GSC Dean Selected for Education Policy Fellowship Program
By Karolina Philmon, GSC marketing manager
Dr. Victor H. Vilchiz, dean of Gordon State College’s School of Nursing, Health, and Natural Sciences, has been selected to join the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education’s 17th cohort of the Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP). Vilchiz’s intensive 10-month journey through Georgia’s education policy landscape began earlier this August and will conclude in May 2025.
“I am honored to be selected as part of the 2025 cohort,” Vilchiz said. “Thank you to GPEE for the opportunity. I am looking forward to finding ways to continue to build a more equitable and inclusive educational ecosystem in Georgia and beyond.”
The EPFP offers fellows a unique opportunity to apply new insights and develop new skills. Participants will engage in discussions on education policy with leading policymakers at the state and national levels. By the end of the year, EPFP fellows will be well-informed and more effective advocates for strong public policy.
According to its website, the EPFP program focuses on three key areas: public policy, leadership, and professional networking. Fellows attend monthly sessions to deepen their understanding of education policy while continuing in their full-time roles, using their work environment to explore critical leadership and policy issues in Georgia.
EPFP is a national professional development program sponsored by the Institute for Educational Leadership that provides leaders with the knowledge and network to advance the core issues of education policy. The program also cultivates strategic leaders capable of advocating for and shaping policies that improve public education.
At GSC, Vilchiz, along with his team in the nursing department, is already applying these leadership principles by expanding opportunities for students. Their revised LPN to RN bridge program is designed to be workforce friendly as it will only require face-to-face instruction once a week. Additionally, the program also accepts paramedics who wish to transition into nursing, further broadening pathways to success in the healthcare field.
To learn more about GSC programs that can help you chart your future path forward, please visit www.gordonstate.edu.