Kristen Cuthrell, Ed.D.

Kristen serves as acting chair of Department of Education and Human Development and chair of the Department of Teaching & Learning in the Clemson University College of Education. She is also a Dean's Fellow of Rural Education and Outreach. Previously, Kristen served as director of the East Carolina University (ECU) Rural Education Institute in the College of Education and professor in the ECU’s Department of Elementary Education and Middle Grades Education. Over the last 20 years, Kristen collaborated in approximately $30 million externally funded research and outreach focused on improving and growing community partnerships in rural areas. She served as the acting state director for the North Carolina Rural Education Association, an affiliate of the National Rural Education Association. She established the RSC Southeast Regional Hub and currently serves as the Director for the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) Center for Innovative Rural Collaborative Leadership Education (CIRCLE). Kristen specializes in rural education research-practice partnerships, with a focus on rural cultural wealth, asset-based community development, and leads initiatives that amplify rural voices and assets.

Contact: [email protected]