Biography and expertise
Dr. Sonya L. Armstrong is a Professor in the Graduate Program in Postsecondary Student Success in Learning, Literacy, and Mathematics. She earned her doctorate in literacy education with a focus on postsecondary literacy from the University of Cincinnati. Prior to that, she trained in English and earned two M.A. degrees (in literature and editing and publishing). Dr. Armstrong is a practitioner-researcher, and her scholarly endeavors are guided by over twenty years of designing and teaching developmental reading, composition, and learning strategies courses in community colleges and universities. Her research focuses on improving postsecondary literacy and learning pedagogy and practice to more effectively facilitate students’ college literacy transitions, thereby increasing access and potential for success for all within higher education. With colleagues she is currently undertaking an investigation of the literacy practices and expectations in community college career technical education courses.
Education
Doctorate Degree
EDD in Literacy
Univ of Cincinnati Main Campus, 2007
Master's Degree
MA in English
Xavier University, 2004
Master's Degree
MA in English and Comparative Literature
Univ of Cincinnati Main Campus, 2000
Bachelor's Degree
BA in English Literature
Univ of Cincinnati Main Campus, 1998
Teaching Interests
Research Interests
Featured scholarly/creative works
- Armstrong, S. L., Tufano, V. E., Dyer, J. M., Le, H. T., Layegh, N., & Leibold, A. M. (2026). From Text To Practice: Literacy Readiness In Nursing Education. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 56(4), 216–231. https://doi.org/10.1080/10790195.2026.2714764
- Armstrong, S. L., Mahdavivand Fard, S., & Lampi, J. (n.d.). The Main Idea Hunt: A Staple of Postsecondary Developmental Literacy Instruction…But Should It Be? Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 69(5). https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jaal.70035
- Lampi, J., Armstrong, S. L., & Das, P. (2025). Normalizing the productive struggle: Reading development in postsecondary contexts. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 69(4). https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.70033
- Armstrong, S. L., Lampi, J., LeBlanc, T. R., & Bartlett, A. (2025). An Invitation for Learning Assistance Professionals: Ten Recommendations for Supporting Students’ Reading. Learning Assistance Review (TLAR), 29(3), 97–123.
- Lampi, J., Armstrong, S. L., Talwar, A., & Magliano, J. (2023). Reading matters in supporting students: The role of complex literacy tasks in academic success. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory, and Practice, Online First. https://doi.org/10.1177/15210251231214557
Featured awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: Robert Griffin Award for Long and Outstanding Service, College Reading and Learning Association. November 2024 - 2024
- Award / Honor Recipient: Honorary Professor of International Studies, Center for International Studies, Texas State University. February 2025 - Present
- Award / Honor Recipient: Cynthia Peterson 2024 Outstanding Article Award, College Reading and Learning Association. November 2024 - 2024
- Award / Honor Nominee: Alpha Chi Honor Society Favorite Professor. October 2024 - 2024
- Award / Honor Recipient: College Achievement Award for Excellence in Service, College of Education, Texas State University. February 2021
Featured service activities
- Editorial Review Board Member
International Journal of Qualitative Methods
- Chair
General Education Council Subcommittee on Assessment
- Editorial Review Board Member
Adult Literacy Education: The International Journal of Literacy, Language, and Numeracy
- Member
FirstGen Proud
- President
College Reading and Learning Association
- Editor
Journal of College Reading and Learning