Department Of Special Education

By Jenna Somers Jessica Logan Associate Professor of Special Education Jessica Logan has always been interested in child development, specifically the growth of academic skills in young children at risk for learning disabilities. She seeks to understand how children learn and the contexts in which they learn, exploring… Read More

Joseph J. Cunningham Joseph Cunningham, 82, passed away peacefully on March 8, 2024, at his home in Lake City, Pennsylvania. Cunningham was an accomplished administrator and professor at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development. Upon moving to Nashville in 1969, Cunningham joined the Peabody College faculty as an assistant… Read More

Jared Clodfelter, EdD’22, has been hired as the new academy director at the Roberts Academy and Dyslexia Center at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development. He will begin his appointment on June 17. Read More

The Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development received two training grants totaling $2.48 million in funding from the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education. The new grants address the need to train culturally conscientious special… Read More

Jason Chow Douglas Fuchs Lynn Fuchs Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development faculty members Jason Chow and Doug and Lynn Fuchs were recognized by the Council for Exceptional Children, the major professional organization in the field of special education, at… Read More

By Jenna Somers ChatGPT is here to stay, and educators need to adapt to their students using it—at least, that’s what news headlines have suggested for almost a year following ChatGPT’s unveiling. Much of the coverage has given voice to worries about the possibility that AI will hinder learning… Read More

By Jenna Somers Meghan Burke Public schools’ resources for students with disabilities are critical tools for empowering their educations, especially when families have the knowledge to advocate for their children and partner with their children’s schools to create support plans. However, research suggests that some schools may be falling… Read More

By Jenna Somers Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez Many students from Spanish-speaking homes—whether designated as English learners or not—struggle with English language and reading comprehension, including students born and raised in the U.S. and who attend English-only-instruction schools. These students’ low scores on standardized English reading and language assessments are often associated… Read More

By Jenna Somers Hilary Travers Earlier this year, the U.S. and Tennessee Departments of Education awarded grants totaling more than $9.9 million to Hilary Travers, PhD’21, research assistant professor of special education, to support educational and post-school outcomes of students with disabilities in Tennessee. In April, Travers received… Read More

By Jane Sevier and Jenna Somers Meghan Burke Meghan Burke joined Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development in August as professor of special education. Her research interests include family advocacy, families of individuals with disabilities, and disability policy. She examines how families advocate for… Read More

Laurie Cutting, a renowned scholar and expert in cognitive neuroscience, has been appointed associate provost in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation, where she will aim to foster academic excellence, innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. Read More

Dean Camilla Benbow and Jordanian educators Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of education and human development hosted faculty, administrators, and staff from four Jordanian universities in a collaboration with International Research & Exchanges Board from May 8 to 12. The delegation was seeking to develop and implement a pre-service teacher education… Read More

Class of 2023: Read how special education major Nora Smith has found inspiration, friendship and connection within the disabled community at Vanderbilt. Read More

By Jane Sevier A five-year, $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs will continue funding of the IRIS Center at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of education and human development. The center, founded in 2001, bridges the research-to-practice gap through a free,… Read More

Vanderbilt Peabody College Professor Mary Louise Hemmeter has received an $11.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education to expand the Pyramid Model for Promoting Social Emotional Competence in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms in diverse districts across the country. Read More

The Institute of Education Sciences recently awarded a five-year, $4 million grant to a research team based at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development and the University of Texas at Austin to examine the efficacy of Sound Partners, a reading intervention, delivered through cross-age peer tutoring. Read More

President Joe Biden has appointed Vanderbilt Peabody College research professor Douglas Fuchs to serve on the 15-member National Board for Education Sciences. The appointment was announced Oct. 27. Read More

The Neural Enhancement of Learning (NEL) Lab in the Vanderbilt University Department of Special Education is seeking individuals ages 18–40 who are right-handed and native English monolingual speakers for a research study investigating brain-based learning enhancement through a non-invasive brain stimulation method called high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation (HD-tACS). Read More

Noel Ifeanyi Alumona, a master’s degree student in special education at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development, was among 26 young leaders from conflict-torn regions who travelled to India in September to meet with the Dalai Lama. In August he was recognized with the AFS Award for Young Global Citizens.  Read More

This fall Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development welcomed three new faculty members to its acclaimed Department of Special Education. They exemplify not only the diversity of expertise at Peabody, but also of identities and lived experiences that reflect the communities Peabody serves. Read More