Diana B. Lys

Diana B. Lys serves as Assistant Dean for Educator Preparation and Accreditation and Clinical Associate Professor at the UNC School of Education. She co-founded Pathway to Practice North Carolina. Her roles involve leading accreditation efforts, program assessment, and educator preparation initiatives. She holds Ed.D., M.A.T., and B.A. degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill in Curriculum & Instruction, Secondary Social Studies, and Geography respectively.

Education Background:

• Ed.D. 2007 – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Curriculum & Instruction)
• M.A.T. 1997 – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Secondary Social Studies)
• B.A. 1994 – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Geography)

Research Focus: Teacher performance assessment, program accreditation, and linking educator preparation to student outcomes. She has published in Journal of Teacher Education and Teaching and Teacher Education, with a focus on edTPA implementation and educator collaboration strategies.

Professional Contributions: 8 years as a middle school teacher in rural NC, followed by roles at East Carolina University including Director of Assessment and Accreditation. Current initiatives include DREAM and BEST programs aimed at diversifying and strengthening educator pipelines.

Labs/Teams: Co-founder of Pathway to Practice NC, a collaborative initiative to support educator preparation programs. Involved in the DREAM and BEST programs focused on mentorship and science education.