Education

PhD in Education Policy, Organization, & Leadership

  • Concentration: Social Sciences & Education Policy

  • 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

  • Dr. William Trent Spencer Mentor Award, 2025

  • Outstanding Teaching Award, nominee, 2025

  • William C. Bagley Scholarship, 2024–2025

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

  • Letter of Service Appreciation, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, 2024

  • NAEd/Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, semifinalist, 2024

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

  • Conference Participation Award (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. Wilson, Asif, & Masamitsu, Taylor. “Tippin’ the Tightrope: Forces that Push and Pull Social Studies Teachers’ Justice-Centered Praxes.” Journal of Social Studies Research (in press).

  2. Masamitsu, Taylor. “Unpacking Legal Advancements for Asian American Students: A Political Discourse Analysis of Illinois’s House Bill 376.” Educational Policy 38, no. 6 (2024): 1259–81.

  3. Masamitsu, Taylor. “How Education Research Perceives Queer Asian American Youths: A Literature Review.” International Journal of LGBTQ+ Youth Studies 22, no. 2 (2023): 161–82.

  4. Masamitsu, Taylor. “Florida’s House Bill 1557: How We Got Here.” American Educational History Journal 50, no. 1–2 (2023): 47–61.

Book Chapters and Reviews

  1. Masamitsu, Taylor. “Vocal music education in queer Asian America.” In If Colors Could Be Heard: Narratives About Racial Identity in Music Education, edited by Chris Cayari, Jason Thompson, and Rekha Rajan, 226–235. Intellect Books, 2025.

  2. Masamitsu, Taylor. “Review: Writing the School House Blues: Literacy, Equity, and Belonging in a Child’s Early Schooling.” Vitae Scholasticae, 38, no. 1–2 (2021): 129–133.

Refereed Instructional Works

  1. Masamitsu, Taylor. “Intersectionality in Asian American Studies.” In Mosaic: Themes in Asian American Studies. Gibbs Smith Education, (2025): 290–305.

  2. Bunch, Marlee, & Masamitsu, Taylor. “Musical Storytelling: Perspectives, Solidarity, and Resistance During the 1960s.” In The Magnitude of Us: An Educator’s Guide to Creating Collaborative and Culturally Responsive Classrooms. Teachers College Press, 2024.

  3. Masamitsu, Taylor. “The Asian American Movement.” In Voices: An Ethnic Studies Reader. Gibbs Smith Education (2024). [*TAA Winner: Most Promising New Textbook, 2025.]

Manuscript Under Review

  1. Masamitsu, Taylor. “Advancing Queer of Color Perspectives: Toward a Queer-Raciolinguistic Perspective for Education Policy Analysis.”

Manuscripts In Progress

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

  2. Masamitsu, Taylor, Auffant, Nicole, & Mawhinney, Lynnette. “Speak Up and Show Out: A Learner-led Photovoice Evaluation of Arts Education Programs in New Jersey.” Will submit to Journal.   

Book Project

  1. Masamitsu, Taylor. Understanding Queer Asian America: A Case for Queer-Raciolinguistics.  

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

Presentations & Invited Talks

Refereed Conferences

  1. Masamitsu, Taylor, Auffant, Nicole, & Mawhinney, Lynnette. “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, 2025, June 25–28.

  2. Masamitsu, Taylor. “Toward a Queer-Raciolinguistic Perspective: (Re)New(ed) Approaches for Considering Education Politics and Policy.” American Educational Research Association. Denver, Colorado, USA, 2025, April 24.

  3. Wilson. Asif, & Masamitsu, Taylor. “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, USA, 2024, November 20. Invited to present additional findings at the American Educational Research Association in Denver, CO, USA, 2025, April 26. 

  4. Masamitsu, Taylor. “Gesturing towards queer Asian America: How Scholarship Compounds Multiple Minoritization.” International Conference on LGBT Studies. Copenhagen, Denmark, 2024, November 2. Acceptance only.

  5. Masamitsu, Taylor. How California’s Proposition 8 Weaponized K-12 Education to Stall Marriage Equality.” Organization of Educational Historians, Virtual Convening, 2023, September 29.

  6. Masamitsu, Taylor. “Unpacking ‘Asian American’ in Contemporary Education Policy.” University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Graduate Conference. Champaign, IL, USA, 2023, March 3.

  7. Masamitsu, Taylor. “Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay or Trans” Bill: How We Got Here.” Organization of Educational Historians, Virtual Convening, 2022, October 1.

Talks & Workshops

  1. Pak, Yoon, Lee, Sharon, Ouk, Laura, & Masamitsu, Taylor. “Implementing AAPI Lessons in K-12 Classrooms.”  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Professional Learning Webinar, 2024, April 23. 

  2. Masamitsu, Taylor. “Applying Gestures in Education Research: Some Methodological Musings.” University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Asian American Studies. Champaign, IL, USA, 2024, April 15.

  3. Wilson, Asif, & Masamitsu, Taylor. “Tippin’ the Tightrope: Forces that Push and Pull Social Studies Teachers’ Justice-Centered Praxes.” I3 Collective, Chicago, IL, USA, 2024, April 6.

  4. Masamitsu, Taylor, & Rosado-Torres, Alex. “In Conversation: Contextualizing LGBTQIA+ Topics in Education.” Circa Queer Histories Festival, ONE Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2023, October 6.

  5. Wilson, Asif, Masamitsu, Taylor, & Chhikara, Praveen. “I3: Inclusive, Inquiry-Based Social Studies for Illinois. Illinois State Board of Education,” Equity Committee. Springfield, IL, USA, 2023, August 18. 

  6. Masamitsu, Taylor. “What do Teachers Need When Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History?” Teachers’ Summer Academy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA, 2023, August 1. 

  7. Lee, Sharon, & Masamitsu, Taylor. “Teaching Asian American History: A Primer for New Teachers.” Illinois New Teacher Collaborative Conference. Champaign, IL, USA, 2023, June 14.

  8. Lee, Sharon, & Masamitsu, Taylor. “The Dos and Don’ts of Teaching About Asian Americans.” Illinois Council for Social Studies, Charleston, IL, USA, 2023, March 31.

  9. Lee, Sharon, Bunch, Marlee, & Masamitsu, Taylor. “Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History in K-12 Classrooms,” Champaign Unit #4 School District, Urbana School District. Champaign & Urbana, IL, USA, 2023, March 6 & February 17. 

Guest Lectures

  1. Masamitsu, Taylor. “Refreshing Crash Course: What Critical Race Theory Is (and Isn’t) for Introduction to Diversity and Equity in Education, Department of Education Policy, Organization & Leadership, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sharon Lee, Ph.D., 2024, October 29.

  2. Masamitsu, Taylor. “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., 2024, February 29.

  3. Masamitsu, Taylor. “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., 4x. 

  4. Masamitsu, Taylor. “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., 2022, October 11. 

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

  • 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.

  • Co-Lead, Arts and Health Research Lab, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, 2025–pres.

  • Research Affiliate, Visual Sociology in Education Lab, Rutgers University, Newark, 2024–pres.

  • DEI Committee Member, New Jersey Governor’s Arts Awards, 2024–pres.

  • Conference Proposal Reviewer, Organization of Educational Historians, 2024

  • Research Advisory Board Member, Arts Administrators of Color, 2023–2024

  • 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