Voices Literature & Writing

Catherine Snow, Ph.D., Senior Author
Catherine Snow, Ph.D., is the Patricia Albjerg Graham Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is an expert on children's language and literacy development, focusing on how oral language skills are acquired and how they relate to literacy outcomes. Snow has collaborated on three major longitudinal studies of language and literacy skills among low-income children, one of which focused primarily on how low-income bilingual learners transfer these skills from first to second language.

Robert L. Selman, Ph.D., Senior Author
Robert L. Selman, Ph.D., is the Roy Edward Larsen Professor of Education and Human Development at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School. His practice-based research on children's social and ethical development focuses on diversity issues for elementary students, school-based support and prevention programs for middle school students, and curricula for high school students.

Patrick C. Walker, Ph.D., Senior Author
Patrick C. Walker, Ph.D., helped develop a neighborhood-wide drug and violence prevention coalition in Boston that is the foundation of Voices Literature & Writing. Armed with research on effective, culturally appropriate prevention programs, Walker proposed a far-reaching solution: a school-based program that uses culturally diverse literature to promote literacy, social development, and drug and violence prevention.

Cynthia Tyson, Ph.D., Consulting Author
Cynthia Tyson, Ph.D., is Professor in the School of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University where she has conducted research and taught courses in children's literature and social studies education. Her work has primarily addressed the social, cultural, and critical issues of our times through the use of multicultural children's books. Tyson has authored many articles and books on children’s literature, social studies/ multicultural education, and teaching for social justice.

Maria Carlo, Ph.D., Consulting Author
Maria Carlo, Ph.D., ELL Specialist, is currently an Associate Professor of Teaching and Learning in the School of Education at the University of Miami. An expert in the area of English-language learning and bilingualism, her research focuses on the cognitive processes that underlie reading in a second language. Carlo has authored several articles on reading development, vocabulary instruction, and the cross-language transfer of academic skills.

Ernest Morrell, Ph.D., Consulting Author
Ernest Morrell, Ph.D., Writing Specialist, is Professor of Arts and Humanities and the director of the Institute for Urban and Minority Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Recognized for his commitment to teaching and service, Dr. Morrell shares a vision of powerful literacy practices in urban education that provide youth the skills they need to succeed academically and function more powerfully as citizens in our democracy.

Sonya L. Whitaker, Ed.D., Senior Consultant
Sonya L. Whitaker, Ed.D., is Superintendent for Fairmont School District 89, in Lockport, Illinois. As Superintendent, former Director for Academic Improvement, educational consultant, workshop facilitator and teacher, Dr. Whitaker is passionate about ensuring that all students experience academic success. She is a published author and has recently released a professional development DVD entitled The Culturally Responsive Teacher: How Understanding Culture Positively Impacts Instruction and Student Achievement.