Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Cody Ingram
Writing a dissertation requires hours of independent research and a passion for the subject being studied. For Autumn Blalock, that passion paid off when her dissertation, 鈥淭he Impact of the Alabama Literacy Act on Third-Grade Reading Proficiency in Rural and Non-Rural Alabama School Districts,鈥� earned her the University of West Alabama鈥檚 Distinguished Dissertation Award for the Spring 2026 commencement cycle, along with a job offer.
One of Blalock鈥檚 most meaningful findings from examining statewide data from 2021 through 2025 was that rural students demonstrated substantial growth in reading proficiency, challenging some of the assumptions often associated with rural education. She said the research reinforced for her that, with the right systems, support and instructional practices, students in rural communities can achieve at high levels.
For Blalock, receiving the Distinguished Dissertation Award was an honor that was deeply personal to her.
鈥淚 have spent my career as an educator believing that every child deserves the opportunity to become a strong, confident reader, and my doctoral research allowed me to explore that belief through a research lens,鈥� she said.
The opportunity to continue that work with the Alabama Reading Initiative is especially meaningful to Blalock, and she is excited to bring together her experiences as a classroom teacher, researcher, and now reading specialist to support educators across Alabama.
鈥淔or me, the work is more than legislation, data, or assessment scores,鈥� Blalock said. 鈥淚t is about building the capacity of teachers and creating the conditions necessary for all of Alabama鈥檚 children to become successful readers.鈥�
UWA鈥檚 Distinguished Dissertation Award recognizes outstanding scholarly work produced by doctoral candidates who have made significant contributions to their field of study, demonstrating exceptional research, originality and academic excellence.