Mary Alice Barksdale, associate professor of education in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the title of associate professor emerita by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

The emerita title may be conferred on retired professors, associate professors, and administrative officers who are specially recommended to the board by Virginia Tech President Tim Sands in recognition of exemplary service to the university. Nominated individuals who are approved by the board receive a copy of the resolution and a certificate of appreciation.

A member of the Virginia Tech community since 2001, Barksdale has made significant contributions to the fields of elementary education, literacy education, and teacher education through her work in preservice teacher preparation, education development in Malawi, and the teaching of reading and writing. She was the recipient of two Fulbright Scholar Awards in which she traveled to Russia in 1995 and to South Africa in 2009.

In the classroom, Barksdale taught a range of undergraduate and graduate courses across the elementary education, literacy education, and teacher education curricula. She chaired 29 doctoral students’ committees and served on another 51 doctoral students’ committees as a member. She also chaired more than 300 master’s degree students’ committees and served on another 11 master’s degree students’ committees, all within the fields of elementary education, literacy education, and teacher education.

Barksdale also supported the School of Education, its elementary education program, and its students through her service as elementary education program leader and leader of field supervision of education interns.


Barksdale received her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from Clemson University and an Ed.D. from Virginia Tech.