Dr. Heather McEntarfer

I attended an MFA program in creative nonfiction at the University of Pittsburgh, where I wrote about school desegregation, and a PhD program in English Education at the University at Buffalo, where I studied teacher candidates' work around gender and sexuality in a teacher education program.

Teaching Interests

Diversity in education English Education Adolescent literature Literacy and technology Creative writing.

Research Interests

My research interests focus on preparing teacher candidates to work with diverse groups of students, and particularly to think deeply about gender, gender identity, and sexuality. I am interested in the learning made possible around these issues through the reading and writing of narratives. Recently, I have been researching the perceptions among faculty and transgender students concerning university chosen names policies.

Awards and Honors

• Dr. Nuala McGann Drescher Affirmative Action/Diversity Leave Program, Dr. Nuala McGann Drescher and UUP (2016).

Current Research

• Queer Cultural Capital in Schools: The Strengths of Gender-Diverse Teachers

Intellectual Contributions

• "Faculty Perceptions of and Experiences with Chosen Names Policies and Non-binary Pronouns," Teaching in Higher Education (N/A).
• "Affirming Gender Diversity through English Education: Integration, Inquiry, and Inclusion," N/A (N/A).
• "Working Within Trans-Affirmative, Anti-Trans, and Cisnormative Storylines The Experiences of Transgender Teachers," Teaching and Teacher Education (N/A).
• ""Be Ready for Us": Gender-Diverse Educators Share Advice for School Leaders," Educational Leadership (2023).
• "Working Within Trans-Affirmative, Transphobic, and Cisnormative Storylines: The Experiences of Transgender Teachers," American Educational Research Association (2023).
• "Guidelines for Affirming Gender Identity Through ELA Curriculum and Pedagogy," National Council of Teachers of English (2021).