UW Professor Elected to Literacy Research Association Board

Wyoming Excellence in Higher Education Endowed Chair in Literacy Education Cynthia Brock recently was elected to a three-year term on the Literacy Research Association (LRA) Board of Directors.

In this position, she will play a role in helping advance literacy theory, research and practice by working to shape the conversation both nationally and internationally.

At the University of Wyoming, in addition to teaching, Brock collaborates with colleagues in the Literacy Research Center and Clinic as well as principals and teachers throughout the state to provide professional development to educators so that Wyoming children receive high-quality literacy instruction. She hopes to use this experience, as well as her background working with and researching the literacy learning of students from across languages and cultures, to inform conversations about literacy instruction in her work with LRA.

Brock is especially passionate about issues in literacy education surrounding equity and diversity in socio-cultural contexts; the role that teachers play in fostering students’ literacy learning opportunities; and the content and processes by which literacy is taught and learned. At the LRA, she will advocate for research in these areas to guide policy decisions and best practices in the field.

“When I started teaching, I had no prior training or experience working with children whose languages and cultures differed from my own,” Brock says. “Consequently, I have collaborated with various colleagues to study how we, as teacher educators, work with both pre- and in-service teachers to positively cultivate teachers’ beliefs, attitudes and dispositions toward, as well as knowledge about, fostering children’s literacy learning opportunities in their classrooms.“

Brock has been an active member of LRA for nearly 30 years. She has supported the organization by reviewing proposals for the annual conference. She has reviewed articles for Journal of Literacy Research, the association’s peer-reviewed publication, as well as the association’s annual review, Literacy Research: Theory, Method and Practice.

She also has served as co-chair of LRA research areas 1 and 8. Area 1 focuses on pre-service teacher education in literacy, and area 8 centers on literacy learning and practice in multilingual and multicultural settings. Brock also has taken on roles with the Early Career Award Committee and as a faculty mentor with the Doctoral Student Innovative Community Group.

“I am deeply honored to serve on the board of directors of the LRA,” Brock says. “LRA has been my academic home since 1991. It is a privilege to give back to the professional organization that has given so much to me.”

The LRA is a nonprofit professional organization that engages in research and dialogue pertaining to literacy and related topics. LRA supports the professional development of future and established scholars, in addition to advocating for research-informed improvements in education.