Shapiro to lead new research center

	Edward S. Shapiro

Edward S. Shapiro, chair of the College of Education’s education and human services department, Iacocca Professor of Education, and professor of school psychology, has been appointed director of the new Center for Research to Practice – Schools, Families, Communities. The three-year appointment is effective July 1, at which time Shapiro will step down as department chair.
“Ed has a superb track record in grant writing and scholarship and this will significantly impact the development of the center,” says Sally A. White, dean and professor, College of Education. “I am pleased that he has agreed to apply his expertise in this important initiative within the college. I am certain the center will thrive under his leadership.”
The center will help generate new knowledge in the areas of research and services to improve the lives of individuals at-risk for disabilities. It will then apply this knowledge in real-life settings by sharing best practices with school, community, and family partners. Initial funding came from a $500,000 U.S. Congress appropriation. This was a first for the College of Education, which has consistently over the last several years gained national attention for its focus on research to practice with individuals who are at risk for disabilities.
“The appropriation was used to develop a research center that will be a catalyst in creating new synergies for future projects focusing on schools, families, and communities,” White says. “Once the center was established, several new research grants from the U.S. Department of Education quickly followed and are now currently housed in the center.”
These grants will enable researchers and practitioners to create a living laboratory to disseminate ideas and enhance the use of best practices for individuals with disabilities in three areas: families, schools, and communities. Grants within the center include Project REACH: Research Exploring Alternatives for Children - National Center for Students with Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Needs; Positive Behavioral Support: Utilization, Applicability, and Long-Term Outcomes; and Story Read Aloud.
--Joanne C. Anderson