​Dr. Carolyn Bird is a Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences at North
Carolina State University. Her scholarship includes academic instruction, applied research, and
the development of train-the-trainer programming for non-formal education settings. She is a
member of the Graduate Studies Committee and the Ph.D. Program Development work group.
Dr. Bird’s research focuses on leadership in educational settings and families embedded in
communities. Her examination of university leadership focuses on academic department chair
strategies, behaviors, and techniques in relation to the faculty experience in the department. A
study of K-5 public schools seeks to understand leadership actions that enhance equitable
learning environments for African American students. She is the state PI for the multi-state
research project Rural Families Speak About Health (NC-1171), a national longitudinal research
project investigating connections between family health, economic well-being, and the
community in which they reside.

Dr. Bird’s honors include serving as the NC State Chair of the Faculty, selection for the Provost
Faculty Fellows program, Partner Status for the Institute for Emerging Issues’ ReCONNECT NC
Steering Committee and induction into the NC State Community Engaged Faculty Fellows. Her
national leadership positions include service on Extension Committee on Organization and
Policy’s (ECOP) Health in All Policies workgroup, the Executive Board of eXtension’s
Financial Security for All Community of Practice, and the Certification and Ethics Committee of
the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education. In addition, she has served on
numerous university, college, and departmental committees.

Dr. Bird’s international collaborations include cross-cultural studies with colleagues in Turkey.
Her invited talks include keynotes for the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning
Education and at the First International Congress of the Family and Consumer Sciences, Belek-
Antalya, Turkey. Her awards include the Dean Don Felker Financial Management National
Award; the Dean Don Felker Financial Management Regional Award; and the Outstanding
Extension Program Team Award.