Greyson Norcross ’20MED, ’24PHD: ‘My Biggest Hope is to Revolutionize How We Think About Leadership’
Greyson Norcross’ is fascinated by how leadership intersects with the arts, and his dissertation explored the experiences of senior leaders in higher education who have backgrounds in music.
After he graduates with his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development with a concentration in adult and lifelong eEducation, he is looking forward to engaging in new avenues for research in leadership and creativity.
Meet Greyson
Hometown: Willow Street, Pennsylvania
Activities (Research or Extracurricular):
At NC State, I have worked at the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research since the fall of 2018. It has been a distinct honor to work there under [W. Dallas Herring Professor in the NC State College of Education and Executive Director of the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research] Audrey Jaeger throughout my graduate studies. Much of my graduate studies fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, so I was not heavily involved in on-campus extracurriculars, but I am an active member of the Triangle Curling Club and greatly enjoy running and roller-skiing in my free time.
Why did you choose the NC State College of Education?
I was drawn to the College of Education because of the caliber of faculty I would be able to work with. I am fortunate to have been able to work with Dr. Audrey Jaeger from when I first started my master’s degree in higher education administration up through the completion of my doctoral dissertation. The college also had a great reputation, and I knew several individuals who were attending or had graduated from the college while I was completing my grad school applications. I also really liked the location of NC State in Raleigh and its proximity to the beach and the mountains.
Why did you choose your concentration?
I often describe myself as a professional seeker of wonder in the world. Many of my own passions for learning did not develop until well into adulthood. For me, adult and lifelong education represents the epitome of being a lifelong learner. I wanted to be in a space that helps make learning accessible to everyone and helps to foster an excitement and passion in learning new things, especially among those who struggled to enjoy learning in their prior schooling.
What do you eventually hope to accomplish in your field?
My biggest hope is to revolutionize how we think about leadership. My research explores how leadership intersects with the arts and creativity and how leaders who have experience or backgrounds in music and other creative arts can embed creativity and innovation in their leadership. I want to shed light on the unique skills of these people and open up pathways for people from these backgrounds to enter into leadership positions.
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the College of Education?
Many of my favorite memories come from interactions with my fellow classmates. Because my classmates came from a variety of professional and functional areas, I was able to learn so much from them and understand what adult learning looks like in numerous different settings.
Tell us about an experience you had with the College of Education that had the biggest impact on you or your career.
I think that an experience that had the biggest impact on me came when I was first introduced to the Cyma Rubin Visualization Gallery at D. H. Hill Library as part of my visual qualitative research course with [Associate Professor of Literacy Education] Angela Wiseman. I had never encountered visual research methods prior to this course, and I had certainly never come across presenting research using a 360-degree perspective. This experience was profoundly influential in how I thought about and communicated research. Because of this, I did my dissertation defense in the Cyma Rubin Visualization Gallery and was able to incorporate stunning visuals and music in ways that allowed attendees to be immersed and connected to the research.
Why did you choose education?
In many ways, I feel that education chose me. My career in education began with the College Advising Corps (CAC) in Pennsylvania. I served as a college adviser for two years before transitioning to a leadership role within CAC. My experience in CAC was profoundly influential in shaping my interests in education. After my time in getting students into college, I wanted to shift into helping to ensure that students had the supports and structure needed to help them complete their education.
What are your research interests? What inspired those interests?
My dissertation is titled “Creating an Ensemble: The Influence of a Musical Background on Leadership Among Senior Leaders in Higher Education,” and it explored the experiences of senior leaders in higher education who have backgrounds in music. This research highlighted that these musical leaders developed a unique set of skills through their musical performance that then helped them be more effective as leaders in higher education through greater inclusion of creativity and innovation. This research stems from my own background as a musician, music educator and my work in higher education. I have been playing the trombone since I was in fourth grade and for many years taught various musical ensembles (e.g., concert band, jazz band, marching band). This research was the perfect connection between my passions and interests in music, education and leadership development.
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