Savannah State University News

  Dr. Jacquelyn W. Stephens Stephens to Receive Regents’ Hall of Fame Alumni and Distinguished Friends Award The University System of Georgia Foundation Board of Trustees recently announced that Dr. Jacquelyn W. Stephens has been named a 2024 recipient of the Regents' Hall of Fame Alumni and Distinguished Friends Award. This honor recognizes Dr. Stephens' exceptional contributions to education and her impactful legacy within the community. A 1960 alumna of Savannah State University (SSU), Stephens earned a master’s degree in education from Illinois State University and a doctoral degree in education from the University of Oklahoma. Her remarkable academic journey in the field of education culminated in her retirement as professor emerita from Armstrong Atlantic State University, now Georgia Southern University. “I am deeply honored to receive the Regents Hall of Fame Alumni and Distinguished Friends Award. Thanks to the University System of Georgia Foundation Board of Trustees....

Georgia Film Academy Offers Pathways to Careers in Film/TV/Digital Entertainment Industries Savannah State University (SSU) students can learn from professionals in the film, television and digital entertainment industries through the Georgia Film Academy (GFA), a professional organization and a unit of the University System of Georgia committed to advancing the entertainment arts industry and its workforce in Georgia. Students can earn GFA certificates in: Film & Television Production Film & Television Post-Production Digital Entertainment, Esports & Game Development These certifications are recognized by production companies, studios, networks, vendors, and other entertainment businesses which may employ Georgians. Students who chose to pursue a GFA certificate will have the opportunity to:  Learn from professionals in the film, television, and digital entertainment industries. Take classes at an industry hub equipped with a package of professional-level equipme...

  PARIS, France- Ezinee Kalu, the first and only Savannah State University women's basketball player to score 2,000 career points, is playing for the Nigerian women's basketball team in the 2024 Olympics being held in Paris France from July 26- August 11.   This will be Kalu's second appearance at the Olympic Games, having played with the Nigerian women's basketball squad at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, japan.   During her senior season at SSU, Kalu led the Lady Tigers to a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I National Tournament, in 2015. She was also named to the 2015 All-MEAC First Team as well as the MEAC All-Tournament Team. Kalu also earned All-MEAC honors in 2012.   Kalu's career at Savannah State resulted in her playing in 131 games while averaging 16.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.1 assist and 2.9 steals per game.   After graduating from SSU in 2015 with a degree in history, Kalu has enjoyed a pro...

College of Sciences and Technology Awarded $349,460 Grant The U.S. Department of Energy Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program has awarded the College of Sciences and Technology a $349,460 grant to conduct real-time monitoring of soil and groundwater contamination using an artificial intelligence (AI) approach that relies on tiny machine learning (Tiny ML) systems. Drs. Majid Bagheri (Civil Engineering Technology), Antonio Velazquez (Civil Engineering Technology), and Ying Liu (Computer Science Technology) submitted the proposal for the project that will fundamentally improve the capabilities to monitor contaminants in the subsurface. The grant includes $36,000 to fund at least three student researchers. Dr. Bagheri serves as principal investigator (PI), assisted by Co-PIs Drs. Liu and Velazquez. “The proposed research offers a novel approach for real-time monitoring of environmental contaminants using AI-powered innovations,” said Bagheri. “In addition, the undergraduate st...

Nominations Underway for SSU’s Inaugural 40 Under 40 Awards Nominations for Savannah State University’s (SSU) inaugural 40 Under 40 Awards are underway and will continue to be accepted through August 30, 2024. The Awards will recognize young alumni of the university who have made significant contributions to their profession and community. A nomination form is available HERE . The form requires the nominee's contact information, a brief description of their accomplishments, and an explanation of why they deserve to be recognized. Only graduates of Savannah State University may submit a nomination. Only two nominations are allowed from each nominator. Self-nominations will not be accepted. “Ideal candidates for the award should have achieved notable professional success, demonstrated exceptional leadership in their fields, made a positive impact in their communities and embodied the values and mission of Savannah State University,” said Cynthia Robinson Alexander, J.D., SSU Interi...

Amari Heard (#23) pictured in a game against Benedict College in 2023.   Former Lady Tiger Amari Heard Named to HBCU All-Star Dream Classic Amari Heard, a 2023 SSU graduate and former Lady Tigers basketball standout, has been selected to participate in the HBCU Allstar Dream Classic, Aug. 10, 2024 at historic Rucker Park in Harlem, New York. Designed to promote HBCU players, the event will feature men’s and women’s Allstar games showcasing the best HBCU players from across the nation. Heard earned her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and blossomed as a student-athlete on and off the court. Her wingspan and athletic 6’1 frame gave her an edge on defense even as her offensive play was developing. “I was grateful and honored to be selected [to] play amongst some of the best HBCU female athletes,” said Heard. “I’m forever grateful for Savannah State as it has molded me into the young woman/athlete I am today.”   The forward from West Point, Mississippi clinched the 2...

 July 12, 2024 Dear Savannah State Tigers and families, I am writing to you as we look forward to all students returning to campus in August. Many of you are aware of the challenges colleges and universities across the nation have been facing with the federal processing of the 2025 FAFSA form. Unfortunately, SSU is also experiencing some of the same challenges. We are proactively working with our external partners and additional staff to expedite the review and processing of financial aid award decisions. Despite the delay, we remain confident that we will be able to address any specific financial aid concerns you may have. I want to assure you that we will work with you to complete and post the financial aid award packages to your account as quickly as possible. I ask for your continued patience and encourage you to check your accounts daily. As quickly as our university's financial aid team receives the processed FAFSAs, they are diligently reviewing them and preparing financial ...

Dr. Hintz (upper left) and Dr. Ebanks (far right) with undergraduate  students  from  across the country on a research cruise in early July 2024. Research and Career Exploration Aboard Ships From aboard the research vessel Kilo Moana en route to Honolulu, Hawaii from San Francisco, Savannah State University (SSU) professors Drs. Christopher Hintz and Dwight Ebanks have a message for SSU students: apply to the National Science Foundation-funded STEMSEAS program to take advantage of research opportunities and career exploration aboard ships. Hintz and Ebanks, who teach in the Marine and Environmental Sciences program, are serving as faculty mentors during the cruise to Hawaii that is carrying 14 undergraduate students from universities across the nation. Two more mentors aboard include Emma Robertson, a Ph.D. student at the Alfred Wegener Institute and Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, and Dr. Yvonne Cagle, a NASA astronaut who, in addition to serving as mentor, is h...

SSU’s Hubbard and Sanders Named To 2024 SIAC Hall of Fame Class Former Savannah State University basketball standouts Harold Hubbard (above left) and Mabel Sanders have been named to the 2024 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Hall of Fame Class, the league recently announced.   Hubbard dominated the hardwood at Savannah State in the late seventies, becoming one of the top scorers and rebounders in SSU Men's Basketball history, earning All-Conference, All-American and conference Most Valuable Player selections.   In 92 games, Hubbard scored 1,901 points and pulled down 955 rebounds for an average of 20.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. The Atlanta, Georgia native helped the Tigers win SIAC championships during the 1978-79 and 1979-80 seasons.   In 1980, the Philadelphia 76ers drafted Hubbard in the fourth round. Shortly thereafter, he accepted a position with the Washington Generals before signing with the Harlem Globetrotters in 1981. He toured with...

SSU Announces 40 Under 40 Awards Savannah State University (SSU) is proud to announce the launch of its inaugural 40 Under 40 Awards to recognize young alumni of the university who have made significant contributions to their profession and community. “Ideal candidates for the award should have achieved notable professional success, demonstrated exceptional leadership in their fields, made a positive impact in their communities and embodied the values and mission of Savannah State University,” said Cynthia Robinson Alexander, J.D., SSU Interim President. A nomination form is available HERE . The form requires the nominee's contact information, a brief description of their accomplishments, and an explanation of why they deserve to be recognized. The nomination deadline is August, 30, 2024. Only graduates of Savannah State University may submit a nomination. Only two nominations are allowed from each nominator. Self-nominations will not be accepted. All nominations will be reviewed b...