Margaret-Mary Sulentic Dowell, PhD

Cecil "Pete" Taylor Endowed Professor in Literacy Leadership and Urban Education
Director, LSU Writing Project
Coordinator, PhD Program in PK-12 Educational Leadership

Contact
sdowell@lsu.edu
220F Peabody Hall
225-578-5998

Education
Bachelor's Degree: BA Secondary English, minor Women's Studies, University of Northern Iowa, 1979
Master's Degree: Reading Education, University of Northern Iowa, 1989
PhD: Education, with an emphasis in Literacy Studies, University of Iowa, May 1999
Other: National Board Certified Teacher (NBCT); Early Adolescence/English Language Arts, National License 1995 (field test candidate); recertified November 2005 and November 2015

Margaret-Mary Sulentic Dowell
Dr. Margaret-Mary Sulentic Dowell is Professor of Literacy, Leadership and Urban Education, School of Education, College of Human Sciences and Education, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. Sulentic Dowell is Director of the LSU Writing Project. Her research agenda includes three strands focused on literacy in urban settings, specifically the complexities of literacy leadership, providing access to literature, writing, and the arts, and service-learning as a pathway to preparing pre-service teachers to teach literacy authentically in urban environs. Sulentic Dowell is a career educator, spending the majority of her 20-year public school teaching experience in Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, and most recently, serving public education as Assistant Superintendent of 64 elementary campuses in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System in Louisiana. Sulentic Dowell has been nationally recognized for her scholarship and teaching, most recently being honored by LSU as a senior Rainmaker (2022) and she was recognized by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities as the Light Up for Literacy awardee in 2019. Sulentic Dowell co-authored Productivity and Publishing: Writing Processes for New Scholars and Researchers (SAGE, 2022) to assist novice academics and researchers with demystifying scholarly academic writing. Her favorite saying: WRITE ON!
Sulentic Dowell, M-M., DiCarlo, C., Saal, L.K., and Willingham, T. (2022). Productivity & Publishing: Writing Processes for New Scholars & Researchers. Sage.

Lau, J., Meidl, T. and Sulentic Dowell, M-M. (2019). The Literacy Leadership Guide for Elementary Principals: Reclaiming Teacher Autonomy and Joy. Rowman and Littlefield.

Meidl, T. & Sulentic Dowell, M-M. (2018). Handbook of Service-Learning Initiatives in Teacher Education Programs. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-4041-0

Sulentic Dowell, M-M. & Meidl, T. (2016). Expanding Elementary Teacher Education Teacher Education through Service-learning: A Handbook on Extending Literacy Field Experiences for 21st Century Teacher Preparation. Rowman and Littlefield.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). FY24 Gulf of Mexico B-WET, The Water Connects Us All. (Principal Investigator, assumed July 2026). [$100,000.00]

Office of the Dean, LSU College of Human Sciences & Education. 2026. Teacher Agency on Standardized Systems: Adaptive Practice and Cultural Responsiveness across A+ schools. (Co-Principal Investigator). [$7,000.00]

SEC Grant, 2019-2020. Meet Private Pete: An Investigation of WWII Training Manuals from Two Perspectives. Submitted July 2019/Awarded September 2019. (Co-Principal Investigator) [$1,000.00] (2014 sabbatical product)

Louisiana Department of Education - Mentor Training for Year-Long Student Teacher Residencies Grant. Submitted fall 2016/Awarded Fall 2017. (Co-Principal Investigator) [$97,500.00]

Louisiana Board of Regents 2017-2019 LaSIP Grant. Writing That Works: Ongoing Professional Development to Improve Students’ Argumentative Writing Using Informational Texts, Grades 7-10. Submitted November 30, 2016. (Co- Principal Investigator) [$280,343.00]

2017-2018 National Writing Project SEED Invitational Leadership Institute Grant (Principal Investigator) [$15,000.00] (indirect cost recovery rate 8%).

Louisiana Board of Regents 2015-2017 LaSIP grant. Writing that Works: Developing Ongoing Professional Development on Integrating the CCSS to Improve Student Writing.” Submitted November 9, 2015. (Co- Principal Investigator) [$148,253.00].

Believe and Prepare Grant with City of Baker Schools, “Professional Development Arts Integration.” Submitted September 15, 2015. (Principal Investigator) [$50,000].

National Writing Project, Louisiana State University Writing Project High Needs Grant 2014-2015. Submitted April 10, 2014. (Principal Investigator) [$20,000].

National Writing Project, Louisiana State University Writing Project Teacher Leadership Development SEED Grant 2014-2016. Submitted February 1, 2014. (Principal Investigator) [$20,000].

East Baton Rouge Parish School System. “East Baton Rouge Parish School System Louisiana State University College of Education Professional Development Writing Initiative Partnership (EBRPSS LSU COE PDWIP)” Submitted September 3, 2010. (Principal Investigator) [$70,000.00].

The LSU/SU Pilot Professional Development Project (PPDP) at Louisiana State University, a Board of Regents LaSIP grant. 2009-2012. (Co-Investigator) Submitted June 15, 2009. [$956,344.50].

LSU College of Human Sciences & Education, Inaugural Mentoring Awardee, 2023.

LSU Rainmaker Awardee, senior level researcher, 2021.

LSU College of Human Sciences & Education, Distinguished Research Awardee, 2021.

Fellow, Cohort 3, Loyola University Women’s Leadership Academy (New Orleans), 2021-2022.

“Light Up for Literacy” Awardee, Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, 2019.

Named Cecil “Pete” Taylor Endowed Alumni Professor, May 2018.

Tiger Athletic Foundation Undergraduate Teaching Awardee, College of Human Sciences & Education, 2016.

Service-Learning Scholars, inaugural cohort, LSU, 2015-2016.

Gulf South Summit Outstanding Faculty Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education Awardee, 2014.

LSU Outstanding Faculty Service-Learning Awardee, 2013.

LSU Flagship Faculty, fall 2012.

LSU College of Education Distinguished Faculty Teaching Awardee, 2012.

The Kenneth S. Goodman “In Defense of Good Teaching Awardee,” 2007.

American Educational Research Association, Chair-Biographical, Documentary, and Archival SIG, elected 2025-2028; appointed member on Scholars and Advocates for Gender Equity in Education Committee, appointed 2025-2028.