Donna Wake

Dr. Donna Wake serves as Professor and Director of Assessment and Accreditation at the University of Central Arkansas College of Education, leveraging her Ed.D. in Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology in Education from Temple University with specialized focus on literature and language arts. Her leadership spans accreditation oversight and scholarly contributions to teacher education reform.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ed.D. in Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology in Education (Literature/Language Arts) - Temple University
• M.A. in Education - La Salle University
• M.A. in Art History - University of Arkansas at Little Rock
• B.A. in English Literature - Hendrix College

Dr. Wake's research establishes her as a leading voice in literacy development, educational technology integration, and equity-focused pedagogy. She pioneers work on critical literacy frameworks for diverse classrooms, arts-infused instructional strategies, and teacher narrative analysis. Her scholarship consistently addresses systemic barriers in rural education while advocating for culturally responsive teaching and multiliteracies as tools for empowerment. Current investigations examine digital equity in remote learning contexts and school librarians' evolving leadership roles.

Analysis of her 2019-2025 publications reveals three dominant trajectories: (1) Technology-mediated equity solutions addressing the digital divide in Southern rural schools, (2) School librarian innovation in creating collaborative digital spaces during pandemic disruptions, and (3) Critical examinations of discipline disproportionality through Grow Your Own teacher pipeline initiatives. Her work bridges theoretical frameworks with Arkansas-specific implementation challenges.

No scientific awards are documented in available sources.

As an educator, Dr. Wake teaches graduate courses including Digital Equity & Culturally Responsive Teaching in the Digital Age (EDDL 7342), Literacy Seminar for Teachers (MAT 6320), and Qualitative Research (CLEI 8315). Though specific advisees aren't listed, her role involves mentoring future educators through the Ph.D. in Change Leadership program. She contributes to grant initiatives including GEAR UP and Upward Bound, focusing on college access for underrepresented Arkansas students.

Dr. Wake actively engages with the Arkansas Leadership Academy and Arkansas Public School Resource Center, developing statewide professional learning communities that connect university research with K-12 practice. Her current projects examine technology acceptance among preservice librarians and longitudinal demographic impacts on ESSA accountability metrics.