About

Rita Hagevik is the program director for the Master of Science and the Masters of Arts in Teaching in Secondary Science Education at UNCP. She is a professor in the Biology Department and has been at UNCP since 2011. She completed her degrees at North Carolina State University with a PhD in Science Education and Forestry. She holds a North Carolina teaching license for grades K-12, a graduate certificate in Geographic Information Systems, academically gifted certification and is a NC certified Environmental Educator. Her research interests include environmental education and sustainability, preservice teacher education and teacher support systems. Her scholarship investigates sustainable gardens and preparing and supporting teachers to use geotechnology tools to teach the next sustainably literate society. She and her husband have two grown daughters, and she enjoys spending time doing just about anything in the out of doors. In fact, she is currently the P/I on the Kids in the Garden grant at the UNCP Campus Garden & Apiary, and co/PI on an NSF S-STEM grant called COMPASS II.