image: Amanda K. Gilmore, an associate professor and director of the National Center for Sexual Violence Prevention at Georgia State’s School of Public Health, is being recognized for technology innovations in the fields of mental health and the prevention of violence against women.
Credit: Courtesy: Georgia State University
ATLANTA — Three Georgia State University professors will be recognized as Innovators of the Year by the Atlanta Business Chronicle during the publication’s 2025 Health Care Champion Awards.
The second annual Health Care Champion Awards ceremony, which will be held in March, will celebrate frontline healthcare workers and visionary leaders shaping the future of the industry.
The award recipients from Georgia State are being recognized as Innovators of the Year in three separate categories: Research, Senior Health and Women’s Health. The honor stems from transformative contributions in their respective fields and their work with young people, seniors and those with mobility issues.
"It’s an honor to see our faculty members recognized alongside so many incredible leaders and frontline heroes,” said Donald Hamelberg, interim vice president for Research and Economic Development at Georgia State. “This award reflects the hard work of our colleagues who are dedicated to driving innovation and advancing human health. Together, we’re building a healthier future for all."
THE WINNERS
- Innovators of the Year - Women’s Health
Amanda K. Gilmore, an associate professor and director of the National Center for Sexual Violence Prevention at Georgia State’s School of Public Health, is being recognized for technology innovations in the fields of mental health and the prevention of violence against women.
Gilmore has created innovative programs to help prevent alcohol-related violence and developed technology-based tools to make it easier for people, especially those who have recently experienced sexual assault, to get treatment and stick with it.
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in women’s health and am privileged to be working toward ensuring that women have access to evidence-based prevention and treatment,” Gilmore said.
- Innovators of the Year - Research
Russell Jeter, an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in the College of Arts & Sciences, will be recognized as an Innovator of the Year in the Research category. His focus on data collection and analytics helped create a robotic device designed to assist stroke patients in their recovery from the comfort of home.
Many stroke survivors undergo physical and occupational therapy that includes stretching and repetitive exercises to enhance motor skills. Some also engage in cognitive exercises to boost memory, vision and speech functions, but these therapies can be costly and challenging to manage. The novel device, presented at the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) Conference on Mathematics of Data Science last October, addresses these issues by offering adaptive therapy that adjusts to the evolving needs of the patient.
“Stroke recovery is an ongoing, lifelong process,” Jeter noted. “This device builds on existing recovery techniques but also responds to real-time data, providing immediate and tailored responses to the patient.”
- Innovators of the Year - Senior Health
Candace Kemp, a professor of gerontology in Georgia State’s College of Arts & Sciences, is being recognized for her innovative work to improve the lives of seniors in metro Atlanta who are living with dementia. She co-developed the Improving Through Improv program in partnership with Amanda Lee Williams of the Dad’s Garage theater company and experts from Emory University to teach improv techniques to caregivers that promote positive care experiences.
“Improv tenets, like actively listening and observing, making your partner look good and leaning into uncertainty and the unexpected, can promote positive outcomes for both caregivers and persons living with dementia,” Kemp said.
The Health Care Champion Award winners are chosen through an independent editorial review, with selections based entirely on their merits, achievements and contributions to their organizations and the local community.
Winners will be honored at a ceremony March 20.
— Andre Walker contributed to this article.