VSU ROTC Excited for Inaugural D-Day Study Abroad in France
A group from VSU’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Detachment 172 will travel to Normandy, France, this summer to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.
“This is the first time our cadets will have an opportunity to study abroad through the Aerospace Studies program,” shared Lieutenant Colonel Lucas Brommer, commander of VSU’s Air Force ROTC Detachment 172.
“We are the only Air Force ROTC detachment in South Georgia. It is important for our cadets to learn about the important role of military training in South Georgia during World War II, particularly with training pilots who were pivotal to the success of the D-Day invasion. Several cadets already toured the World War II Flight Training Museum in Douglas, Georgia, gaining an appreciation for the nearly 10,000 aviation cadets who trained there between 1941 and 1944.”
Meet the Voice Behind the National Anthem at Blazer Basketball Games
If you attended a Lady Blazers or Blazers basketball game this season at The Complex, you heard the National Anthem sung live. The woman behind the terrific rendition is a VSU graduate student with an unlikely story.
Amanda Gilbert first attended VSU in 2001. After getting married and having children, she returned as a senior undergraduate in the fall of 2022. She graduated with her bachelor's degree in fall of 2023 and is now attending VSU as a graduate student.
Marlon Brown, a V-State alumnus, was recently named director of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Brown has a long history of public service, including roles with the Michigan Supreme Court, the Michigan Department of Transportation, and the State Budget Office. Within the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, he has served as director of the Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs and chief administrative officer overseeing the central services of the department, including communications, finance and administration, human resources, policy and legislative affairs, and equity and inclusion initiatives. He most recently spent seven months as acting director of the department.
Brown earned a Doctor of Public Administration at VSU in 2023.
Krista Pearson, a V-State alumna, is the new principal of Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia.
Pearson has worked at Lowndes High School for three decades, first as a teacher and then as an administrator. She was named Lowndes High School Teacher of the Year in 2005 and 2008, Lowndes County Schools District Teacher of the Year in 2009, a finalist for Georgia Teacher of the Year in 2010, and Georgia Assistant Principal of the Year in 2022. She is a member of VSU’s inaugural Educator Hall of Fame.
Pearson earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in Secondary Education in 1992, a Master of Education in Secondary Education in 1998, and an Education Specialist in Educational Leadership in 2012.
Chris Edwards, a V-State alumnus, has been named director of internal audit at SGMC Health in Valdosta, Georgia. He will be responsible for assessing and managing risks, evaluating internal controls, and communicating findings to senior management and the board to ensure compliance, efficiency, and accountability.
Edwards earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting in 2012 at VSU. He has more than 12 years of experience in internal audit and public accounting and is a certified public accountant and certified internal auditor.
Melissa Artz, a V-State alumna, is the 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year for Thomas County Middle School in Thomasville, Georgia. She has worked at the school for eight years and currently teaches mathematics for the school’s Teaching Outstanding Performers for Success team.
Artz began her teaching career with Sumter County Schools. She moved to Thomasville City Schools in 2012, followed by Thomas County Schools in 2016. She also teaches American Sign Language courses at Thomas University and serves on the advisory board for VSU’s deaf education and interpreting programs.
A two-time VSU graduate, Artz earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in Special Education in 2009 and a Master of Education in Special Education in 2010.
Mara Shaw, a V-State alumna, was recently promoted to senior public service associate with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. She serves as the institute’s associate director for governmental training, education, and development, and she manages all leadership development and financial management training programs for more than 5,000 local and state government officials each year.
Shaw is the recipient of UGA’s 2020 Walter Barnard Hill Award for Distinguished Achievement in Public Service and Outreach. In 2022, she was honored with the VSU College of Humanities and Social Sciences Distinguished Alumna Award.
Shaw earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice at VSU in 1982.
Ashley Young, a V-State alumna, has been named a Top 10 finalist for 2025 Georgia Teacher of the Year.
Young teaches eighth graders at Lanier County Middle School in Lakeland. She is a passionate and dedicated teacher with an infectious enthusiasm and boundless energy for teaching. She works to take education beyond the four walls of her classroom and connect with the community. Through her Genius Hour Projects, her students are able to choose an area of interest and produce a project or pursue a goal.
Young earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in Middle Grades Education (Grades 4-8) at VSU in 2016.
Jessica Stanley, a V-State alumna, is the new principal at Lake Park Elementary School in Lake Park, Georgia, effective during the 2024-2025 school year.
Stanley has nearly 15 years of experience as an educator. She started her career in the Lowndes County School System, where she taught math and science at Lowndes High School and went on to become a special education coordinator and special education department chairman. Seven years later she was named assistant principal at Richmond Hill High School in Richmond Hill, Georgia. She eventually returned to Lowndes County where she has served as assistant principal at Lake Park Elementary School for the past five years. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member at VSU, where she helps guide future educators.
A three-time VSU graduate, Stanley earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in Middle Grades Education (Grades 4-8) in 2010, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction in Accomplished Teaching in 2013, and an Education Specialist in Educational Leadership in 2016.
Jenny Cofield, a V-State alumna, has been named a Top 10 finalist for 2025 Georgia Teacher of the Year.
Cofield teaches literature and English to Speakers of Other Languages classes at Morgan County High School in Madison. She works to prepare her students with the skills they need to take on the world once they leave high school and focuses on projects that connect her students to their community. Her students recently wrote, illustrated, and published a bilingual children’s book.
A two-time VSU graduate, Cofield earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology in 2007 and a Master of Education in Special Education in 2009.
From "Star Trek" Fan to Award-Winning Researcher: VSU's Jordan Hewins Says Science Has the Power to Change Humanity
Jordan Hewins represented VSU’s Department of Applied Mathematics and Physics at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Georgia Academy of Sciences, where his research, “Modeling the Orbital Dynamics of Super Earth Kepler-62f,” earned Best Oral Presentation honors. He was recently accepted into the 2024 Edge of Space Academy, a two-week, paid summer research experience at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.
Hewins, an undergraduate student from Kennesaw, Georgia, anticipates earning a Bachelor of Science in Astronomy and a Bachelor of Science in Physics at VSU in May 2025. He plans to pursue a master’s degree in electrical engineering after he graduates from VSU and pursue a career in the space industry. He discovered a passion for “humans in space” when he was just 8 years old and watching “Star Trek” on the couch with his mother.
Dancing with the Stars of Valdosta Raises $75,000 for Scholarships
Dancing with the Stars of Valdosta raised $75,000 for theatre, dance, and music scholarships for students studying in the College of the Arts at VSU.
Eight couples — one local “star” paired with one local “pro” — entertained the audience with their memorable routines. Herb Reinhard, director of VSU Athletics, and partner Melissa Pihos, associate professor of dance at VSU, earned the Audience Favorite Award for raising the most scholarship donations.
PSST Offers Standard Memberships Through June 8
The early bird sale is over, but Peach State Summer Theatre is giving fans one more opportunity to save a few bucks and enjoy a summer of Broadway-caliber performances.
Standard memberships are now available for the 2024 Peach State Summer Theatre season. The cost is $76, including all taxes and fees.
The deadline to purchase a standard season membership, which offers a savings over the single ticket price, is Saturday, June 8. Gift certificates are available for PSST fans who wish to purchase a season membership for a friend or family member.
The 2024 Peach State Summer Theatre season kicks off June 8 and runs through July 20 on VSU’s Sawyer Theatre stage and features “Annie,” “Five Guys Named Moe,” and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
Standard season memberships include three individual admissions to be used as desired with advance reservations throughout the summer theatre season. These memberships may be purchased through the online box office at www.valdosta.edu/psst.
VSU Hosts South Georgia Region Honor Band April 11-13, Wind Ensemble Performs April 12
VSU will welcome more than 300 middle school and high school band students to campus on Thursday, April 11, for the 2024 South Georgia Region Honor Band weekend.
In addition to helping the students improve their musicality by partnering them with accomplished guest conductors and some of the areas most respected educators, Dr. Benjamin Harper, director of bands, assistant professor of music, and assistant head of the Department of Music at VSU, said this event is an opportunity for the Department of Music to identify students who may be interested in joining Blazer Nation in the future.
Representing 54 schools, the South Georgia Region Honor Band students will spend three days perfecting music for a free, public performance at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, in VSU’s Whitehead Auditorium. The VSU Wind Ensemble, conducted by Harper, will perform live in concert at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 12, in Whitehead Auditorium. Admission is free of charge and open to the general public.
STEAM Center Continues to Host K-12 Students Interested in Learning About Weather
VSU's STEAM Center for Applied Creativity and Innovation continues to invite students from elementary, middle, and high schools across South Georgia to explore the Art and Science of Weather, a series of interactive exhibits designed to help learners of all ages gain a better understanding of various types of weather phenomena. Previous field trip groups have enjoyed interacting with a 10-foot-tall tornado, touching a cloud, making a rainbow with prisms, becoming a meteorologist, learning about thunder and lightning, turning a 15-foot-wide Earth to discover the Coriolis effect, and more.
“The weather impacts our daily lives,” says Dr. Brian Gerber, director of VSU’s STEAM Center for Applied Creativity and Innovation. “It helps you decide what clothes to wear and maybe what you will do during the day. Weather can influence our mood, impact our health, and for the many people in agricultural jobs, impact their livelihood. Severe weather, like the recent hurricane Idalia, can disrupt people’s lives because of the destruction it causes. Understanding weather can make an uncertain world a little more certain and predictable for everyone.”
Final Science Saturday of the Semester Planned for April 13
The College of Science and Mathematics, Department of Applied Mathematics and Physics, and Department of Computer Science and Engineering Technology at VSU recently presented Science Saturday: Imagine, Design, and Build. It was fun-filled and educational opportunity for everyone to learn about the Valdosta skies and how to write computer programs, have fun with puzzles, make a comet, trick a computer, count with cubes, and much more.
VSU's Department of Biology will host the final Science Saturday of the semester on April 13. Details about that event will be released soon. Look for that information on Facebook (@valdostastate).
Science Saturday is supported by VSU’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Initiative and is part of an ongoing effort to inspire the next generation to learn more about these subject areas. Faculty in the College of Science and Mathematics understand that the nation’s future economic prosperity is closely linked with student success in the STEM fields.
April 26 Golf Event Supports VSU Speech, Language, Literacy Work
VSU invites the university community to golf for good on April 26 and support efforts to improve speech, language, and literacy outcomes right here in South Georgia.
The fourth annual Scottish-Rite Golf Tournament begins at 10:30 a.m. at Circlestone Golf Club in Adel. Registration is $100 per golfer ($400 per team) and includes lunch, range balls, and prizes. Sponsorships opportunities are also available.
All proceeds support the Southwest Valley of Scottish-Rite, which funds the RiteCare Center for Communication Disorders at VSU's on-campus Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic. These funds directly support free screenings, testing, and treatment for community members who need it most.
Register today at https://bit.ly/4asd5d1.
VSU Hosts STEAM Career Expo 2024
VSU's STEAM Center for Applied Creativity and Innovation (valdosta.edu/steam) recently hosted STEAM Career Expo 2024. Approximately 500 middle and high school students from across South Georgia had an opportunity to discover more than a dozen STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) careers and perform some hands-on activities related to those careers.
Organizations represented at STEAM Career Expo 2024 were Ace Electric Inc., C. Terry Hunt Industries Inc., CJB Industries, Eagle Fire and Safety Equipment Co., Wild Adventures, Georgia Power, Packaging Corporation of America, PepsiCo Beverages, Moody Air Force Base, SGMC Health, South Georgia Pecan Company, Southern Georgia Regional Commission, Valdosta Fire Department, VSU Admissions, VSU Environmental and Occupational Safety, Valdosta Fire Department, and Be Pro Be Proud.
VSU Celebrates International Women's Day, One Year of The Female Quotient
VSU celebrated International Women's Day March 8 by inviting everyone to get to know the students behind The Female Quotient and hear from four empowered, successful women who are making a difference in the Valdosta-Lowndes County community.
Sponsored by the Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration, The Female Quotient is a student organization that works to advance equality by increasing opportunities for women in all professions, especially accounting, finance, economics, and marketing. The organization was founded one year ago.
The 2024 International Women’s Day theme is #InspireInclusion with a focus on forging a better, more inclusive world for women. It asks everyone to imagine a gender equal world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.