Deborah Eaker-Rich

Deborah Eaker-Rich serves as Clinical Professor in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in 1974, Master of Education in 1986, and Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology of Education and Social Foundations of Education in 1990, all from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her doctoral dissertation, titled 'Becoming a Different Kind of Person, Making a Different Kind of World: Race, Class and Gender in the Schooling and Career Experiences of Twelve Academic Women,' reflects early interests in social dimensions of education.

Eaker-Rich has held prominent leadership roles within the School of Education, including Senior Associate Dean, Chief Academic Officer, Director of Graduate Studies, and Interim Dean from 2015 to 2017, when she transitioned back to faculty duties. Her research specializations encompass the experiences and success factors of first-generation college students, professional orientations and career commitments of prospective teachers, caring practices in socially unequal school environments, and ethnographic approaches to educational evaluation. Key publications include 'The Activities, Roles, and Relationships of Successful First-Generation College Students' (2017, Journal of College Student Development, with C. Demetriou, J. Meece, and C. Powell; 373 citations), the co-edited book 'Caring in an Unjust World: Negotiating Borders and Barriers in Schools' (1996, SUNY Press, with J.A. Van Galen; 110 citations), 'Calling, Service, and Legitimacy: Professional Orientations and Career Commitment Among Prospective Teachers' (1992, Journal of Research & Development in Education, with R.C. Serow and J. Ciechalski; 140 citations), 'Reconnect and Recharge: Plugging New Teachers into Support Outlets' (2018, Action in Teacher Education, with H. Able et al.; 26 citations), and collaborations with G.W. Noblit on 'Evaluation Designs as Political Strategies' (1987 and 1999). Her scholarship has contributed to understandings of teacher preparation, support networks for educators, and equity issues in higher education and schooling, influencing academic discourse through highly cited works and practical applications in teacher education programs.

Professional Email: eakerric@email.unc.edu