Education

PhD in Education Policy, Organization, & Leadership

  • Concentration: Social Sciences & Education Policy

  • Graduate Minor: Queer Studies

  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, ex. 2025

EdM in Education Policy, Organization, & Leadership

  • Concentration: Diversity & Equity in Education

  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2022

MA in Music and Music Education

  • Concentration: Vocal Performance and Pedagogy

  • Columbia University, Teachers College, 2020

BFA in Vocal Music Performance

  • Minor: Humanities

  • California Institute of the Arts, 2014

Awards and Recognition

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • William C. Bagley Scholarship, UIUC, College of Education ($2,000), 2024–2025

  • NAEd/Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship ($27,500), semifinalist, 2024

  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students (2x), 2023

  • Tanaka Grant, Asian American Studies ($1,000), 2023–2024

  • List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students (2x), 2022

  • Conference Participation Award, College of Education (x2, $80-150), 2022–2023

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

Columbia University, Teachers College

  • Spring Scholarship, Music & Music Education ($7,600), 2019–2020

California Institute of the Arts

  • Dumont Foundation Scholar ($20,000), 2011–2015

  • Herb Alpert School of Music Scholarship ($20,000), 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. Journal of LGBT Youth, 1–22. 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 Review

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

  2. Masamitsu, T. The evolution of the American queer: An historical overview of social and education policy, 1940-1990. Submitted to Journal.

Manuscripts In Progress

  1. Masamitsu, T. Re/Claiming queer Asian America: Forging a queer-raciolinguistic perspective in education policy. Will submit to Journal.

  2. Masamitsu, T. Assessing programmatic efficacy in non-traditional, arts-based education spaces: Methodological considerations. Will submit to Journal.

  3. Masamitsu, T. Yes, it’s possible: Balancing students’ socio-emotional well-being with “competitive” performing arts education. Will submit to Journal.  

  4. Masamitsu, T. Promoting civic and artistic development in non-traditional, arts-based education spaces: Lessons for educators and policymakers. Will submit to Journal.

Additional Research Experience

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

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

Graduate Research Assistant, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2022–2024.

Presentations & Invited Talks

Refereed Conferences

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

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

  6. 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

  • 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

*Indicates placement on the “List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students.”

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

Academic

  • 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