UMaine alumna Baker chosen as new executive director of the National Writing Project
University of Maine alumna Tanya Baker has been named executive director of the National Writing Project (NWP). Originally from Brewer, Baker earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from UMaine in 1990. She worked as a teacher and literacy coordinator in the Brewer School Department for several years and earned a master’s in literacy education from the College of Education and Human Development in 1999. She also taught literacy courses at UMaine and served as assistant director of the Maine Writing Project, a site of the NWP housed at the university. In 2008, she earned her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in literacy education. Her dissertation is titled, “Understanding and Implementing Classroom Discussions of Literature: A Case Study of One High School Teacher’s Beliefs and Practices Concerning Classroom Discussions.” Baker went on to work for the NWP, based in Berkeley, California, as director of national programs before being named executive director at the beginning of the new year.