Scott Hicks

Scott Hicks is a Professor of English at the University of North Carolina Pembroke (UNCP), affiliated with the Esther G. Maynor Honors College and Graduate School. He specializes in African American literature, environmental literature, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). His work integrates service-learning and sustainability, emphasizing community engagement and pedagogical innovation.

Education: Hicks earned a B.A. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (2000), followed by M.A. (2001) and Ph.D. (2006) degrees in English from Vanderbilt University.

Research Interests:

• African American and environmental literatures
• Sustainability education and curricular design
• Indigenous knowledge systems in higher education
• Service-learning methodologies

His publications explore intersections of race, environment, and pedagogy, including co-editing Narratives of Educating for Sustainability in Unsustainable Environments (2017) and contributing to journals like American Literary History and Environmental Humanities. Recent work focuses on resilience frameworks and decolonizing educational practices.

Awards & Recognition:

• Adolph L. Dial Award for Scholarship/Creative Work (2023)
• American Indian Heritage Center’s Outstanding Allyship Award (2022)
• Elected to the POD Network Core Committee (2024–2027)
• Mellon Foundation Civic Engagement & Voting Rights Teacher Scholar (2024)

Hicks has led UNCP’s Faculty Senate (2014–2016) and Teaching & Learning Center (2017–2024), advocating for faculty development and student-centered initiatives. His work bridges academic rigor with community-driven sustainability goals.