The Board of
Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) today named Dr. Jermaine
Whirl president of Savannah State University (SSU), effective April 1, 2025.
Whirl, an Aspen Fellow, most recently served as president of Augusta Technical
College (ATC), a role he has held since November 2020. Whirl’s career includes
nearly 20 years of service as a faculty member and administrative leader at
public colleges and universities in his home state of South Carolina and in Georgia.
He has previously worked at several institutions, including Greenville
Technical College, Savannah Technical College, Georgia Southern University and
East Georgia State University.
“As we welcome Dr. Whirl back into the USG family, we deeply appreciate the
steadfast and dedicated leadership of interim President Cynthia Robinson Alexander,”
USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “Cynthia has laid a strong foundation for
Savannah State’s future, one that Dr. Whirl is well-equipped to build upon. He
has a clear and strategic vision for Savannah State and its students, staff and
faculty, and we’re confident his leadership will usher this historic public HBCU
into a new era of growth and prosperity.”
Whirl’s appointment follows being named the sole finalist last week after a
rigorous six-month national presidential search. SSU has been led by Alexander
since July 2023, following the departure of President Kimberly
Ballard-Washington.
“I’m honored and humbled to accept the role of president of Savannah State University,”
Whirl said. “I can’t wait to work with the campus community to build upon SSU’s
proud HBCU legacy and advance our priorities of student success, academic
excellence, leadership stability and financial sustainability. Through
collaboration, innovation and a steadfast commitment to excellence, we’ll create
new opportunities, strengthen the university’s impact and position SSU for
long-term success.”
About Dr. Jermaine Whirl
A native of South Carolina, Whirl comes to USG after over four years at ATC.
There, he oversaw a record enrollment of new first-year students and a 20.3%
increase in headcount between Fall 2021 and Fall 2024. Skilled at cultivating
strategic partnerships for student success, Whirl has introduced multiple
agreements for ATC including partnerships with Augusta University, Piedmont
Augusta, the city of Augusta and Amazon.
Before accepting the presidency at ATC, Whirl served as the vice president for learning
and workforce development at Greenville Technical College. In addition to his
roles at ATC and Greenville Tech, Whirl previously served as dean of Gwinnett
Technical College’s School of Business and School of Arts & Design and as a
dean at Savannah Technical College. He has taught as a full-time faculty member
at two USG institutions: Georgia Southern University and East Georgia State
College.
He has received many awards for his work, including Georgia Southern
University’s 2024 George and Lucy Armstrong Alumni Award, the Leadership Award
from the Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce, the Paragon Award for new
presidents from Phi Theta Kappa and the Soul Awakening Award of Excellence from
Perry Broadcasting of Augusta. Whirl is a member of the Georgia Titan 100 2025
Hall of Fame class. Georgia Trend also recognized him as a Notable Georgian
honoree in 2025 and listed him on its 2024 40 under 40 list of the state’s most
successful and civic-minded people under age 40.
Outside of his academic work, Whirl is an advisor for many organizations,
including as a member of the board of directors for the Warrior Alliance, TD
Bank New Market Tax Credit Advisory Board, Queensborough National Bank &
Trust, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Inaugural 21st Century Energy Workforce
Advisory Board and the Human Capital Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve
Bank of Atlanta. He’s chairman of the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce, an
honorary board member with the Morris Museum of Art and a member of the Rotary
Club of Augusta.
Whirl grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, and earned an associate of arts
degree at Trident Technical College and a bachelor’s degree in economics from
Winthrop University. He holds an MBA in business administration from Charleston
Southern University, an M.Ed. in adult education and community leadership from
Armstrong State University (now Georgia Southern University) and an Ed.D. in
organizational leadership from Valdosta State University.
He and his wife, Marqueta, have two children, Jaylen Lee Whirl and Madison
Renee Whirl.
About Savannah State University
Founded in 1890 as a result of the Second Morrill Act, Savannah State is the
first public historically Black college and university in Georgia and the first
institution of higher learning in the city of Savannah. Initially located in
Athens, it moved to Savannah in 1891 and became a member of the newly formed
University System of Georgia in 1932. Known then as Georgia State College, the
institution in 1950 changed its name to Savannah State College. The Board of
Regents granted the school university status in 1996, and the institution
became Savannah State University.
Serving more than 3,200 students, SSU offers the region’s only four-year Naval
ROTC program with tuition-assisted training in science and technology leading
to commissioned service in the United States Navy and United States Marine
Corps. With 30 baccalaureate and five graduate degree programs in four colleges
– Business Administration, Education, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences and
Sciences & Technology – SSU has the only marine science undergraduate and
graduate degree programs in Georgia based entirely on a coastal campus and is
one of the few institutions in the country to offer a Bachelor of Arts degree
in Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
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