Kendall Deas

(He, Him, His )

2

Articles

0

Comments

Dr. Kendall Deas is an Assistant Professor of Education Policy, Law, and Politics with the Department of African American Studies in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences at the University of South Carolina. He is a faculty affiliate with the Institute for Rural Education and Development and the Center for Civil Rights History and Research at the University of South Carolina. He serves on the Internal Faculty Advisory Board and is a Faculty Affiliate for the South Carolina Center for American Civic Leadership and Public Discourse at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Deas was a Fulbright Scholar to Finland where he earned a Diploma in International Trade Law at Turku International University's School of Law and has an academic background in education policy, law, politics, economic development, and international relations. His current research focuses upon policy models to improve public education in the U.S. and in the future conducting comparative studies between the American PK-12 public education system and the challenges it faces and education systems in other nations. Dr. Deas is key personnel (Civic Engagement Coordinator) for a major grant with the U.S. Department of Education ($2.3 million) to enhance civic engagement education in PK-12 education. His grant project, "America: A Story That Must Not Be Forgotten" supports 40 middle and high school social science teachers from Sumter and Darlington County School Districts in South Carolina in developing curriculum and teaching resources to improve civic engagement education in their classrooms and encourages students to embrace their civic duties and to become more civically engaged U.S. citizens. Dr. Deas along with Dr. Ken Vogler and Dr. Susan Scharm-Pate from USC's College of Education were awarded a second federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education ($2.2 million) to fund the project "Our Founding Principles: Preparing Educators for America's Semiquincentennial and Beyond" to aid 40 educators from 7 school districts across the state of South Carolina in effectively teaching middle and high school students about our nation's founding documents. He is a 2025 Scholars Strategy Network ESTP Fellow. As an ESTP Fellow, he was one of 15 scholars selected nationally for the 2025 national cohort of the Scholars Strategy Network's Education Scholar's Training Program. Scholars are nominated and selected for a one-year fellowship supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the Bezos Family Foundation based upon academic excellence and the potential societal impact of their research in education policy. In June 2026, he was one of 6 scholars selected nationally for the coveted Education Law Association-Education Law Scholars Early Career Fellowship for mentorship by leading senior scholars in his field of education policy and law. Dr. Deas has received numerous awards and local, state, and national recognition for his leadership, advocacy, and service in support of greater investment in traditional public education. He was a recipient of the University of South Carolina's 2023 MLK Social Justice Award and The South Carolina Education Association's 2025 Outstanding Public Service Award for his research and advocacy in the state of South Carolina and leadership as a co-founder and Director of the Quality Education Project in support of public education. For his receipt of this state award in education, Dr Deas received a formal commendation from the South Carolina House of Representatives through a nomination from the Speaker of the House, Murrell Smith and a Special Certificate of Congressional Recognition from the U.S. Congress by a nomination from U.S. Congressman Ralph Norman (5th District-SC). He is contributing to his field nationally as Editor-In-Chief for the Journal of Educational Foundations (JEF).

Experience

  • 2024–present
    Assistant Professor , University of South Carolina
  • 2021–2024
    Postdoctoral Fellow, University of South Carolina

Education

  • 2013 
    University of Georgia , Ph.D; Education Policy
  • 2009 
    Georgia Institute of Technology , MSPP; Public Policy
  • 2007 
    Washington University in St. Louis , M.A.; Political Science
  • 1993 
    Dartmouth College , M.A.; Globalization Studies
  • 1989 
    Georgetown University , BSFS; International Politics

Publications

  • 2025
    Is There Room for Me at the Table? Seeking a Sense of Belonging in the Academy , Belonging in Higher Education: Perspectives and Lessons from Diverse Faculty-Book Chapter
  • 2025
    Something Inside So Strong: How the Historic Freedom School Program Can Sustain Liberatory Praxis in Today's Schools , Public Policy and Administration Review
  • 2025
    Journal of Educational Foundations , Editor-In-Chief
  • 2024
    Sociopolitical, Socioeconomic, and Historical Contexts of Curriculum Policy , American International Journal of Social Science
  • 2024
    The School Voucher Illusion: Exposing the Pretense of Equity , Teachers College Record, Columbia University (Sage Journals)-Book Review
  • 2023
    Freedom Papers: A Collection of Literary Works on Race and Nation, Preliminary Edition , Cognella Academic Publishing (San Diego, CA)
  • 2022
    Legal Implications of Race-Based School Funding Policies to Close Racial Achievement Gaps in Education , Journal of Education and Social Policy
  • 2022
    EPSCOR: State Science and Technology-Based Economic Development Policies and the Role of Higher Education Institutions, International Journal of Humanities and Social Science
  • 2018
    High-Performing Teachers, Student Achievement, and Equality as an Outcome of Educational Supervision , The Wiley Handbook of Educational Supervision-Book Chapter
  • 2018
    Evaluating Common Core: Are Uniform Standards a Silver Bullet for Education Reform?, Journal of Educational Foundations
  • 2005
    Distributional Effects of Triple Helix Strategies at State Level in the U.S. , Science and Public Policy

Grants and Contracts

  • 2023
    America: A Story That Must Not Be Forgotten
    Role:
    Civic Engagement Coordinator (Key Personnel)
    Funding Source:
    U.S. Department of Education
  • 2023
    Mellon Civic Engagement and Voting Rights Teacher Scholars
    Role:
    Teacher Scholar (Key Personnel)
    Funding Source:
    Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
  • 2022
    Mentoring for Math Proficiency-M4MP
    Role:
    Principal Investigator
    Funding Source:
    University of South Carolina ASPIRE -I Innovation Grant

Professional Memberships

  • American Education Research Association-AERA
  • Education Law Association-ELA
  • Association for the Study of Higher Education-ASHE
  • Quality Education Project-Co-Founder and Director
  • Black Faculty Caucus-Member-at-Large, University of South Carolina
  • Vice President of the University of South Carolina's Postdoctoral Association
  • Treasurer of the University of South Carolina's Postdoctoral Association

Honours

Fulbright Scholar; Turku International University School of Law; (Finland-1993), University of South Carolina's 2023 MLK Social Justice Award, The South Carolina Education Association's 2025 Outstanding Public Service Award (Public Education Advocacy-Director of the Quality Education Project)

Contact Kendall for

  • General
  • Media request
  • Speaking request
  • Consulting / Advising
  • Research collaboration
  • Research supervision