Mollie V. Blackburn, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Contact Info
Mailing Address
- 29 W. Woodruff Ave.
- Columbus, OH 43210-1172
Biographical Information
Dr. Mollie V. Blackburn is an Assistant Professor in Literacy, Language, and Culture in the College of Education at The Ohio State University. She taught middle and high school in Los Angeles, California and Athens, Georgia. She earned her B.A. in English at University of Richmond, her M.Ed. in Language Education at University of Georgia, and her Ph.D. in Reading/Writing/Literacy at University of Pennsylvania. Her research is critical and activist in nature. It has included exploring privilege through literature with sixth graders, examining discussions of race in college classrooms, studying leadership with urban teachers, and, most recently, exploring the ways in which queer youth use literacies and language to construct identities and work for social change.
Education
- 2001 Ph.D., Reading/Writing/Literacy, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania
- 1996 M.Ed., Language Education, College of Education, University of Georgia
- 1991 B.A., English and Education, Westhampton College, University of Richmond
Research Biography
Mollie's research focuses on language and literacy in educational contexts, including but not limited to schools. A theme across her research projects is that they are qualitative, critical, and activist, evidence of her commitment to engaging in research for social change. Currently, she collaborates with colleagues to facilitate, document, and examine a teacher inquiry group comprised of educators who are committed to combating heterosexism and homophobia through literature and film in classrooms and schools. Another current and collaborative project is a teacher research study of preparing pre-service middle school teachers to teach across differences. Previous projects have included a literacy ethnography at a youth-run center for LGBTQ youth, a small qualitative study of LGBTQ youths' perceptions of gender rules and regulations in schools, and a teacher inquiry project examining privilege through literature with 6th grade students identified as gifted.
Activities and honors
- Distinguished Service Award from the Council of Graduate Students, The Ohio State University, 2007
- Co-Chair (with C. Clark) National Council of Teachers of English, Assembly for Research, 2005-2006.
- Distinguished Teaching Award from the College of Education, The Ohio State University, 2006
- Alan C. Purves Award for an article in the Research in the Teaching of English deemed rich with implications for classroom practice , 2005
- Ralph C. Preston Award for dissertation that works for social justice, University of Pennsylvania, 2001
Selected Grants History
- Blackburn, M. V., Buckley, JF, Clark, C. T., Copenhaver-Johnson, J., Cornelious, D., Grabo, D., Hall, M., Kenny, L., Melvin, A. & Smith, J. M. " Creating a Community of Inquiry to Combat Homophobia in Schools through Literature and Film." National Council of Teachers of English Creating Communities of Inquiry, 2005 competition, $20,000.
- Clark, C. T., Blackburn, M. V., Marks, H. M. "The Transfer of literacy competencies by adolescents in school and internship settings: A Pilot study." P-12 Scholars, The Ohio State University, 2005 competition, $20,000.
- Moddelmog, D. & Blackburn, M. V. "Developing a graduate interdisciplinary specialization in sexuality studies." The Graduate School, The Ohio State University, 2005 competition, $14,708.72
- Lee, S., Chun-Wetterau, S., Blackburn, M., Khan, K., Beemyn, B., Lee, M., Law, P., Weh, J., McDorman, S. "Diversity scholar in residence: Kevin K. Kumashiro, Ph. D." The Diversity Enhancement Grant Award, 2003-2004 competition, $1,500.
- Blackburn, M. V. "Engagement with literacy beyond school: The Description and analysis of a literacy group in a youth-run, community-based center for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth." The Robert Bowne Foundation Afterschool Matters Initiative, 2004 competition, $10,000.
- Blackburn, M. V. "Making a name for themselves: Critical feminist work with lesbian and bisexual women." Coca Cola Critical Difference for Women Faculty Grant for Research on Women, Gender, or Gender Equity, The Ohio State University, 2002 competition, $3,800.
Selected publications
- Blackburn, M. V. (2007). Gender rules and regulations as experienced and negotiated by queer youth. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Issues in Education, 4(2), 33-54.
- Blackburn, M. V. & Clark, C. T. (Eds.) (2007). Literacy research for political action and social change. New York: Peter Lang.
- Blackburn, M. V. (2006). Risky, generous, gender work. Research in the Teaching of English, 40 (3), 262-271.
- Blackburn, M. V. & Buckley, J. F. (2005). Teaching queer-inclusive English language arts. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 49 (3), 202-212.
- Blackburn, M. V. (2005). Disrupting dichotomies for social change: A Review of, critique of, and complement to current educational literacy scholarship on gender. Research in the Teaching of English, 39, (4) 398-416.
- Blackburn, M. V. (2005). Agency in borderland discourses: Examining language use in a community center with Black queer youth. Teachers College Record, 107 (1) 89-113.
- Blackburn, M. V. (2004). Understanding agency beyond school-sanctioned activities. In M. V. Blackburn & R. Donelson (Eds.), Sexual identities and schooling [Special issue]. Theory into Practice, 43 (2) 102-110.
- Blackburn, M. V. (2003). Exploring literacy performances and power dynamics at The Loft: Queer youth reading the world and word. Research in the Teaching of English, 37 (4) 467-490.
- Blackburn, M. V. (2002-2003). Disrupting the (hetero)normative: Exploring literacy performances and identity work with queer youth. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 46 (4), 312-324.
- Blackburn, M. V. (1999). Studying privilege in a middle school gifted class. In J. E. Allen (Ed.), Class actions: Teaching for social justice in elementary and middle school (pp.72-83). New York: Teachers College Press.
Courses Taught
- T&L 853 Critical Reading in the Content Areas
- T&L 854 Reading in the Social Setting
- T&L 930 Literacy Research and Issues of Diversity
