Victoria J. Risko

Victoria J. Risko was inducted into the inaugural College of Applied Human Sciences Hall of Fame in the fall of 2025. She was previously inducted into the College of Education and Human Services Hall of Fame in 2018 and was named the College’s Distinguished Alumna that same year.

A native of Pennsylvania, Risko earned a bachelor’s degree in English and elementary education from the University of Pittsburgh, followed by both a master’s degree and a doctorate in reading and literacy education from West Virginia University.

Risko joined the faculty of Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, where she served for more than 35 years as professor of language, literacy, and culture, and is now professor emerita. Her teaching and research focused on literacy teacher preparation, professional development, comprehension instruction for diverse and struggling readers, instructional approaches for English learners, and the use of multimodal and cross-curricular environments to support academic knowledge and cultural connections.

Her scholarship has been published in leading journals, including Reading Research Quarterly, The Reading Teacher, Language Arts, Journal of Literacy Research, and Research in the Teaching of English. She co-authored Be That Teacher! Breaking the Cycle for Struggling Readers and Professional Learning in Action: An Inquiry Approach for Teachers of Literacy.

Risko held national leadership roles in the field of literacy education, including service as president of the International Reading Association (2011–12) and earlier as a member of its board of directors (2002–05). She was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame in 2011.

Her honors include the Distinguished Professor Award from the Tennessee Reading Association, the Alan C. Purves Award from the National Council of Teachers of English, the Distinguished Research in Education Award from the Association of Teacher Educators, and the Literary Award for Leadership and Global Outreach from the International Reading Association.