LAUREN BRANNAN

Inspector

Dr. Lauren R. Brannan is Associate Professor of Reading Education at the University of South Alabama where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in reading education. Her current research centers around teachers’ knowledge of language, instructional methodologies in teacher preparation, and inservice teacher professional development. She currently serves as President of The Reading League Alabama, as an administrator for the Alabama Science of Reading—Learning Together Facebook page, and as a member of the Alabama Higher Education Taskforce on the Science of Reading. In addition to working in higher education, Dr. Brannan is a Professional Learning Facilitator for the literacy professional development program, Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS). Through this work she trains teachers across the nation in both remote and face-to-face settings. The training informs participants of the science of reading and evidence-based practices for teaching reading. 

Before entering higher education, Dr. Brannan worked as a first-grade teacher in Mobile County Public Schools, where she taught for seven years. During this time, she served as grade level chair and on the district English Language Arts Curriculum Committee. In her final years in the K-12 setting, she served as the technology support teacher at her assigned elementary school. During this time, she was awarded teacher of the year for Mobile County Public Schools and Elementary Teacher of the Year for District I in Alabama. 

Dr. Brannan received her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, her Master’s degree in Reading Specialist, and her Ph.D. in Instructional Design and Development at the University of South Alabama. In 2010, she was awarded Outstanding Graduate Reading Specialist Student by the faculty at the University of South Alabama.