.国产短视频

国产短视频

College of Education

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Alexandra Panos headshot photo.

Dr. Alexandra Panos Receives the 国产短视频Outstanding Research Achievement Award

Dr. Alexandra Panos, an assistant professor of literacy studies at the 国产短视频College of Education, has been awarded the 国产短视频Outstanding Research Achievement Award for her contributions to the field of literacy, addressing transdisciplinary challenges such as climate change, school equity, and placemaking. Out of the 27 faculty members selected for this honor, Panos was one of only two assistant professors to win, a testament to her talent, dedication, and the impact of her work. 

Panos' research agenda centers on providing learners with opportunities to explore texts related to the climate crisis. It also examines the interplay between teachers' and children's connections to place, the environment, and educational policy, and how these factors influence the conception and implementation of literacy teaching for addressing climate issues. In 2023, her contributions to this agenda resulted in the publication of four high-impact, peer-reviewed journal articles, two book chapters, three invited presentations, one international presentation, seven national presentations, and participation in one state conference.

Her 2023 publications feature journal articles in the , , and , including co-authorship with community partners and practicing educators. These works highlight her influence extending beyond educational research circles, reaching literacy scholars and educators alike. She has also contributed to one of the most esteemed book publishers, Routledge, which featured her chapters on teaching climate change and fostering critical equity literacies.

Additionally, Panos' outstanding contributions have earned her a competitive 2023 Spencer Foundation Small Research Grant. This funding will aid her research on climate literacy instruction for English language arts educators in Florida. Over the course of a year, the study will unite K-12 ELA educators from Florida, engaging them in innovative and professional reading, writing, and inquiry-based ecojustice education, all tailored to their specific goals and teaching environments. She serves as the study's principal investigator, with two 国产短视频colleagues as Co-PIs. In a related mixed methods study funded by a 国产短视频New Research Grant, Panos utilized surveys and interviews to examine how Florida ELA teachers address climate change in their classrooms.

Panos' influence extends far beyond her research and teaching roles. She actively serves on the board of the local branch of the , where she spearheads educational outreach initiatives for urban centers in the Tampa Bay region and regularly works at a local community center with elementary students alongside her PhD student Kristin Geren on placemaking literacies practices.  Additionally, she is the inaugural research director for the at the University of Minnesota. In this role, she enhances visibility and fosters connections within a burgeoning empirical research community dedicated to literacy and the humanities in climate education.

Speaking on the long-term impact of her research, Panos said, 鈥淚 like to quote Octavia Butler who once wrote that 鈥榯here is no end to what a living world demands of us.鈥 On the scale of the earth and its climate and ecosystems, impact seems a tough thing to describe. I do hope that the networks and relationships I seek to build in my scholarship might help to make visible how educators and children navigate socioecological crisis and ultimately to identify beneficial steps people might take to educate themselves and one another in service of our collective futures.鈥

In a nomination letter for this award, Dr. Elizabeth Shaunessy-Dedrick, Chair of the LLEEP department and a professor in the Exceptional Student Education Program and coordinator of the Gifted Education Program, said, "Dr. Alexandra Panos' research in 2023 reflects an innovative, responsive, and nuanced approach to literacy scholarship as it relates intimately to the communities she serves. She takes a stance on issues often considered beyond the bounds of literacy research and forges a unique and prominent literacy scholarship pathway. The foundation for her nomination for this award is not only in the products and audiences she reaches, but also for the novel approach to literacy research she has undertaken. Engaging K-12 students, teachers, and the community in her research efforts, Dr. Panos has woven a rich tapestry of research in climate and ecojustice literacies, placemaking, and community engagement."

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About the 国产短视频College of Education:

As the home for more than 2,200 students and 130 faculty members across three campuses, the 国产短视频 College of Education offers state-of-the-art teacher training and collegial graduate studies designed to empower educational leaders. Our college is nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), and our educator preparation programs are fully approved by the Florida Department of Education.