Before moving into higher education full time, he served as a secondary English and ESOL teacher for 13 years in rural south and urban north Georgia public schools. Dr. Griffin's primary research interests involve discovering ways to increase reading motivation and achievement for English learners and other "at-promise" student groups and to challenge deficit thinking among educators related to the skills and talents of diverse learners. For leisure, Dr. Griffin enjoys reading, traveling, visiting family, and spending time with his spouse, Mandi, and their two children, Miriam and Sarah Ruth.