Saba Jallow

Prof. Jallow joined Georgia Southern University in 1989 and retired in 2021.

— Biography from the 2021 Spring Commencement program —

Dr. Jallow received his B.S. (1980) and M.S. (1983) in economics and his Ph.D. in political science (1992) from West Virginia University and served as a faculty member of Georgia Southern University since 1989. Throughout his tenure, he has had an unfailing commitment to Africana Studies. He has been an important figure in the University System of Georgia's Africa Council and was essential to the creation of the Southeast Model African Union. Dr. Jallow also was, and remains, essential to the International Model African Union housed at Howard University in Washington, D.C. His contributions were essential to Georgia Southern receiving a Title VI Grant: Globalizing the Curriculum from the Department of Education in 2010. As a member of the grant team, he worked to facilitate a faculty trip to Senegal. He has also brought African ambassadors to Georgia Southern's Statesboro campus as well as high level officials from the African Union's mission in Washington D.C. In 2014, Dr. Jallow organized a Human Rights Conference on Georgia Southern's campus and arranged for the Botswanan ambassador to come to Georgia Southern as a speaker. Moreover, as director of Africana Studies, he has persistently fought to create space in which students can pursue academic and personal growth. His efforts in Africana Studies and the organization of the Model African Unions stem from his dedication to Georgia Southern's students. Participation in the Model African Union and Africana Studies has had lasting impact on student success. Both the current president and a former president of the Georgia chapter of the NAACP have been mentored by Dr. Jallow. He has placed students in internships in Public Defenders offices in South Georgia and has had students placed in the U.S. State Department and other prestigious careers that have fostered social justice. Several recent awards highlight the esteem in which he is held by students, colleagues, and the greater community. These include recognition by the Black Student Alliance, recognition as Outstanding Professor in 2015, and receipt of the Randolph S. Gunter Distinguished Faculty Award in 2018 and the Democratic Party of Bulloch County Charlie Lewis, Sr. Democratic Pioneer award in 2019. Dr. Jallow's extraordinary achievement also stems from his commitment to building community and inclusion. He has served on committees concerned with desegregating the Statesboro school system, contributed to a diversity and inclusion an initiative created by Statesboro Mayor Jonathan McCollar, and worked on outreach programs to both the Willow Hill Community and Sapelo Island. For these many contributions to his field, his students, and his community, Dr. Saba Jallow is deserving of the title Associate Professor Emeritus of Political Science.*