Rudy Hawley is a PhD student in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, specializing in the Curriculum and Educator Development strand. His doctoral research is supported by over twenty years of diverse experience in the K-12 music classroom, with a career-long commitment to serving students in Title I and lower socio-economic communities.

Rudy’s background includes teaching elementary general music, middle school band, orchestra, and choir, as well as high school band. He holds a B.S. in Music Education (Western Carolina University), an M.Ed. in School Leadership (University of San Diego), and an M.M. in Music Education (UNC Greensboro). Beyond the classroom, Rudy has been a key contributor to state-level policy as a member of the NCDPI Standards Writing Team and the Standards Resource Team, where he creates unpacking documents and leads professional development sessions for music educators and administrators statewide.