Faculty and Staff Profiles

• Ed.d. Literacy - Sam Houston State University - 2020
• MS Reading - University of Houston--Clear Lake - 2016
• BA General Studies - Education - University of St. Thomas - 2013

• Literacy Program Coordinator, Instruction and Curriculum Leadership (ICL) - University of Memphis - 2024-Present
• Assistant Professor of Literacy, Instruction and Curriculum Leadership - University of Memphis - 2023-Present
• Family and Community Engagement Director,   - Shelby Literacy Center - 2025-Present
• Adjunct Professor, Literacy, Language Arts, and Literature Studies - University of Houston--Clear Lake - 2019-Present

• 30-under-30 Honoree - International Literacy Association (ILA) - 2019

• English - Annunciation Orthodox School
• English - Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School of Houston

• Communities of Research Scholars (CoRS) Grant - Division of Research and Innovation - $2,500 - 2023-2024

• University of Incarnate Word - Quality Enhancement Program Reviewer - 2024-Present
• University of Memphis - Pride and Equity Alliance - 2024-Present
• University of Memphis - Communication and Writing Center Support - 2024-Present
• University of Memphis - Supernatural in Children’s Literature Event for Department of English - 2024
• University of Memphis - Inclusive Children’s Literature Practices Panel for Department of English - 2023

• Houston Grand Opera - 2017

• Panozzo, M. (2024). Deaf Utopia: A book review focusing on literacy, culture, and understanding. The Reading Matrix: An International Online Journal, 24(2), 55-57. https://www.readingmatrix.com/files/33-219ia5k5.pdf

• Panozzo, M. (2018). Teaching, affirming, and recognizing trans* and gender creative youth: A queer literacy framework. READ: An Online Journal for Literacy Educators, 4(7), 105-109.

• Panozzo, M. (2017). Kids deserve it: Pushing boundaries and challenging conventional thinking. READ: An Online Journal for Literacy Educators, 3(5), 62-63.

• Panozzo, M., & LaRue, L. (2024). Forming the reader: Cultivating active engagement in digital texts. Literacy Today, 42(1), 60-61.
• Panozzo, M., & Hockless, J. (2024). Immersing Students in Classics: Turning Scenes from a Short Story into Interactive Posters Using Makey Makey Kits. Journal of Technology-Integrated Lessons and Teaching, 3(2), 1-9 https://doi.org/10.13001/jtilt.v3i2.8693
• Panozzo, M., & Cook, C. (2024). Cultivating Climate Consciousness: Empowering Elementary and Middle School Students to Create a Sustainable Future Through Curriculum, Collaboration, and Community. Tennessee Literacy Journal, 5(3), 8-10.
• Panozzo, M., & LaRue, L. (2023). Tale as old as time: Balancing digital texts and print-based practices. The Oklahoma Reader, 59(2), 81-87. 
• Panozzo, M. (2023). Books as gateways, teachers as guides: A reflection on the critical importance of protecting LGBTQ+ literature in the classroom. Literacy Today, 40(3), 74-75
• Childs, K., Jennings, I., & Panozzo-Schagene, M. (2020). READ: Accepting and interacting with the diverse needs of Texas literacy learners. Texas Association for Literacy Education Yearbook, 7. 32-36.

• Eppley, K., Panozzo, M., & Kuehl, R. (accepted 2025). Queer Rural Representation in Middle Grade Fiction.  [virtual session presentation]. Children’s Literature Assembly Online Research Conference.
• Kuehl, R., Eppley, K., & Panozzo, M. (accepted, 2025) Turns Out, We Really Are Everywhere:  A Queer Critical Content Analysis of Rural Books for Middle Grade Readers. [session presentation]. AERA. Denver, CO.
• Eppley, K., Kuehl, R., & Panozzo, M. (accepted, 2025) Queer rural representation in middle grade fiction: Families and communities. [Submitted session presentation]. Children’s Literature Assembly of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Virtual format.
• Kuehl, R., Eppley, K., & Panozzo, M (2024). Queer and Rural Intersections in Contemporary Middle Grade Novels. [session presentation]. NCTE. Boston, MA. 
• Eppley, K., & Panozzo, M. (2024) Will and Tony are lucky: Queer rural lives in middle grade fiction.  [research session]. National Forum to Advance Rural Education, NREA. Savannah, GA.

• Panozzo, M. (2024). Returning Home: How Studying LGBTQ Children’s and Young Adult Texts Helped Me Reclaim my Childhood. [paper]. ChLA. Madision, WI.

• Panozzo, M. (2024). Using Art-Based Research to Re-Examine my Past and Imagine the Future as a Gay Educator. International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. [paper]. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

• Panozzo, M. (2024). Linking Through Literacy: Exploring Children and Young Adult Literature to Build Community. [presentation]. Texas Association for Literacy Education. Waco, TX. 

• LaRue, L., & Panozzo, M. (2024). Balancing Bytes and Books: Exploring Digital and Printed Texts in the Classroom. [presentation]. Texas Association for Literacy Education. Waco, TX.

• Panozzo, M., Salem, W., & Cook, C. (2023). Acknowledged and Empowered ?at Home, School, and Abroad: Conversations and Resources for Inclusive Children’s Literature Practices [invited class presentation]. Department of English, University of Memphis.

• Panozzo, M. (2023). Caught Between Closets: Determining How Arts-Based Educational Research can promote the Understanding of Queer Educators' Lived Experiences [roundtable]. Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers Annual Conference. Santa Fe, NM.

• Panozzo, M. (2023). Exploring new worlds of storytelling through Makey Makey kits [presentation]. Texas Association for Literacy Education Annual Conference. Houston, TX.  

• Panozzo, M. (2022). ’We don’t talk about that’: Using Children’s and YA Lit to Promote the Inclusion of LGBTQ+ Persons in School [presentation]. Texas Association for Literacy Education Annual Conference. Plano, TX. 

• Panozzo, M. (2021). Taking queer texts out of our classroom closets [invited virtual presentation]. University of Southern Maine.

• Panozzo, M. (2020). LGBTQ Book Talks [invited virtual presentation]. University of Southern Maine.

• Panozzo, M. (2019). Queering Conversation of the ‘Other’ with Preservice Teachers Through Children and YA Texts [presentation]. International Literacy Association Annual Conference. New Orleans, LA. 

• Panozzo, M. (2019). Taboo Topics: Using Literature to Help Teachers and Students Understand the ‘Other’ [presentation]. Texas Association for Literacy Education Annual Conferece. Waco, TX

• Panozzo, M. (2018). Opening the Closet of Your Classroom Library: Integrating YA Novels with LGBT Themes and Characters to Create a More Inclusive Classroom [presentation]. Texas Association for Literacy Education Annual Conference. Canyon, TX.

• LITL 7540 - Literacy Instruction in Elementary Schools
• LITL 7554 - Literacy Development Grades 5-8
• LITL 7304/8304 - Writing Theory and Practice
• LITL 4240 - Literacy Grades K-4