Dr. Kelly A. Clark is an assistant professor of special education. She currently leads both special education sections of the RCOE Mathematics Clinic. She was also a part of the Chancellor’s Innovation Project that started the RCOE Mathematics clinic in 2021. Additionally, she is the program director for the special education leadership graduate certificate program.
She was a first-generation college student and has 8 years of experience as a special education teacher for children with mild, moderate and severe intellectual disabilities, multiple disabilities, autism, learning disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders. These experiences created the foundation for her advocacy and support for special education teacher preparation and education. She is certified in both general and adapted curriculum for special education, middle school mathematics. Additionally, she holds curriculum and instruction and principal licenses in North Carolina. Her Ph.D. in special education focused on improving transition planning, support, and services for students with disabilities as they transition to life after high school with a special emphasis on preparing them for employment.
She is a member of the Council for Exception Children (CEC), Teacher Education Division (TED), Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT) and Division for Autism and Development Disabilities (DADD). She serves as the Membership chair for the board of the North Carolina Council for Exceptional Children (NC CEC, and president of NC TASH. Additionally, she serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Case Learning for Exceptional Learners (JCLEL).
She has been recognized for her work, receiving the college’s Outstanding Scholarship/Creative Achievement Award in 2024. She recently received a Department of Labor grant serving as the Co-PI for Rural Equity for Special Education (RESE): Developing and Supporting Career Pathways in Special Education in Rural Appalachia.
Dr. Clark earned her B.S. at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; M.S.A. at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
She enjoys reading, listening to music, hiking, and chasing around her two children.
Title: Assistant Professor, Special Education
Department: Department of Child Development, Literacy, and Special Education
Email address: Email me
Phone: (828) 262-6055
Office address
325 ECollege of Education Building