A WORD FROM
President Richard Carvajal
President's Update
October 2023
Dear Blazer Nation,
It is hard to believe that Midterm is already here. I hope you are having a great semester, and I know our students and faculty are looking forward to Fall Break coming up on Oct. 9-10. There is a lot happening on campus, and I have some updates to share with you.
Staffing Announcement
In case you missed my announcement, I am thrilled to welcome Rick Munroe to VSU as our new vice president for University Advancement and the CEO of the VSU Foundation. Rick comes to us from Delta State University, a long-time fellow member of the Gulf South Conference, where he was the vice president for University Advancement and External Relations. He has a long record of success leading advancement offices, including serving for ten years as Thomas University’s vice president for Institutional Advancement. Rick and his wife retained their home in Thomasville in hopes they would return to South Georgia someday, and I am thrilled that time is now. I also want to thank A. Blake Pearce, who did a terrific job in the interim role in the past year. I am excited that Blake accepted my request to become executive director of special projects and chief development officer for the College of the Arts. Both Rick and Blake began their new roles on Oct. 1.
U.S. News and World Report
VSU is once again listed among the nation’s best colleges and universities, according to U.S. News and World Report’s recently released 2024 Best Colleges rankings. The placement follows an assessment of nearly 1,500 colleges and universities nationwide. VSU earned coveted spots in four categories —Top Performers on Social Mobility, Undergraduate Business Programs, Undergraduate Nursing Programs, and Undergraduate Psychology Programs. You can read more about each category by continuing to read this newsletter.
Wear Pink
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and each year our football team holds a Cancer Awareness Game. This year’s game is this upcoming Saturday, Oct. 7 against Delta State. For this Pink Out game, we ask that all Blazer fans wear their pink to show the importance of getting checked for breast and any other type of cancer. I look forward to seeing lots of pink in the home stands at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium this weekend.
In Closing
In addition to the Pink Out game, we also have Homecoming Weekend on October 20-21. I look forward to our alumni coming back for all the fun, and celebrating with our current students. I can already tell, October is going to be a great month.
Go Blazers!
Dr. Richard Carvajal
President