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Accomplishments

Provided here is a listing of recent awards received by KU Department of Special Education faculty, staff, and students, attesting to their high achievement and accomplishments in scholarship, service, and teaching.

• Faculty & Staff Awards

• Faculty Leadership Roles
• Faculty Editorial Activities

• Student Awards

• Recent Doctoral Program Graduate Placements

Faculty & Staff Awards

Judith J Carta, Professor

• Council for Exceptional Children, Division of Early Childhood, Mary McEvoy Service to the Field Award (2007)
• Council for Exceptional Children, Kansas Division for Early Childhood, Award of Excellence (2007)

Donald D Deshler, Professor

• University of Kansas, School of Education, Gene A. Budig Teaching Professorship in Special Education (2007-2008)
• National Center for Learning Disabilities, Distinguished Education Achievement Award (2007)
• Presidential appointment to National Institute for Literacy Advisory Board (2006-present)
• Exceptional Parent Magazine, Maxwell J. Schleifer Distinguished Service Award (2006)
• WETA Public Television, LD Online Inspiration Award (2006)

Eva Horn, Professor

• University of Kansas, School of Education, Service Achievement Award (2008)

Edward L Meyen, Professor

• Finalist for the International Association of Science and Technology for Development (IASTED) Non-Commercial Software Competition. Chamonix, France. (2007)
• Finalist for International Association of Science and Technology for Development (IASTED) Non-Commercial Software Competition. Peru. (2006) 
• University  of Kansas, School of Education, Service Achievement Award (2006)

Mary E Morningstar, Associate Professor

• Association of Continuing Higher Education, Midwest Division, Award for Excellence for Transition Coalition online short courses (2008)

Wayne Sailor, Professor

• The Arc's Distinguished Research Award (2007)
• University of Kansas, School of Education, Research Achievement Award (2007)  
• CALTASH Robert Gaylor-Ross Memorial Scholarship Award (2006)

Richard L Simpson, Professor

• University of Kansas, School of Education, Research Achievement Award (2006) 

Tom Skrtic, Professor

• University of Kansas, School of Education, Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching (2008)
• University of Kansas, Finalist in Education, University Distinguished Teaching Award (2007)
• University of Kansas, School of Education, Gene A. Budig Teaching Professorship in Special Education (2005-2006)
• Encyclopedia of Educational Leadership (Sage Publications, 2004), recognized as one of two most influential figures in reconceptualizing "the philosophy and practice of special education." (2004)
• University of Kansas, School of Education, Faculty Achievement Award for Service (2003)

Sean J Smith, Associate Professor

• University of Florida, Center for Personnel Studies in Special Education, Post-Doctoral Fellow (2007)

Ann P Turnbull, Distinguished Professor

• Higuchi/KU Endowment Association Research Award (2007-2008)
• National Down Syndrome Congress Research Award (2007)
• The Arc of the U.S.A, Board of Directors (2006-2007)
• Council for Exceptional Children, Division on Developmental Disabilities, Burton Blatt Humanitarian Award (2006)
• University of Kansas, Marianna and Ross Beach Distinguished Professor  (2006) 

H R Turnbull, Distinguished Professor

• National Down Syndrome Congress Research Award (2007)
• Council for Exceptional Children, Division on Developmental Disabilities, Burton Blatt Humanitarian Award (2006)
• University of Kansas, Marianna and Ross Beach Distinguished Professor (2006)

Michael L Wehmeyer, Professor

• Kansas Federation of the Council for Exceptional Children Research Award (2008)
• Council for Exceptional Children, Division on Career Development and Transition, Patricia Sitlington Research in Transition Award (2007)
• Council for Exceptional Children, Division on Developmental Disabilities Research Award (2006)
• TASH Distinguished Reviewer Award (2005)

Faculty Leadership Roles

Donald D Deshler, Professor

• Advisory Board, National Institute for Literacy, 2006-present.
• Commissioner's Reading Advisory Panel, Florida Department of Education, 2005-present.
• Advisory Council, Adolescent Literacy, National Governors Association, 2005-present.
• Advisory Council, Advancing Adolescent Literacy, Carnegie Corporation of New York, 2004-present.
• National Advisory Board, Council on Families and Literacy, 2004-present.
• Professional Advisory Board, LD Worldwide, 2004-present.
• National Advisory Council, Adolescent Literacy, Alliance for Excellent Education, 2003-present.
• Chair, Professional Advisory Board, National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2003-present.
• Board of Directors, National Center for Learning Disabilities, 2003-present.
• Advisory Council, Exceptional Children for the Office of Overseas Schools, U.S. State Department, 2003-present.
• Chair, Committee on Scouts with Disabilities, Boy Scouts, Hearty of America Council, 1998-present.

Sean J Smith, Associate Professor

• Communication Chair, Special Education Technology Special Interest Group (SETSIG), International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), 2007-present.
• Advisory Board, NetChemia, 2006-present.
• Co-Chair, Special Education Advisory Board, 2006-present.
• Facilitator, Kansas Infinitec Coalition, 2005-present.
• State of Kansas Representative, SLATE - State Directors of Assistive Technology, 2005-present.

Christine S Walther-Thomas, Professor

• President, Teacher Education Division, Council for Exceptional Children, 2008.
• President, Higher Education Consortium for Special Education, 2007-2009.

Michael L Wehmeyer, Professor

• Vice-President, Board of Directors, American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 2008-2009.
• Chair, Student Research Award Committee, Council for Exceptional Children, 2008-present.
• Board of Directors, AAIDD, 2006-present.

Faculty Editorial Activities

Donald D Deshler, Professor

• Field Reviewer, Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal, 2003-present.
• Field Reviewer, Journal of Learning Disabilities, 2001-present.
• Field Reviewer, Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 1993-present.
• Field Reviewer, Developmental Disabilities Bulletin, 1990-present.
• Field Reviewer, Exceptional Children, 1984-present.
• Field Reviewer, Remedial and Special Education, 1984-present.
• Field Reviewer, Learning Disabilities Quarterly, 1980-present.

Juliet Hart, Assistant Professor

• Manuscript Reviewer, Remedial Education and Special Education, 2008-present.
• Manuscript Reviewer, Action in Teacher Education, 2007-present.
• Manuscript Reviewer, Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 2007-present.
• Editorial Review Board, Sunshine State TESOL Journal, 2007-present.
• Manuscript Reviewer, Teaching Exceptional Children, 2007-present.

Eva Horn, Professor

• Editorial Board, Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 2004-present.
• Editorial Board, National Head Start Association Dialog: Research to Practice Journal for Early Intervention, 1999-present.
• Editorial Board, Young Exceptional Children, 1998-present.
• Editorial Board, Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Service, 1997-present.
• Editorial Board, Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, 1992-present.
• Editorial Board, Journal of Early Intervention, 1991-present.
• Editorial Board, Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 1991-present.

Earle Knowlton, Associate Professor

• Reviewer, Education and Training in Mental Retardation, 1983-present.

Mary E Morningstar, Associate Professor

• Consulting Editor, Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 2007-present.
• Consulting Editor, Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 2006-present.

Richard L Simpson, Professor

• Editorial Board, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 2003-present.
• Field Reviewer, Intervention in School and Clinic, 1998-present.
• Field Reviewer, Behavioral Disorders, 1982-present.

Tom Skrtic, Professor

• Advisory Board, American Educational Research Journal (Social/Institutional Analysis), AERA, 2006-present.
• Consulting Editor, Remedial and Special Education, 2006-present.
• Field Reviewer, Remedial and Special Education, 2006-present.
• Field Reviewer, American Educational Research Journal (Social/Institutional Analysis), 2004-present.
• Editorial Board, In Case, Council for Administrators of Special Education, CEC, 1998-present.
• International Editoral Board, International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1996-present.
• Field Reviewer, International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1996-present.
• Editorial Board, Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, TASH, 1995-present.
• Field Reviewer, Teacher Education and Special Education, CEC, 1995-present.
• Editorial Board, Journal of Special Education Leadership, Council of Administrators of Special Education, CEC, 1990-present.
• Field Reviewer, Journal of Special Education Leadership, 1990-present.
• Editorial Board, Exceptionality, Division for Research, CEC, 1989-present.

Ann P Turnbull, Distinguished Professor

• Editorial Board, Infants and Young Children, 2001-present.

H R Turnbull, Distinguished Professor

• Associate Editor, Journal of Special Education, 2003-2008.
• Associate Editor, Journal of Positive Behavioral Interventions, 1998-2008.
• Associate Editor, Journal of Religion, Disability, and Health, 1992-2008.
• Manuscript Reviewer, Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Handicaps (formerly, The Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps), 1987-present.
• Manuscript Reviewer, Mental Retardation, 1982-present.

Christine S Walther-Thomas, Professor

• Consulting Editor, Remedial and Special Education, 1998-present.
• Associate Editor, Learning Disability Quarterly, 1995-present.

Michael L Wehmeyer, Professor

• Consulting Editor, Assistive Technology Outcomes and Benefits, 2007-present.
• Consulting Editor, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 2007-present.
• Consulting Editor, International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 2007-present.
• Consulting Editor, Journal of Special Education, 2007-present.
• Consulting Editor, American Journal on Mental Retardation, AAIDD, 2005-present.
• Editor-in-Chief, Remedial and Special Education, 2005-2008.
• Guest Editor, Exceptionality, Volume 15, Issue 1, 2007.

Recent Student Awards

Ahn, Sunyoung—Emotional/Behavior Disorders, Ph.D. program; Advisor(s) - Rich Simpson

• Behavioral Institute for Children and Adolescents, Tara Reilly Memorial Scholarship (2008).

• Council for Exceptional Children, Division of Early Childhood, J. David Sexton Doctoral Student Award (2007)
• Kansas Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood Award (2006)

• KU Graduate and Professional Association, Graduate Research Competition Award Winner and Summit Participant (2008)

• Council for Exceptional Children, Outstanding Student Member of the Year Award (2006)

• University of Kansas, Department of Special Education, Dahlke Community Inclusion Award (2008)

• KU Graduate and Professional Association, Graduate Research Competition Winner  (2007)
• KU Department of Special Education Judy Tate Outstanding Doctoral Student Medallion Award (2008)

• Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Learning Disabilities, Outstanding Dissertation Award (2007)
• Council for Learning Disabilities, The Outstanding Researcher Award (2006)

• Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Learners, Teacher of the Year (2006)

• KU Graduate and Professional Association, Graduate Research Competition Winner and Summit Participant (2007, 2008)

• KU Outstanding Woman Student in Partnership Award (2008)
• Higher Education Consortium for Special Education (HECSE) Doctoral Student Internship (2007-2008)

• University of Kansas, Department of Special Education, Gordon R. Alley Family Scholarship Award (2008)

• Council for Exceptional Children, Teacher Education Division Dissertation Award (2007)

• Council for Exceptional Children, Division on Developmental Disabilities, Herbert J. Prehm Student Presentation Award (2006)

• University of Kansas, Department of Special Education, Dahlke Community Inclusion Award (2007)
• Kansas Bio Research Award (2006)

• Council for Learning Disabilities Outstanding Dissertation of the Year Award (2007)

• University of Kansas, Department of Special Education, Dahlke Community Inclusion Award (2006)

• KU Department of Special Education's Judy Tate Outstanding Doctoral Student Medallion Award (2006)
• American Association on Mental Retardation Student Award (2005)
• TASH, Alice H. Hayden Award (2005)

• Council for Exceptional Children, Division on Developmental Disabilities, Herbert J. Prehm Student Presentation Award (2007)

• Council for Exceptional Children's Executive Board of Directors Student Representative for 2008

• Kansas Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Early Childhood, Outstanding Student Award (2007)
• KU Outstanding Woman Student Community Service Award (2006)

• International Peace Scholarship, P.E.O. (2007)

• American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (formerly AAMR) Student Award (2007)
• KU Department of Special Education Judy Tate Outstanding Doctoral Student Medallion Award (2007)
• KU Women of Distinction Recognition (2007)
• Among select group of national disability officials and advocates invited to a roundtable on economic freedom for people with intellectual disabilities in Washington, DC. (2006)

Selected Special Education 2005-2007 Doctoral Program Graduates