Quentin Sedlacek, Ph.D.

I am an Assistant Professor of STEM Education in the Department of Teaching & Learning at Southern Methodist University. My research uses frameworks from linguistic anthropology and social psychology to examine how educators adopt, sustain, and advocate for practices that seek to center the voices of racially and linguistically marginalized individuals and communities. 

The first strand of my research investigates K-12 science teacher education and involves studying the ways that science educators make sense of and respond to diverse voices and perspectives in the specific context of student writing, as well as how science educators can learn to support student writing in ways that value diversity. 

To inform these efforts, the second strand of my research explores linguistics and literacy education. In this work, I investigate how college faculty in linguistics and related fields teach students to value linguistic diversity, how college students learn to value linguistic diversity, and how K-12 educators advocate for the value of linguistic diversity within their schools. This interdisciplinary work enables me to draw on insights from linguistics and literacy education in order to inform my research and teaching in K-12 science teacher education. 

Finally, the third strand of my research examines college STEM education, where I explore how STEM faculty represent diverse voices and perspectives in their curriculum (e.g., through course materials or invited guest lecturers) and how students benefit when instructors amplify diverse voices and perspectives.

I received my Ph.D. in Race, Inequality, and Language in Education and Teacher Education from Stanford University, my M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Mississippi, and my B.A. in Physics from Harvard University. Before pursuing my doctorate, I taught science and mathematics for five years at public schools in Mississippi and American Sāmoa. During grad school, I co-founded a peer mentorship program and co-organized an event series centering the perspectives of LGBTQ+ people of color in education.