Margaret Ferguson will join Georgia State University as Senior Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, effective August 1. Ferguson brings a wealth of experience in academic leadership and institutional effectiveness, coming to Georgia State from Indiana University Indianapolis, where she serves as Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

As Senior Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, Ferguson will oversee the university’s academic program development and review processes, curricular policy, faculty advancement, and accreditation. She will work closely with academic units across the university to support the quality, integrity, and innovation of the institution’s academic offerings.

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Dr. Benjamin Marx, associate professor of economics at Georgia State’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, researches how economic policy affects human well-being. His work focuses on financial aid in higher education and patterns of charitable giving, using experimental and observational methods to study real-world impacts. One study revealed rural communities often receive less disaster relief due to geographic and economic disparities.

Dr. Marx’s diverse experiences—from refugee resettlement to nonprofit finance—shape his perspective on public economics. His research has been published in top journals, including American Economic Journal: Applied Economics and the Journal of Public Economics. At Georgia State, he teaches students from the undergraduate to Ph.D. level, aiming to build their understanding of how policy influences social outcomes. Passionate about both research and teaching, Dr. Marx helps students become informed citizens who can critically evaluate economic claims and policies.

In recognition of its strong commitment to recruiting, hiring, retaining, developing and supporting veterans and the military-connected community, Georgia State University has received a 4 Star Employer Award from the organization VETS Indexes.

VETS Indexes’ in-depth survey and recognition program analyzes employers’ policies, practices and outcomes across five categories, including recruiting and hiring, development and retention, veteran-inclusive policies and culture, support for members of the National Guard and Reserve, and military spouse and family support.

Georgia State has also once again been named a Top 10 Military-Friendly Tier-1 Research Institution for 2025-26 by MilitaryFriendly.com, an honor that recognizes factors such as graduation and career outcomes, military student support and retention, and financial aid and loan repayment options.