Ayanna F. Brown, PhD
Associate Vice President for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
- BS in Language Arts Education, Tuskegee University
- MEd in Curriculum and Instructional Leadership, Vanderbilt University Peabody College
- PhD in Language, Literacy and Sociology, Vanderbilt University
- Discussions of “race”
- Contemporary African American Studies
- Discourse Analysis
- Teacher Education
- Content Area Literacy
- Sociolinguistics
- Chair, The Committee Against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English for the National Council of Teachers of English. (2024-2027)
- Editor — Racial Literacies Informed by the Sociopolitical and Sociocultural Contexts for Youth
- Co-Editor — Critical Consciousness in Curricular Research: Evidence from the Field
- Equity Fellow- The Great Lakes Equity Center
- Founding Member — The World Congress of Applied Linguistics on Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality
- Trustee to the Research Foundation for the National Council of Teachers of English
- National Science Foundation $1.3 million Grant Award for Culturally Relevant & Sustaining STEM Teachers
Dr. Ayanna F. Brown comes to Erikson from Elmhurst University, where she serves as Associate Professor of Education and Cultural Studies, Coordinator for the English Language Arts major, and Ombudsperson. Previously, she served as Associate Chair of Curriculum & Professional Development.
Dr. Brown holds a B.S. from Tuskegee University in Language Arts Education, M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instructional Leadership from Vanderbilt University Peabody College, and Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in Language, Literacy and Sociology. Her research focuses on discussions of “race,” contemporary African American studies, and discourse analysis. Dr. Brown is a member of NCT and AERA (where she serves has served both Division G as an elected officer and both Divisions as a program section Co-Chair. Dr. Brown is a founding Member of The World Congress of Applied Linguistics on Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality and has maintained an active leadership role in her professional organizations. Dr. Brown has been appointed as Chair for the Committee Against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English by the Executive Director for the National Council of Teachers of English, which serves over 25K teachers K-College.
Dr. Brown is the author of several peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and is Editor of Racial Literacies Informed by the Sociopolitical and Sociocultural Contexts for Youth. Her recent scholarship focuses on literacies of African immigrant youth, where she serves as Co-Editor of a special issue of Research in Teaching English.
In addition to engaging in research and advocacy nationwide, Dr. Brown has presented her scholarship on four continents. Over her nearly 30-year career in both public and private education, Dr. Brown has taught in Metro Nashville Public Schools, developed curricula and programs for school partnerships, and received many research grants and fellowships, including the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary Education Midwest & Plains Center Equity Fellows. She is Co-Principal Investigator for RESULT, a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant aimed at increasing the number of STEM majors employing culturally responsive education as a catalyst for thinking about teaching in everyday life. Alongside colleagues, Dr. Brown was recently awarded a $1.3 million NSF Grant, PRIDE, to continue working to increase diverse teachers of STEM focus on literacies and culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogies.
Dr. Brown joined Erikson in 2023 in several capacities. She leads as the inaugural AVP JEDI Ombuds in 2023, is the Title IX Coordinator, and serves Erikson as a Professor.
Change the World for Children
Join the Erikson Institute community and discover the difference one person can make.