Position: Assistant secretary for the office of educational research and improvement, Department of Education.
Age: 56
Education: East Carolina University, A.B. in psychology, 1966; University of Illinois, M.A. in clinical psychology, 1968; University of Illinois, Ph.D. in child psychology, 1970
Career: Chair, department of psychology, and psychology and pediatrics professor, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 1970-2001; senior lecturer in psychology, University of New South Wales, 1984-86; vice president for academic affairs, Merrill-Palmer Institute, Detroit, 1984-87; president, Applied Research Partners Inc., 1999-2001
Other service: Senior scientist, National Center for Learning Disabilities’ “Get Ready to Read " early-literacy initiative, 2000-01; senior scientist, Public Library Association’s initiative on emergent literacy, 2000- 01; consultant, “Between the Lions,” PBS series, 1999; member, Department of Health and Human Services’ statutory advisory committee on Head Start research and evaluation, 1999-present; member, National Science Foundation/Department of Education Interagency Educational Research Initiative advisory committee, 1998; member, Education Department panel to synthesize research on family literacy, 1998-99; member, National Research Council committee on early-childhood pedagogy, 1998-2000.
Personal: Born in Washington, N.C. Married to Janet Fischel, associate professor of pediatrics at State University of New York at Stony Brook; two sons, ages 17 and 11.
