Headshot of Zach Taylor

Z.W. Taylor

Assistant Professor

Education

  • PhD, Higher Education Leadership, The University of Texas at Austin 
  • MS, Educational Leadership, Indiana University, Bloomington 
  • MA, English Education, Bowling Green State University 
  • BA, English Education, University of Wisconsin, Green Bay 

Background

 

Dr. Alexandra Reilly is a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D) and an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the College of Charleston. She received her Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and completed a postdoctoral fellowship through Emory University School of Medicine at the Marcus Autism Center, part of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. At the Marcus Autism Center, Dr. Reilly worked in the Skill Acquisition Department, an intensive outpatient program supporting individuals with complex support needs in developing communication, social, and play skills using principles of applied behavior analysis.
Dr. Reilly’s work focuses on translating research into practical, sustainable approaches that can be implemented across settings. Her work aims to strengthen connections between intensive clinical services and educational environments and increase access to effective communication instruction for individuals with complex support needs. Her research interests include examining barriers to communication acquisition, developing and evaluating communication interventions, and building educator and practitioner capacity to teach communication skills effectively. She is particularly interested in how principles of verbal behavior can inform these practices and support generalization of skills.
Dr. Reilly also actively supports school districts, ABA clinics, and community organizations in strengthening instructional practices and increasing meaningful learning opportunities for individuals with complex support needs. She works closely with families and educators to promote the use of evidence-based communication and behavioral interventions that are responsive to individual needs. Through this work, she aims to facilitate the implementation of effective practices in everyday environments and develop sustainable practices that promote meaningful long-term outcomes.

 

Courses Taught

EDDL 912: Quantitative Research Methods 

EDDL 936: Contemporary Systems and Change 

EDDL 920: Grant Writing 

EDDL 934: Program Evaluation 

Recent Publications

Taylor, Z.W. (2026). A Mixed Methods Measurement of Human-Computer Interaction With Artificial Intelligence Chatbots: Applications for Financial Counseling in Education. SAGE Research Methods: Doing Research Online. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781036243869  

Taylor, M.Y., Taylor, Z.W., & Childs, J. (2026). Personal identity, public intellect: How faculty members’ identities influence and inspire public scholarship. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 39(1), 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2025.2539379   

Taylor, Z.W., & Pauter, S. (2026). Caught in the SAP: An Argument for Satisfactory Academic Progress Reform Toward Equity for College Students. Journal of Student Financial Aid, 55(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.55504/0884-9153.1867  

Taylor, Z.W., Navarrete, J., Fousek, B., & Childs, J. (2026). Different Sports, Same Playbook:  High School Student-Athlete Perceptions of Single- Versus Multi-Sport Coaches. Journal for the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/19357397.2026.2668994  

Taylor, Z.W. & Stan, K. (2026). Exploring Community College Faculty Inequities Between Minority-Serving and Predominantly-White Institutions. Community College Journal of Research and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2026.2665136  

Ward, K., Saleh, H., Taylor, Z.W., & McRaney, K. (2026). Examining the Readability of Cochlear Implant Education Materials. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Perspectives, 1-9. https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2026_PERSP-25-00194  

Taylor, Z.W., Kayser, T., Kaus, J., Ray, S., Villa, M., Weber Wandel, K., & Schuman, P. (2026). “We just can’t make the same kind of connection”: Reflections of College Peer Financial Counselors on Online Versus In-Person Financial Counseling. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning (Online First). https://doi.org/10.1891/JFCP-2025-0057   

Taylor, Z.W., Ray, S., Kaus, J., Kayser, T., Villa, M., & Schuman, P. (2026). “You're not thrown to the wolves”: How College Peer Financial Mentors are Trained and Professionally Developed. Journal of College Student Development, 67(2), 184-201. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/csd.2026.a986509  

Taylor, Z.W., Carter, D., Rainey, E., Ziegler, P., Maldonado, A., George, D., & Weber-Wandel, K. (2026). “Nightmares” and “Horror Stories”: Lived Experiences of Higher Education Staff Navigating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 34, 1-25. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.34.9346  

Taylor, Z.W. (2026). Simplifying the College Admissions Process: A Practitioner-Engaged Intervention to Simplify College Admissions Information. Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly, 13(4), 27-39. https://www.proquest.com/openview/5c8e4993cc3c6a88e4ac4d870719b39e  

Taylor, Z.W., Wheeler, P.E., & Eguiluz, L. (2026). Artificial intelligence and access to financial aid for minority college students: Evaluating chatbots and Spanish-language financial aid information. Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/15595692.2026.2640142   

Honors and Awards

  • 2025, Distinguished Researcher Award, College of Education and Human Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi 
  • 2024, ACUE Distinguished Educator, The University of Southern Mississippi 
  • 2024, Hampton S. Williams Educational Research and Administration Foundation Award, The University of Southern Mississippi, School of Education 
  • 2022, Dr. V. Ray Cardozier Alumni Excellence Award, The University of Texas at Austin, Program in Higher Education Leadership 

Service to Academia

  • Editor, Briefs, Community College Journal of Research and Practice (2023-present) 
  • Senior Editor, Journal of Praxis in Higher Education (2021-present) 
  • Editorial Board Member, Literature Reviews in Education and Human Services (2025-present) 
  • Editorial Board Member, Critical Questions in Education (2023-present) 
  • Review Board Member, Journal of Applied Research in the Community College (2022-present) 
  • Editorial Board Member, Journal of Personal Finance (2022-present)