Skip to main content
AACTE 2025 Annual Meeting Main banner
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Presentation Icons
AACTE Learning Labs
AACTE Learning Labs

Heather K. Sellers, Ph.D.

Program Director/Associate Professor
University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Dr. Heather Kimberly (Kim) Barton Dial Sellers is an Associate Professor and Program Director of Graduate Reading Education at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP). A proud alumna of UNCP, she completed her BS in Elementary Education as a Chancellor’s Scholar and earned her Master's degree in Reading Education, along with certification in Educational Administration and Supervision from the same institution. She further enhanced her expertise with a Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies from North Carolina State University. Dr. Sellers holds multiple certifications, including LETRS Training, NC-SIP RRtCP training, and certification as a reading specialist and curriculum specialist.

Her extensive experience in literacy education began in the Public Schools of Robeson County, where she served as a language arts and reading teacher at Red Springs Middle School. Dr. Sellers was the first American Indian to receive the Gates Millennium Scholarship in North Carolina during its inaugural year in 2000. Her scholarly contributions include a forthcoming chapter in "American Indian Women of Proud Nations, Essays on History, Language, and Education" (Peter Lang Publishing), various book reviews, a book chapter, and peer-reviewed articles. She has presented her research at numerous state and national conferences, including the North Carolina Reading Association Reading Conference, the American Educational Research Association (AERA), and the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) Convention.

At UNCP, Dr. Sellers is a committed advocate, representing the university in the Faculty Senate and the UNC System Faculty Assembly. She collaborates on the Reading Nation Waterfall project, a $1.4 million grant aimed at increasing literacy access for Native American children and families. In addition to her academic and research pursuits, Dr. Sellers supervises a literacy service-learning partnership with the Robeson County Indian Education Program, fostering community engagement and support for literacy development. She also serves on the advisory board of the Exceptional Children's Assistance Center (ECAC) and was the Higher Education representative on the State Advisory Council on Indian Education (SACIE). As a prominent member of the Lumbee Tribe, she actively contributes to her community and advocates for educational advancements.

Presentation(s):