Nell Duke

Nell K. Duke, Ed.D., is a professor specializing in literacy, language, and culture, as well as the combined program in education and psychology at the University of Michigan. She is a member of the International Literacy Association Literacy Research Panel. Duke earned a bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College and master's and doctoral degrees from Harvard University. Her research centers on early literacy development, with a focus on children living in poverty. Areas of expertise include the development of informational reading and writing in young children, comprehension development and instruction in early education, and equity in literacy education. Duke has served as co-principal investigator on projects funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, National Science Foundation, Spencer Foundation, and George Lucas Educational Foundation.

Duke has received the P. David Pearson Scholarly Influence Award from the Literacy Research Association, the American Educational Research Association Early Career Award, the Literacy Research Association Early Career Achievement Award, the International Reading Association Dina Feitelson Research Award, the National Council of Teachers of English Promising Researcher Award, and the International Reading Association Outstanding Dissertation Award. She has been named a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association for her contributions to educational research.

Duke is the author and co-author of numerous journal articles and book chapters. Her books include "Inside Information: Developing Powerful Readers and Writers of Informational Text through Project-based Instruction," "Reading and Writing Informational Text in the Primary Grades: Research-Based Practices," "Literacy and the Youngest Learner: Best Practices for Educators of Children from Birth to Five," "Beyond Bedtime Stories: A Parent’s Guide to Promoting Reading, Writing, and Other Literacy Skills From Birth to 5," and "Reading and Writing Genre with Purpose in K–8 Classrooms." She is co-editor of "Handbook of Effective Literacy Instruction: Research-based Practice K to 8" and "Literacy Research Methodologies." Duke also serves as editor of The Research-Informed Classroom book series and co-editor of the Not This, But That book series.

Duke has taught preservice, inservice, and doctoral courses in literacy education, and is active in speaking and consulting on literacy education. She is a member of several literacy-related organizations and has contributed as author or consultant to educational programs, including Information in Action, Connect4Learning: The Prekindergarten Curriculum, Buzz About IT, iOpeners, National Geographic Science K-2, and DLM Early Childhood Express. Duke is committed to improving the quality of educational research training in the United States. Her research is frequently cited in major policy documents and reports on literacy education.