Alumnus Seth French Selected for International Literacy Association's 30 Under 30 Class

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Seth French

Seth French, a recent University of Arkansas graduate, was selected for the International Literacy Association's 30 Under 30 Class.

ILA's 30 Under 30 list celebrates "rising innovators, disruptors and visionaries" in the literacy field. It includes educators, researchers and advocates working to achieve the mission of literacy for all.

French, who's in his first year of teaching English language arts at Bentonville High School, began making a name for himself while a doctoral student at the U of A. He published numerous articles and book chapters on media literacy and presented at national and international conferences. His work — which centered on critical media literacy and digital video remix in the English language arts classroom — was cited in Reading Research Quarterly, ILA's leading global journal.

"If critical media literacy is at the foundation of tomorrow's literacy classrooms, we will see growing numbers of students fighting against issues of social and environmental justice — and winning," French said in an ILA announcement.

He believes media literacy skills can help students skillfully analyze the wide range of media at their fingertips. At a time when the media landscape can be particularly challenging, French is ensuring students are prepared to understand media and make informed decisions.

"We can help students confront their own biases, grow in empathy toward those who are marginalized, and create media that speak back to much larger status quo discourses," he said.

French, who was a Distinguished Doctoral Fellow in the College of Education and Health Professions, graduated from the U of A in May 2020.