Sarah Deal

Director of Research, Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research
Affiliate Graduate Faculty
Education Leadership, Policy and Human Development
706 Hillsborough St.
sarah_deal@ncsu.eduBio
Sarah A. Deal, Ph.D. is the Director of Research at the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research. In this role, she provides vision and leadership for the research, evaluation, and survey functions in the Belk Center. Working alongside the team, she works to develop research that supports North Carolina community college students, faculty and staff. Sarah also serves as the primary research liaison to the Belk Center’s many partner organizations, as well as other statewide and national collaborative partners. Sarah served as a Belk Center Research Affiliate from 2019-2024, where she focused on projects related to her dissertation. Since 2009, she has worked within a diverse cross-section of postsecondary institutions, including roles at the UNC-Chapel Hill, Central Carolina Community College, and the North Carolina Community College System. Most recently, she served as Managing Director with DVP-PRAXIS LTD. Sarah earned her bachelor’s degree from SUNY at Buffalo, her master’s degree from Ohio State University, and her Ph.D. in Educational Policy Leadership and Human Development from NC State University.
Education
Ph.D. Education Leadership, Policy and Human Development North Carolina State University 2020
MA Higher Education and Student Affairs The Ohio State University 2009
BA Communication State University of New York at Buffalo 2007
Publications
- Applied Associate of Science Degrees: Pathways for Workforce and Transfer , (2025)
- Innovative Approaches for Connecting Community College Research and Practice , Council for the Study of Community Colleges (2025)
- Leading Innovation at Rural Community Colleges , Council for the Study of Community Colleges (2025)
- Building Momentum Toward Degree Attainment through Contextualized English Courses , (2024)
- Data-Informed Community College Teaching and Learning Hubs in North Carolina , A Toolkit for Mid-Career Academics (2024)
- PACE Climate Survey for Community Colleges: 2019-2024 Data Trends , (2024)
- Responding to Community Needs through “Be Great in 8:” A Case Study for Communities of Practice , (2024)
- Addressing food insecurity on campus: An implementation guide for Arkansas community colleges , (2023)
- Addressing food insecurity on campus: Connecting students with sustained basic needs supports to improve academic outcomes , (2023)
- Assessing the Role of Spatial Inequality in Transfer Student Success , Community College Review (2023)