Sonja Ezell is a teacher educator in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at The University of Texas at Arlington and she recently served as the chair of ILA's Children's & Young Adult Book Awards Committee. As chair, she was responsible for recognizing newly published authors of both fiction and nonfiction books who show exceptional promise in the Primary, Intermediate, and Young Adult categories. Additionally, Sonja is the current chair of the Women’s Faculty Staff Network (WFSN). As chair, she is devoted to advocacy, inspiration, and dialogue for the holistic engagement of human resources.
Sonja teaches undergraduate and graduate elementary education courses and supervises student teachers in early childhood and elementary classrooms. Her scholarship explores the topics of children’s literature, early literacy, communities, and the practices of preservice teachers. In addition to her faculty role, Sonja is active in local, national, and international educational organizations. She serves as a member-at-large on the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TXAEYC) Governing Board and is a former K–3 reading coach. Sonja is an avid supporter of classroom and local libraries and passes along her passion of multicultural children’s picture books to K–12 educators, preservice teachers, and parents.