Salaries for VSU Police Now Among Highest in South Georgia
With a focus on recruitment and retention, the Department of Public Safety at VSU is increasing the salaries of its police force.
The need for a salary increase is the finding of a compensation study conducted by VSU. The goal of the project is to ensure the salaries of VSU police officers are competitive within the state of Georgia and to other external agencies and organizations. The study also aims to enhance recruitment efforts to attract top talent for all sworn officer positions at VSU.
“Our public safety staff are among the most high-profile and most important positions on campus,” said Traycee Martin, vice president for finance and administration at VSU who oversees the Department of Public Safety. “It is critical that we have qualified and dedicated officers protecting our students, employees, and campus. We truly believe this salary increase and the many other benefits offered by VSU will make us the top choice for those seeking careers in law enforcement.”
VSU Alumna Taelynn Walton Preps for Medical School and Serving the Underserved
Taelynn Alyssia Walton, a recent VSU alumna from Gwinnett County, Georgia, dreams of becoming a doctor and dedicating her life to helping others.
“As an aspiring physician, I want to address healthcare disparities and ensure that underserved communities receive quality care,” she said. “At the moment, I am split between specializing in Emergency Medicine or Neonatology, areas where I feel that I could make the greatest impact.”
Walton earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology, a Minor in Chemistry, and a Minor in Sociology during VSU’s 238th Commencement in December. She came to Blazer Nation after graduating from McClure Health Science High School in Duluth, Georgia, in 2021.
“I chose VSU due to its smaller class sizes, opportunities for undergraduate research, and the close proximity to other family,” she said. “The sense of community and support from both faculty and students also played a major role in my decision.”
Early bird memberships are now available for the 2025 Peach State Summer Theatre season. The cost is $63, including all taxes and fees.
The 2025 Peach State Summer Theatre season kicks off June 7, runs through July 19 on VSU’s Sawyer Theatre stage, and features “The Wizard of Oz,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” and “A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline.”
W. Ellis Davis is the recipient of VSU's 2024 Blazer Creed Award for Citizenship, Civility, and Integrity.
“I am so honored to be a Blazer Creed Award winner,” he said. “It has inspired me to continue living out the Blazer Creed, as I have strived to do every day at VSU. Every Blazer should take pride in our creed and practice these attributes to make the world around them better. I commit to doing so!”
Davis earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at VSU on Dec. 14.
Darius Anthony from the Division of Student Affairs is the recipient of VSU's 2024 Blazer Creed Award for Integrity.
“This recognition not only reaffirms my commitment to upholding integrity but also inspires me to set even higher standards for myself in the months ahead," he said. "It encourages me to approach the new year with a renewed sense of purpose, focusing on meaningful interactions and contributing to positive change on campus. As I reflect on this achievement, I feel empowered to carry this momentum forward.”
Anthony joined the VSU staff in September 2017. He currently serves as assistant director of the Office of Career Opportunities and Volunteer Services.
Dr. Jodi Cronin from the James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services is the recipient of VSU’s 2024 Blazer Creed Award for Civility, Citizenship, and Integrity.
“As educators, we must model the values we expect from our students in and out of the classroom,” she said. “Every day in my classroom is a new opportunity to share and learn best practices that extend beyond the syllabus objectives with skills such as those in the Blazer Creed. I believe integrity is one of the most important soft skills we can model for our students. Be true to your word. As Stephen E. Covey said, ‘Integrity is conforming reality to our words — in other words, keeping promises and fulfilling expectations.’”
Cronin joined the VSU faculty in July 2023. She currently serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Teacher Education.
Levy C. Hiers-Perez from the James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services is the recipient of VSU’s 2024 Blazer Creed Award for Civility.
“The Blazer Creed Award is such an honor,” he said. “I look forward to working with students and colleagues and being a part of the Blazer Nation!”
Hiers-Perez joined the VSU faculty in 2016. He currently serves as coordinator for the Department of Teacher Education’s American Sign Language/English Interpreting Program, where he also teaches courses in ASL, interpreting, and Deaf education.
Nevaeh Wallace of Valdosta, Georgia is the recipient of VSU’s 2024 Blazer Creed Award for Citizenship and Integrity.
Wallace said that winning the Blazer Creed Award “inspires me to inspire others. I want other students to exude the Blazer Creed during their time here at VSU.”
She anticipates earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication, emphasis in Organizational Communication, in May.
Britt Bugby from the Center for eLearning is the recipient of VSU’s 2024 Blazer Creed Award for Citizenship.
“Winning the Blazer Creed Award inspires me to keep searching for new and better ways to support and participate in the VSU community,” she said.
Bugby joined the VSU staff in February 2020. She currently serves as instructional design project manager in the Center for eLearning and as a part-time instructor.
Mellon Foundation Grant Provides Paid Internship Opportunities for VSU Students
The Mellon Foundation has awarded VSU a $2.2 million grant that will provide paid internship opportunities over the next five years for humanities students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Additionally, VSU Foundation Inc. will raise $250,000 to sustain this initiative beyond the five years, and the Mellon Foundation will provide $250,000 in matching funds for an endowment. That puts the total award from the Mellon Foundation at $2.45 million.
The grant will provide $5,000 stipends to VSU students in the humanities who engage in internships focused on social justice.
Graham Craig Named Head Coach of VSU Football
Graham Craig was recently named the 12th head coach of the VSU Blazer Football Team.
His first stint at Valdosta State came as a player in 2012 after he transferred from Murray State. He helped lead VSU to its third national title in football, playing nine games at quarterback as a sophomore.
Craig returned to Titletown in the spring of 2024 as the offensive coordinator, helping lead the program to its 11th Gulf South Conference title and a NCAA Division II National runner-up finish this past December with a 13-1 record overall and a 6-0 mark in GSC play.
The Latest Blazer Sports Report
• Three VSU student-athletes earned Gulf South Conference All-Academic accolades, while 81 Blazers were named to the Fall Academic Honor Roll.
BASEBALL
• The GSC Preseason Coaches Poll picked VSU to finish sixth this season. Seniors Jovanni Canegitta and Hunter Stowe were named to the Preseason All GSC Team.
• Senior slugger Hunter Stowe has been named to the 2025 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II Preseason All-South Region First Team.
• Senior Drake LaRoche was named NCBWA South Region Pitcher of the Week, GSC Pitcher of the Week, and Steel’s Jewelry Athlete of the Week.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
• Graduate student JC Clausi was named Steel's Jewelry Athlete of the Week two weeks in a row. Senior Carlos Hart also earned Athlete of the Week honors.
• The team jumped up five spots in the most recent NABC poll to No. 6 in the country (based on games through Sunday, Jan. 26).
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
• The Lady Blazers celebrated their 50th anniversary.
• Former Lady Blazer standout Brittany Ferguson Bell was inducted into the 28th Class of the VSU Athletic Hall of Fame.
• Senior India Jordan was named Steel's Jewelry Athlete of the Week.
Justice Verda Colvin to Speak at VSU Feb. 15
Supreme Court of Georgia Justice Verda Colvin will present “Mentorship: Lifting as We Climb” at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, at VSU. This event is open to the public and presented free of charge by the Copeland African American Museum.
Colvin was appointed to the Supreme Court of Georgia on July 20, 2021, by Gov. Brian Kemp. She is the first African American female appointed by a republican governor to the state’s high court.
VSU CAAM Kicks Off Educational Toolkit Initiative with Valdosta City Schools
The Copeland African American Museum at VSU recently kicked off Educational Toolkit, a new community outreach initiative focused on empowering young learners and helping them cultivate essential skills.
As part of the initiative’s pilot phase, the Copeland African American Museum donated a variety of educational resources to the Valdosta City School System. Educational Toolkit is designed to support the development of elementary-age students and includes tips on writing professional emails, guidance on structuring papers, and tools for mastering multiplication tables. The goal is to expand this intiative to the Lowndes County School System in the near future.
VSU Recognizes Fall 2024 Dean's List Students
VSU congratulates each of the students who earned a spot on the Fall 2024 Dean's List.
Dean's List honors are reserved for the highest achieving students at VSU. The Fall 2024 Dean's List recognizes more than 2,000 distinguished and accomplished students — representing at least 30 states and 17 countries — for exemplifying excellence in the attainment of their educational goals.
View the full list, excluding students who opted out of public recognition, at https://valdosta.meritpages.com/.