معرفی
Fanni Liu Coward serves as Associate Professor and Department Chair of the Teacher Education Department at Texas Tech University's College of Education, where she has held faculty positions since 2009 following the college's reorganization. She previously served as Department Chair from 2016-2019 and resumed this leadership role in 2019 after returning to full-time faculty duties.
Her educational background includes:
- Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Texas, Austin (1997-2002)
- M.A. in Educational Studies from The Ohio State University (1994-1996)
- B.A. in English from Tamkang University, Taipei, Taiwan (1990-1994)
Dr. Coward's research centers on Teacher Identity Development, Teacher Recruitment Challenges, and Educational Access Barriers, with particular focus on how teacher candidates form professional identities and navigate systemic inequities. Her community-engaged scholarship emphasizes practical partnerships with local school districts to address real-world educational challenges.
Analysis of her 13 publications (2010-2023) reveals consistent exploration of teacher identity formation across multiple contexts, with growing emphasis on STEM education partnerships and rural schooling challenges in recent work. Her scholarship bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications through university-school collaborations.
Her scientific recognition includes:
- Established Investigator Award, Division I-American Educational Research Association (2011)
- President’s Excellence in Teaching Award (2021)
- Phi Beta Kappa Honored Faculty (2020)
- College of Education Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award (2014)
- TTU Alumni Association’s New Faculty Award (2013)
- UAH Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award (2007)
As an educator, Dr. Coward has mentored graduate students through research writing teams and developed a sustained service-learning initiative since 2014 connecting university students with local public schools. Her grant activity focuses on community-engaged scholarship implementation and STEM career awareness programs.
She leads departmental efforts in school partnership development and community engagement, particularly through her service-learning course that creates direct connections between teacher candidates and K-12 students in Lubbock-area schools.
