Savannah State University News

From left: Harry Chaney, General Manager of Chatham Parkway Toyota, Alma Pittman, Co-owner of Pittman Enterprises, Savannah State University President Kimberly Ballard-Washington, Dr. Shalonda Mullgrav, Interim Vice President for University Advancement and External Affairs, and Darryl Piner, Chief Financial Officer of Pittman Enterprises. Savannah State University is the recipient of a $20,000 donation from Pittman Enterprises, the parent company of Chatham Parkway Motors. A check presentation ceremony was recently held to celebrate the gift, which President Kimberly Ballard-Washington proudly accepted on behalf of the university.  "We are so grateful to receive this gift from Pittman Enterprises," said President Ballard-Washington. Having organizations recognize the good that is going on with our students and the opportunity that exists to help them further themselves is a wonderful thing, and we are very appreciative for the dedication they have to higher education."  ...

Join event organizers on Felix Alexis Circle to kick off Black History Month with the annual National Freedom Day observance on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at Noon. Savannah State University will celebrate the annual National Freedom Day at Noon on Wednesday, February 1 with a special wreath-laying ceremony at the Maj. Richard R. Wright, Sr. Bust on Felix Alexis Circle by Maxwell Saunders, the great-great-great grandson of Maj. Wright, SSU’s first president. Themed “How to be Free in 2023: A Vision for the Future Rooted in Our Past,” the ceremony will include student leaders from SSU’s NAACP, Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, and Honors Program reading the 13th ,14th, and 15th Amendments. The event is open to the public and there is no admission to attend. The observance also includes a roundtable discussion led by Dr. Christina Davis, associate professor of Africana Studies and Dr. Carolyn V. Jordan, director of SSU’s Honors Program, at 6:30 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom, with students from Cl...

The Savannah Black Heritage Festival kicks off Feb. 1 with the theme, "The Festival Lives So Our Legacy Thrives." The 34th annual Savannah Black Heritage Festival (SBHF) will take place February 1 - 28 in-person with the central theme, “The Festival Lives So Our Legacy Thrives.” Committed to emphasizing the importance of celebrating Black culture, the festival will bring cultural education and exposure to the performing and visual arts, as well as, historical gems and entertainment for all demographics and interests throughout the celebration. “This is a special year for our festival after a three-year virtual hiatus, and since we are honoring Westley W. Law's 100th Birthday (01/01/1923),” said Festival Director Teresa-Michelle Jackson. “The first Savannah Black Heritage Festival was held on August 20, 1988, and originated under the guidance and leadership of the late W.W. Law and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, with moral support and ...

Savannah State University students, faculty, staff and alumni are invited to Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center for Savannah State University Night, featuring a special tour, lecture and refreshments. The program will begin at 6 p.m. with a curator’s tour of the exhibition Feels Like Freedom: Phillip J. Hampton by Erin Dunn, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. This retrospective exhibition features more than sixty works in a variety of media by noted artist and educator Phillip J. Hampton. For 17 years, between 1952 and 1969, Hampton served as an influential visual arts professor and eventual department head at Savannah State, where he was instrumental in building and expanding the school’s arts program. After the tour, participants may join the museum’s Friends of African American Arts member group for a short lecture by noted artist Jerome Meadows. Meadows will discuss his recent public art projects, including the Ed Johnson Memorial in Chattanooga (2021) and the recently unveiled s...

  President Kimberly Ballard-Washington (left) presents the President's Second Mile Award to Kevontae Kelly (right) of Colquitt, Ga. Photo Credit: James Gardner, Upscale Photography Savannah State University (SSU) has named Kevontae S. Kelly and honor graduate Anastasia W. Stephens the recipients of the President’s Second Mile Award. Presented during each commencement ceremony to a deserving senior or seniors in recognition of stellar and meritorious achievement, the President’s Second Mile Award is the highest honor awarded to a student and is based upon character, values, leadership, and service to the university and the larger community. A native of Colquitt, Ga., Kelly is a Computer Information Systems, Logistics and Supply Chain major best known as the voice of the Powerhouse of the South, Savannah State University’s marching band. Described as a natural born leader who truly cares about integrity, dignity and honesty, Kelly volunteered with several local organizations and...

Two Savannah State University (SSU) employees are among the 35 faculty and staff members named to the 2022 – 2023 University System of Georgia’s (USG) Executive Leadership Institute (ELI). Kisha Aites, Ph.D., associate professor of Engineering Technology Education and interim chair of the College of Education, and Sheri Rouse-Mainor, executive director for the SSU Foundation, Inc., and University Advancement & Philanthropic Operations have been selected to participate. The ELI is a comprehensive six-month, 120-hour development program designed to enhance leadership skills and prepare participants for advanced and cabinet-level leadership positions within the University System of Georgia. The SSU team joins employees from 25 USG institutions and the University System Office. Presidents nominate one academic leader and one staff leader to participate. From the nominees, individuals are selected for the program and participate in a leadership development curriculum that include...

  Alumna and FDIC Senior Leader Nikita Pearson has been selected as Savannah State University's Fall 2022 Commencement speaker. Savannah State University will hold its 201st undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremony on Friday, Dec. 9, at T. A. Wright Stadium with alumna Nikita Pearson, Class of 1998, as the esteemed commencement speaker. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. Approximately 300 students will receive master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degrees. A native of Thomson, Ga., Pearson serves in senior leadership at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in Washington, D.C., as deputy to the chairman for External Affairs and director of the agency’s Office of Minority and Women Inclusion. Earlier this year, the Association of Government Accountants presented Pearson its inaugural Eleanor Clark Diversity Leadership Award for her contributions to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). Pearson testified before the U.S. House Committee on...