Erica Powell Wrencher

Erica Powell Wrencher is a community-engaged Black mama-scholar and Assistant Director in the Office of Community Engagement at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro (UNCG). With a PhD in Educational Studies and Cultural Foundations, she focuses on creating spaces for reconstituting individuals in their place and purpose through collaborative partnerships.

In her role, Erica oversees Communications, the Referral Desk, and the Collaboratory, while co-managing the P2 Collective Scholarship Fellows Program. She emphasizes nurturing a culture of care within academic-community partnerships and believes in the transformative power of human connection in collective action.

Her research centers on democratic pedagogies, community-engaged scholarship, and cultural interventions in education. Recent publications explore youth co-research, Black feminist praxis in educational spaces, and alignment between faculty values and institutional identities.

Erica’s current work involves advancing community engagement frameworks at UNCG, fostering continuity and innovation in institutional practices through collaborative research initiatives.