MEDIA RELEASES

Jessica Mackinnon

jmack@dom.edu

(708) 524-6289

Dominican University’s School of Education will present a lecture titled “Raising the Bar—C losing the Gap” by Donald Deshler, director of the Center for Research on Learning and a professor in the school of education at the University of Kansas. The lecture, which commemorates the 30th anniversary of Dominican University’s special education teacher certification program, will be held on Wednesday, February 13 at 7:00 p.m. in Lund Auditorium, 7900 W. Division Street, River Forest.

Named one of the 50 most influential scholars in the field of special education by the Journal on Remedial and Special Education, Deshler focuses his work on closing the academic achievement gap among adolescents. In his lecture, he will address core findings from his research on the conditions and practices that result in optimal outcomes for struggling learners, including those with disabilities.

Deshler, who has earned numerous awards for outstanding research and service for at-risk students, is a presidential appointee to the National Institute for Literacy Advisory Board. He holds a master’s degree in learning disabilities and a doctorate in special education and psychology, and is the author of Teaching Adolescents with Learning Disabilities: Strategies and Methods. Addressing the need to change the way students learn and the way teachers teach in order to reach all students, Deshler has worked with members of Congress to shape policies for high school reform and advised governors on adolescent literacy.

The lecture is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the lecture. For more information, contact Mary Nardulli at (708) 524-6922 or mnardull@dom.edu.

Founded in 1901, Dominican University is a comprehensive, coeducational Catholic institution offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Dominican offers 50 undergraduate academic programs in the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences and 15 graduate programs through the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, the Brennan School of Business, the School of Education, the Graduate School of Social Work, and the School of Leadership and Continuing Studies. In the 2008 issue of America’s Best Colleges, U.S. News & World Report again ranked Dominican University in the top tier of Midwest master’s level universities and as a “best value” for the tenth consecutive year.