Brenau University has renamed its College of Education after a recent donation and continued support from a local alum and trustee.
The university announced Tuesday that it has named the college as the "Carole Ann Daniel College of Education." The naming is in honor of trustee Carole Ann Carter Daniel, a 1968 graduate of Brenau and former educator with the Gainesville City School System.
Dean of the College of Education, Kelley Brock-Simmons, said she is proud to recognize Daniel with the college's naming.
"The college is thrilled to be given this opportunity to recognize the work of Carole Ann Daniel by continuing to build exceptional learning experiences for Georgia teachers of all levels," Brock-Simmons said.
Brenau University President David L. Barnett, thanked Daniel for her donation and support of the school.
"This transformative donation will substantially enhance Brenau's educational programs, further elevating the College of Education's already exceptional academic reputation," Barnett said. "It will also allow us to expand opportunities for our students."
The Carole Ann Daniel College of Education is Breanu's second-largest college with nearly 600 students. It offers undergraduate, master's, specialist and doctoral degrees and has had 74 graduates since it started in 2019.
The school says the donations will go towards facility upgrades, faculty support funds and scholarships among other investments. The donations from Daniel have come through the Carroll E. Daniel Family Foundation.
Daniel has been active in her family's business, Carroll Daniel Construction, since 1975. She was named the 2025 Woman of the Year by the Rotary Club of Gainesville and currently serves as a trustee for Brenau as well as being on the board of directors for the North Georgia History Center, the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia, the Quinlan Visual Arts Center, the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women and Sisu.
She also established the Carroll Edmondson Daniel Endowed Scholarship at Brenau, and was recently given the university's hall of fame award.
