our vision
Despite an information rich environment, there is a void of books easily available to children that both reflect their life experiences and broaden their understanding of self and others. Parents and teachers are often uncertain how to find and use these diverse books as lenses to discuss challenging topics, including those such as unity, grief, identity, and friendship.
To fill this gap, we have created READ-U (Reading with Empathy, Awareness, and Depth with U).
To fill this gap, we have created READ-U (Reading with Empathy, Awareness, and Depth with U).
Meet our Co-Directors:
Lauren aimonette Liang, Ph.D.
Lauren Aimonette Liang is an associate professor in Educational Psychology at the University of Utah and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in children’s and young adult literature and reading instruction. Her research focuses on the interrelated areas of selection and evaluation of children's literature and K-12 students’ understanding and engagement with specific texts. Within the overlap of the two she investigates educational uses of children’s literature to support meaning-making processes, text characteristics as related to children's and teens' response and comprehension of texts, and the role of children’s literature in teacher preparation programs.
Karen Tao, Ph.D.
Karen Tao is an Associate Professor in the Counseling and Counseling Psychology in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Utah. Karen’s clinical and research interests are guided by an overarching goal to reduce disparities in the access, service, and quality of mental health and education for historically marginalized groups. She is interested in the questions, “How do people negotiate conversations about difference and culture?” and “Why does multicultural competence matter?” Karen conducts research in counseling and school settings, utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods to identify cultural factors related to client improvement and student academic persistence.
Contact Information
For more information about READ-U: [email protected]
Lauren Liang: [email protected]
Karen Tao: [email protected]
Lauren Liang: [email protected]
Karen Tao: [email protected]
meet our team:
Lindsay Allen
Camara Chea
Jake Hogan
Rose Kjesbo
Luciano Marzulli
Elizabeth Thackeray Nelson, Ph.D.
Dana Raine
Amira Trevino
Elizabeth Wright
Camara Chea
Jake Hogan
Rose Kjesbo
Luciano Marzulli
Elizabeth Thackeray Nelson, Ph.D.
Dana Raine
Amira Trevino
Elizabeth Wright