2025 North Carolina Council for the Social Studies Conference

Tarra Ellis is a National Board Certified Teacher with almost 30 years of experience in diverse K-12 and higher education classrooms. She holds a B.A. in Middle Grades Education (UNC Chapel Hill), an M.Ed. in Middle and Secondary Education, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Urban Education (UNC Charlotte). Tarra’s research interests include educational equity, culturally responsive education, and experiential learning. She has edited and co-authored the textbook Exploring Diversity in Education with Cognella Academic Publishing. She has been awarded grants to investigate experiential learning with urban middle school students in Costa Rica and also using virtual reality kits with undergraduate students. She has been an invited TEDxUNC speaker, conference presenter, and professional development facilitator on the topics of educational equity, culturally relevant teaching, faith practices in schools, and edTPA. Tarra is a past President and current Board member of the North Carolina Association for Research in Education (NCARE). She is currently the Interim Dean of the Thayer School of Education, Associate Professor, History and Education Program Coordinator, and edTPA Coordinator at Wingate University.