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

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🎉

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

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

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

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

Carolina students are learning to lead through programs within the School that are part of the #UNC Office of the Provost’s Learn to Lead initiative. 💡 Check out the new site and learn from Kassandra Ciriza-Monreal (’26 B.A.), a LÍDER Fellow, in “Student Spotlights.” learntolead.unc.edu

Having recently completed her first year as an assistant principal in the Wake County Public School System, Carla Baptista Tavares (’24 M.S.A.) is committed to supporting students and community partnerships — a commitment strengthened by experiences gained within the School. unc.live/4l1eAE5

Selah Bekele-Piper (’24 B.A.Ed., ’25 M.A.T.), the UNC School of Education’s 2025 Student Teacher of the Year, aspires to create accessible learning environments that support students of varying abilities, integrating research and reflective teaching to ensure every learner thrives. unc.live/4lN1FH6

FPG is proud to announce Jessica Amsbary as the recipient of the 2025 Abecedarian Award. The Abecedarian Award honors a FPG staff member's early career research that is scientifically rigorous and addresses an issue of significant social concern. fpg.unc.edu/news/2025-ab...

The North Carolina Learning Research Network — a partnership between the School, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and the North Carolina Collaboratory — hosted its third annual convening on June 26 to explore how research can improve education in North Carolina. bit.ly/3IrLQq8

Grateful to @wchlchapelboro.bsky.social and Aaron Keck for inviting me to talk about how to curate a good online information diet and make the most of the Internet. chapelboro.com/the-aaron-ke...

UNC Research recently highlighted #UNC researchers who are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to bolster innovation. One of those researchers is faculty member Ha Nguyen, Ph.D., who focuses on the intersection of education and technology, and how students learn in science classes. ⬇️

We extend our congratulations to Helyne Frederick, Ph.D., program director for the UNC School of Education’s Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) program, on being selected as a recipient of a 2025 Student Undergraduate Teaching Award for the Spring 2025 semester! 🎉

Our faculty members, including Janice Anderson, Ph.D., Dionne Cross Francis, Ph.D., Jill Hamm, Ph.D., and Troy Sadler, Ph.D., are advancing the field of STEM education and reimagining how it is made accessible to all learners. Learn about each researcher: bit.ly/4dvNzGs #UNCResearchisNC

I am very excited to share this new open-access (freely available!) article featuring findings from my qualitative analysis of advice for new stepparents from the the perspective of stepchildren who experienced stepfamily formation during adolescence. doi.org/10.1177/0192...

UNC Research is... Improving Literacy📚 Our faculty members are leading vital conversations and research focused on literacy. Researchers Courtney Hattan, Ph.D., Annemarie Hindman, Ph.D., and Kathryn Leech, Ph.D., are advancing our understanding of how children learn to read. ⬇️

UNC Research is... taking on education’s toughest challenges. We work to solve education's most pressing and persistent problems, to better understand learning, to improve teaching, to redefine what it means to educate lifelong and lifewide. ⬇️ #UNCResearchisNC #UNC

Nothing like graduation day. Proud to be a part of this faculty @uncschoolofed.bsky.social

One of my favorite days of the year—graduation! It was wonderful to celebrate the incredible achievements of our undergraduate and graduate students! @uncschoolofed.bsky.social

Today, on National School Principals’ Day, we recognize and express our gratitude to the leaders making an impact in school communities across the state and nation — fostering environments where students and schools receive the support they need to thrive. #ThankAPrincipal

From April 17–19, our Ed.D. in Educational Leadership with a focus on Organizational Learning and Leadership held its first Immersion Experience, bringing students and community members together for engaging events that fostered connection and collaboration.

Following a national search, Jill V. Hamm, Ph.D., has been named the next dean of the UNC School of Education. She assumes the role effective immediately after serving as interim dean since May 2024. Read more: unc.live/4iAoL15

Faculty News: Recently, Ethan Hutt, Ph.D., co-authored a forthcoming article – “‘Original History’ and the Free Exercise Case for Religious Charter Schools” – which has been included in an amicus brief for St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond. unc.live/3RpfbTF More. ⬇️

Last week, as part of Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week, the School hosted a series of events —from lunch and learn sessions to wellness-focused programming — to celebrate them and recognize their research and contributions to advancing knowledge across education and beyond.

Exciting News: 🎊 UNC School of Education professor emerita Linda Tillman, Ph.D., who served on the School’s faculty from 2004 until her retirement in 2014, has been named a 2025 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Fellow. ➡️ Read more: unc.live/42s6MUF

This week, April 7–11, is Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week. 🎊 We are grateful each day for the dedication and expertise graduate and professional students bring to the School and broader #Carolina community. 🩵

From April 23–27, members of the School's community will present authored and co-authored work during paper and poster sessions at the annual American Educational Research Association (AERA) meeting in Denver — showcasing their research across various fields in education. unc.live/3XDnbE7

Faculty member Ha Nguyen, Ph.D., explores how integrating human-centered insights into AI can encourage students to engage with it in collaborative learning environments and deepen STEM understanding. ➡️ Discover more about her research, GenAI’s impact on education, and what’s next. unc.live/4iVS7rj

Today is #GiveUNC! 🎉 During #UNC's annual day of giving, your gift helps pave the way for initiatives that support future educators, researchers, and leaders across North Carolina and beyond. Learn how you can support the School's community. ➡️ unc.live/3TbZZtb

UNC Research is community-based support for people of varying abilities. Kara Hume, Ph.D., faculty member and Richard “Dick” Coop Faculty Scholar in Education, leads Power Hour, an adaptive fitness class for individuals with intellectual disabilities focused on strength, mobility, and endurance. ⬇️

Last week, we celebrated the induction of students into our chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, the nation’s largest education honor society! 🎉 We’re excited to see how these future educators and leaders will continue to make a positive impact and propel the world forward!

UNC Research is bullying prevention. Education researcher and faculty member Dorothy Espelage. Ph.D. is a pioneering and prolific researcher in the study of school-based bullying. Read more about this research here: endeavors.unc.edu/the-bullying...

📚✨ As part of #ReadAcrossAmericaWeek last week, members of the @‌CCA_UNCCHSchool and the UNC School of Education communities came together to celebrate the power of literacy in helping young learners thrive. Check out a few moments from these engaging reading sessions! 📖

2️⃣ NEW PAPERS❗ Teaching first generation college students the 🧪📖🧑‍💻 Science of Learning to Learn improves their achievement 📝 and retention 🏫 (pic, rdcu.be/ecJ6x) SoL2L predicts ✅ motivation systems with + 🤓🪞self-efficacy, ⚖️ value vs. cost perceptions (open!; www.frontiersin.org/articles/10....)

It's #ReadAcrossAmericaWeek, and teachers and students nationwide are celebrating reading and literacy! 📚 In a recent SELF Magazine feature, faculty member Courtney Hattan, Ph.D., explains that reading for fun is a habit we can rekindle with practice. ➡️ yhoo.it/4kCNZ1d

Congratulations to Elena Ashburn ('12 M.S.A., '18 Ed.D.), who joins Governor Josh Stein's policy team as senior advisor for education policy! 🎉 Ashburn previously served as an area superintendent in the Wake County Public School System, leading 17,000 students across 23 schools. ⬇️

Check out "A Layering of Selves: Bias, Subjectivity, and Paper Dolls," a more #creative and #fun way for #qualitative #students to explore #subjectivity, #positionality, & #bias. FREE access: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... #highered #research #PhDSky #AcademicSky #HigherEdSky #methodology

Exciting News: 🎉Faculty members Jemilia Davis, Ph.D. and Helyne Frederick, Ph.D., have been selected as 2025-26 ELEVATE Fixed-Term Faculty Development Award recipients by the #UNC Office of the Provost! Learn more: »»» unc.live/4jYmVZH

Happy Valentine’s Day! 🩵 Sending love and appreciation to our UNC School of Education community for continuing to make education the “🩵” of everything we do. #PropelTheWorld

Honoring John T. Reynolds this #BlackHistoryMonth ✨ In February 1877, Reynolds, one of two Black legislators from Halifax County, introduced a bill in the North Carolina General Assembly to establish two “normal schools” — one at the UNC-Chapel Hill and one at Shaw University. ⬇️

📚 Meet Dylan Hammonds ('26 B.A.), a double major in HOLD and American Indian and Indigenous Studies. Dylan is exploring leadership theories while building meaningful connections with peers and professors — preparing him for a future in higher education. Learn more: ➡️ bit.ly/4hLdpYF

Indy Ein is on a mission to empower K-12 students to thrive — both in and beyond the classroom. As a student in our School Counseling program and a counselor-in-training, she is learning how to bring students, families, and educators together to support student well-being. 🌟 ➡️ unc.live/3WNv5Ks

Celebrating #NationalSchoolCounselingWeek! 🎉 Candace Campbell ('25 M.Ed.), a first-generation college student from a rural community, is pursuing school counseling to empower and support students' growth and be an advocate for all students. 🩵✨ Learn more: bit.ly/3CLx2jJ