Husband, Wife Share Passion for Philanthropy at Perimeter

When Salli and George Vargis moved to the United States from their home in southeastern India, they purchased a round-trip ticket—just in case things didn’t work out.

Now, 35 years later, Salli and George, who’ve been married 40 years, are confident they made the right decision not only to uproot, but also to work at Perimeter College.

The Vargis’s are known for their leadership at the college, their effective classroom teaching and their long-time support of the Perimeter College Fund.

Since 2005, the pair have supported the Aleyamma George Memorial Scholarship, Larry Armstead Allied Health Fund, Georgia Women's Conference Fund and the Mario Bennekin Memorial Fund.

George said they give out of a sense of “loyalty” and “gratitude.”

“Giving is one of the ways that you can sustain higher education,” he said.  “So giving money to the Perimeter College Fund is one of the best things we can do.”

In addition to their strong history of giving, the Vargis’s have contributed to the life of Perimeter College in various ways. Salli Vargis, Ph.D., who started at the college in 1995, is a professor of history, interim chair of Perimeter's Department of Business Administration and associate chair of Business and Cultural and Behavioral Sciences at the college's Newton Campus.

George is an associate professor of political science and chair of Perimeter’s Department of History & Political Science. 

Through the year’s the couple has amassed a number of awards, most recently with Salli winning the 2023 winner of Georgia State University’s 2023 Faculty Award for Global Engagement – Teaching, Service and Outreach.

Despite their busy and demanding schedules, it’s not uncommon for the Vargis’s to support students in need. They’ve responded to students needing help after a house fire and after the sudden death of a parent. They even recalled the time a student expressed awe after they visited him in the hospital, delivering a care package.

“I didn’t know that faculty would visit students in the hospital,” they recalled him saying.

But George and Salli insist they don’t need accolades for the “heart” work they do on behalf of students. They said just knowing they’re walking in their purpose and inspiring students with education and motivation is enough.

“When you tell them they’re capable, you can just see the light that begins to shine on their faces,” Salli said.

Contact Victoria Dorsey, senior director of Development at Perimeter College, [email protected], to learn how you can support education through philanthropy.