Transforming Lives Through the Power of Literacy

Dr. Jeannette Armstrong is a visionary literacy scholar whose groundbreaking work reveals how literature becomes a mirror for self-discovery, a nexus to understanding others, and a lens for comprehending our interconnected world. With over 25 years of transformative experience spanning classrooms to communities, she has dedicated her career to dismantling barriers that prevent students from claiming their voices, constructing their identities, and transforming their worlds through literacy.

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Research That Matters

As an accomplished researcher in literacy, culture, and language education, Dr. Armstrong investigates the profound ways literature functions as an intersection of multiple identities and worldviews. Her scholarship illuminates how carefully curated texts create spaces where students can explore the complex convergence of self, community, and global perspectives. Through rigorous qualitative research, she maps the intricate networks through which reading transforms not just academic achievement, but the very foundations of human understanding and connection.

From Practice to Pedagogy

Dr. Armstrong’s expertise emerges from authentic experience across the educational spectrum—P-12 & early childhood educator, reading teacher, literacy specialist, curriculum designer, and educational program director. This rich foundation informs her current role as assistant professor, where she bridges the gap between research and practice with rare authenticity. Her Ed.D. in Literacy, Culture, and Language Education from Indiana University-Bloomington (2020) represents the culmination of decades spent understanding how learning happens in real classrooms with real students.

A Global Perspective, Local Impact

Having worked across diverse educational contexts—from rural communities to urban centers—Dr. Armstrong brings nuanced understanding of how multiple cultural, linguistic, and experiential threads weave together in literacy development. She brings more than research—she brings lived experience within layered cultural and personal contexts, crafting responsive approaches that reflect the real-life complexity of students’ backgrounds and prepare them to thrive in a globally connected world.

Vision for Educational Transformation

Dr. Armstrong’s ultimate aspiration centers on a powerful truth: when students encounter literature as a dynamic intersection of voices, experiences, and perspectives, they develop both deeper self-knowledge and sophisticated understanding of our interconnected humanity. Her work challenges educators to move beyond surface-level representation toward creating literary experiences that position students at the crossroads of identity, lived experience, and global citizenship.

Through innovative professional development, evidence-based curriculum design, and collaborative leadership, she empowers educators to create authentic experiences that don't merely teach reading skills—they cultivate critical thinkers, empathetic citizens, and confident individuals ready to engage meaningfully with their communities and beyond.

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“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
(Nelson Mandela)