Education

PhD in Education Policy, Organization, & Leadership

  • Concentration: Social Sciences & Education Policy

  • Graduate Minor: Queer Studies

  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

EdM in Education Policy, Organization, & Leadership

  • Concentration: Diversity & Equity in Education

  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

MA in Music and Music Education

  • Concentration: Vocal Performance and Pedagogy

  • Columbia University, Teachers College

BFA in Vocal Music Performance

  • Minor: Humanities

  • California Institute of the Arts

Awards and Recognition

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Outstanding Teaching Award for Graduate Students, nominee, 2025

  • William C. Bagley Scholarship, UIUC, College of Education, 2024–2025

  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students (5x), 2022–2025

  • NAEd/Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, semifinalist, 2024

  • Tanaka Grant, Asian American Studies Department, 2023–2024

  • Conference Participation Award, College of Education (2x), 2022–2023

  • Outstanding Student Medal Award, Master’s Division, College of Education, 2022

Columbia University, Teachers College

  • Spring Scholarship, Music & Music Education, 2019–2020

California Institute of the Arts

  • Dumont Foundation Scholar, 2011–2015

  • Herb Alpert School of Music Scholarship, 2011–2015

Publications

Journal Articles

  1. Masamitsu, T. (2024). Unpacking legal advancements for Asian American students: A political discourse analysis of Illinois’s house bill 376.” Educational Policy 38(6), 1259–1281. View online.

  2. Masamitsu, T. (2023). How education research perceives queer Asian American youths: A literature review. International Journal of LGBTQ+ Youth Studies, 22(2), 161–182. View online.

  3. Masamitsu, T. (2023). Florida’s house bill 1557: How we got here. American Educational History Journal 50(1/2), 47–61. View online.

Book Chapters and Reviews

  1. Masamitsu, T. (forthcoming). Vocal music education in queer Asian America. In C. Cayari, R. S. Rajan, and J. D. Thompson (Eds.), If colors could be heard, they’d paint the most wondrous tunes: Narratives about music education, race, ethnicity, and identity. Intellect Books.

  2. Masamitsu, T. (2021). Review: Writing the school house blues: Literacy, equity, and belonging in a child’s early schooling. Vitae Scholasticae, 38(1/2), 129-133.

Invited Instructional Works

  1. Masamitsu, T. (forthcoming). Intersectionality in Asian American Studies. In Asian American Studies Reader from Gibbs Smith Education.

  2. Bunch, M, & Masamitsu, T. (2024). Musical storytelling: perspectives, solidarity, and resistance during the 1960s.” In M. Bunch (Ed.), The magnitude of us: An educator’s guide to creating collaborative and culturally responsive classrooms. Teachers College Press.

  3. Masamitsu, T. (2023). The Asian American Movement. In Diverse Voices Series from Gibbs Smith Education.

Manuscripts Under Revise & Resubmit

  1. Wilson, A, and Masamitsu, T. Tippin’ the tightrope: Forces that push and pull social studies teachers’ justice-centered praxes.” Submitted to Journal.

Manuscripts In Progress

  1. Masamitsu, T. Re/Naming queer Asian America: Towards a queer-raciolinguistic perspective for education policy. Will submit to Journal.

  2. Masamitsu, T. A queer-raciolinguistic analysis of California’s Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act. Will submit to Journal.

  3. Masamitsu, T., Auffant, N., & Mawhinney, L. Speak up and show out: A learner-led photovoice evaluation of arts education programs in New Jersey. Will submit to Journal.   

  4. Masamitsu, T., Auffant, N., & Mawhinney, L. To be young, talented, and Black: Negotiating self and artistic identity for young artists in New Jersey. Will submit to Journal. 

Additional Research Experience

Senior Director, Education Research and Impact, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 2024–pres.

Acting Senior Director, Curriculum & Instruction, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 2024–2025

Policy Research Assistant, Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), 2024

Research Assistant, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2022–2025

  • Project: Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning Standards with Dr. Yoon Pak, PI, 2025

  • Project: Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History Act with Drs. Sharon Lee and Yoon Pak, PIs, 2022–2024

  • Project: Critical Civics For Justice, Illinois, with Dr. Asif Wilson, PI, 2024

  • Project: Social Studies Network / i3 Professional Learning Series with Dr. Asif Wilson, PI, 2023–2024

  • Project: “Historical and Structural Barriers Impacting Asian American Teachers,” with Dr. Yoon Pak, PI, 2024

  • Project: “Suburban Youth of Color Activism in the Midwest,” with Dr. Gabriel Rodriguez, PI, 2024

Presentations & Invited Talks

Refereed Conferences

  1. Masamitsu, T., Auffant, N., & Mawhinney, L. (accepted, 2025, June). Speak up and show out: A learner-led photovoice evaluation of arts education programs in the United States. International Visual Sociology Association. Seoul, South Korea.

  2. Masamitsu, T. (accepted, 2025, April). Toward a queer-raciolinguistic perspective: (Re)new(ed) approaches for considering education policy and politics. American Educational Research Association. Denver, CO.

  3. Wilson, A., & Masamitsu, T. (accepted, 2024, November 20-21). Tippin the tightrope: Forces that push and pull social studies teachers’ justice-centered praxes. National Council for the Social Studies, College and University Faculty Assembly. Boston, MA. Invited to present additional findings at the American Educational Research Association (2025, April) in Denver, CO. 

  4. Masamitsu, T. (accepted, 2024, November 1-3). Gesturing towards queer Asian America: How scholarship compounds multiple minoritization [Paper Presentation]. International Conference on LGBT Studies, Copenhagen, Denmark. *Had to withdraw.

  5. Masamitsu, T. (2023, September 29). How California’s Proposition 8 weaponized K-12 education to stall marriage equality [Paper Presentation]. Organization of Educational Historians, Virtual, USA.

  6. Masamitsu, T. (2023, March 3). Unpacking “Asian American” in contemporary education policy. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Graduate Conference. Champaign, IL, USA.

  7. Masamitsu, T. (2022, October 1). Florida’s “don’t say gay or trans” bill: How we got here. Organization of Educational Historians. Virtual, USA.

Talks & Workshops

  1. Pak, Y. K., Lee, S., Ouk, L., & Masamitsu, T. (2024, April 23). Implementing AAPI lessons in K-12 classrooms. Professional Learning Webinar hosted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Virtual.

  2. Masamitsu, T. (2024, April 15). Applying gestures in education research: Some methodological musings. Invited lecture for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Asian American Studies.

  3. Wilson, A, & Masamitsu, T. (2024, April 6). Tippin’ the tightrope: The state of social studies education in Illinois. Invited talk for the I3 Teacher Collective, Chicago, IL, USA.

  4. Masamitsu, T, & Rosado-Torres, A. (2023, October 6). In conversation: Contextualizing LGBTQIA+ topics in education. Invited workshop for Circa Queer Histories Festival, ONE Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

  5. Wilson, A, Masamitsu, T, & Chhikara, P. (2023, August 18). I3: Inclusive, inquiry-based social studies for Illinois. Committee presentation for the Illinois State Board of Education, Equity Committee. Springfield, IL, USA.

  6. Masamitsu, T. (2023, August 1). What do teachers need when teaching equitable Asian American community history? Invited workshop for the Teachers’ Summer Academy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Champaign, IL, USA.

  7. Lee, S, & Masamitsu, T. (2024, June 14). Teaching Asian American history: A primer for new teachers. Invited workshop for the Illinois New Teacher Collaborative Conference. Champaign, IL, USA.

  8. Lee, S, & Masamitsu, T. (2023, March 31). The dos and don’ts of teaching about Asian Americans. Invited workshop for the Illinois Council for Social Studies. Charleston, IL, USA.

  9. Lee, S, Bunch, M, & Masamitsu, T. (2023, March 6). Teaching equitable Asian American community history in K-12 classrooms, Champaign Unit 4 School District. Champaign, IL, USA.

  10. Pak, Y, Lee, S, Wilson, A, Dahlen, S. P., & Masamitsu, T. (2023, February 17). Teaching equitable Asian American community history. Invited workshop for the Urbana School District, Urbana, IL, Virtual.

Guest Lectures

  1. Masamitsu, T. “Unpacking the model minority myth: K-12 implications for and perceptions of Asian American students” for Identity and Difference in Education, Department of Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Ini Periodi, M.A.; Curtis Mason, Ph.D., on February 29, 2024.

  2. Masamitsu, T. “Florida’s House Bill 1557: How did we get here?” for Identity and Difference in Education, Department of Education Policy, Organization, & Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Curtis Mason, Ph.D., 2022–2024, (4x).

  3. Masamitsu, T. “Educational histories of queer Asian American youth” for Asian American Education, Departments of Asian American Studies and Education Policy, Organization, & Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sharon Lee., Ph.D., on October 11, 2022.

Teaching Experience

College of Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Teaching Assistant

  • Advanced Qualitative Methods (G), 2025

  • Introduction to Diversity and Equity (G), 2024

  • Proseminar in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership (G), 2024

Section Instructor

  • Section Instructor: Asian American Education (UG, G), 2x, 2022–2023 

  • Section Instructor: Identity and Difference in Education (UG), 2x, 2022–2023

Department of Arts and Humanities, Columbia University, Teachers College

Adjunct Faculty

  • Applied Vocal Performance (UG, G), 2x, 2019–2020

K-12 and Community Teaching

  • Teacher Trainer: Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Chicago; Chicago, IL, 2023

  • Head of Youth Instruction, Faculty: Eleonor England Music Studio; New York, NY, 2020–2022

  • Faculty: Random Farms Kids’ Theater; Elmsford, NY, 2019–2021

  • Faculty: The School of the New York Times; New York, NY,* 2019

  • Faculty: National Theatre for Student Artists; New York, NY,* 2019

  • Faculty: Statement Arts; New York, NY,* 2019

  • Faculty: Broadway Training Center; Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, 2017–2019

  • Teaching Artist: Inside Broadway; New York, NY, 2016–2017

  • Lead Teaching Artist: CalArts Community Arts Partnership; Los Angeles, CA, 2012–2014

*Indicates teaching intensive.

Service and Leadership

General

Professional

  • Steering Committee Member (ex-officio), Illinois State Board of Education: Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards Committee, 2025–pres.

  • Conference Proposal Reviewer, Organization of Educational Historians, 2024

  • Research Advisory Board Member, Arts Administrators of Color, 2023–pres.

  • Panelist, Graduate Student Meeting, Organization of Educational Historians, 2024

  • Panelist, Graduate Student Mentorship, Organization of Educational Historians, 2023

  • Session Chair, Organization of Educational Historians, Annual Conference, 2023

  • Conference Proposal Reviewer, Organization of Educational Historians, 2023

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Organizer, Summer Teaching Academy: Asian American History in K-12 Schools (2x), 2023, 2024

  • Panelist, Chancellor’s Review, College of Education, 2023

  • Panelist, Graduate Student Recruitment Committee, 2022