Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, the dean of the UNC School of Education since 2016, will leave the position this summer to assume the role of Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, effective July 1.

“The past eight years at Carolina and the School of Education have been a highlight of my career,” Abd-El-Khalick said. “We have achieved much as a community of faculty, students, staff and alumni – in partnership with leaders at Carolina and in school districts and with our state officials – to better serve learners and educators in our rural and urban communities across North Carolina and beyond.”

Abd-El-Khalick also served as a Professor of Science and Education at UNC and, since 2022, an Alumni Distinguished Professor at the school. He served several appointments within the state government during his time in Chapel Hill, including serving on the advisory council for the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program from 2020 to 2022 and as a member of Governor Roy Cooper’s Commission on Access to Sound, Basic Education from 2017 to 2021.

Before coming to Chapel Hill, Abd-El-Khalick served on the faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for 16 years and earned his Ph.D. from Oregon State University.

“I am grateful for all the support and kindness that the Carolina community and the state have shown our family over these years,” Abd-El-Khalick said. “We will always have a special place in our hearts and minds for the people and place that is Carolina.”

 

Featured image via UNC

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Jill Hamm Named Dean of UNC School of Education
Jill Hamm, who has been serving as the interim dean of the UNC School of Education since last May, was named the school’s permanent dean Friday by chancellor Lee Roberts and provost Chris Clemens. “During her interim tenure, Jill has been an exceptional leader,” read an email to the UNC community from Roberts and Clemens, […]
UNC Selected to Host 2023 World Anti-Bullying Forum
UNC will host the 2023 World Anti-Bullying Forum, in the first time the event has been hosted outside of Europe. The forum will take place from October 25 through October 27. The forum will be led by Dr. Dorothy Espelage, a faculty member and William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education within the UNC School […]
Focus Carolina: Jeffrey Greene
Tune in to Focus Carolina during morning, noon and evening drive times and on the weekends to hear stories from faculty members at UNC and find out what ignites their passion for their work. Focus Carolina is an exclusive program on 97.9 The Hill WCHL, sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Jeffrey […]
Higher Education, Part VIII: Funding
UNC's education dean says higher education needs more state funding. Can we achieve this by improving our understanding of what college is?
UNC Men's Basketball vs. East Carolina (2025): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Tip-Off Time
UNC is back in action Monday night when it hosts East Carolina at the Smith Center. It will be the Pirates’ first visit to Chapel Hill since 2014. If you aren’t attending the game in person, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule Those hoping to listen on the radio can do […]
UNC Men's Basketball Survives Ohio State Rally, Outlasts Buckeyes at CBS Sports Classic
A Henri Veesaar dunk gave UNC the lead with seven seconds left and Ohio State missed a potential game-winning three-pointer as the Tar Heels beat the Buckeyes 71-70 at the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta Saturday. HEELS WIN.#CarolinaFamily | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/2CRCwRCeZB — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) December 20, 2025 Seth Trimble provided the assist to Veesaar […]
Injured UNC Star Seth Trimble Will Return Saturday vs. Ohio State
Injured UNC star Seth Trimble will return to action when the Tar Heels face Ohio State at the CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta this weekend. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reported Trimble “is expected to be in the starting lineup.” After Inside Carolina and Field of 68 both reported Trimble would return, the UNC program confirmed […]
Chansky's Notebook: Make More Memories
The 12th CBS Sports Classic is Saturday afternoon with UNC playing the right opponent in the right city: Ohio State in Atlanta.
College Football's Transfer Portal Opens Jan. 2. Which Tar Heels Are Planning to Enter?
The college football transfer portal will open Friday, Jan. 2 and close at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16. It will be the only transfer portal window of the year for college football, as the NCAA moved to eliminate the spring transfer window earlier this year. Players do not have to have committed to and […]
On Air Today: The Danger of Ultra-Processed Foods - and How to Combat It
UNC's Barry Popkin joins Aaron to discuss the health impacts of "ultra-processed foods" and what policymakers should be doing about it.
›