Louis Levy Named Interim President at Valdosta State University
April 27, 2011
Louis Levy Named Interim President at Valdosta State University
OFFICE OF MEDIA AND PUBLICATIONS
BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA
FOR RELEASE: CONTACT: John Millsaps April 27, 2011 PHONE: (404)
656-2251
http://www.usg.edu/news/release/louis_levy_named_interim_president_at_valdosta_state_university/
ATLANTA -- (April 27) -- 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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