Selena Van Horn

Dr. Selena E. Van Horn (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor in the Liberal Studies Department at California State University, Fresno, within the Kremen School of Education and Human Development. She also serves as a core faculty member in the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership.

• Ph.D. in Learning, Teaching, & Curriculum (University of Missouri, 2016)
• Master of Arts in Education: Learning, Teaching, & Curriculum (University of Missouri, 2012)
• B.A. in Spanish Education (University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2009)

Dr. Van Horn’s research centers on equity, social justice, and activism in education, with a focus on LGBTQ+ literature, queer pedagogy, and literacy-social studies integrated curriculum. She employs qualitative methodologies such as Participatory Action Research (PAR), Youth PAR (YPAR), arts-based approaches (photovoice, filmmaking), critical discourse analysis, and post-qualitative theories.

Her work highlights trends in critical literacy, equity-driven pedagogy, and the use of multimodal and arts-based methods to challenge heteronormativity and promote inclusive education. Key subfields across her publications include social justice, LGBTQ+ inclusion, curriculum design, and discourse analysis.

As faculty advisor for the Fresno State Student California Teacher Association (SCTA), Dr. Van Horn mentors future educators in organizing and advocating for social justice in K-12 settings.