Sarah Carrier, a professor of science education in NC State’s College of Education, has been named a 2021-2022 University Faculty Scholar.
This program recognizes outstanding early- and mid-career faculty members for their significant academic achievements and contributions to NC State and the greater community. University Faculty Scholars carry the title for the duration of their faculty appointment at NC State.
“I am honored for this recognition of my contributions at NC State. I am grateful to both our wonderful students and to my colleagues, whose hard work and connections inspire me every day,” said Carrier.
Carrier joined NC State in 2007 and helped launch the College of Education’s STEM-focused elementary education undergraduate program—the only one of its kind in North Carolina and one of the few in the nation. She also helped build the graduate programs in elementary education in mathematics and science, and serves as the graduate program coordinator of elementary education in the Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences.
In 2020, she received the NC State Alumni Association Distinguished Graduate Professorship Award, which recognizes outstanding graduate-level teaching at NC State.
Her research focuses on environmental education and science instruction in outdoor learning settings to contribute to elementary students’ environmental science knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. She also studies ways to help pre-service and practicing teachers expand their identities as science educators and support their communication of science content and practices with children.
Carrier’s most recent grant-funded work,“Supporting Elementary Teacher Learning for Effective School-Based Citizen Science (TL4CS),” is providing teachers with professional development and curricular support as they implement citizen science projects that allow students to learn science content while participating in authentic data collection in the outdoors. She also served as the co-principal investigator on the “Bringing a Sense of Awe to Your Science Instruction” project with Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor of Science Education Gail Jones, which explores educators’ experiences to inform the design of future science instruction.
In addition, Carrier has served as a co-principal investigator for Project ATOMS, which examined the impact of the College of Education’s unique STEM-focused elementary education program on teacher outcomes, and worked with College of Education Assistant Professor of Literacy Education Jill Grifenhagen to study pre-service elementary teachers’ developing use of academic language in science instruction.
Carrier earned her master’s and Ph.D. in science education from the University of Florida. Before joining NC State, she was an assistant professor at Auburn University.
College of Education’s University Faculty Scholars
2021-22
- Sarah Carrier
2020-21
- Temple Walkowiak
2019-20
- Anna Egalite
- DeLeon Gray
2018-19
- Joy Gaston Gayles
- Margareta Thomson
2017-18
- Soonye Park
2016-17
- Margaret Blanchard
- Audrey Jaeger
2015-16
- Karen Hollebrands
2014-15
- Eric Wiebe
2013-14
- Hollylynne Lee
- Alyssa Rockenbach
2012-13
- Jessica DeCuir-Gunby
- Bonnie Fusarelli
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