Codification in Virginia: Conway Robinson, John Mercer Patton, and the Politics of Law Reform

Reconsidering Suffrage Reform in the 1829-1830 Virginia Constitutional Convention

Partus Sequitur Ventrem: Slavery, Property Rights, and the Language of Republicanism in Virginia's House of Delegates

Jefferson's Freeholders explores the historical processes by which Virginia was transformed from a British colony into a Southern slave state. It focuses on changing conceptualizations of ownership and emphasizes the persistent influence of the English common law on Virginia's postcolonial political culture. The book explains how the traditional characteristics of land tenure became subverted by the dynamic contractual relations of a commercial economy and assesses the political consequences of the law reforms that were necessitated by these developments. Nineteenth-century reforms seeking to reconcile the common law with modern commercial practices embraced new democratic expressions about the economic and political power of labor, and thereby encouraged the idea that slavery was an essential element in sustaining republican government in Virginia. By the 1850s, the ownership of human property had replaced the ownership of land as the distinguishing basis for political power with tragic consequences for the Old Dominion.

Jefferson's Freeholders and the Politics of Ownership in the Old Dominion (Cambridge Studies on the American South)

Georgia Southern University is the state’s largest and most comprehensive center of higher education south of Atlanta. With 142 degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, Georgia Southern has been designated a Carnegie Doctoral/Research university and serves more than 27,000 students from all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico as well as 102 nations. With three vibrant campuses — the Armstrong Campus in Savannah, the Statesboro Campus and the Liberty Campus in Hinesville — Georgia Southern offers an attractive campus environment that encourages learning, discovery and personal growth. Georgia Southern’s nationally accredited academic programs prepare diverse scholars for leadership and service as world citizens. A unit of the University System of Georgia, the University boasts 200-plus student organizations, outstanding Division I athletics, and state-of-the art residence halls and campus facilities.

Since 1906, the University’s hallmark has been a culture of engagement that bridges theory with practice, extends the learning environment beyond the classroom, and promotes student growth and life success. Central to the University’s mission is the faculty’s dedication to excellence in teaching and the development of a fertile learning environment exemplified by a free exchange of ideas, high academic expectations, and individual responsibility for academic achievement. Faculty, staff, and students embrace core values expressed through integrity, civility, kindness, collaboration, and a commitment to lifelong learning, wellness, and social responsibility.

Georgia Southern University

Curtis has served University administration as department chair, dean, provost, and vice president. He is the author of Jefferson’s Freeholders and the Politics of Ownership in the Old Dominion (Cambridge University Press, 2012), as well as several articles and essays on topics of early American law and the American South. He was appointed by Gov. Nikki Haley to serve on the South Carolina Archives and History Commission in 2011 and held office as the President of the St. George Tucker Society for Studies of the American South from 2012-2014. Currently, he serves on the editorial board of The Georgia Historical Quarterly.

Consolodations and Mergers

The American South/British Colonialism

Age of Revolution

History of Common Law/Property Rights

Academic Affairs

Georgia Southern University Faculty Profile

Spring commencements marks first since Georgia Southern-Armstrong consolidation

Free healthcare coming to needy in Savannah courtesy of the military

Dr. Christopher Curtis Promoted to Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Armstrong

georgia-southern-program-to-improve-soldiers-physical-and-combat-readiness-to-expand-nationwide-with-57-million-federal-funding-boost

Professor of History

What began in 2016 as a partnership between Georgia Southern University and the Third Infantry Division at Fort Stewart has become a nationally recognized educational and research program with $5.68 million in federal funding to improve soldier health and performance to ensure force readiness.

Now called the Soldier Performance and Readiness (SPAR) program, this Georgia Southern project aligns with the U.S. Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) initiative and represents a multifaceted partnership with the Army to provide onsite training that decreases musculoskeletal injuries; deliver an online certificate program in tactical fitness for college credit; collaborate with the Army’s Research Institute for Environmental Medicine (USARIEM); and develop programs to enhance and assess cognitive performance in tactical situations.   

 The initial partnership program to prevent musculoskeletal injuries was delivered at first to small cohorts to implement new practices in the physical training of their squads and platoons in a train-the-trainer model. Results were so encouraging, the program expanded at Fort Stewart and to training brigades at Fort Benning last year with the assistance of $1.5 million in Department of Defense funding.

Studies show significant preparedness and financial benefits from reducing musculoskeletal injuries to soldiers during drilling and training exercises. In April 2020, officials determined that 58,000 soldiers (the equivalent of 13 Brigade Combat Teams) had injuries that classified them as non-deployable. In 2019, more than half of soldiers experienced a new injury, resulting in 10 million limited-duty days. Musculoskeletal injuries account for nearly 25% of all military injuries and approximately $557 million in acute patient care. Most of these injuries were associated with fitness training-related activities

Georgia Southern’s online Tactical Athlete Certificate program was first offered in 2020 and is available exclusively to soldiers on active duty, in the National Guard or reserve. Through a series of three courses, the program teaches foundational exercise and biomechanical concepts, strength and conditioning principles, and rehabilitation. The coursework parallels the Army’s Master Fitness Trainer curriculum, with additional rehabilitation principles, and teaches soldiers how to develop evidence-based and well-rounded physical training programs while minimizing risk of musculoskeletal injury. Certificate completion provides soldiers with nine college credits with Georgia Southern, potential promotion opportunities in the Army, and preparation for the National Strength and Conditioning Association’s TSAC-F exam.

 “By sharing knowledge, expertise and experience between our faculty and doctoral students with soldiers, drill instructors, and brigade combat fitness teams to create aligned programs that improve tactical performance and force readiness, the SPAR program has become a national model of public-impact research,” said Christopher Curtis, Ph.D., Georgia Southern’s vice provost for research. “We are excited about the future of this partnership. We relish the significant support and encouragement we receive from the Army commands at Fort Stewart, Fort Benning, USARIEM, and the Training and Doctrine command (TRADOC), and we are grateful to Congressman Carter and his fellow members of the Georgia Congressional delegation who have advocated for the value of the partnership on our behalf.”  The progress and continued success of this program would not have been possible without several years of support from the Georgia Congressional Delegation and especially the leadership and support of Congressman Buddy Carter, who represents Fort Stewart and the Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern in Savannah. 

“Providing for our nation’s defense is the number one responsibility of the federal government. Innovation and research, which is what these dollars will fund at Georgia Southern, will improve working conditions for our brave servicemen and women by providing them with top-of-the-line training and resources,” said Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA). “I am a proud supporter of Georgia’s military community and am happy that the federal government is investing in these necessary programs.”    SPAR programming allocated in the FY23 federal budget will enable Georgia Southern to:

Develop protocols and expand delivery of the onsite musculoskeletal injury prevention training and the Tactical Athlete Certificate to commands at Fort Gordon in Augusta and to the Georgia National Guard.  Develop and deploy similar online certificate programs for soldiers in Cognitive Performance and Nutrition to further support the Army’s H2F program.  Host a national conference on “Charting Future Readiness Needs” in partnership with the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and U.S. Army Forces Command that will bring together other research universities who also work in partnership with the Army.  Work with the Army commands to develop specific academic degree programs to meet the specific H2F professional workforce needs at the brigade level. Army officials estimate approximately 3,000 personnel will need graduate degrees or advanced certifications in the next six years.  Develop a Tactical Performance Research Lab in Savannah to support the fundamental research and innovation activities of Georgia Southern’s Tactical Performance Group that supports the Army’s H2F program as well as translational research to apply the knowledge and practices broadly to law enforcement and other first responders.  Looking to know more - then let us help.

Christopher Curtis is available to speak to media  - for more information  simply click on his icon here or reach out to Georgia Southern Director of Communications Jennifer Wise at jwise@georgiasouthern.edu to arrange an interview today.




Georgia Southern program to improve soldiers’ physical and combat readiness to expand nationwide with $5.7 million federal funding boost

southern-strength-georgia-southern-university-takes-home-144-grants-and-awards-worth-more-than-10-million-for-faculty-research

 Georgia Southern University saw a significant increase in grant and contract funding awarded to its faculty for research in the 2020 fiscal year. Georgia Southern faculty and staff received 144 awards totaling $10.7 million, which represents nearly a 67% increase over the previous year. The University received $6.4 million in FY2019 and $5.6 million in FY2018. This year marks the first time that faculty-led research at Georgia Southern broke the $10 million threshold.

 Vice Provost for Research Christopher Curtis, Ph.D., praised the faculty for their achievements.

 
“These are highly competitive awards from the state, the federal government and private enterprises,” he said. “To grow our research portfolio in a national environment of diminishing funding is truly remarkable and a testament to the intellectual firepower and creativity of our professors. Georgia Southern is a Public Impact Research university, which means that the success of these researchers will be felt well beyond the confines of the University and will extend across the region.” Faculty engage in research that contributes significantly to the University’s $1.4 billion economic impact on the coastal region and that makes Georgia Southern a leading Public Impact Research university in the Southeast.

The Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing, the College of Science and Mathematics and the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health each received over $2 million in sponsored awards in FY2020.

 If you have any questions about the faculty research being conducted at Georgia Southern University, or if you are a journalist looking to cover this topic - let us help. Christopher Curtis is the Vice Provost for Research at Georgia Southern University. Simply click on his icon to arrange an interview today.




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