Kellee D. Watkins, PhD

Kellee D. Watkins, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Reading, Coordinator of the Master of Arts
in Teaching Elementary Education Program, and North Carolina A&T State University Regional
Director of the North Carolina New Teacher Support Program. Watkins earned her B.A. in
Elementary Education from Livingstone College, and M.Ed. in Reading, Language, and Literacy
K-12 from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She received her Ph.D. in Educational
Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Watkins is a National Board
Certified Middle Childhood Generalist and a licensed school administrator.
Dr. Watkins was an elementary school teacher, curriculum coach, and academic coach in public schools for over 15 years. Her research interests include Reading Education, Curriculum Standards, Teacher Professional Development and Coaching, and Equity Education. She has been the lead Principal Investigator in several grant projects including Practice-Based Teacher Education through BranchEd. She has presented at state and national conferences, including the Literacy Research Association, American Educational Research Association, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, International Literacy Association, and North Carolina Reading Association.
Dr. Watkins is focused on helping to develop highly effective reading teachers capable of contributing to the reading achievement of students who most need reading support. Her goal is to help develop the next generation of Aggie Educators and Aggie Reading Teachers who will step into their roles as literacy experts and who will lead literacy initiatives in their schools, districts, and states.