John M. Samaras

Professor Emeritus
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, Georgia 31698
email: jsamaras@valdosta.edu

Professor Samaras came to VSU in 1985 when the institution was known as Valdosta State College.  He was part of one of the largest freshman faculty groups in the history of VSU at that point.  Prior to coming to VSU, Professor Samaras taught physics, astronomy, and computer science at the University of South Carolina at Lancaster campus.  He retired from VSU at the end of Fall Semester, 2007.

Professor Samaras has three grown children and ten delightful grandchildren.  The oldest grandchild Ashlie holds the distinction (for whatever it may be worth) of being the only one of Professor Samaras's descendants to have taken a course under him.  

Professor Samaras is enjoying retirement immensely.  He now has the time to engage in one of his favorite hobbies, woodworking.  Professor Samaras builds furniture, toys and other items from wood exclusively for members of his family.  Professor Samaras and his wife Betty plan to travel over the years ahead.  There many places in the U.S. to which they have never been.  Also, Professor Samaras has cousins in England and Greece whom he plans to visit more often than in the past.

Professor Samaras's philosophy of and approach to life and living is very much expressed by the passage below, which is taken from Time Enough for Love by Robert A. Heinlein, noted 20th century author of science fiction:

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, com a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” 
-- Robert A. Heinlein