Message from the President – May 15, 2020

Dear Students and Colleagues:

I am excited to announce that Dr. Shay Little will be Georgia Southern’s next Vice President for Student Affairs. Her first official day at Georgia Southern is June 1.

Dr. Little comes to us from Kent State University where she has been since 2012, most recently serving as special assistant to the president and vice president of student affairs. Prior to her time at Kent State, she spent fifteen years in student affairs leadership positions at the University of Georgia and three years at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Dr. Little is also the proud parent of a Georgia Southern graduate.

Dr. Little’s outstanding track record of progressive leadership experience and commitment to student success made her a consensus favorite throughout the interview process.

I want to thank Dr. Scot Lingrell, Vice President for Enrollment Management, and Takeshia Brown, Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, for their leadership in co-chairing the search committee and leading a transparent, engaged search process. We were deliberative in our quest for a diverse committee and a diverse candidate pool, and through this process, it became clear that Dr. Little was widely considered to be the right candidate to lead the Division of Student Affairs into the future with great success.

I also want to thank Dr. Melanie Miller for her outstanding leadership during the past year as Interim Vice President for Student Affairs. She has done an incredible job leading the division through budget reductions, several scenarios that have challenged our community, and now the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Miller will now return to her role as Associate Vice President for Student Affairs.

In the face of many challenges and great uncertainty, we remain committed to providing a welcoming environment where our students are provided the services and support they need to succeed at Georgia Southern and beyond. I am confident that Dr. Little will play an integral role in ensuring that priority continues while also being ever mindful of the increasing responsibility we have to meet the needs of a diverse student body.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Little to Eagle Nation.

Kyle Marrero

President

Last updated: 4/2/2022