LOGAN, Utah – Paul Anthony Jones, who was a two-sport athlete during his time at Utah State in the 1980s, received an honorary doctorate degree and served as the university's commencement speaker for its 136th ceremony last weekend.
 
Jones received both a bachelor's and master's degree from Utah State, where he played football and competed on the track & field team.
 
Recognized for being a visionary leader and strategic thinker with 37 years of higher education experience, Jones was appointed as the 10th president of Fort Valley State, a land-grant university in Fort Valley, Georgia, in December of 2015.
 
His wife, Sylvia, is also a graduate of Utah State, and the two met and married as students in Logan. Both were honored as USU Alumni of the Year in 2012. Both of their children, Isaiah and Daphne, also graduated from Utah State, where Isaiah currently works as a senior director for diversity, equity and inclusion at the university.
 
Isaiah also played football for the Aggies, while Daphne was a jumper on the track & field team.
 
Before joining Fort Valley State, Jones served two years as interim president at Darton State College (2013-15) in Albany, Georgia.
 
From 2002-13, he served in numerous senior leadership roles at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville. Those included senior vice president for finance and administration, vice president and chief of staff, vice president for institutional research and enrollment management, and several interim roles, including vice president of academic affairs and president.
 
Jones was also a professor of educational administration at Georgia College in Atlanta.
 
In 2019, Jones established a university-wide steering committee to begin an inclusive and collaborative comprehensive strategic planning process to chart the university's next five years. This 2020-25 plan, Unleashing 21st Century Innovation, Transformation and Excellence, focuses on four priorities: Exceptional Student Experience, Operational Excellence, Organizational Identity, and Engagement and Collaboration.
 
During his tenure at FVSU, Jones has expanded the academic offerings on the campus and online, bolstered innovative programs focused on student success, and modernized aging campus structures. He also has increased retention and graduation rates, and FVSU experienced its highest enrollment since the fall of 2013.
 
Jones is also a member of several boards, including the Medical Center of Peach County, Navicent Health Board of Directors, Fort Valley State University Foundation, Middle Georgia Goodwill Industries Education Committee, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities Council of 1890s Officers, USDA-1890 Task Force, Museum of Aviation Foundation Board of Governors, and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Executive Board.
 
In addition to his degrees from Utah State, the native of Los Angeles, California, also earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in education and human resource studies from Colorado State.
 
In 2007-08, Jones served as an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow at the University of West Florida.
 
For more on Utah State Athletics, fans can follow the Aggies on Twitter (@usuathletics) or on Facebook by searching Utah State Athletics.
 
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