Dr. Bates is the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies and a Professor of Literacy Education in the Department of Education and Human Development. Her research agenda focuses on the use of digital tools to enhance and deliver professional development for reading interventionists and K-2 classroom teachers, which stems from her ongoing inquiry into the teaching of children who are having difficulty learning to read and write. Since 2009, Dr. Bates has served as the Director of the Clemson University Early Literacy Center.