Sharon Slear

Sharon Slear is a Professor at Notre Dame of Maryland University's School of Education, where she has served since 1988. As the founding Dean of the School of Education established in 2012, she developed graduate programs, the Ph.D. in Instructional Leadership for Changing Populations, and led national accreditation (CAEP) for education programs, making Notre Dame the first private Maryland university to achieve this recognition.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Educational Administration, Boston College
• M.A. in Chemistry, Villanova University
• B.A. in Pre-Medicine, College of Notre Dame

Her research focuses on Educational Leadership, Learning Theory, and Change Theory, emphasizing leadership development, teacher efficacy, and stress management in educational settings. Her work bridges leadership studies with psychological resilience in teaching environments.

Recent publications highlight trends in educational leadership models, teacher effectiveness, and mental health in education. These works explore principal leadership behaviors, spiritual leadership frameworks, and stress-emotional intelligence interplay in teacher resiliency.

Scientific Awards:

• Maryland’s Top 100 Women (three-time honoree)
• Maryland Circle of Excellence (2009)
• NCEA Educator of the Year (2009)
• President's Medal from Notre Dame of Maryland University (2012)

Sharon Slear has mentored numerous students, including Josh Park M ’10, the Maryland Teacher of the Year. Her career spans teaching across all university divisions and supervising student teachers in secondary internships. She has no mentioned grants but has significantly shaped educational policy through program development and accreditation leadership.