Ph.D. in Literacy Studies
Faculty Profiles
Kathleen G. Burriss, Ed.D.After receiving an Ed.D.in Early Childhood from Arizona State University in 1992, Dr. Burriss began teaching at MTSU in the Department of Elementary and Special Education. Previously, she taught 15 years as a kindergarten teacher and received Master’s and undergraduate degrees in Elementary Education from the State University of New York Colleges at Buffalo and Fredonia. Dr. Burriss has served as the editor for the Journal of Research in Childhood Education, chair person for the Publications Committee for the Association for Childhood Education International, and has co-edited the Quarterly Focus Issues on Pre-K and Inclusion. She has co-edited two books, published multiple book chapters and research articles, and consistently presents papers at international and national conferences. In addition to serving as the Director for the MTSU Play Symposium, Dr. Burriss coordinates the Curriculum and Instruction Master’s and Ed.S. degree programs, and conducts research in the areas of children’s play, teacher development, and outdoor learning/physical activity.
Rebecca M. Fischer, Ph.D.
Rebecca Fischer received her Ph.D. in Hearing Sciences from Vanderbilt University. She is currently a Professor of Communication Disorders, and Chair of the Department of Speech & Theatre. Research interests include clinical supervision and instruction; auditory processing disorders; and, language and speech development in children with hearing impairments.
Cyrille Magne, Ph.D.
Dr. Cyrille Magne research interests lie primarily in the areas of psycholinguistics and cognitive neuroscience. Current projects focus on the neural correlates of prosodic processing in spoken and sung language, and comparison between language and music, using methods presenting different temporal (EEG) and spatial (fMRI) resolutions.
Diane J. Sawyer, Ph.D.
Diane J. Sawyer has held the Murfree Chair of Excellence in Dyslexic Studies at Middle Tennessee State University since October, 1989. She directs the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia and serves as Program Director for the Ph.D. in Literacy Studies. Her research interests include the language base of reading and reading difficulties. She has developed, or supervised the development of, several tools to support the early identification of students at-risk of school failure. She is the author of numerous articles and book chapters on the reading process and reading disabilities, and their implications for effective instruction.