Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society, recognizes and encourages superior leadership and exemplary character. The Georgia College Circle was chartered in 2001.
National Leadership Honor Society
Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society, recognizes and encourages superior leadership and exemplary character. OΔK encourages intellect and collaboration across the five phases celebrated by Omicron Delta Kappa.
Scholarship
Athletics
Community and University Service
Journalism and Rhetoric
Creative and Performing Arts
The Georgia College Circle
We invite members of the faculty and student body to cooperate in worthwhile endeavor and in a spirit of common interest, understanding, and helpfulness. Those of us who are members of this noble society value its high ideals and purposes as we strive to provide leadership in worthy undertakings and to be of service unto others.
Membership in Omicron Delta Kappa is reserved to those who demonstrate leadership achievements in one of five phases of university life: Scholarship; Athletics; Community service, social and religious activity, and university governance; Journalism and rhetoric; and the creative and performing arts. Members are expected to demonstrate exemplary character, responsible leadership and service in university and community life, superior scholarship, genuine fellowship, and dedication to democratic ideals. Nominations come from within the Georgia College Circle of OΔK.
Prospective members are welcomed into the Circle by the current members of Georgia College OΔK.
Each year, the Georgia College Circle of OΔK honors an exemplary freshman or sophomore as the Emerging Leader of the Year. Emerging Leaders embody the principles of OΔK: exemplary character, responsible leadership and service in university and community life, superior scholarship, genuine fellowship, and dedication to democratic ideals.
2024: Paige Blakemore and Margo Mason
2023: Axel Hawkins and Heather Vincent
2022: Jenesis Harris
2021: Maxwell Harley
2020: Jacob Carter and Annabelle Erb
2019: Shelby Bennett and McKenna Yearick
2018: Kendyl Lewis and Ruby Zimmerman
2017: Sabrina Brant and Cameron Watts
2016: Morgan Turnipseed
2015: Altimease Lowe and Barrett Stanley
2014: Laura Ahrens, Stephen Greenway, and McKenzie Fisher
2013: Juawn Jackson
2012: Kayla Albright and Blair Erickson
2011: Lauren Harris and Simone Williams
2010: Joshua Braswell and Megan Moss
2009: Cody Mosher and Evan Karanovich
2008: Christy Clark, Elliott Holmes, and Megan McGuire
2007: Chris Turner and Ryan Greene
2006: Ashley Holder and Ajayi Monell
2005: Nadirah Ross and Sam Rauschenberg
2004: Harold Mock
2003: Jessica Ward
2002: Samantha Royal
Flisch-Harris Award
Awarded annually, the Flisch-Harris Award recognizes leadership in the cause of a liberal education. The award is named jointly for Julia Anna Flisch and Dr. Robin O. Harris. Flisch (1861-1941) served on the faculty of Georgia College (then Georgia Normal & Industrial College) from 1891 to 1905 and was a distinguished journalist and advocate for public education, known for her admonition to “Give the girls a chance!” at equitable learning. Robin O. Harris ‘91, ‘93 is professor emerita and was inducted into Circle membership in 2003. She taught history and sociology at Georgia College from 1994 until 2011 and served as director of experiential learning for five years. Under Harris’s leadership, Georgia College established its academic leadership programs and the Georgia Education Mentorship Program, in partnership with the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. She is Flisch’s biographer and an authority on Progressive Era education reform in the U.S. South.
2024: Dr. Steve Elliott-Gower, Associate Professor of Political Science
2023: Dr. Nancy B. Mizelle, Professor of Middle Grades Education and Chair, Department of Professional Learning & Innovation
2022: Dr. Janet Hoffmann, Professor of Rhetoric
Award Details In order to honor faculty members at Georgia College who devote special efforts to leadership in the cause of a liberal education, the Georgia College Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa will grant the Flisch-Harris Award each year. Nominees will be evaluated on the basis of their record of deep and thoughtful engagement with the enduring questions of the human condition. Nominations should address candidates' records of scholarship, teaching, and public service, giving particular attention to the following:
Award recipients should advocate for liberal arts education among their colleagues, within the university, and within the profession.
Award recipients should demonstrate a commitment to connecting their disciplines to questions of leadership and citizenship, civic affairs, and public life.
Recipients should maintain a distinguished record of undergraduate teaching, demonstrating effectiveness, experience, and enthusiasm for classroom instruction.
Award recipients should maintain an ambitious research agenda, particularly with an aim to make their scholarship accessible to their students.
Requirements and Conditions for Eligibility The Flisch-Harris Award honors leadership in the cause of a liberal education. Any member of the Georgia College faculty is eligible for nomination and selection to the award, provided he or she has served on the Georgia College faculty for at least three years. Over a number of years, award recipients will be chosen in order to balance academic rank and discipline.
Nomination and Award Process In the fall term of each year, the executive committee of the Georgia College Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa will invite nominations for the Flisch-Harris Award from the active membership of the Circle. The call for nominations will include a description of the award, including the requirements and conditions of eligibility, and will specify the timetable for receipt of nomination letters. The Circle President will appoint a review committee, composed of members of the Circle, including both students and members of the faculty. The committee also will conduct its own due diligence to identify appropriate award recipients. Under normal circumstances, the nominees will not be informed of their nomination or that they were under consideration for the award. The award recipient will be notified of his or her selection by tapping, according to the traditions of the Circle, and will be honored at the annual Omicron Delta Kappa Induction Convocation. The names of the award recipients will be posted on a plaque displayed in the Carl Vinson House.
Paul Jahr Award
The Paul Jahr Award honors excellence in civic leadership and commitment to democratic values. The award is named for Dr. Paul K. Jahr, who served twenty-five years at Georgia College, retiring in 2013 as associate vice president for student affairs. With Georgia College’s designation as Georgia’s public liberal arts university in 1996, Jahr led the institution’s transformation into a residential liberal arts college. His efforts were instrumental in the Georgia College Circle receiving its charter from Omicron Delta Kappa in 2001. He was a charter member of the Circle and served as its faculty secretary for twelve years. Jahr has received numerous awards and national recognitions for his leadership within public education, residential learning, and student affairs.
2024: Dr. H. Lee Gillis, Professor of Psychology and Chair, Department of Psychological Science
2023: Prof. Jehan El-Jourbagy, Associate Professor of Business Law and Ethics
2022: Dr. Veronica Womack, Executive Director, Rural Studies Institute at Georgia College and Professor of Political Science and Public Administration
Award Details In order to honor members of the Georgia College community who demonstrate excellence in civic leadership and commitment to democratic values, the Georgia College Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa will grant the Paul Jahr Award each year. Nominees will be evaluated on the basis of their contribution to the principles and practice of democracy whether at Georgia College, the community, or the profession. Nominations should address candidates’ records of public service and contribution to civil discourse, giving particular attention to the following:
Award recipients should demonstrate a commitment to representation, pluralism, creating broadly inclusive communities, and transparency.
Democracy balances fair outcomes with fair processes. Award recipients should demonstrate a thoughtful commitment to effective practices of inclusion, including institutionalizing processes by which broad representation is achieved.
Recipients should demonstrate a distinguished record of participation in civic and public life.
Requirements and Conditions for Eligibility The Paul Jahr Award honors excellence in civic leadership and commitment to democratic values. Any member of the Georgia College faculty or staff is eligible for nomination and selection award, provided he or she has been employed by Georgia College for at least three years. Alumni and friends of the university are additionally eligible for nomination, provided they maintain a distinguished record of engagement with the university.
Nomination and Award Process In the fall term of each year, the executive committee of the Georgia College Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa will invite nominations for the Paul Jahr Award from the active membership of the Circle. The call for nominations will include a description of the award, including the requirements and conditions of eligibility, and will specify the timetable for receipt of nomination letters. The Circle President will appoint a review committee, composed of members of the Circle, including both students and members of the faculty. The committee also will conduct its own due diligence to identify appropriate award recipients. Under normal circumstances, the nominees will not be informed of their nomination or that they were under consideration for the award. The award recipient will be notified of his or her selection by tapping, according to the traditions of the Circle, and will be honored at the annual Omicron Delta Kappa Induction Convocation. The names of the award recipients will be posted on a plaque displayed in the Carl Vinson House.
Circle Members Honoris Causa
2024: Sandra McCall Rosseter '62, Director, Academic Resource Center (ret.), Mercer University
2023: Uli Leibrecht, Founder and Managing Director, CEPA
2022: James Joel Childre, Jr., President, Childre Ford and Fellow in Social Innovation, University of Cambridge
2021: Pamela Y. Booker '97, Alex Gregory Leader in Residence and Assistant Vice President (ret.), AT&T
2020: Dr. Deborah MacMillan '98, Director and Professor, School of Nursing, Georgia College
2019: Johnny W. Grant, Director of Economic Development & External Relations, Georgia College
2018: Dr. Steve Elliott-Gower, Director of the Honors Program and Associate Professor of Political Science, Georgia College
2011: E. Alexander Gregory, Jr. '78, '79, President, CEO, and Chairman, YKK Corporation of America
