Dr. Whitney Mccoy

Biography

Whitney N. McCoy is a Research Scientist at the Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, where her work focuses on community engagement in educational environments to enhance student engagement, well-being, and academic success. Her research interests lie in STEM education, educator development, and implementing research-driven strategies to improve K-12 learning experiences. She employs advanced qualitative mixed-methods approaches to examine educational experiences, facilitates structured focus groups, and provides research consultation around study design and data collection. Additionally, her work investigates how educational environments impact student well-being and achievement, especially within engineering technology education. With a sound background in teaching K-6 in Mecklenburg and Guilford Counties, McCoy specializes in curriculum development and innovative student learning strategies. She earned her Ph.D. in Teacher Education and Learning Science from North Carolina State University and has received accolades such as the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and the Outstanding Dissertation of the Year award. McCoy is also involved in collaborative community efforts to promote technological innovation through mentorship and hands-on experiences.

Research Interests