TALLAHASSEE, FL, June 17, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Stephanie Al Otaiba, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Special Education at the Florida Center for Reading Research, has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for demonstrating dedication, leadership and excellence in literacy and special education.

With 30 years of professional experience, Dr. Al Otaiba specializes in early literacy intervention. At the Florida Center for Reading Research at Florida State University, she conducts research on response to early literacy intervention and learning disabilities. She teaches special education classes at the College of Education and is an Associate Professor. Prior to her current position, she received her Ph.D. in Education and Human Development from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, with a concentration in Special Education and Literacy in 2000, a Master of Art in Special Education from Saint Mary's College of California, Summa Cum Laude in 1993 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA, Cum Laude in 1979. She also holds certification in Multiple Subject Elementary and Learning Handicapped in California. A voting member of the Society for Scientific Study of Reading, a member of the Council for Exceptional Children, the American Educational Research Association, the International Dyslexia Association, the International Reading Association, and Kappa Delta Pi, she is the recipient of the following awards and honors:

Distinguished Early Career Research Award, The Council for Exceptional Children Division for Research (2010)
Developing Scholar Award, Florida State University (2010)
Graduate Faculty Mentor Award, Florida State University (2010)
First Year Professor Award, Florida State University (2002)
Outstanding Dissertation Award, International Reading Association (2001)
Student Research Award, Division C, American Educational Research Association (2001)
Pre-Doctoral Affiliate, Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University (2000)
Outstanding Student Award for Research, St. Mary's College (1993)

Of her selection for the Distinguished Early Career Research Award, which recognizes individuals who are within 10 years past receiving their doctorate and have made outstanding scientific contributions to the field of special education in basic and/or applied research, Dr. Al Otaiba states that the award "is a tribute to my doctoral training with Dr. Doug Fuchs at Vanderbilt University, to the ongoing research support and mentoring from the Florida Center for Reading Research, the College of Education, the Learning Systems Institute, and to the team of graduate students from the College of Education and research staff who have worked on the projects. I have been very fortunate to have funding to support this research from the National Institute of Child Health and Development through the Florida Learning Disabilities Center Grant headed by Dr. Richard Wagner, and importantly, from Leon County Schools where our recent research has been conducted."

Dr. Al Otaiba has written over 50 refereed journal articles and chapters published. She is on the editorial boards of several journals including: the Anals of Dyslexia, the Elementary School Journal, Exceptional Children, and Learning Disabilities Research and Practice.

For more information about the Florida Center for Reading Research, visit http://www.fcrr.org.

About Cambridge Who's Who
With over 400,000 members representing every major industry, Cambridge Who's Who is a powerful networking resource that enables professionals to outshine their competition, in part through effective branding and marketing. Cambridge Who's Who employs similar public relations techniques to those utilized by Fortune 500 companies and makes them cost-effective for members who seek to take advantage of its career enhancement and business advancement services. Cambridge is pleased to welcome its new Executive Director of Global Branding and Networking, Donald Trump Jr., who is eager to share his extensive experience in this arena with members.

Cambridge Who's Who membership provides individuals with a valuable third party endorsement of their accomplishments and gives them the tools needed to brand themselves and their businesses effectively. In addition to publishing biographies in print and electronic form, it offers an online networking platform where members can establish new professional relationships.

Headquartered in Long Island's premier office building, RXR Plaza, the Cambridge Who's Who staff spans more than 10 departments and comprises a team of nearly 200 highly skilled and dedicated employees. Together they work to provide members with the recognition and exposure needed to further their careers, expand their businesses and network effectively in an economy where referrals are more important than ever.

For more information, please visit http://www.cambridgeregistry.com.

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