Profile | Utah Valley University

Faculty Member

Liz Nelson

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Biography

Dr. Liz Nelson earned her BA in English Teaching from Brigham Young University - Provo and her MA in English with a focus on writing pedagogy from Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

Prior to completing her doctoral degree in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Reading and Literacy from the University of Utah, she taught high school English Language Arts courses in traditional and alternative schools in Utah and Virginia.

At UVU, Dr. Nelson teaches English Education courses and first-year writing. She also works with preservice teachers. Her research interests include critical writing pedagogy, culturally sustaining literacy pedagogy, methods for teaching writing, and diverse children's and young adult literature.

Teaching

ENGL 1010

Introduction to Academic Writing, Spring 2026

ENGL 2800

Introduction to the English Major, Spring 2026

EDSC 4850

Student Teaching Secondary, Spring 2026

EDUC 6203R

Student Teaching Graduate Licensure, Spring 2026

EDUC 6203R

Student Teaching Graduate Licensure, Spring 2026

ENGL 4230

Teaching Writing, Spring 2026

Presentations

Liang, Lauren , Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), Lucas, Colli , Van Deventer, Megan , 45th Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience, "Strategies for Supporting the Transition to Academic Disciplinary College-Level Reading", FYE, Seattle, WA. (February, 2026)

Luszeck, Mandy , Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), Van Deventer, Megan , Utah Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference, "Why New Books Matter--And What Teachers Can Do About It", UCTE, Sandy, UT. (February, 2026)

Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Panelist), Children’s Literature Assembly Online Research Conference, "Journal Editor Session", Children's Literature Assembly, Online. (February 20, 2026)

Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), Van Deventer, Megan , Opatz, Margaret , 2025 NCTE Annual Convention, "Let Freedom Read! Helping Preservice Teachers Become Book Advocates for Diverse Young Adult Literature in the Classroom", NCTE, Denver, CO. (November, 2025)

Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), Van Deventer, Megan , Opatz, Margaret , 2025 NCTE Annual Convention, "Preparing Preservice Teachers to Advocate Boldly for the Right to Read", NCTE, Denver, CO. (November, 2025)

Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), 2025 NCTE Annual Convention, "Preservice Teacher Researchers_ Using Classroom Inquiry in Curriculum Decision-Making", NCTE, Denver, CO. (November, 2025)

Scholarly/Creative Works

Nelson, Liz , Van Deventer, Megan , (2026) "Interrogating Reader Identity_ Rhetorical Listening as a Pedagogical Tool to Support Preservice Teachers as Advocates for Diverse Young Adult Literature" . Parlor Press.

Liang, Lauren , Nelson, Liz , (2026) "Becoming Purposeful_ Understanding Text Selection for Use in Schools and Libraries through an International Children’s Literature Course" . Bloomsbury. https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/literary-praxis-9798881867904/

Brewer, Amanda , Gallo, Jess , Nelson, Liz , Newell, Bridget , Olan, Elsie , Saidy, Christina , Sjostrom, Kate , Sullivan, Vanessa , Warrington, Amber , "Array" . NCTE.

Nelson, Liz , Aramburu, Samantha , Sudol, Morgan , Larson, Karen , Winget, Shanda , "Writing for Real_ Using Authentic Multimodal Genres as Process and Product in Secondary Classrooms" . Bloomsbury.

Nelson, Liz , Luszeck, Mandy , (2026) "We Need New Books!" (Issue: 54). Utah: Utah English Journal. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1343&context=uej

Nelson, Liz Thackeray, Optaz, Margaret Osgood, VanSlander, Jennifer , (2023) "Instructional Frameworks for Teaching Writing in the Age of AI" . Hershey, PA: IGI Global. https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/instructional-frameworks-for-teaching-writing-in-the-age-of-ai/332264

Awards

Edwin M. Hopkins English Journal Honorable Mention Award

National Council of Teachers of English - November, 2024

The award recognizes outstanding English Journal articles written by someone who is not a classroom teacher. The English Journal Edwin M. Hopkins Award is named after the author of the lead article in the first issue of the English Journal, a former professor of rhetoric and English language at the University of Kansas, member of the first Board of Directors of NCTE, and co-author of the first NCTE constitution.

Linda Rief Voices from the Middle Honorable Mention Award

ENGL 4230

Teaching Writing, Fall 2022

Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), Luszeck, Mandy , 2025 NCTE Annual Convention, "Real Stories, Big Dreams_ Transforming Learning through YA Nonfiction", , NCTE, Denver, CO. (November, 2025)

Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Panelist), Opatz, Margaret Osgood (Panelist), Children’s Literature Assembly Online Research Conference, "Journal Editor Session", , Children's Literature Assembly, Online. (February 21, 2025)

Opatz, Margaret Osgood (Presenter & Author), Van Deventer, Megan M (Presenter & Author), Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), Literacy Research Association 74th Annual Conference, "Negotiating Agency in the Context of Censorship Policies and Restrictive Educational Contexts", , LRA, Atlanta, GA. (December 5, 2024)

Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), Liang, Lauren Aminotte (Presenter & Author), 2024 NCTE Annual Convention, "YMAmazing Awards_ Exploring the Impacts of Book Awards", , NCTE, Boston, MA. (November 23, 2024)

Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), Liang, Lauren Aimonette (Presenter & Author), Fostering Dialogue_ Teaching Children's Literature and Reading for Fun at University, "The Fun and Excitement of Making New Spaces for Picturebooks", , UIC Barcelona, Online. (November 22, 2024)

Luszeck, Mandy (Presenter & Author), Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), Young Adult Literature Summit, "Centering Social Justice Pedagogy with Nonfiction. Young Adult Literature", , Oklahoma State University, Online. (March 1, 2024)

Optaz, Margaret Osgood (Presenter & Author), Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), UCTE 2024 Annual Conference, "Mirrors, Windows, and Mentors_ Humanizing the Writing Curriculum through Critical Mentor Text Sets", , UCTE, Sandy, Utah. (February 2, 2024)

Luszeck, Mandy (Presenter & Author), Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), UCTE 2024 Annual Conference, "Nothing Textbook about this Nonfiction_ Finding and Using Engaging Nonfiction Texts", , UCTE, Sandy, Utah. (February 2, 2024)

Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), 2023 NCTE Annual Convention, "Examining the multifacets of text complexity with Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna. Presented at Conexiones in Teaching Young Adult Literature, ELATE Commission on Young Adult Literature sponsored roundtable", , NCTE, Columbus, OH. (November 18, 2023)

Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), Liang, Lauren Aimonette (Author Only), 2023 NCTE Annual Convention, "WRRESS - Don’t stress! A framework for scaffolding students’ reflections for reading, writing, and teaching. Presented at, Be the bridge_ Connecting reading, writing, and reflection for student success", , NCTE, Columbus, OH. (November 16, 2023)

Luszeck, Mandy (Presenter & Author), Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), For the Love of Reading Conference, "Not a history book_ Nonfiction books that students want to read", , Utah Valley University, Midway, Utah. (October 10, 2023)

Liang, Lauren Aimonette (Presenter & Author), Graff, Jennifer M. (Presenter & Author), Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), Crossing Expertise Divides_ Co-Creation of Knowledge Across Institutions and Communities of Children’s Culture. International Online Conference, "When two colleges combine_ Building the foundation for future co-creation of knowledge across institutions and the field", , University of Wroclaw, Poland, Online. (September 28, 2023)

Liang, Lauren Aimonette (Presenter & Author), Nelson, Liz (Presenter & Author), UCTE 2023 Annual Conference, "WRRESS - Don’t stress! A framework for scaffolding students’ meaningful reflections", , UCTE, Sandy, UT. (February 3, 2023)

Optaz, Margaret Osgood (Presenter & Author), Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), Literacy Research Association's 72nd Conference, "Crossing Linguistic Borders_ Culturally Sustaining Writing Practices with Preservice Teachers", , LRA, Phoenix, AZ. (December 2, 2022)

Nelson, Liz (Presenter & Author), Literacy Research Association's 72nd Conference, "Current practices in writing instruction_ The influence of stand-alone writing methods courses", , Literacy Research Association, Phoenix, AZ. (December 1, 2022)

Liang, Lauren Aimonette (Presenter & Author), Nelson, Liz (Presenter & Author), 2022 NCTE Annual Convention, "Reading with P-OWER: Selecting inclusive text sets that shed light on critical issues and spark social action", , NCTE, Anaheim, CA. (November 19, 2022)

Nelson, Liz Thackeray, Optaz, Margaret Osgood (Author Only), 2022 NCTE Annual Convention, "Mirrors, windows, and mentors_ Humanizing the writing curriculum through critical mentor text sets", , NCTE, Anaheim, CA. (November 17, 2022)

Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), Optaz, Margaret Osgood (Author Only), 2022 NCTE Annual Convention, "Pursuing the Light through Culturally Sustaining Writing Pedagogy--EQUITY in Action", , NCTE, Anaheim, CA. (November 17, 2022)

Nelson, Liz Thackeray (Presenter & Author), Liang, Lauren Aimonette (Presenter & Author), For the Love of Reading Conference, "LitMakerSpaces: Literature + STEM + Writing", , UVU, Midway, UT. (November 4, 2022)

Nelson, Liz Thackeray, Opatz, Margaret Osgood, (2023) "Mirrors, Windows, and Mentors_ Developing Critical Mentor Text Sets to Cultivate Students' Writer Identities" (Issue: 1, vol. 113). Urbana, IL: English Journal/NCTE.

Opatz, Margaret Osgood, Nelson, Liz Thackeray, Hodges, Tracey S., (2022) "Walking the Talk_ Preparing Preservice Teachers for Critical Writing Instruction Using Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy" . Hershey, PA: Handbook of Research on Teacher Practices for Diverse Writing Instruction/IGI Global.