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CONTACT: Carol M. Connor, (850) 921-0703; <cconnor@fcrr.org> By Barry Ray FSU EDUCATION PROFESSOR HONORED AT WHITE HOUSE FOR LITERACY RESEARCH TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A Florida State University literacy researcher has been selected to receive the nation’s highest honor for scholars at the outset of their independent scientific research careers. Carol M. Connor, an assistant professor in FSU’s School of Teacher Education and the Florida Center for Reading Research, was one of 56 recipients of the 2006 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. On Nov. 1, the recipients were invited to the White House for an awards ceremony and photo opportunity with President George W. Bush. “Receiving this award is particularly gratifying because it represents an increasing recognition that education research is important and is a science in its own right,” Connor said. A researcher with FSU’s Florida Center for Reading Research, Connor has helped develop a Web-based software program known as A2i that computes the recommended amounts and types of reading instruction for each child in an elementary school classroom, thus enabling teachers to customize their lesson plans according to each student’s individual needs. “Carol Connor’s research elegantly illuminates our understanding of aptitude-treatment interactions in primary-grade reading,” said Barbara Foorman, FSU’s Francis Eppes Professor of Education and director of the Florida Center for Reading Research. Read more about Connor’s research into methods for teaching children to read at <www.fsu.com/pages/2007/01/25/NoBestMethod.html>. At the White House event, Connor received her award in a ceremony presided over by John H. Marburger III, science adviser to President Bush and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Her award citation reads: “In recognition of innovative research in the development and evaluation of an instructional tool to improve literacy instruction; outstanding studies of reading instruction and literacy development for children with and without disabilities; and exemplary service to improve reading outcomes through professional development for teachers and individual tutoring of students in her community.” “Congratulations to Carol on this well-deserved honor,” said Marcy P. Driscoll, dean of the FSU College of Education. “This is one of the most prestigious awards a young scientist can receive, and Carol’s work is certainly indicative of a career that will have a lasting impact in the area of literacy education.” The Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers were established in 1996 to recognize the country’s most promising researchers. Nine federal departments and agencies annually nominate scientists and engineers who are at the start of their independent careers and whose work shows exceptional promise for leadership at the frontiers of scientific knowledge. ### |