Savannah State University News

Capt. Donnie Cochran On Friday, May 6, the 200th commencement ceremony of Savannah State University will be held at T. A. Wright Stadium located on the university’s campus. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and will also be live-streamed. More than 365 students will receive master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degrees. Esteemed alumnus, Capt. Donnie Cochran, U.S. Navy, retired, will serve as the commencement speaker. Cochran, a 1976 graduate of Savannah State University, earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering technology and is the first African-American aviator to be selected to the United States Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron. He is also a graduate of the Air War College in Montgomery, Ala. and earned a master’s degree in human resource management from Troy State University. In 1994, Cochran was named as the first African-American commanding officer and flight leader of the Blue Angels. He retired from the U.S. Navy with over 24 years of aviation experience....

“The War Is Not Over” dance performance will take place on Saturday, April 23 at 2 p.m. in the Jepson Center’s Neises Auditorium . Savannah State University’s (SSU) Visual and Performing Arts program will showcase senior students in a senior thesis dance performance scheduled for April 23, and in a senior thesis art exhibition which runs April 20 - May 13. Both events are free and open to the public. “The War is Not Over,” a live senior thesis dance performance by Zhakyra Nelson is a 28-minute routine featuring contemporary, hip hop and African dance styles. During Nelson’s earlier years of taking dance classes, she says she was encouraged not to pursue dance because others felt she wasn’t good at one genre. She says this experience built her character, and caused her to keep pushing forward. In collaboration with Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center, and as a part of Telfair’s Family Day, the performance will be held on Saturday, April 23 at 2 p.m. in the Neises Auditorium, located in the J...

A VIP screening of the new documentary titled “The Power of the Pen,” about the passing of Georgia House Bill 479 and its relation to the Ahmaud Arbery case, will be held on Tuesday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m. This event will be inside the Torian Auditorium in the College of Business Administration, Howard Jordan building and is free and open to the public.    The documentary is presented by Savannah State University (SSU), the SSU Student Government Association, and the Gilliard Foundation. It was written and narrated by Ga. State Rep. Carl Gilliard and edited by Kareem McMichael, online content manager in SSU’s department of Journalism and Mass Communications. During the 2021 legislative session, Rep. Carl Gilliard of Garden City co-sponsored House Bill 479, an updated version of his original House Bill 45, to repeal Georgia’s citizen’s arrest law. On May 10, 2021, Governor Brian Kemp signed the bill into law. “In 1863, the law was made right after the Reconstruction Era to e...

U.S. Navy Vice Adm. John Vincent Fuller is the keynote speaker for SSU's 50th Annual Spring Review. Savannah State University (SSU) is hosting its 50th Annual Spring Review to recognize and honor the accomplished midshipmen in its Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) program. The event will be held on Thursday, April 14 inside the Torian Auditorium in the College of Business Administration, Howard Jordan building from 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. The keynote speaker for this event is U.S. Navy Vice Adm. John Vincent Fuller, the 42nd Naval Inspector General and SSU’s Surface Warfare mentor. Fuller received his commission from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987. Prior to his current assignment, Fuller served as deputy director for force protection of the Joint Staff. He was also the director of strategy, plans, and policy of the U.S. Northern Command. His many decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal,...

Savannah State University's Annual Honors Convocation Ceremony is Thursday, April 14 at 9:30 a.m. Savannah State University (SSU) will recognize the academic achievements of more than 935 students during the Annual Honors Convocation Ceremony on the front lawn of the Kennedy Fine Arts Center, Thursday, April 14 at 9:30 a.m. Exceptional students from the university’s four colleges – College of Business Administration, College of Education, College of Sciences and Technology, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences– will be awarded. The ceremony will also highlight the Faculty and Staff Excellence Award recipients and will include special recognition for the Board of Regents Academic Achievement Award honoree. “This is the first time we’ve held the annual Honors Convocation Ceremony in person in two years,” said Carolyn V. Jordan, D. Min., interim director of Savannah State University’s Honors Program. “We are so proud of our students and grateful to welcome them back to campus...

  A new art exhibition is available for viewing at Savannah State University, featuring the 3D sculptural work of local blacksmith Gilbert Walker. UPDATE 4/29/2022:   A closing reception will be held on Thurs. May 12 th  from 5 - 7 p.m. in the Kennedy Fine Arts Gallery, located in the Kennedy Fine Arts Building. The event is free and open to the public. Savannah State University’s Visual and Performing Arts Program is now featuring “From Slave to Solider to Freedom,” a solo exhibition by local blacksmith and 3D sculptural artist, Gilbert Walker. The exhibition is available for viewing Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until May 9. The art gallery is located in the Kennedy Fine Arts Center, 3219 College St. A native of Savannah, Walker tells a story through his drawings, carvings, and metalwork which showcases the living history in the Lowcountry. As a young adult he spent most of his time in the marshes and creeks near his home, where he found inspiration for his ar...

Savannah State University Ranks #7 in College Consensus Ratings of The 50 Best Historically Black Colleges and Universities for 2022.   College  Consensus , a unique college ratings website that aggregates publisher rankings and student reviews, has published its ranking of the  50 Best Historically Black Colleges & Universities for 2022 , and Savannah State University takes the #7 spot.   Learn more.

Students learn about the new Modeling and Simulation Program in a hands-on lab at Savannah State University.  Savannah State University has been awarded more than $830,000 from the U.S. Department of Education to offer a new modeling and simulation program (MSP) option within the Computer Science Technology degree program. The MSP aims to build graduates’ computer science credentials, and to increase the number of minority students and women in the computer science field, both of which are underrepresented. The grant will contribute to the diversification of the nation’s modeling and simulation workforce, respond to the growing need for underrepresented computer scientists and ensure accessibility for students with disabilities. “I remain proud of the hard work and dedication of our faculty as they acquire external support for our academic programs,” said President of Savannah State University Kimberly Ballard-Washington. “Thanks to this federal grant, we will continue to equip o...