My dear MVSU family,

It is with a deep sadness that I share with you the passing of one of our dedicated Valley staff  members, Officer Robert P. Davis. Mr. Davis began his journey with the Valley family in August 2008 as a faithful member of our University Police Department.

Officer Davis was a diligent university servant who committed himself to ensuring that Valley maintained a lawful and orderly collegial environment for our entire campus community. While Officer Davis was only with us physically at Valley for a brief time, his spirit has left an indelible mark on the Valley and on all of the people with whom he came into contact. Earlier today, we held a memorial service in honor of Officer Davis and we will continue to keep the Davis family in our prayers. We sincerely thank the Davis family for sharing their husband and father with us.

The funeral service for Officer Robert P. Davis will be Saturday, July 25 at 11 a.m. at the Pilgrim Home M.B. Church located on 301 James Trimm Drive in Leland, Miss. Please continue to keep the entire Davis family uplifted through your kind words, thoughts, and prayers.

Welcome back, Alumni!  Wherever your journey has taken you over the years since you were a student here, I want you to know that we regard every alumni of MVSU as an invaluable treasure. I am so excited that this year’s National Alumni Convention Summit is being held on our beautiful campus.  As MVSU alum, you are always welcome to return to campus to reminiscence on cherished memories and to see the many changes that have taken place on the campus to make this institution the best it can be. The MVSU National Alumni Association is here to help you stay connected to all the great things happening at the University.  We have many activities planned for you on your three-day visit on campus.

Congratulations, Senior Ryan Burciaga

On another high note, MVSU student Ryan Burciaga, a biology major, devoted eight weeks of his summer to an internship at North Dakota State University. Ryan, a native of Hawaii, is a member of the Delta Devils football team. He has excelled on the field as well as off, last semester he received honors during our annual convocation for maintaining between a 3.50 and 3.79 GPA. Ryan Burciaga, we salute you for your hard work and dedication.

I am happy to announce that two departments at The Valley have received accreditation from their respective accrediting councils.  The undergraduate environmental health program was reaccredited for six years by the National Environmental Health and Protection Accreditation Council at an annual meeting in Atlanta.

Also, MVSU’s master of Social Work (MSW) program has been granted full accreditation, and the bachelor of social work (BSW) program has been reaccredited by the Commission on Accreditation for the Council on Social Work Education at their annual meeting held June 12-13 in Alexandria, Virginia.  This is definitely great news! I would like to congratulate Dr. Joseph Wahome, chair of natural sciences, Dr. Vincent Venturini, interim dean of professional studies and chair of social work and their staff.