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Paul Hunton is the president of , a National Public Radio member station licensed by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He is also a four-time, Emmy-winning producer and director whose films have been shown at South by Southwest and the. This week, Georgia Southern will have the honor of hosting him as the keynote speaker for the .

Shainaz Landge, Ph.D., associate professor of organic chemistry in the College of Science and Mathematics, is spearheading the event and is thrilled to have Hunton speak.

鈥淲e are very excited for Mr. Hunton to visit and to hear about his professional journey,鈥� Landge said. 鈥淗is experiences will undoubtedly inspire our research scholars across a wide range of disciplines.鈥�

Each year, the GS4 symposium showcases the University鈥檚 best and brightest student scholars and gives undergraduates and graduates from many disciplines the opportunity to present their work.

The award-winning filmmaker and multimedia professional noted that communication plays a key role in translating research into real-world impact.

鈥淩esearch is far more than numbers in a lab or citations in a journal,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about curiosity, storytelling and community building, even in media and filmmaking. In my career, I鈥檝e seen how meaningful stories can elevate important issues, like climate change, to engage the public, shape policy, and inspire real change. I want students to see that no matter their discipline, their work can have a broad impact if they learn to communicate it effectively and tie it back to the human experience.鈥�

Hunton will relay that message in his keynote address, 鈥淯nlocking Your Lore: How Personal Stories Drive Innovation and Community.鈥� He plans to talk about his early life, growing up in a small town鈥攕omething many Georgia Southern students can relate to鈥攁nd how that inspired his love for storytelling and shaped his career in media. He鈥檒l expound on the need for balanced storytelling that highlights both problems and solutions, and emphasize the importance of genuine conversation.

鈥淚 hope that students walk away knowing their personal story matters and can inspire real, positive change in their work and in the world,鈥� said Hunton.

Notably, those personal stories can play an important role for students who may be apprehensive or unsure of how to communicate with the larger public about their research.

鈥淭he key is to meet people where they are,鈥� Hunton remarked. 鈥淏efore you dive into the complexity, help your audience see why your work matters. That could be through a personal story, a real-life example or a metaphor that connects to their daily life. We often assume people will care if we just present the facts, but it鈥檚 about framing those facts in a narrative or context that resonates with their own experiences or values.鈥�

He added that it鈥檚 important to be intentional about your language and conclude with solutions or a sense of possibility. 

鈥淪how them that change is possible, and you鈥檒l keep them engaged,鈥� he said.

Hunton looks forward to the GS4 Symposium and seeing a broad range of ideas, projects, and disciplines represented. 

“Hopefully, I can help them realize just how powerful their stories and research can be when shared with the right mix of rigor and creativity, because ultimately, research and creativity go hand-in-hand,鈥� shared Hunton.

You can read Hunton鈥檚 full bio and see the symposium schedule .