Macon Magazine

problem solvers," he said. "At the same time, they're prepared for graduate school and careers that positively change the trajectory of their lives for the better." Within the realm of higher education, FVSU leverages its nearly 125-year tradition of excellence and uniqueness in delivering relevant and future- focused academic and co-curricular programming to educate students of all races, genders, and cultural backgrounds from all over the world, according to Jones. "We are building on our expertise in transforming individuals," he said. A native of Los Angeles, Jones earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Utah State University. He also holds a Ph.D. in education and human resource studies from Colorado State University. Jones has a clear vision of the future for FVSU: "I'd love to see FVSU grow and leverage our university's immense knowledge base around agriculture- based research to impact further real-world problems such as food deserts, food safety, sustainability, and agricultural productivity," he explained. The worldwide pandemic of recent years taught many lessons, he said, among them the need to not rely so heavily on the global supply chain when it comes to providing core dietary staples. "By using the research capacities at FVSU and other 1890 Land Grand Institutions, our state, region, and country can be better prepared for the future and provide for the needs of its citizens," he said. "We must look back home to institutions of higher learning like Fort Valley State University to address some of our most pressing problems. "Historically, our university is referred to as 'the light in the valley,'" Jones continued. "Our legacy is built upon the belief that every human being is entitled to limitless learning and the benefits of knowledge." • • • MERCER UNIVERSITY: President William D. Underwood "O ne of Macon's many strengths is its higher education community," noted President Underwood. "We have it all…from an excellent technical college to a fine public access university, to a quality women's liberal arts college, to a first-tier private research university. Macon is emerging as one of the best communities in which to live, work, and play in the Southeast." Before Underwood's appointment as Mercer's 18th president in 2006, he served as the interim president and Leon Jaworski Chair of the School of Law at Baylor University in Texas. Prior to Baylor, Underwood was a courtroom lawyer in Dallas and had served as a law clerk to a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. President Underwood has led Mercer during a dynamic period of growth and development; enrollment has increased by more than 25 percent to more than 9,000 students and has added two more medical school campuses. Additionally, the university has initiated master's level and doctoral programs in numerous medical fields, educational leadership, and curriculum and instruction. U.S. News & World Report ranks Mercer among the top tier of national research universities. "Mercer is a first-tier national research university with strength in a number of disciplines that are growing in demand," Underwood explained. "We have robust research in disciplines such as the health sciences, engineering and computer science. Reputation and programs matter, but our commitment to integrating our research and service missions resonates strongly with many prospective students." These are students, Underwood said, who are eager and impatient to begin putting their gifts and talents to work making a difference in the world. Mercer University has a tremendous commitment to deploying the academic resources of the school to improve the human condition, according to Underwood. "I see this commitment in the rural medicine clinics across the state operated by Mercer's School of Medicine," he said. "I see it in a prosthetics program in Southeast Asia, where Mercer biomedical engineers and students have now fit more than 17,000 land PHOTO COURTESY OF MERCER UNIVERSITY AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2022 | maconmagazine.com 63

• Cover