Associate Professor Raven L. Jones has been recognized for her literacy and teaching expertise by Michigan State University and MI Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
In December 2024, Gov. Whitmer appointed Jones to the Michigan PreK-12 Literacy Commission, part of the Michigan Department of Education. In April 2025, Jones received the Donald F. Koch Award for Quality in Undergraduate Teaching, part of MSU’s All-University Awards.
“I feel so blessed to not only be a Spartan but also to be an inspiration to future generations of educators and other students and scholars of color,” said Jones, who is part of the Department of Teacher Education.
Guiding statewide literacy efforts
As part of the Literacy Commission, Jones joins a group of experts who “advise and assist in matters relating to the assessment, professional development, education programming, socioeconomic challenges, best practices, collaboration, parental engagement, and teaching of literacy,” according to a press release from Whitmer’s office.
The appointment ties into Jones’ academic history, including a B.A. in English (College of Arts & Letters) and a Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction and Teacher Education (CITE) from MSU. Jones also has a master’s in Elementary Education from Marygrove College.
Supporting undergraduate learners
The MSU honor, formally bestowed at an April 7 ceremony on campus, recognizes faculty for their outstanding teaching efforts. Jones is the sole awardee for the 2024-2025 awards. The honor comes with a $2,500 stipend. Jones has been part of the College of Education faculty since 2016.
“A student-centered teacher, talented and versatile scholar and staunch practitioner of outreach and debate education advocate, [Jones] is routinely praised by students and colleagues for her innovative, down-to-earth and equitable pedagogy and classroom culture,” wrote Pero Dagbovie, University Distinguished Professor and dean of MSU’s Graduate School, in a nomination letter. Dagbovie is also MSU’s vice provost for graduate and postdoctoral studies.
Colleagues in the College of Education agree. “Students who are enrolled in each of Dr. Jones’s courses offered in the [Department of Teacher Education] consistently praise her for being empathetic, approachable, organized, passionate and joyful,” wrote Laxmi Prasad Ojha, a CITE Ph.D. candidate and instructor. “This is a result of her willingness to go beyond the classroom to support students in mentoring them to pursue critical and challenging perspectives to envision an equitable education system from all backgrounds.”
Community-based outreach
These accolades (including several other honors not mentioned here) add to Jones’ steadfast work in improving literacy in Michigan and beyond. For example, at MSU, she has worked with the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) for about a decade on their Multicultural Apprenticeship Program, which supports high school students as they consider pathways for their education and careers. Beyond MSU, she is the Division K Program Co-chair for the American Educational Research Association and serves on the same organization’s 2025 Presidential Planning Program.
As part of her more than two decades of work with the Michigan Council of Teachers of English (MCTE), Jones also leads monthly affinity spaces for teachers of color, which she has done since 2022.
In addition, Jones co-founded and co-leads The Zuri Reads Initiative with her daughter, Zuri Hudson Stanbrough. Together, they facilitate monthly affinity space sessions for children of color.
“I have long had a commitment to fostering welcoming spaces for those from marginalized communities,” Jones says, adding Zuri holds the same values. “I do believe these spaces can benefit our students, college and wider communities. It has truly been an honor to serve our college, university and greater community.”