Language and Literacy Studies
Program Coordinators
Tracey Flores and Melissa Wetzel
Program Advisors
Ph.D.: Denise Dávila
Master's: Melissa Wetzel
Language and Literacy Studies are called many things—English, Language Arts, Reading, Literacy—and its complexity and significance is increasing more than ever in the 21st century. Our faculty and students contribute to the ways literacy education is changing in digital environments within an increasingly diverse communication landscape.
Our master’s and Ph.D. programs focus on educational research in the ways children learn and re-learn how to read and compose in an evolving world. This includes an increase in the number of genres, media, cultures, and languages within a community. Our programs give educators the opportunity to think deeply about teaching and learning in diverse classrooms and communities. We provide students with theoretically sound, research-based ways of growing their knowledge of Language and Literacy Education. Students in our program go on to become certified teachers, professors, and policy influencers for education.
Faculty
 Adam CrawleyAssistant ProfessorResearches the inclusion and censorship of LGBTQ+ representation in elementary contexts, particularly via literacy and literature. |
 Denise DavilaAssistant ProfessorStudies children’s literature and researches the home literacy practices of families with young children in under-resourced communities. |
 Tracey FloresAssistant ProfessorInterests include family literacy, specifically family writing and practices for Latina mothers and daughters, as a springboard for advocacy and empowerment of families and teachers. |
 Deborah KeltAssistant Professor of PracticeBrings her experience in literacy education to UT with a specialization in preparing secondary teachers to work in urban schools. |
 Grace MyHyun KimAssistant ProfessorStudies literacy, language, and multicultural education, especially involving new media and globalization. |
 Beth MalochProfessorCatherine Mae Parker Centennial Professor in Education Examines literacy teacher preparation, specifically the role of coaching and mentoring that occurs inside programs. |
 Allison SkerrettProfessorFocuses on secondary English and literacy education in urban contexts, including among transnational youth. |
 Melissa WetzelProfessorFocuses on how preservice teachers integrate critical literacy and culturally relevant practices into field-based literacy teaching. |
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