About

Dr. Karen Granger is an Associate Professor in the Department of Specialized Educational Programs, bringing over 25 years of experience in education across K-12 and higher education settings in North Carolina and Georgia. Since joining UNC Pembroke's faculty in 2004, she has held pivotal roles including Director of the North Carolina Teaching Fellows Program, Program Coordinator for the AIG Add-on Licensure Program, and Regional Director of the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program. Prior to her tenure at UNC Pembroke, Dr. Granger taught elementary and middle grades art and worked as a museum educator at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art and Georgia Museum of Art.

Dr. Granger holds a bachelor’s degree from Converse College, a master’s degree from the University of Georgia, and completed her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Her primary research interests encompass beginning teacher induction, alternative pathways to teacher education, and initiatives related to recruitment, preparation, and retention of educators, contributing at state and national levels in these fields.

Actively engaged in university governance, Dr. Granger serves on the Faculty Senate and participates in university-wide committees, including the Council for Educator Preparation Programs (CEPP). Currently, she co-chairs the Conceptual Framework Taskforce for the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program and teaches various courses within the professional core, Elementary Education, and AIG Programs.

Outside academia, Dr. Granger resides in Lumberton with her husband, two children, and their dog, Bama.