Libba Willcox, PhD
Assistant Professor of Art Education, Art and Design at Valdosta State University
From Valdosta, GA
From Valdosta, GA
Dr. Libba Willcox joined the Valdosta State University faculty in Fall 2017. She holds a dual Doctor of Philosophy in philosophy of education and curriculum and instruction, with an emphasis in art education from Indiana University. She also holds a Master of Arts in education and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art education, both from the University of Georgia. She holds membership in the National Art Education Association, Georgia Art Education Association, and American Educational Research Association. She previously taught at Indiana University and the University of Georgia. Prior to entering the field of higher education, she taught at Eastside High School.
Follow Libba
Assistant Professor at Valdosta State University
During this time period, I earned the following awards and recognitions:
* 2019 Most Improved Institutional Effectiveness Report, Valdosta State University
* 2019 I Caught You Caring, Valdosta State University
* 2019 Center for Faculty Research Scholarship, $1,000, Valdosta State University
* 2019 Center for Faculty Research Scholarship, $1,000, Valdosta State University
* 2019 Departmental Scholarship Funding, $500, Valdosta State University
* 2018 Center for Faculty Research Scholarship, $1,000, Valdosta State University
* 2018 Departmental Scholarship Funding, $500, Valdosta State University
* 2017 Center for Faculty Research Scholarship, $1,000, Valdosta State University
* 2017 First Year Resources Funding, $2,998, Valdosta State University
* 2017 Beechler Dissertation Award, $1,500, Indiana University
* 2017 Department of Curriculum & Instruction Travel Award, $200, Indiana University
July 2017 - Present
Associate Instructor at Indiana University
During this time period, I earned the following awards and recognitions:
* 2016 Michael McMullen Photography Fund Award, $1,000, Indiana University
* 2016 M. R. Lowell Fellowship Graduate Scholarship, $500, Indiana University
* 2015 Department of Curriculum & Instruction Travel Award, $500, Indiana University
* 2015 Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Student Travel Award, $500, Indiana University
* 2015 M. R. Lowell Fellowship Graduate Scholarship, $500, Indiana University
* 2014 Outstanding Associate Instructor Teaching Award, Indiana University
* 2014 Department of Curriculum and Instruction Travel Award, $500, Indiana University
* 2012 M. R. Lowell Fellowship Graduate Scholarship, $500, Indiana University
July 2011 - July 2017
Graduate Writing Intensive Program (WIP) Teaching Assistant at The University of Georgia
During this time period, I earned the following awards and recognitions:
* 2010 W. Robert E Nix Excellence in Art Education Award, $500, University of Georgia
July 2009 - May 2011
9th-12th Grade Art Teacher at Eastside High School, Covington, GA
July 2006 - July 2009
Mind the gap: Transitioning from doctoral candidates to early career faculty.
Willcox, L., & McCormick, K. (2019). International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 40, 543-566.
June 2019 -
Articles
Vulnerability in the art room: Explorations of visual journals and risks in the creation of a psychologically safe environment
Willcox, L. (2018). Annual Philip Gunter Author Reception. Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA, United States.
Others
Visualizing historic neworks in Studies in Art Education
Willcox, L. (2018). Annual Philip Gunter Author Reception. Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA, United States.
Others
Literacy, Art, and Creativity: Professional Development Workshop for Elementary Art Teachers
Willcox, L. (2019). Designed and implemented a one-day workshop to engage elementary art teachers in the artistic process, practice visual literacy techniques, and explore artist books. Workshop presented to Gwinnett Public Schools at Level Creek Elementary School in Suwannee, GA.
Others
Literacy and the Creative Process: Professional Development Workshop for High School Art Teachers
Willcox, L. (2019). Designed and implemented a one-day workshop for high school teachers using design thinking to help their students avoid long incubation periods during the creative process. Workshop presented to Gwinnett Public Schools at Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, GA.
Others
“Illustrating knowledge networks in art education: Connecting past, present, theory, and practice to escape scholarly oblivion”
Grodoski, C., Willcox, L., & Goss, S. (in progress). National Art Education Foundation (NAEF) Research Grant, National Art Education Association,
Articles
Georgia art education in action: Virtual explorations of contemporary issues in art education in theory and practice
Hanawalt, C., Willcox, L., Hamrock, J., & Ellett, J. (in progress).
Articles
Life as a doctoral student: Exquisite corpse as an arts based research method
Huxhold, D., Willcox, L., Graves, J., & Helmick, L. (in progress).
Articles
Words are hard: An artistic exploration of teacher burnout and renewal
Willcox, L. (in progress, 2019).
Articles
Art educators collude: Exploring verbal and nonverbal communication in the collaborative artistic process
Willcox, L., Arnold, A., & Debban, E. (in progress).
Articles
Rhetorical questions: Examining early faculty experiences through found poetry
Willcox, L. & McCormick (in progress).
Articles
Mind the gap: Transitioning from doctoral candidates to early career faculty
Willcox, L., & McCormick, K. (in press, 2019). International Journal of Doctoral Studies.
Articles
Vulnerability in the art room: Explorations of visual journals and risks in the creation of a psychologically safe environment
Willcox, L. (2017). Art Education, 70(5), 11-19.
Articles
Pavlova, pasta, and pedagogy: Cooking school as laboratory for feminist practices
Howell, C. & Willcox, L. (in progress, 2019).
Articles
Practicing what we teach: Aligning art education content & pedagogical practices in higher education
Willcox, L. & Hamrock, J. (in progress, 2019). 
Articles
My God, what have we done?: Transitioning from doctoral candidates to assistant professors
McCormick, K. & Willcox, L. (2018). Panel presented at the Curriculum & Instruction Research and Activity Symposium, Bloomington, IN.
Presentations
Feminist collaborative research
Dennis, B., Elfriech, A., Ozdogan, Z., & Willcox, L. (2015). Presented at The Center for Urban and Multicultural Education (CUME) Colloquium, Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN.
Presentations
The A/r/t of Renewal: Ritualized Artistic Inquiry as Professional Development (Marilyn Zumuehlen Working Papers Session)
Willcox, L. (2017). Research presented at National Art Education Association National Conference, New York, NY.
Presentations
Research forum: Data visualization
White, J., Zimmerman, E., Sullivan, G., Korn, R., & Grodoski, C. (2014). Research presented with Data Visualization Working Group at National Art Education Association National Conference, San Diego, CA.
Presentations
Rhetorical questions: Examining early faculty experiences through found poetry
Willcox, L. & McCormick, K. (2019). Research presented at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI) Annual Conference, Urbana-Champaign, IL.
Presentations
Nourishing our classrooms: How cooking school informed our feminist pedagogical practices
Howell, C. & Willcox, L. (2018). Research presented at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI) Annual Conference, Urbana-Champaign, IL.
Conferences
Transitioning from doctoral candidate to academic: Successes and challenges of mobilizing dissertation research
Huxhold, D., Willcox, L., Soylu, M. & Soylu-Davis, H. (2018). Research presented at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI) Annual Conference, Urbana- Champaign, IL.
Conferences
Mind the gap: Exploring moments of dissonance from doctoral candidates to assistant professors
McCormick, K., & Willcox, L. (2018). Research presented at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI) Annual Conference, Urbana-Champaign, IL.
Presentations
The a/r/t of teacher renewal: Artistic inquiry as an alternative professional development
Willcox, L. (2017). Research presented at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI) Annual Conference, Urbana-Champaign, IL.
Presentations
An art based investigation of life in a doctoral program
Willcox, L., Huxhold, D., Graves, J., Helmick, L. (2017). Research presented at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI) Annual Conference, Urbana-Champaign, IL.
Presentations
Believing in MAGIC: Creating a caring graduate intellectual community
McCormick, K., Graves, J., Howell, C., Weiss, A., & Willcox, L. (2016). Research presented at International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI), Urbana-Champaign, IL.
Presentations
Student collaboration in the context of a doctoral seminar: Our perspectives on generating and analyzing data
Huxhold, D., Willcox, L., & Jones, R. (2015). Research presented at International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI), Urbana-Champaign, IL.
Presentations
Exploring visions of arts methods courses
Willcox, L., Huxhold, D., Williams, R., Goss, S., & Helmick, L. (proposed, 2020) Research to be presented at the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN.
Presentations
Practicing what we teach
Hamrock, J. & Willcox, L. (proposed, 2020). Research to be presented at the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN.
Presentations
Creating vibrant student organizations
Williams, R. & Willcox, L. (proposed, 2020). Research to be presented at the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Annual Conference.
Presentations
We’re not in Kansas anymore: Collaborative autoethnographic narratives on becoming early career faculty
Willcox, L., & McCormick, K. (2019). Research presented at the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Annual Conference, Boston, MA.
Presentations
New possibilities for professional development: Ritualized artistic inquiry for art teacher renewal
Willcox, L. (2018). Research presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference, New York, NY.
Presentations
Ritualized artistic practice: An alternative model of professional development
Willcox, L. (2018). Research presented at the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Annual Conference, Seattle, WA.
Presentations
From doctoral candidate to academic: Navigating changing contexts and charting new paths of academic research
Huxhold, D., Willcox, L. & Soylu, M. (2018). Research presented at the National Art Education Association’s (NAEA) Research Commission Pre-Conference, Seattle, WA.
Presentations
Art nights: Ritualized professional development for teacher renewal
Willcox, L. (2018). Research presented at the Art & Education for Social Justice Symposium, Tallahassee, FL.
Presentations
The a/r/t of teacher renewal: Ritualized artistic inquiry as professional development
Willcox, L. (2017). Research presented at Art Education Research Institute (AERI) Annual Conference, Naperville, IL.
Presentations
Data visualization: Projects in progress
Grodoski, C., Goss, S., & Willcox, L. (2016). Collaborative research presented with the Data Visualization Working Group at National Art Education Association National Conference, Chicago, IL.
Presentations
Leading by visual voice
Huxhold, D., Willcox, L., Graves, J., & Helmick, L. (2016). Arts-based research presented at National Art Education Association National Conference, Chicago, IL.
Presentations
Art education’s past: Studies in art education 1959-1968 and its relevance today
Willcox, L., Grodoski, C., & Goss, S. (2015). Research presented at Brushes with History: Imagination and Innovation in Art Education History’s Conference, New York, NY.
Presentations
Alice’s adventures in graduate school: The transformation inside the rabbit hole
Willcox, L. (2015). Research presented at Curriculum Studies Summer Collaborative, Savannah, GA.
Presentations
(Fem) Powered!/? Inquiry Together
Peck, L., Huxhold, D., Panos, A., & Willcox, L. (2015).  . Research presented at American Educational Research Association’s Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.
Presentations
Taking Elliot Eisner’s scholarship forward
Flinders, D., Noddings, N., Thorton, S., Willcox, L., Hlebowitsh, P., & Siegesmund, R. (2015). Research presented at American Educational Research Association’s Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.
Presentations
Visual journal as a playground for interdisciplinary dialogue between scholars
Willcox, L., & Wood, L. (2015). Research presented at the National Art Education Association National Conference, New Orleans, LA.
Presentations
The functioning role of the artist-researcher in the classroom
Willcox, L., & Arnold, A. (2015). Research to be presented at the National Art Education Association National Conference, New Orleans, LA.
Presentations
Analyzing studies in art education: Merging human and technological resources for new inquiries
Grodoski, C., Gross, S., & Willcox, L. (2014). Research presented at the National Art Education Association National Conference, San Diego, CA.
Presentations
Using artistic mapping to chart student learning in a methods course for elementary classroom teachers
Willcox, L., & Huxhold, D. (2014). Research presented at the National Art Education Association National Conference, San Diego, CA.
Presentations
The visual pedagogy project: Understanding how pre-service elementary generalists think about visual education
Lackey, L., Huxhold, D., Willcox, L., & Jones, H. (2013). Presented at National Art Education Association National Conference, Fort Worth, TX.
Presentations
Alice’s adventures in graduate school: Student narratives on navigating this wonderland
Willcox, L. (2013). Presented at National Art Education Association National Convention, Fort Worth, TX.
Presentations
Aligning art education content & pedagogical practices in higher education
Willcox, L. & Hamrock, J. (accepted, 2019). Research to be presented Georgia Art Education
Association (GAEA) Annual Conference.
Presentations
Vertical collaboration: Conversations between a k-12 teacher and teacher educator
Willcox, L. & Arnold, A. (2018). Workshop presented at the Georgia Art Education Association, Jekyll Island, GA.
Presentations
Collaboratively reconsidering incubation: Brainstorming curriculum alternatives to stimulate creative behavior
Willcox, L. & DeFour, A. (2018). Presented at the Georgia Art Education Association Annual Conference, Jekyll Island, GA.
Presentations
Words are hard: Explorations of burnout and renewal in the lives of art teachers
Willcox, L. (2018). Research presented at the Georgia Art Education Association Annual Conference, Jekyll Island, GA.
Presentations
Making MAGIC: The critical friends’ protocol
McCormick, K., Graves, J., Howell, C., Weiss, A. & Willcox, L. (2016). Workshop presented at the Curriculum & Instruction Research and Activity Symposium, Bloomington, IN.
Presentations
An artistic investigation of life in a doctoral program
Graves, J., Huxhold, D., Willcox, L., & Helmick, L. (2016). Workshop presented at the Curriculum & Instruction Research and Activity Symposium, Bloomington, IN.
Presentations
Building critical friendship: Creating a community of practice in curriculum & instruction
Weiss, A., McCormick, K., & Willcox, L. (2015). Workshop presented at the Curriculum & Instruction Research and Activity Symposium, Bloomington, IN.
Presentations
Taking Elliot Eisner’s scholarship forward
Willcox, L., & Flinders, D. (2015). Paper to be presented at the Curriculum & Instruction Research and Activity Symposium, Bloomington, IN.
Presentations
PlayStory corps: Collaborative inquiry in a doctoral seminar
McMullen, M., Huxhold, D., McCormick, K., Wood, L., & Willcox, L. (2014). Workshop presented at the Curriculum & Instruction Research and Activity Symposium, Bloomington, IN.
Presentations
Are we really this flat?: Exploring identity through paper dolls
Weiss, A., & Willcox, L. (2014). Workshop presented at the Curriculum & Instruction Research and Activity Symposium, Bloomington, IN.
Presentations
Five lessons art educators can learn from the little prince: Language and resources to articulate what occurs in the art room
Willcox, L. (2013). Presented at Art Education Association Indiana Conference, Indianapolis, IN.
Presentations
Exploring the intersection of theory and practice through artistic mapping
Willcox, L., & Huxhold, D. (2013). Presented at Art Education Association Indiana Conference, Indianapolis, IN.
Presentations
Inside the rabbit hole: Portraits of doctoral students’ silent struggles
Willcox, L. (2013). Presented at Georgia Art Education Association Conference, Savannah, GA.
Presentations
Creation of a psychologically safe environment in the art room
Willcox, L. (2013). Georgia Art Education Association Conference, Savannah, GA.
Conferences
Theoretical language for practitioners: How to advocate for what is happening in your classroom
Willcox, L. (2013). Presented at Georgia Art Education Association Conference, Savannah, GA.
Presentations
Tension to transformation: Conversations surrounding arts based research
Lackey, L., Huxhold, D., Willcox, L. & Wood, L., (2013). Presented at the Curriculum & Instruction Research and Activity Symposium, Bloomington, IN.
Presentations
New ideas in art education: A lively sampler
Vallance, B., Nemeths, J., Dillehay, C., Lim, K. Webber, N., & Willcox, L. (2012). Presented at Art Education Association Indiana, Indianapolis, IN.
Presentations
Six words can make a difference: The place where creativity and literacy meet
Willcox, L., & Bowers, R. (2011). Presented at Georgia Art Education Association, Pine Mountain, GA.
Presentations
Collude [Acrylic on canvas]
Willcox, L., Arnold, A., & Debban, E. (2018). Georgia Art Education Association (GAEA) Annual Exhibition, SoGlo Gallery, Brunswick, GA.
Others
Colludere [Acrylic on canvas]
Willcox, L., Arnold, A., & Debban, E. (2018). Faculty Exhibition, Valdosta State University Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery, Valdosta, GA.
Others
Qualitative Reasoning [Acrylic on canvas]
Willcox, L., & Dissertation Participants (2017). Faculty Exhibition, Valdosta State University Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery, Valdosta, GA.
Others
Broken but not Fragile [Acrylic on canvas]
Willcox, L., (2017). Faculty Exhibition, Valdosta State University Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery, Valdosta, GA.
Others
Envisioning Pedagogical Inquiry: The Making of Art Based Educational Research
Grodoski, C., Willcox, L., & Goss, S. (2017). Macy Gallery at Teachers College, New York, NY,
Others
Letter Forms: Functional and Nonfunctional Typography
Wallace, I., et al. (2011). Penland Gallery, Penland NC,
Others
Bertlesmann Gallery
Lee, N. et al. (2010). Athens GA, UGA Art Education Exchange Show
Others
Athens Clarke County Library
Lee, N. et al. (2010). Athens GA, Revealing the Invisible
Others
An Artistic Investigation of Life in a Doctoral Program
Huxhold, D., Willcox, L., Graves, J., & Helmick, L. (2016) Matrix Gallery, Bloomington IN,
Others
Tension to Transformation: Conversations Surrounding Arts Based Research
Huxhold, D., Willcox, L., & Wood, L. (2013). Matrix Gallery, Bloomington IN
Others
Examining Race in Art Education
Lee, N. et al. (2010). Lamar Dodd School of Art, Athens, GA.
2006 Lamar Dodd School of Art, Athens GA, Cortona Exchange Exhibition
2005 Lamar Dodd School of Art, Athens GA, Art Education Exit Show
Others
Unicity
Hwangbo et al. (2005). Lamar Dodd School of Art, Athens GA,
Others
Neural Drifts: Field Installations
Hwangbo et al. (2005). Lamar Dodd School of Art, Athens GA,
Others