March 17, 2023

Columbus State University’s College of Education and Health Professions has added five new inductees to the college’s Hall of Fame during a ceremony on March 2.

2022 Education Inductees

Christine Hull ’05, ’12 of Columbus is a two-time Columbus State alumna and Muscogee County School District’s executive director of pre-K-12 curriculum and instruction. During her two decades with MCSD, she has served in a variety of teaching and administrative roles, including assistant principal, principal and director of advanced learning and teaching programs. After earning a bachelor’s in secondary English education from Georgia Southern University, she enrolled in CSU and completed a master’s in secondary English education in 2005 and an educational specialist in educational leadership in 2012. She was a top-10 finalist for Georgia’s Teacher of the Year in 2011 and MCSD’s Teacher of the Year in 2009.

Dr. Susan Elder ’11, ’12, ’17 of Columbus holds three degrees from Columbus State and, since 2009, has served as a special education teacher in the Muscogee County School District. She transitioned from a 13-year journalism career in 2003 to the teaching profession, serving as a paraprofessional in two school systems before her current roles, which include teaching part-time in the College of Education & Health Professions. She earned a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Tennessee before attending CSU, where she completed a master’s in special education, an educational specialist in special education and a doctorate in curriculum and teaching with a leadership add-on. She is a recipient of CSU’s Excellence in Teaching Award and was among MCSD’s top 10 Teachers of the Year in 2018.

Dr. Jacqueline Flakes ’94, ’96 of Midland, Georgia, is a two-time Columbus College alumna and principal of Key Elementary School in Columbus, where she has served since 2015. She began her 27-year education career as one of the first employees of CSU’s Coca-Cola Space Science Center, where she was the coordinator of educational services. While serving at CCSSC, she spent two summers training at Harvard University’s Center for Astrophysics. Since 2003, she served several different school districts in a variety of teaching, administrative and principal roles. After earning a bachelor’s and master’s in middle grades education in 1994 and 1996, respectively, she earned a doctorate in educational leadership from Valdosta State University.

2022 Health Professions Inductees

Lt. Col. Brandy Clayton, RN, Ph.D. ’06 of Puyallup, Washington, has devoted her 23-year nursing career to serving soldiers and their families in the U.S. Army. As her education broadened, so did her contributions to educating future nurses and strengthening the future nursing workforce. In addition to her bachelor of science in nursing degree she earned from Columbus State in 2006, she completed a master of nursing degree in nursing education from Grantham University. She is scheduled to receive her doctorate in nursing education from Liberty University in May 2023.

Dr. Dell Miller, DNP, RN, FNP, EMTP, CEN ’75, ’91 of Opelika, Alabama, is a two-time Columbus College alumna and RN staff nurse with the Alabama Department of Public Health. Her 48-year medical career includes a variety of emergency medicine, teaching, clinical and administrative hospital-based roles. For eight years, she served on the CSU School of Nursing faculty and as the school’s assistant director of the undergraduate nursing program. In addition to her associate degree in nursing (1971) and bachelor of science in nursing (1991) from Columbus State, she holds a master’s of science in nursing from Troy University, and a family nurse practitioner, an MSN in acute care nurse practitioner and a doctorate in nursing—all from the University of South Alabama.

To date, more than 55 education, nursing and other health professions graduates of Columbus State University have been inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was established in 2005 to honor Columbus State’s education graduates; it expanded in 2018 to include health professions graduates with the merger of education, nursing, kinesiology and related disciplines into the College of Education & Health Professions hold a degree or certification endorsement from CSU; have been active in their chosen field for a minimum of 15 years; and have made extraordinary contributions to their chosen profession as demonstrated by their nomination packet. Awards can be bestowed on honorees posthumously. 

The nomination process is an open one and remains open throughout the year. Nominations can be submitted online through the CSU Alumni Association. Nominations are reviewed by a committee of current and former college faculty and community leaders.

Media contact:
Michael Tullier, APR, Executive Director of Strategic Communication + Marketing, 706.507.8729, mtullier@columbusstate.edu  

PREVIOUS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

• Dr. Susan Andrews, 2007 (Education)
• Matt Bell, 2017 (Education)
• Jeff Branham, 2015 (Education)
• Jessica Burnett, 2019 (Education)
• Stacey M. Carlisle, 2021 (Education)
• Pamela Carter, 2013 (Education)
• Kim Cason, 2013 (Education)
• Rebecca Claiborne, 2011 (Education)
• Ronie Collins, 2010 (Education)
• Dr. Dorothy Lee Coverson, 2020 (Health Professions)
• Emory Christopher Cox, 2015 (Education)
• Dr. Marvin J. Crumbs Sr., 2019 (Education)
• Beverly M. Davis, 2009 (Education)
• Lucy Davis, 2009 (Education)
• Owen Ditchfield, 2008 (Education)
• Dr. Michael Edmondson, 2013
• Craig Jackson Fitts, 2017
• Dr. Spencer Garrard, 2012
• Coy Richard Green, 2020 (Education)
• Dr. Deirdre C. Greer, 2014
• Dr. Paul T. Hackett, 2006 (Education)
• Aleta Cochrane Henderson, 2018 (Health Professions)
• Elizabeth Holmes, 2007 (Education)
• Peggy Jan Hyatt, 2006 (Education)
• Carla Ingalls Hubbard, 2016 (Education)
• Dr. Terry Irvin, 2012 (Education)
• Jessie Dawn Jenkins, 2017 (Education)
• Dr. Wendi Jenkins, 2021 (Education)
• Tina Jones, 2010 (Education)
• Margaret Beusse Koger, 2015
• Dr. Tommy Lee, 2012 (Education)
• Adele Lindsey, 2014 (Education)
• Ann R. McDuffie, 2008 (Education)
• Dr. Dell W. McMullen, 2005 (Education)
• Tom Meltzer, 2009 (Education)
• Nancy E. Mims, 2020 (Education)
• Sheri Reynolds Noviello, 2019, Health Professions
• Hope E. Phillips, 2020 (Education)
• Mike Regnier, 2011 (Education)
• Marty Richburg, 2021 (Education)
• Leslie Robertson, 2006 (Education)
• Dr. Carole Rutland, 2011 (Education)
• Dr. Kimberly M. Scott, 2019 (Education)
• Keith M. Seifert, 2016 (Education)
• Deana Singletary, 2021 (Health Professions)
• Dr. Cheryl Mixon Smith, 2020 (Health Professions)
• Raymechia Smith, 2005 (Education)
• Dr. James Sparrow, 2018 (Education)
• J. Mike Stephens, 2016 (Education)
• Penny L. Thornton, 2014 (Education)
• Louise Tolbert, 2007 (Education)
• Dan Trotter, 2008 (Education)
• Dr. Carol VanderGheynst, 2010 (Education)
• Debby Whatley, 2018 (Education)
• James Wilson, 2018 (Education)