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Molly Sue Smith ’26 Receives NC State’s Matthews Medal

Honors and Awards

Chelsea Smith

May 20, 2026

College of Education Alum Chelsea Smith ’23PHD Wins College of William & Mary’s Shirley Aceto Award

NC State College of Education alum Chelsea Smith ’23PHD has been selected to receive the Shirley Aceto Award, one of the College of William & Mary’s highest honors that recognizes exceptional commitment to the university’s values, outstanding individual service and leadership.

A group of people take photos of Mariah Walker as she receives her Wells Fargo Principal of the Year Award

May 19, 2026

Mariah Walker ’06, ’10MED, ’12MSA, ’24EDD Named 2026 North Carolina Wells Fargo Principal of the Year

Mariah Walker ’06, ’10MED, ’12MSA, ’24EDD, a four-time graduate of NC State’s College of Education and the principal of Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy, has been named the 2026 Wells Fargo Principal of the Year.
Assistant Professor Amato Nocera

May 15, 2026

Assistant Professor Amato Nocera Selected as National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow

Amato Nocera, an assistant professor in NC State’s College of Education, has been selected to join the prestigious National Academy of Education (NAEd)/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellows program.
Professor Dennis Davis stands with College of Education Dean Paola Sztajn as he receives an award.

May 14, 2026

Professor Dennis Davis Wins College of Education’s Faculty Strategic Excellence Award

Professor of Literacy Education Dennis Davis has been selected as the 2026 recipient of NC State College of Education’s Faculty Strategic Excellence Award.
Announcing staff awards for excellence

May 14, 2026

Marie Himes, Joni Lancaster Receive College of Education’s Awards for Excellence

Marie Himes and Joni Lancaster are the recipients of the College of Education’s 2026 Awards for Excellence, which recognize employees who demonstrate excellence in their college or department, the NC State campus community or in the lives of others.
Sharmani Hall, center, with two colleagues

May 13, 2026

Sharmani Hall ’18 Receives College of Education’s 2026 Dr. Louis D. Hunt Service Leadership Award

Sharmani Hall ’18, the graduate services coordinator for the Department of STEM Education, is the recipient of the College of Education’s 2026 Dr. Louis D. Hunt Service Leadership Award, which recognizes College of Education staff for exemplary service and leadership. 
Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor and Head of the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development Joy Gaston Gayles

May 13, 2026

Department Head, Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Joy Gaston Gayles Named Chair-elect of NC State’s Research Leadership Academy

Joy Gaston Gayles, head of the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development and an Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor of Higher Education in NC State’s College of Education, has been named chair-elect of NC State’s Research Leadership Academy (RLA).
College of Education banners

May 8, 2026

Three Recent NC State Graduates Receive 2026 Outstanding Dissertation Awards

Three recent NC State College of Education alumni were recognized for their scholarship when they were presented with Outstanding Dissertation Awards during the college’s May 2026 graduation ceremony.

May 6, 2026

Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Education Maria Coady Re-elected to NABE Executive Board, Becomes President of ASPIRA Association

Maria Coady, the Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Education in NC State’s College of Education, has been re-elected to the executive board of the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE).
Molly Sue Smith wears her graduation cap and gown while giving the wolfie hand signal.

May 5, 2026

Molly Sue Smith ’26 Receives NC State’s Matthews Medal

Having grown up in a small, rural town in North Carolina, Molly Sue Smith ’26 once felt that attending college would be unattainable. When she did eventually come to NC State, she brought with her a commitment to supporting other students who came from backgrounds with fewer resources.