Georgia has worked its way into the final group for one of its top EDGE targets.

Zavion Griffin-Haynes is the No. 96 overall prospect and No. 8 EDGE in the 2026 class. Georgia offered the North Carolina standout last September before hosting him on campus in October.

Another visit to Athens, this time for Georgia’s first spring scrimmage on March 29, solidified the Bulldogs’ place as a top contender.

April 2, 2025

Sevki Cesmeci, Ph.D., was recently honored with the EnergyTech University Prize Faculty Explorers Award from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Technology Transitions. An associate professor of mechanical engineering in the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing at Georgia Southern University, Cesmeci was one of only 10 individuals across the United States to earn the award.

“My students encouraged me to participate,” Cesmeci said. “The main focus for this award is teaching, so I explained my background in this field and translated how my experience and my students’ successes would make me an ideal fit for this opportunity to increase emphasis on energy innovation at Georgia Southern.”

The Faculty Explorers Award comes with a $5,000 prize and honors faculty members who bridge the gap between technical expertise and practical applications of energy engineering through innovation and commercialization. For Cesmeci, this achievement aligns with his drive to empower the next generation of engineers and technology developers.

“This recognition is especially meaningful to me as it represents the intersection of my passions for teaching and research,” Cesmeci said. “Over the years, I have integrated student training into my research, which has led to numerous student successes and awards.”

Since joining Georgia Southern in fall 2019, Cesmeci has worked to establish himself as a transformative educator and researcher. His teaching philosophy emphasizes preparation, student engagement, innovative teaching methodologies, real-life application and continuous self-improvement – leaving a lasting impact on his students.

“I am passionate about what I do and will continue in this direction regardless of awards, but this recognition is another confirmation and validation that my work here is important,” Cesmeci said. “While I’m proud to have been honored, I think that this award is equally important for representing Georgia Southern on a national stage.” 

Cesmeci has previously been recognized for research excellence at Georgia Southern with the 2023-2024 Georgia Southern University Award of Excellence in Faculty Discovery and Innovation and the 2022-2023 Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing Faculty Award for Scholarship.

In his research, Cesmeci focuses on high-risk, high-reward technologies in the energy and healthcare industries. As a sole principal investigator, he has contributed to projects with funding exceeding $1.7 million from organizations including the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Air Force and diabetes research and advocacy organization Breakthrough T1D.

“I am deeply grateful to the DOE and all of our funders for their support and for encouraging the cultivation of the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers,” Cesmeci said.

A Georgia father of three was arrested for leaving his young children unattended at a McDonald’s to go to a nearby interview.

Chris Louis, 24, allegedly walked with his three kids from his apartment to the restaurant in Augusta just before 4:30 p.m. on March 22, according to The Augusta Press.

The youngsters – ages 1, 6 and 10 – spent their time alone in the restaurant, which has an indoor play area attached to the dining room.

Louis was seen leaving the fast food joint, returning shortly after to check on his kids before leaving again, a worried customer told police, the outlet reported.

Richmond County Sheriff deputies arrived at the restaurant and located the unharmed, unaccompanied minors, who remained inside the store until their father returned.

Louis arrived back at the McDonald’s just before 6:20 p.m., where police confronted him for leaving his children alone in public.

Louis, who doesn’t own a car, told police he left his children behind because he didn’t want them to walk back to his home as he went to the interview, the outlet reported.

Police waited inside with Louis until the children’s mom arrived to take her kids home.

Louis was arrested and charged with deprivation of a minor.

The news of Louis’ arrest got the attention of former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown.

“Story caught me by surprise. A dad just trying to find a way to make money for his family. I know he shouldn’t just leave his kids, but some people don’t have the means for babysitting, etc,” Brown wrote on GoFundMe.

Brown says he hasn’t spoken to Louis yet but has hopes to talk with the father.

The 36-year-old claims said set up the fundraiser with the help of GoFundMe to ensure the money would go directly to Louis.

“Chris was on the Pursuit of Happiness & sometimes ppl just need help,” Brown wrote on X.

The father of six has donated $1,000 himself.

The fundraiser created late Tuesday night has raised over $28,000 of the $50,000 goal in the first five hours.

The arrest divided the internet on Louis’ situation.

“You simply can’t leave your kids like that and I get how this happened. But there are plenty of questions,” one X user commented.

“Yeah, it’s a little iffy on the 1yr old, but dude was trying to get a job. Give him a break,” a second user said.

“I know it’s a desperate situation and brother made a mistake but an understandable one. All he could think about was the hope of a job,” a fourth added.

“Dude was literally doing the best he could with what he has. I commend him for that, it’s not easy,” another comment said.