BLAINE, MN, June 06, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Keitha-Gail Martin-Kerr, PhD, has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Dr. Martin-Kerr has established a distinguished career in academia, marked by her leadership and dedication to education. As the associate chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Minnesota, she is recognized as the first and only woman of color to earn a PhD in her field from the university and subsequently assume a leadership role within the department. Her journey reflects a significant milestone in promoting diversity and representation in academic leadership.

After spending her early career teaching primarily elementary and high school education, Dr. Martin-Kerr assumed a position at the University of Minnesota in 2011, where she initially served as a teaching specialist. After completing her PhD in literacy education in 2016, she transitioned to a lecturer role within the College of Education and Human Development. Her commitment to faculty and staff development led her to St. Paul College, where she served as associate chair before returning to the University of Minnesota in 2022 as an associate teaching professor. In 2024, she was appointed associate chair for racial justice and equity.

Before entering the workforce, Dr. Martin-Kerr earned a Master of Arts in school district leadership from Touro College and another Master of Arts in literacy acquisition and development from City College of New York. Her foundational education includes a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education from Northern Caribbean University and a diploma in primary education from the College of Agricultural Science and Education, completed in Jamaica before coming to the United States.

Born in Jamaica, Dr. Martin-Kerr is deeply influenced by her heritage, which instilled in her a strong drive to achieve not only for herself but also for her community and future generations.
Dr. Martin-Kerr's professional affiliations underscore her commitment to advancing educational research and practice. She is actively involved with several organizations, including the American Education Research Association, the Literacy Research Association, the International Reading Association, the National Women Studies Association and the National Association for Multicultural Education, among many others.

In addition to her academic roles, Dr. Martin-Kerr co-leads the Jamaican Exchange in Teaching program, fostering cross-cultural educational experiences between teachers from Minnesota and Jamaica. This initiative highlights her commitment to global education and cultural exchange. Her civic involvement extends to serving as past president of the Minnesota Academy of Reading and as a field council representative for the Literacy Research Association.

In recognition of her work, Dr. Martin-Kerr has been honored with various awards, including the Service Excellence Award from the University of Minnesota in 2025 and the Staff Excellence Award from St. Paul College in 2019. She has also co-authored numerous articles, notably her work, "Feminist Perspectives of Time Toward Collective Well-Being in Online Pedagogy," published in Distance Learning, and "A Post-intentional Phenomenological Study of a Queer Identified Youth in Jamaica," in the Global Journal of Human-Social Science. Along with written works, she has contributed to several presentations and papers at conferences and has served on the editorial staff for two.

Looking ahead, she aims to take on further leadership roles at the University of Minnesota while collaborating with faculty to enhance their educational impact. Additionally, she is working on an educational book proposal focused on collective memory work, as her research is at the intersection of collective memory work, elementary education, teacher education, Black identity and queer experiences.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

# # #