Dr. Krista Gilliland

Assistant Professor
504C, CEPS Complex 
klgilliland@jsu.edu  
Phone: 256-782-5103

Dr. Krista Gilliland, assistant professor in the department of Teacher Education, came to Jax State in a full-time capacity in August of 2024 where she works in the College of Education and Professional Studies. She currently teaches courses that focus on reading instruction in the elementary classroom, methods of reading education, educational research methods, and multicultural literature.

Originally from Hoover, AL, Gilliland earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Masters of Elementary Education at the University of West Alabama, and her Doctor of Education degree in Leadership at Creighton University where she specialized in curriculum and instruction.

Gilliland’s area of expertise revolves around middle school education, specifically reading and literacy instruction. She spent 18 years as a teacher serving the students of Leeds, AL. She develops vocabulary and comprehension lessons that encourage future teachers to focus on both students' ownership of the words they encounter and for them to read between the lines. Her teaching interests include integrating both science and social studies content into reading instruction, allowing her students to learn from the experiences of others, and providing opportunities for future teachers to teach and learn from their peers.

Dr. Gilliland’s research interests include the presence and effects of technology in the classroom and examining how preschool programs prepare students for school and the long-term effectiveness of those programs.