VSU Degree Leads to Higher Earnings, Changed Lives, Transformed Communities
A high school graduate who earns a bachelor’s degree from VSU will earn nearly $1.2 million more during their lifetime, bringing their average work-life earnings to $2.6 million. Advanced degrees boost those earnings even more.
“All of us connected to Valdosta State have long believed in the transformative power of higher education,” shared Dr. Richard A. Carvajal, president of VSU. “This study provides the clearest evidence yet that pursuing higher education is one of the best decisions any person can ever make.
“We know education opens doors, empowers families, and transforms communities. We know that because we hear those stories every day from our students and alumni. We vow to continue doing all that we can to make VSU a life-changing investment.”
Rick Munroe Named New Vice President for University Advancement
Rick Munroe, who recently led a $50 million capital campaign at Delta State University, has been named the new vice president for University Advancement and chief executive officer of VSU Foundation Inc. His first day on campus is set for Oct. 2.
“Rick brings a wealth of experience and a true love for South Georgia,” said Dr. Richard Carvajal, president of VSU. “He previously led university advancement offices at similar institutions, including most recently at a fellow Gulf South Conference university, and he’s consistently been highly successful in those roles. He connects well with people and has a true passion for what we do in higher education. He and his family also consider this region their home, and we are excited to bring him back.”
Zach Johnson, a V-State alumnus, as recently promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Regional Investigative Office in Thomasville. He will be responsible for assisting with the daily operations and supervision of special agents assigned to the office.
Johnson began his career with the GBI in 2015 as a special agent assigned to the Regional Investigative Office in Kingsland. He transferred to the Regional Investigative Office in Thomasville in 2016 and has been there ever since. He is a POST-certified instructor authorized to teach interview and interrogation tactics at the GBI Special Agent Academy and regional police academies. He is the recipient of the 2022 GBI Deputy Director’s Award for efforts made in a homicide investigation.
Johnson earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from VSU in 2014.
Kati Stephan was recently named principal of Doerun Elementary School in the Colquitt County School System.
Stephan started as a class teacher at Doerun Elementary School in Doreun, Georgia, in 2007 and was promoted in 2015 to assistant principal.
Stephan is a two-time VSU graduate. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Education in Early Childhood Education in 2007 and an Education Specialist in Educational Leadership in 2017.
Dr. Reanne Harris, a V-State alumna, recently joined the staff of South Georgia Medical Center Primary Care.
As an internist, Harris specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease in adult patients. She provides comprehensive care to manage a variety of chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, and osteoporosis. She also treats acute illnesses such as flu, ear infections, bronchitis, and urinary tract infections.
Harris earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from VSU in 2016 and played for the VSU soccer team.
Matthew Littleton, a V-State alumnus, was recently sworn in as chief magistrate judge of Colquitt County, Georgia.
Littleton has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience. He worked with the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office for four years, followed by 26 years as a special agent in charge with the Georgia Department of Revenue’s Alcohol and Tobacco Division. He then returned to the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office where he served as the lieutenant in charge of the Training Division.
Littleton earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from VSU in 1993.
VSU Students Invited to Perform in Portugal and Spain
Thirty students from the VSU Chamber Singers and Trombone Ensemble will be performing in May 2024 at the Lisbon Music Festival.
The Lisbon Music Festival is an international youth choral festival that takes place between Portugal and Spain. Groups from around the world will be performing, providing VSU students a chance to experience music they’ve never heard before.
The VSU students are collecting donations to help cover the cost of their trip.
Samuel Nicolas Talks Summer Internship, Future Career Goals
Samuel Nicolas, a Valdosta State University student from Lauderhill, Florida, recently completed a summer internship with Verizon.
Nicolas said the 10-week Verizon experience was an “opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, gaining insights that textbooks simply can't convey.” He said the internship gave him “sharper problem-solving, better project management, and improved collaboration skills.”
Nicolas anticipates earning a Master of Science in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from VSU in Summer 2024 and pursuing a career in corporate human resources.
VSU’s 2023 Excellence Awards Presented to Distinguished Faculty, Staff
Dr. Richard A. Carvajal, president of VSU, recently honored five faculty members and two staff members with a 2023 Presidential Excellence Award. They are:
• Evelyn-Davis Walker, Presidential Excellence Award for Teaching
• Dr. José A. Vélez-Marulanda, Presidential Excellence Award for Research
• Sarah Wildes Arnett, Presidential Excellence Award for Service
• Dr. Victoria Russell, Presidential Excellence Award for The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
• Dr. Colette Drouillard, Presidential Excellence Award for Online Teaching
• Sandra Y. G. Jones, Presidential Excellence Award for Classified Staff.
• Rebecca Taylor, Presidential Excellence Award for Classified Staff.
VSU Named a Best College by 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.
This is the 39th year U.S. News and World Report has published its annual Best Colleges rankings. This year the publication assessed nearly 1,500 colleges and universities on several measures of academic quality.
VSU earned spots on four U.S. News and World Report 2023 Best Colleges lists — Top Performers on Social Mobility, Undergraduate Business Programs, Undergraduate Nursing Programs, and Undergraduate Psychology Programs.
VSU Hosts Science Saturday Oct. 14
The College of Science and Mathematics and the Department of Chemistry and Geosciences at Valdosta State University present Science Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon on Oct. 14 in the Hugh C. Bailey Science Center.
Science Saturday is a fun-filled and educational opportunity for everyone to learn more about the fields of chemistry and geosciences. Learners of all ages will enjoy learning about DNA, making gel beads, exploring thermometers, identifying minerals, studying fossils, and building a city simulation.
Blazers Enter AFCA Top 25 for First Time in 2023
Following a 28-3 victory over North Greenville on Sept. 23, the VSU football team returned to the American Football Coaches Association Top 25, checking in at No. 22. The Blazers are 4-0 overall and 1-0 in Gulf South Conference play.
Football is just one of six VSU teams scheduled to play throughout the month of October. The others are Women’s Soccer, Men’s Golf, Women’s Volleyball, Women’s Cross Country, and Men’s Cross Country.
Pops in the Park Benefits VSU Music Scholarships
Valdosta State University’s Music Scholarship Alliance hosts Pops in the Park at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 12.
Pops in the Park attendees are welcome to bring their outdoor folding chairs, picnic dinners, and blankets and enjoy an evening of musical performances at the Fine Arts Building Amphitheatre — all while supporting the talented students in the Department of Music at VSU.
VSU Announces Summer 2023 Graduates
VSU is proud to celebrate the nearly 550 students who earned their degrees during Summer 2023.
Today VSU once again celebrates this powerful and positive community of Blazers and wish them all the best as they find genuine happiness and fulfillment in their personal and professional lives and use it to empower the people and places closest to them.
VSU Announces Summer 2023 Dean’s List
VSU congratulates those students who earned a spot on the Summer 2023 Dean's List.
Dean's List honors are reserved for the highest achieving students at VSU. The Summer 2023 Dean's List recognizes more than 300 distinguished and accomplished students for exemplifying excellence in the attainment of their educational goals.