SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College recently selected Stephanie Derfus as its dean for Health Sciences. As dean, she is responsible for managing initiatives related to the Health Science programs and instructional services including community, high school and college programs; E-learning and faculty departments. She will also serve as a liaison between Academic Affairs and other units of the college.

Derfus has been the program director for the College’s Dental Assisting program since 2008. She recently served as its Exposure Control Coordinator. She has a master of science in career and technical education from the University of Wisconsin (Stout), a bachelor of science in biology from the University of Wisconsin (Stevens Point), and a dental assisting technical diploma from Fox Valley Technical College. She is currently pursuing the doctor of education in educational leadership with a higher education concentration at Georgia Southern University.

STC’s Health Sciences division offers programs that prepare individuals for entry-level positions in the health-care community including Dental Assisting, Dental Hygiene, Emergency Medical Services Professions, Health Care Assistant (Central Sterile Processing, Nurse Aide, Patient Care Technician), Health Care Science (for Dental Hygiene and Surgical Technology), Medical Assisting, Medical Coding/Insurance Data Entry, Phlebotomy, Practical Nursing and Surgical Technology. Some of these programs use a competitive entry process. The division offers associate degrees to professional diplomas and technical certificates for programs that prepare graduates for careers in hospitals, dental offices, nursing homes and other health/illness care facilities, including home care.

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# 2205 | August 12, 2021
Health Sciences Academic Advisor: Cindy Cole
ccole@savannahtech.edu

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College recently selected Rimina Lewis as its department head for Practical Nursing. As department head, she teaches and coordinates academic programs, advises students, supervises faculty and performs various departmental and college-wide assignments. She will manage the Practical Nursing program at the College’s Savannah and Liberty campuses.

She has been a nursing instructor for the College since 2008. She has a nearly two decades of experience in nursing. She has a master’s degree in nursing/nursing education and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Phoenix. She also completed nursing training at Horry-Georgetown Technical College.

Licensed practical nurses (LPNs), under the direction of physicians and registered nurses, care for people who are sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled. Program graduates receive a practical nursing diploma and have the qualifications of an entry-level practical nurse. Employment of LPNs is projected to grow much faster than average. Overall job prospects are expected to be very good, but job outlook varies by industry. The best job opportunities will occur in nursing care facilities and home healthcare services. Savannah Technical College offers the competitive-admission LPN program at the Savannah and Liberty campuses. For more information about Practical Nursing, contact STC Health Sciences Advisor Cindy Cole at 912.443.5721 or ccole@savannahtech.edu.

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#2202 | July 9, 2021
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College has selected Toniette (Toni) Sumpter as its military outreach coordinator. She will coordinate a variety of initiatives enabling current and former military personnel, as well as their family members, to enroll in the college, graduate, and engage in careers with local industries and businesses.

Sumpter has extensive military experience an instructor with the U.S. Marine Corps, along with Motor Transportation Operations Chief, team leader and senior enlisted advisor. She also has higher education experience as an adjunct faculty member for Davis Defense Group and managing daily operations at Savannah State University. She has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Park University.

The College has the highest military-affiliated enrollment in the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). One in four STC students is a veteran, active duty service member or a military dependent/spouse. This year the College was ranked #1 in the 2021-22 Military Friendly® Schools evaluation. For the past four years, the College has been ranked as one of the top Best for Vets public technical and career college in the U.S. by Military Times.

The College waives all general mandatory fees for active duty service members using military tuition assistance. Other services Savannah Tech offers for veterans include workshops and grants. The College has multiple scholarships for military-affiliated students. This includes scholarships that provide gap funding for military with U.S. Coast Guard members, a Freedom Fund to provide needs-based scholarship assistance for soldiers, veteran and spouses and a scholarship that supports Savannah Tech’s military spouses is funded by The Landings Military Family Relief Fund.

For more information about military services or enrollment, visit www.savannahtech.edu/military.

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# 2201 | July 8, 2021

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

 

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College has been awarded a $3,965,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The “Pathway Home” grant will assist individuals now or once involved in the criminal justice system to secure employment in their communities by assisting access to education, career training and apprenticeships.

The grant will support expanded services to eligible, incarcerated individuals in state correctional facilities or local jails prior- and post-release to help eliminate the gap between release and enrollment into a reentry training program leading to employment.

“Our goal is to prepare returning citizens with career training to earn a family-sustaining wage through technical education that leads to industry-recognized credentials in welding, logistics and manufacturing,” said STC President Dr. Kathy S. Love. “In many cases, people leave jails and prisons without the skills needed for a high demand career. This grant was written to create a new pipeline of skilled talent for our industry partners and to create hope for our returning citizens. It also recognizes the years of partnership building and work done at the college on behalf of our returning citizens.” 

The College will serve a total of 250 returning citizens per year exiting Coastal State Prison and Chatham County Detention Center. STC’s Economic Development division will oversee the grant and will offer a two-week program to help participants get acclimated to the educational arena and assess their readiness for employment through pre/post assessments.

The Coastal Workforce Development Board has identified manufacturing and logistics as two of the in-demand industries for the region. Participants will begin fast-track training for logistics, warehousing or welding to earn recognized credentials within the last six months of their sentence. A combination of virtual reality and hands-on training will be included. Job placement and financial literacy education will be included along with continued follow-up for one year after training.

 

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#2145 | June 29, 2021
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College recently selected Paul Wilson as its department head for Logistics. As department head, he teaches and coordinates academic programs, advises students, supervises faculty and performs various departmental and college-wide assignments.

He previously was an adjunct instructor for Logistics Management at the College. He has a decade of experience with logistics, customer service and manufacturing consulting.

He has a master’s degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Global Integration Management and a bachelor’s degree in business management and administration from Saint Leo University. He graduated from Woodville-Tompkins Technical and Career High School from the CISCO systems training and development program.

Logistic Management is a career of strategy, design, tactical planning and observation. STC’s Associate of Science Degree in Logistics Management is designed with a large pre-business and general education core coupled with an occupational component of courses in logistics management. This program mirrors the Pre-Business and Core Curriculum of Georgia Southern University, which enables graduates to continue their education in various logistics fields at a university level.

The College also offers an associate degree and diplomas in Logistics and Supply Chain Management. Students may also complete short-term technical certificate of credit programs for Certified Warehousing and Distribution and Logistics Technician. For more information about logistics training visit: www.savannahtech.edu/LogisticsManagement.

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#2144 | June 22, 2021
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

 

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College has selected Shaquan Gaither as its department head for Paralegal Studies. As department head, she will teach and coordinate academic programs, advise students and supervise faculty.

Gaither has been a Paralegal Studies instructor since 2006 at the college when she helped to start the program. She has also taught with Savannah Chatham County Public Schools, Walden University in Minneapolis, Southern New Hampshire University, and City University of Seattle. She has experience practicing in various areas of civil law such as tort law, family law and probate law. 

She earned a Juris Doctorate from the School of Law at University of Baltimore as well as a MBA from the University of Baltimore. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Morgan State University. She is also a member of the Georgia Bar Association and Maryland Bar Association.

STC’s Paralegal Studies Associate Degree graduates have a 100% placement in field (AY2019) and are in demand with area law offices. Courses taught by licensed, practicing attorneys. Students gain real-world experience through volunteering under the direction of their instructors to apply what they’ve learned. For example, students research legal questions for indigent Georgia citizens in need of legal help through the American Bar Association’s Free Legal Answers Virtual legal advice clinic and provide document preparation assistance to pro se litigants seeking to file for divorce through the Family Law Resource Center.

The program prepares students for a career in the paralegal profession. The knowledge and skills emphasized in the Paralegal Studies program include ethical obligations; research in state and federal law; legal correspondence preparation; family law matters; basic concepts of real property law; criminal law and procedure; civil litigation; substantive contract law; and wills, trusts, and probate. Paralegals, also called legal assistants, work closely with attorneys, judges, prosecutors, or public defenders. Paralegal Studies is open to adults, along with high school students through dual enrollment

The College is an institutional member of the American Association of Paralegal Education (AAfPE). This is the highest level of membership for AAfPE. The College also has its own Lambda Epsilon Chi (LEX) National Honor Society for Paralegals chapter.

Students are encouraged to apply by apply now for fall semester. Visit: www.savannahtech.edu/paralegal-online or contact Gaither at 912.443.5715 or sgaither@savannahtech.edu for more information about the program or to start training for a career as a paralegal.

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# 2143 | June 16, 2021

Paralegal Studies Department Head: Shaquan Gaither
912.443.5715| sgaither@savannahtech.edu

 

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

 

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah AMBUCS has created a scholarship for students with different abilities attending Savannah Technical College. This scholarship will provide gap funding to make up the difference to cover tuition, fees, books and tools/equipment after all sources of funding have been applied. Four student scholarship awards will be made up to $1,000 each to be used for a full academic year annually starting with fall semester 2021.

“In honor of Savannah AMBUCS 80th Anniversary we are very pleased to establish this scholarship that assists people with different abilities in achieving their career goals,” said Savannah AMBUCS President Kevin Sheehan. “Savannah AMBUCS provides support for people with different abilities and their families through their Amtryke, adaptive bicycles, programs, their league of exceptional bowlers, and their scholarships for therapists program so this is a natural progression for us. Savannah Technical College’s wide range of programs and hands-on training options make this just the right fit for us as it gives the people we serve more opportunities to develop skills needed to achieve gainful employment.”

Eligible students must be enrolled in a credit program, a resident of Chatham, Bryan, Effingham or Liberty counties and have completed FAFSA to determine financial aid eligibility. Scholarship applicants must have disclosed a condition that needs special accommodations, which is documented in the student records. Students must also have demonstrated financial need and have a balance due at the time the scholarship is awarded.

“We take great pride in serving our students and providing the support services they need to be successful – from tutoring to providing accommodations for hearing and vision impairment, additional time for testing, or whatever is needed – we are committed to meeting our students where they are,” said STC President Dr. Kathy Love.

STC’s Office of Special Populations Program provides comprehensive support services that promote equity, enhance the educational experience, foster success, and contribute to the self-sufficiency of students who are members of special populations. These students may have a physical or mental impairment that limits one or more major life activities.

To make a gift to the Savannah AMBUCS Scholarship fund at Savannah Technical College visit: https://www.savannahtech.edu/savannah-ambucs-scholarship.

More information about applying for scholarships at Savannah Technical College may be found at www.savannahtech.edu/Scholarships. STC scholarship funds are managed by the Savannah Technical College Foundation, a 501 (c)3 organization whose sole purpose is to raise private funds to support the mission of Savannah Technical College. Gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Savannah AMBUCS (American Business Club) Inc. is a chapter of National AMBUCS, Inc. It is a non-profit service organization consisting of a diverse group of men and women who are dedicated to inspiring mobility and independence. Its vision is to inspire people to conquer challenges related to mobility and independence. Through a nationwide network of volunteer chapters, AMBUCS partners with physical, occupational, and speech therapists; by providing adaptive Amtrykes, scholarships for therapists and many community services forms.

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#2142 | June 15, 2021
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512
ashaffer@savannahtech.edu