Prof. Griffin joined Georgia Southern University in 1992 and retired in 2026.

 — Biography from the 2026 Spring Commencement program — 

Dr. Marlynn Griffin, Professor of Educational Psychology, who will retire July 1, 2026, after 34 years of service to Georgia Southern University. Dr. Griffin holds a BS (1984), an MS (1985), and a PhD (1992) from Florida State University. Dr. Griffin has demonstrated excellence in teaching, research, and service since accepting a position as Assistant Professor in 1992, with a strong commitment to both graduate and undergraduate education, supporting student success at all levels. Her teaching has focused on the psychological foundations of education, with particular emphasis on human learning, human development, and classroom assessment. In 1999, Dr. Griffin was awarded the College of Education (COE) Jack Miller Educator of the Year Award for Teaching, Scholarship, and Service, and in 1997 was recognized on Disability Awareness Day by The Students with Disabilities at Georgia Southern University for Outstanding Efforts on Their Behalf. Since 2002, Dr. Griffin has served as the coordinator for the COE Pre-Professional Block (PPB), carefully placing every sophomore education major in a setting that is consistent with their major and providing orientation and training to support student success in both PPB and future practicum placements. Dr. Griffin’s research has focused on learning, classroom assessment, and more recently, social media use and teacher professionalism, with her early work in social media and professionalism hailed as innovative and practical. She has consistently published in top journals in her field and presented at national and international conferences, including the flagship conference for her discipline. For five years, she served as a CO-PI on an NSF Robert Noyce Scholarship grant. Dr. Griffin has a solid record of service beyond PPB, serving on the Statesboro High School’s Teaching as a Profession Pathway Advisory Council for seven years, serving on the USG Area F redesign committee in the early 2000s, and working as an active member of the Trinity Christian School Board since 2001. She was instrumental in beginning the COE Living and Learning Community, has served as the Educational Psychology Unit Coordinator for 20 years, served on the Georgia Southern Judicial Board for four years, and has served on a variety of other committees at all levels within the University. For these and other contributions to the department, college, university, and profession, Dr. Marlynn Griffin is deserving of the title Professor of Educational Psychology Emerita.*