The Shirley T. Frye Distinguished Professorship in Urban Teacher Education
A&T Honors Naming of Shirley T. Frye distinguished professorship in Urban Education
(Funded by the Spangler Foundation)
The N.C. A&T School of Education was awarded a $500,000 endowment to establish a Distinguished Professorship in Urban Teacher Education named after Shirley T. Frye, eminent alumnus and advocate for equity and excellence in education. This professorship is funded by the C. D. Spangler Foundation through its Challenge Grants program for the University of North Carolina System. The School of Education received a $250,000 challenge grant from the Spangler Foundation and a $250,000 match from the UNC Distinguished Professorship Endowment Trust Fund to support this distinguished professorship.
Shirley Taylor Frye, born and raised in Fremont NC, graduated valedictorian of Friendship High School. She received a Bachelor of Science degree with high honors in English and Education from A&T. She later earned a Master of Science degree with honors in Psychology and Special Education from Syracuse University.
Frye is the recipient of over 25 honors and awards, including the 1985 Governor’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award, 2003 WFMY-TV Community Champion Award, 2005 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Bennett College, 2006 American Judicature Society (AJS) National Justice Award, 2006 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from UNC-Greensboro, and the 2008 Greensboro Partnership Distinguished Citizen Award.
Frye started her professional career in Greensboro as a public school teacher and briefly taught at Bennett College. She has had a distinguished career as an administrator in the public and private sectors including A&T and WFMY-TV. She has an exemplary record of community service with over 100 local, state, and national organizations.
The A&T School of Education is committed to preparing professionals who will affirm school success for students from culturally diverse backgrounds--inclusive of racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, gender, language, religious, and regional differences. The Shirley T. Frye Distinguished Professorship in Urban Teacher Education will enable the School of Education to recruit and retain exemplary faculty who are able to not only model this commitment for undergraduate and graduate students, but also challenge them to become catalysts for learning and leading.
The Shirley Frye Distinguished Urban Teacher Education Professor will have an illustrious record of scholarship, a commitment to teaching, and demonstrated evidence of the ability to forge partnerships between the School of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, regional urban school systems, and the wider Piedmont-Triad community; partnerships that focus on the preparation and continuing professional development of teachers, administrators, and school counselors in order to close the learning gap in P-12 schools.