Assistant Professor, Literacy Education

Job Description

The Virginia Tech School of Education is seeking applications for a nine-month tenure-track faculty position in reading/literacy at the rank of Assistant Professor beginning August 2026 on the Blacksburg, VA, campus.

This position requires literacy scholarship and teaching focused on transitional and/or early secondary students. An active agenda of research in the areas of comprehension, content/disciplinary literacy, vocabulary, and/or morphology with a well-defined line of inquiry and clear potential for meeting tenure requirements at Virginia Tech is essential. Service to the School, College, University, and profession is expected. The successful candidate will possess a strong foundation in creating and translating reading science.

The position will support the Elementary Education and Secondary Education licensure programs as well as the Reading Specialist master’s degree and revised doctoral programs. The teaching responsibilities include methods courses in reading and literacy instruction for grades 4-8, including content area/disciplinary literacy. Courses will be delivered in both face-to-face and online environments. The standard teaching load is two courses per academic year.

• Employment is contingent upon submission of official university transcripts and a criminal background check.
• Occasional travel to national conferences is required.
• The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

Please submit a cover letter detailing your qualifications for the position, a curriculum vitae, and names and contact information for three references. Application materials must be submitted online s.vt.edu.

• Earned Ph.D. or Ed.D. in Reading Education, Curriculum and Instruction, Literacy Education, or Literacy Studies from an accredited institution, completed by the time of appointment (August 10, 2026).
• Evidence of a focused line of literacy research.
• Expertise in reading science that informs effective instruction for students in grades 4-8.
• Experience teaching literacy to K-8 students.
• Experience teaching undergraduate and/or graduate reading/literacy/ELA courses.
• Evidence of commitment to and alignment with Virginia Tech’s Principles of Community.

• Record of teaching undergraduate and/or graduate reading/literacy courses focusing on grades 4-8 as the instructor of record.
• Record of literacy scholarship with a focus on comprehension, vocabulary, disciplinary literacy, and/or morphology.
• Classroom literacy teaching experience with grades 4-8 in an accredited institution.
• Experience with externally funded research.
• Experience advising master’s and doctoral students, including chairing/serving on dissertation committees.

Regular

Commensurate with Experience

*

November 1, 2025

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