DURANT, Okla. – Dr. Barbara McClanahan, Professor of Educational Instruction and Leadership at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, is the recipient of an award from a top national/international scholarly organization for reading and literacy education and research.

The Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) recently presented the Al J. Mazurkiewicz Special Services Award to McClanahan.

This annual award (renamed in 1999, formerly the Special Services Award) recognizes an ALER member for special service and/or significant contributions to ALER.

McClanahan, who teaches Elementary Education at the Southeastern McCurtain County campus, joined the University faculty in 2008.

She earned an Ed.D. in Curriculum & Instruction with Reading emphasis at Texas A&M-Commerce, a master’s in reading at A&M-Commerce, and a bachelor’s in history at Texas Tech University.

“Dr. McClanahan’s stature as a nationally recognized literacy scholar has been enhanced by this national recognition of her service,’’ said Dr. Stewart Mayers, chair of the Department of Educational Instruction and Leadership and Director of Teacher Education. “She is most deserving of this award.’’

All ALER Awards are given to individuals to acknowledge special services and/or significant contribution to the ALER Association, or who, by personal example and leadership, have actively contributed to the progress and growth of the organization.

McClanahan has served the organization on several committees since 2008 and as a member of the Board of Directors since 2017. Most recently she completed a three-year project as lead editor of The Ten-Year Retrospective of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers: 2008-2018, a 472-page history of the organization that is being published this month. Southeastern’s professor of Visual Arts Jack Ousey designed the cover of this volume.