Alice J Smith Awards Showcases Outstanding Achievements That Impact the Entire Campus Community
(May 7, 2026) - Hundreds of Clayton State University faculty and staff filled the ballrooms at the campus’ Student Activities Center on April 29th to celebrate their peers in the 2025-2026 Alice J. Smith Service & Academic Awards Ceremony. The Smith Awards were established in 1995 by Joseph Smith as a memorial to his wife Alice to honor her career in teaching and her love for learning. The awards are presented annually to the most outstanding faculty and staff members, who are nominated by their peers.
For the Alice J. Smith Staff Award, committee members independently reviewed each finalist’s complete nomination packet and scored candidates according to established criteria (rubric), including job performance, service, impact, leadership, professional growth, and alignment with award values.
The winner of the Alice J. Smith Staff Award Tenesea Grant, Program Coordinator with Disability Services / Student Care and Support, exemplifies the spirit and values of this award. One nominator shared, “Tenesea is the light that warms the campus. Her commitment to care is unparalleled.” Another wrote, “She always puts students first and makes a meaningful difference every single day.”
Ms. Grant has been part of the Clayton State community as an employee since she graduated from high school and began working in the bookstore with her sister Shaneeka Grant. Over the past 25 years she has served in various roles on campus. She said “I am grateful to God for the opportunity to be a member of the Laker family for 25 years. I began my journey in the bookstore. After leaving the bookstore, I transitioned to the Bursar's Office, where I started as head cashier and later became a Collections Specialist. After leaving the Bursar’s Office, I then moved to the Registrar’s Office.”
In her current role as program coordinator of Disability Services, Ms. Grant says “What I enjoy most about my role is being able to support students and assist with removing barriers to ensure equal access for all. It's very rewarding to help students navigate to the next level and support accessibility, so no student is left behind. My personal philosophy is that students are our family, and not just a number added.”
According to Dr. Patricia Smith, “The Alice J. Smith Faculty Award is a distinguished honor awarded annually to an outstanding Clayton State University faculty member. This year, we had many extraordinary faculty nominated by their colleges who represent the idea of the core of who we are as educators and role models in our community.”
The winner of the Alice J. Smith Faculty Award is Dr. Linda “Joie” Hain of the College of Business. She teaches courses including digital and social media marketing, advanced digital marketing, social media strategy, and professional selling. Dr. Hain has published multiple articles, including topics from education and industry research. She has also recently been named a University System of Georgia Governor's Teaching Fellow.
“This is a tremendous honor and the pinnacle award in the field of higher education. I am extremely grateful to receive this recognition,” said Dr. Hain. “I had the opportunity to connect with many people at the Alice J. Smith Awards luncheon beyond the College of Business, and I appreciate everyone’s kindness in acknowledging the award. It reflects the kind and supportive nature of my colleagues at Clayton State University.”
“While some students who take my introductory digital marketing class are not majoring in digital marketing, they understand the need to gain a foundational knowledge of digital marketing and its role in an overall successful business environment. The classes support both graduate and undergraduate students with a wide variety of backgrounds. They may be entrepreneurs or aspire to be. The students may be majoring in a specific business field or other fields such as health care services and minoring in digital marketing. A common theme is they are or will be working in a role where marketing knowledge and specifically digital marketing knowledge will be required,” according to Dr. Hain. “To best convey the required knowledge and skills, in addition to textbooks, I incorporate hands on simulations, include real-life applications, and invite industry experts to share their real-world business experiences. This allows us to bridge the gap between theory and practice, preparing the students for post-graduation employment.”
During the Alice J. Smith Awards faculty and staff were also recognized for their years of service at Clayton State University. Twenty-two people were recognized for 5 years of service, fourteen for 10 years, eleven for 15 years, seven for 20 years, five for 25 years, three for 30 years, and two for 35 years. Twelve people were saluted as they retired from Clayton State University.
Awards for promotion and tenure were also recognized during the event. Michelle Nelson was awarded a promotion to Professor and Tenure; Matthew Carter, Melva Robertson, Terri Summers, Naquilla Thomas, and Carolyn Walcott were awarded promotion to Associate Professor and Tenure; Jennie Bergen was awarded promotion to Associate Professor; and Heather Eddy and Crystal Marchant were awarded Promotion to Associate Professor Non-Tenure.
The 2026 Chancellor’s Academic Achievement Award was presented to Alexis Taylor, College of Arts & Sciences.