By Kyla Emme, College of Education intern

RICHLAND, Wash. – Sarah Newcomer, an assistant professor of literacy education at Washington State University Tri-Cities, recently earned a national award for her work to increase opportunity and equity in education.

The Concha Delgado Gaitan Early Career Presidential Fellowship is presented by the national Council of Anthropology and Education (CAE) to a maximum of eight recipients each year.

Newcomer’s recent publications include studies about using wordless books for immigrant students in the classroom and the transition to teaching “world” languages rather than “foreign” languages.

“My research corresponds to CAE’s mission through examining practices supporting family engagement and school-community partnerships,” she said, as well as promoting “racial and social justice in all settings where learning takes place.”

She completed a B.A. in Spanish at Northern Arizona University in 1995 and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction, language and literacy from Arizona State University in 2012. She teaches undergraduate courses at WSU Tri-Cities that focus on literacy in students from fourth grade to middle school.