SPOKANE, WA, October 23, 2023 - Mary F. Roe, PhD, has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Leveraging more than four decades of excellence in literacy education, Dr. Roe has earned distinction as a professor emeritus with Washington State University. Since 2016, she has focused her efforts on offering consulting and instructional services in education, driven by her passion for education and her deep admiration for her teachers. She collaborates with students and educators alike, adhering strongly to her principles regarding effective teaching with a specific emphasis on successful reading instruction.

Before her present position, Dr. Roe began her career as an English and Latin teacher for Gardner Junior High in 1969 and became an urban rural racial disadvantaged counselor for the Coulee Dam Public Schools in 1972, where she assisted students transitioning from their previous school on the reservation to a school in Grand Coulee Dam when they reached seventh grade. The following year, she was a teaching assistant for Eastern Washington University and served as the summer learning program director for Lincoln County Community Health in 1974 and 1975. During this time, she also was the Chapter I coordinator for the East Valley School District from 1974 until 1978, at which time she took a role as a reading specialist for Mountain View Middle School.

Dr. Roe continued her career as a teaching assistant supervising practicum students at the University of Illinois in 1984, serving as a reading specialist for Mountain View Middle School from 1986 until 1988. She also was an adjunct professor for Eastern Washington University, a research assistant for the University of Illinois Center for the Study of Reading and a consultant for extending language fluency for the Spokane Public Schools through 1992. She also served as an instructor for the Eastern Washington University College of Education starting in 1989, becoming an assistant professor for the University of Delaware College of Education in 1991, teaching literacy courses for postgraduate and doctorate students. She was promoted to an associate professor in 1996 and served as the interim associate director for the School of Education for a year in 1998. In 1999, she was the coordinator for the integrated teaching program for the University of Oregon.

Dr. Roe subsequently served as the head of teacher education and associate professor for the University of Oregon College of Education in 2000, taking a role as an associate professor for Washington State University in 2002. After serving as a full professor there for the department of teaching and learning, she became a professor, associate dean and director of the division of teacher education for Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College in 2010. The next year, she was a professor for the division of educational leadership and innovation for Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and became head of the school of teacher education and leadership for the Utah State University Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services in 2014.

Throughout her career, Dr. Roe has contributed a wealth of research to the field of education, including co-authoring "A comparative study of dialogue and response journals," which was published by the University of Illinois Center for the Study of Reading in 1995, and "Portfolio assessment: What about R for realistic?" which was featured in the Journal of Research in Childhood Education in 1994. Most recently, she authored the chapter "Literacy for the middle grades: Its antecedents, necessities, subsequent needs, and future aspirations" for the textbook "Connecting theory and practice in middle school literacy: Critical conversations" in 2022 and wrote the conclusion for "Theoretical models for teaching and research" in 2020. She has also given numerous presentations and served as a discussant for professional conferences, including for the American Educational Research Association, the Association of Middle Level Educators and the Literacy Research Association, among others.

Likewise dedicated to civil advocacy, Dr. Roe has volunteered at a Washington-based organization with a strong focus on social justice and has made substantial contributions to various service initiatives within each institution she worked for throughout her tenure. Additionally, while employed as a reading specialist at the East Valley School District in Washington, she assumed the role of president within an association in the area and successfully negotiated contracts on behalf of the organization. Also, in honor of her friend, who was a dedicated nurse and graduate of Washington State University's College of Nursing, she made a donation to the college's scholarship fund directed towards advancing diversity within the nursing workforce.

Dr. Roe is dedicated to promoting equity in literacy education, which led to her establishing the Mary F. Roe Equity in Literacy Education Award through the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers, which recognizes individuals who share her unwavering commitment to enhancing educational opportunities for all students by addressing equity issues and their direct impact on literacy achievement. The award includes a $500 honorarium and a formal letter of notification, with a specific focus on middle-grade students and their teachers.

For her own professional accomplishments, Dr. Roe was honored as Teacher of the Year during her tenure as a public school teacher and was presented with a plaque by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America while she was affiliated with the University of Oregon. She also received the Laureate Award from the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers and a Service Award from Washington State University. Added to these, during her time at Washington State University, she received recognition for her stellar work as a mentor.

To prepare for her professional journey, Dr. Roe earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Latin in 1968 and a Master of Arts in educational psychology in 1971, both from Michigan State University. Following these achievements, she attained a Master of Education in literacy and as a reading specialist from Eastern Washington University in 1974. She subsequently gained a Doctor of Philosophy in literacy education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1990.

Looking to the future, Dr. Roe intends to continue maintaining clarity regarding her life's purpose, as well as to remaining a supportive friend to those close to her and a dedicated member of her family. Also a skilled athlete, she has dedicated 52 years to her practice of karate and is a seventh-degree black belt in the martial art.

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