SAReads is based on findings by leading reading researchers, educational professionals and community leaders. We gratefully acknowledge the individuals below for informing our understanding of how children learn to read, brain development, reading assessments, public schools, and the importance of proper reading instruction.
Nonie K. Lesaux is Academic Dean and the Juliana W. and William Foss Thompson Professor of Education and Society. Her research focuses on promoting the language and literacy skills of today's children from diverse linguistic, cultural and economic backgrounds, and is conducted largely in urban and semi-urban cities and school districts. Read her full bio here.
Source: Harvard Graduate School of Education
Dr. Moats has been a teacher, psychologist, researcher, graduate school faculty member, and author of many influential scientific journal articles, books, and policy papers on the topics of reading, spelling, language, and teacher preparation. Read her full bio here.
Source: www.louisamoats.com
Dr. Ramona T. Pittman is an associate professor in the Department of Educator and Leadership Preparation. Read her full bio here.
Source: Texas A&M University San Antonio
Dr. Huang's research areas span across applied linguistics, psychology, and education. She maintains two active lines of research on language/literacy development and assessment. Read her full bio here.
Source: University of Texas San Antonio
Cummins, who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology and a master’s degree in education, began her career at San Antonio Academy as an art teacher in 1987. After just one year, this forward-thinking educator began a summer program for ranching families that attracted 800 children. Read her full bio here.
Source: San Antonio Academy
Dr. Verstuyft has been employed in different capacities at SWISD for twenty-seven years. His professional experience includes three years as a teacher/coach; two years as a middle school assistant principal; six years as middle school principal; four years as high school principal; two years as Executive Director of Administration and Pupil Service; five years as Assistant Superintendent for Administration and Human Resources; and is currently serving in his seventh year as SWISD’s Superintendent of Schools. Read his full bio here.
Source: Southwest ISD
Margie Gillis believes that there is no more important job than teaching a child to read. A born teacher, she is passionate about ensuring that all educators have knowledge and skills grounded in research, practice driven by data, perseverance guided by accountability, and a focus on results. Read her full bio here.
Source: Literacy How
Heather Haynes Smith is a native Texan. She has worked as an elementary teacher, K-12 literacy coach, state level reading technical assistance specialist, program coordinator on research and dissemination grants related to reading and teacher preparation at The University of Texas, Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts, and a doctoral fellow at The University of Kansas, Beach Center on Disabilities. Read more here.
Source: Trinity University
Mark Seidenberg is Vilas Research Professor and Donald O. Hebb Professor in the department of psychology at the University of Wisconsin. He is a cognitive scientist/neuroscientist/psycholinguist who has studied language, reading and dyslexia since the disco era. His language research addresses what people know when they know a language, how this knowledge is represented in the brain, and how it is acquired and used. Read his full bio here.
Source: University of Wisconsin, Madison. Language & Cognitive Neuroscience Lab
Dr. Jenny C. Wilson is an associate professor in the School of Curriculum and Kinesiology. Dr. Wilson teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in literacy. Her research interests include: socially embedded literacy practices, remediation of reading difficulty, and co-teaching. Read her full bio here.
Source: Texas A&M University - San Antonio
Dr. Sharon Vaughn 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. Sharon Vaughn was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Learning Disabilities and the Co-Editor of Learning Disabilities Research and Practice. Read her full bio here.
Source: University of Texas at Austin, College of Education.
Rebekah E. Piper earned her Ph.D from the University of Nevada Las Vegas in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in literacy education and Cultural Studies International Multicultural Education (CSIME). Dr. Piper teaches undergraduate and graduate course work in literacy education and serves her community by working with organizations that promote literacy and service. Read her full bio here.
Source: Texas A&M University - San Antonio
SAReads is a project of Literacy San Antonio, Inc. (LSA) to significantly increase literacy and educational attainment in Bexar County. LSA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that builds partnerships and systems that unite school administrators, parents, teachers, future teachers, and university faculty in order to help students learn to read proficiently.
Currently, the SAReads Book Bank serves teachers, nonprofits and schools that are located in Bexar County and need books for classroom libraries.
