September 12, 2023
The University of Montana Western is pleased to announce Dr. Katrina Kennett as the next Division Chair of Education.
“We look forward to Dr. Kennett serving in this new role, and are excited for the high level of energy and community collaboration that she will bring to the position,” said UMW Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr. Johnny MacLean.
Dr. Kennett earned a B.A. in Secondary English Education from Connecticut College in 2008, a M.A.T. in K-12 Language Arts & Literacy from San Diego State University in 2013, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction, Language & Literacy with a concentration in Writing Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2017.
Starting at UMW in 2018, Dr. Kennett currently serves in the Education Division at Montana Western as an Associate Professor of Education, Rural Fridays Coordinator, and the UMW Manager of Online Programs. She has taught courses in literacy and technology education as well as supervised student teachers in the field. Dr. Kennett has worked closely with Katie Miller at Dillon Middle School and Lori Cannady at the Dillon Public Library to develop the Dillon Community Story Stroll. This past year, she received a significant grant for increasing and improving the practices of proficiency-based education in the state of Montana.
Dr. Kennett has published several peer reviewed publications and presented at national conferences. Her most recent paper, published in the Journal of Technology and Teacher Education in 2021, was titled “Digital Simulations as Approximations of Practice: Preparing Preservice Teachers to Facilitate Whole-Class Discussions of Controversial Issues.” In the past three years, Dr. Kennett has presented at annual conferences of the Literacy Research Association, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, and the American Education Research Association.
“I’m excited to have this opportunity to serve both the Education Division and Montana Western. I look forward to supporting our students, promoting the great work my colleagues do, and building even more connections between the campus and our community.”
Katrina enjoys spending time with her family, baking, hiking, and fly fishing.
