James May June 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 27
DR. KYLE MARRERO became Geor-
gia Southern University’s president
in 2019. As president, he leads
the Eagle Nation with over 26,100
students and 3,000 faculty and staff
on three campuses— Statesboro,
Savannah and Hinesville, Georgia—
with instruction sites in Wexford, Ireland and Fort Stewart/Hunter Army
Education Center.
Before arriving at Georgia Southern University, Marrero was president of the University of West Georgia and earlier held various positions
at the University of West Florida
(UWF). He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University
of Michigan and a bachelor’s and
master’s in vocal performance from
Bowling Green State University.
James posed the following questions to the GSU president.
THE ENGINEERING AND RESEARCH BUILDING
What are major goals you’ve achieved over
the last six years, and what is your vision
for continuing Georgia Southern’s growth
and progress?
Since 2019, Georgia Southern has
achieved record fundraising, record
research expenditures/awards, record student graduation rates, record
degrees conferred, and record annual
economic impact to the region. These
outcomes are a product of a culture of
high performance and evidence-based
leadership focused on data-informed
decision-making, communication
transparency and continuous assessment and improvement all aligned to
achieve student success
Our vision statement at Georgia
Southern is not one you would typically see at a large research university. It
is: “People. Purpose. Action: Growing
Ourselves to Grow Others.” Our people
are our most important asset and are
critical to delivering on our promise
to our students and the communities
we serve. We prioritize supporting and
developing our people and connecting
them to our purpose. If each and every
employee at Georgia Southern knows
their purpose (their “why”) and how
they connect to the mission of the
university and preparing students for
success, then their actions will align
with that purpose. Ultimately, that
results in an institution that is aligned
and focused on the same goals and can
achieve record outcomes like what we
have seen here at Georgia Southern.
M AY/ J UNE 2024
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