Dr. Eve Puhalla, a 2007 graduate of the Special Education program at Lehigh University won the Special Education Research-SIG Outstanding Student Research Award presented by the American Educational Research Association. She accepted the award for her study “A Vocabulary Boost: Enhancing the Read Aloud Vocabulary of First-Grade Children with Supplemental Booster Instruction.”  She presented her study at the SER-SIG business meeting in April. According to Dr. Sharon Judge, chairperson of the award for this year, the committee received a record-breaking number of submissions.

Dr. Lana Edwards-Santoro nominated Dr. Puhalla for the Outstanding Student Research Award. The award recognizes excellence in research that represents an original, scholarly contribution to knowledge about education or related services for infants, toddlers, children, or youth with disabilities. The research for which individuals are nominated must have been conceived and conducted by them while they were enrolled as a student, and not published as of October 1 of the year prior to receiving the award.

Dr. Puhalla is now the Director and Assistant Professor of Special Education at DeSales University. The Special Education Program is strongly committed to the preparation of highly qualified educators who are not only skilled practitioners and/or researchers but are leaders in establishing effective teaching and learning environments for individuals with disabilities in their school and community. The philosophy that underlies the program's curriculum and the activities of the program's faculty include a person-centered approach, cross-categorical training, assessment-based practices, experiential learning, and innovation in research and practice. The Special Education program is also committed to the education and inclusion of all individuals with disabilities in school and society.