Our vision: Shared strengths, Shared success

Across our school districts, universities, and educational organizations, talented professionals dedicate their careers to public education, leveraging their skills, expertise, and passion to transform lives through learning. How can we move our educational systems to new levels of impact and success for our learners and communities? The Institute for Partnerships in Education invites us to answer this question together — better understanding our systems, working successfully within them, asking hard questions about their design, and evolving them to ensure we provide high-quality educational experiences for each and every learner.

In 2020, UNC Greensboro established the Institute for Partnerships in Education in the School of Education to cultivate long-term partnerships between the university and education-related agencies across North Carolina and beyond. Since then, IPiE and its partners have:

  • Provided tutoring for over 850 K-12 students in the Piedmont Triad
  • Supported over 40 of educators in pursuing a professional or advanced license 
  • Connected 200 educators with faculty expertise for professional learning opportunities
  • Established and strengthened partnerships with 6 regional school districts 
  • Developed 7 new programs and engaged in 10 new projects with our partners 

GET TO KNOW US

The Institute for Partnerships in Education Team - Dr. Faith Freeman, Dr. Megan Martin, Dr. Jennifer Lingle, Dr. Holt Wilson, Emilie Vandiver, Carrie Burch, Elise Robertson

(Chris English / Tigermoth Creative)
The Institute for Partnerships in Education Team – Dr. Faith Freeman, Dr. Megan Martin, Dr. Jennifer Lingle, Dr. Holt Wilson, Emilie Vandiver, Carrie Burch, Elise Robertson

(Chris English / Tigermoth Creative)

Dr. Faith Freeman 

Co-Director

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Dr. Faith Freeman serves as Co-Director of the Institute for Partnerships in Education. Formerly Guilford County Schools’ Director of STEM and head of the Tutoring Program, Freeman has worked as an academic coach, professional development director, and high school science teacher. She holds a B.S. in Chemistry and Biology, an M.S. in Science Education, and a Ph.D. in STEM Education from UNC Greensboro. She is passionate about equity in STEM education and ensuring all students can access instructional resources.


Dr. Holt Wilson

Co-Director

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Dr. Holt Wilson, Professor of Mathematics Education in the Department of Teacher Education and Higher Education, is Co-Director for the Institute for Partnerships in Education. Wilson supports faculty in creating or growing existing partnerships and works to expand experiential learning opportunities for graduate students. A lifelong North Carolinian with over 20 years of experience in public education, Wilson was a high school math teacher before returning to graduate school and joining the UNC Greensboro School of Education faculty in 2010. He received his B.S. in Mathematics and M.A.Ed. in Mathematics Education from East Carolina University and his Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from NC State. His research focuses on understanding how teachers learn and use evidence from research in their teaching and how to design professional learning opportunities that support them in this learning.


Dr. Megan Martin

Senior Coordinator

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As Senior Coordinator for the Institute for Partnerships in Education, Dr. Megan Martin is committed to authentic and meaningful partnership work to serve districts and communities. Before beginning graduate school at UNC Greensboro, Martin was a middle and high school math teacher. Though most of her experience is in grades 6-12, she has also worked in K-12 mathematics classrooms, partnered with teachers and districts on professional development projects, and coached residency license teachers. Martin received her B.S. in Mathematics with a minor in Education from UNC Charlotte, an M.A.Ed. in Gifted Education from Elon University, and a Ph.D. in Teacher Education focusing on Mathematics from UNC Greensboro.


Elise Robertson

Program Coordinator

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Elise Robertson serves as Project Coordinator of the Institute for Partnerships in Education. Formerly Guilford County Schools’ Program Coordinator of the Tutoring Program, Robertson has worked as an academic coach and a K-12 educator. She holds a B.A. in Elementary Education and an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction. Robertson’s work is rooted in the belief that positive educational experiences are foundational to success. 


Dr. Jennifer Haddad Lingle 

Academic Coach

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After 20 years in North Carolina public schools as a teacher, curriculum facilitator, and district level coach, Dr. Haddad Lingle returned to graduate school to get her PhD in Educational Studies. While working on that degree, she was a part-time lecturer and supervised preservice teacher candidates during all stages of their field placements. As Academic Coach for IPiE, Dr. Haddad Lingle is excited to work with educators and education-related agencies around Licensure Pathways, Dual-Enrollment Projects, and the Microcourses Program. Her research interests include teacher education, fostering creative classroom spaces, and supporting teacher-leaders as mixed methodologists.

A proud Spartan, Dr. Haddad Lingle received her BA in Classical Studies, an MEd in Curriculum & Instruction: Middle Grades Mathematics, and a PhD in Educational Studies, concentrating in Teacher Education and Development while minoring in Educational Research Methodologies from UNC Greensboro.


Emilie Vandiver

Project Manager

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Project Manager Emilie Vandiver works with the Institute for Partnerships in Education because of the organization’s innovative approaches to meeting educational needs locally and beyond. She joined UNC Greensboro after serving as a graduate apprentice in the Office of the President at Elon University. Emilie received her M.A. in Higher Education from Elon University and a B.S. in Business Management from Babson College.


Carrie Burch

Project Manager

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After getting her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Indiana University, Carrie spent 15 years working her way through customer service, purchasing, procurement, and eventually operations management.  While her son was struggling with completing his high school math courses, she decided to change careers and become a middle grades math teacher.  Carrie completed her Master of Education degree from UNCG and spent 13 years teaching middle school math.  Carrie hopes to make a difference on a larger scale through partnership programs in IPiE. 


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