Annual Showcase Highlights South Faculty’s Research Diversity

The University of South Alabama's Office of Research and Economic Development hosted its fifth annual Research and Technology Showcase on Oct. 21 at the MacQueen Alumni Center, highlighting the work of four faculty members across a range of scientific disciplines.

Honorees included Dr. Christopher Davies, professor and associate dean for research in the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine; Dr. Joseph F. Hair Jr., distinguished professor of marketing and director of the Mitchell College of Business Ph.D. in business administration program; Dr. Systke Kimball, professor of meteorology and chair of the Department of Earth Sciences; and Dr. John Lehrter, professor and associate director of the Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences.

“The 2026 Research & Technology Showcase is a celebration of the incredible depth, variety and impact of innovation at the University of South Alabama,” said Dr. Allen Parrish, USA’s vice president of research and economic development. “Beyond the nearly $100 million in external research funding secured last year, this event highlights how our faculty and students are actively improving healthcare, protecting our national security and preserving our environment.” 

The keynote speaker was Dr. Steven M. Girvin, a physics professor at Yale University, who delivered a speech, ‘The Second Quantum Revolution: What it Means for You and for National and Economic Security.’ 

Honored Researchers:

• Dr. Christopher Davies focuses his research on overcoming global antibiotic resistance by decoding its underlying molecular and structural mechanisms. Using high-resolution X-ray crystallography to analyze penicillin-binding proteins — the key targets for antibiotics like penicillin and cephalosporins — his lab discovered that specific mutations prevent the protein from forming the active state required to bind drugs. Translating these findings into clinical solutions, Davies partnered with industry collaborators to design novel antimicrobial compounds that overcome this resistance mechanism and successfully clear infections, advancing these promising candidates into pre-clinical development. Supported by over 20 years of continuous National Institute of Health funding totaling more than $16 million, his distinguished career includes over 80 published scientific papers and service on more than 45 review panels, alongside his ongoing leadership in guiding institutional research and mentoring junior faculty members.
  
  
• Dr. Joseph F. Hair Jr. revolutionized modern business analytics by pioneering Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling PLS-SEM. Known as the “silver bullet” of analytical tools, PLS-SEM transformed traditional data modeling by allowing researchers to evaluate complex networks of variables simultaneously and measure intangible human behaviors — such as brand passion, trust and consumer motivation — across hundreds of applications in marketing, AI impact and organizational behavior. Ranked No. 1 globally by Clarivate Analytics in Marketing, Multivariate Data Analysis and PLS-SEM, Hair has authored over 153 book editions — including “Multivariate Data Analysis,” named one of the top five most influential social science texts of all time — and published more than 167 top-tier journal articles, garnering over 600,000 citations. Across a distinguished career spanning more than 50 years, Hair continues to bridge abstract theory with practical economic development, demystifying statistical analysis through dedicated teaching and mentoring the next generation of business leaders and researchers.
  
  
• Dr. Sytske Kimball is the recipient of the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, and the founder and director of the South Alabama Mesonet. Established in 2004, the Mesonet is an automated weather station network that collects 24 real-time atmospheric and soil measurements every minute to improve severe weather tracking, emergency warnings and resource management across agriculture, energy and transportation. Dedicated to studying landfalling hurricanes and expanding weather monitoring, Kimball’s work has secured more than $8 million in external grant funding. With recent support from Alabama Sen. Katie Britt, the network is expanding from 26 to 46 stations to cover over half the state — moving closer to her ultimate goal of statewide coverage. Through her published research, prestigious academic honors and over two decades of undergraduate mentorship, Kimball continues to enhance weather safety and provide critical real-time data to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteorologists, the National Weather Service, local emergency management agencies and regional industries.
  
  
• Dr. John Lehrter  focuses his research on the hydrologic connections between inland headwaters — from the Rocky Mountains to the continental shelf — and coastal ecosystems to protect Alabama's waterways, fisheries and coastal communities. By combining fieldwork, lab analysis, satellite imagery and numerical modeling, his lab tracks how nutrients, sediment, oxygen and land-use changes impact estuaries such as Mobile Bay, while evaluating how natural barriers such as  wetlands and beaver ponds stabilize downstream flow. Supported by over $30.2 million in research awards over the last 25 years, Lehrter collaborates with key partners — including the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency  — to refine nutrient management, support habitat planning and strengthen fisheries management for key regional species like oysters, blue crab and spotted seatrout, while mentoring the next generation of environmental scientists and resource managers.