Dr. Kirsten Musetti Tivaringe is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Literacy in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She currently serves as the Literacy Emphasis Area Leader and currently teaches courses for both master’s and undergraduate students, such as:  

• LTC 4241: Diverse Literature for Children and Youth (Instructor and Content Coordinator)
• LTC 4221: Context and Methods for Elementary Reading Instruction
• LTC 8681: Guiding Readers towards Independence
• LTC 8685: Literature Opportunities: Using Children’s and Young Adult Literature in the Classroom
• LTC 8900: Equity-Based Reading and Writing Instruction

Dr. Tivaringe has spent over a decade in the field of education, having occupied varying roles as a public elementary school teacher in Chicago Public Schools, literacy curriculum developer, and as a consultant in national and international classrooms. Dr. Tivaringe is passionate about supporting pre-service and in-service teachers in examining their teaching practices and equipping them with Scientific Approaches to Reading Instruction. Additionally, her passion in children’s literature for diversifying classroom libraries goes beyond mere adoption of multicultural literature, supporting teachers to apply critical perspectives to the selection, analysis, and intentional teaching of multicultural children’s literature as a tool to enact principles and practices of equity-oriented, culturally relevant instruction. 

Across all of Dr. Tivaringe’s research publications, conference presentations, professional development workshops, and community engagements, she broadens access, builds bridges, creates collaborative spaces to exchange knowledge, and offers PK-6 language and literacy educators theoretically grounded approaches to critical literature-based instruction and evidence-based approaches to reading methods. 

Dr. Tivaringe has been recognized with several literacy and teaching awards, including but not limited to: the University of Colorado Boulder, Outstanding Teaching Award, 2022, University of Colorado Boulder, Student Organization Advisor of the Year Award, 2020, and International Literacy Association, Top 30 Under 30, 2019.

Affiliations

• American Educational Research Association
• Literacy Research Association
• International Literacy Association
• Children’s Literature Association

Areas of Expertise

• Literacy Curriculum and Instruction
• Teacher Education Practices and Pedagogies
• Reading Methods
• Scientific Approaches to Reading Instruction
• Critical Theories
• Children’s Literature
• Practice-Based Professional Development