معرفی
David E. Low is a Professor in the Department of Literacy, Early, Bilingual and Special Education at California State University, Fresno's Kremen School of Education and Human Development. His research examines critical multimodal literacy practices of children and youth in diverse learning spaces, with particular expertise in comics, visual literacy, and critical pedagogy. Dr. Low previously served as Assistant Professor (2015-2020) before advancing to Associate Professor and ultimately Professor.
Dr. Low earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, M.A. from New York University, and B.A. from the University of Arizona. His educational background in language, literacy, and culture informs his current research and teaching approaches which center on critical praxis and dismantling educational status quos that harm learners.
Dr. Low's research focuses on intersections among multiliteracies, multimodality, racial and cultural identity, antideficit and antiracist pedagogies, popular culture/media, and critical multicultural education. His recent book "Transgressive Humor in Classrooms" (Routledge, 2024) explores humor as a form of social critique in secondary ELA classrooms. He has published extensively in top journals including Journal of Literacy Research, Research in the Teaching of English, Language Arts, and English Education, with over 30 scholarly publications to his name.
Dr. Low's scholarly trajectory demonstrates consistent engagement with visual and multimodal literacies, particularly comics and graphic narratives, as tools for critical inquiry, social justice education, and identity exploration. His work spans teacher education, children's literature analysis, and critical examinations of representation across multiple disciplines including mathematics, gender studies, and cultural identity.
Dr. Low has received significant recognition for his scholarship:
- Arthur Applebee Award for Excellence in Research on Literacy (2023)
- Divergent Publication Award (2023)
- Keynote speaker at NCTEAR (2025)
As an academic leader, Dr. Low chairs the University Personnel Committee at Fresno State (2020-present) and serves on the Executive Committee of ELATE (2023-27). He previously served as the School of Education's Faculty Assembly President (2017-18), co-chaired the Research Committee (2016-19) and Dandoy Committee (2017-23), and convened the César Chávez Education Conference (2017). His teaching focuses on mentoring pre- and in-service teachers to develop frameworks that honor students' cultural and intellectual legacies. He oversees the College's ongoing partnership with the Fresno American Indian Health Project (2015-present).
Dr. Low serves on the Editorial Review Boards of Research in the Teaching of English and English Journal. He previously served as Section Editor for Language Arts (vols. 97 and 98, 2019-21) and co-edited a special issue of English Teaching: Practice and Critique. He is past chair and program chair of the AERA Literature SIG (2015-19) and a past member of NCTE's Standing Committee on Research (2018-21).
