General Education

General Education Areas

American Literature
Art
Biology
College and Career Survival Skills
Economics
English
Job Acquisition Skills

Mathematics
Music
Psychology
Reading
Sociology
Speech

General Education Faculty

Julia Cohen
English Instructor

Office: Rm 1224 | Jack Hill Bldg.
912.486.7626 | jcohen@ogeecheetech.edu

Julia Cohen began teaching at Ogeechee Technical College in 2022. She is a southeast Georgia native with family ties to the Statesboro area. Julia is a Double-Eagle graduate of Georgia Southern University with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English Literature with a minor in Studio Art. Julia was a substitute teacher for ten years in multiple school systems in the area. After earning her Master’s, she taught high school literature for three years. When COVID hit, Julia decided to start her journey toward higher education. At OTC, she helps students develop their writing skills by teaching them the proper ways to express and present their ideas in academic and professional environments. Julia is an avid reader, amateur cook, enthusiastic educator, and mother to four cats.

Tiffany Collins
English Instructor

Office: Rm 1224 | Jack Hill Bldg.
912.486.7793 | tmcollins@ogeecheetech.edu

Tiffany Manning Collins is an English Instructor at Ogeechee Technical College and the Executive Director of Girls on the Run of Coastal Georgia and the Lowcountry. Tiffany began her professional career in 2012, teaching in higher education after graduating with her master’s degree in Irish Literature from Georgia Southern University. Tiffany loves teaching literature and watching her students learn and grow, but she also noticed many of her first-time college students struggled with confidence and having the tools they needed to be successful in their independence. In an effort to help target these issues before young adults are in crisis, Tiffany began also working with the non-profit sector in 2016. Tiffany’s passion is helping her students become successful professionals and targeting at-risk children to help them gather the tools they need to build a bright future.

Matthew Gainous
English Instructor

Office: Rm 1228 | Jack Hill Bldg.
912.486.7400 | mgainous@ogeecheetech.edu

Matthew Gainous began teaching at Ogeechee Technical College in 2000. He teaches English and Reading for degree, diploma, and learning support students. Matthew holds a Master's of Education in English and a Bachelor of Arts in English, both from Georgia Southern University. He is the chairperson for the Ogeechee Tech American Diabetes Association Committee and has also served on numerous campus committees. In June 2008, Matthew was chosen as Ogeechee Technical College's Instructor of the Year for 2008-2009, and in February 2011, he was chosen as the recipient of the Dorothy Golden Award for Excellence in Teaching Composition at the Georgia Southern University Student Success in Writing Conference in Savannah, GA.

John Groover
English Instructor

Office: Rm 1226 | Jack Hill Bldg.
912.486.7602 | jgroover@ogeecheetech.edu

John is a native of Statesboro (GA) but has also lived in Florida, Illinois, and Missouri. After working with both high school and university students for 17 years, John came to Ogeechee Tech in 1993. Even though he began college in Missouri, he earned his degrees at Georgia Southern University. He was selected as the Technical College Instructor of the Year for the State of Georgia in 1999. Active in the community, John has won both service and leadership awards for his dedication to organizations such as Bulloch County’s American Cancer Society “Relay for Life” and the Averitt Center for the Arts.

Seth Gutierrez
Mathematics Instructor

Office: Rm 1315 | Jack Hill Bldg.
912.681.5630 | sguitierrez@ogeecheetech.edu

Seth Gutierrez is an Evans/Bulloch County native and a Double-Eagle graduate of Georgia Southern University with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mathematics. Once he earned his Master’s, he taught at East Georgia for a year, then at Georgia Southern for a year. He began to see some common issues across several College Algebra students, so he tried teaching at his alma mater, Claxton High School, in an effort to correct some common algebra issues in high school before the students got to college. After teaching at Claxton High School for two years, he then joined Ogeechee Tech for the Fall Semester of 2021. In his spare time he enjoys puzzles of all sorts, video games, and learning to code in Python.

Crystal Ivey
Biology Instructor

Office: Rm 956 | Health Science North Bldg.
912.486.7613 | civey@ogeecheetech.edu

Crystal grew up in the beautiful golden isles of Brunswick, GA. She started college in 2009 at Georgia Southern University where she was awarded her bachelor of sciences in biology in 2013 and her masters in 2015 where she focused her studies on molecular biology. During her master’s program, she was involved in the Molecular Biology Initiative Program whose aim was to bring molecular biology to the high school classroom. Crystal also expanded her education into the clinical side of biology and obtained a second bachelor degree in medical technology. Previously, Crystal has taught at Georgia Southern University, Armstrong State University, and Effingham County High school. Crystal has called Ogeechee Technical College home since January 2017.

Laurie Muldrew
Mathematics Instructor

Office: Rm 1325 | Jack Hill Bldg.
912.486.7606 | lmuldrew@ogeecheetech.edu

I am a Bulloch county native and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. After finishing with a bachelor’s degree, I began working with my family’s retail business, L.A. Waters Furniture. While working on the sales floor, I began coursework for my master’s degree in mathematics. In 1991 with three years of retail experience, I began teaching math at the relatively new technical college, Ogeechee Technical Institute. I enjoyed teaching during the day and completing my master’s degree requirements at GSU during the evening. At the time, many of my students were also balancing work and school schedules, so I was able to relate to their challenges. With the birth of first of three children, I left OTC to care for my family. In 2012, I returned to teach at OTC as an adjunct professor until 2015 when I began working as a full-time instructor in the public school system. When OTC had a full-time opening, I gladly returned in 2017. I am happily married to Michael, and we have three wonderful children: Daniel, Joseph and Kate. In my free time, I enjoy riding horses and playing tennis.

Susan Pope
Mathematics Instructor

Office: Rm 1324 | Jack Hill Bldg.
912.486.7612 | spope@ogeecheetech.edu

Susan began teaching at Ogeechee Technical College in July 2003. She teaches Math for degree, diploma, and learning support students. Susan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Georgia Southern University and a Master’s of Science in Applied Mathematics from Georgia Southern University. She has been nominated for Instructor of the Year for each year that she has taught and has been selected for three years, 2008 and 2009, and 2012 as a finalist for Instructor of the Year. She was chosen to attend the Lighthouse Institute in 2006. She is a member of the Statesboro Service League and Phi Mu Alumni. Susan is married and has two boys.

Jeff Taylor
Mathematics Instructor

Office: Rm 1326 | Jack Hill Bldg.
912.486.7609 | jtaylor@ogeecheetech.eduJeff Taylor is originally from Sylvania, Georgia. He came to Statesboro to attend Georgia Southern University and has been living in Statesboro since. Jeff received his Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics from Georgia Southern University in June 1997. He received his Master’s Degree in Mathematics from Georgia Southern University in December 2006. Jeff began teaching his teaching career at Ogeechee Technical College as an adjunct in January 1999. He was an adjunct at Ogeechee Tech for about three years. He has worked full time at East Georgia College, here at Ogeechee Tech, and at Georgia Southern over the years. Jeff became a full-time faculty member at Ogeechee Tech again in May 2020. He currently teaches statistics and various mathematics courses for degree and diploma students. Jeff is thrilled to be back at Ogeechee Tech.

Lindsey Ward
Psychology Instructor

Office: Rm 1307 | Jack Hill Bldg.
912.681.5502 | lmbradley@ogeecheetech.edu

Lindsey Ward began teaching psychology at Ogeechee Technical College in 2019. She holds a Master of Science degree in Experimental Psychology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, both from Georgia Southern University. During graduate school, she assisted on several research projects within the areas of cognitive psychology and developmental psychology. She also completed her program’s teaching emphasis, which focused on preparing graduates to teach psychology at the higher education level. This program helped Lindsey realize her passion for teaching. She enjoys sharing her love of psychology with her students and helping them realize how psychology is relevant to their everyday lives as well as their future careers.

General Education Goals

To enhance the ability of students to effectively convey and receive information at the college level of competence;
To promote an understanding of ethical issues implicit in their personal behavior and in the operation of political, social, and economic institutions;
To promote an understanding of the forces that have influenced the development of social, governmental, political, and/or economic foundations;
To develop the ability of students to understand and apply mathematical abstraction;
To enhance the ability of students to integrate new information with previously acquired information to solve problems;
To enhance the awareness of students of the cultural heritage of humans;
To enhance the appreciation and understanding of the nature and value of the fine arts;
To develop the computer skills of students so that they may use computers and related technology for communicating, researching, organizing, storing, accessing, and presenting information.

Program Purpose Statement

The general education program at Ogeechee Technical College is designed to ensure that students learn to think logically, critically, and creatively, communicate clearly and effectively, and develop skills, values, and attitudes essential to living meaningful and responsible lives.