Devin Kearns Named Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Early Literacy

Devin Kearns will join NC State’s College of Education as its inaugural Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Early Literacy, effective Aug. 16, 2024.

The Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Early Literacy was established by longtime NC State supporters Ann and Jim Goodnight to support the activities of a professor who focuses on teaching the science of reading in early literacy. 

“We’re grateful for the support from Dr. and Mrs. Goodnight that enabled us to attract Dr. Kearns — a nationally-recognized thought leader in the science of reading and early literacy — to our college,” said College of Education Dean Paola Sztajn. “I am confident that Dr. Kearns will be a great addition and further enhance our strong core of literacy faculty, our entire college and the discussion around the science of reading in our state.”

Currently, Kearns is a professor of special education in the Department of Educational Psychology in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. He is also a research scientist for Haskins Laboratories affiliated with Yale University and the University of Connecticut. He studies how students in elementary grades learn to read and designs instructional programs to better meet the needs of these students. 

“I am honored to be named the Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Early Literacy. The position is closely tied to the community-engaged research I have done over the past 15 years,” Kearns said. “I am excited for the opportunity to continue this work in partnership with North Carolina communities. Stakeholders across the state have been working hard to increase literacy achievement for all North Carolina children, and I look forward to supporting these great efforts.”

Kearns conducts research to understand the cognitive and neurobiological basis of reading and to help schools better implement multi-tiered systems of support to increase the literacy success of all students. He and his colleagues have been supported in their research by the Institute for Education Sciences, the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs, the National Science Foundation, the Connecticut State Department of Education, private foundations, and national and local organizations.

Over the course of his career, Kearns’ research has been published in Exceptional Children, the Journal of Educational Psychology, the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, the Journal of Learning Disabilities, Reading Research Quarterly, Scientific Studies of Reading and other journals. He has also published papers for teachers in the TEACHING Exceptional Children, The Reading Teacher, The Reading League Journal, and other journals. He is a member of the editorial board of The Reading Teacher and several other journals, and the associate editor for The Reading League Journal. 

Additionally, Kearns has extensive experience as an educator and professional development provider. He has seven years of classroom experience as a general-education teacher, literacy coach and reading specialist for students with dyslexia; and he has provided professional development for schools and other organizations across the U.S. and internationally. He frequently does demonstration lessons in schools using effective literacy instructional practices and supports educators to use those practices. He also frequently works with teachers and administrators to implement a systematic data-based individualization process to help them support students with very intensive academic needs.

Kearns has a master’s degree in elementary literacy and language arts from Loyola Marymount University and a Ph.D. in special education from Vanderbilt University. He received the Windward Institute’s 2024 John J. Russell Award for Advocacy in Education. 

“NC State’s College of Education is among the best public colleges of education in the U.S. with an amazing faculty with deep expertise in many areas of education,” Kearns said. “The literacy education faculty are especially well-regarded and have established important community partnerships across the state. I look forward to working with all of these exceptional new colleagues.”

Dr. James and Mrs. Ann Goodnight are NC State alumni. Dr. Goodnight – the CEO and founder of SAS – earned his B.S. in applied mathematics in 1965, his M.S. and doctorate in statistics in 1968 and 1972, respectively, and the university conferred an honorary degree to him in 2002. Mrs. Goodnight earned her B.A. in political science in 1968 and works as the senior director of community relations at SAS. The Goodnights have received numerous university honors, including the Watauga Medal (Dr. Goodnight, 2002) and the Menscer Cup (2007). Mrs. Goodnight’s leadership roles include serving on the Board of Trustees and as a founding member of Wolfpack Women in Philanthropy at NC State.

The Goodnights support up to 350 North Carolina students each year through the Goodnight Scholarships program, which they established in 2008 and expanded in 2017 to include transfer students from the state’s community colleges. The Goodnights also have generously strengthened centers, programs and additional scholarship opportunities across NC State. Their commitment to faculty excellence has resulted in the creation of named faculty positions, including a deanship, as well as a program to invest in early-career faculty and support for additional endowed professorship funds. In 2022, the Goodnights increased their support to include graduate students, creating the Goodnight Doctoral Fellows for Ph.D. candidates in STEM and education.

The Goodnights’ previous gifts to the College of Education include their endowment of the Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Educational Equity. Maria Coady, Ph.D.,—one of the nation’s leading experts on English language and multilingual learners— has been the inaugural Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Educational Equity since August 2022.