Distinguished Award Recipients

The Georgia Southern University Retirees Association is proud to honor our 2024 Distinguished Retiree Award recipients, Dr. Dan Hagan (Professor Emeritus of Biology, 1980-2004) and Dr. David Stone (Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, 1968-2008; part-time professor, 2008-2017).

Dr. Dan Hagan

In addition to his distinguished career at Georgia Southern University, Dr. Hagan held a faculty position at Mercer University School of Medicine (2005-2015), where he retired as Professor Emeritus of Basic Medical Sciences and Anesthesiology.  He also served in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve for 32 years where he served as Commanding Officer for numerous units. Among his many contributions to the university and community, Dr. Hagan established the Bazemore-Fetzer-Hagan scholarship for in-service public school teachers in Screven, Effingham, Bulloch, Evans, and Jenkins counties, led the Kiwanis Club’s initiative to fund a program for children in grades 1-5 in Bulloch public schools to attend and participate in the five enrichment centers of Georgia Southern University (wildlife center, botanic garden, planetarium, museum, and Gretsch music museum), and participated in numerous mission trips across the U.S. and abroad, some for construction and others focused on medical outreach.

Dr. David Stone

Dr. Stone has demonstrated that a love for learning and working with students can extend into retirement. He has continued to work with students as an active member of the Department of Mathematical Sciences Eagle Problem Solvers Group, meeting remotely or in-person to develop solutions to challenging problems and publishing their results. He has also remained active in professional organizations by attending and organizing conferences and by serving on national committees such as the Mathematical Association of America’s Committee on Business, Industry and Government, which builds bridges between the mathematics community and avenues for employment for students in the mathematical sciences. Dr. Stone also endowed the Distinguished Lecture Series in Mathematical Sciences, which annually supports the travel for an international leader from the mathematical sciences to visit campus, as well as the David and Ann Stone Scholarship to annually support students majoring in degree programs within the Department of Mathematical Sciences. In addition, he supports specific projects at the Georgia Southern University Botanic Garden, including the Labyrinth and the Outdoor Classroom.

2023 Distinguished Retiree Award – Drs. Anne and Sigmund Hudson

The recipients of the Distinguished Retiree Award in 2023 are Dr. Anne Hudson, Professor Emerita of Mathematics, and Dr. Sigmund Hudson, Professor Emeritus of Computer Science, both retirees from the former Armstrong State University (now Georgia Southern). Drs. Hudson were very active in service when faculty members at Armstrong, both in service to Armstrong and in service to their community, and they extended their service into their retirement years.

An example of how the Hudsons helped bring their community and the university together was their service as mentors to junior faculty as they became acquainted with Savannah and the university. In addition, they were faithful at welcoming visiting musicians and scholars to their home for overnight stays.

Their civic contributions ranged from tending the garden at the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home to making repairs at the Union Mission to serving as math tutors for children in their neighborhood to donating blankets and sleeping bags to the Community of St. Joseph for homeless people.

The Hudsons founded the Baldwin Park Neighborhood Association in Savannah in 1976 and fulfilled their commitment to serve that area for more than 40 years, at which time they moved out of state. They made sure new neighbors were welcomed to that community, including receiving a hand-made gift from Anne. They organized neighborhood activities and celebrations, visited those who were ill, and made sure the elderly and those in need received food when needed. 

As a recognition of their contributions to the university, the Armstrong Alumni selected the Hudsons to be among the top faculty members across the 80-plus years of Armstrong’s history. Their names are included on the wall of notable accomplishments, inspiration, and support in the Burnett Hall of the Alumni Center on the Armstrong Campus.

The Georgia Southern University Retirees Association is proud to honor Drs. Anne and Sigmund Hudson for their life of continued service activities that reflect so positively on Georgia Southern University.

Dr. Michael Braz

Dr. Michael Braz, Professor Emeritus of Music, is a nationally and internationally recognized music educator, composer, and clinician. Mike earned his bachelor and master of music degrees in Music Education from the University of Miami and earned his PhD as a University Fellow at Florida State University.

From the beginning of his professional career, and continuing in his retirement years, Dr. Braz has remained actively involved in community music projects and service to a variety of community organizations, as well as to the university. For example, not long after joining the GS faculty, he (with Dr. Sandra McLain) founded the Statesboro Youth Chorale and, following a hiatus during the COVID shutdown years, in mid-2022 brought it back to life with the assistance of GS music professor Dr. Tamara Harper.

His service to the community includes President of the Statesboro Arts Council, active membership in the Kiwanis Club of Statesboro and the Statesboro Rotary, benefit piano performances for the Averitt Center for the Arts, accompaniment for others in vocal performances, entertainment at Georgia Southern events (including the annual luncheons for retirees), performances at assisted living residences, and contributions to many other individuals and groups, a favorite being the Boys and Girls Club of Bulloch County.
In his retirement years, Mike has traveled the world and enjoyed artist residencies in England, Kathmandu, and in Wuhan, China. He loves to travel, and has traveled in Europe, South Asia, Scandinavia, and French Polynesia, and has spent time trekking in the Nepal Himalayas, all the while exposing people to
music and serving as an informal Georgia Southern ambassador. 

A tremendous ambassador for Georgia Southern, Dr. Braz continues his considerable contributions to the university, civic organizations, and charities at the same rate as he did during his tenure as a music professor at GS.

The four recipients of GSURA Distinguished Retirees Awards for 2019 are:

Dr. Warren F. “Spike” Jones

Warren F. (Spike) Jones arrived at Georgia Southern College in 1972 as Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. He retired from Georgia Southern University 21 years later, in 1993, as Dean Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Psychology. 

Although he has been retired for more years than he served, Spike remains one of Georgia Southern’s most popular and inspirational figures The School of A&S was huge, so he had lots of faculty to know. But Spike is a “people person” and his administrative style was always personal. He kept up with what departments and faculty members were doing. He gave faculty members credit for their achievements and often sent handwritten thank-you notes to mark special accomplishments.

Twenty-six retirement years have gone by and Spike have gradually slowed down. They still do a little volunteering at the hospice and the store, are still pretty healthy, and remain happy and grateful for it all.

Mrs. Zandra Brasington

Zandra Brasington began her career with COBA in 1992 in the Associate Dean’s office and in June 1993, she moved to the Accounting Department under the leadership of Chair, Dr. Karen Fortin. She was promoted to Administrative Secretary in 1995 and went on to receive the Tomlinson Bond Staff Award for Excellence in 1996, The Ori James Recognition Award for service to Beta Alpha Psi in 1998, a Distinguished Service Award for contributions to AACSB accreditation in 2007, and the University Staff Merit Award in 2008. Through the years, Zandra was a valued and respected leader in the School of Accountancy, especially in the organization of the school’s annual Accounting Day festivities, which highlight the achievements of the students, faculty, and staff.

Zandra is one of the best secretaries of an organization that we have ever had the pleasure to work with and we would be lost without her.

Dr. Betty Lane

On March 16, 1929, Dr. Lane was born to a family tree of educators with 56 descendants (so far) who have demonstrated participation and service to education. This distinguished retiree counts 36 years of her life to have been affiliated with teaching. By 1959, our awardee, had earned her BS and Master’s degrees at the University of Georgia and assumed a position of Assistant Professor of Home Economics at Georgia Southern College where she soon took leave to earn her doctorate at Florida State University. She returned to Georgia Southern College after earning her doctorate in Home Economics and remained here until her retirement in 1986.

When asked what she felt to be her most important contributive impact, she quietly replied—including many other people with whom she collaborated….”Working on the Board of Regional Historical Resources with Senator Jack Hill…serving on the National Council of Home Economics Administrators, and being actively involved in the American Association of Home Economics since 1957. Also, very important to me is that I was a founding board member of the non-profit Home Health Agency with Charlotte Edwards (called Gentiva Home Health now) for home-bound services and medical treatment aids for those unable to provide for themselves.”

Dr. Del E. Presley

From Georgia Southern Magazine Volume 16, Number 1, Fall 2013 feature story ” ‘SPRUNG UP FROM SANDY EARTH’ Historian and Professor Emeritus Del Presley preserves the origins of regional culture ” by David Thompson.

It was 1969 when Presley and his wife, Beverly, arrived in Statesboro on an offer from iconic University professor and chair Fielding Russell to teach English at Georgia Southern. Through the 1970s, Presley’s love of language and literature and his training from Mercer, Baptist Theological Seminary and Emory served him well in his academic pursuits. Yet, in the back of his mind an idea was forming — one that became increasingly focused with the passage of time and led to a gradual shift. Presley’s passion was focusing less on classical lit and more on south Georgia grit.

He continued to teach, but in 1971, he and history professors George Rogers and Frank Saunders received a grant to study the local Deloach Primitive Baptist community. “That was my first effort in that area,” he said. “It turned out well, so we kept getting grants. We got grants through the `70s until I went to the Museum and then we carried it on there.

In 1982, he organized Project R.A.F.T. (Restore Altamaha Folklife Traditions) as a way to honor the memories of the men who floated timber down the Ocmulgee and Altamaha rivers in the early 20th century. A tremendous success, the project was coordinated with folk life festivals along the river and its message continues to be shared with others more than 30 years later. That year heralded an official career shift when he became the first permanent director of the new Georgia Southern Museum, leaving the classroom and delving full time into stories about the people of south Georgia. For 17 years he enthusiastically embraced exhibits on the region’s history, culture, geology, zoology and botany while independently writing and researching.

Retiring from the Museum in 1999, he continued to study, interpret and organize local and regional historical events.