Faith Rice

Dr. Faith Rice serves as a Professor in the Department of Information, Library, and Research Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), within the School of Education. Her work bridges library science and educational equity, focusing on how information institutions can help close the academic achievement gap through culturally responsive practices.

Dr. Rice's educational journey reflects her interdisciplinary approach:

• Bachelor's degree in poetry from Columbia College Chicago
• Master's in early childhood education
• Dual master's degrees in library science and business from Dominican University
• Ph.D. in information and library science from Dominican University

Her research centers on youth information behavior, with particular emphasis on cultural literacy and epistemic injustice. Dr. Rice investigates how cultural backgrounds influence trust in information sources and institutions, especially among youth from marginalized communities. She advocates for libraries to validate diverse knowledge systems and build collections that reflect their communities. Her work examines the historical relationship between school libraries and public libraries, noting that stronger connections in the 1990s coincided with higher U.S. literacy rates.

Dr. Rice's scientific contributions focus on reimagining library practices to better serve diverse populations and address educational inequities. She emphasizes the importance of listening without judgment and providing resources rather than solutions in library services, stating 'We're not here to fix it. We're here to give them resources so they can fix it on their own.'

As an educator and mentor, Dr. Rice works closely with graduate students, incorporating their field experiences into her research. She believes students are 'at the heart of my research' and values how their perspectives ground her work in practical realities. Her dedication to educational equity stems from personal experience growing up in Chicago's impoverished neighborhoods while excelling academically, which exposed her to educational disparities that continue to drive her research agenda.