Taylar Wenzel

Taylar Wenzel is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Teacher Education at the University of Central Florida (UCF). She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses and leads several community-focused initiatives, including the UCF Reading Clinic and the UCF Downtown Saturday Reading Camp. These programs serve K-6 students in Central Florida while providing clinical experiences for teacher candidates. She also directs community partnerships like the Read2Succeed Partnership, Knights Read Community Bus, and City Year Teaching Fellowship.

Her research focuses on enhancing teacher candidates' pedagogical skills through job-embedded learning, evaluating residency models in teacher preparation, and strengthening reading educators' collective efficacy. Wenzel has received multiple teaching awards, including UCF’s University Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award and college-level Teaching Incentive Program Awards.

She holds an Ed.D. in Curriculum & Instruction from UCF and an M.Ed. in Elementary Education from the University of Florida. Her work bridges academic research with practical community engagement, emphasizing teacher readiness and student literacy support.