Karen Spector

Dr. Karen Spector

Associate Professor, Secondary Education Language Arts and Secondary Program Coordinator


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Karen Spector

EDUCATION

Ed.D.Literacy EducationUniversity of Cincinnati
M.Ed.English EducationUniversity of Florida
B.A.EnglishUniversity of Florida

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AWARDS AND HONORS

YearAward
2017Language Arts Distinguished Article of the Year Award, a NCTE Journal
2020PhD student won Excellence in Dissertation Research Award, Elizabeth Anne Murray
2021Excellence in Academic Advising Award, University of Alabama, Office of Academic Affairs
2024Planning Committee, Elizabeth St. Pierre Lecture Series
Fall 2024Visiting Scholar, Mary Frances Early College of Education, University of Georgia Will be working with Dr. Elizabeth St. Pierre in post qualitative inquiry.

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AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Making Sense with Literature and Life

Feminist Poststructural Theory

Critical Posthumanisms

Feminist New Materialisms

Post Qualitative Research

Transformative Education


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CURRENT RESEARCH AND GRANT PROJECTS

  • Racial and Gender Literacies in the Time of Educational Gag Orders
  • How Hope Operates in Adolescent Literature and Life
  • Rhizomatic Mapping Across Multiple Methods
  • Mapping Joy, Wellbeing, and Generosity in Educational Sites

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HIGHLIGHTED PUBLICATIONS

Spector, K., Chisholm, J., & Whitmore, K. (2024). Learning and teaching with literature and the arts for social justice. Routledge.  

Spector, K., & Murray, E. A. (2023). Reading with love: The potential of critical posthuman reading practices in preservice English education. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 22(4), 482-514. DOI 10.1108/ETPC-05-2022-0074

Kuby, C., Spector, K., Thiel, J. (Eds.). (2019). Posthumanism and Literacy Research: Knowing/Becoming/Doing Literacies. Expanding Literacies Series. Routledge.