Sandra Ballard

Dr. Sandra Ballard serves as Professor of English at Appalachian State University and Editor of the interdisciplinary Appalachian Journal, a scholarly quarterly documenting the history, politics, culture, literature, and ecology of the Appalachian region. Her primary academic affiliation resides within the Department of English.

Educational background includes:

• Ph.D., University of Tennessee

Her research centers on Appalachian literary traditions, with significant contributions to Harriette Arnow scholarship through introductions to new editions of seminal works including Mountain Path and The Kentucky Trace. She co-edited the landmark anthology Listen Here: Women Writing in Appalachia, establishing expertise in regional women's literature and cultural studies. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges literary analysis with historical and sociological perspectives on Appalachian identity.