Suzanne Carpenter

Prof. Carpenter joined Georgia Southern University in 1988 and retired in 2025.

— Biography from the 2025 Spring Commencement program —

Ms. Carpenter earned a BS (1981) from Auburn University and a MS (1986) from the University of North Carolina. She then worked as a Chemistry Instructor at Georgia Southern College (1987) and later that year transitioned to Armstrong State College in the same role. After four years, she was hired as an Assistant Professor at Armstrong Atlantic State College (1991) and promoted to Associate Professor (2004) at Armstrong State University and joined the faculty at Georgia Southern University, at the same rank, upon consolidation in 2018. Ms. Carpenter is a beloved teacher who has taught nearly 25 different lecture and laboratory courses spanning lower level to graduate classes. Her work with students was recognized with the Kristina Brockmeier Faculty Award, Advisor of the Year Award, H. Dean Propst Faculty Award, Dean’s Outstanding Faculty Award, and Excellence in Teaching Award. Furthermore, she served as a Georgia Governor’s Teaching Fellow. Ms. Carpenter’s scholarly activities primarily revolved around chemical education and resulted in 26 manuscripts, with the most recent publication being accepted in 2024, eight authored books or chapter contributions, and nearly 50 presentations. Collectively, she amassed nearly $600,000 in funding. Ms. Carpenter served the professional community as a manuscript reviewer for multiple different education journals, textbook publishers, and professional organizations. She lent her efforts to the Department as the Chemistry Coordinator and relied upon her experience as a pharmacist to serve as a mentor and faculty advisor to pre-pharmacy students. Most recently, Ms. Carpenter was recognized as an Office of Institutional Assessment and Accreditation Faculty Fellow and was a member of the team dedicated to ensuring Georgia Southern University retains its Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges accreditation. Ms. Carpenter’s teaching, service, and scholarly accomplishments at Georgia Southern University have been especially impactful on her students, as well as her colleagues, many of whom she has mentored. The summation of her work makes her recognition as Associate Professor Emeritus of Chemistry well-deserved.*