Dr. Kinga Varga-Dobai
Contact Information
About
Biography
Dr. Kinga Varga-Dobai is a professor of language and literacy education in the School of Education. She currently teaches Language, Literacy and Culture (ELAN 3000) and Approaches to Teaching Writing (READ 3800). She has also taught Instructional Design and Delivery (ECED 3500) and Socio-cultural Perspectives in Education (EDUC 2120).
Prior to her position at GGC, Varga-Dobai worked as the graduate coordinator of the Georgia Children’s Literature Conference at The University of Georgia, where she was also the editor of the Journal of Language and Literacy Education (JoLLE). Before completing her doctoral studies, she taught fifth grade, as well as ESOL and language arts classes for middle and high school students.
Her research and teaching focuses on the integration of multicultural children’s literature in literacy instruction, multi-genre writing, and socio-cultural aspects of literacy education. She has published her work in national and international journals, including: Literacy, International Journal of Multicultural Education, Multicultural Perspectives and Folklore, among others.
Education
- Doctorate – language and literacy education – The University of Georgia
- Master’s – foundations of education – Universitatea Babes-Bolyai, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Bachelor’s – theology/English education – Universitatea Babes-Bolyai, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Academic Interests
- Multicultural children’s literature
- Arts-based practices in literacy education
- Intercultural learning
- Feminist and qualitative research methods
Distinctions
- The Genelle Morain Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching (2011), The University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
- Ethnicity, Race and Multilingualism Scholarship Award (2010), Literacy Research Association.
- College of Education Early Career Grant, Department of Language and Literacy Education (2010), University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.