Margaret-Mary Sulentic Dowell, PhD, Selected as Writer-in-Residence with Oberholtzer Foundation

BATON ROUGE, LA - Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education (SOE) faculty, Margaret-Mary Sulentic Dowell, PhD, Cecil "Pete" Taylor Endowed Professor, was selected as a Writer-in-Residence for the Earnest Oberholtzer Foundation. 

In late August, Sulentic Dowell participated in the Oberholtzer Foundation’s weeklong Individual Artists’ and Writers’ Residency, intended to support the work of artists and writers in an intensive weeklong experience that afforded space to work individually yet within an international community of scholars and artists. During the August 2026 residency, Sulentic Dowell focused on researching and drafting two additional children’s books, one on Fran P. Mainella, the 16th Director of the National Park Service and the first woman to hold the position, and Clare Marie Hodges, the first woman National Park Ranger at Yosemite. 

Each year, writers and artists vie for a residency by submitting an application that is vetted and considered for participation. As the director of the Louisiana State University Writing Project and coordinator of SOE’s PhD program in PK-12 Educational Leadership, Sulentic Dowell was honored her proposal was considered, and she accepted the subsequent invitation to participate in the program for the fourth time. Typically, Sulentic Dowell’s research centers on the intersectionality of literacy, leadership, and urban education.  However, in spring 2022, Sulentic Dowell was awarded a sabbatical wherein she investigated the body of work of Paul Witty, a literacy giant, and for the first time in her career, explored archival research. Since then, she has also pursued researching the careers and work of lesser-known environmentalists and conservationists whose work falls outside current narratives. 

“Both women broke barriers, yet their stories are not well known,” Sulentic Dowell said. “Bringing the life histories of pioneering environmentalists and conservationists forward is crucial in terms of preserving their legacies and contributions.” 

Ernest Carl Oberholtzer (1884–1977), an early United States environmentalist and founding member of the Wilderness Society, was a renowned author and conservationist, best known for his lifelong advocacy for the preservation of the Quetico–Superior Lake area along the Minnesota-Canadian border, including Superior National Forest, the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness, Quetico Provincial Park, Voyagers National Park, as well as Isle Royale National Park,  He purchased Mallard Island in Rainy Lake, Minnesota, in 1922 and lived there for over 50 years. The foundation, established in 1964, continues his work in conservation and cultural preservation. Mallard Island is located between International Falls, MN, and Ontario, Canada. 

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About the LSU Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education
A school of the LSU College of Human Sciences & Education, the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education (SOE) offers undergraduate programs for students who want to pursue a career as a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade teacher or acquire dual certification in both traditional elementary and special education classrooms. In addition, SOE offers 3 graduate certificates, 17 master’s degree program areas, 9 EdS certificate programs, and 2 PhD degrees in 11 areas of focus. SOE’s focus is not only on preparing highly qualified teachers but also in preparing educational leaders, curriculum studies scholars, educational technology experts, applied researchers, higher education professionals, school counselors, and clinical mental health counselors. SOE specializes scholarly expertise regarding pressing educational and wellness issues across the entire lifespan.

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