Savannah State University News

The annual Founders Day event celebrates the university’s past. Savannah State University recently honored outstanding alumni and community members during the annual Founders Day celebration with two distinguished awards: The Richard R. Wright Award of Excellence and The Cyrus G. Wiley Distinguished Alumni Award. Each year Savannah State University takes a day to recognize those who have served the school and made its foundation stronger. The annual observance celebrates the institution’s history and those who have contributed to its success, including a guest speaker and the presentation of awards to members of the community. Named for the first president of SSU, the Richard R. Wright Award of Excellence is the most notable honor, recognizing outstanding leaders who have distinguished themselves through their expertise in social, educational and civic arenas. Posthumously awarded to Dorothy Gardner-Martin, Ph.D., her daughter, Kim Gardner-Sapp, accepted the award on her behalf. Kim Ga...

Living abroad in Morocco International Education Week is taking place now, and Joline Keevy, Savannah State University's International Education Specialist, caught up with alumna Shaniqua Brown who is living abroad in Morocco to celebrate the value of being a global citizen. Read on for a great Q&A with Shaniqua on life in Morocco.  Alumna Shaniqua Brown, Class of 2019, is living abroad in Morocco. Name: Shaniqua Brown Major: B.S in Interdisciplinary Studies - Education Studies track Hometown: Hardeeville, SC + Ellenwood, GA Graduated: May 2019 Where are you living : Rabat, Morocco  H ow long have you been there?  2 years    What other countries have you visited : None (yet!) Morocco was my first international experience when I joined peace corps in 2019, then COVID hit, but I’m hoping 2022 will allow for more travel experiences.   What kind of work are you doing?   Pre-School Teaching at a Bilingual school and private tutoring (ESL...

Savannah State University President Kimberly Ballard-Washington and Interim Executive Director for University Advancement and Director for Advancement Services Sheri Rouse Mainor accept a $250,000 check from an anonymous donor to provide tuition assistance for students in need. SAVANNAH, GA – During this season of giving and thanksgiving, Savannah State University (SSU) celebrates the generous financial contributions of its alumni, faculty, and staff who have donated $629,000 to support deserving students in need of tuition assistance to obtain a college degree. Made possible by Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965, the university will receive matching funds for five of those scholarships, dollar-for-dollar, bringing the total to more than $810,000 to impact student success. Title III is a federally funded program designed to support the infrastructure of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Multiple check presentations recently took place inside T.A. Wright Stadiu...

The Obsidian Dance Repertory is the university's official pre-professional dance group in the Department of Fine Arts, Humanities and Wellness. Savannah State University’s Visual and Performing Arts Program will present “Faces of Change,” the long-anticipated fall dance concert featuring performances by the Obsidian Dance Repertory, the official pre-professional dance group for the university’s Department of Fine Arts, Humanities and Wellness. Located on campus in the Kennedy Fine Arts Center Theater, 3219 College St., the program will take place at 8 p.m. nightly Nov. 18 – 20. “The Obsidian Dance Repertory is no stranger to the stage, but pandemic conditions restricted public performances for over a year,” said Nicholas Silberg, professor and chair of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences’ Department of Fine Arts, Humanities and Wellness. ‘Faces of Change’ is a fiercely exciting dance theater experience with a variety of styles everyone can enjoy, ranging from Afro-Moder...

Savannah State University’s Annual Scholarship Gala raised $250,000 to support student scholarships. From left: Gala Co-Chairs John and Beverly Copeland, Savannah State University (SSU) Interim Executive Director for University Advancement & Director of Advancement Services Sheri Rouse-Mainor, and SSU President Kimberly Ballard-Washington, J.D. Savannah State University’s Annual Scholarship Gala raised $250,000 in support of students needing financial assistance to earn a college degree. Proceeds from the affair provide scholarship support for deserving students. A check presentation was held during the black-tie event Saturday evening at the Marriott Savannah Riverfront. Each year, community members are given a meaningful opportunity to support student scholarships with various sponsorship levels, corporate and advertising opportunities. In addition, one community organization and five distinguished individuals were honored with Awards of Excellence for their contributions to the ...

Savannah State University’s College of Business Administration (COBA) is hosting its first Alumni Business Pitch Competition to allow Tiger entrepreneurs with a business concept or an existing business the chance to win seed money and mentorship opportunities. Sponsored by the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA), the competition will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 5 p.m. in the Torian Auditorium located in the Howard Jordan COBA building, 3219 College St. Designed to foster dynamic thinking and shape entrepreneurial perspectives, the competition is open to the public and there is no cost to attend. Organized by the university’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), the top three pitches will be awarded funding to jumpstart their venture concept or develop a product prototype with a first-place award of $5,000, second-place award of $2,500 and third-place award of $1,500. “ We chose to target SSU Alumni for this inaugural pitch event to afford our current s...

  Kimberly Ballard-Washington, J.D., is the 14th President of Savannah State University. Her official Presidential Investiture Ceremony will be held on Friday, Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. inside Tiger Arena on the campus of Savannah State University. The Presidential Investiture of Kimberly Ballard-Washington, J.D., the 14th President of Savannah State University, will be held on Friday, Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. in Tiger Arena, 3219 College St. Counted among the oldest of traditions in academia, an investiture ceremony is one of dignity with many academic traditions and protocols. Special guests including University System of Georgia colleagues, community leaders and stakeholders will deliver greetings during the program. Open to the public, the ceremony will also be live streamed and there is no cost to attend. Face masks are encouraged while inside campus facilities. A week of special events are planned to celebrate this momentous occasion, including historic campus tours, a Music on the Marsh ...