Courtney Langerud

Courtney Langerud is a PhD Candidate in the Justice and Social Inquiry program at Arizona State University. Her research investigates the histories and enduring legacies of censorship in K-12 public education, examining how efforts to alter or constrain curricular content impact students' knowledge construction and democratic agency. In addition, she works on an interdisciplinary research team examining inclusive curricula in K-12 schools across the United States, particularly in the current context of book bans and censorship. Through this work, she advocates for inclusive and liberatory literacy practices both within and beyond the classroom.

At ASU, Courtney teaches undergraduate courses in Justice and Pop Culture and Justice Theory. In these classes, she encourages students to critically engage with theories of justice and to explore their implications within everyday life and broader society.

Courtney also leads Global Intensive Experiences through ASU’s Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS), an engineering design-based service learning and social entrepreneurship program, where she develops and leads study abroad programs for undergraduate students in South Africa, Vietnam, and Kenya. As an instructor in the humanities and social sciences leading engineering global education programs, Courtney helps students think critically and creatively about incorporating cross-cultural and global perspectives within their engineering projects, allowing them to better understand the economic, social, cultural, political, and environmental implications of their engineering solutions on the communities they serve.

Beyond academia, she serves as a volunteer board member for the Jirani Project, a nonprofit supporting the education of children in Western Kenya living in challenging circumstances, and acts as a community partner for the EPICS program on behalf of the Jirani Project. 

Her journey in social justice and education began with my undergraduate studies at ASU, where she was a member of the Next Generation Service Corps. She earned a Bachelor’s in Global Health with a minor in Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, and a certificate in Cross-Sector Collaboration. Over the years, her dedication to global perspectives has taken her to countries such as Nicaragua, India, New Zealand, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda. Inclusive of this was a fully-funded research project in Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda, working with local organizations and conducting research with the Parliament of Uganda's National Council for Disability on the implementation of inclusive education in public primary schools.