Virginia E. Causey (born 1953) grew up in Mississippi and received her B.A. in History from Samford University in 1975. She received her Ph.D. in U.S. History from Emory University in 1983, specializing in the American South. Her main areas of research and publication are the history of Columbus, school desegregation, and effective history teaching. Major publications include "The Long and Winding Road: School Desegregation in Columbus, Georgia, 1963-1997" in the Georgia Historical Quarterly (Fall 2001), "The Constitution: voting Rights" in Culturally Responsive Teaching (McGraw Hill: 2001), and "Strategies for Increasing Achievement in History" in More Strategies for Educating Everbody's Children (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development: 2001).

Dr. Causey taught high school history in the Muscogee County School District for 12 years. She taught history and social studies education at Georgia State University from 1994-2000 before returning to Columbus State. Dr. Causey, Professor of History, retired in May 2012. In 2019, she published Red Clay, White Water and Blues: A History of Columbus, Georgia (University of Georgia Press). She continues to be a civic activist, especially in the areas of sustainable development and environmental issues.