Atlanta — April 27, 2011

Dr. Louis H. Levy has been named as the interim president for Valdosta State University (VSU), effective, July 1, 2011, following an announcement by President Patrick Schloss that he would be stepping down from that role. University System of Georgia Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer Susan Herbst announced Levy’s interim appointment today.

“Lou Levy has been one of the very best leaders in the university system, for a very long time now,” said Herbst. “His scholarly standards, his integrity, and his dedication to both VSU and the state of Georgia will enable him to be a strong acting president. I cannot believe our good fortune, to have someone as talented as Lou, ready and willing to take the presidential helm. Most important of all, he cares deeply about the faculty, staff, and students of Valdosta, and we need his vision and steady hand.”

Schloss, who has served as VSU’s president since July 2008, indicated in an April 25, 2011, letter to the campus community that he would resign from the presidency and continue to work within the University System, supporting the Board of Regents’ efforts to improve retention and graduation rates.

Levy is no stranger to Valdosta State, having served in a variety of academic and administrative roles since 1989. Most recently, Levy was provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, from Oct. 2008-Dec. 2010. Prior to that, he was vice president of Academic Affairs from July 2002-Sept. 2008 and served as the acting vice president of Academic Affairs from July 2000-2002. Levy was assistant vice president for Academic Affairs from Nov. 1995-June 2000. He came to VSU in Aug. 1989 and was a professor and head of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice until Nov. 1995. He also has taught in the field of sociology at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, La.

Levy earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette, La., a master’s degree in sociology from Louisiana State University in New Orleans, and his doctorate in sociology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in Blacksburg, Va.

He was the principal investigator in a five-year, $2.9 million U.S. Department of Education grant focused on statewide teacher recruitment from 2002-2007. The project, a partnership with the USG and seven System institutions, along with 27 high-need local education areas, focused on the preparation of K-12 teachers through alternative programs from traditional teacher education methods. The grant called for the project to focus particularly on increasing the diversity of teachers prepared through such programs, as well as ensuring all graduates met the USG’s high teacher performance standards.

Decisions on a search timeline for a permanent president at VSU will be made at a future date.

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