Alison Leigh Jovanovic

Alison Leigh Jovanovic serves as Senior Lecturer, Social Studies Program Coordinator, and Professional Development Site Coordinator for Social Studies Education at the University of Maryland, College of Education. She oversees undergraduate internship experiences, teaches methods courses and seminars, and maintains community partnerships while also coordinating Secondary/Middle School/P-12 Education programs. Additionally, she is an affiliate of the Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM).

Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Social Studies Education from the University of Maryland (1998) and a Master of Science in Education Administration and Supervision from Johns Hopkins University (2005). Prior to joining UMD in 2011 as a field supervisor, she worked as a classroom teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools.

Dr. Jovanovic's research focuses on innovative teacher preparation through initiatives like the Difficult History Project and AI integration in education. She leads projects addressing challenging historical narratives and civic education, including Library of Congress-funded primary source pedagogy and U.S. Department of Education grants for digital civic inquiry.

Her awards highlight sustained excellence:

• University of Maryland Professional Track Faculty Provost Service Award (2025)
• College of Education Excellence in Service Award (2024)
• Middle States Council of Social Studies Harry J. Carmen Award (2020)
• College of Education Excellence in Teaching Award (2018)

She directs significant grant-funded work including the Do Good edTerps CARES Network for educator support systems and the Difficult History Project for primary source teaching methodologies. Her instructional portfolio includes TLPL 470 (Knowledge, Reasoning, and Learning in Secondary Social Studies), TLPL 471 (Curriculum, Teaching and Assessment), and field experience seminars for pre-service teachers.

Dr. Jovanovic's work bridges classroom practice with cutting-edge educational research through partnerships with the Library of Congress, U.S. Department of Education, and Maryland's public school systems, focusing on building resilient educator communities and addressing complex historical content.