Department Of Special Education

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

Researchers within Vanderbilt University’s Department of Special Education are currently seeking caregivers of children ages 2–22 with special health care needs, especially children with disabilities, to participate in a research study examining experiences transitioning from a hospital to a school setting. Read More

Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development is offering a new master’s degree program in Applied Behavior Analysis for licensed special education teachers who want to practice ABA in educational settings or are specifically interested in training focused on school-based applications that integrate best ABA and special education practices. Read More

Rachel Schles, MEd’12, is Peabody College’s new coordinator for its master’s program in visual disabilities in the Department of Special Education. By Jane Sevier Professor Rachel Schles knows she has big shoes to fill, and she’s eager to take up the challenge. In assuming the… Read More

Donna and Jeffrey Eskind, whose generous gifts have advanced Vanderbilt research that is improving lives, have made a new commitment of $2 million to endow a new chair in autism spectrum disorder research in the School of Medicine. Read More

As schools nationwide prepare for the new academic year during the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty researchers from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of education and human development are available to comment on trends in K-12 and higher education. Read More

In recent years a cadre of energetic, productive faculty members have joined Peabody's special education department, building on the legacy of high-caliber research and teaching that began in the 1950s with Lloyd Dunn and developmental psychologists Nicholas Hobbs and Susan Gray. Read More