Jo Hawkins-Jones

Jo Hawkins-Jones, Ph.D. is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the School of Education of the University of Southern Mississippi. She specializes in early literacy education and leads the iRock Academy, a mentorship program for at-risk youth. Prior to her current role, she served as a K-12 educator for nine years, focusing on English and reading intervention.

• Ph.D. in Education, University of Southern Mississippi (2017)
• MED in Education, William Carey University (2010)
• BA in Education, University of Southern Mississippi (2008)

Her research emphasizes service-learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, and literacy curriculum development. She actively bridges classroom teaching with community engagement to support underserved student populations.

• American Association of University Professors
• Delta Kappa Gamma Society International

She is fluent in English and contributes to academic discourse through publications addressing systemic barriers to educational equity.