The PhD in Education Program is individualized, interdisciplinary, and experiential. Students may opt to specialize in literacy(ies), culture, and reading (LCR) or incorporate coursework within a self-defined interdisciplinary program of study.
Have questions? Attend an information session or contact the specialization representative, Seth Parsons.
About the Specialization
Faculty in the Literacy(ies), Culture, and Reading Specialization have research interests spanning teachers’ beliefs, literacy coaching, teacher education, professional development, adolescent literacy best practices, social equity through science education, adaptive teaching, digitally supported reading and writing, urban teacher education, social justice education, elementary students and fiction reading, and coding literacy. They have served as president of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers, led international literacy education boards, published dozens of articles and books, served as educational consultants at school systems at home and overseas, garnered numerous awards for literacy learning research, and been awarded millions in research grants from the National Department of Education.
The Literacy(ies), Culture, and Reading specialization prepares scholars for careers in research and teaching at colleges and universities as well as roles in public policy and school leadership.
What Will You Learn?
The specialization features coursework and applied internships that enable you to learn:
- Theory and research in reading and literacy across the developmental spectrum
- Foundational knowledge about literacy teaching and learning at all levels
- Research methodologies to address a variety of literacy topics
- Specialized knowledge in literacy related to your area of interest
Our Graduates
Jayne Sherman, PhD 2022
- Dissertation Title: Examining the Writing Conference in Supporting the Written Personal Narratives of First-Grade Students
- Dissertation Chair: Dr. Julie Kidd
- Employment on Graduation: First-grade Teacher, Prince Williams County Public Schools
Michelle Lague, PhD 2022
- Dissertation Title: Hybrid Identities Under Construction: Outcomes of a Collaborative University-Based Course Revision Project
- Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kristien Zenkov
- Employment on Graduation: Instructional Designer, George Washington University
Amanda Ayers, PhD 2022
- Dissertation Title: Virginia Elementary Teachers and Writing Instruction: A Descriptive Study
- Dissertation Chair: Dr. Seth Parsons
- Employment on Graduation: Reading Specialist, Spotsylvania County Public Schools
Matthew Korona, PhD 2022
- Dissertation Title: Disciplinary Media Literacy: A Multiple Case Study Examining a Media Literacy Online Professional Development for High School Teachers
- Dissertation Chair: Dr. Amy Hutchison
- Employment on Graduation: Technology Instructional Facilitator, Loudoun County Public Schools
Madelyn Stephens, PhD 2022
- Dissertation Title: Literacy Instruction of English Language Arts Teachers Whose Teacher Education Program Focused Heavily on New Literacies Perspectives and Pedagogies
- Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kristien Zenkov
- Employment on Graduation: English Techer, Robinson Secondary School
Patricia Salerno, PhD 2021
- Dissertation Title: When Educators Design their own Professional Development: A Yearlong Case Study of High School Teachers' Peer Observations
- Dissertation Chair: Dr. Seth Parsons
- Employment on Graduation: Instructional Coach, Paul VI High School
Vilma LePelch, PhD 2021
- Dissertation Title: Sharing Cultural Knowledge Through Intercultural Competence: A Collective Case Study of Exemplary Content Area Teachers Working with Latina Immigrant Youth in Grades 9-12
- Dissertation Chair: Dr. Seth Parsons
- Award: 2022 Outstanding Dissertation Award: Research in Reading Special Interest Group of AERA
- Employment on Graduation: English as a Second Language Teacher, Manassas Public Schools
Zahra Alhuwairini, PhD 2020
- Dissertation Title: Mainstream Teachers’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Professional Development Programs in Meeting the Academic and Literacy Needs of Adolescent English Language Learners
- Dissertation Chair: Dr. William Brozo
Ellen Clark, PhD 2020
- Dissertation Title: The Interactions between Anti-Refugee Rhetoric, Monolingual Language Ideologies, and Refugee Literacy in the United States and Australia: A Comparative Case Study
- Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kristien Zenkov
- Employment on Graduation: Teacher, Alexandria City Public Schools
Jennifer Lindenauer, PhD 2020
- Dissertation Title: An Exploration of How First Grade Children from Diverse Linguistic and Cultural Backgrounds Use Play to Construct Literacy Learning in One Elementary School
- Dissertation Chair: Dr. William Brozo
- Employment on Graduation: Divisional Vice President, Local + Inclusion Marketing, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI)
Michael Richardson, PhD 2020
- Dissertation Title: The Crescent and the Dynamo: The Cultural and Linguistic Attitudes of Muslims in the Washington Metropolitan Area
- Dissertation Chair: Dr. Kristien Zenkov
- Employment on Graduation: Researcher, Peace & Education Foundation
Fahima Choudhry, PhD 2019
- Dissertation Title: Choosing a Road Less Travelled: Portrayals of Social Studies Teachers Integrating Inquiry-Based Instruction
- Dissertation Chair: Dr. Rebecca Fox
Jan Ainger, PhD 2018
- Dissertation Title: Exemplary Teachers of Reading: Their Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and Their Collaboration
- Dissertation Chair: Dr. Seth Parsons
- Employment on Graduation: IES-Funded Post-Doctoral Research Assistant at the University of Kentucky
Joanna Newton, PhD 2018
- Dissertation Title: Teachers’ Experiences with Professional Development and a Morphological Approach to Vocabulary Instruction
- Dissertation Chairs: Dr. Elizabeth Sturtevant & Dr. Seth Parsons
- Employment on Graduation: Assistant Professor, Notre Dame of Maryland University