Jan Lacina, Ph.D.

Dr. Jan Lacina is a nationally recognized scholar in literacy, early childhood education, and an accomplished academic leader. She holds the Bezos Family Foundation Endowed Chair for Early Childhood Education, and she serves as the Interim Executive Director for TCU Laboratory Schools—Starpoint School and KinderFrogs School. With a research portfolio that spans literacy development, children’s literature, and educator preparation, Dr. Lacina has made significant contributions to the field with more than 100 published articles and chapters, as well as authoring or editing five books. Her most recent edited book is Children’s Literature To Read Our World: Text Selection And Strategies For Critical Reflection, published by Routledge (2026).

Dr. Lacina’s contributions have been recognized through awards for teaching, research, and leadership. At TCU, she led as an associate dean for more than 15 years, and served as Interim Dean. She is recipient of many awards for her work, including the Judy Richardson Literacy as a Living Legacy Award presented by the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER), the Jerry Johns Outstanding Teacher Educator Award presented by the International Literacy Association (ILA), the Notable Books for a Global Society Practitioner Award and the Notable Books for a Global Society Research Award presented by the Children’s Literature Special Interest Group of the ILA. She received fellowships from the International Youth Library (Germany), the University of Southern Mississippi, the University of New Brunswick (Canada), and the Holocaust Museum Houston. Dr. Lacina is recipient of both the TCU Dean’s Research and Creativity Award and the TCU Dean’s Award for Teaching.

A senior editorial voice within the field of education, Dr. Lacina currently serves as Associate Editor of the Early Childhood Education Journal. She previously served as Co-Editor of The Reading Teacher and Editor of the Journal of Research in Childhood Education. She also authored a column published in the journal Childhood Education for six years.

In leadership roles, Dr. Lacina led programs to earn national recognition for innovation, including the AACTE Best Practice Award in Support of Multicultural Education and Diversity, the AACTE/Southern Poverty Law Center Culturally Responsive Teaching Award, and the ATE Billy G. Dixon Distinguished Program in Teacher Education Award. She has been instrumental in developing strategic research-practice partnerships and graduate education initiatives across TCU and beyond.

Her international leadership includes serving as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom Literacy Association. She also served as an English Specialist working with the U.S. Embassy in Israel, the Ministry of Education, and the U.S. Department of State. She is a graduate of the Harvard Management Development Program and the AACTE Leadership Academy.

Dr. Lacina began her career as a Texas public school teacher.

Awards

• 2026 Editor of Distinction Award, awarded by Springer Nature for the Early Childhood Education Journal
• 2025 Judy Richardson Literacy as a Living Legacy Award, Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers 
• 2025 Notable Books for a Global Society Practitioner Award, International Literacy Association
• 2025 Visiting Scholar at the International Youth Library, Munich Germany
• 2026, 2025, 2024, 2022 Warren Faculty Fellow, Holocaust Museum Houston
• 2024 Eileen Wallace Research Fellowship In Children’s Literature, University of New Brunswick, Canada
• 2023 International Literacy Association Jerry Johns Outstanding Teacher Educator in Reading Award
• 2023 Excellence in Action: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Social Justice Award presented by the Associate & Assistant Deans and Directors of Texas (ADoT) Colleges of Education
• 2023 Ezra Jack Keats/Janina Domanska Research Fellowship, University of Southern Mississippi
• 2023 TCU Dean’s Award for Teaching
• 2023 Finalist, TCU Michael R. Ferrari Award for Distinguished University Service and Leadership
• 2022 Notable Books for a Global Society Research Award, International Literacy Association
• 2014 Finalist, Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Achievement as a Teacher & Scholar
• 2013 TCU Dean’s Research and Creativity Award
• 2012 Finalist, Dean’s Research and Creativity Award
• 2011 Finalist, Dean’s Research and Creativity Award
• 2001 Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching, Department of Elementary Education, Stephen F. Austin State University

Editorial Leadership

• Associate Editor for the Journal of Early Childhood Education, 2021-present, published by Springer
• Co-Editor for The Reading Teacher, 2015- 2021, published by ILA and Wiley
• Editor for the Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 2012-2014, published by ACEI/Taylor & Francis
• Associate Editor for the Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 2009-2011, published by ACEI/Taylor & Francis
• Columnist, Technology in the Classroom—published in the journal Childhood Education, 2003-2009

Leadership Positions

• Interim Executive Director for TCU Laboratory Schools—Starpoint School and KinderFrogs School, 2026-
• Associate Dean Research, Graduate Studies, & Strategic Partnerships, 2023-2026
• Associate Dean Graduate Studies, TCU 2011-2023
• Interim Dean, TCU 2019-2020
• Board Member for the American Reading Forum, 2024-2026
• International Ambassador representing the United States for the United Kingdom Literacy Association, present - 2028
• AACTE Holmes Scholars Coordinator, 2020-2026
• LBSD College Coordinator, 2020- 2023
• Early Childhood Coordinator, TCU 2006-2009
• Post Baccalaureate Graduate Coordinator, Stephen F. Austin State University 2001-2005
• ESL Coordinator, Stephen F. Austin State University 2000-2005
• Professional Development School (PDS) Site Coordinator 2000-2001
• 2004-2009 Lead NCATE reviewer

Education

Ph.D. University of Kansas
Curriculum & Instruction/TESOL 

M.Ed. Texas Woman’s University
Teaching, Learning & Curriculum

B.S., Baylor University
Education: Interdisciplinary Studies/English