Meet Jill V. Hamm, the University’s newest dean
In this Q&A, Hamm talks about her Carolina journey and where she sees the UNC School of Education going next.
Since being named dean of the UNC School of Education in April, Jill V. Hamm has presided over her first graduation ceremony and started progress on her vision for the school, which includes advancing a process to update the school’s strategic framework.
During her interim tenure and in her first months as dean, Hamm has also continued to build collaborative relationships within the School of Education and with schools and units across the Carolina campus to strengthen community partnerships, advance teaching and research, and increase engagement and development efforts.
Hamm, William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education, has served as a faculty member in applied developmental science at Carolina since 1999. Before becoming dean of the School, Hamm was the inaugural associate dean for research and faculty development (2017-24). In that role, she led in the development and implementation of the school’s strategic plan and helped grow the school’s annual research expenditures from $6.2 million in 2016 to $25 million in 2024 — greatly expanding the school’s ability to serve people and communities in North Carolina and beyond.
In the following Q&A, she talks about her Carolina journey and where she sees the school going next.
What brought you to Carolina in 1999?
Jill Hamm’s original OneCard from 1999. (Submitted)
I came to UNC-Chapel Hill, first and foremost, because of its status as an R1 university. Carolina has a vibrant community of scholars who are collaborative and collegial, and they’re all focused on the greater good — of North Carolina, the nation and the world. As a young scholar starting a career as a developmental and educational psychologist, I was excited to join the School of Education because I knew I would have great colleagues.
Before I accepted the offer, I visited an area classroom with two future colleagues, Carol Malloy, a math educator, and Judith Meece, a fellow educational psychologist. The three of us observed a high school math classroom in Durham and talked about how we interpreted different classroom events, like the teacher’s instruction and students’ engagement with the teacher and each other. I was so excited by that conversation, and after other meetings with faculty, I decided Carolina was for me. In fact, that conversation with Carol and Judith formed the basis of a National Science Foundation grant the three of us received in 2001 to study middle school math classrooms and student achievement from instructional, motivational and social lenses.
What’s kept you here?
I’ve stayed at Carolina because the school continued to provide great opportunities for research collaborations with faculty colleagues and fantastic students.
As a faculty member, I’ve taught exceptional students in both our teacher education and doctoral programs. As an administrator, I’ve had opportunities to work with colleagues who are equal parts visionary and hardworking.
From leadership to faculty to staff to students, so many people have worked very hard to make this the school that it is today. I want to continue that upward trajectory.
What does your vision for the school look like?
Jill Hamm addresses graduates and families at the UNC School of Education’s graduation ceremony May 10, 2025. (Submitted photo)
For years, we’ve recognized the importance of emergent technologies, and now those include GenAI. Another area in which we have really great potential is in putting research into practice. I want to remove barriers to bring our research findings to help schools across North Carolina and beyond.
Our work at Carolina Community Academy and in Person County is one great example of how a public R1 university can and should serve a community. I want us to continue to learn from our lab school and share those lessons with our university peers and with school districts.
