Fouad Abd-El-Khalick named new dean of School of Education
He comes to Carolina from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he was the associate dean for research and research education in the College of Education.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill today announced that Fouad Abd-El-Khalick has been selected as the new dean for the School of Education, one of the oldest professional schools at Carolina. He is currently the associate dean for research and research education in the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).
“We are pleased to welcome Fouad Abd-El-Khalick as the dean of the School of Education,” said Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost James W. Dean Jr. “He brings outstanding global experience as a science education scholar, award-winning teacher and leader of diversified partnerships tackling complex educational issues. We are certain his contributions at UNC-Chapel Hill will greatly enrich the lives of the students, faculty and staff in our School of Education and across campus.”
Abd-El-Khalick has been at UIUC since 2000, where he is the Grayce Wicall Gauthier Professor of Education. He has published extensively in science education and is an award-winning teacher. His research focuses on the teaching and learning about the nature of science in grades K-12, and in preservice and in-service science teacher education settings. He has helped develop and lead partnerships involving UIUC and other universities, local school districts and others to improve the practice of science teaching.
The University appointment, effective July 1, was approved by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Board of Trustees. He succeeds Bill McDiarmid, who served as dean from 2009 to the end of 2015, leading the school as it built new academic programs, increased diversity among its faculty and prepared for a capital campaign. Deborah Eaker-Rich, senior associate dean and chief academic officer for the School of Education, has served as interim dean since January.
“Serving as dean provides a unique opportunity to work alongside a large group of talented and committed faculty, staff, students, alumni and leaders both within the School of Education and across the UNC-Chapel Hill campus and beyond to address issues that are of critical importance to the wellbeing of the state, nation and the globe,” Abd-El-Khalick said.
Abd-El-Khalick grew up in Lebanon, earning a bachelor of science degree in biology, a diploma in teaching secondary science and a Master of Arts in science education from the American University of Beirut. He came to the United States for graduate school, earning a doctorate in science education from Oregon State University in 1998.
After earning his doctorate, Abd-El-Khalick spent two years on the faculty at the American University of Beirut in the Department of Education before joining UIUC.
Abd-El-Khalick serves as co-editor of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching and serves on the executive board of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST).
