UNC School of Education

Sadler to serve as NARST president in 2027 - UNC School of Education Troy D. Sadler, Ph.D., the UNC School of Education’s Thomas James Distinguished Professor of Experiential Learning, has been selected president-elect of NARST, a worldwide organization for improving s...

Congrats to faculty member Troy D. Sadler, Ph.D., who has been selected president-elect of NARST, a worldwide organization for improving science teaching and learning through research and the most prominent international association of science education researchers in the world. 🎊
unc.live/4dcbLzv

Domina selected as 2026 AERA Fellow - UNC School of Education Thurston “Thad” Domina, Ph.D., the UNC School of Education’s associate dean for academic affairs and the Robert Wendell Eaves Sr. Distinguished Professor in Educational Leadership, has been selected a...

Exciting News! 🎊 Thurston Domina, Ph.D., associate dean for academic affairs and the Robert Wendell Eaves Sr. Distinguished Professor in Educational Leadership, has been selected as a 2026 @aeraedresearch.bsky.social Fellow! Learn more about this recognition and Domina's research. unc.live/4awUyiL

This week, we celebrate Read Across America Week — the nation’s largest celebration of reading, designed to foster a love of literacy in children and young adults nationwide. 📚 During a visit to Carolina Community Academy, Dean Jill V. Hamm, Ph.D., read “Something, Someday” by Amanda Gorman.

AERA is thrilled to announce the selection of 34 exemplary scholars as 2026 AERA Fellows. Congratulations! Read the full announcement here: www.aera.net/Newsroom/AER...

Personalizing learning: Bernacki's new co-edited handbook provides educators with tools to leverage their students' strengths - UNC School of Education In a new handbook, Matthew L. Bernacki, Ph.D., a leading scholar in learning sciences and learning analytics and the Kinnard “Kin” White Faculty Scholar of Education at the UNC School […]

Featuring 26 chapters, the handbook includes contributions from scholars across educational psychology, learning sciences, cognitive science, and educational technology. unc.live/4rF6ZOW

Congratulations to faculty member Matthew Bernacki, Ph.D., who co‑edited the recently published “Handbook of Personalized Learning,” a comprehensive volume that brings together leading research on designing learning experiences responsive to students’ strengths, motivations, and identities. 🎉

📣 Apply to join the School’s community! The Clinical Partnerships and Licensure Manager supports educator preparation by securing clinical placements in public school settings and advancing student learning outcomes and continuous program improvement.

Apply by February 18, 2026: bit.ly/4rbr93x

Congrats to faculty member Constance Lindsay, Ph.D., on being named to the 2026 EdWorkingPapers Board at the Annenberg Institute at Brown University.🎊 Members of the EdWorkingPapers Board review submissions and help guide the scholarly and strategic direction of the series. ➡️ bit.ly/4alrJo7

Roger Mills‑Koonce, Ph.D., studies how early childhood experiences in family/caregiver settings from birth to age 4 impact psychobiological functioning as children develop, showing how the emotions of those first trusted adults shape the brain as it grows. Explore this research: unc.live/49RneBp

FREE VIRTUAL "Critical Conversations in Qualitative Research" Speaker Series: Dr. Sophia Rodriguez: "Qualitative inquiry in the moment: Reflections on ethnography & fieldwork in schools and communities & equity for immigrant youth."
**Register: tinyurl.com/RodriguezQua...
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On this day, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His work reminds us of the importance of education for all and service to others as we recognize his contributions to building a more just society. Today, we reflect on his continued impact in our schools and communities.

Happy FDOC, Tar Heels! 🩵 Welcome back, and here’s to the start of a new semester. Wishing you a great semester ahead!

Exciting News: 🎊 Faculty members Dorothy L. Espelage and Marisa E. Marraccini will lead North Carolina’s efforts in a $16 million, multi-state study funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to reduce adolescent suicide risk through school-based prevention programs. unc.live/4s9j3cr

BIG NEWS🎊: With approval from the UNC Office of the Provost and the UNC College of Arts and Sciences Administrative Board, the School will relaunch the Bachelor of Arts in Education in Elementary Education program, offering its first classes in fall 2026. ➡️ ed.unc.edu/news/elementary

On Air Today: Chronic Absenteeism In Schools After COVID - Chapelboro.com A new study out of UNC finds that chronic absenteeism is still a serious issue in schools, five years after the COVID pandemic.

In a recent interview with @wchlchapelboro.bsky.social, faculty member Ethan Hutt, Ph.D., discusses a recent co-authored study from the American Enterprise Institute examining how student absences have affected academic performance in the post-COVID era. bit.ly/4rtvi3o

Image of Jessica Rodrigues, Ph.D.

RESEARCH | In a APA Division 15 podcast, faculty member @rodriguesjm.bsky.social and Christina Barbieri, Ph.D. (University of Delaware), joined host and faculty member @jeffgreene.bsky.social to discuss frameworks used to better support students experiencing mathematics difficulties. bit.ly/3LGnSJt

Lys appointed to AACTE Board of Directors - UNC School of Education Diana Lys, Ed.D., assistant dean for educator preparation and accreditation at the UNC School of Education, has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the American Association of Colleges […]

Congrats to faculty member Diana Lys, Ed.D., on her appointment to the Board of Directors for the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education! 🎊

Lys will help shape the organization’s strategic direction through program initiatives, policy development, and governance. unc.live/4oHbgzU

Award recipients recognized: ✨

◻️ Distinguished Leadership Award: Kathlene Holmes Campbell (’99 A.B.Ed., ’04 M.Ed.), Ph.D.
◻️ Young Alumna Award: Annie Goldberg (’16 B.A., ’17 M.Ed.)
◻️ Peabody Award: Willis Padgett Whichard (’62 B.A., ’65 LL.B., J.D.)

School recognizes three at 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner - UNC School of Education The UNC School of Education honored three alumni at its annual Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony held Saturday, Oct. 18, at the George Watts Hill Alumni Center on the campus of […]

Last weekend, the School honored three outstanding alumni at its annual Distinguished Alumni Awards! 🎊 Learn more about this year’s award recipients. unc.live/42TFOGn

We are proud to highlight our team’s most recent executive hires. Learn more about these individuals and the leadership they bring to Carolina. 🎉🩵🐏

Dr. Jill Hamm

Dean and William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education
@uncschoolofed.bsky.social

Congratulations to the #SCOY26 Finalists🎉

Building connection, Advocating for community - UNC School of Education When you ask Annie Goldberg how it feels to be named the 2024 North Carolina School Counselor of the Year, she quickly deflects the spotlight to her fellow school counselors.  […]

Named the 2024 North Carolina School Counselor of the Year, Goldberg serves as a school counselor at Broadview Middle School within the Alamance-Burlington School System.

Learn more about Goldberg’s “why” and her journey at Carolina and throughout her career. unc.live/40mURHD

Congrats to Annie Goldberg (’16 B.A., ’17 M.Ed.) on being named a 2026 School Counselor of the Year Finalist by the American School Counselor Association! 🎊

Read the full announcement: bit.ly/4702fuT

A professional headshot of Raymond Robinson III wearing a black suit jacket, white shirt, and orange tie with a matching pocket square, against a gray studio backdrop.

Raymond Robinson III poses indoors with a costumed cougar mascot dressed in a black basketball uniform that reads “Cougars.” Both smile and strike playful poses for the camera.

Raymond Robinson III runs through a cloud of green powder during an outdoor event, wearing a white T-shirt and jeans. A student follows closely behind as trees and a parked car appear in the background.

Raymond Robinson III stands with five colleagues in front of orange lockers, all wearing matching black Adidas tracksuits with white stripes.

National Principals Month Feature: Meet Raymond Robinson III ('18 M.S.A.), recently named principal at Southern Middle School in Person County Schools. He shares how the School not only gave him the tools he needed to lead but also connected him to an incredible network of educators. bit.ly/3Wv2wko

Diliberto named Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholar - UNC School of Education Jennifer Diliberto, Ph.D., a clinical associate professor at the UNC School of Education, has been named to the Carolina Center for Public Service’s tenth class of Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars […]

Congrats to Jennifer Diliberto, Ph.D., who has been named to the Carolina Center for Public Service’s tenth class of Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars, where she will receive additional funding to advance her research focused on increasing literacy among students with disabilities. unc.live/4nsoTTt

Meet Jill V. Hamm, Carolina’s newest dean - UNC School of Education As students return to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the 2025-26 academic year, Jill V. Hamm, Ph.D., also begins her first full year as dean of […]

In a Q&A, Jill V. Hamm, Ph.D., newly named dean of the UNC School of Education, reflects on her Carolina journey, her first months as dean, and her goals of bolstering collaborative relationships with schools and units across campus, along with her vision for the School's future. unc.live/48b5jq4As

📣 Apply to join our School’s community! The UNC School of Education is seeking a scholar with professional experience in artificial intelligence techniques to design and implement tools and solutions that enhance K–12 learning. ➡️ bit.ly/4oVfLrM

Happy FDOC, Tar Heels! 🩵🐏 Welcome back as we begin another academic year filled with opportunities to learn and continue to transform classrooms and communities through education. ✨

📣 Apply to join the School’s community! We’re seeking scholars with professional experience in organizational learning and leadership for a faculty appointment at the rank of clinical assistant or clinical associate professor. bit.ly/3J7nqCX

In a Print Magazine Book Club recap, faculty member Keith Sawyer, Ph.D., shared insights from his latest book, "Learning to See: Inside the World’s Leading Art and Design Schools," offering a look at the project-based pedagogy that art and design educators use for student engagement. bit.ly/3UfInxU