The University of Notre Dame recently honored Alissa Blair, an assistant professor in the College of Education and Health Professions' Department of Curriculum and Instruction, with the Michael Pressley Award for a Promising Scholar in the Education Field.

Blair was presented with the Michael Pressley Award for her promising future in research and academia during commencement weekend for Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE).

"Being recognized by my alma mater, Notre Dame, is deeply meaningful to me," Blair said. "It's where I grappled with imposter syndrome early in my studies in education, yet the colleagues and mentors who supported me then continue to inspire me today and even nominated me for this award, which is incredibly humbling."

According to ACE, the Michael Pressley Award "honors a graduate whose work in academia echoes Dr. Pressley's commitment to strengthening education through research and scholarship."

Blair specializes in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and researches the education of K-12 multilingual learners. Her early experiences teaching in high schools inspired her love of language teaching and learning.

"Through my study of education and experiences as a teacher, I have come to view teaching and learning as active, reflective and situated in personal and shared histories," Blair said.

Her teaching approach centers on fostering a strong classroom community and tailoring the learning experience to each student's needs, with the goal of enhancing participation and diversifying expression.

Blair received a bachelor's degree from Saint Mary's College before earning her M.Ed. from Notre Dame. Before her doctoral studies, she moved to Santiago, Chile, where she taught at Saint George's College and worked at the Chilean Ministry of Education. She completed her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Blair joined the Department of Curriculum and Instruction faculty in the College of Education and Health Professions in 2020.

Her work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals, including TESOL Quarterly, Review of Research in Education, Bilingual Research Journal, Linguistics and Education and Theory Into Practice.

Blair is excited about the opportunities this award will provide to highlight research in TESOL. 

"Research and teacher preparation in TESOL can help lead the way for equitably serving students and families with rich linguistic and cultural experiences that are assets to our community and society," she said. "Serving multilingual learners is not a niche area; it requires certain expertise but is relevant to ensuring high-quality instruction in all grade levels and subject areas."