College of Science & Mathematics at Valdosta State University

08/26/2026

Investing in the future through partnership and innovation.

The College of Science and Mathematics continues to expand partnerships with local industry through recent visits to Corteva and CJB to provide student internship opportunities, support collaborative research, and launch our Executive in Residence Program this fall.

Representing the college were Dr. Cristina Calestani, Associate Dean and Chair of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation; Dr. Arup Dey and Dr. Shantanu Gaurkhede, Engineering faculty; and Dr. Toluwalope Salami, Department Head of Chemistry and Geosciences.

Photo 1: From the left, Gil Rech, Plant Site Leader, Corteva, Drs. Arup Dey, Cristina Calestani, Shantanu Gaurkhede

Photo 2: from the left, Mitchell Tatar, General Manager and Director of Innovation, Earl Carter, Pilot Plant Manager, CJB.

08/25/2026

Wonderful events have occurred in the skies this month, and more are coming! On August 12th we had an evening meteor shower, The Perseids, with about 100 meteors per hour at its peak! Earlier that day, millions witnessed a Total Solar Eclipse in northern Europe. Two weeks after the solar eclipse, when the Moon is full, on August 27-28, we will witness a Partial Lunar Eclipse.

The VSU Planetarium welcomes you to our “Fall Semester” programs. Our first show is on Thursday, August 27, with August Skies, Eclipses, and Meteor Showers: Oh my! In the Planetarium, we will present highlights of the previous celestial events in shows at 6:00 pm, 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Later, we will head to the observatory deck to see the penumbral, then partial, lunar eclipse; perhaps you will spot the subtle beginnings of the “Penumbral Lunar Eclipse.” Our outdoors experience and telescope viewing will, of course, depend on the weather.

The VSU Planetarium is located on the Third Floor of Nevins Hall, accessible by elevator or stairs near the southeast corner of Nevins. Telescopes and viewing opportunities will be available on the 4th floor Observatory Deck. For more information, call the Department of Data Science at 229-333-5778.

08/25/2026

Join us TODAY for The Happening event! This year’s event is taking place later during the day from 5PM-8PM on VSU’s Front Lawn. Stop by our table to learn more about our departments and programs and to grab some free items as well!

Hope to see you there!

08/24/2026

🧬 Interested in VSU’s M.S. Biology program? Join us for a Virtual Information Session to learn more and get your questions answered!

📅 September 9 | ⏰ 5:30 PM | 💻 Microsoft Teams

📲 Scan the QR code or register here: https://apply.valdosta.edu/register/FA26MSBioInfo

08/24/2026

07/20/2026

Brains at work. Anatomy and Physiology students performing sheep brain dissections to identify and learn the major structures of the brain.

07/06/2026

Area high school students spent a week immersed in the world of chemistry during a special summer camp hosted by our Chemistry Department faculty here at Valdosta State University. The high schoolers synthesized organic compounds, explored shape-changing materials, learned the process of nickel-plating small objects, and investigated the chemistry of color.

07/06/2026

Congratulations to Gracie Roberson 🍃🧬, Beraca Cornely 🕷️🧬, and Hannah Holland 🐠 📷 on the successful defense of their Master’s theses this semester! Wishing you the best of luck on your next adventures!

07/06/2026

🏛️ Bridging the Classroom and City Hall: Our Urban Planning class students in Geoscience recently wrapped up a powerful research initiative tackling the local affordable housing crisis. To build a data-backed framework for our community, students and faculty conducted a national benchmarking study analyzing over a dozen successful university-housing partnerships across the U.S., interviewing project leaders nationwide. 🗺️

💼The project included direct field tours with Mayor Matheson and earned high praise from university leadership, including the Dean of Business and the Director of Terry Center for Experiential Learning. This project continues our program’s rich history of television-featured municipal innovations, from smart cities to on-demand transit, to autonomous vehicle application on public transit projects!

Check out the short video to see how our students are applying urban planning and geospatial analysis to solve real-world problems:
https://youtu.be/P08x5lcK0lc?si=8RiWXY2rzJqCT0lG