Clemson's Kathy Headley to Lead International Literacy Association
Staff Report From South Carolina CEO
Thursday, July 12th, 2018
Clemson University literacy professor and administrator Kathy Headley has been named vice president of the International Literacy Association board of directors. She started her tenure July 1 and will assume the ILA presidency after a one-year term as vice president.
Headley, professor of literacy in Clemson’s College of Education, currently serves as senior associate dean leading the Division of Collaborative Academic Services, which provides research, academic advising, information technology and public relations support for the College of Education and the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. She has been a Clemson faculty member since 1987.
Headley brings with her an expertise in adolescent literacy and writing with specialized interests in comprehension and vocabulary. She has published articles in such leading journals as the Reading Teacher and the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, and co-edited or contributed to several textbooks on comprehension instruction and adolescent literacy.
Headley served as a director on the International Literacy Association board from 2010 to 2013 and is a previous president and state coordinator for the South Carolina Reading Association. Across her educational career, she has served on numerous committees for both the international and state organizations. She is currently chairing the International Literacy Association’s Adolescent Literacy Committee.
In her new role, Headley plans to use her experience to position the organization as the leader in global literacy.
“Our roles as educators, particularly as literacy educators, are critical for addressing current challenges,” she said. “Our voices must add to the conversation across our communities and schools for a better future today.”
Headley began her career as an elementary classroom teacher and reading specialist in Georgia before completing her doctorate of education in reading from Auburn University. She also holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education from the University of Georgia.