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Patricia A. Edwards, a 2012 Elected Member of the Reading Hall Fame is a Distinguished Professor of Language and Literacy in the Department of Teacher Education, a Principal Investigator, Literacy Achievement Research Center, and a Senior University Outreach Fellow at Michigan State University. A nationally and internationally recognized expert in parent involvement, home, school, community partnerships, multicultural literacy, early literacy, and family/intergenerational literacy, especially among poor and minority children.

She received her B.S. in Elementary Education from Albany State University (Albany, Georgia); the M.S. in Elementary Education from North Carolina A&T University, her Educational Specialist in Reading Education from Duke University; and her Ph.D. in Reading Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

She served as a member of the IRA Board of Directors from 1998–2001, and in 2006-2007 as the first African American President of the Literacy Research Association (formerly the National Reading Conference), and as President of the International Reading Association (2010-2011). She is a member of the Heinemann and Scholastic Speaker’s Bureau and has held workshops, in-service training sessions with school districts nationwide and abroad. In addition, she has served as a People to People Language and Literacy Delegation Leaderto China, South Africa, and Russia.

Her publications are rich with evidence and insights into issues of culture, identity, equity, and power that affects families and schools. As an African American researcher and educator herself has done much to build bridges and cross boundaries that have traditionally constrained African American children and youth. In the second decade of the new millennium, we now face tremendous problems of educating the diverse society in our country, and we have great need for educational reform and leadership that will address these problems. Through her leadership, research and service, Dr. Patricia A. Edwards has contributed significantly to moving us forward in addressing the problems that face our diverse society.

It is not the quantity of scholarly output that gives Dr. Edwards’ work a peerless sense, but also its theoretical and applied significance. Few scholars can claim that their research has had the force of shaping an entire field of study as only theoretically significant work can do. Perhaps this is so because giant strides in science are partly the product of timing and the state of knowledge in a discipline. Even so, it takes a keen mind and creative insight to seize the moment to break new ground, as Dr. Edwards was able to do.

Dr. Edwards embodies Gandhi’s counsel that “science without humanity” is one of the seven sins of the world. As a pioneer in her field of study, she bridged the worlds of families and schools, applying her knowledge of the lives and cultures of these people so that they could have the potential to discover, restructure and transform education for low-income children.

Dr. Edwards created two nationally acclaimed family literacy programs—Parents as Partners in Reading: A Family Literacy Training Program and Talking Your Way to Literacy: A Program to Help Nonreading Parents Prepare Their Children for Reading. The programs received commendation in the national press--Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and Milwaukee Journal. Former First Lady Barbara Bush highlighted Dr. Edwards' Parents as Partners in Reading Program as one of the top ten family literacy programs in the nation. In October 1989, Dr. Edwards was highlighted on Dan Rather Nightly New Series The Best of Us as one of five Americans everyone should know. In October 1988, she was commended for her work in family literacy in a nationally televised documentary hosted by PhyliciaRashad, First Things First sponsored by Project Literacy U.S. ABC/WQED Productions. Dr. Edwards has received and continues to receive recognition for her work in family/intergenerational literacy at the national, international, state, and local level.

In 1990, she was appointed by Assistant Secretary John McDonald to the First National Goal Readiness for School and the Michigan State University Institute for Families, Youth and Children. At spring meeting of the Michigan Reading Association, she received the 1991-92 Michigan Reading Association's Celebrate Literacy Award. On February 15, 1994, Dr. Edwards was the recipient of the prestigious Michigan State University Teacher-Scholar Award and on February 13, 2001, Dr. Edwards was the recipient of the Michigan State University Distinguished Faculty Award, the highest award that can be received by a faculty member. On April 28, 1994, Dr. Edwards was honored for her outstanding teaching by the Michigan State University Lilly Teaching Fellows Scholarship Program. In May 1994, Dr. Edwards was invited to be on the National Advisory Board for Sesame Street. In October 1994, Dr. Edwards was invited by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to the first World Symposium on Family Literacy in Paris, France as one of fifty researchers asked to participate in developing a world policy on family literacy and to share current and past research initiatives. At the 2012 Literacy Research Association annual meeting, Dr. Edwards received the Albert J. Kingston Service Award.

Dr. Edwards has published articles in Yearbook of the National Reading Conference, Theory into Practice, Teaching Education, Educational Policy, Reading Research Quarterly,Reading Teacher, and the Journal of Adolescence & Adult Literacy. She has served on the editorial advisory boards of the Yearbook of the National Reading Conference, The Reading Teacher, Language Arts, Michigan State Reading Journaland a guest reviewer for the Journal of Literacy Research,Educational Researcher, Reading Research Quarterly, Urban Education, American Educational Research Journal and Anthropology & Education Quarterly.

She is the co-author of A Path to Follow: Learning to Listen to Parent with Heather M. Pleasants and Sarah H. Franklin, Bridging Literacy and Equity: The Essential Guide to Social Equity Teaching with Althier M. Lazar and Gwendolyn T. McMillon, and Change is Gonna Come: Transforming Literacy for African American Students with Gwendolyn T. McMillon and Jennifer D. Turner. At the 2011 annual meeting of the Literacy Research Association, Edwards and her co-authors were recognized for their book with the prestigiousEdward B. Fry Book Award. This national award honors authors of an exceptional literacy research and practice book. Dr. Edwards is the author of Tapping the Potential of Parents: A Strategic Guide to Boosting Student Achievement Through Family Involvement, Children literacy development: Making It Happen Through School, Family, and Community Involvementandco-editor of Best Practices in ELL Instruction with Guofang Li. In addition, Dr. Edwards is the author of two forthcoming books: Achieve! Aha Moments, Straight Talk, and Practical Solutions for Helping Students of Color Succeed and Different Times, Different Parents, Different Strategies for Engaging Our Essential Partners.