A Fulton resident was among those recently honored as inductees into the University of Mississippi's School of Education hall of fame.
Jahnae H. Barnett of Fulton was among the school's five 2016 alumni award recipients selected for their distinguished careers as education leaders and practitioners. Honorees were selected after being nominated by their peers and colleagues earlier this year.
Barnett, who earned a master's degree in business education from UM in 1967 and a doctorate in higher education in 1972, is president of William Woods University in Fulton, a position she's held for more than 26 years. Before her presidency, Barnett was a vice president and department chair at William Woods.
When Barnett received her doctorate, she was only 24 years old and the youngest individual to receive a doctorate from Ole Miss at that time. She was also the first female president of William Woods, an institution that has grown from a few hundred students to more than 3,000 during her tenure and transitioned from college to university status.
"I cannot imagine anything more rewarding that your peers, your colleagues and your academic institution saying that you've done exactly what you were supposed to do in your life," Barnett said. "We just had our own alumni weekend at William Woods where we inducted some alumni into the hall of fame, and I knew exactly what that meant to them because of this honor."
"Each of these five alumni are models for our current university students and graduates to emulate," said David Rock, UM education dean. "We believe there is no more important or greater area of service in our state and nation than in the practice and advocacy of education."