About President Richard Carvajal

Dr. Richard A. Carvajal is the 10th president of Valdosta State University. Dr. Carvajal assumed his post on January 1, 2017.

Dr. Richard Carvajal is living proof of the transformative power of higher education. His is a story of growing up in poverty and overcoming obstacles thanks to a commitment to never quit and the incredible influence of caring mentors. He excitedly joins VSU’s outstanding faculty and staff in paying it forward to today’s learners.

“Who else,” Carvajal often asks, “gets to go to work every day knowing that their mission that day is to change someone’s life?”

Carvajal is also a cancer survivor, and he credits the love and support he received from so many throughout South Georgia with helping him survive. It is a big reason he is honored to serve as the president of South Georgia’s flagship university and calls South Georgia his home.

Prior to coming to VSU, Carvajal served as president of Bainbridge State College from 2011 to 2015. Then, in 2015, he was asked by the Chancellor of the University System of Georgia to assume the role of interim president of Darton State College. There, he helped co-lead the creation of a new, consolidated Albany State University.

Prior to coming to Georgia, Carvajal served as Vice President for Student Success Services at Cascadia College in Washington, and he held related positions in student services in Kansas, South Carolina, and Illinois.

Carvajal is a graduate of Leadership Georgia, the state’s premiere leadership development program. He was also a Lyndon B. Johnson Congressional Fellow, a World Affairs Council Fellow, and a Washington Center Minority Fellow.

Carvajal holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from The University of South Carolina, a master of science in college student personnel administration from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and a bachelor of science in mass communication and sociology from East Central University (Oklahoma).

Carvajal is married to Dr. Cheryl Carvajal, who is, herself, an accomplished educator and writer. Together, they have two children. In his spare time, he loves spending time with his family, celebrating his culture by cooking (and eating) Mexican food, enjoying the outdoors, and cheering on his beloved Blazers.