Dr. Megan Reister

Dr. Megan Reister—a former hearing itinerant and special education teacher for 8 years in Delaware and Pennsylvania—was responsible for deaf education, transition services, and early intervention services prior to becoming a college professor in North Carolina.

Dr. Reister, a lifelong Catholic, who grew up watching her own mother devote her life to being a Catholic schoolteacher, is thrilled to be able to follow in her mother’s footsteps of teaching at a Catholic school and blending her faith with her work. In the past, this was done through being a cheer coach at York Catholic High School in York, Pennsylvania, volunteering for Children Youth Organization (CYO) cheerleading for her alma mater (Holy Family Elementary School in northeastern Pennsylvania), creating and organizing Theology on Tap and Young Adult Retreats through Catholic Adult Fellowship Experience (CAFE) in Greensboro and High Point, North Carolina, and teaching Vacation Bible School in her current parish (Holy Family Church, Steubenville). Currently, this passion for education of the whole person from a Catholic worldview occurs through:

• contributing to and participating in the Springs in the Desert Catholic Infertility Ministry to accompany couples on the path of infertility through small group facilitation, planning retreats, writing for the ministry, and occasionally speaking on the ministry’s podcast.
• helping to coordinate Faith & Light at Holy Family Church
• assisting with training and overseeing pre-service teachers as they teach Human Dignity Curriculum (HDC) classes in the community which is a Theology of the Body-infused health and science curriculum
• assist pre-service teachers with teaching Rooted in Love Theology of the Body classes to children in the community
• creating and leading Growing in Faith/Fellowship Together (GIFT) Women’s Bible Studies on and off campus
• participating within Women’s Ministry on campus and within the community
• serving as a member of the Catholic Leadership & Professional Development for Women Core Team Member at Franciscan

Dr. Megan Reister has been selected as a High Impact Scholar to take part in the Best Practices in Christian Higher Education cohort-based research seminar series. She is one of ten individuals who were selected across the United States to participate in this inaugural cohort! This two-year, cohort-based research seminar is being put on for the first time through the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) and Abilene Christian University based in Texas. The purpose of the research seminar is to examine critical features of student success with a special emphasis on developing, implementing, and assessing high-impact practices with regard to first year experiences. Dr. Reister is excited to dive into this research and to examine first year experiences of college students as well as faith formation practices at Franciscan over the next two years.

Dr. Megan Reister continues to also work on two different grants thanks to the support of the Ohio Deans Compact on Exceptional Children. Both grants allow Dr. Reister to work with school partners in nearby schools and to conduct research out of special education, literacy, and professional development with pre- and in-service teachers.

Dr. Reister–now an Ohio resident–enjoys conducting research, writing, and teaching as a Professor in the Education Department at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Her primary areas of research include self-advocacy and identity in students with hearing loss; itinerant teaching; and fostering collaboration among parents, general education, and special education teachers. She is passionate about working with preservice teachers to help them be the best advocates they can be for the children they will serve as they fulfill their vocations as teachers. Her other passion lies within her family of husband, Adam, young daughter, Charlotte, and their two pups.