Kudos: Faison receives Emory University's 40 Under Forty alumni award
Morgan Faison, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice, was named to Emory University’s 40 Under Forty alumni program. A clinical associate professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education since 2016, her journey began as a student in Emory’s renowned Division of Educational Studies, which laid the groundwork for her to become a nationally recognized scholar and a leading voice in early childhood education. Faison’s scholarship advances culturally responsive teaching, building on the work she began at Emory. Her research examines the interior lives, career pathways, and pedagogical possibilities of Black educators.
In 2023, she was selected as a Young Scholar by the Foundation for Child Development and received a highly competitive $225,000 grant for her project, “Growing Our Own: A Mixed Methods Study of Black Youths in High School Early Childhood Education Career Pathway Programs.” As a Georgia native, she is deeply committed to research and advocating for early childhood education in her home state.
When she’s not working, Faison loves to rest, refuel, and renew her energy in life-giving ways, including enjoying the outdoors, coordinating children’s theater events, singing spirituals and chamber music, or spending time with cherished friends and family. She is passionate about sharpening the tools and critical perspectives of educators to improve the lives of pre-kindergarten to fifth-grade students in Georgia’s classrooms and schools.
Faison finds fulfillment in establishing meaningful partnerships with schools and school districts, greatly improving local practice and advancing the profession. At Emory, she found invaluable mentorship from internationally renowned scholars who set for her an example of culturally responsive teaching. Her time at Emory enabled her to become a top-notch researcher, community-engaged scholar, school and university partner, and education advocate.