Hancock Joins College of Education as Shirley T. Frye Distinguished Professor

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Feb. 19, 2024) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University announced Stephen D. Hancock, Ph.D., has joined the College of Education faculty as the Shirley T. Frye Distinguished Professor of Urban Teacher Education.

Hancock will lead the new Center of Excellence for Educational Equity Research (CEEER), focusing on conducting research aimed at promoting educational equity.

“Dr. Hancock brings significant knowledge of systemic barriers to education. His knowledge in contextual and qualitative methods will help to expand our capabilities to conduct applied research in educational equity,” said Tonya Smith-Jackson, provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. “The CEEER promises to be a global leader in advancing systems-level changes to facilitate educational equity for all.”

Frye, a community leader and civil rights champion, is a N.C. A&T alumna of the College of Education and former vice chancellor for development and university relations at her alma mater. Her husband, Henry E. Frye, is an A&T alumnus who was the first African American chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.

As Shirley T. Frye Distinguished Professor, Hancock will play a critical role in advancing research, policy, and practice aimed at ensuring all students have access to high-quality educational opportunities regardless of their background or circumstances.

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Hancock join the College of Education. His vision and framework for CEEER will advance the College of Education’s mission to be leader in equity, access, and advocacy in our research, teaching, and community engagement and outreach,” said Paula Groves Price, College of Education dean.

Hancock served as an international visiting lecturer at the Pedagogische Hocshule in Ludwigsburg, Germany and Maynooth University in Ireland. He also is an invited lecturer at the University College London in England and the African Leadership Institute in Accra, Ghana.

In 2015, Hancock published his first book, Autoethnography as a Lighthouse: Illuminating Race, Research, and the Politics of Schooling. Additionally, he serves as director of the International Conference on Urban Education.

A Virginia native, Hancock received a B.A. in English and M.A. in teaching from Virginia Commonwealth University and Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction, with a concentration in early childhood education and multicultural studies, from The Ohio State University.