UC Santa Cruz Professor inducted into Reading Hall of Fame

SANTA CRUZ, CALIF. (KION-TV): UC Santa Cruz Education Professor Emerita Dr. Judith A. Scott was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame on Thursday, Dec. 1, in Phoenix.

Scott becomes the first Indigenous scholar in the Reading Hall of Fame. The Reading Hall of Fame is an independent organization comprised of 147 living members from the international community of literacy scholars.

Scott was a professor for 32 years, including 22 at UCSC. Dr. Scott developed innovative vocabulary learning and assessment approaches, working closely with classroom teachers to help students promote the integrated use of multicultural children’s literature and writing.

Dr. Scott primarily taught classes in the Master’s/Credential program and several undergraduate courses, including one on Multicultural Children’s Literature.

She authored and published a children's book called When the Mission Bells Rang. The book also served as a Story Walk through downtown Santa Cruz.

Dr. Scott did retire from teaching back in 2021. She continues to remain active in the Santa Cruz community. She is the Principal Investigator of the Central California Writing Project. She works in a leadership role with the Critical Mission Project, which works to amplify Indigenous voices in K 12 classrooms.

Scott received The Notable Vocabulary Researcher Award from the American Educational Research Association earlier this spring.