Rate My Professor Mary Ellen Oslick

Mary Ellen Oslick, PhD, is a professor of education at Stetson University and co-chair of the Department of Education. She earned her PhD in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in children's literature and literacy from the University of Florida. She holds a master's degree in teaching, with emphases on reading and special education, and an undergraduate degree in history and humanities from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Prior to joining Stetson University, Oslick taught for five years in elementary and intermediate schools in urban and suburban areas of Texas. Her research interests include social justice and critical literacy applications, multicultural children's literature, reading and writing instruction with diverse learners, and pre-service teacher instruction in elementary and middle level education, children's literature, and reading.

Oslick has been awarded research grants and has published numerous scholarly works in peer-reviewed journals and books. Key publications include her edited volumes Immigrant Experiences: Expanding the School-Home-Community Dialogue (2019) and Land of Opportunity: Immigrant Experiences in the North American Landscape (2019). Recent contributions feature co-edited annual lists of Notable Books for a Global Society with J. Fain (2023, 2024), "Fronting the Math": Reframing Culturally Relevant Picture Books Within Mathematical Contexts with A. Smith (2024), Responsive Math Pedagogy: The Role of Diverse Picture Books in the K-5 Classroom with A. Smith (2024), and articles such as Preservice Teachers Examine Themes of Immigration in Award-Winning Children’s Literature (2025) and “They’re Speaking My Language”: Exploring How Spanish is Depicted in Recently Published Graphic Novels (2024). She received the 2014 Virginia Hamilton Essay Award for her article "Children's Voices: Reactions to a Criminal Justice Issue Picture Book." Oslick teaches undergraduate courses including EDUC 301: Reading in the Primary Grades, EDUC 314: Reading in the Intermediate Grades, EDUC 424: Assessment and Differentiation of Reading Instruction, and EDUC 428: Reading Practicum, as well as graduate courses in literacy. She supervises field placements in diverse educational settings.