Valdosta State News

#VState #BlazerNation #VStateGrad

I can’t wait to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates when the magic of in-person commencement returns to VSU. I am incredibly proud of our graduates for having the dedication to overcome countless obstacles, including this ongoing global health crisis, and to finish strong and reach this significant milestone. I am similarly so proud of the world-class faculty and staff who supported these students through life-changing teaching, mentoring, advising, research, community engagement opportunities, and much more on their journey to this special day. Dr. Richard A. Carvajal, president of VSU. GET MORE at https://bit.ly/2VTYIKm. #VState #BlazerNation

A Message from the VSU Planetarium about the Christmas Star: Turning towards the southwest just after sunset, that brilliant star in the sky is actually the giant planet Jupiter. Just above it (and slightly to the left) is Saturn. Saturn is nearly as large as Jupiter but, being almost twice as far away, appears much fainter. During the next few days the two planets will approach one another, reaching conjunction on the 21st. At that time the two will be only 1/10th of a de...gree apart and may (depending on your eyesight) appear as a single star! Long-time patrons of the VSU Planetarium may recall from our annual Star of Bethlehem show that a triple conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the year 7 BCE was proposed as a possible source for the legend of the Christmas Star. Alas, our Planetarium and Observatory remain closed during the current pandemic. Jupiter and Saturn have not appeared this close together in our sky since July 1623 and won’t approach this close again until March 2080. So enjoy this year’s Christmas Star and have a wonderful holiday season! #VState #BlazerNation

Caitlyn Faith Gourley of Waycross, Georgia, is the recipient of the Fall 2020 President’s Award for Academic Excellence for the James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services at #VState. Caitlyn graduates magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Education in Elementary Education. MEET CAITLYN at https://bit.ly/2KZ6Jvl. #BlazerNation #VStateGrad #TopGrad

Roger Folsom, a #VState Alumnus, has been re-appointed to the Georgia Board of Community Health by Gov. Brian Kemp. His term expires in November 2023. Folsom also serves as chairman of the Dublin-Laurens Development Authority and the Fairview Park Hospital Board of Trustees, sits on the Board of Directors of Farmers State Bank, and was elected to the Board of Governors of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. He is president and owner of Med1st, a home medical services and equipment company. Folsom earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from VSU in 1975.