Margaret Vaughn is a professor of literacy and language in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Washington State University. She obtained her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with a focus on literacy studies at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Dr. Vaughn is a former classroom teacher with over 20 years of teaching experience.
Dr. Vaughn has received a series of professional recognitions including: US Fulbright Specialist Award (2020-2025), Literacy Research Association Best Paper Award (2020), American Educational Research Association Review of Research Award (2019), American Educational Research Association Classroom Observation Exemplary Paper Award (2018), Association of Teacher Educators Distinguished Research in Teacher Education Award (2017), the Mid-Career President’s Faculty Award, 2016, a Distinguished Faculty Award, the Haslett Distinguished Faculty Fellow award, 2013-2014 and the Horace Mann National Teacher Education Award (2007).
Through Dr. Vaughn’s work she has become heavily invested in the neighboring communities and schools and has worked diligently to support and mentor undergraduate and graduate students. She has served as the director of the National Writing Project and the Wright Fellowship, a prestigious graduate program to support teachers in obtaining a master’s degree while remaining in the classroom.
Dr. Vaughn was the primary investigator in supporting the Nez Perce Tribe located in Lapwai, Idaho and Indigenous elementary students in creating six dual language books in Nez Perce language and English.
Additionally, to support students, teachers, and communities, Dr. Vaughn developed the Guided Reading Library which is a free digital collection of published books created by practicing classroom teachers and undergraduate and graduate students at Washington State University and the University of Idaho Library.
Dr. Vaughn’s research focuses on critical issues in education centered on supporting student agency and adaptive learning environments. She has published over 65 articles and book chapters and 5 books. She has presented over 65 papers at national and international conferences. Dr. Vaughn actively serves national organizations as the Chair of the Research Committee of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers, Area Co-Chair of the Literacy Research Association Early and Elementary Literacy Processes and as the State Ambassador for the United States Board on Books for Young People.
To read examples of her research, please visit her on her research page on Researchgate, read a sample of her work here What is student agency and why is it needed now more than ever?
or to listen to her discuss literacy research on her podcast, Getting Smarter