Faculty Profiles

Colleges and Departments

Dr. Lori Czop Assaf

  • Professor - Curriculum And Instruction
Portrait of Dr. Lori Czop Assaf

Biography and education

Ph. D. 2003 The University of Texas at Austin
Curriculum and Instruction Specialization in Literacy
“The Authoring of Self: Looking at Preservice Teachers’ Professional Identities as Reflected in an Online Environment”

M. Ed. 1996 The University of Texas at Austin
Curriculum and Instruction with Reading Major

B. A. 1988 University of San Diego Bachelor of Arts in Diversified Liberal Arts and K-8 Teaching Certification

CERTIFICATIONS
California Elementary Education PK thru 8 (Lifetime certificate obtained in 1988)
Texas Elementary Education Self-Contained Grades PK-6th (Lifetime certificate obtained 1988)
Texas Reading Specialist Grades PK-12 (Lifetime certificate obtained in 1995)
Texas ESL Education PK-6 (Lifetime certification obtained in 1995)

Teaching Interests

Research Interests

  • Justice, Sean Bradley, Assaf, Lori Czop. EPK-2 Exploring PK-2 Teachers’ Ability to Identify CT Precursors and Implement Learning Activities that Strengthen Computer Science in Early Childhood Classrooms., LBJ Institute, STEM-For-All Partnership within the LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research, $50000. (Funded: June 1, 2024 - July 1, 2024). Grant.
  • Justice, Sean Bradley (Principal), Assaf, Lori Czop (Co-Principal). EPK-2: Exploring PK-2 Teachers' Abilities to Identify CT Precursors and Implement Learning Activities that Strengthen Computer Science in Early Childhood Classrooms, National Science Foundation, Federal, $450000. (Submitted: November 2019, Funded: September 2020 - August 2024). Grant.
  • Assaf, Lori Czop, King, Jeffry Todd. Continuous Improvement: Supporting Teacher Candidates' Certification Exam Prep, Charles Butt Foundation, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $5000. (Funded: January 15, 2025 - Present). Grant.
  • Assaf, Lori Czop (Principal), King, Jeffry Todd (Co-Principal). Charles Butt Full Partnership Addendum- 4 new programs added to Charles Butt Scholarship, Charles Butt Foundation, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $24000. (Submitted: June 15, 2024, Funded: September 15, 2024 - April 15, 2025). Grant.
  • Justice, Sean Bradley (Principal), Assaf, Lori Czop (Co-Principal). Summer Computing for Teachers, 2024, STEM for ALL and LBJ Institute for STEM Education, Texas State University, $50000. (Submitted: June 1, 2024, Funded: June 1, 2024 - July 1, 2024). Grant.
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  • Assaf, L. C., & Justice, S. B. (n.d.). Storymaking: An Innovative Multimodal Approach to Early Literacy Instruction. Language Arts.
  • Justice, S. B., & Assaf, L. C. (2025). Expressive STEM Storymaking: Art, Literacy, and Creative Computing. In Intersections and Thresholds of STEAM Education (pp. 210–226). Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004714748_014
  • Assaf, L. C., & Justice, S. B. (2024). Asset-Based Computational Thinking in Early Childhood Classrooms: Centering Students’ Expertise in a Community of Learners. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01825-3
  • Assaf, L. C., & Forsythe, M. E. (2024). Engaging in Video Clubs: Teacher Candidates’ Visioning of Linguistically Responsive Literacy Instruction. Action in Teacher Research, 46(2), 147–167. https://doi.org/DOI: 10.1080/01626620.2024.2318225
  • Assaf, L. C. (2023). Community-based, Literacy Makerspaces: Opportunities for Critical Global Literacies in South Africa. In S. Kerkhoff and Hiller Spires (Eds.). Critical Perspectives on Global Literacies: Bridging Research and Practice. In Critical Perspectives on Global Literacies: Bridging Research and Practice. USA: Routlage. Retrieved from https://www.routledge.com/Critical-Perspectives-on-Global-Literacies-Bridging-Research-and-Practice/Kerkhoff-Spires/p/book/9781032335483
View all scholarly/creative works
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Presidential Distinction Award for College Achievement, 2021, Texas State University. August 24, 2021
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Fulbright Specialist, Fulbright. June 1, 2016 - June 1, 2021
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Alpha Chi Favorite Professors for Spring (2021), Alpha Chi. May 1, 2021 - May 25, 2021
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Developmental Leave Year Long Supplemental Award, Texas State University. September 1, 2019 - June 1, 2020
  • Award / Honor Recipient: International Research Accelerator, Texas State University. August 26, 2019 - June 1, 2020
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  1. Co-Chair

    AACTE Global Diversity Committee

  2. Chair

    Literacy Research Association Chair Barr/Mosenthal Handbook of Reading Research Fund Committee

  3. Member

    University Curriculum Committee

  4. Member

    College Curriculum Committee

  5. Member

    Charles Butt Scholarship Review Committee

  6. Member

    Accelerated Alternative Certification Planning Committee

  7. View all activities