Charles J. Hardy

Dr. Hardy has served in the roles of Professor and Academic Leader for over 40 years at three different R1 and R2 state institutions. He was the Founding Dean of the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) at the University of North Carolina Wilmington from 2011-2022. Currently he serves as a Professor of Public Health in the School of Health and Applied Human Sciences in the CHHS at UNCW where he is involved in teaching, research, service, mentoring and special projects.

Prior to serving as the Founding Dean of CHHS at UNCW, Dr. Hardy served as professor and founding dean of the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health (JPHCOPH) at Georgia Southern University from 2006-11. During his tenure at Georgia Southern, he also served as the dean of the Jack N. Averitt College of graduate studies from 2002-05, associate dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences during 2001-02 and as the chair of the Department of Health and Kinesiology from 1994-2001. He began his academic career at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), where he was a postdoctoral researcher and tenured associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science from 1983-94.

Education

B.S. Health and Physical Education, East Carolina University
M.S. Kinesiology (Motor Behavior) University of Tennessee
Ph.D. Kinesiology (Psychological Sciences), Louisiana State University
Post Doctoral Fellowship, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Specialization in Teaching

Public Health, Psychological Sciences in Kinesiology, Research Methods, and Statistics

Research Interests

Dr. Hardy's research has focused on the role of social influence processes in health and human performance. He has published and presented his research and work at regional, national, and international outlets. In 2023, he, along with R. Kelly Crace and Robert L. Crace, published a book entitled Authentic Excellence for Organizations: Creating Flourishing “&” Cultures with Routledge/Taylor and Francis Group.

Professional Service

Dr. Hardy served as the Founding Dean of the College of Health and Human Services. He retired from his administrative role in June 2022. In addition to his role as Founding Dean of the College of Health and Human Services, Dr. Hardy was appointed as the Lead Facilitator for UNCW's COVID Planning Task Force, guiding the development of a comprehensive action plan to ensure the health and safety of students, faculty and staff through a collaborative and community health approach. From July 2022 to August 2023 Dr. Hardy undertook various projects under the direction of the Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost focusing on development of University/Community plan to positively impact the healthcare workforce in Southeastern North Carolina and onboarding strategies/programs for newly hired administrators. Currently Dr. Hardy serves as a mentor for University Administrators and faculty in the School of Health and Applied Human Sciences.

Community Engagement

As the Founding Dean of the CHHS, he was invited to serve on the Board of Directors for Cape Fear HealthNet, MedNorth (New Hanover County Community Health Center), ElderHaus, Inc., WellCare and United Way of the Cape Fear Area. In 2016, he was selected for membership in the NC Institute of Medicine. Hardy has also served as an affiliated professor in the Office of Applied Public Health at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University. Currently Dr. Hardy serves community organizations in the areas of leadership and health and human services.

Honors & Awards

In 1989, he received the Edgar W. Hooks Jr. Young Professional Award from the North Carolina Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and in 2009, he received the Distinguished Educator/Researcher of the year award from the Georgia Rural Health Association. In 2019 he received the Health Care Hero Lifetime Achievement Award from the Great Wilmington Business Journal and in 2024 he received the Leaders in Service Award – Public Sector from the Wilmington Rotary Club. He served as the 7th President of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology from 1992-1993.