Faculty Spotlight: Katharine Covino

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Katharine Covino, Ed.D., headshot

Katharine Covino, Ed.D. grew up in Belle Mead, New Jersey. Though she has many educators in her family, it was not until after she graduated from Rice University that she decided she wanted to become an educator herself. Upon earning her teaching credentials, she taught middle school and high school in Austin, Texas. Her interest in the space between literature and pedagogy deepened as she pursued her doctoral degree as a University Fellow at University of Massachusetts, Lowell where she wrote her dissertation on the dynamic and disruptive nature of critical literacy on practices of discourse, identity, and gender performance.  

Katy began her career at Fitchburg State University in 2015 as an Assistant Professor of English Studies. She teaches courses on writing, literature and pedagogy. Her research and academic writing focuses on three overlapping areas - critical literacy/critical pedagogy, gender, and praxis (the place where theory and practice meet). She is an avid writer, especially when it comes to subjects that are relevant and authentic to teachers. Katy has written numerous journal articles and book chapters, and has many ongoing projects in the works.  A recent book chapter, titled “Shining a Light on the Monster. Identifying and Interrogating Toxic Masculinity,” featured in the Young Adult and Canonical Literature. Pairing and Teaching (2021) represents a perfect overlap of her three areas of interest. (Please see the list of her recent work listed below).

The Insanely Awesome POST-Pandemic Playbook book, next to a box of tissues, mask, and hand sanitizer.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in the beginning of 2020, Katy was inspired to write books to help children understand life under quarantine. She teamed up with her writing partner Elizabeth Englander and illustrator Caroline Charland and wrote the book The Insanely Awesome Pandemic Playbook, which was published last December. Their next book for kids, The Insanely Awesome POST-Pandemic Playbook will be published in mid-April; as so many school-age children return to their classrooms full-time. These paired books use humor to help kids ages 7-11 think about and process their experiences during the pandemic. The books share strategies for kids about ways to reflect on their feelings and steps they can take to feel better. The two books about the pandemic align with the pair’s other books for kids. By combining science-based research and thinking with humor and fun, Katy and Elizabeth entertain kids, while also teaching them.

Katy lives in Harvard, MA with her husband and her three children. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, exercising, spending time outdoors, and working on fun projects with her family including making beer, wine, bread, jam, and soap - there’s always something boiling, bubbling, or brewing in the kitchen. 

Dr. Covino's Recent Publications:

  • Covino, K., Consalvo, A., and Chase, N. (2021) Shining a light on the monster: Identifying and interrogating toxic masculinity. In Greathouse, P. & Malo-Juvera, V. (Eds.), Young adult and canonical literature: Pairing and teaching (pp. 103-120). Rowman & Littlefield.
  • Consalvo, A., Covino, K., and Chase, N. (2021). Decentering the book(room) and (re)centering students’ interest contemporary issues: Theories, questions, and relevance. Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education, 10(1), Article 6.
  • Covino, K. & Mulcahy, C. (2020). Social justice in the classroom: How critical literacy can help teachers and students move toward empowerment, equity, and transformative change. The Leaflet, 117(1), 7-19.
  • Covino, K., Zecker, G. and Britten, H. (2020). Rowing together in the same direction – how entwined symbiosis empowers teachers at all levels. In In Rodriguez T. L., H. L. Hallman, K. Pastore-Capuana, & D. L. Pasternak (Eds.), Invested stayers: How teachers thrive in challenging times (pp. 41-52). Rowman & Littlefield.
  • Greathouse, P., Consalvo, A., Covino, K., David, A., Eisenbach, B., Letcher, M. (2020). When inclusion meets resistance: Resources for facing a challenge. The English Journal, 110(1), 80-86.
  • Covino, K. (2019). Tony Applegate: An oral biography. In In B. J. McClanahan, P. S. Lisenbee, W. M. Linek, & E. Jampole (Eds.), Ten Year Retrospective of The Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers: 2008-2018 (pp. 336-347). Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers.
  • Covino, K. (2019). ‘It’s just not what I thought it would be:’ Teacher candidates navigating tensions in identity. In H. L. Hallman, K. Pastore-Capuana, & D. L. Pasternak (Eds.), Possibilities, challenges, and changes in English teacher education today – Exploring identity and professionalization (pp. 21-35). Rowman & Littlefield.
  • Covino, K. (2018). Intrapersonal tensions: Teachers in conflict with themselves. New England Reading Journal, 53(1)19-30.