People

Vaughn W. M. Watson is an Associate Professor of Secondary English Education. Vaughn’s research renders visible the creative and artistic literacy, language and learning practices of Black African immigrant youth across contexts of schools and communities in the global African Diaspora.

He is the author of “Educating African Immigrant Youth: Schooling and Civic Engagement in K–12 Schools” (Teachers College Press, June, 2024), co-edited with Michelle Knight-Manuel and Patriann Smith.

Vaughn’s article, “‘This is America”: Examining artifactual literacies as austere love across contexts of schools and everyday use,” co-authored with Dr. Joanne Marciano, was awarded the Outstanding Publication Award by the American Educational Research Association’s Narrative Research Special Interest Group.

Vaughn has published research findings on qualitative and participatory research and teaching examining Black youth’s diverse literacy and learning practices, and the interplay of Black African immigrant youth’s literacy and civic engagement in journals including: American Educational Research Journal; Teachers College Record; Review of Research in Education; Research in the Teaching of English; Journal of Literacy Research; Urban Education; Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy; International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education; The Urban Review; English Journal; Literacy; English Teaching: Practice & Critique; Journal of Language & Literacy Education; Journal of Curriculum & Pedagogy; Michigan Reading Journal; Citizenship Teaching & Learning; Journal of Global Citizenship & Equity Education; The Global Studies Journal; and the eJournal of Public Affairs. He co-edited the journal English Teaching: Practice and Critique with Dr. Robert Petrone.

Vaughn is a National Academy of Education / Spencer Foundation postdoctoral fellow; Cultivating New Voices Among Scholars of Color Fellow of the Research Foundation of the National Council of Teachers of English; Literacy Research Association Scholars of Color Transitioning into Academic Research Institutions (STAR) mentor; and recipient of the American Educational Research Association Minority Dissertation Fellow Travel Award.

Vaughn earned his Ed.D. in the Department of Curriculum & Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University, and is a former public high-school English teacher of 12 years in New York City. Prior to teaching, he was pop music writer for The Providence Journal, and freelance music reviewer for NPRjazz.org. Beyond the classroom, Vaughn has coached high-school track, and completed seven 26.2-mile marathons and numerous 13.1-mile half marathons, 10K and 5K road races.