Rate My Professor Carrie Tholstrup

Dr. Carrie Tholstrup is an Assistant Professor and the Reading Specialist Program Coordinator in the Department of Advanced Education Programs at Fort Hays State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Kansas State University in 2023. A former middle and high school English Language Arts teacher, Tholstrup brings extensive K-12 classroom experience to her role in higher education. Her transition to academia reflects her commitment to teacher preparation and literacy education.

Tholstrup's research and teaching emphasize structured literacy approaches, disciplinary literacy strategies, and cultivating positive reading identities for middle school students. In a 2024 reflective essay titled "Putting Together the Pieces of Effective Instruction: The Role of Structured Literacy," published in Kansas English, she explores parallels between structured literacy instruction and jigsaw puzzle assembly. The piece underscores sequential and cumulative learning, explicit instruction at varying levels, ongoing assessment, and the roles of motivation, engagement, executive functions, and strategic reading skills. Previously, as a graduate teaching assistant, she contributed to "The inclusion of self-assessment in merit evaluation" (2016), a survey study on faculty views regarding the integration of formative rubrics and self-assessments into merit processes at a college of education. Beyond publications, Tholstrup actively engages in professional outreach, coordinating the Reading Specialist admission and program, organizing the Young Readers' Conference, and delivering workshops for school counselors and K-12 educators through initiatives like the Literacy Van, which visits rural schools such as Copeland and Oakley Elementary. She collaborates with the Western Kansas Center for Literacy Excellence and participates in regional educational cooperatives. On campus, she serves on the Graduate Council, acts as a Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) liaison for Teacher Education, and was honored in 2018 for exemplary attendance at TILT professional development events. In 2021, she was nominated for the Fort Hays State University Alumni Association's Torch, Pilot, and Lighthouse Awards, recognizing her contributions as an emerging faculty member.