Christopher Terrazas is a Ph.D. student in the Language and Literacy Studies (LLS) program at The University of Texas at Austin, where he works as a graduate student research assistant for Dr. Allison Skerrett, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. In addition to his academic work, Christopher serves as a graduate student board member, host, and producer for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Special Interest Group (SIG) 137: Writing and Literacies, Inquiring Minds podcast. He is committed to fostering engaging conversations and sharing knowledge in the field of writing and literacy. With a diverse background in education, Christopher has held various roles, including graduate research assistant, assistant instructor, teaching assistant, and field supervisor for teacher candidates in the College of Educations professional development sequence. From 2018 to 2021, he taught middle school Language Arts, further strengthening his expertise in educational practice. A proud native of San Antonio, Texas, Christopher earned both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Texas at San Antonio. His work is driven by a dedication to advancing literacy education through research, teaching, and community engagement.
His research explores how multimodal composition, specifically fictional narrative video texts, can support identity development and academic growth among adolescents from historically marginalized communities, with a focus on how educators can leverage students' interests and cultural identities to enhance literacy practices and foster meaningful engagement in the classroom.
Graduate Student Board Member, Writing and Literacies SIG 137, American Educational Research Association(2023)
Commitee Member, Language and Literacy Studies Doctoral Seminar Planning Commitee, The University of Texas at Austin(2022 - 2023)
Graduate Student Facilitator, Daring Dialogues, The University of Texas at Austin(2022 - 2023)
Sanchez, L., Terrazas, C. & Marek, M. (2024). Pedagogical practices revised: The science of reading and culturally sustaining early literacy.
Texas Association For Literacy Education Yearbook: The Heart of Literacy Connects Us All,
11(2374-0590), 48–55.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1452337.pdf.
Harmon, J., Martinez, M., Juarez, L., Wood, K. & Terrazas, C. (2019). An investigation of middle school classroom libraries.
Reading Psychology,
40(7), 583–611.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02702711.2019.1635240. doi:10.1080/02702711.2019.1635240.
Texas New Scholars Recruitment Fellowship, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, The University of Texas at Austin (2022)
Graduate School Recruitment Fellowship, Graduate School of Education, The University of Texas at Austin (2021 - 2022)
P20 Pathways to Education Research Training Program, The University of Texas at San Antonio (2017 - 2018)
Writing in school: Discursive accounts of student identities in composing a spooky literacies magazine, Heart of Texas Writing Project, Austin, Texas (2025)
Historical perspectives on Silence in the classroom culture, American Association for Applied Linguistics, Houston, Texas (2024)
(Un)silencing our conocimientos: Reflections from Latinx bodies becoming professores in a Texas institution, National Council of Teachers of English Assembly for Research, Austin, Texas (2024)
Writing in school: Discursive accounts of student identities in composing a spooky literacies magazine, Literacy Research Association, Atlanta, GA (2024)
Historical uses of speech and silence for persuasive writing and reading: A Vygotskian view, Texas Association for Literacy Education, Houston, Texas (2023)
Exploring fiction writing in a writing contest, The University of Texas at San Antonio Research Colloquium, San Antonio, Texas (2023)
Preservice teachers and the development of adaptive instructional practices: An emergent process, American Educational Research Association, Chicago, Illinois (2023)
Locating student voice: Self-regulation during revision for the construction of argumentative text, TEXAS Education START (Supporting Thriving and Advancing Resiliency in Teaching), Austin, Texas (2023)
Familial and community connections: Centering stories, storytelling, and the storyteller in classrooms and research, National Council of Teachers of English Conference, Columbus, Ohio (2023)
Diversifying the teaching workforce: The promise of fostering paraprofessionals to teacher career ladders, American Educational Research Association, San Diego, California (2022)
Fostering inclusion in education sciences: Developing talented researchers in diverse communities, Research Institute of Scholars of Equity, Durham, North Carolina (2022)
Illuminating socio-cultural needs for aspiring teachers and NAEP test takers: The promise of empathy maps, National Assessment of Educational Progress Summer Pre-Doctoral Research Experience, Princeton, New Jersey (2021)
Automated detection of crisis papers, National Assessment of Educational Progress Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, Princeton, New Jersey (2018)
Promoting a community of readers through classroom libraries, National Council of Teachers of English, Houston, Texas (2018)
An investigation of middle school classroom libraries, Stanford Graduate School of Education, Palo Alto, California (2018)
