Katharine Harris-Walls
Assistant Professor of Educational Studies and Research
Email katetharris@gmail.com
Address Gainesville, Florida.
ABOUT
I am an Assistant Professor of Educational Studies and Research at Augusta University’s College of Education and Human Development.
My research centers on science education and education policy, with a particular focus on the role of capital and the influence of income on opportunities within educational systems. I study how mechanisms like opportunity hoarding shape access to and success in education. My overarching goal is to inform innovative strategies and policies that reduce disparities in educational outcomes and empower individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds to thrive.
​
BACKGROUND
After completing my undergraduate studies, I served as an Education Policy Analyst in the Texas House of Representatives. This experience highlighted the disconnect between policy decisions and empirical evidence and left me questioning how research informs policy and its impact on students and communities. This discrepancy fueled my decision to pursue a Ph.D., driven by a desire to bridge the gap between empirical findings and policymaking. My goal remains to unite rigorous research insights with effective policy implementation in education, fostering a more informed and equitable policy landscape.
Now, as an Assistant Professor of Educational Studies and Research at Augusta University, I continue this work through both research and teaching. My scholarship focuses on quantitative data analysis, employing econometric methods to generate insights into issues of educational equity. I actively contribute to the academic discourse through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. In addition, I am deeply committed to the educational process, mentoring students and preparing the next generation of education scholars and practitioners.
RESEARCH
PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS
​
Harris-Walls, K., & Curran, F. C. (2025). An Event History Analysis of the Policy Adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards. Educational Policy, 08959048251339120. https://doi.org/10.1177/089590482513391
Curran, F. C., Pacheco, M. B., Boza, L., Harris-Walls, K., Tan, T., & Deig, A. (2024). Multilingual learners and elementary science achievement: Exploring trends and heterogeneity across subgroups. AERA Open, 10, 23328584241303498. https://doi.org/10.1177/233285842413034
Curran, F. C., Carlo, S., & Harris-Walls, K. (2024). Making the Data Visible: A Systematic Review of Systems-Level Data Dashboards for Leadership and Policy in Education. Review of Educational Research, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543241288249
Cotman, A., Curran, F. C., & Harris-Walls, K. (2024). Examination of state-level school safety data dashboard characteristics. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 32. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.32.8559
Boza, L., Curran, C. F., Harris-Walls, K. T., Deig, A., Tan, T. S., & Pacheco, M. (2024). Learners’ Exposure to Science and Language Inputs in Elementary School: ¿ Qué sabemos ? Science Education. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21888
Pacheco, M. B., Curran, F. C., Boza, L., Deig, A. W., Harris, K. T., & Tan, T. S. (2023). Reclassification and Multilingual Learners' Science Achievement. TESOL Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.3270
Curran, F. C., Boza, L., Harris-Walls, K., & Tan, T. S. (2023). Assessing the Public Availability of School Discipline and Infraction Data. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737231168817