Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Laurie Seder

With a Ph.D. in Special Education, Dr. Laurie Seder is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies. Her work helps to make teachers more highly effective in teaching students with disabilities in early childhood environments and K-12 schools. She focuses on improving training and assessments for teachers, including the use of innovative pedagogies and digital technologies. In particular, as a Reading Specialist certified in Special Education (Emotional, Intellectual, and Learning Disabilities) and Structured English Immersion, Dr. Seder is an expert who is, ultimately, a tremendous resource for children who have reading disabilities. 

What is your favorite quote or person that inspires you as a woman? 

The woman who inspired me has nothing to do with special education or my beliefs in inclusion for students with disabilities. Before I entered Special Education, I was enthralled with computer programming and space exploration. I could program DOS computers, knew Fortran, and read all the Hitchhiker's Guides to the Galaxy—all because of Judith Resinik, a young woman from my hometown who was the first Jewish woman to fly in space and, coincidentally, shared the same birth month and day as me. Judith Resinik's interests in computer programming and robotics were similar to mine, and I could see myself in her. She was a role model who looked like me. It was exciting to think that I could grow my skills to program robotic tools for space and maybe even work for NASA. 

Tragically, as we all know, the Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff on January 28, 1986, killing all on board, including Christa McAuliffe, a teacher chosen by the NASA Teacher in Space Project to be the first teacher in space. I very much remember where I was that day and the impact of seeing that explosion had on my life. While I spent another two years in computer programming, it wasn’t until a philanthropic event with the Boy Scouts (now Scouting America) that changed my career path. At the time, I was charged with teaching a young troop of scouts each with an identified disability how to program computers. I fell in love with the teaching aspect of this experience and entered a special education teaching preparation program the following fall. 

I also want to note that those critical thinking skills, the ones that I learned in my early programming classes, were all well used during my pursuit of higher education. Throughout my Educational Psychology master’s degree, I focused on statistics, tests, and measurement. Through my doctoral program, I continued to focus on statistics and conducted multiple factor analyses in my dissertation to dissect a reading motivation assessment. To this day, I still remember Dr. Resinik's impressive accomplishments during the 1970s and 1980s and the importance of a role model who not only looks like you, but also has a similar cultural background, can significantly influence one’s career.

What obstacles or opportunities have you experienced related to being a woman or to your gender identity?

The challenge I faced because of my gender is not unique to me; all women face it, though some have faced it with more grace than I might have. This challenge is managing the demands of our jobs alongside parenting. While I am 20 years into the parenting business, I sometimes flounder or feel guilty for having had to place my sons in preschool so that I could return to work. Thus, the rub or the challenge - do I stay home or work? To help ease this challenge, I advocate for women to work, I work with local programs to ensure we have quality and safe early childhood environments and schools for our children, and through my position at the university, I work with my colleagues to prepare quality educators for these programs. 

What encouragement and advice would you give to students or women in your profession, especially those trying to build a career?

On the surface, my advice to women is, “Do what brings you joy. Don’t do what others expect of you; do what you want.” On a deeper level, my advice would also include, “Before you begin this journey, make sure you have a support system—people who will cheer you on. I also suggest you live within your financial means. Adjust your lifestyle to save at least 10% of your paycheck each pay period. Maybe no Starbucks for a while.”