Hello NVS Community!

I’m Dr. Dan Harrison and I use he/him pronouns.

I am an Oklahoma native (literally… I’m a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, Halito!) and I am so excited to be teaching alongside such caring and skilled educators here in Lynchburg, as well as working with an impressive group of students who have each uniquely found their way to New Vistas’ neurodiverse family. As a neurodivergent person (ADHDer) myself, I have come to strongly believe it takes a village to help us all grow and excel and am truly happy to be part of such a dedicated group that believes in the potential of each student!

I teach Upper School writing, grades 9-12, as both a writing and special education teacher. I’ve been an English composition educator since 2000, teaching in such places as the University of Nevada (Reno), Kuwait University, and the University of Lynchburg. Though I have taught mostly college students over the years, my initial MA and PhD work at the University of Nevada included applied linguistics (ESL) and critical literacy where I studied directly under some of the most innovative K-12 literacy strategists in the country, Shane Templeton and Donald Bear.

I have been a National Writing Project Fellow alum since 2002 and currently serve as a board member and regional rep for the Secondary School Writing Centers Association as well as serving on the Accessibility Committee for the International Writing Centers Association (IWCA) and the Diversity Committee for the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). My more recent doctoral work was in Strategic Leadership and Administrative Studies (Marywood) with a focus on neurodivergent writing and writing center studies. So, to further support our students’ writing process, two years ago I started a peer-tutor writing center in the Innovation Lab (we call it the I-Lab!) partnering with our language and technology class to help our writers communicate effectively in a collaborative environment through various mediums, including song, poetry, podcasts, film, etc.

I love writing nearly as much as I love empowering students to write. Some of my most recent research can be found in The Writing Center Journal, the Journal of Peer Tutoring in Secondary Schools, the Mid-Atlantic Review, and First Nations Poetry Magazine. In fact, my poem “Our Hawks do actually Fly” was featured in Poetry World (#14) and my larger collection of poems called Deer Rising: Life Lessons from our Most Gentle Neighbors was published at the end of 2025. But more than writing itself, I enjoy helping students discover the power of the written word for themselves, anything from poetry to fully developed research essays.

In my spare time, I enjoy playing guitar and writing songs. My wife and I have four kids and one grandchild, as well as one dog-son.

To contact Mr. Harrison via email: