Faculty Profiles

Colleges and Departments

Dr. Lori Czop Assaf

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

Biography and expertise

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)

Education

Doctorate Degree

PhD in Curriculum and Instruction

University of Texas at Austin, 2003

Master's Degree

MED in Curriculum and Instruction

University of Texas at Austin, 1994

Bachelor's Degree

BA in Diversified Liberal Arts

University of San Diego, 1988

Teaching Interests

Research Interests

  • Justice, Sean Bradley (Principal), Assaf, Lori Czop (Co-Principal), Forsythe, Michelle Elizabeth (Co-Principal), Ramos Perez de Miles, Adetty (Co-Principal). Expressive STEM Centers in Central Texas (AISL), National Science Foundation, Federal, $1894000. (Submitted: September 20, 2025, Funded: September 20, 2025 - September 20, 2028). Grant.
  • 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.
View all grants
  • Assaf, L. C., & Justice, S. B. (2026). Storymaking: An Innovative Multimodal Approach to Early Literacy Instruction. Language Arts, 103(6), 425–429. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.58680/la20261036425
  • Assaf, L. C. (n.d.). The Writing Identity Work of Youth: A Review of the Literature. Review of Educational Research.
  • Assaf, L. C., & Justice, S. B. (2025). Storymaking in an Afterschool Literacy Tutoring Program: Teacher Candidates Learn about Play, Talk, and Teacher Positioning. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy Education, 1–18. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/10901027.2025.2589260
  • 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
  • Justice, S. B., & Assaf, L. C. (2024). 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
View all scholarly/creative works
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Honor Recipient: College Achievement Award for Service, Rank of Full Professor, College of Education, TXST University. 2026 - Present, Texas State University. August 12, 2026
  • 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
View all awards
  1. Co-Chair

    AACTE Global Diversity Committee

  2. Chair

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

  3. Member

    Bonfire

  4. Member

    University Curriculum Committee

  5. Member

    College Curriculum Committee

  6. Member

    Charles Butt Scholarship Review Committee

  7. View all activities