Professor Emerita of Reading Education and Higher Education Hutchinson formerly directed the Postdoctoral Teaching Fellows program at the Institute of Higher Education and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; her distinguished faculty career at the University of Georgia includes service as Associate Dean of the College of Education, where she directed international education programs while continuing to teach and advise graduate students. Hutchinson's research and writing focuses on basal reading texts and international award-winning books for children; she has worked with teachers and presented her research worldwide. She is the recipient of the 2019 University of Georgia's President's Medal. The medal recognizes extraordinary contributions of individuals who are not current employees and who have supported students and academic programs, advanced research, and inspired community leaders to enhance the quality of life of citizens in Georgia. After her retirement, Hutchinson served UGA through the Coca-Cola Foundation’s First Generation Scholarship program and on boards for a variety of organizations, including UGA’s Graduate Development program, the Education and Law Consortium, the Athens Tutorial Program, and Georgia Voyager magazine.