Mackenzie Waters of Newnan, Georgia, recently joined an 18-person Valdosta State University team to support Emory University School of Medicine’s 2024 South Georgia Farmworker Health Project in Lowndes County. It was one of her final hands-on learning experiences before she officially earned her Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy in late July.

While medical teams from Emory University, as well as Mercer University, cared for the patients’ bodies, dealing with everything from diseases of the skin and eyes to musculoskeletal issues and high blood pressure, the student-therapists from VSU cared for their minds.

Valdosta State University is harnessing the wisdom of horses to help students develop the essential skills needed to achieve their educational, professional, and personal goals.

A team from CJB Industries Inc. recently returned to the classroom for three days of instruction on high-performance liquid chromatography.

Valdosta State University’s Dr. Yakov Woldman, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Geosciences, was asked to teach the chemical manufacturing industry employees — five total, including four Blazer Nation alumni — how to better use high-performance liquid chromatography in their roles with CJB Industries Inc.

The Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce has awarded Valdosta State University a $446,000 Nursing School Grant to help ensure all Georgians, especially those in rural and underserved areas, have access to high quality healthcare.

Valdosta State University has received $750,000 in federal funding to help address the need for more teachers across South Georgia, where classrooms are overcrowded and school districts struggle to recruit certified professionals ready to develop and inspire young learners.

Dr. Linda de la Garza returns to her classroom in Valdosta State University’s Hugh C. Bailey Science Center this fall with a renewed passion for teaching and a few new skills.

Valdosta State University’s Copeland African American Museum has earned a Google Ad Grants award to enhance and expand its unwavering efforts to preserve and uplift the stories of African American history.

Dr. Amy Watson, interim museum director, said the in-kind grant includes an annual, renewable $240,000 credit that can be used for promoting the Copeland African American Museum through Google and YouTube.

Valdosta State University will soon break ground on NPHC Plaza, a visual tribute to Blazer Nation’s commitment to educate on diversity, enhance equity and embrace inclusivity. An online fundraising campaign to support the development of the project runs through Aug. 20.

With suicide being the second leading cause of death among people ages 10 to 24, Valdosta State University recently partnered with the Jordan Porco Foundation for Fresh Check Day 2021 — a fresh approach to student mental health.

Fresh Check Day aims to create an approachable and hopeful atmosphere where students are encouraged to engage in dialogue about mental health. The national program also helps to build a bridge between students and the mental health resources available on campus, in the community, and nationally.