Education

  • Ph.D. 2011 – Texas Tech University, Human Development and Family Studies
  • M.P.H. 2015 – Eastern Kentucky University, Community Health Education
  • M.S. 2008 – Texas Tech University, Human Development and Family Studies
  • B.A. 2006 – Midwestern State University, Psychology

Areas of Expertise

  • Adolescent Development
  • Sexual Health
  • Family Diversity

Background

Dr. Helyne Frederick is currently a faculty member in the UNC School of Education, and directs the undergraduate program in Human Development and Family Science (HDFS). She is passionate about helping students and professionals maximize their skills in providing services for children and families. She previously served as an Associate Professor and Program Director for the Family and Consumer Sciences Program at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She developed an HDFS program for Winthrop and led the program to obtain the Certified Family Life Educator credential from the National Council on Family Relations. Dr. Frederick also directs the HDFS internships at UNC which places students in educational, health, and social services organizations.

Research

Dr. Frederick’s program of research examines both familial and extra-familial factors associated with risky sexual behaviors for adolescents and young adults, particularly black and Caribbean youth. Dr. Frederick uses both qualitative and quantitative methods in her research. More specifically, she conducted qualitative interviews with Grenadian adolescents about their reproductive health and communication with their mothers about sexuality issues. Along with colleagues in the US, she published a manuscript examining Caribbean and American women perception of sexual communication and other health behavior issues with mothers. This study was published in 2018 by Health Care for Women International. Her work also involves use of the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health to examine the interpersonal factors related to risky sexual behaviors and sexually transmitted disease contraction among African-American adolescents and young adults. This project included a longitudinal analysis to examine how the relationship quality and type as well as cognitive processes in early adolescence are associated with risky sexual outcomes and contraction of an STD by young adulthood.She also engages in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL) and examines culturally sensitive pedagogy for teaching Family Life Education and the dynamics of teaching large classes.

  • EDUC 583, Career and Professional Development
  • EDUC 532, Human Development and Learning
  • EDUC 418, Ethics of Care for the Hospitalized Child and Family
  • EDUC 496, Independent Study
  • EDUC 475, Child and Family Health
  • EDUC 698, Internship in Human Development and Family Science
  • EDUC 461I, Exploring Social Determinants of Health Across Populations
  • NURS 461I, Exploring Social Determinants of Health Across Populations
  • EDUC 611, Black Families in Social and Contemporary Contexts
  • EDUC 591
  • EDUC 865, College Teaching Internship
  • EDUC 698, Internship in Human Development and Family Studies
  • EDUC 390, Special Topics in Education
  • EDUC 181, Introduction to Human Development and Family Studies
  • EDUC 593, Internship/Student Teaching

“Fac Engaged Schol – Frederick”, Frederick, H., Lead Principal Investigator; UNC Carolina Center for Public Service, $10,000. (January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2023).

“IAAR SLATE Teaching Fellow”, Frederick, H., Lead Principal Investigator; UNC-CH Institue of African American Research, Student Learning to Advance Truth and Equity (IAAR-SLATE), $1,500. (July 1, 2021 – May 8, 2022).

“Exploring social determinants of health across populations “, Frederick, H., Lead Principal Investigator; Carolina Center for Public Service , $5,000. (June 1, 2019 – December 31, 2021).

“An Exploratory Study of Barriers to Black Women’s Gynecological Health and Healthcare “, Frederick, H., Co-Principal Investigator; The North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences (NC TraCS) Institute at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , $50,000. (December 1, 2019 – February 28, 2021).

“Beyond the Classroom: Health & Disability Across the Lifespan “, Frederick, H., Co-Principal Investigator; UNC-CH – School of Education, $3,000. (June 1, 2019 – November 19, 2019).

“Special Olympics Team Development”, Evarrs, S., Co-Principal Investigator; Frederick, H., Co-Principal Investigator; Diliberto, J., Co-Principal Investigator; UNC-CH – School of Education, $3,000. (June 1, 2019 – November 19, 2019).

  • Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Leaders Network, Multi-Institutional. (December 2025).
  • 2025 Student Undergraduate Teaching and Staff Awards, Chancellor’s Office UNC. (April 2025).
  • Nominated for:School of Education Teaching Award, School of Education. (2022).
  • Faculty Recognition, UNC Athletics. (May 2022).
  • Thorp Engaged Fellow, Univeristy of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (October 2021).
  • Certified Family Life Educator Award-Special Recognition, National Council on Family Relations. (November 14, 2020).
  • The Office of the Provost Engaged Scholarship Award, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (April 2020).
  • Woman of Excellence, Winthrop University. (2017).
  • Outstanding Equality and Safety Educator Award, Women and Gender Studies. (2014).
  • Golden Apple Award in Teaching, Eastern Kentucky University. (2013).
  • Helen Devitt Jones Award for Outstanding Graduate Instructor, Texas Tech University. (2011).
  • Groves Organization on Marriage and Family. (2019 – 2026).
  • National Council on Family Relations. (January 2016 – 2025).

Journal Article

Wade, J. M., Wang, T., Frederick, H., & Parker, S. (2026). The heroines of healthcare model: A framework for use in studies of Black women healthcare workers. Women’s Health, 22. https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057251410325

Tate, M., Butler, L., Haughey, C., Frederick, H., Sheridan, M., & Berman, I. (2025). Who participates in research and why: reducing barriers to diversifying samples in developmental cognitive neuroscience. Developmental Psychobiology, 68(1):e70112.(1). https://doi.org/doi: 10.1002/dev.70112

Frederick, H., Harris, C., & Dunkley, L. (accepted). Parenting Across Borders: Experiences of Black English-Speaking Caribbean Parents Abroad.

Wade, J. M., Frederick, H., & Parker, S. (2025). “She’s Always Made Sure That We Had Black Doctors, Particularly Women Doctors If We Could… and How It Can Sometimes Be the Difference Between Life and Death.” Black College Women’s Reflections On Medical Racism As a Social Determinant of Health. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. Published. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-025-02366-0

Wade, J., Frederick, H., & Parker, S. (accepted). “She’s always made sure that we had Black doctors, particularly women doctors if we could… and how it can sometimes be the difference between life and death.” Black Women’s Reflections on Medical Racism as a Determinant of Sexual Health. Women’s Health.

Parker, S. D., Frederick, H., Wade, J., Dillon, H., & Wiley, B. (2024). Understanding How Black Female College Students Navigated Intimate Relationships During COVID-19 and Mandated Distancing. Journal of Black Sexuality and Relationships, 11(1-2), 67–85. https://doi.org/10.1353/bsr.2024.a953096

Wade, J. M., Frederick, H., Lowe, S., Yarrell, E., Taylor, A., & Parker, S. (2024). Exploring the racial gradient in reproductive health: an examination of challenges to sexual health care faced by black female college students. Ethnicity & Health, 29(2), 199–207. https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2023.2279929

Alderman, J. T., Frederick, H., Maes, K., & Zomorodi, M. (2023). Developing and teaching an interprofessional service-learning undergraduate course for pre-health and human services students. Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice, 33, 100684. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2023.100684

Frederick, H., Wade, J. M., Parker, S., Kirkpatrick, S., & Yarell, E. (2023). Black Women’s Sexual Communication: Retrospective Accounts of Messages from Male and Female Family Members. Journal of Family Communication, 23(3-4), 241–257. https://doi.org/10.1080/15267431.2023.2237489

Frederick, H., Wade, J. M., Parker, S., Dillon, H., Durocher, S., & Wilson, D. (2023). Perspectives on Sexual Socialization from a Sample of Black Heterosexual College Women. Journal of Family Issues. Published. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513×231194284

Wade, J., Frederick, H., Parker, S., Wiley, B., Dillon, H., Wilson, D., & Taylor, K. (2023). A Black Feminist Analysis of Patient Provider Concordance in Sexual Health Care. Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 9(2), 179–194. https://doi.org/10.1177/23326492221134706

Wade, J., Frederick, H., Parker, S., & Dillon, H. (2022). A Black Feminist Examination of Sexual Liberation and sexual stereotypes: Perspectives from Black female college students. Journal of Black Sexuality and Relationships, 9, 19–41. https://doi.org/10.1353/bsr.2022.0011

Frederick, H., & Rodriguez-Vongsavanh, Y. (2022). Pivoting from Face-to-Face Internship to Virtual Internships: Perspectives from Two Certified Family Life Educators. Family Science Review, 26(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.26536/SAQI8392

Frederick, H., Wade, J., Parker, S., & Wade, D. (2021). Understanding Openness to Involvement in Sexual Health Care Research: Narratives from a Sample of Black College Women in the United States. Journal of Sex Research. Published. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2021.1994515

Gore, J., & Frederick, H. (2018). Mother-Daughter Communication and Health: A Cross-Cultural Comparison. Health Care for Women International, 39(9), 994–1007.

Frederick, H. (2016). Teaching about identity and sexuality in a technological era: Promising practices for family and consumer sciences educators. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences Education, 33(2), 37–47.

Fischer, J. L., Zvonkovic, A., Juergens, C., Engler, R., & Frederick, H. (2015). Work, Family, and Well-Being at Midlife: A Person-Centered Approach. Journal of Family Issues, 36(1), 56–86. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X13488370

Frederick, H., Wilson, E., Kirkpatrick, R., & Russon, J. (2014). Sexual Socialization for Grenadian Adolescents: An Exploratory Study. International Journal of Education and Social Science, 5, 1–10.

Fischer, J. L., Frederick, H., Niehuis, S., Sollie, D., Engler Jordan, R., Corwin, M., Herbert, R., SoRelle, D. A., Lutz, A., & Schrick, B. H. (2014). Cross-sectional and longitudinal predictors of well-being: Invariance across 25 years. Journal of Positive Psychology, 9(4), 350–365. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2014.902491

Bell, N. J., Baron, E., Corson, K., Kostina-Ritchey, E., & Frederick, H. (2014). Parent–Adolescent Decision Making: Embracing Dialogical Complexity. Journal of Family Issues, 35(13), 1780–1799. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X13480339

Baron, E., Bell, N. J., Corson, K., Kostina-Ritchey, E., & Frederick, H. (2012). Girls Discuss Choice of an All-Girl Middle School: Narrative Analysis of an Early Adolescent Identity Project. Journal of Early Adolescence, 32(4), 465–488. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431611400312

Marbley, A., Malott, K., Flaherty, & Frederick, H. (2011). Multicultural social-justice in schools: Three issues with a call to action. Special Issue of the Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology,, 3, 59–72.

Book Chapter

Harris, C., Frederick, H., & Dunkley, L. (2025). An Exploration of Self-care Needs and Strategies for Family Life Educators. In Family Life Education: The Practice of Family Science. (2nd ed., p. pp. 371–pp. 377). National Council on Family Relations.

Mills-Koonce, W. R., Bracy, M., Frederick, H., Hall, W., Lippold, M., & Riger, D. (2023). Sexual orientation: LGBTQ adolescent health and well-being. In Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Health. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818872-9.00179-5

Frederick, H., & Polydore, C. (accepted). “I never felt ready for that”: Examining the Experiences and Strategies of Instructors teaching Diversity Courses at a Predominantly White Institution..

Frederick, H., Fischer, J., & Wiersma, J. (2019). Predicting First Sex among African American Adolescents: The role of Gender, Family and Extra Familial Factors. In In Lyness, K., and Fischer, J.L. (Eds). Gender, Sexual Identity, and Families: The Personal Is Political. University of Michigan Press.

Frederick, H., Obasi, S., & Muhamed, C. (2018). Robila, M., and Taylor, A. (Eds). Family Life Education in the Caribbean Islands: Barbados, Grenada, and Trinidad & Tobago. In Robila, M., and Taylor, A. (Eds). Family Life Education around the World (editors Mihaela Robila and Alan Taylor) (p. 28). Springer.

Jensen, J., & Frederick, H. (2016). Using Constructivism to Critique FCS Teachers’ Lessons;. In In Ed. Alexander, K. “Teaching Family and Consumer Sciences in the 21st Century.”. Texas Tech University Press.

Trejos Castillo, E., Frederick, H., & Caldera, Y. (2011). Latina adolescent mothering: Meanings, challenges, and successes. In In D. Smith-Silva & J. Santiago, (Eds.). Latina Mothering. Demeter Press.

Trejos-Castillo, E., & Frederick, H. (2010). Health risking behaviors and peer influence: A study of first and second generation immigrant Hispanic youth. In Hispanics in the southwest: Issues of immigration, education, health, and public policy.. The Bilingual Review/Press, Arizona State University,.

Magazine/Trade Publication

Frederick, H., Wade, J., & Parker, S. (2023, May). When they feel seen: Using qualitative approaches, participant engagement, and collaborative sisterhood to understand Black women’s sexual health and development. Famiy Focus/National Council on Family Relations Report, FF(95), 4–5 and 20.

Frederick, H., Diliberto, J., & Googins, J. (2019, October). Working in Disability Services: Guidelines for Our Students. Certified Family Life Education Perspectives, 32.4.

Frederick, H. (2017, April). Diversity Woven Between Leadership, Scholarship, and Service. The Candle. Phi Upsilon Journal.. Published.

Frederick, H., & Polydore, C. (2016). Teaching Family Diversity: Working with Foreign-Born Instructors. National Council on Family Relations Report, 61, 9–11.

Patrick, C., Gannoe, L., & Frederick, H. (2014). HOT Tips: Critical thinking for Early Childhood. National Council on Family Relations Report, 59, 16–20

Professional

  • External Review for Promotion, Colorado State University. (October 2025 – 2025).
  • External Review for Promotion, University of Florida. (July 2025 – 2025).
  • Reviewer/Referee, Culture, Health, and Sexuality Journal. (2025).
  • Reviewer/Referee, Journal of Black Studies. (2025).
  • Reviewer/Referee, Journal of Clinical Nursing. (2024).
  • Reviewer/Referee, Journal of Ethnicity and Health. (2023 – 2024).
  • Reviewer/Referee, Journal of American College Health. (2023).

University

  • Committee Member, University Faculty Executive Committee. (2025 – 2028).
  • Faculty Council Representative for the SOE. (2022 – 2028).
  • Faculty Fellow-Teaching Evaluation, Center for Faculty Excellence. (2024 – 2027).
  • Mentoring Committee/Faculty Mentoring Circles, Center for Faculty Excellence. (September 2025 – 2026).
  • Consultant, School of Social Work. (2025 – 2026).
  • Advisory Board Member for Health Advising, UNC. (2022 – 2026).
  • Award Reviewer, Faculty Affairs/Provost Awards. (October 2025 – January 2026).
  • Panelist, Carolina Center for Public Service. (2025).
  • Promotion Committee Member, School of Education. (2025).
  • Reviewer, MEITE Program Thesis. (2025).
  • Fixed Term Faculty Promotion Committee, School of Education. (2024 – 2025).
  • Committee Member on Salary Equity Committee, UNC Chapel Hill. (2022 – 2025).
  • Committee Member, Teaching Assistant (TA) Hiring and Workload Committee,, School of Education (Faculty Executive Committee). (January 2020 – 2025).
  • Committee Member, Health Professions Advising. (2024).
  • Peer Reviewer. (2024).
  • Presenter, School of Education Board of Visitors. (2024 – March 2024).
  • Chair, Search Committee for Director of Recruitment. (February 2024 – August 2024).
  • Advisory Board Member, Center for Faculty Excellence. (September 2021 – June 2024).
  • Promotion Committee Member. (2023).
  • Summer Orientation, UNC. (2022 – 2023).
  • Director of Interprofessional Education and Practice, University of North Carolina. (2021 – 2023).
  • Mentor. (August 2021 – 2022).
  • Search Committee Member: Center for Faculty Excellence. (June 2022 – August 2022).
  • External Reviewer for Division of Speech and Hearing Science, UNC. (April 2022 – June 2022).
  • Committee Member, HOLD Program Director (2020–2021). (2021).
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