Selena Protacio

Selena Protacio is Full Professor of Literacy Studies and TESOL and is serving as interim chair of the Department of Special Education and Literacy Studies. Dr. Protacio holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education with a language and literacy emphasis from Michigan State University and an M.Ed. in Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her bachelor’s degree is in communication research from the University of the Philippines-Diliman. Prior to earning her graduate degrees, Dr. Protacio worked as an English teacher in the Philippines, which is her native country. Her research interests primarily focus on the literacy motivation and engagement of English learners in K-12 settings and family engagement of multilingual families in the U.S. Dr. Protacio serves as editor of the international, peer-reviewed journal Reading Horizons. She also serves as principal investigator on two U.S. Department of Education personnel preparation grants, Project TEAMS and Project PETAL.