The second iteration of the National Center for Leadership in Intensive Intervention – “NCLII-2” – received funding for the 2020-2024 time period. Faculty members with expertise in intensive intervention across academics and behavior at seven universities serve as NCLII-2 consortium members.
PEABODY COLLEGE AT VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
Seven faculty from the Department of Special Education at Peabody College are members of NCLII-2. Learn more about the special education program here.
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JEANNETTE MANCILLA-MARTINEZ
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]JEANNETTE MANCILLA-MARTINEZ, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education, as well as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Education for Peabody College. She holds a M.Ed. and Ed.D. in language and literacy from Harvard University, as well as a B.A. in liberal studies with a concentration in English and Spanish from Mount Saint Mary’s College. She is a 2013 National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow, a 2013 Hellman Fellow, and, most recently, a 2017 English Language Learners Policy Fellow.
Dr. Mancilla-Martinez’s program of research is focused on advancing students’ language and reading comprehension outcomes, including those of students from Spanish-speaking, low-income homes. The studies she is engaged in build on her earlier research in reading development and focus on the central role of supporting students’ language comprehension to mitigate later reading comprehension difficulties.
Dr. Mancilla-Martinez has presented her work widely at professional conferences, domestically and internationally, including the American Educational Research Association, the Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, the Society for Research in Child Development, and the National Dual Language Institute. Her work is also featured in several peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Educational Psychology, Child Development, and Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal. She is co-author of Teaching Vocabulary to English Language Learners (2013), and is an Associate Editor for Educational Researcher and AERA Open.
Dr. Mancilla-Martinez has just been appointed to the National Assessment of Education Progress Standing Committee on Reading.
EDUCATION:
Ed.D., Language and Literacy, Harvard University (2009)
M.Ed., Language and Literacy, Harvard University (2004)
B.A., Liberal Studies, Mount Saint Mary’s College (2000)
JEANNETTE MANCILLA-MARTINEZ
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JEANNE WANZEK
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]Jeanne Wanzek, Ph.D. is the Currey-Ingram Endowed Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education at Peabody College. She conducts research examining effective reading instruction and intervention. Her focus is on prevention and remediation for students with reading difficulties and disabilities. Prior to receiving her doctorate, Dr. Wanzek worked as a special educator and as an elementary teacher. She has a number of publications as well as national and international presentations in the areas of early reading, learning disability, response to intervention, and adolescent reading intervention. Currently, Dr. Wanzek is implementing two federally funded grant projects related to reading intervention with opportunities for graduate students to gain research and practical experience.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, University of Texas at Austin (2005)
M.S., Special Education, Northern Illinois University (2000)
B.S., Special Education; Elementary Education, Northern Illinois University (1995)
JEANNE WANZEK
Co-director, NCLII-2
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LYNN FUCHS
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]LYNN FUCHS, Ph.D. is the Nicholas Hobbs Professor of Special Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University. She has conducted programmatic research on assessment methods for enhancing instructional planning, on intervention methods for improving mathematics and reading outcomes for students at risk for and with learning disabilities, and on the cognitive and linguistic characteristics associated with mathematics development. Dr. Fuchs has published more than 350 empirical studies in peer-review journals and sits on the editorial boards of a variety of journals (e.g., Journal of Educational Psychology, Scientific Studies of Reading, Reading Research Quarterly, Elementary School Journal, Journal of Learning Disabilities, Exceptional Children). She has been identified by Thomas Reuters as one of the most frequently cited researchers in the social sciences and has received a variety of awards to acknowledge her research accomplishments that have enhanced mathematics and reading outcomes for children with and without disabilities, including the American Educational Research Association’s Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award and the Council for Exceptional Children’s Career Research Award.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota (1981)
Ed.S., Education Psychology, University of Minnesota (1977)
M.S., Elementary Education, University of Pennsylvania (1973)
B.A., Humanities, Johns Hopkins University (1972)
LYNN FUCHS
Co-director, NCLII-2
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DOUG FUCHS
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]DOUGLAS FUCHS, Ph.D. is Professor and Nicholas Hobbs Chair in Special Education and Human Development at Peabody College at Vanderbilt University and a Professor of Pediatrics at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Before joining the faculty in 1985, Dr. Fuchs was a 1st-grade teacher in a private school in Baltimore for children with behavior problems; a fourth-grade classroom teacher in a public school outside Philadelphia; and a school psychologist in the Minneapolis Public Schools. He has been principal investigator of 50 federally-sponsored research grants with which he and colleagues have developed approaches to service delivery (e.g., pre-referral intervention, responsiveness-to-intervention); assessments (e.g., formative measures of student and teacher evaluation, dynamic assessment); and instruction (e.g., peer-mediated learning strategies). He is the author or co-author of more than 300 articles in peer-review journals and has won several best paper awards, including the Palmer O. Johnson Memorial Award (American Educational Research Association), the Division 16 Fellow’s Award (American Psychological Association), the Samuel A. Kirk Award (Division for Learning Disabilities of the Council for Exceptional Children), and Best Paper of the Year Award (National Association of School Psychologists). Dr. Fuchs was recently identified by Thomson Reuters as among the 250 most frequently cited researchers in the social sciences in the United States from 2000-2010, inclusive. In 2014, he was a recipient of the American Educational Research Association’s Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award, the purpose of which “is to publicize, motivate, encourage, and suggest models foreducational research at its best.” In 2009, Dr. Fuchs was described as one of 14 “revolutionary educators” by Forbes Magazine; in 2008, he was among “100 Distinguished Alumni” in the first 100 years of the College of Education and Human Development of the University of Minnesota; in 2005, he was awarded Vanderbilt University’s Earl Sutherland Prize for Achievement in Research; in 2003, he was given the Career Research Award by the Council for Exceptional Children.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota (1978)
M.S., Elementary Education, University of Pennsylvania (1973)
B.A., Psychology, Johns Hopkins University (1972)
DOUG FUCHS
Co-director, NCLII-2
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MARCIA BARNES
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]MARCIA BARNES, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Special Education at Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. Previously, Dr. Barnes was a Professor of Special Education and held the H.E. Hartfelder/Southland Corporation Regents Chair at the University of Texas at Austin. She studies typical and atypical development of mathematics and reading comprehension and has a special emphasis on learning difficulties in children with neurodevelopmental disorders and acquired brain injury. She has over 100 publications including articles in refereed journals, book chapters, and books. Dr. Barnes has received grant support from the Institute of Educational Sciences, the National Institute of Child Health and Development, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network. Current research in mathematics compares the efficacy of an early mathematics intervention with combined mathematics and attention interventions for preschool children at high risk for later math learning difficulties. Her current reading research involves investigating the sources of adolescent students’ comprehension difficulties and experimental work to test the malleability of text-level skills such as inference-making that are important for reading comprehension.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., McMaster University (1988)
B.A., Psychology, McMaster University (1981)
MARCIA BARNES
Co-director, NCLII-2
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JOE WEHBY
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]JOSEPH WEHBY, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and the Chair in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development and a Vanderbilt Kennedy Center researcher. He received his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt after having taught children and youth with learning and behavior problems in a residential setting. For the past 27 years, he has been on faculty in Peabody’s Department of Special Education. His research is in the areas of problem behavior among students with high incidence disabilities and teachers’ instructional strategies for improving classroom management.
During his time at Vanderbilt, Dr. Wehby has received over $30 million in federal grant money for research and training. Currently, he is a co-principal investigator on two Goal 2 grants from the Institute of Educational Sciences (IES) that are focused on developing Tier 2 interventions for school-age children with behavior challenges. In addition, he directs two doctoral training grants from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and is the Director of the National Center for Leadership in Intensive Intervention. Dr. Wehby is a Senior Advisor for the OSEP funded National Center on Intensive Intervention. His recent research efforts have focused on evaluating the effectiveness of a multi-component mental health and academic tutoring intervention for students with identified behavior difficulties (NIMH) and investigating the impact of a classroom management program on the social and academic behavior of students with and at-risk for behavior problems (IES, Goal 3). During his time at Vanderbilt, he has been active on a number of department, college, and university committees. Dr. Wehby received an Affirmative Action Award for promoting disability awareness on campus, received the Butch Hill Award for Outstanding Teaching in Special Education, and was named as the 2014 Vanderbilt Chancellor’s Cup recipient for contributions to students outside the classroom. In 2015, he received the Outstanding Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (1990)
M.Ed., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (1987)
B.S., Special Education, Memphis State University (1982)
JOE WEHBY
Director, NCLII-2
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BLAIR LLOYD
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]Blair Lloyd, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University and a member of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. Her areas of specialization include individualized assessments and interventions for students with persistent challenging behavior, issues in observational measurement, and single case research designs. She is a faculty member in the High Incidence and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) programs.
Dr. Lloyd is also a Co-Investigator on the Tennessee Behavior Supports Project, a technical assistance grant supporting multi-tiered systems of behavior support in Tennessee schools.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (2013)
M.S., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (2011)
B.S., Psychology, Davidson College (2006)
BLAIR LLOYD
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Four faculty from the College of Education at Michigan State University are members of NCLII-2. Read more about MSU’s special education program here.
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TROY MARIAGE
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]TROY MARIAGE, Ph.D. is an associate professor of special education at Michigan State University. His research interests are in the areas of literacy instruction for students with mild disabilities in elementary classrooms. He holds teaching endorsements in Intellectual Disabilities, Emotional Impairment, and Learning Disabilities. He has conducted work in early reading instruction, writing instruction, and cognitive strategy instruction that leads to self-regulated learning. More recently, Dr. Mariage has extended his work by seeking to understand how to create schools as learning organizations that create the capacity for continuous learning and improvement. Currently, he is conducting a study to explore how teachers can provide concurrent academic and social support for students with significant learning and behavioral difficulties.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, Michigan State University (1996)
M.A., Special Education, Michigan State University (1989)
B.A., Special Education, Western Michigan University (1984)
TROY MARIAGE
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ADREA TRUCKENMILLER
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]ADREA TRUCKENMILLER, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education at Michigan State University (MSU).Her research interests broadly include adolescent literacy, writing assessment and data-based decision-making for instruction. Her previous funded projects explored the relation between important component skills of literacy and processes for identifying all students’ instructional needs. Currently, Dr. Truckenmiller is investigating the feedback loop between writing instruction and formative assessment of writing. Dr. Truckenmiller received her Ph.D. in School Pyschology from Syracuse University.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Syracuse University (2011)
M.S., Psychology, Syracuse University (2007)
B.A., Psychology, Penn State University (2004)
ADREA TRUCKENMILLER
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GARY TROIA
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]GARY TROIA, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education at Michigan State University(MSU). He received his PhD in Special Education from the Univeristy of Maryland. Dr. Troia’s research interests include the connections between oral language and literacy in typical and atypical learners, writing assessment and instruction, and teacher professional development in literacy. His recent work involves examining alignment between states’ content standards and assessment frameworks in writing and how alignment between these influences writing outcomes and enables students to meet postsecondary writing expectations. He also is examining predictors of writing quality within a multi-level linguistic framework to help researchers and educators develop better measurement tools for writing
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., University of Maryland (2000)
M.A., Speech-Language Pathology, University of Maryland (1991)
B.A., Hearing and Speech Sciences, University of Maryland (1987)
GARY TROIA
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EUNSOO CHO
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]EUNSOO CHO, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special Education at Michigan State University (MSU). Dr. Cho’s research focuses on statistical modeling of reading development in students with or at-risk for having learning disabilities, including students from language minority backgrounds. Her research has two strands: first, she is interested in developing and validating assessment methods to accurately identify students with learning disabilities within a multitiered support system, such as response to intervention (RTI). Second, Dr. Cho’s research focuses on understanding psychological and motivational processes involved in learning. She intends to develop a motivation intervention that can be combined with reading instruction for students with persistent reading difficulties. One of her co-authored articles in Reading Research Quarterly received the 2015 Albert J. Harris Award from the International Literacy Association. In 2016, she received the Samuel Kirk Award for best research article from the Division of Learning Disabilities of the Council for Exceptional Children. She is also a faculty affiliate in the Educational Psychology and Educational Technology (EPET) program.Dr. Cho received her Ph.D. in Special Education from Vanderbilt University; prior to coming to MSU, she was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Vanderbilt University (2014)
M.S., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (2014)
M.A., Educational Methodologies, Korea University (2008)
B.A., Psychology, Korea University (2006)
EUNSOO CHO
Lead RepresentativeUNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
Four faculty from the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut are members of NCLII-2. Read more about the Neag School’s special education program here.
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BRANDI SIMONSEN
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]BRANDI SIMONSEN, Ph.D. is a professor of Special Education with tenure in the Department of Educational Psychology at the Neag School of Education and the Co-Director of the Center for Behavioral Education and Research (CBER; www.cber.org) at the University of Connecticut. She is a partner of the National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS; www.pbis.org), and Dr. Simonsen serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Positive Behavioral Interventions.
Currently, Dr. Simonsen conducts research, publishes, teaches, and provides training/technical assistance in the areas of (a) school- and class-wide PBIS, (b) positive and proactive professional development supports for teachers, and (c) applications of PBIS in alternative education settings. In addition, Dr. Simonsen coordinates UConn’s Graduate Certificate Program in School-wide Positive Behavior Support.
Before joining the faculty at University of Connecticut, Dr. Simonsen was the director of a non-public (alternative) school serving students with disabilities who presented with challenging educational and behavioral needs. In addition to serving as an administrator and clinician, Dr. Simonsen has previously been certified as a teacher of elementary general education and middle-secondary special education.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education: Exceptional Learner, University of Oregon (2002)
M.S., Special Education: Exceptional Learner, University of Oregon (1999)
B.A., Elementary Education and Psychology, William and Mary (1998)
BRANDI SIMONSEN
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JENNIFER FREEMAN
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]JENNIFER FREEMAN, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and is a research scientist for the Center for Behavioral Education Research (CBER) at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Freeman studies the effects of multi-tiered systems of support such as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) on outcomes at the high school level for high-risk student groups including students with disabilities. She is particularly interested in improving graduation rates across and within student groups. She also studies professional development methods for improving teacher’s use of evidence based classroom management strategies. Dr. Freeman currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the special education program. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Connecticut, she had 10 years of special education teaching experience across grades K-8 in both urban and rural school settings and had served as a K-12 district level consultant working to implement PBIS and Response to Intervention (RtI) strategies.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., University of Connecticut
M.A., Grand Valley State University
B.A., Calvin College
JENNIFER FREEMAN
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DEVIN KEARNS
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]DEVIN KEARNS, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Special Education and a Research Scientist at the Center for Behavioral Education and Research at the University of Connecticut. He researches reading disability in elementary age children, focusing on developing and implementing programs to prevent and remediate reading problems. He is currently conducting studies to examine how late-elementary-age children read polysyllabic words and
help struggling readers learn strategies to help them read polysyllabic words better.
Dr. Kearns’s academic work has appeared in journals like Exceptional Children, the Journal of Educational Psychology, the Journal of Learning Disabilities, the Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, and Reading Research Quarterly. Dr. Kearns has 7 years of classroom experience, working in elementary education as a general-education teacher, literacy coach, and reading specialist. He has provided professional development and done curriculum design for federally-funded centers, universities, and schools and districts across the U.S. and Canada.
Dr. Kearns was a Learning Sciences Institute and Institute of Education Sciences Fellow, and he was the 2010 recipient of Vanderbilt University’s Robert Gaylord Award for Writing Excellence. Dr. Kearns is associate editor for Assessment for Effective Intervention and on the editorial board of the American Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (2010)
M.A., Elementary Literacy and Language Arts, Loyola Marymount University (2004)
B.A., History and Government, Georgetown University (1998)
DEVIN KEARNS
Lead Representative
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MICHAEL COYNE
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]MICHAEL COYNE, Ph.D. is Professor of Educational Psychology in the Special Education Program at the University of Connecticut. He is also a Research Scientist at the Center for Behavioral Education and Research. He has expertise in beginning reading and early vocabulary instruction and intervention, school-based experimental research, multi-tiered or RTI systems of support, and effective practices for students with learning disabilities. Dr. Coyne has directed or co-directed five multi-year research projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences focused on optimizing vocabulary and beginning reading practices for students with diverse learning needs through school-based experimental research. Dr. Coyne provides assistance and consultation to school districts and state departments of education around the country related to reading and literacy initiatives. He regularly presents at national conferences on research related to effective instructional practices, school improvement, and beginning reading and vocabulary instruction and intervention. Dr. Coyne holds certification in both elementary and special education and is a former special educator in public schools.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, University of Oregon (2001)
M.T., Special & Elementary Education, University of Virginia (1994)
B.A., Music and Political Science, Williams College (1989)
MICHAEL COYNE
Lead RepresentativeUNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
Two faculty from the College of Education at the University of Georgia are members of NCLII-2. Learn more about UGA’s special education program here.
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SCOTT ARDOIN
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]SCOTT ARDOIN, Ph.D. is a professor and Department Head for the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Georgia. Dr. Ardoin’s research interests include the application of principles of applied behavior analysis within classroom settings. He applies these principles not only to developing classroom and individual student behavioral interventions, but also to developing academic skill interventions and assessment materials. Much of his current research employs eye-tracking procedures in order to observe the reading behaviors engaged in by students when taking test of reading comprehension and how those behaviors are altered as a function of test format. In addition to sharing this knowledge base with graduate students in school psychology through classwork and collaborative research, Dr. Ardoin teaches courses that make up the course sequence offered by UGA and approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board towards BACB eligibility requirements. Dr. Ardoin completed his doctoral work in school psychology at Syracuse University. Before joining the school psychology faculty at the University of Georgia (UGA) in 2008, Dr. Ardoin was in a faculty position within the Department of Psychology at the University of South Carolina. Since at UGA, Dr. Ardoin has served as coordinator of the UGA School Psychology Clinic and graduate coordinator of the Department of Educational Psychology. Currently he is serving as the department head of the UGA Department of Educational Psychology and co-coordinator of the UGA Center for Autism and Behavioral Education Research.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Syracuse University (2001)
B.S., Psychology, Louisiana State University (1995)
SCOTT ARDOIN
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KRISTIN SAYESKI
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]KRISTIN SAYESKI, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education at the University of Georgia. Dr. Sayeski received her doctorate in special education from the University of Virginia in 2000. Prior to joining the faculty at UGA, Dr. Sayeski held appointments at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the University of Virginia, and Vanderbilt University. Her professional and research interests include identifying exemplary practices related to teacher development and determining effective instructional practices for students with high-incidence disabilities, particularly in the area of reading instruction and intervention. Dr. Sayeski is the former editor of TEACHING Exceptional Children, an associate editor for Intervention in School and Clinic, and on the review boards of several research and practitioner journals.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., University of Virginia (2000)
M.Ed., Special Education, University of Florida (1994)
B.A., Special Education, University of Florida (1993)
KRISTIN SAYESKI
Lead RepresentativeUNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
Three faculty from the special education department at the University of Illinois at Chicago are members of NCLII-2. Learn more about UIC’s special education program here.
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MARIE TEJERO HUGHES
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]Marie Tejero Hughes, Ph.D. is a Professor of Special Education and a Faculty Fellow in the Honors College at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is the Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Special Education and the Program Coordinator for the Special Education PhD program. Dr. Tejero Hughes primarily teaches graduate courses in literacy designed for general and special education teachers working in urban communities. Her areas of expertise include comprehension instruction for students struggling with reading, reading instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse students, and Latino family engagement in education.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Reading and Learning Disabilities, University of Miami (1995)
M.S.Ed., Elementary Education, University of Miami (1989)
B.S.Ed., Early Childhood/Elementary Education, University of Miami (1987)
MARIE TEJERO HUGHES
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LISA CUSHING
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]LISA CUSHING, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Cushing’s research and teaching interests focus on increasing the quality of life for individuals with significant disabilities through the improvement of educational, social, and behavioral outcomes in inclusive settings. Her current scholarly interests include the inclusion of students in middle and high school settings, differentiated instruction such as peer mediated supports, individuals with low incidence disabilities including those identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder, transition from school, and positive behavioral interventions and support.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, University of Oregon (2000)
M.Ed., Special Education, University of Hawaii (1995)
B.A., Political Science, University of Illinois/Champaign-Urbana (1990)
LISA CUSHING
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DANIEL MAGGIN
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]DANIEL MAGGIN, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Prior to this role, Dr. Maggin was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Connecticut. His research and teaching address three areas related to the education of students with disabilities with a particular emphasis on supporting those students with and at risk for developing emotional and behavioral disorders. These areas include the use of various research synthesis methods to help with the identification of effective, school-based instructional and management practices; the training of school personnel to use a continuum of empirically supported assessment and intervention methods to develop individualized educational programs for students with disabilities; and the development and application of methods for promoting the use of research and evidence in schools to assist school personnel better support the individualized needs of students with disabilities.
Dr. Maggin serves as an Associate Editor for Behavioral Disorders, the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, and Remedial and Special Education. In addition, he sits on the editorial boards for Intervention in School and Clinic, the Journal of School Psychology, and School Psychology Review.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (2009)
MA, Special Education, Bank Street College of Education (2005)
BA, Religious Studies, Lafayette College (2002)
DANIEL MAGGIN
Lead RepresentativeUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Five faculty from the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota are members of NCLII-2. Learn more about the university’s special education program here.
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SAVANA BAK
M. Y. SAVANA BAK, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in Special Education (Department of Educational Psychology) at the University of Minnesota. Her research interests involve the measurement and analysis of social communication in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) specifically using data collected from the children’s natural environment. Currently, Dr. Bak’s research focuses on analyzing different modes of communication to assess children’s language skills. She plans to use the findings to assist practitioners and educators in identifying language goals to develop practical interventions that facilitate language development and increase social interaction in children with ASD.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Educational Psychology/Special Education, Michigan State University (2019)
M.S., Science of Instruction, Drexel University (2012)
B.A., Multimedia, Korea National University of Arts (2000)
SAVANA BAK
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KRISTEN MCMASTER
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]KRISTEN MCMASTER, Ph.D. is a Professor in the special education program at the University of Minnesota. Her research interests involve creating conditions for successful response to intervention of academically diverse learners, including students at-risk, students with disabilities, and students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. She has been PI or co-PI on four OSEP or IES-funded projects and serves as a trainer and technical advisor to the National Center for Intensive Intervention. Dr. McMaster has numerous publications and national presentations related to Curriculum-Based Measurement, data-based decision making, and intervention for students at risk or with disabilities. She received a Distinguished Early Career Award from the Division for Research of the Council for Exceptional Children in 2011.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (2002)
M.Ed., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (1998)
B.S., Special Education and Human and Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University (1995)
KRISTEN MCMASTER
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LEANNE JOHNSON
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]LEANNE JOHNSON, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in Special Education at the University of Minnesota. Her role includes serving as the program coordinator for the early childhood special education M.Ed. and teacher licensure program as well as serving as principal investigator or project director on multiple state and federally sponsored research and training grants.
Her research interests are intervention-oriented with a focus on improving outcomes for a range of preschool and elementary school-aged children who are at high risk given social, emotional, behavioral, and communication needs. My interests are focused on creating the next generation of intervention studies that support more rapid adoption and high fidelity implementation of evidence-based interventions within tiered intervention and prevention models. This includes research projects that are designed to help us (1) develop data collection tools to support teachers in summarizing, visualizing, interpreting, and using data to engage in a precision oriented problem solving process, (2) improve the adoption and implementation of evidence-based practices in the natural environments of young children through understanding how beliefs and values interact with knowledge and skills within professional development systems, and (3) explore and improve the efficacy of behaviorally based interventions through systematic adaptation and intensification.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Educational Psychology/Special Education, University of Minnesota (2004)
M.Ed., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (1995)
B.A., Special Education, Michigan State University (1994)
LEANNE JOHNSON
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JENNIFER MCCOMAS
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]JENNIFER MCCOMAS, Ph.D. is a Professor and the Associate Department Chair in the Department of Special Education at the University of Minnesota. Her areas of interest include applications of basic behavioral processes to socially meaningful behavior, persistence and resurgence of behavior post-treatment, intervention for problem behavior of individuals with severe problem behavior via telehealth, teaching communication to individuals with complex communication needs (including Rett syndrome via telehealth), analysis of academic performance of students with behavior problems in school settings, and considerations of culture in empirical research.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, University of Iowa (1994)
M.A., Special Education, University of Iowa (1992)
B.A., Special Education, University of Iowa (1989)
JENNIFER MCCOMAS
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FRANK SYMONS
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]FRANK SYMONS, Ph.D. is the Associate Dean for Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. His research emphasis is on understanding the severe behavior problems of children and adults with special needs, primarily those with developmental disabilities and emotional or behavioral disorders. For these two groups, much of Dr. Symons’ research has focused on self-injurious behavior and classroom aggression, respectively. The majority of his research has been observationally based, theoretically grounded in behavioral principles, and driven by a commitment to meaningful, functional outcomes.
Dr. Symons has two current specific areas of interest. One is the development, assessment, and treatment of problem behavior among children and adults with a range of neurodevelopmental and emotional/behavioral disorders. The other is the problem of pain among children and adults with significant cognitive impairments and associated developmental disabilities. Related areas of interest include observational research methods.
In terms of problem behavior, areas of specific research interest include (a) characterizing self-injurious behavior in more detail descriptively (form, location, intensity) and experimentally (function); (b) examining the intersection of behavioral and biological mechanisms underlying chronic self-injury by incorporating sensory (e.g., pain sensitivity, peripheral innervation) and autonomic (e.g., sympathetic/parasympathetic, HPA axis) nervous system variables, and (c) translating findings from basic research into treatment applications.
In terms of pain, areas of specific research include (a) the reliable and valid assessment of pain in children and adults with significant cognitive, communicative, and motor impairments associated with intellectual disability; (b) the relation between behavioral and biological variables as markers for altered pain; (c) modifying/adapting quantitative sensory testing for individuals with specialized needs; and (d) the relation between pain and problem behavior, specifically self-injury.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University (1997)
M.Ed., Educational Psychology, University of Alberta (1992)
B.A., Psychology, University of Manitoba (1989)
FRANK SYMONS
Lead RepresentativeUNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
Six faculty from the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin are members of NCLII-2. Learn more about the university’s special education program here.
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CHRIS DOABLER
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]CHRIS DOABLER, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education at The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Doabler’s research focuses on designing and testing intensive early mathematics and science interventions for students with or at risk for learning disabilities in mathematics, reading, and science. He also investigates teachers’ use and uptake of evidence-based teaching practices. As a principal investigator (PI) or co-PI, he has been awarded more than $22.5 million in federal research funding. He currently serves as PI on two Discovery Research prekindergarten to grade 12 design and development projects funded by the National Science Foundation. The primary aims of these projects are to design and test innovative mathematics (Precision Mathematics: 2015–2019) and science (Scientific Explorers: 2017–2021) interventions for struggling learners in first and second grades. He also serves as PI on an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Goal 1 exploration grant investigating associations between malleable factors of instruction and student academic outcomes within an archival, multi-intervention observation data set collected during four IES-funded efficacy trials. He serves as a co-PI on two IES-funded Goal 3 efficacy trials to test the impact of Tier 2 mathematics interventions on student mathematics outcomes. Additionally, he serves as a co-PI on a Stepping Up Technology Implementation grant funded by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. He has published more than 30 peer-reviewed publications and led the design and development of four IES-sponsored Tier 2 mathematics interventions. He earned his Ph.D. in special education from the University of Oregon.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., University of Oregon (2010)
M.S., Special Education Early Childhood/Elementary, University of Oregon (2003)
B.A., Elementary Education and History, Rowan University (1995)
CHRIS DOABLER
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NATHAN CLEMENS
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]NATHAN CLEMENS, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Clemens’ research and teaching focuses on improving instruction and intervention for students with reading difficulties or dyslexia in preschool through adolescence. More specifically, his work is aimed at improving teachers’ use of assessment data to better understand their students’ progress, and to help them align and individualize evidence-based interventions with their students’ unique learning needs in order to promote stronger outcomes. Dr. Clemens is also interested in research that seeks to better understand interventions and key practices that are effective for students with the most intensive learning difficulties. He earned a Ph.D. in school psychology from Lehigh University.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Lehigh University (2009)
M.Ed., Human Development, Lehigh University (2004)
B.S., Psychology, Kutztown University (1996)
NATHAN CLEMENS
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JESSICA TOSTE
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]JESSICA TOSTE, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at The University of Texas at Austin and a fellow of the Reading Institute within The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk. She received her PhD in educational psychology from McGill University. She teaches courses on reading instruction, learning disabilities, and disability law. Dr. Toste was named one of the 2017 “Texas Ten,” nominated by UT alumni as a professor who inspired them during their time on the Forty Acres. Her research interests are related to students with LD and effective reading interventions, with a particular focus on motivation as a determinant of school success. She has also articles and book chapters on resilience factors related to achievement and psychosocial functioning of youth at-risk. Dr. Toste was trained in reading intervention research as a postdoctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University (2011-2013) and as a Fulbright scholar/visiting researcher at the Florida Center for Reading Research (2008-2009). She has worked as an elementary school teacher and reading specialist in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
In the community, Dr. Toste serves on the Board of Directors and National Advisory Council of GLSEN (www.glsen.org). She is also on the Board of Directors of Disability Rights Texas (www.disabilityrightstx.org), federally designated legal protection and advocacy agency (P&A) for people with disabilities in Texas. She also volunteers with CASA Travis County, as a court-appointed special advocate and guardian ad litem for children who have been abused and neglected.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Educational Psychology, McGill University
M.A., Education Psychology, McGill University
B.S.Ed., Elementary Education, McGill University
JESSICA TOSTE
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SARAH POWELL
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]SARAH R. POWELL, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education. Powell is currently Principal Investigator (PI) of a four-year Institute of Education Sciences efficacy grant related to word problems and equation solving for third-grade students with mathematics difficulties. Powell is also PI of a five-year early numeracy and literacy read-alouds project funded by the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, co-PI of a National Science Foundation grant aimed at developing a science intervention for second-grade students with learning difficulties, and co-PI of an Office of Special Education Programs model demonstration grant for middle school algebra. Powell was a National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow from 2014 to 2016 and a Faculty Fellow with the Greater Texas Foundation from 2014 to 2017. Powell’s research interests include developing and testing interventions for students with mathematics difficulties, with a special emphasis on peer tutoring, word-problem solving, mathematics writing, and the symbols and vocabulary within mathematics.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Vanderbilt University (2009)
M.S.Ed., School Administration, Vanderbilt University (2001)
B.A., Elementary Education, Centre College (1999)
SARAH POWELL
Lead Representative
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DIANE BRYANT
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]Diane Bryant, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin. She holds the Mollie Villeret Davis Professorship in Learning Disabilities, is a Fellow in the International Academy of Research in Learning Disabilities, and is the Project Director for the Mathematics Institute for Learning Disabilities and Difficulties in the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk. Currently, she is Principal Investigator on Project AIM, an algebra readiness project, which is funded by the Institute of Education Sciences. Dr. Bryant is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Learning Disability Quarterly, has published numerous articles on instructional strategies and assistive technology for students with learning disabilities, and is the co-author of textbooks and educational tests
As part of her early career in special education, Dr. Bryant taught students with learning disabilities and behavior disorders in Chelsea, MA; Crown Point, NM; and Albuquerque, NM. Further work in Albuquerque included working as a coaching specialist to assist special education teachers with instructional and behavioral issues in their classrooms. She also served as the District Coordinator for Special Education Staff Development and the principal for an intensive summer school program for students with special needs.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, University of New Mexico (1986)
M.A., Learning Disabilities, University of New Mexico (1980)
B.S., Elementary Education and Psychology (1974)
DIANE BRYANT
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SHARON VAUGHN
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]Sharon Vaughn, Ph.D. is the Manuel J. Justiz Endowed Chair in Education and Executive Director of The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at The University of Texas at Austin. She was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Learning Disabilities and the Co-Editor of Learning Disabilities Research and Practice. Dr. Vaughn is the recipient of the AERA SIG distinguished researcher award and The University of Texas Distinguished faculty award. She is the author of numerous books and research articles that address the reading and social outcomes of students with learning difficulties.
Dr. Vaughn is currently the Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on several Institute for Education Sciences, National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, and U.S. Department of Education research grants investigating effective interventions for students with reading difficulties and students who are English language learners. Her areas of expertise include learning disabilities, reading problems, self-concept, diverse learners, and inclusion practices.
She is the author of more than 35 books, 250 peer-reviewed research articles, and 65 chapters that address issues related to research and practice with learning problems. She has worked nationally and internationally with educators from Japan, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Portugal and Australia.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Education and Child Development, University of Arizona (1982)
M.Ed., Education, University of Arizona (1976)
B.S., Education, University of Missouri (1973)
SHARON VAUGHN
Lead RepresentativeNCLII-1: 2014-2019
The first iteration of the National Center for Leadership in Intensive Intervention – “NCLII-1” – received funding for the 2014-2019 time period. Faculty from a total of seven universities (listed below) participated as consortium members.
PEABODY COLLEGE AT VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
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MARCIA BARNES
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]MARCIA BARNES, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Special Education at Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. Previously, Dr. Barnes was a Professor of Special Education and held the H.E. Hartfelder/Southland Corporation Regents Chair at the University of Texas at Austin. She studies typical and atypical development of mathematics and reading comprehension and has a special emphasis on learning difficulties in children with neurodevelopmental disorders and acquired brain injury. She has over 100 publications including articles in refereed journals, book chapters, and books. Dr. Barnes has received grant support from the Institute of Educational Sciences, the National Institute of Child Health and Development, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network. Current research in mathematics compares the efficacy of an early mathematics intervention with combined mathematics and attention interventions for preschool children at high risk for later math learning difficulties. Her current reading research involves investigating the sources of adolescent students’ comprehension difficulties and experimental work to test the malleability of text-level skills such as inference-making that are important for reading comprehension.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., McMaster University (1988)
B.A., Psychology, McMaster University (1981)
MARCIA BARNES
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JEANNE WANZEK
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]Jeanne Wanzek, Ph.D. is the Currey-Ingram Endowed Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education at Peabody College. She conducts research examining effective reading instruction and intervention. Her focus is on prevention and remediation for students with reading difficulties and disabilities. Prior to receiving her doctorate, Dr. Wanzek worked as a special educator and as an elementary teacher. She has a number of publications as well as national and international presentations in the areas of early reading, learning disability, response to intervention, and adolescent reading intervention. Currently, Dr. Wanzek is implementing two federally funded grant projects related to reading intervention with opportunities for graduate students to gain research and practical experience.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, University of Texas at Austin (2005)
M.S., Special Education, Northern Illinois University (2000)
B.S., Special Education; Elementary Education, Northern Illinois University (1995)
JEANNE WANZEK
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BLAIR LLOYD
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]Blair Lloyd, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University and a member of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. Her areas of specialization include individualized assessments and interventions for students with persistent challenging behavior, issues in observational measurement, and single case research designs. She is a faculty member in the High Incidence and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) programs.
Dr. Lloyd is also a Co-Investigator on the Tennessee Behavior Supports Project, a technical assistance grant supporting multi-tiered systems of behavior support in Tennessee schools.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (2013)
M.S., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (2011)
B.S., Psychology, Davidson College (2006)
BLAIR LLOYD
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CHRIS LEMONS
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]CHRIS LEMONS, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University and a member of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. His research focuses on improving academic outcomes for children and adolescents with intellectual, developmental, and learning disabilities. His recent research has focused on developing and evaluating reading interventions for individuals with Down syndrome. Dr. Lemons has published studies in peer-reviewed journals including Exceptional Children, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, and Remedial and Special Education. Dr. Lemons has secured funding to support his research from the Institute of Education Sciences and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, both within the U.S. Department of Education. He is an Associate Editor for the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. He chairs the Executive Committee for the Pacific Coast Research Conference. Dr. Lemons is also a Senior Advisor for the National Center on Intensive Intervention, both funded by the Office of Special Education Programs.
Dr. Lemons received his doctorate from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in 2008. He is a recipient of the Pueschel-Tjossem Research Award from the National Down Syndrome Congress. In 2016, Dr. Lemons received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers, from President Obama. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Lemons taught in several special education settings including a preschool autism unit, an elementary resource and inclusion program, and a middle school life skills classroom. His areas of expertise include reading interventions for children and adolescents with learning and intellectual disabilities, with a focus on interventions for individuals with Down syndrome; data-based individualization; and intervention-related assessment.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (2008)
M.A., Special Education, University of Texas – Austin (2000)
B.S., Applied Learning and Development (Special Education), University of Texas – Austin (1999)
B.A., Psychology, University of Texas – Austin (1996)
CHRIS LEMONS
Co-director, NCLII
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DOUG FUCHS
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]DOUGLAS FUCHS, Ph.D. is Professor and Nicholas Hobbs Chair in Special Education and Human Development at Peabody College at Vanderbilt University and a Professor of Pediatrics at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Before joining the faculty in 1985, Dr. Fuchs was a 1st-grade teacher in a private school in Baltimore for children with behavior problems; a fourth-grade classroom teacher in a public school outside Philadelphia; and a school psychologist in the Minneapolis Public Schools. He has been principal investigator of 50 federally-sponsored research grants with which he and colleagues have developed approaches to service delivery (e.g., pre-referral intervention, responsiveness-to-intervention); assessments (e.g., formative measures of student and teacher evaluation, dynamic assessment); and instruction (e.g., peer-mediated learning strategies). He is the author or co-author of more than 300 articles in peer-review journals and has won several best paper awards, including the Palmer O. Johnson Memorial Award (American Educational Research Association), the Division 16 Fellow’s Award (American Psychological Association), the Samuel A. Kirk Award (Division for Learning Disabilities of the Council for Exceptional Children), and Best Paper of the Year Award (National Association of School Psychologists). Dr. Fuchs was recently identified by Thomson Reuters as among the 250 most frequently cited researchers in the social sciences in the United States from 2000-2010, inclusive. In 2014, he was a recipient of the American Educational Research Association’s Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award, the purpose of which “is to publicize, motivate, encourage, and suggest models foreducational research at its best.” In 2009, Dr. Fuchs was described as one of 14 “revolutionary educators” by Forbes Magazine; in 2008, he was among “100 Distinguished Alumni” in the first 100 years of the College of Education and Human Development of the University of Minnesota; in 2005, he was awarded Vanderbilt University’s Earl Sutherland Prize for Achievement in Research; in 2003, he was given the Career Research Award by the Council for Exceptional Children.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota (1978)
M.S., Elementary Education, University of Pennsylvania (1973)
B.A., Psychology, Johns Hopkins University (1972)
DOUG FUCHS
Co-director, NCLII
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LYNN FUCHS
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]LYNN FUCHS, Ph.D. is the Nicholas Hobbs Professor of Special Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University. She has conducted programmatic research on assessment methods for enhancing instructional planning, on intervention methods for improving mathematics and reading outcomes for students at risk for and with learning disabilities, and on the cognitive and linguistic characteristics associated with mathematics development. Dr. Fuchs has published more than 350 empirical studies in peer-review journals and sits on the editorial boards of a variety of journals (e.g., Journal of Educational Psychology, Scientific Studies of Reading, Reading Research Quarterly, Elementary School Journal, Journal of Learning Disabilities, Exceptional Children). She has been identified by Thomas Reuters as one of the most frequently cited researchers in the social sciences and has received a variety of awards to acknowledge her research accomplishments that have enhanced mathematics and reading outcomes for children with and without disabilities, including the American Educational Research Association’s Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award and the Council for Exceptional Children’s Career Research Award.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota (1981)
Ed.S., Education Psychology, University of Minnesota (1977)
M.S., Elementary Education, University of Pennsylvania (1973)
B.A., Humanities, Johns Hopkins University (1972)
LYNN FUCHS
Co-director, NCLII
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ERIN BARTON
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]ERIN BARTON, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the department of Special Education at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Her primary line of inquiry focuses on identifying evidence-based behavioral interventions that teachers and parents can implement in natural and inclusive settings. Dr. Barton has conducted several studies examining effective practices for increasing play skills in young children and is currently refining the intervention package and examining implementation features. She also examines best practices for using performance-based feedback to increase early childhood professionals’ use of recommended practices. She teaches courses in single case research design, assessment, social and behavioral interventions, and working with children with multiple and severe disabilities. Dr. Barton also serves on multiple editorial boards and is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Early Intervention. She is on the Executive Board of the Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children and currently serves as the board president. Dr. Barton is a faculty member in the Early Childhood Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) programs.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (2007)
M.Ed., Early Childhood Education, DePaul University (2002)
B.S., Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1999)
ERIN BARTON
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JOE WEHBY
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]JOSEPH WEHBY, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and the Chair in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development and a Vanderbilt Kennedy Center researcher. He received his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt after having taught children and youth with learning and behavior problems in a residential setting. For the past 27 years, he has been on faculty in Peabody’s Department of Special Education. His research is in the areas of problem behavior among students with high incidence disabilities and teachers’ instructional strategies for improving classroom management.
During his time at Vanderbilt, Dr. Wehby has received over $30 million in federal grant money for research and training. Currently, he is a co-principal investigator on two Goal 2 grants from the Institute of Educational Sciences (IES) that are focused on developing Tier 2 interventions for school-age children with behavior challenges. In addition, he directs two doctoral training grants from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and is the Director of the National Center for Leadership in Intensive Intervention. Dr. Wehby is a Senior Advisor for the OSEP funded National Center on Intensive Intervention. His recent research efforts have focused on evaluating the effectiveness of a multi-component mental health and academic tutoring intervention for students with identified behavior difficulties (NIMH) and investigating the impact of a classroom management program on the social and academic behavior of students with and at-risk for behavior problems (IES, Goal 3). During his time at Vanderbilt, he has been active on a number of department, college, and university committees. Dr. Wehby received an Affirmative Action Award for promoting disability awareness on campus, received the Butch Hill Award for Outstanding Teaching in Special Education, and was named as the 2014 Vanderbilt Chancellor’s Cup recipient for contributions to students outside the classroom. In 2015, he received the Outstanding Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (1990)
M.Ed., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (1987)
B.S., Special Education, Memphis State University (1982)
JOE WEHBY
Director, NCLIISOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
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AMY GILLESPIE ROUSE
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]AMY GILLESPIE ROUSE, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Southern Methodist University. After earning her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Master of Teaching in Special Education from the University of Virginia, Dr. Rouse was a special education teacher in Virginia public schools for 6 years. She subsequently earned her doctorate in Special Education from Vanderbilt University, where she was an IES predoctoral fellow.
Dr. Rouse’s research focuses on understanding and developing effective writing interventions for struggling writers and students with disabilities. Her approach has been multifaceted and includes (a) meta-analyses to examine effective writing interventions documented in existing experimental studies, (b) analysis of interview responses to understand students’ knowledge of the writing process and different writing genres; (c) surveys to document teachers’ use of evidence-based writing instruction, and (d) professional development to assist teachers in implementing evidence-based writing instruction in their classrooms. Dr. Rouse has also examined elementary students’ use of writing as a tool for learning information in science. She continues to develop interventions to promote elementary-aged students’ use of writing to facilitate their learning across the content areas.
In addition to bringing a researcher’s perspective to the courses she teaches, Dr. Rouse also brings an understanding of what it is like to work in a classroom, including the challenges and triumphs associated with being a special educator. In her courses, she couples teaching about research and evidence-based instruction with opportunities to apply newly learned skills in the classroom or classroom simulations (e.g., case studies, role plays). Dr. Rouse believes in an apprenticeship model for mentoring doctoral students. She provides doctoral students increasing research and teaching responsibilities that approximate the work of a professor and offers support with these tasks until students are confident and capable of completing them independently.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (2014)
MAT, Special Education, University of Virginia (2003)
B.A., Sociology, University of Virginia (2003)
AMY GILLESPIE ROUSE
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FRANCESCA JONES
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]FRANCESCA JONES, Ph.D. is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Southern Methodist University. She received her Ph.D. in Special Education with an emphasis on behavioral disorders from the University of North Texas. Her previous experience includes teaching intermediate school students with behavioral disorders.
Dr. Jones’ research interests center on the behavioral needs of students and how those needs relate to their ability to read. She also has an interest in adolescent reading, social skills, and educational statistics. Her many presentations focus on behavioral interventions for students with emotional and behavioral disorders and quantitative statistical research methods. Her publications focus on the classroom needs of teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders and the status of education for these students.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, University of North Texas (2005)
M.A., Early Childhood Education, Vanderbilt University
B.A., Government and History, University of Notre Dame
FRANCESCA JONES
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PAUL YOVANOFF
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]PAUL YOVANOFF, Ph.D. completed his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in psychometric theory, statistical decision analysis, and behavioral research methods. Prior to receiving his Ph.D. in 1992, Dr. Yovanoff was a special education teacher and received a master’s degree in special education. He has remained active in the field as a professor of educational research and measurement methodologies applied in special education contexts. In addition to numerous publications and conference presentations, Dr. Yovanoff consults routinely with government and research institutions. Current research interests include psychometric modeling of assessments for special populations, specification of optimal cut-scores for classification decisions, and culturally sensitive measurement and assessment for educational decisions.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Educational Psychology, University of Oregon (1992)
M.A., Special Education, University of Oregon (1980)
B.A., Learning and Behavioral Disorders, State University College in Buffalo, NY (1977)
PAUL YOVANOFF
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JILL ALLOR
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]JILL ALLOR, Ph.D. is a professor with the Department of Teaching and Learning at Southern Methodist University. She received her Ed.D. in special education with an emphasis on reading and reading disabilities from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in 1996. A former special education teacher, her research is school-based and focuses on reading acquisition for students with and without disabilities, including students with learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities. Prior to arriving at SMU in 2004, she held faculty appointments at Florida State University and Louisiana State University.
Dr. Allor is the author or co-author of numerous articles and several curricular materials. She was awarded the 2000 Award for Outstanding Research by the Council on Learning Disabilities and is the co-recipient of the Best Article in Learning Disabilities Research and Practice for 1999. She is also the co-recipient of the 1999 Outstanding Proud Project, which was awarded by the Learning Disabilities Association of America. She has delivered numerous teacher/staff development programs on a wide variety of topics, including peer tutoring, early literacy development, phonemic awareness instruction, literacy assessment, and other literacy instructional techniques.
EDUCATION:
Ed.D., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (1996)
M.Ed., Special Education (1992)
B.A., Elementary and Special Education, Southeastern Louisiana University (1988)
JILL ALLOR
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STEPHANIE AL OTAIBA
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]STEPHANIE AL OTAIBA, Ph.D. joined Southern Methodist University in January 2012 as Professor of Teaching and Learning in the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education & Human Development. She was named the Patsy and Ray Caldwell Centennial Chair in Teaching and Learning in 2014. Previously, she was an Associate Professor at Florida State University (FSU) and was on faculty at the Florida Center for Reading Research. She received her Ph.D. in 2000 in Human Development from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, and prior to that, she was a special educator for over a decade in the United Arab Emirates. She enjoys teaching graduate courses in literacy, special education, assessment, response to intervention and mentoring doctoral students.
Dr. Al Otaiba’s research interests include school-based literacy interventions, response to intervention, learning disabilities, diverse learners, and teacher training. She has published over 120 journal articles and book chapters related to these interests. She has also developed reading curricular materials. Her line of research has been supported by several federally funded grants from the U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences, the Office of Special Education Programs, and from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Her dissertation was awarded the 2001 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the International Reading Association, and in 2010 she was the recipient of The Council for Exceptional Children Division for Research Distinguished Early Career Research Award. She also received the Developing Scholar Award and the Graduate Faculty Mentor Award at FSU in 2010. In 2017, she received the Distinguished Career Award from the Special Education Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association. In addition, SMU awarded her with a Ford Senior Research Fellowship.
Dr. Al Otaiba has served on review panels for grants for the Institute of Education Science and has reviewed for the Office of Special Education Programs. She is the current President of the Division for Learning Disabilities of the Council for Exceptional Children. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Learning Disabilities. Previously, she served as an Associate Editor of Education Researcher and the Elementary School Journal and also serves on numerous editorial boards for scholarly journals in the field of education. Dr. Al Otaiba has consulted nationally and internationally related to early literacy intervention and assessment.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University (2000)
M.A., Special Education, St. Mary’s College (1993)
B.S., Political Science, Ursinus College (1979)
STEPHANIE AL OTAIBA
Lead RepresentativeUNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
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BRANDI SIMONSEN
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]BRANDI SIMONSEN, Ph.D. is a professor of Special Education with tenure in the Department of Educational Psychology at the Neag School of Education and the Co-Director of the Center for Behavioral Education and Research (CBER; www.cber.org) at the University of Connecticut. She is a partner of the National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS; www.pbis.org), and Dr. Simonsen serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Positive Behavioral Interventions.
Currently, Dr. Simonsen conducts research, publishes, teaches, and provides training/technical assistance in the areas of (a) school- and class-wide PBIS, (b) positive and proactive professional development supports for teachers, and (c) applications of PBIS in alternative education settings. In addition, Dr. Simonsen coordinates UConn’s Graduate Certificate Program in School-wide Positive Behavior Support.
Before joining the faculty at University of Connecticut, Dr. Simonsen was the director of a non-public (alternative) school serving students with disabilities who presented with challenging educational and behavioral needs. In addition to serving as an administrator and clinician, Dr. Simonsen has previously been certified as a teacher of elementary general education and middle-secondary special education.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education: Exceptional Learner, University of Oregon (2002)
M.S., Special Education: Exceptional Learner, University of Oregon (1999)
B.A., Elementary Education and Psychology, William and Mary (1998)
BRANDI SIMONSEN
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NATALIE OLINGHOUSE
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]NATALIE OLINGHOUSE, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Educational Psychology Department at the University of Connecticut and a Research Scientist in the Center for Behavioral Education and Research. Prior to the University of Connecticut, she was an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education and Special Education at Michigan State University. Dr. Olinghouse recently completed currently a 4-year, federally-funded research project exploring the relationship between states’ standards/assessments and student writing achievement. She has written publications for research and practitioner audiences on writing instruction and assessment, reading and writing connections, individual differences in writing, and the role of vocabulary in written composition. She is particularly interested in developing reliable and valid writing assessment and scoring methods. Dr. Olinghouse teaches graduate courses in the areas of student assessment, writing instruction and assessment, and academic/professional writing. She also provides consultation to states and districts on improving writing instruction and assessment to better meet students’ needs. Dr. Olinghouse has 12 years of special education teaching experience with students with mild to severe disabilities in Michigan and Florida.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Learning Disabilities, Vanderbilt University (2006)
M.A., Curriculum and Instruction, Michigan State University (1999)
B. S., Mental Impairment/Elementary Education, Eastern Michigan University (1990)
NATALIE OLINGHOUSE
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JENNIFER FREEMAN
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]JENNIFER FREEMAN, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and is a research scientist for the Center for Behavioral Education Research (CBER) at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Freeman studies the effects of multi-tiered systems of support such as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) on outcomes at the high school level for high-risk student groups including students with disabilities. She is particularly interested in improving graduation rates across and within student groups. She also studies professional development methods for improving teacher’s use of evidence based classroom management strategies. Dr. Freeman currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the special education program. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Connecticut, she had 10 years of special education teaching experience across grades K-8 in both urban and rural school settings and had served as a K-12 district level consultant working to implement PBIS and Response to Intervention (RtI) strategies.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., University of Connecticut
M.A., Grand Valley State University
B.A., Calvin College
JENNIFER FREEMAN
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DEVIN KEARNS
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]DEVIN KEARNS, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Special Education and a Research Scientist at the Center for Behavioral Education and Research at the University of Connecticut. He researches reading disability in elementary age children, focusing on developing and implementing programs to prevent and remediate reading problems. He is currently conducting studies to examine how late-elementary-age children read polysyllabic words and
help struggling readers learn strategies to help them read polysyllabic words better.
Dr. Kearns’s academic work has appeared in journals like Exceptional Children, the Journal of Educational Psychology, the Journal of Learning Disabilities, the Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, and Reading Research Quarterly. Dr. Kearns has 7 years of classroom experience, working in elementary education as a general-education teacher, literacy coach, and reading specialist. He has provided professional development and done curriculum design for federally-funded centers, universities, and schools and districts across the U.S. and Canada.
Dr. Kearns was a Learning Sciences Institute and Institute of Education Sciences Fellow, and he was the 2010 recipient of Vanderbilt University’s Robert Gaylord Award for Writing Excellence. Dr. Kearns is associate editor for Assessment for Effective Intervention and on the editorial board of the American Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (2010)
M.A., Elementary Literacy and Language Arts, Loyola Marymount University (2004)
B.A., History and Government, Georgetown University (1998)
DEVIN KEARNS
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MICHAEL COYNE
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]MICHAEL COYNE, Ph.D. is Professor of Educational Psychology in the Special Education Program at the University of Connecticut. He is also a Research Scientist at the Center for Behavioral Education and Research. He has expertise in beginning reading and early vocabulary instruction and intervention, school-based experimental research, multi-tiered or RTI systems of support, and effective practices for students with learning disabilities. Dr. Coyne has directed or co-directed five multi-year research projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences focused on optimizing vocabulary and beginning reading practices for students with diverse learning needs through school-based experimental research. Dr. Coyne provides assistance and consultation to school districts and state departments of education around the country related to reading and literacy initiatives. He regularly presents at national conferences on research related to effective instructional practices, school improvement, and beginning reading and vocabulary instruction and intervention. Dr. Coyne holds certification in both elementary and special education and is a former special educator in public schools.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, University of Oregon (2001)
M.T., Special & Elementary Education, University of Virginia (1994)
B.A., Music and Political Science, Williams College (1989)
MICHAEL COYNE
Lead RepresentativeUNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
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ELIZABETH TALBOTT
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]ELIZABETH TALBOTT, Ph.D. is a Professor and Chair of the Curriculum and Instruction department at William & Mary School of Education. Dr. Talbott was a professor in special education at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) for 24 years, serving as department chair for 10 of those years. Her career has been devoted to the study and teaching of evidence-based practices for youth with social, emotional, behavioral, and learning disabilities. Dr. Talbott is the chair of public policy and former president of the Council for Exceptional Children-Division for Research; she is a member of the disability coordinating group for the Campbell Collaboration; she is co-editor of the Wiley Handbook of Diversity in Special Education; and is Associate Editor of Exceptional Children, Behavioral Disorders, Journal of Learning Disabilities, and the Journal of Child and Family Studies.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, University of Virginia
M.Ed., Special Education, University of Virginia
B.S., Psychology and English, Virginia Tech
ELIZABETH TALBOTT
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MARIE TEJERO HUGHES
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]Marie Tejero Hughes, Ph.D. is a Professor of Special Education and a Faculty Fellow in the Honors College at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is the Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Special Education and the Program Coordinator for the Special Education PhD program. Dr. Tejero Hughes primarily teaches graduate courses in literacy designed for general and special education teachers working in urban communities. Her areas of expertise include comprehension instruction for students struggling with reading, reading instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse students, and Latino family engagement in education.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Reading and Learning Disabilities, University of Miami (1995)
M.S.Ed., Elementary Education, University of Miami (1989)
B.S.Ed., Early Childhood/Elementary Education, University of Miami (1987)
MARIE TEJERO HUGHES
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LISA CUSHING
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]LISA CUSHING, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Cushing’s research and teaching interests focus on increasing the quality of life for individuals with significant disabilities through the improvement of educational, social, and behavioral outcomes in inclusive settings. Her current scholarly interests include the inclusion of students in middle and high school settings, differentiated instruction such as peer mediated supports, individuals with low incidence disabilities including those identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder, transition from school, and positive behavioral interventions and support.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, University of Oregon (2000)
M.Ed., Special Education, University of Hawaii (1995)
B.A., Political Science, University of Illinois/Champaign-Urbana (1990)
LISA CUSHING
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DANIEL MAGGIN
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]DANIEL MAGGIN, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Prior to this role, Dr. Maggin was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Connecticut. His research and teaching address three areas related to the education of students with disabilities with a particular emphasis on supporting those students with and at risk for developing emotional and behavioral disorders. These areas include the use of various research synthesis methods to help with the identification of effective, school-based instructional and management practices; the training of school personnel to use a continuum of empirically supported assessment and intervention methods to develop individualized educational programs for students with disabilities; and the development and application of methods for promoting the use of research and evidence in schools to assist school personnel better support the individualized needs of students with disabilities.
Dr. Maggin serves as an Associate Editor for Behavioral Disorders, the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, and Remedial and Special Education. In addition, he sits on the editorial boards for Intervention in School and Clinic, the Journal of School Psychology, and School Psychology Review.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (2009)
MA, Special Education, Bank Street College of Education (2005)
BA, Religious Studies, Lafayette College (2002)
DANIEL MAGGIN
Lead RepresentativeUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
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AMY KUNKEL
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]AMY KUNKEL, Ph.D. servers as the Special Education B.S. and ABS (Academic Behavior Strategist) Licensure Advisor and a Lecturer in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota. In this role, she advises undergraduate special education teacher candidates and instructs teacher preparation courses to undergraduate and graduate students planning to teach in general and special education classrooms. Dr. Kunkel has been involved in the field of special education for over 10 years, working with a diverse population of students with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, emotional/behavioral disorders, other health disabilities, traumatic brain injury, and physical disabilities. She has a K-6 elementary education license, special education licenses in learning disabilities and emotional/behavioral disorders, and a certificate in autism spectrum disorders. After teaching elementary special education for several years, Dr. Kunkel served as an interventionist at the middle school level, working with kids not identified for special education, but at-risk in the area of reading. During her tenure at the University of Minnesota, she worked on a leadership training fellowship implementing Response to Intervention in several schools in the Minneapolis Public School district.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Educational Psychology/Special Education, University of Minnesota (2015)
M.A., Special Education, University of St. Thomas (2007)
B.A., Elementary Education/Special Education, University of Iowa (2003)
AMY KUNKEL
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VERONICA FLEURY
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]VERONICA FLEURY, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota. Her training and research interests are in the area of special education with an emphasis on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She received my doctorate in special education from the University of Washington and completed an IES postdoctoral research fellowship focused on ASD with the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Fleury has worked with young children with ASD, their families, and special education school personnel for over 15 years. These experiences include teaching in integrated preschool classrooms and autism extended day programs, providing behavioral consultation for home programs, and conducting research in school, home, and clinical settings.
Dr. Fleury’s research is focused on helping us understand how to facilitate learning of individuals with ASD, specifically (1) exploring how core characteristics of ASD promote or inhibit students’ ability to participate in classroom activities, (2) identifying and validating instructional strategies to address early academic and social-communication difficulties for young children with ASD, and (3) understanding how to support parents and educators to implement evidence-based practices with high fidelity in their home and school settings.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, University of Washington (2012)
M.Ed., Early Childhood Special Education, University of Washington (2006)
B.A., Psychology, Scripps College (2001)
VERONICA FLEURY
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SCOTT MCCONNELL
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]SCOTT MCCONNELL, Ph.D. is a Professor, Counseling and Student Personnel Psychology Coordinator, and Clinical Training Director in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota. His research interests include 1) skills and competencies enabling preschool children to learn and participate in school and other settings, 2) ways in which home, school, and community settings contribute to (or impede) learning these skills and competencies, 3) design, evaluation, application of easy-to-use tools for describing children’s current language, literacy, and other important skills, 4) interventions that support development of these skills – particularly in “non specialized” settings, and 5) design and improvement of programs – from classroom efforts to comprehensive community-wide efforts – that help children of all ages develop fully.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., University of Oregon (1982)
M.S., Educational (School) Psychology, University of Oregon (1980)
B.S., Psychology, Portland State University (1978)
SCOTT MCCONNELL
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JENNIFER MCCOMAS
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]JENNIFER MCCOMAS, Ph.D. is a Professor and the Associate Department Chair in the Department of Special Education at the University of Minnesota. Her areas of interest include applications of basic behavioral processes to socially meaningful behavior, persistence and resurgence of behavior post-treatment, intervention for problem behavior of individuals with severe problem behavior via telehealth, teaching communication to individuals with complex communication needs (including Rett syndrome via telehealth), analysis of academic performance of students with behavior problems in school settings, and considerations of culture in empirical research.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, University of Iowa (1994)
M.A., Special Education, University of Iowa (1992)
B.A., Special Education, University of Iowa (1989)
JENNIFER MCCOMAS
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LEANNE JOHNSON
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]LEANNE JOHNSON, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in Special Education at the University of Minnesota. Her role includes serving as the program coordinator for the early childhood special education M.Ed. and teacher licensure program as well as serving as principal investigator or project director on multiple state and federally sponsored research and training grants.
Her research interests are intervention-oriented with a focus on improving outcomes for a range of preschool and elementary school-aged children who are at high risk given social, emotional, behavioral, and communication needs. My interests are focused on creating the next generation of intervention studies that support more rapid adoption and high fidelity implementation of evidence-based interventions within tiered intervention and prevention models. This includes research projects that are designed to help us (1) develop data collection tools to support teachers in summarizing, visualizing, interpreting, and using data to engage in a precision oriented problem solving process, (2) improve the adoption and implementation of evidence-based practices in the natural environments of young children through understanding how beliefs and values interact with knowledge and skills within professional development systems, and (3) explore and improve the efficacy of behaviorally based interventions through systematic adaptation and intensification.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Educational Psychology/Special Education, University of Minnesota (2004)
M.Ed., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (1995)
B.A., Special Education, Michigan State University (1994)
LEANNE JOHNSON
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KRISTEN MCMASTER
KRISTEN MCMASTER, Ph.D. is a Professor in the special education program at the University of Minnesota. Her research interests involve creating conditions for successful response to intervention of academically diverse learners, including students at-risk, students with disabilities, and students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. She has been PI or co-PI on four OSEP or IES-funded projects and serves as a trainer and technical advisor to the National Center for Intensive Intervention. Dr. McMaster has numerous publications and national presentations related to Curriculum-Based Measurement, data-based decision making, and intervention for students at risk or with disabilities. She received a Distinguished Early Career Award from the Division for Research of the Council for Exceptional Children in 2011.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (2002)
M.Ed., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (1998)
B.S., Special Education and Human and Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University (1995)
KRISTEN MCMASTER
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FRANK SYMONS
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]FRANK SYMONS, Ph.D. is the Associate Dean for Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. His research emphasis is on understanding the severe behavior problems of children and adults with special needs, primarily those with developmental disabilities and emotional or behavioral disorders. For these two groups, much of Dr. Symons’ research has focused on self-injurious behavior and classroom aggression, respectively. The majority of his research has been observationally based, theoretically grounded in behavioral principles, and driven by a commitment to meaningful, functional outcomes.
Dr. Symons has two current specific areas of interest. One is the development, assessment, and treatment of problem behavior among children and adults with a range of neurodevelopmental and emotional/behavioral disorders. The other is the problem of pain among children and adults with significant cognitive impairments and associated developmental disabilities. Related areas of interest include observational research methods.
In terms of problem behavior, areas of specific research interest include (a) characterizing self-injurious behavior in more detail descriptively (form, location, intensity) and experimentally (function); (b) examining the intersection of behavioral and biological mechanisms underlying chronic self-injury by incorporating sensory (e.g., pain sensitivity, peripheral innervation) and autonomic (e.g., sympathetic/parasympathetic, HPA axis) nervous system variables, and (c) translating findings from basic research into treatment applications.
In terms of pain, areas of specific research include (a) the reliable and valid assessment of pain in children and adults with significant cognitive, communicative, and motor impairments associated with intellectual disability; (b) the relation between behavioral and biological variables as markers for altered pain; (c) modifying/adapting quantitative sensory testing for individuals with specialized needs; and (d) the relation between pain and problem behavior, specifically self-injury.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University (1997)
M.Ed., Educational Psychology, University of Alberta (1992)
B.A., Psychology, University of Manitoba (1989)
FRANK SYMONS
Lead RepresentativeUNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
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MARK O’REILLY
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]MARK O’REILLY, Ph.D. is the Audrey Rogers Myers Centennial Professor in Education, Professor of Special Education, and Chair of the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a doctoral level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D). With Terry Falcomata, Dr. O’Reilly coordinates the graduate training programs in Autism and Developmental Disabilities. Graduate coursework in autism is approved by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board. His research focuses on the functional assessment and treatment of severe challenging behavior and interventions to promote generalization and maintenance of skills with children with autism and developmental disabilities. Dr. O’Reilly has a strong interest in working with culturally diverse populations (particularly protecting and encouraging indigenous cultures and languages) and examining how behavioral interventions (and interventionists for that matter) must adapt to be respectful and supportive of diversity. A native of Ireland, he lectured in the Department of Psychology at University College Dublin for 10 years prior to joining The University of Texas at Austin in 2002.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
MARK O’REILLY
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JESSICA TOSTE
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]JESSICA TOSTE, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at The University of Texas at Austin and a fellow of the Reading Institute within The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk. She received her PhD in educational psychology from McGill University. She teaches courses on reading instruction, learning disabilities, and disability law. Dr. Toste was named one of the 2017 “Texas Ten,” nominated by UT alumni as a professor who inspired them during their time on the Forty Acres. Her research interests are related to students with LD and effective reading interventions, with a particular focus on motivation as a determinant of school success. She has also articles and book chapters on resilience factors related to achievement and psychosocial functioning of youth at-risk. Dr. Toste was trained in reading intervention research as a postdoctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University (2011-2013) and as a Fulbright scholar/visiting researcher at the Florida Center for Reading Research (2008-2009). She has worked as an elementary school teacher and reading specialist in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
In the community, Dr. Toste serves on the Board of Directors and National Advisory Council of GLSEN (www.glsen.org). She is also on the Board of Directors of Disability Rights Texas (www.disabilityrightstx.org), federally designated legal protection and advocacy agency (P&A) for people with disabilities in Texas. She also volunteers with CASA Travis County, as a court-appointed special advocate and guardian ad litem for children who have been abused and neglected.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Educational Psychology, McGill University
M.A., Education Psychology, McGill University
B.S.Ed., Elementary Education, McGill University
JESSICA TOSTE
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SARAH POWELL
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]SARAH R. POWELL, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education. Powell is currently Principal Investigator (PI) of a four-year Institute of Education Sciences efficacy grant related to word problems and equation solving for third-grade students with mathematics difficulties. Powell is also PI of a five-year early numeracy and literacy read-alouds project funded by the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, co-PI of a National Science Foundation grant aimed at developing a science intervention for second-grade students with learning difficulties, and co-PI of an Office of Special Education Programs model demonstration grant for middle school algebra. Powell was a National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow from 2014 to 2016 and a Faculty Fellow with the Greater Texas Foundation from 2014 to 2017. Powell’s research interests include developing and testing interventions for students with mathematics difficulties, with a special emphasis on peer tutoring, word-problem solving, mathematics writing, and the symbols and vocabulary within mathematics.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Vanderbilt University (2009)
M.S.Ed., School Administration, Vanderbilt University (2001)
B.A., Elementary Education, Centre College (1999)
SARAH POWELL
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TERRY FALCOMATA
TERRY FALCOMATA, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Falcomata’s research emphasis is in the area of applied behavior analysis and the application of ABA technologies in the home and school. His research focuses primarily on the assessment and treatment of severe challenging behavior displayed by individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. Specifically, this research has focused on the use functional analysis methods and functional communication training (FCT) in the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior. His areas of interest include methods for increasing behavioral variability in individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities, factors the impact the re-emergence of challenging behavior following treatment, and methods for preventing clinical relapse pertaining to challenging behavior.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., School Psychology, University of Iowa (2008)
M.S., Behavior Analysis and Therapy, Southern Illinois University (2001)
B.S., Middle School Education, Illinois State University (1997)
TERRY FALCOMATA
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DIANE BRYANT
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]Diane Bryant, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Texas at Austin. She holds the Mollie Villeret Davis Professorship in Learning Disabilities, is a Fellow in the International Academy of Research in Learning Disabilities, and is the Project Director for the Mathematics Institute for Learning Disabilities and Difficulties in the Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk. Currently, she is Principal Investigator on Project AIM, an algebra readiness project, which is funded by the Institute of Education Sciences. Dr. Bryant is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Learning Disability Quarterly, has published numerous articles on instructional strategies and assistive technology for students with learning disabilities, and is the co-author of textbooks and educational tests
As part of her early career in special education, Dr. Bryant taught students with learning disabilities and behavior disorders in Chelsea, MA; Crown Point, NM; and Albuquerque, NM. Further work in Albuquerque included working as a coaching specialist to assist special education teachers with instructional and behavioral issues in their classrooms. She also served as the District Coordinator for Special Education Staff Development and the principal for an intensive summer school program for students with special needs.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, University of New Mexico (1986)
M.A., Learning Disabilities, University of New Mexico (1980)
B.S., Elementary Education and Psychology (1974)
DIANE BRYANT
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SHARON VAUGHN
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]Sharon Vaughn, Ph.D. is the Manuel J. Justiz Endowed Chair in Education and Executive Director of The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk at The University of Texas at Austin. She was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Learning Disabilities and the Co-Editor of Learning Disabilities Research and Practice. Dr. Vaughn is the recipient of the AERA SIG distinguished researcher award and The University of Texas Distinguished faculty award. She is the author of numerous books and research articles that address the reading and social outcomes of students with learning difficulties.
Dr. Vaughn is currently the Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on several Institute for Education Sciences, National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, and U.S. Department of Education research grants investigating effective interventions for students with reading difficulties and students who are English language learners. Her areas of expertise include learning disabilities, reading problems, self-concept, diverse learners, and inclusion practices.
She is the author of more than 35 books, 250 peer-reviewed research articles, and 65 chapters that address issues related to research and practice with learning problems. She has worked nationally and internationally with educators from Japan, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Portugal and Australia.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Education and Child Development, University of Arizona (1982)
M.Ed., Education, University of Arizona (1976)
B.S., Education, University of Missouri (1973)
SHARON VAUGHN
Lead RepresentativeVIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
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JASON CHOW
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]JASON CHOW, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling and Special Education, Affiliate Faculty in the Psychology Department, and Co-Director of the Cognition and Learning Lab at Virginia Commonwealth University. The overall goal of his research agenda is to gain a deeper understanding of how to mitigate the adverse effects of language and behavioral deficits in educational contexts. His primary area of publication centers on the relations between language ability and behavior problems in school-age children. His other areas of research focus on the role of language in classroom performance, mathematics and science learning, and meta-analysis.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (2016)
M.S.Ed., Special Education, Bay Path College (2012)
B.A., Psychology, Syracuse University (2008)
JASON CHOW
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KEVIN SUTHERLAND
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]KEVIN SUTHERLAND, Ph.D. is a Professor in Special Education and Disability Policy (SEDP), director of the SEDP doctoral studies program, and a research faculty member at the Clark-Hill Institute for Positive Youth Development in the Psychology department at Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Sutherland’s research interests and expertise include efforts to enhance the use and fidelity of implementation of evidence-based programs targeting reductions in chronic problem behavior in school and community settings, community engaged research, and adolescent bullying prevention programs. He has been a principal investigator or co-investigator on federally funded projects totaling over $25 million involving the development and evaluation of evidence-based programs in schools and has created assessment tools to examine teachers’ fidelity and adequacy of implementing these programs in classroom, and is a former teacher of youth with intensive behavioral and learning needs in both residential and public school settings.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Special Education, Vanderbilt University (2000)
M.Ed., Special Education, College of William and Mary (1994)
B.A., History, Wake Forest University (1989)
KEVIN SUTHERLAND
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CHIN-CHIH CHEN
[wow-icons lib=fa name=fa-bank size=”md” align=”alignleft”]CHIN-CHIH CHEN, Ph.D. Her overarching research goal is to conduct scientifically rigorous research that prevents maladaptive development and promotes educational success of at-risk children over the life course. She received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology/Special Education Program from the University of Minnesota. Her research interests focus on understanding risk and protective factors related to school adjustment of children and adolescents, developmental/ecological precursors and consequences, and evidence-based intervention programs addressing students’academic and social/behavioral needs.
EDUCATION:
Ph.D., Education Psychology, University of Minnesota (2008)
M.Ed., Special Education, National Taiwan Normal University (2001)
B.A., Special Education, National Taipei Teachers College (1998)
CHIN-CHIH CHEN
Lead RepresentativeThe contents of this website were developed under grants from the U.S. Department of Education, #H325H140001 and #H325190003. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Celia Rosenquist.
