Honoring excellence: ECU inducts eight into Educators Hall of Fame

Eight East Carolina University faculty, staff and alumni were inducted into the College of Education Educators Hall of Fame this year.

“Serving as a Pirate educator has been a truly rewarding journey,” said Dawn Shelton, a 2026 inductee and College of Education master teaching instructor. “To be inducted into the ECU Educators Hall of Fame alongside my family, friends and colleagues was an incredible gift — especially knowing this honor directly supports scholarships for the next generation of teachers. East Carolina University shaped me into the educator that I am, and being recognized in such a special manner is a memory that I will treasure forever.”

The eight individuals inducted into the Educators Hall of Fame are, from left, Hulda Tayloe, Margaret Turner, Ann McClung, Ron Preston, Diane Majewski, Otis Smallwood, Dawn Shelton and Ethan Lenker. (Photos by Kristen Martin)

“At East Carolina, education is in our DNA,” said Dr. Chris Buddo, ECU provost, vice chancellor for academic affairs and keynote speaker. “It goes back to our very founding as East Carolina Teachers Training School. … As provost, I have the privilege of seeing firsthand how deeply the field of education informs our university’s commitment to student success, public service and regional transformation and our mission is inseparable from the work of educators.”

Over the past 27 years, the Educators Hall of Fame has inducted more than 600 teachers, administrators and advocates for education in North Carolina and beyond.

“The Educators Hall of Fame honors educators and education advocates for the often behind-the-scenes role they play in helping other people find success and achieve their dreams,” said Pat Lane, chairman of the College of Education’s Professional Advisory Board.

Each year, an incoming first year student is selected to receive the Educators Hall of Fame scholarship. Elementary education major Jadyn White of Lincolnton received the scholarship in the 2025-26 academic year and served as the student speaker.

“Everyone here has their own beautiful testimony of what being an educator means to them, and I am beyond inspired by your hard work,” she said. “This journey of mine is just beginning. I wish I could truly express what this funding is doing for my family, as I would not be here today without you.”

Inductees received a framed certificate and replica of the plaque that is permanently displayed on the Educators Hall of Fame honor wall in the Speight Building. After the ceremony, inductees and their guests were invited to the lawn outside of Speight for a reception.

“To be inducted into the Educators Hall of Fame by the College of Education is both humbling and gratifying,” said Dr. Diane Majewski. “I am grateful for the many colleagues and students who have shaped my journey, and I view this recognition not only as a reflection of past service but also as an inspiration to continue contributing to the university and the field of education.”

2025-2026 Inductees

Ethan Lenker

Lenker received undergraduate and graduate degrees Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a doctorate in educational leadership from ECU. He has three decades of experience serving schools in North Carolina and Virginia as a teacher, principal, district administrator and superintendent. He has been recognized numerous times as a regional superintendent of the year finalist, received the Brad Sneeden Leadership Award from the N.C. School Superintendents Association and the N.C. Association of School Administrators’ 2023 Raymond Sarbaugh Leadership Award.

Diane Majewski

Majewski began her career as a special education teacher in Henrico County, Virginia after earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in special education from Longwood University. She received a doctorate in educational leadership from ECU, where she authored the ECU creed as part of her studies. She began working at ECU in 2002 where she has served as the associate director of disability services and director of programming and evaluation in the dean of students office, before beginning her current role as director of programming and special projects in the Honors College. She is the vice president of the North Carolina Honors Association, received the ECU Treasured Pirate Award in 2005 and again in 2024 and is the creator of 8 is Gr8, a time management and study system for college students.

Ann McClung flexes her bicep as part of the wording on her Educators Hall of Fame plaque is read, “My mission is clear: to elevate and empower girls in STEM.”

Ann McClung

An eastern North Carolina native, McClung has dedicated her career to elevating and empowering girls in STEM — science, technology, engineering and math. She graduated from Peace College and ECU and has taught middle and high school in Chowan County Schools and Pitt County Schools. In 2015 she began working for the College of Education at ECU where she currently serves as the STEM coordinator, AP Summer Institute and Science Olympiad director for the ECU Center for STEM Education. She has received numerous awards, including the Vi Hunsucker Award for Science Education in 2011 and the 2016 Michael C. Jackson Distinguished Service Award for Science Education, but is most well-known for over 18 years of dedication to Pitt County Robotics.

Ron Preston

Preston is an associate professor of mathematics education at East Carolina University. He earned his doctorate in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in mathematics education and a cognate in mathematics from Indiana University. Preston has spent nearly three decades in higher education, progressing through roles as visiting assistant professor, assistant professor, associate professor, department chair, and senior academic leader at ECU. Preston has received honors including the East Carolina University Outstanding Faculty Advising Award and the North Carolina Council of Teachers of Mathematics W. W. Rankin Memorial Award for excellence in mathematics education.

Dawn Shelton

Shelton earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from ECU and completed a master’s degree in education before dedicating eleven years to teaching in the public school system. She returned to ECU where she has spent over two decades preparing and inspiring future educators. Her impact has been recognized with the Robert L. Jones Teaching Award, recognizing her as one of the university’s most outstanding instructors.

Otis Smallwood

Smallwood graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and secondary education from Elizabeth City State University and began his professional journey as a math teacher at his alma mater, Bertie High School. He received a master’s degree in school administration from ECU, followed by a doctorate of educational leadership. After working in Jones County Schools, he returned to Bertie County as superintendent. Smallwood is the recipient of the UNC World View Carol Tresolini Award for significant contributions to global education, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina’s highest civilian honor, and the 2025 Northeast Regional Superintendent of the Year Award from the North Carolina School Superintendents’ Association.

Hulda Tayloe

Tayloe earned a bachelor’s in intermediate education and master’s in elementary education from ECU. Her teaching career began in 1974 and included service in multiple North Carolina schools, where she taught grades four through eight across all subject areas, including mathematics, science, language arts, social studies and academically gifted courses. She returned to ECU as a teacher in residence and teaching instructor, where she supervised interns. She earned national board certification as an early adolescent generalist in 2002 and received numerous honors, including North Carolina Mathematics Teacher of the Year.

Margaret Turner

Turner earned a bachelor’s in industrial engineering from North Carolina State University and began her professional career at Burroughs Wellcome, where she worked as an industrial engineer and later as a technical engineer within the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. She joined ECU as an outreach coordinator for the College of Engineering and served in several roles in the College of Engineering and Technology before joining the Honors College as director of admissions and recruiting. She has been recognized for excellence and service, receiving the Outstanding Staff Award and the Centennial Award for Excellence in 2025, and being named a Treasured Pirate in 2016.

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