College of Education Professor Awarded International Lifetime Achievement

The International Society for Language Study (ISLS) has recognized Theresa Y. Austin, College of Education, with a Distinguished Scholar and Lifetime Achievement in Language Studies Award.

The organization was founded with “the mission….to encourage various component fields to engage in and support critically-oriented scholarship.... for exploring the relationships among language, power, discourses, and social practices.” 

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Austin was awarded this recognition for her contributions in research, service and mentorship of members for 20 years. Her leadership and publications were evident across a wide breadth of educational linguistic issues in teacher preparation to language policy to world and heritage language/literacy development in curriculum development, and assessment.

According to Austin, “This organization has provided a much-needed forum for advocating through research the equity issues needed to transform institutions and communities. I am most humbled and honored to have received this award.”

Austin is a professor in the language, literacy and culture concentration in the Department of Teacher Education and Curriculum Studies in the College of Education. She is currently an 2022-23 UMass ADVANCE Fellow and in the past, former president of the Phi Kappa Hi Honor Society.