Excellence in Social Science: East Tennessee State Professor Terence Hicks Receives Prestigious Virginia Scholar Award

Dr. Terence Hicks has recently been awarded the Virginia Social Science Association Scholar Award for his outstanding work in the field of social science. The award was presented to him during the association’s 97th annual conference on April 20th. As a tenured full professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at East Tennessee State University, Hicks has also served as a dean for the Clemmer College of Education and Human Development.

Hicks is a prolific author with over 100 combined research publications or presentations to his name, and he is well-known for his expertise on first-generation college students. He has presented academic papers both nationally and internationally, and his research interests include college student self-efficacy, STEM research, college retention, school closing and massive resistance, high school to college transition, spirituality among college students, and the psychological well-being of students and administrators in higher education.

In addition to his work at East Tennessee State University, Hicks has also served as a Distinguished Visiting Professor for the Southern Regional Education Board and as a Research Fellow for the National Institutes of Health, National Center of Minority Health and Health Disparities. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s in counseling education from Virginia State University, as well as a Doctorate in Education in educational leadership from Wilmington University and a Ph.D. in counseling and counselor education and higher education from North Carolina State University.