Columbus State University News
Education & Health Professions welcomes 2 new faculty
August 23, 2024
The College of Education & Health Professions welcomes two new faculty members this fall, including one Columbus State University alumna. They are among the 19 new full-time faculty members joining the university for the 2024-25 academic year.
“The quality of a community’s education and public health infrastructure are metrics by which we measure quality of life,” said Dr. Margie Yates, the college’s dean. “That is why the expertise our newest faculty will bring to their teaching is so important. They will directly influence those communities where our graduates will ultimately live, teach and lead.”
Bethany McClure, NBCT joins the Department of Teacher Education, Leadership & Counseling faculty as an assistant professor. She comes to Columbus State by way of Georgia
College & State University, where she previously taught in its Elementary Education
program. Before that, she taught in Auburn University’s Early Childhood program, the
Care and Development of Young Children program at Baton Rouge Community College, and
the TEACH master’s program at Louisiana Christian University. She’s also taught elementary
school in the Cobb County, Fulton County, and Auburn (Alabama) school systems. She
is a National Board Certified Teacher and a higher education accreditation peer reviewer
for the National Association for the Education of Young Children. She holds three
degrees from Auburn University: a bachelor’s and master of education in elementary
education and a master’s in early childhood education. This fall, she will add a doctorate
in curriculum and instruction-early childhood from Louisiana State University to the
education specialist degree in curriculum and instruction-early childhood she previously
earned there. Her research interests include National Board Certification, mentoring,
teacher education, and teacher stress and well-being.
Tiera Rowan ’20,’23 begins a new role as a lecturer in the Department of Kinesiology & Health Sciences after serving as the program coordinator for the college’s Center for Health Disparities
& Community-Based Research. The U.S. Army veteran and two-time Columbus State alumna
holds a bachelor’s degree in health science and a master of public health specializing
in maternal and child health; she is currently working toward earning a doctorate
in public health. As part of the university’s Legacy Awards program earlier this year,
she received the Alumni Award for her demonstrated service in the community and/or
to the university. Her teaching will focus on epidemiology, public health and research
methods, and will include a seminar in alcohol and drug abuse.
A benefit for students that differentiates Columbus State’s Teacher Education program from other colleges and universities is the “CSU Teaching Contract Guarantee” partnership launched in 2019 with the Muscogee County School District. The guarantee ensures a system teaching contract for those passing the student teaching component of their degree and meeting Georgia Professional Standards Commission induction certification requirements.
More than 2,000 students and 249 full- and part-time faculty and staff call the College of Education & Health Professions and its three academic departments and schools home. For a directory of and information about Columbus State’s faculty and staff, visit columbusstate.edu/profiles.
Media contact: Michael Tullier, APR, Executive Director of Strategic Communication + Marketing, 706.507.8729, mtullier@columbusstate.edu
