GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY VETERAN EMPLOYEES TEAM SUPPORT (GSUVETS)
Illiad Connally
iconnally@gsu.edu
Mission
The mission of GSUVETS is to increase morale and retention by providing Veteran employees (both faculty and staff) support, networking, and career development opportunities. A secondary goal is to increase camaraderie among Veteran employees by offering networking opportunities and linking Veterans across campuses to increase institutional knowledge and Veterans’ awareness. We aim to improve Veteran recruitment and retention efforts as well by providing opportunities and collaborative spaces for Veterans in which we can provide knowledge, resources, service and developmental experiences, workplace discussions, and opportunities for community involvement in Veteran organizations.
Georgia State is ranked the #1 Military Friendly® Tier 1 Research Institute in the nation. GSU supports its veteran staff and faculty with opportunities for military and veteran networking, camaraderie, career development, and an increased awareness of veterans’ trends and issues. Also, GSU has been named a VETS Indexes 4 Star Employer as part of the 2022 VETS Indexes Employer Awards which "recognizes Georgia State’s commitment to recruiting, hiring, retaining, developing and supporting veterans and the military connected community".
Leadership/Officers
Dr. Scott Crossley
GSUVETS President
Professor, Department of Applied Linguistics/ESL, Department of Learning Sciences
Mr. Illiad Connally
GSUVETS Secretary
Assistant Chair, Business
Assistant Professor, Computer Information Systems
Leadership Bios
Dr. Scott Crossley, Ph.D., is a Professor of Applied Linguistics and Learning Sciences at Georgia State University. He served for five years in the United States Army in both the Military Police and in the Criminal Investigations Command. Scott joined GSU in 2010 and his primary research and teaching focuses on natural language processing and the application of computational tools and machine learning algorithms in language learning, writing, and text comprehensibility.
Mr. Mark Eister is a United States Army veteran with over 21 years of service, with a combat tour to Afghanistan. In March of 2012 Mark joined Georgia Perimeter College, now consolidated with Georgia State University, to develop and direct its Military Outreach Program, where he and his staff serve and assist a population of over 2,800 military and veteran students each semester.
As the Director of Military Outreach, Mark has developed a number of programs designed to serve military and veteran students and to educate and inform staff and faculty on veterans’ issues.
Mark earned his Associate’s degree in Technology from Pierce College, WA; Bachelor’s degree in Theology from Liberty University, VA; and MBA/Business Operations from TUI University, CA, all while on active duty in the US Army.
Mr. Illiad Connally served 4 years in the US Navy aboard USS Josephus Daniels CG-27 as a Storekeeper 3rd Class. Afterward Illiad returned to Atlanta and completed a BBA in Finance and an MS in CIS.
After graduation Illiad worked in the insurance field for 10 years and then in IT on ERP implementations for SAP and returned to academia as an instructor for 5 years before joining Perimeter College in 2010. On GSUVETS Illiad serves as Secretary.
Remembering Joseph Thomas Cronin II
Joseph Thomas Cronin II, age 73, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on January 1, 2021. Joe was a Computer Information Systems Tenure Track CIS faculty member at Georgia State University Clarkston Campus. Joe is a Georgia State alum and retired from IBM after a 30-year career as Global Director of Implementations. His extensive background provided him with a vast array of real-life stories to share with his students and he had a keen passion for student success.
Prior to his academic and corporate pursuits Joe served as a Captain in the US Army Special Forces during the Vietnam War and was decorated for his valor. His passion for serving veterans continued with his active service with veteran organizations, especially the John’s Creek Veterans Association and GSUVETS, where he served as Treasurer. He will be missed.
Resources
- Military Outreach Center (MOC), a repository of professional and academic resources, to include community-based partnerships and veteran organizations that support student veterans in their unique experiences.
- The Warrior Alliance (an MOC partner) is a free resource where veterans and their families can receive guidance and referrals for help in achieving a fulfilling civilian life through the collaboration between the organizations that can support them.
- Department of Veterans Affairs, a comprehensive resource for veterans covering health care, disabilities, education, military records, benefits, housing assistance, pension, careers & employment, and more.
- Georgia State University Honored for Employment of Veterans - Georgia State University earned the 2021 VETS Indexes 4 star employer for its employment of veterans and others in the military-connected community.
- By-Laws of GSUVETS - Click here to view and download.