Cecil Pope Staton Jr. (born January 26, 1958) is an American politician and academic administrator. He served as the Chancellor of East Carolina University from 2016 to 2019. Previously, Staton served as Interim President of Valdosta State University (2015–2016) and as Vice Chancellor for Extended Education with the University System of Georgia (2014–2016). Staton served five terms as an elected official in the U.S. state of Georgia. He was a member of the Republican Party and served in the Georgia State Senate representing the 18th district, which includes portions of Bibb, Houston, Monroe, Jones, and Crawford counties. In the newly drawn maps approved by the United States Justice Department on December 23, 2011, the 18th District added Peach and Upson counties, but no longer included Jones County. The new map was in use for the 2012 and 2014 elections. Early life and education Born in Greenville, South Carolina to Cecil Pope Staton, Sr. (1935–1999) and Shirley Hughes Staton, Staton graduated from Carolina High School in 1976, where he served as President of the student body. He graduated from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina in 1980, winning the Baggott Award as the outstanding religion major of the graduating class. He earned Master of Divinity with Languages (1982) and Master of Theology (1985) degrees from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina focusing on Hebrew, the Old Testament, and ancient near eastern studies. He earned a DPhil from University of Oxford (Regent's Park College, Oxford) in 1988, focusing on Hebrew, the Old Testament, and Ancient Near Eastern Studies. In 2014, Staton was awarded the honorary Doctor of Humanities degree by Mercer University for service and leadership in higher education and medical education for the State of Georgia. In 2000, he received the inaugural Richard B. Furman Award from his alma mater, Furman University. Georgia State Senate During his tenure as Senator, Staton also served as a businessman having founded two publishing companies and a broadcasting company based in Macon and Warner Robins, Georgia. The broadcasting company owned and operated 15 radio stations, an online community newspaper in Warner Robins, Georgia, and a television station in Warner Robins, serving the Macon and Warner Robins region. One of Staton's companies, Stroud & Hall Publishers, published two New York Times bestsellers by former Georgia Governor and U.S. Senator Zell Miller as well as books by 2011 presidential candidates Rick Perry and Herman