CEC-DR Council for Exceptional Children Division of Research

The Division for Research (DR) in the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is pleased to announce its selection of Dr. Michael Wehmeyer to receive the first annual Distinguished Early Career Research Award. This new award, sponsored by the Donald D. Hammill Foundation, was established by the Division for Research to recognize individuals who have made outstanding scientific contributions in special education ... within the first 10 years following receipt of the doctoral degree.

Michael Wehmeyer is currently the director of the Bill Sackter Center on Self-Determination and assistant director of the Department of Research and Program Services for The Arc of the United States. A former teacher of adolescents with severe and multiple disabilities, Dr. Wehmeyer earned his bachelor and master degrees in special education from the University of Tulsa in 1982 and his Ph.D. in human development and communication sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1989. In 1990, he began his work with The Arc of the United States as project director of a federally-funded model demonstration project to promote self-determination. Since joining The Arc, Dr. Wehmeyer has provided leadership to 10 major U.S. Department of Education funded projects and authored more than 50 articles and book chapters on self-determination and student involvement.

DR s distinguished award committee included Drs. Karen Harris (U. of Maryland, co-chair), Marty Kaufman (U. of Oregon, co-chair), Donald MacMillan (U. of California, Riverside), Barbara Keogh (UCLA), and Sam Odom (Indiana U.) In making their selection after reviewing a field of 10 superb nominees, the committee noted the overall quality and integrity of Dr. Wehmeyer s work, citing its tremendous impact on legislation, practice, policy ... as well as on current and future research in [special education].

Dr. Weymeyer s development of a strong theoretical framework established an empirical basis for research and intervention on self-determination of individuals with disabilities. His rich body of work has also focused on the degree to which people with disabilities are self-determined; the importance of self-determination in their lives, and the development and evaluation of instructional efforts to promote this outcome.

According to Dr. Harris, co-chair of DR s distinguished selection panel, Dr. Wehmeyer is "one of the premier special education-rehabilitation researchers of the 90's."

DR will recognize Dr. Wehmeyer for his achievements at a special reception on Friday, April 16, at CEC s annual meeting in Charlotte, NC, where he will receive a $1000 award from the Donald D. Hammill Foundation. As DR s first awardee, Dr. Wehmeyer also will be invited to deliver an address at the CEC during its annual meeting in April, 1999.

Dr. Wehmeyer lives in Arlington, Texas with his wife and two sons. When not conducting research and training, he says that he and his family are avid baseball fans who attend many of the Texas Rangers baseball games. While looking forward to his own formal award ceremonies in April, he notes this summer, we're taking the boys to Cooperstown NY to see Nolan Ryan inducted into the Hall of Fame!