Primed To Lead | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: The author of this post, Crystal Baity, is a contributor to ECU News Services.

New dean, distinguished professor named to ECU College of Education

    Dr. Grant Hayes has been named dean and distinguished professor of the College of Education at East Carolina University.

    Hayes is professor of counselor education and interim dean of the College of Education and Human Performance at the University of Central Florida, where he has held numerous leadership positions since 1998.

    He will join ECU, a longtime leader in preparing classroom teachers and education professionals, on July 30.

    Hayes' appointment follows a rigorous national search, said Dr. Ron Mitchelson, ECU provost.

    "Our outgoing dean, Linda Patriarca, has laid a strong foundation of innovation and creativity that Dr. Hayes will build upon," Mitchelson said. "Dr. Hayes brings a wide range of leadership experiences with him. He is primed to lead our college and will solidify our standing as the UNC leader in teacher preparation."

    Before joining the faculty at UCF, Hayes served in the Department of Psychology at James Madison University in Virginia. His experience as a professor, K-12 teacher and administrator spans more than 27 years.

    "I am extremely pleased to be joining East Carolina University," Hayes said. "The extraordinary professionalism of the faculty and staff throughout the university and its College of Education is well known to me and the entire community of higher education, and I look forward to being part of the East Carolina University family."

    Hayes has published extensively in the areas of technological applications in counselor education, counseling children and adolescents, and character education/moral development in schools and youth settings. He has lectured and presented at numerous national and international conferences, seminars, educational meetings and professional development events.

    Hayes is a fellow of the American Counseling Association and a member of the board of directors of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. He previously served on the board of examiners for the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, the executive advisory board of directors of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate, and the board of directors for the Association of Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling, where he received the Meritorious Service Award. He is a past president of the Counseling Association for Humanistic Education and Development and recipient of the association's Humanistic Processes Award.

    Hayes earned his doctoral, master's and educational specialist degrees from the University of South Carolina, and his bachelor's degree from Limestone College.