Bryan Hassel ’88 (Chapel Hill, NC) has built a career focused on one of education’s most consequential challenges: ensuring that more students have access to excellent teaching and high-quality schools. A Morehead Scholar, UNC Student Body President, Rhodes Scholar, and Ph.D. graduate in public policy from Harvard University, Hassel has combined rigorous policy research with practical strategies to improve education for students across the country.
As co-founder and co-president of Public Impact, an education policy and management consulting organization established in 1996, Hassel and his wife Emily Ayscue Hassel have helped shape national conversations about school quality, educational opportunity, teacher effectiveness, and school leadership. Their work has bridged research and practice, helping public officials, school systems, nonprofit organizations, and foundations translate ambitious educational goals into actionable reforms.
A defining contribution of his career has been the development and expansion of Opportunity Culture, a national initiative that he co-leads with his wife. The initiative seeks to extend the reach of excellent teachers to more students while creating opportunities for educators to take on expanded leadership roles and earn higher compensation—all within existing school budgets. By rethinking traditional staffing models, the initiative offers schools practical ways to strengthen instruction, develop teaching talent, and make better use of their resources.
Hassel has also made significant contributions to education policy through his work on charter school quality, school choice, school turnaround strategies, teacher and principal effectiveness, and school funding. His scholarship includes The Charter School Challenge: Avoiding the Pitfalls, Fulfilling the Promise and Learning from School Choice, and Picky Parent Guide: Choose Your Child’s School with Confidence. His work has appeared in publications including Education Next and Education Week, extending his influence beyond individual school systems to educators, researchers, and policymakers nationwide. He also served on President George W. Bush’s White House Commission on Excellence in Special Education.
What distinguishes Hassel’s career is his emphasis on connecting ideas with implementation. Rather than treating educational improvement solely as a matter of policy or aspiration, he has worked to develop research-informed approaches that schools can put into practice and sustain financially. His career reflects a commitment to improving how schools organize talent, support educators, and expand access to effective instruction.
Hassel’s achievements also reflect the reach of a Carolina education. From Chapel Hill, his work has helped inform national efforts to rethink how public schools serve students and how education systems can make excellent teaching more widely available. Through research, policy leadership, and practical innovation, he has contributed to an enduring challenge and opportunity in American education: making high-quality learning more accessible to every student.
Bryan Christopher Hassel was a history major and served as Student Body President. He was a member of the Campus Y, Daily Tar Heel staff, Golden Fleece, Honors Program, NC Fellows Program, Order of the Grail, and Order of the Old Well.
Ray Jones ’87 (Winston-Salem, NC), a native of Buies Creek, North Carolina, grew up in a family devoted to education. His father served as a principal and associate superintendent, while his mother taught high school mathematics and physical education. They established a family tradition of service through education that Jones would carry forward in his own career.
After Carolina, Jones spent two years working in social services before earning a master’s degree in education and teaching licensure through Wake Forest University. He began teaching ninth-grade social studies in Sanford before moving on to middle and high school classrooms in Raleigh and Cary. These experiences in rural, inner-city, and suburban schools gave him a broad perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing students and educators. At Leesville Road Middle School, he helped earn regional recognition as the North Carolina Middle School Association’s Team of the Year.
Jones subsequently earned a Ph.D. in social studies education from the University of Virginia, where he continues to teach courses focused primarily on reading and instruction. He also spent six years as director of secondary social studies education at Wake Forest University, preparing future teachers and teaching courses in instructional methods, research, supervision, and reading across academic disciplines.
Throughout his career, Jones has worked to bridge educational research and classroom practice. Since 1993, he has been a nationally certified trainer for Project CRISS (Creating Independence through Student-owned Strategies), a professional development model that helps educators strengthen students’ reading, writing, discussion, and vocabulary skills. Through workshops, seminars, and professional development programs, he has shared comprehension and content-learning strategies with K–12 teachers, school and district administrators, teacher education students, and university faculty from Virginia to California. At the University of Virginia, his well-received graduate continuing education courses in “Reading in the Content Areas” helped educators explore how literacy and comprehension can be strengthened across subject areas. His teaching has also extended to graduate-level social studies methods and educational technology, including a course on the academic uses of the World Wide Web.
Jones’s influence extends beyond his teaching appointments. As an educational consultant since 1993 and senior consultant with High Point University’s Leadership Academy since 2017, he has supported schools and educational leaders in improving instruction, evaluating teaching, and developing effective professional learning. His scholarship and presentations have explored reading comprehension, instructional technology, assessment, classroom observation, and the importance of making student thinking visible. His publications in education journals and contributions to curriculum development reflect a sustained commitment to turning educational ideas into practical improvements in teaching and learning.
Today, Jones continues to share his expertise through consulting, professional presentations, and service to the education community. His career exemplifies the multiplier effect of a dedicated educator: by equipping teachers and educational leaders with stronger strategies and a deeper understanding of learning, he helps extend the benefits of effective teaching to students across generations and communities.
His professional journey also reflects the enduring influence of Carolina. From his undergraduate years at UNC–Chapel Hill to his continued service as a member of the Alpha Sigma of Chi Psi Alumni Advisory Board, Jones has maintained a connection to the university and its community. His career stands as a testament to the value of combining intellectual curiosity, practical experience, and a lifelong commitment to helping others learn and succeed.
Raymond Clifton Jones was a journalism and political science major, lived in Avery Dormitory, and served as Residence Hall Association (RHA) President. He was a member of the Creative Writing Program, Daily Tar Heel staff, Golden Fleece, Honors Program, Journalism Beckman Students, NC Student Legislature, Order of the Grail, Order of the Old Well, and Society of Janus.
Bill McDiarmid ’69 (Chapel Hill, NC) has devoted his career to strengthening teacher preparation, advancing educational research, and building partnerships that connect universities with the schools and communities they serve. A native of Raeford, North Carolina, McDiarmid earned a Ph.D. from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, influenced the field of education around the world, and returned to Carolina in 2009 as dean of the School of Education, bringing decades of experience from universities across the country and a deep commitment to improving educational opportunities.
During his seven years as dean, McDiarmid helped reshape the School of Education through innovative academic programs, faculty development, and expanded partnerships. He introduced new pathways to teacher licensure, established an undergraduate minor in education that quickly achieved its five-year enrollment goals in its third year, and advanced interdisciplinary approaches to educational innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship. He also restructured doctoral programs to strengthen preparation in educational policy, leadership, school improvement, and learning sciences. His leadership expanded the faculty from 49 to 56 members, recruited eight faculty members from underrepresented groups, established five named professorships, and secured a $3.4 million estate gift—the largest single gift in the school’s history at the time.
McDiarmid’s influence extends well beyond Chapel Hill. Before returning to Carolina, he served as a professor at the University of Washington, Michigan State University, and the University of Alaska, where his work included research on Alaska Native education. At Washington, he helped lead the Carnegie-funded Teachers for a New Era initiative, which sought to improve teacher preparation through evidence about teaching and teacher performance. His research has consistently focused on how teachers learn and how educational policies and institutions can better prepare them for the classroom. His contributions earned recognition from the American Educational Research Association.
An enduring theme of McDiarmid’s career has been the importance of collaboration across institutional and national boundaries. At Carolina, he cultivated partnerships with East China Normal University and the Beijing Education Commission, creating opportunities for international graduate education, collaborative research, and professional development for educators. These efforts reflected his conviction that preparing effective teachers requires learning from diverse educational systems and connecting research with practice.
McDiarmid’s career exemplifies the impact one educator can have by combining rigorous scholarship with institutional leadership and a sustained commitment to the teaching profession. From classrooms in North Carolina and Alaska to national teacher-education initiatives and international partnerships, his work has helped strengthen the preparation of educators and broaden the reach of educational research. His return to Carolina as dean—and his continued service on its faculty as Alumni Distinguished Professor of Education—also reflects a lasting commitment to the university that helped shape his own path.
Grover Williamson McDiarmid was an American Studies major. He lived in Morrison and Ruffin Residence Halls and was a member of the School of Education’s Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education (SCALE) Program and the Society of Janus.
Cary Gillenwater ’97 (Amsterdam, Netherlands) has a career in higher education that reflects a commitment to helping educators and students engage more deeply with learning, combining innovative teaching practices, educational research, and mentorship of graduate students. After earning his Ph.D. in education from UNC in 2012, he built an academic career focused on teacher education, curriculum development, and research-informed instruction.
A central theme of Gillenwater’s scholarship is expanding how educators define literacy and engage students. His research has explored the use of graphic novels and other visual texts in advanced English/language arts classrooms, examining how these materials can enrich instruction and challenge the traditional emphasis on print-based reading. His work on visual literacy has contributed to broader conversations about curriculum design, media, and the ways students interpret and construct meaning.
As a faculty member, Gillenwater has advanced to full professor, taking on leadership responsibilities in curriculum and teaching. At National University’s Sanford College of Education in the Netherlands, he teaches graduate-level research courses, chairs doctoral dissertations, and contributes to curriculum development. His work therefore reaches beyond his own classroom, supporting doctoral candidates as they develop their research skills and complete advanced degrees.
His scholarship also addresses the importance of student engagement, supportive learning environments, and educational equity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he contributed to research on academic and social-emotional support for students and presented on fostering connection and efficacy in online education. More recently, his research has turned toward artificial intelligence in higher education, reflecting an ongoing interest in how emerging technologies can shape teaching and learning.
Gillenwater’s career illustrates how a Carolina education can lead to a sustained contribution to the preparation of educators, the mentoring of future scholars, and the evolution of teaching practices. His work connects innovative approaches to literacy with graduate education and curriculum leadership, helping educators consider new ways to engage learners and prepare students for a changing educational landscape.
Cary Dean Gillenwater was a political science and communication studies major. He was active in the Graduate and Professional Student Federation (GPSF) during graduate school.
Jim Phillips ’79 (Greensboro, NC) has built a distinguished career in law and public service since his time at the Lodge, and he has had an impact on education in the state. He earned his law degree magna cum laude from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1984, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Wake Forest Law Review. He subsequently developed a substantial litigation practice at Brooks Pierce, representing businesses, professional firms, educational institutions, individuals, and municipalities in complex disputes.
As a trial lawyer, Phillips has handled cases involving commercial litigation, securities law, intellectual property, professional liability, regulatory matters, and constitutional questions. His work has spanned from securing judgments in contract damages for manufacturers to successfully challenging legislation affecting the authority of public institutions. His experience in constitutional and governmental disputes has been particularly relevant to North Carolina’s public sector, where the allocation of authority among state government, local governments, and public institutions can have far-reaching consequences. His work has earned sustained recognition from legal organizations and publications, including The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, and North Carolina Super Lawyers.
Phillips also has extensive experience in state government. During the 1990s, he served as legislative counsel to North Carolina Governor James B. Hunt Jr., working at the intersection of lawmaking, executive leadership, and public policy. That experience provided a foundation for his later work on constitutional and administrative matters, including cases involving the balance of power between the governor and the General Assembly. He has also represented school systems, municipalities, and other public bodies in disputes over their legal authority, including challenges involving teacher tenure and local governance.
His contributions to higher education are among the most important dimensions of his public service. Phillips served on the University of North Carolina Board of Governors from 1997 to 2009 and chaired the board from 2006 through 2008. In this role, he helped oversee the governance of the UNC System and its public universities, bringing legal expertise, governmental experience, and a commitment to his alma mater to decisions affecting public higher education across North Carolina. His leadership connected the institutional responsibilities of a major public university system with the broader policy and financial environment in which it operates.
Phillips’s engagement with education has continued beyond his UNC System service. He served as a director of the James B. Hunt Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy from 2010 to 2018, contributing to an organization focused on educational leadership and policy, and has served as an at-large member of the Public School Forum of North Carolina since 2017. His earlier service with BEST NC further reflects his involvement in efforts to connect business leadership and education improvement. Together, these roles demonstrate a sustained interest in education as a statewide enterprise, extending from public schools and education policy to the universities that prepare North Carolina’s future leaders.
Phillips’s career offers an example of leadership grounded in a strong connection to Carolina and expressed through service to the state. Although his principal profession has been law rather than academic administration, his work on the UNC Board of Governors and with statewide education organizations has given him a meaningful role in the governance and advancement of public education. His career illustrates how legal expertise, knowledge of state government, and civic leadership can contribute to the institutions that educate North Carolina’s students and support the state’s long-term prosperity.
Jim Watkins Phillips, Jr. was a history major and served as Student Body President. He was a member of the Golden Fleece and Order of the Grail.