Althier M Lazar

Althier M Lazar, a tenured Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Saint Joseph's University, is a leading scholar in literacy education and social equity. Her work focuses on preparing teachers to address literacy needs in underserved, culturally nondominant communities and advancing culturally responsive pedagogies.

• Education: BS in Education from Emerson College (1981), MAT in Literacy Education from Simmons College (1985), and PhD in Education from the University of Pennsylvania (1993).

Research Interests span culturally sustaining pedagogies, literacy education for multilingual students, critical teacher development, and structural equity in urban schools. She explores pathways to advocacy-focused teaching and challenges deficit ideologies in teacher preparation.

Awards include the 2012 Article of the Year Award (Journal of Reading Education), 2007 Ethel Carruth Sustained Leadership in Education Award (University of Pennsylvania), and 2006 Merit Award in Research (Saint Joseph’s University).