well beyond AYSPS. His contributions to the university have reinforced the college’s reputation as a leader in graduate admissions innovation. For example, his work on university-wide CRM implementation teams has ensured AYSPS remains at the forefront of graduate enrollment technology and student support best practices. Through his leadership, AYSPS became one of the first Georgia State colleges to fully automate deferral admissions processing, create application fee waiver tracking systems and streamline program advisement records, serving as a model for other colleges within the university.
Mason fosters a positive and collaborative work environment by consistently supporting colleagues, students and faculty. His ability to bridge multiple departments and functional areas has solidified his reputation as a leader in higher education administration. His many contributions continue to impact the school’s ability to attract, support and retain students, ultimately fostering academic success.

2021
Urban Studies Institute
Laura Viilo
2021
Dean’s Office
Mya Eveland
2020
Public Management and Policy
Amber Slyter
2019
Mary Mason
2018
Dean’s Office
Avani Raval
2017
International Center of Public Policy
Paul Benson
2017
School of Public Management and Policy
Elsa Gebremedhin
2016
International Center of Public Policy
Shereen Bhan
2015
Department of Economics
Bess Byler
2014
Office of Academic Assistance
Matt Arp
2013
Department of Economics
Caroline Griffin
2012
Office of Academic Assistance
Shelly-Ann Williams
2011
Georgia Health Policy Center
Mei Zhou
MILESTONE RECOGNITIONS
30 Years of Service
Deborah Marie Whitley
25 Years of Service
Fred P Brooks
Susan K Laury
Christine Heike Roch
Yongsheng Xu
20 Years of Service
Peter S Bluestone
Jan Ivery
Christopher A Parker
15 Years of Service
John Randolph Butts
Tanisa Marie Foxworth
Robin Marie Hartinger-Saunders
Joshua Conard Hinkle
Kimberly Yvette Hoyt
Risa Ileen Palm
Glenwood Ross
Rusty Tchernis
10 Years of Service
Beth Susan Hayden
Garth Aaron Heutel
Daniel Michael Kreisman
Lannda S Oden
Teri Wilson Wheaton
5 Years of Service
Wendy Avila Rodriguez
Gautam Bose
Traici Nikkel Brockman
Sonji Nichole Brown
Kelli Joy Burgos
Callie Harbin Burt
Russell A. Carleton
Katreena Lynnette Davis
Catherine Alexandria Domaleski
Kelsey Anne Duff
Donna Grant Dunn
Thomas Lawson Paul Goldring
Andrew Thomas Heiss
Benedict Salazar Jimenez
Natasha Nicole Johnson
Renee S Johnson
Daniel Lanford
Robert Wilson McMillan
Givi Melkadze
Eric Carl Napierala
Aliza Firoz Petiwala
Deidriaunna Victoria Priest-Washington
Zeynep Esra Tanyildiz
Keith Frederick Teltser
Amanda Marie Vasi
Kaleb Saadiq Whitfield
Georgina Leigh Wilson