Harriett Edwards

Harriett Edwards, Ed.D., is an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences at North Carolina State University. She leads volunteerism initiatives in the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, engaging over 40,000 youth and adult volunteers annually. Her research focuses on volunteer management in community-based programs and military family support. She holds a unique first-of-its-kind dissertation on episodic volunteer engagement and was inducted into the Academy of Outstanding Faculty in Extension and Engagement in 2008.

Education includes a BA in English Communications from Campbell University, an MPA in Public Administration and Human Resources from NC State University, and an EdD in Adult and Community College Education from NC State University. She teaches graduate courses in volunteer management and has served as adjunct faculty at UNC Greensboro.

Research interests include volunteer development, military-connected youth programs, and community engagement. She has secured over $14 million in grants supporting military families and youth, including the 4-H Military Partnership and Project Youth Extension Service (YES). Her work emphasizes resiliency training for military children and professional development for volunteers globally.

Highlighted grants include the $692,598 4-H/Navy Partnership project and $2.8M Project YES initiative. She serves as the Extension Military Liaison and collaborates with the Department of Defense and nonprofits to address military family needs.